Only a matter of time until a new console player enters? Maybe Sega?

The industry has huge problems right now and it has everything to do with publishers and parent companies expecting waaay too much from sterile, boring, wide appeal products. I really think it's a bubble about to burst. But I don't think the burst will come from self collapse (although it really is nearly there, with all the developer closures the past 24 months).

The new consoles are x86 architecture, Sony is allowing self publishing for indies, MS just said it will no longer charge for game patches, and crowd funding is mega successful.

I think we are about to see the age of the indie games. Great games that will be made relatively cheaply, partially or completely funded by donation, self published, games that are basically payed for before they are made. and due to the lower production cost, are more likely to be profitable. I'd call it a coup, if it weren't for the fact that Sony and MS are practically inviting it to happen. I'm not sure it's intentional, but I really do think this will change the industry.
 
...I think Google might actually become the next console manufacturer, actually...

And I don't mean just some Android box like Ouya, I mean they might actually create a new major console. Think about it, they've been seeping into plenty of markets, they have a lot of disposable money, and they're doing a lot of experimentation recently. They've also created a unified multiplayer gaming platform for Android, too. Also, the circumstances of their entry into the gaming market would be kinda similar to Microsoft and Sony's entry. Kinda.

I called it!! Wooo!
 
With Google Fiber's low latency, I could see them using a cloud based console with 4K HDTV games that run on MONSTEROUS servers giving living rooms Star Trek Holodeck sized games. With enough 4K projectors say at least 6 for each side of our living cube.
It would likely become something of a 5.1 sound set up with specifics as to projectors instead of speakers. The only thing we would have to decide on is shutter or polarized glasses.
I take that back, current tech and future micro-optic movement of the projector and other tech may make the Google Holodeck 3D, without glasses.
I need a job at 'fing Google...
 
Thank you.

Does anyone think we might see the market become clogged with consoles like it did in the early to mid 90's?

Sorta looks that way doesn't it? I'd be more afraid of it looking like the clog that happened in 80's though.
 
Sorta looks that way doesn't it? I'd be more afraid of it looking like the clog that happened in 80's though.

For home "consoles" alone, we'll have the PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, Gamestick, Ouya, the Madcatz console and the Google console. I can't imagine the Madcatz or Gamestick consoles doing well, though.
 
The Madcatz MOJO looks nicer than Ouya... it'll be interesting to see how these micro-consoles do. If they are cheap and easy to use, I can see myself getting one. I've no tablet/smartphone and no media center... so it might fit the bill nicely.
 
The Madcatz MOJO looks nicer than Ouya... it'll be interesting to see how these micro-consoles do. If they are cheap and easy to use, I can see myself getting one. I've no tablet/smartphone and no media center... so it might fit the bill nicely.

Unfortunately, those Android based consoles may never get a foothold, because they'll be competing against one another, and directly against tablets and phones.

Hopefully they make the games cross compatible.
 
Hopefully they make the games cross compatible.
Oh, I thought that was the point of MadCatz, it'll run any app on google play and Amazon AppStore, you can attach mouse/keyboard or use gamepad to emulate the touch screen... just seems more powerful and flexible than ouya.
 
Oh, I thought that was the point of MadCatz, it'll run any app on google play and Amazon AppStore, you can attach mouse/keyboard or use gamepad to emulate the touch screen... just seems more powerful and flexible than ouya.

True, but I meant that when game developers tailor a game to one, hopefully they'll take the time to tailor it to the other Android based consoles.
 
Given that there's really only two major players in the GPU hardware, primarily AMD and Nvidia, they are the forerunner to be the next companies to release a console to compete with the xbox 720, PS5 and Wii V. Current consoles employ hardware from Nvidia and AMD. If any company is gonna shake things up it would be either two.

Nvidia is actually making its first step in that direction with its upcoming Shield. It's probably gonna be crap as it looks like it. I think they are testing the market and still a bit apprehensive to actually develop a full-on console. They have the technology but not the people's vote.
 
Let's say that SEGA (just pulling them from a hat) built a tegra 4 based android "console" that supported google play, but also had the ability to house "Exclusives" So the SEGA console games could only be played on the SEGA box but could also play all other google play content.
Then SEGA (again, from the hat) made games and focused on the art not the graphics, hell I could live with 720P if they would just make great games again.

I don't see how hard it is for a company with any cred to get back into the hardware biz when little punk ass bitches like ouya can.
 
You guys are silly, there are already other console makers in the market. Nintendo is aware of them, Micro and Sony are pretty blind though.
 
Unfortunately, those Android based consoles may never get a foothold, because they'll be competing against one another, and directly against tablets and phones.

Hopefully they make the games cross compatible.

I think the market is going to get oversaturated with Android devices... I remember once the Ouya was outed i heard a bunch of new companies coming out talking about their Android machines. There was even a gaming PC that ran Android... with full dedicated graphics and a core i5.
 
You guys are silly, there are already other console makers in the market. Nintendo is aware of them, Micro and Sony are pretty blind though.

Nintendo is only aware of them because they have been relegated to being compared to Ouya, MS and Sony are still up there as the major console players.
 
I think the market is going to get oversaturated with Android devices... I remember once the Ouya was outed i heard a bunch of new companies coming out talking about their Android machines. There was even a gaming PC that ran Android... with full dedicated graphics and a core i5.

Nothing wrong with that, its how MS beat apple and IBM and how Android beat everyone in mobile. You could imagine android consoles being more like what PC gaming could have been. Where you can select any machine you want to pay for and have most software run on it fine. The main difference being that android consoles have finally pushed down into the price anyone can throw one onto a TV. Where as new HTPCs never ended up hitting that. The only wildcard seems to be valve.
 
If this generation doesn't start changing, Nintendo will probably be exiting the console market after the Wii-U. Maybe they will just focus on handhelds.
 
If this generation doesn't start changing, Nintendo will probably be exiting the console market after the Wii-U. Maybe they will just focus on handhelds.

While a little piece of me would probably die seeing a Mario game on Facebook, I think Nintendo could make a killing if they entered the casual social network/mobile gaming scene.
 
Although the Sega development team is long gone, I would love to see a Nintendo/Sega partnership with a console and games. I've said it in the past (NES/SMS/Genesis/SNES days) that if those two companies joined forces, there would be no competition at all. A partnership on the console itself as well as software (a Sega vs. Nintendo fighting game would be cool) would be awesome. Sega went too far with some things (difficult to program for, extra CPU's that made it worse, etc..) and Nintendo went simple (staying with carts with the N64 era), but both made some very kick ass hardware and some of the best first party software ever.

I'm sure some of Sega's talent went elsewhere (probably some to Nintendo), and Sega really isn't anything like the old Sega from the 80's and early 90's. But, that's what I'd love to see. Never going to happen, of course. Never.
 
Have Nintendo/Sega/Apple all team together and produce a console that plays all of sega's and nintendo's IPs along with the entire Apple iOS market place, now that would be something.
 
Sega...with Michael Jackson Moonwalker HD remix. With analog sticks, you have more control over crotch grabbing.
 
google/android
hell theyre already monopolizing everything else, why not gaming.
 
Although the Sega development team is long gone, I would love to see a Nintendo/Sega partnership with a console and games. I've said it in the past (NES/SMS/Genesis/SNES days) that if those two companies joined forces, there would be no competition at all. A partnership on the console itself as well as software (a Sega vs. Nintendo fighting game would be cool) would be awesome. Sega went too far with some things (difficult to program for, extra CPU's that made it worse, etc..) and Nintendo went simple (staying with carts with the N64 era), but both made some very kick ass hardware and some of the best first party software ever.

I'm sure some of Sega's talent went elsewhere (probably some to Nintendo), and Sega really isn't anything like the old Sega from the 80's and early 90's. But, that's what I'd love to see. Never going to happen, of course. Never.

Well, keep in mind that Sega and Nintendo has an exclusivity agreement for a series of games on the Wii U and 3DS, so there's that I guess. I don't think a Nintendo/Sega console would go too far, because they appeal to a similar subset of gamers, and it's not a very large percentage of gamers overall, anymore. Sure, an exclusive Phantasy Star MMO might help out, but it's just not as an appealing match up as it would have been in the 90's.
 
I can see a new competitor coming in 2-3 years when arm chips get stronger probably apple or google.
 
I can see a new competitor coming in 2-3 years when arm chips get stronger probably apple or google.

Google has already been stated to be currently working on a gaming console. I speculated it, and apparently I am correct. Please see the previous page for me acting like a pompous dufus.
 
Well, keep in mind that Sega and Nintendo has an exclusivity agreement for a series of games on the Wii U and 3DS, so there's that I guess. I don't think a Nintendo/Sega console would go too far, because they appeal to a similar subset of gamers, and it's not a very large percentage of gamers overall, anymore. Sure, an exclusive Phantasy Star MMO might help out, but it's just not as an appealing match up as it would have been in the 90's.

For the first part - that's good. But, Sega lost a lot of great talent and have gone way downhill since they were in the hardware and software business. Wii U and 3DS Sega games aren't that great. Sonic is disappointing.

I do agree that in todays age, it wouldn't go very far. Both Nintendo and Sega had their hayday's in the 80's and 90's (the good ol' days!). The console wars were so much simpler back then. Nintendo sucked and Sega was awesome. ;) I think both sides got arrogant and let Sony take the reigns.
 
For the first part - that's good. But, Sega lost a lot of great talent and have gone way downhill since they were in the hardware and software business. Wii U and 3DS Sega games aren't that great. Sonic is disappointing.

I do agree that in todays age, it wouldn't go very far. Both Nintendo and Sega had their hayday's in the 80's and 90's (the good ol' days!). The console wars were so much simpler back then. Nintendo sucked and Sega was awesome. ;) I think both sides got arrogant and let Sony take the reigns.

Well, Nintendo had an iron grip on third party publishers with a lot of stupid restrictions, like a limit on how many games they could release per year, they were not allowed to ever release a game on a competitor's console if it was first made on the NES, etc.

The biggest difference (talentwise) between Sega and Nintendo is that Nintendo was able to move into 3D game design much more gracefully than Sega. Sega never really made up on the ground they lost to Nintendo on 3D game design, at least when it came to platformers. Phantasy Star Online was an exception. It had it's problems, but it was a lot of fun.
 
Sega made great games...they just had no idea how to market their consoles in the US. Their Saturn was a prime example and then they just gave up after the Dreamcast which had potential but just not enough steam behind it.
 
I'd say there would be far more appeal and profit in the "Steambox" area - making relatively inexpensive, upgradeable, novel little set top PCs. Basically $0 R&D budget, and immediate access to a library of a few thousand games.

The road to Steam having real consumer appeal (outside the "dedicated gamer" market):
1) Concentrate on making Big Picture better, with some specific game tweaks (ex - Fallout pre-start splash screen still requires a mouse click - kill that)

2) Integrate something like (but better than) Pinnacle Game Profiler with older games that don't natively support the 360 controller already.

3) Come out with a "Steam" branded, superior controller that maintains the 360 control scheme and compatibly, possibly add touch-pad. And for the love of god don't overcharge for it - there's no reason a wireless controller needs to cost $69.

4) Real performance based game scaling - Nothing is worse than casual PC gamers who bitch and moan that their games run like crap because they set everything to Ultra @ 1080p on their Core i3 with HD4000. So have an easy to understand rating system (similar to a 3dmark score) on all "Certified SteamBox hardware" that actually makes sense and will automatically set most games to optimal settings. Current auto-scaling works like ass on most games I've played - either setting them way too low (ex - Bioshock infinite setting itself for 1024x768 @ Low on my 2600K & HD7850) or way too high (Fallout New Vegas setting itself to Utra, full AA/AF on my old C2D laptop with integrated graphics).

5) Integrate EASY TO USE universal media center that will "just work" with anything thrown at it (like xbmc or vlc, something good) and 3rd party app compatibility.
 
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