Will There Be Pinball Arcade On The Next Gen Consoles?

[lettuce]

Seeing as the next gen consoles will hitting towards the end of this year, will Pinball Arcade be available on these new systems and if so will it include the back catalog of what has been released thus far. Will FarSight still hold the license for all the tables for production on the new consoles? I take it FarSight keeps all its art work and is on their servers in stupidly High resolution (higher than 1080P)??

 

[Metalzoic]

Honestly they do such a poor job across all the platforms they support now that I'd be afraid to see the quality of their work after taking on 2 more.

 

[lettuce]

Do you still think they would support the 360 and PS3 after say 6 months of the new consoles being out?? My guess is that they would stop releasing table packs for the old gen console after about 6 months...as it would be regarded as a dead platform.

Usually at the start of a new gen you get the over lapping games where the same game will come out for the original Xbox and the Xbox 360, for example Need For Speed Most Wanted came out on both the original XBOX and the XBOX 360 but this is only approx for first half a year of the new gen then developers usually drop the old gen. I would expect FS to do the same, MS would probably close down the old XBLA servers after a year anyway like they did this gen, so FS will have no choice

 

[karl]

Sales would be a clue here. If the 360 and PS3 continue to bring in a profit there is no reason to stop the support for those consoles.

 

[Kevlar]

Honestly they do such a poor job across all the platforms they support now that I'd be afraid to see the quality of their work after taking on 2 more.

Normally I would agree with you and in the past I have moaned as FS have added support for more platforms spreading themselves even thinner but thats because they have always added support for systems that are no more powerful than whats already out there. However I really want them to add PS4 or xbox720 support because I want TPA to look as good as it can. PS3 and 360 versions look nice enough but compare them to a youtube video of a real pin and theres no comparison.

 

[lettuce]

Sales would be a clue here. If the 360 and PS3 continue to bring in a profit there is no reason to stop the support for those consoles.

Thats the thing depending on what MS do in regards for the new xbox console XBLA might not be available for very long after the new console comes out, a year at the max would be my guess. MS has a history of just pulling the carpet from under the consumer, look how quickly they drop the original xbox console after the 360 came out

 

[Craig]

What I am pretty sure will happen is when you get your new system be it the next gen X-Box or Playstation you will just connect your already established account from your old system on to your new system and redownload all your existing purchases. At least thats what better happen or you are going to have a lot of pissed off people including myself that have a large library of only downloadable games such as this one.

The better question to ask is will Farscape update the game for next gen systems and how that will be handled. Will it simply just be an update since you already own it or will you have to repurchase the core game and/or all the tables you own.

And I wouldn't worry about them cutting off support for the old systems for a bit. I don't think people are going to be running out and getting next gen systems as quickly as in the older generations. But I could be totally wrong about that.

 

[PiN WiZ]

The better question to ask is will Farscape update the game for next gen systems and how that will be handled. Will it simply just be an update since you already own it or will you have to repurchase the core game and/or all the tables you own.

This will depend on how much work FarSight decides to put into updating their back catalog of tables. If they just touch them up with filters to look better on the new systems, then they'll probably be free, but if they decide to do some serious HD upgrading of textures and lighting to take advantage of the power of the new systems (which I hope they do), they will most likely require a repurchase.

 

[kimkom]

And I wouldn't worry about them cutting off support for the old systems for a bit. I don't think people are going to be running out and getting next gen systems as quickly as in the older generations. But I could be totally wrong about that.

Craig, welcome.

I'm not sure about that, as it's widely regarded that Microsoft have stuck with the current generation for too long. I don't think game sales are what they were. Just look at all the development companies and game stores going out of business

 

[brakel]

What I am pretty sure will happen is when you get your new system be it the next gen X-Box or Playstation you will just connect your already established account from your old system on to your new system and redownload all your existing purchases. At least thats what better happen or you are going to have a lot of pissed off people including myself that have a large library of only downloadable games such as this one.

The better question to ask is will Farscape update the game for next gen systems and how that will be handled. Will it simply just be an update since you already own it or will you have to repurchase the core game and/or all the tables you own.

And I wouldn't worry about them cutting off support for the old systems for a bit. I don't think people are going to be running out and getting next gen systems as quickly as in the older generations. But I could be totally wrong about that.

The architecture of the PS4 is going to be completely different than the PS3 so the same PSN games aren't going to work on the PS4 unless Sony includes backward compatibility or FarSight ports them to the PS4 and provides them for free or sells them.

On the other hand Sony usually provides support for their previous gen consoles for years after the new one comes out. Right now I don't plan to buy a PS4 right away but that could change depending on games that come out. Games will drive my purchasing decision this time. I bought a PS2 at launch for the DVD player as much as anything. The PS3 was a launch buy for me for the blu-ray drive alone. There won't be anything driving a purchase for me this time around except for games.

 

[Butterkins]

The Xbox 720/Durango architecture is also different enough that backwards compatibility is going to be an issue.

So far, it does not appear that the machine has hardware specific to BC. And emulation is problematic, at best.

It may well be that all developers will have to do the "remastering" route for 360->720 titles, as well as PS3->PS4.

This is good for Sony and MS, as they get to sell the same games again. Not so great for consumers.

If Farsight do support the new machines, I really hope they take a good, hard long look at the presentation of their products. Lighting, artwork, UI, icons, logo, everything.

And if Sony or MS or go down the route of banning used games, I won't be buying a console.

May end up buying a SteamBox instead.

 

[Rudy Yagov]

Do you still think they would support the 360 and PS3 after say 6 months of the new consoles being out?? My guess is that they would stop releasing table packs for the old gen console after about 6 months...as it would be regarded as a dead platform.

Usually at the start of a new gen you get the over lapping games where the same game will come out for the original Xbox and the Xbox 360, for example Need For Speed Most Wanted came out on both the original XBOX and the XBOX 360 but this is only approx for first half a year of the new gen then developers usually drop the old gen. I would expect FS to do the same, MS would probably close down the old XBLA servers after a year anyway like they did this gen, so FS will have no choice

They have no reason to stop. I don't see this new generation taking off as fast as previous ones. MS and Sony have put so much marketing and life-extension into the 360 and PS3 that a lot of people are probably going to be unwilling to move on right away.

Also, Xbox games were produced up until 2008, 3 years after the 360 came out.

On top of that, PS2 games were made up until last year, and there's even one coming out in Japan later this year (a FFXI expansion). They only stopped producing PS2 consoles themselves last month.

 

[Sumez]

And I wouldn't worry about them cutting off support for the old systems for a bit. I don't think people are going to be running out and getting next gen systems as quickly as in the older generations. But I could be totally wrong about that.

I'm not sure about that, as it's widely regarded that Microsoft have stuck with the current generation for too long. I don't think game sales are what they were. Just look at all the development companies and game stores going out of business

It's difficult to predict. Sony kept supporting PS2 for many, MANY years after PS3 launched, basically as the cheaper alternative for casual gamers, and they did the same thing with PS1. It goes back many generations before that too, though, and I don't think it's going to be any different this time around, in fact, quite the contrary.

Yeah, there are people who think MS have dwelled in the current generation for "too long", but I think those are an outspoken minority. Most people are fine with what they have until a company comes and tell them they need to replace what they have with something new. I also have a hard time imagining the next generation will be able to display an incredible step forward in technology that will make the current generation consoles seem "obsolete". It's more likely to be a a matter of more high-end graphics that only truly shine in the hands of AAA game developers with the means to create such detailed art assets.
For the same reasons I think we will also see an increase in focus on motion control and other stupid gimmicks like those, in order to market the next generation consoles as something more unique, compared to what people already have. There has already been several signs towards this.

What this means to us is that there's nothing in a PS4 or "NextBox" that will create a need for a new iteration of TPA for it. At best, we should hope for a simple port that will allow you to reuse the DLC purchased via PSN or Xbox Live.

 

[Sumez]

They have no reason to stop. I don't see this new generation taking off as fast as previous ones. MS and Sony have put so much marketing and life-extension into the 360 and PS3 that a lot of people are probably going to be unwilling to move on right away.

These days I'm actually hearing a lot of people saying they might even skip the next generation entirely, due to all the talk about always-on security, preventing second hand sales and all those features that practically make the purchased disc worth nothing.
And those are mainly people who have been digging video games their entire lives, own most consoles released, and have large collections of games. Basically, there are a lot of signs that the next generation won't be "for us".

I don't personally believe that I will be able to skip the next generation, but theoretically I'd like to, cause I'm really comfortable where I am at right now.

 

[Metalzoic]

I'm chomping at the bit for new hardware and am Pro digital download, no used games etc... I have absolutely zero problem with that.
The moment new systems are available my current systems are out of here and good riddance. I never want to see another generation last longer than 5 years.

 

[Timelord]

Eventually Microsoft will likely pull the plug on XBox 360 access to XBox live just like they did the original XBox. That means no more DLC's for it so at that point FS will have to either migrate or change it's present XBOX distribution model.I don't have enough experience to know if Sony will do the same thing with the PS3.

Timelord ....

 

[karl]

A good PC has much much more power than xbox 360 and if I remember correctly Farsight have said that the only difference between a pc version and the consoles will be the option for higher texture quality since tpa have higher textures from the start. (I could remember wrong)
That is probably the only thing that will be better on tpa with the the new consoles. I am of course hoping for a little more lights/flashers and a night-day slider +++, but all this is possible already on the 360 and ps 3 also. I am guessing the difference between TPA on a 360 and the next one will be very small and not worth buying again if we are not forced into it by the abandonment of old consoles from microsoft and sony. Hoping I am wrong here of course, I would gladly pay for it again if there is reason to do so

 

[Sumez]

The moment new systems are available my current systems are out of here and good riddance. I never want to see another generation last longer than 5 years.

Seriously? Why?
If there's one thing I'll never be able to understand about modern consumerism, it's the fact that so many people believe that because something new was made, what already existed, and has always been good, suddenly isn't good enough anymore.

 

[karl]

I refer to Inspector Clouseau: Eut widd ze bad, in widd ze good. Hard to resist a new consol when new games start to pour out designed for them

 

[Rudy Yagov]

I refer to Inspector Clouseau: Eut widd ze bad, in widd ze good. Hard to resist a new consol when new games start to pour out designed for them

Easy for me to resist. I haven't had much interest in new games for at least 3 years. I've been mainly playing games from the 80s and 90s, with some early 00s sprinkled in there as well.

Part of the reason I'm even into pinball is because video games just aren't doing it for me these days.