JasonF

Because Microsoft was afraid that when Grandma was standing in Target trying to decide whether to buy little Tommy an XBox 2 or a Play Station 3, she would pick the Play Station 3 because it was one more. So they gave it a cool marketing number -- 360!

Superman07

Drexl - I was really talking about the ability to watch films rented or bought on the Apple store through the nextbox. I know there are probably ways to accomplish now, but I meant an organic instantiation of an iTunes client like Netflix or Facebook currently has on there.

maxfisher

I'll take a shot.

Nintendo - Nov. 2012 - Whatever they call the Wii's successor, the big thing will be more advances in motion control. Games will be controlled via a pair of gloves that fully track movement. Some games will still be playable via a wavebird or classic controller, but most new games will feature buttonless gameplay. Launch titles will include a new Mario, but no Zelda or Metroid. Virtual console games will be re-downloadable.

Microsoft - Nov. 2012 - Xbox 720 will have a split focus, with some games using traditional controllers and others using Natal. Halo 4 will be a launch title with the ability to play with either control scheme. Microsoft will also test the waters with 3D gaming. One of the launch titles will be a new ip that is entirely in 3D. It will be the most expensive game made to date.

Sony - Nov. 2014 - Sony will try to push sales of the PS3 as long as possible, touting it as a cheap, yet capable alternative to the pricier Wii2 and Xbox 720. When the PS4 launches, it will heavily push 3D gaming. The glasses worn for this will also track players' eye movements and somehow incorporate that into the game, but it will add nothing meaningful to the experience. The PS4 will also be the first console to attempt solely digital distribution of games, but Sony will start offering discs through retail after six months of disappointing sales.

ChrisHicks

I think the PS4 will be a chip everyone will buy which will be implanted into our brains and connected directly to our central nervous system which will then know every move we make which will be reflected in the game. And being this is Sony, we'll all need to have some type of storage system installed in our bodies so we can download games via Skynet...err the new and improved PSN Store which will have all content sent directly to us.

Can you think of a better excuse for that huge gut or large ass that you gained while gaming 24/7?

"Pfft, my gut is 200 terabytes of storage so that's why it's so big"

strife

My prediction no new systems until at least summer 2012 with Sony waiting the longest. I don't see anyone releasing new machines in the current economy and they are going to most likley going to have to be at least $300 price point (exception could be Nintendo, but then they risk being drastically lower in power)

Only new device I could see is possibly new handhelds possibly a real replacment for the current models.

PopcornTreeCt

I don't see the big deal about downloadable games. If we're forced to only download games, we're still going to play them.

glassdragon

You might, but I'll take up another hobby if they try to force me to pay 60 bucks for something that I can't even trade in when I'm done.

Supermallet

Here are my guesses:

Nintendo - The Nintendo Woot will support 720p at 60Hz and actually offer 5.1 because by that point HDMI should be ubiquitous enough that they'll offer an HDMI option. The Wii and the DS represent Nintendo's philosophy of more interactive gaming, and they won't abandon it so soon. Look for a Mario or Zelda launch title and a variety game a la Wii Sports Resort, a few other high profile launch titles, and a whole bunch of shovelware. Also, the system will be 100% backwards compatible with the Wii, but chances are Gamecube functionality will be dropped. Also, a year after the release, Nintendo will offer Wii Motion++, which will feature 2:1 mapping, where the system anticipates what your movements will be and plays the game for you. Each one of these units will cost $50 and will only be usable for a single Wiimote.

Microsoft - The Xbox 1138 will feature upgraded tech, of course, and will come bundled with Natal. Microsoft will offer as many features as possible to get people to sign up for Xbox Live memberships and spend Microsoft points, including social networking integration, Netflix streaming, online contests, and so on. Social events revolving around the console will become Microsoft's focus, using Natal to facilitate a more communal structure. Blu-ray integration will probably happen only as a matter of necessity, in order to fit the larger and more complex games onto one disc, and to try and undercut Sony system sales by offering their own Blu-ray player built in. Given that the 360 is really the system where Microsoft came into their own, I'd like to think they'd be able to offer a lot of backwards compatibility. Without a doubt their flagship titles will be available, and I think best bet for a launch title is Gears of War 3.

Sony - The Playstation Now will only feature Blu-ray for playing movies. Despite initially offering complete backwards compatibility with all previous Playstation systems, the new system will in fact be download only, with none of the games ever getting more than a $5 discount. The system will launch with God of War 4, available at a great starting price of $80. All games will be tied to your specific console, without any method of moving them to another. The system will come out before all the others, but it will cost $10,000.

Superman07

How far are the capabilities of the current consoles (namely PS3 and 360) currently being pushed? Doesn't the PS3 have 6 cell processors, and 4 years later a TV is finally sticking ONE in? I imagine we've yet to see the full potential of what the current crop can put out. I'd also think their lifespans will be longer than that of their predesessors.

Michael Corvin

Nintendo Wii2
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2011
Will support 720p and HDMI and yet still only support Dolby Pro Logic II. Due to the limitations of the tech, the Wii2 will not be visually impressive. It will be like 3 Gamecubes duct taped together. 2005 Xbox 360 launch titles won't even be feasible on the Wii2. In a merging of properties, the Wii2 will be fully compatible with ALL DS titles. Bundled with the Wii2 will be a clear film that can be applied and reapplied to your TV allowing you to write directly on the screen. Nintendo will stick with DVD vs. Blu-ray (that's not what consumers want). Friend codes will be abandoned for a physical barcode keychain. To become friends with someone you have to physically go to your friends house and scan in the barcode keychain into their system via the new Wiimote with a 60x480 camera in it. To prevent people from just bringing their Wiimote and Keychains out with them, to become "Friends" the Wiimote must be tethered to the Wii2 for it to work.
Launch titles: Wii Sports Resort 2, Luigi's Mansion 2 and RE5 retooled for Wii Motion support. Guitar Hero 37 will launch with the system as well as a retooled Call of Duty 5.
Launch MSRP: $275

Microsoft Xbox 720
Release Date: Nov. 21, 2012
Will support 1080p and even include an HDMI cable. Due to Natal launching on the 360, Microsoft will stick to the double sku model. One model bundled with Natal (dubbed the Motion bundle) and one without (dubbed the Classic, for those that already purchased Natal on the 360). It will have Blu-ray standard drive and a 1.5TB hard drive. They will stick with removable hard drives but include Wi-Fi. It will be fully backwards compatible with retail, XBLA games and DLC.
Launch titles: Halo 4, Alan Wake 2, Call of Duty 14, Guitar Hero 37, and an overhyped Peter Molyneux game. XBLA launch titles will include Geometry Wars 3, Ms. Pac-Man: CE & Shadow Complex 2.
Launch Price: Motion Bundle $399, Xbox 720 Classic Bundle $349

Sony Playstation 4
Release Date: Nov. 19, 2012
In an effort to prevent Xbox from releasing a year early again, Sony will rush out the PS4. Not only that but they will launch a mere 3 days early. Unlike MS, Sony pushed back the wonder dildo and ended up holding it for the PS4 necessitating only 1 sku. In a bid to push new tech, dubbed Blu-ray+ (triple layer and double sided for 300GB of storage space) will be the new standard. In a further effort to drive up the cost of the machine (people will want to work 3.5 jobs to afford this thing), they will go with 512GB SSD. They will also be introducing the successor to the cell, the creatively named SpermCELL which will be in everything from George Foreman grills to actual didlos. The new processor will be capable of delivering Toy Story 3 level graphics rendered in real time. The PS4 will not be backwards compatible with retail titles however 100% of SOE PS3 titles will be available via PSN. and only certain DLC will work. Rock Band DLC purchased on the PS3 will now only be playable on Thursdays, however all RB DLC purchased on the PS4 will be playable all 7 days.
Launch titles: A hastily rushed lineup of God of War 4, Lair 2 and now Sony acquired Too Human 2. Guitar Hero 37 and Call of Duty 14 will also make their bows at launch. A new PixelJunk title and PAIN 2 will launch on the newly designed PSN store. PAIN 2 will only be $.25 cents, but you only get the title screen.
Launch price: $599

JasonF

at Guitar Hero 37 and the Wii being 9 generations behind on the Call of Duty franchise. Also:

That's redundant.

Groucho

Alan Wake 2

edstein

How about a multi-touch game pad? Buttons and analog sticks will be a thing of the past. Nothing on the Minority Report level but a tablet sized game pad. The iTouch and Microsoft Surface are already real technologies. Doesn't seem like to much of a stretch to make it happen. I think I'd prefer something like this over the motion control shit like on the Wii or Natal.

Drexl

I wouldn't like that at all. I would really miss the tactile feedback. I tried to play the DS version of Mario 64, where you use the touchscreen for analog movement, and all I could think about is how clumsy the input was compared to the good old stick on the N64 controller.

Besides, one of the main strengths of a touchscreen is that the inputs can be placed anywhere, with variable sizes and shapes. That works when you are looking directly at the input device, but game controllers are made to be used while you're looking at the screen. You need to instinctively know where those buttons are located, and changing them on a per-game basis will cause you to be looking down at the controller more often than you should.

Supermallet

at RB DLC only being playable on Thursdays.

BustaCones

The ridiculously overpriced accessories are my main gripe with the 360 (aside from the rrod issues, but I can't imagine something like that could be allowed again). Halo exclusivity and the actual xbox controller (which I think is just perfect) are probably the only things that could sway me towards a next generation xbox.