A reader suggests not being too negative over the next gen consoles and argues that everything so far is in-line with previous generations.
So here we are again, a couple of new consoles on the horizon and the inevitable bunch of grown adults squabbling over whose box of plastic and tech is shinier than the others. I am sure I am not the only one that has been logging onto GC over recent weeks and is absolutely sick to the teeth of the negativity regarding the console reveals. It honestly feels like Groundhog Day, but once every five or so years. It does not seem to matter how many times the guys at GC remind people, we still seem to get the same arguments repeated time and again.
There has not been a huge graphical jump in consoles since the PlayStation 1 to PlayStation 2. There is only so much you can do with graphics and they’re becoming close to photorealistic, therefore the tinkering needs to be done on performance. Also, you will not see the better-looking games that the hardware allows until two to three years in the console’s life, this has never changed and likely never will as the developers need time to get the best out of the development kits.
This brings us nicely to the next point, regarding the launch line-up. Some seem to think that if the console does not launch with a so-called killer app then it is doomed to fail. This is utter nonsense, neither the Xbox 360 nor the PlayStation 3 had particularly great launch line-ups and both went on to sell over 80 million units. Then we have the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Xbox had arguably the better launch line-up, with the highly anticipated Titanfall, yet has been out-sold by the PlayStation 4 by 2:1 this generation. [Titanfall actually launched four months after the Xbox One – GC]
To suggest (as some have) that the next generation is some kind of unmitigated disaster is laughable and makes you wonder if this is really their opinion or their viewpoint is being clouded by brand loyalty.
Neither launch line-up is looking particularly fantastic. Yes, the Xbox has Halo Infinite, but that hasn’t hit the heights of Halo 3 since Bungie’s departure and has been on a downward spiral for years. I have enough games in my backlog to keep me happy for at least another year and will, as always, be a late adopter of the next gen. The kind of people rushing out to buy it on day one are likely the same type that rush out to get their hands on the new iPhone.
So, to conclude, this console launch is not much different than the others. It is in no way any kind of disaster; it is also no five-star show. I fully expect it will go like most and we will start to see the machines putting out some incredible games in the second to third years. So, chill out, relax and enjoy the show.
By reader Insomniac Gamer
The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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