860°

Xbox is poised to dominate the next console generation

Microsoft spent 2018 learning from its mistakes.

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engadget.com
Vasto1979d ago (Edited 1979d ago )

Why everybody saying this?

iN_4G_form1979d ago (Edited 1979d ago )

Not everybody. Just those who are paid by, parterned with Microsoft and/or are partial to it's XBOX brand.

Vasto1979d ago

So do you think Microsoft are going to dominate next gen like they are saying?

WombBat1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

Yeah it's clearly an MS campaign.

Xbox will lose next-gen because lack of pure console exclusives (not Xbox/PC). Not only that, but it's gonna take a while for people to trust MS again after the insult that was the Xbox One launch, and even the follow up, what with canceling numerous games and studios down.

One gets the feeling that they are not trying to lose with honor, but rather, trying to dismantle the console structure altogether so that no console manufacturer wins because certainly PC players will never accept Xbox as their PC platform of choice, but they will opt for Steam or the like.

hardcorehippiez1978d ago

Forecasting.If they plant the seeds early enough and run with it the sheep that arent aware of this tactic will believe it to be true and run with it eventually making it true , or at least the perception of it .

Chevalier1978d ago

There's lots of delusional websites it seems.

https://www.trustedreviews....

Apparently Xbox may end the next gen against PS5 according to this article. I say that with a healthy amount of sarcasm.

Kribwalker1978d ago

i don’t understand how anytime there’s positive news, or good reviews on Xbox, they are always paid, while positive news or good reviews on sony products is always natural 💁‍♂️

darthv721978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

I got a werid feeling we have been here before. It's as if MS is now in the Sega role and Sony in the Nintendo role from 4th gen on.

Xbox came out after the PS2 (like Master System did after the NES) and while it was superior to the later, it failed to make a dent in the market (again like Master system and NES). So MS released their next gen 360 system a year ahead of the PS3 (like Sega did with Genesis vs the SNES) and really managed to get some market share from Sony (again like Genesis vs SNES). But MS third platform really lost all that they initially gained (like saturn vs PS1) with poor management and game development. Despite being a good system, people still shunned it and so it ended up selling less than its previous release (again like saturn in relation to genesis).

Now we know what happened to Sega when they tried to make things right. Dreamcast was a great system but the brand of PS was just to strong by that time and many simply held off getting DC in favor of the PS2. Despite Sega doing everything right... the DC still failed and they decided to turn their attention to going 3rd party.

So does that mean another part of history will repeat and many will hold off on the next xbox because they know the PS5 will be coming out (provided the next xbox releases before)? If MS really wants to not go the way of Sega then they know what they need to do. Focus on games games games and just keep putting $$ towards their xbox division to provide them with the funds necessary to keep things moving forward.

ABizzel11978d ago

Xbox will never dominate, and struggle to ever win a console generation simply because they don't have the presence / marketshare of Europe, Japan, and the Rest of the world that Sony and to an extent Nintendo has.

Japan (25m Nintendo handheld, absolute best case scenario 1m Xbox console)
Japan is dominated by handhelds where Nintendo reigns supreme and an easy +20 million. PlayStation at least does well in Japan selling around 10m consoles. Meanwhile out of 3 generation only 1 Xbox console has broke 1m units sold in Japan.

Europe (45m PS console, 20m Xbox consoles maybe more)
Europe is PlayStation land, Sony's worst selling PlayStation console with all the negative press and high price, still ended up winning that generation in the European market by nearly 10m units over the 360. Xbox sales have declined in EU with the XBO, meanwhile Sony has regained a near PS2 level of marketshare in the region as it closes in on 40m units sold compared to XBO which will have a challenge reaching 20m by 2020.

Rest of World (20m PS consoles, best case 10m Xbox consoles)
Again PlayStation land. PS3 outsold both Wii and 360 with everything going against it, and now PS4 is flatout dominating and is the 2nd best selling console in the PAL markets only behind the PS2.

North America is the only region they have any chance of winning, thankfully it's the biggest market for them, which helps their overall numbers, but it's not enough to help with the huge gaps in the other 3 regions.

This title should read Xbox spends 2018 correcting the mistakes XBO made in 2013, and will once again be competitive the next console generation.

crazyCoconuts1978d ago

I don't think we should discount the possibility that the author isn't being paid, he's just an idiot.

gangsta_red1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

@kribwalker

Good question Krib, another good question is why does this obvious false narrative in every positive Xbox article continue to occur?

Ceaser98573611978d ago

The word Dominate is actually funny, when you lost this gen...

So may be that's why kribwalker people laugh when a topic like this comes up... Why not we wait and see how both the company does next gen....

rainslacker1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

@Darth

Sega supported their console with games, and had decent enough 3rd party support, although it suffered on the Saturn due to the way they bumped up the release date. Sega didn't have the money to continue releasing a console though, and had to go software only. MS can weather that storm, so their issue isn't not making a return, because they probably are making a return due to the software licensing, and subscription services which is where they make most of their money anyways. Sega didn't sell enough software to recoup costs, and competition hurt them a lot more than what Sony is doing to MS right now.

Despite what's going on with MS now, they are making money. Sony isn't killing MS. MS just hasn't been making significant gains this gen.

Dreamcatcher451978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

Kribwalker

Because it's not news.. Or facts. It's someones opinion and we're allowed to not agree on it.

Silly gameAr1978d ago

It's the holiday season. PR people and shills are out in full force. Probably being paid to post and push articles to spam N4G with.

Bronxs151978d ago

@darth I like your post. That’s a really cool analogy between Xbox and Sega. We can even say failed peripheral like 32x was like Kinect. I know it’s dont work as a completely accurate analogy but fun.

Anyways I see the similarities, but sega was strapped for cash and lost third party supports. Ms is loaded and has good relationships with third parties. For example anthem and cyberpunk revealing on their stage.

I sold my Xbox one x and stuck with a pro. Played everything I wanted too on Xbox this gen. But if they have some balling first party games next gen (exclusive or not) I’ll get the new Xbox in a heartbeat with a game pass sun to play them. Plus it should be backward compatible and I had some digital games I purchased that I didn’t get to play before selling my Xbox.

Lastly do you think you (or anyone else) can make a similar analogy but instead of ms being like sega in the battle against Sony. What about ms being like Sony in the battle against Nintendo?

In this analogy everyone thought the n64 would be amazing coming off the snes like we expect for the ps5 coming off the success of the PS4. Then the ps1 turned into an awesome beast of third party games and exclusives that really beat the n64. Maybe the scarlet will be like that ps1 and upset expectation?

+ Show (11) more repliesLast reply 1978d ago
Eonjay1978d ago

Yeah I had no idea that Sony and Nintendo were gonna stop making consoles and/or consumers would be given no voice.

ThinkThink1979d ago

Not everybody. I've only seen two articles. They are definitely learning from their mistakes and have been making smart choices which will help set them up for more success next gen. I don't think that anyone can argue against that. I don't think they will dominate next gen but I'm fairly confident that it will be how it was during the ps3/360 era where both systems are for the most part neck and neck.

Nyxus1978d ago

I even doubt that. They need to do more than buying studios that were for the most part already developing Xbox games anyway. Besides, the Xbox One left a lot of people very disappointed in the brand, it will be hard to get them back. The PS3/360 era was close because of some factors like the PS3 being a lot more expensive, releasing a year later and getting a lot of bad press. It's difficult to imagine these things happening again.

BehindTheRows1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

The only reason the systems were 'neck and neck' last gen was due to Sony's early mistakes. Not something magical Microsoft did. Pound-for-pound, Xbox won't ever beat PlayStation when they are on their A game. Europe and Japan will ensure that.

What I CAN see happening next gen is a little more competitiveness out of Microsoft, and if they play their cards right, they'll have closer weeks with the PS5 (they'll still be outsold weekly, though). But, anything like the 7th gen? No. Dominate? Definitely not.

DarXyde1978d ago

What exactly are you basing this on? With the current improvements, Xbox One still isn't outpacing PS4.

At best, I would say Xbox will perform better in their usual success regions, but that's it. As far as Xbox 360's success, it's difficult to speak conclusively to the reasons behind its success: it launched early with a definitively better online infrastructure, cheaper price point, and better running multiplatform games for a little while; PS3's launch was a disaster with high price and confusing/ creepy advertising, and the X360 failure rate did artificially inflate sales success (although it's difficult to say by how much). It's pretty multivariate, and I'm sure Sony did benefit from Microsoft's early mistakes, BUT PS3, with all of its handicaps, still outsold X360. Playstation is simply the more appealing global brand, and for good reason. The games are more diverse, the games are more critically acclaimed, and the games pretty much keep coming once it starts.

crazyCoconuts1978d ago

Because they can't make any more mistakes (they already used them all up), they have a charismatic exec that projects every strategy he has years before execution, and they're going to rock the gaming world by releasing Xbox Now - they call it "streaming". They bought all these little studios that will crush the competition by adding extra A's to AAA. And with the full weight of Microsoft behind them, Xbox will be as well liked as other beloved MS products like Microsoft Mobile, Internet Explorer, and Windows. And Sony has no idea any of this is coming, because Phil was careful to not leak his strategy in Japanese. They won't know what hit 'em!

RauLeCreuset1978d ago

Satire really is underappreciated here. You have my up vote.

1978d ago Replies(2)
gamer78041978d ago

don't think dominate is the right word, I think they have positioned themselves better going out of this generation and into the next. I think next gen will be fiercely competitive, hopefully we all win as a result.

Razzer1978d ago

I agree. "dominate" is nothing but hyperbole at this point. I absolutely expect Xbox to be more competitive next gen.

neutralgamer19921978d ago

I'm 2012-2013 all major 3rd party publishers placed their bets on Xbox one so this isn't anything new. Xbox360's success HD 2 major factors

1. Came to the market a year before ps3

2. RROD added to sales numbers

Next Xbox will do better but Ps5 will be the market leader. Xbox buying studios is a moot point when Sony has more and have had more producing high quality titles for a while

Smok911978d ago

People are saying it because PlayStation dominated this gen. Nintendo taking 2nd.

Kribwalker1978d ago

is the switch 8th gen again? I can’t keep it straight. just two days ago i was told i was wrong to think the switch is a 9th gen system, and that the WiiU was nintendo’s only 8th gen system, and if that’s the case, the xbox brand is 2nd place again, just like the previous 2 gens (xbox out sold the gamecube and dreamcast, by the last official numbers, the 360 was ahead of the PS3)

Is it an 8th gen or 9th gen system?

XtaZ1978d ago

No, MS takes 2nd because the Switch is a 9th gen system. Forgot about the Wii U already?

yeahokwhatever1978d ago

Do you people think the XB1 is going to outsell the Switch? are you high?

Chevalier1976d ago

@Krib

Who cares about which generation it is? The Xbox One X is pretty much a gen above in terms of specs as well. Regardless general customers do NOT care about generations. Nintendo is dominating Xbox in mindshare right now. FACT. The Switch in its 3rd year will overtake Xbox in their 6th.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1976d ago
1978d ago
sprinterboy1978d ago

I know right, MS bailed on new ips etc and great AAA games twds the last 3yrs of the 360 era, absolutely got it all wrong with the xbox one this entire gen and yet its all wow MS gonna dominate and destroy its competition nxt gen?
All I see is MS has lost alot of its user base this gen and it will a long time to gain there trust again. (or at least it should).

IamTylerDurden11978d ago

And Scorpio was supposed to be the big comeback this gen..

Sophisticated_Chap1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

The simple answer has to do with the fact that analysts expect there to be a massive drop in console hardware sales next gen. This is not good for Sony's business model, since they tend to grow their business by selling as much physical hardware as possible each generation, in order to 'win' the console war each time.

Microsoft on the other hand, has changed their business model more towards expanding access to Xbox Live, rather than trying to win a war based strictly on traditional console hardware sales.

Some of the reasons that analysts are expecting lower console sales, has to do with several factors:

A. the average consumer is just fine with the graphical look of 1080p games as they are currently
B. Many people will not want to spend the money to upgrade to a 4k tv to gain the benefits of owning a new next gen console
C. Games are really cheap, and in many cases free when you look at the perks you get from PS Plus membership, Xbox Live membership and other services like EA Access and Xbox Game Pass. Basically, most people have more games to play today, and not enough time to play them all.
D. People who just bought a PS4 PRO or an Xbox One X will probably not upgrade for quite some time.

The reason why this all falls into Microsofts favor, is because they have focused on reaching, and pulling players in from all devices, including PC, traditional console hardware, smart phones (iOS & Android)and tablets. I would also expect that they will follow in Steam's footsteps, and release an Xbox app for Mac OS.

The idea is for Xbox Live to have more active users than PSN, and opening Xbox Live to all devices ensures that this will happen over time. Sony has PS Now, but they really do not have any kind of PC presence. Sony will continue to focus on hardware as their main attraction, and will probably be forced to expand the PSN when shareholders expectations are not met with regards to lower hardware sales numbers, which will in turn cause Sony's share prices to fall. Sony is hot right now, but this may not be the case 3 or 4 years from now.

yeahokwhatever1978d ago

The "analysts" you're referring to are completely insane.

jznrpg1978d ago

They predicted the same thing this gen . We will buy consoles especially PS consoles and Nintendo too if they have their shit together . Xbox always wanted to be a subscription service and they are almost fully there . They may make some consoles this next gen or 2 but they wont focus on it very long or it’s games and switch focus on the sub/s service . Every program they have is switching to this model , constant revenue for less investment

Razzer1978d ago

Well, there were a couple of "analysts" who predicted MS would sell off Xbox entirely this gen so name-dropping "analysts" doesn't mean very much. But the article is referring to the Xbox device being dominate, not Microsoft making more money than Sony overall in the gaming industry. Xbox would be just as affected by the presumed drop in console sales next gen as PS.

boing11978d ago

It's Christmas. 'Sponsored' content strikes with full force.

Edito1978d ago

Because they can't support seeing the beloved Xbox being slaughtered for 5 years in a row lol let me tell you guys the truth.. Playstation will dominate the next gen again... Mark my words...

Christopher1978d ago

I'm hoping for a more even playing field. Keep Sony and Microsoft constantly fighting to win the #1 spot. Best way for us consumers to get the most out of them both.

nowitzki20041978d ago

Just false hope for the fanboys. And officially quitting this gen.

1978d ago
Jamaicangmr1978d ago

Easy because they are trying to start a following by push the narrative.

1978d ago
Orionsangel1978d ago

It keeps flip flopping.

PS3 Launch - Controversy - $599 PS3 price tag turns off most gamers. 360 takes the lead. 360 won that gen

Xbox One Launch - Controversy - Xbox One console must always be online to play games. Gamers get angry. Backlash on Xbox One. PS4 wins this gen.

PS5 Launch - Controversay ? Xbox Two will win next gen?

Zeref1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

I wouldn't say dominate but they are definitely set to a much better run nextgen.

Gamepass
xCloud
Backwards Compatibility for OG Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Hardware Backwards Compatibility.
3 SKUs
They will most likely have the most power console again
Exclusives from their new studios.

Especially Backwards compatibility will be a huge one selling point and it's a slam dunk if Sony doesn't have it. Which they indicated that they won't be doing.

Razzer1977d ago (Edited 1977d ago )

"Especially Backwards compatibility will be a huge one selling point and it's a slam dunk if Sony doesn't have it. Which they indicated that they won't be doing. "

Sony never said any such thing regarding the next generation of PlayStation.

Muzikguy1978d ago

I’d like to know that as well. People keep saying it to try and make others believe it I guess. Won’t make it true. Xbox won’t be dominating, unless they’re thinking of services but even then I’d question it

_LarZen_1977d ago (Edited 1977d ago )

Because they are are seeing things from a perspective fanboys often cant or dont want to.

Razzer1977d ago

You are assuming those saying such things are not fanboys themselves.

FinalFantasyFanatic1977d ago

Blind, desperate hope maybe? I don't think they will out perform Sony, unless Sony screws up like they did in the PS3 days, and they did the opposite of that with the ps4.

+ Show (23) more repliesLast reply 1976d ago
Razzer1979d ago (Edited 1979d ago )

From being dominated to being dominate? That's a really uninformed prediction to make when thus far none of the initiatives MS has put forth have made any difference and Xbox has consistently been in third place since the launch of the Switch. Maybe those new studios will have games that will somehow dramatically change the balance of power....but no, I seriously doubt it. Xbox will be more competitive, probably, but dominate? Come on.

Dissidia1978d ago

To be fair, the PS2 dominated that generation. Following that the Xbox 360 dominated the majority of its generation. You could say it's because of the head start but in the beginning they also had the more robust and complete online service in Xbox Live. Also some of the Xbox brand's most memorable franchises released during that generation and helped to give them an edge.

I'll mostly get disagrees, but my point is dominance in one generation doesn't guarantee it in the next, for any console.

Razzer1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

Never mentioned the previous two generations. I was only talking about this gen where yes, PS4 has dominated Xbox. Xbox 360 didn't dominate anything at all regardless of head start. Xbox and PS3 reached a tie at best at the end of last generation but both took second place to Wii.

You are right that there is no guarantee from one gen to the next, but the author is saying the console positions next gen will make an unbelievable extreme turn towards Xbox. We are seeing no evidence that the industry is moving in that direction at all. Sony will have to perform Don Mattrick levels of dumbass with the PS5 to achieve such a complete collapse.

neocores80551978d ago

becuz ps3 was 600$ lol only reason. then again ps3 outsold the xb360 at the end\

neutralgamer19921978d ago

Diss

Very simply because Xbox 360 came a full year before ps3 and was the first HD console released. I do think Xbox will do better because it can't any worse. It's sony/ps5's marketshare to lose and I just dont see them dropped the ball

BehindTheRows1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

The 360 did not dominate last gen. At all. That was the Wii. The 360 sold more units in the United States.

Your second part about dominance is true, but Xbox has never done it and there's no reason to assume it will next gen. Brand will also play a role in places like Europe (where Xbox is so far behind, Sony would have to, literally, stop selling consoles there for them to ever have an edge).

ocelot071978d ago

Thing is thought yes I do agree the 360 was the "better" of the two systems up until about 2009. That is when the PS4 started the shine. But ever since the PS3 released it pretty much constantly outsold the 360 world wide each month.

Just depends how you view domination when it comes to this sort of thing.

rainslacker1978d ago

MS didn't really dominate last gen. They stayed pretty even with Sony the whole gen. They can be said to have improved their market position greatly, thus gaining market share which keeps them viable, but as Sony proved with the ps3, and ms with the x1, that doesn't mean a win the next gen. Consistency is usually a desirable trait among consumers, and ms is nowhere near consistent. They'll do.well, then bad, then good, so on and so forth. Sony is Generally always good in key areas.

RauLeCreuset1978d ago

A few problems with your comparison.

1) What were some of the biggest PS2 exclusives? Metal Gear? Final Fantasy? GTA? I'm just spitballing, but those are probably on a lot of lists. Only Metal Gear stayed exclusive the next gen. Titles like FF, GTA, and DMC went multiplat, giving people less reason to own a PS3 and more reason to own a 360. Now do the same for PS4. See the problem? Sony doubling down on 1st and 2nd party content makes a repeat of last gen less likely.

2) That online service you mentioned. Xbox did a good job introducing Live to keep consumers invested in their brand and ecosystem. The irony is that it may now play to Sony's advantage. All of those players who jumped over to PS4 now have PS4 friends lists and trophies to tying them to PS. Not to mention Sony's own little addition to keeping customers in their ecosystem, the PS+ Instant Game Collection, which a lot more gamers have stake in, since PS+ is required for multiplayer this gen. You might come for the multiplayer, but stick around for the IGC.

3) None of the advantages you listed were enough for Xbox's bestselling home console to best Playstation's worst. What are the memorable franchises for Xbox this gen?

notachance1978d ago

X360, dominate?
uhh must've lived in NA/UK?
Worldwide it wasn't even being competitive though?

ThatGuyDart1978d ago

Why doesn't anyone remember that Sony smoothly transitioned their dominance from the PS1 gen to the PS2 gen. Next generation will 99% likely do the same. Microsoft this gen isn't even first in their own home country, yet people expect a few studio purchases (some mediocre) to drastically change the WORLD domination of PlayStation? Not a chance.

jwillj2k41978d ago

360 did not dominate. It had a spark when it started, which burnt out due to once again a lack of games. Only reason people talked about the 360 was due to being proud of buying 2-3 consoles due to its shit ass quality. Xbox would have only sold 20-30 million if they built a proper console, just being honest.

IamTylerDurden11978d ago

360 sold less overall units with a whole extra year of sales. What exactly did 360 dominate? Meanwhile PSP was still going strong halfway through last gen as well.

Sony has had dominate numbers every gen, but one, and even that gen they still sold better than Xbox.

bluefox7551978d ago

Doesn't that say something though? Even though Xbox 360 lucked into a head start, and a blundering PS3 launch, they STILL couldn't win that gen. The only chance they even have to compete with Sony is to hope they screw up.

ILostMyMind1978d ago

In the beginning there was no PS3.

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 1978d ago
Automatic791978d ago

I think my wallet is going to get dominated by Xbox, PS and Nintendo next console generation. Can't wait.

DrumBeat1978d ago

Lol. Sounds about right. PS5 and the next Xbox are must buys for me, and so are any exclusives I find worthwhile for each brand.

DaDrunkenJester1978d ago

You can't be neutral on N4G! Choose a side!

Ricegum1978d ago

Are you the worst for doing this though?

yay1111978d ago

Lmao, N4G showing that you're 100% correct with that downvote ratio

Rude-ro1978d ago

I do not know... with all these subscriptions and paying to play online...
Not a lot of people are going to double dip.
Not knocking the options, but for people who do commit on top of their place to play and their library.. plus games are becoming or targeting games as a continued service..
It is already too expensive.
Then players will look at who consistently offers the best games that you can not play elsewhere...
Microsoft will not dominate next gen. They need to build up trust with the gens early adopter of which are veteran gamers and are well aware of Microsoft’s fluff over offered content.

PhoenixUp1978d ago

The Xbox brand can’t even come out on top in regions outside of North America. Even within NA it’ll be a tough battle. There’s no way it’ll dominate anything

1978d ago Replies(2)
Kribwalker1978d ago

the 360 finished above the PS3 in the UK and Australia, they also are quite big in central/south america

Razzer1978d ago (Edited 1978d ago )

Based on what source data?

Kribwalker1978d ago

@razzer
Oct 2013
https://www.ign.com/article...

Nov 2013
https://www.ign.com/article...

June 2014
https://www.neowin.net/foru...

July 2014
https://www.ign.com/article...

Ps4 PS3 Vita 100 million
Ps4 10 million 3 weeks later
Vita estimated 7-9 million
Ps3 then 81-83 million

last official numbers by either side

Kribwalker1978d ago

For the UK
https://www.independent.co....

https://www.justpushstart.c...

and then in 2013 the Xbox 360 became the best selling gen 7 console in the UK.

https://www.latinpost.com/a...

“Meanwhile, Microsoft has had production facilities within Brazil since the Xbox 360, allowing Microsoft's consoles to duck those import taxes. The company dominated nearly 85 percent of sales in the last generation of consoles, and it looks to be similar for this current generation, since avoiding that tax has cut the locally manufactured Xbox One price to nearly half of the price of Sony's foreign-import PS4.”

i think i australia i was wrong, i think it was close, but i can’t corroborate that, but definitely the UK and Latin america were xbox strongholds

Razzer1978d ago

Interesting. Thanks for the links. Seems things have changed in Latin America. Microsoft produced Xbox 360 in Brazil last gen while Sony imported PS3 which led to a huge price disparity due to tariffs. This gen Sony is making PS4 in Brazil as well so the prices have normalized. In Brazil, Xbox 360 is owned by 34% of gamers with PS3 only at 22%. But PS4 is owned by 19% of gamers and Xbox One is at 12%. And these numbers are prior to the exclusive onslaught Sony conducted starting in 2017 when Xbox One sales tanked elsewhere.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1978d ago
DeadSilence1978d ago

Microsoft fat pockets going strong to these pseudo journalists.

Show all comments (259)
430°

PS6 Graphics – Can it Approach Photorealism?

If the PS5 Pro leaks are accurate, the eventual PS6 is slated to be one powerful console. But if modern GPUs still lag behind true photorealism, can the PS6 get there?

Read Full Story >>
gamingbolt.com
Hugodastrevas1d 13h ago

I hate to be "that guy", but we have go ask ourselves do the industry need photorealistic graphics at this point or actually good games, good content, less anti-consumer practices?
This graphical obsession has brought nothing but years upon years of waiting for a game to launch with huge detailed empty worlds, bad stories and predictable gameplay and (micro)transactions everywhere. Sorry for the rant.

MrGameAndWatch1d 11h ago

Same. I really don't want to be in an interactive film and, to me photorealism is not needed for immersion.

RaidenBlack1d 5h ago

Why always target photorealism?
Why not use the extra horsepower for better, complex & diverse AI?
Why not target more interactable world? Why not use the new performance headroom for more physics effects?
Player choices that drastically affect and changes the game world?

Cacabunga1d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

Let’s first see what PS5 graphics look like.. we’ve seen nothing yet

RaidenBlack1d ago

@Cacabunga
For that, first Naughty Dog's PS5 single-player exclusive, then Guerilla's PS5 single-player exclusive

OtterX1d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h ago )

If anything, the massive layoffs in the industry right now are showing that investors are pulling out and not wanting to invest as much as they are right now into AAAs. Much less push for even higher detail, unless many parts of it are automated by AI for a cheaper price. Not saying I support people's jobs being replaced by AI, just stating a reality of what the money people want.

DarXyde1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

Photorealism should be reserved for games like Gran Turismo. It costs far too much to incorporate that level of detail.

Even then, if it comes at the cost of physics calculations or frame rate given the shared resources of consoles, I'd scale it back in favor of a smoother experience.

Nintendo was quite smart to never pigeonhole themselves into that. Great foresight on their part, I'd say.

8bitAssassin1d 8h ago

But they've gotten very lazy on their games. I still like their approach don't just make game play your biggest innovation.

DarXyde1d 7h ago (Edited 1d 7h ago )

8bitAssassin,

I assume you're talking about Nintendo.

I think it works for them. I'm honestly glad that it's nothing like PlayStation or Xbox. It's a great reason to own one.

8bitAssassin11h ago

Yup!! I am. Yes it works for them and I love it. I want them to have better than average old tech so the scope of some of their games can drop jaws. I'm not talking about counting pixels either.

anast1d 8h ago

I think we need both. Why lower the standard? A photorealistic Bloodborne or Elden Ring game would be insane.

isarai1d 6h ago

Nah im with you on that, like visually games look fine, maybe up the resolution on average but i would much rather resources be spent on things that actually make the game FEEL good to play at this point.

shinoff21831d 6h ago

Don't forget about the budgets.

ROCKY281d 5h ago

agreed - stop with the expensive photo realism and just create amazing games that are less expensive that are not a risk to create an original game within 2-3 years and not 7 years of development - like the OG PS2/Xbox era !

WolfSeed1d 5h ago

There are individual goals for individual parameters. Graphics, gameplay, scale, geometry, AI Sophistication, etc.

This article touches one of them. No need to cancel the conversation because you care more about other things.

Amplitude1d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

Some photorealism is much cheaper to produce than what devs are currently forced to do.
If all games could have path tracing, there would be no need for developers to manually map ambient occlusion, shadowmaps, reflection probes, etc. It's a huge undertaking that's making games cost way more to produce on account of the rather pathetic-for-2024 RT and general performance of the current gen consoles.

As much as i hate to say it, we need new consoles as soon as feasibly possible. These consoles launched at the absolute worst possible time, right before RT/DLSS2.0/3.0 were able to quickly skyrocket games in quality on the PC side of things, leaving a ridiculously large gap between PC and console almost immediately after launch and preventing things like CyberPunk Pathtracing Mode in other games. They're holding everything back and making games take longer to produce.

I think Microsoft may be smart if they end up adopting a model where multiple companies (including NVidia) can release multiple spec variant "PC" boxes with the XBox OS. One console every decade doesn't cut it with how quick technology moves in this new era we're in.

smolinsk1d 2h ago

I would love the Next step in graphic to be massive but it always turns out that it takes a long time so the ps6 graphics are gonna be like the best we have now Just with 60fps in every game. World love to se the big ass large worlds with fantastic graphics and depth. Gta 6 are gonna bring that for sure.

just_looken19h ago

@hugo

100% agree but it also made the use of upscale tech the norm which made games worse and the fact console now are just tablets we need a console with a real gpu real cpu real ram setup.

It would be so amazing to see a game like you said made like the ps2/ps3 era using today's pc parts pushing the hardware.

There are titles out there that make my pc run like its still on the desktop

Barlos14h ago

Agreed. For me at least, games are escapism. I don't want them mimicking real life. Graphics don't have to be photorealistic to be impressive. As with you, I'm more about the story, and I would prefer innovation in other ways. The PS5 did it with the DualSense. This it more important to me than just shinier graphics.

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 11h ago
Zenzuu1d 11h ago

Personally for me, graphics have already gotten to the point where I don't really feel the need to see having it to make anymore realistic or better.

At this point, I rather game developers focus on quality/engaging stories, gameplay, & contents. Also not every every single game needs to opened world just for the sake of it.

anast1d 8h ago

I'd rather they focus on both. It's a trillion dollar industry. They should be able to do both.

neutralgamer19921d 8h ago

Zenzuu

Believe it or not when it comes to consoles and games graphics are still the biggest factor. Why do you think we still see CHI trailers or in engine footage. The first impression is very important. Not for us core gamers but for millions of casuals who are quite easily impressed with wow factor graphics

TiredGamer1d 5h ago

"More, more, more!!! I don't care what it takes - I deserve more! And I won't PAY a dollar more!"

That's the mindset of some people out there.

JEECE22h ago

I mean, can we still say that's the case even when casuals flock to mediocre looking battle royales? PUBG became huge among casuals, and it looks like a PS3 era shooter with textures that didn't load properly. And casuals have embraced the cartoon aesthetic (Fortnite is the easy example here, but there are others). What is the recent graphics focused game casuals have flocked to? Are you counting COD for that?

anast17h ago

@1992 Candy Crush and Monopoly Go

@Tired Like I said. It's a trillion dollar industry. They could definitely do more. Customers are paying a ton of money.

WolfSeed1d 5h ago

There are individual goals for individual parameters. Graphics, gameplay, scale, geometry, AI Sophistication, etc. No need to cancel the conversation because you care more about other things.

smolinsk1d 1h ago

Graphics are the biggest selling point and will always be.

neutralgamer199223h ago

Agreed especially for those who aren’t hardcore gamers. We core gamers look at everything through core gamers POV. But there is a much bigger casual market who likes looking at pretty things

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 17h ago
andy851d 11h ago

Honestly with UC4 I thought we were close but things don't really seem to have improved much in 8 years. Hellblade 2 seems to have raised the bar a bit though

MrBaskerville1d 11h ago

I don't think publishers have the money to make that happen. They can barely sustain the current level of fidelity.

Sciurus_vulgaris1d 3h ago

The goal post for what photorealistic graphics are has always been moving. I remember some 360/PS3 sports games being called photorealistic way back in the mid 2000s.

bRuud831d 11h ago

Simply, no! Graphics wise there is barely any difference between the PS4 and PS5 just a little more particle effects and very minimal use of ray tracing. I expect even less diffence between PS5 and PS6. Just better implementation of Ray Tracing.

purple1011d 6h ago

you are correct, but there ram has doubled, and now we have ssd not a spinning disk drive, I think we have not yet scratched the surface of next gen personally,

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280°

Nintendo says Switch 2 will be officially announced before the end of March 2025

This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo. We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015. We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation.

Profchaos14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

I'm excited for a switch 2 however I don't feel it will be coming this year as per the tweet in they are commuting to a reveal in this Japanese financial year in 2025.

Realistically we will get one last holiday season to focus on the switch because it would be madness for Nintendo to go into the holidays where the switch always performs well when they have announced a switch 2.

I'm thinking we see a announcement late Jan 25 personally with a release between March and June depending on when the software is ready and how strong the holday sales were if they need to boost those figures for the next earnings call or not

gold_drake14d ago

yea agreed. they'll probably match it with the new pkmn game they announced

VenomUK14d ago

So it begins!

Where one contender pulls out of the game, another comes back bigger and stronger.

Nintendo Switch 2 - let the games begin.

Cacabunga13d ago

A new Splatoon launch title for sure.. hoping they change the recipe and make it open world.

I think it’ll come out Q1 25. Let’s wait and see

H914d ago

There's a event in June for games on the switch and they said there won't be a switch 2 announcement so no way they will announce the console after june and still release it in the same year

Eonjay14d ago

So, I think they will shoot for another FYQ4 release (like with the first Switch) but I am confused by the headline:

'[...] Switch 2 will be officially ANNOUNCED before the end of March 2025' This implies that the Switch 2 isn't coming out till maybe holiday 2025 or maybe even 2026. I think they will be better served by NOT releasing when GTA 6 launches (unless there is some shocking reveal that it will run on Switch 2). Release early 2025.

Neonridr14d ago

I'd say it'll be released before March 2025 tbh.

notachance14d ago

Holiday announcement with summer launch

thesoftware73014d ago

It should be an interesting year; Sony, Nintendo, and MS all have new Hardware to show.

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470°

PS5 Pro specs leak video taken down by Sony

Sony is taking actions as video by Moore’s Law is Dead, has been issued with a copyright claim.

Read Full Story >>
videogameschronicle.com
andy8534d ago

And people say it's all fake because Sony haven't said anything 😂 conveniently forget the PS4 Pro was only announced 2 months before release.

BeHunted34d ago

It's fake. There's no factual evidence other than his own made up specs.

Hereandthere34d ago

What were the specks Sony was afraid of showing?

Shikoku34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

Digital foundry put a video out saying what he leaked was exactly what they also knew about the PS5 PRO. So no it's not just stuff he made up

Babadook734d ago (Edited 34d ago )

If it’s fake what copyright does MLID infringe upon?

😂

andy8534d ago

Aye because they'd go to the effort of copyright claiming it if it didn't exist 🙃😂 you'd have to be a special kind to be thinking its not a thing by now

Cacabunga34d ago

They need to reveal it with uncharted killzone or a heavy hitter like this

Ironmike34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

U mean the specs that we'll established digital foundry which said these are the actual specs published a video on 2 weeks ago I mean they are only one of most trusted sites for tech information but they just made up a video for the sake of it

Christopher34d ago

I would love for it all to be fake, but lots of people are saying they've seen/heard the same thing. But, man, we 100% don't need mid-gen upgrades when we're failing hard to optimize current hardware.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 34d ago
Seraphim33d ago (Edited 33d ago )

if I recall Sony lowered sales expectations for PS5 earlier this year. if that is the case we won't hear anything about a Pro until next year or shortly before/when it's dropping. After all, if the Pro was dropping this year/fiscal year they wouldn't have lowered expectations.

As for squashing rumors. Yeah, shit like this prevents potential buyers from adopting now, just like slim rumors in the past. It only makes sense to keep things under wraps from a business perspective. Despite living in a technological age of unfettered access to information we don't need to know whats going on behind closed doors be that at Sony, Nintendo, MS, or amongst any development studios. When the steak is done we shall feast.

JackBNimble33d ago

By the time games are actually made to take advantage of the pro spec's the ps6 will be released or close to it.

jznrpg34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

Just announce it already! I want to preorder one asap. But in reality they don’t want to lessen PS5 sales until Pro is ready to launch so I understand the business part of it. September is probably when they announce it with an early November launch like the PS4 Pro

Ironmike34d ago

Pro won't lessen sales sames ps4 pro never and the ps4 pro was more relevant at the time cos move to 4k this not needed

RaidenBlack34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

Yea, my brother got his PS4 (coz of a good deal) after the PS4 Pro's release.

darthv7234d ago

^^same here. I got a base 4 for only $100 off a guy who bought the Pro. then a few months later I found a guy on craigslist selling a pro for $100 because it was left behind by his former roommate who moved out. That was the beginning of my obsession to buy up the different variants of the PS4 that were released.

As of now I am really only missing the 500m one and the gold slim but otherwise I have pretty much all the other retail ones. https://consolevariations.c...

crazyCoconuts33d ago

Anyone with 4K that appreciates 60fps is gonna disagree about it not being needed.
DLSS is a god send for Nvidia, and there's been nothing like it for AMD...yet ...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 33d ago
DeadlyFire34d ago

They will announce it around E3 timeframe about May-June whenever they do a showcase for the year.

neutralgamer199234d ago

Just announce it this thing will sell well

Ironmike34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

I don't think it will pll still haven't seen the potential of ps5 yet

Cacabunga34d ago

agreed, but it might sell if they announce some 1st party games to lead the way. if people see the difference with the base version they can move on. for my sake I am still gaming mainly on PS4 (still not finished with RDR2 due to lack of gaming time). I have a huge backlog on PS5 I am hoping to get into.

mark3214uk34d ago

why? game makers havnt even come close to maxing out current spec yet, were getting al lthese new TFlops and game maker are making crappy remakes not worthy of the ps3

Minute Man 72134d ago

The guts of the 5 and X are 5 years old

fr0sty33d ago

People keep saying that, yet we still have games running at near HD resolutions, 30fps, and ray tracing features turned off.

PRIMORDUS34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

I would take that video and upload a torrent of it, fuck that copyright bullshit. If your going to do something that has a chance of being taken down, make a torrent first share it. Then Sony or any other company is helpless and you can laugh in their faces, taunting them to try to take it down 🤣

LoveSpuds34d ago

With kind of analysis and advice, you could be a lawyer for Trump!🤣

tronyx1234d ago

As much as the PS4 Pro didn't represent a major % in the playerbase, announcing a 'better' model will hinder sales from the 'base' model. They are right, business-wise.

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