Posts tagged Angry Birds
Baseless Speculation: An educated guess on the next iteration of game consoles
Apr 26th
Microsoft's Video Kinect feature allows Kinect owners to communicate on a much more personal level than voice or text chat previously allowed, but it's removed from the actual gaming experience
We’re well past the five-year mark on the current generation of game consoles, and with details of an imminent Wii successor starting to percolate, now is the time to consider what the next generation of hardware will entail.
Traditionally, competing game console manufacturers have fought clear-cut battles over hardware, software, and add-ons. But with this last generation, things changed: Nintendo rose to the front of the pack by tapping into latent audiences, and Microsoft and Sony have fought hard to win exclusive games and add-on content and to develop competing online infrastructures. The shape of the market has changed dramatically with games on new platforms like Zynga’s Facebook-based FarmVille and Rovio’s Angry Birds, arguably the single most-successful phone-based game ever made.
There’s no question that the next console war will be won by whoever is able to connect to and engage with the most people, but nobody seems to be discussing how that’s going to happen. And that’s what led to this article.
From my point of view, there are three major paradigm shifts that occurred during this most recent console generation:
- Alternative control methods (Wii Remote, Kinect, PlayStation Move, music game controllers, etc.)
- High-definition video
- Robust and integrated networks for interaction and content distribution
The biggest challenge facing the next generation of consoles isn’t how to up the ante on the audiovisual front, although that’ll be critical to Microsoft and Sony in particular. In fact, a good barometer for when we’ll see a PlayStation 4 is once it’s possible to build a system capable of pumping out 1080p graphics at 60 frames per second in 3D, with all the anti-aliasing, shaders and other visual mysticism we’re used to, for under $600. But Sony’s already touting the PlayStation 3 as a capable 3D gaming machine, and many current first- and third-party games support 3D televisions.
It’s also unlikely that the next round of consoles will introduce any groundbreaking new interfaces. Kinect and PlayStation Move are here to stay for the next generation, as is Nintendo’s suite of motion controllers. We’ll undoubtedly see some improvements, but I expect they’ll be evolutionary — think high-definition Kinect video chat, updated Move controllers, and so on. Those improvements will be well-received by consumers, but they’re merely evolutionary, not disruptive.
The next consoles need to deliver a major game-changer in how we interact with our entertainment, and I think the only logical conclusion is that it’s going to be social.
The Backlog: That Old Familiar Feeling edition
Oct 29th
The definition of familiarity.
We’ve all been playing games long enough to know what we like. Regardless of whatever revolutionary new series or unusual indie gems might come along, there’s always going to be room for those games that we know we’ll love specifically because they feel like home. So whether we find that comfort in the villages of Albion, behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car or in the heft of a plastic instrument, we all recognize that sometimes it’s best to stick to what you know.
The Backlog: Planes, Games, and Automobiles Edition
Oct 15th
A hectic week for all involved in the Sasquatch-sphere, as we’ve been all over the proverbial world map. Doug’s been to the south and back, Aaron’s been busy in the Bay Area, Nick is taking off for points unknown (I’m convinced he’s a government operative and I’d be killed if I knew), and Tyler, our man in Japan, has been finishing games faster than you can say “Hai, douzo!” However, there’s been some time to play games in there — everything from JRPGs to iPhone best-sellers, with a dash of Minecraft thrown in for good measure.
Without further ado…on with the Backlog.
The Backlog: Call a Plumber, the Great Plains are Flooded edition
May 31st
The new Mario game is out, though we’re all still playing Red Dead Redemption. Alan Wake is also mentioned in this week’s edition, and Nick even played a real board game. Like, one that has pieces and tiles and you have to have a large, flat surface to play it on.
What an interesting year for games, and what a fantastic year for consumers. We have new iterations of old franchises (Mario), revamped sequels (Red Dead) and fresh concepts from established developers (Alan Wake). The most amazing fact about that previous sentence is every one those games came out during the month of May, which further means we’re only halfway through 2010.
Oh hell yes.