The Game Console Is Dead.

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BladeVenom

Supreme [H]ardness
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http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/10/consolation-prize/all/
The most obvious disruptor has been mobile apps, which offer pretty good game play on cellphones and tablets for one-tenth or less the price of console games, and very often for free. Other trends include the explosion of social gaming, also mostly free, and the resurgence of PC games, which are now typically cheaper and more flexible than console games, tapping into new online distribution platforms that make them far more convenient to purchase.
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RIP consoles. Although I still think they still have a couple of generations to go before they are finally put to rest.
 
Not too long from now there will be console gamers using PC gamer talking points. We'll be hearing about "bad mobile ports" and the rest of it.

I dread that I'm only half joking at best with the above concept.
 
We need a return to these

The original social gaming.

arcade2-s.jpg
 
I posted a slide show about this about a year ago and was basically told to bugger off. The presenter made several valid points, looking at history, also showing dedicated gaming consoles are dieing.

*edit*

Here it is.

He calls mobile devices "disruptive technology", which grows at a rate faster than what it's trying to replace (mobile gaming vs consoles). He says the "tipping point" is when the disruptive technology equals in power to what it's trying to replace. Arcades were eventually replaced with consoles and he suggest mobile devices will eventually replace consoles. This happens when bigger companies enter into the business and create more competition and more innovation. Sony entering the console business in the 90's and Apple entering the mobile market in the 2000's are examples of the larger companies getting into the business.
 
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PC gaming is for the hardcore gamer. Consoles are for the casual gamer. Now with powerful smartphones and tablets, they will be stealing a lot of the casual gamer market from consoles.

Makes sense.
 
If your console is dead, buy a new one? :p

Mobile games are without exception a load of utter crap compared to actual games. They have been since forever, and mobile game makers are lazy. Therey don't bother with "evelopes" they just do boring repetitive crap. People play mobile games for 3 minutes then get bored and check facebook. It isn't a serious platform, where stuff like a full game would be accepted, and people still want to make actual games.

The only reason they look like they do well is that they are $0.05 each, so selling a million or two is easy. A full priced game wouldn't do so well. Tablets are hopefully a fad that already looks like it's slowing as people work out it's a rubbish form factor (though peoples stupidity has no bounds). Lack of proper control and how terrible touchscreens are for gaming (hey look at this game through my giant hand!) doesn't help. :D
 
I think there are still way too many 'hardcore' gamers on consoles for it to be dead. Only Moms will actually make a transition.
 
Kid:
"Mom I need new CPU..!!!!"
"Mom I need new GPU...!!!!"
"Mom I need more RAM...!!!!"
"Mom I need a new SSD...!!!!"
........
........
.......
......

Mom:
"Shut the fuck up, you can have this console....!!!!"

Consoles will live on for a while.
 
It makes a nice headline but it isn't any truer than "PC Gaming is Dead" ... gaming evolves because people like to game ...

- 40 years ago board games ruled ...

- then we had a burst of console gaming which then died down ... PC gaming ran well during that time as well

- Console gaming has been entrenched well but it is definitely substantially down from its peak levels a few years ago

- mobile gaming is definitely on the rise and the smartphones and tablets are driving that

As control interfaces improve (kinnect, etc) and features are added to consoles to keep them competitive, I think you will still see the same three niches (with mobile gaming in the lead)

- mobile/social gaming (if tablets and smartphones don't prove to be a passing fad then this will become the dominant gaming mechanism) ... however this is not necessarily the most profitable area either, so the other two mediums will continue to exist and thrive

- console gaming will morph into a home entertainment setup, streaming movies, playing games, surfing the web will all become standard features of the next generation consoles ...they will also do well with games where head to head competition works best ... console gaming won't go away since it is the most profitable platform for gaming (for big studios)

- PC gaming will do well although it will likely favor mobile platforms (laptops/tablets) over the desktop platform (which will become much more niche) ... we should see high resolution gaming ... multi-screen gaming ... and online gaming do well in this venue ... with crowdfunding and other new funding mechanisms this should become the most profitable platform for independent or small game studios

So, I think we will continue to have all three gaming markets and even if they become more niche in nature, none of them should die ;)
 
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- Given most tablets now support HDMI out and bluetooth controllers, I would expect that in another console generation or so, they are essentially the console gaming market. Whether that means Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo move into the tablet market with their own branded devices, or whether they're simply replaced as a mover in the market by generic Android/iOS tablet market is up in the air, but for the end user it should be business as usual.

- Out of the 3, Microsoft is in the best position to make this move. They'll have the Windows store that could serve as a replacement for Xbox distribution, and they've shown a willingness to make their own hardware. They will still exist in the PC space, so they could essentially do a single family of devices to cover the entire spectrum of console and PC gamers with higher powered ARM type devices covering console, and typical x86/x64 devices and desktops covering the Steam crowd.

- This would also serve as a potential merge of the handheld and console space. There needs to be some movement in terms of standardized controller shells for mobile devices, but in another couple generations, phones will be easily powerful enough to serve as game consoles with the same HDMI out and bluetooth controller capability, and controller shells could serve for the handheld gaming space. giving users the ability to play any of their games at any time given the right accessories.
 
BladeVenom said:
They'll get better.
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They wont, because they don't have to. Their target audience likes "tap the block" rubbish and will pay for it over and over. There ins't the need to go past tap the block HD+. plus phone games have been like this since forwever. It's kind of what people expect! :D
 
No one's acknowledging games like Chaos Rings or Final Fantasy remakes for the mobile devices? Let's be real here. There's "hardcore" games for all systems whether you like it or not. Why is there such an issue between communities? I own all 3 and enjoy everything I play.

Consoles are dead!
PC Gaming is dead!
Mobile Gaming is dead!
Casual Gaming is dead!

Jeez, the only thing "hard" about this thread are your skulls.
 
The main selling point and strength of consoles is accessibility. There is no need to upgrade hardware, no significant knowledge base required to use, and it's quick and easy. Ease-of-use and low barriers to entry are what consoles aim for. Therefore, if something comes along that is more accessible, requires even less upgrades (i.e. no overpriced peripherals) and are even easier to use, while still delivering compelling gaming experiences, then what market does the console compete in then?

Do they become glorified media hubs? Microsoft is very heavily plugging the Xbox as an entertainment service platform, moving further and further away from the gaming core, yet all the services it offers for monthly/yearly subscriptions are available on PCs, SmartTVs and mobile computer devices for free...so I wonder how well this will turn out in the long-term.

The only way consoles could go forward is by focusing solely on delivering the best gaming experiences. Sony (its game division) and Nintendo are in much better positions to do this than Microsoft IMO. They both have gaming at their core, with its other services billed as added bonuses...whereas MS's pitch is that games are just one small part of what the Xbox does. Focusing on the core gaming audience wouldn't be easy since Microsoft has been snubbing the core gamers for years, evident by its last two E3 conferences that were dominated by Kinect and TV functionality. MS would be significantly behind in any new console war waged on this front.

TLDR - consoles aren't dead, but IMO they're about to be in trouble.
 
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John Stamos said:
No one's acknowledging games like Chaos Rings or Final Fantasy remakes for the mobile devices? Let's be real here. There's "hardcore" games for all systems whether you like it or not. Why is there such an issue between communities? I own all 3 and enjoy everything I play.

Consoles are dead!
PC Gaming is dead!
Mobile Gaming is dead!
Casual Gaming is dead!

Jeez, the only thing "hard" about this thread are your skulls.
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Have to agree with this. I've been hearing that PC gaming is dead since 1983 and guess its only fair that consoles get their turn. When the gaming industry stops making more money than Hollywood, then maybe these stories will have more weight but as long as they're making money hand over fist, NO platform is dead or even dying.
 
The gaming console is not dead yet, and I expect them to continue being successful with the next generation.

But I do think that at a certain point in the future, they may start losing its dominant spot as a gaming platform. Mobile gaming is on the rise, and just like how current generation of gamer, at least for the mainstream crowd, are used to console gaming, I think future generation of gamer will probably focus more on mobile games.

There's nothing more readily available than a mobile platform, everyone needs a smartphone these days, and tablets are on the rise too. It will be the most accessible gaming platform.
 
I don't know what the PS3 is like since I don't have one but the 360 has turned into a subscription-based all-around media machine (that doesn't play MKV!)... which I HATE.

I don't watch TV because I think most of it is crap and I'm old so I don't care for current pop culture so seeing this stuff on the Xbox dashboard really ruins my whole gaming world experience.

I like video games, when I turn on the console I want to be immersed in video games, not what was on American Idol this week and not Lady Gaga's latest music video. I don't think consoles are going anywhere, if you would really dump a console because your phone or tablet is adequate enough for your gaming needs then you probably didn't play the console anyway, I just think that consoles (at least the 360) are turning into cable boxes that also function as gaming consoles. I also hate cable boxes.
 
Not going to happen anytime soon.

AS far as the "Consoles are like arcades" no......they aren't.

The reason consoles took over arcades is because tehy offered the same if not a better experience at home with your friends. No more quarters to spend once you bought a game, play it when you want at home.

Mobile devices , even if they "had" the same graphical output as a ps3 or xbox 360 wouldn't replace them because:

1. Who wants to play a big graphical game on a tiny ass screen?
2. Controller?


I mean it's not the "Same" experience. Mobile games are usually built toward casual gamers and touchscreens.

As far as "social" gaming taking over, ask Zygna that question.

console gaming isn't going anywhere anytime soon, just like the pc wasn't killed by console gaming.
 
I think you're confusing portable gaming devices like the Nintendo 3ds or the Vita to consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360. There is no comparative to a console right now that could make consoles go dead. Cellphones have smaller screens and do not offer the same experience that consoles offer.

Also as for hardcore gamers being on PC. That is coming from the perspective of the PC gamer. Console gamers consider themselves as hardcore and game as much as any pc gamer would. Not everyone is tech savy and not everyone cares about graphics looking better. You can take a look in sales of games like Call of Duty in consoles and see how far they completely outsell their pc versions. Secondly there is the console exclusives and games made specifically to take advantage of the hardware without having to worry if it works correctly on the latest nvida or ati card.

The Game Console is not dead. It sells just as much as every other year. The PC is also not dead. It has plenty of dedicated gamers.
 
Stiler said:
Not going to happen anytime soon.

AS far as the "Consoles are like arcades" no......they aren't.

The reason consoles took over arcades is because tehy offered the same if not a better experience at home with your friends. No more quarters to spend once you bought a game, play it when you want at home.

Mobile devices , even if they "had" the same graphical output as a ps3 or xbox 360 wouldn't replace them because:

1. Who wants to play a big graphical game on a tiny ass screen?
2. Controller?


I mean it's not the "Same" experience. Mobile games are usually built toward casual gamers and touchscreens.

As far as "social" gaming taking over, ask Zygna that question.

console gaming isn't going anywhere anytime soon, just like the pc wasn't killed by console gaming.
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Valid points are valid.
 
John Stamos said:
No one's acknowledging games like Chaos Rings or Final Fantasy remakes for the mobile devices? Let's be real here. There's "hardcore" games for all systems whether you like it or not. Why is there such an issue between communities? I own all 3 and enjoy everything I play.
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Agreed. I have PCs, consoles and mobile devices. I have fun games for all of them. There are fun "hardcore" and "casual" games (and everything in between) on every platform.
 
John Stamos said:
No one's acknowledging games like Chaos Rings or Final Fantasy remakes for the mobile devices? Let's be real here. There's "hardcore" games for all systems whether you like it or not.
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So a port of a 450 year old game and an LiteRPG are considered hardcore now? :confused:
 
These are all just dumbed down junky versions of old, old games. Those kind have things have been on phones for years, it's nothing new. It will still have the garbage interface and tiny screen and supposition that it's easy and can be played in 3 minute segments for 1 hour total.

The Vita's problems seem to be it has next to no games. I was looking at getting one for when traveling (because phone games are garbage) but theres only 1 or 2 titles I would want... A system needs 5-10 decent games to be worth the "investment" in, and the Vita still lacks those.
 
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