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Jaffe On Next-Gen: "I'm Not Interested"

In general, it seems that most gamers and developers are quite happy with the current generation of hardware.

Iconic designer David Jaffe takes it one step further, though: in regards to the next generation of hardware and technology, he just "couldn't care less." In speaking to Edge, the Twisted Metal and God of War creator said that things move so quickly; i.e., new technology becomes ho-hum really fast. Said Jaffe:

"I couldn't care less about next-gen. I started at Sony Imagesoft doing Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games, and I went through that to PS1, then PS2, PS3, Vita… You go through the cycle enough and you realize today's 'Oh my f****** God' is tomorrow's 'Ehh, whatever.'

Ultimately, this is all going to be yesterday's news and it's about the experience, the game. Unless we're talking about holodecks, or AI that's so amazing it can actually write a compelling story around you procedurally based on your choices, I'm not interested."

Jaffe added that new hardware will only make game development more difficult for "ambitious projects," and instead of focusing our attention on power, maybe console makers should create systems with overall better functionality. In other words, rather than bigger budgets, how's about more streamlined experiences?

"I'm no longer that excited about next-gen technology; it means budgets go up," he says. "It sucks. The biggest thing I want is what you get from the PSP and the 3DS; it's always on, there's a sleep mode and I can just hit a button and I'm right back where I was and I don't have to go through all the boot-up s***."

Jaffe previously founded Eat Sleep Play, a studio that recently produced the well-received Twisted Metal reboot. Jaffe has left the team, though, and it'll be interesting to see what he does next. As for his views on next-gen consoles...you have to admit, he makes a logical point.

Tags: david jaffe, next-gen, next generation, next gen consoles

3/13/2012 9:16:59 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (23 posts)

H0TSHELLZ
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 9:57:24 AM
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Never Suger Coats Anything lmao...

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BikerSaint
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 12:12:36 PM

Ha, Artificial sweeteners cower in fear when in the same dining area as Jaffe.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 3/13/2012 12:14:47 PM

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Shams
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 10:00:18 AM
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I partly agree with him. I think the difference between a classic and something forgettable has less to do with technology as it has to do with fundamental game and art design. But, I also think with each new generation, devs have been able to do things they haven't been able to before, which in some cases included whole genres (fps was kinda in early infancy in the last console gen). Sure, mostly games are getting more complex, and hence more expensive to make, but hey, smaller d/l'able games are a new thing for this gen of console tech, and Games like Braid and Joe Danger show that there still is room in the industry for talented basement devs.

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DjEezzy
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 10:54:13 AM
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I think he should go to sony santa monica and get on gow4. This guy knows what he's talking about for sure.

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Highlander
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 10:59:12 AM
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So, does it seem to anyone else that what he is saying is that the most important elements in games are the game play, mechanics and story?

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 11:06:43 AM

For Jaffe, it's definitely gameplay and mechanics. Story will always be secondary in his mind.

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Highlander
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 11:38:27 AM

Hmmm. I agree somewhat. I think that Story comes ahead of graphics now. Graphics have risen to the point where they really are good enough, and now it is time for the other elements of a game to get attention. But I do agree with Jaffe, gameplay and mechanics must be at the ehad of the list. A game with great graphics and story but terrible gameplay and mechanics is a bad game, no matter how good it looks. With the PS3 and Vita, good graphics are nearly a given, which leaves time to focus on the gameplay, mechanics...and the story.

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FM23
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 12:31:10 PM

But he was the lead on GOW 1 right? Because that one had the best story out of all of them

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Qwarktast1c
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 11:38:40 AM
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you know i really don't give a rat's A anymore about what jaffe says. he stopped being cool after GoW 1. now he's just like some sorta vagabond of a game developer, just doing one game and moving on, meanwhile saying random opinions about games and interactive media.

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Jawknee
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 12:02:11 PM
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I want a Twisted Metal Vita. Hell, a port of the PS3 version would be fine too.

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JCARROLL
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 4:03:02 PM
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If story isn't his top priority and he doesn't care about the next generation of graphics, well what then? Gameplay. His last game was good but not exactly revolutionary in the gameplay department. Why would someone in the industry not be excited about all the wonders that a new round of hardware brings?
"You go through the cycle enough and you realize today's 'Oh my f****** God' is tomorrow's 'Ehh, whatever." Why get out of bed and do anything if you're not going to be excited by what's amazing and current at the time?

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Robochic
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 4:04:12 PM
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it's like he doesnt' want to work for anything any more...

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Neo_Aeon666
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 4:10:00 PM
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I think he's just given up on life in general. Next thing we know he'll have jump off a bridge.

Much more powerfull hardware is already available on PCs and well... Basically the con right now is that consoles are holding PCs behind. SO new consoles would be sweet. Wish they could just make an EXPANSION PACK like they did for N64 lol

Having much more powerfull hardware would just let Devs finally give us 1080p quality on all games and textures. Have more NPCs and more complicated AIs. Overall it could just remove current *limitations*

Having produced a 3D short by myself(that sucks a bit lol if you want to have a laugh, check out *Le septieme Ciel*, *Victor Hugo* on youtube) and worked on small contracts I know that basically the amount of sheer work that a more powerfull console would give them is small. It would just remove all those stupid limiters for a few years (till we reach the top again). Pump all the textures to 1080p native, AA, oclusion on all characters, crazy high res effects. These changes I mentionned are not hard to do but are very taxing on hardware.

Now the real problem I think is that well... People have to buy a new machine and well the first games will have a super small userbase... And well the pros and cons of that versus evolution. I think thats the real problem.

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BikerSaint
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 6:24:48 PM

Cool 3D, LOL'ed at the ending too.

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Neo_Aeon666
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 9:19:15 PM

lol I am glad it could make you laugh!

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WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 4:13:07 PM
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I think he's saying in an offhand way that he's going to focus on Android and iOS now.

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Palpatations911
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 5:53:32 PM
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Right on Jaffe. Down with this gimmicky hardware and peripherals. Get us some decent hardware with a faster cpu, gpu, more ram and a non bloated operating system based on Linux. Hell, basing it off of Android would be better and faster than most crap out there (Android is also based on a Linux Kernal :)

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Rogueagent01
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 @ 11:15:54 PM
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"Unless we're talking about holodecks, or AI that's so amazing it can actually write a compelling story around you procedurally based on your choices, I'm not interested."

Jaffe has really been annoying lately, but this sentence might be my favorite quote ever. The current console tech hasn't even been maxed out yet and half the consumers are wanting a new system. Consoles aren't PCs and we don't need to upgrade them every 3 to 5 years, if that is what your looking for then buy a PC and stop complaining about the consoles. If there isn't a significant leap forward in tech then there is absolutely NO reason to introduce a new console to the market.

One thing I would like to see Sony, Nintendo, and MS do next gen(which is hopefuly a long ways off) is make a system that is capable of being upgraded, not to the extent of a PC, but to where they won't need to release another system for at least a decade. The only thing that needs to be done is to make sure that all of the setups would be compatible with each other.

And yes, I realize I contradict myself in this post ;)
Last edited by Rogueagent01 on 3/13/2012 11:18:35 PM

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BigBoss4ever
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 @ 1:38:50 AM
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me could not care less either, period.

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Gabriel013
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 @ 2:01:43 AM
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I'm not ready to put my hand in my pocket for a new piece of hardware. In terms of HW improvement I'd just like to see a memory expansion so we can get games like Skyrim without texture drops and with even more interactive and emotive npc's. The top end graphics themselves are perfectly ok with me.

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___________
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 @ 4:17:08 AM
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at least we can always rely on one guy that will always put gameplay before graphics!
EXACTLY what destroyed GOW3!
and oh so many other games.
:(

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Grathan
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 12:01:58 PM
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I think what he is saying is that it takes a team of people to make a game now and he is not a team player.

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SS4
Friday, March 16, 2012 @ 8:47:05 AM
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His opinion makes sense in a way. But the hardware improves so fast that after 5 years any hardware is obsolete compare to what is available on the market. If you follow the PC scene you understand too well what a few years mean to hardware AND software.

Console used to be different back in the days but nowadays they are getting closer to multipurpose platform like a PC so thats why next gen is needed because console are so underwhelming compared to a budget PC...

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