EA's chief creative officer, Rich Hilleman, expects Sony and Microsoft to focus on updates to existing hardware before releasing next generation consoles.
Speaking about the "re-engineering" of the game business at the Hot Chips conference, he said that Sony and Microsoft nearly expired getting the PS3 and Xbox 360 to market, and are therefore not likely to be in any rush to release brand new home consoles.
"I expected we'll see a PlayStation 3.5 before we see a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox 560 before we see an Xbox 720," he said, according to VentureBeat.
Hilleman also said that online will play an increasingly dominant role in the industry's future. "The biggest shift is how fast packaged goods games are changing and going away. If I want to go to see the past of gaming, I go to Japan. If I want to see the future, I go to Korea."
He noted that there are currently around 28,000 internet game rooms in South Korea where users pay an hourly fee to use PCs online. About half of the country's population of 48 million plays games, he added.
I completely agree with the guy. What are the Motion controllers for the PS3 and Natal, but a way to extend both consoles lifespans using suplimentary hardware.
Both machines have still got a lot to give, and if they can get devs to wring every last ounce of power out of the current machines then we'd really have something special to look forward to next gen.
@adgr19 I saw that too, I wish I could have that connection. I pay twice that for 2mb
Of course they'll carry on with updates on the current systems, but I wouldn't put it past either company to release a new console pretty sharpish if the Motion Controllers flop. I would expect 2011 for a new console to be announced. I actually expect a few, I could see Microsoft releasing new hardware and I could also see new handhelds from Nintendo & Sony. As great as the DS & PSP are, they are becoming out of date now, both have been out since 2004 with only a month difference between the Japanese release dates. 2011, or even 2010, would be good times to see successors to them (and proper ones as well, not like the PSPGo and DSi).
There can, however, be no true evolution in games without new hardware.
@adgr19 I saw that too, I wish I could have that connection. I pay twice that for 2mb
Of course they'll carry on with updates on the current systems, but I wouldn't put it past either company to release a new console pretty sharpish if the Motion Controllers flop. I would expect 2011 for a new console to be announced. I actually expect a few, I could see Microsoft releasing new hardware and I could also see new handhelds from Nintendo & Sony. As great as the DS & PSP are, they are becoming out of date now, both have been out since 2004 with only a month difference between the Japanese release dates. 2011, or even 2010, would be good times to see successors to them (and proper ones as well, not like the PSPGo and DSi).
There can, however, be no true evolution in games without new hardware.
I don't know so much. Before this gen i would have agreed with you. but seeing the level of grpical fidelity in both the 360 and PS3 i think we've hit a plateau where graphically there isn't many places left to go. Therefore whats needed is a change in how we play games not what they look like. We've been using joypads for 20+ years. Its about time they were given a rethink.
While I agree that there aren't any real advances being made in graphics right now, that's about to change. This gen we got programmable pixel shaders, which meant higher quality appearance without increased polycount. Next gen will be real-time raytracing.
Thing is, I'm not interested in changing HOW I play games. Keyboard and mouse has worked for 20 years on PC, no reason to suddenly change that on consoles.
I keep arguing this, but when I finish work after a long day, I'm tired. If I can't play games without waving my arms around then I'm not going to play them at all. As an option, yes, but not as the only control method. If this becomes standard I will quit console gaming altogether, and I'm sure I can't be the only one.
While I agree that there aren't any real advances being made in graphics right now, that's about to change. This gen we got programmable pixel shaders, which meant higher quality appearance without increased polycount. Next gen will be real-time raytracing.
Thing is, I'm not interested in changing HOW I play games. Keyboard and mouse has worked for 20 years on PC, no reason to suddenly change that on consoles.
I keep arguing this, but when I finish work after a long day, I'm tired. If I can't play games without waving my arms around then I'm not going to play them at all. As an option, yes, but not as the only control method. If this becomes standard I will quit console gaming altogether, and I'm sure I can't be the only one.
I believe that would be known as cutting your nose off to spite your face...
yes but there are very few games in which you actually wave your arms in any particuly forceful manner. For every wii sports or fit there are a hundred wii games that you can play in the traditional manner of sat on your bottom relaxing. Hell you can even snack while your doing it.
I think pointer control more than motion is what sets the wii apart from the competition. (although the 1:1 control of the swordfighting in wiisports resort and in Tiger woods are absolutely brilliant.)
Dual Analogue sticks in comparison to pointer control are incredibly innacrate and sluggish. point and shoot is definately the way forward, and the closest thing to mouse and keyboard on a console.
All this talk about an Xbox 560 or 720 is retarded anyway. The reason Microsoft gave it that name was because in marketing terms they didn't want an Xbox 2 competing with a Playstation 3 as people would consider it inferior, hence the 360 monikor. There's no way Microsoft are gonna call the next Xbox a 720. It wouldn't make sense.
much as i like the idea of the downloadable part of game buying it sucks a bit that surely this will bring the end of game discounting and 2nd hand games. i'd find it hard to have the buying power i do now without them.
all prices controleld by the maker of machine smells of bad news. look at the games on demand for xbox prices to see the expensive future.
Personally I'm fine with the 360 & PS3 sticking round for another three or so years, at this point in time there's no need to create a new console since it would probably only be a slight increase in graphics. Also the only console on the market that could do with an upgrade is the Wii. And I don't think there's a new handheld coming from nintendo in the near future since the dsi has about twice the power of the lite (aprantly) and of course there's the dsi virtual console that's still yet to leave japan, I'd say three or so years before nintendo announces a new handheld, as for the psp, that could probably do with a new console replacement but I'm not going to judge it since I've never used one.
blahg balh blah xbox 360 is the purfect concole, they will be no other evr. may teel you all now, mark may txt. may speek with greet wisdom and justice. this concludes this matter. /win
I reckon all three of them have plans for a new console ....and will always be looking to the future fiscally (if thats a word) as well as hardware and software wise....shame there isn't a fourth party, it feels a bit stayed now.
I mean Sega are out so why doesnt someone else have a crack at the big boys (Yes I know that sounds wrong)...come on Branson lets have a "Virgin 1080" Console...and cram as much in it as possible hardware and software wise haha
i'm getting a PS3 for christmas but after two or three years they will probably bring out a new one and ill be left behind AGAIN, i think they should leave the current PS3 and work on a completely different PS3 altogether. I know that they have to compete with other consoles but this is getting stupid: PS3.5?! and xbox 570?! 570 doesnt even make sense coz 360 + 180 = 540 so..... until another format comes along (like DVD-> Blu-Ray) they cant really do anything but tweak the gameplay and glithes etc, or add 'motion sensing' which get a bit boring to be honest sometimes i want to be a couch potato and just sit there and move my fingers like im in some sort of trance (by the way, the wii isnt all flapping you arms around like a bird on fire ( for most of them you can just flick your wrist ) for every 10 games of 'bird on fire flailing arms' there are 100 'sit on the sosfa and twiddle your thumbs' games. i had better stop now because i will fill up the page and the internet with my gaming knowledge
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