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-CraZed- on 14 March 2014
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KBG29 said:
Ka-pi96 said:
KBG29 said:
The platforms themselves are unhealthy to the games industry. Instead of companies fighting a format war they should be working together to build one format. Then they can compete for market by building better services and software, which at the end of the day is all that really matters. We need more players in the game to drive competition, but we need one unified platform/format for games creators to build the best product possible. If MS/Sony/NIN would stop fighting the unhealthy war, we could create one platform, and have hardware competition between many more manufactures, and dev cost reduction would create many more studios.

I gotta disagree with that. One platform only would cause stagnation and possibly ruin the industry.

Without competition we wouldn't have analogue sticks, motion controls, good online servers, achievements/trophies, plenty of new ips or even price cuts.

With only one platform you would go from competition between 3 companies, to competition between at least a dozen companies. It would give games many more options and a massive amount of pricing competition. 

With one platform you would potentially have Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Micrsoft, Nintendo, LG, Sharp, Panissonic, Vizio, iBuyPower, Alienware, and more making their own hardware, controller, storefront, network, etc.  

This would give companies the chance to put out basic boxes that just do games, and massive multimedia boxes with extra input outputs, card readers, extra chips for more multitasking. Basically you could go from boxes for $299.99 that have the basic unified chip set, no disc drive, and a 2.5in HDD, and a external power supply, to $999 systems that have the basic chip set, built in power supplies, 3.5in HDD, sound muffling tech, card readers, extra I/O's, Secondary chips for improved background tasks.

Now only one version of a game has to be made, Multiplayer works across all devices so everyone plays together. Now games take less time to make, and are less expensive. Devs/Pubs take more chances, and we all win. You have a massive battle going on for hardware, peripherals, and software.

No, no, no and again, no. There is already a "unified" platform it's called PC. Where games can be played online by anyone that has a PC capable of running the game in question.

First off how would you keep to one platform? Even if the major players joined forces to create a single platfom they all developed games for what would stop an upstart from jumping in to compete? Thereby negating the single platform idea? WOuld you legislate it? Mandate it? Nonsense.

Secondly it would only lead to increased pricing of both the games and especially the hardware. Innovation would slow most likely due to the high licensing fees (since there is no competing platform) for third party peripherals etc.

Also the amount of control over content by developers would be absolute. And consumer choice would be stifled. Right now if I don't like what MS/Sony/Nintendo are doing I can jump ship or buy my games on their competing platform.

It is simply a bad idea.