
What the PS3 and Xbox 360 can do that next-gen still can't - abcv085
http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/games/stories/1331623773379/ps3-ps4-xbox-gaming
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drill_sarge
I miss Playstation 1/2 days, where you just insert disc and play. No install,
no online registration, no social sharing whatnot crap, endless downloading,
paying for services you don't need/want.

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davedx
I miss SNES days, where you just insert a cartridge and play -- with no
loading times ;)

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robmcm
I expect even past gen consoles could run SNES games without loading times.
Loading times are the price you play for advancements in other areas.

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masklinn
> I expect even past gen consoles could run SNES games without loading times.

Point is that an SNES could play SNES games with essentially no loading time.

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robmcm
My point is that's because they were basic.

Also there has been an evolution of games that have lead to games accepting
loading times. If we didn't developers would find ways to get rid of them. As
it is there isn't enough incentive for them to do it, if they can get away
with it and put more effort into that lucrative DLC ;)

~~~
davedx
Well, I think it was more because cartridges were solid state. You'll never
beat solid state loading times with a spinning disc, no matter how fast you
spin that disc...

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robmcm
True, but we have SSD's now and they take ages, plus we have more ram that
1000's of those cartridges combined.

I think the leap to disks was due to the need for space (sound especially) and
loading came as a cost. Perhaps the next-next-generation will all be
downloaded onto SSD and we can do away with loading times again :D

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Edd314159
I actually don't mind much of these things that have been omitted from the
current generation of games consoles.

Paying for multiplayer access with the PS4 doesn't seem too egregious,
especially since their online service also introduces a bunch of new social
and sharing features. It also includes the benefits that PS+ had in the PS3
era - discounts on games, _free_ games, etc.

The PS4 is actually a highly capable media centre - as long as you're not
trying to stream from your local network. For me and all of my friends, that's
not a problem. Since I don't watch much TV, BBC iPlayer and Netflix fulfils
90% of my entertainment needs.

I think we can all agree that while mildly frustrating, breaking backwards
compatibility is a usually good thing.

The lack of external storage may indeed be a bummer. Though I have yet to see
anyone complain about hitting filling up their PS4's disk. Storing shared
videos (and to a lesser extent, screenshots) in the cloud alleviates some of
that, I would imagine.

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pgsandstrom
Personally I would love the option to plug in an ssd-disk, solely for those
games with massive loading times. That's the setup I have on my PC, and it
works very well.

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jon-wood
It'll void your warranty, but I've heard of people replacing the internal disk
in their PS4 with an SSD, and it does exactly what you'd expect when it comes
to load times.

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cjg_
Replacing harddrive on PS4 does not void warranty, they even have a guide for
doing it:
[https://support.us.playstation.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5...](https://support.us.playstation.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5107)

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precisioncoder
The PS3 really impressed me with it's versatility as a media station. It's sad
that they're not continuing that tradition.

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warcode
They are.

[http://gamerant.com/ps4-media-server-features-
update/](http://gamerant.com/ps4-media-server-features-update/)

~~~
precisioncoder
I saw a lot of discussion about the mp3 and cd playback features, which seem
relevant for music, but nothing about video.

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bdz
Come to Steam! We got cookies.

Besides the exclusive titles I don't know why should anyone buy a console
right now for gaming.

~~~
robmcm
I would say:

\- Low barrier to entry / technical know how.

\- Future proofing, a next gen console will probably still be running the
latest games in 7 years time.

\- Level playing field. All gamers online have the same input devices,
hardware and performance. No getting you ass whooped because someone has the
game running at 60fps to your 30.

\- Easy TV hook up - Not everyone has a 1080p laptop or large external
monitor. Most people will have a 32"\+ HD ready TV.

\- Simple input method. You get an easy input method out of the box, no
complicated keyboard inputs, or expensive lagless mice to buy.

\- Camera / Kinect games, for fitness, dancing etc (if that's your bag)

\- Online/service stickyness. Achievements and trophies, friends etc.

\- Marketing, big big factor. I have never seen a steam TV ad.

\- One off bundled cost, perhaps steam box(s) will address this.

\- Security (PSN hacks aside) I don't know of any console viruses.

I don't agree with all of these, but it could help answer your question.

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Fargren
>>Not everyone has a 1080p laptop or large external monitor. Most people will
have a 32"\+ HD ready TV.

Isn't a 32" HD Ready TV a large external monitor?

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robmcm
Plugging a PC into a TV has always been a faf, may not be now, but perhaps
that leads onto the marketing factor.

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Fargren
It's pretty much Plug-and-Play in my experience.

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anonymfus
This is bad article because it ignores that both Microsoft and Sony made
statements about media centre and external storage functionality in future
updates.

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nextw33k
The marketing term for that is: Vaporware.

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forgotmycreds
I miss hooking up 2-4 controllers and play with your gang online. Only a
limited few support this. You just need some friends to bring their controller
and that one friend that doesn't have a controller can use the spare one (the
one with the trigger that doesn't spring back like the others). No they want
you to just stay home and use a headset to talk with your friends. xbox one
tries to fill the gap by letting you share gameplay quickly. (because that is
what you basically do when you are together, you all show everyone cool stuff
and laugh about fails).

My experience with the xbox one so far is that it is not all that smooth, and
I can turn someone elses xbox off by saying it (even when im off screen) Think
its possible for the kinect to watch the lips of the signed in player so it
can verify that the player is speaking, not the troll that masters the "xbox
turn off, yes" command. But in the end for me the xbox voice commands are fun
and I don't think it will fade away since it is easier to use voice. (Also
needs fixing, is the part where a paused game randomly resumes)

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robmcm
I find it a lot easier to press the xbox button than say, "Xbox.... Go Home".

Perhaps for things like "Xbox record that" but most stuff I think the voice
commands are a novelty.

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georgemcbay
Having to pay for multiplayer on the PS4 is somewhat unfortunate compared to
not paying on the PS3, but the article really doesn't do justice to what a
great value PS+ is. I was an Xbox 360 gamer for most of the last gen but did
buy a PS3 later on to play The Last of Us and some other PS3 exclusives and
ended up getting PS+ on that machine just because the free game offerings were
ridiculously good, way better than the stuff Microsoft has been doing in
response on Xbox Live (giving away super old games like Halo 3, Gears of War
and Asssasin's Creed 2 which most games who would be interested in already
have). I now own a PS4 and don't mind the cost of PS+ because I'd be keeping
my PS+ subscription active anyway.

Backward compatibility for consoles is rightly a thing of the past. I don't
want companies to have to worry about making the hardware massively expensive
(see: PS3) or reducing their ability to innovate by moving to new
architectures. If I want to play PS3 or Xbox 360 games, I still have my PS3
and Xbox 360.

That aside, I do agree with the gist of the article.

I've noticed a relatively recent trend where big companies have no problem
releasing a new version of something missing massive amounts of functionality
missing from the previous version. I guess Final Cut Pro was one of the first
big obvious instances of this, but it is happening all the time now from new
consoles to Google's Map app, to lots of other things, and it can sometimes be
really infuriating as a user, especially as we move into a world (via SaaS,
web apps, forced updates, etc) where the app ecosystem virtually forces you to
upgrade things on a constant basis with no easy ability to keep using the old
thing that worked better for you.

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davedx
I'm considering buying a PS4, and my gf keeps asking me why don't we just get
a PS3 instead, as they're so much cheaper and the games look just as good?

Now after reading this article I'm really wondering. We don't have any
consoles except a Wii so I was looking forward to having a "media centre"
finally, but it looks like I'm SOL there on the PS4. :S

~~~
georgemcbay
The games don't look as good on the PS3. PS4 games are in their first
generation and judging by history will get significantly better looking over
time, but even now they have a crisp high-res look that makes them look better
than PS3 games.

Having said that, "The Last of Us" on PS3 is a far better game than anything
available on the PS4 currently -- crisp graphics aren't everything. And you
can pick up a PS3 with that game bundled for like $200 now compared to $400
for the PS4 with no games.

The PS4 is lacking in the local video streaming department currently, as the
article says, but it does have the usual assortment of media apps like
netflix, hulu, amazon, vudu, etc. Personally the lack of local video streaming
isn't a big deal for me because I have a dedicated htpc hooked up for that,
xbmc on a cheap htpc (or even a raspberry pi) is always going to be a better,
more codec-inclusive solution than whatever local videostreaming solution the
consoles offer.

