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Microsoft To Unify PC and Xbox One Platforms (theguardian.com)
New submitter Serzen writes: According to The Guardian, Microsoft is planning to end fixed console hardware for the Xbox One as a move towards one ecosystem running Unified Windows Applications. The head of the company's Xbox division, Phil Spencer, said that the Universal Windows Platform would be central to the company's gaming strategy. "That is our focus going forward," he told reporters. "Building out a complete gaming ecosystem for Universal Windows Applications." What this could mean is that the Xbox One becomes more like a PC, with Microsoft releasing updated versions at regular intervals with more powerful processors and graphics hardware. In theory, because games will be written as UWAs, older titles will remain compatible with the new machines.
Actually, Nintendo is pretty much stuck on the GameCube...arguably their last great system where they even had a remote chance of being competitive. The Wii was essentially just a GCN redesign around a faulty UI gimmick with an apparent loss in power and quality. To understand what I mean, look at Metroid Prime on the GCN and compare that with Metroid Prime that's bundled in the Metroid Prime Trilogy. The gameplay is mostly the same (save for the screwed up controls on the Wii -- the gimmick, again), but there are several graphical effects in the GCN version that are noticeably absent on the Wii game. The missing effects in the Wii version include heatwaves coming off the arm-canon after a rapid fire session, space warping when the beam is being charged, seeing Samus' eyes "reflected" on the screen during glare effects, rain drops forming on the visor when looking up at a rainy sky...etc.
Wii-U thus far has only shown itself to be little more than a Nostalgia Machine, and not a very good one as #1 I'd have to re-buy all the classic games I want to replay, even though I have the original carts from 30 years ago and #2 Their current biggest titles are just remakes and rehashes of their biggest titles off the N64 and GCN.
I've debated on a current gen console for about a year now and my leanings, despite my reservations over their corporate stance, is going towards Sony for the first time in 20 years. It's looking at exclusive games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Bloodborne, and comparing the performance Multiplatform games between the PS4 and the X-Bone that are making me lean in Sony's direction. As far as PC gaming goes, the PC launches of games like Watchdogs and Batman: Arkham Knight left me with a seriously bad taste in my mouth. I won't write PC off completely and have been using Steam for some very good Indie games that I can stream in 4K to my Shield, but the AAA companies are repeatedly proving that if you wanna play their titles, you best have a console.