I have seen a few blogs and opinion pieces lately that make the claim that PCs are not already next gen. I have also seen a lot of comments on forums and all around the net from console fanboys parroting basically the same thing. So I wanted to address this argument and show why it is riddled with absurdities and irrationality.
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Their argument essentially is that gaming PCs aren't really next gen because "real" next gen games are about innovative leaps in game design over mere "eye candy". They claim that while games like Crysis 3, Metro Last Light or The Witcher 2 on PC might have visuals that are a generation ahead of consoles it all amounts to mere window dressing on a current gen game.
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They say that when next gen consoles get here we will see fundamental shifts in game design not possible on current gen console hardware. But they say we won't see it in cross-generation multiplatform games that are hamstrung by the older consoles. Exclusives and multiplatform games that move completely over to the new hardware are where we supposedly will see the true magic happen.
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This is all bunk. Game design innovation is punctuated throughout and across generations. I have never seen a sea change in fundamental game design with the arrival of a new generation of hardware. More detailed and more immersive visuals are always the principal feature that defines each new generation.
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Look at all the next gen games shown at E3. Exclusives like Killzone Shadow Fall and inFamous Second Son have fantastic graphics that more or less reach the bar set by high end PC games, but their fundamental design is extremely similar to past entries in those franchises. Moreover, a few of the more innovative looking games are cross-generational multiplats like Watch Dogs and Destiny.
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So does this mean we shouldn't call the PS4 and Xbox One "next generation consoles"?
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The truth is, most of the design innovation we see doesn't happen as a sea change brought about by new hardware, it is brought about by creative minds who are driven to create something new. And such innovation most often is not tied to any particualr generation of hardware. Many of the freshest game experiences brought to us this generation came from brilliant indie developers, not from big AAA game developers using super advanced physics or AI.
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There are some design changes that are only possible with more powerful hardware, but games with those kinds of designs are the extreme minority. The vast majority of Xbox 360 and PS3 games, for example, could be scaled back to work on last generation consoles.
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Besides, while these people want to pretend that the PC only offers prettier visuals, the truth is that there are some design differences to be found in PC games which aren't possible on current consoles. The scale and physics of Planetside 2 and the 64 players of Battlefield 3 are a couple examples that spring to mind. In fact, Planetside 2 is looking to make a pretty big splash on the PS4. Why didn't it come to PS3? Well, it wasn't realistically possible. Same goes for the 64 players in Battlefield 3. PS3 and 360 couldn't handle it, but it is now being advertised as an exciting new advancement for Battlefield 4 on PS4 and Xbox One.
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In terms of hardware, gaming PCs don't really have generations. But by any standard that we judge new consoles to be "next gen", PCs have already been there.
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