Are Consoles Dead?

Discussion in 'Software' started by Nedlamar, Mar 15, 2012.

  1. Nedlamar

    Nedlamar MajorGeek

    This was the title of an IGN article I just read.

    http://games.ign.com/articles/122/1220883p1.html

    The article is somewhat interesting and makes for a few minutes of questioning reading. The comments are , as always mostly pointless.

    So what I got from the article is that the technology of the future Iphone and the like will basically put console gaming into the grave.

    This is an interesting thought.

    But I think the numbers they get this idea from are not being looked at correctly.
    This is just my opinion based on what I know of the gaming and Iphone (the latter being "Not a lot").
    My girlfriend enjoys playing games on Facebook and those sorts of free games, which look like they could be fun if thats your thing.
    My son spends a huge amount of time on his Iphone.
    When my girl wants to play a "Real game" she will load up some form of strategy or puzzle game which she purchased.
    When my boy wants to play a "Real Game" he sits on his PS3 and fires up something like Battlefield or COD.

    This is where I think the numbers are wrong, you see while my g/f plays facebook type and Hidden Object games, she's not a console gamer anyway.
    So if (and there has been) there is a console in the house and the computer exploded, she would still not play the console.

    My boy on the other hand would die without either the Console or the Iphone.

    Me? I have my PC and have less interest than I should in buying another Console.... but likely will in the next 6 months.

    3 people
    2 Gamers
    2 consoles bought
    2 of each game.

    This while I still buy on PC and he still plays on Iphone.

    My point is, the Iphone and "Free Play" gamers are either not Console gamers and would not buy a console for themselves even if they didn't have the free play etc.
    Or they own a console and talk on their Iphone about how awesome the match they just had on their console was.

    Those who simply game and have little else to do with technology like me, may or may not buy consoles but most likely will.

    Surely console sales are going up with each generation?
    The sales and use of Iphones and Facebook free play games isn't having anywhere near as much effect on console gaming as they make out.
    Who the hell is going to be a COD fanboy and drop his Xbox360 or PS3 and play on his phone? or play farmville instead?
    Ahuh, ain't happening.

    The decline is sales is just a downer, for the last 3 decades , Computer and Console gaming wars have raged. The new consoles come out and blow away any computer any normal person can afford, then a year later computer technology starts creeping up until average joe can afford a computer just as or more powerful than the latest Console.
    Then a few years goes by and computer gamers increase.
    A few more years and the new consoles come out and the cycle begins again.

    It's just part of the cycle, I've been watching it happen and been a part of it for the last 30 years.

    Consoles will never die because the gamers who don't use computers will always want to have a console on a big screen TV with 7.1 surround.
    Computers will never die because they offer so much more, just talking about gaming.

    The cycle will continue and this debate will rear it's ugly head every few years.

    All we have to do to keep both alive is keep gaming, I don't think I'm giving up any time soon.... how about you?
     
  2. sallam94

    sallam94 Private E-2

    U pretty much said it there.
    I used to do that with my Playstation II:p, but when PS3 came out, I couldn't buy it (not because of its high price, but due to the high price of PS3 games).
    So, I turned back to PC.
    And one more thing, My guess is that PC gaming is really growing fast (I mean buying games not pirating) cuz games are at low prices and there are loads of discounts.
    I remember buying the whole GTA collection (GtaI, II, libertycity, vicecity, sanandreas, iv, eflc) for 8 bucks :drool.
    If offers like that go to sony and PS3 games, I will surely buy a PS3.
     
  3. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    I think peronally not on the death of consoles as the XBox360 with Kinect is alive and well and can only get better, while Kinect is due to the PC soon and that will revolutionise PC and Gaming, the consoles are not dead yet.

    Sadly games for them are way way too expensive which could be in part a death nail, for the platform, PC gaming as mantioned is much cheaper and with a decient PC setup you have near if not better gfx than consoles.
     
  4. spluge100

    spluge100 Private E-2

    I stopped console gaming a while a go but I've bought them for my kids - Spending $150-$250 seems a lot cheaper (and easier) to me than purchasing and putting all the hardware together for a budget PC. I think that consoles will be around for many years to come; however, you may see a further consolidation of them.
     
  5. Mimsy

    Mimsy Superior Imperial Queen of the MG Games Forum

    Adding to what David said, the PC has the unfair advantage that practically every household has a PC already. Depending on what games you like, all you have to buy is the game software. that makes the threshold for PC gaming a lot lower than if you have to splurge on a 360-Kinect bundle before you can start buying games.
     
  6. Lacey84

    Lacey84 Private E-2

    I personally like playing on Xbox360 because a large screen TV set and a good audio system matter much when playing some cool game like Skyrim or Battlefield 3. However there is a way to connect a PC with a TV set and this can totally change the case to me:)
    What about you guys?
     
  7. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    I think the console has to become more versatile with different options for different people just like the PC.

    For arguments sake "I'm not googling it" say £400 for a PS3 when it came out,many people thought that was expensive but just as many would have happily paid more for one and they apparently lost money on each one sold so why not make future games compatible with PS3 but run much better on the new PS4 and even then give 3 flavours of PS4 with varying quality components and performance just like Apple do with their products,Imagine if there was a PS4 for every pocket? Sony needed the PS3 and it wasn't for gaming,it was to put a blueray player in the front room of every person who owned a playstation and it was probably the biggest factor that swung the market toward blueray,if all their blueray profits are thrown into the pot would they still have lost money on the PS3?

    Also Sony and Microsoft have been at each others throats tryna kill each other off and control the console market,practically everything they do is meant to outdo each other that why they've lost money and they consider that lost money as an investment in market control,it isn't bad business liekt he article makes out they're buying customers which is money well spent.It'll go one of two ways they'll either get bored and realise the other isn't going away or one of them will win.

    The answer is pretty simple to me,people want games consoles,lots of people so there's proven market demand while there's demand there's money to be made.:)
     
  8. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    I agree with you Rikky in that consoles need to do more than just play games these days and while I'm not up on the other consoles, Xbox360 and Kinect are going the way of being a social media type of device, with not just gaming but Messenger, TV and email etc
     
  9. Mimsy

    Mimsy Superior Imperial Queen of the MG Games Forum

    But I already have a computer that can do all that...
     
  10. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    That's what I wonder if you plugged a keyboard and mouse into a console it would become a PC so if that's what would work why doesn't PC gaming dominate the market?

    I think the only way round it would be an uncrackable PC,basically a PC made soley by one manufacturer where the hardware and OS was so complex and well protected it couldn't be hacked/cracked by anything other than a large corporation like the PS3 was for quite a few years.

    Then you'd have the best of both worlds,a profitable gaming industry and video power close to an upgradable PC.
     
  11. Nedlamar

    Nedlamar MajorGeek

    I don't think it's copyright protection issues that make PC gaming less profitable, more the idea that most people don't know how to build a PC capable of Gaming to the standards of Consoles and buying one off the Shelf is extortion.

    You know I played on Alienware site the other day, pieced together a major gaming rig for $4700.

    I priced out the parts and came out at $3200. AND I had added liquid cooling into that price AND upped the graphics card AND gone overkill on PSU and mobo since they don't actually list what models they are. Because, you know, model numbers are not important when spending 5 grand on a PC.

    But Really?... $1500 for putting it together?
     
  12. Lycan101

    Lycan101 Private E-2

    to each his own...
    but whether consoles or pc...
    it's people like CEO Robert A. Kotick of Activision Blizzard, Inc. that really ruin the whole industry and promote any kind of "Death" within it through their profitmaximisation strategy...

    sauce: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=128252
     

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