Do you plan on buying into the next generation?

[Ze_ro]

Given the thread about the possibility of a $300 console succeeding... I'm curious, how many of you actually plan on upgrading? Personally, I'm very happy with my Gamecube, and I don't see what a newer system would really have to offer (Hell, I almost didn't buy the Gamecube because I was happy with my Dreamcast). Unless the next-gen can offer something more than just "more polygons", then I don't see much point myself.

--Zero

[josekortez]

I'll get one only after the price drops. I'm a simple man with simple gaming needs. Besides, I doubt that they can really improve the graphics and sound enough to wow me at this point. Also, there'll be too many cheap GameCube, PS2, and Xbox games for me to pick up, and I still have a Dreamcast collection to complete.

I wish I'd waited to buy the GC when it went down to $99. I got mine 3 days after launch, and it's collecting a lot of dust right now. Well, today, I plan to crack Baldur's Gate and Swingerz Golf open, so maybe it'll get some use on a more regular basis...

[Raedon]

I haven't bought a console on the first day release in a long time. I paid $99 for my PS2 and $99 for my GC.

[calthaer]

My answer is both "only after the price drops" and "only if the console does something that the current ones can't;" I just voted for the first one.

[Retsudo]

I voted for "Im happy with what I have now" But that might change. first, I never buy a console at Launch. I wait for at least the second run...Im sure everyone knows why. Also, it depends on whats availiable for the console Im going to get. For instance, If the next Tekken game comes out for PS3 and not PS2, then I might have to upgrade. Not saying I would buy a new console for just 1 game...and Im sure a lot of people have done that before, including myself. Also, I would wait till they drop the price. :D

[NE146]

Since the days of the 5200, once it's out, I'm all over it :D

However, at above $300... I'd probably balk. I might wait until the price first drops or I may wait just a couple months. It depends on the games. If there's something that I just really want to play. I'll fork it out.

Games have always been about the NEW, and better technology. I just happen to be of the type that keeps playing games long after they're outdated. But the 'new', always intrigues me for sure.

[CitizenWhite]

I will not buy into it immediatly. A game simply having better graphics means nothing to me. However, the problem is, once the new consoles come out the support for the older ones is lost... and new games are not there. So when you look for something new... you won't find anything. Then those commercials with the kickass games will start annoying you on tv... telling you to do things... like buy a new console.... and then they'll have you.

or maybe I'm a schizo.

[nesman85]

i think i'll buy nintendo's new console right when it comes out no matter what the price. i wouldn't be able to resist when exclusives are coming out from some of my favorite series'.

[AB Positive]

Count me out, last new console I bought at release was the XBOX, I won't trust a company out of the blocks again.

-AG

[sisko]

I'm still feeling pretty burned from the PS2 and GCN launches, so this time, I will probably wait until the price drops and the systems get games out.

However if Nintendo releases the next Zelda before then, I just might have to spring for it.....

[LazingBlazers]

It depends on the games. AKI brings out an updated N64-esque wrestler, that console will be mine times 2.

[evilmess]

For me it will most likely be Nintendo's next console that I buy on release assuming they have at least 2 or 3 really good games at launch and I hope backwards compatibility.

I'm really interested in Sony's next console but with their track record of releasing dodgy hardware I don't see myself buying one until I'm convinced that they've made a defect free product. I'll be buying extended warranty when I do get one though.

[punkoffgirl]

Heh.. I haven't even bought into THIS generation yet (unless you count buying games). It'll be a while before I catch up to the next generation, certainly not at release prices.

[Sotenga]

Yeesh, good question. I would have said "YES" hands down four years ago, but now that I'm a greater old-school gamer than I am a fan of today's games, I dunno. I guess I'll be able to wait... I honestly don't know what improvements in quality the successors to the PS2, GC, and XBOX will provide... I didn't think graphics and sound could get any better than that... I'm a bit skeptical now. If I do hear of some excellent games being released for these next-gen systems, then I guess I shall place them on my Christmas list... or birthday list, as the case may warrant.

[djbeatmongrel]

I will not buy into it immediatly. A game simply having better graphics means nothing to me. However, the problem is, once the new consoles come out the support for the older ones is lost... and new games are not there. So when you look for something new... you won't find anything. Then those commercials with the kickass games will start annoying you on tv... telling you to do things... like buy a new console.... and then they'll have you.

or maybe I'm a schizo.

you ohit the head on the nail with that(i know what i just typed). i remember that feeling when i was stuck with my PS0 and the ps2 finally established a decent library, luckily christmas came at the nick of time.

but to go with the topic, i picked "after a price drop" or whatever it was. by the time a price drop happens, the support for the last sytem will be little to none plus it'll be cheaper :D

[Anthony1]

Looking at my past History, you would think it would be an absolute given, that I would buy all 3 systems the day they came out.

Here is some of my past history on buying systems


TurboGrafx-16 - Within the first 3 months of release
Sega Genesis - Within the first 3 months of release


Super Nintendo - On launch day
Sega CD - On launch day
Atari Jaguar - On launch day
3DO - Within the first 6 months
Sega 32X - On launch day
Sega Saturn - On launch day
Sony Playstation - On launch day
Nintendo 64 - On launch day
Dreamcast - On launch day
PS2 - On launch day
XBOX - On launch day
GameCube - On launch day


So looking at that History, it would suggest that I would get all 3 of them on the day that they came out.

However, my take on gaming is very different then it ever was. I was always the type to get rid of the current generation systems, and to always jump after the next generation systems right away. For Example, I sold my PS2 and Dreamcast to buy a XBOX and GameCube. So, I usually get rid of the current stuff, and jump on the new stuff wholeheartedly.

But, now that I'm into playing the older games and systems, I'm like a totally different animal. I rarely play my current systems. I have tons and tons of games for my older systems that I really want to get into.

But, I've always been a sucker for the newest, latest and greatest. You look in the dictionary under early adopter and you'll see my picture. So it will be very enteresting to see how I react to the new systems. One thing that could really sway me to the new systems is if they fully support High Definition. If the PS3 or XBOX 2 or GameCube 2, have all their games output 1920 x 1080i as their "standard" resolution, then I would probably get that system right away. I'm a big fan of High Definition, and I can't wait till all games have a native 1920 x 1080i display, and a native 16:9 aspect ratio. It's very possible that one of the new systems will totally embrace both HDTV and Widescreen, and 7 channels of discrete digital sound. If that is the case, then all it would take is one "kick ass" game that had those features, and I would be on it like white on rice.

But if none of the systems feature any of those things, then I will probably just watch them from afar.

Like I watch the PS2 right now. I had that system on the first day. Played it alot for about 4 months, then went back to playing my Dreamcast, and I eventually became dissinterested in my PS2, and I ended up selling it a short while before the XBOX and GameCube came out. I will probably get a PS2 when the price hits $99.99, but until then I will watch it from afar.

I could do the same thing with the next 3 systems. Or I might pick 1 of the 3, and get that one on launch day, and then with the other two, wait until they have a significant price drop.

[Flack]

I will wait until the prices drop. The PS2 is the only machine I've bought on a launch.

One thing I would have to argue with is people who are saying, "graphics won't be significantly better." A lot of people said that about this generation of consoles, saying that they couldn't get any better than the PSX/N64. And I remember people saying it about those consoles, when we all had SNES/Genesis sytems.

No doubt the next generation of consoles will have massive power and graphics that surpass anything we've seen to date. What remains to be seen is, if the games are any more FUN.

[GameGuru]

I will buy all the new consoles like I always do. I like to have them so I can get the best games no matter the system.

[Duncan]

One thing I would have to argue with is people who are saying, "graphics won't be significantly better." A lot of people said that about this generation of consoles, saying that they couldn't get any better than the PSX/N64. And I remember people saying it about those consoles, when we all had SNES/Genesis sytems.

No doubt the next generation of consoles will have massive power and graphics that surpass anything we've seen to date. What remains to be seen is, if the games are any more FUN.

On graphics: Sure, photo-realism is possible on anything (look at the Hollywood CGI industry), but making that a reality in the home depends on both media storage capacity and sheer processing power. Cost being no object, the processor is the easiest one to take care of -- the problem in future will come from the eventual limitations imposed by your average 4.7GB DVD-ROM disc. Yes, nearly five gigs of space sounds like a lot, but a complete 3D platformer or RPG with photo-realistic graphics of, say, three times the quality of today's best would easily begin to push that limit.

But your last point is the most important. If graphics are so crucial to the gaming experience, then why do the majority of us on this forum continue to stick with our outdated and archaic old hardware to the point of mania? Because underneath those low-resolution images are some of the best games ever made -- modernity has nothing to do with their goodness. Other examples of this phenomena include the worlds of board games (Monopoly, Risk and Scrabble are all well over 30 years old) or physical sports (baseball, football, soccer, hockey and basketball are all over 100 years old).

As has been said often and repeatedly: It's the games, silly! If the next set of systems continue to provide people with entertaining and unique experiences, then I see no reason to discount them. The power of the system is meaningless if you can't have fun with it in some way -- why else would people spend so much money on their PC gaming rigs?

That is all. Thanks for your time! :)

[dreamcaster]

Once the prices come down to a reasonable level I'll be investing in all three of the next generation consoles - although, Nintendo's gotta do something pretty special to win me over after the GameCube debacle.

[Oobgarm]

It's hard to answer that question without seeing what these new systems are capable of, let alone us not having any SOLID specs.

I'll probably buy them on launch, but it really depends on the games. I've been a launch day person since the N64(when I had my own $$), but I know that PS3 will be a launch system for me. N5 is a wait-and-see, and I'm enjoying my current Xbox quite a bit so the new one will have to be pretty damn specatcular.

Am I a consumer whore? Yes. Yes I am. :)

[maxlords]

Well, I won't buy em till the price drop. The only system I ever bought at launch was the PS2, and I bought 2 of them at launch so I could speculate. Kept one, and sold one for $635 + next day air shipping :) My PS2 was free.

Barring the potential for another crazy release like that where I can make $$$, I doubt I'd even consider buying a new next-gen console until the prices were around $150. And that's assuming I have the money in the first place :) Chances are, I'll just buy the games that I don't think I'll be able to get later on, and then just stockpile em for when I have the console.

@ Duncan: Monopoly and Scrabble have been around since about the 1930s :) I don't know EXACTLY, but Monopoly especially is VERY old.

[Tritoch]

A year or two ago I would've said yes, but now I'm not so sure. I'll almost certainly buy one of them at launch, but I think I won't have the time/money necessary to justify purchasing them all. The reasons are:

1) I bought a GCN, PS2, and DC at launch, and looking back I could've easily waited for all of them. I bought a Xbox a few months after launch, and wish I would've waited on that too. So basically the last four consoles I've bought near launch weren't worth it, with the N64 being the most recent example of a good launch purchase (and only then because of Mario 64 & Wave Race). I could've easily saved some big $$$ by simply waiting to play Halo.

2) We just had a baby about two weeks ago, and right now paying off debt (to put ourselves in a better longterm position) and feeding him trump everything. :)

3) I still have a huge backlog of games for this generation, and even a few for the last generation of systems that I haven't opened & played yet. Why buy more when you already have a ton of stuff waiting to be played and enjoyed?

4) From the way it looks, all three consoles will be launching in the same general time frame. That's a lot to spend in a little time.

So right now my plan is to maybe buy one console at launch, then wait as long as possible (depends on the games & price drops) for the other two. There's always a chance that Mr. Gotta Have Everything At Launch will rear his ugly head again though, so I can't promise anything.

[Ze_ro]

The last (and only) system I ever bought at launch was the Jaguar. I learned my lesson, so I give just about any system at least a good 6 months to see whether it'll have any type of success at all.

(Not to say that I didn't like the Jaguar... in fact, I had tons of fun with it.)

--Zero