Would System Consolidation Be A Bad Thing?

[StephenArdrey]

Everybody has their preference of video game systems. Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, or PC, you have a preference in what it is you choose to game on. The idea of consolidation has been around since NES and Master System but it could be really beneficial to the industry as a whole.

You don't see movies being released on four different formats with limited availiblity of certain movies to certain systems. The same goes for music. A creation of a universal gaming platform, would be best for the industry as well as artistic endevour.

This would make the designing of games cheaper for everyone envolved. You wouldn't have to learn different programming techniques for different hardware. What we would see, is a drop in prices and a renaissance in gaming. This would include seeing more a broader range of games and gameplay.

In an environment akin to Google Play, you have to stand-out with excellence or fail. It's not just about hype created by companies, but people creating hype about the companies. People, would then controll what they are exposed to and what they will play.

You wouldn't see 120 multi-player military based FPS games, you wouldn't see a redundence of TPS games, and you would see more games like Postal. Artist, can only create what people support as a whole. George Rodrigue, the guy who created all the blue dog paintings, is allowed to excell because people support what it is he does.

This would be a lot easier with a unified gaming platform. People, wouldn't be waiting for a unique release or a release for their system of choice. They would be allowed to get, what they choose, when they choose to receive it, at a price more reasonable than what is availible now.

I don't like to complain about game prices. They have stayed the same for almost 20 years, considering the price of production has gone up, game prices have stayed the same. A drop is needed in order to work games in to a broader populaces making video game more excepted as a work of social art.

We can't be accepted as art, until we have a uniform media. It's that simple. You don't see priortory paintings or sculptures. That can only be enjoyed with seperate glasses or whatever the fuck. Music, can be played on almost anything now. Movies, have a two common standards but they are availible en masse to almost everyone. You don't need to make a hefty decision on what format to go with.

It's almost impossible to convince corporate interest to consolidate. They each would be leaving behind billions of dollars and artistic controll. It would require a massive change in industrial thought and attitude.

[Mouse]

I agree with you. Also make universal controllers. Hopefully in the future that will happen but for now I think all the companies want their own systems.  So it's something to look for in the future.

[Toploader]

You don't see movies being released on four different formats with limited availiblity of certain movies to certain systems.

It's happened twice, just failed both times and it was not long before there was a clear winner in the format wars on both occasions (Betamax vs VHS and in recent times HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray).  I'm so glad the latter war ended, I was pissed that one of my fav movies at the time was not available on BD.

Gaming consoles are a little different though, and you could argue that the competition between the formats has led to improvements across the board. Without the Wii there would likely not be PS move and Kinect, as a kinda lame example (although I like Move it didn't really set the world alight).  Still, you raise a good point, although I'd be happy if all platforms existed and all major games where also on the PC. The Uncharted games at 1080p or 1200P with at least x4 AA would be just amazing.

[StephenArdrey]

You don't see movies being released on four different formats with limited availiblity of certain movies to certain systems.

It's happened twice, just failed both times and it was not long before there was a clear winner in the format wars on both occasions (Betamax vs VHS and in recent times HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray).  I'm so glad the latter war ended, I was pissed that one of my fav movies at the time was not available on BD.

Gaming consoles are a little different though, and you could argue that the competition between the formats has led to improvements across the board. Without the Wii there would likely not be PS move and Kinect, as a kinda lame example (although I like Move it didn't really set the world alight).  Still, you raise a good point, although I'd be happy if all platforms existed and all major games where also on the PC. The Uncharted games at 1080p or 1200P with at least x4 AA would be just amazing.

I think I am a little naive at times. I like to think that if these companies got together and formed a brain trust, that truely cool things would happen. A sharing of technology would mean advancements across the board and in a lot better ways. That being said, it's a capatilist society and I could see fans going insane if these groups actually got together and tried a unified format.

I could also see where they would also be slow to innovate. I took how long to get from VHS to Laserdisc to DVD? Now that I think about it, not very long but still I digress. Overall it would be nice but it's still naive, it would require companies breaking up the pie more and consumers leaving behind old ideas.

I could see a service like OnLive becoming a new platform, as third party developers spread to offer content, eventually it will consolidate. You may have an option of different hardware providers but essetially you would have one uniform system of release. I have also been looking at sound waves all night so that could be fucking with my brain.

[torchkc]

The problem, at least for people like myself, with a universal platform is the fact that you wouldn't be able to modify/customize it as you can with a PC. Beyond that, you would be forced to buy a new device if you wanted to play any games: you know if they came out with such a thing, they'd almost completely drop the other devices from their dev list. I like using my PC. It can do *everything* that consoles can do, and *everything* that I'd want to do (3D Modeling/Animation, rendering, etc). I can use a single machine to do all of it. I'm not interested in having to purchase an additional device just for gaming (partly the reason I have no consoles..other reason are prices, but that's a different thread).

Beyond that, having them all work on a single universal platform would really stunt advancement. Currently, all of the platforms have to compete with each other. Not only in technology, but in pricing. If they don't have each other as competition, they'll have the market cornered and will be able to do the least amount of work for the highest amount of gain - and that's bad from a technological, and consumer, standpoint.

[Toploader]

It can do *everything* that consoles can do

Apart from play PS3 and 360 exclusive games, but it's a small trade off and I keep my dusty PS3 there for this reason.  The only other thing I can think of that console are a little better for is some MP games, because hacking is way less rampant than on PC.

[torchkc]

Apart from play PS3 and 360 exclusive games, but it's a small trade off and I keep my dusty PS3 there for this reason.  The only other thing I can think of that console are a little better for is some MP games, because hacking is way less rampant than on PC.

Hacking can be minimized quite a bit on PC games. Most developers just choose not to do it, whether due to cost or other more inane reasons.

And it won't be too terribly long before emulators are available for PS3/360.

[Toploader]

Apart from play PS3 and 360 exclusive games, but it's a small trade off and I keep my dusty PS3 there for this reason.  The only other thing I can think of that console are a little better for is some MP games, because hacking is way less rampant than on PC.

Hacking can be minimized quite a bit on PC games. Most developers just choose not to do it, whether due to cost or other more inane reasons.

My god I could talk for hours about this being someone that was one the front line of helping stop P2 cheats for the best part of 5 years, but that's' another thread.  In short though you're right, provided there is a dedicated team on it.

And it won't be too terribly long before emulators are available for PS3/360.

360, in a few years, yeah.  PS3, unlikely for a very long time due to it being powerpc based and now complex the cell is.  Either way, there will be new consoles out by then that I will wish I could play exclusives on my pc with, so I'll always have one foot in console land.

[badgirl_696969]

i love my pc. games for systems are wayyyy to much and to think id pay $20 to $50 to get one game when u can download games from the internet