GCDC: Daglow defends Wii as next-gen, encourages developers to look beyond tradition

In today’s videogame industry, the word “next-gen” is often tossed around, to the point that we sometimes forget just what it actually stands for, besides being a catch-all term  for a game having much better production values than another. Or maybe, to refer to a specific console being able to beat another console any day of the week. It’s such that we actually see advertisements claiming this game or that game to be “next-gen”, with “next-gen” visuals and “next-gen” gameplay. What next? “Next-gen” packaging?

Thankfully, there are some individuals that have not yet lost sight of what next-gen really means, to both a gamer AND a game developer. Stormfront Studios‘ own Don Daglow is one such individual, defending the Wii’s right to be called a next-generation console during his GCDC speech in front of a room full of budding game developers.

So what is Don’s definition of “next-gen”? Simple – he believes that for something to be “next-gen”, it should be able to change the player’s perception of what gaming really is – and what it isn’t. His exact statement, verbatim:

Next-gen hardware is any platform that, upon its introduction, dramatically changes players’ view of the potential for interactive entertainment. If it changes the player’s view of what interactive entertainment is; if you think differently about it; if you have a new perspective after playing the game that you didn’t have before, to me that’s next-gen.

Certainly a sobering piece of mind from one of today’s game developers, right? And with the examples Don Daglow put forward – specifically Sim City, Guitar Hero, Geometry Wars and World of Warcraft – it’s certainly not hard to see his point, console wars put aside. It’s about creating a new game experience for the player, not simply improving graphics or visuals or controls. 

Updates as we get them.

In today’s videogame industry, the word “next-gen” is often tossed around, to the point that we sometimes forget just what it actually stands for, besides being a catch-all term  for a game having much better production values than another. Or maybe, to refer to a specific console being able to beat another console any day of the week. It’s such that we actually see advertisements claiming this game or that game to be “next-gen”, with “next-gen” visuals and “next-gen” gameplay. What next? “Next-gen” packaging?

Thankfully, there are some individuals that have not yet lost sight of what next-gen really means, to both a gamer AND a game developer. Stormfront Studios‘ own Don Daglow is one such individual, defending the Wii’s right to be called a next-generation console during his GCDC speech in front of a room full of budding game developers.

So what is Don’s definition of “next-gen”? Simple – he believes that for something to be “next-gen”, it should be able to change the player’s perception of what gaming really is – and what it isn’t. His exact statement, verbatim:

Next-gen hardware is any platform that, upon its introduction, dramatically changes players’ view of the potential for interactive entertainment. If it changes the player’s view of what interactive entertainment is; if you think differently about it; if you have a new perspective after playing the game that you didn’t have before, to me that’s next-gen.

Certainly a sobering piece of mind from one of today’s game developers, right? And with the examples Don Daglow put forward – specifically Sim City, Guitar Hero, Geometry Wars and World of Warcraft – it’s certainly not hard to see his point, console wars put aside. It’s about creating a new game experience for the player, not simply improving graphics or visuals or controls. 

Updates as we get them.