I'm really not ready for another console generation.

[AppleQueso]

I used to think that I was doing something wrong when playing Mario Kart Wii. Or that I was just terrible at it. Nope, turns out those wheel attachments are just awful. GameCube controller FTW.

Game plays really well with the remote + nunchuck too.

[Weekend_Warrior]

I'm perfectly fine with the new systems coming out now. Because I probably won't buy them for another 2-3 years anyway. And after that amount of time, there should be a nice list of must-have games and the systems would have seen one or two price drops.

I've never bought a system at launch, ever. It's always better to wait. Let the tech-savvy people with no patience be the guinea pigs. They can be the ones who get the disc read errors, red ring of death or the YLOD. I'll wait till the smoke has cleared and it's both safe and affordable to pick one up. Then I'll go to the pawn shop and grab the AAA titles you paid $60+ for and I'll get them for $5 each, suckers!

- Weekend_Warrior

[Pulsar_t]

Games are already using online passes, I imagine it's going to be hard to find playable games for that amount, unless it's a special online sale ala Steam.

[Jmustang1968]

I couldn't care less about the 720 and PS4, if they're anything like the 360 and PS3, there's going to be virtually no good exclusives (yes, there's about a dozen, but compare that to the piles of SNES/GEN exclusives) and all the multiplatform games worth getting will have a PC release that's cheaper *and* modable. Also, 50 replies and 500 views. Interesting conspiracy coincidence.

The only thing exclusives fuel are fanboys. Having multiplatform games is good for the gamer as it allows them access to more games if they only own 1 console...

While I love PC gaming, consoles offer a much more affordable experience as they are generally cheaper than gaming PC rigs. Consoles also offer a lot easier user experience. Another big benefit consoles offer is having set specifications. There are difficulties with compatibility on PC games with so many possible configurations.

[Pulsar_t]

The PC hardware config is just PR bullshit to cover up inadequate QA testing. CPU architecture and chipsets are consolidated into two major manufacturers, same goes for videocards. I'll reiterate my opinion in case anyone is interested in disputing it: A single console manufacturer isn't going to hurt console gaming as much as one would think. The PC survived almost two decades on Microsoft's software alone. Sony and Nintendo might be better off turning into another Sega, with their in-house teams producing pretty nifty stuff.

[Jmustang1968]

Lastly, I believe that the 8th generation of consoles will be the last, eventually "consoles" will simply be extra hardware integrated with televisions and/or our PCs. American casual games, whether they be football rehashes or Hollywood-inspired cutscene-a-thons or Facebook time killers or military recruitment tools disguised as video games, will reign supreme. Japanese games will become a niche market and people with tastes like mine will turn to importing even moreso than we do now.

I think anyone that calls football games or sports game in general as being casual doesnt actually play them or know much about them... I play in some online simulation style leagues and dynasties that are as hardcore of a game experience as you can get. It more sounds like you are calling any games you don't like or care for as being casual without that actually being an appropriate label. The big budget shooters are also not military recruitment tools... They are what is selling so the market is flooded with them, just as in the 8 and 16 bit era the market was flooded with 2D platformers. And if anything, even though I love them, the biggest cutscene-a-thon games have been disc based JRPGs...

We have always had to import Japanese games. The SNES or SFC really comes to mind with all the translated roms of games never released. This is nothing new. If anything, I think the overall selection of games is really high. There are just so many games now that there are many made from all sorts of genres and styles. The big blockbuster games get the most attention and sales, but that doesnt mean those are the only games out there...

I think a lot of retro gamers have a hard time accepting that their own personal tastes have become niche instead of mainstream. I miss some of the old school PC RPGs and JRPGS, but they still make some and the handhelds are full of the JRPGs.

All in all, it is about time for new consoles really. PC gaming is being held back a bit by consoles. They are now limiting the PC games to the console experience as that is what sells the most. I think the consoles will soon just be conpact PCs that have set specs and are optimized to be used with controllers and hooked up to a tv. The next xbox console will run Windows 8 and most likely be heavily integrated with other electronics and PCs in the living room.

Rather or not you are looking to get the new consoles any time soon, it doesnt diminish any of the games currently out unless you are looking for an active online community. Just keep exhausting the library of current and past gen games until the new consoles are affordable or have enough must-plays to warrant the purchase...

[Jmustang1968]

The PC hardware config is just PR bullshit to cover up inadequate QA testing. CPU architecture and chipsets are consolidated into two major manufacturers, same goes for videocards. I'll reiterate my opinion in case anyone is interested in disputing it: A single console manufacturer isn't going to hurt console gaming as much as one would think. The PC survived almost two decades on Microsoft's software alone. Sony and Nintendo might be better off turning into another Sega, with their in-house teams producing pretty nifty stuff.

Ya 2 manufacturers, but different operating systems and 32 and 64 bit mixed in there as well. Different generations of chipsets and processors, different models and generations of video cards, and tons of other peripherals with software that can affect the software compatibilities. It isnt just PR bullshit...

Now, I dont know if having only a single hardware will hut or help, that is tough to say, but I think Nintendo offers a very different product than does Sony or MS.

[Pulsar_t]

Back in DOS days devs compiled EXE's for different VGA cards and other annoyances. Nowadays with DirectX and Visual C++ runtimes handling a large portion of the overhead it's up to QA to make sure the engine is as glitch-free as possible. It's either too expensive to consider feasible for the PC or just plain laziness, but overall pretty much doable.

The fact that a broken game like Stronghold 3 is allowed to be sold on Steam is laughable. Standards have been thrown out the window.

[Jmustang1968]

Back in DOS days devs compiled EXE's for different VGA cards and other annoyances. Nowadays with DirectX and Visual C++ runtimes handling a large portion of the overhead it's up to QA to make sure the engine is as glitch-free as possible. It's either too expensive to consider feasible for the PC or just plain laziness, but overall pretty much doable.

The fact that a broken game like Stronghold 3 is allowed to be sold on Steam is laughable. Standards have been thrown out the window.

The complexity of games now vs DOS days are hardly comparable. Laziness is also ridiculous and thrown around way too much with devs. These guys put tons of hours into these games. If anything it could be the money or time allowed for QA. They would also need tons of different configurations. They do, but it is impossible to cover the spread. This is evidenced by certain games not working with a specific generation of vid cards or a specific card itself. Stronghold 3 also isnt representative of all PC games.

[The Last Horseman]

I'm not ready, partly because I still have this ackward feeling I got the wrong console this generation. I feel as if I should have picked up a PS3 instead of a 360. However, I wonder how much I would miss the exclusives.... ah crap. I can't be sure...


But, bring on the Wii U. Hopefully this is Nintendo's comeback.