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 Next Gen and eager to find out how the increased capabilities of Next Gen consoles will translate into better and sleeker games. But with the amazing graphics we already have, where will the big leap in game quality come from?
Over the past ten years, the most significant advances in gaming have come from better in-game graphics. I remember playing the first Fifa Soccer game for the Mega Drive and I 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 be sweating in a realistic fashion during gameplay and it’s safe to say we’ve reached a point where players look almost real.
Not content with looking realistic, player movement and AI decision-making mimic the personality and playing style of real-life sports stars. Messi and Bale play as 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 match, and over time , get over it.
It’s so early for next-gen gaming that there’s a lot of room for improvement. Compare the quality of PlayStation 3 games when it was first released with those that are being released now. We sit here in 2014 and speculate that we’re still not seeing a fraction of the potential for next-gen gaming.
The biggest release of 2013 for PS3 and Xbox was Grand Theft Auto 5. This game featured the best possible gameplay 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 jumping off point for PS4 and Xbox One, posing the tantalizing rhetorical question to the player, “if we can bring you this in current gen, imagine what we can achieve with Next Gen.”
Early releases on Next Gen consoles have taken advantage of the freedoms offered by enhanced hardware capability, choosing to increase the level of immersion in gaming. They have chosen to empower the player to make decisions that set the direction of their gaming experience. I think this is the way to go for future game development. PS3 limitations mean that the “rats in a maze” feel of some games can be relaxed and while every game must have its perimeters, the netting can be extended further, reducing the impact of getting caught like a ball of pinball that bounces but is eventually drawn. towards the specific conclusion of the games. With larger game environments, Next Gen open world games offer more opportunities for the player to explore sub-plots, where instead of simply completing set quests, they can trade to earn money, run businesses, or simply explore the vast game environment in your leisure
Recent trailers for the upcoming open-world game ‘Watchdog’, which is scheduled to release for Next Gen consoles from May 27 in the UK, demonstrate that the user will be able to interact with any member of the AI public across the vast landscape. virtual Chicago. in his role as a vigilante rejecting the closed security system of the city. Gameplay is so vast in Next Gen that developers at Ubisoft have posted videos of hour-long gameplay sessions online without having to worry about giving away all of the game’s secrets.
With the possibilities for open world games so vast in Next Gen, it is very interesting to note that the most successful open world game developer, Rockstar Gaming, has yet to release the details of possible future Next Gen titles, picking on change update GTA V. later this year. We know from experience that it can take Rockstar up to two years to deliver a title on PS3 and probably will take at least that long for a next-gen game. I strongly 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 what Watchdog looks like, 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 of Next Gen sports sim development, NBA 2K 14 has set a very high standard. Their picks offer insight into 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 gameplay experience, giving the player a more immersive experience of the 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 sims, PS4 is going to be a happy place for sports game enthusiasts.
No doubt game developers are under pressure to deliver. The PS3 games were good, but PS4 gamers have been conditioned to expect excellence by Next Gen’s strong promotion and anything short of a sharp increase in quality will be mocked by the hard-nosed audience rushing 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 for the PS3 and differs only marginally from the current generation console. That’s not good enough and fans of that franchise are expecting better from the developers at EA 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 gaming void 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 watching game developers work on new releases to take advantage of Next Gen’s ability to produce better, more immersive games.
The king of the current generation is dead, long live the next generation.