No surprise. These days sequels are almost required to make money off the investment on a game engine IMO.
Even so. I hope this game has a high focus on exploration and Lara vs the environment, with difficult puzzles and a lack of "press X for hints". Because Tomb Raider to me is mostly about exploring the environment - a lot of what I've seen just looks like Uncharted Starring Lara Croft.
I agree with what he's saying about power and the current generation being more or less capable. But to imply that power is "all" that Sony and MS are doing is absurd. Has he not seen what MS are doing with Windows 8/tablets/phones? Has he not seen Kinect and the possibilities it represents? I think you've been living under a rock for too long, Mr Carmack.
What he's saying is that graphically and tech-wise a new console generation needs to be a significant step up to entice consumers to spend the cash on new consoles. At present, although there is a big gap between 360/PS3 vs what modern hardware is capable of, it's still not enough of a jump to really wow consumers.
This is going to get harder and harder as game visuals come closer and closer to photo-realism, and also partly explains why the current generation of consoles is lasting so damn long.
I think it's great that they're making these Mario games - as well as making new 3D style ones such as Super Mario Galaxy. It keeps the old-school fans happy, as well as pushes new ground. But the key to Mario's brand success is consistency - if you purchase a Mario game, you know you're in for a good time. Sega should've been following suit 10 years ago with their Sonic games.
Hmmmm. While it will be worth not getting caught up in rumours/fantasy, I'm expecting Microsoft's next console to be nothing short of impressive. Microsoft pushed really hard when the 360 came out - the price and technology were insane for the time - so it wouldn't surprise me if they do the same this time to really seal their name on the market. They know launching a new console is a big thing, and the 360 showed they're willing to go all out.
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