Next-Gen Console Rumors Summarized, Discussed 224
Thanks to GameSpy for their article discussing available information and prospects for Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo's next generation of consoles. Regarding Sony's PlayStation 3, the piece notes: "May 2004's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) would seem an appropriate time for the PS3 unveiling, but it's unlikely that Sony will want to steal the thunder from its already-scheduled PlayStation Portable (PSP) unveiling", and also muses that "Nintendo's next-gen machine doesn't even have a good moniker yet, as it's unlikely that it'll want to name it after the underperforming GameCube." As for the alleged Xbox Next, the article suggests: "Jostling with Nintendo for the second-place spot worldwide, Microsoft has a bit more [motivation] than Sony to tip its hand early", and claims news of the device is "set to debut at the San Jose Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March 2004." But do those who unveil and launch their consoles first always get the advantage?
Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:3, Interesting)
On the other hand, the success of the PS2 can probably be traced to GT3, GTA, Square, Metal Gear Solid 2, Onimusha, and a host of must-have games that were released before the Xbox hit its stride. People buy games and hardware to play those games, not hardware and games to play on that hardware.
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:2, Interesting)
Games aren't original; hardware is. PS2 games are largely the same games we've always played our whole lives. The fun of buying a console vs the emulator is the ability to play on that hardware, using neato controllers. I buy the hardware so I can play games on the hardware. Otherwise, I'd just wait another 5 or so years, get a PS2 emulator, and download ROMs like mad. But I don't want to play those games on my PC. I want to play them on my
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:2)
Seeing as how the XBOX is much more impressive graphically than the PS2, it's hard to take the 'not originally developed with gaming in mind' comment too seriously.
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:2)
No, not really. Don't get me wrong, I see what you're saying, but it doesn't prove my statement is 'weak at best'. If the result is that it does what people buy it to do, it's hard to take the "it's not designed with gaming in mind" very serio
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:2)
Except that Microsoft, themselves, have pretty much said that the Xbox is a trojan, designed to get the Microsoft name into the living room. The Xbox is far more successful than their previous attempts at controlling the living room: Ultimate TV and WebTV (now MSN TV).
Look at the Xbox Music Mixer, which allows karoke use; file sharing of music and movie files from a PC and Xbox; et
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:3, Interesting)
The PS2's success didn't have to do with big games. There really weren't any big games for the PS2 until about a year after the PS2's launch - about the same time as the GameCube and Xbox launched. By then, PS2 sales were already about what current Xbox and GameCube sales combined are.
Other than Halo, the Xbox h
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:2)
You have to get the raft from level 3 to get to 4, and you have to get the ladder from level 4 to make it through the levels after it. And you have to get the flute from level 5 to get to level 7. You also have to beat 1 thru 8 before you can enter 9. That's all that's forced. For example, I just beat Zelda 1 again last week. I did the levels in the order 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9.
Wind Waker was clearly designed to be non-linear. When you are told a
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:2)
Re:Sony likely to succeed next time: here's why (Score:2)
I must say, slightly offtopic, this is the first time I've caught someone quoting me in a public forum. You've just made my day.
- Chris Canfield
Why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Why? : Oh my god! overlords! (Score:1)
After the obligatory joke, I wish to say that is another reason (apart from excellent games) to support Nintendo. You don't want only one company owning all electronic media, be it a japanese (Sony) or American (Microsoft).
We want to play games.
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Re:Why? (Score:3, Insightful)
So what you're saying is that your friends are a bunch of thieves?
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:And I'm supposed to care? (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:1)
I'll tell you why... (Score:2)
simple as that.
3rd party developer interest is the key indicator into console health, and the GameCube doesn't have much, if any, left.
consider the dreamcast. it had some fantastic games. it wasn't too far behind the ps and n64 after a year or two of release - but it was still dead in the water because 3rd party developers didn't consider it worth the risk. it continued to have some really great games released for it - but the overall trend
Next Nintendo (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:2)
That would be freakin' BRILLIANT.
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:2, Interesting)
Sorry but nintendo has already stated that they intend to battle sony's psp (which will cost around $200-$300) with their GBA sp prices ($90). Besides they have already mentioned the device they will reveal at the E3 wont be a handheld or a console. Their next Console wont be released until 2005
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:3, Interesting)
That doesn't rule out a portable Game Cube. It could be as simple as a GC with a built in screen. The BFD you ask? Imagine a GameCube Lan party where you only bring this tiny box and a network hub.
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:3, Informative)
The GC is already set to be portable. It has a frickin' handle on the back of it for you to hold! It has a smaller form factor than any thing since the PS1. And there are thrid party mini-screens for it just like the PS1.
Let's not even get into why Nintendo would want to cut into the well established, well running market of the Gameboy.
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:1)
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:2)
GameBoy Advance games sell for $35. Of that, $8 goes to the production of the cartridges. Well, 3rd parties pay Nintendo $8 per cartridge, so Nintendo makes more than that.
GameCube games sell for $50, and cost significantly less to produce. Wouldn't you much rather sell GameCube games than GameBoy Advance games?
Also, if they included GBA compatibility into the portable, it would greatly i
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:2)
Ah! But the crux of that argument relies upon the user's perception of value. So far, portable game play != console level of game play. They would start out having to work up against that mentality which means having to have the lower prices that the GBA/SP games bring in right now.
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:2)
So if Sony ends up shooting themselves in the foot with using optical media on a portable, Nintendo can go down in flames right along with it? I doubt it.
Personally, for their upcoming mysery announcement (megaton!), my money is an iQue-esque online service for the GCN that lets you buy ROM images of older console games.
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:2)
Then explain my collection of the first five years of the magazine I have.
"the Bandai Sattelaview,"
The funny think about satellite services is that they require... you know... a satellite. Satellites over Japan aren't visible from way on the other side of the Pacific. It might be visible from Hawaii, but I wouldn't bet on it. Throwing up a satellite for a new market when the service was a fizzle in the home market is rather silly.
Besides, bits and pieces
Re:Next Nintendo (Score:2)
The answer is "No" (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:1)
The US market didn't care all that much, since DC wasn't doing too well anyway, but the European market was kind of miffed.
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:2)
Er...no.
There was a Sega 8bit system that competed with the Nintendo 8bit system, and the next generation were the 16bits, Genesis and Super NES.
the Dreamcast was Sega's PSX killer, but Sony started pumped the PS2
Sega tried to get ahead of the next generation, released their product early in the game, were on their way for a while, but they were hacked real fast, and since the console is only there to sell the games, they cra
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:2)
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:1)
Curious as it is, your statement is correct, but your example contradicts itself.
The PSX was released before the N64 and beat it, then the PS2 was released before the Xbox and the cube, and beat them both! the dreamcast was not a next gen console. It was released to compete against the PSX and N64. but was blown from the water by the PS2. Dreamcast 2 never showed up. (unless you count the XBOX which was made by MS who was involved in the creat
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:5, Insightful)
The Dreamcast didn't die because people didn't want it, it died because Sega couldn't move enough units to stay afloat. The difference may seem subtle at first, but think about it a sec: You have to build the machines before selling them. If you're trying to be competitive with other over-hyped systems, you're being forced to cut too many corners. Eventually it just wasn't profitable enough in the short term for them. Many people weeped over the demise of that system, it wasn't because it was neglected.
On a side note: Side by side, Dreamcast games looked better than PS2 games. The PS2, though technically more powerful, has a nasty little RAM bottleneck that forces them to render at half screen, and interpoplate back up to full screen. The RAM saved was put into textures etc. The DC, however, had an adequate buffer to do full-res video. The result? Clarity. That thing could move textures like mad.
Pity Sony had to be so arrogant with their design. Lots of hardship on the developers in that aspect. I remember the Oddworld game was moved to the XBOX because the PS2 was too limiting on the artists.
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:2)
Bullshit. Very very few PS2 titles do that, as most PS2 developers have worked out how to stream textures from main memory. The reason the DC looked so good was that it could do really good / proper antialiasing in hardware. Something none of the current gen do particularly well.
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:2)
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:2)
You're wrong. Very few games render half height.
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:2)
Basically, the video output circutry isn't as good -- and it shows.
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:2)
Oh come on!
The Dreamcast textures were horrible! I rented Mr Moskito on PS2, and while I enjoyed that
Re:The answer is "No" (Score:3, Insightful)
Actually it was because Microsoft paid for the exclusive.
Console Releases (Score:1)
I think so. That is the only reason the PS2 has an advantage over the XBOX, is because it was released 1 1/2 years before the XBOX. Basically, the PS2 had many gamers already when the XBOX came out. The XBOX is a far superior console compared to the PS2, although it is battling for the number 2 spot with Nintendo's Gamecube. Timing is everything, and being established in the market. I think it is safe to say XBOX has now es
Re:Console Releases (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Console Releases (Score:1)
Backwards-compatibility might have been a selling point, but only temporarily. If you wanted to play old & busted games, you didn't need to spend $300 to do it on a fancy new PS2.
Re:Console Releases (Score:2)
What a worthless article... (Score:5, Insightful)
There was absolutely nothing in that article to make it worth reading. Of course, it was on GameSpy, so that's not too surprising.
--Jeremy
advantage? (Score:1)
Strange... (Score:1)
Re:Strange... (Score:2)
No good moniker? (Score:3, Insightful)
Except for the fact that the Xbox is "underperforming" just as much as the GC and MS will indeed name their next console after the Xbox, so I don't see how naming it after the Gamecube would be such a bad thing (though I'd like to see them name it the NES 5, personally).
Re:No good moniker? (Score:2)
NES. SNES. I would classify both of those as modern, so I won't bring up the Comoodore series or the many Atari XXXX consoles of ancient lore.
Blech (Score:3, Interesting)
Every new hardware generation needs a "Killer App.". From the 2600 to the NES, the Killer App was SMB/Mega Man/Side Scrollers. From the NES to the SNES/Genesis, the killer apps were the increased graphical prowness, SMW and Sonic. Then there was the turn at 32/64 bit. For the N64, it was 3d adventures. For the PS1, it was first the arcade ports. That never really caught on. The big killer app was Final Fantasy VII, of course.
When it jumped from PS1 to PS2, the Dreamcast, first, never really had anything to really vault itself. Soul Calibur was great, but the genre was already done on the PS1. It was technically brilliant, but didn't add too much.
My argument is that the killer app on the PS2 is actually a rather overlooked game.
Dynasty Warriors 2.
That really introduced the idea of being overwhelmed in an action game. Not for consumers, but for developers, I think it opened a lot of eyes towards what could be done on the hardware.
Until they have something to launch this on the new hardware, I think that the focus will be on the current generation.
64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
When will you idiots learn that the PS2 is a 32-bit console, just like everyone other console out there right now (with the exception of the Jaguar and N64, and look where they are now)
I don't know how console gamers got the idea that more bits = better system: sure this was important back in the days of the 6502, the jump in bits (NES->SNES, Master System->Genesis) was a jump in generations.
The truth is nobody really needs more than a 32-bit intege
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
No, it has a lowly 300mhz processor.
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
Graphically? No, it's not.
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
No, try again, idiot. (Score:2)
But the primary core, which does the integer and branching logic, controls all the other cores, schedules the DMA, etc. etc. is 32-bit through and through. Also, note all cores operate on 32-bit addresses.
If that makes it 128-bit (or even 64-bit), then the 387 coprocessor upgrade made the 1980's era 386SX 64-bit.
Which
Re:No, try again, idiot. (Score:2)
Wrong, but thanks for playing. The FP unit in the EE is 32bit, non-IEEE. Also the primary core has 128 bit registers too, so you can move data from memory, to VU0 registers (which you can set up as a coprocessor).
Bite my shiny metal devkit, n00b.
Re:Fair enough. (Score:2)
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
I'd reccomend an optician.
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
At no point did I say that the PS2 had the best graphics of the current three. Given that the other two had more than a years extra development time, it's not really surprising. However, anyone who thinks that the PS2 is *far inferior* is showing definite signs of fanboyism.
Ah, my bad. (Score:2)
It's the GameCube with the 486MHz G3.
Re:64 to 128-bit? What crack are you smoking? (Score:2)
Question, meet answer.
SMACK (Score:2)
>_;;;
Re:SMACK (Score:2)
Re:Ahhh! A slash-script ate mah entity! (Score:2)
First != Advantage (Score:2)
Sega then ships the Dreamcast a whole year before the PS2, and gets trounced once again.
I suppose it could be partly blamed on bad marketing, but the real problem was that Sega never had any real franchise titles on the Saturn or Dreamcast (despite the Sonic rehashes). Sony will dominate for years to come, simply because they have the best titles -- the FF
Re:First != Advantage (Score:1)
Sega ships the Saturn before Sony ships the PS1 -- Sega gets dominated (despite the fact that the Saturn was a superior console in terms of hardware).
That is not correct. Saturn was only superior in the 2D field, and vastly inferior in the 3D area.
Re:First != Advantage (Score:2)
Re:First != Advantage (Score:2)
Niether of your Sega references really support the 'first != advantage argument'. In the case of the Saturn, they took too many shortcuts to get it out to market first. Sega simply didn't have all the pieces in place and tripped themselves up in the process. Sony, on the other hand, had a complete system with games that demonstrated its power. If the Saturn had been more like the PS in both power and game library
Re:First != Advantage (Score:2)
FF no longer Sony exclusive (Score:2)
In case you don't actually pay attention to FF news as devotedly as fanboys like me, whatever rift existed between Nintendo and Square has been healed, and new FF games (after XII, most likely, since it's already in development--but what do I know?) will probably come to Nintendo's consoles as well. Crystal Chronicle (not a numbered FF, but an FF, nonetheless) is already out for GC/GBA.
Of course, I'm sticking with my PS2, and 3 when it comes out, or more likely a year or 2 after :-)
Dan Aris
Re:First != Advantage (Score:2)
(Take this with a grain of salt, I am a Sega fan)
The Saturn may have technicly had superior hardware, but it was extremely difficult to program for (it had 2 Hitachi SH2 processors running parallel, and could do 50 MIPS compared to PSX's 30).
I suppose it could be partly blamed on bad marketing, but the real problem was that Sega never had any real franchis
Re:First != Advantage (Score:2)
I dont understand the analysis.... (Score:4, Insightful)
I also think the GC joystick design blows away the competition and I hope nintendo sticks with it. But if their next system sucks I wont want it, even if everyone else does, and the same goes for sony.
I just don't get why all the press recently has been so anti-nintendo, it is sort-of like the anti-Howard Dean press, where is very obvious the Republicans are pushing the 'un-electable' angle as hard as they can so that it sticks before he even gets the nomination. Why are game writers so anti nintendo? the game cube is a nice little device and the games they put out are typiclly very high quality.
Re:I dont understand the analysis.... (Score:2)
Also, more 'dedicated' videogame fans (such as good writers) generally like to
Re:I dont understand the analysis.... (Score:2)
You already admitted to not reading the article. Let me ask you this: How many "Nintendo should leave the hardware industry" articles have you read? Now, taking into account th
Xbox2's big mistake... (Score:2)
While I only happen to own Nintendo consoles, I don't have much experience with backwards compatability (except for a few old gameboy puzzle games and Mario Tennis which I still play on the GBA), I do have experience with the "ultimate" backwards-compatible machine... the PC. I fire up Civ II, Warcraft II, old King's Quests and Lucasarts games at least once a year.
Backwards compatability rules. PS3 is already announced to be backwards com
Re:Xbox2's big mistake... (Score:2)
you're bullshitting. microsoft has said nothing about backwards compatability escept for "no comment".
my source? Ed Fries himself. i called him up last november and asked him personally.
as for the possibility, its very likely -- microsoft accquired connectix recently, basically the ultimate emulator comapny of all time. they not only make virtualPC, (x86 PPC !) but they at one time made a.... *poof* Playstation emulator.
Re:Xbox2's big mistake... (Score:2)
Gamespy, as usual, has earned its name Lamespy. (Score:3, Informative)
No, it wouldn't. That time would be 2005. The cycle between consoles otherwise is 5 years. When did they last have complete hardware to show in North America? At E3 2000. When did the PS2 release? Fall 2000.
backwards compatibility (Score:3, Insightful)
How many Nintendo consoles have offered backwards compatibility? The Gameboys. Gamecube has a completely different type of media. Usually Nintendo have stuck to carts, but they're on proprietary CDs.
People are still buying their new games. People aren't complaining that they can't plug their N64 games and their SNES games into the cube...
Same for Xbox. New architecture will just mean a new box. Who gives a toss iff it can't play old Xbox games? Your old Xbox will do that.
If you don't have a current-gen Xbox when the next-gen is released, you're not going to go out and buy old Xbox games. They'll be too blocky, or too low-res.
You'll move on. And you'll accept that.
Don't impel the designers of the next-gen consoles to add backwards compatibility that you won't ACTUALLY use.
Re:backwards compatibility (Score:2)
Re:backwards compatibility (Score:2)
Really? That's interesting. I actually buy my games based on whether or not they're fun, and usually graphics have little to do with raw fun. Amplitude is probably one of the most played games in my collection - my entire family (and they're numerous) played it over the Christmas break and got hooked. I still play the "old" Final Fantasy games fr
Re:backwards compatibility (Score:2)
Concerning backwards compatibility: Final Fantasy 1 through 9 (plus Tactics) is my primary backwards compatibility reason right now. Throw in Parasite Eve and a bunch of other discs, and it's awesome. I don't - and never have - owned a Playstation One, and I doubt I'd hav
Re:backwards compatibility (Score:2)
Try again. Plenty of PS2 games are made on CD-ROMs. Look at the underside (readable part) of the PS2 disks. If they're silver, they're DVD-ROMs, if they're blue, they're CD-ROMs.
Thus, the correct thing to say is: PSOne = CD-ROM PS2 = CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What a load of crap... (Score:2, Insightful)
I have to disagree with you there. The patent that Sony filed indicates that IF the ps3 is built according to what is in the patent (standard configuration has 4 cell according to the patent), and IF it works, then it SHOULD be capable of processing 1024 times the number of instructions per second then the ps2. Acording to what I have read, all four cells will be ne
Short Answer: (Score:2)
No. For references, please see entries for Sega Saturn and Dreamcast. Next question.
Re:I feel bad for gamecube (Score:2)
Re:I feel bad for gamecube (Score:1)
I guess that the average gamer age has not risen yet above 17, when blood and sex are cooler than solid gameplay. (Well, sex, at least the
Re:I feel bad for gamecube (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I feel bad for gamecube (Score:2)
It seems to come more from the non-gaming media than the gaming media.
Personally, I find this article from Time Magazine [time.com] to be exceptionally funny. The first sentence of the second paragraph states: "But the company's latest console, the GameCube, has proved to be an unmitigated disaster, giving this holiday season the potential to become the Winter of Iwata's Discontent."
There's a few others here on Slashdot