Next generation’s consoles may not rely on visuals.
Even though we don’t really know for sure when next generation’s consoles will be unveiled, it doesn’t change the fact that everyone in the industry is starting to talk about it now. It happens every generation; approximately halfway (give or take a bit) into a console’s lifecycle, which is normally about five years, the industry as a whole begins to ponder. It’s not as if we’re tired of our current crop of gaming machines, but we already know what they’re capable of, and we can’t help but wonder what the next generation will bring, and what new possibilities will be realized.
Everyone expects better graphics; it’s really the only new angle next generation machines have to offer. More powerful tech specs rarely change the way we play games. For the most part, aside from the snazzier effects, the gameplay itself remains pretty much the same. We’ll get titles now and then that contain gameplay that we couldn’t get on last gen’s hardware, but more often than not, the prettier graphics are the extent of what we see; the gameplay itself remains virtually unchanged.
With the next generation of hardware though, that could change. While there is a bunch of talk that the next generation consoles could arrive in 2005, I really doubt that the technology will be there in 2005. From what I surmise, we can expect to see these consoles in 2006, possibly later. In fact, Nintendo has already gone public that the successor to GameCube may not arrive until 2007. It’s not because hardware makers don’t want to release new consoles. Instead, it’s mostly because technology won’t be there at the $300 price point.
What can we expect with next generation’s hardware? Most likely, the next crop of consoles will be capable of displaying Half-Life 2 and Doom 3-quality graphics, and at 60 frames per second. We should see bigger worlds, decreased loading times, and online play as a priority. My guesses are simply based off of what the top end of current PC technology stands. Usually, what you’re seeing right now as the very best in PC graphic technology is what you can expect from a $300 console in a few years. Though we’ve got the technology to put inside a closed box now, it’s not at the magical $300 price point, which is the reason I expect we won’t see next generation’s boxes in 2005. Rumors are flying that Microsoft will attempt a preemptive strike against Sony and Nintendo by launching their next gen console in 2005. That may be true, but at what level of technology will the Xbox 2 be at the time it launches?
Looks pretty sweet, huh? This tasty little shot of the PC’s Doom 3 is what kind of graphics you can expect from PlayStation 3, Xbox 2, and GameCube 2. We likely won’t see this technology in a $300 closed box in 2005, but if we get this kind of visual goodness along with creative gameplay advances, we’ll gladly wait until 2006 and beyond.
Essentially, with next generation’s hardware, we’re going from having really good quality 3D to ever better 3D. Nice sure, but hardly the technological leap gamers expect after spending $300. Hey, I’m excited about playing games that look as good as Doom 3 at 60fps, but the leap isn’t the giant step forward that many casual gamers would expect. As a result, outside of the hardcore community, how many gamers will buy in to “even better 3D”?
Even when the new consoles do arrive, chances are the graphical differences, though awesome, may not be quite what gamers expected. The point? Simply this: if graphics really do reach a sort of peak, it’ll have to be the gameplay that takes the forefront, which is actually pretty good news for us. Because graphic differences will be more subtle, it may no longer be the measuring stick the current consumer uses to judge games and systems. We hardcore gamers have been stressing the importance of gameplay for what seems like forever, and with the next generation, it may start happening more than ever before. Finally, the overall quality of the gameplay experience will separate the good from the excellent.
You may even start to notice the changes going on as we speak in this very generation. It seems like every day, we’re getting to play games that are far more advanced in artificial intelligence and gameplay options, which is a very good thing for us because it means that we’ll see more and more games like these because graphic technology will only get developers so far. In the near future, if you want your game to have an edge at retail, you’ve got to advance the gameplay. Sure, we’ve been stressing gameplay from Day 1, but it’s much more important now that graphical technology will start to become less prominent.
That said, maybe it’s a good thing to look forward to the consoles of tomorrow after all. We all want our games to look the very best they can possibly look, but if there is any chance that subtler graphical differences will make gameplay aspects more innovative and interesting, then bring it on!
