The Distant Future of Console Gaming

[Gnizmo]

Game_boy said:
@Gnizmo

I have no hard evidence - it is an opinion piece and I don't think there's enough evidence either way to call it. This is one take. Yours is also possible. I can't really dispute further without evidence as you say.

Certainly the Linux-argument is true. However, when the dominant players with unlimited cash reserves in an industry decide they want something, they pretty much get their way. Nintendo alone can't stop it, and I see little evidence of third parties taking Nintendo seriously at this point. That is all.

 You better believe Capcom is taking them seriously. Even still, if no third parties took the Wii seriously and it still was a resounding success that brought in tons of cash you better believe Microsoft and Sony would take notice. Microsoft launched early this time because they attributed the success of the PS2 to the one year head start, and are working on a motion based controller because they attribute the success of the Wii to it. I bet their sell at a loss plan also came because they thought Sony's buisness model was key to their success.

I could also list a ton of other examples where a simple device won out over the superior competitor. I see why you came to the conclusions you did, and have seen the arguement a thousand times which is why I can argue against it so well. The fear of consoles morphing into PCs is as old as the console market itself, and there have constantly been little signs that it will soon be here. The thousand add-ons of the Genesis, or the inclusion of a harddrive with the Xbox. The expandable ram slot on the 64 was also a clearly PC concept. None of these seem to stick very well though. Well, the harddrive probably will but it is good for non-PC hybridization reasons. People buy consoles because they want something different from their computer, and so long as someone offers that something different console gaming will stay alive.

 

I was talking about your average computer setup, because the average person is the mass consumer market. There are probably people on this forum that use their computer to toas their bread, but I wasn't talking about that. I know what you described is perfectly well possible on a PC, but not without a setup that requires long wires or wireless conections, what the average person doesn't want to mingle with.

 You are almost absolutely right. The only minor correction is that I would bet most computers can do what I describe. Give me your DVD player's composite cord and 10 minutes and I can make it work. But you are absolutely right, and I absolutely agree that most people simply don't want to mess with it. The average person simply has no interest in trying to replicate my set-up even if a lot of them think it is awesome when they see it.