The Next-gen Situation discussion *spawn

[pc999]

Thanks for the answer.

I never worked with audio/music for a game so I cant say much about it tools, actually I dont even know what they use (I have seen them working on some very well know daws, but I doubt it is what you mean by tools, probably the API).

It is something that fascinate me, there is somethings (like audio or even physics) that everybody wants more or less in the same way and there is a cheap and powerful solutions for it, DSPs some of them with values/variables enough to be quite flexible, yet nones use it or implement it in a efficient way That is so true that Intel/AMD/Nvidea now use dedicated HW for certain tasks, like video transcoding and everybody loves it.


Anyone knows why nobody else does it

 

[Rangers]

Interesting IGN survey on next gen, of developers.

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/06/01/the-next-generation-according-to-game-developers

The next generation of consoles starts in 2013, if all goes according to developers’ plans. In an anonymous questionnaire, multiple industry professionals told IGN that they plan to release games for the next Microsoft and Sony consoles before January 1, 2014.

Multiple developers also intend to launch software for an unannounced platform next year.

The end is nigh.

From a hardware perspective, nearly 80% of respondents said Microsoft’s next console is the easiest to work with, and the overwhelming majority suspect it will be the sales leader over the next five years.

The ease of use compared to other consoles is assuredly attractive, too. By comparison, 63% of developers who spoke to IGN said the Wii U would be the most challenging platform to develop for. One creator went as far as saying, “we won’t be working on Wii U due to these complexities,” while another lamented the difficulty of moving innovative games unique to Wii U to other platforms. This poses the question: Will Nintendo once again need to rely primarily on first-party games to propel platform success? At any rate, the Wii U’s 2012 release window gives it a distinct advantage: time.

-More confirmation of late 2013

-More evidence imo the Wii U is in trouble

-Good news for the next Xbox.

 

[Brad Grenz]

That says two things to me. Right now the 720 has more RAM and the respondents were primarily American developers. Without knowing pricing, marketing and what will be in the initial wave of exclusive software I don't think there's any way to predict next gen sales at this point. If MS doesn't have the kind of time to market and price advantage they did last time, it would be a mistake to ignore the PlayStation brand's global appeal.

 

[TheChefO]

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/06/01/the-next-generation-according-to-game-developers

The most interesting tidbit of the whole thing:

Multiple developers also intend to launch software for an unannounced platform next year.

This comes directly after talking about the next Sony and MS consoles, so it's obviously not one of theirs and Nintendo has already announced their platform.

This strongly implies a 4th player will enter the ring in 2013.

Most likely of all is Apple.

This reaffirms Pachter's statement on a 2013 Apple console.

I hope everyone is ready for a real heavyweight battle here if Apple is indeed the new challenger...

I wonder how long Nintendo would last? 3 years? 5?

Might be a good idea to buy some put options on Nintendo Stock...

 

[TheChefO]

Without knowing pricing, marketing and what will be in the initial wave of exclusive software I don't think there's any way to predict next gen sales at this point.

Agreed.

The only thing they have to go off of is the hardware, (and associated development environment).

That said, perhaps the rumors of a Sony AMD APU-based console are true, and MS is merely pegging performance one notch above that by going with with a discrete (but weak) CPU and GPU.

Or maybe MS has been blowing smoke and as I've been saying for quite some time, it doesn't make sense to low-ball xb720 spec with so much on the line ...

... and potentially, a new competitor.

 

[wco81]

Nintendo will always make money with exclusive games.

RIMM needed better hardware to compete. That hasn't been true for Nintendo.

Though you see little kids with Angry Birds shirts, there will always be demand for Mario and the rest.

 

[TheChefO]

...there will always be demand for Mario and the rest.

Sure.

Nintendo has created lovable characters and franchises which many kids will/would-like-to play.

Same held true for Sega.

But when you can't move hardware ...

Nintendo is being hit especially hard as their bread and butter was/is kids (ie: parents).

Parents these days are answering the call of "we want games" with iOS due to the exponentially lower game investment budget required.

And kids likewise are asking for these devices directly as they hold value above and beyond being a toy.

For the livingroom, the new new is seemingly kinect for this market and MS seems intent on expanding here further with their future wares and offerings geared toward kids/family.

I don't see much wiggle room left for N before they are relegated to being a software developer of their key franchises (which is the best thing they have going for them).

 

[Rangers]

. Without knowing pricing, marketing and what will be in the initial wave of exclusive software I don't think there's any way to predict next gen sales at this point..

You left out a very, very important factor

Though you see little kids with Angry Birds shirts, there will always be demand for Mario and the rest.

Gamecube and n64 suggest it isn't enough. I can only imagine the amount of core gamers who actually care about Zelda and Mario has diminished immensely over 5.5 years of Nintendo being a non-factor in the core world as well. There's probably quite a few gamers who've never experienced them at all.

 

[Grall]

The most interesting tidbit of the whole thing:

Hey... Good call! I totally missed that.

This strongly implies a 4th player will enter the ring in 2013.

Most likely of all is Apple.

I'd say, most likely of all is Valve. Apple has been there, done that with consoles. To be fair, the same thing could be said about tablets too (they had Newton in the mid-90s and still re-entered that market with iPad), but gaming consoles is a very different environment compared to creating your own platform like Apple did with iOS.

You need recognition - and not just BRAND recognition - and today you most certainly need franchises. Apple has none of that. If anything, they've got anti-recognition, they only got dragged kicked and screaming into gaming after the iPhone and games apps for it took off. Until then they were staunchly against gaming in all forms and did even less than zero to help games either developed for, or ported to their Mac line. Both with OSX and older System OSes.

And Apple knows this of course. They don't enter into a market where they know they don't have a very high probability of overwhelming and crushing their opponent(s).

 

[AzBat]

Umm... I think some of you are reading way more into the "unannounced platform" than you should be. The most logical take away is that it's either Microsoft or Sony. Neither of those have announced their platforms. 60% of respondents said they are no longer launching games next year for the current gen. So it's logical to assume that of those 60% they are releasing games for Wii U & 1 or more other platforms. I'm not so sure that Valve or Apple are in the mix for next-gen. Though I did think the following comment was intriguing...

an anonymous developer told IGN, “I would not be surprised if something atypical cannibalizes the market, maybe even the Xbox 360 itself.”

I think that screams tablet or phone, but then again the Xbox 360 could drop in price & Microsoft could see a bigger influx of casuals enter the market just for the media & Kinect capabilities alone. I think people need to worry more about that than some kind of mythical 4th player.

Tommy McClain

 

[lefizz]

Can't agree enough, with that comment. Many younger core games have never had experience with Nintendo and many older core gamers such as myself haven't touched one in years. That is the issue targeting casual gamers. Also its why nintendo had to cut the price of the 3ds, they have lost the hardcore who are prepared to pay a premium at the start of the cycle.

 

[TheChefO]

Umm... I think some of you are reading way more into the "unannounced platform" than you should be. The most logical take away is that it's either Microsoft or Sony. Neither of those have announced their platforms. 60% of respondents said they are no longer launching games next year for the current gen. So it's logical to assume that of those 60% they are releasing games for Wii U & 1 or more other platforms. I'm not so sure that Valve or Apple are in the mix for next-gen. Though I did think the following comment was intriguing...



I think that screams tablet or phone, but then again the Xbox 360 could drop in price & Microsoft could see a bigger influx of casuals enter the market just for the media & Kinect capabilities alone. I think people need to worry more about that than some kind of mythical 4th player.

Tommy McClain

You have to look at the context of the statement to see the significance of it.

Check my post again after reading the original.

 

[AzBat]

You have to look at the context of the statement to see the significance of it.

Check my post again after reading the original.

I understand & I did. Still don't agree. IGN didn't make a big deal about it either.

Tommy McClain

 

[TheChefO]

I understand & I did. Still don't agree. IGN didn't make a big deal about it either.

Tommy McClain

...

...multiple industry professionals ... plan to release games for the next Microsoft and Sony consoles [next year]. Multiple developers also intend to launch software for an unannounced platform next year.

Tell me how to read this while not interpreting this as a new entry other than MS and Sony's next consoles...

Sony and MS' new consoles were mentioned in the sentence directly before stating that they "also intend to launch software on an unannounced platform".

Chef likes food. Chef also likes food.

This wouldn't make sense in this context...

Chef likes food. Chef also likes <insert something other than what I already mentioned that I like>

Make sense now?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Chef likes food. Chef also likes food.

This wouldn't make sense in this context...

Chef likes burgers. Chef also likes chips.

...plan to release games for the next Microsoft and Sony consoles. Multiple developers also intend to launch software for an unannounced tablet/STB/PC software platform/streaming game service.

It's an ambiguous statement that can be taken in two different ways.

 

[Grall]

I read it - quite clearly - as a new platform in addition to the aforementioned established industry players.

 

[Rangers]

Interesting, and for once this is original work (lulz) being I'm outing it all by myself, I randomly noticed in this E3 prediction vid an apparant editor of Xbox World says Durango is a "monster" and "just incredible" according to what the devs have told them of the specs.

http://www.computerandvideogames.co...s-microsofts-e3-durango-splinter-cell-6-ryse/

Around 3:20 of the vid on that page.

Throw it on the pile.

Edit: Opps meant this for next gen tech but I'll leave it here too.

 

[BRiT]

I read it - quite clearly - as a new platform in addition to the aforementioned established industry players.

Maybe they will finally release The Phantom.

 

[AzBat]

Make sense now?

I said I already understood what you meant. No need to re-explain it. I still don't agree with your interpretation. Lets agree to disagree & move on.

Tommy McClain

 

[wco81]

Was listening to The Verge podcast this week. One of them had interviewed Carmack who was certain that he could make streaming work, that it would be no different an experience than running games locally.

Carmack is described as being excited at the prospect. Also he wants to make VR glasses work, basically a holodeck.