It is a really strange time in the gaming world. Over the last two decades, we have seen such growth in technology coincide with a plethora of creativity. I remember on the eve of the launch of the Playstation 3, I was playing games like Tomb Raider Legend, Ace Combat 5, and Final Fantasy XII and was extremely excited about the next generation consoles and material. I remember E3's 2005 and 2006 very well specifically my dispbelief about what we would be getting in the future. Now although some of these gaming experiences were great and a lot of them were just mediocre, I think that my excitement was justified. There was so much coming! The differneces in technology between the first, second, and third playstation consoles is noticably groundbreaking. The same goes for Nintendo and Microsoft. But now we are on the verge again of another generation of consoles and I dont think Im alone when I say there is little to be excited about.
Up till this point, we know relatively little about Sony and Microsoft's next-gen consoles. What we have heard is not sounding great though. We have heard rumours of no backwards compatability, no used games, and with few known titles or specific technological leeps, I do not see myself buying ANYTHING at launch. Now that may very well change, but at this point I am just so turned off to everything that I have seen of next-gen consoles.
The thing that boggles my mind about next generation systems is really that, there doesnt seem to be a need for them yet. We have not seen the limits of the Playstation 3 at this point, and although Xbox and Nintendo's consoles seem to be running out of steam, the current envirnment seems a terrible one to launch a new console.
Ultimatly aside from a few specific possible upgrades in Ram, processing power, no major leep in technology is expected; at least nothing like that between the Playstation and Playstation 2 and between the Playstation 2 and Playstation 3. If there is no huge hardware opportunity, why then do we need a new generation NOW?
Technology has not caught up with this desire. Most developers are just coming to grips with the current generation and they all seem to say another generation leap at this time terrifies them. I understand Nintendo and Microsoft's need to release a new console because they are not making significant profts over their current gen consoles anymore and need a cash infusion. But for SONY, I still see a lot of stuff on the horion though much of it seems far away. Whether it be Final Fantasy Versus XIII, The Last GUardian, or even Tomb Raider, there is still goods coming.
So at least for a gamers perspective, what we need now is not a new console, we need better games and more of them. I can only really speak for myself but I, like most developers am not ready for a new console. There is nothing I have been shown that makes me want one. After experienceing the mediocre and cheap-feeling presentation of the Vita, I dont think they are offering us anything new that we really want.
If it were me, I would start talking about enw consoles in maybe another two years but for now, they really need to show me something to change my mind. A new Call of Duty or Uncharted is not going to change my mind.
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