Wow!

I thought that this was the last generation of the console wars due to tablets and smartphones.  As it turns out, it will be because the average person will have no reason to buy a console.  Within a year or two, most of the games on the PS4/XB1 will be app ports.  

Sony has heralded the "indie" movement on their console, but mostly it was a cover for the lack of 1st/3rd party next gen exclusive games during the launch window.  What seemed like filler a few short months ago now seems like a new norm going forward.  Lots of smaller scale games/apps, with 2-4 1st part titles a year and the usual 6-10 multiplat sequels.  This isn't just a Sony thing, it is what it seems that M$ is going to do with the XB1 too.  Sony just beat M$ to the punch.

Most people seem to be happy to get more content options for their consoles, and if that is the only way you game it is probably a good thing.

But, a lot of people play these kind of small games on tablets/smartphones and PC already.  

What makes console gaming stick out is the quality and size of the games.  If the general populace starts to look at the consoles as just another thing that plays Flappy Bird or Angry Birds, they will not see the forest through the trees.  Sure, the "hardcore" gamers will always see the the consoles for the content they can provide besides the apps.  But what about the Moms and Dads out there?  The Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents?  They see $400!!!  for something that plays the same thing as the $150 tablet.  Or worse, they see consoles as just another device that streams netflix...

It may be too late for Sony and M$ to change their messaging and it is definetely too late to try and put the apps back in the closet.  Let's just hope they haven't made these next gen consoles out to be just another commodity item.  If they have, the great sales #'s of the PS4 that we have seen can quickly diminish to a slow trickle to the Core gamers only.  

I haven't seen one commercial on tv advertising PS4 or XB1 with indies so how is that their messaging? Theres tons of AAA games that aren't being played on tablets.

I feel like I became dummer reading that, sorry OP but you dont make any sense. Show me your 150 dollar tablet play Diablo 3, Far Cry 4, Driveclub, Witcher 3 and come back and make this thread again. Until then, pls keep it to your flappy birds please.

Well its pretty clear that the casual crowd is completely lost this gen.. there is absolutely nothing to attract them..

Ok.... anything you say.

A simple google search on released and upcoming games would have given you some clarity before making this thread... and funny enough that would have taken less time than it took you to make this really well thought out post.

I would be surprised if the general consumer even knew that the consoles have anything else but AAA games.

I thought that at one time too.

But I was thinking back to the PS3.  Most people I knew that had 1 the first 2 years or so after it launched had bought it as a bluray player and didn't have hardly any games.  A few years later, when the games were flowing really well, a number of people I know used theirs for Netflix too.  That is kind of just understood that the gaming consoles can now do that stuff. 

Now, with the lack of good games or even a quantity of games for wither the PS4 or XB1, it seems that people will find a lot of these app ports in PS store and XBL.  You wonder how long people will see value in the consoles when they have so much of that stuff in the stores?

You really haven't paid attention. This is the most AAA games rich launch year ever. Next year is gonna get even better. So good that a lot of people will forget about indies and apps.

First of all Sony's main push has NEVER been apps (unless maybe early in PS3 cycle) or indies. They have shown support for these games as a deciding factor over other devices that offer AAA games. In other words "we play all the best AAA games, but also we play all the indies and apps as a bonus" has basically been the message. They're sides that come with the main course of powerful gaming hardware.