I've been reading a few articles on CNET this afternoon, one on the PS4's development and the other a review for the XBOX ONE. So far, the PS4 seems a lot more impressive to me. It might be solely because Sony seems to have learned from their development mistakes with the PS3 and made the PS4 a developer's dream.
From the article:
"PlayStation 3 is very powerful. It's a supercomputer on a chip, that's
the Cell processor. But, at the same time, to unlock that power you have
to spend a lot of time. People have now spent eight years learning the
depths of that architecture, how to make games look beautiful and make
these rich interactive worlds. You can see that in The Last of Us. It
did take a lot of effort. I wanted to be sure that the next time around
that it was just a lot easier for developers to make the games. It was
very important to me that they could be focused on their creative vision
and not learning the minutiae of the hardware."
Ease of development was a primary goal in the initial design discussions
for what would become the PS4. Work began in early 2008. That's a stark
contrast to the goal of the PS3, seemingly maximum performance at any
cost. In the pursuit of power, even developer support, crucial tools
that allow for the creation of great games, was left by the wayside.
Says Cerny: "With PS3 we didn't really start creating developer tools
until the hardware was done, and it turns out that was too late, and so
it was pretty tough making the launch titles."
The man talking in this quote is Mark Cerny. He's a legend in the gaming industry. He got his start in 1982 by working for Atari. He he was just 17 years old at that time. A year
later he would design Marble Madness, one of the most iconic games of
the early '80s. (Not to mention a long-time favorite of mine...) He's more recently had a long tenure working with (and
ultimately for) Sony, having a hand in powerhouse titles like Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, and Crash Bandicoot. So, if he says that Sony went out of their way to fix their mistakes, I believe he might be telling the truth.
One thing is certain, making a console difficult for developers can (and usually does) throw their manufacturers for a loop and knocks them out of first place. It did for Nintendo with the N64. It did for Sony with the PS3. It knocked Atari out of the race completely with the Jaguar. Considering how at least two of their competitors made that mistake, you'd think Sony would have known better. However, it's often difficult to avoid arrogant and egotistical behavior when you are wildly successful. All that being said, I need to see a lot more games (and a significant price drop) before I can invest in a PS4.
As for the XBOX ONE... Well, it looks like Microsoft is using it as a way to somehow convince people to buy technology that they don't want. Specifically, I'm referring to Kinect and Windows 8.
Kinect is no longer required to make the console work (due to the huge gamer backlash a few months ago) but, it's still required to get more than minimal functionality from the console. To me, it looks like Microsoft is just trying a different approach to forcing Kinect on people. No dice, Microsoft. Considering your prior history with helping the NSA to spy on me via PRISM, I am NOT going to let you put an internet-connected camera in my home.
I mention Windows 8 because the OS on this console is a LOT like the tile system used in Windows 8. I can't offer any real comment on Windows 8 since I have yet to use it but, I can understand people's frustrations. A Tablet-oriented OS doesn't help you much when you're NOT using a tablet or a PC with a touch screen. Also, there is no real reason that I know of to get rid of the traditional Windows Desktop with a taskbar, icons and a Start Menu.
So, what am I thinking about these consoles right now?
XBOX ONE:
I probably won't bother with the XBOX ONE at all. Microsoft has been pissing me off so much these last few years that I made the switch to Linux this past summer. I haven't looked back.
PS4:
Right now, the PS4 costs too much. I could afford to go out and buy a console for $400 and then another hundred or so on games and accessories but, why? The launch line-up, while pretty large for a new system's launch, is just not impressive. I can't think of a single title for the console that I want. No interesting games and a high price do NOT make a sale. I'll take another look in a year or two once the hype (and hopefully the price) go down.
Also, I do have a 'next-gen' console already in the form of the Wii U that I bought last year, not to mention a recently acquired PS3 that cost me a mere $60. (The guy who sold it to me wasn't very good with money and needed quick cash.) I've already gone out and bought every game I want for the PS3 and everything I want for Wii U that is currently available.
Combining those systems them with the dozens of other consoles/portables/computers that I own and the hundreds of titles I have on them, I think I can afford to wait a little while on these new consoles.
FINAL VERDICT:
It's still looking like I won't be
bothering with either of these consoles for some time. I don't care
about these non-nonsensical 'console wars' anymore. These two new
consoles are made from COTS technology and their internal components are
virtually identical. Let them slug it out for dominance over the other.
The PC will still be the reigning champ for the people who are obsessed with graphics. I could care less about that aspect of the game. They all look quite amazing nowadays. Nintendo will simply go it's own way with the Wii U and create it's own
market, just like it did for the Wii, DS & 3DS. That might ultimately be the best way to go for console manufacturers. Providing something unique and interesting to your audience will keep them coming back, not just increasing the horsepower every few years. That's why I just ignored the XBOX 360 (not to mention all of its many hardware failures) and why PS3 didn't come into my life until this past summer. I want a good time playing the game, not just to be wowed with the latest in technological innovation. New tools are USELESS if you don't properly utilize them.
Now, if only Nintendo would advertise the Wii U better... And more often...
- Lord Publius
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