The Speed of Things

First, a prediction. This generation of hand-held consoles will be the last.1

How can the multi-year spans between console releases compare to the yearly improvements of devices like the iPhone and iPad? Apple claims that the iPad 2 is 9x more powerful than it’s predecessor. In benchmark testing Anandtech confirms – yeah pretty much.

While it’s early in the life of both the iPhone and iPad, it’s hard to imagine that future incarnations would not continue this increase in graphical prowess.2

Year after year the iOS devices continue to improve while companies like Sony and Nintendo are in a cycle of releasing a device and then supporting it for a few years. The DS was released in 2004 and just this month is being replaced by its successor, the 3DS. The PSP has also been around a while with an original release in 2005. Its successor, the Next Generation Portable or NGP, is planned for a late 2011 release.3

According to this article from Business Insider the iPad 2 is “equal to NGP in terms of raw graphical horsepower”. Wait, that can’t be right. Sony’s much heralded next-generation portable that won’t be released until November is only equal to a device that is in consumer’s hands right now?

I’m not trying to over-emphasize graphics, there are many other factors when it comes to an enjoyable gaming experience. You can ding the iPad for lack of physical controls or the DS for not having many mature games. While smart intelligent readers such as yourself realize this, there are tons of consoles bought due to graphical fidelity over gameplay or library selection.

The genesis of this post came to me while laying in bed this evening. I was playing Real Racing 2 on my iPhone 3GS and was struck by a few things. 1) How well this game looked on a 2-year-old phone. 2) How smoothly it ran – no stuttering and load times were all but nonexistent. 3) How well the controls worked on a device without buttons.4

Next to me were a Nintendo DS and a Sony PSP, both loaded with a few top-notch games. Yet, here I was playing a racing game on my cell phone – a game that was about $25 cheaper than similar titles on its console brethren.

So the iPad 2 is as fast as the NGP, which won’t ship for another 9 months and the old cycle of developing a console and waiting a few years to improve is dead. Or dying. Develop, a website about game development noted that next-gen handheld console budgets have tripled. How much are the games going to cost? $50!?

I’ve been able to play the same games over the last 4 generations of iOS devices with out a hitch. In some cases the games are even improved on newer hardware. Meanwhile DS games are fuzzy on the new 3DS and all of my UMD games for the PSP will have to be re-purchased when the NGP is released. :-/

From one perspective, not only are the graphics a huge win, but also the financial and vitality aspects of this new breed of gaming devices.

Photo by sneeu – Licensed under Creative Commons

Top 10 Songs for 2010

It’s about time that I belabor you with my musical likings from the last year.

 

Top 10 songs1 added to my iTunes library for 2010.

  1. Daylight – Matt & Kim – Grand
  2. Intro – The xx – xx
  3. Animus Vox – The Glitch Mob – Drink the Sea
  4. Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’ – Hanson – Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’2
  5. Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare – Matt & Kim – Grand
  6. Difficult – Uffie – Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans
  7. Home – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
  8. Colors – April Smith & The Great Picture Show – Songs For A Sinking Ship
  9. I Hope I Become A Ghost – The Deadly Syndrome – The Ortolan3
  10. Right As Rain – Adele – 19

 

Top 10 released in 2010

  1. Animus Vox – The Glitch Mob – Drink the Sea
  2. Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’ – Hanson – Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’
  3. Difficult – Uffie – Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans
  4. Colors – April Smith & The Great Picture Show – Songs For A Sinking Ship
  5. Rill Rill – Sleigh Bells – Treats
  6. Horchata – Vampire Weekend – Contra
  7. Bombay – El Guincho – Pop Negro4
  8. The Grid – Daft Punk – Tron: Legacy
  9. The Game Has Changed – Daft Punk – Tron: Legacy
  10. If You Think You Need Some Lovin – Pomplamoose – 3 New Songs Woot!


Here’s my lists from 2006, 2008 and 2009 if you’re interested. You can see what else I’m currently listening to on Last.fm.

The Fern Spy

So the guy who was the narrator and voice of the Hitchhiker’s Guide* in the film adaptation goes and makes his own futuristic book which is rather hitchhiker-ish. And then he narrates a commercial for it.

I’m hoping to find one more layer of recursiveness in which to make this totally sublime, but I’m content with what we have.

*And now every time I read the book it’s his voice as well.

Premium Cable for the Internet

Trailer for an upcoming film called Revolver. Song is by The Glitch Mob off their album Drink the Sea.

This is just one of many awesome videos found on Devour, which is the most awesome video website I have ever visited. They curate the best videos from YouTube, Vimeo and their ilk for your viewing pleasure.

See also Words, Starburst Zombie and Bad Romance by Brett Domino.

You should bookmark Devour – now.