Topic: The PS4, games and Sony speculation thread

I expect at least 5 AAA games (Sony exclusives 1st and 3rd party) announced in E3, doubtful all of them would be released in 2015 however.

Nintendo did go down the route of having an expansion pack for their N64 console which helped boost he resolution of games but the whole point about consoles - particularly with online gaming is that everyone has the same. What you are talking about effectively is the ability to upgrade your console - albeit a more expensive way by literally doubling the cost. As you don't need an extra Blu-ray, why not just double the RAM and maybe the GPU only - isn't that what PC owners do? On PC if you want to have the edge over your opponent, you build a better system. Then you will get games releasing that say minimum specs 2 PS4 but optimum settings require 4....

I'm looking forward to E3, I hope you are right. And we get some fallout 4 of course. @scullorio I think that the cube idea is a good one, have some ram, dyes and processors in there. Or you could have a base system and then release a cube to sit in it every 18-24 months which would increase the speed so by the end of the gen you would potentially have 3 or 4 cuboids' In a base station. The later released base units would have the cubes with them at point of sale. I suppose that would help get to the magic 1080p 60fps. @BAMozzy yes I remember that as well. Didn't majorcas mark require it?

If I was being bold, I'd say, we'd get an update on the Last guardian.

I really really REALLY hope, we get an announcement on Fallout 4! It would make me very happy! I also hope to see an update on Persona 5.

I smell something fishy...

When Majora's Mask came out, it was around the time my wife was pregnant as well as changing jobs, so it was game I wanted but never got around to playing. The first game I remember it making any difference on was Turok 2 (who can forget the Cerebral Bore?) After that I don't know which games used it or needed it as I already had it and like I said it was also around the birth of my youngest so some things are a little hazy in the memory.

Regardless though, its still like 'upgrading' and would create a multi tier system. Games will start selling as 'enhanceable' with a certain expansion but after a while that expansion would be necessary. Then a console becomes like the PC world. You would have a different playing field for online too. Those with better resolution and FPS would have the advantage and then we start getting into the elitism 'my console is better than yours' within the brand - its bad enough across brands let alone within!

Part of the reason I buy and prefer consoles in general is that everyone has the same and that its cost is a one off payment for the lifespan. I know that it can seem frustrating that PC's are moving further ahead with what they can deliver but I still think that is better than a new expansion coming out every 18months to the console. If you have multiple consoles in your family, that can get incredibly expensive too.

I am a little disappointed that both Sony and MS gave us Generation 8 consoles that seem a lot less capable than their specs would indicate. If you look at the 'minimum specs' of some PC games that are delivering more than 1080p/60fps, they (on paper at least) seem a lot lower than what's in the console. Its no secret that the XB1 is lacking the power of the PS4 in terms of GPU and its RAM speed (although it may have a faster CPU and the ESRAM too) but it still has a better chipset, more RAM (even if it is DDR3 - like a lot of PC's) and an equivalent GPU to the Radeon HD 7790 so even that should be more than enough to deliver. The PS4 is a much simpler architecture (as it doesn't have the ESRAM) and certainly appears more powerful than the minimum specs required for the 'best quality' PC experience. Often these require 6GB RAM, quad core CPU and a similar GPU to the XB1's so the PS4 should easily be enough.

When you consider what was in the Generation 7 consoles in terms of RAM, CPU and GPU, it was delivering much better games than higher specced PC's were - mainly because these were dedicated gaming machines where as PC's were more multi-tasking. Even today, the PS3/XB360 can deliver the size and scale of those on PS4/XB1 albeit at 720p. They have around 1 sixteenth of the RAM (DDR3), less cores in the CPU and a far less capable GPU too. All this leads me to believe it must be down to either the multi-media extras or the developers themselves. Even late on in the life of Generation 7, we were getting those 'WOW' moments with the visuals - Uncharted 3 had it and Read Dead Redemption too but also had a massive open world scale. Maybe not WOW by those of Generation 8 but still incredible considering the power under the hood especially compared with the minimum specs PC needed to play these games.

I have gone 'off topic' and waffled long enough but the gist is upgradeable consoles can be a bad thing...

@BAMozzy I will reserve judgement until further into the generation. I reckon some games over the coming years will literally blow everything released so far out of the water. Actually you make a really good point and maybe pc gaming will be the way forward after this gen, as they offer more games for less with more power.

Maybe PC gaming will be the way forward. Considering the cost though, I bet you can't buy a PC capable of playing PS4 quality for the same amount and even if you could you would be at a disadvantage in online compared to those with the best systems. I believe the Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X is regarded as the best GPU available currently yet costs £870 - around 3 times the cost of a PS4 and Xbox One. That's before you consider the CPU/motherboard, RAM, Blu-Ray drive, Hard Drive, Power supply, Cooling, Case any wiring required, Operating System and of course Keyboard/Mouse (and a controller if you prefer) - what about wireless options so you can sit on your sofa and play too. You maybe able to reduce the costs in certain areas - like the case, Keyboard/Mouse etc though, but you still can't build an equivalent PC to a PS4 for the same costs. It also becomes a much more expensive hobby as upgrades to keep it on top and up to spec is an ongoing procedure. Almost immediately you have the 'best' system available it is surpassed by something else.

All this for a boost in resolution and frame rate - considering the eye can't detect the individual frames in movies at 24fps and individual pixels on a 55" 1080p TV at 6ft away. It doesn't actually make the games significantly different - you don't get a longer story or better character development - it doesn't make the environments bigger or more NPC's,Wildlife etc. If the developers are good you may get better looking plant life but you will still get those in the console version. I suppose it really comes down to what you play games for - do you play them for the visuals or experience. I know the visuals can enhance the experience but indie and retro style games prove that games can still be fun. I know I have stopped to admire the scenery/view in some games but often I am too busy enjoying them to worry about the exact resolution/frame rate. I can't say I enjoyed Tomb Raider more on Generation 8 consoles than when I played it on Generation 7 - if anything slightly less as I knew what to expect from the story.

The most intelligent thing I've seen posted on a gaming related forum in a very long time. Thank you. I agree.

I believe that when persona 5 arrives it will be the next must have series, and I mean on a scale of cod or ass creed. You wait

I hope Sega (owns Atlus now) doesn't make Persona 5 multiplat then, I've hated that every other Shin Megami game was Nintendo exclusive, so I find great joy that the one I can still enjoy is the most hyped now. (I only buy one of the three major consoles every generation, I'm not rich lol).

I only have the ps4 and vita and my kids have the 3ds. But space and time are factors for me. But persona 5 will be great.

Of course graphics don't make a game but if I'm playing a big budget tripple A release the last thing I want is for it to be creaking along. Honestly I gave up on Tomb Raider for PS3 as the framerate got so shady once you got the explosive arrows. Picked it up again on PS4 and it was the game it should have been on release, for me.