New-gen Consoles coming up on their half-life?

[Iron Draggon]

hey, it's even worse for us PC gamers... we're forced to upgrade every other year... and I expect Microsoft to push for the same trend with consoles... that's why they killed off the XBOX so early... they're in the PC business, and they want to make the console business just like the PC business... they want to sell obsolescence to everyone, not just their faithful PC followers...

[Osaka]

I definitely think the 360 has hit the midway point for sure, but I don't think the Wii and the PS3 are quite there yet.

[strassy]

true, but how much of a jump did people see coming from 8 to 16-bit? or when all of their reliable carts became shiny "CEE-DEES"? I'm pretty sure that there is alot of room for improvement just not graphical as ya'll are thinking. I believe the next big hardware jump is going to speed up processing speed so that our 4 million hour HD copy of the newest title wont lag too hard.

i think this is a good point. i remember thinking to myself when i first saw 3DO "there is no way video games could ever look more realistic than this"

[mercarian]

There was a huge jump between 8-bit and 16-bit. Saving, better graphics, more buttons - there was good reason to jump to 16-bit. Comparing The Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past, there is a huge difference. And when carts became CDs, that was the 3D revolution. I'd call that a big fucking jump all right.

Completely agree. At that time period, technology swelled up extremely quickly. Now I think that consoles need to distinguish themselves from one another. I attribute the success of the Wii due to its controller, the online gaming of the xBox and the graphics of the Ps3. Really, anyone can be entertained by one of these consoles. I think in the future, we will see different forms of gaming.

[sabre2922]

The PS2 has lasted 9 strong years since its Japan launch in 2000.

Sure its on its last legs now but there are still some good 3rd party publishers putting out some good games like Persona 4 even to this day.

Both the Dreamcast and Xbox 1s lifespans were cut incredibly short last gen ESPECIALLY THE DCs as we all know.

That being said I think the both the Xbox360 and the PS3 have the potential to outdo even the PS2s long lifespan.

What does that mean? I know I may come across as a fanboy but with the PS3 having the chosen future disc format for both entertainment and video games in Blue-Ray it COULD last as long as a FULL 10 years and the 360 MAYBE as long as 7 years IF Microsoft supports it for that long.

The Wii ? who the hell knows? I love the console but I wont even touch that one.

On the a couple of other subjects that was brought up in this thread:

I thought the largest leap in within the last few generations of video games was not between the 8-bit and 16-bit era of videogames but between the 32/64-bit era and the "last gen" era of the PS2/Xbox1/GC with not only graphics but in terms of full use of the "CD/DVD" format and implementing 3-D gameplay with the then fancy new 3-D graphics.

Also unlike many gamers here at DP I welcomed the change from the cartridge format to the "hardcore" hated CD format but thats for a different thread.

[cessnaace]

My thoughts,

There's no way Nintendo is going to stop making wii's anytime soon. They haven't even managed to ramp up production enough to meet the demand. And unlike the others, especially Microsoft, they actually make money off each unit sold. As it is, I've never seen one in person. No store can keep any in stock.

Microsoft. What can I say? I DID finally buy an Xbox, but it was this past December. The 360? No way I'm buying one until they solve the RROD problem! I love my Xbox though. It has quite a few really good games. Right now I'm enjoying 'Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge.' A killer game, and an Xbox exclusive!

Sony? I want a PS2, but I probably won't buy one until the PS4 comes out. I usually stay about a generation or two behind (although I DO have two DS's). It's cheaper that way. I just have a problem letting go. I never sell an old game or system. I also don't trade them in. I still have 'Alf' for the SMS, for crying out loud! Not to mention 'E.T.' for the 2600, 'Hover Strike' for the Jaguar, 'Gilligan's Isalnd' for the NES, etc. !


Mark

[Rob2600]

These days, the hardware is often times abandoned long before the games even come close to maxing out let alone tricking out the full potential of the hardware. How many people honestly feel there was a single game released for the PS1 that came close to making the system perform stuff it was never intended to? PS2? ... Using examples like the Dreamcast or the N64 dont feel right with me due to customer support failing long before third party support.

The Nintendo 64 was pushed pretty far. I can't imagine an N64 game looking much better than Perfect Dark or Conker's Bad Fur Day.

The Dreamcast was pushed pretty far, too: Shenmue, Jet Grind Radio, Metropolis Street Racer, Test Drive Le Mans, MDK 2, Street Fighter III, Dead or Alive 2, Resident Evil - Code: Veronica, NFL 2K2, NBA 2K2, The House of the Dead 2, etc. Again, I can't imagine Dreamcast games looking much better than those.

[josekortez]

The PS2 has lasted 9 strong years since its Japan launch in 2000.

Sure its on its last legs now but there are still some good 3rd party publishers putting out some good games like Persona 4 even to this day.

I, for one, hope that the PS2 continues to put out games for at least another year. If they can support it for two more, I'll be good to go. If not, there are plenty of imports out there for me to try to decipher and figure out how to play.