What will be the next big thing in the next generation of consoles?
Except for the graphical improvements……that’s a given
The first Playstation had CD storage, the PS2 and XBOX had DVD players and some online capabilities, the Wii has the Nunchucks and the PS3 and Xbox360 are designed for online play with friends,
So what can we expect?
VR goggles?
3d smell O’vision?
Pain/pleasure feedback sets?
what do you expect and what would you like to see?
IANA Gaming Expert, but I would take into consideration that consoles are dependent upon other technologies - in some respects, they’re just really sophisticated yet dumb boxes.
While things like internet connectivity and online friends and massive storage are great, the next gen will likely do nothing but refine that.
I see two avenues (which you’ve already suggested) to true next-gen consoles
As far as holographic, that’s more distant and probably beyond the next gen, but the one thing about consoles is they are at the leading if not bleeding edge of technology, so who knows. (the thing about holographic is that I’m not sure it changes the consoles so much, as just the experience. I mean, you still have to shoot the same baddies, or run the same football plays, you just get to see it from a different vantage point. But game developers are way more creative than I, so maybe the entire concept of gaming would change).
So, if by next gen you mean the PS4 or XBox 720, I actually don’t expect much beyond refinement. Yes, better graphics, and even better incorporation of the internet, but nothing revolutionary.
If by next gen you mean a genuine leap in technology, then I’d vote for holographic display or true-physical-feedback natural movement input devices.
Of course, the most awesomest solution would be true VR, combining the display and input.
I will take issues with two things said so far:
That hasn’t been true for over a decade now. PC’s have been and will continue to be on the bleeding edge. In fact it is PC tech that drives console technology as console manufacturers invariably use PC tech to build consoles. Unfortunately, by the time the things actually make it to store shelves, PC’s are usually already a generation ahead.
This means that although graphics will improve, the difference between the two gens won’t be as large as it was between last gen and this gen. The difference between consoles and PC will also become even greater. That’s IMHO though.
The problem with 3D is that it requires special peripherals and very powerful rendering hardware. Right now, PC’s can do it but only with high end graphics cards and new monitors with 120 Mhz refresh rates.
For that to work on consoles (unless some other 3d tech is used) will require serious hardware, that might not make it in (for the reasons mentioned above) AND TV’s with 120 Mhz refresh rates. You think it’s hard to get people to switch form XP to vista? You just try and get them to switch from their perfectly good HDTV’s to a 120 Mhz one. Good luck.
Here’s what I think we’ll actually see:
More downloadable content. And not just games. Movies and TV will stream to your console from the internet.
Much more mass appeal games. Which will likely mean less developer dollars for hardcore games. 
A decent boost in graphics goodness, possibly with more games taking advantage of some of the PC standards like AA, AF as well as true HD resolutions. Physics and AI will also likely be improved as that stuff is going to be helped out by better parallel computing implementations and GPU off-loading (I’m sure MS will be using DX 11 with their new console).
VR, Holograms, smell o’vision… we aren’t going to see anything resembling that for decades. and I personally hope we never see Smell 'o Vision.
I think X-Box is already dipping a toe into the next big thing with their Netflix tie in. I don’t have an X-Box, so I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but as I understand it, X-Box lives offers an interface for Netflix insta-watch movies.
I think future gaming consoles will end up being all-in-one entertainment centers, for lack of a better phrase. Games, email, movies, cable, music, phone, etc.; any and all media which can be conveyed elctronically will be a part of the Playstation 8 or the X-Box 360 Mark VII or whatever.
But at that point they’ll be PC’s. Or more accurately, they will be outdated, un-upgradeable machines trying to do PC things.
Consoles will really have to either offer something PC’s don’t or the PC industry has to make some serious missteps and drop the ball on bringing PC and home entertainment together in the upcoming years.
I don’t see either happening.
I know how this goes with you.
Consoles already do offer something that a PC can’t: they’re not PCs. Some people don’t like tinkering around on computers, either that or they want to free their computer up for doing other computer-related tasks.
You’re looking at the problem through your eyes, through the eyes of someone who understands computers and isn’t afraid to get inside them and muck around. Tech support lines would be a lot shorter and wouldn’t have as many basic questions asked if the world were populated with people that had the computer knowledge you do. Unfortunately, the real world isn’t like that. Computers still frighten people, and if it’s between taking the computer in to get upgraded and paying 300 bucks or getting a console to play the same game and still having the computer, they’ll choose the console.
I think we’re going to see consoles get mice, or some kind of pseudo-mouse. There are games that don’t or can’t translate over to the console because of that. The Wii’s controller is already like this.
You forgot to mention XBox Live.
Thinking more about it, I have to admit, you may be right.
So I suppose it’s possible if not likely that consoles will essentially become the entertainment center for the home, transforming into pseudo PC’s… trading away with the modular expandability and flexibility of actual PC’s for the ease of use and appliance look and feel of the console.
I can see the appeal of that to the mainstream.
But that’s looking at two generations from now. My opinions on the very next gen stand.
This is true. Xbox Live is friggin’ amazing.
If anything, Kinthalis, I think you have it reversed. Kids these days grow up playing on Photoshop, and have computers even more entrenched in their being than the previous generation did. I think your proposal comes further down the road
A lot of the things you are talking being “in the future” are already happening. Gran Tourismo 5 Prologue for example has been shown in 2160i at 240fps last year (being rendered by 4 PS3’s each handling a quarter of the processing) and at CES this year they debuted Wipeout HD being rendered in 3D just to show that it can be done. It may not be available for public consumption right now, but is being done and will probably be available in the “sooner than you think” future.
Both PSN and Xbox Live have downloadable movies now and both have had downloadable games for a while now. This generation of consoles are already blurring the line between consoles and PC’s. I have a OK web browser which comes with my PS3, but I also have the option of installing another OS on it and having it be a dual boot machine. I can access any media (pictures, movies music) that I have shared on any computer on my LAN via my PS3. As far as consoles not being upgradable, you are just wrong. I just swapped out my 20GB hard drive and installed a 320GB hard drive. I would expect that eventually the memory and graphic cards will be upgradable in the future as well. I can already use any USB keyboard & mouse on my PS3 and with Bluetooth I suspect that many more wireless accessories available will be available soon as well.
The fact is that the consoles are becoming more like PC’s and are already viable home entertainment media centers.
Not sure about this one. As an inveterate tinkerer I would love this, and in fact, the HDD upgradability and alternative OS options are reasons I picked a PS3 over a 360. However, having purpose-fabbed parts offers economies of scale and consistent compatibility and support benefits that far outweigh the benefit of appealing to the fairly narrow enthusiast market with modular/upgradable hardware.
What I foresee is a tighter integration of consoles with various content sources like DLNA devices, streaming video, etc. and a more streamlined computing experience for browsing, basic word processing, etc.
Along these lines, how about different versions of consoles separated not by hardware but by purpose-specific software? For instance, how about the next PS4 ships in 4 different versions: a stripped down gaming system with a minimal console interface; a more pc-like system that boots into a Sony-supported *nix environment with fully supported drivers for a richer computing experience (and the ability to boot into the gaming interface from directly within Linux); a media-oriented interface, set up out of the box for streaming radio, video, etc. with all the plug-ins; and a deluxe version with all the above, plus maybe a DVR attachment at a premium. And the ability to upgrade any one system to the other (for a fee of course).
And what I’d really like to see is a better, more dev-friendly utilization of the Cell architecture by Sony (or dump it altogether for an x86 architecture). Pump some $ into making their development tools easier for niche developers to use! And offer it for free! XBox Arcade is kicking Sony’s ass in the cheap downloadable game market, and it’s not because the hardware’s better. It’s because MSFT used the tools they’ve had for years without breaking anything or charging through the nose, so developed with past experience working on PC games felt at home developing XBox games.
Now Sony, who had cornered the market on innovative games with the PS2 in large part because they had a widely adopted SDK that was a dream to work with according to most developers, has fallen way behind in terms of quantity and quality of games because their development tools are not as accessible.
The obvious thing for the near future is that the controller paradigm has been under heavy assault for the part five years. Even without the Wiimote there are many monster hits across all platforms that have been abandoning the standard form for something appropriate to that game: Dance Dance Revolution, Rock Band, Wii Fit, and so on. With the Wii shaking some people awake to the limitations of the pad/stick/button combination I suspect that we’ll see some very interesting designs next generation. I’m not saying that they’ll all be Wiimotes, but if Sony or Microsoft don’t have some kind of built in pointing device at the very least I’ll be shocked.
Actually the path is already laid out (if my opinion is worth anything). The next console generation will be a more obvious split between the different makers (Sony, Nintendo and MS).
Microsoft:
Many of you might have missed it, but Microsoft established their intent a couple years ago upon release of their Media Center (on PC) and the Xbox 360. MS’s pursuit is not to manufacture a gaming console per se, they are aiming for the entire entertainment network via the most common appliance in every american (wold wide) platform on the planet = your TV.
The Media Center already interacts via WLAN with your xbox 360 so you can (on your TV): view pictures from your PC, videos from you PC, listen to music from your PC, you can use messenger on your Xbox, now you can download movies direct, buy games online, watch TV shows (purchased), etc. The way they see it, you will most likely have a PC or Laptop (all connected to your home network via WLAN), a TV and internet access already in your home. All they want to do is tie it all together with a box that does it all. Of course that includes gaming. Both “hard core” and the casual gamer. But that will be but a slice of the package.
The game play will continue (on future xbox’s) quite like it is now, except they will be more flexible with game titles to accomodate for more casual play (probably downloaded) and greater flexibility for different types of controllers (depending on the games that are created). But they will leave that part up to the game manufacturers.
Nintendo:
These guys will be at the opposite side of the spectrum. They dont want to run your house, they just want to play games. They rule with the DS (over the PSP) and the Wii cripples PS and Xbox in sales. They have a working formula which has worked fine for years. Make cheap consoles with fun games that any age group can find appealing. More of an arcade frame of mind.
Sony:
These guys are toast. The reason is, they want to try and catch up to what MS has done (and can’t because of poor timing and no idea how to make good software), and they can’t match the appeal of Nintendo for just straightforward gaming anymore. They are in limbo (and currently with the most expensive console who’s only appeal to consumers is the blue-ray player which will be obsolete in a couple of years anyhow).
So the next gen of MS will be a even more integrated media entertainment center, and the next for Nintendo will be another great box of fun games and innovative titles. Sony’s next will be a note to the judge filing for chapter 11.
So says I
Will the next generation console even need high end processors? when will it be possible to make all the computations for the 3d action on some server on the other side of the interwebs, and just stream the HD graphics on my television set?Or will lag be a problem?
and for input devices, I would expect voice recognition for giving commands and Eye Cams that can better translate your hand movements(and even maybe movements) into actions, to play a much bigger role…there are game that are experimenting with this but they are still very primitive…maybe Obama will let game companies use some of the software developed by the CIA/NSA/BIGBROTHER
That wouldn’t work due to lag, as you’ve said. You’d run into speed of light limitations.
Hell you run into speed issues when the hardware is centimeters from each other, never mind over a network.
One of the problems that we currently run into is that games are very US-centric online. I mean that if you European and end up playing against an American, they’ll almost always have host, and because of the distance and nature of going over the ocean, a big advantage. When the Euro peeps manage to pull host, it’s a nightmare for us American folks.
I always thought Virtual Reality and sex would merge into something of use.
Crosses fingers
I agree that home-integration is really the next big thing, with MS leading hte way in many regards. Sony is at a crossroads and they need to figure their shit out (whether they have or not is up to debate) but they have the most powerful system and it didn’t cut it for them this time around.
Nintendo will definitely continue along its “innovation” lines, as they realized they simply cannot compete technologically with the likes of sony and MS.
I think a huge player next gen will be the home developers, releasing games over XBLA and PSN that are comparitively cheap to develop, simple, yet fun. Development will come into the homes more and more and the tools become available and, most importantly, approachable and affordable. This might even lead into a decent modding community like the PC has, though that has more to do with developers allowing for it to happen than the technology being available.
I also think, in the not-too-distant future, we’re going to see less and less reliance on physical media (buying physical game discs) and more and more on simply downloading content a la Steam and other download services. That’s a main reason I feel Blu-Ray will be relatively short-lived.
They already have, to a degree. I’m at work now, so I can’t look it up (for fear of running into less… savory? links) but there’s a device that, with a subscription to the proper movies, transmits on-screen “action” through the device (which you obviously wear over your masculine naughty bits). not quite virtual sex, but getting there