Similarity between current generation and 32/64 bit generation

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

I'm not saying that the current console generation is a replay of the 32/64 bit generation, but there are some uncanny similarities. Both generations had a market leader, a console that was still successful but some flaws kept it out of number 1, and a flop. For this generation, the PS4 is the market leader, the Xbox One is the still-successful runner up, and the Wii U is the flop. In the late 90s, it was the PS1 as market leader, N64 as still-successful runner up, and Saturn as flop.

The market leader position consoles have many similarities. (other than being both Sony) PS4 is market leader because it is the most technically advanced, has an attractive price, and has the most third party support and is building up the biggest library. The PS1 was (arguably) the most technically advanced and was the most well designed, was priced to sell, and had a ton of games and most of the third party support.

The runners-up, the Xbox One and N64, also share some similarities. Both could have potentially been a number 1 challenger, but some flaws kept them in second place. Ironically, both of these flaws involved efforts to prevent piracy. For the Xbox One, its higher price, the Kinect integration and the DRM scheme that Microsoft was going to implement. For the N64, it was the cartridge format. Both of these were worked around; for the Xbox One, the DRM scheme was removed, and Microsoft has had to work to dispel earlier rumors. Both consoles are made by companies Still, third party support and game library are a little shy of the PS4, though the system still has enough strengths to be successful.

The flops are the Wii U and Sega Saturn. While these systems can be appreciated for what they are, they have flaws serious enough to restrict them to a limited market. Both had designs that focused on the wrong things, and both had poor third party support, and both were or will be retired early. The Wii U's design focuses on the same "motion control" gimmick that got Nintendo by on novelty during the earlier Wii era, but as for technical specs, it's far behind the Xbox One and PS4. The Sega Saturn was a 2D-focused design, but this was 1995 and 3D was the big thing. Third party support dried up after about 2 years with the Saturn, and it's drying up with the 3 year old Wii U. The Wii U has the Nintendo classics, the Saturn had the Sega classics. System sales surge when one of these big name games comes out, then quickly dies down. The Saturn lasted 3 years, only half of what the N64 lasted, let alone the PS1. The Wii U is also 3 years old now, but generations are lasting longer. But with the NX set for release probably in 2016 or 2017, a 5 year lifespan for the Wii U is really pushing it. Most likely it will be somewhere between 4.0 and 5.0 years.

[SparTonberry]

The PS1 was (arguably) the most technically advanced and was the most well designed, was priced to sell, and had a ton of games and most of the third party support.

I've heard the PS1 was the weakest technologically (supposedly the N64 was a much more powerful system) but it sold better because IT USED CDs. "Well-designed"? I have not owned an original PS1 system (have a PS2, PS3 and PSP) but from what I read it sounds like they were rather flimsy compared to the N64 (and I haven't heard so much on the durability of Saturns) And it's said the Saturn had like a thousand CPUs inside. (powerful so much that nobody could figure out how to really program it )
But it was the third-party support where it counts and that's what they got.

[Niku-Sama]

So I'm going to pick at this supposed "wii u gimmick"

All these systems have motion control of one form or another but none really use it to the same advantage of the regular Wii. It's more or less a sub feature any more. The "gimmick" would be the game pad. Sure it has motion controls but so does the other systems in one form but the Wii u has a secondary screen which could be totally awesome if some one would take complete and full advantage of what you can do with that..... Sadly no one has yet

[kupomogli]

The PS4 is more like the PS1.5 or PS2.5. After screwing up with the PS3, and even still half assing the launch, which is similar to what went on with PS1 and PS2(the launches sucked,) looks like they're back to the top with the PS4.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

The game pad, and in fact the motion controls on the original Wii, are gimmicks. Don't get me wrong, motion controls a good idea FOR CERTAIN GAMES (only maybe 5-10% of games) but Microsoft with the Kinect and Sony with PlayStation Move have the right idea... make it an optional peripheral. As for the game pad, why the fuck would I need that to play a video game? Looks unwieldy and I can't really see where it would provide an advantage. Plus it costs a lot of money, money that could have been spent making the Wii U more technologically capable. I love Nintendo, but they've had their head in their ass for the past few years with consoles. Nintendo has gone way downhill. Hopefully they can recover.

[kupomogli]

I actually think the gamepad is great and would have liked if Sony ripped it off for their own system. Sure there's not too much that can be done with it, but it is a decent concept. First off, the off tv play on the Wii U works better than it does with the Vita since there's no input lag and you have every button. But then there's the games. Sure 99.9% of the games are going to have the gamepad as a map, but hey, it works. I think they should have released a peripheral and then forced developers to make two different gameplay schemes, one being with the Wii U pad, the other being the basic controller.

Playing Call of Duty. Instead of pausing to see the map screen, you'll have it on tablet controller.

Playing Diablo 3, Borderlands, Minecraft, etc. Map and inventory screen.

Bloodborne. Inventory screen. Consumable items and spells, touch the item you want to equip on your gamepad as a quick swap your currently equipped item in your pouch.

Divinity Original Sin. Inventory screen. The Wii U gamepad would have worked wonders as an inventory screen for console owners. Playing the game at all. This would be one of those games that you could play entire on the gamepad and it'd be like playing the PC version. They did a good job making the game play well on consoles, but the PC is still the best place to play this game, and with a Wii U like gamepad would have made it just as good or better on consoles.

Far Cry 4 and GTA5. Map, weapon wheel, etc. But not only that, the creation tools on the gamepad and then where you're placing it on the television screen.

WWE games. Character model on screen, different creation options on the gamepad. When you're doing stuff in the WWE Universe, etc.

So limited, but it'd streamline the content in the game for the player to make better use of everything.

[Gamevet]

I'd like to point out that the Saturn had more 3rd party support than the N64 had, even in North America. The Saturn has something like 600 titles available for it, compared to the @ 380 something titles for the N64.

[BlastProcessing402]

I actually think the gamepad is great and would have liked if Sony ripped it off for their own system. Sure there's not too much that can be done with it, but it is a decent concept. First off, the off tv play on the Wii U works better than it does with the Vita since there's no input lag and you have every button. But then there's the games. Sure 99.9% of the games are going to have the gamepad as a map, but hey, it works. I think they should have released a peripheral and then forced developers to make two different gameplay schemes, one being with the Wii U pad, the other being the basic controller.

Playing Call of Duty. Instead of pausing to see the map screen, you'll have it on tablet controller.

Playing Diablo 3, Borderlands, Minecraft, etc. Map and inventory screen.

Bloodborne. Inventory screen. Consumable items and spells, touch the item you want to equip on your gamepad as a quick swap your currently equipped item in your pouch.

Divinity Original Sin. Inventory screen. The Wii U gamepad would have worked wonders as an inventory screen for console owners. Playing the game at all. This would be one of those games that you could play entire on the gamepad and it'd be like playing the PC version. They did a good job making the game play well on consoles, but the PC is still the best place to play this game, and with a Wii U like gamepad would have made it just as good or better on consoles.

Far Cry 4 and GTA5. Map, weapon wheel, etc. But not only that, the creation tools on the gamepad and then where you're placing it on the television screen.

WWE games. Character model on screen, different creation options on the gamepad. When you're doing stuff in the WWE Universe, etc.

So limited, but it'd streamline the content in the game for the player to make better use of everything.

The problem with lot of those and a lot of existing gamepad uses is it means you have to look away from the main screen to do this stuff. Sometimes that's okay, but I'd shudder to do that in something like Bloodborne. On a 3DS, this is less cruicial because the screens are right there a fraction of an inch apart, on a console, it's just different.

Not saying there's no good use for it, it really is great when it's done right, just it's hard to make sure you get it right.