SNES

I partially agree, but where would RAM fit in to this conversation? And I think another thing to add to this is the real world performance of a Ferrari, i mean, on the test track they can say 240MPH that and 0-60 in 2 seconds that but while actually driving on a road you will never go over 80 mph most likely.

RAM is short term storage. It's used for three things:

1. Multitasking. Every program launched sits in RAM. The more programs up, the more RAM you need.

2. Load times. Storing part or all of a program in RAM allows for reductions in loading speeds. RAM is very fast compared to disc or drives.

3. Textures. The more RAM you have, the more textures you can load at once. You can also load higher resolution textures, albeit not as many of them.

If you look at the design of the PS4, this is exactly what the machine does. The sharing and social functions require multitasking. The emphasis on sleep modes and instant play requires load time reduction. And high resolution textures help with that "next gen" feel.

But the question most people wonder, is if the Wii U can compete with such tech. Clearly the PS4 is a stronger system, on paper. And because of this, people draw back to the last gen where Wii was outmatched by the HD twins. However the Wii U architecture isn't as lacking as people presume. The Wii simply couldn't do what the HD twins could, but the Wii U can do everything the PS4 and Durango can, just scaled back slightly. You won't see as many people on screen. The textures will be lower resolution in some games. The physics won't be as impressive. That kind of thing. But in terms of image quality, and if the system can run stuff like Deep Down? Yes, absolutely. It just won't be as impressive in a 1:1 comparison.

This generation is going to be like the Genesis and SNES, or the PS2/Xbox/GC gens, where the competing systems are all capable, with some compromises, and a few games on each that just wouldn't work on their competitors.

People really need to get the idea that the Ps4 and 720 are going to be superpowered wonder machines out of their heads. They aren't going to be sporting 7k Radeons or 690+ Nvidias, i7 type processors, etc. One, Sony definitely can't afford it, and MS can't afford another generation of their gaming department not making much profit. Two, those types of components are not easily shrunk into a console unless you want another generation of overheating lights of death. Three, unless your development studio has serious financial backing, it will take several years before you see more than one or two games with super duper next gen graphics. It's not this generation of consoles holding back the next generation of graphics, it's the skyrocketing costs of making games.

Now, gadgets and gizmos? Absolutely. More emphasis on online with all sorts of marketing buzzword PR speak? Certainly. But consoles releasing in 2013/2014 with high end pc components and under 300 dollars? Not even remotely going to happen.

I'm almost positive they will both be more powerful than the Wii U, but it will be hard to tell for the most part, and unless you're an extreme AV enthusiast, you're probably not going to notice until someone points it out.

Wall of text? I had no problem reading...

We live in a world where Twitter and Texting are dominant forms of communication, and your typical news source would rather offer soundbites and flashy headlines than any in depth information. People don't bother paying attention if the topic can't be boiled down to 150 characters or less.

Such is our silly species. "Hey, we've invented these amazing communication devices that let you talk anywhere to anyone!" "Sweet, I'll limit myself to text messages and character limits! Lol, who was Morse?" "Hey, we invented technology to give you as much information as you could ever want!" "Great, but I'm busy. Is there a cliffnotes version? CSI is on."

This would be the last thing I would think about in the 90s...

My friends and I used to debate this all the time back then. In fact, while I was immensely sad that the Dreamcast failed and Sega had to leave the console market, I (and I think many other fans) were very excited about the possibility of Sega and Nintendo making games together. During the 90's this was almost blasphemous talk of course. But it was fun to think about.

Honestly I can totally see this happening. Nintendo isn't Apple rich, but right now they are sitting on a HUGE amount of cash and they need every edge they can get against Sony and MS's next systems. They may speak in public about "not being competitors", but they are, they know it, and they know what failed them last cycle was the software content the Wii had. Sega not only has great IP's, they have A LOT of them, they have experienced developers, and a strong brand (if tarnished a bit, but it is well known and popular even after their mistakes). The best part is that Sega has let a lot of those IP's languish, so even if Nintendo bought them and put out say....a Panzer Dragoon or Shining Force game, no one would complain about rehashed content. We've already seen Sega get closer to Nintendo, and honestly I can't see Sony or MS buying them except to screw Nintendo out of exclusives. Sammy isn't happy with Sega as the division has been bleeding cash for years, so I wouldn't be surprised if Sega was quietly on the chopping block either. It's really the perfect storm, so I can absolutely see the rumors being true.

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