Thing is - whether I think this is the right time for the next generation of consoles, the fact is simply this:
They are nearly here.
You could argue that the Wii U is already here and part of that crowd. Plenty of others have said the Wii U is a half measure between the last console generation and the next. I do not agree with that assessment personally. I consider it a kin of the PS4/Xbox 720. I have no specific issues with the Wii U and suspect eventually I will have one - but like the Wii it will probably be later in the cycle because while I love the first party games, little else about the console REALLY excites me at this stage.
This leaves me to ponder what my first console from this generation will be - and my guess is either the Xbox or PlayStation. Which one? Based on this last console cycle, probably the PlayStation. I have detailed in the past how the PlayStation 3 is easily our most used system. Still, we have almost no information on the upcoming systems. Plenty of rumors, mind you. Will the DualShock Controller go away for the PS4? Will either system come up with a system that prevents playing used games? When will they release? All fair questions, but not the ones I am most interested in (well, maybe the used game one).
So what am I hoping to learn about the next consoles? A lot of things, but my interest is far less about the hardware and more about the strategies around them.
- Exclusives: What exclusives will we be seeing? This generation pitted Nintendo's big hitters (Mario, Zelda, Kirby) against Sony's bigger titles (God of War, Uncharted, LittleBig Planet, Infamous) and the Microsoft exclusives (Gears of War and Halo are most commonly touted here). All of these games will get things like Batman, Call of Duty or Mass Effect - so what are the unique titles each brings to the table?
- Online strategy: This to me comes in a few different flavors, and it sounds like Sony plans to make online integration a focal part of their approach. What does that mean though? Showing trophies on Facebook or posting a Madden score on Twitter is nifty - it's never been compelling. Things that people will want to know about:
* Is it free to play online? Microsoft makes a boatload of money off of Xbox Live Gold, but that is a deal breaker to a lot of people - and it is a huge point of concern with me. I don't want to spend $100 a year so my whole family can play games online
* I cannot mention Xbox Live without at least touching on PlayStation Plus, which by all accounts seems fairly successful. Will the program continue?
* Trophies/Achievements: Nintendo appears to have turned their nose up at these for the Wii U, but these are undoubtedly important to a lot of gamers. I recall seeing comments on IGN about Corpse Party 2: Book of Shadows - and quite a few posters were of the opinion that because it was PSP and did not have trophy support, they were going to pass on it for an actual Vita game. Trophies/Achievements also bring up another question - will our current scores carry over to this new generation of systems?
* What does the chat system look like? That was a big sticking point for social gamers when comparing cross-game chat functionality on the 360 to what PlayStation users had.
- Related, but worth its own topic: What does the digital strategy look like? There was a big push near the end of this gaming cycle toward Digitally Downloaded games (and yes, that was a quick plug for another site I write at). Will we see more of that and if so, what are the implications? I have two 120GB PlayStation 3's that are perpetually maxed out on digital space. I have a 32GB Vita memory card that after two weeks is more than 75% full. I have a 3DS with an 8GB card that is full.
* Will the hard drives be large enough to handle what will likely be even larger games than this generation saw?
* Will people run into issues with their ISPs because of bandwidth usage (a frequent problem for myself and quite a few friends and coworkers)
* Will digital games be priced competitively? What I mean by that is Fire Emblem is releasing this week on the Nintendo 3DS. It is the same price digitally as it is if I run down to Walmart and take an extra 10 minutes out of my day. Why? The publishers save money - there are no shipping and packaging costs. I get less value as a consumer because it uses up my already flagging storage space and I can't sell, trade or loan it when I am done with it.
- Integration: I do not mean social integration - I already touched on that. The PlayStation 3 provided excellent integration with the Vita, both of them leveraging the PlayStation Network and trophy system. With the Vita being new and shiny with an expected life of several years, will it be taken into consideration with the PlayStation 4? What about the Wii U and 3DS going forward? We have heard some talk about Smash Brothers tying the two systems together - will that be something we see more of as Sony and Nintendo try to leverage their brands by meshing the console and handheld experiences together? If this does become a successful and important strategy, where does that leave Microsoft? Probably continuing to grow into more integration with PC's and the Xbox, if I were to make a guess.
- Price: This is no small factor. Most people feel the Wii U was pretty reasonably priced, and Nintendo has just reaffirmed their stance that they will not be marking down the Wii U's price any further in the near future. This last generation Sony really hurt themselves by having hardware that was so expensive to manufacture that the PlayStation 3 was out of most peoples' price ranges its first few years on the market. Also, what will games be priced? No one has indicated if gaming will be nudging up another $10 or not, but I would not be surprised if that was the case. Games have never been cheap, but they do seem to steadily get more expensive.
- Backwards compatibility/classic titles: Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all had shops with older titles available for download and play this generation. I could play classics like Final Fantasy VII on my PlayStation 3, Double Dragon on my Xbox 360 and Final Fantasy on my Wii. I could not however, put a PlayStation 2 disc into my PlayStation 3 and play it. I could put most, but not all of my Xbox titles into my 360. My Wii was a flawless GameCube player. This does provide value for people - but already the rumors speculate that neither the PlayStation or Xbox will support backwards compatibility. The Wii U does play its predecessor's games, but Nintendo's shop strategy has not sat well with a lot of gamers so far. It will be interesting to see where Sony and Microsoft take things.
I am a gamer - and I am excited about these next consoles even if I am not sure I was ready for them (at least fiscally). These are the questions I will be considering as I listen to announcements over the next several months. Sony has teased February 20th as a big announcement date - and most people are speculation that we will get our first tangible information about the PlayStation 4. That would be amazing - but I wonder how many of my above questions will get answered? My guess is - not many at this point.
Are you excited for the announcement? Is there a particular system you are attached to and looking forward to? What questions do you have - are any of the above ones you share with me? Are any of your questions deal breakers or console sellers? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Honestly? I'm putting a vote in for the 3DS. I'm utterly convinced that handheld games are a viable platform for what gamers are asking for: creative, varied games that are less about bloated budgets and more about delivering fun experiences. If it's anything like the original DS, then if nothing else it'll give me what I'm looking for in a game.
ReplyDeleteStill, if I could only choose between one console (under penalty of death or something), I'd go with the Wii U for the same general reasons as the 3DS. I see potential in it, and I'm sure that that system isn't going to betray me or anyone anytime soon. I mean, come on. It's Nintendo.
Well, whatever -- the Wii wasn't perfect, and I'd assume that the Wii U will iron out those issues in the long run. And so will Sony, and Microsoft as well. At least, I hope they do. Old habits die hard, as they say...
I don't know what else they can do with consoles. The PS3 and 360 weren't great consoles because the selection of good games were so low, only good games make a console great. I'm not really looking forward to more.
ReplyDeleteThe digital pricing and ISP caps issues will probably continue to grow. At the moment I'm lucky and don't have any caps, just a soft non-enforced 250gb/mo gauge. (using about 10-20gb) But games will get bigger and we're going to eat more with Amazon Video (on Wii) and DirectTV cinema.
ReplyDeleteFor pricing I just can't get past the same as retail. Sure, I know this makes them more money which in turn allows for more game creation, but it still doesn't feel right. Steam has probably spoiled me for the worse, but there's a reasonable price point and sales options that could make things more attractive. More eShop (3ds) sales need to happen.
I'm excited to see what's next even though it's very unlikely that I'll get the 720/ps4.
At the moment the 3DS is my console of choice followed by the Wii and PC. Wii U might be a big win once more software arrives along with a good selection of virtual console. (not quite convinced on the $1-1.50 pricing to "upgrade" your current VC)
That's a very fair point of view, and one that my kids in many ways back up. My youngest two spend almost as much time on their DSs (my son has a 3DS) as any of cour consoles. There's something to be said I think, from their standpoints, to being able to just roam off to another room and play what they want unbothered.
ReplyDeleteI don't see the consoles as going away any time soon though either. As technology keeps changing and improving - surround sound, 3D tv, 4k tv, it's obvious that many people still feel the living room is the central spot to watch or play things. For me personally? I do prefer using my TV - but I also have a fondness for handhelds (and well, gaming in general, hehe).
Thanks for dropping by!
I do agree that the games will make or break the systems. I did feel the PS3 and 360 were good - I enjoyed lots of games for both, but as they tread closer and closer to computers, I wonder where that line in the sand will be? Even Steam feels the need to have the big button to make a display for big screen TV's, again blurring things a bit.
ReplyDeleteI do still feel it was too early in the console cycle. Developers loudly disagreed. They'll have their new consoles - now they get to show us what they've had in mind.
Thanks for dropping by!
Glad you dropped in - and that you mirror many of may same concerns about the digital side. I think Steam has spoiled us, and when a game goes on sale digitally via PSN or Xbox Live, it's great and I try to grab some - but it's going to be tough to completely sell those of us who have limits in place. Mine is a very hard limit of 250 and when I hit it, they throttle me back. they've also said that any more infractions could lead to termination of service. Not everyone has those limits, but for those that do - it's a real concern.
ReplyDeleteThe 3DS has definitely found its way - just looking at the comments so far, two of the three people claim that it is their system of choice. Very cool to see given the concerns that it might not do well upon first releasing at that $250 price point.
Price is the most important. I don't think I could (or would) justify over $300 for a console without a game included. Online is probably the 2nd most important part, because I'm cheap. While I did pay for Xbox Live on the original Xbox, I didn't pay for it very long, and it is actually one of the reasons I haven't gotten a 360 yet. I don't like the idea of paying for online right now, because I'm just cheap.
ReplyDeleteI honestly have no clue what Sony will be talking about, but I think it will be interesting if they do unveil (did they confirm it's about the PS4?) the PS4, because the PS3 seems to be doing pretty well now...or, at least decently well. Perhaps instead of the PS3 getting to under $200 and even lower, they are going to quickly phase it out and introduce the PS4 before this holiday season? Are they going to pull a Nintendo and try to sell two consoles at the same time? That just seems like a bad business decision personally (compared to Apple's new iPad/iPhone setup and phasing out the old models pretty quickly), but then again, I'm not the one sitting on billions and losing billions...what do I know?
After seeing the Vita release at $250 and $300 (and still hovering around those prices, right?), I honestly don't know what to expect for Sony's next home console...
Like you and Robert both mentioned, the ISP cap issue is something that I'm a bit concerned with. We don't have a cap now, but I can see every ISP heading that route just to continue to nickel and dime consumers, and protect the cable TV subscriptions. Might as well go back to unlimited dial-up, and get a phone line reconnected at this rate!