Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski, lead designer for Gears of War, one of the most anticipated Xbox 360 games in the pipeline, says he doesn't think that gaming is necessarily in need of a paradigm shift.

"I wasn't aware that we needed to change the way people play games; I know I have plenty of fun with them right now," he said. "The 360 is just going to amplify that experience, make it easier to use, and give everyone astounding graphics and physics capabilities in order to continue to bring this art form to the next level

Bleszinski says that onus has now shifted from Microsoft to the game developers. "The platform is there, the challenge is now in the hands of the designers," he said. That includes Bleszinski himself, who is working on Gears of Wars.

"The game is what's called a 'cover shooter'; it's not a 'run and gun' Rambo-type of game. It's more of a tactical 'stop and pop,' " he said. "It blends the best elements of military shooters with action-horror games. Also, you can also team up with a friend to play the game in co-operative mode, experiencing the epic single player experience together."  Bleszinksi thinks that the next generation is, like his game, more about refinement than wholesale change.

"I'd describe it as the continued and further refinement of a formula that's been established for the last 25 years," he said. "Some games will simply be an evolution of what's happened before. That's OK, some gamers want that. Other games will shatter paradigms and change how we interact. High-, mid- and low-level innovation. Sometimes you have innovation in how you use the controller or the Cyclops camera. Other times you innovate on-screen and figure out a way to make swarming (artificial intelligence) more effective."