With the rise of the 8th-generation right on our doorsteps - All the buzz and hype is starting to expand into an enormous tsunami of excitement and mass hysteria. Every single day there's more major news that sends everyone in a frenzy ~ just praying for time to accelerate so they could finally get their hands on their shiny new "next-gen" devices and consoles.
But I'm worried. Why?
Well ~ Let's face it. What are common stuff you read when there's talk about a "next-gen" game or "next-gen" system?
"How much RAM does it have?"
"What type of GPU is it using?"
"How many cores does it have?"
"What engine is this running on?"
"How many polygons does it contain?"
It seems like, more or less, these days - most true-blue (a.k.a: hardcore) gamers seem to be more concerned about the technical details, more than the actual device or game. I think I see more people talking about graphics and specs, more than I see them saying things like:
"Man, this is gonna be fun!"
"I'm gonna enjoy this console!"
I mean - don't get me wrong. It's always nice to get the full details on a potential purchase - but why does it have to go this far? From my view of things - it seems like if the game isn't 1080P and running at 60FPS ~ there's suddenly a problem. What ever happened to simply getting hyped to up to run the store, by your new console, throwing in your game, and just having fun? Why is it so much of a concern as what's inside the system and what resolution the game is rendered in?
It seems like the main focus of "gaming" is no longer "to play games" but more along the lines of "analyzing games to the highest extent".
Is there anything wrong with this? Not entirely. To me, it just seems unnecessary, that's all. To be honest - this kind of behavior seems to fit more if you're a full-breed PC gamer - as it's PC users who really have to be conscience about what specs they need to run newer titles, as they're becoming increasingly more demanding, just as fast as new graphics cards and processors are rolling out. But console gamers seem to have also adopted the 'tech-head' attitude, and it really makes me facepalm to see people more concerned about what's inside the system and the specs behind the game.
Will this trend continue into the future? Will gaming really become more of a tech-lesson than an entertainment-dispenser?
Your thoughts.
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If you ask me, this sudden new found "appreciation" for the technical side of console gaming is nothing but a dick measuring contest.
Let's face it, if a console is superior in anyway in comparison to its competition what's the first thing we see? a load of gloating and rubbing it in, and why is that? because for whatever reason some people seem to think that they are an extension of whatever they are a fan of. For example, Sony has better exclusives than Microsoft, so all the Sony fanboys start acting superior as if someone being Sony fans makes them better than fans of MS. And it's the same with Microsoft fans, Xbox Live hasn't been hacked (that we know of) and wow, suddenly the MS fanboys feel as if they're superior to Sony fans, it's a seemingly never ending cycle of stupidity...
Like you mentioned above, gamers should be focusing more on having fun playing games, and looking forward to new consoles and new content, not turning the whole thing into a playground argument.
without the specs next-gen games would be no different to what we are playing now.
I think this is how it is: From the announcement to the launch of a console is about building up a good reputation with that console to give it a good push out the gate. Power is a factor in this. After launch, it'll almost be solely about the games.
"How much RAM does it have?"
"What type of GPU is it using?"
"How many cores does it have?"
"What engine is this running on?"
"How many polygons does it contain?"
I agree, when did this happen? I remember the great SNES/Genesis war, besides blast processing all both sides had were games to compare and argue about. I remember debating with a kid about how bad a$$ ActRaiser was and being completely shut down by Madden running 10x better on Genesis.
Now we have people demanding FCC reports and praising hUMA and reposing specs in every thread. For most and not all, this type of behavior is only to further their insecurities of their beliefs. They feel threatened and need to re-assure themselves behind the comfort of supposed superior tech.
But if this gen has taught us anything it's not what is mainly under the hood but how it's used. Devs are going to have to step up with good design, gameplay and fun factor. The tools are there on each system to make it happen.
Spec comparisons have been around since the dawn of consoles. It's nothing new, and it tends to subside after the first few months except to say "My console is better than yours" arguments.
It's not worth getting worked up over. The discussion about games is here, it just doesn't usually make the front page unless it's a game that can be trolled. N4G would do well to make a better system since more actual game related articles have a hard time getting any notice or discussion.
Basically if you stick the the front page, you aren't really helping the situation. Let people care about what they want to care about.