Are console bolt-ons the next step?
The console life cycle has started wobbling in the last couple of years; there's barely been the faintest hint that a new home console is on the way, and if the Kinect is anything to go by then Microsoft, at least, is more interested in shoring up the 360 than moving on to another console. And let's be honest here, exactly what point would there be to a new console? The Wii is suffering from an image problem rather than a lack of horsepower; a HD upgrade and an enormous GUI overhaul would be a better option than dropping the console entirely. And as for the PS3 and 360, what would a better model offer? Once upon a time you could look to the ever-advancing PC and arcade markets to see where better capabilities would improve the play experience, but what do either of them offer that consoles don't? Crysis 2 does little new in raw mechanics despite looking pretty as all hell, and the underlying physics aren't proving much of a problem for current gen consoles. And despite native support, console gamers still aren't giving a single shit about the potential of the keyboard and mouse combo. Most of the current innovations in gaming are coming through firmware patches, peripherals and the online arena; what part of that equation requires a new console?
The console life cycle has started wobbling in the last couple of years; there's barely been the faintest hint that a new home console is on the way, and if the Kinect is anything to go by then Microsoft, at least, is more interested in shoring up the 360 than moving on to another console. And let's be honest here, exactly what point would there be to a new console? The Wii is suffering from an image problem rather than a lack of horsepower; a HD upgrade and an enormous GUI overhaul would be a better option than dropping the console entirely. And as for the PS3 and 360, what would a better model offer? Once upon a time you could look to the ever-advancing PC and arcade markets to see where better capabilities would improve the play experience, but what do either of them offer that consoles don't? Crysis 2 does little new in raw mechanics despite looking pretty as all hell, and the underlying physics aren't proving much of a problem for current gen consoles. And despite native support, console gamers still aren't giving a single shit about the potential of the keyboard and mouse combo. Most of the current innovations in gaming are coming through firmware patches, peripherals and the online arena; what part of that equation requires a new console?
