The state of console gaming, part 1
The state of console gaming, part 2: Nintendo
The state of console gaming, part 3: Microsoft
The state of console gaming, part 4: Sony
I'll try to do a short recap, a little history of my gaming habits and why I went and purchased a Playstation 3 over the other 2.
The articles recaps the last 5 years of the current consoles and predicts where its going with the 3 companies. Since the first Nintendo in 1985, there have been a constant 5 years cycle.
Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985
Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991
Nintendo 64 in 1996
GameCube in 2001
Wii in 2006
"Sega, Sony, and Microsoft, have more or less adhered to this timetable through the years."
And since it's 2011, it seems it is about time the new console comes out.
(What?? I just bought my playstation 3!! There can't be a next generation already! I'm NOT ready!)
Personally, I don't forsee the next-gen console to come til 2015 (the writer predicts 2013).
My first console was the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 by NEC (it's still in my basement but unfortunately, not working)
I really enjoyed the console. It had better graphics then Nintendo and Super Nintendo due to the fact that the TurboGrafx actually had TWO 8-bit chips instead of one. Hence, TurboGrafx 16. There were plenty of games for the console but the most well-known was a little caveman named Bonk or PC Genjin. How can you not love a caveman who's weapon was HIS HEAD!
The console was also the first system to add a CD-rom. My favourite CD game (although was already in its 2nd or 3rd remake) was Ys I & II(pronounced "eese"). It's famous for its music and awesome boss fight. The game is due out Feb 2011 on the PSP, its 7th reincarnation. This video is from the TurboGrafx CD version.
While it does look outdated 20 years later, it was superior back then.
After the TurboGrafx, I got a GameBoy Colour... I only have about 3 games (Snoopy Tennis, Mr. Driller and Metal Gear Solid) and since everyone had one, I didn't fancy the system too much.
For about 5 years, I got into PC gaming... my game? Quake 2. The community was pretty big and was different then what it is today. Quake 2 had a mod community (that's now everywhere) and one particular mode that I loved playing was Loki's Minion CTF (Capture the Flag). It was quite different then the regular CTF; it had original graphics, an innovative offhand grapple and fun maps. But then Quake 3 came out and Quake 2 just died.
In about 1999, I purchased my first system the Playstation 2 (Yes, I skipped the original Playstation). It was Christmas and Best Buy was doing a promotion for it: console, memory card, extra controller and a game for about $200 (I think). This is where the floodgates opened. The titles available for the Playstation is MASSIVE. However, I am somewhat of a picky gamer.
1) hate buying games that are $50-$60 and find out they SUCK
2) $50-$60 for a game is quite expensive and they will drop in price eventually
3) prefer to let first-person shooters stay on PC
With that in mind, I don't have a big collection of games but my collection includes:
Ratchet and Clank series (who doesn't love the furball?)
Soul Calibur
Dance Dance Revolution (but later series had too many modern songs to my liking)
Kingdom Hearts
What was awesome about the Playstation 2 was, I would be able to watch DVD and play PS1 games... and so, I bought the Xena Playstation 1 game and then off ebay DDR Konamix and DDR Disney Mix. It was an entertainment system worth purchasing. The games on GameCube and Xbox really did not speak to me.
GameCube - more party-ish games: Mario Party, Super Smash Brothers etc
Xbox - geared more towards first-person shooters that as I mentioned, prefer to play on a PC. There were 2 titles that I liked: Fable and Thief: Deadly Shadows but guess what? They were also on PC too!
So, Playstation 2 won out and then I find out about "homebrew" and "hacks." When Final Fantasy XI came with a hard drive... hackers were smiling and users like me benefited. Yup, they found a way to store games onto the hard drive and play off it. This opened a WHOLE new world where I could download games and play. While it is illegal to download games, it gave me an opportunity to try the game out first. And if I liked it enough, I went and bought a copy. It certainly saved me from buying games that just wasn't worth it.
When Playstation 3 came out, I wanted it but I couldn't justify the $600 price tag. So, I let it go. Last year, I bought a Playstation Portable. I can play games, play music in the car (freeing my blackberry for phone calls) and play video/movies if I'm on the road. Oh yes and hackable too! But there's a reason why I have bought the handheld recently and not when it first launched. I couldn't justify buying a system that I won't play much of! Until...
Ys Seven
then came Ys Oath in Felghana
and in a few weeks from this post...
an adorable game called Gurumin
and of course, Ratchet and Clank and God of War... It would not make any sense to buy a console to play one game.
And here we come to why I went with the Playstation 3 when it's been out on the market for a while. After all the hacking of PS2 and PSP, I sorta wanted a hackable system but reading and googling and search resulted in too much effort in the Playstation 3 that could just screw it up. So, it was decided that hacking was not important. My cousins and friends have a Wii and played it for a bit. It was fun but the nostalgia of the wiimote wears off quickly and most of the game were similar to the selections for GameCube: party/group game. I also thought about the xbox 360 but I couldn't find ONE title that I would be interested and even if there was, it was available on Playstation 3 or PC.
Which brings me back to Playstation 3... I was looking for a blu-ray player but it did not make economical sense to spend $120 on a blu-ray player and $300 on a gaming console when I could get a gaming console AND a blu-ray player for $300. So after waiting and waiting, I found out Staples had a $20 off $200 purchase and they had lowered the Playstation 3 Move bundle to $350 (compared to $400 everywhere else). I could not pass up such an awesome offer. Staples had a paper schredder promo for $0 and I was sold! so, I spend $440 after tax and got a 320gig Playstation 3 with the MOVE bundle, an HDMI cable AND a blu-ray remote. And now, to go and start my game collection... The list of games I will be getting...
God of War 1, 2 and 3 (I've downloaded 1 & 2 for PS2 and will go and buy it for PS3 for the high-def version)
Assassin's Creed series (downloaded the PSP and really liked it... so, I bought and just finished the 1st game - though story sucked, gameplay was fun... especially throwing bad guys off the cliff!)
infamous (will be getting infamous 2 when it's coming out later this year)
Uncharted (I want it, I just haven't bought it)
Ratchet and Clank (can't say no to it)
Soul Calibur IV
I personally would like to see a Soul Calibur V that is move compatible.
So, the big question is where is gaming going next... and why 2015?
The console have also coincide with some "next big technology."
So, the TurboGrafx 16 coincided with CDroms then Playstation 2 coincided with the DVD... It was ironic that the next-gen (the current) consoles coincided with the HD DVD vs blu-ray war... we know who won... I think it was a smart move by Sony to include the blu-ray, even though it bumped the price of its system.
I predict that in 2012-2013 at E3 that we will hear something about the next generation console but the first console will not be on sale in the market until late 2014 or mid 2015. As the article stated, Nintendo will likely be the first console for the announcement as the Wii system, while revolutionized gaming, really lack the raw graphics and processing power like its competitor.
Another reason why not until 2015 it's because everyone is starting to get into the HD fanfare. Five years ago, 32" HDTV cost $2000 and not many people were able to afford it. Now? 50" LCD HDTV is only $1500 and blu-ray JUST started its popularity. Majority of the consumers does not care about the latest and greatest technology. They care more about cost and if it looked great that is a bonus. The industry have just started to shove 3D technology into our throat. I personally don't see the hoop-la of 3D. Some movies looked great in 3D but it is quite straineous on the eyes. While the Nintendo 3DS sounds interesting, I wouldn't be going out and buying it. Also, Sony has already been pushing out game updates for certain title and supporting 3D; Killzone 3 is available 3D if you have a 3DTV (which cost $2500 for a decent size). See where I'm going here?
It is 2011... 3DTV is just getting off the ground. In about 3 years, 3DTV will come down in price and maybe 80% of household will have it.
The next Wii 2, xbox 720 (I laughed when I read that) and Playstation 4 will be out with the next super revolutionary TV thinga-ma-jig. I know someone is already working and/or developing some holographic interactive project of some sort. This is probably about 5 years or so down the road...
CD -> DVD -> blu-ray (HD) -> 3D -> interactive holographic??
I know my PS3 will last me for more then 5 years anyway...
No comments:
Post a Comment