Will the 360 bring anything better?

[Bada Bing!]

Every console sees games using more of the machine's potential over time. Just look at GT3 vs GT4, or Super Mario Bros vs Super Mario 3 for examples. I expect PGR4 to be something very special.

Who knows what we'll see next? I'm looking forward to it.

[forpey]

Every console sees games using more of the machine's potential over time

Not sure this is always true.

The PS2 has shown remarkable growth since the lauch titles... but can the same be said of the Xbox? Halo, PGR & DOA3 set a high benchmark and in my opinion they were never really exceeded to a significant degree. Even the sequels to those three games didn't live up to (graphical) expectation.

The same may happen to the 360.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Not sure this is always true.

The PS2 has shown remarkable growth since the lauch titles... but can the same be said of the Xbox? Halo, PGR & DOA3 set a high benchmark and in my opinion they were never really exceeded to a significant degree. Even the sequels to those three games didn't live up to (graphical) expectation.

The same may happen to the 360.

There's no chance of that. The original Xbox was a PC in a slightly smaller box, familiar territory for many coders. I would still say things improved over time - the adoption of normal and specular mapping improved things considerably after the first and second wave of titles.

360 is a far more complex and unique beast, there is much to learn.

[gaz@manc]

The PlayStation 2 launched with Tekken Tag, Ridge Racer V, Street Fighter EX3 and Fantavision. Looking back at those early titles then look at what developers are squeezing out of it now. Compare the original TimeSplitters to the PS2 shots of Black. The 360 has had a lot of criticism about how next-gen it truly is and like many others on here have pointed out it will take time.


By the time Microsoft's first party titles like Crackdown, Too Human, Gears of War, Blue Dragon, Lost Oddyssey and Mass Effect are released gamers will get a better idea of what the machine is really capable of.

I really hope that as well as the technical abilities of the console, developers start to push Xbox Live Arcade. I think its an amazing concept and I really hope that it gives smaller developers a chance to release 2D schmups, platformers, puzzlers etc that we just don't see on home consoles anymore.

[Dirty Sanchez]

Live arcade is a small developer's dream.

- a population of users ready and able to download content
- easy payment scheme administered by someone else
- all distrubution handled by Microsoft
- once word is out that game x is a good one then explosion of new users

Microsoft really have got a winner with Live

[Tig]

- a population of users ready and able to download content
- easy payment scheme administered by someone else
- all distrubution handled by Microsoft
- once word is out that game x is a good one then explosion of new users

Don't forget easy online scoreboards and rankings etc

[Tokuda]

Have to agree. The Live aspect is a huge step forward for online console gaming, and not just from the multiplayer angle. It's integration is exceptional, and the potential for the future is very open, and reassuringly, realistic.

Microsoft are thinking long term with Live and it shows. Sony may be justified in not giving huge importance to controlling the online capabilities of the PS3, but they'll be counting the cost a few years down the line when Microsoft have got it nailed and attracting everyone to Live. Significant catch-up will probably be too late.

Alright mate

Agree with the first paragraph, but not so much with the second.

While you can expect the proportion of gamers to take up online gaming to increase in this generation, I don't believe online gaming will truly take off as a mass-market concept (i.e. 6 or 7/10 gamers being online gamers) for a good few years, and probably not until Sony start taking online gaming (and therefore setting the agenda in the market) as seriously as MS does.

I believe Sony can catch up by copying much of what Live does for the next generation, if it looks like the masses are starting to take up online gaming.

In summation, I'm not convinced that even an amazing online interface can attract most gamers (including most casual types) until Sony themselves fully embrace it.

[nips]

Halo, PGR & DOA3 set a high benchmark and in my opinion they were never really exceeded to a significant degree. Even the sequels to those three games didn't live up to (graphical) expectation.

Mate, you really need to compare PGR2 to the original PGR. PGR2 looks so much better that it's unreal. There have been huge steps in all of them... infact I think that the smallest change was between MSR and PGR. PGR3 looks so good, that outside of superflous partile effects and OTT lighting and stuff there is little more they can do.

That is one gorgeous game, esp in HD.