21st November 2005, 12:41 PM
I think the generation AFTER this one will need to be put off for a lot longer than usual. As you said, rising costs and learning curve mean it may take some time before games even bother making use of the full potential. That means that they may feel they have a lot of extra power to work with for some time now, meaning no real need to update. We may be looking at a situation where we'll be having these systems, in various reincarnations of slimmed down proportions, for 7, possibly 8 years. I wouldn't mind that at all really. And where do I get these numbers? I make them up of course!
Still, I'm thinking they will need to put off making the generation after next's release until it is a noticable jump from this one, something that would make the average consumer actually consider it worth it. I really don't think the average consumer sees that with the 360... I am actually wondering how well these systems are going to sell, after the initial rush that is.
I actually am HOPING for this scenario. Last thing we need, as gamers, is for consoles to get as bad as the constant minor upgrading of PC video cards. Is there really a need, for example, to release about 3 or 4 new updated video cards a year? Why not wait a while (giving time perhaps for game companies to actually work with the thing you just released) and devote a lot more time and money to much bigger jumps every few years? I'm hoping the generation after next won't come out until we can do REAL TIME photorealism at max HDTV levels, on two screens with stereoscopic goggles involved. And with THAT generation, we won't need another upgrade sheerly for the sake of power.
Still, I'm thinking they will need to put off making the generation after next's release until it is a noticable jump from this one, something that would make the average consumer actually consider it worth it. I really don't think the average consumer sees that with the 360... I am actually wondering how well these systems are going to sell, after the initial rush that is.
I actually am HOPING for this scenario. Last thing we need, as gamers, is for consoles to get as bad as the constant minor upgrading of PC video cards. Is there really a need, for example, to release about 3 or 4 new updated video cards a year? Why not wait a while (giving time perhaps for game companies to actually work with the thing you just released) and devote a lot more time and money to much bigger jumps every few years? I'm hoping the generation after next won't come out until we can do REAL TIME photorealism at max HDTV levels, on two screens with stereoscopic goggles involved. And with THAT generation, we won't need another upgrade sheerly for the sake of power.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)