subject: Video Game Consoles And The Future [print this page] If there's any one entertainment that is ever evolving, it's the video game industry. Actors and actresses in movies change but genres stay mostly the same and follow key story components. Sports always abide by the same rules, something consistent and familiar to us all. But video games are always changing, both in technology and the ways they engage us as players. Every few years, new consoles are put out for the next generation of games and gamers. And within the next year or two, we may seem some changes again.
Microsoft's next console, currently being dubbed the Xbox 720, is predicted to be released in 2013 or 2014 the latest. While Microsoft said that it won't be showing anything about it at this year's E3, video game's biggest trade show, the speculation is that it isn't much further away. A big rumor for the console is that Microsoft is going to ditch the traditional disc drive, which may mean a new form of games or all digital downloads. And apparently, the 720 will be more powerful than the 360 with Kinect technology included. There's also a chance it'll be smaller than the current version and a bit more affordable.
The Playstation 4 is said to keep Blu-ray as its optical format, while including 3D integration, which will require all games created for the platform to support it from the start. And while the PS3 already has a very fast processor, it doesn't utilize all of its power. The PS4 is said to be different and will create a better experience not just for users but developers as well. And to solve the problem of only certain models of the PS3 being backwards compatible, the PS4 is said to be universally compatible with all Playstation games, period. And again, the release date here is all speculative, with some saying as early as the end of 2012.
One new system we do know about is the WiiU. It's expected to be released during the holiday season of 2012. It's Nintendo's souped up Wii, that comes with a controller with a built in touchscreen that will either supplement or replicate the game displayed on the screen. So you could be controlling Link on screen, saving Hyrule, all the while having the map right in your hands for easy access.
The next 12-24 months are going to get very interesting for the gaming industry. With each and every update of video game consoles, we get closer and closer to the kind of technology we only dreamed about as kids. With more powerful processors, implementation of features like 3D and possibly more affordable models, video games have really made it leaps and bounds ahead of other entertainment in how fast it has grown.
