Do We Even Need New Game Systems?

[IMPress Polly]

I've been thinking about this for some time, but the poor sales of the 8th generation gaming systems and the lackluster reaction that Microsoft's big reveal of their upcoming machine, the terribly-named Xbox One X (previously codenamed Project Scorpio), got at the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 for short) has really brought home to me the question of whether we even need new video game consoles anymore. Let me briefly make my case on that:

If you think about it, there are two main reasons why people buy game systems: for 1) bigger games, and 2) better graphics. Let's face it, everything else -- motion controls, virtual reality, etc. -- is a gimmick. None of it ever winds up changing the way the average gamer plays or experiences video games. The two most substantive, permanent reasons why people buy new game systems are for bigger games and better graphics. But do we actually benefit from either of those things anymore? I don't think we do! Here's what I mean:

1) BIGGER GAMES

The interactive world of the average AAA adventure video game is already getting too large. So large, in fact, that it can't be navigated without the player being given some disingenuous form of detective vision (perhaps a special superpower or technological wonder device that lets you see arrows on the screen pointing you to your next destination) just to find your way around because you can no longer memorize the in-game landscape with enough traversals.

Furthermore, the focus on increasing world size is starting to negatively impact the quality of storytelling. The ultimate example I would point to in this connection is the largest video game world that has ever been made: that of last year's No Man's Sky. How intimate an experience would say that was, traversing a universe with literally trillions of nearly identical planets just for the purpose of cataloguing more species? All emotional capacity and frankly diversity was lost to the game's sheer scale. When you make games that enormous, character development becomes impossible: the individual is inevitably swallowed up by the vastness of the universe they occupy. Do we really want all our major video games to become No Man's Sky?

2) BETTER GRAPHICS

For a staggering price tag of $500, the upcoming Xbox One X will offer players an improved visual experience...that you can't even see without a 4K television! The vast majority of gamers (myself included), however, are still using 1080p TVs. You see what I'm saying? When the average gamer has to buy a new TV ($500) just to see the graphical improvements that a new console (also $500) offers them, I think it's safe to say that such an upgrade is no longer worth the astronomical cost, even if state-of-the-art realism is a relatively big deal to you.

What do you think? Are we actually, substantively benefiting from new gaming machines anymore?

[Green Arrow]

The answer is, of course, no. If I was a developer I would take a Nicola Tesla approach to it all. Put out one console, and then instead of making new consoles every so often, just update the software/firmware to take on newer, better games. You'd still be able to play old games on it, too. The new updates would be maybe $5 tops, depending on how often they were.

[The Xl]

I doubt the limits of the Xbox one and ps4 hardware have been pushed yet anyway.

[Meh]

The answer is, of course, no. If I was a developer I would take a Nicola Tesla approach to it all. Put out one console, and then instead of making new consoles every so often, just update the software/firmware to take on newer, better games. You'd still be able to play old games on it, too. The new updates would be maybe $5 tops, depending on how often they were.
They do update the software but the hardware at a certain point wouldn't be able to keep up. PC gaming is the way to go.

[Meh]

I doubt the limits of the Xbox one and ps4 hardware have been pushed yet anyway.

It's all about that 4k res... The current hardware can't do it.

[Ethereal]

I've been thinking about this for some time, but the poor sales of the 8th generation gaming systems and the lackluster reaction that Microsoft's big reveal of their upcoming machine, the terribly-named Xbox One X (previously codenamed Project Scorpio), got at the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 for short) has really brought home to me the question of whether we even need new video game consoles anymore. Let me briefly make my case on that:

If you think about it, there are two main reasons why people buy game systems: for 1) bigger games, and 2) better graphics. Let's face it, everything else -- motion controls, virtual reality, etc. -- is a gimmick. None of it ever winds up changing the way the average gamer plays or experiences video games. The two most substantive, permanent reasons why people buy new game systems are for bigger games and better graphics. But do we actually benefit from either of those things anymore? I don't think we do! Here's what I mean:

1) BIGGER GAMES

The interactive world of the average AAA adventure video game is already getting too large. So large, in fact, that it can't be navigated without the player being given some disingenuous form of detective vision (perhaps a special superpower or technological wonder device that lets you see arrows on the screen pointing you to your next destination) just to find your way around because you can no longer memorize the in-game landscape with enough traversals.

Furthermore, the focus on increasing world size is starting to negatively impact the quality of storytelling. The ultimate example I would point to in this connection is the largest video game world that has ever been made: that of last year's No Man's Sky. How intimate an experience would say that was, traversing a universe with literally trillions of nearly identical planets just for the purpose of cataloguing more species? All emotional capacity and frankly diversity was lost to the game's sheer scale. When you make games that enormous, character development becomes impossible: the individual is inevitably swallowed up by the vastness of the universe they occupy. Do we really want all our major video games to become No Man's Sky?

2) BETTER GRAPHICS

For a staggering price tag of $500, the upcoming Xbox One X will offer players an improved visual experience...that you can't even see without a 4K television! The vast majority of gamers (myself included), however, are still using 1080p TVs. You see what I'm saying? When the average gamer has to buy a new TV ($500) just to see the graphical improvements that a new console (also $500) offers them, I think it's safe to say that such an upgrade is no longer worth the astronomical cost, even if state-of-the-art realism is a relatively big deal to you.

What do you think? Are we actually, substantively benefiting from new gaming machines anymore?
It's not only the size of the environment or better graphics that we benefit from. We benefit from more features, more content, more realistic physics, better performance, etc. And the cost of 4K TV will come down (as will the cost of the new consoles) significantly in the coming years. For the people who have the money and the willingness to spend it, the premium they pay during the early release will be worth it for them. Conversely, for the people who are willing to wait for the price to come down, they can just continue to play the previous generation consoles until it does. In short, as long as games can benefit from increased complexity and better visuals, they should keep coming out with new consoles, just like they always have. Granted, this may result in premature releases from time-to-time, but that will work itself out in the long run.

[Ethereal]

The answer is, of course, no. If I was a developer I would take a Nicola Tesla approach to it all. Put out one console, and then instead of making new consoles every so often, just update the software/firmware to take on newer, better games. You'd still be able to play old games on it, too. The new updates would be maybe $5 tops, depending on how often they were.

Without better hardware, updated software and firmware won't make much difference.

[Doublejack]

I purposefully stay 2-5 years behind on gaming.
Same shit, half the price.

[Meh]

I purposefully stay 2-5 years behind on gaming.
Same $#@!, half the price.

My PC parts are like 5years old probably put it together for like 300 today still runs good enough for my needs.

[Your Star]

Eventually, yes. Until cloud computing becomes a viable thing.

[Captain Obvious]

I purposefully stay 2-5 years behind on gaming.
Same shit, half the price.

gog.com

Best place for games.

[Doublejack]

gog.com

Best place for games.
Nice! THat's what I'm talkin about.

I was buying games from steam but this looks even better.

I still havent played witcher 1 ... only 25 bucks for witcher 3 :)

I'll play all 3 and still pay less than the first release ... i'm so cheap

[Captain Obvious]

Nice! THat's what I'm talkin about.

I was buying games from steam but this looks even better.

I still havent played witcher 1 ... only 25 bucks for witcher 3 :)

I'll play all 3 and still pay less than the first release ... i'm so cheap

Yeah, I run Final Fantasy VII off of Steam, because it's the only spot I can get it. GOG lets you download the game and the goodies if you want them, they're yours. They do specials too, I get emails from them but I really don't buy a lot of stuff.

Play the cheap, wait for the specials and download the games.

Download their downloader gizmo too, it's easier.

[Doublejack]

Yeah, I run Final Fantasy VII off of Steam, because it's the only spot I can get it. GOG lets you download the game and the goodies if you want them, they're yours. They do specials too, I get emails from them but I really don't buy a lot of stuff.

Play the cheap, wait for the specials and download the games.

Download their downloader gizmo too, it's easier.
Nice !

My biggest issue is forgetting my steam account info. I think I have 3 different ones now.
I forget my own email info too so the account restore doesn't apply to me. Just get a new email account.

I should probably start caring more .. but I just don't.

[IMPress Polly]

I'm a big fan of both Steam and GOG myself. :smiley: Of course, I'm also primarily into independently-developed games like (to highlight some of my faves from this year to date) Night in the Woods, What Remains of Edith Finch, Little Nightmares, She Remembered Caterpillars, Cosmic Star Heroine, and the adorable Snake Pass. :grin: But at this point in the life of our 8th generation consoles, almost every indie game of note also comes out for either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, so I mostly just use my console services now actually, as of this year. Even Undertale is getting a PS4 release now and The Flame in the Flood got one as well earlier this year, and Gone Home (my favorite game of all time) got a PS4 and Xbox One release last year. But I guess what I'm saying is that, you know, the smaller developers who make these types of sincere and really creative games don't have the budgets to maximize the performance potential available on machines like the PS4 or Xbox One or many home gaming computers available today, and yet I tend to like material like this better than the AAA market that does anyway. I will concede though that there are some exceptions from time to time. For instance, I really enjoyed NieR: Automata and Persona 5 earlier this year, as well as Tales of Berseria (though the latter didn't exactly maximize the PS4's technological potential, or even come close; still qualifies as a AAA game though at the end of the day) and am looking forward to a rare independently-developed AAA game called Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice that's due out in August.

Some of the material I'm most looking forward to over the next few months includes:

June 30th (yep, today!): Crash N. Sane Trilogy
August 2nd: Tacoma
August 8th: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
August 15th: Sonic Mania
August 31st: Life is Strange: Before the Storm (Episode 1)
September 15th: Metroid: Samus Returns

With the exception of the Metroid game though, they'll all be available on computer through Steam. However, all of those save for Tacoma and Metroid: Samus Returns will also be available for PS4, while Tacoma will be available for Xbox One, and of course the Metroid game will be on 3DS, so I actually don't have to use my computer at all, which is nice.

[Meh]

Yeah, I run Final Fantasy VII off of Steam, because it's the only spot I can get it. GOG lets you download the game and the goodies if you want them, they're yours. They do specials too, I get emails from them but I really don't buy a lot of stuff.

Play the cheap, wait for the specials and download the games.

Download their downloader gizmo too, it's easier.

I just wait for the wait for the steam summer sale. Skipped it this year because I don't have a whole lot of time to play.

[Brett Nortje]

I've been thinking about this for some time, but the poor sales of the 8th generation gaming systems and the lackluster reaction that Microsoft's big reveal of their upcoming machine, the terribly-named Xbox One X (previously codenamed Project Scorpio), got at the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 for short) has really brought home to me the question of whether we even need new video game consoles anymore. Let me briefly make my case on that:
If you think about it, there are two main reasons why people buy game systems: for 1) bigger games, and 2) better graphics. Let's face it, everything else -- motion controls, virtual reality, etc. -- is a gimmick. None of it ever winds up changing the way the average gamer plays or experiences video games. The two most substantive, permanent reasons why people buy new game systems are for bigger games and better graphics. But do we actually benefit from either of those things anymore? I don't think we do! Here's what I mean:
1) BIGGER GAMES
The interactive world of the average AAA adventure video game is already getting too large. So large, in fact, that it can't be navigated without the player being given some disingenuous form of detective vision (perhaps a special superpower or technological wonder device that lets you see arrows on the screen pointing you to your next destination) just to find your way around because you can no longer memorize the in-game landscape with enough traversals.
Furthermore, the focus on increasing world size is starting to negatively impact the quality of storytelling. The ultimate example I would point to in this connection is the largest video game world that has ever been made: that of last year's No Man's Sky. How intimate an experience would say that was, traversing a universe with literally trillions of nearly identical planets just for the purpose of cataloguing more species? All emotional capacity and frankly diversity was lost to the game's sheer scale. When you make games that enormous, character development becomes impossible: the individual is inevitably swallowed up by the vastness of the universe they occupy. Do we really want all our major video games to become No Man's Sky?
2) BETTER GRAPHICS
For a staggering price tag of $500, the upcoming Xbox One X will offer players an improved visual experience...that you can't even see without a 4K television! The vast majority of gamers (myself included), however, are still using 1080p TVs. You see what I'm saying? When the average gamer has to buy a new TV ($500) just to see the graphical improvements that a new console (also $500) offers them, I think it's safe to say that such an upgrade is no longer worth the astronomical cost, even if state-of-the-art realism is a relatively big deal to you.
What do you think? Are we actually, substantively benefiting from new gaming machines anymore?
Have you ever tried "fuse?" this is an emulator for old "spectrum" games. these games were to first real console and computer games - it came as a keyboard you plug into the television and then used tapes to store information. it also came with the first console programming system, where you could edit or make your own games. these games were just the right mix of 'big' and 'visuals' at the time, of course.

Anyway, my daughter's game, which she is developing for the p.c. is a woman's game. you travel from scene to scene and then choose your actions, like adventure games of the type where you use the 'questions and answers' sessions where you gain new adventures, like is still done today. then, it is accompanied with a cut scene for the actions and then you go to the next scene, of course.

She is developing it on a computer system i devised last year, where we run two buses and two mother boards, one board for regular binary, and another for a 'analogue device' system, where we over clock the binary no end.

~ Think of the difference between a normal glass lens for a camera and a digital one - this is the analogue picture quality.