Forbes about Xbox720, PS4 and Nintendo 'Us' Options

[Xbox-Scene]

Forbes about Xbox720, PS4 and Nintendo 'Us' Posted by XanTium | July 30 00:49 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From forbes.com: [QUOTE] Game machines typically are on the shelves for five or six years before a console manufacturer rolls out the next one. With the expense and success of this crop of systems--which have been out two to three years--it could be closer to eight years before we see the PlayStation 4, Xbox 720 and Nintendo "Us"--or whatever they end up being called. Both hardware and software manufacturers are already gearing up. Work on Epic's "Unreal Engine 4," a graphics engine for next-gen games, has been under way for almost two years now under the guidance of founder Tim Sweeney. "It's not like there's anything to show today," notes Epic Vice President Mark Rein. On the hardware side, the battle seems to be focusing on graphics. Nvidia, which powers the PlayStation 3 and fueled the original Xbox, is showing its plans for the next generation to the console makers in an attempt to woo them. Intel, meanwhile, is pushing its Larrabee graphics processing unit, which it believes will unseat Nvidia from its leadership position. Nvidia has the advantage of a proven history, but developers are curious about Larrabee--and eager to see if it can live up to Intel's boasts. Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices, which bought graphics company ATI, is actively talking up its next-gen products with all three console makers as well. [/QUOTE] Full Story: forbes.com

[Martinchris23]

This generation of consoles from MS, Sony and Nintendo have broken the mould of life-cycles, purely respective of the success of each. I think the next offering from each manufacturer will be released in their own timeline, rather than as competition.

The Wii is selling so well, I don't see it being superceded any time soon. You can argue 'til you're blue in the face about the (lack of) quality of games for it and I would agree wholeheartedly with you. Where the Wii wins out is introducing games for the non-gamer and no other console has gone as far as they have to achieve this.

Microsoft are already making a profit from the 360, although they will want rid as soon as possible to try and leave the hardware issues behind. Software always drives hardware and this is definitely the case here. Keep the same software development engine and apply it to better, more reliable hardware and they could just make a console killer the next time around.

Sony, although doing much better now, are going to find it the hardest to justify a successor to the PS3 any time soon. On one side they will be looking to reap the cost of the PS3 which is taking much longer than they anticipated, mainly due to longer game development times and lack of quality titles. There's no doubt that Blu-Ray has made it more of a success and I'm sure they'll continue that in the next incarnation of console. On the other hand, they may just bite the bullet and decide (like MS and Xbox) that it's not a profit-making console and to cut their losses. The PS2 is still going strong partly due to the cost but mainly because of the software library: the PS3 has neither in its arsenal.

With this in mind, I can see MS releasing the next-gen in 2010, with PS3 possibly a year later, depending on the strategy of Sony and whether they want to invest or cut and run. The next Nintendo offering won't be at least until 2012/2013, mainly because it's growing a money tree in Nintendo's back garden.

My tuppence 'orth...

[sirreco]

What drives the release of a next generation of consoles is the competition between the companies, if Sony would not release a PS4 any time soon, MS will not rush any new XBOX console. Only now the 360 is starting to make a profit, will kill it soon, and start the investiment cycle all over again? And if MS has no new XBOX, so has absolutely no reason for a new PS, if the current one still expensive to build, what they gonna do with a new one? Make it even more expensive or downgrade calling is a PS2.5?

My bets are that Sony, MS and Nintendo will milk the current generation for a while, until any new technology breakthrough justify a new generation. Otherwise will be a business mistake. How they plan to convince custumers that the current generation of their consoles are not good enough and what will be on the new gen to justfify the change.... I thonk think there is anything there, they will have to be very creative....

[Chancer]

The PS3 has been out 16 months in Europe. No way they are going to release a new console any time soon at all.
Games for the PS3 are plentiful and arriving more and more each month, with some big exclusives due out before Xmas.
The console will not turn a profit for at least another 12 months.

The 360 has a big enough games library to carry on for a good while yet, but MS seem to be running short on ideas to drive many more years of high console sales (the virtual copying of some of the competitors ideas recently), it seems to suddenly be trying to catch the younger/family gamer in big numbers without a definitive strategy to do this. The biggest call for it's next machine would be the poor hardware. It would give a chance to wipe the slate.

Nintendo, don't need to make any moves. They are excelling with console sales and still have shortages of a lot of the stuff in many areas.

[hamwbone]

hard to even think of... but i look forward to the anticipation and that first leaked screen shot

[Ranger72]

Sony clearly stated in its e3 press conference that they are sticking with their 10 year life cycle. So it will a quite a few years before we see anything from them about its next gen system.

[Martinchris23]

Sony clearly stated in its e3 press conference that they are sticking with their 10 year life cycle. So it will a quite a few years before we see anything from them about its next gen system.

Lifecycle and release schedule are different. They've had a 5 year release schedule - the 10 year lifecycle is probably to put an end date on the PS2 (2011), which is roughly when I think you'll see the next PlayStation.

[stillen]

I see info coming out about the Xbox 720 in 2011 and released in 2012.


No way way Sony can go 10 years eith its console with the release of the 720.

The next gen consoles will have a bigger jump in power than the previous console battle.

[gAm3 Fr3aQu3]

I see info coming out about the Xbox 720 in 2011 and released in 2012.
No way way Sony can go 10 years eith its console with the release of the 720.

The next gen consoles will have a bigger jump in power than the previous console battle.

Is that so...?
Look at the PS1 life-line... that console did very well when the PS2 and DC were already on the market. And the PS2, almost 10 years now since it launched (8yrs) and it's still making money. I don't see how the PS3 can't do the same.

[Mozbius]

I see info coming out about the Xbox 720 in 2011 and released in 2012.
No way way Sony can go 10 years eith its console with the release of the 720.

The next gen consoles will have a bigger jump in power than the previous console battle.

I don't know why but I ain't quite certain about it... I mean...

It personally took a while before I jumped from the Xbox to the 360 (XBMC is surely one of the reason why my Xbox proudly sits next to my 360 and PS3).

The level of performance between Xbox and 360 didnèt really show at first. And to this day I must say that some titles on Xbox are still hella pretty even compared to 360 titles... Also, we have reached the point where balance between gameplay and graphic has heavily leaned for the latter.

My feeling is that next gen gaming is not really going to be about graphic prowess but more about innovating formulas.

Is that so...?
Look at the PS1 life-line... that console did very well when the PS2 and DC were already on the market. And the PS2, almost 10 years now since it launched (8yrs) and it's still making money. I don't see how the PS3 can't do the same.

PS1 didn't have competition (N64) as stiff as PS3's (Wii & 360)... Unless original exclusives block busters keep on appearing on the platform, PS3 could well be the Sony console to have the shortest lifespan. Only the future will tell how good are our predictions.

[phistyle]

imo I think that nintendo, sony, and microsoft both researching and developing their next gen hardware....we'll probably hear a lot of news on the their next gen system around 2010 and 2011 and the first next-gen system will probably hit 2012 and it's usually a wait and see method to see what the competitors are doing...surely if microsoft release their console in 2012 then sony and nintendo would release their system within a year or 2 as well or maybe before them....people's perception are usually..."newer is better" ....even though something is selling well as the wii, they still are going to have to develop something new to stay competitive in the market....just like any other products like tv's, mp3 players, phones, etc....for example like ipods are selling really well but that's not gonna stop apple from creating something newer and better....just look at how many different generation of ipods there are already...

[Ninjaman]

Pleny of games at the moment....let me enjoy the games that are out now or soon to be released...don't care what may happen 3+ yrs from now.... ...until then lets enjoy what we have now.

[0794]

i do wonder how important each company will view getting the earliest release in relation to their perceived success in the next generation market...

[gAm3 Fr3aQu3]

Pleny of games at the moment....let me enjoy the games that are out now or soon to be released...don't care what may happen 3+ yrs from now.... ...until then lets enjoy what we have now.

Exactly how I feel. I'm in no rush for a new system to come out, especially after dropping $1000 for both the 360 and PS3 just last year.

[btotheg]

While there is little doubt in my mind that all 3 companies are currently working on their next consoles I really doubt that they have progressed much past the planning stages. I don't really expect to hear much if anything about a new generation of consoles until 2010 at the very earliest and don't really expect to see anything until 2011.