| magos2k7 said: I'll just say that ALL 3 console manufacturers are going to find themselves in a pickle as they enter the "next generation". ALL of the growth is going on in the tablet and smart phone gaming market. Big-budget systems tethered to televisions are going to become just a small part of an overall market. |
I'm actually of the complete opposite perspective ...
In the mid to late 1990s many analysts were predicting the end of console gaming because home computers were becomming ubiquitous. The cost reductions seen in hardware meant that everyone could buy an inexpensive system that was very powerful, and if people were already going to buy systems to read email and surf the internet they would likely just play games on them aswell.
The reason this never happened is that, while there were many companies dedicated to making great games for the PC, there was no-one who focused on making the gaming experience better for the PC. As a result the PC stagnated and there was little to excite the average person to play games on it.
5 years from now the tablet or smartphone you buy will give you (essentially) the exact same gaming experience as the one you buy today while the handheld and console gaming systems will likely have taken a (hopefully gigantic) step forward to produce better games. 5 years after that the tablet and smartphone you buy will give you (essentially) the same gaming experience as the one you bought previously while the handheld and console gaming systems will have taken another (hopefully gigantic) step forward to produce better games.
Right now handhelds and consoles produce better experiences that smartphones and tablets, and as time goes on the difference between the two is only going to get more dramatic.
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