All I really want is all their games to be able to run 1080p NATIVELY. Enough of this upscaled-bolony. Microsoft has got to jump in to the bigger Hard Disks. More RAM is a definite must. I heard the PS3 couldn't do cross-game chat because it's RAM couldn't handle it.

I can wait though. My PC can do all those things, then surpass them by a multiple of 1000.

Are you talking about physical disks like Blu-Ray? If so i don't think MS needs to if digital distrobution is going to be the next big thing. Physical disc will become obsolete, so i don't see MS needing anything more than a dvd drive.

Sony kind of has no choice. I don't want to go starting a console war in my own thread, but they pushed Blu-Ray down everyones throat with the PS3, and while I do use it for watching movies, for games it was a complete bust IMO. The PS3 had no advantage of having a Blu-Ray/high capacity disk format over the 360's DVD drive. And since Sony has invested so much in Blu-Ray media I don't see them as have any other option but to support it in the PS4. Maybe some fast read speeds from the drive, but it's not like there going to go and increase it's capacity.

I also think with the next gen consoles, they won't support anything other than HDMI for an output method. Most early adopters of consoles are pretty much ahead of the curve when it comes to tech in general, and when this current gen launched HDTV's where just starting to take off, so ti was smart of consoles to support multiple output methods. Now almost all console gamers have an HDTV of some form, so I don't see the next gen systems having anything other than HDMI output.

I'd much rather have a physical copy.

I don't know what all the hype is for digital distribution...

You'll definately need a pretty large HD to keep all games in the thing, and even more so, the games will indeed be way bigger than 20GB if they utilize the system.

Couple Terabytes don't last that much. Believe me I know.

My prediction is.......

The first months of the next generation, every thing will be ridiculously overpriced. The only people who will be able to afford them will be spoiled 10-16 year old brats with rich parents. That's how it is every generation, never fails.

I dont expect a big power or graphics change for the next generation of consoles,John Carmack was speaking about 10x power leap for the next generation....talk something unreal.

Yeah i would too, but the way everyone is talking it sounds like digital distribution for games is going to be one of the next big things.

I also could see MS introducing streaming/cloud gaming (at least for smaller XBL titles) through XBL with the next console cycle as well. Pretty much a new take on the Sega channel concept.

As for the PS3 I really don't know what to expect from Sony with the PS4 (I think it's way to early for Sony to even bother releasing it as well), the PS3 has been the most disappointing console I've ever owned. I've gotten more use out of my N64 as a game console, than I have with the PS3. I think the really only thing that is certain with the PS4 is that the Blu-Ray drive will be back. I don't see disk capacity increasing at all, the read speed of the disk probably will though. Sony needs to make some changes to the PSN IMO next gen as well. Aside from auto installs of content once they've downloaded 'm not sure what else Sony should do.

Well that's a first.

All the PS3 owners I've met praise the system for its clusterfuck of exclusives. (Which I think are pretty lackluster)

They'll be about as powerful as a current high end PC, and will continue to hold back technological advancement.

Id rather like a new sega console, but i dont think thats ever going to happen

Wish Nintendo would just go with an old fashioned controller. Oh well. I wonder how a new Smash Bros. will work on that thing

I use my PS3 mostly for watching movies, but as far as games go, the only two games I own for the PS3 are Metal Gear Solid 4, and Mortal Kombat 2 & 9. I didn't even pick up God of War 3 because my brother did. Most of my gaming has been on the 360. There just hasn't been enough exclusive that interest me on the PS3 to play it more. Not that I wasn't impressed with the demos of games like Resistance & Killzone, but not enough to put them at the top of my list. Xbox just has a bigger community for most multi-platform games, that's why I stick with it.

Carmack was talking about what he WANTED to see in the next gen and what next gen needs in his opinion, not what he figured was there.

What I want?

Hex core CPU/GPU fusion processors minimum 8 core preferred. (ATI)
Separate GPU 1 gig minimum
AT LEAST 4GB RAM, no excuses here ram is DIRT cheap. I got 16 gigs DDR3 for $50 for PC, they can probably get it cheaper on console.
7.1 Audio
Direct Download games or blu ray quad layer MINIMUM preferably the new 1TB discs coming out of sony labs.
Connection for standard PC hard drives both standard and SSD, no size limitations.
Tiny built in HDD for savegames until you buy your own damn drive.
Dynamic support for Directx to attempt to keep up with PCs longer.

Manufacturing wholesale cost for the above is approximately $550 if done right 700 if a good video card is used.

Sony can sell at cost or go overboard and eat losses again, waiting for years to catch up. while MS and nintendo can sell for a loss and make a fortune off of excellent launch titles.

What do I expect?

quad core or new type of CELL high speed/low quality
crappy videocard 256-512MB probably low/mid-range
1.5 gigs GDDR5 or less
blu-ray or direct download most likely blu-ray
cheap 7.1 sound
Better but not properly done streaming support on the mainboards Carmack said this needs epic improvements and he's right.
Fixed DX10 or 11

Console Prices (manufacturing): $250-600
Consumer prices: $400-750

Not that I don't agree with you. The more ram the better, and it is cheap. The problem I see with it in consoles is that most ram only comes in 512mb-1gb sticks, the more ram the more connectors, and space it actually takes up inside the console. Unless you want something as big if not bigger than the original Xbox.

Wii U
PS4
Xbox 720

To me, weight and cooling reliability are far bigger concerns than size. Hell I dont care if the console looks like a mini PC. as long as the functionality is tip top why would people really care?

Lets just say I won't be buying a next gen console for a couple more years due to how much its going to cost and how I am still enjoying my Xbox 360 so there is no point for me to waste my money on another gaming system. Plus, the systems will be upgraded in a year or two to slimmer versions. I'm talking about the PS3 as an example lol.

Here's my prediction, and Im pretty sure it's accurate:

I'll buy the nintendo system because I just cant miss out on the flagship games like Zelda, Mario and Smash Bros.

A couple of yrs later I'll buy the Sony console cause there are just too many cool exclusives I cant pass on.

-This has been true for 2 generaions... why should this one be any different?