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[Holy Order Sol]

Nothing. I don't buy systems expecting something radically different, I buy them because I want to play the games that are released for them and eventually older systems don't get new releases and that's just how it is.

 

[KOHIPEET]

Better graphics and physics. I hope that in the future computing power will be enough to render geometry made of small voxels and everything in the game world will react to forces. Pair that with a more perfected VR experience and that's what I call next-gen gameplay.

 

[AllIsOneIsNone]

It's just that sensation deep in your loins. You can't describe it, you just know it when it happens.

Spoiler

Virtual Reality

 

[Phades]

New ideas, not the same old formula over and over again.

If it was just about hardware power then PCs would have delivered it long before this new gen.

These two basically summarize how confusion regarding what is considered next gen in general gets placed into context.

Spoiler

note, i agree with both statements individually

Something next gen needs to introduce a new method and style of play. This does not mean it must have a new command input structure or periphrial, although those can work in tandem to create that effect. Of which, the additional elements and mechancis could require higher performance hardware to run properly, which creates the need for "next gen" hardware whether it be platform specific or as a whole across the technological base.

 

[Xaero]

"Next gen gameplay" is a term reviewers use when they have no idea how to properly articulate what their grievances are.

Word.

 

[NickMitch]

Assymetric multiplayer in Nintendoland was next gen gameplay until it became current gen....next gen now is The Omni and to some extent VR

 

[Nickle]

"Next gen gameplay" is gameplay that would not have been possible to have in the previous generations. Better graphics and particle effects don't really count, but a game with 100 people on a 6 mile wide map could, because those things were simply not possible with older consoles.

 

[makeitawkward]

First person sports game that works well.

Larger maps/More players in multiplayer.

 

[AgentOtaku]

True next-generation gameplay?

Easy

Last gen it was unequivocally Red Faction Guerilla for me

 

[brickarts295]

For the PS1/N64 era it was something like MGS and Ocarina of Time
For the PS2/GC era it was something like God of War, Shadow of the Colossus and Resident Evil 4
For the PS3/X360 era it was something like Bioshock, RDR and Portal 2
Way I see it so far, Witcher 3 and Phantom Pain seems to be the only ones promising next gen gameplay for this era, but we'll see.

 

[Hiltz]

Wonderful 101 and some of the multiplayer mini games in Nintendo Land are new gameplay experiences that we haven't seen before.

 

[Fbh]

I just see it as doing stuff you couldn't before because of hardware limitations.

For example when I played the original Bad Company or Red Faction Guerilla they felt "next gen" to me in that I had never seen such degree of destructible environments before.

Or you know, Mass Effect had a level of storytelling and exploration that was hard to find in a Ps2 game.

But yeah, I don't quite get the term of "next gen gameplay".

 

[Hiltz]

I think Wonderful 101 is an example of an original game that could have been done on Xbox 360 or PS3 because they had the necessary processing power and memory of handling the amount of action on screen (even if its toned down just a tad in terms of characters on screen and simultaneous use of Unite morph attacks), and you don't necessarily need the GamePad to play it either. You have the option to substitute drawing on the touch pad mechanic with the use of the analog sticks of a Wii U's CC Pro, so it could be done on the Xbox 360/ PS3's Dual Shock 3 controller just as easily. Again, its just the original gameplay idea that makes it unique for its time that just was not created until Platinum got the idea of using the touch pad as part of the controller input but not one that is actually not mandatory to play the game. Some of that asymmetric puzzle-solving and boss battles could have perhaps been replicated in a less ideal way by a small window appearing on the TV screen (or through actual split-screen view).

 

[SonyToo!™]

Imo "Next Gen Gameplay" where the Xone and PS4 are atm is just a kool aid way too many gamers drank along with the "cloud" in their hype for these consoles. When in fact most AAA's are fine just making the same old shit but with a new lick of paint. The real changes are in monetisation with more games having micro transtactions than ever before.

To my eyes the real innovation atm is on the WiiU with games like Zombie U, Wonderful 101 and Asymmetrical multiplayer. Shame Nintendo fucked up big time since there should have been loads more games like it

Other than that VR would be the true next gen gameplay, but the console versions won't be here for a little while yet.

 

[erawsd]

When I think of next gen gameplay I think of better AI routines, advanced environmental interactivity and scale, ideas so ambitous they could never have been possible on previous hardware. Its sad that games like Fear 1 and Red Faction are still some of the most advanced in those categories.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

I think that being an inFAMOUS game, you can't just completely change how it plays or it wouldn't feel like an inFAMOUS game, if you were to do that you might as well make a new IP. I think that just refining what they had already done right with the game was the right move to make. It seems they took the touchpad and used it fairly well which is all I really would have expected from Sucker Punch for any kind of controller input changes.
As for my thoughts on what "next gen gameplay" is, thats a tough question. I think to really see any true "next gen gameplay" it will take either VR or a new IP that changes the way a game is played. It would have to be something that couldnt be done on last gen hardware so I would suggest maybe something to do with using complex physics in a detailed open world evironment? A game like portal maybe with 2 distinct worlds on either side of the portal?

 

[old]

That a game is alive. It is constantly being tended to by the devs. Daily rankings, weekly competitions, monthly tournaments. All with their own rewards. The game grows by the day with constant content updates, fixes, and new engagements.

The days of a dev making a game and abandoning it shortly after release (or when it goes gold) are over. Dead games are last gen.

 

[RagnarokX]

Well if last generation was any indication I'm coming to expect it means more of a focus on cinematic experiences with very easy gameplay. Usually shooting things. I think that's what most people expect.

What I expect is more complex systems. Not necessarily completely new or different but just things that weren't possible or would have been difficult on previous hardware. Not just better looking but actually more content.

 

[staticneuron]

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.

But it is perfectly ok to judge something down because of a nebulous non-descript metric that no one has seemingly given a specific example or definition?

Why would you expect something totally different without the thought that maybe the idea wouldn't actually work well. Most changes from generation to generation are added features, not a whole new way of playing.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Something I haven't seen or couldn't do before due to technical limitations. I consider Dead Rising's huge crowds of zombies added to the number of items and weapons existed in the world, or the complex level geometry in Assassin's Creed and how that played into the animation and traversal mechanics over something like a Prince of Persia or whatever... I considered that stuff to be "next gen gameplay".

That said, you don't get new consoles and just have that happen. It takes time with the platforms to break out of the mentality of pre-existing limitations. Revolutions aren't scheduled to happen everytime new consoles come out.

 

[robertsan21]

What I expect from next gen is:

Better looking games, better and NEW effects that are mind blowing good compared to what the previous gen offered.

Gameplaywise I am pretty satisfied, I dont expect new type of gameplay, there is only so much you can do with current Controller setup. The thing we have not works just fine IMO.

 

[quantumnerd]

I consider Dead Rising's huge crowds of zombies (...) or the complex level geometry in Assassin's Creed and how that played into the animation and traversal mechanics over something like a Prince of Persia or whatever... I considered that stuff to be "next gen gameplay".

What I expect from next gen is: Better looking games, better and NEW effects that are mind blowing good compared to what the previous gen offered.

VR

IMO, next-gen gameplay this gen is more muddled than it was in previous gens, since most things are technically possible on 360/PS3 gen console hardware. And of course, it takes some time for developers to catch up to the hardware they have available, then more time for them to release the games, then even more time to refine the new concepts. But I consider the following to be next-gen:

• Proper use of motion control -- mostly a hardware thing. The Wiimote had really poor motion tracking for most cases people thought it would be good. For example, for games involving swords, the data wasn't good enough. The PS Move improved on this, but didn't catch on. Kinect gen 1 was extremely laggy. Kinect 2 is a lot better, but currently underutilized. We're also seeing devices like the Sixense that implement magnetic tracking, which is very accurate.
• Photorealism and HD graphics: last generation, getting things to look nice involved many compromises in visual effects, resolution, framerate, post-processing (AA), etc. This generation we'll see less. 1080p60 may not be a certainty, but it's certainly a lot easier to get to than it used to be.
• Virtual reality: The VR headset Sony is shipping, the Occulus on PC, and maybe whatever MS ships if they wake up, are all part of the big VR push this decade. It wasn't properly viable on previous hardware due to the resolution and visual fidelity requirements that VR demands (the Virtual Boy says "hi").
• AI: We haven't seen too much of this going on, but the CPUs in the consoles have a lot of cores and a lot of power. Might as well toss some of it at AI.
• Hybrid multiplayer + online world changes: As seen in Dark Souls, internet connections are good enough and prevalent enough that networked gameplay can be integrated with singleplayer gameplay.
• Procedural generation: As seen in roguelikes (in a very simple, low-tech way) and in Assassin's Creed (for the parkour animations), and in EvE online (for the galaxies (done offline and refined by hand)) we now have the ability to procedurally generate, online and offline, a lot of ingame content. In terms of the realtime/online generation, CPU power enables that.
• Huge, detailed environments: We have a ton of memory now and enough CPU power to stream things around.

 

[Vinc]

I guess... gameplay ideas that are enabled by the power of the new gen consoles. But I'm mostly just craving new ideas, I don't really care if they're enabled by these consoles or not. Even though I'm craving new ideas, I'm honestly not looking for a revolution or anything. I'm super excited about VR, that seems like a legitimate thing I'll be interested in, unlike motion controls. Eye tracking sounds super cool as well, but the combination of the two sounds the absolute best. MGS Ground Zeroes feels "next-gen" to me, because the combination of its visuals, open world gameplay, animations, smooth framerate, and refined controls really give it a next-gen feel to me, something I haven't experienced with any other "next-gen" games so far.

 

[Dion Blaster]

I guess something unique. I agree with that post that cited Mario 64, RE4, Metroid Prime, etc., but I wonder how many of those gameplay elements were really hinging on "next gen"? I mean higher performance certainly benefited the games but was lack of power really holding any of these gameplay ideas back? Other than Mario 64 of course, 3D gaming was a whole new ballgame. And Wii sports of course.

I guess my point is that people usually mean new unique ideas, but in the end I don't think they are really dependent on new technology except in very rare circumstances.

 

[dejan]

When you press something awesome a button has to happen.

 

[cyberheater]

A simple thing that has irritated me for a very long time. I no longer want to see arms and legs of people/creatures etc... disappearing into the world geometry. Nothing kills my belief in the game world faster then seeing someone I've just shot arm falling through a wall.

Devs. Get your geometry and physics detection shit sorted out.

 

[Slappers Only]

I can destroy anything. Nothing is sacred. Not even trees.

 

[Rodney McKay]

Next means that the game is fresh to me. Something that's not quite like anything I played the previous gen, either because of technology holding it back or the idea never really materialized (successfully) beforehand.

• Kameo gave me a big feeling of next-gen freshness with it's huge battle areas with thousands of things on screen at a time (more of a graphical thing, but it helped the overall experience IMO).
• Borderland's FPS+Lootgrind was something I hadn't really experienced before and felt fresh and fun.
• Red Faction Guerrilla with it's fully destructible buildings was amazing and it's sad we haven't seen something close to it since (not nearly as big a focus as it's mediocre sequel)
• The Godfather was one of the few gimmicky Wii games that actually clicked for me. Using the motion controls to beatup people, thrown molotov cocktails, etc. was all really fun. I never really wanted to do that in any others games afterwards, but for that game it was a lot of fun for me.
• Super Mario 64 DS was pretty mind blowing at the time too. A game that was cutting edge (more-or-less) on consoles just 10 or so years before is now on a HANDHELD!

A simple thing that has irritated me for a very long time. I no longer want to see arms and legs of people/creatures etc... disappearing into the world geometry. Nothing kills my belief in the game world faster then seeing someone I've just shot arm falling through a wall.

Devs. Get your geometry and physics detection shit sorted out.

Haha, yeah. I think it was during the Xbox/PS2 generation playing Splinter Cell where that was the first time I really started to notice little stuff like that. Same with aliasing; I would look at a wire off in the distance and wonder why it was all chopped up like that and not a smooth line.

 

[Yasae]

Fewer QTE's.

 

[michaelius]

Native resolution and no drops below 30 fps and near instant loading times.

 

[Nev]

You can't expect a change in gameplay capabilities like the one from PS2 to PS360 in this generation. Almost everything we could desire was achievable in the last generation, now it's just a matter of better graphics. There is no "next-gen gameplay", there are few things outside of graphic fidelity that couldn't be achieved last gen. If someone comes up with new gameplay mechanics it will be innovative gameplay, not "next-gen gameplay that wasn't possible before".

What the hell is "doesn't play next-gen enough"? The embarrassment with these "journalists" is intensifying hastily.

 

[Takuan]

To me, it means scale more than anything, but not every game needs that. In my head I've always pictured a spy game with scenarios that involve spotting/tailing someone in a packed mall on Christmas day, which could potentially lead to a shootout (or not). Or something like the club scene in Collateral. I've yet to see something that matches my personal vision: densely populated public spaces with unique NPCs that are near-par in detail to your character. Hardware limitations aside, the challenge of coding convincing AI alone is probably monumental.

Honestly, I'm quite content playing games that build upon classic mechanics and give them a fresh coat of paint. Aside from scale, I don't know how one could "next-gennify" any popular genre, nor do I have expectations of developers to do this. For the most part, I just expect them to do things well.

 

[majik13]

Several WiiU games have felt like next gen gameplay to me.

Mainly ZombiU, NintendoLand, even Trine, and Rayman Legends with touchscreen stuff.

For PS4, probably BF4. Though the game exists on last gen consoles, the presentation, immersion, detail and playability is scaled back so much. At least for MP. In that sense I suppsoe I am reffering to "gameplay" as the complete package.

In a more hypothetical exampe, I would consider potential next gen gameplay being stuff like more complex AI, games that depend on a lot of physics, or an intense amount of interactive particles/object physics. Or simliarly games that are based around a lot of things on screen and being able to fully interact with them.

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

I don't know, but when I see the powers at work in Infamous Second Son I feel there is no way that could work on the PS3. Of course I could be wrong, but the gameplay of Second Son to me doesn't seem possible on last gen hardware.

Also why is that even held against a game anyway? So because AC4 and BF4 were on last gen systems they are exempt of that complaint? Why is Mario and Zelda exempt of that criticism? When Smash Bros is released will it get a lower score for not having next gen gameplay? Or Halo? The complaint seems to be too selective to take seriously. Seems to be a way to complain about a series reviewers don't care for as much.

 

[SmoothRunningGun]

I'm tired of static worlds. There should be some level of destructibility in most games at this point.

AI should behave like it cares about its own survival.

 

[wanderingprostheyltite]

Honestly next gen gameplay to me either involves some sort of VR coupled with clever gameplay elements that utilize asymmetric gameplay (like that couch knights demo Oculus was using) or has clever AI, more advanced physics that actually enhances gameplay etc. I mean I think the criticism for SS is a bit unfounded because for open world single player third person action games how much can you really do? I think there's a general fatigue with this style of gameplay, and I certainly felt it while playing GTA V. I know they're different beasts but by the end of it I felt like most of it was a chore and just not fun. I liked the story elements and exploring the world but most of the missions were bland and uninspiring. I don't think AC IV had next gen gameplay either but I found it fun due to the use of the ship and the exploration of the Caribbean in it. Devs just need to find more varied ways of exploring and manipulating a world aside from the usual spam attacks> clear enemies> story sequence> back to open world >find mission >repeat. Sadly for some social integration is where most of this will come from like with The Division and Watch Dogs (mobile integration).

I mean honestly what was the last AAA game someone played that had a gameplay mechanic alone (graphics aside) that felt like some insane game changer that actually felt like it was utilizing a tech aspect to achieve it? I'm scratching my head cause I'm just coming up with the kinds of gradual refinements to the same mechanics we've been manipulating for a few gens.

 

[Wray]

For me it's about physics. To be more specific, I want to see the concept of health or hit points go away. I want player and npc/monster damage to reflect realistic anatomy and physics.

I want my metal sword to cut through flesh the same way it would in real life. I want "health" to be dependent on where you get hurt and with what and how. I want to swing my axe in future Dark Souls and have it get stuck in some skeletons armor. I want organs and blood inside models, and I want it all to work as realistically as possible.

I don't think soft body physics like that is possible till next gen though.

 

[Furyous]

It means:

Environments and NPCs react realistically to player choice.
It includes detailed animations comprised thousands of individual mini actions.
Scenarios with different things happening on the same screen as the player completes an objective.
Experiences that evolve over months and years like Borderlands.
Dat Cloud aka Emotion Engine aka fancy marketing term that does jack shit but fuel fanboy arguments.
HD details in characters.

Spoiler

For instance the next DOA should show individual beads of sweat that drip down a character's veiny gibsons.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

The problem with this kind of view is that these are mostly controller improvements. The controllers have barely changed this gen. More to the point 'next-gen gameplay' (hate the term) is quite different from a 'next-gen console'. The console is really just some updated specs, while the former is something we havent seen before.

Also notice that complainers fail to promote any solid idea of what would constitute 'next-gen gameplay'?

True. Not to rub noses in it, but many people are describing trends or fads (like regening HP or art styles) instead of what I pointed out of "now we have the horsepower to do This Thing which was technologically impossible on those old machines" but that being ate into this and the last generation by skyrocketing costs to enact that that make it unfeasible but for the biggest (read: "feels safest") projects.

 

[SuperEpicGuy]

Simple, something that can't be done on an older console. Examples: advanced ai, VR, a lot of enemies on screen, etc.

 

[NeoGarrison]

Next gen gameplay means absolutely nothing but some BS phrase reviewers came up to be able to subject games that they WANT to have lower scores with something to do it with.
That's all it is.

 

[NoMoreTrolls]

Nothing. The statement is bullshit.

Although it could mean something like soft body physics having a drastic, noticeable impact on the way a game plays--something we haven't really seen yet.

 

[Bacon_Boss]

I want bigger and more detailed. I realize current machines can't do this, but what about an instanced GTA where every office building in downtown is both enterable and populated, even if i'm just running around collecting paperclips.

 

[Portugeezer]

No one knows what next gen gameplay is really. I could list some things which could probably improve, but until games do it as a norm then I can't moan for a game not doing it; only praise those that do.

It's mainly graphics, a lot of cool gameplay elements could have been done many years ago, albeit with a huge hit on graphics, fusing them with amazing graphics is the "next gen" aspect.

 

[TheCloser]

Drastic improvement in Ai. I play a lot of sports games and I swear, the ai hasn't evolved since the ps2 days. In some cases, it's gotten significantly worse. It is not limited to sports games only. Bad Ai will kill the immersion faster than bad graphics yet devs continue to focus only on graphics.

 

[PhatSaqs]

Something that couldn't be done on previous gen that involves actual gameplay. Pretty straightforward .

 

[Jigorath]

I don't know, what did "next gen gameplay" mean last gen? As long as I get fun games I really don't care.

 

[kinggroin]

Its simply gameplay that exists on a new system.

 

[gioGAF]

"Next gen gameplay" seems like a stupid buzz phrase that the media has come up with. It is meaningless and used to justify poorly thought out opinions. I don't understand why anyone would think that a new pair of home consoles would = "next gen gameplay". If they wanted to see what "next gen gameplay" would look like, all they needed to do was buy a souped up PC.

Gameplay is not magically going to change just because new hardware is released, smh.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

"Next gen gameplay" implies that the gameplay of games themselves will evolve to be newer and better then games from the old gen which doesn't make any sense at all.
I mean PS4 launched with Killzone (from last gen) and it's killer app is Infamous (from last gen)
Xbone with Killer Instinct (from waaaay back) and Dead Rising 3 (from last gen)