More specifically, the true power of consoles in general and why they stay relevant when compared to much higher level PC hardware.
When the PS3 rumors first started there was talk of how it would be a lot more developer friendly by having a more pc-like architecture while also allowing them to "code closer to the metal".
Coding to the metal means they can build their games based on the actual hardware involved rather than having to build around the power that's left over after a PCs operating system takes its share as well as being confined to the parameters of directx. They can build their own engines based on the pure power of the hardware. They say "closer" to the metal because their is still a console's OS involved.
On consoles developers are already able to work with one unified set of parameters that all the hardware will have. They don't have to make their games playable on a bunch of variables based on many different hardware choices, like graphics card types, that a PC consumer might have. Consoles already have an advantage with developers because of this.
Bring back in the fact that PCs are made for general use. They will always have an OS running in the background during games, taking away power, so you can already see that a console with the exact same hardware as a PC will have an advantage in what it's able to accomplish. A console OS is no where near as taxing on the hardware as a general purpose operating system like Windows 8.
We now have the official specifications of the PS4 and while PC gamers claim it to be weaker than high-end gaming PCs that's not necessarily true. Even though there's more powerful hardware available to PCs, a console can take more advantage of the power it's given. PCs games are like kids playing in the sandbox at recess whereas console games are like kids playing anywhere on the school grounds (minus the teacher's lounge).
We've already seen what the PS4 is capable of now and it already looks good. Even Knack, while cartoony, had phenomenal lighting effects in-game as well as very high resolution textures (watch the conference scene right before they switch to Vita remote play). For those wanting confirmation on the new Killzone game play being real, in-game and unscripted just watch as they let Jimmy Fallon take the controls. http://www.youtube.com/watc...
These games are just the start and many, if not all, of the demos and trailers they showed were still in their alpha stages. It'll only get better in the future as developers refine their skills, knowledge of the system and push it to its limits. PC hardware will definitely be stronger but it will always be held back too.
Developers are excited, and they should be, as should you.
A new survey from Microsoft has further hinted at the possibility of an Xbox handheld being in development.
This is definitely happening, I just hope they have 2 versions one with a much bigger screen.
I'll be happy with this, and a PC console hybrid that rivals anything we have power wise
i have that logitech g-cloud. Its a sweet little piece of kit. I like that it can also install games from the play store unlike the other android based handheld.
It sure is! Don't understand why you get the down-votes. Whoever does not like the G Cloud must have been dropped down a well, head first, when they were of a younger age.
I wonder if Microsoft will perform better in Japan if they do actually make a handheld since everyone says handheld and mobile are king over there.
This looks like the future of the game industry... all three platforms with a handheld option.
I wonder if the Playstation Portal is a technology test-bed/prototype for a future Playstation handheld?
"The Wakefield-based (the UK) indie games publisher/developer Team 17 and the Poland-based indie games developer Woodland Games, today announced that their first-person medical-horror game “Autopsy Simulator”, is now coming to PC (via Steam) on June 6th instead of May 9th, 2024." - Jonas Ek, TGG.
"The Bellevue-based (Washington, the US) indie games publisher tinyBuild and Medellin-based (Colombia) indie games developer C2 Game Studio, today announced with great happiness and excitement that their fast-paced ARPG "Astor: Blade of the Monolith", is coming to PC (via Steam)a nd consoles (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch) on May 30th, 2024." - Jonas Ek, TGG.
I, for one, am very very pleased with the leap. This generation will last probably as long if not longer than the last one to be honest. I do hope development costs do not spike this time as well. GG and Evolution have said their costs haven't increased dramatically but we are yet to see what standards others will bring, possibly ridiculously increasing costs again.
I doubt this will cost them much of anything extra. Last gen we went from SD games to HD games, that was what made game creation cost more. Creating higher resolution textures, having more realistic physics, better AI.
All that's happening now is those same games we've been playing are no longer being held back as much by their hardware. Developers make their games as nice as they can to begin with, then scale them down to make them run smooth on PS3 and 360 hardware. With this next generation they just won't have to scale them back as much, if at all, and will have power to spare to enhance them further.
Before we went from sd to hd, this time we're going from hd to nicer hd. It's not as big of a jump so production cost isn't going to jump as much either. Jack Trenton already stated that PS4 games will range for $0.99-$60.00 so we don't really have to worry about it.
Overly ambitious developers trying to get the maximum out of the new hardware are the only ones at risk of greatly increasing their production cost. They don't all do this or strive to be the best and the ones that do usually sell the most games as a result of their hard work so they don't have much to worry about either.