[10/09/05] Feeling the next-gen hype

[PeteJ]

It?s only in the last week or so that I?ve really become adjusted to the fact that within three months the next generation with be upon us. For a while now I?ve thought the 360 is being released far too soon, killing off the Xbox before it deserved to die, but now I feel different ? the sooner the 360 is out the better.

I?m not really sure why I?ve changed my mind ? it certainly hasn?t been because of Microsoft and their irritating media blackout ? perhaps it is just my imagination running wild again. The current Xbox only has three games of note left in the tank that I can think of ? Burnout4, Fahrenheit and Black. All of these games are looking mighty fine (in particular Black), but none of them are Xbox exclusive and none can match up to the sheer grandeur of anticipation that Shadow of the Colossus or Zelda TP provide on alternative formats.

The Xbox, as far as I?m concerned, will be forgotten about within the next few weeks. I just hope I can find some buyers for one aging US chipped machine that barely works, and one UK non-chipped machine that hasn?t been used for so long I?m not even sure if it works at all.

Perhaps my restless anticipation for the next generation is down to one thing ? I like seeing shiny things, and then blowing the crap out of them.

Always a graphics whore, I coo at seeing thousands of enemies on screen and woo at imaging the chaos I can cause with them. I see pictures of Ghost Recon 360 and think of calling in air strikes and destroying the entire Mexico City, I see Project Gotham 3 and think of calling in air strikes and destroying London. (Then I see Perfect Dark Zero and want to call an air strike on Rare for their recent dismal performance, but hey). I see the world of Oblivion and just want to live there, I see Gears of War and just want to grab the pad now and start playing. I want, I want, I want.

I get impatient just thinking of the potential that some games will offer in the next generation. Imagine what games like Panzer Dragoon Orta or Jet Set Radio will look like with new technology, or how brain-damagingly fast Burnout will be, or how bloomin? marvellous the third part in the Halo series will be. Just imagine if that Killzone 2 trailer will be a realistic benchmark of what we can expect in just months to come.

All I?m expecting is prettier, shinier, grittier updates of games we?re already playing. That?s what I?ll get, and that suits me just fine.

Bring it on, and screw anything on the current generation that isn?t Shadow of the Colossus.

[Kieran76]

I think that this page should have some stirring music playing while I read it. It's like a call to arms to early adopters.

[nekotcha]

I'm intrigued by the amount of enthusiasm Black has generated with so little material actually being shown (to the public, at least). To my knowledge all that has been shown so far is a few screenshots (which, while nice, are hard to get that excited about), and some breathy accounts from journalists.

And yet, for many people it's their most anticipated next-gen FPS. This despite the fact that it's actually a current-gen FPS that's being ported to next-gen, so chances of it really making use of the next-gen hardware are slim.

I'm not trying to have a go or anything, I really do hope it is as exciting as is being made out, and I'm looking forward to it myself. But I just find it hard to understand where such boundless enthusiasm has come from.

[PeteJ]

As far as I'm aware Black is Xbox and PS2 only (possibly PC) - I only listed it as one of the few remaining Xbox titles worth getting excited about

[nekotcha]

Point taken, completedly misread that, there. Still, my question still stands: what reasons are there to get excited about it?

[Edit: Just spotted there's a new video available. Er, so another mistake. Best if I just slope off into the darkess at this point, I think...]