Next Xbox Dev Kit at EA (Apparently?)

[Matt]

I don't know, and nor do you.

Actually you can make an educated guess. Uncharted 3 and Gears 3 will be technical behemoths, getting as much out as possible. Sure, they'll always be a bit to give, but then you start talking about throwing so much time / resources / money at it, you may as well jump to a next gen.

Other games will look great of course, and ME3 and The Last Guardian will be awesome. And each dev is pushing to get the most out of the systems that they can. But we're talking small, incremental improvements. Many people mix up the technical aspect of graphics and the artistic side. And many people I don't think quite get the allocation of resources - the cat-thing in The Last Guardian will probably have awesome flowing fur, but that will be eating into those GPU / SPU cycles and won't allow, say, the grand vista no loading loveliveness of Uncharted 3. It's give and take from here on in, creative / artistic decisions.

I fail to see why any gamer would be opposed to a new generation of consoles. Genuinely, I don't understand it. All arguments against don't actually make any logical sense to me. The only possibly argument I can see is one of cost, but I bet half of those opposed are happy to spend ?100+ on the latest limited edition of Game Of The Week.

[Jebus]

I'm not opposed to a new generation, I just don't think there is any need at the moment.

Throwing bunce at a new console won't suddenly make every developer have the ability to tell a story well. It won't fix narrative, or lazy development, or tacked on motion controls for all formats. It won't make every dev have south-paw as an option, or colour-blind modes in there too.

Sony and Microsoft have just introduced their motion controllers, and I'd prefer them to focus on actually getting some good titles out there for those, whilst the issues above are fixed. There's simply no rush for the next-gen imho.

You can make the arguement that "Console X is at the limits" and "Console Y has nowhere left to go", but to most people, the latest Call of Duty plays pretty fine, and there really is no need to jump ship just yet. Show someone Uncharted 3 in motion, and you'll wonder what more a console could do.

Triple A games are a dime a dozen these days, it's never been a better time to be a gamer. There is never a "quiet" period anymore, and it's rare to find an absolute stinker. I've no doubt that MS and Sony have their next consoles already on the way, I just personally don't feel the need to see them until next year at E3.

[Team Andromeda]

I'm quite keen on seeing Mass Effect 3 and The Last Guardian though.

?? So Am I, and I bet these games will ship before the next 360 comes out, even if they came out after I would still buy them I looked forward and bought half Life on the X-Box, while getting ready for the 360.

Why do you like to make out that as soon as new console comes out that means no-one will buy a game for their previous systems ?. I owned a Saturn on Import for months, but still bought the pick of the Mega Drive games like Brian Lara 96

I don't know, and nor do you.

Well seeing as Epic have felt the need to show off their Next Gen Unreal engine and the fact that GOW III beta doesn't look that much of an improvement over GOW II. I'm not expecting a massive advanced in GFX on the new Mass Effect III .

When playing the likes of God Of war II, Shadow of the Colossus it was becoming clear there wasn't much left inside the PS2 to max out, after playing Crysis II and the likes of GOW beta I don't see the 360 have much left , Playing Killzone III I really don't see the PS3 giving much more , more so after Uncharted III , after playing Ninja Gadien Black and Conkers (the best looking X-Box game) on the X-Box one wonder what more Team Ninja or RARE could have got from the X-Box

Other games will look great of course, and ME3 and The Last Guardian will be awesome. And each dev is pushing to get the most out of the systems that they can. But we're talking small, incremental improvements. Many people mix up the technical aspect of graphics and the artistic side. And many people I don't think quite get the allocation of resources - the cat-thing in The Last Guardian will probably have awesome flowing fur, but that will be eating into those GPU / SPU cycles and won't allow, say, the grand vista no loading loveliveness of Uncharted 3. It's give and take from here on in, creative / artistic decisions.

I fail to see why any gamer would be opposed to a new generation of consoles. Genuinely, I don't understand it. All arguments against don't actually make any logical sense to me. The only possibly argument I can see is one of cost, but I bet half of those opposed are happy to spend ?100+ on the latest limited edition of Game Of The Week

Spot on . It must now be a pain in the ass trying to get the games running in the console tiny amount of Ram and starting to hold back development

the latest Call of Duty plays pretty fine, and there really is no need to jump ship just yet

IMO it played like crap and a total and utter let-down and the engine really staring to show it's age . I seem to remember Ninja Gaiden Black playing well, so did half Life , so did Fable . Listen to you, one wonder why MS ever bothered to rush out the 360, same with Sony and the PS (where some of it's best games shipped at the end of its life ) And no-one is saying jump ship now, more like the end of next year

7 years is enough for any closed console system

Triple A games are a dime a dozen these days, it's never been a better time to be a gamer

Everyone says that at the end of a system life . The PS , Saturn was having some incredible titles released at the end, did that stop people looking forward to the PS2 and DC ?. The Snes had some AAA titles at the end of it's life, seem to remember people going nuts over the N64 . I was a massive X-Box nut and the end of that system life the amount of AAA titles and one's that looked stunning took the piss, But so many were looking forward to the 360 (not least on here)

Seeing PGR 3 running was enough to show you the Future and make you want to join the next gen




[QUOTE]So

[Jebus]

?? So Am I, and I bet these games will ship before the next 360 comes out, even if they came out after I would still buy them I looked forward and bought half Life on the X-Box, while getting ready for the 360.

Why do you like to make out that as soon as new console comes out that means no-one will buy a game for their previous systems ?. I owned a Saturn on Import for months, but still bought the pick of the Mega Drive games like Brian Lara 96

Because times have changed mate, and you are a "hardcore" gamer. The rate that games drop in price, combined with how quickly a gamers moves from the next big thing, to the next-next big thing is astounding. Any big Wii and DSi games coming out still? Yeah, a handfull maybe.

Well seeing as Epic have felt the need to show off their Next Gen Unreal engine and the fact that GOW III beta doesn't look that much of an improvement over GOW II. I'm not expecting a massive advanced in GFX on the new Mass Effect III .

If you think that, then fair enough, but I think that Gears of War 3 is a definite improvement over the second title. When the time comes, EPIC will once again tell MS exactly how much memory to put in the console, to keep them on board, you can be sure of that.

I don't understand how you can say things like "I'm not expecting a massive advance in the GFX on ME III"...I mean, that's exactly what people might have thought after Uncharted 1, or Killzone 2, yet the developers blew everyone away. Let's not pretend we weren't all simply mouth agape when we saw how good looking those games were, even though their predecessors were hardly slouches.

When playing the likes of God Of war II, Shadow of the Colossus it was becoming clear there wasn't much left inside the PS2 to max out, after playing Crysis II and the likes of GOW beta I don't see the 360 have much left , Playing Killzone III I really don't see the PS3 giving much more , more so after Uncharted III , after playing Ninja Gadien Black and Conkers (the best looking X-Box game) on the X-Box one wonder what more Team Ninja or RARE could have got from the X-Box

You are talking about games that like SotC that had frame rate issues, and pretty much "chugged" at times. We really aren't there with the 360 and PS3.

[Bond James Bond]

The only possibly argument I can see is one of cost, but I bet half of those opposed are happy to spend ?100+ on the latest limited edition of Game Of The Week.

I don't pay more than ?20 for my games. Period. I personally don't think games are worth more than that. The days of me paying ?30/40 for a game are well and truly gone and have been for over 5 years now.

[Team Andromeda]

Any big Wii and DSi games coming out still? Yeah, a handfull maybe

The haven't been many for ages I think with the Wii That is a separate issue

but I think that Gears of War 3 is a definite improvement over the second title

It's an improvement, but minimal.

You are talking about games that like SotC that had frame rate issues, and pretty much "chugged" at times. We really aren't there with the 360 and PS3.

GOW II didn't chug and most of the latter X-Box games run at a solid 30 fps and looked out of this world (the graphics in Conkers were stunning) but so many here jumped on-board the 360

I mean, that's exactly what people might have thought after Uncharted 1, or Killzone 2

I was expecting a big improvement with Uncharted II , the 1st game was an early title and 1st gen game.
Killzone II you do have a point, but I think in parts, Killzone III looks a little bit worse (the textures seem rougher) I really wasn't that blow away with the GFX in Mass effect II tbh It looked nice and all that, but suffered from Unreal poor textures on consoles.

[Jebus]

I'm not sure how the Wii is a seperate issue, as they are the first to jump into the next-gen, and will be showing their next console at E3 next month!

I disagree with a lot of what you've said above, but I don't think we are going to find a middle ground on this one!

[Neon Ignition]

When MS do announce a new Xbox, which I imagine will end up being E3 2012, I hope they have a clear idea of what they're aiming for. I think they'll limit how much more powerful it is to keep costs down to attract a wider audience and get out of 3rd place. I'm guessing, given the praise, it'll use something like the SE controller and they need a clear direction as the 360 currently lacks steady releases for either the core or Kinect audience. An improved XBL with reduced sub costs too

[Neon Ignition]

I think many jumped on 360 quick too because of the online, most XB users were angry at the time with MS as they slit the XB's throat after only 3 years. They've been much better this time though.

[Neon Ignition]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/300505/news/xbox-720-ea-denies-internal-software-development/

EA official states the rumour is a lie

[Team Andromeda]

I'm not sure how the Wii is a seperate issue, as they are the first to jump into the next-gen, and will be showing their next console at E3 next month!

I disagree with a lot of what you've said above, but I don't think we are going to find a middle ground on this one!

I don't want to get into a flambait war, but the Wii is a bit of a separate issues due to weaker chipet and different controls meant it was was a simple task of 3rd Parties port down the PC development code to the consoles .

If people agreed on everything , forums would die a death. Its nice to have a debate on issues

I think many jumped on 360 quick too because of the online, most XB users were angry at the time with MS as they slit the XB's throat after only 3 years

I think it was more like 4 years . I take the point about On-line but who's to say MS couldn't do more with more memory and more Fireware Ram to upgrade the console . I think LIVE needs a bit of kick up the backside , MS have gone from pushing the envelope to just milking it now , people should expect a bit better when playing a Sub

I think they'll limit how much more powerful it is to keep costs down to attract a wider audience and get out of 3rd place

If Costs were the issue the 360 would be number 1, Its been the cheaper console out of the lot of them for years . MS trouble is it's only killer apps are GOW, HALO and to a point Fable The issues of only appealing to males and FPS fans have been an issue of the X-Box brand since the launch of the X-Box, where as SONY and NCL have In-House studios that's been making kids games from the start

[nonny]

I think many jumped on 360 quick too because of the online, most XB users were angry at the time with MS as they slit the XB's throat after only 3 years. They've been much better this time though.

Well lets be fair several years on and XBL is still the benchmark...

I dont think early adopters jumped on 360 just because of the online options. For me personally and I am sure many it was the first major step into HD gaming. The promise of every game coming in at a 720P resolution of higher was a juicy upgrade considering only the minimal few titles on the original Xbox had such features. I think that and the integrated Media Center extendability is what swayed me to upgrade early rather than late. The XBLA arcade games and other tidbits were the proverbial icing on the cake.

For their next console, whenever it arrives at the least I would be expecting some headline grabbing upgrade features to make it worthwhile. What they are I am not sure but right now we are on 6 year old hardware so at the very least I would expect the technical specifications to be a healthy ramp up. As for curing limitations of the 360 the disc media surely has to change... Now Blu-Ray is established that is surely the expectation? A much larger HDD would be nice as well but only if it's to be utilised to the full potential for media storage. I'd also expect Kinect to play heavily in the future. They seem to be moving towards evolving the implementation on the current dashboard. You can bank on it being a part of every new console and fully integrated into all features of a UI when they move to a new platform. I'd love to see backward compatilibity as well, and not some half-assed emulation with online features that get deactivated eventually.

I dont know... you can say this generation has more life in it yet and I'd agree to that but I dont think it's life expectancy is that long. I think two years is a good measure. At the very least I think it would be wise to re-assess the 360's best-before date every time E3 rolls around. At most I reckon it's got 2-3 years left in reality.

[Neon Ignition]

HD was certainly a hyped feature but so many of the buyers didn't have a set back then I don't think that was the clincher. It did have a reasonably decent launch line up though. I'd agree that XBL is overall the benchmark but at the moment it's losing ground and is the only charged service. If MS want to keep the sub I'd expect a massively improved service to justify it.

[nonny]

Well true there are some major things I think they could enhance on the service. These would be some major/minor ones for me:

- Dedicated servers for games (the ones that need it at least), perhaps a scheme whereby the publisher/developer dont have to support the dedicated servers. They're housed, supported and maintained by MS themselves in each region?

- Ability to host/support games with larger player count. 64-128 players and so on (BF3).

- Better voice quality in chat, additional chat features with better party systems in place (perhaps kinect enabled voice control to send messages? "xbox reply..... say the message. xbox send.")

- Ability to segregate friends list based on custom grouping. So you can have group of your clan and message them all at once or invite them all to a game in one invite.

- The ability to record and edit video footage of your game playing is built into the XBL dashboard. No matter what the game you can configure it to record you playing and then edit the footage to your hearts content later. You can then upload it to facebook, youtube or any of the major players.

- Better feedback, moderating, review system for identifying and banning players that are cheating or abusing the terms of service online. If the video/audio recorded in the facility above is housed on MS own servers you could flag them as proof showing players cheating the system or ruining the game... a community banhammer if you will. If enough unique (i.e. players who arent just friends of players) people vote on a person being an idiot they can get banned/suspended accordingly.

[Flabio]

Another generation launching now would be very bad for the industry.

Have a read of this:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-06-rock-and-a-hard-place-gi-editorial

Third party doesn't want it, cause it's hard enough to break even *now* let alone if games get even more expensive to make.