Doubt we're going to see many games running at 60fps on the next gen consoles. Developers have always made the choice to prioritize graphical detail/effects over framerate and there is no reason to suspect that will change.
Only way we are going to see 60fps routinely on console is if turns out that one is much more powerful than the other, in which case multiplats on the more powerful console may run at 60fps.
We are definitely starting to reach the point of diminishing returns when it comes to high-end graphics. State of the art PC's are many times more powerful than current gen consoles, but to the layman the difference is just that the games look a little sharper and smoother. For the enthusiast on the other hand the difference is night and day, and spending an extra $500 or so to run a game on ultra settings rather than high is money well spent. For most of us the difference between high and ultra is negligible and a $250 graphics card is more than enough to play current games at an acceptable level. These big spending PC hobbyists are equivalent to the old Hi-Fi enthusiasts that would spend thousands on music systems for upgrades in sound quality that most people couldn't even hear.
Ultimately if you are playing on a 7 year old console or you're running a couple of GTX 690's you are still playing the same games with the same geometry, character models and animations, it just isn't a radically different experience given the massive disparity in the hardware.
There will be a slight bump in overall quality with the release of the next gen consoles. The lowest common denominator for big budget multi-plats will be raised so the extra graphical effects and fidelity of high-end hardware will be polishing slightly less stinky turds, but the kind of obvious generational leaps in graphics we used to see are a thing of the past. The real limits going forward will be in the amount of time and money developers can throw at projects rather than the hardware that's running the games.
Violent crime rates are actually dropping throughout the developed world and have been since the mid 90's, wonder why the media never reports on that?
I wonder if crime rates dropping across the board in all these different countries with different economic situations and policies on tackling crime could be related to the rise in digital entertainment? Is the parallel between the rise in access to the internet, smart phones, quality gaming experiences etc. and the fall in crime purely coincidental?
The days of the disenfranchised youth hanging around on the streets getting into trouble because they have nothing better to do are fading. Nowadays antisocial douchebags are happily trash talking eachother on CoD and flaming each others facebook pages.
Along with the rest of the distractions offered by the digital age, games are actually reducing violent crime and are simply being scapegoated by ignorant, reactionary morons.
I wonder why the media never examines it's own role in the mass shootings that are wrongly attributed to gaming? The real difference between a suicidal, mentally ill kid quietly topping himself and going on a murderous rampage is the shock factor. They target schools and colleges because they know it will get the biggest reaction, and the media sensationalising these shootings plays a big part in the impact they are seeking to create.
If true this doesn't just mean no cheap pre-owned games. It means no rental, no taking games over to a friends house, no trading, swapping or borrowing games, no resale value etc.
You will be getting a hell of a lot less for your money, and somehow I doubt that would be reflected in how much new games cost. This would be absolutely suicidal for Microsoft.
Tom makes some good points, but there was an earlier Alien FPS that really nailed the atmosphere and tension of the Alien movies. Alien Trilogy on the PS1 and Saturn scared the crap out of me as a kid. One of those games that didn't get great reviews or sell in huge numbers but is fondly remember by those that played it as a genuinely scary and tough game.
It was the opposite of the games Tom complains about in the vid, wasn't a great game, but it was a great Alien game.
Shame that so many people have made up their mind about this game without playing it. I'm not a fan of pointless reboots, but the last decent DMC game came out 7 years ago and Capcom were clearly unable or unwilling to revive the series in house.
It was a bold decision to outsource the game and, according to the reviews so far, it has paid off. No point in arguing with the people that have already decided to hate the game because it deviates from the original character and gameplay, they are the ones losing out on a solid hack and slash due to their own prejudices, their loss.
I loved the PS2 era DMC games, but let's be honest here, DMC4 was not a great game. If the choice was between another dated rehash with lame puzzles and hours of padding or a new direction with a new developer I'd pick the latter. Platinum made the game that DMC4 should have been with Bayonetta and it looks as though Ninja Theory have used that as their inspiration rather than trying to recreate the classic DMC. Personally I don't miss the naff anime haircut but if that's a deal breaker for you then that's your loss I guess.
I've never paid for gold, it's a blatant rip off. They are charging for services that are free on every other platform, even things like accessing Youtube, it's ridiculous. If I feel the need to play multiplayer I just do it on the PC.
The PS3 is the way to go if you are interested in an all purpose media device, decent bluray player, no additional costs for media streaming, free multiplayer, web browsing etc. If MS continue with this model it will absolutely figure into my choice of console in the next gen.
JamDev's comments