Is the "Console" actually dying?

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STEEL_BALL

Weaksauce
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First let me say that I am a PC gamer and I think that the PC is a vastly superior platform when it comes to game type, flexibility, modding, graphics...etc.

I keep hearing that the PC is dying and consoles rule the gaming world, but I have a different take on this. It seems like consoles are actually becoming more and more like PC's. I mean, there is not a lot of difference between the basic design of a PC and an XBOX360. It seems like that in a few years consoles are going to actually be "PC's" that are housed in a plastic box. So it seems like consoles are just destined to become cheap PC's that you can't upgrade....hmmm, I think I will keep my computer :eek:)
 
I don't see that happening any time soon for many reason one of them being nintendo they will never make a mario on anything but a Nintendo console, and I could be wrong but mario alone is more popular than all of PC gaming combined.
 
A console will always be a single hardware configuration, it doesn't really matter how proprietary or similar to pc hardware it is. Developers are working with standardized hardware and its that fact that differentiates it, not what is actually under the hood. Having to optimize and test for one set of hardware (at relatively low resolutions) is what saves the time and makes the games perform well consider the relatively "old" hardware. Comparing them to equivalent pcs doesn't tell the whole story.

Aside from that, the control scheme is obviously taken into consideration during development as well, leading to different types of games being designed from the ground up.

Sure, there's nothing a console can do that a pc couldn't theoretically do also, but having a closed development platform certainly has its advantages. This is basically like saying that macs are becoming pcs because they started using intel hardware.
 
stevedave said:
I don't see that happening any time soon for many reason one of them being nintendo they will never make a mario on anything but a Nintendo console, and I could be wrong but mario alone is more popular than all of PC gaming combined.
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Dang Nintendo, I like them, but why won't they bring their hardware up to date?
 
I see them becoming the "set-top-box" that all these companies originally wanted to sell, but failed miserably at in the 90s. So they make updated "game-consoles" that they know there is a market for, and slowly turn them into these multi-purpose "set-top-boxes," and suddenly everyone thinks they're cool. Internet connectivity, multimedia (movie/tv/music downloads,) are all creeping into the feature sets of what started out as "game consoles." They just needed a good way to coax people into accepting what they initially did not want to accept. Sooner or later, they're going to have keyboards and pointing devices, and there you have it. Living-room console/set-top-box/plastic PCs for the masses. :) If I was a console player (actually I am, but for the purposes of my post...) I'd feel dirty and used right now.
 
One things for sure, console's need to come down in the price. At this rate, the cost of buying a console and a new PC are almost the same.

Granted, you might get better graphics with the console but you can do more with a PC. Overall, consoles are going to be here for a long time, a very long time.

And hey, my PS3 serves me well and it's also a blu-ray player!
 
Spaceman_Spiff said:
A console will always be a single hardware configuration, it doesn't really matter how proprietary or similar to pc hardware it is. Developers are working with standardized hardware and its that fact that differentiates it, not what is actually under the hood. Having to optimize and test for one set of hardware (at relatively low resolutions) is what saves the time and makes the games perform well consider the relatively "old" hardware. Comparing them to equivalent pcs doesn't tell the whole story.

Aside from that, the control scheme is obviously taken into consideration during development as well, leading to different types of games being designed from the ground up.
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It just seems like the PC would be a much better way to go if there was some way to get AMD, INTEL, NVIDIA and ATI to come up with some sort of standard architecture that would allow developers efficiently to produce more games for the PC. This seems like the only road block because the PC already has everything else that the console are in need of. i.e. keyboards, internet, upgrade-ability, hard drive storage, the ability to mod games...etc
 
Spaceman_Spiff said:
A console will always be a single hardware configuration, it doesn't really matter how proprietary or similar to pc hardware it is. Developers are working with standardized hardware and its that fact that differentiates it, not what is actually under the hood. Having to optimize and test for one set of hardware (at relatively low resolutions) is what saves the time and makes the games perform well consider the relatively "old" hardware. Comparing them to equivalent pcs doesn't tell the whole story.

Aside from that, the control scheme is obviously taken into consideration during development as well, leading to different types of games being designed from the ground up.
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It just seems like the PC would be a much better way to go if there was some way to get AMD, INTEL, NVIDIA and ATI to come up with some sort of standard architecture that would allow developers to efficiently produce more games for the PC. This seems like the only road block because the PC already has everything else that the console are in need of. i.e. keyboards, internet, upgrade-ability, hard drive storage, the ability to mod games...etc
 
STEEL_BALL said:
Dang Nintendo, I like them, but why won't they bring their hardware up to date?
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Thats how they make money. Instead of taking a loss on each console sale.

Gott said:
Granted, you might get better graphics with the console but you can do more with a PC. Overall, consoles are going to be here for a long time, a very long time.
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Yep, kinda depends on the console. It would be tough to beat a X360 for graphics at that price point. However a PC could blow a PS3 away at the $499 pricepoint.
 
Maybe the best thing we can hope for is for the PC to completely die as a gaming platform. Then nobody will make games for the PC for a few years. Then a few independent PC enthusiasts will start making games for other PC enthusiasts to play. Then we can get back to the time before games were ported to every device from PS3's to cell phones. Hmmm, so by my estimation we only have to wait 20 or so years to get some good PC only titles :/
 
STEEL_BALL said:
First let me say that I am a PC gamer and I think that the PC is a vastly superior platform when it comes to game type, flexibility, modding, graphics...etc.

I keep hearing that the PC is dying and consoles rule the gaming world, but I have a different take on this. It seems like consoles are actually becoming more and more like PC's. I mean, there is not a lot of difference between the basic design of a PC and an XBOX360. It seems like that in a few years consoles are going to actually be "PC's" that are housed in a plastic box. So it seems like consoles are just destined to become cheap PC's that you can't upgrade....hmmm, I think I will keep my computer :eek:)
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consoles already are pc's you can't upgrade, what did you think they were? They always have been. Single use computers....how long did it take you to reach this incredible conclusion?

PC's have always been upgradeable, and consoles largely ...not. Development cycles leapfrog each other. PS3 and 360 had some great looking stuff that was at least close to a good gaming pc for a while, now pc outstrips them as hardware advances....and so on we go.

Nobody has ever heard of this phenomena before.
 
I'm not really worried, Nothing will ever change the abundance of console games. It's a quick cheap system to get... well it used to be. What the pc gaming industry needs to do is be more informative to the public. especially those who don't know anything about it or are under the assumption you can only control with the kb/m. That's the first step.

I'd hate to see the pc scene fade out. The best gaming of my life I've had on a PC. The mods, updates, community and the people we game with are what make pc gaming so much better.
 
I guess you're prolly right. Just when I see 600 bucks for a console... that's quite the turnoff to me, i'd rather spend that 600 for my computer.. or it would even buy me a guitar which would get more use than the console.. heh that's just my opinion though. But yeah they were prolly comparitively priced years ago... wasn't the original ps1 $300?
 
I dont think that PC will ever reign over console at least for a while because....
Consoles are much ore user friendly, thats a fact. I have friends who would not understand how to install a game on their PC. PCs are very very technical, I am running SLI and that shit is pretty confusing. Especially when you start downloading programs to over clock your system and programs to change the fan setting. I dont know about you but i am not letting any 10 yr old kid install and a game and then change my PCs settings. I love just buying a game, throwing it in my 360, get a 5 second update, play the single player, then play the multi-player, with out having to update/download punkbuster or anything like that. With the 360 or PS3 your instantly connected to the gaming community. if PCs had an XBOX Live type system I think it would benefit us PC gamers a lot more than we want to admit.

I do not think consoles will ever be the same as PCs because Microssoft, Sony and Nintendo will always want their consoles to be as easy to use as possible.
 
clevarias said:
I dont think that PC will ever reign over console at least for a while because....
Consoles are much ore user friendly, thats a fact. I have friends who would not understand how to install a game on their PC. PCs are very very technical, I am running SLI and that shit is pretty confusing. Especially when you start downloading programs to over clock your system and programs to change the fan setting. I dont know about you but i am not letting any 10 yr old kid install and a game and then change my PCs settings. I love just buying a game, throwing it in my 360, get a 5 second update, play the single player, then play the multi-player, with out having to update/download punkbuster or anything like that. With the 360 or PS3 your instantly connected to the gaming community. if PCs had an XBOX Live type system I think it would benefit us PC gamers a lot more than we want to admit.

I do not think consoles will ever be the same as PCs because Microssoft, Sony and Nintendo will always want their consoles to be as easy to use as possible.
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I think that the little bit of extra complexity with PC actually adds to the gaming experience. If something is not working exactly as you want it to then you search on the internet or within the online community that relates to the specific game. It is a good way to learn more about the game and the community that surrounds the game. People that are PC gamers follow the development of their favorite games, and one would hope, that because of PC gamers involvement that PC gamers can have some effect on the developer's attitude toward the games they make.
 
I have to agree with you on mostly what you said, although I wouldnt say it adds to the gaming experience as much as it adds to your knowledge of PCs. I never had a good gaming PC until ealier this year when I built mine. There have been many times that I would have to go online and search for a patch or what have you to change the gaming experience. On the other hand, I have games that I love to play that have issues becuase of my PC, I am not a genius when It come to computers, so it sucks for me. Take for instance the Witcher, I can not play this game because it freezes up every 5 minutes into the game, that completely killed the gaming experience when I have to search for hours on how to fix this problem. I dont have these issues with my consoles.

Remember I have all systems including a nice gaming PC, I am not a fanboy, lol.
 
You're both right. Some gamers might see PC's as too complicated and more of a hassle than diving right into a console game because all of the PC tweak options available. But that's also what makes PC gaming so much better. It's more flexible diverse complex. Customizing is part of the fun!
 
Actually If Microsoft's future xbox's migrate more pc features into it then I would prolly abandon pc gaming as much as I love it. Devs like having dedicated hardware as it works for everyone. Having a future xbox that has real mouse support,(not like ps3 gay mouse support) and keyboard support. Then I would prolly get one. I definately would if windows ran on the machine even if it was Xbox Edition windows or something.
 
STEEL_BALL said:
It seems like that in a few years consoles are going to actually be "PC's" that are housed in a plastic box. So it seems like consoles are just destined to become cheap PC's that you can't upgrade....hmmm, I think I will keep my computer :eek:)
Click to expand...

If anything MS moved away from that. The first xbox was really nothing more then an intel mobile p3 based system with an upgraded nforce chipset. The game controller ports were just usb 1.1 with a weird connector(now usb2 is standard on the consoles). The OS on it was based off the windows 2000 kernal as well(although heavly modified). With the 360 they went away from the PC config. The PS2 and PS3 from sony both have support for linux distros on them(offical support unlike the linux on xbox).

Sony and MS are both after the living room. This means making the systems act as media hubs and in MS's case act as an end point for windows media center. I think it is safe to say at somepoint MS will add a web browser to the 360 as well. I don't see either of them really trying to make these take over roles such as word processing etc though.
 
J3RK said:
Sooner or later, they're going to have keyboards and pointing devices, and there you have it.
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Sooner or later? I use a wireless keyboard and the wiimote to do some quick web browsing. Just need to make the next console HD so it has a decent resolution and we are there.
 
brom42 said:
Just need to make the next console HD so it has a decent resolution and we are there.
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What do you mean, 360, PS3 and PS2(GT4 and a few others) all support 1080p. Granted the dont run at resolutions higher than 1900x1280(at least I dont think so). I have a 24" HD monitor that I play my 360 and PS3 on and you can defintely tell its full HD. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant....
 
brom42 said:
Sooner or later? I use a wireless keyboard and the wiimote to do some quick web browsing. Just need to make the next console HD so it has a decent resolution and we are there.
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I actually have a nice living-room PC in a flat aluminum case that sits in the entertainment rack with everything else. 4GB, 8800GTS-512, a pair of 360 controllers, etc. Wireless KB and Mouse. I like the idea of using a Wii controller though, and I do have a Bluetooth adapter. Maybe I'll try it.
 
Isn't everything moving "towards pcs" though? Our high def dvd players and our tivos have network connections, and support popular pc video codecs. Our cell phones have mini-usb plugs and interface with our pcs to sync, update, and share files. Everything seems to have wifi nowadays, including some tv remotes. Its no different with consoles. High level programming languages and more powerful hardware have created an environment where compatibility between radically different types of devices is standard practice, and thats a very very good thing.
 
eh, i dont think it's dying

i prefer consoles because when you buy a game its GUARANTEED to run, whereas with pc games some games have trouble running even with the best hardware
 
swatbat said:
Sony and MS are both after the living room. This means making the systems act as media hubs and in MS's case act as an end point for windows media center. I think it is safe to say at somepoint MS will add a web browser to the 360 as well. I don't see either of them really trying to make these take over roles such as word processing etc though.
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I personally hope MS does not add a browser to the 360. Would make it prone to virus'. Thats one route I dont think MS would take unless it was only to their proprietary intranet. Would open too many other things to the 360. Installing flash programs, adobe reader bla bla bla.....
Leave the consoles the way they are. The whole multimedia thing is fine enough.
 
I prefer PCs over consoles for the ability to configure my system however I want & push it to the limits. Being able to play retro games all of the way to newly released makes my day. For portable purposes, having a PSP with custom firmware goes a long way. I feel that PCs & consoles need to coexist, that so I may reap the benefits of both. Being a hardcore PC gamer, I love the aspect of configuring Windows & Linux to make the most of my gaming experience.

I don't prefer consoles since bugs, failures, & crashes can happen, too. How am I supposed to fix an issue with a console when I'm limited to whatever revision of firmware the console manufacturer has at the time or the bugs that reside in a baked console game? I'm quite confident that a competent PC user can work around problems faster than waiting for a Red Ring of Death issue to be fixed (X360) or looking for the next firmware upgrade (modern consoles). I still love what consoles offer though... but PC gaming still rules my interest.
 
There is no progression towards a keyboard and mouse setup. its just too bulky. many people when they game, they like the comfort and streamlined design of controllers. You don't need a platform like a desk to use them either. sure they can't aim as fast as a mouse, but is the goal in life to aim as fast as you can in every game you play or else you fail at life?
 
Poor mans PC's will always be around as long as there are "Poor Men". And with the way this countries economy is heading, I think they will be around for quite some time.
 
Hulk said:
eh, i dont think it's dying

i prefer consoles because when you buy a game its GUARANTEED to run, whereas with pc games some games have trouble running even with the best hardware
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As long as you have a reasonable computer then all PC games are GUARANTEED to work also.
 
The line is certainly being blurred.

9 times out of 10, I will choose to play a multi-platform game on PC (10 out of 10 if its a shooter). When they say consoles are dying, I think they really just mean that the line is being blurred between dedicated gaming consoles and PCs. All of the current gen consoles double as DVD players. The PS3 acts as a blu-ray player, a media-extender, and can even be a full-fledged Linux-based PC.

The next generation of game consoles will come with even more PC-like features, meaning that they won't really fit the traditional definition of a gaming console.
 
STEEL_BALL said:
As long as you have a reasonable computer then all PC games are GUARANTEED to work also.
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Not necessarily, STEEL_BALL. Plenty of PC games have come out that would barely run on certain hardware, if not crash completly in the history of PC gaming. Sometimes a driver that would come out later would fix these problems.
 
damonposey said:
Not necessarily, STEEL_BALL. Plenty of PC games have come out that would barely run on certain hardware, if not crash completly in the history of PC gaming. Sometimes a driver that would come out later would fix these problems.
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Ultima 9 comes to mind.

But it's not like console games are completely glitch free either.
 
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