Nobody makes high budget AAA PC exclusives that are graphical showpieces anymore.
No but the multiplatform games are often only graphical showpieces on the PC.
I say that as someone with a middling PC that has mixed performance dependent on the game.
Some of the salt about PC gaming in here is ridiculous. I've never spoken to PC gamers who are angry, fanboyish or upset. Far as I can tell going the PC gaming route is simply a choice they make, and who are they to keep quiet about it.
Problem with next gen is whether or not its going to bring anything new. I want new to AAA games, if its the same shit priorities and dull art styles then am not going to bother.
As I said in another thread - Luigi's Mansion is seriously impressive, against anything frankly. A lot of this is down to presentation.
Truth is Naughty Dog only harness the power; the real benefit they bring is they hire great artists and a strong supporting programming team. This won't mean other devs become excellent artists. At all.
The biggest problem with current games are the fucking stupid incestous view of writing, all this 'we're great story tellers' - we all know the majority of game developers have some of the worst thematic ideas and couldn't write believable dialogue between them.
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There lies the problem. The realisation that the visuals really are reaching their peak; and the fact is new hardware won't bring in new artists either visual artists, musicians, writers or directors. It'll be the same shitty teams of people who have become stuck up and stuck in their ways.
Its not the case across the board; but it is for many dev teams. The industry needs to show a change, least for me. Am not seeing that at all, am just seeing the same stuff over and over again.
/sigh
Am jaded. Give me E3 and I'll probably be happier. Am sitting talking about art and leaving out the most import - game designers. I've just put 60 hours into a franchise I've never played before (MH); gameplay is key.
Yet...I don't feel any change there either. I was down on UE4 before the PS4, and Capcom's stuff looked really cool (and like something that could influence gameplay to a degree).
Artistically the engine looks a bit lifeless from what they are showing. We'll see what devs at E3 bring; but BF4 has already annoyed me. We'll see. I think I just don't care about the visuals anymore I guess. So this stuff is all rather boring.
Think I might go back and try to play through MGS, the new games look really interesting. Great trailer. Last gen but still better than anything 'new gen' we've seen thus far, and I don't see where my hope is to come from frankly.
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Speed-Edit: UE3 has actually gotten more popular, I made the same mistake - its that devs are using it for new styles you don't notice it in the way you'd play Xcom and instantly know what engine it was on.