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"A New Direction?"

It’s all a bit obvious, isn’t it?
PS3, XB2, N5.

Think about what’s improved since the last batch - N64, PSX - graphics have got tonnes better, along with sound, draw distances, lighting effects, physics, voice acting and all manner of other things.

So, imagine that level of improvement over the games we’ve got now.
It’s pretty hard to visualise.

There’s still a good few years left in this batch of consoles, and graphics are still improving - seeing the Hitman 3 trailer confirms that. It looks fantastic - better than anything I’ve seen before. Easily mistakable for real life.

And how do you get better than real life? Realism can’t go much further than that.
It seems only Ninty have realised (sorry, sorry) this.

First you’ve got the DS.
Mr. Nintendo stated quite plainly that he thinks games need to improve in a different direction. Not just graphically or musically, but by the way we play them.
It obviously might not work. 2 screens is hardly revolutionary.
But certainly a great step in the right direction.

And secondly, a spokesman for Nintendo actually said that they are perfectly happy with the GC platform as it is.
Thinking about it, so I am.
Perfectly happy.

It’s just about the money.
Sony and Microsoft are making new consoles, Nintendo don’t have much choice but to follow. The DS is a sign of resistance - but if they’re to hold any real place in the market, the N5 has to appear.
It has to, or their fan-base will simply dissipate across to their competitors.

Consider again the massive leap in game quality from PSX to PS2.
Is it even possible to make that great a leap again, from PS2 to PS3?
Can things really get that much better again?

And if that’s in doubt, what comes after it?
How will PS4 manage to improve upon what the PS3 has done with absolute perfection - when every game created can no longer be scored on graphics or sounds but by the ideas within it?

Soon enough, we’re going to hit the top.
The place where nothing can get any better.
The place where every game - in terms of looks and sounds and effects - is equal to the next.
A plateau of perfection.

And we’re right back at the beginning again.
Way back to the start.
When the graphics couldn’t physically get any better than some coloured squares.
Back at the start, when originality sold.

But originality is getting tired out.
About 70% of all games are sequels. That’s just a wild guess, but I’m sure I’m not far off.
And most of the non-sequels are just rip-offs of the genre-definers anyway. It doesn’t even matter if they’re done well, it still feels like every other game.

Yeah, there’s been glorious spot of shining originality.
Like Ico, Pikmin and Viewtiful Joe.
But if you really look at them, the ideas and the gameplay are rooted in the all-too-familiar.

Just one thing sets them apart: the way they do it.
There’s a seed of excitement, fun and originality in the old ideas which turns these games into gems.

And this is what needs to happen when gaming hits that barrier coming straight for it.
In a totally non-kinky way, it need to be done differently.

Like Ninty have wildly hinted at, prodded us all with, is the idea that the only way forward is sideways. Instead of improving the way games look, improve the way we play them.

The idea’s there, and when game’s can’t get any better, we’ll have no choice but to expand upon it.

Well said FFF and it is quite right though...

Since I am a console collector and I recognise the importance of the games that started it all where are the little things going?

If we are going to reach this new state of realisim in graphics and sound will games be fun anymore?

I myself like the fact that it isnt real life yet MGS2 was a brilliant game I prefere MGS1 mainly because it has less realisim it is a true computer game.
Take pacman everyone loves it or likes it and recently it was voted the best game of all time in a survey but who really like pac man world for ps1 more than pac man?
No one pacman one was just simply not real and people knew that that was why they liked it. It was a break from reality and if we get to real with our games we might as well resort to real life for a break.

Im done...

Never.
Not until you touch me anyway.

Sorry.

...

It seemed a worthy expression of my feelings at the time.
But in hindsight, it was horrible and sinful.

I'm so sorry.
Never again shall a face be made out of my colons.

*Weepage*
Forgive me.

FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> : P

Never again, my woman.

FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> : P
>
> But PCs are still going to hit the same barrier, just a lot sooner
> than the consoles will. Then what?

Then lower the price of consoles so that they don't charge a lot to compete with hardware that is far far superior.

Then we can focus on what the film industry has been doing for years; looking for innovation in their films to keep things fresh. i.e. the empahasis on graphics would shift.

I must point that is a long while off, and we won't be completely satisfied until hardware that costs 1p to make can render something using up 10 trillion polygons in a split second, and is so small you can't see it, exists. I'm trying to point out that everything hardware related always improves

: P

But PCs are still going to hit the same barrier, just a lot sooner than the consoles will. Then what?

FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> It’s all a bit obvious, isn’t it?

Now who said anything about blatant GAD's?

;)

Anyway, I am with Urkie on this one, from a technical point of view PC gaming really does take a giant wee wee on console gaming. Failing to count it as a piece of hardware is a bit stupid, especially when you consider that the 3 top games of this year could well end up all being PC games. Granted some may be ported to the Xbox but they will be far inferior from a technical point of view.

PC gaming is slowly making a revival, providing you have the money I really can't see why anyone would opt for a weaker, less appealing version of a game. The GameCube is the only console outside of the ring which actually tries to create something that won't be done on other platforms.

Meh.
PC gaming's never done it for me, so I just ignore it.

You fail to include the PC.

It'll always be one step ahead, performance-wise.

That is, if you have pockets.