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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Console are Now Tablets = Home Consoles Doomed?

 

Will the tablet/smartphone replace consoles?

Yes 55 15.80%
 
No 238 68.39%
 
Huh??? 50 14.37%
 
Total:343
HigHurtenflurst said:
swbf2lord said:
famousringo said:
swbf2lord said:

You know, that brings up an interesting thought. What if our TVs could replace consoles? Now that would be nice. I'm not suggesting Apple TV / Google TV / Amazon TV would be the way to do it. I mean the actual TV. All-in-one's are close enough I suppose, though I'd like to find a more powerful one.


The problem here is in asking TV manufacturers to do software. They don't have the competency and their margins are too thin to invest in it. Hence why "Smart TV" features are broadly despised by consumers. Even manufacturers which have some software experience, like Sony and Samsung, seem incapable of bringing that to the TV in a meaningful way.

And then you have replacement cycle issues. TVs get replaced every decade or so. Desktops and consoles every five years. Smartphones and tablets every two or three. TVs simply don't iterate fast enough to keep pace with the world of computing.

Very true. It's only wishful thinking on my part, to have a single device to do most everything in the home.

Well if gaming moves more into a streaming service it is likely to be integrated into TVs.

I agree.  That is one of the persistent rumors about Apple, the Apple TV.  Basically an ipad powered TV that can be updated with every new release of ios.  I think Apple may know a thing or two about software that average people can use.  It would be easy to stream content onto an ipad.  Heck, anyone hoping to make a streaming service work will make it compatible with ios....



It is near the end of the end....

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Landguy said:
archer9234 said:

 

Another thing you need to think about. Since you want an all in one device. You won't be able to fully multi task anymore. If your tablet repalces your TV, PC, and game system. You won't be able to do a lot of those things at the same time. Then charging the device all the time will start getting tiresome. It's good in theory. Because you don't have to keep track of a lot of stuff. But in the long run, it could start getting redicluess.

And consoles can easily survive by a simple factor. Refusing to put their most wanted games on IOS or Android. Nintendo will keep selling handhelds just because they have Pokemon etc. Kids will always see ads for games. And will want them. Along with their IOS games. Regardless of tablets. There are people who will not switch over. Like there are people who still buy CD/DVD/BD because they want to own. If the market makes money to support itself. Whatever Netflix or Apple does won't matter. It's the same logic when People always call the Gamecube and Wii a failure. Yes they failed for the consumers wants in more features and modern tech. But both didn't fail making profit to keep Nintendo going. A thing really fails if both consumer image and profits are lost.

I agree with your comment here mostly.  I don't think that a tablet/PC/laptop/whatever will replace TVs really ever.  The experience of watching things in a large forwat can't be replaced. 

As far as charging devices go, if you din't want to go wireless when transmitting your content from your tablet to your TV, you could use the TV's power to keep it charged.  My ipad 2 has an HDMI adapter that allows you to charge/keep charged the ipad while watching content on your tv from the device.  Also, when you stream content to the tv via wifi from the ipad 2, the screen on the ipad shuts off.  This drastically reduces the power usage.  I can't speak to any improvements made since the ipad 2, as that is the only apple tablet that I have.  I do know that my wifes iphone 5s does that all too and in high def.

I am not out to get rid of consoles.  I am just practical in my belief that soon enough we won't need them as a stand alone device.  I think the idea of PSNOW by itself will be enough to get rid of them eventually

My point is your making your tablet into a home device by making it all in one. You won't be able to do multiple things at the same time with ease. Like have a movie play in the background on your TV. While you surf the net on your tablet. Or work on Taxes and so forth. If you get one single device to do everything for you. It compromises flexability. I personally never like all in one devices for a lot of things. Take Net/TV/Phone bundles. If the service dies, all of them die. I have all 3 separate. So when my Net likes to die whenever. And it does A LOT. My cable or phone are working fine.

Don't get me wrong. The saving space factor is really good. A lot of people don't want clutter. And having every game on one simple two inch thick thing will free your home greatly. Especially when their power is enough to beat PC's. But a unified world won't happen. At best, the companies would make their own tablets/services, and other things to keep their profits to themselves. So you'd still have to buy more gagets.



archer9234 said:
Landguy said:
archer9234 said:

 

Another thing you need to think about. Since you want an all in one device. You won't be able to fully multi task anymore. If your tablet repalces your TV, PC, and game system. You won't be able to do a lot of those things at the same time. Then charging the device all the time will start getting tiresome. It's good in theory. Because you don't have to keep track of a lot of stuff. But in the long run, it could start getting redicluess.

And consoles can easily survive by a simple factor. Refusing to put their most wanted games on IOS or Android. Nintendo will keep selling handhelds just because they have Pokemon etc. Kids will always see ads for games. And will want them. Along with their IOS games. Regardless of tablets. There are people who will not switch over. Like there are people who still buy CD/DVD/BD because they want to own. If the market makes money to support itself. Whatever Netflix or Apple does won't matter. It's the same logic when People always call the Gamecube and Wii a failure. Yes they failed for the consumers wants in more features and modern tech. But both didn't fail making profit to keep Nintendo going. A thing really fails if both consumer image and profits are lost.

I agree with your comment here mostly.  I don't think that a tablet/PC/laptop/whatever will replace TVs really ever.  The experience of watching things in a large forwat can't be replaced. 

As far as charging devices go, if you din't want to go wireless when transmitting your content from your tablet to your TV, you could use the TV's power to keep it charged.  My ipad 2 has an HDMI adapter that allows you to charge/keep charged the ipad while watching content on your tv from the device.  Also, when you stream content to the tv via wifi from the ipad 2, the screen on the ipad shuts off.  This drastically reduces the power usage.  I can't speak to any improvements made since the ipad 2, as that is the only apple tablet that I have.  I do know that my wifes iphone 5s does that all too and in high def.

I am not out to get rid of consoles.  I am just practical in my belief that soon enough we won't need them as a stand alone device.  I think the idea of PSNOW by itself will be enough to get rid of them eventually

My point is your making your tablet into a home device by making it all in one. You won't be able to do multiple things at the same time with ease. Like have a movie play in the background on your TV. While you surf the net on your tablet. Or work on Taxes and so forth. If you get one single device to do everything for you. It compromises flexability. I personally never like all in one devices for a lot of things. Take Net/TV/Phone bundles. If the service dies, all of them die. I have all 3 separate. So when my Net likes to die whenever. And it does A LOT. My cable or phone are working fine.

Don't get me wrong. The saving space factor is really good. A lot of people don't want clutter. And having every game on one simple two inch thick thing will free your home greatly. Especially when their power is enough to beat PC's. But a unified world won't happen. At best, the companies would make their own tablets/services, and other things to keep their profits to themselves. So you'd still have to buy more gagets.


I understand our disconnect. 

In my home, we have 6 tablets(1 surface pro, 2 Surface PRo 2, 1 Ipad 2, and 2 Kindle Fires), 3 laptops,1 desktop All in one PC, 4 tv's, 3 smartphones. I also have the PS3, 360,Wii, WiiU, and XB1(and a half dozen older consoles).  We use Direct TV along with cable internet/phone.  I also have 2 bluray players and an Apple TV(that never even gets turned on any longer).

So, I have no intention of ever buying another PC or Laptop. The Surface Pro's that are tablets that can do anything my laptops do now.  THey can stream movies or use digital downloads.  I can hook them direct to my TV via HDMI.  My Ipad can do HDMI or wifi through the Apple TV.  As it is, my newest TV (70" Vizio smart TV) streams netflix or Amazon or even the internet.  So I don't really need any extra devices to watch most of the content that I consume on TV.

My point is that I will always want the 6 tablets (I have me and my wife and 4 kids), 1 for each person.  The tablets can play casual games and internet and any media content.  If my tablets could achieve console power, I would sell my XB1, laptops, PC, Bluray players.  Any one person in my household could provide the "console capability".  I am looking to reduce all of my gadgets.  The difference is that if every tablet/smartphone had that kind of power, I wouldn't be stuck choosing one thing or another or having to buy both.  As everything goes digital as far as content goes, the need for actual devices wil dramatically drop. 



It is near the end of the end....

I am bumping this thread to remind us all that the mighty consoles are nearing the end ...



It is near the end of the end....

If the future is tablets, then I require 3 things. Physical media, regular controller and being able to connect it to a TV. As long as those three are present, I'm not too bothered.



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KLXVER said:
If the future is tablets, then I require 3 things. Physical media, regular controller and being able to connect it to a TV. As long as those three are present, I'm not too bothered.

I agree. thing is, you could do that 3 years ago with an iphone.  Thats what blows my mind about the Switch.  Nothing new, just a unified system.



It is near the end of the end....

Landguy said:
KLXVER said:
If the future is tablets, then I require 3 things. Physical media, regular controller and being able to connect it to a TV. As long as those three are present, I'm not too bothered.

I agree. thing is, you could do that 3 years ago with an iphone.  Thats what blows my mind about the Switch.  Nothing new, just a unified system.

The Iphone has physical media?



KLXVER said:
Landguy said:

I agree. thing is, you could do that 3 years ago with an iphone.  Thats what blows my mind about the Switch.  Nothing new, just a unified system.

The Iphone has physical media?

no, but that is easy enough, as most cell phones have sim slots.



It is near the end of the end....

Landguy said:
KLXVER said:

The Iphone has physical media?

no, but that is easy enough, as most cell phones have sim slots.

Well the thing that excite me most about the Switch is that it is more like a traditional console than the Wii or WiiU. No gameplay gimmicks. I like the Wii and WiiU, but I prefer regular controls.



Nope, there will always be a market for high quality at home experience. Now with VR, there is an even bigger need for higher powered home devices to power the experience. VR is going to become the premium way to experience games and entertainment, and it will be much bigger than retro gaming ever was.

Now for retro gaming (aka, controller + screen) that experience is going to become more and more mobile, because we have reached a point of diminishing returns. A device with 1TF of graphics power and 10TF can each offer the same experience with only only resolution and graphics quality differing. Otherwise the gameplay experience between the 1TF XBO and the 10TF GTX 1080 is identical.

Basically, VR will be the new premium at home experience and retro gaming will be the new mobile gaming, with smartphone gaming becoming the equivalent of Atari or 2D gaming over the last 2 decades.



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Kevyn B Grams
10/03/2010 

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