360 vs PS3 as future retro platforms...

[k.vlaros]

I'd like to hear if anyone has thoughts on the relative merits of the two current generation HD consoles as "future retro" platforms. Do you think one will be more collectable, more durable or more timeless than the other in another 10 years?

[BoringSupreez]

I'd like to hear if anyone has thoughts on the relative merits of the two current generation HD consoles as "future retro" platforms. Do you think one will be more collectable, more durable or more timeless than the other in another 10 years?

Definitely. The 360, with its greater focus on online multiplayer compared to the PS3, will be the less desired retro console years into the future. Just like how more people care about GCN today compared to the oXbox.

Also, the PS3 is a lot more flexible as far as hacking and installing other OS's goes than the 360 is, which will also help.

[Hobie-wan]

Disc machines are inherantly weaker than cart ones. Barring catastropies, cart systems probably only have to worry about capacitors drying out. There will always be simple replacements for those. I think in the future people will be playing their disc based retro games emulated on other systems where as cart stuff will still have plenty of people using the original hardware. Still have plenty of people playing on 30 year old Atari and Odyssey hardware but people that are on their 2nd or 3rd replacement system from the current gen.

[k.vlaros]

Interesting points, thank you.

I'll add another in favor of the PS3: region-free games. This means the entire globe's library is possible on one console, rather than having to collecting systems for different regions or modchip / otherwise hack a single system.

Another point for the PS3: I think it has a greater number of compelling exclusives.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I think the B/C PS3s are just going to keep going up in value. Especially if the PS4 or whatever isn't B/C or region free. I don't think there's any console that can play the selection of games a B/C PS3 can. You have your regions PS1 and PS2 libraries, then the entire library of the PS3 (as it's region free).

I can't see the 360 being worth much in the future. Not only is the majority of the hardware of questionable build quality, a good portion of it's worthwhile games are A. Online focused B. On PC C. On XBLA

I'm not sure how the Wii will hold up. It's the easiest way to play GCN games in 480p and it has a decent library of it's own, but the motion controls (sans Motion Plus games) are pretty cruddy and there are tons of the console out there. It doesn't really have any hardware problems either so it's not like the things will be rare and "exclusive" like a B/C PS3 will probably become.

[isiolia]

In general, I think it's a harder thing to say with this generation. To me, companies now probably see the long-term potential for backwards compatibility. It allows them to resell games as downloadables, if nothing else, which they already do to an extent. Making an effort to let someone port over their existing PSN or Live library would be a selling point, so personally I think they'll make a point to do it.

While both companies are a little spotty, personally I'd give the edge to MS here for future hardware. Essentially, their development platform is DirectX. Future XBoxes likely just need to have a software layer allowing them to execute DirectX code written for previous ones (and likely will, IMO). The 360's backwards compatibility isn't perfect, but a lot of that is MS not continuing to tweak it. 'course, they didn't remove the functionality either.

The PS3's hardware is a lot more special. Potentially, Sony could use a next-gen Cell CPU, port their APIs, etc. If they didn't, they'd likely be much harder to emulate, if even possible with the next generation or two.

Far as collectable...a non-Slim 360 that actually works in 10 years?

[noiseredux]

I think the B/C PS3s are just going to keep going up in value. Especially if the PS4 or whatever isn't B/C or region free. I don't think there's any console that can play the selection of games a B/C PS3 can. You have your regions PS1 and PS2 libraries, then the entire library of the PS3 (as it's region free).

exactly. Then add to that the various PSN Stores...

[ApolloBoy]

I think the B/C PS3s are just going to keep going up in value. Especially if the PS4 or whatever isn't B/C or region free. I don't think there's any console that can play the selection of games a B/C PS3 can. You have your regions PS1 and PS2 libraries, then the entire library of the PS3 (as it's region free).

exactly. Then add to that the various PSN Stores...

Which may or may not be around 10 years from now. The one thing I highly dislike about this generation is the increased reliance on online services, which to me kinda smacks of planned obsolescence. For that reason I can't see any of the three systems being as collectable as the systems we consider retro now.

[noiseredux]

Which may or may not be around 10 years from now.

[Flake]

I see the PS3 maybe making the jump to a 'retro' console one day, but I do not know about the Xbox 360. Too much of what makes that machine stand out is dependent on constant support from XBL. Without XBL, it really just seems like an underpowered computer of shoddy build quality.

If any system on the market today looks like a shoo-in to be a retro classic, it will be the Wii. Good, durable hardware. A backwards compatible successor already on the horizon. A stable of games that (let's be honest) have never depended on being on the graphical cutting edge to give them their charm.