OS Roundtable: Where's Your Excitement Level for Next-Gen?

Did the first sight of the Xbox Series X — and the news about MLB The Show going multi-platform — get you excited about next-gen? Or are you still waiting for something to pique your interest?

Joel Smith: For me, gaming is a vice. Whether it be a long day at work, stressful times in general, or a smack talk fest with my friends, gaming is what I do that’s my “guilty” pleasure. Having owned almost all the systems to come out since my inception, getting the “bigger and better” was always what I would do when a new console came out, and that won’t change now. My excitement for next-gen truly lies in the technology that I’m hoping will give us the boost for our favorite AAA sports titles that we’ve been wanting for the last few years.

Imagine being able start your MyCareer or Madden QB1 with a face scan that worked well and actually looked like you. Imagine deeper customization options that flexed the power of the console — enhanced press conferences, interviews, trade interactions and so on. This is a possibility as we quickly approach next-gen.

I was buying in regardless. Here’s hoping that all the power that Sony and Microsoft will be claiming to give us will be the real deal, and we’ll experience the best time for sports games ever.

Josh Houtz: For as long as I can remember, I’ve been playing video games. So, there wasn’t much that could happen between now and next year that would stop me from purchasing a next-gen console. However, I may have to reconsider whether or not I will buy both like I did last gen. For me, the PlayStation 5 was an obvious choice. And after seeing a trailer for Godfall, I think my decision is sound. Most importantly, however, is when should you buy one of the new consoles?

Like always, it will be hard not to buy one of these shiny new toys upon release. But as we’ve seen in the past, this isn’t always the best approach. So, what games will release next holiday season? Which sports games will be launched along with the new consoles, and how different will they be than their current-gen siblings? These are the answers that will ultimately decide when I buy a next-gen system. But I can’t foresee anything happening between now and release that would impact my decision.

Phil Varckette: Yes it has, especially the announcement of MLB The Show moving to other systems. I was actually getting kind of stressed thinking about having to buy both new systems so I could play The Show, now I have options. I think one of the biggest things for me is the hope of better AI in sports games. I’m really hoping Madden can be more realistic as far as the CPU making adjustments to the way you play, and making smart decisions. I hope the the systems being able to deliver more power will make it easier for developers to make CPU-controlled teams in any sports game much smarter.

So yeah, all things considered, I’m excited. I think if sports game developers are on top of this and utilizing the power of these systems, then these games should have good futures.

So where are you all at right now? Excited or not feeling it yet?