Next generation to arrive in 2012

Ubisoft Montreal currently working with next-generation Xbox devkits; major Sony studio shifts focus to new PlayStation.

[Iamback]

Told you
ME the legend on N4G. I told you Sony won't wait for 2014. Damn I am good.

[Fishy Fingers]

Who?

[Max Power]

NASIM?

[Getowned]

A legend ? TF

[KaBaW]

Lmao, oh Nasim .. good times, hahah.

[360 man]

what ever happened to NASIM loooool :D

[NegativeCreepWA]

lol, That has got to be the most notorious name on N4G.

[starchild]

Oh I'm sure Nasim is still around....just under a different guise.

Anyway, Im ready for the next generation of consoles. Bring it on!

I hope we see a much bigger focus on graphical fidelity. And I don't mean just prettier graphics, I mean cleaner, more refined graphics.

They need to focus on getting rid of jaggies, screen tearing, slow down and other such things. Then, and only then, should they worry about pushing better graphics.

What would it matter if they achieve Avatar-level real-time graphics if it is marred by ugly screen tearing and jaggies? Would you be happy if your new Blu-ray copy of Avatar had jaggies all over everything and the screen tore in half all the time? Of course not. So why should we have to put up with so much of it in our games?

[TooTall19]

I remember nasim and Peter North.

[MikeGdaGod]

Nasim!!!! hilarious!!!!! thats ol school N4G

[Genghis]

for the love of god bring back the open zone

[RedDead]

Back in the day.... http://n4g.com/user/comment...

[RBdrift]

I wonder what happen to those goof balls
'WenisWagon"
http://n4g.com/user/comment...
and
"Bungie"
http://n4g.com/user/home/bu...
There comments always put a smile on my face.

[nanometric]

I still remember TheMart's and ZHUK's golden trolling days. I guess thats why they trolled, so idiots like me would type comments like this one :D

[sikbeta]

WOW! I'm here like for 2 years and all you people make me feel that I missed the best days :(

lol

[Siesser]

Mart - haven't heard that name in ages. And there was one other; don't remember his name, but he always had a Kobe Bryant avatar...

[JoySticksFTW]

Honestly, those were the best days

I actually come here for a little bit of news now.

Before, I used to come for the news, laughs, and drama.

Those amazing personalities seem to be gone now. At least, they're not commenting like they used to in articles.

But yes, I've said it before and I'll say it again... 2006 or 2007ish was my absolute favorite era on N4G.

The console war (and HD-DVD vs Blu-ray war) was unreal. Unfortunately, even "reputable" journalists got into it.

And The Open Zone (no-holds barred commenting madness at it's best) just had to be seen to be believed.

Fanboys back then took stuff to a whole other level. It's not popular to say, but I personally miss it.

I mean, who really cares about sales anymore? But back then, a new sales article meant new drama that couldn't be missed. Good times, indeed.

[Getowned]

open zone was soo funny.I want it back too! LOL

[xtreampro]

Although I joined in Jan 2008 I've been visiting this site since late 2006 and the Open Zone is what finally got me to join. The comments on there were just flippin hilarious.

I used to be a big time PS3 fanboy back then and I can remember being a big target for the die-hard 360 fanboys, and targeting the biggest 360 fanboys was always my aim.

I don't know why but I find it really hard to come up with an incredibly trollish but funny comment now, whereas back then it would be like second nature to post the most ridiculous nonsense lol.

Bring back the Open Zone!

[ash_divine]

lol, yeah a small part of me kinda misses the old days too. Anyone remember dark_sniper and his hilarious press-release like speeches? Or how about queefyB's reign of idiocy?

ahh, good times.

Edit: Open zone truly was hilarious. Regardless of which side was being trolled.

[THE TRUTH]

Yeah that was the good ole days of News4gamers, I miss those verbal battles.

[JBaby343]

I remember all the guys from back in the days. Dark Sniper, Zhuk, The Mart, POG, Jason360, Icewake, Meus Resistance, First Knight, Black Zhuk, Sak500, Hydrolex, Silogon, and others.

Those days were so freaking hilarious. It's funny how everyone above misses them and looks back nostalgically, as do I, while at the time everyone complained that all this place was was a bunch of fanboys arguing and when will it get real news stories to just have civilized conversations about. I do miss the open zone and the classic fighting that took place back then.

Next gen might bring out more memorable battles.

[HarryEtTubMan]

Remember me?? ;)

[creeping judas]

Best thread hijack ever!!

[JBaby343]

^^I remember both of you actually.

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

I never thought any of them would wait till 2014, but the next xbox and PS4 could come out in 2012 or even wait till 2013 I think, but no way will any of them wait till 2014.

I know the wiiU will arrive next year, but Im not sure about the xbox and Playstation. I wuoldnt be surprised if they came out at the end of next year or in 2013 either.

I would be very surprised if anyone waited till 2014 tho, that would be suicide with the start of next gen in 2012 with the PSV and WiiU.

[MaxXAttaxX]

Aren't new consoles usually announced a year before they're released?
My guess is late 2013. If.

[jony_dols]

Well supposedly Microsoft are gearing up for the next-gen Xbox announcement at CES 2012, which is less than 2 months away.

So that would give them nearly 11 months to prepare for a Xmas 2012 release.

And lets not forget that Sony only announced the PS Vita on February the 22nd & it is launching in Japan on Dec 17th.

[Ju]

I have no doubt that MS will release soon. I am surprised that Sony is jumping on that hype. I think Sony can't beat these guys in time to market. We'll see. We have some nice technology available today. But I really want a quantum leap forward not just a minor improvement. I'd rather wait a little. I am not going for the first available machine. Even though...I start peaking at the WiiU - but I still keep my PS3. I think Nintendo might have accelerated the race again.

[kudakadere]

They could have waited til then but next-gen was Nintendo's call , and Sony know more than anyone what releasing your console late will do . However Microsoft know that being early isn't always the best choice , who knows they may give Nintendo a year before they make their next-gen call .

[ZippyZapper]

Late or early, pick one.

[frostypants]

Might I also add to the chorus of...
TOOOOOOOOOOLLLDDDD YYYYOOOUUUU SSSSOOOOOOO...

Been saying late 2012/early 2013 for ages now.

[JaredH]

All I want is less jagged lines...

[ZombieAssassin]

higher frame-rates would be nice too

[andibandit]

less jaggies dosn't cut it, i want to play the next battlefield with more than 24 players.

[youndamie]

lol i actually remember you congrats

[sher00win99]

i've never change my acount since december 2008, please give me bubbles since i have only one left :(

[ATi_Elite]

I've said Xbox720 in 2012 long time ago.

PS4 in 2014

anyway only thing im interested in is Windows 8 in 2012 which would allow 360 games on the PC.

Red Dead Redemption in 1080p here i come.

[Genghis]

i miss dark arkon

[MaideninBlack]

Obviously. Wii-U is out in 2012.

[SonyNGP]

Eeyup.

[Drekken]

Wii-U is only catching up to this gen... we can't really call their machine "next-gen". Next-gen refers to a jump in specs/quality of image and features. Sure Wii-U is a step up from the Wii, but it isn't doing anything the current consoles don't already do as far as graphics.

[MaideninBlack]

Okay then why does everyone include the Wii with the PS3 and 360 when it comes to hardware sales this gen?

[Fishy Fingers]

A generation is basically a measure of time, a group of individuals belonging to a specific category at the same time.

It's not some silly measure of power or graphics.

[2EHO]

So sad the majority of gamers think like this. 1st thing is Wii U earliest dev kits were able to produce better quality graphics then anything PS/360 could. Just watch zelda HD demo or the japanese garden uncut demo. 2nd thing is graphics won't make the jump it did from PS2 to PS3 the upcoming gen. All the next gen console will have comparable power but like all other gens there will be a pure winner... Hopefully we are able to get good enjoyable games for all platforms. PS4 Nextbox, and Wii U FTW!!!!! Let's stop the hate and fanyboy stuff gamers unite.

[kaveti6616]

Nintendo was showing off a concept of their next console.

Even at that point, the specs weren't finalized.

It was a smoke and mirror show. They probably pretended to show off their console so that they could lure Microsoft and Sony out of hiding. Once they discover the specs of their competitors, Nintendo will probably alter the specs of their console to keep up.

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

sorry but wrong. Generation isnt about power, but even if it was it is suspected that the wiiU will be more powerful than the 360/Ps3 anyways, and taht still fits your incorrect definition of a new generation.

[dark-hollow]

And the wii u specs are.....????

People seriously shut your holes till we know it hardware capabilities.

[SignifiedSix]

Actually, the Wii-U specs are pretty good if they are true. That tech demo of zelda alone looked better than any game on any console this generation.
Here's the wiki about the hardware and it looks pretty promising so far.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

[nycredude]

Signified

Reading your wiki link it sounds like it's talking about the ps3. Storage and everything is the same. The only difference is the chips and gpu. so they are just catching up but at the same time adding new chips available. I guarantee if the next xbox and PS console comes out 2013 or later that it will beat the WiiU in specs.

[frostypants]

The Wii is a current gen console...it's just based on last-gen technology.

[yabhero]

I'm wondering how you know this since no offical specs have been released and rumored ( likely ) specs are 2-4 times better. Is this because some idiot said WiiU is 50 better than PS3 and no one read the part about that being the rumored specs about the underclocked unfinshed dev kits?

[zero_gamer]

It's still 8th generation. "Next gen" refers to the next console cycle the system will belong to, not how powerful it is. Neither you or I know the specs of the Wii U or any other next gen console.

[BitbyDeath]

I think the Wii is not being considered as nextgen because it's in a different market to the 360 & PS3.

Maybe the Wii-U will change that.

[ZippyZapper]

Next gen means next console generation, wich the Wii U is.

[N4g_null]

I'm just wonder how do you guys get the power7 is weaker or at the same level as the cell? The cell did not beat human players and the true power 7 is still a beast of a server/workstation. Edram is way faster than DDR ram and it laughs at Rambus crap. Read no bottle neck. Then the gpu is like 3 gens beyond the ps3 and Xbox but some how it's barely better lol.

Then two possible online services? A controller built for 3d gaming, motion control and touch. I'm not sure ms and Sony can do better than that. Your expectations are a little to high for even current pc tech.

[Optical_Matrix]

Well yeah, Wii-U been confirmed for 2012 release date since June of this year.

So what if they're talking about Sony and MS next console? That doesn't change the fact they're saying next-gen is coming in 2012. And I'm saying, No shit. Because Nintendo's next console is coming out in 2012.

[Fishy Fingers]

Which would be relevant if they weren't talking about the next gen of PS/xbox.... But they are.

Edit: So what? LOL stop digging because you couldnt be bothered to read.

[Shackdaddy836]

I think he's saying this because the poster included "wiiu" in the tag implying that the article is also talking about the wiiu. Somebody should have made the poster get rid of that tag before approving the story...

[Noticeably_FAT]

Xbox 720 and Wii U will be released in 2012, PS4 in 2013. Only one company switching it's focus for Sony is a solid indication that they will be a year late to the party just like this current generation.

Not saying it's a bad thing, but it's been obvious to me for a while that Microsoft and Nintendo were switching their focus, most people assumed Microsoft switched focus to Kinect, when in actuality they were focused on the next Xbox. I'm sure it will work with Kinect as well, but I think we are going to see some nice things on the 720 from Epic, Crytek and Microsoft themselves.

[5119ent]

Sony and ms will release in the same year...2012 xbox with GTA would be a disaster ..but it would explain the lack of games for xbox

[Noticeably_FAT]

No way does Sony release a new console next year. They have too many games currently coming out and slated to come out next year. They are launching a handheld next year and I doubt they will want to lose a bunch of money on both that and a new console in the same fiscal year.

I think Holiday 2013 is more likely for them, Sony wanted this generation to drag on for as long as possible, they probably held out hopes of catching up to Microsoft and Nintendo.

I think the whole 3D thing and Move was a bit of a stopgap for them, much like Kinect was for Microsoft.

Worked well for a bit, but it's obvious that people want new consoles. I know some people might not want that right now, but you'll have time to save. Also, games will still be available for current consoles for years to come, so people can take their time.

I'm a tech kind of guy, so I love new consoles. I want a Wii U, 720 and PS4. I always get excited at any info when it comes to consoles.

[Getowned]

Sony could always put those games on the PS4 as well as PS3,but I do agree that it is more likely 2013.All I know is 720 and PS4 day1! unless they both come out so close to each other,then I might have to wait a bit before I buy the next one if they come out in the same month im buying the console with better launch games first :P

[Frankfurt]

Sony has the Vita to worry about next year.

The chances of them releasing TWO massive new pieces of hardware in 2012 is zero. Add the fact they're bleeding money in every single division and had their worst year in 2011, and... yeah, no way PS4 is coming in 2012.

2013 at the earliest.

[torchic]

i just don't believe that we'll see a new Xbox next year. it'll be like "hey everybody, here's the new Xbox! but we have our best game on the older console! enjoy!" i dunno man. don't see it.

so many AAA games releasing in holiday 2012 for 360. Halo 4, then there's GTA V, then there's BioShock: Infinite. Ubisoft listed Rainbow Six: Patriots for 360, PS3 and PC all for 2013. i think Crytek listed Homefront 2 for the same platforms and again, a 2013 release. Dead Space 3 is apparently in development and you'd think that it would be a 2013 release on current consoles. Avalanche is working on Just Cause 3 for 2013. i'm sorry. don't see it.

[rob6021]

I think 3rd parties will continue to develop on current platforms because they have little incentive to push a new console - It's easiest and most cost effective for them to just make a scaled up version for new consoles, but continue to release on PS3/360. The exclusive games are what will push the new consoles. The 2012 prediction is largely speculation because we know how big of a deal it is it start first and get a good 10million ahead before your competitors launch. In a sense it doesn't make sense for Sony/MS to let Nintendo get a free year on them. And both Sony/MS do not want to let each other get a head start - so I see both of them rushing the market.

[damnyouretall]

backwards compatibility man. maybe a upgrade playing on the new xbox like a 1080p res. i could see that with halo 4

[Rage_S90]

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

[Hicken]

Except for when there's only smoke.

[DigitalRaptor]

New consoles will be announced next year, but I'm not convinced they'll be released. Maybe the new Xbox will be released for holiday 2012. What is clear, is that Sony cannot afford Microsoft to get any foothold as large as they did this gen. So PS4 = early 2013 (once Vita has had time to breathe). Just my prediction...

[KiLLUMiNATi_89]

Man I cant wait til next gen already, some might say that it's not needed but come on let's be REAL now folks it's definitely needed. Needs to come ASAP.....

[GraveLord]

Here's my thoughts.

Nintendo
-Wii U in holiday 2012 since they have to focus on selling the 3DS and prove dedicated handhelds aren't dead.

Sony
-PS4 in holiday 2013 because they are launching Vita early 2012. 2 console launches in 1 year is too much.

Microsoft
-New Xbox holiday 2012 or early 2013. They will have the advantage over Sony and Nintendo since they will only have to launch and let people know about 1 new platform.

[SignifiedSix]

Let this happen! I want Dice to make BF3 (or another bad company if they do) for the next gen consoles so we can experience it in its full glory! :D

[ME1989]

**** YES.

My Panasonic plasma HDTV+Onkyo home theater are ready.

[Venjense]

A quality TV and excellent sound do so much to make a game immersive, especially a good sound system.

[jizzyjones]

Wii U to launch summer 2012 alongside GTA V on PC/360/PS3 is my guesstimate, only reason I cant see Xbox3 in 2012 is because of Halo4. 2013 has always been the most realistic date for next-gen consoles.

[solidt12]

Has it ever crossed your mind that Halo 4 is a Xbox 3 / 720 game. Or it could launch on both systems. That would be a great way to sale the new system and still keep the current gen happy.

[damnyouretall]

yeah but millions own a 360 and will buy halo. and im thinking limited availibility with the next gen console. weret too many 360's floatin around when it launched. that tactic really helped the 360 hype. i had mine day one and everyone i knew were pissed they couldnt get one. so this time around the folks will atleast have halo 4. kinda my prediction

[nitrogav]

It won't be 2012 , have you seen the HD prices lately ? . Can see that as a major problem for Nintendo . Maybe WiiU getting delayed into 2013 .

[SephirothX21]

GTA VI, Uncharted 4, Gears of War 4, God of War V, Resident Evil 7, Bioshock 4, CoD MW4, Battlefield 4, Final Fantasy XV, Metal Gear Solid 5, Killzone 4, Mass Effect 4, Assassin's Creed 3, Crysis 3, Far Cry 4, Fallout 4, Elder Scrolls VI, Resistance 4, Next Zelda, Unreal Tournament 4, Dragon Age 4, Halo 5, Infamous 4, Doom 5, MAG II and finally, The Getaway 3. All next gen! God of War IV will come out this gen as will Infamous 3. Bethesda began work on their next game over a year ago according to an interview with Todd Howard. They were thinking of going next gen with Skyrim but they decided not to which means they're nearly definitely going next gen with their next game and I believe that is Fallout 4 or maybe a new IP. Gears 4 with Unreal 4! Its as simple as that. I think MGS5 will release on PS4 as a timed exclusive but will come to the next Xbox. For financial reasons obviously.

[rob6021]

Pretty sure MS will announce their console in early 2012, what else do they have to get gamers excited for? Halo 4 will be on both 360/720. The witcher 2 keeps getting delayed - for sure it's a 720 launch title.

Sony's first party games have dried up on PS3 (the last 3 years have been a steady onslaught of exclusives), I'm sure ALL of Sony's studios are working on PS4(a few on vita) by now. Only 2nd/3rd parties are left. (Sly, Twisted Metal, Star Hawk, Dust514) FFXIV is transitioning to their new luminous engine - we now know why - it's going to PS4. Sony will at least want to market Twisted Metal before they announce their big console so I predict they'll announce PS4 at a special Playstation meeting when the timing is right. You have to wonder if those Long Live Play ads were originally planned to be for PS4, judging by the production values. Maybe those will be the type they use on PS4.

It will explain the Last Guardian being missing from E3/TGS, Agent Missing, they're on PS4 now. If I had to guess GTA5 will be on next-gen too, not sure if exclusive or not - probably will be cross compatible between gens.

Sony may actually be ahead of MS at this point for all we know I don't think there's any evidence to suggest 'MS is ahead.'

[torchic]

dude. how have Sony exclusives dried up? and think about it. why would ANY dev announce a new game for a console that isn't even confirmed?

Square Enix confirmed a Final Fantasy XIV beta for late 2012, then an early 2013 release date. the only current gen game that will be using Luminous is Versus XIII, and that's only for the lighting in the game.

Last Guardian is coming next year for PS3. don't know why you'd even think otherwise.

[rob6021]

Sony's first parties have no PS3 projects announced outside of the Last Guardian, that says a lot about their exclusives drying up, if you compare to last year and the last 3 years. Last Guardian has no release date, which is hardly a confirmation it's coming next year. The other exclusives are being made by 3rd parties. Normally at this time of year we'd know of at-least 10 big PS3 projects in the works. I guess I did forget that JRPG being published by namco made by level 5, but that still really only makes 5. For agent, the game being pushed to PS4 would explain why Tretton avoided the question by GTTV if Agent was still exclusive to PS3. PS3 exclusives are not gone, it's just obvious some are being hidden from us, and if they were for another console that would make sense as to why.

Ok I mistaked the engine change in FFXIV for the luminous engine there were several people speculating that's what it was at the time. That game may still release for PS3.

GTA V hasn't announced it's platfrom, so we don't know.

[torchic]

wow some people's predictions......

[Venjense]

I really hope so!!!

Still not buying any launch MS console though. So if it releases next year I'll pick one up 2014 after a redesign.

My 360 not only RROd and had broken DVD drive it also lacked HDMI and wifi which was really annoying, particularly the lack of HDMI.

I'm not being a test subject anymore.

[Ocean]

I wonder of this global recession will delay the next gen slightly

[smashcrashbash]

Next gen won't be the same as this gen, so anything could happen. So all the can't, won't, will, might not, isn't going to are pointless and irrelevant. The PS4 might be the most powerful system compared to the other systems or it might be equal or not as powerful as them. Not sure what is the point of speculation unless you have inside info on the new systems. How does everyone know the next systems won't be a huge leap from the others? The VITA is a huge leap from the PSP isn't it? So stop all the wild guesses.

[BitbyDeath]

If true then it looks like Nintendo would have blown their load too early.

[GTRrocker]

If I can play my PS3 and PS2 games on it, I'll buy it day 1. If not then I will wait. I seriously do not want three consoles sitting next to my TV.

[hot111]

"PS4 in holiday 2013 because they are launching Vita early 2012. 2 console launches in 1 year is too much."

Not really,Vita is launching this year.I don't think that Sony cares much about handhelds.

[LoneWanderer09]

Like always i will just chill back and wait for everything to settle down and buy my self the next gen console.
I purchase
PS2 - 2005
PS3 - 2010

and the Ps4 is going to wait for a while as well, i don't easy get bored of my console i still got alot games i need to purchase and play.

Maybe if i have the money when the PS4 is release i will purchase, but am not like the people who rush to have the newest things.

[bobrea]

I got the PS3 the day it launched and while it was great, I was 17 or 18 at the time and still young with really nothing at all to pay for. At just about 23, I have a lot more real-life things I need to worry about. And I have a really nice PC, so I'm sure I'll be alright waiting for the price to drop before I pick one up.

[bobrea]

This article is still speculation.

[Rhezin]

bobrea speaks truth and wisdom.

I'm sticking with PS3 for awhile. And am happy with the graphics of games right now.

[OcularVision]

It's not all about the graphics. The RAM in current-gen consoles is bottle-necking development. Most games aren't even 1080p. I just want a console that could run BF3 like the PC.

[Jason143]

this is where it gets scary imo. Devs are saying we wont notice a change in graphics but instead processing power. So in essence were not making a giant leap. I love gaming but this is getting retarded with constant re-releases of units and multiple versions of said console. I cant help but feel like they are cashing in. its like the assasins creed deal. how many games must we play with ezio before they give us part 3? I can honestly say if the next generation of consoles are just faster in terms of power and arent a giant leap i will happily upgrade my pc and wait for something better. I forget the devs who said this but it was all over the net and Im sure someone here can point that out.

[solidt12]

You can upgrade your PC all you want but you will not be playing Xbox and Playstation exclusives on it anytime soon.. That's why I will be buying both day one.

[Jason143]

Never said anything about exclusives. I will be playing true next gen titles on my upgraded pc if these consoles do come out as stated. Xbox only had 1 note worthy exclusive for me being gears 3 the past 2 yrs

[ZeV]

Forget about it...PS-Reality and XBOX LOOP won't appear before 2013 for sure...

Even if devs work on PS-R or LOOP devkits,a good game takes 3 years to develop...I told you ! LOOP and PS-R aren't planned for 2012...And for the Wii U,it's not really clear because some devs whine about the bad specs of this one.Nintendo could do some modifications on his future hardware cause actually it sucks a lot ! A 2012 launch for the Wii U is clearly compromised...You can trust me !

[Big_Dom]

I highly doubt that new MS and Sony consoles will be seen next year. It'll be 2013 at the earliest. There hasn't even been a single target render or specs shown to suggest otherwise.

[SuperbVillain]

Hope they can make consoles keep up with PC....doubt it though

[Ck1x]

Well we know for sure the Wii U is coming in 2012, but if people think
That a rushed Xbox720 is gonna stand toe to toe with the Wii U then
people are really grandstanding sensationalism here! When the xbox360 launched
it didn't have any nextgen competition for a whole year. So the launch line up was lacking
and littered with very buggy, graphically enhanced ports... If the rumors prove to be true, the Wii U Launch could be one of the strongest supported home console launches in history with quality software... (But that's a wait and see E3 moment most likely for the launch line up) People are naive to think that Nintendo can't support 2 new systems within a year of each other. They did it with the Ds and Wii which were both very very successful by the way, I'm really waiting for either Microsoft or Sony to unveil the initial specs of their systems and let slip that the primary controller has a large touch screen as well... :)

[IHateYouFanboys]

ever since about the second year of the 360 ive maintained end of 2012 at the latest for the next generation, and thats going to be true with the wii-U coming out and then most likely the 360s successor.

I think a new Xbox with full backwards compatibility with 360 games, that upscales them to 1080p with at least 4xMSAA would be excellent and would go well with the stellar 2012 lineup that has been announced. imagine that, buying a game and having it playable on 2 different consoles, the 360 and the new xbox, but with better graphics on the new console. thats a PR goldmine right there.

[Megaton]

lol @ using Samaritan as the story picture. It cost $1,500 in GPUs alone to run that game at that quality. Unless you want $2,000 consoles, I'd dial back your expectations a bit. In several years you could achieve those graphics at a reasonable price, but not in 2012.

[Ck1x]

Well I hate to inform u but upscaling doesn't work that way! There's no way to say put a Wii game in the Wii u and expect it to look like an xbox360 or PS3 game. Let alone think that a game developed for the 360 will look like anything currently on the PC or Xbox720 or whatever... The resolutions, compression techniques and stuff like that can be played with but would be considered post effects and normally cause image quality issues in the end. There's just no substitute for true 1080p games natively made in that resolution. They can't just add polygons, higher texture reslolutions, larger memory bandwidths or greater AI just because they put a game into a new system...

[TyrannoTaurus]

Doubtful. They don't have to yet and with this economy it's not in their best interest. Wii U is NOT serious competition. It will be just a little bit better than what we currently have. 2013 will be the year. It's not like Nintendo is going to blow Sony and Microsoft out of the water with a one year head start and horrible online service.

[4lc4pon3]

what planet are you from. Consoles have easily reached the max and new consoles are very much needed. The economy yes has some issues but for users like myself who have great jobs I am ready for new consoles.

I am tired of the same ol GFX with no real improvements or the same old game play. Its time for New Gen

[BitbyDeath]

The economy will always be an issue. The only way out now is for someone with the guts to step forward and make some real world changes, nobody will though as it will upset people and there will be casualties to get there. More likely we will get an apocalypse before any of that happens to actually straighten the world out.. but anyways as i was saying, if the leap is not made until the economy is better then we will likely never get new consoles.

[ZILLA]

BAD IDEA!!to release a new console in this economy.anything over 300-400 dollars is not gonna do well at all.

[esemce]

HALO 4 LAUNCH TITLE FOR THE NEXTBOX Q4 2012 YOU WILL SEE!

[devilhunterx]

Oh great, 6 more years of screaming "THIS IS NEXT-GEN" starts from 2012

[n4gisatroll]

I think at this point, Sony doesnt care about what gen it will be. They seem to be on their own schedule and if they work out with the industry, fine. It's just different because at one point, all consoles came out within 9 months of each other.

[Brettman2008]

2012 for the Xbox 360 just doesn't seem right. Why bring out the new console when much of the limelight late 2012 will be with the Xbox 360 exclusive Halo 4? And what would be the launch software. There will likely be no Halo, and also no Gears of War, Forza or Battlefield as they arn't due out till 2013 or later.

[Kyosukedanteyui]

Their is a ton of games I still want to play on PS3. Not to mention a lot of good ones coming out next year. So even if it does come out that early im not getting it. I'm happy with the PS3's current games.

[NeloAnjelo]

Actually I'd like a new Sony Console in 2014/15. No Earlier. I believe the system has yet to reach its full potential. Also, to think that we only got One MGS, One GOW and no JAK Titles? I guess I'm living in the past.

Whenever the new PS is released I hope that the mistakes are not repeated. Developemnt, lack of knowledge on the tech, Price, marketing, etc.

However for the 360 we'll definitely see something in 2012/2013. Its been out longer and had a good head start. It only makes sense for Microsoft to capitalise on this. I'm excited to see what they have coming. Hopefully more hardcore titles and less motion stuff.

And think about it. Do we really need new consoles? Look at all the top quality titles being released in the space of a few months. Last gen we got about 10-15 titles that we'd clamour for in a year. Now we're getting these across all platforms in the space of 6 months (that is not counting exclusives)

I'd rather quality games than new consoles.

[Gam3rSinceBiRTH]

I am sooooooooo ready.

[The_Con-Sept]

I am still placing my bet on 2014.

[esemce]

Anyone not wanting the next gen console till 2014/15 needs to get a damn job, the GPU's in the 360/PS3 are 6 year old and were out dated as soon as they released and 500Mb of RAM was never good enough.

Visually you will not see much better than GOW3/KZ3/Uncharted2, Gears3/Metro2033/Forza4.

If there were more power in these consoles then these games would have ran at 60fps or 1080p or both.

[Ck1x]

Well this next generation is really gonna be a defining moment
because 3 consoles will be able to run the same games just with
particular elements geared for the target system... So it really will come
down to the exclusives for certain this time around!

[hellvaguy]

Exclusives are a factor yes. However, with so many cross platform games, besides the exclusives, it seems much less significant than in years past. I think the bigger factors will be hardware price, specs, & reliability.

[matey]

If sony bought out ps4 in 2012 or xbox720 they will be rushed releases with rushed upgraded ports the WiiU will have a decent lineup with rumours of the best the industry has seen im backing WiiU ive read the spec sheet on TOMSGUIDE.COM well AMD/IBM talking up there chips not ghz/mhz specs but what they say speaks volumes the GPU is going to be based off the 6000/7000 series going off AMD's little spread it sounds impressive think a

Custom Power7 cpu with 6 cores at 3.6ghz with 32mb EDRAM.

Custom HD Radeon GPU using most current state of the art graphics technology.

[hellvaguy]

@Matey

I had to re-read your long run on sentence like 3 times before I fully understood what you said. Don't ever do that to me again, ever! : (

[Droid Control]

I trust EDGE.
If they say next gen is coming next year I believe them.
And it makes perfect sense.
Why would M$ allow Ninty a years head start?
Why would Sony allow Ninty 2 years head start and M$ 1?

Answer= They wouldn't.

Its simply good business sense.
Allowing the 360 a 1 year head start hurt Sony. They are only beginning to catch up now. I remember Sony saying they would never make the same mistake again.

Equally, M$ did well out of launching first this gen, they must be keen to repeat that success.

[Yomiro]

With graphics quality close to ps3 on the ps vita, I wouldn't be surprise if we see a new ps3 sooner that we have thought.

[ramtah]

Nope 2012 is the year of doomesday!

[Tyre]

If they include prototype GPU hardware (unified shaders) at launch ahead of the curve like they did with the Xbox 360 in 2005 (it took PCs GPUs at least 1.5 years to get unified shaders integrated in abundance). I hope this will be the case for the new Xbox ^ - ^.

[bozebo]

This is quite possible. But I think it is slightly too early.

Perhaps nVidia and/or ATI have some secret technology that they havn't released and are working on perfecting it for consoles before releasing specifications/chips to board partners for the standard platform (PCs/workstations/servers). I know that ATI have 28nm in the pipeline but unless it is VASTLY (40 - 50%) better than current chips then it will be too early to include related tech in consoles. That, or they don't forsee any big step-ups in performance for some time (probably this).

I will be mostly interested in pricing. The next generation should be the cheapest launch generation in recent years. Expcet sub-£300 prices. Otherwise you could just build a more powerfull PC for £600, then the only reason for consoles is exclusives and not price-performance-purpose ratio. (PCs these days are not just desk machines, I have set mine up to provide sofa+controller gaming)

Sadly though, if all 3 are pushing for next-year launches. There could be huge differences in performance and price which will severely hurt at least one of the camps (then they will try to use marketing and consumerism to make up for a failure in technology). I think there is a small possibility that AMD (ATI brand is being retracted I believe) could have something amazing on the way... If they are keeping Sony out of it we could see big differences in performance unless Sony and/or nVidia have good plans in the works. The thing about tech is that it is possible for one company to make a gargantuan leap and annihilate all competition at once - technologically. Think about the difference between Intel and AMD cpus right now. Will it happen? Who knows...

The first company to successfully pull off quamtum computing in a practical environment will instantly destroy all competitiors (unless they make a similar breakthrough). We probably won't see that for 30-40 years, if ever.

[Wikkid666]

So because there are dev kits in the pipeline that means next gen starts next year??

The average game takes 1 to years of development time... so do the math.

[Steelz4ever]

It's simple really the Xbox 360/Xbox 720 will be cross compatible ..meaning they will launch Halo4 an ect..on both consoles..just like what we seen with Battlefield 3.

[Shok]

Another author saying that the Wii U is only slightly more powerful than the PS3/360. The bullshit continues to be spouted. How misinformed could you be?

[Shok]

Care to explain the disagrees? Lol. More people trying to state baseless comments.

The Wii U WON'T be slightly more powerful, it will be a full-fledged next-gen system. This is coming from the 3rd party developers THEMSELVES. EA, Ubisoft, Crytek, and others.

Just face the facts.

[turgore]

No way. Maybe announced next year. Released 2013.