Has last gen consoles been holding the game developers back for some time now?
Whoa, finally we have gotten our hands on next-gen consoles. But is it perhaps a bit too late for that? Should Sony and Microsoft have introduced it earlier? Let's find out how the late arrival of next-gen consoles has affected the gaming industry.
The last gen console regime
Last gen consoles probably lasted for more than what we would have anticipated when they first arrived on scene. Put simply, they lasted more than 8 years since the launch which, not to mention, is the longest regime any generation of consoles ever had. What's up with all that though?
Even when fans were clamoring for a new console, both Microsoft and Sony were adamant that these current gen consoles have still got some life in them. It went on and on for at least 3 years until new consoles were introduced last year. What took them so long? What was holding them back? Couldn't they have introduced it earlier while they had a chance to make more money as it was one of the biggest talking points of one time?
The even bigger question is, did they hold back all the developers who desperately wanted get their hands on next-gen consoles to properly develop games and showcase what they could do with more raw power?
No matter how hard they try to pretend it didn't affect anything adversely, it indeed did and we were the victims of that. We were the ones that had to put up with shoddy games while they could be better if they had their hands on next-gen console earlier. It's pretty overt that current-gen consoles held most developers back from working on some of their bigger projects as it didn't fit into their current-gen plans. The infuriating part is, they couldn't do much about it even when they tried. The ball was certainly in Microsoft's and Sony's court. All they had to do was give them access to their prototypes earlier, but they didn't do that.
Well, let's not lament over it now. It's time to move on. Instead, we will delve deep into how it has really affected the scope of some of the games that could definitely benefit if they were on next-gen consoles.Aliens: Colonial Marines
That game was a mess, wasn't it? So, let's not even dive into it. What I am trying to point out, however, is that it would not be such a mess if it was given some more crude power of next-gen console to work with, but it wasn't the case. On the contrary, they stuck to the weak current-gen consoles not even entertaining the idea of next-gen and paid for it ultimately. The game ended up being rushed out and was a disappointment for many, including me.
Thankfully though, they have learnt from their mistakes and are preparing for another Alien game which is a survival horror project for next-gen consoles. Granted, the previous game wasn't as good as we were promised and it's difficult to instill the trust in them again, but the early footage from this game looks really amazing. The reason why this looks amazing is that they have finally broken up with current-gen consoles. Let's talk about how GTA V would have fared on next-gen consoles and PC.GTA V on next-gen consoles
It would have been a dream come true, wouldn't it? Why haven't they even thought about bringing GTA V to next-gen consoles and PCs, is out of my comprehension. Believe me, they are better than that and there must be some reason for not porting it to next-gen consoles, yet. It's inevitable that this project is coming to PCs and next-gen consoles. It just has to, and when it will, it's going to benefit from the sheer force of the Next-gen consoles and PCs.
Of course, they aren't going to be changing the basic gameplay mechanics, but they can at least brush off a few jagged edges and spruce up the graphics. When they will do this, though, it's going to look spectacular. For now, we can hope that all swirling rumors are true and it's indeed coming to our beloved platforms.Watch Dogs
I know, I know. It's coming to next-gen as well as current gen platforms. Don't raise your hackles yet. What I want to point out is, it would have benefited if it wasn't attached to current-gen consoles and was a next-gen project exclusively. But what else can you expect from a big corporation like EA and Ubisoft? They are going to port it to as many platforms as possible to make as much money as they would have projected on advance. To meet the high cost of developing and porting, they need to do this though. So, I am not going to allege them for this move. But there is no denying that it would have been a whole different ball game it was to be an exclusive next-gen project. Well, now that they have chosen this way, I hope it doesn't affect the next-gen ports in any adverse way.Verdict
There is no doubt that the belated arrival of next-gen consoles has certainly slowed the market down for the worse. Companies are still healing their salvaged wounds. No wonder, it's going to take some time before the gaming industry is back up and running like normal. For now, we should get used to some shoddy games that we may have to deal with for a couple more months.
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