Next gen wishlist

[PARANOiA]

I've been thinking about things I'd really like to see implemented in consoles moving forward.

This gen has introduced some great features post-release thanks to firmware updates... now here's a quick run-down of features I'd like to be standard by next generation:

• Sleep mode in all games. You know, sometimes I get bored when playing games. I think, "I don't want to wait for a save point. I want to go to bed right now." Or "I have to meet someone, but I don't want to waste time playing if I can't get to the next bit before I have to leave". Implement a PSP-like sleep mode so I can turn on the console when I get home and pick up where I left off. I don't need save-anywhere - I just need to be able to "resume" my game.
• Unified connectivity across the system. Think of the XBL model of having one friends list, voice chat and invites across games, solid online integration with a single user profile. It works, and it works really, really well. I'm surprised it took this long given how simple the idea genuinely is.
• Wireless, rechargable controllers with rumble as standard. AA batteries are fine, but plug in and forget is better. Don't make me buy a new controller later to save you some money... early adopters get burned enough as is with usually shoddy hardware, high prices and thin libraries. Don't turn me off in another way! If you're going to use Bluetooth, fix the sync issues.
• Include all cables in the box! The 360 Pro is the first machine I've ever bought with the right video cable for the best quality display. I hope it's not the last. I've had to import S-video, SCART or component cables for decades, and it's one of those things that just adds to the price of the system in the end. Bad!
• Achievements/accomplishments. Call it what you want, they're great for extending the life of a game and getting you to play in ways that may have not thought of otherwise. Enable a way to make them invisible for users that dislike them - but they're in the minority anyway, so don't turn away those of us that do.
• Online profile integration. The same way that 360 "gamercards" work, let me have a website where I can browse my games, my friends games, my progress, their progress, etc. It's a great way to keep touch, especially on forums and whatnot, where you can call out idiots who claim to have finished a game when they've only got the "level one" achievement heh heh! Let me manage my friends list and profile there, too, so I can avoid using the stupid character inputs on my machine if I want to
• Improve the PC-connectivity. My console should be able to play all the media formats my PC does. It should let me listen to the music on my PC in every game without needing to re-rip my CD's.
• Standard HDD! Even if it's a small flash system, force it there for caching. No mandatory installs!
• 1080p for everything. No upscaling, no half-way measures. Do it right! The 360 gui looks like a mess on a 1080p display... you can render Gears at 720p but the dashboard can't hit 1080p? Come on.
• If at all possible.... let me fully install games and not require disc swapping. Figure out a solution, even if it's an online requirement on the box. You give me the solution, don't make me figure it out Steam does it after all.

That's a good list for a start. I'm sure you each have a few.

No need to be a system-war thread, please. If that's your intention, politely don't post. Cheers.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

1# would be to make them affordable so that I dont have to wait 2 or 3 years untill they have a decent price. 400 - 600 euro's just is to much. At more than 300 im not buying no matter what it offers.

 

[Barrabas]

1# would be to make them affordable so that I dont have to wait 2 or 3 years untill they have a decent price. 400 - 600 euro's just is to much. At more than 300 im not buying no matter what it offers.

Just had to say I totally disagree with this. I am sick and tired of all the moaning about high cost on consoles. We already have too much cuts in hardware spec (RAM in particular), so please do not limit performance even more. There will always be optional consoles to buy at a cheaper price, but keep the high end consoles for people that can afford them. Sorry, but had to get that out when I saw that.

Some good points you have on the list PARANOiA.

 

[assen]

Developer hat on:

- SMP please, no SPU funny business
- bonus points for non-moronic CPU cores
- direct access to GPU pushbuffers in addition to the "normal" API
- EDRAM and the ability to render FROM it (textures, previous render targets). I can live with tiling.
- standard HDD, even if small, for caching
- rich choice of texture formats, including sub-DXT1 (1bpp and 2bpp); as orthogonal as possible (blend modes/AA should Just Work for all sensible formats (>16bpp)
- an optimized port of LuaJIT

Developer hat off, user hat on:

- no more than 250 EUR at launch
- mandatory 60 fps for ALL games
- mandatory 4xAA
- backwards compatibility

 

[Gubbi]

Just had to say I totally disagree with this. I am sick and tired of all the moaning about high cost on consoles.

I'm with T_o_C on this one. The reasoning goes like this:

1. Low cost -> higher sales ->even lower cost (economies of scale) -> even higher sales. End result: Bigger installed base

2. Big install base -> more money available to buy games -> triple-A multi mega buck games more viable. End result: More and better games

Cheers

 

[Barrabas]

I'm with T_o_C on this one. The reasoning goes like this:

1. Low cost -> higher sales ->even lower cost (economies of scale) -> even higher sales. End result: Bigger installed base

2. Big install base -> more money available to buy games -> triple-A multi mega buck games more viable. End result: More and better games

Cheers

Sorry we go OT her but what about this:

Low cost -> low hardware spec ->even lower cost ->even lower hardware spec. End result: bad games (at least visually).

I think the PS3 is doing very good even at a high price, and lots of good AAA titles in the pipeline. At the end it is the games that consumes most of the money. I prefer a steady flow of few AAA titles than lots of B titles flooding the market. I believe lower hardware specs consoles will be more easily a victim of the latter.

 

[assen]

End result: bad games (at least visually).

Such as... God of War 2?

It is, arguably, head and shoulders above 98% of the 2007 PC games.

Good games come from developer attention to the platform, which, in turn, comes from high install base, combined with good development tools.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Sorry we go OT her but what about this:

Low cost -> low hardware spec ->even lower cost ->even lower hardware spec. End result: bad games (at least visually).

I think the PS3 is doing very good even at a high price, and lots of good AAA titles in the pipeline. At the end it is the games that consumes most of the money. I prefer a steady flow of few AAA titles than lots of B titles flooding the market. I believe lower hardware specs consoles will be more easily a victim of the latter.

Uhhh why does low hardware spec result in even lower hardware specs? And why bad gfx? Opting for cheaper hardware doesnt autmatically mean bad gfx, it will just mean less good gfx than they could have been. But that is always the case. They can make a 1000$ console and you could still say but hey if they were allowed to spend 2000$ the gfx whould have been even better.

 

[RobertR1]

Nice list Paranoia and I agree.

A couple of more things:

Remote access to the system: I'd love to be at work, see a new demo/movie/"arcade" game pop up, queue the download and have it read to play as soon as I'm home.

My biggest one being able to install the games on the HDD. I'd play more but being lazy, I hate swapping.

 

[Zassk]

Full compatibility with all PC monitors (non-HDCP).
Support all widescreen monitor resolutions below 1080p.
Wireless-N built in.
Web browser included in the box.

Remote/nunchuk provided in addition to classic controller (whether motion sensing is integrated or not).

I'd like to see the classic controllers simplified a bit - perhaps we can eliminate the right analog stick or the d-pad?

 

[Squilliam]

How about better position/motion sensing than pointing at a stupid sensor bar. I am a kinesthetic type, so having a gun in my hand is like ambrosia. I was a big time crisis fan. Gun+Head tracking+nunchuck controller for movement would be pretty awesome for a game.

1080p becomes standards, all peripherarls work on PC! just kidding!

Remote destruction if fanboyism is detected.

 

[RobertR1]

Oh and online FPS should be 60fps like CoD4.

I don't mind 30fps for the campaign with pumped up effects but 60fps for MP just plain rocks.

 

[cloudscapes]

I agree with most things. however

1080p for everything. No upscaling, no half-way measures. Do it right! The 360 gui looks like a mess on a 1080p display... you can render Gears at 720p but the dashboard can't hit 1080p? Come on.

having the dashboard at a lower resolution is a better idea. think about it. a higher resolution means higher resolution buttons and UI graphics that need to be stored in the ram, probably needing more than the 32mb RAM the console reserves for itself, thus making more people complain about the "RAM-gobbing OS" and more devs grumble about how it should of been used for mroe useful purposes. it makes perfect sense from my standpoint.

 

[PARANOiA]

I agree with most things. however




having the dashboard at a lower resolution is a better idea. think about it. a higher resolution means higher resolution buttons and UI graphics that need to be stored in the ram, probably needing more than the 32mb RAM the console reserves for itself, thus making more people complain about the "RAM-gobbing OS" and more devs grumble about how it should of been used for mroe useful purposes. it makes perfect sense from my standpoint.

So have the in-game versions be a scaled low-res version, with the main dash (where I browse marketplace, chat with friends, check messages, buy XBLA games) looking sharper. Text scaling, etc, shouldn't be a RAM issue at all, regardless.

 

[PARANOiA]

I agree with most things. however




having the dashboard at a lower resolution is a better idea. think about it. a higher resolution means higher resolution buttons and UI graphics that need to be stored in the ram, probably needing more than the 32mb RAM the console reserves for itself, thus making more people complain about the "RAM-gobbing OS" and more devs grumble about how it should of been used for mroe useful purposes. it makes perfect sense from my standpoint.

So have the in-game versions be a scaled low-res version, with the main dash (where I browse marketplace, chat with friends, check messages, buy XBLA games) looking sharper. Text scaling, etc, shouldn't be a RAM issue at all, regardless.

And hey, I want all my games next gen to be 1080p as standard - surely it makes sense for the system to be 1080p across the board.

 

[AlNom]

having the dashboard at a lower resolution is a better idea. think about it. a higher resolution means higher resolution buttons and UI graphics that need to be stored in the ram, probably needing more than the 32mb RAM the console reserves for itself, thus making more people complain about the "RAM-gobbing OS" and more devs grumble about how it should of been used for mroe useful purposes. it makes perfect sense from my standpoint.

How about using vector graphics I could be wrong, but this approach would take up less memory and has the advantage of good quality scaling. The other thing is that it would be more ideal for representing those round button graphics and text.

 

[Mobius1aic]

Well to hit that z-buffer and render at 1080p mark is going to require more than 8 measly ROPs

Oh and on the 60 Hz framerate issue, is it just me or does anyone else actually prefer 30 Hz for certain games as it's inline with movies therefore a more cinematic feel? 60 Hz is almost a requirement for FPS, but games like Lost Odyssey wouldn't feel right at 60 Hz.

 

[liolio]

AAx4 AFx8, and VSync!!!!
I wouldn't care if game are rendered @ 1366*768:
so many display use this resolution that it's not even fun.
I'm sure scaler will get better.
I wouldn't want that a significant part of the next systems horse power would be use just to handle super/real/full HD for the win marketting point.

 

[vazel]

For backwards compatibility to remain a feature of consoles.

 

[kyetech]

I agree with most things. however




having the dashboard at a lower resolution is a better idea. think about it. a higher resolution means higher resolution buttons and UI graphics that need to be stored in the ram, probably needing more than the 32mb RAM the console reserves for itself, thus making more people complain about the "RAM-gobbing OS" and more devs grumble about how it should of been used for mroe useful purposes. it makes perfect sense from my standpoint.

Make the dashboard from vectors instead of images (think Flash) You can make stupidly small file sizes with great looking UI like that.