Is there a conspiracy against consoles?

[mazonemayu]

@camdman snes, mega drive. all based on computer parts, or embedded systems, all based on earlier pc based stuff.
Its more about why is "random john low on money" buying a console instead of a pc or the other way arround?

but in a way he's right, it used to be exactly like that back in the days. even an idiot knows what bits are or can understand the concept in 2 minutes. then the ps2 (& everything that followed) came along and screwwed it up for everyone by selling you an "emotion engine". everything that came after the dreamcast was purely built to impress on specs (this doesn't mean they're bad machines), but from a technical pov the dreamcast is far superior to the ps2 coz of the way it operates; sony simply compensated this by throwing in expensive & heavy hardware. they really didn't need to do that, had the machine been more logically built...guess who paid for that?
and now its all like that. plus its grafx over gameplay which isn't really helping the selling part imo...it has to end somewhere & might as well be in another crash for all I care.

[camdman]

but in a way he's right, it used to be exactly like that back in the days. even an idiot knows what bits are or can understand the concept in 2 minutes. then the ps2 (& everything that followed) came along and screwwed it up for everyone by selling you an "emotion engine". everything that came after the dreamcast was purely built to impress on specs (this doesn't mean they're bad machines), but from a technical pov the dreamcast is far superior to the ps2 coz of the way it operates; sony simply compensated this by throwing in expensive & heavy hardware. they really didn't need to do that, had the machine been more logically built...guess who paid for that?
and now its all like that. plus its grafx over gameplay which isn't really helping the selling part imo...it has to end somewhere & might as well be in another crash for all I care.

Thanks for the clarifaction you said it much better than what I did.

As sad as this sounds Nintendo are inovating the way with gaming While Xbox360 and PS3 are making and selling their consoles as the All you need entertainment solutions hell I reckon the Xbox would have a modified version of office if it was viable where as Nintendo as much as some people hate them for doing it are just focussing on the Games. It will be interesting to see if the Wii U changes this.

[graciano1337]

Tablets are the best thing for gaming , First person shooters play really well On ipad. NO seriously You can't play a first person shooter on and ipad Its just impossible. I have spent hours on battlefield and the mind can't flow fluently with the controls.

Amazing...

[la-li-lu-le-lo]

I have a hard time taking anyone seriously when their first words are "Is there a conspiracy...?" When I think of conspiracies, I think of things like the Illuminati, Roswell, Holocaust deniers, etc. To suggest that something like that is going on with videogames is a bit silly.

[ave]

I'm starting to believe there is big money being paid by hidden interests to smear the console industry.

Out of all the things hidden interests could pay big money for, why video games? I'm sure there's some money paid amongst companies, almost every industry does it... but the motives and mechanics behind these payments certainly exceed our understanding of the video game industry. Simply saying "everyone disses consoles, they gotta be paid for doing that!" is ridiculous. And as far as I can see, that's the only point you got.

[Shadowlayer]

I have a hard time taking anyone seriously when their first words are "Is there a conspiracy...?" When I think of conspiracies, I think of things like the Illuminati, Roswell, Holocaust deniers, etc. To suggest that something like that is going on with videogames is a bit silly.

So your argument against a conspiracy is a bunch of completely made-up conspiracies?.......

What? conspiracies do exist, is just never as complex as you might think, some are hidding in plain view: GM tried to make a decent electric car and it worked, until an Oil company bought the company that made the special batteries for the car, so GM had to use lead batteries instead and the range of the car went from 160 miles per charge to just 60 miles

There was no blackops to destroy the battery factory, the inventor of the battery wasn't killed by a bomb under his car, they just bought the company and refused to make the battery. At the same time that Oil company paid a bunch of talking heads on the press to talk about how "stupid" electric cars were. They didn't use specs or comparisons, just smeared the image of the car so nobody would buy one.

Smartphone and tablet companies are HUGE, check out Apple and Samsung: the last one makes 40% of all android phones, but they make no consoles.

So the question isn't "why would they" but "why not?" is in their best interests to get the people who pay $400 for a console and then $60 per game to spend that money on phones and tablets, and the best thing is that smartphones and tablets change every year so they keep shoveling that shit to stores and people HAVE TO BUY THEM.

Why they HAVE TO? the X360 launched in 2005, the iPhone in 2007. The X360 is still getting tons of games, but the first iPhone and ipod touch is completely unsupported, then the 3G and 2nd gen ipod touch were cut loose, and now rumors say the next ones to get the axe will be the 3GS, 3rd gen ipod touch and the first iPad. Same with android phones: a droid from 2009 can barely play any of the new Android games.

All that within the space of one console gen.

[sonik]

Why they HAVE TO? the X360 launched in 2005, the iPhone in 2007. The X360 is still getting tons of games, but the first iPhone and ipod touch is completely unsupported, then the 3G and 2nd gen ipod touch were cut loose, and now rumors say the next ones to get the axe will be the 3GS, 3rd gen ipod touch and the first iPad. Same with android phones: a droid from 2009 can barely play any of the new Android games.

All that within the space of one console gen.

You have a point here.
It's the same with PC market. And that's why I still play on consoles. Same old hardware, running new games.

[Shadowlayer]

You have a point here.
It's the same with PC market. And that's why I still play on consoles. Same old hardware, running new games.

Except you dont have PC makers talking shit about consoles and getting people to buy more PCs, in fact they are getting trashed by phone and tablet makers too

I really laugh at apple when they talk about the "post PC era", try post Mac era: almost 80% of their revenue comes from the iphone and the ipad

Without iOS apple is back to square one.

[Shadowlayer]

BTW check this kickass analysis of zynga, is kinda heavy on financial stuff but nothing too difficult to understand:


Please do not be a contrarian who buys ZNGA. You will probably lose money.They have 3,000 employees,[1] even though their business model revolves largely around cloning[a] games that are simple enough for very small teams to create.[2] They're losing money; their EPS is -1.30.[3][4] Just because they have cash from investors doesn't mean that the business model will make significant money in the long run and it's made more complicated by the fact that they have a very heavy dependence on Facebook.[5]
They're also dependent on casual gamers (who don't have much loyalty or will to pay) and current trends.[b] Apparently, only 2% of their customers pay for their games.[5] Their stock market valuation seems largely mapped to their active user count[6] (and also Facebook's share prices[5]) rather than their financials.[c] In fact, I can't even say that they're overvalued because that involves looking at the P/E and with a negative EPS, I can't really do an apples-to-apples P/E comparison of Zynga against companies that are actually listed as profitable. Is a -3.8 P/E overvalued?[4] It certainly is risky!
-----
[a] They also buy some companies behind popular games too, like OMGPOP. This isn't necessarily a good idea.[7]
[b] The use of the term "game craze" in the title of the parent article implies that part of the reason ZNGA has a valuation in the billions is because of the current trendiness of Facebook games. The problem with relying on trendiness for investments is that when there's something even trendier (i.e. mobile apps), all the investor money that chases trendy stuff could simply go there instead.
[c] It was a popular dot-com bubble plan to focus on market share with a free product at a sustained financial loss.[8] Of course, it's too early to tell if ZNGA will sustain its losses in the long run because its stock is too young. Still, it's very risky.
-----
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zynga
[2] https://s3.amazonaws.com/nbpromo/dearzynga.jpg
[3] http://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:ZNGA
[4] http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/ZNGA
[5] http://beta.fool.com/buffettbeater/2012/06/11/dont-get-zynge...
[6] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/zynga-falls-on-ugly-faceboo...
[7] http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/05/04/draw-somet...
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-co...#Bubble_growth

[GodofHardcore]

I have a hard time taking anyone seriously when their first words are "Is there a conspiracy...?" When I think of conspiracies, I think of things like the Illuminati, Roswell, Holocaust deniers, etc. To suggest that something like that is going on with videogames is a bit silly.

Nintendo caused 9/11 because evidence they murdered Gunpei Yakoi was in the WTC Gunpei was himself murdered because he knew Nintendo was really a Freemason Illuminati outfit protecting the reptilian governments that controls us all.

[CrAzY]

Nintendo caused 9/11 because evidence they murdered Gunpei Yakoi was in the WTC Gunpei was himself murdered because he knew Nintendo was really a Freemason Illuminati outfit protecting the reptilian governments that controls us all.

GodofHardcore, you are such a fucking idiot, everybody knows that the Reptilian Governments pose no threat to us, but instead the "Tall Greys". They plan to interbreed humans and electronics, which was first tested at Nintendo headquarters back in Yokoi's presence. Needless to say, the GameBOY was a success...

[7Force]

This world is ours. We have ruled it since the wheel and the fire.



And we were responsible for the Saturn's US launch.

[Vetus]

Smartphones definitely gave new opportunities to the developers and the companies and attracted new target groups and that's something good. But when I see arrogant, ignorant people who have never played videogames before Angry Birds on their iPhone telling with such certainty that smartphones will replace portable consoles I want to smash their head with their iPad.

Also most of them are Applefags and that explains everything. And one other thing I really hate is that lots of companies and developers make lots of interesting games and applications only for iPhone like they have the monopoly.

And last let's not forget about Angry Bird's hype.


In cases like these I get the feeling that there is indeed a conspiracy. Or that I live in a wrong planet.

[7Force]

Smartphones definitely gave new opportunities to the developers and the companies and attracted new target groups and that's something good. But when I see arrogant, ignorant people who have never played videogames before Angry Birds on their iPhone telling with such certainty that smartphones will replace portable consoles I want to smash their head with their iPad.

Let's be honest here, they probably will. Not amongst the people who play other games besides Angry Birds and sudoku, but the general public is most likely thinking "Hmm, why should I spend $250 on a console and $30 for each game, when I already have a phone and games only cost like a dollar?"

[television2000]

Let's be honest here, they probably will. Not amongst the people who play other games besides Angry Birds and sudoku, but the general public is most likely thinking "Hmm, why should I spend $250 on a console and $30 for each game, when I already have a phone and games only cost like a dollar?"

That's the problem right here. A more correct term would be casual gamers.
Videogame makers need to cater to us actual gamers who were born and raised by them and not simply run after detached, shallow minded 0.99 cent candy bar consumer like mentality and abandon us.
A dollar-a-pop business model can only do ohh so much in an industry that's used to profit from 50-60$ a unit for 30 or so years.
Personally, I don't think it should change. This is entertainment after all and any change in pricing especially lowering it will dramatically reduce quality. And this is what happening right now, clashing between gamers and casuals.
And again for $250 on a console and $30 for each game you get QUALITY entertainment.
Ofcourse, that's a case by case with exceptions. ;)

[Vetus]

Let's be honest here, they probably will. Not amongst the people who play other games besides Angry Birds and sudoku, but the general public is most likely thinking "Hmm, why should I spend $250 on a console and $30 for each game, when I already have a phone and games only cost like a dollar?"

It's true that smartphones "stole" lots of casual/non-gamers customers from the traditional portable consoles markets but the market isn't only casual gamers. Which means that lots of core/hardcore gamers that want to play a game that is exclusive for PSP/PS Vita/DS/3DS or plays better at these consoles are enough to keep alive the portable consoles market. Heck, even casual gamers that want to play Pokemon and Super Mario will buy Nintendo's portable consoles just for their favourite francises.

On the other hand the competition with smartphones is a good reason for companies that make games for portable consoles to drop their prices for downloadable games instead of charging with unreasonable prices for old games (expecially Nintendo).

[Lum]

It's simpler than that.

UI design.

Until smartphone UIs are half-usable at best, us real players will never seriously game on them.

[7Force]

For me phone games have radically changed the way I think about portable games: there's no way I'd pay $/€30 for something like Lumines anymore when similar block puzzlers are a fraction of that price on Android or iOS. I suspect many other people feel the same.

[Shadowlayer]

Also most of them are Applefags and that explains everything. And one other thing I really hate is that lots of companies and developers make lots of interesting games and applications only for iPhone like they have the monopoly. And last let's not forget about Angry Bird's hype. In cases like these I get the feeling that there is indeed a conspiracy. Or that I live in a wrong planet.

The irony here is that they use the iphone because much like consoles it's the same hardware everywhere, unlike Android which like PC has a bazillion different combinations.

Still publishers are saying they are making even more with Android than with iphone, and I know many developers who are fucking tired of apple's shit, like forcing them to use macs to develop for ios.

Let's be honest here, they probably will. Not amongst the people who play other games besides Angry Birds and sudoku, but the general public is most likely thinking "Hmm, why should I spend $250 on a console and $30 for each game, when I already have a phone and games only cost like a dollar?"

An unlocked iphone it's $650, good Androids aren't much cheaper. Crappier phones can't run shit, so if replacing your 3DS is what you want then you have to get a highend unit

You got one with a plan? congratulations! it's $199 upfront and $80-100 per month for two years, around 1900 or 2400 bucks, and you still have to pay for the games!

Oh and that's just for 2 years, then you have to get another because yours wont be able to run shit with current planned obsolesce rates.

Consider that all smartphones you see today were launched between late 2007 and 2012, the X360 launched in 2005, PS3 and Wii in 2006

Consoles look like the cheaper option if you ask me...

[Zoinkity]

One really fun hoop to jump through are version-locking features, where the code runs perfectly fine but the version number mismatches so the thing is locked out.

The format of a system, regardless if its phones, notebooks, PCs, handhelds, or consoles, inherantly will limit what can appear on them by design. Phones especially are an incredibly limitted format, with little available control and lower hardware specs. As a result, the games designed for them are much simpler by design, with limitted control catering to their features and audio/video streamlined for their specs. It's just like designing a NES title; you obviously aren't going to plan much 32bit full-motion video.
In that regard, phones and touchpads will always be inherantly limitted versus the dedicated hardware used in PCs, consoles, and most handhelds. Certain game designs simply can not be scaled-down to their limitted functionality, in the same way that some PC game designs can not be scaled-down to consoles.

In the past people have predicted the death of the PC and console gaming markets at each others hands. Obviously this won't happen, as each is a different kind of experience and model. Handhelds are a similiar case, and although cheap mass-market and simple games cater well to phones and tablets, handhelds are now offering true 3D games with more complexity than their competition. They are also more easily extendable via add-ons.

Oversimplification is obviously the problem here. No format will kill another, the same way radios and newspapers are still around.