I think the argument that KGB made is close to how Trip Hawkins tried to sell the 3DO. That did not have a long shelf life.

Why should we only one type of console? We have different types of cars. A minivan and a Ferrari have very little in common -- except both will get you from Point A to Point B burning gasoline (petrol) on four tires (tyres).

A single console world as described by Squilliam might be great for many gamers, but had such a world existed, we would have no Wii. It is doubtful the market expands. It is doubtful we have motion control.

Monopolies tend not to be innovative because they don't have to be. Oligopolies (which we have in most industries) tend to be innovative because it is the only way to win market share.

Mike from Morgantown

I think you have your analogies on backwards. If you want to make a car analogy the cars would be the games people played and the road would be the console to play them. Just because the roads are provided by a government monopoly doesn't mean that they aren't designed to cater to the needs of people.

When there is a monopoly in gaming, some of the very best games are produced. We have people waxing lyrical about the quantity and quality of the games produced for the PS1, PS2, SNES etc which were the monopolies of their day. Its because game developers can target the biggest market and therefore potentially get the highest return for riskier product development.

As for innovative controls such as the Wiimote. Theres nothing that says that had we had a single console existance that something like the Wiimote wouldn't have been produced. Game publishers like EA could very well ask for something like the Wiimote, third party companies can still make them and find traction -> see Guitar Hero for referrence and all console manufacturers knew that many people would simply refuse to pick up the typical console controller. Nintendo was the first to do something about it.

I think that there is something in the water! U are trying to tell us that it is best to throw away diversity in gaming so that we have no choice but to accept a monopoly, (and with your wish it would be M$, the worst kind of monopoly), and what ever they decide is best for us? No choice? M$ dominating PC gaming and console gaming? Give us all a break, man!

If u wanna condem a company, blame M$. IMHO M$ should have focused on PC gaming and left the console gaming to Nintendo and SONY. All M$ have done is confuse the whole industy and damadge PC gaming in return. So, blame your cherrished M$.

I think u are living in the wrong country, mate. Maybe u should cosider moving to the States.

Monopoly is bad for the customer, innovation would decrease, costomer service would also decrease (if you don't like it buy another console, muwahahaha!). And you would be at the mercy of the monopolist.
Bugs in the Console Vista? just buy console 7 and it will be fixed :p

Monopolies, cartels are always a bad thing for the customer.

A one console future is not a monopoly though.

In fact a one console future is less monopolistic than the current model of this industry.

Why is it so hard for people to understand this? Why do people not understand my first post?

A one console future brings more players into the game, give retailers more room to display games, reduces some development risks, and eleminates wasted dev time on multiplatform games.

The biggest thing killing innovation is the wasted time spent on trying to make a game across multiple platforms. Give devs a chance to just focus on making a game, and you will see innovation flurish.

Take for example the Madden guys. They are making a game that spans at least ten platforms. Every year they waste most of their time making the same game possible on every platform. How the hell are they supposed to even have time to innovate when they have to deal with a system as we have now.

True, but improbable.

Maybe the same reason I don't think war is peace or slavery is freedom?  I could also say Nintendo is an airline company or Sony makes great peanut butter.  Saying the same wrong thing over and over doesn't make it accurate.

I totally agree with the Online Networking Integration idea, wanna play RE5 co-op on your Xbox with a friend with a Playstation, no problem, that way if you choose a console over the other will be for its exclusives only and still have the choise to play any online multi-platform game together with another gamer of a different console..

Or why not make a standard format disc?  example, DVD players, you choose your favorite brand DVD player..

Or buy any of Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft consoles for its exclusives games but share the same 3rd party games on any of the 3 consoles..

Example: Halo only on Xbox or MGS only for Playstation but a Call of duty game compatible for Xbox and Playstation. Insert -Call of Duty disc on Xbox or insert same disc format to a Playstation, disc is playable on both console.