The Current State and Future of Console Gaming?

In my opinion PCs are only really good for shooters and strategy games. Anything else, I prefer a controller and sitting on the couch instead of at a desk.

 

You can get controllers for a PC.

I have my desktop hooked up to my big screen tv so I can play games from my couch.

 

That's not really the norm, though. Plus at that point, why not just have a console?

 

To some people Shooters and RPGs are all there is to gaming.

I too prefer a couch to a desk for gaming.

 

Because I can upgrade individual components at will and the system capabilities are tons better than any console.

 

For all those complaining about the lack of backwards compatibility, it's not that easy. The games were written for a specific architecture (processor isn't the only arch that matters, video and sound do too) and all of that has to be emulated...by the current architecture. The current gen machines have the best capability to do that, via sheer horsepower, but still it's not a matter of just "copy, change a few lines of code, paste". Additionally, the ported game would have to sell enough to recoup the cost of coding hours. Maybe some of us older gents are chomping at the bit to play 3+gen-ago titles, but I'd bet we're a minority.

Oh, Nintendo. Jumping the gun with the Wii-U. Not making it distinguishable from the Wii to those who are not in the know. Not providing it with similar specs of Sony and MS's offerings. I've bought every Nintendo console just to play Metroid (except the Wii). I even pre-purchased the 64 to play the at the time announced forthcoming Metroid...and it never materialized. Fool me once. You're not getting my money for the Wii-U.

Industry insiders are thinking this will be the last generation for consoles. I don't know. I know I've enjoyed the heck outta my PS3, will get a PS4 (the BR drive on my PS3 died...so $100 to fix it...or put towards a PS4?...I'm leaning towards the latter as I've got plenty of PSN titles to play) probably in the fall. Not sure if I'll wait for a price drop. PS+ is an amazing "loyalty" program. PS Now....have you seen the pricing for this? Hahahaha. Sony stands to lose a boatload on that purchase if costs aren't brought in line with value. But, I think that's where a gen or two ahead will take us. Streaming titles. Then it won't matter the hardware.

 

Retro gaming is a very popular thing these days. I see it as a backlash to the industry as it is today.

The problem is that Nintendo doesn't have a whole industry at their fingertips. Sony is Sony and essentially owns DVD, Blu-ray, etc. that Nintendo can't get their hands on. They can't invent new video and audio formats to base their system around. Microsoft is Microsoft and basically owns the internet and they have every advantage that comes with that. Sony and Microsoft wanting to own every industry ruined gaming as we knew. Nintendo can't compete with specs and it's a shame because they represent what true gaming is about, not Sony or Microsoft.

 

Yeah but then you have to worry about crappy port games.

 

@Dr. Bogenbroom we're not talking about porting old titles. Just the capability of playing old games on the old discs on the new consoles like PS2 plays PS1 games.

 

PC games aren't often ports unless they come out far after the console equivalents. Many games that are on PC and other consoles come out at the same time. And those are the ones that often destroy their console counterparts.

 

Proof?
There is also a LOT of nostalgia in pop culture for folks my age (30s). This is anecdotal evidence but everyone I know that plays retro games does it out of nostalgia.

Anyway, I personally made the switch from console to PC very recently. I have a PS3 and just didn't feel like getting a PS4. I also just thought it would be a fun to build my own PC and upgrade parts as needed down the line.
Modern consoles are basically PCs with unique operating systems at this point anyway. That's not a bad thing (contrary to what some here think, a POV I don't really understand), just figured since I happen to be proficient with computers I might as well take advantage of that.

Also I'm using the PC I built as a music player (external USB DAC to plug into my stereo, thus replacing the Squeezebox) and to watch TV shows and movies (don't have a dedicated monitor, just using the TV), so I just kind of dig having everything on the one box.

As for long cut scenes, I actually don't play enough games to notice that I guess.
My favorite series by far is Assassins Creed and I am just so enamored with the whole thing of parkour/stabbing my way through history that I can't complain too much about modern gaming. The technology, stunning visuals and sheer volume and diversity of games is the kind of thing I fantasized about as a teenager.

I am a little worried though 'cause I read recently that Ubisoft's PC ports are not good so we'll see I guess.

For those really disaffected by the major studios, there are TONS of indy game producers. It's kind of like the whole "modern music sucks" "no it doesn't you gotta look a little bit for the good stuff" conversation that happens here like ALL. THE. TIME. It kind of applies to video games, too.

 

I seem to remember the GTA ports were glitchy, ran slowly, etc.

 

And configuring the buttons on the controller for every seperate game.

 

Sure, I know there are emulators. The few times I've looked into them, I've found it frustrating trying to get the actual game .roms. The sites that had the emulators were cagey about where the roms could be acquired so at not to incur legal wrath. And do these provide save game features that weren't possible for NES/SNES console games? Maybe some do, I don't know, I haven't looked lately. I'd be glad to just pay $5 0r some nominal amount for an official version that I could run on my PC without having to go searching.

 

It will be interesting the day that Apple finally allows apps to run on their Apple TV devices. The current versions already have a CPU sufficient to run reasonably complex games and if good quality titles appear for $9.99 or less in the app store that will certainly take a bite out of the console maker's revenue especially Nintendo.

I am also waiting to see the impact of the Oculus Rift once the consumer version of that is available. I do mostly racing simulations on the PC and that could very well be an ideal use of VR technology.

 

If there are next gen consoles, my guess is that there will no longer be physical discs and that all content will be downloaded/streaming.

 

Yep, pretty much all of them have a "save state" feature that lets you save anywhere and I believe several allow you to create different saves for each game (ie, if you wanted to save your spot in an RPG but didn't want to overwrite a previous save in case you needed to go back or something, you can create separate saves to pick from). The best way to get ROMs is probably your friendly neighborhood torrent site, where you can usually get a complete set for any given system all at once. Failing that, there's still some regular websites out there that host individual files. I just did a quick Google search for "SNES roms" and pretty much all of the sites it pulls up on the first page are legit, though you may want to have an ad-blocker turned on.

 

Nintendo cheaped out, they could use DVD or BR format (XB1 uses BR,XB360 DVD),they chose proprietary format to prevent piracy and not pay licensing fees. Poor little Ninty is sitting on billions in cash reserves, by the way.
The WiiU launched too early and was marketed poorly. The Grandmas and casuals that made the Wii a cash cow weren't going to upgrade anyway. And as for MS owning the internet, um, I'm gonna say no to that.

 

The new consoles use off the shelf PC hardware. Last gen ran on proprietary chips and processors, which would have to be built into the new decks, and is cost-prohibitive. Emulation, as we saw last-gen, is a hit or miss affair.
Lack of BC isn't preventing PS4s from flying off shelves, and BC has never been a difference maker in sales, just ask Nintendo.

 

I love my Wii U. Being able to play games on the Gamepad controller while watching TV is awesome.

I think the name is the main problem with it. A lot of people don't know it is a new system.

 

Awful, awful port. By now my PC should just be able to run GTA3 acceptably. On the machines of the era, it was a joke.

 

Yeah. All these add ons are redundant when every other electronic gizmo we have can do the same things. I fail to realize how how these can be bullet points anymore.

 

And it was bulls*t then.

EDIT: I mean from the PS era on. If you meant pre-PS I think the problem was solved in that people kept their systems (and one system lasted decades. As I said, my SNES still works.)

 

Sorry. I don't buy it. Everyone whined about PS3's cell but all of a sudden there's about a be a deluge of PS3 ports to the PS4 which is more PC like in architecture. I think they're just bullsh*tting to get money from knock off ports and digital sales. I know it's not easy as pie but there is more ease in BC than they let on ESPECIALLY (as you noted) with the current gen systems. And if there was BC there'd be no need for ports so I'm not sure what you mean by that.

 

Do I have it right that this current upgrade in console is the first time the physical format of the games hasn't changed (i.e. blu ray to blu ray) As far as I can see, so far they're just releasing last years games in 1080p rather than 720p. It seems the companies are more concerned with releasing a new console every 5 years whether there's a genuine upgrade or not. Lame.