2019 is fast approaching and whilst the new year will bring with it a whole bevvy of new games to get excited over, it's the faint whiff of new console in the air that's got most gamers particularly excited.
As such, the conversation around those mystery machines is also ramping up, and this week, GamingBolt had the chance to talk to 3DRealms – who you'll likely remember from their history as creators of classic shooters like Duke Nukem and Shadow Warrior.
More specifically they spoke with 3D Realms founder and chief creative officer Scott Miller. The mainstay of the conversation focussed on the studio's upcoming shooter, Ion Maiden, however, as GamingBolt usually do the topic of conversation "veered to other topics" such as the next generation of consoles.
Namely, Sony PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Two console (otherwise known as Scarlett).
But intriguingly, when asked what the 3D Realms team would like to see, the answer Scott Miller gave was anything but typical.
As is usually the case, answers are normally dominated by topics such as Cloud Tech or photorealistic graphics and so forth. But Miller's answer was one we don't think we've heard many people discussing before.
Namely, 'Physics'.
“Physics, I think this is the next frontier for gaming," Miller Told GamingBolt.
"With graphics weve reached a point of diminishing returns. But having accurate real-world physics can make a game world seem far more real, and open up all kinds of new gameplay possibilities.”
Miller also suggested that the next-gen could look to “greatly expand multiplayer”, which doesn't in Millers mind mean upping a Battle Royale by a couple of hundred people. Oh No. Miller has far more grandiose plans.
“Imagine 10,000 or 100,000 people live in a game world. This would usher in event gaming like weve never seen before.
"You could literally have a major band playing on a stage (motion capped live) and attended by 100,000 people who buy tickets to be in the audience. And, if the band sells a million tickets, you have them playing in 10 different outdoor venues around the world, and fans get to buy tickets to whichever venue they want.”
For now the question over where the next-gen consoles could look to improve on the existing PS4 and Xbox One is still a matter of debate.
But we dont think that wait will be that far off.
We know for instance that one of Sony's many bosses disclosed earlier this year that the PS4 is in its "sunset years".
Sony admitted the world's biggest-selling console is coming to the end of its life in a chat with investors in Japan.
PlayStation CEO John Kodera said that the PS4 “is entering final phase of its life cycle” after an amazing five years of gaming success.
Coupled with PlayStation's admission that they are "skipping" E3 2019 would suggest that the company might have something else planned. Perhaps something to announce a shiny new console.
This isn't to say it will be out in 2019, but we think it won't be long before we know what these next-gen machines are capable of.
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