Lets talk Next-Gen

[Kid Icarus]

Each of the three have a new system comming out within the next two years.

Xbox2 is planned to come out THIS year.
PS3 is planned to launch in 2006.
Nintendo Revolution will launch in 2006 as well.

Along with the next generation of consoles comes... SPECULATION!

This is where us gamer nerds getta have fun, right?

What are YOUR ideas for how the next generation of systems can expand gaming? What do YOU want to see in any of the three?

Few things we know:
Xbox2-
No hard drive

PS3-
Uses multiple processors in tandem to increase processing power
Will use Blu-Ray media discs, Sony's advancement to DVD media.

Revolution-
Jack ****.

After a few people have posted, I'll talk about my thoughts on what the next gen machines should do.

[Ra]

i think they should just make one gaming systeam, then if you've got a PS2 (or in this case, PS3) you don't think "Great, a good game comes out on X-Box 2 and i can't run it." in otherwords - play all gaming disks

[Kid Icarus]

That'd be nice, but it sadly won't ever happen... now anyway.

It did, once upon a time, exist. Some systems in the 70's could do this, apparently. I've got a few games for my Colecovision that arn't supposed to play on it, but they do. Weird, huh? One of them's Donkey Kong. Published in 1981. W00t. </off topic>

[ThirdMarioBro]

That new Nintendo patent is revealing and confusing at the same time. Probobly the main reason they filed it. It looks like some sort off holographic projection, or LCD trickery. Remember a couple years ago when Nintendo licenced the exclusinve rights to some new form of reflective 3D floating imagry from Sharp (they make the LCD's for GBA and DS)? Maybe Revolution will do that, or maybe it will have the TV display one thing, while a secondary imagry system displays it's own image on whatever new kind of imagry system it uses. Remember, Nintendo said they want to change the interface? The mian interfaces are the controller, and the visual output. And remember, if no one wants these new options, they already said it's got HD hookups right out of the box (all TV broadcasters are switching to HD in 2006 and dropping old analog signals).

And let's still not forget the new controller which I still think is a touch screen controller with Gyroscopes built in for tilt sensor options in games.

Revolution is going to be something different, that's for sure.

[Spitfire]

I want a Revolution, Ill buy a Xbox 2 before a PS3. Im mad at Sony now
Then DMC 4 will come out and I will change my mind and then next thing you know Ill be standing at Gamestop with it in my arms and thinking "Damn you Capcom! DAMN YOU!"

[ThirdMarioBro]

Originally Posted by Spitfire666xXxXx

next thing you know Ill be standing at Gamestop with it in my arms and thinking "Damn you Capcom! DAMN YOU!"

Yeah, I do that a lot.

Revolution is going to be revolutionary, but NIntendo needs to SELL it. They have to change their image so that games like DMC will be accepted and people's opinion twords them will change. Third party relations are fine (except Capcom, f*ck them again btw), but they still stray from the Cube because of the install base, and the install base is due to bad advertising. Since Reggie, things have been changing, and when PSP launches over here, he's gonna kick it into high gear. I'm looking forward to the PSP launch so I can see the new agressive Nintendo. Revolution will start like that. That is what I'm looking forward to next gen, the new Nintendo attitude.

[Kid Icarus]

More like the old Nintendo attitude... really, would they have let someone just come in and smash the NES to the ground? Hell no...

Anyway, back on subject.

So far we have this:
Systems playing each others games
DMC4
Revolution needs to be both revolutionary AND advertised

Any thoughts on what OTHER kind of technologies you want to see used?

I'm interested in what Nintendo's planning on using all their recently aquired patents for... They've slowly been giving us pieces to the Revolution puzzle, but they're leaving out what ties it all together.

I also wanna see more focus from developers on utilizing hardwares abilities. Even Xbox hasn't been tapped to it's full power, yet. Resident Evil 4 proves we can already get near-photo realistic graphics (imagine what Square could do, if they really tried).

I also think it'll be nice if the three consoles online games can work together. I know this would be a nightmare to impliment though... But really, it'd cut down on the whole console war quite a bit. This also means third parties would need to release their games for all three machines around the same time. And it's also expecting that Nintendo isn't going to make the Revolution a giant red playground ball with a TV in it.

[ThirdMarioBro]

The thing needs to have a sleek design. Yeah, I hate the general public, but Nintendo needs to make this thing so that no image can be attached to it.


Honestly, I think Revolution will hook to a TV like the others, but I believe it will also come with it's own special screen that has those LCD crystals that create floating 4D images by tricking the human retina. Sharp created the technology, and Nintendo accuired rights to it 2 years ago. Their new patent picture really points in that direction.

[Peanut]

I really don't have many ideas, just some general opinions about the 3 consoles.

I really don't have much hope for the Revolution being actually revolutionary, but it could happen. It seems all the latest Nintendo "revolutions" are gimmicky, touch screen, GBA connections and the like. It'll still kick major ass over both consoles though, unless the whole system is based around some crappy gimmick.

PS3 I have no hope for. Playstation rarely offers me anything, so I'm not going to be a fool and buy their next worthless machine.

Xbox 2 I'll be getting for sure along with the Revolution. I've just come to love that big machine. BTW on the subject of Xbox 2, it still is NOT confirmed if it'll go without the hard drive or not. That statement was retracted not far after it was said.

[Spitfire]

Im wondering if Revolution will still use Mini-disks. Nintendo isnt to big on backwards compatible merch with their consoles. If it is however then I can sell my GC and get a discount

[ThirdMarioBro]

At thus time, Iwata has confirmed backwards compatability. THat could change, but I'm guessing they'll use blue ray DVD's and the lazer will be able to read GCN discs.

[Barkworm]

All I can say is that I'm going to buy the Revolution and the PS3 for sure. I'm also sure that the Revolution WILL actually be revolutionary in some way. The PS3 on the other hand will just be the same thing with a hell of a lot more hardware power (I've just read that several business insiders are pretty sure that it will have more power than Microsoft's new system) but they'll have a lot of games I want so I'll buy it.
X-Box 2... I think they're releasing it too early but it could be promising. My biggest problem with the X-Box is that its games are way too much focused on PC and typical western gamers. The result was that it was a gigantic flop in Japan and Microsoft has said more than once that they want to change that with their new system.

[ThirdMarioBro]

The point is, Microsoft has no idea what in the hell they're doing in Japan. Japan is a racist country. I love 'em, but that's the truth. It dosen't matter what he does over there, and a couple of DOA games isn't going to change that. He'd have to overhaul it completely, and it dosen't look like that will happen. Playstations brand is filled with Japanese games, but they're marketed like Western games. Truth be told, that is exactly what Nintndo did before Yamauchi got his choke hold on NOA. He's gone, Reggie's in, so they is hope. Microsoft is a western company that makes western games. I don't blame them for that. I just don't enjoy stale western games because I'm a spoiled little Nintendo whore.

I expect Revolution to do something amazing, and if I'm right, it will to an extreme. DS's touch screen dosen't seem like the revolution they promised yet simply because developers are lazy ass bastards who won't try something new. Wait til Pac ' Roll, and Wario Ware come out. Then the view changes radically.

Nintendo and Sony will own Japan, and Billy will slack behind. Over here, if Nitnendo dosen't screw up and launch late, I'm predicting a near equal race between the three. The combined weight of Nintendo and Sony launching in the same week could be enough to crush Microsofft, but who knows.

[Barkworm]

I'm not sure if the X-Box 2 will sell in Japan, either. I was just trying to say that Microsoft could actually release something that I could be interested in.

[愛]

No one knows how Xbox-2 will fare in Japan, because we don't live there. You can look at statistics, but they can only tell you so much. If I were to take a guess, I'd say the Japanese kids wouldn't even bother with an American system, despite the fact that they love us so much. It's a matter of content in the games. They need two things in a game for them to want it, and this isn't purely opinionated, it's almost a fact: robots and boobs. Robots and boobs sell there. DDR went out of style years ago, so that's only popular here now. That's a more arcade style game, anyway, and Xbox-2 probably wouldn't bother with that. Xbox's games just don't appeal to their market, so I really don't see it selling. I could be completely wrong, though. Like I said, I don't live there.

EDIT: And just for a fun fact, Japan has GTA3. I was watching a Morning Musume video, and one of the members was playing it. It was pretty funny to watch, because she sucked at driving the cars. She also didn't know what to do, because the dialog was in English. I didn't see any Japanese subtitles, either. That was great. The expression on her face when they were talking was priceless.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

My biggest problem with the X-Box is that its games are way too much focused on PC and typical western gamers.

That's the exact reason I like Xbox and dislike the PS2. Fruity jap **** isn't my cup of tea, and really...I seriously doubt Microsoft will care about Japanese sales for very long, because my feeling is eventually they're going to over throw Sony in North America as the #1 console.

[ThirdMarioBro]

Well, say what you want, but I'm riding Nintendo to whatever end. Xbox is just too damn American. Don't attack me for that, but everything but Halo 2 looks the same, and the only reason I wanted that was to play with you guys. Nothing more.

Oh, and if you want to pick details, Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker were fruity jap **** too. That's the kind of games I play. Surreal things that could never happen in real life. Gaming is an escape from reality, not a reason to emulate it. I won't go Microsoft because it embraces the very "American sports gamerz" crap I just can't stand. Sony embraces region codes so they can ethnically seperate each region and appeal to each country as a seperate company. I'm a gamer of Japan, so I hate that.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by ThirdMarioBro

Oh, and if you want to pick details, Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker were fruity jap **** too.

I knew someone would take it wrong. I didn't mean stuff made in Japan. I meant **** like anime, FF and all that crap. Basically 90% of the PS2's game library.

As for Xbox games being the same, at least play something before you bash it. I like Xbox because it has a lot of exclusive console stuff, stuff that you can only play on a PC otherwise.

[ThirdMarioBro]

Originally Posted by Peanut

I knew someone would take it wrong. I didn't mean stuff made in Japan. I meant **** like anime, FF and all that crap. Basically 90% of the PS2's game library.

So basically, you mean the Japanese equivelent of licenced TV crap. There are some good ones, but a lot do suck.

[ThirdMarioBro]

I'm gonna repost all the rumors IGN is getting for Revolution here.
______________________

Revolution Rumor 1
From Nintendo Power Forums

The poster claims his information came from an insider privy to Nintendo's plans. As is usually the case, the source goes unnamed and unverified. But he does spout some pretty interesting stuff. For starters, he claims the Revolution does in fact employ gyroscopic sensors in its controllers, even though they will not be wireless. He also claims the Revolution will sport dual processors and feature built-in broadband, with some kind of online strategy in the works. Nintendo will supposedly go online with the Nintendo DS first with the Revolution following suite. A hard drive will also be included. As far as controller parts are concerned, the Revolution will feature four like the GameCube.

The poster also claims the Revolution will forego using Sony's Blu-Ray storage format in favor of HD-DVD. The system would launch with a currently unnamed Mario title. The source wouldn't say why the system would be revolutionary, stating the leaked information would land him in hot water. He also claimed it would give Sony and Microsoft an advantage at this point in the development cycle. The source did claim the technology itself was nothing revolutionary, only that the system would use it in ways never before seen. The source then added, "Touching is good, but feeling is better." What that means is open to debate, but it leads us into…

Revolution Rumor 2
Taken from a Nintendo document

Gotta love this one. This rumor includes a shopping list of system features and a hand-drawn picture! Supposedly, the artist drew the picture from memory after seeing a document headed toward a Nintendo shareholder's meeting. The (very) rough sketch depicts a number of things, including a controller, shell case disk and a game system from two different angles. Emblazoned across the middle of the page is "Nintendo 21," which seems to indicate a name change from Revolution. Below that lies the "Nintendo 21" logo, which closely resembles the GameCube logo. It also serves to note that both angles of the system drawn on the page also resemble the GameCube, down to the placement of the four controller ports, as well as the "power," "reset" and "open" buttons

But wait, there's more. The sketch is also connected with information detailing key system information. First, the "Nintendo 21" would hit retail late 2005. It will use a two-sided, 8mm disk with a 5.4 GB capacity and feature a shell case. The Nintendo 21 will also act as a wireless hub and serve a "home game function," letting it communicate with other Nintendo 21 consoles in the vicinity by using the IEEEE protocol. Kyosera, known primarily for designing cell phones and printers, is jointly developing the "home game" function. And here's some more info: the "Nintendo 21" will feature pressure sensitive controllers, with the buttons and handles sensitive to "rubbing" and other such stimuli.

Revolution Rumor 3
From Japanese Publication Shukan Diamond



In late December of last year, Shuken Diamond published a rather interesting bit of information concerning the GameCube's successor. The article, found in the 2005 Preview Edition of the magazine, claimed the Nintendo Revolution Controller would not feature a traditional D-Pad or "A" and "B" buttons. While the information goes unverified by Nintendo, the information strengthens the company's claim that Revolution will alter the way people interact with games. It also ties in nicely with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's recent statement, in that Revolution presents a "paradigm shift" in gaming. All of this begs the question: what exactly stands in for the missing D-Pad and pair of buttons?

Your guess is as good as ours is. Moments after the news hit the Web, gamers stuffed message boards full of theories and wild speculation. Most of which centered on gyroscopic technology. To be fair, Nintendo does in fact hold patents for such technology, so it's possible that Revolution will mark Nintendo's first foray into tilt-sensitive controllers. Then there's the pressure sensitive controller, which respond to a player's "rubbing" of the handles. Others speculate on the possibility that Nintendo will use an evolved form of trackball. Still others think Nintendo will take the DS approach and include a touchpad. We've even heard rumors of a fancy new rumble device. Supposedly, it would allow a new level of immersion by accurately interpreting digital output into physical sensations.

Revolution Rumor 4
From U.S. Patent filed on July 21, 2004

This rumor centers on new technologies that would change the way a gamer actually watches a game. To start, here's a brief intro: a fixation point is whatever a gamer stares at most of the time when playing a game. Thing is, most games feature several of these fixation points, so developers have needed to devise methods of including every object on screen at all times. When this wasn't possible, the display needed to shift and prioritize objects according to the action. Developers accomplished this by zooming the image up or down, to help gamers re-focus their attention. Just look at any number of sports games. The camera invariably follows the soccer ball, baseball or football. The document argues that the constant change in perspective makes playing games tougher than it should.

The patent describes a technology that would prevent a fixation point from moving and prevent the display area from changing in size. Regardless of where a player sits, he (or she) would command a deep view of the happenings on screen. This would also carry over into multiplayer gaming, where multiple players would normally require multiple fixation points. The new set of technologies would eliminate the strain associated with split-screen gaming. In summary, this would all make for excellent game sessions thanks to unparalleled view of the display. Changing the way a gamer watches the action unfold on-screen would be somewhat revolutionary, but again, it's too early to tell exactly how Nintendo plans on using the tech described in the patent. Unless, of course, they already have to some degree...

But that didn't stop anyone from speculating. Once again, rumors seeped into websites and forums. The conjecture pointed at everything from holographic imaging to new methods of image processing where a developer could create hyper realistic vistas at a fraction of the current processing cost. The latter of which alleviates concerns over the rumors that the Revolution will lack the raw processing power of both the PS3 and Xbox 2. If Nintendo has found a way to render realistic imaging at a relatively low processing cost, then it really doesn't matter that the Revolution will lack some of the punch of competing consoles. What matters is that it will stand on equal footing from a graphics stand point. Furthermore, the technologies developed to nix the forever-changing "fixation points" problem will only reinforce the new rendering methods...or so go the rumors.