Anyone not care about next gen at all?

[KAI]

I only care about arcade games, doesn't matter if they are old gen, current gen or next gen.

[Jeneki]

Hmm, there was another round of drm rumors yesterday. Anyone remember before the specs for the PS3 was officially announced, and there was a rumor about a Sony patent that would stop used games (yes PS3, not PS4)? Sony stepped in and denied the rumor early on. So the fact that neither Sony nor Microsoft has denied the rumors this time is not a good sign.

When the next-gen no-used-games rumors started up for next gen (last year was it?), even the local news radio station brought it up in their daily segment. To put that into perspective, this is a station that never, ever talks about video games. Even people that don't give a crap about video games were up in arms about it, based on nothing more than a rumor. I can just imagine what an official announcement would have been like.

But hey, next-gen is when people dump their current-gen games for cheap! Never mind that drm stuff, sell your stuff at rock-bottom prices so I can pick them up at a fraction of the price, suckers!

[Specineff]

I still have a backlog of PS2 games to go through. No, not interested. They can keep the 3D and uber-high definition graphics. Give me gameplay.

[Marc]

I was playing Far Cry 3 yesterday, and the thought of it at 1080 with 60fps was appealing. Just not at another £400. First gen I'll be waiting at least 18 months to dive into. Kind of historic though as I'm sure it will be the last as we know it

[sjewkestheloon]

I will play the wait and see game for a few years like I always do, unless I come into some money and feel like treating myself. I actually don't distinguish between handhelds and consoles as I play them both at home, and I think my recent 3DS XL purchase should keep me in new games for some time with the promising games coming out this year and an unexplored DS catalogue at my finger tips.

One thing that might tempt me is the new Xbox if my friends move over. I use my 360 as a social platform and I spend as much time talking to friends as I do playing games. If they don't allow cross platform party chat I might end up getting one for that and then using it for co-op games.

There's a lot of terrible rumours flying about though.

[jpj]

i haven't bought a console since 2003

[z0mbie90]

For online FPS = Quake
Fighting games and STGs = Mame and xbox 360

I dont care about games that much anymore, exept STGs and the games I already like and play. There's too much today, COD have like 4 games in just the last 3 years and with all the dlc and stuff I just think the publishers just care about money.

[neorichieb1971]

The problem with nextgen is that its this gen (when it comes to ideas of gameplay) with better graphics.

If the industry thinks i'm going to buy another console just to play the same games over and over they are wrong. Just like handhelds, they will find that people are finding other toys to play with.

To top it off they want the nextgen consoles to be better than current day PC's. At what cost?

The kind of games I want to play these days are graded 11/10. System selling games. Games that define the generation and beyond. Games that you say to yourself "I'll remember that for years to come".

The last time I felt like that I was playing something like MGS1, RE4, Super monkey ball, Jumping flash. There are more, but you get my meaning. I want to play games that are easy to pick but hard to master , but in the realm of nextgen. So basically, a simplistic game that has as much depth as a shmup, but with enough graphical might to plough a new generation.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Wii U or upgrade on the PC's graphics card for me. Assuming there's anything worthwhile to play on either.

The most fun I've had this gen has been some of the point and shoot affairs on the Wii. So much stuff just resembles Resi 4 or a sub-standard FPS that it's mostly going to be more of the same but prettier, with added DRM, microtransactions and forced multiplayer/co-op. Nintendo will roll out updates to the same franchises whilst Sega resolutely refuse to do anything with theirs except flog the same collection of Mega Drive games.

To top it off they want the nextgen consoles to be better than current day PC's. At what cost?

Well you can put together a solid gaming PC for £400-500. So if you skimp on part quality and heatsinking, throw in reduced mass production costs, you can squeeze out a ~£300 console. They won't opt for the enthusiast level cards because you just can't cool them in a console set up. But they'll be high end and probably have a high failure rate like the current gen.

[Obiwanshinobi]

What next gen needs most are competent ports of PS2 library. Capcom appear to be hard at work on it.

[ncc]

What next gen needs most are competent ports of PS2 library. Capcom appear to be hard at work on it.

Backwards compatibility would be nice but we all know Sony's stance on that.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Backwards compatibility wouldn't be enough. People got rid of their CRTs and those games need to be rendered in higher resolutions nowadays (which makes many of them look worse, but that's what you get for ditching your tube).
Ports are a reasonable compromise: cheaper than making new games etc.
(For real, some PS2 games are 240p; many LCDs won't even take it via component, let alone make it look good.)

Take the budget of a modern Metal Gear or Diablow. Centuries of man work, millions of dollars right?

Take a quarter of it, and pour it all into a 2d game. Let's just say, a Super Mario 3 clone. A world map, hundreds of "suits", a thousand levels. God knows how much content you could make with a budget like that.

Actually Super Mario Galaxy reminded me of Super Mario World: there's obviously a plenty of content, but I don't really care. Sat down to play some SMG... maybe twice around Christmas and haven't revisited it since then. That said, it's a game I'd probably feel more inclined to play if I was a decade or two younger. Nowadays I'm into more arcadey game design (SMB Deluxe is more like it). Which I'm pretty sure is the case with many other ageing gamers. Mainstream game design can't keep up with your average game buyer's age.
Oh I would gladly "live the adventue" like I used to do back in the day, but the only game rich in story that got me hooked of late is the aforementioned Crystal Bearers (sandbox game made of silly playthings).
So rather than working on protection scheme, how about working on games that people will care to play? The industry's real problem nowadays seems to be the inability to give people what they really want.
No used games next gen? Cool, I'm not even done obtaining all PS2 games I want to own, let alone playing them.

Anyway. As soon as I'm done going through the Playstation 2 catalogue, I'm sure I'll be moderately entertained by these new announced consoles you're talking about, the X-Box 360, Playstation 3, and Wii.

Is it even possible to be done with the PS2 catalogue?

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

I'll go where the shmup ports are then check out the other games. I probably would have waited much longer to buy a 360 if it wasn't for Cave.

[Ed Oscuro]

My interest depends on what happens with Dark Souls 2.

Awfully high buy-in price for one game though.

I guess this is what it felt like to be a CD-i owner back in the mid-90s, huh? (And assuming you could equate Burn Cycle with Dark Souls 2...lol)

[CMoon]

My interest depends on what happens with Dark Souls 2.

Awfully high buy-in price for one game though.

I guess this is what it felt like to be a CD-i owner back in the mid-90s, huh? (And assuming you could equate Burn Cycle with Dark Souls 2...lol)

Seems silly except I've put well over 100 hours into each of the soul games. Without those two games I couldn't justify owning the current console.

I will play the wait and see game for a few years like I always do, unless I come into some money and feel like treating myself. I actually don't distinguish between handhelds and consoles as I play them both at home, and I think my recent 3DS XL purchase should keep me in new games for some time with the promising games coming out this year...

I'm in the same boat. Buying a 3DS XL sometime in the next few months for the new Atlus games.

[Ed Oscuro]

I probably couldn't come close to justifying the price of new PCs I've bought, though, so total cost of ownership per hour of gaming (or whatever metric you wanna go by) probably still doesn't look completely terrible for the 360...until you consider the ease of having a box that does everything. I just can't make the value proposition of most current consoles make sense to me. I did buy a PSP for all of one or two games though.

[evil_ash_xero]

My interest depends on what happens with Dark Souls 2.

I've been playing so much of Dark Souls lately, that I've actually been worried I've been getting addicted to it. I had to put it up for a while. Nuts, huh?



I've been messing around with Ni No Kuni and Gunhound EX to get my mind off it it. What a phenomenal game. I'm worried about it's sequel. Miyazaki not being involved(really), is a MAJOR disappointment. I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Zaarock]

Miyazaki not being involved(really), is a MAJOR disappointment. I'm not getting my hopes up.

He is involved, as "supervisor". Looking at some interviews it looks like it should be fine: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=505206

I'm interested in what FROM software(an improvement on the ACV formula could be great) and Platinum make for next gen, but who knows at this point, there could be surprises etc.

[evil_ash_xero]

Miyazaki not being involved(really), is a MAJOR disappointment. I'm not getting my hopes up.

He is involved, as "supervisor". Looking at some interviews it looks like it should be fine: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=505206

I'm interested in what FROM software(an improvement on the ACV formula could be great) and Platinum make for next gen, but who knows at this point, there could be surprises etc.

I'm not buying it. When really open about it, he says flat out that he's having nothing to do with the actual production of the game. He's been demoted. So, to me, there was a very specific reason Namco/Bandai/From..whoever pushed him down the ladder. And I'm pretty concerned that the uniqueness of the Souls games is going to be diminished. Never good to kick the creator and driving force off of a series.
I keep WANTING to like an AC game, but they just haven't hit the nail on the head for me yet.

Yes, Platinum I'm very interested in. They got balls. They're a little hit and miss(AR is iffy), but they have the right idea. I'm pretty frustrated that after MGR they seem to be tied up with Nintendo for the next two games(at least). I have no intention of getting a Wii U. I'm also sad that Mikami left, and is only directing one more game. That's another great director who is going to be off the map. Not a ton of them left.

[R79]

Looking forward to the next Xbox, Virtua Fighter 6, any more 2D shooter ports, and hopefully some more JRPG conversions and defections (Ms' weak-point) to finally crush Sony next-gen. PS4 could well be dead in the water if they can't lock in AAAs, and stop haemorrhaging money and credibility on the handhelds. Whilst I enjoyed PS1 & 2, their arrogance and indifference to online multiplayer has just dissolved any loyalty I once felt for the brand.

Nintendo? Well, much of their output these days doesn't really seem to be aimed at me (SNES kid who spent hundreds of hours on Super Metroid, A Link to the Past & Super Mario Kart) any more, but for sure, a new Zelda is always something to keep an eye on, plus some of the Resident Evil light-gun stuff I found enjoyable, as well as a few random Atlus games on Wii.

Still intend to put plenty of spare cash and hours this year into the Mega Drive, Dreamcast and original Xbox, all legit copies running on the hardware. Resident Evil 2 on N64 as well, that's still a target this year.

Oh, and uh, who'd wanna be a teeny gamer today?



I look at my New Zealand Story and Rainbow Islands boxes that I've had for 25 years, and genuinely pity the youngsters out there now.

[Zaarock]

Miyazaki not being involved(really), is a MAJOR disappointment. I'm not getting my hopes up.

He is involved, as "supervisor". Looking at some interviews it looks like it should be fine: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=505206

I'm interested in what FROM software(an improvement on the ACV formula could be great) and Platinum make for next gen, but who knows at this point, there could be surprises etc.

I'm not buying it. When really open about it, he says flat out that he's having nothing to do with the actual production of the game. He's been demoted. So, to me, there was a very specific reason Namco/Bandai/From..whoever pushed him down the ladder. And I'm pretty concerned that the uniqueness of the Souls games is going to be diminished. Never good to kick the creator and driving force off of a series.

Did you actually read the interview I linked? just checking :p

[Jonathan Ingram]

For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the drastic reduction in the output of the Japanese games that has occurred this console generation, I`m not as excited about the prospects of the new systems as I would`ve been ten or even five years ago, but I`m still trying to remain at least somewhat optimistic. Even if the forthcoming console generation fails to deliver in the same way the generations before it did, there are still bound to be a few standout games to brighten up the day.

[evil_ash_xero]

Did you actually read the interview I linked? just checking :p

Honestly...no. But I've read the entire Edge interview, and the review from a Japanese magazine where they interviewed him and both the new directors.

They talked the talk, but it all seem like a smokescreen to me. But I'm not wanting it to fail. I would be thrilled if it turns out to be as good as the other two. But that's a high standard. And I'm not getting my hopes up with him not being hands on. He's working on another game, as we speak. Don't think he's going to be popping his head in the door all the time tinkering with the other 2 director's game(and why does it have 2 directors anyway?). But we'll see. Umbasa.

[ncc]

Even if the forthcoming console generation fails to deliver in the same way the generations before it did,

Hint: It will

there are still bound to be a few standout games to brighten up the day.

Hint: Indie games

[dan76]

Not interested in the slightest. I hope it brings about a massive industry crash. Enough!

[Jonathan Ingram]

Hint: Indie games

No. I was talking more along the lines of Demon`s Souls, Valkyria Chronicles, Red Seeds Profile, Nier and Muramasa. I don`t particularly care about the indie scene.

[Vexorg]

I've got all three of the current consoles (PS3, Xbox360, Wii U) and a 3DS, and even with all that I've largely moved back to the PC for most of my gaming these days. I suspect that what we're going to find is that none of the next-gen systems sell anywhere near the numbers of the current generation, mostly because there seems to be a lot less interest out there these days than there has been in the past. Sales throughout the console market have been on a steady decline for months now, the hardware manufacturers out there seem to be more interested in making glorified set-top boxes that just happen to be able to play some video games every once in a while than in making video game systems that happen to be able to do Netflix every once in a while.

Most of the interesting stuff going on in the games industry these days is coming from small teams of independent developers who have just bypassed the console makers entirely, funding through Kickstarter and self-publishing. That leaves the major studios pretty much putting nothing out but the big-budget AAA titles, which have become exceedingly formulaic because that's about all you can safely do when you're spending so much on making a game that you have to sell 10 million copies to break even. Then again, practically everyone seems to be jumping on the Freemium bandwagon these days, which mostly just annoys people who would otherwise pay for the game up front. I'd much rather pay $10 for a game up front and have everything available then get it for free and have it be limited until I start paying for things.

[Obiwanshinobi]

If anything is about to crash, console market is. Games industry is about so much more than that...
Can it even be estimated how "big" (in terms of money coming in and out) computer gaming market is? Or what "handheld gaming" even means in this day and age?

[louisg]

I look at my New Zealand Story and Rainbow Islands boxes that I've had for 25 years, and genuinely pity the youngsters out there now.

Are we just focusing on AAA games though? I think there's a lot this generation outside of that. For example: De Blob (which I still need to play), Ivy the Kiwi?, Rayman Origins, Trauma Team, and an endless selection of others. Sure, if you want a formulaic game about headshots aimed at a bunch of teenagers, you'll get a formulaic lead character.

Also, don't forget all the 80s games which had some kind of Rambo knock-off for a main character. We didn't complain then, even if every freaking thing that came out had to be some identical side-scrolling action/adventure game. We have it better now than we did on the NES in that respect, that's for sure. Hard to believe!

(and I'm not just being contrarian. I really couldn't wait for the NES to go away at the time. Of course, there's a lot good about it which I also didn't appreciate at the time, too).

I'd also suggest that there's a fallacy: Genius only counts if it's popular. For example, for everyone who says "there's no good music made anymore", they're just thinking about what they hear on the radio, not what's going on in their local scene. Do we only *really* recognize good games when everyone else is playing the same thing? Is that the only time they "count"?

[Lord Satori]

Don't forget the nostalgic factor. Everyone likes to think the games they played as a kid were the best.

As for the game industry, not trying to sound like I'm full of myself or anything, but I feel as though its 'waiting' for me. I aim to become a game designer one day, and I've got an entire franchise worth of ideas in my head complete with a deep, compelling story. The difference between a good and a bad game is whether or not the people up top care about the games they're designing, or whether they're just analytically ripping off other games and making another one based only on marketing and current trends.