Ben-DutkaHistorically speaking, we're overdue for a new generation. So does that mean there are a lot of bored gamers out there?
Well, if there are, I'm not among them.
I was more than ready for the PS2. I'm not really sure why, because I really only had the original PlayStation for three years before the PS2 launched. I got the PS1 a little late, mostly because I was still pretty enamored with PC gaming and I had just started to get into RPGs. Of course, considering the latter, picking up the PS1 was the best thing I could've ever done; ended up playing over 30 RPGs on that machine.
And yet, I really was all amped up for the PS2. I think a lot of people were, and the hype was hardly limited to PlayStation fans. Now, I'm sensing a lot of ambivalence, a lot of indifference, and even some reluctance. I'm really not sure gamers are getting tired of this generation of technology, but I will add one caveat: Maybe it's the PlayStation fans who are the least likely to be bored. I suppose if I was a Nintendo or Microsoft loyalist, I might be champing at the bit to get the next generation started, because I know my current console of choice has long since been maxed out.
But with so many great exclusives on the horizon, along with a slew of developers who are going, "Hell yeah, we can do more with the PS3," I believe those in the PlayStation camp are plenty content with the PS3…perhaps for another two or three years, even. That may sound extreme, but in looking at what developers still plan to do with that console, we can still see visible leaps in technological capability. It's plain as day in The Last Of Us and Beyond: Two Souls , for instance. Well, it's more about the artistic and storytelling progression/maturation for the latter, but still.
Putting the PlayStation world aside, though, I'm not even all that convinced that Microsoft lovers are desperate for the Xbox 720 (or whatever the new Xbox will be called). They don't seem too antsy to me, at any rate. Nintendo fans, you're another story. But I won't get into that now. I just think that in reality, if you took the pulse of gamer nation, game makers might be surprised to learn that the majority are just fine with the current generation. And that's a little odd; we are, after all, a good seven years into this era (the 360 launched in 2005).
But I'm just not seeing a whole lot of that "gimme the new consoles now!" mentality. Are you?
I am…I've been playing FFIV for the past 2 weeks.
I'm playing final fantasy IV on my good old PSP. I don't need final fantasy XIII graphics to enjoy a great game.
Last edited by Metal Head on 7/22/2012 10:52:00 PM
True gamer Metal Head, that is the attitude my friend…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
I love the PSP releases they looks so, so beautiful, I really wish FFV was updated like that – it really needs it.
My backlog alone could keep me busy for several years. If the next gen comes, I will come along reluctantly.
Last edited by MyWorstNightmar on 7/22/2012 9:42:33 PM
Could not have said it better. I have many FPS's to get through, even the original Crysis, so I am not in any rush. I am amazed at the quality of stuff out there…
I haven't played Dirt 3 yet, GoW III, MGS4 yet, I still need to get all of these… so you can imagine… I have a number of years ahead of me… Absolutely no rush this time around like I was with the PS3… and as the PS4 will not double as a computer like the PS3 does for me (well my Phatty), I am not in any rush to go out and purchase a PS4 at the moment…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
Last edited by Qubex on 7/23/2012 3:18:31 AM
Not quite bored of this gen yet. Certainly bored of this years releases.
I'm perfectly content but at the same time anxious to see what the next Gen will bring. Possibly bringing back more traditional turn based RPGs. Like MyWorstMightmar I have some games in the backlog I need to finish not even counting the games that have yet to come.
I personally am excited for the next consoles. I'm excited as with any new console to see the power and technology and advancements in the industry. I'll be getting one as soon as I can!
With that said, Im pretty content with my PS3 mainly because I know it still has some if not a lot of potential left. Plus I have a good sized back log plus many games I still have yet to purchase so the PS3 is anything but tiring for me. Plus The Last of Us and Beyond well they look to be amazing.
What would make me more anxious is seeing MS release something soon and waiting for Sony to do the same.
I'm super-content, and as MyWorstNightmar stated above, I also have a huge backlog to get through, plus I just picked up NFS:The Run for only $4.99 new, & shipped free from BestBuy's Deal of the day.
I've been doing AC2, Brotherhood, & Revelations (& small bites of Bloodlines when I'm out at my laundromat). Plus I just got some extra DLC add-ons for the AC franchise too.
BTW, does anyone know if there's also a Single player mode to that AC:Brotherhood add-on called "Disappearance of Divinci", or is it all Multiplayer mode only????????
(I want to get it but if it's only MP mode, and with me still being out of work, I can't afford to waste $10 on it).
Last edited by BikerSaint on 7/22/2012 10:14:50 PM
it does have single player add on to it so it is worth picking up.
Thanks Frylock!
I had gotten a bit confused cause I thought I had read somewhere that the DLC had both SP & MP modes, but when I went & read up on it over at the PS store, the way it was written seems to indicate it was only MP(at least to me).
Anyways, I've got a few bucks left in my store wallet, so I might as well use em up to get it then.
I'm not anxious to get a PS4 since I have too many games. What's the point of getting it since day 1 and collecting dust for a whole year.
Personally I'd like a new console. Just got a good gaming PC for a decent price and ohmy, the PCs got the PS3 outclassed in the AI and graphics department (in addition to RPGs). I'd love to have a new console that's able to use some new engines and really upgrade the scale of everything.
Yes, Last of Us and Beyond look good but there could be massive potential if there was a new machine with plenty of power. Heavy Rain was amazing and looked good but they had small "set" sizes and I assume Beyond will be similar. Uncharted was amazing and one of the best games this gen but it still was mildly linear. I'd love to see what they could do with the ability to improve AI, map size and detail, object count and draw distance.
I'd kill for an FPS that can convey the scale of the Battle of Kursk (the largest battle ever) or and Uncharted where you explore a whole city in a openworld yet still cinematic and beautiful way.
In addition, the LoU and Beyond are the only games I'm looking forward to in the near future for the PS3. I only have a small backlog to supplement them.
I'm kind of expecting QD to expand the set pieces this time around. Can't say I have any real evidence as I'm shying away from the gameplay footage, but it just seems like a logical step for those geniuses.
You have a point of it being the next logical step but I have a bad hunch the expansion will be limited. QD seems to favor smaller environments with high detail. Even the Kara tech demo was a small 20'x20' or so room.
You are asking all the right questions, sirbob.
It's not a question about if Last of Us and Beyond looks good, the question is how much better they could have been had they been designed for the next gen hardware.
It simply is not *possible* to create much larger set pieces with the same level of detail on the current hardware. So until we get an upgrade we are pretty much stuck in this track.
Last edited by Beamboom on 7/23/2012 8:43:13 AM
The only thing I'm really looking forward to is seeing where gaming will go in the next generation. Obviously graphics and stuff but what I mean is that each generation tends to cause a marked shift in focus. I honestly did not expect FPS to dominate since new tech meant RPGs could get even more expansive but for whatever reason they slimmed down on the JRPG side and got kind of unfocused in the WRPG realm.
Will other try a Quantic Dream style game? Will FPS take on a more creative tone like Bioshock did? Will JRPGs make a comeback? Will Japanese gaming survive? Where will storytelling go? Will genres like survival/horror see a resurgence? These are the questions I'm interested in for the next gen.
I'm a little bored with conventions this gen that I don't feel have been pushed the way they should have been. But it's not like there's any lack of great games to play.
Do we really think the graphics in the next generation are going to be that much more?
Not really bored at all with my system, should last me a few more years before I upgrade.
I will be ready for a new console next year. If you dont keep improving the systems every 5 or so years, it does get boring.
Not only do I want realistic graphics. I also want to be able to play against 1000's of people at one time on one screen.
Dark Age of Camelot puts 200vs200vs200 people in a 3 realm battle in pvp. It gets really bad sometimes when everyone is in teh same area at times. Choppy to say the least. I want a system that can handle those numbers.
Infact, I would take numbers over graphics. The more people to destroy the better!!!
I'm just bored of waiting for The Last Of Us, Beyond: Two Souls, God Of War Ascension and The Last Guardian. But I also have a lot of backlog so I'm still satisfied with my PS3.
I'm not bored of this generation heck I'd still not be bored of the NES if punch out didn't make me punch it out of commission
Last edited by Carlight on 7/23/2012 12:14:41 AM
Love Punch Out!! Greatest NES game next to Super Mario and Duck Hunt.
I'm happy with my PS3, 360 and Wii. My PC provides the graphical fidelity I want in games like Crysis 2. My PS3 continues to wow me with games like Uncharted 3 and Killzone 3.
Heck, even Gears of War 3 showed that the 360 was still capable of wowing me!
But even with the hint of new consoles, I'm just not as excited as I once was with the reveal of the PS2, or Gamecube. I remember searching high and low amongst magazines and web sites (mostly IGN at the time, you know, 1999 / 2000) for single screenshots and hardware specs.
That excitement level returned with the reveal of the PS3, and those videos of Fight Night Round 3 (photo realistic graphics) and that Final Fantasy VII Tech Demo!!! Then GTA IV revealed its first trailer and I damn well nearly went ballistic in my study chair!!
I honestly think the lack of excitement for new consoles comes down to several things:
1. Leaps in graphical advancement is slowing down rapidly, especially with PS3's already delivering 1080p gaming with photo-realistic graphics.
2. Current gen consoles (PS3 / 360) can already achieve intelligent AI and real world physics. The only improvements are now dependent on how talented the developers are.
3. Interest in video game design has shifted from prettier graphics to better story-telling and gameplay, both of which can be applied to any well-designed game on any device, even mobile phones!
4. The iPhone and Android phones have taken a huge chunk of the casual market, one that was once dominated by the PS2 and DS. I see more kids on iPod Touches and iPads than I see with DS' these days.
5. Touch screens and motion gaming gimmicks apparently work, at least with casual gamers. Core gamers appear to be looking for games with better graphics, story-telling and gameplay. PC gamers are benefitting most right now thanks to consoles having 7 year old tech, better graphics with games like Battlefield 3, and services like Steam providing cheap games of higher quality than what consoles provide.
The only thing that'll make me drool over the PS4 is if I see some amazing games or tech demos that display things the PS3 cannot do. If this year's E3 is anything to go by, only 2 titles stood out for doing just that…
Star Wars 1313 and Watch Dogs. (I am aware Watch Dogs MIGHT be on PS3, but the demo on the Ubi stage was running on a high end PC with a PS3 controller… Possible PS4 launch title in November next year?)
DM, Killzone 3 does blow me away; it really is beautiful to look at… so do many of the other exclusives I own and don't own… It's all down to the software in the end.
Forgot about GTAV and Red Dead Redemption 2… still plenty to come and go around…
Battlefield 4!!! and an update to Frostbyte… heck the PS3 will rock on for another few years easily…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
This year definitely! I have only bought Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Which I was very amped for an was adequate) & the MGS HD collection (re-relase..). So I have not been excited for a release since March.
I am interested in titles like Bioshock, Beyond, but a lot of the series I have loved previous gens have let me down. Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Tekken, Devil May Cry and the lack of JRPG's on the PS3 has been disturbing. I have been going to other consoles for Mistwalkers Lost Odyssey & Last Story.
There have been some surprises though, Catherine is propably one of my top 10 favourite games of all time now. It just game out of nowhere and delivered a very unique experience. Red Dead Redemtion & LA Noire offered different experiences to the open world genre (R* have been on top form this gen.) So it's not all bad.
With the Metal Gear & Final Fantasy anniversary just around the corner I am not giving up yet. I expect big things to make me excited about this gen.
I'm not ready for another system. I'm fine with my PS3 and the many games in my backlog on that. I also just started getting into PC gaming since I have a rig now to play pretty much anything. With the Steam summer sale I bought quite a few games to keep me occupied for a long time.
Dammit, I forgot… when is Dust514 coming out???
This will be another game to keep me occupied for years… I mean its plugged into a never ending Sci-Fi MMO… how can that warrant a PS4 so soon… No, unless Sony absolutely blow us away with a 16 core cell and Kepler GPU with 2GB of memory on the consoles motherboard… I will not upgrade immediately…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
Last edited by Qubex on 7/23/2012 3:21:55 AM
bored as hell!
but not because of the longer console cycle, but because of the same old boiled fish being released every month!
everyone loves ice cream, but how many would still love it after eating nothing but that breakfast, lunch and tea for 6 years straight?
that is what this gen has been, 99% of the games are yesterdays crap recycled with a new coat of paint!
not to say we never get new innovative titles, just to say that there so little and far between they might as well be non existent!
that said though, i wouldent say im bored of the consoles just yet, but it certainly would be nice to see what next gen could bring!
not bored of them just yet, but that does not mean i dont want next gen systems to be out any time soon.
i do, in fact if i had it my way they would be releasing next year, which is actually when all the rumours are saying so………
this gen has lasted allot longer than previous, but thats simply because allot of the games and features took allot longer to be brought to light.
not to mention it took developers a long time to get to grips with the ps3.
and not to mention the constant feature updates like 3D support, movie store, downloadable games.
and not to mention the peripherals which also have helped add a few years to their brothers lifetimes like the playstation eye, move controller and so on.
shame the move has not had a single decent game released for it yet!
Last edited by ___________ on 7/23/2012 4:36:28 AM
Yes and No…
I am not bored because the generation is running longer ( i am actually glad about that), i am bored for two reasons:
1 – Nearly all games are DLC orientated now, that pisses me off! You pay well for your disc, only to find out that the game is incomplete and you need some DLC to get to the end (FFXIII-2 for example), or the feeling that publishers are holding back when releasing a game, they have the piece complete, but take something out just to release later as DLC to squeeze more money from players.
I HATE DLC!
2 – This year (2012) has been the most boring year for gaming. If you don´t like shooters like me, no decent game has been released! I got Kingdoms of Amalur (and love it) and i am only waiting for XCOM Enemy Unknow in October, i can´t see another release that i might enjoy this year (Dragon´s Dogma turned out to be not as good as i hoped for, and has on disc DLC..) (maybe Darksiders II… but nothing else).
The good games are going to be released next year (The last of us, Beyond, Watchdogs… who knows if The Last Guardian will appear… FF versus XIII being cancelled doesnt help this generation either).
Yes… overall, i am BORED!
Nope im not bored like most of u all i have a huge backlog of games from this generation. I dont really want another playstation system or another microsoft system 4 that matter. i have years of gaming ahead of me on this current generation. i know one thing if this generation has tought me anything is that is never buy the 1st round of that console generation. next generation i will wait till at least the 2nd round.
I am not bored of the console technology, but am sick to death of what is being offered on consoles today. PS2 had every console-feasible genre imaginable, and in generous amounts. What do we have now? Endless shooters, derivative 3rd-person actions, samey WRPGs, assorted sports, all taking cues from the same playbooks; and it seems like everyone is in a mad dash to prove who can be the most obscene and push the ratings to their furthest limits.
Even great titles like Vanquish, where I was completely loving the gameplay, ruined by totally unnecessary profanity that would not have existed in a similar PS2 game, thrown in just for the hell of it. It's not in the Japanese script, but let's put it in the English version anyway, and all the subtitles! Yeah! That's what great games are all about! Blood, swearing and sex. The more of it the better! … I hate this gen.
There's original titles here and there, and the lightweight digital stuff, but nothing like the rich variety of choice we had before. I know a lot of this is down to development costs, but even the people who are in a perfect position to be doing special things are wimping out in favor of the lowest common denominator.
I suppose the breaking point for me was Naughty Dog turning onto the "more obscene, all the better" path. I was totally into the Last of Us demo at E3…until the endless barrage of f-bombs once the action started. I had always looked to them as being a classy developer. Now they're rooting around in the manure with everyone else. Console developers need to grow up, because they're only dragging us backwards into immaturity, where now I'm almost embarrassed to be associated with the hobby.
I agree with you completely. There is a point of view among a certain quarter of the game industry and gamer population where f-bombs, gore and mega-violence equal mature gameplay for mature gamers. I find that the more mature a gamer, the less that gamer looks for these things in their game.
That said, if developers want to lace their games with F-words, they could at least create an alternate script with dialog that does not use those words, and provide an option to toggle the language, degree of violence and gore down. What's so bad, or difficult, about offering gamers the ability to control how much of this stuff a game throws at us? It wouldn't alter the experience for those that want it, but it would sure make things easier for those that do not.
I am certainly not bored. Quite the opposite really. There are so many great games from this gen that I still haven't played yet, several of which are sitting on my shelf waiting to be played.
To be fair though. My PS1 and PS2 years were more care free. Before the career, family, and house. I had a LOT more time back then to play, and I was rightfully pumped for PS3. I've had my PS3 since launch but have spent less than half as much time with it as I did with my PS2. I'm just not ready for PS4 yet.
For younger gamers, and those older gamers who don't have familial and other obligations tying down their schedules I can see how they'd be anxious for the next gen.
I'm bored with this gen now. I really am. I can't become more ready for a hardware upgrade.
In short I'm hoping the next gen hardware will bring us what I hoped would come with this gen.
Last edited by Beamboom on 7/23/2012 9:54:05 AM
Really? How could you be done playing all the great games this gen already?
For me that question is irrelevant. The game I really want to play next can not be made on current generation hardware.
Even the list I've got just below?
Just seems really weird to me.
Oh there's plenty of great games ahead. I'd also add Crysis 3, Far Cry 3 and of course Bioshock Infinite to that list of yours. I look forward to them all!
I guess my answer to your question really is; I've already played _too many_ great games on the current gen. I want to progress onto the next level.
And all the afore mentioned titles… I can't help but thinking, "what would they be like had they been developed for the next generation hardware. What did they have to skimp on now, that they would not have to skimp on then?".
I am really, really ready for a hardware upgrade. It's just how it is.
Last edited by Beamboom on 7/23/2012 10:30:53 AM
Fair enough. I guess I just feel like aside from the few always excellent developers, most people tend to take a while to figure out new consoles and really tax them out of the gate.
But so long as great games keep coming out for this gen, I won't have a need to upgrade. Graphics are excellent cherries on top for me, but they aren't my motivator for buying games. If the better gameplay experiences can still be made on this generation, I don't really care about the next one yet.
Yup, it's because of gameplay I look forward to the next generation too, not because of graphics. Graphics is in fact the *least* exciting thing about the next gen. That's just a bonus in my book. Although, I do of course not mind 60fps in full HD. It *will* look awesome.
Oh – I'd also like to add Borderlands 2 And Watch Dogs to that list! So it's not like I don't have anything to do while waiting. 🙂
But yeah, I want bigger set pieces, more persistence in the game worlds, a *lot* more advanced AI, I want stuff that simply can't be done today, stuff that will do *wonders* for the kind of games that I prefer to play.
Last edited by Beamboom on 7/23/2012 12:08:10 PM
I think you might be overestimating the jump in AI abilities and gameplay improvements we will see in the next generation. We'll still likely have the same controller hardware, dev's still have to be clever enough to program a functioning clever AI…. and yeah, I guess, even with new potential, there just seems to me to be many additional barriers as well. I'm sure it'll be an improvement. At least it better be… but I doubt it will be so great of an improvement that we would regularly see games that are as advanced as you are foreseeing.
There will surly be occasional games with much better physics, for example, I'm sure, but they will still have to be reminded of the limitations of the user controlling the object on the screen. Any time a character has been made to walk realistically, for example, it has felt more like a burden as we try to flick the controller in inhuman ways. Instead of users being amazing by the realism of the movement, we're instead frustrated by a perceived lack of control. I see that trend continuing to an extent.
That jump all depends on the specs, Underdog!
If they again create a machine geared just for churning out graphics and very sparse power for anything else then we will just get a "PS3 with better graphics" and that'd be dull to say the least. That will probably mark the end of my current console-era. Why not just keep the PS3 then?
But it's quite easy to imagine a better AI (better as in more persistent). Today all AI is 100% focused on your immediate actions. Everything else is scripted. Look at games like GTA or Infamous; if you do something crazy the pedestrians react with scare. But five seconds later they all "reset" back to their default behaviour. Everything forgotten. No persistence.
Or imagine if your AI opponents could learn from your behaviour, like we in real life would! If you have played very stealthy up until a given map they would spread out and search for you in bushes and treetops. If on the other hand you had played very brute force head on, they would instead build a barrier of tables and stick together.
We haven't seen *anything* like that yet, and that's all due to the limited resources of the machines.
Last edited by Beamboom on 7/24/2012 1:02:30 AM
"Who's bored with this Gen?" "NOT I" SAID SOLIDFANTASY!! The back log is deep enough to last me well into next year. If I can up the time management I should catch up enough to feel complete b/f the next gen on consoles. But I'll never be bored, so to speak.
I remember being ready for the PS2 to come out like nuts. There's not as much hype this time around and I can't help but think the gamers are growing up. The busy shenanigans of the real world are taking there tole on us. We just don't have the time that we used to have. Makes me miss the old days… back when I was bored?
I don't have the feeling we're overdue at all, perhaps for some firmware updates but that's about it. With so many great games still on the horizon and so many great games I've yet to play this generation is still going strong for me, developers have so much still to explore.
Last edited by SmokeyPSD on 7/23/2012 9:01:15 AM
Beyond: Two Souls
The Last of Us
The Last Guardian (if it ever comes to be)
Ni No Kuni
Dishonored
Assassin's Creed 3
Tales of Xillia
FFv13 (well… maybe… lol)
LBP karting (I love karting games)
Watchdogs
and more….
And these are games that are "coming soon"…
So combine that with my backlog… yeah… I'm good for a good long while.
note how many new IP's there are in that list, too.
My backlog of games to get through is just insane at the moment. Amalur has my life at the moment 🙂 but after that dead space 2 and then maybe i'll sit down and finally finish FFXIII. So no next gen can go suck a nut cuz i've got more than my fair share of gems to play.
No I'm not bored yet. This year has been a little slow on the new releases (at least compared to last year), but there are still a ton of new IPs coming out in 2013 that are easy to get excited about. Sony in particular will have to find a somewhat delicate balance in maintaining PS3 support and generating buzz for the PS4.
Microsoft seems already geared up for a Fall 2013/spring 2014 next gen console launch. The only game worth noting that they have coming out next year is that Gears of War prequel, and its slated for March.