2013 - The Year of the New Console

**Seahawk** · 01-07-2013, 01:09 AM

So Nvidia just announced their own game console a few moments ago at CES.
You've got the Ouya almost assuredly coming out this year (developer units have been shipped).
A Valve engineer has confirmed that the company will put out some hardware (the so called Steambox).
The next Microsoft console will most likely come late in the year (components are reportedly in final production).
The Wii U is new enough that we may as well say its starting this year.
No word on PS4.
A random search on Kickstarter yields yet another game console, the Gamestick.

It seems that some sort of mass market fragmentation is occurring right now. I can't remember so many consoles coming out since the early-mid 90s with the CD-i, 3DO, Sega CD/32X, Playstation and others coming out all at once.
What do you think is going on?

**Slime Slayer** · 01-07-2013, 03:34 AM

I'm wondering if the market is large enough to support all those now. Obviously some will fail though.

**Dudebro** · 01-07-2013, 10:54 AM

It's funny because I think the market isn't big enough for the current three consoles. Nintendo has it's distinct games to set it apart but the other two are looking more alike everyday, besides a few exclusives.

**Kugyince** · 01-07-2013, 10:58 AM

Is that 1984 I see on the horizon?

**Dudebro** · 01-07-2013, 11:00 AM

Maybe a console crash but I doubt services like Steam will be effected.

**Slime Slayer** · 01-07-2013, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudebro

Maybe a console crash but I doubt services like Steam will be effected.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what the steambox is going to be? Basically a little pc that just plays steam games on your tv? Anyway the market now has gotta be ten times what it was in the mid-eighties. I think the big 3 will be fine, (PS4 might have scale things down a bit) the Steambox essentially can't fail, since it's really more of a peripheral than a console, same with the Ouya, they've got tons of customers, but will they play on their TV's? Some might, but not many. The Gamestick will fail I think, no room for them, (2,500 backers and 250,000 funded,average donation of 100 dollars.... shady.) Nivida also will fail, PC gamers are too hardcore for that, half of them won't even play on a laptop. So there are my predictions, I just woke up so sorry for any incoherence.

It`s funny how all these new systems are not really even consoles, all they are, are alternative ways of accessing content.

**Seahawk** · 01-07-2013, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevencassidy13

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what the steambox is going to be? Basically a little pc that just plays steam games on your tv?

More or less. A big difference between it and your average computer is that Steam is aiming for some console-like standardized specification, so that like a console it is plug-and-play, no fiddling around with components and drivers, which is admittedly a huge issue on making PC games work. It'll also run Linux, which is probably a good idea considering Windows currently slowly becoming another walled garden ecosystem.

**D.B. Cooper** · 01-07-2013, 02:19 PM

I'll be buying whatever Microsoft comes out with next. If it was just me, I'd probably never buy another console but the kids are getting old enough to play. I told them if we bought an Xbox 360 it would be outdated in a year or two so we'll wait for the next generation. I currently have a PS2 and a Wii and we still use the PS2 but I never could get into the Wii. Hate the controls and since I found RU, no need to play the old school games on there anymore either. My PS2 has been a trooper as I purchased it when they first came out and the thing is still kicking. I'd consider a new Playstation console but all my kids friends have the Xbox so we'll get what everyone else will be getting.

**Kugyince** · 01-07-2013, 03:53 PM

The console market is on life support as they depend on retail. Not that it isn't viable but it will eventually be swallow itself whole by digital services. XBLA, PSN, eShop, Steam, iStore, Google Play, GOG, etc...

Not this coming generation but the next. This generation will be looked back at as an odd amalgamation of retail and digital with providers not exactly sure how to market, design UIs, and what not. Even the glorified Steam can use a lot of work.

**CatalystiCam** · 01-07-2013, 06:55 PM

This reminds me more of Generation V as well if anything. N64, Ps1, Saturn, 3DO, Jaguar.

I'm not really against it actually. More options out there, yeah. Not too happy with the current ones other than Nintendo. We'll see how it pans out. Don't really care at the same time.