Is it common to see so many games on both gens?

[Doppel]

I didn't pay attention last time, but other than a couple of exclusives on each of the new gens it seems the big dogs are going to be available on all four consoles. To some degree this will soften uptake rates on the new ones.

No idea how big south park will be, but it seems its March release won't even include next gen.

For some reason I have the impression there were not many AAA titles available on both xbox and 360. A bit of a wrench is in the comparison due to the ps3 initially being backward compatible.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I didn't pay attention last time, but other than a couple of exclusives on each of the new gens it seems the big dogs are going to be available on all four consoles. To some degree this will soften uptake rates on the new ones.

No idea how big south park will be, but it seems its March release won't even include next gen.

For some reason I have the impression there were not many AAA titles available on both xbox and 360. A bit of a wrench is in the comparison due to the ps3 initially being backward compatible.

When the 360 released Microsoft abandoned support pretty quickly for the original xbox and I think today there are more studios working on games too. This time the systems are being supported longer I believe due to online gaming and other online functionality. It wasn't as big on the original Xbox as it is on the 360. With lots of smaller studios doing games, they may not be prepared to make the leap to the PS4 and XB1 immediately.

As for south park, I wouldn't count on the game being anything great. As a result they would likely release it for the platforms that have the most users.

 

[Arkaign]

With the previous gen going on for so long, and console prices staying high for longer than previously, many people didn't get 360s or PS3s until late 2009 (actually more consoles sold from 2009 to current by far compared to launch to 2009).

So you have a wobbly economy, and a lot of people with consoles that aren't that old to them. With the gen stretched out so far, I believe that there are MORE actively used consoles today than previous gens by a fair margin. So that's a gigantic install base. A lot of these people simply won't be able to afford $400-$500 launch era pricing, so will keep playing PS3/360 for a while yet.

It's just smart business to release a lot of titles on current-gen consoles for at least 1-2 years if not more.

 

[Doppel]

That sounds right. I think it is going to make for a lethargic first couple of years, and also this cross gen need to maximize sales may artificially hold back the graphical beauty we would otherwise see, since not much time will be spent maximizing for the new gear.

 

[Mitsurux]

I remember a few games that were released on 360 (when it launched) and the prior gen systems as well... GUN, Tony Hawks AW, and a few others

This transition seem to have a lot more.... (bigger named games)

 

[bearxor]

Yeah, there's just more bigger franchises this transition. There were still plenty of games on the PS2 and PS3 and the PS1 and PS2 at the times when the transitions happened.

The Xbox is different simply because Microsoft was ready to run as fast and as hard away from it as they could. The sooner they could get everyone off the Xbox and on to the 360, the better.

 

[smackababy]

I remember a few games that were released on 360 (when it launched) and the prior gen systems as well... GUN, Tony Hawks AW, and a few others

This transition seem to have a lot more.... (bigger named games)

I don't know if there is really more. The sports games came (and were terrible on the new gen, btw. Madden, I'm still bitching about you). We had BF2 on all gens, including PC. I'm sure there were others.

 

[SaurusX]

I remember a few games that were released on 360 (when it launched) and the prior gen systems as well... GUN, Tony Hawks AW, and a few others

This transition seem to have a lot more.... (bigger named games)

The previous Hitman game was released on both XBOX and the 360. You could tell that it was made for the XBOX, because the only upgrade seemed to be the resolution.

 

[Topweasel]

I don't know if there is really more. The sports games came (and were terrible on the new gen, btw. Madden, I'm still bitching about you). We had BF2 on all gens, including PC. I'm sure there were others.

Madden 06 and 07 on the 360 were some of the biggest piles of feces I have ever spent money on.

 

[Anarchist420]

it's not uncommon, although in the past the previous gen's version was often a different game than the incumbent gen's version.

i kind of miss the supernes/genesis days where each title was often different. and it was really weird because usually the genesis one had better graphics while the Super NES one had better gameplay other than the jungle book where the Super NES one looked better while the genesis version wasnt impossible.

the genesis version of disney's aladdin (lead by dave perry) looked way better, but the super nes version (by Capcom and lead by Shinji Mikami) not only didnt have an atrocious and very difficult final boss, it had an excellent final boss. i think the genesis one sold better though because of advertising and better graphics but it became obvious 8 years later that shinji mikami was the superior leader.

 

[Zenoth]

it's not uncommon, although in the past the previous gen's version was often a different game than the incumbent gen's version.

i kind of miss the supernes/genesis days where each title was often different. and it was really weird because usually the genesis one had better graphics while the Super NES one had better gameplay other than the jungle book where the Super NES one looked better while the genesis version wasnt impossible.

the genesis version of disney's aladdin (lead by dave perry) looked way better, but the super nes version (by Capcom and lead by Shinji Mikami) not only didnt have an atrocious and very difficult final boss, it had an excellent final boss. i think the genesis one sold better though because of advertising and better graphics but it became obvious 8 years later that shinji mikami was the superior leader.

It was common to see the same titles within one generation, but the OP refers to when you have a game released across two generations of consoles, which did not happen often in the past. For example, Mortal Kombat on the Genesis and SNES, a popular "versus" of two versions of one game of course, but that's within one generation. What the OP means is if you'd then have a new generation of consoles released, say the Genesis 2 for example, and you'd have Mortal Kombat II on that one but MKII would also be released for the first Genesis and the SNES anyway, that's multi-generation and cross-platform too.

A good modern example is... well there's many, let's just take Assassin's Creed IV, it's on the PlayStation 4, but also the PS3 and the 360... but I don't know if the PS4 version has better textures or better LOD or more character polygons count, etc. And come to think of recent games on the 360 and PS3, if there's one of them that I'm surprised didn't end up having a "PS4 version" too is Grand Theft Auto V... or maybe they'll do it when the PC version is completed (or vice versa). So yeah, cross-platforming within one generation is common, but doing that on multi-generations isn't so common.

With this said, however, I have the feeling that since the PS3 and 360 both have something like two or three extra years of life (at least) going for them we'll surely be seeing it happen more often now that the PS4 is here and the One is about a week away. Speaking of which I'm sure that Killer Instinct could be done for the 360 and I'm surprised they haven't made a version for it. But I think only lack of money and development time restrained them, otherwise I'm convinced it'd have happened (the players base is on the 360 for any fighting games, not the XBOX One).

 

[Veliko]

Funny that you mention Mortal Kombat actually, because it was also released on the Sega Master System!

And the Gameboy as well.

The videos make for funny viewing on YouTube.

Edit to say that I had no idea MKII was also released for the MS and GB.