Ben-DutkaThere have been so many unbelievable advancements in console technology over the past three decades but at this point, might we have gone about as far as we can go…?
Square-Enix certainly thinks so. CEO Yoichi Wada told GamesIndustry.biz that video game consoles "have almost reached their upper limit" in terms of technological sophistication. Mind you, he's not talking about the current consoles being "maxed" out; he's referring to the overall increases made in console technology over the years. Said Wada:
"What's inside the games consoles, like the CPUs, this has been quite advanced already today, but the biggest gap was seen a little more than ten years ago, when Sony came up with the PlayStation. Since then, so many things have already been added that I think it has almost reached the upper limit. No matter what they do, I don't think there can be any more added affect or significant impact with game consoles."
Rather than more advances in CPUs and general hardware, Wada believes the next big strides will take place in each console's networking capabilities; even things like the PlayStation Move and Kinect are "minimal additions." As for those networking capabilities, the Square-Enix boss hinted that his company is currently working on a digital distribution platform similar to Valve's Steam network. This is something that may come to light later in the generation but for now, it's a common question: just how far can we go?
Just for the record. PS1 used CDs which gave it around 700MB to play with. PS2 used DVDs giving it 8-9GB and the PS3 uses Bluray which gives it 50GB (possibly more if it can read quad layer or the newer higher density BluRay discs).
This guy needs to shut up. they should at least fix the ugly hands in ff13.
Last edited by Wissam on 6/25/2010 1:02:20 PM
lol Im glad im not the only one who noticed their crappy hands. Their fingers are freakin squared.
So last gen. 😉
No, it's an intentional design feature. All Square characters must have square fingers. It's a call-back to old-school RPGs.
;
I am really satisfied for the lovely ps3 i have, its delivering great group of games better than ever
as i have been reading before a lot of newly released titles such as GOW3 has increased the graphical optimum limits for games criteria but still it hasnt maxed out the console
but still i still dont care about that as long as developers are being able to release more great games
and beside that i think the cell processor for the ps3 is relatively new for the developers because it was easily invented and still im sure there is a lot of new things to be found and created by newly cell processors that are still under development
the cell processor runs in a very different wat than a normal cpu or than a gpu ,its actually a mix between them
I took it as him saying the CPUs in this generation are practically close to being fully understood, though the PS3 has yet to be unleashed in full power. I believe that Versus XIII may up the bar in that one, and Wada really has no hand in making this one, lol. I think after Versus XIII is out and running in it's full real-time 1080p glory, games like Uncharted 2 and Killzone 3 are going to be left in the dust. Uncharted 2 was great, but really, the graphics had a bit of a cartoon-ish texture to it. Killzone 3 is a joke, people are excited over what again? Versus XIII is going to give you a whole world to explore (excluding reasonable obstacles), a car you can drive around and get out of at any time, and the graphics to boot are going to be spectacular. If not Advent Children Complete quality, then pretty damn close. The three screen shots that were thrown into circulation, despite the quality a scan of a magazine page gives us, looks amazing! And they're not even done polishing things up yet! I want a demo of Versus, that would kick ass.
I think it'll look on par but not better.
i find it hilarioius that you think Versus XIII is going to blow everyone's socks off, beat Killzone 3 and Uncharted 2 in the graphics department yet….
None of us have seen the game in action! Only pretty prerenderd cut scenes that Square has been making for decades.
I think so as well Jawk. It might be close but not better.
I'm sure the game will look great, and maybe even better then uncharted 2 if the focus is kept on the PS3. but to act as if uncharted 2 and killzone 3 are irrelevant based on a game that doesn't even have a release date is a little asinine to me. Ha
Indeed.
Couldn't agree with you more Highlander. You obviously know your stuff. The question is… Is there any reason to get an xbox now. I mean they give you more memory for the price tag of $299. Still missing the all mighty bluray though. Oh yeah, you can add more memory to the ps3 with relative ease!!! Xbox really does fail. Not that they don't have great games. I would love to play the 2 exclusives they have (Gears of war and mass effect). Not a halo fan. Other than that, they fail.
Is it me, or does Yoichi sound defeated? Kind of get the tone of depression from him. LOL.
Last edited by DjEezzy on 6/25/2010 1:38:34 PM
Their slim console is an even larger failure than their old one. Buy it, and you'll be buying into an even greater problem.
None that I can see.
BTW both systems have 512 MB of RAM, the 360's 'advantage' is that it can dynamically partition memory between system and video. Typically though it's fair to consider it a split at about 256/256 like the PS3. the PS3 is hard partitioned so there is always 256MB of video memory and 256MB of system memory.
DJ meant hard drive space, not memory.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 6/26/2010 5:19:31 PM
i think he is saying that digital distribution will impact gaming industry more than graphical updates.but i don't see digital distribution succeeding with the current broadband situation.i don't understand why everybody is so interested in it.don't they understand that a lot of people doesn't have decent net connections?
Hes also a huge supporter of digital distribution. He would like nothing more then to have more power over the consumer.
This is the new face of Square.
Wat?
Modern consoles have a hard enough time producing 720p, so theres still quite a bit of power one can cram into a console. Having full 1080p/60hz would be great for the next generation.
Both consoles can easily handle 720p or 1280p. The problem is that they can't do that along with the post processing – such as full screen anti-aliasing – that many developers and gamers alike, feel is necessary.
I am hoping that this will be the last generation that relies on the traditional rendering techniques. There should be enough computational power to handle real time ray tracing by the time the next generation launches. If they make that leap, then post processing will be an entirely different prospect. I think that they will actually find that what they lose up front on the sheer processing required, they will regain on the back end with less GPU oomph required.
I'd say SE has gone about as far as they could go.
I'd like to hit the upper limit of Wada's FACE!
Heh, Good one!
I'm sure they can get more out of there games if they would ditch the practice of CGI Cut-scenes. We are now at a point where we just don't need them anymore. All they do now is take up space.
Agreed. I'd rather have character models in cut-scenes that reflect the character's actual equipment than the few extra layers of sheen provided by pre-rendering. And I felt that way with regards to FFXII.
With today's hardware, everything can be done in-engine.
WADA – We are dumb a$$es.
Truth be told, I can see why he might think that, but we must remember that there are always higher powered computers coming out, which means there is no reason for more highly powered consoles in the future. Not only that, but the integration of networking capabilities is the first step in turning a console into something much more, and I don't just mean a social networking foundation, or an internet browser. Game streaming such as Onlive, as Oliver mentioned, is a definite possibility. Add to that ray tracing rendering, which Highlander mentioned and greater spatial capabilites from the next generation of media discs.
Not only that but gaming, unlike most other entertainment mediums can benefit from technological leaps outside this particular industry. Holographic projection technology. Biomechanics. Physical augmentation. DNA based computing. These are the future, and if they are not implemented into games sooner or later I would be very surprised. Of course, what I say is hugely cost intensive, so it won't happen for a long time yet, but Wada is a bit off-base, because he refuses to glance outside the protective box that he has constructed around S-E headquarters.
That is all.
Peace.
Technology is always improving and I don't see that changing any time soon. I think every time a new console has come out somehow has made this claim and yet every time after that we get a new console that blows us away with its amazing graphics.
Sadly, the fool might have something there. We are reaching the limit of the silicon chip and will soon need to find a way to store and process information through nanotechnology.
It's not so much that we are reaching silicon's limits we are simply reaching the limits of a single processor core. We can continue to put more cores on chips, and of course put more chips in systems. The trick that we have to learn to pull off is to better use processor cores in parallel instead of individually. Imagine a PS3 based on a processor with 4 times the number of cores and two actual chips meaning you'd have 8 Power cores and 64 SPEs, all more efficient and faster than the current generation. That's possible – and more within the limits of silicon.
We are getting close to the limits in terms of how small we can make things, but that doesn't mean we can't simply put more on the chip or more chips in the package. For example, IBM is working on technology to stack chips in 3D with inter-chip connections build into the package. I've worked with PCs and small systems since the mid 80's and we've heard these calls for thin client computing of cloud based systems off and on for the last 20 years. I've yet to see anything to persuade me that people are done having their own personal computer system or game system. People bi*** enough about the PSN and XBL services now, can you imagine the level to which they'd take it if their entire gaming experience was dependent on such a service?
Last edited by TheHighlander on 6/25/2010 5:10:38 PM
^^^^^
Not sure what I said that requires moderator approval, there aren't any links either. Weird.
yeah I was interested in your thoughts on the matter. Crazy thing.
Sorry, the "bitch" hit the filter.
…I mean, "bi***." 😉
Many thanks for the clarification Ben. It's not often I fall foul of a language filter.
Forgot to say, nice addition to the site. I guess from now on I will have to use expressions like "Looks like the brown has hit the fan", instead of "looks like the sh….tuff has hit the fan".
Nice.
Ahhh…there it is. The world is right again.
I think all he is trying to say is that you won't see as big a leap in the technology as you did from the N64 to the Sony Playstation. That was revolutionary.
Yes, will get better graphics, but not as big a difference.
It's funny that he is totally discounting 3D by not evenmentioning it. Square has been so lazy these past few years. They pu*** foot around a FFXII remake and pump out one decent title.
I don't think we will see many 3rd part developers embracing 3D until the install base is significant which will take at least 3 years bare minimum. His statements just assures that to me.
Maybe they are trying to prevent those ads someone keeps posting.
Am I actually hearing this from the CEO of a company that HASN'T made a single PS3 exclusive?
why is this even being questioned? The first systems do exactly the same thing as the new ones and that is turn code into awesome. The new systems do it faster bit it is the same none the less. So is SE saying a faster than 3.2ghz processor cannot be made?
True photorealism and mechanics that are identical to nature. THAT will be the limit to video games as we know them and that will only be because there will be no reason to improve
Like some have said
When games start looking like FFX, XII, or XIII FMVs THEN they can actually claim this
At the moment graphics look REALLY good, but not on the same level as ps2 FMVs
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Oh wait, Squeeeeenix's just lazy and want to mainstream all their games and spend less money optimizing their games.
I agree with Oyashiro. With seeing what the developers did with Uncharted 2 and GOW3, just to name a couple. CG really isn't needed as much anymore. In those two games it felt like you were playing the cutscene. LOL. Uncharted was a little better than GoW 3 at this but It was seamless and it flowed so perfectly in both of them. It just seem that CG video just takes up more space then it does helping a video game tell a story anymore.
Right and this is PS3 in its early stages. For me anyway my experience started when the slim came out.
shut up Wada, just shut up!!!
Is this based on his own physical experience with working on the consoles or is he basing this simply on watching what his employees do on screen?
Sorry, this guys vision has tainted SE. I can't find myself caring about anything he says.
I really… Really dislike this man.
FFXIII to me is barely worth the disc it's printed on, let alone pushing innovation.
This guy is so stupid.
game are going to keep on improving
Hey there, Wad-a-crock,
Even Forest Gump knows that "Lazy is, as lazy does"
WADA = Whine And Deliver Atrocities.
so says the idiot who uses the "its too hard" excuse!
im starting to think $E have the programming capabilities of a freaking 2 year old apprentice!
maybe if they spent a little time optimizing and polishing their code they would not have these issues?
anyone with half a knowledge of programming could max any system out doing basic file operations.