PixlBit

Thanks!

Any games in particular?

I can't look at this the same way as I did with past generations. There's no huge paradigm shift here. The current gen consoles can't even handle 720p well, while the next gen consoles can do 1080p. That's a far cry from the shift from 2D sprites to 3D polygons, or even the jump from the PS1 to the PS2. In light of that, I think it's perfectly fair to expect more ambition outside of the visuals, whether in gameplay or story content.

In all three conferences, I kept waiting to be wowed in a big way by some of the games that they showed off. While I was impressed by the graphics in a lot of the games, even the ones I liked and want to play didn't leave as much of an impression on me as I was hoping for.

Damn it, Titus, I was JUST going to post a blog that said the same damn thing! D:

But yeah. As much as I can't stand it, the fact is that we are the last generation of gamers old enough to be attached to the physical games market. Kids now are growing up with stuff like iPhones and tablets. I don't see Angry Birds permanently replacing big AAA console experiences, but I sure as hell don't expect younger kids to be as attached to secondhand sales and game sharing as we are. And by the time the PS5 and such come out, they will be the main audience, not us.

I fully expect the next round of consoles to be all-digital. There will be so many gamers used to getting their content like that, that they won't see it as a big deal. Plus publishers would love nothing better to cut both retailers and eBay/Amazon Marketplace out of the equation. Microsoft's mistake was simply being too forceful about that direction too early.

This pretty much lines up with my list of highlights on the games front. I also thought Destiny looked cool, too.

I just hope to god they don't screw up Orchid's design, or I'll be fucking FURIOUS. Seeing what they did with Jago doesn't give me much hope. :(

They seriously went from making the Wipeout games...to this? I was never even that big on Wipeout, but damn. Every time I see something about this game I just shake my head.

Yes, I'm one of the cheap, entitled douches that dares to think that--le gasp!--the industry overestimates just how much their games are worth. Sue me. :p

The problem isn't that the games look bad. I'm sure they'll all be good. It's just that none of them really had that wow factor that the system needs to push units outside the Nintendo fanbase. Nor do most of them look to vidicate the Gamepad as a Wiimote-level distruption. Considering the sales morass the Wii U is stuck in, I expected better out of them than Super Mario Land 3D U and yet another DKC platformer.

Also, what was up with Iwata going on about resolution and shaders? Or how realistic Donkey Kong's fur looks? Whatever happened to "specs don't matter" or "unique experiences are better than graphics"? Because the last thing they should be doing is stoking a hardware debate that they can't possibly win, especially against a PS4 that's just $50 more than the Premium Wii U (for now). It was jarring to me.

The arrogance...it's Sony @ E3 2006 all over again. All that's missing is a Xone-exclusive giant enemy crab.

Frankly, I'm more likely to get a 360 for the exclusives I missed once it's cheaper than a Xone. At least with that I won't need Live to play single player games. I'll be sure to get it used so they don't see a dime out of it. -_-

Forget Bioshock? How do you know these aren't the Sony execs from another world? :p

Seriously, though. The level of self-awareness and understanding Sony showed during the conference was the polar opposite of the blind arrogance they brought into this generation.