Ready For A New Cycle By 2012?

Will you be ready for a new console cycle by the time 2012 rolls around!? I don't know if I will be or not, seeing as I haven't been this content with a console generation since the SNES was the console of choice. Whether you are or not Crytek's president Cevat Yerli seems to think that's about the time the new ones will be heading to stores. Similar to GDC Europe last year he outlined Crytek's evolution from Far Cry and the first Cry Engine to Crysis, CryEngine 2, and CryEngine 3.

Until then, he believes Crytek will be ready to power games with its CryEngine 3, which is claimed to be "next-gen ready," and which will likely stay very relevant until Crytek releases another engine specifically designed for that next generation of hardware. Until the graphical renaissance Yerli sees occurring around 2013, games will have to rely on art style and use of physics to distinguish themselves in the coming years instead of sheer graphical muscle.

I can't even begin to imagine what the hell graphics are going to look like when the next generation roll around. Once Alan Wake and Heavy Rain release in their respective platforms, we will be getting pretty close to the uncanny valley, graphics will be so lifelike they will be hard to distinguish from reality. If the CryEngine 3 will be powering games later this gen and early next it must have some serious power behind it. That statement in itself is silly considering just how good Crysis looks and it's powered by the first CryEngine. So can we imagine what the 3rd iteration of that engine will be capable of? I don't think anyone can, and I certainly don't think anyone will be ready for the next generation of platforms until at least 2012, and that's fine with me.

If the uncanny valley is reached with the next console generation than it is likely that console generation will in fact be the last. Some would have you believe this one is but I don't think the world is ready to be console-less just yet, we still have at least five years of traditional gaming left before we should start the transition from console to no console or distributed gaming. Though some of use are ready fro that, the rest of the world is not since saturation of HD and High Speed internet isn't where it needs to be, especially since America is further behind than most in terms of adoption and acceptance of more powerful mediums. I just hope when we do get there we can put all of the retarded console war bickering behind us, it's getting really old

Quote IGN