What will the next console war be faught over?

[Kong]

For the past decade digital cameras were competing on who could have the most megapixels. Camera companies and consumers recently came to the conclusion than average $100 camera had enough megapixels that it didn't really matter anymore so they moved on to competing in other areas. The decided good enough was good enough.

I think games are close to reaching this bar too. Improved graphics are getting close to no longer being important. Nintendo proved this by not focusing on graphic upgrades in the Wii.

What do you think the next area of competition will be?

Obviously there is about to be a motion controls war (how do you think that will turn out) but more importantly what do you think will come after that?

[Wolf]

I think VR will come in the future.

[Seahawk]

I think that the concept of a home 'video game console' will disappear, and be replaced with something that might be called a 'home entertainment center'. Basically what I mean is something in your living room that is hooked up to your TV, and handles everything entertainment related: cable tv, movies, and video games.

Game consoles are heading in that direction, all three consoles offer connectivity to online social network services, Xbox360 and PS3 play music CDs and movie DVDs, and 360 and now Wii offer movie streaming services from Netflix.

(not a plug for 360 by the way, it just does all of that =P)

At some point I think it will be cheaper to consolidate all entertainment services into a single unit, and companies will make some sort of industry standard to that machines from different manufacturers can all play the same content.

Obviously this unit will play games as well, with game development budgets going through the roof it is becoming impossible to develop just for one console, and if all games become multiplatform then it really makes the idea of different consoles obsolete. Nintendo's currently escapes this problem because it is so different but I think eventually they will be forced to up the ante for their next console. Then again they have done the best so far with the weaker console, maybe I'm wrong. Nintendo plays a tricky game =P.

I'm not sure where games can go after this. Graphics are topping out, games are pretty much getting infinite storage capacities. The possibilities for game design are limitless. The only limiting factor will be cost and budget in the future.

The portable console space has different rules so I think the current status quo there will be maintained for a while longer.

[TrakMastaTom]

I think "hardcore gamers" will always find a way to bicker about graphics and counting frames and ridiculous things that the normal person does not care about.

[CatalystiCam]

it was interesting to at least hear about back when it was Nintendo and sega, then sony entered in like 50 other companies had except sony succeeded and it all sucked from there. Sony and Microsoft are empires and aren't going anywhere ever unfortunately.

[jim5cents]

oil

[Kugyince]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

(not a plug for 360 by the way, it just does all of that =P)

We know you're not plugging the 360. I don't think anyone would want to plug that redundant failure unless they were a fanboy.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Cam3ron36

it was interesting to at least hear about back when it was Nintendo and sega, then sony entered in like 50 other companies had except sony succeeded and it all sucked from there. Sony and Microsoft are empires and aren't going anywhere ever unfortunately.

I think it was more interesting in the past because consoles were VERY different in terms of hardware, Genesis had a high CPU speed, but SNES had a more sophisticated GFX unit, programmers had to manage these obstacles. Indirectly this led to each console had many many exclusive and different games.

Nowadays even though you can throw CPU/GPU specs around all you want, each console gets (more or less) the same games and has (more or less) the same performance. The differences are very minor, and I think this trend will continue, leading to the single entertainment machine referred to in my earlier post.

[Slime Slayer]

Fungusman was telling me about an interesting subject:
Taken from a pm:

"Remember that rant I went on about game consoles basically being pushed into a corner and eventually droppingout/merge because of hardware companies basically merging into mega corperations ? Some guy wrote a book about it lol. Got tons of awful reviews, I should do one better !"

The rant happened over some megaman ten over at his house.

[Dudebro]

Originally Posted by Cam3ron36

it was interesting to at least hear about back when it was Nintendo and sega, then sony entered in like 50 other companies had except sony succeeded and it all sucked from there. Sony and Microsoft are empires and aren't going anywhere ever unfortunately.

You just don't give up do you? Now you're saying video games sucked from PS1 onward and they're aren't going anywhere? It's like you have no clue about next gen games at all. I'm starting to doubt that you've ever played anything from PS1 on.

Originally Posted by Tenser

I don't think anyone would want to plug that redundant failure unless they were a fanboy. .

You just love trolling about this don't you?

[Kugyince]

Don't be angry at me because you wasted your money on a 360.

I can play ME2, MW2, AC2, Fallout 3, Borderlands, Dragon Age, Spore, etc., just as easily as you can, and with the same controller. You know the 360's great online abilities? Mine's far better.

At least a PS3 gives you exclusives and a Blu-Ray player...

[GaMeR_mAn_1]

Well I'm sure you all know I'm the least educated about video games but what is a fanboy concerning video games?

[Tails]

Originally Posted by GaMeR_mAn_1

Well I'm sure you all know I'm the least educated about video games but what is a fanboy concerning video games?

Dudebro.

[samejamesbond]

Originally Posted by GaMeR_mAn_1

Well I'm sure you all know I'm the least educated about video games but what is a fanboy concerning video games?

Someone who is obsesed with a certain console/video game character.
(Such as myself with Captain Falcon)


If you need a good example:

Clip of the Week - The Great Christmas Conspiracy | ScrewAttack - Games. Community. Fun. Videos. It's all here.

Edit: Tails, you forgot about me

[CatalystiCam]

No, I jst found the console wars interesting before. Many companies tried to jump in like the 3DO, Jaguar, Tg16 etc., etc. and they all got knocked back out and here comes ps1 and sells more consoles than what's been seen before, it should have failed like the rest of those consoles all of which I like more than the PS1 by a long shot. All I'm saying is that it was better when it was just nintendo and sega. Then in the next gen sega put out one of their best consoles yet only to be killed off by a DVD player that is the PS2. Now the console wars just suck imo. We have nintendo that can't make a product that isn't some peripheral I don't care for, Microsoft which consoles break from them easily and finally Sony which is yet again winning all the attention as of late. It's all my opinion, Gen 6 wars were kind of neat but now gen 7 is just uninteresting. None of these companies will fall.
Don't take it so seriously though, I don't like Sony for many reasons. That's just my opinion though and I understand differing opinions.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Cam3ron36

No, I jst found the console wars interesting before. Many companies tried to jump in like the 3DO, Jaguar, Tg16 etc., etc. and they all got knocked back out and here comes ps1 and sells more consoles than what's been seen before, it should have failed like the rest of those consoles all of which I like more than the PS1 by a long shot.

Why do you say that? The other consoles (except the PC Engine, and that was more a Japan thing) that weren't the PS1 seemed more like demonstrations of technology (usually CDs) that weren't ready yet. When the PS1 came out CDs had finally matured and offered real benefits over cartridges (more space, easier to store, and most importantly LESS COST).

All I'm saying is that it was better when it was just nintendo and sega. Then in the next gen sega put out one of their best consoles yet only to be killed off by a DVD player that is the PS2.

I've said before, the most powerful console never wins. And the DVD player was a genius move, like the PS3 and Blu-Ray today it was cheaper than standalone DVD players at the time.

And if it were just Nintendo and Sega still, how do you know things wouldn't have turned out like they have?

Now the console wars just suck imo. We have nintendo that can't make a product that isn't some peripheral I don't care for

The reason Nintendo did that was to avoid a fate like Sega, mainstream 'hardcore gamer only' consoles are just not profitable anymore. Microsoft and Sony have realized this too.

Microsoft which consoles break from them easily and finally Sony which is yet again winning all the attention as of late. It's all my opinion, Gen 6 wars were kind of neat but now gen 7 is just uninteresting. None of these companies will fall.

So, failure is a requisite for coolness factor....? Explain.

I'm curious about all of your responses =).

[TrakMastaTom]

Originally Posted by Tenser

I can play ME2, MW2, AC2, Fallout 3, Borderlands, Dragon Age, Spore, etc., just as easily as you can, and with the same controller. You know the 360's great online abilities? Mine's far better..

Yeah, but I paid 250 dollars for my gaming machine. And mine doesn't have to constantly be upgraded to stay relevant.

[CatalystiCam]

I want to see sony fall flat on their faces, that's all. But they had a pretty big empire in regular electronics before the PS1. Microsoft needs no explanation since of what most of us are using to read this; a microsoft Computer. Nintendo has been around for about 25+ years in the console market and while I like nintendo I don't like the peripheral behind the wii and the DS. I also wish that they'd pay more attention to the VC, not that I care much now that I have a PC controller but it's nice to have VC games to play with my brothers.

One other reason behind my disinterest in the market now is that I care about only one game that has been in production for like 3 years now... Timesplitters 4. Only games that I play besides that are Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, I actually just bought L4D1 an hour ago, lol. There is some others that I might be interested in getting like that new Sonic Kart racer I heard is excellent.

[Kugyince]

Originally Posted by TrakMastaTom

Yeah, but I paid 250 dollars for my gaming machine. And mine doesn't have to constantly be upgraded to stay relevant.

You paid $250 for your gaming machine? Mine came free when I bought my computer.

No, your gaming machine they'll just decide to stop making games for one day. Bet you my computer has a better chance of running a current game 10 years from now than your 360 does.


Yes, I'm a Nintendo fanboy. I still can't understand why someone would own a computer and a 360.

[samejamesbond]

Tenser, being a console fanboy is foolish, you miss out on many great games.

[Kugyince]

Originally Posted by samejamesbond

Tenser, being a console fanboy is foolish, you miss out on many great games.

Maybe, but I already own 20+ Wii games that I haven't finished yet (not because of want but rather lack of time). I also have another 10 - 15 wii games I still want to buy.

What am I going to do with another console? Besides, most major games are PC compatable and if a really, really had to have a 360 exclusive title I'm sure the wife would let me borrow her 360. It just sits there and collects dust after all.

[CatalystiCam]

Oh tenser, speaking of which. I occasionally watch some game reviews show and the other night they showed this game and all I could compare it to by seeing it was Sweet Home, it looked pretty cool, you had to go through a haunted house that apparently is actually quite scary and all the problem solving to proceed reminded me of sweet home but the only downside is there wasn't much action. The part I thought was interesting was that you get these ghosts calling you on a cell phone in the game, but to hear them you hold the wiimote up to your ear to hear the messages. It actually looked quite cool but I can't remember what the name was unless you already have it. Just thought you may think it's cool since it shows quite a resemblence to sweet home.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Cam3ron36

Oh tenser, speaking of which. I occasionally watch some game reviews show and the other night they showed this game and all I could compare it to by seeing it was Sweet Home, it looked pretty cool, you had to go through a haunted house that apparently is actually quite scary and all the problem solving to proceed reminded me of sweet home but the only downside is there wasn't much action. The part I thought was interesting was that you get these ghosts calling you on a cell phone in the game, but to hear them you hold the wiimote up to your ear to hear the messages. It actually looked quite cool but I can't remember what the name was unless you already have it. Just thought you may think it's cool since it shows quite a resemblence to sweet home.

The game is 'Calling'. No More Heroes does the same trick with Sylvia yelling at you through the Wii Remote before each boss.

[Kugyince]

The Calling is a horrible game.

[GaMeR_mAn_1]

So im a fanboy because of how much I love saturn and anything sega?