Ok, my next-gen console will be....

Cafe Society
1

Predictably a PS3, but I’ll give you my reasons. I personally am not won over by flash graphics or the penis-measuring processing power arguments of microsoft or sony. I just want to play games, simple as that. I don’t really think that this current generation is fully spent yet, but when the time comes to make a change, I’m going to choose a system that I know will have great games to play on it. To me, thats sony’s machine. There doesnt seem to be a killer app THAT APPEALS TO ME on the current Xbox, although I respect that this is not the case for many people. To me, the xbox was a ps2 with flasher graphics. Same third-party support, with better online play and better audio-visual presentation. As I’ve mentioned, flash graphics are’nt everything to me, and as for online play, I don’t have, nor will have in the near future, a broadband or even high-speed connection, so online play doesnt come into my decision. Given that I feel the xbox 360 is simply an xbox with EVEN BETTER GRAPHICS (and to be fair, they are very nice) I’m going to wait for a machine that has a little bit…more.

To me, thats PS3. I want a blu-ray DVD player. Same as when I bought a PS2, primarily it was the cheapest DVD player on the market at the time. This way, I get a BRP and games console all in one. Plus sony seem to have really come into their own in the games industry during the final stages of the current generation, delivering sterling original titles such as God of War and Killzone as well as innovative products such as the eye-toy. If they keep this up into the next generation, who knows where they will go? Maybe we will get that jacking-into-the-matrix waffle Kaz has been ranting about all along. As long as they keep the sequel count down.

Now, to wrap-up, I must stress that I’m not for one second suggesting that microsoft are evil corporate soulless scum, and sony are kind old toymakers. I understand that games are big business, and everybody is afetr your money, plain and simple. It’s just I feel that microsoft are far more blatant about it; rush-releasing the 360 for christmas, without fully exploiting the power of the old xbox. There is still plenty of life in the xbox, some of its lesser games still have a polish lacking in games that push the ps2 to the limit. The ps2 really is on its last legs, given that it is, what? 6 or 7 years old? It’s time for a change. Microsoft on the other hand just want to be first, regardless. If such tactics are supported, expect a new xbox every three years. I will wait for PS3. Its a safe bet.

P.S. Of course, less i forget, I will also buy a revolution, naturally. With its innovative controller and nintendo’s reputation, There’ll always be room beside my tv. Again, not delighted about the gamecube being cut down in what I believe is its prime (Resi 4, that shows how to use the GC’s power) but with the revolution Nintendo are trying something new, which I welcome with open arms. However, I can’t see it being anyones first choice, but if you must have a second console, this is it. For when you get bored with Gran Turismo 7 and Devil may Cry 8.

2

Being that I’m an incurable Nintendo fanboy, Revolution will be the way to go for me. Xbox’s image never appealed to me, and the only games I’ve ever really been interested in on Playstion are the RPGs. I don’t like reality-based games, and for me, the more fantastical and out-there, the better. I’m still not too sure about the Revolution controller, but I’ll withold judgement until I see what games they’ve made for it. I don’t have as much free time to play games anymore so one system is all I really need.

3

Historically, I haven’t been an early adopter of consoles. I skipped the N64/PS/Dreamcast era until mid-2001 when I picked up a refurbished DC. I ignored the XBox/PS2/GC until last year when I bought a GameCube. I am not the player that religiously plays Zelda, Mario, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, or any of the franchises that publishers and developers rely upon year after year to move hardware.

That being said, I expect that I will buy a Revolution within the first few weeks of its release. The PS3 and XBox 360 are identical to me. If a game can be played on either of them, then it brings nothing new to the table at all and I can likely play a port of it on my PC. The Revolution, however, promises (at this point) such a vastly different type of gameplay that I don’t think I’ll be able to stay out of this round.

It wouldn’t surprise me if I’m part of a silent majority of gamers – those who couldn’t care less about the GPU, PPC, vertex shaders, polygon counts, et cetera, and wouldn’t buy an XBox or PS regardless of the advertising – but can be brought into the fold by an offering so unique.

So far, you know of one person for whom the Revolution is the first and only choice.

4

I intend to buy a PS3 simply because it will come with all the titles of the PSX and PS2. The availability of titles is my main motivator and it will have the deepest catalogue with even more to come so it will be getting my $300.

5

Count me in as number two.

The Revolution is first, anything else is second.

6

Another count for Revolution. The 360 just doesn’t interest me, and for reasons I’m unable to fully explain I haven’t wanted to touch a Sony product since the first PSX. Plus the Revolution just looks fun as heck.

7

I never thought I would say this but I am burnt out on video games. I am going to be skipping this new generation unless one of the consoles has something so new an innovative that I just have to run out and buy it. My GC and Xbox have been great but I think I need to find anew hobby.

8

Another revolution buyer, here. There are tone of gamecube games I always wanted to play, but never got a gamecube. The revolution is backwrds ocmpatable with GC (right?) so bing, bang, boom I gots all my gamecube games I want.

360? No thank you, at least not until way after it’s release, it ever. It’s not backwards compataible, for the most part (yes, the best-selling xbox games will be, but not all of them.)

And I’ve never been a playstation fan. Too many of the games seem…well…for lack of a better term, more “Japanese” than the other consoles. A huge amount of RPGs (I LOATHE console RPGs,) and some other stuff, most of which is also on other systems. Plus, that boomerang controller looks dumb. (If you’re wondering, I do find the revolution controller interesting, and am giving it the benefit of the doubt.)

9

If Nintendo is to be believed - and I think they are - The Revolution will not be a direct competitor to the PS3 or XB360, and won’t even really be considered the same type of product. As such, saying that you’ll take a Revolution instead of one of the other two is like saying you’re going to get the new Black and Decker Toaster Oven instead of the Xbox 360 - it’s just going to be an entirely different type of appliance that will fulfill an entirely different niche than “video game system.”

It’s just like the Nintendo DS vs. the PSP - they’re really two entirely different products and not comparable. The DS is for people that want a fun “gametoy” (no pun intended) that offers a new type of playing experience, and the PSP is for people that inexplicably feel the need to take the home/console gaming experience on the go (I said that with as little snark as possible). The reason I chose the DS is that it’s innovative, interesting, and new, while the PSP would just be a way of taking my PS2 playing “on the go,” which is something I have absolutely zero desire to do.

10

There have been exactly two games in the past ten years I’ve had even the remotest interest in playing, and those have been Halo and Halo2, the latter largely because of the former.

Given that Halo2 was a bit of a letdown with a cliffhanger ending, and I want some kind of closure, I’m likely to be a complete ankle-grabbing punk bitch and buy the fucking 360. Damn me.

11

I will be getting the PS3 and the 360. The former probably sometime just after release, the latter after a bit of a price drop.

Will I be getting a revolution? It really depends if Resident Evil is going to be heading back to a nintendo-only release, or whether any further REvil games will be available on the PS3. I only got the 'cube for Resident Evil, there’s very little else that Nintendo has released for it that’s given me any interest at all.

At some point, I’ll probably end up with all 3. That’s just the kind of person I am.

12

No offense to you, but that is bullshit. The Revolution is a video game system, not a toaster.

The only difference between the Rev and the PlayStation/360 is that the Rev is a dedicated game machine and the PlayStation/360 is attempting to be a multimedia hub.

Nintendo can say it all they want, but they are competitors. The Rev will just be going after a different audience.

13

Well, since I’m not the one making the claim - Shigeru Miyamoto is - I’m not offended. But again, everything that he has said implies that Nintendo means to truly redefine what “video game system” means with the Revolution, and that it will be a fundamentally different thing than the other systems, as different as a toaster is from a DVD player. Whether that will prove to be true - I doubt it’ll be that drastic - Miyamoto and Nintendo envision this being something that appeals to people of all ages rather than the typical video gamer demographic.

14

However, it will be less powerful than the PS3 and 360. Which means that there probably won’t be many titles ported to it. One developer I talked to referred to it as “Gamecube Plus”.

Nintendo really is trying a different strategy this time around. They’re avoiding the horsepower race and betting the farm on simpler games, simpler controls, and a more mass-market approach to gaming.

It may make sense in Japan when PCs still aren’t commonplace, but I’m not convinced it will work in the States. I don’t care if the controller looks like a remote, my mom’s still not going to buy one.

That said, I’m sure I’ll buy a Revolution just for research purposes.

15

And when that means games like WarioWare, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, Feel the Magic, Mario Party, Kirby Canvas Curse - games that are at least a generation behind current technology, but are almost exponentially funner and more interesting than any other games currently on the market - that’s just fine with me. The performance and numbers of the next systems quickly become meaningless when a game like “WarioWare: Touched” is the funnest thing I’ve played in years.

This is the key if Nintendo wants to remain viable. They tried to tackle the middle ground with the Gamecube - going “kiddie” with games like Animal Crossing and the cartoonified Zelda, but still attempting to be incredibly adult with games like Eternal Darkness and the Resident Evil - and found only mediocrity, too kiddie for hardcore gamers but with too many non-family friendly titles that the kiddies werent’ interested in. The type of innovation and pure fun offered by those games will win out over performance specs.

16

I just realized that I never weighed in with my choice of system.

I’ll probably get a revolution as long as I start to see games appearing that are more than just technical demos, especially if my DS can interface with the system in some meaningful way.

But my choice out of the big two is definitely the Sony PS3. Sony simply has the exclusive franchises that I live for, or at least first release rights - Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear, Soul Calibur, Hot Shots Golf - and they always release those great esoteric japanese games that didn’t used to make it to the states, like Katamari Damacy and all of those Atlus games.

Not to start a “system wars!” thread, but it always seems to me that the Xbox is targeted at the casual, lowest-common-demoninator gamer - the one most likely to value graphics over gameplay and favor unthinking action or racing games - the fratboy that simultaneously makes fun of “video game nerds,” but “Halo 2 rules, bro!” when it’s time for a tournament in the frat house - while the PS2 is aimed at the more refined and discriminating gamer. The next generation of both systems seems to be in no hurry to change this, and I know which side of the fence I’m on.

17

Since as how I’m a single guy with no prospects I’ll probably be getting all three. PS3 and 306 new and the Revolution used since I trust Nintendo’s products. Probably not right away but wait till a game I want comes along.

18

I wish them good luck with it. It just strikes me as a very risky strategy. They’re not going to dominate the next round – their competitors’ hardware superiority will see to that. So basically they’ve got to release extraordinarily good games just to stay even. It’s a bit of a red queen’s race – run as fast as you can to stay right where you are.

19

Microsoft got a lot of mileage out of the XBox being the most powerful system during the last round. By choosing to release first they’re surrendering that marketing bullet point. In essence they’re going to have to rebuild their brand identity from scratch. Instead of the power system the 360 will be the … what?

In order for the 360 to survive they have to sell as many as possible before the PS3 arrives. Because once both systems are on the market Microsoft will have an uphill battle. So the very fact that this thread exists is a Playstation marketing victory. Sony wants people to be thinking “maybe I should wait for the PS3”.

20

I bought the XBox last time around (and bought a second one this weekend because mine is flaking out on me), mostly because of the internal hard drive (meaning more developers were likely to add “save anywhere” features to their titles). I wasn’t an early adopter; I waited until the price was $200. Since as bouv pointed out, a lot of games won’t be backwards compatible, and the cheaper XBox 360 doesn’t come with a hard drive, I’m going to wait and see. I’m primarily a computer gamer, so again, I’ll stick with my XBox until one or the other of the next gen platforms drop in price.

Oddly enough, my choice has always been between the XBox 360 and the PS3. The Revolution never even entered my mind as a viable option. I think it has to do with the types of games offered. I should probably keep an open mind for that one, too.