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All Three Next-Gen Consoles at e3 2005 371

Posted by Zonk from the allez-cuisine dept.
Word is now out that, in all likelyhood, all three next generation consoles will be displayed in some form at this year's e3. Nintendo's Revolution has been rumoured to be making an appearance for a while. Yesterday Sony announced the PS3 would be available in playable form at the convention, and Microsoft was soon to follow regarding the Xbox Next. Game on?
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All Three Next-Gen Consoles at e3 2005 More

All Three Next-Gen Consoles at e3 2005

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  • No news is good news (Score:5, Funny)

    by SFalcon ( 809084 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:02PM (#11507078)
    Word is not out that, in all likelyhood, all three next generation consoles will be displayed in some form at this year's e3. Good to know there's no updates on the matter, thanks!

  • Competition (Score:5, Insightful)

    by TrippTDF ( 513419 ) <hiland@NOSpAM.gmail.com> on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:02PM (#11507084)
    I suppose that in the interest of competition, all three are rushing to put something "showable" together, regaurdless of how close they are to market. I'd take anything I see with a grain of salt, knowing that these consoles were probably go through some big changes between E3 and market.

    • Re:Competition (Score:5, Interesting)

      by devmage ( 685080 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @04:10PM (#11507987) Homepage
      Nintendo doesn't rush, they have been working on Revolution for quite some time and indicated it would be at this E3.

      They also mentioned at the last E3 that they do not consider Microsoft competition, and they will beat or meet the PS3 to market.

      They actually took quite a few shots at M$ and Sony last E3. It was nice to see Nintendo taking the gloves off after taking a beating for some many years.

      I will be quite interested to see the what makes the Revolution so revolutionary :)

    • I'd take anything I see with a grain of salt, knowing that these consoles were probably go through some big changes between E3 and market.

      Bearing in mind that Microsoft have already delivered dev kits they can't be far from the finished product. Chances are sony and microsoft will release within six months of each other, microsoft will probably wait for sony and then release shortly afterwards, expect both consoles to be going head to head at christmas. Playable showcases of both the xbox next and ps3

      • Re:Competition (Score:4, Insightful)

        by unclethursday ( 664807 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @11:23PM (#11511364)
        Playable showcases of both the xbox next and ps3 arent too unlikely, both of them must be pretty close to final product.

        Doubtful on the PS3. I know a few people at a dev studio or two which in turn are owned by large publishers, and they say they have the Xenon (Xbox 2) dev kits already, but the last time I asked (about a month ago) none of them had either the PS3 or Revolution dev kits.

        There's also the fact that the prototypes for the Cell chip were only just recently made and are being tested.

        If the PS3 is going to be using the Cell, there's going to be at least another year before anything is playable at an E3 or TGS or whatever. Under 5 months is simply not enough time to not only learn an entirely new architecture, but also make playable demos running on said new architecture. And E3 2005 is in less than 5 months.

        The only way for the PS3 to have something playable at this year's E3 would be for Sony to change from using the Cell to using a different chip that developers already know (like an x86 or PPC variant, or maybe an updated Emotion Engine), and they could throw together playable tech demos.

        But, if Sony still is adamant about using the Cell chip, then it's going to be at least another few months before they can even have development kits ready for developers to begin learning the new architecture on. In that case, don't expect to see "playable" PS3 units at E3 this year.

  • Vision (Score:2, Interesting)

    by dsginter ( 104154 )
    Here's what I'm hoping:

    1) Sony uses a custom Linux distro for PS3
    2) PS3 becomes infinitely popular
    3) Sony releases cell processor for PCs
    4) Cell processor takes over PC world
    5) Linux now has hundreds of game titles, thanks to PS3 development
    6) People dual boot Linux for games, eventually dump windows
    7) No proft!

    • Re:Vision (Score:3, Insightful)

      by garcia ( 6573 ) *
      Well considering that Sony offered a Linux kit for the PS2 and it really never took off (due to price because of the HD) I can't imagine this will happen.

      It would be interesting though ;)

      • Re:Vision (Score:3, Informative)

        by Bander ( 2001 )
        My understanding was that the Linux kit was sold out in pre-orders, which isn't quite "never took off". Sony didn't intend for it to be a mainstream consumer product, but a one-off stunt that paid off more in press and word-of-mouth than sell through profits.

        Also, in the form it was released, the Linux kit was definitely more hobbiest oriented than home consumer oriented. Turning it into something with Sony's traditional polish would probably have cost more in effort than would have been made in sales. (De
      • Well considering that Sony offered a Linux kit for the PS2 and it really never took off (due to price because of the HD) I can't imagine this will happen.

        I'm not saying, "offer a Linux kit". I'm saying that they should leverage a PC platform to run the PS3. If they could develop a DirectX-like API for Linux, programmers would have a spec to which they could adhere and their games would compile for both PS3 and Linux. They could actually create a knoppix-like bootable gaming platform for people with Wi
        • ever heard of simple directmedia layer(sdl)?
          its a corssplatform kit working on linux, windows, mac and even some others. its LGPL...

    • Re:Vision (Score:3, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      What if all the cell processors unite and form a giant A.I. that acts like a super-intelligent penguin, eating all our fish so that the oceans shrink and then there will be no deep end any more. NO DEEP END.

      *anonymity to fend off pending uber-penguin attack

      • Re:Vision (Score:3, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        I for one would like to be the first to welcome our super-intelligent fish-eating, ocean-shrinking, no deep end making, cell processor based, uber-penguin overlords.
    • Well considering the xbox runs an nt variant with near-directx atop that, perhaps the PS3 will have something resembling an OS underneath, and linux would certainly be a nice choice for such an application. One can wish ^_^

      • Re:Vision (Score:3, Informative)

        by TheNetAvenger ( 624455 )
        Well considering the xbox runs an nt variant with near-directx

        You say this like it is a bad thing. If the open source world is every going to be able to overcome Microsoft we need to understand their Strengths and why.

        NT is a solid OS and a solid Kernel Technology, it is the Win32 and the Windows Subsystem that people don't like and target for viruses.

        NT (pure NT) is a solid strong OS design, Cutler and his team were no fools.

        The second thing is DirectX. Everyone seems to keep thinking it is just abou

    • Re:Vision (Score:3, Insightful)

      by NanoGator ( 522640 )
      "6) People dual boot Linux for games, eventually dump windows"

      Erm. Why not just play games on your PS3?
      • Why get a PS3 when you can play it on your computer? With the games having to be playable on the PS3 they can't force you to download drivers (although if it comes with a HD that might change) or update hardware, so if your computer can run it, no need for a PS3. Which is exactly why this won't happen.

        • Re:Vision (Score:3, Insightful)

          by NanoGator ( 522640 )
          "Why get a PS3 when you can play it on your computer?"

          Installation takes up space I'd rather use for porn. For a lot of games, I prefer the PS2 (and I assume the PS3) controller over a mouse and keyboard. I don't want to dick around with drivers. I don't want to configure games to suit my system. I'd rather play on my 27" TV. ETC.

          " so if your computer can run it, no need for a PS3."

          None of what I mentioned would be addressed this way.
    • 7) No proft!

      Except for Sony, right?
  • Word is not out that, in all likelyhood, all three next generation consoles will be displayed in some form at this year's e3.

    Well, it is now.

  • Word is not out that, in all likelyhood, all three next generation consoles will be displayed in some form at this year's e3.

    It's not? Then what am I reading here? >.>

  • It begins! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jkmiecik ( 242175 ) <slashdotdoesntne ... m ['ila' in gap]> on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:04PM (#11507107)
    And thus begins the 12 month wankfest over which system is superior, based from debates online from people who have only seen press photos of the system in question and have never played it. I hate console -release years on my gaming forums.
    • And thus begins the 12 month wankfest over which system is superior, based from debates online from people who have only seen press photos of the system in question and have never played it

      The debate continues among gamers even after the consoles have come out and they have been played. People still debate which is better among GameCube vs. PS2 vs. X-Box.

    • I enjoy it personally (Score:5, Funny)

      by buffer-overflowed ( 588867 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:12PM (#11507229) Journal
      I'll flame people. They'll flame me. We'll get into a how long have you been gaming virtual penis measuring contest. We'll all enjoy it and point at each other and laugh. And no opinions will be swayed.

      God himself could descend down upon gaming forums populated entirely by evangelicals in console launch years and declare his preference, backed up by Jesus and the holy ghost, and this is still how it would happen.
    • And thus begins the 12 month wankfest over which system is superior, based from debates online from people who have only seen press photos of the system in question and have never played it. I hate console -release years on my gaming forums.

      It won't stop in 12 months time. It never has before.

      Just for the record the SNES was superior to the Mega Drive (Genesis for you yanks).

  • The game is most definetly afoot (Score:4, Interesting)

    by fwitness ( 195565 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:06PM (#11507143)
    This will make for quite the interesting year game wise. It will also make for lots of price slashes. Since the current consoles still have lot's of graphics power and a huge install base, it's going to be a good year to be a gamer.

    Ah the circle of consoles. Makes my heart warm.

  • Pity the Dev (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Bonker ( 243350 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:07PM (#11507151)
    I have nothing but condolences in my heart for those poor devs and designers who just found out with these announcements that they're going to be pulling double or even triple duty for the next year in order to back up the salesmen's promises.

  • New Input Scheme, Save Us Nintendo! (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Iscariot_ ( 166362 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:07PM (#11507154)
    Am I the only gamer that has finally grown tired of the hand-held controller input scheme? Isn't it time we dawn some sort of VR goggles or other similar display and perhaps a new input method? Or is the next generation of consoles going to be identical to the last (and the one before that!) with more ram, processing power, etc?

    I know that Nintendo is working on a new type of controller, and that might be enought to persuade me to purchase their console over the other two. But really, I think it's time someone take a larger leap foward than touting it can render toy-story in realtime and has uber magic special online abilities.
    • Yes, yes, and they can call it Virtual Boy! (. . .)
    • You might be tired of the hand-held controller scheme, but for a lot of things, it works fairly well. I think that joysticks/keyboards/mice are also suited to different styles of games, but I think you implied "standard input devices" when you said "hand-held controller".

      Nintendo's DS has the nifty touch-screen and microphone which it uses for input in different games, sometimes in very creative ways (Feel the Magic is a great example).

      -Jesse
    • While systems like Virtual Boy would lead one to stray from innovation, I definately agree. I'll be surprised if a round of consoles from these manufacturers does as well as the current round has if there is no innovation involved. With one exception: GTA and MMO-games. The scale of a game like GTA is dependent on machine resources just as the graphics are. However, a game of large scale is much more entertaining to me now that graphics have reached a sufficient point. I'll pay Pixar to render a pretty fi

    • Re:New Input Scheme, Save Us Nintendo! (Score:5, Funny)

      by decipher_saint ( 72686 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:24PM (#11507369)
      You want my Power Glove?
    • I know that Nintendo is working on a new type of controller

      I don't know about the Revolution, but the DShas a mighty fine set up. The game library is sorely lacking right now, but I've enjoyed Mario 64 all over again. The Metroid Demo it comes with is also awesome. I'd give it a shot, even if you don't like handhelds that much. A lot of the store demo ones get the screens all smudged up with fingerprints, but it can be cleaned off easily. Even wiping it off with your shirt helps.

    • Am I the only one who misses the analog paddle controller and the eight-direction human-sized joystick (as opposed to the phallic flight-sim monstrosities)?

      And please, those retro VCS game-in-a-joysticks -- why bastardize classics like Circus Atari and Kaboom! with a joystick rather than an analog positioner?

      Seriously, though, I do think we will see more games in the future that sense body position and movement -- more than just Dance Dance Revolution. However, as TV did not completely replace radio, neith

    • Others have mentioned things like the Virtua Boy (that'll cure you of the desire for 3D goggle right quick) and the venerable Powerglove... gaming history is littered with devices like these (remember all the 3-D PC controllers out 8-10 years ago).

      However there still are interesting alternative input devices being explored. Steering wheel controls survive and are doing pretty well. But one of the more interesting ideas is the EyeToy and it's use in games.

      Sure it's mostly been dance stuff so far, but the
    • Isn't it time we dawn some sort of VR goggles or other similar display and perhaps a new input method?

      Hey, yeah. I mean, Nintendo did so well in the past with the Virtual Boy and R.O.B., the Robotic Operating Buddy...

  • but wait.. (Score:5, Funny)

    by kevinx ( 790831 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:08PM (#11507165)
    comeon, those are just vaporware.. I'm holding out for the phantom.

  • Viva la Revolution (Score:3, Insightful)

    by TimmyDee ( 713324 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:09PM (#11507179) Homepage Journal
    Personally, I'm hoping that Nintendo has a winner on their hands with the Revolution. I've always been a fan of the kinds of games that get released on the Nintendo consoles. They tend to be unique and wonderfully playable. Some may complain that the titles tend towards the younger demographics, but I think that many of them are playable and, most importantly, fun at all ages. Their games tend to be unique whereas PS and Xbox tend to have their catalog dominated by titles that mimic (or are direct ports) of PC games. Sure, the GC has it's share of ported titles, but it also has a ton of exclusives that absolutely rock. Plus, it helps that I've always preferred Nintendo controllers to any others.

    *Disclaimer: I would not call myself a Nintendo fanboy. I just bought a GameCube last year (my first console), but have played my friends' PS2s and Xboxes ad nauseam.

    • Re:Viva la Revolution (Score:5, Interesting)

      by SilentChris ( 452960 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @04:11PM (#11507999) Homepage
      Disclaimer: I own all 3 of the current generation systems and a beefy PC.

      "They tend to be unique and wonderfully playable."

      Wonderfully playable? Yes. Unique? Hardly. Gamespot gave game of the year for GC to Paper Mario 2. Fun little game, but used the standard RPG format that's been used for years (don't tell me switching to an airplane to complete exactly 5 puzzles during the game is "Unique". It isn't).

      Metroid was a fantastic game, but built on a series close to 20 years old. So was Zelda. In fact, the only true "new" series invented with the GameCube are Pikmin and Viewtiful Joe (the second from Capcom). Nintendo is just about the most conservative gaming company there is. Some people like that, but I like the "Jet Set Radios" and "Kalimari Darcies" (sp?) of the world.

      Every system has great exclusives. Nintendo's appeals to a family demographic. Xbox appeals to PC fans. PS2 has got the GTAs and Final Fantasies. I wouldn't put one system's exclusives above another.
      • Wonderfully playable? Yes. Unique? Hardly. Gamespot gave game of the year for GC to Paper Mario 2. Fun little game, but used the standard RPG format that's been used for years (don't tell me switching to an airplane to complete exactly 5 puzzles during the game is "Unique". It isn't).

        Paper Mario's true uniqueness comes from the derandomized, battle system that offers a play mechanic that involved changing the rules to battle (Badges). It is true that that was also used in the first game, but in game circ

      • Re:Viva la Revolution (Score:3, Informative)

        by th3space ( 531154 )
        ...but I like the "Jet Set Radios" and "Kalimari Darcies" (sp?) of the world.


        Katamari Damacy. I'm not harping, just helping.

  • XBox Next? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by faust2097 ( 137829 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:14PM (#11507268)
    Can we drop the "XBox Next" thing? There is absolutely no way the console will be called that, It's just something some game 'journalist' at IGN or ZD made up one day.

    • Re:XBox Next? (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I don't know where you get that from. As a developer, I actually have an XBox NeXT directly in front of me, arrived today in the mail.

      It's basically a large black box made out of a magnesium alloy. It has a cool optical drive for the games, not a standard DVD or CD player, but a rewritable drive.

      The UI is pretty slick too, as you'd expect from a PowerPC inspired system, it seems to be like a stripped down Mac OS X. Menus appear in a column on the left, the dock is on the right and looks more like, I don

    • It actually sounds kind of ... Japanese...
    • Sold out over the holidays? Haha you think they lasted that long? My store sold out a month before christmas... Still can't get more than a handful of consoles in at any gven time and they sell out the same day...

  • Three? (Score:4, Funny)

    by wetdogjp ( 245208 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:15PM (#11507270) Homepage

    Wait, only three consoles? The Phantom is going to be there, right? I mean, c'mon, it's 2005.

  • Imagine the energy bills... (Score:3, Informative)

    by game kid ( 805301 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:18PM (#11507310) Homepage

    ...that all this processing power will run up.

    I mean, if the PS3 does use 4 Cells [blachford.info], that alone will certainly be a power hog in itself, right?

    I wonder what portion of energy today is used for CPU power.

  • I think the most interesting thing is that will all be using basically the same processor - The Cell from IBM.

    I see this as a more difficult transition for Microsoft and Sony than Nintendo - because the Nintendo currently uses a PowerPC G3 variant and an ATI video card - it's not much less than low end iMac CRT from a few years ago.

    I wonder if anyone will be able to write emulators that play any game from any console ON ANY console.

    This should be easy for coders to come up with an emulator to run discs o
  • I'm a Nintendo fanboy at heart and I'm pretty proud of it TBH. But I see this being Nintendo's last console, as much as I like them, the market "doesn't". The new generation of... gamers.. (I use the term loosely) perfers quick fixs and short games with the average Hollywood plot.

    The Madden 200837394 generation basicly. I just find it bitterly ironic, the shorter games get.. the people have to work to make them. Where as we all hate "it's been pushed back". I'd rather have a game repeatedly pushed back the

    • Re:Sigh (Score:4, Insightful)

      by rjelks ( 635588 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:37PM (#11507521) Homepage
      I've leaned towards the shorter FPS games (ie, Halo2, Ghost Recon 2) for a simple lack of time. I can't dedicate hours a day, forgetting to eat, on a RPG like when I was younger. I tend to prefer the games that I can play for 30 minutes and stop. That's just my $0.02.
    • I'd rather have a game repeatedly pushed back then bug ridden.

      That's exactly what I'd rather not have. I would prefer they neither push it back, NOR have it bug-ridden. But if I must have a choice, then I'd rather have it pushed back than bug ridden.

    • Re:Sigh (Score:3, Interesting)

      by EpsCylonB ( 307640 )
      Personally I hate the fact that games are getting shorter, it is especially noticeable with FPS's. Unreal, Half Life (1), quake 2, these games all offered great value for money single player experiences.

      However devs are responding to the market, there was a survery that found out that something like 75% of all games sont get completed, which is ridiculous compared to other media like films and books.

  • Might sit out this next round (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Zed2K ( 313037 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:25PM (#11507387)
    I might actually pass on buying any of these next consoles unless I can get them at a discount (not likely) or a game comes out that is so remarkable that its different from anything I've already got. I've already got a PC with a ton of games and a PS2 and gamecube that I rarely play. Show me something amazing and actually new and then I might be interested.
  • Open message to Sony, Nintendo and Xbox: Stop telling us what the chipset is capable of, and start telling us what you're going to do to encourage high-quality development for your platforms.

    The Xbox was ultimately a poor investment for anyone who bought it. Sure Halo's 1&2 are system sellers. But then what? There were scant few good titles for Xbox.

    Now Xbox and PS2 will be featuring variations of IBM's "Cell-based" computing chipset. Has *anyone* mentioned what its going to take to code for the

    • Re:Stop talking about Graphics! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by clontzman ( 325677 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @03:48PM (#11507656) Homepage
      The Xbox was ultimately a poor investment for anyone who bought it. Sure Halo's 1&2 are system sellers. But then what? There were scant few good titles for Xbox.

      Not that old saw again. There are more good games for the Xbox than there is time for any reasonable person to play. There are more than 100 Xbox games on GameRankings with scores above 80%. Xbox gets its share of original games (Halo, KOTOR, DOA, Crimson Skies, MechAssault, Ninja Gaiden) and, almost always, the best versions of multiplatform games, plus XBL.

      I agree that all the prick-waving about whose processor is more powerful is boring, but there's some great stuff out there for the Xbox.

      • Its all about the B grade Titles (Score:5, Insightful)

        by LordZardoz ( 155141 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @06:11PM (#11509370)
        Let us, for the sake of arguement, say there are 3 grades of titles.

        Grade A: These games move systems, and are platform exclusive. Halo, Super Smash Brothers, Gran Turismo, Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy.

        Grade B: A grade B title is a great game that does not quite move a system, or would if it were not multi-platform. EA's sports titles, Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe, Pikmin, etc.

        Grade C: A grade C title is a pure average game, most often available on many platforms.

        The X-Box is a collection of a small number of A titles and a large number of C titles.

        The Gamecube has a large number of A titles, and a small number of B games and an average number of C titles.

        The PS2 has a merely average number of A titles, but a staggering number of B and C titles.

        Grade A games do move consoles, but you actually have to like the game to buy the console. Mario Sunshine is a grade A title. But if you think its a kiddie game, then it wont move you to buy a cube. The quantity of B class titles is what makes a console a good investment. This is because there will be more B class games on a given platform then A class games, and while you may not find many 'A' games, you probably will find enough 'B' games to make a difference.

        Multi-Platform games, like Activisions Spiderman 2 game and EA's sports games, are qualified as B titles because they are multi-platform. But multi-platoform games only really help the platform that already has the larger installed base. It does not matter if it looks better on the X-Box if you dont own an X-box.

        END COMMUNICATION
    • Depends where you are with the X-box. It was great during College. We'd hook up 3 or 4 on a floor or suite and play 8vs8 on halo for hours. Always a game going on. Had to take a break to study now and then, but it was a hell of a lot of fun. Also don't forget Knights of the Old Republic which was XBox only. Granted some titles, like the ghost recon series is best on computer and better on the PS2 than X-Box, but the ablity to play in multiplayer set-up was something lacking in the PS2. Now that I am
    • "Sure Halo's 1&2 are system sellers. But then what?"

      Project Gotham Racing, MechAssault. Quirky games like Voodoo Vince, JSRF and Panzer Dragoon. The best versions of multiplatform games for EA. Should I go on?
    • Isn't Nintendo talking about interfaces more than graphics?
    • Open message to Sony, Nintendo and Xbox: Stop telling us what the chipset is capable of, and start telling us what you're going to do to encourage high-quality development for your platforms.

      To this day Nintendo has not released any official theoretical specs for the GameCube, and their 6-12 million polygon real-world estimate was beaten by Rogue Leader, a launch title. Nintendo has been trying this approach, and I like it, but it doesn't seem to sell systems.

      Now Xbox and PS2 will be featuring variatio
  • With IBM and Sony gathering on Feb 9th to spread out the hype technical details about the PS3 and E3 in mid-May It won't be too long before we have an accurate picture of how the next year will be shaping up.

    Sony has a lot of karma to make up for their consistant overstating the real-world capabilities of thier consoles, but they aren't the only one with something to proove.

    Will MS's offering be strong enough to win dominiance over the adult gaming market? Will Nintendo's Revelotion expand the gaming mar
  • Sony [ferrago.com] and Nintendo [dreamstation.cc] had both already confirmed they would be demoing their consoles at E3 as far back as last July; we were just waiting on Microsoft. The only thing that's changed now is Microsoft, and that Sony's confirmed they'll have playable demos at E3 rather than playable demos around E3.

  • ObSimp (Score:3, Funny)

    by Dirtside ( 91468 ) on Friday January 28, 2005 @05:04PM (#11508708) Journal
    and Microsoft was soon to follow regarding the Xbox Next
    Sure, the X-Box looks impressive, but I predict that the X-Box Next will be twice as powerful, ten thousand times larger, and so expensive that only the five richest kings of Europe will own one.

    (Thanks, Simpsons [snpp.com]!)

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