They're All MAXED OUT

The days of the current generation of consoles are slowly dwindling down into the void. The console war, which has been raging on seemingly forever, will of course continue and will bring brand-new marketing schemes and techniques from the likes of Microsoft and Sony. The question that we have to ask ourselves is, when will their days of reigning supreme over the games industry ultimately end? The answer may surprise you…




The dethroning has already begun. Many of the best developers from all corners of the gaming community are beginning to announce that they have what is known as “maxed-out” the current contraptions. Included on the list are EA, Epic, and Naughty Dog. The existing consoles are being restricted by two many boundaries to their capabilities, and are beginning to feel the blow.



Anybody who says that these consoles no longer need to be updated and redesigned must not understand the competition between these video game giants. Of course, they are very capable of producing game after game of which neither is better than the one previous. The first company to take the first step, would gain tremendous ground over the others, providing they do create a product that has quality. To make a comparison, Microsoft was first out of the gate to build a next-generation console last time around, and it took a total of 4 years for Sony to make a come-back. What seems to have allowed PS3 access to the catch-up was Blu-Ray capabilities. With Xbox 360 being released before this technology became available, it could be the largest reason why the PS3 is regarded as the “better” machine.



Microsoft, just as in the past, already has plans set for a temporary update to the Xbox 360. Known as Project Natal, it will add the mean of motion control to appeal to a wider variety of consumers. Its very obvious that this will just be a short-term spike in profit for Microsoft, and that they will be sure to lots more in store for us in the future!



But, don’t think that Sony is lagging behind because they aren’t standing idle; they definitely are not. Sony has, to keep up with Microsoft - or is it the other way around? - already announced there plans to release motion sensor controllers by 2010 for the PlayStation 3 (PS3). As stated above, this isn’t meant to last another couple of years, but will just act as a something to occupy the fans until bigger and better things become available.



Rumors and speculation are circulating around the internet about what the next-gen consoles will be. For Microsoft, it is widespread knowledge and belief that its next step in console technology will be in the form of the Xbox 720. Is it a coincidence that 360 x 2 = 720? I think not! Something we have yet to see come to the light of day is the term of “forwards compatibility“. Forwards compatibility allows not only previous Xbox 360 games to play on the 720 console, but will actually enhance them through increased speeds, additional functions, and quite possibly new features. Some game sequels that have been pulled from development for the Xbox 360 and slated for the next-gen console are:



Gears of War III: (Confirmed)



Epic, the developers of the Gears of War series, have put this game on a four-five year time frame to be released. This is because they believe that Gears of War has “maxed out” on their games so far, and consider it impossible to create an original and unique third edition that will be up to par for a sequel of one of the best games of all time. Regarding the future of this series, Capp (Epic represantative) said, "If there were a next Gears of War, that it will be for the next console generation, whenever that is. If someone knows, please tell me! That's about four or five years away, I think."



Forza IIII: (Rumor)



Forza III’s amazing graphics and gameplay are seemingly years ahead of anything else available on the market. Its perfect edge between real life simulation and arcade-type controls created a game that blends all categories into one. This game is so far ahead of our time, its hard to believe that anything more could be created to update this game on the Xbox 360.



(Further games will be added as more information becomes available)



Sony’s critically-acclaimed PlayStation consoles have also been subject rumors and, although it is quite obvious their next console will be known as PlayStation 4, weirder things have been known to happen. Many blogs/forums have begun popping up around the internet, that are displaying - non-official - pictures and information on the console. It is impossible to say which is gaining more attention, but, as well as the Xbox 720, will have many top-notch, AAA titles reserved for it:



Uncharted 3: (Confirmed)



Uncharted III developers have in fact released information that they -this term is becoming too common nowadays - have “maxed out” the PS3 console with their latest masterpiece of development, Uncharted 2: Drake’s Fortune. This series is capable of even rivalling the Halo franchise.



Gran Turismo 6: (Rumor)



This game has the exact same reason as Forza III. Although no official word on it, it is hard to believe that anything new could be edited in Gran Turismo 6 that the PS3 could handle; its just not going to happen.



(Further games will be added as more information becomes available)



As you can see, the line-up for each console, although announced, is beginning to gain names. It seems we are set at a fat pace towards video game consoles that will revolutionize the games industry we have come to cherish. Fanboy’s of both next-gen consoles will be happy with the progress of them and attention they are obtaining.



If any information that has yet to be added to this article is not presented, and you have a direct source to prove that it is real, or have a good reason of why it should be added, please leave a comment below!