Why are the consoles still called "next gen"?

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Diesel_Power

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 23, 2007
Messages
259
Not trying to start a fanboy war or anything, but Gamespot did huge a graphic comparison for 360, PS3 and the PC. I think the fallout 3 pictures speak volumes.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/6202552/index.html?tag=feature;header

Out of a sea of garbage I found this post by hackerzc,

hackerzc

Posted Dec 25, 2008 9:21 am PT

I'm a professional motion graphics editor, so I think I know a thing or two about image quality, detail, color, etc... and from what I'm seeing the PC version is superior in every single situation.

Both the 360 and PS3 are FAR less capable than the PC when it comes to AntiAliasing and Antisotropic Filtering. The consoles seem to compensate by using a low level gaussian blur that tricks the eye into thinking it looks better.
I don't see much in the way of Bloom or HDR being used, but even then the more capable PC hardware would produce superior results, especially when using HDR which is very GPU intensive compared to the similar (yet not as complex) Bloom.

As for "bright" or "dark" look between the three, this is dependent on gamma. I would suspect that the 360 and PS3 are using a higher gamma setting than the PC. I'm betting this is because most people run their TV's at too high a brightness setting as it is, so it's likely meant to compensate for that. But beyond that a higher gamma can make colors seem more rich and saturated compared to lower gamma settings.... this creates an image that is pleasing to the eyes.
At work we use mostly Macs with a gamma of 1.8, most PC's use a gamma of 2.2. I myself opt for a 2.0 gamma on my home PC. The point is this effects the image to a large degree. From looking at the examples above I wouldn't be surprised if the consoles were outputting at a gamma close to 2.4 or higher.

At the end of the day the PC is the clear winner. Thinking otherwise is either the result of having "bad eyes", or is based on personal bias (ie: you are a fan boy).
 
Maybe it's just me, but I haven't heard people/reviewers/critics use the phrase "next-gen" for a long time.
 
The Gamespot reviewer says it best:

"A well-equipped PC beats both consoles easily--of course, that same PC also costs three to four times more than either of the consoles."
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There really is no contest at this point, and it can even be argued that when the consoles launched, the PC still had the capability of besting them in graphics, if one was willing to invest enough money into them.

Case in point, Oblivion PC versus Oblivion console edition.
 
Got to agree with everyone else here, "Next-Gen" hasnet been used much at this point, unless your talking about the next xbox or ps3
 
I'm with you guys. Next Gen generally means the next generation of consoles, although it is typically used for a while after a console launch since it will be many years before the debut of another system (from the same maker).
 
Call em whatever you want, those comparisons really make me appreciate my PC, and I own all three "next-gen" consoles.
 
I just find it ridiculous talking to console fanboys and their preconceptions that gaming PCs will cost you thousands of dollars and you have to upgrade every 6 months. That's nolonger the case and hasn't been for about 2-3 years.

PC graphics are plateauing while cost goes down because of the dependancy on developers who release most of their product on consoles. That is really holding PC games back. You could take any 2-3 year old dual core system with 2GB of ram and throw in a $100 or less videocard (I've seen 8800GS for sale for only $35) and it will perform as well as any console or better.

Most of these console gamers have computers too. If they bought it within the past 2 years, it's probably going to be a retail C2D and they could all throw in a videocard for $35 and have a system that can best their consoles.
 
Hamidxa said:
The Gamespot reviewer says it best:



There really is no contest at this point, and it can even be argued that when the consoles launched, the PC still had the capability of besting them in graphics, if one was willing to invest enough money into them.

Case in point, Oblivion PC versus Oblivion console edition.
Click to expand...

Dell, HP, Alienware etc have it in for the gaming industry. They must. Every console gamer I know of has told me that "todays most modern PC's just cant play modern games at the settings I want them to"

Yes they can. I've never seen a company pierce a market they dont even directly compete in so well as intel. Everybody every buying a gaming PC ever has no idea what a graphics card is but knows that a 2.66GHz processor is better than a 2.4GHz one, so the 2.66GHz model must be better. If they do know what a graphics card is, they know its 256mb which is acceptable.

Even my old honking sig can rip though every game I've tossed at it. I could build a comprable one (its sad, 8800GTS 640MB trades blows with *gulp* the 9600GT T.T, 20 TMUs FTL) w/ 20" monitor and headphones for less than $1000.

not 3x or 4x, 1.5x or 2.0x the cost of a PS3.
 
I talked to a guy who actually ran a videogame store on another forum. He was totally confused when people started calling his store and asking if he had PC games for sale.

He was still under the impression that a PC that could do console graphics would cost thousands of dollars.

Console gamers are often so woefully ignorant of actual computers. I feel blessed everyday to have been able to grow up in the era of DOS.
 
Next gen was suitable in this "generation" because it was a move to HD resolutions and the rise of HDTVs. So in that sense it was "next gen", not just "the next consoles".

Second, using the term let people differentiate between the newer consoles and the older "last gen" ones. When the 360 launched first, the market stilll very much had "last gen" players like the ps2 going strong, so you had to differentiate.

Once the ps3 and wii came along, you saw reference to those also as next gen.

After 3 years or so now, you see the term less and less because you are actually well into the current gen and there's no need really to differentiate the generations now.
 
The pc costs more! lol, that's rich. I spent more on the wii in a year than I'd spend on my PC in 3 years. Basically same thing for the PS3 I got for xmas. Consoles are far more expensive due to the cost of all the accessories/games. 2-3 good PC games could easily last you 5 years, that could never happen on a console. The games have such shit replay value that you'd have to burn through 50 or 60 games to get the same amount of gameplay.
 
Devnull said:
The pc costs more! lol, that's rich. I spent more on the wii in a year than I'd spend on my PC in 3 years. Basically same thing for the PS3 I got for xmas. Consoles are far more expensive due to the cost of all the accessories/games. 2-3 good PC games could easily last you 5 years, that could never happen on a console. The games have such shit replay value that you'd have to burn through 50 or 60 games to get the same amount of gameplay.
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generalize much? which two games would last the average gamer 5 years without buying more?

What a pant load .... 50-60 console games = 2-3 pc games....ok chief.
 
It's just what drives people to buy - as another example, look how "2009" cars have been selling for months now and I guarantee that by the end of January, some movie will me hailed as best of the year.
 
Technoob said:
generalize much? which two games would last the average gamer 5 years without buying more?

What a pant load .... 50-60 console games = 2-3 pc games....ok chief.
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Half-Life(either of them), Quake(any of them), Starcraft, WC3, just about any MMO. Pick and choose a combination.
 
Devnull said:
Half-Life(either of them), Quake(any of them), Starcraft, WC3, just about any MMO. Pick and choose a combination.
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I hate the series, but halo2 is still played on xbox live by huge numbers. And you're gonna go MMO? Kind of destroys your "it's cheaper to game on a pc" argument when you have to pay every month, doesn't it?

Hyperbole makes you look stupid friend.
 
Technoob said:
I hate the series, but halo2 is still played on xbox live by huge numbers. And you're gonna go MMO? Kind of destroys your "it's cheaper to game on a pc" argument when you have to pay every month, doesn't it?

Hyperbole makes you look stupid friend.
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noob, you didn't specify games that were cheap- just games that would last 5 years. I'm sure a lot of screaming 13 year olds are still playing halo2 on xbox live. You have my full support and encouragement if that floats your boat.
 
Devnull said:
noob, you didn't specify games that were cheap- just games that would last 5 years.
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Really? I could have sworn I read something like this somewhere:

"Consoles are far more expensive due to the cost of all the accessories/games. "

Don't bring up cost if you don't want to discuss it.
 
Technoob said:
Really? I could have sworn I read something like this somewhere:

"Consoles are far more expensive due to the cost of all the accessories/games. "

Don't bring up cost if you don't want to discuss it.
Click to expand...

Sounds like someone is a little troubled over the damage consoles have done to his wallet. :D
 
Devnull said:
I'm sure a lot of screaming 13 year olds are still playing halo2 on xbox live.
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Yeah, unlike WoW, CS, quake, UT, BF, Dota, or TF2. Only distinguished Rhodes scholars are playing those.....

seriously?

/laughing at your "logic"
 
Devnull said:
Sounds like someone is a little troubled over the damage consoles have done to his wallet. :D
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I gotta ask at this point what the fuck you're talking about. Do you even read what you write?


Anyway, not only are you totally randomly spewing words that have no context to what we're talking about, you'd also be wrong, because I spent less for my three consoles than I did on my pc ....750 vs about 1000. Also game infinitely more on my PC. And played wow with 2 accounts since release up until wotlk....so yeah, I'm a pc "hater"....ok.
 
Technoob said:
I gotta ask at this point what the fuck you're talking about. Do you even read what you write?


Anyway, not only are you totally randomly spewing words that have no context to what we're talking about, you'd also be wrong, because I spent less for my three consoles than I did on my pc ....750 vs about 1000. Also game infinitely more on my PC. And played wow with 2 accounts since release up until wotlk....so yeah, I'm a pc "hater"....ok.
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How much for the t.v. for your console? Didn't get a HDTV? Well then your not getting full xbox experience

Someone who spends 2 grand on a gaming rig and 22'' monitor is getting the full game experience. It's the same deal as someone who buys a xbox with all the fixings and a HDTV. Roughly 2 grand as well.

Now if your playing on a standard tv, then your games aren't looking their best. It's the same as someone who plays on a budget pc.
 
Diesel_Power said:
How much for the t.v. for your console? Didn't get a HDTV? Well then your not getting full xbox experience

Someone who spends 2 grand on a gaming rig and 22'' monitor is getting the full game experience. It's the same deal as someone who buys a xbox with all the fixings and a HDTV. Roughly 2 grand as well.

Now if your playing on a standard tv, then your games aren't looking their best. It's the same as someone who plays on a budget pc.
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I already had an HDTV for my home theatre. Hooked up my pc to them way before I bought any video game consoles. Video games were added later, and I didn't and don't buy my tvs based on video game consoles. And my two tvs were 1300 together, not 2 grand.


aaaaaaaaaand we're completely off topic so I'll stop responding to thread derails again.
 
Nice. Lots of pot shots I see.

Yes PC gaming is more expensive than Consoles but you cant compare the visuals from Console to PC. Even all these doctored up screen shots from consoles look like crap when pitted against a good PC screen shot.

I do agree with the op's line of thought. Though I haven't heard of consoles referred to as NG for about a year or so, I dont think there is anything about them that constitutes as NG.


And before anyone whines, I HAVE a PS3 and a Wii. If my daughter didnt play the Wii, I'd throw that piece of garbage out with the trash. Horrible games, horrible support and crappy connection do not make a great gaming console.
 
Technoob said:
generalize much? which two games would last the average gamer 5 years without buying more?

What a pant load .... 50-60 console games = 2-3 pc games....ok chief.
Click to expand...

Last time I played Unreal Tournament 2004, there were over 70 total conversion mods, and well over a 1,000 maps. And that's just for one PC game.
 
Well they should be called next gen because they are the latest/greatest consoles as of right now.

That is speaking in the usa. However in japan they are ahead of us so out there these shouldnt be called next gen.
 
Technoob said:
I hate the series, but halo2 is still played on xbox live by huge numbers. And you're gonna go MMO? Kind of destroys your "it's cheaper to game on a pc" argument when you have to pay every month, doesn't it?

Hyperbole makes you look stupid friend.
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Not all MMOs are by subscription. There's no online free multiplayer for Halo 2 without paying for Xbox Live which is $7.99 per month. With most PC games online play comes at no extra cost.
 
BladeVenom said:
Not all MMOs are by subscription. There's no online free multiplayer for Halo 2 without paying for Xbox Live which is $7.99 per month. With most PC games online play comes at no extra cost.
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I agree. Although some games online such as world of warcraft and star wars galaxies collect a fee to play per month. However with that said most tend to be free id say about 80-90%.
 
Spare-Flair said:
I talked to a guy who actually ran a videogame store on another forum. He was totally confused when people started calling his store and asking if he had PC games for sale.

He was still under the impression that a PC that could do console graphics would cost thousands of dollars.

Console gamers are often so woefully ignorant of actual computers. I feel blessed everyday to have been able to grow up in the era of DOS.
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What do you expect? Manufacturers have always charged a premium for gaming-capable desktops. The only people who can really afford PC gaming are those with money and the do-it-yourselfers.

This is an even bigger issues because, when people think "gaming PC," they're really thinking "gaming notebook." As we all know, gaming notebooks are incredibly overpriced (worse then gaming desktops) and underpowered. This is why high-end PC gaming has become a bad word.
 
Technoob said:
Yeah, unlike WoW, CS, quake, UT, BF, Dota, or TF2. Only distinguished Rhodes scholars are playing those.....

seriously?

/laughing at your "logic"
Click to expand...



There are several mature games that are mostly only played by adults for the PC. Ever play Dangerous Waters? Sims and wargames are good examples; mostly only smart mature people and hardly ever any children. Some PC games are the same ones, or based on the same games that are used to train militaries, and their officers. Are West Point cadets close enough to Rhodes Scholars?

You see kindergartners playing Xbox games all the time. My nephew was playing Halo at 5 years old. You can bet he won't be playing a PC sim that has a 600 page instruction book anytime soon.
 
Not all MMO's are pay to play. Guild Wars is not and is still pretty popular for something that started 5 years ago...

I have not heard the consoles referred to as Next Gen in a while but I honestly have not been paying attention to it.

Pointless to contribute further to this flame war thread.
 
BladeVenom said:
There are several mature games that are mostly only played by adults for the PC. Ever play Dangerous Waters? Sims and wargames are good examples; mostly only smart mature people and hardly ever any children. Some PC games are the same ones, or based on the same games that are used to train militaries, and their officers. Are West Point cadets close enough to Rhodes Scholars?

You see kindergartners playing Xbox games all the time. My nephew was playing Halo at 5 years old. You can bet he won't be playing a PC sim that has a 600 page instruction book anytime soon.
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What in god's name are you talking about? We're talking about popular online games. The crowd for online super scrabble probably is more mature than halo and counterstrike too, but we weren't talking about mysterious games that hardly anyone plays, but actual popular online games. Your nephew won't be playing realistic sims, but your nephew might play team fortress if he's also playing halo, now won't he? But you were just trying to score some points, not make a rational argument.
 
The first big flaw in the article is that they aren't showing full resolution screenshots. There the PC would completely blow away the consoles. The consoles can't even do HD 720p in some of the graphically intense games. Most PC gamers are playing at much higher resolutions.

The next mistake is the price myth.
A well-equipped PC beats both consoles easily--of course, that same PC also costs three to four times more than either of the consoles.
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The 360 model most people get is $300, the 80GB PS3 is $400 with the 160GB version costing $500. A good gaming PC can be made for under $650. System Builder Marathon: $625 Gaming PC It's even cheaper if you're upgrading an already existing PC.

I don't know about anybody else here, but I'd still have a decent PC even if I didn't game. So the only cost of gaming is the video card. I spent less on my video card than a PS3 costs.
 
Why can't eveyone just STFU and game. PC fanboys, stop with the elistist attitudes, and Console fanboys, just STFU. Why do you feel the need to limit yourself to one platform? Each has their pros and cons but all in all both are about equal, and even if they aren't who gives a flying $*%#.

You know what really grinds my gears... /rant
 
i love rock band 2, thats pretty much something a pc can never do.

microsoft wireless receiver for a pc = win, although sitting on a coach with split screen just can't be beat sometimes. pc needs more splitscreen.

if i wasn't all into hardware, tweaking, and feeling good about saving money, then console would be the way to go.
 
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