Video game companies love their orchestrated product rollouts. Whether it be a new game, console or service, it's standard operating procedure to string us along with rations of PR gruel for months. Next-gen content, however, has been especially egregious.
It's funny how time and context has changed my perspective on the industry's conservative approach. Back when the PS4 was first announced, the lack of information only made the prospect of what devs could do with new hardware that much more enticing. There was enough space and anticipation for hopes and dreams for the future. But now, after E3, TGS, and various other trade shows and presentations, there are still glaring holes in the industry's next gen pitch.
There's a severe lack of direct-feed footage on these vaunted new boxes. Much of the console video has been shitty offscreen footage that doesn't help much. The companies themselves, meanwhile, have been more than happy to trot out "in-engine" cutscenes and PC footage, but are being super tight-lipped about their PS4 and Xone product. Just a month before the consoles are out, we still don't know basic stuff like what framerate or resolution games like Battlefield or Killzone will run at.
That shyness doens't jibe too well with the industry's heady declarations of next-gen's possibilities. And it's a rather depressing extension of the industry's handling of curren-gen reveals, which are built around similar deflection and obsfucation. It seems these companies want us to buy their products blind--which doesn't exactly tell me it's worth rushing out to buy a new console for them.
and the thing is that these companies can almost depend on people buying their products the way people have to buy bread (well, almost). Gamers ARE going to move up to the next generation eventually, and there's only two next gen consoles, so competition isn't as stiff as say in the car industry.
I dunno though. You bring up an interesting point though for sure. We know these machines are "next generation".... but what exactly does that entail?
It seems that these companies want to keep the answer to that question as vague as possible, and just get people to buy the new stuff because it's new.
It's sad, but I'm not even intrigued by "the next gen". Probably because I fear those price hikes. lol. I could be wrong but it seems as if the beginning of next gen will have graphics that are ever so minuscule in improvement, we're not going to be able to see the difference!
Indeed, it's all over the place as to whether or not you can tell a difference without a microscope or something. :p
You have stuff like Killzone and Dragon's Dogma that look WAY better, while there's other stuff (EA sports games, COD, AC) in which you can either see no difference or you have to press your nose to the monitor to tell. Plus it's not like there's some big new target in visuals to begin with--they aren't doing 4K Ultra HD on these boxes when it's still super expensive to do it on PC.
I'm on the same page. I read an article several months back talking about the new Unreal engine that most next gen games will be made with and run on and there will be a handfull of grphical improvements and effect thet will be pretty impressive. But the real meat of it was on the development side making it easier for game developers to streamline the process and cut out a lot of tedious labor. The real possible benifit here is next gen games that at the least won't get anymore expensive to make. But yeah I'm not really seeing anything that is realing pushing the bar like in previous generations.
I remember seeing lots of games for the launch of 360 and PS3 that made me want to get them. I've heard next to nothing about great launch titles for either X1 and PS4 about to come out. There's some out in the Spring like Destiny and Titan Fall, but that's about all I'm interested in. Seems like the new systems only care about COD and Battlefield at launch.
It's amazing how much this feels like an extension of current gen rather than a clean break from it. The sheer number of cross-gen titles doesn't help, but it's not like the exclusives are some bold new vision either.
I'm pretty ambivalent about the next gen. Plenty in my backlog to keep me occupies for years to come, and there haven't been many announced games that have really grabbed my attention. I'm good until they roll out the price drops, lol.
I'm seeing little reason to buy a next-gen console right away. My PC and Vita should do me just fine until next year. If anything, I might end up getting a 3DS once Smash comes out.
So I just looked over the release games and there's very little I'm liking. However, Ryse: Son of Rome on X1 looks interesting and Killzone Shadow Fall on PS4 looks absolutely incredible!
It's making me question my Wii-U plans this holiday.
I wish there were more games that looked as unambiguously next-gen as Shadow Fall does at launch. But alas... :(
They did this with Killzone 3 too. The 3D footage was sweet. But yea, not much else looks like this for either system.
I don't mind it myself if only because I don't intend to join in on the next gen just yet. I'll just sit back, relax and see if everything rolls out well or if it all blows up in people's faces when the omissions turn out to be bigger holes in offerings right out of the gate.
Plus I could always get a Wii U...