Microsoft fires the first shot in the "NEXT" generation.... - Page 106

Too many folks see this as a black-and-white thing. No one's saying consoles are dead. Just that the emphasis and quantity is going elsewhere. But consoles will be around for the foreseeable future, as will AAA games on them (just a lot fewer). Nor am I sure why you feel the need to call all indie games "crap." The same could be said of publisher-released titles--and you'd be just as wrong.


This gets really tricky. There was an article last year in Game Developer magazine that broke down development projects by engine. Despite Unreal being the most popular for those who don't build their own, a very large number of developers still do build their own. The question is will it be cheaper and more efficient to continue building your own in the next generation?

Unreal wants more powerful consoles so they can make a stronger case to sell their engine to other studios. But I'm sure many others would rather keep system specs more modest so they're not forced to purchase another company's engine or dump excess money into internal engine development, while still keeping budgets in check.

I don't even need to go that far. Just look at how good last gen games look with a simple resolution bump. Final Fantasy X is every bit as impressive as XIII. Then you have the Wii running games like Xenoblade. More power is nice, but it isn't needed as much as Epic wants people to believe. Consoles are very adaptable and can run stuff that outstrips their specs easily. You don't even need super engines, just scale up the current engines to the new hardware and you are pretty well off for next gen.

Or Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater.

It's amazing what a 1080P 60FPS can do for most games to clean them up. Get the RAM and make that a minimal standard and I'm a happy console camper.

It's crazy to think just last gen games were running just below SD resolution for the most part. PS1/N64 era it was way down in the 240-320 native resolution. You can now emulate PS1/N64 games on your phone in higher resolution!

It's a constant give and take. Go back a bit further (SNES), and you get a massive framerate boost. The advent of 3D consoles threw framerates off a cliff for a good 10 years. Then the advent of HD stalled them from climbing their way back up completely.

Hopefully, we'll see 60fps as a standard, but invariably some flashy, bullet-point tech gets introduced that sells more games than reliable framerates do. It's the game equivalent to setting displays to superhigh contrast and brightness to sell them in the store.

The last 3-4 pages have been interesting reads. Let me preface what I'm about to say...by stating I really don't care if the Next XBox launches in 2013. Good for MS if they do it. I don't plan to buy it before Halo5 or HL3 anyway. I just don't think there is any chance of them doing it before 2014. IMO the fastest way for MS to re-ignite console world is to scale a massive price reduction in Q3 or Q4 of 2012 in anticipation of the Halo 4 release and a 2014 NexGen release. I'm thinking $129-$159. Then follow up in 2013 with Halo 4 and last of this gen titles bundled with hardware for $99-$139. That would make the XBox 360 a hotter than hot holiday gift item. It would be a profit boom for XBox 360 titles. And it would set the stage for a flood of new users to move into NexGen in 2014-2016...chasing the Halo 5, HL3, COD & other NexGen Games white rabbits down the rabbit hole...along with the hard core early NexGen adopters. Literally "priming the pump" for a new launch. This could also help MS bleed off/control a lot of XBox 360 inventory before NexGen hits the market. If they just prematurely slam a new console into the market in 2013 without consideration for retail, Development and production logistics...they could find themselves in the middle of one massive Shyttstorm! Especially if their new launch is matched by discounts on WiiU and PS3. Just saying...there is a lot more nuance to this down market than some are accounting for. The very worst thing any of the console players can do is misread it. By that I mean hurling a Ferrari into the middle of a Chevy economy. Everything will be based on how good or bad WiiU does anyway...IMHO.

the WiiU is being set up for disaster. so far, all the buzz has either been missing or somewhat negative. all the tracking firms are citing lack of consumer interest. Nintendo has gone totally hush when they were earlier touting it heavily.

sure, if they launch with some great titles, it totally changes everything. but so far, it's being met with a meh.

We'll see what they got in two weeks. Meh sounds about right. I don't expect the system to have any legs.

What I'll be really interested to see, is how they evolve their platform. Are we going to get proper user accounts? Friends lists instead of the friend code BS? Game purchases tied to account, not to individual console? Achievements? Demos? Full game downloads?

If they start catching up with where MS was 5 years ago, I'll have some hope for their future, even if the Wii U craters after 2-3 years like I expect. If it's still as primitive a system as the wii or 3DS....I just don't see how they survive as a hardware company. I believe they can rise out of the dark ages eventually, but its going to take a failure first.

They have gone silent to avoid leaks. E3 is right around the corner and they have all their big reveals waiting for then. They don't want a massive leak stealing their thunder.

Totally agree with you there. The system isn't that bad for Nintendo's model, but the "tablet controller" that is really just a low resolution LCD touchscreen with buttons thrown on the sides is really perplexing. I don't see how it adds anything besides exponentially driving up the peripheral prices. AND apparently it can only run one.

Nintedo's pulled some rabbits out of their hat before, but this time it looks like they ran out of rabbits. Especially after the Wii, which would be almost impossible to follow up with anything that quite captures the "must have xmas toy" sales that it ended up becoming.

I am curious if they scrap the tablet all together. What I hope is that it is a higher spec system then what they announced. They gambled that MS and Sony might follow this year with their systems.

After that Rayman leak, don't count on it.

If we've learned anything over the decades, it's that we should never underestimate Nintendo's marketing abilities. Just look at the dramatic turnaround for the 3DS. And even when their consoles underperform (N64 and Gamecube), Nintendo still manages to make money.

The Wii U may not turn out to be the runaway hit that the Wii was, but it'll do just fine one way or the other. The fact that Nintendo can still sell so many 3DS's in the era of the smartphone is nothing short of miraculous. There was plenty of doom and gloom prior to the Wii's launch as well. Everyone (analysts, gamers, and third-party publishers) predicted a massive flop. There are no guarantees, of course, but there's no reason to expect less than usual from them.

For me personally, the Wii was (mostly) a big disappointment. I used it mostly for Virtual Console titles and a few stellar releases (SMG2, NMH, Xenoblade). I'm cautiously optimistic about the Wii U.


Nintendo needs gimmicks. It's the centerpiece of their marketing strategies. Without the tablet, they have nothing. The bigger question is whether or not their final specs will allow for more than one tablet.

Nintendo has said no friends codes, they will have full game downloads at launch, and I think club nintendo is the start of game purchases tied to your account. Not sure how it will work out, but maybe e3 will give us an idea.

The Wii U isn't going to be a graphical powerhouse, especially considering devs have to use resources on the tablet, but considering what Nintendo is able to pull off on hardware like the Wii, I think the first party games will look fantastic.

I just don't see this gen being a repeat of Wii vs 360/ps3. Sure, the Wii U won't keep up, but it won't be the huge disparity we saw with the this gen either.

Aliens Interview - Wii U talk starts at 7:25.

"...This is the best controller I've ever had from Nintendo for a hardcore first person shooter...."

"the best looking version available will be for the wii U"

"the wii U is the more powerful machine"

"Nintendo needs gimmicks. It's the centerpiece of their marketing strategies. Without the tablet, they have nothing. The bigger question is whether or not their final specs will allow for more than one tablet."


Exactly. I don't think they will scrap the controller either. I also think what Nintendo is doing is smart. WiiU is designed to get a lot out of current display technology and even shine with upsampled 4K graphics (in future displays). WiiU will allow Nintendo to win back loyalty from some of its market. And hold value around their magic $259-$299 price point when the inevitable MS & Sony price drops start in advance of their NexGen launches. And if some are correct in earlier statements about the declining base for AA-AAA games. Then WiiU will be positioned perfectly in the NexGen lineup. IMO the most risk is with MS. NexGen has to blow the XBox 360 and PS3 away. Yet be more within reach of WiiU on pricing than a fully loaded Gaming PC. We all know what the safe play is for them. And it may be the right play this time around.

I always say this: Nintendo will be fine. They have such good brands that are ALWAYS in demand. You cannot lose with Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, Smash Brothers, and so forth. They don't need to chase hardware specs because people want to play those games.

Microsoft and Sony both obviously have top franchises but it's not quite the same.

Yup. But they also have the deepest pockets, so they're better equipped for risk.

As of March this year, 360 usage statistics show that people are using the box more for media than for gaming. But media is also probably the riskier (and potentially more lucrative) market direction at the moment. MS is backing that horse, and they stand to lose the most if Apple gets into the living room anytime soon. Nintendo is fully behind gaming. And Sony is hedging their bets (and suffering financially for their lack of commitment or risk-taking). MS has left gaming to third parties, and focused internally on media.

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/...ox-360-in-2013

Bungie's contract with Activision from April 2010, unsealed as part of the ongoing lawsuit between Activision and former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella, outlines the four game plan for Destiny, the game's codename. The first game in the "sci-fantasy, action shooter" series is planned for a release on the Xbox 360 and Microsoft's next-generation Xbox during fall 2013, according to the original agreement, with future entries slated for 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Anyone still want to bet against 2013?

could be in 2013. who knows.

the contract was written in 2010. and release dates are never set in stone that far out.

heck, Kotaku put up a piece on this contract and didn't even allude to the 2013 release date as significant.

Given how often they've reported on a 2013 date, they might not even feel like they need to anymore.

Bungie is an independent developer now though, aren't they? Seems like it'd be breach of contract if they didn't release a system in 2013, and left Bungie hanging.

MS isn't new to contracts or legal disputes. I'm fairly confident that they know how to write a contract with plenty of wiggle room.

I'm sure they'd give the middle finger to Bungie if they needed to. But it's still more likely that they don't....and Bungie probably isn't alone. Theyd have to screw multiple developers it they moved their launch window - probably not the best way to launch a system.

It's just another piece of actual evidence pointing towards 2013. That pile is growing...I haven't seen anything beyond mere speculation or rumors that points towards 2014.

They first have to sale to the consumers the gimmick of the tablet. I don't see Mario saving the Wii U. They also need what was mentioned earlier. Online similar to MS and 3rd part support and why people will leave their current consoles with all those features and support for the Wii U. Mario isn't going to save the Wii U IMO.

They are now trying to reach this hardcore demographic and I have very little doubt they can and online is a big factor to that doubt. They are trying to switch consumers that want
to pay online to play games and a service they have an option to use that they want to use vs the alternative. I just don't see people flocking to the latest system because of Mario or/and them catering to the hardcore.

I share most of those doubts. Mario is a great character/franchise, and they've maintained that high level of quality throughout the years - but there are legions of teens and young adults who didn't grow up worshipping Mario or Nintendo. Mario used to be THE definitive game franchise, the flag carrier for a new generation. I'm not sure their franchises are the draw they used to be. The vast majority stem from the mid 80-early 90s, carrying with them a truckload of baggage that theyre not willing to move beyond - such as silent protagonists and lack of voice acting. Its like theyre still making silent movies in the age of stereo.

They really haven't come up with much that struck a nerve since then. The closest would be Wii sports, but I don't see how that translates to the new controller. They've got SO much ground that they need to catch up on, before they can even begin to be the leader they once were.

Considering New Super Mario Bros Wii sold over 20 million units, I would say that Mario is still a major player. (Super Mario 3D Land is also the best selling 3DS game by a massive margin)

In sales, perhaps. But the game itself was a throwback and hardly state of the art in any way. It was a good game, but kind of a throwaway. Its very telling that the more modern super mario galaxy didn't sell nearly as well.

True, they only sold about 15 million combined. Not bad considering not every Mario fan enjoyed them.

Not bad at all. And they were AMAZING games. But if their modern titles don't sell as well as their throwbacks or shallow gimmicky games...what does that say about their future?

Call of DutWii: Mario Warfare?

The guys behind the Modern Gear series are doing that next.

Modern Gear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hpkGShO-Ko


Mario Warfare sneak peak 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSBzafw8nxI