Game consoles will be extinct after next-gen, says Jaffe

[Cronozilla]

I think people, in general, confuse the idea of being able to do something ... and the belief that it's a fundamentally better option.

The reality is if you switch real-time processing from local space (i.e. your living room) to a remote facility ... you are implicitly limiting what you can do.

I know it all sounds great ... but the reality is, things would skyrocket in price. The amount of data facilities required would be staggering.

And, losing the ability to locally control objects without the threat of losing service is a very important thing. This is not something that designers, in general, will give up without a fight.

And, frankly, it only takes one instance of it crashing and burning (and it WILL happen, as it's a service. Services fail from time to time) to make people re-think their reliance on these things.

Again, the ability to do something doesn't implicitly make it a fundamentally better option. There are a lot of concerns. The least of which is how people will want to receive their content.

[jfrost]

Consoles suck anyway.

Aren't you guys still stuck with the SMS?

They have Mega Drive too. I remember a few years ago Sega was announcing a new Mega Drive system for Brazil

Ours hasn't got a cartridge slot and comes with a guitar, which makes it objectively amazing.

And we have Atari clones too. Hence my opinion on consoles is true and relevant.

[johnnyonthespot]

We've already seen the first step in this. By Microsoft allowing you to use your iPad, iPhone, or Android phone as a remote shows that a large (and I mean large) company is not afraid of you using their content on a competitor's hardware. It's so easy now to make the controller your phone or tablet and steaming the content through your T.V.

[dreamcast4ever83]

Jaffe spends the majority of the article basically saying "I don't really know what I'm talking about here, but eh here's what I think anyway."

You see these claims being made a lot these days, huh?

The idea that Smart TVs will replace consoles is the silliest one to me. I guarantee nobody's going to be happy if they have to buy two entire fucking TVs just to play Sony or Nintendo games.

I agree with you entirely also I don't see systems going away it would not make sense atleast in my mind so im not really worried about it. I will say one thing. If this actually did happened and everything went digital no actually game disc or system that would be the day I stop buying new games and stick with the old period.

I know this may sound ext-ream but having a system and a game disc is a must for me Part of my love of games is looking at all the systems and boxes it makes me very happy and without this everything would be an impersonal blur.

[BoringSupreez]

If consoles become extinct, I think the situation will become similar to what we see with phones. The big players will create OS's, and various third parties will make the (widely varying) hardware.

[ZeroAX]

I really love this dramatic overstatements. Will anyone really stop buying games because they go all digital? Just like everyone stopped buying games when they changed the packaging to just the disk and a single piece of paper (I'm looking at you Valve).

I think, IF the service they provide is good (ala steam) people will complain a little and move on it. If it's not (like PSN/Xbox on Demand) people will not give their money and those services will fail.

[MrPopo]

I really love this dramatic overstatements. Will anyone really stop buying games because they go all digital? Just like everyone stopped buying games when they changed the packaging to just the disk and a single piece of paper (I'm looking at you Valve).

Video gamers are highly principled. Remember when everyone boycotted the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 because it wouldn't have dedicated severs?

[BlackDS]

I really love this dramatic overstatements. Will anyone really stop buying games because they go all digital? Just like everyone stopped buying games when they changed the packaging to just the disk and a single piece of paper (I'm looking at you Valve).

Video gamers are highly principled. Remember when everyone boycotted the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 because it wouldn't have dedicated severs?

People that buy primarily used games (such as myself) may stop buying games altogether if they are digital. I only use the 3DS store for free apps and game trailers.

[BurningDoom]

I really love this dramatic overstatements. Will anyone really stop buying games because they go all digital? Just like everyone stopped buying games when they changed the packaging to just the disk and a single piece of paper (I'm looking at you Valve).

Video gamers are highly principled. Remember when everyone boycotted the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 because it wouldn't have dedicated severs?

People that buy primarily used games (such as myself) may stop buying games altogether if they are digital. I only use the 3DS store for free apps and game trailers.

For sure. A lot of people just won't be able to afford to game the same way they used to if it means every purchase is gonna come at $60 a pop. That's just too much money for some us to spend on a frivolous hobby.

[Menegrothx]

A lot of people just won't be able to afford to game the same way they used to if it means every purchase is gonna come at $60 a pop. That's just too much money for some us to spend on a frivolous hobby.

I dont see why a downloadable game should cost as much as a physical copy, although I doubt that the likes of Activi$ion really care