What is Generation 7 all about? It was that ‘better graphics’ is not the line of progression of generations. It never actually has been. When generations jump to another generation, we see many changes. Gen 1 to Gen 2 saw the invention of cartridges and removable controllers. Gen 3 saw lock out chips and licensing.
I like to hate on 3d. Even back when 3d became so forced during Generation 5, I still thought and still think Generation 4’s graphics are better.
I think Super Mario World has better graphics than Mario 64. Without a doubt, Generation 4 has AGED better than Generation 5.
Graphics, as a term, didn’t really enter the vernacular until early Generation 4. What does ‘graphics’ mean? Is it the art style? The computing power of number of colors? What is it? It is not really known. It is just a hodgepodge of all-things-visual.
“But Malstrom,” you say, “Generation 5 could do 2d graphics much better than Generation 6.” Yes, and Generation 3 could make more powerful trackball games than Generation 1 and 2, but they didn’t.
Generation 7 marked a sizable break when processing power and graphical display was the meaning of a generation. “You and your opinions, Malstrom!” This is not my opinion. This was Iwata’s opinion. The DS and Wii did very well on the market. Despite their HD graphics, Xbox 360 players kept playing games like Minecraft.
In other words, Iwata was saying that adding more graphics and power to a console will just get more, and more expensive with less and less profit. If Sony and Microsoft skip Generation 9 to just re-release their old hardware, this proves Iwata was correct.
Come, ye hardcore gamers and Game Industry Worms! If ‘more graphics’ and ‘more processing’ is the way, then why don’t Sony and Microsoft release another console with those in mind? (Assuming they don’t do so for Generation 9. You believe Scorpio and Neo will be all they have for Generation 9? Come now!)
Philosophically, the Game Industry is bankrupt. They have nowhere to go with just pumping in new ‘graphics’ and more processing, so they are turning to re-releasing old games in ‘awesome graphics’.
Iwata believed in the Generations. When Sony’s Kutaragi said, “PlayStation 3 will have a ten year life span” (or whatever it was), Iwata said how that was absurd. The reason why we have generations is not because of marketing, we have generations because the market demands new hardware. If it didn’t, we would be playing on Atari systems throughout the entire 1980s. It is time, itself, that creates the new generations. Whether or not the console companies put out new hardware or not is immaterial.
Video games have hardware fatigue. We get bored with a piece of hardware. One reason why is because games are limited to what that hardware can do. New hardware allows new types of games.
If Sony and Microsoft cannot make consoles that play games it never could before, it shows lack of creativity on Sony and Microsoft’s part. It is the height of arrogance to declare ‘no next generation’ because Sony and Microsoft have no new ideas. It is like saying ‘It is the year 2001. We cannot call it a New Century because there is nothing to differentiate this century with the last one.’
Generation 9 is coming whether anyone likes it or not.
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