PS3,XBOX2,Revolution's graphical power

[voltz]

If you don't have an HDTV, you might as well not be gaming anymore.

Oh could you please buy one for me? I'll be like your friend and everything.

...no really, it'll be cool.

[Dyne]

Other than graphics, what does the next generation really have to offer? It will be the same games we play now with a new paint job.

and isnt that the way its always been? sure you can say the 32-bit ushered in 3-d, but it was still the same game formulas presented differently.

[Prince Planet]

Other than graphics, what does the next generation really have to offer? It will be the same games we play now with a new paint job.

I'm surprised you would say this, since it is ridiculous. Someone already remarked that, if true, one could say the same about any new generation of consoles. But, there's a problem: it simply isn't correct. Games we play now are not "the same as before with better graphics." While the basic themes of many videogames haven't changed much, we now have much larger game worlds, tons more interactivity, much more sophisitcated A.I., and just a whole hell of lot more of everything that goes into a game. While that doesn't necessarily make new games more fun (although it generally does for me), each generation has offered significant expansion in all areas, and you can expect the same leap, if not greater, next gen.

I've read a fair amount about the relative graphical power of the next-gen systems -- most of it being conjecture based upon whichever bias camp the particular writer/poster resides in. From what I can tell, the systems (at least from MS and Sony) are supposedly going to launch within a fairly narrow window of one another (4-6 months),and both systems are hugely powerful with fat data pipelines, and we can expect each to offer comparable graphical performance, with each console also having different strengths and weaknesses ... meaning, the average user probably won't notice much visual difference, especially on multi-platform games.

I'm no tech guy, and even the specs won't mean much to me whenever they're released. Ultimately, I'll just have to wait for a side-by-side comparison.

[James]

As far as I'm concerned it's just too early to start speculating. We've got a lot of "It should be", "It's going to be", and "It might be" happening but no actual visuals to back it up. Right now it's all just speculation based on a ridiculously small amount of accurate data, and that's no good for anyone but the fanboys who think their system will be best no matter what.

James

[Master of 7s]

Other than graphics, what does the next generation really have to offer?

This is a very stupid statement and you should know better.

I dare you to try and cram the A.I. code from Halo, Far Cry, or Half-life 2 into any console from last generation and watch that system choke sputter and die.

Hell the sound management alone in these games would kill last generation systems.

The CPU deals with more than just graphics.

[Drewbacca]

Katamary Damacy was the funnest game I played last generation. I hope the developer of it has a few more neat games up their sleeve. The graphics weren't very good in that game either.

[Master of 7s]

The latest of EGM's rumor section had info on the PS3 being WAY more powerful than the new XBOX.

This same magazine also crowed about the power of the 3DO and Jaguar.

Show me something in motion or shut the fuck up, Sony. I'm still waiting for those Toy Story quality graphics.

[Drewbacca]

What about games like GTA actually looking the way they should? That I look forward to.

I want a two-player GTA-esque game. The two player in GTA: San Andreas was a good start, but you could tell it was a tack-on.

[Prince Planet]

Show me something in motion or shut the fuck up, Sony. I'm still waiting for those Toy Story quality graphics.

To be fair, one the big MS reps (Allard?) made the same silly Toy Story reference prior to the Xbox launch. Still, Sony's hype machine is unparalleled, imo. Despite the wild boasts, I kind of enjoy the hype and anticipation that precedes the new hardware unveilings.

[Glass Joe]

I could give a shit about one or the other, I play games not systems. My point is, if one is "technically" superior how much will it really show and will we really be able to see the difference in the games that we play because they will all be so powerful?