Aries_Split said:
Hardware can't have "potential"
The PS3 is limited by it's 7800 GFX card.
The 360 is limited by it's 6800 GFX card.
The Ps3 has peaked too, just at a higher place than the 360.
The thing that keeps a console alive for so long is the game developers learning to use the code in new and interesting ways. When a new console comes out, they don't have to worry about optimizing code as much because the release games are obviously going to look better than the previous generation. When it comes to pushing every ounce of processing power out of a console, the developers will find ways of coding things to achieve the outcome (or at least close to it). This is a pretty obvious observation if you will look at the release games compared to the games released at the end of a console's life.
The Playstation 2 is a great example of this. They pushed that thing to the limits with God of War 2. I feel like the Xbox didn't get to do that; they pushed out the 360 early to beat Sony to the punch - and while it worked, I believe the original Xbox never lived up to its full potential.
To say there won't be another console? That's just crazy talk. Obviously, when technology becomes cheaper and smaller, one of the game companies will work on developing and releasing a console that takes gaming to an unbelievable new level (or at the least, one step up - lol). When that happens, rival companies will look at putting out a new console to compete. If Sony was the only one to release a next generation console, and Nintendo and MS stayed with the current generation (now, let's say this happens in ~ 6 years) - obviously, the Sony console is going to be amazing (hopefully, unless they really screw it up). Even if it is more expensive, the price will eventually drop after a few years and gamers will be buying this system - ESPECIALLY if it is the ONLY gaming system available! If MS and Big N have no plans to release a new console, there's no competition. I don't see that happening in the next 20 years unless a company goes stupid (SEGA) with their console release(s).
There would be so many good and bad things about a "1-Console-Gaming" world; Everyone would be able to enjoy the games that would ordinarily be on a different system - However, there would be no large changes in gaming due to no competition and no need to change things up.
Let's face it - Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have all revolutionized gameplay in their own way. I use these 3 as an example, because while other companies have had great ideas (SEGA), they've also had some terrible horrible ones (SEGA!). Hard drives, CD, DVD, Blu-ray, motion control, online gaming, downloading games...
Ok, I'll stop the rant. That's my 35 cents on the subject.
