Next year, the current gen of console gaming (still called "next gen" for some reason) will reach five years old. Typically, this is about when we start hearing buzz about the next generation. What do you think is in store? Major innovation, or more of the same? My predictions:

Xbox 720
Launch date: November 2011
Features: Natal packed in, blu-ray built in, all games run in 1080p, 60hz, 500gig hard drive, twitter integration
Backwards Compatibility: Partial
Price point: $499.99
Launch Titles: Halo 4, Gears of War 3

PlayStation 4
Launch date: May 2011
Features: Dualshock controller, blu-ray built in, all games run in 1080p, 60hz, 250gig hard drive, Facebook integration
Backwards Compatibility: Partial
Price point: $549.99
Launch Titles: Little Big Planet 2, Uncharted 3: Drakes on a Plane

Wii 2
Launch date: November 2012
Features: Wiimote, DVD built in, all games run in 720p, 30hz, 125gig hard drive, LiveJournal integration
Backward Compatibility: Full, but downloaded games won't transfer
Price point: $399.99
Launch Titles: Wii Sports 2 (pack-in), Mario Universe, Zelda: Return of the Ocarina

So you think PS4 will launch before Xbox next? I think the next PS wont debut until 2012 or beyond. They've hardly had a reason to buy the current gen system (outside of a few hit titles... and I'm not flaming, I own 2 PS3's) and I think a new version in 2011 is a mistake.

Xbox720 better feature the ability to d/l all my Arcade titles too.

I will not be in for the next Wii... unless, of course, some exclusive Star Wars title comes out that I MUST have but never end up playing -- like what happened with the Gamecube and the N64.

You're hard drive predictions are ridiculously low as well. You can get a 1TB drive for about $100 now, in a couple years that will be nothing. With the way DLC is headed, there will be a bigger push for full retail downloadable games, they will be maxing out the drive size to sell you that content.

After the PS3 launch debacle and with the runaway success of the Wii, I highly doubt we will see a console over $400 next time out.

On to launch titles, Nintendo won't launch without either a new Wii Sports and/or Mario title. Likewise, I doubt Sony will launch without a God of War game. As for Microsoft, Halo 4 seems like a real possibility with the timeline of ODST & Reach.

Other than that, backwards compatibility is a MUST for Arcade titles and DLC like Rock Band. Unfortunately that probably won't be likely for Wii owners.

Win.

That is all.

I think a big thing will be TV (cable/DVR) integration. Dunno why, just a hunch.

Hella win.

I don't think we'll see it that quickly... I think the consoles are more extensible platforms than in the past, and the manufacturers are going to try and get more out of the current platforms.

Besides, there is a 250 GB hard drive coming with the Modern Warfare 2 skinned 360, and aren't Facebook and Twitter integration coming next month on the 360?

I'm thinking that there will be more backward compatibility on the next Xbox, since MS owns the intellectual property for the 360 chips, where they did not from the original Xbox. That allows them to not have to pay any royalty to Nvidia, etc if they do BC at the hardware level rather than at the software level next time. Not sure they would do hardware BC, but the option is certainly there.

I think Sony may recognize the value in getting a jump on the competition, as they did the last couple of generations.I think it will, tied to your Live id. Wii2 won't offer this feature, but PS4 might.
Perhaps, but the console makers (especially Nintendo) have always been well behind the times in terms of hdd space. I don't expect that to change.Perhaps. The price point is a hard thing to predict, even a couple years out.

The PS3 has a model with a 250GB drive on the way. If anything, I'd be surprised if both the PS4 and 720 didn't launch with full 1TB drives.

As Corvin said, I'd also be surprised if any of the consoles were over $400 at launch. The main reason the PS3 was ridiculously expensive at launch was because of the Blu-ray drive, and those have dropped in price considerably since then. Kinda funny to think that Sony will be making money off of 720 sales if Microsoft puts a Blu-ray drive in there too. I also really hope Microsoft goes with something a bit catchier than "Xbox 720."

No matter what, it's gonna take more than a horsepower bump to get me to buy the next Wii.

All next-gen consoles will have a good chunk of their games as Download only.

Good prediction. They hate, hate, HATE the secondary market -- and finally have a viable solution.

You may also see "activation codes" for store bought games, which makes the game unsellable.

I'm 84% positive that Groucho posted this entire thread just so he could bury that one liner in there while acting all nonchalant. Hell, I would have done the same.

That will be the day that I go from buying 10 to 15 games a year to 1, and only if it is spectacular.

and also it has to be said

I'm tired of all these monkey fighting Drakes on this Monday to Friday plane.

I have a second hidden one-liner. Perhaps not as funny, but it gave me a chuckle.

Maybe I'm daft, but I can't decide between the Wii's 30hz, Live Journal integration or the return of the ocarina

Built-in Wi-Fi would be nice for the next-next gen. You know, like the others are doing in the current-next gen.

The devolution from Twitter to Facebook to LiveJournal is great.

I always wondered why they call it XBOX 360. Does it have 360 bits or something? I think the next Microsoft system should have a new name instead of Xbox 3.

It's not viable if no one buys the game.

I'll just say this. Negotiations between companies for building certain integral parts for the successors for all three systems are still underway. Since that is the case, it is highly unlikely that any "true" successors will be out before 2012. That said, the only possible exception to this is the "WiiHD" which, if it is simply a bump up to 720p, with a slightly more powerful CPU/GPU, then we could see it a bit earlier than that.

The next Playstation will be a 2,048-bit console featuring a 45-Ghz trinary processor, CineReal graphics booster with 2-gig biotexturing, and an RSP connector for 360-degree online-immersion play. It will support 10.8 Omneo sound, not on DVD or Blu-ray, of course, but on SCAP, ten times better.

Steam. XBLA. PSN. WiiWare.

Steam is relegated to pc so that really doesn't have anything to do with digital distribution on a home console. Pc gaming while good has never had the jump that console gaming had

With Wiiware, XBLA, and PSN you are getting smaller games at a much smaller price. We aren't exactly talking about games like Uncharted 2 or Gears of War 2 for a full 60 dollar price tag. Most of the Console "Arcade" games have very little in the way of investment so you aren't losing much with the fact that you can't sell them as used when you get them.

Not only that, but if your predictions are right and we're looking at bluray on the drives then there is no way they will make those digital download. Uncharted 2 apparently takes up almost the full 50 gigs on the bluray. There is no way that someone is going to download 50 gigs. I would not do so anyways.

I can see digital distribution being used as an alternative, but not as the only way to get games.

SCAP?

How much of that is actual game, and how much of that is cutscenes, making of videos, etc.?

Still stuff you would actually need to make it a complete game. I wouldn't want to download the game and in the process lose a lot of functionality/quality.

Agree 100%

Don't disagree, but being fortunate to have disposable income, there is no way I jump on this at launch until Sony proves to me why I need it to play games --- Now if it has Omneo sound, I'm in .

I love the BD features with the PS3... but Xbox destroys the PS3 when it comes to gaming online, Arcade, the controller... again, IMO.