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What does "next gen gameplay" mean to you?
- Thread starter Servbot24
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Suzushiiro
Banned
To me "next-gen gameplay" means gameplay that wouldn't be possible (or at least not practical) without the new technology that a generational leap gives you. Assassin's Creed, for example, probably wouldn't have worked on 6th-gen hardware. Mario 64 defintiely wouldn't have worked on SNES.
That said, I'm not sure if there's anything significant you can do gameplay-wise with PS4/XBone that you couldn't do with PS360, at least with a controller and TV. A "traditional" game may prove me wrong, but I think any true "next-gen gameplay" is going to come from VR or something of that nature.
That said, I'm not sure if there's anything significant you can do gameplay-wise with PS4/XBone that you couldn't do with PS360, at least with a controller and TV. A "traditional" game may prove me wrong, but I think any true "next-gen gameplay" is going to come from VR or something of that nature.
Next gen gameplay means a game that needed stronger hardware to achieve better and more varied design.
The jump from Driver 1&2 on PS1 to GTA3 on PS2, next gen gameplay. You couldn't use weapons while on foot in Driver 2, you could only move around and enter vehicles. GTA3 has a metric shit ton of features and mechanics in comparison. The jump from MGS1 on PS1 to MGS2 on PS2. Perfect Dark on N64 to Halo on Xbox.
Of course the jump from 360/PS3 to Xbone/PS4 wouldn't be nearly as significant, and the current gen has only started, but the current software available for Xbone/PS4 doesn't justify getting either console. Next gen gameplay will probably show up sometime soon, within a year or the next two years.
The jump from Driver 1&2 on PS1 to GTA3 on PS2, next gen gameplay. You couldn't use weapons while on foot in Driver 2, you could only move around and enter vehicles. GTA3 has a metric shit ton of features and mechanics in comparison. The jump from MGS1 on PS1 to MGS2 on PS2. Perfect Dark on N64 to Halo on Xbox.
Of course the jump from 360/PS3 to Xbone/PS4 wouldn't be nearly as significant, and the current gen has only started, but the current software available for Xbone/PS4 doesn't justify getting either console. Next gen gameplay will probably show up sometime soon, within a year or the next two years.
RobFox64tm
Member
So the media celebrates the release of a traditional, no nonsense console, then turns around and criticizes the games on said console for not doing anything new? What did they expect was going to happen?
M°°nblade
Banned
To me, 'next-gen gameplay' means as much as 'Nintendo magic' or 'fun'.
It's called being deliberately vague because you can't or don't care to provide an explanation or description why you do or don't like something.
It's called being deliberately vague because you can't or don't care to provide an explanation or description why you do or don't like something.
Ploid 3.0
Member
Whatever crazyness is cooked up for PS5, WiiUs2 etc.
I don't see how a new gen can dramatically change the gameplay. Better power does allow for things, like opening a dam of water to wipe out a city, or better streaming in open world games that allow you to warp to far away places with no loading I guess. PC isn't even there yet though. (getting my new graphics card today, so excited to try my old games with it. ^^)
I don't see how a new gen can dramatically change the gameplay. Better power does allow for things, like opening a dam of water to wipe out a city, or better streaming in open world games that allow you to warp to far away places with no loading I guess. PC isn't even there yet though. (getting my new graphics card today, so excited to try my old games with it. ^^)
No, generation refers to a time period, it doesn't imply increased horse power.
Indie games such as Minecraft are next gen experiences even if they can be made on previous gen hardware.
It doesn't matter if an older system can handle newer gameplay systems or not; if the gameplay feels novel compared to what's currently available, that's the ideal. People call it "next gen gameplay" as a simple moniker, but new gameplay ideas or systems (no matter how technically demanding they actually may be) is the core of that idea.
It's the distinction between presentation and interactivity. Newer hardware allows better presentation, but impressive game design requires thought and creativity.
It's the distinction between presentation and interactivity. Newer hardware allows better presentation, but impressive game design requires thought and creativity.
For me its a meaningless term bandied about both by gamers and individuals within the industry without any clear context or definition of what it means.
Of course maybe that's coming from a more PC centric background where there is a more constant and on-going expansion of tech capability and no real sense of "this gen/next gen" so much as before this feature / after this feature.
Gameplay wise I think, outside controller/input devices, more tech power (RAM, etc) rarely translates automatically to "new gaming capabilities" - you might get faster loading, more FPS, etc. but currently we're well past the point of jumps from 2D to 3D, etc. and unless we're talking something like Wii Sports or similar I feel there are very few genuine instances you could point to a game and definitively say "that's next gen gameplay".
It also seems to be a crutch for reviews to use when they can't seem to find another way to put their issues with a game in context for the score they're awarding.
Of course maybe that's coming from a more PC centric background where there is a more constant and on-going expansion of tech capability and no real sense of "this gen/next gen" so much as before this feature / after this feature.
Gameplay wise I think, outside controller/input devices, more tech power (RAM, etc) rarely translates automatically to "new gaming capabilities" - you might get faster loading, more FPS, etc. but currently we're well past the point of jumps from 2D to 3D, etc. and unless we're talking something like Wii Sports or similar I feel there are very few genuine instances you could point to a game and definitively say "that's next gen gameplay".
It also seems to be a crutch for reviews to use when they can't seem to find another way to put their issues with a game in context for the score they're awarding.
And doesn't power usually get increased with each new gen, almost every time? If power doesn't increase, something else is usually drastically changed to influence the design of games. No Mans Sky is next gen gameplay from a indie, because it would not be possible to put that game on 360/PS3 given its core design.
Valkyri von Thanatos
Member
Tactical Espionage Operations. Doesn't matter if it runs on last gen, it's new territory for the genre and gaming at large. Cannot wait to see it released of its chains in MGSV: The Phantom Pain.
chickdigger802
Banned
for me, its animations.
*runs into a wall*
*runs into a wall*
I haven't seen anything original in No Mans Sky, simply extending the space between points of interest doesn't make it different. It had basic walking, flight and shooting mechanics in the reveal trailer. This is not an example of new gameplay.
Outside of stuff like this, which doesn't necessarily invent the wheel, is there something the PS3/360 couldn't do?
New gens can make certain processes easier, but I can't see them entirely changing how games are played. It should take new ideas for that, not hardware.
Auto-Reply
Member
Well, i don't know... nothing? I like old gen gameplay more i guess?
This is me.
Maybe there is better AI and more stuff going on, but that's about it.
Do PC games get marked down for not having next gen gameplay?
LegendofLex
Member
... And your point is? Basically everything I described there reflected how excited the public was about the latest game consoles. Everything there opened gaming up in some way.
Notice how today's game consoles don't have that kind of energy behind them, even with incredible marketing campaigns. "Graphics" didn't really pave any inroads for gaming last-gen, so why would that change this time around? The new consoles are selling strongly in the way the 3DS was selling strongly - to dedicated players, not to society at large. And, like 3DS, I anticipate pretty sharp declines when it's all said and done.
AyaisMUsikWhore
Member
How about we kind of change the definition in which we are using it.. It should be more in the lines of "What is a next gen experience"
In my opinion... Gameplay itself is traditional. There's always a shoot, a melee, a conjuring of some type of power/perk etc. However, gameplay itself true evolution is in the game experience..
For example, take Titanfall. Take away everything from Titanfall and it is your basic FPS. You shoot, you run, you jump, you melee, you conjure. However the themes of the game that are put together is really what makes the game what it is. Now you can say that, it isn't something other games haven't done. But that's just it, it isn't, however the full experience is what sets it apart.
Next gen gaming to me is that. It's always going to be a little bit of the same because the core mechanics will never leave, it's all about the experience that will matter. Scale, adds to that. Back then with limited hardware we could only travel so much, explore so much, do things outside your normal story with limits. Now it's giving more life to a world, an environment.. Giving life to a theme that we have never heard of before.
By theme, I'm specifically taking about things like Bioshock.. Mixing Underwater adventure with steam punk and a cloud Atlantis, giving a game a minimalist styling about a lone traveler with little to no words, exploring the adventure of a hacker who can control the entire city, basically throwing together a themes that you have never seen or heard of that makes it different.
However when it comes to Sequels, I think that's when things get blurry. Saying things like it's more of the same makes no sense because the game is built off of a theme that it's going with. It isn't like Nintendo where they have a universal character that can jump into different genres when they want. Sony couldn't take infamous and turn it into a side scroller or a FPS. Because the game wasn't built like that. However them adding more to the experience is how they achieve that. Whether that is adding more powers, branching off onto another storyline.. Making the map bigger and destructive, etc etc.
So in my opinion, that's what a next gen experience is.
TLDR Edition: Gameplay is traditional, however game experiences such as themes, settings, design, and fresh ideas is what will define next gen *imo*
In my opinion... Gameplay itself is traditional. There's always a shoot, a melee, a conjuring of some type of power/perk etc. However, gameplay itself true evolution is in the game experience..
For example, take Titanfall. Take away everything from Titanfall and it is your basic FPS. You shoot, you run, you jump, you melee, you conjure. However the themes of the game that are put together is really what makes the game what it is. Now you can say that, it isn't something other games haven't done. But that's just it, it isn't, however the full experience is what sets it apart.
Next gen gaming to me is that. It's always going to be a little bit of the same because the core mechanics will never leave, it's all about the experience that will matter. Scale, adds to that. Back then with limited hardware we could only travel so much, explore so much, do things outside your normal story with limits. Now it's giving more life to a world, an environment.. Giving life to a theme that we have never heard of before.
By theme, I'm specifically taking about things like Bioshock.. Mixing Underwater adventure with steam punk and a cloud Atlantis, giving a game a minimalist styling about a lone traveler with little to no words, exploring the adventure of a hacker who can control the entire city, basically throwing together a themes that you have never seen or heard of that makes it different.
However when it comes to Sequels, I think that's when things get blurry. Saying things like it's more of the same makes no sense because the game is built off of a theme that it's going with. It isn't like Nintendo where they have a universal character that can jump into different genres when they want. Sony couldn't take infamous and turn it into a side scroller or a FPS. Because the game wasn't built like that. However them adding more to the experience is how they achieve that. Whether that is adding more powers, branching off onto another storyline.. Making the map bigger and destructive, etc etc.
So in my opinion, that's what a next gen experience is.
TLDR Edition: Gameplay is traditional, however game experiences such as themes, settings, design, and fresh ideas is what will define next gen *imo*
Is the core design, scope and interaction included, possible on last gen consoles?
The answer is no.
In other words you're playing video games for reasons unrelated to what makes games unique from other mediums -- gameplay.
NullPointer
Member
I'd like to believe it means better AI than we saw in Halo: CE. AI with modeled senses, memories, morale, dispositions and the ability to be fooled, morale, and varied dispositions. And more of them.
For fuck's sake let this be the gen where AI no longer pings you in the dome perfectly through smoke or bushes.
In other words: Be like Bungie
For fuck's sake let this be the gen where AI no longer pings you in the dome perfectly through smoke or bushes.
In other words: Be like Bungie
I feel the Wii and DS did a lot to drive new gameplay mechanics. I think in previous days (e.g. the jump from SNES to PS1), the increased technical specs legitimately offered new potential game mechanics, although that has mostly stopped being true.
I've been trying to think when I felt like I was in the "next-gen" when the 360 and PS3 released. I don't think it was until I started playing Gears 1, and that came out a full year after the 360 released, right? I think we have some time before we start answering the question, but one thing I'm really excited for is the idea of the rules or environment in a game dynamically changing, and I don't mean by way of paid DLC. Listening to Insomniac talk about their ideas for Sunset Overdrive or Ubi's The Division seem like lofty goals, but exciting ones nonetheless.
ryanofcall
Member
crazy new gameplay ideas
async. gameplay, cross-platform multiplayer (even though we already had it on GBA/NGC and Vita/PS3), Smartphone integration (Watch_Dogs, The Division) are some next-gen gameplay ideas I can think of. But I'm looking forward to see what devs will come up with beside that
like a second person shooter.
async. gameplay, cross-platform multiplayer (even though we already had it on GBA/NGC and Vita/PS3), Smartphone integration (Watch_Dogs, The Division) are some next-gen gameplay ideas I can think of. But I'm looking forward to see what devs will come up with beside that
ChronotriggerJM
Member
I just want more power. Give me more physics based elements, more numerous and robust A.I. Elements, more characters on screen, bigger draw distances, soft body physics, better atmospheric elements, etc etc etc.
New ways to control are cool, but not always better, always welcome mind you, but I'm not necessarily banking my enjoyment of a game off of something like that.
New ways to control are cool, but not always better, always welcome mind you, but I'm not necessarily banking my enjoyment of a game off of something like that.
sixteen-bit
Member
it's not an objective question lol
AyaisMUsikWhore
Member
I think of Gameplay as how you play the game (meaning controls) not what your playing. Unless I have the definition of gameplay all messed up in which it means the entire game then you have a point
OldKingDoran
Banned
Steady 60fps for all genres, not just fighting games.
Don't really care for graphics, the gameplay is where its at
Don't really care for graphics, the gameplay is where its at
Canis lupus
Member
Reasons why points are taken down or given hit a new low with this new criteria.
All games from now on that continue what we had last gen and the gens before it are in danger of losing points for not inventing the wheel again.
All games from now on that continue what we had last gen and the gens before it are in danger of losing points for not inventing the wheel again.
IncandescentPrecept
Banned
It's gameplay on the new systems.
Ideally it would involve an expansion of either size or complexity in the worlds in which we play. It would involve new game styles which weren't possible last gen, either due to lack of connectivity or lack of raw power.
What those specifics look like are a little harder to tell, as it's going to be different for every genre of game, and different devs are going to approach it differently.
For example, shooters -- One way to do next-gen gameplay is to make them bigger. 64 or 128 players, huge maps, tons of vehicles of every size and shape. Another way is to keep it small, but change the dynamic of how online effects the game -- say a game where number of viewers on Twitch dynamically influenced health or ammo, or multiple different platforms, all playing different roles in a single game (iPad users doing oversight, phone gamers controlling drones, console gamers acting as infantry, and PC gamers as snipers and special forces).
I don't know exactly what next-gen gameplay is going to look like, but it's silly to expect it in bulk in games that were started last gen, before anyone was sure what this gen would look like.
What those specifics look like are a little harder to tell, as it's going to be different for every genre of game, and different devs are going to approach it differently.
For example, shooters -- One way to do next-gen gameplay is to make them bigger. 64 or 128 players, huge maps, tons of vehicles of every size and shape. Another way is to keep it small, but change the dynamic of how online effects the game -- say a game where number of viewers on Twitch dynamically influenced health or ammo, or multiple different platforms, all playing different roles in a single game (iPad users doing oversight, phone gamers controlling drones, console gamers acting as infantry, and PC gamers as snipers and special forces).
I don't know exactly what next-gen gameplay is going to look like, but it's silly to expect it in bulk in games that were started last gen, before anyone was sure what this gen would look like.
ThatStupidLion
Member
i'm guessing it means utilizing the newly available tech to innovate the gameplay.
really though ... it shouldnt mean anything
really though ... it shouldnt mean anything
Violence Jack
Member
Not a damn thing. There are titles with innovative gameplay elements (Metroid Prime, Bulletstorm, and Mirror's Edge come to mind), but as long as I'm having fun, I couldn't care less about "next-gen" gameplay.
silver.tongue
Member
What people think it means: A new way to play.
What they got? The Wii U and Oculus Rift.
What does it really mean: Nothing.
There's nothing wrong with the way people play games now. Just refining gameplay is a better idea than coming up with some terrible experiment.
What they got? The Wii U and Oculus Rift.
What does it really mean: Nothing.
There's nothing wrong with the way people play games now. Just refining gameplay is a better idea than coming up with some terrible experiment.
What if I think the "way people play games now" is boring and uninteresting?
GravityMan
Member
It's just a meaningless phrase that reviewers like to use to sound more sophisticated than they really are.
Agree with this. Mario 64, Zelda OoT, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, Demon's and Dark Souls all fit the bill. DayZ and Rust also seem like they fit, although I haven't played them.
I just want AAA devs to think outside the box a bit more. Most of the games listed above are not the first games in their respective genres, they were just new takes on familiar things.
"Next-gen" has nothing to do with it.
Agree with this. Mario 64, Zelda OoT, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, Demon's and Dark Souls all fit the bill. DayZ and Rust also seem like they fit, although I haven't played them.
I just want AAA devs to think outside the box a bit more. Most of the games listed above are not the first games in their respective genres, they were just new takes on familiar things.
"Next-gen" has nothing to do with it.
Gully State
Member
What the indies on PC space are doing for the most part.
