The PlayStation 4 releases today, ushering in a new generation of console gaming with the Xbox One right on its heels (out on the 22nd). These new consoles are promising many things, but as of right now it seems like promises are really all there is to buy. Only a smattering of games are releasing with each, a bunch of which appear on both consoles and share more than a little DNA with their PS3 and 360 cousins.
But for those that remember the jump from the original Xbox and PS2 to this last generation, this isn't all that surprising. Compare Perfect Dark Zero (a 360 launch title) to the Xbox's Halo 2 and the recent 360's Halo 4. Developers just don't have the time before a launch (on account of not-nailed done consoles specs in the months and weeks in the lead up to release) to update technology as well as completely evolve gameplay mechanics, ideas, or the scopes of their games.
That's why the shooters that are launching are mostly the same thing we've been playing for the past four years (or exactly the same if you played on the PC and are used to larger-scale multiplayer maps that support 64 players, instead of the standard 16 on consoles).
With that said, the last year or two of a console generation is really the swan song for the systems. Developers have had years and many projects behind them to get their heads and technology around the unique abilities of each machine.
In the last year we've seen amazing games released for both the 360 and PS3: The Last of Us, Bioshock Inifinte, Grand Theft Auto 5, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Tomb Raider and many more.
So, in celebration to these masterpieces of gaming, I've added some of my favourite music from these games to my YouTube playlist, which you can check out at http://pgc.cc/1dFupMM.
Here's hoping that the PS4 and Xbox One don't take too long catching up.
