#137 Next Generation Gaming

After a slew of announcements at this year's Tokyo Game Show, I'm finally beginning to get excited about the coming "next generation" of video game consoles. The biggest news comes from Nintendo, who just unveiled their new controller. Styled like a remote control and packed with capabilities like motion detection and light gun-esque interaction, their new offering breaks from the complex joystick status quo introduced by Sony with the Playstation. Nintendo, understanding that video games are rapidly sliding into a geek ghetto are betting the farm on luring non-gamers into the fold with some powerful tech psychiatry. Their resoning for the simplistic turn: Most normal folks are afraid of video game controller, but few turn down the television remote -- they want power, but they want their interaction to be simple and fun. The possibilities for new and more palatable kinds of gaming with this device are staggering. This video from Nintendo's presentation begins to scratch the surface. The fact that the initial reation from many gamers is one of gloom and doom, leads me to believe that this new direction is a great idea.

In a more traditional offering, Konami introduced the next generation incarnation of Metal Gear Solid for the PS3. When I say tradtional, I mean that gaming hardliners seem to want graphical upgrades from their new consoles. While showing no gameplay, the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots trailer underlines one of the least talked about benefits of bigger, more graphically intensive games -- more freedom to tell a story. This near-futuristic look at a war-hardened Snake, now greying and haggard, piques my imagination. I'm genuinely curious to see where Hideo Kojima goes with this.

And finally, Microsoft. They didn't drop any bombshells yet, but they did give us an exact date when the next generation begins. The Xbox 360 hits store shelves November 22. With games like Kameo: Elements of Power, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Perfect Dark Zero that close, I'm officially psyched.