Working Title 07.19.06: Welcome to Next Gen - Overview
Posted by Jordan Williams on 07.19.2006
In the first ever issue of Working Title, we examine the overview of what is Next Gen
Welcome to the first ever edition of Working Title, the weekly column in which I'll discuss a hot topic in the gaming world, show my views, my likes and dislikes, and overall give you something slightly entertaining to read.
With the next generation of consoles already upon us, I felt it would be fitting to open up the new 411 Games Zone with a series chronicling how we are going to be playing games for the next four years. In this series I'll break down the Big 3, their games, and what they hope to bring to the table in the coming years.
This issue will be a short introductory issue about the Big 3. I'll go in depth about each company and console in other issues. This is just one to gaze over and get acquainted with.
Next Generation?
If you don't already know, the next generation is already here. With Xbox 360 launching last year, it officially got the leg up and kick-started the generation. Later this year we are promised the release of the Playstation 3, the Nintendo Wii, and all the wonderful (and possibly not-so-wonderful) games that will follow. With this generation boasting some of the most innovative and greatest-looking games we have ever seen (Isn't that said for EVERY generation?), it has guaranteed that the playing field is going to be evenly divided. With the Big 3 going in full force later this year, we are going to see a lot of fireworks coming out of Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony.
Where are they now?
The last generation was a big one, and it left its mark on gaming. Sony kept its throne with the Playstation 2, keeping all of the fans it had with the PS1 and managing to snag some new ones in the process. Nintendo's Gamecube didn't fare well this time around, being plagued with a lack of exclusive titles and a generally waning interest in the product. Microsoft appeared as the proverbial newcomer, not knowing much about the business at first, but the software giant made a big mark, having gained a tons of fans with its exclusives and its hardware. It is now leading everyone into the next generation with the Xbox 360.
With each of the Big 3 promising to bring us new franchises, on top of new installments of already popular ones, there is a lot of buzz around the companies about just what they will surprise us with. At E3 in May, we received a small taste of the arsenal that they are packing. Here are some of the more notables games in their line-ups:
Xbox 360 -
Grand Theft Auto
Halo 3
Oblivion
Playstation 3 -
Metal Gear Solid IV - Guns of the Patriots
Asassin's Creed
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XIII
Nintendo Wii -
Metroid Prime: Corruption
Super Mario Galaxies
Red Steel
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
That is only a sample of what we might see in the coming years. With the next generation of consoles boasting more power than ever before, the possibilities are pretty much endless at this point. It's all up to the developers and the companies behind the games.
Where are they going?
Nintendo has stated it wants to bring in new gamers, Sony wants to break the mold of being a console and bump itself up to being a media hub, and Microsoft wants to take console gaming completely online. How are they going to achieve three very different goals? We'll find out in the coming weeks as I break down all three companies, their pros and cons, and their games. I'll try not to be biased as I do so, but we know just as well as anyone else that with every new generation of consoles comes a new generation of fanboys.
What else can we expect?
Plain and simple, this is going to be a war. A big one. We have three very capable companies ready to fire on all cylinders to head into a new generation of gaming. With the last two generations reshaping the gaming world as we know it, we know we are in for one hell of a ride when all three consoles get out on the market and running. All we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride beacause no matter the outcome, we, the players, are going to win.
Aww, that's it?
Hey, I told you this was going to be a short issue. My next one where I go in-depth about the video game giant that is Sony will definitely be longer. We are going to examine what games they are bringing to the table, what mission they have set out to do, and that topic on the minds of everyone who has a job: the price.
Until then, this is Jordan, wishing I had a real title.
