Forbes about Xbox720, PS4 and Nintendo 'Us'
Game machines typically are on the shelves for five or six years before a console manufacturer rolls out the next one. With the expense and success of this crop of systems--which have been out two to three years--it could be closer to eight years before we see the PlayStation 4, Xbox 720 and Nintendo "Us"--or whatever they end up being called.
Both hardware and software manufacturers are already gearing up. Work on Epic's "Unreal Engine 4," a graphics engine for next-gen games, has been under way for almost two years now under the guidance of founder Tim Sweeney. "It's not like there's anything to show today," notes Epic Vice President Mark Rein.
On the hardware side, the battle seems to be focusing on graphics. Nvidia, which powers the PlayStation 3 and fueled the original Xbox, is showing its plans for the next generation to the console makers in an attempt to woo them. Intel, meanwhile, is pushing its Larrabee graphics processing unit, which it believes will unseat Nvidia from its leadership position.
Nvidia has the advantage of a proven history, but developers are curious about Larrabee--and eager to see if it can live up to Intel's boasts. Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices, which bought graphics company ATI, is actively talking up its next-gen products with all three console makers as well.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/200...9consoles.html
