New consoles

2005-11-29 11:57:57 pm

4NT

PS2 and GC are officially 128-bit. In reality they are 64-bit, though. Correct me if I'm wrong... XBox is 32-bit. But nowadays the bit count isn't important. Other factors has taken over.

StrangenessDSS

Edit history:

StrangenessDSS: 2005-11-30 12:12:10 am

2005-11-29 11:59:26 pm

Sleeping Terror

It's not a downgrade. It's simply a different architecture. Bits are only one small part of a system. And these days, different parts of a system often have different bit widths depending on what they need.

Back when they were increasing, marketers seized upon them as a number they could tout to show off their system's power. Now that they're not increasing, the marketers have moved on to other numbers.

Please... if you want to talk about bit width, or other parts of a computer system... learn how the system works first.

Edit: Looking up the specs, it seems that the Gamecube's CPU is part-32-bit and part-64-bit; the PS2's CPU has a 64-bit core with 128-bit vector units, and the Xbox's CPU is 32-bit.

illuminated

2005-11-30 01:50:41 am

Are graphics and bits REALLY that important?

StrangenessDSS

2005-11-30 02:48:13 am

Sleeping Terror

Yes. A game console with no graphics and no bits wouldn't be very good.

illuminated

2005-11-30 02:52:05 am

Well, thats not exactly what I meant.Sure graphics are a part of a game but without a good story its just some pretty moving pictures.But than again,it would probably make a good speedrun later on anyway.Wait...what was I trying to say?

StrangenessDSS

2005-11-30 03:01:29 am

Sleeping Terror

Quote:

Wait...what was I trying to say?

Strangeness used Confuse!
superDanteX became confused!

superDanteX is confused!
It hurt itself in its confusion!

illuminated

2005-11-30 03:08:47 am

Hey. I can get confused all by myself thank you...ouch...

soteos

2005-11-30 03:10:58 am

That was a damn good diss. Awesome. Cheesy

Are graphics and stuff really that important?
Yes. If you're Sony.

Psychochild

2005-11-30 03:18:07 am

Quote:

Strangeness used Confuse!
superDanteX became confused!

superDanteX is confused!
It hurt itself in its confusion!

Oh God that's a keeper.

(Awards StrangenessDSS ten brownie points, and saves that diss for future flame wars)

illuminated

2005-11-30 03:21:20 am

Superficial.Oh well I like graphics too I guess...ouch...

grndino

2005-11-30 03:33:11 am

Graphics are always debated between console warriors. Mostly because everyone is using their own connotation.

A platform manufacturer (Microsoft in particular) will say graphics and mean they've multiplied their numbers from the last generation.

EA employees hear this and grumble (though not audibly) because it means they'll have to manage a higher polygon count.

Fanboys (various species) hear this and marvel at how shinier and bump mapped their game has gotten and imagine a day when all games are as shiny and bumpy as possible.

Different fanboys hear this and say it doesn't matter because everyone knows graphical prowess is inversely proportional to gameplay quality.

Nintendo hears this and is startled out of its hole, looks around briefly, sees shadow, then goes back into hiding. Six more weeks of winter, and probably another Pokemon game.

illuminated

2005-11-30 03:45:28 am

well someone agrees with me...I think...

Pweisger

2005-11-30 04:46:17 am

PwNzRd!

Quote:

Nintendo hears this and is startled out of its hole, looks around briefly, sees shadow, then goes back into hiding. Six more weeks of winter, and probably another Pokemon game.

Classic!

This whole Xbox 0 or whatever number it deserves, is getting out of hand. There have been death threats to WalMart employees because 80 people stood outside their doors for over 4 hours to get it, and when it opened they only had 12 available (that weren't pre-ordered). Then there's the mess with people selling them online for $2000, and people actually BUYING them. Plus, they are already recalling hundreds of them for manufacturing errors. This is why I fully support PC gaming. UGH! Roll Eyes

illuminated

2005-11-30 05:38:26 am

Thats funny because I work at a Wal-Mart.I heard some stories but thankfully I was off that day.They only had 50.But this is the first i'm hearing of the recall thing.Thats what you get for attempting world domination Microsoft! Justice is swift. :shoot:

Yoshi348

Edit history:

Yoshi348: 2005-11-30 11:12:41 pm

2005-11-30 11:12:20 pm

dinosaur from the past

Quote:

Different fanboys hear this and say it doesn't matter because everyone knows graphical prowess is inversely proportional to gameplay quality.

Yes, because we all know how the best games ever were the Atari 2600 games.

illuminated

2005-11-30 11:21:08 pm

I thought we were only counting from NES and up. Huh?

jimsfriend

2005-12-01 12:57:29 am

Like A Fox

And Doom 3 and HL2 were some of the worst games ever.

HeroPenguin

2005-12-01 08:20:30 am

Rock on, Earthbound. Rock on.

I still think that one of the best games I've ever played was Mario 64. Dead or Alive 2 is also on the list, along with all the Soul Calibur games so far (no, I'm not counting Soul Edge, because I've never played it.) and for the sheer innovation they represented, the Powerstone games as well. Devil May Cry 3 is another good mention. Graphical prowess has very little to do with how good or bad a game is. For the most part, it's a seperate entity. I will actually admit to enjoying many more recent games more than comparable games from the past... although Earthbound and Final Fantasy Tactics are untouchable as my two favorite RPGs ever, for seperate reasons. Something that all of these games have in common (with the exception of the RPGs. go figure) is that they would ahve been IMPOSSIBLE to create on earlier systems, both because of graphical and other computing issues, not to mention interface differences. One more reason why I'm looking forward to the Revolution so much. It's introducing a brand new interface, which is an opportunity for brand new ground-breaking games.

I still think that one of the best games I've ever played was Mario 64.  Dead or Alive 2 is also on the list, along with all the Soul Calibur games so far (no, I'm not counting Soul Edge, because I've never played it.) and for the sheer innovation they represented, the Powerstone games as well.  Devil May Cry 3 is another good mention.  Graphical prowess has very little to do with how good or bad a game is.  For the most part, it's a seperate entity.  I will actually admit to enjoying many more recent games more than comparable games from the past...  although Earthbound and Final Fantasy Tactics are untouchable as my two favorite RPGs ever, for seperate reasons.  Something that all of these games have in common (with the exception of the RPGs.  go figure) is that they would ahve been IMPOSSIBLE to create on earlier systems, both because of graphical and other computing issues, not to mention interface differences.  One more reason why I'm looking forward to the Revolution so much.  It's introducing a brand new interface, which is an opportunity for brand new ground-breaking games.

jimsfriend

2005-12-01 09:39:45 pm

Like A Fox

Quote:

One more reason why I'm looking forward to the Revolution so much. It's introducing a brand new interface, which is an opportunity for brand new ground-breaking games.

Like Mariotroid and PokeKong. Roll Eyes

Actaully I too am looking forward to the Revolution.

cthulu29

2005-12-02 07:47:23 pm

Nifty.

Quote:

Yes, because we all know how the best games ever were the Atari 2600 games.

Pitfall > Tomb Raider. *runs away*

Yoshi348

2005-12-02 07:50:48 pm

dinosaur from the past

Hey now, that's selective logic there. ;p

tmont

2005-12-02 07:59:02 pm

Not going to school today

Speaking of Pitfall! and speedruns, somebody at AtariAge just completed a "TAS" of Pitfall!. As far as I know, the ROMs of Atari games are not illegal to download, so it's actually legit to watch and stuff. Maybe.

Yoshi348

Edit history:

Yoshi348: 2005-12-02 08:06:13 pm

2005-12-02 08:05:35 pm

dinosaur from the past

I know Atari went belly up, but doesn't Infrogames or whatever still hold all the copyrights? Not to mention I doubt all the games on the Atari are all first party...

Psychochild

2005-12-02 08:27:27 pm

There's some genres of games that have really advanced over the years, but others have peaked at a certain point. For example, Painkiller completely owns Doom and Doom 2. I don't care who you are, the overexaggerated physics and ragdolls, the weaponry (Painkiller is a viable weapon, the Shotgun/Freeze Ray is such a guilty pleasure, the rocket-mini-gun is so flippin' awesome, the STAKE GUN in itself, even the ninja-star lightning gun is pretty interesting), the graphics, the speed and action of the gameplay just blows anything that Doom could ever offer out of the water, even the recent Doom 3 can't hold a candle to Painkiller, let alone to the first entry of its own series.

Action games have only improved since DMC1 was released and set a standard for 3-D action games. You can't look at me in the face and say that you'd rather be limited on a 2-D plane of movement with only a jump and an attack button for your action games. Gunstar Heroes, for example, brilliant action game, but I don't know anyone who'd play it over DMC3.

Meanwhile, platformers peaked in the SNES era and although the 3-D landscapes add a lot to the genre, no 3-D Sonic game has yet to really show anywhere near as many of the different route options that the 2-D Sonic games offered. Mario, although having a hugely awesome translation to 3-D, I still felt Super Mario World was the superior entry in the series. Almost all of the 2-D platformers I know didn't have anywhere near as strong gameplay in their 3D iliterations with a few exceptions. Mostly Mario.

Puzzle games have for the most part been stagnating, relying only ona handful of differnet game mechanics recently.

Strategy games haven't gotten much better than the Starcraft hey-days.

So eh.

There's some genres of games that have really advanced over the years, but others have peaked at a certain point.  For example, Painkiller completely owns Doom and Doom 2.  I don't care who you are, the overexaggerated physics and ragdolls, the weaponry (Painkiller is a viable weapon, the Shotgun/Freeze Ray is such a guilty pleasure, the rocket-mini-gun is so flippin' awesome, the STAKE GUN in itself, even the ninja-star lightning gun is pretty interesting), the graphics, the speed and action of the gameplay just blows anything that Doom could ever offer out of the water, even the recent Doom 3 can't hold a candle to Painkiller, let alone to the first entry of its own series.

Action games have only improved since DMC1 was released and set a standard for 3-D action games.  You can't look at me in the face and say that you'd rather be limited on a 2-D plane of movement with only a jump and an attack button for your action games.  Gunstar Heroes, for example, brilliant action game, but I don't know anyone who'd play it over DMC3.

Meanwhile, platformers peaked in the SNES era and although the 3-D landscapes add a lot to the genre, no 3-D Sonic game has yet to really show anywhere near as many of the different route options that the 2-D Sonic games offered.  Mario, although having a hugely awesome translation to 3-D, I still felt Super Mario World was the superior entry in the series.  Almost all of the 2-D platformers I know didn't have anywhere near as strong gameplay in their 3D iliterations with a few exceptions.  Mostly Mario.

Puzzle games have for the most part been stagnating, relying only ona handful of differnet game mechanics recently.

Strategy games haven't gotten much better than the Starcraft hey-days.

So eh.

Molotov

2005-12-02 09:20:31 pm

Quote:

Strategy games haven't gotten much better than the Starcraft hey-days.

Hey. Actually, I have to disagree with you there. As far as real-time strategy goes, I'd have to say Kessen, Red Alert 2, and Commandos 2 were all great games.

Then again, I'm also a single-player type of person. I've also only played a demo of Starcraft, but I do want to buy them.

I guess I won't go on about turn based strategy games, since I'm clearly biased toward Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu. Grin