The next generation is here and we are waiting

Xbox One and PlayStation 4, collectively known as ‘Next Gen’ consoles, have the ability to enable much more sophisticated gaming with better graphics, a larger game world, and more creative game development. The gaming public is excited about the possibilities of the Next Gen and is eager to discover how the increased capabilities of the Next Gen consoles will translate into better and more elegant games. But with amazing graphics that we already have, where will the big jump in game quality come from?

Over the past ten years, the most significant advances in gaming have come from better graphics in games. I remember playing the first Fifa Soccer game on the Mega Drive and thought it looked fantastic. Try to play the game now and it’s archaic! Compare that to the NBA 2K 14 game on PS4, where your computer player even appears to sweat in a realistic way during gameplay and it’s safe to say we’ve reached a point where the players look almost lifelike.

Not content with looking realistic, player movement and AI decision-making mimic the personality and playstyle of real-life sports stars. Messi and Bale play like Messi and Bale in FIFA 14. This increases the realism and is more immersive. Next-gen gamers expect attention to detail in every nuance of a game, and the standard set by the first games released on next-gen consoles has set the bar high for other developers to meet and, over time, , get over it.

It’s so early for next-gen games that there’s a lot of room for improvement. Compare the quality of PlayStation 3 games when they were first released to those that are released now. We sat here in 2014 and speculated that we’re still not seeing a fraction of the potential capacity of next-gen games.

The biggest release of 2013 for PS3 and Xbox was Grand Theft Auto 5. This game featured the best gameplay possible in the current generation, squeezing every bit of power out of the console. It can be considered a passing of the torch and an admission that this is as good as it gets on current-gen consoles. Rockstar Gaming even said so. GTA V underscored that this was a starting point for PS4 and Xbox One, posing the tantalizing rhetorical question to the player, “if we can bring you this on current gen, imagine what we can achieve on next gen.”

The first releases on the Next Gen consoles have taken advantage of the freedoms offered by the improved capacity of the hardware, choosing to increase the level of immersion in games. They have chosen to empower the player to make decisions that set the direction of their in-game experience. I think this is the way forward for future game development. PS3 limitations mean the ‘rats in a maze’ feel of some games can be relaxed and while every game should have its perimeters, the net can be cast wider, reducing the impact of getting caught as a ball. pinball game that bounces but eventually draws. towards the specific conclusion of the games. With larger game environments, Next Gen open world games offer more opportunities for the player to explore subplots, where instead of just completing set quests, they can trade to earn money, manage businesses, or just explore the vast game environment in your leisure

Recent trailers for the upcoming open world game ‘Watchdog’, scheduled for release on Next Gen consoles from May 27 in the UK, demonstrate that the user will be able to interact with any member of the AI ​​audience across the vast landscape. virtual Chicago. in his role as a vigilante rejecting the city’s closed security system. The game is so wide in the Next Gen that the developers at Ubisoft have posted videos online of hour long gameplay sessions without having to worry about revealing all the secrets of the game.

With the possibilities for open world gaming so vast in Next Gen, it’s very interesting to note that the most successful open world game developer, Rockstar Gaming, has yet to release the details of potential future Next Gen titles, choosing at change update GTA V. later in this year. We know from experience that it can take up to two years for Rockstar to deliver a title on PS3 and it will probably take at least this long for a next-gen game. I firmly believe that Rockstar will set a new standard and deliver a brilliant Next Gen open world game, vaster than anything we’ve seen so far. Considering the Watchdog aspect, this will be a significant achievement for Rockstar, if they get it right.

For those sports fans and sports simulation lovers like me, one title has already set a high standard for others to follow. NBA 2K 14 offers an exceptional standard of graphics quality and the game looks as real as I can imagine for a few years. Even at this early stage in the development of the Next Gen sports simulator, NBA 2K 14 has set a very high standard. Their choices offer a glimpse of how developers will look to use the power of Next Gen technology in future games. Vignettes where your player makes decisions off the pitch, such as interacting with opposing players, coaches, backroom staff and sponsors, will be further developed to enhance the gaming experience, giving the player a more immersive experience of the game. life as a professional basketball player instead of just concentrating we play. I was surprised that such a polished game came out so quickly. If this is as bad as sports simulators, PS4 will be a happy place for sports game enthusiasts.

To be sure, game developers are under pressure to deliver. PS3 games were good, but PS4 gamers have been conditioned to expect excellence by the strong promotion of Next Gen and anything short of a sharp increase in quality will be scoffed at by the hard-core audience rushing by. to regret any poor launch. Just ask any Madden 25 fan who has bought the PS4 version. With the exception of slightly smoother graphics, this game could have been released on PS3 and differs only marginally from the current-gen console. That’s not good enough and fans of that franchise are expecting better from EA developers next year.

The challenge is up and gamers are eager to see how game developers use the enhanced capabilities of Next Gen and the freedoms it offers to produce great games. Developers must balance the current emptiness of the game with the need to produce quality titles. With better graphics, more immersion, a better overall gaming experience, and the power of the internet to facilitate gaming battles around the world, Next Gen has ushered in a new era of console gaming. With this comes a hunger for excellence, a more critical eye, and we look forward to how game developers work on new releases to take advantage of the Next Gen’s ability to produce better, more immersive games.

The king of the current generation is dead, long live the next generation.

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