We've heard them all:
"It's good that X1 is selling well so there is still competition on the market"
"The industry would suck if it was just one machine dominating because there wouldn't be any innovation"
But where actually does it come from? I know of the saying that competition is great for the consumer and this statement is absolutely true. But that doesn't mean that the opposite is automatically bad for the consumer.
Let's look at a few products that completely dominated its generation:
NES, Gameboy, Playstation, Playstation 2, 3DS.
Think about what these platforms accomplished, what games they brought us. Each of those systems had a myriad of games that are even today considered timeless classics. Not only was there quality but also absolute Quantity in games. Even though that shouldn't be the case in a quasi monopolized market.
And it wasn't even those systems alone. Think of what their dominated competitors brought to the table. Mario 64, Halo, Shenmue, Tearaway.
Those were great times. The domination brought just several advantages with it that created a kind of synergy for the advancement of gaming. The advantages for consumers and game creators alike are obvious and brought us great games.
So why argue against such a scenario when it did good in the past? You shouldn't forget that even in a domination there are factors driving innovation. The lust of the dominator for more power and the desparate struggle of the dominated to prove their worth. Add to that the multiple advantages for the consumers and game creators:
- most friends will own the same console and will be able to play together
- developers only need to concentrate on one console meaning less development costs and time
- concentration of all the good games on a single device which creates a bigger pool of consumers for developers to tap into
Looking back, this scenario is not less valid or beneficial than a highly competitive field. It might even be more beneficial to everyone.
So what say you?
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