[BlitzKrieg]

If (and it's a big IF since no one has shown any sign of stepping down)...If the next generation of consoles ended the notion of competing consoles, no playstation, no xbox, no nintendo just an industry wide agreed minimum standard for what a eight generation console needed to be hardware wise, how would it shape out and would we benefit or not from it?


Allowing the opening of the market for other hardware companies to treat games consoles like DVD players, you would get the cheap option which would meet the minimum standard etc or you could buy that nicer more expensive model by sony which comes with its own in built wifi, a blu ray player and decent sized hard drive.


I know there are two points people will already be jumping to make:

1. The 3DO tried that and failed which I agree but I think the development


2. That's what PC's are *duh* to which I say *yes* lets openly blur the line. Allow me to go into a shop and buy any game and it will run on console or PC alike. Let me connect a usb keyboard and mouse to my console and play starcraft 2 or an FPS how it is meant to be played.


But this is a thread more about how the industry would change for better or worse if this was to happen.


First some thoughts on why this generation might be the one where this should happen.

1. the rumoured spec leaks for both the ps4 and new xbox and the released specs for the Wii U are all AMD based and while the Wii U is underpowered, the xbox and ps4 are rumoured to be quite similar. The era of vastly different hardware architecture has in my opinion ended with the PS3, not a failure in itself but the limitations of a unique hardware design proved damaging in an industry that has grown much more reliant on 3rd party developers.

2. 3rd party developers have never wielded so much power as they did this generation. They would sing joy and praise for the end of the cost of developing for multiple formats.

3. The rise of the service industry in gaming. Xbox Live, PSN, Kinect Steam etc. There has been an explosion this generation where its the service provided and the choice of controller options has grown to be as major of a factor in console choice as the games/hardware and every controller and add on today is USB based. It also has seen other major companies move into the same areas with the like of EA's origin.

4. The growing rise of digital distribution would put an end to the issue of format. Allowing the physical side to go into SD cards.

To me I'd imagine a universal console would see the big 3 or at least microsoft and Sony move into developing their OS services more. You could own a console that has xbox live and the playstation network on them They would offer essentially what you find on the current generation, online market, achievements and friends list, but unlike today, you could choose which one is on your console, or even have both. The competition will be for people to sign on to their gold/+ versions so the competition would be over who offers the better online servers, exclusive titles in each market place, games developed by first party would only allow online play with their service. DLC deals etc. This is all happening already now but with the extra headache of having to buy exclusive hardware to access one or the other, I say get rid of the hardware requirement. Allow me if I have a powerful enough PC to do this completely from my PC or to buy a cheap console model.


And that would be where the meat of the next generation would be, in OS services. Steam could actually move into consoles and operate as a direct competitor as could Onlive, EA's origin or Blizzard's battle.net. To play games all you need is any of these OS on your console to launch it. Which one you use would be completely dependent on what treats they offer if you sign up to their subscription service or use their online market.

While the rumours of the next generation going completely digital distribution worries a lot of people I'd think with a universal design I think you could see the dvd/blu ray replaced with an SD card equivalent for the cheaper models while the more expensive models will fully support online download and play. I dont think any one would go for a fully cloud service like Onlive.

[Lionel Messy]

A business without competition is no business at all.

[BlitzKrieg]

Originally Posted by Lionel Messy

A business without competition is no business at all.

As already said the competition can be shifted from hardware to service. Where it would be more fitting with the now much larger 3rd party software has become.

[Overheal]

universal, like.... some sort of Personal Computer, perhaps?

[BlitzKrieg]

Originally Posted by Overheal

universal, like.... some sort of Personal Computer, perhaps?

Somebody read the title but not the post

[chrislad]

Originally Posted by Overheal

universal, like.... some sort of Personal Computer, perhaps?

Great! Fancy a game of Halo: Reach or God of War on our Personal Computers!



On topic, while it would be a convenience for the consumer, I think it would be a lot of work for the likes of Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo etc.

Those companies are large enough as it is, and I'm sure the strings that need to get pulled are enormous, can you imagine a company at 10 times the size? The right hand won't even know it has a left hand, let alone what it's doing!

[Overheal]

Originally Posted by BlitzKrieg

Somebody read the title but not the post

I had read it, and it still doesnt make sense. You're basically suggesting locked down PCs that still have exclusive titles on the various DD platforms. I just really don't see the point, at all. Might as well just say, Hey someone should put out a nice prefab gaming PC, so people who don't want to buy their own without the extra work of a PC etc. can do that. I mean hell thats basically what Windows 8 is anyway. You know XBL is baked into Windows 8, yes? I spent 20 minutes yesterday making my little avatar dude.

Originally Posted by chrislad

Great! Fancy a game of Halo: Reach or God of War on our Personal Computers!

You laugh as if this isn't technically feasible, or enjoyable. Yet I've played Space Marine, Darksiders, Skyrim, Halo, Mass Effect, Dead Space, Super Meat Boy, Red Faction, Prince of Persia, and a host of others on the PC using an Xbox 360 controller, and you know what, it's exactly like playing it on an Xbox, but with much better graphics. So I don't quite understand the punchline. You can't even pull the Couch vs. Deskchair argument out, wireless peripherals have been more than functional for years now. Console gamers have been using them for years without complaint. If you so desire it's a real easy prospect to link your PC up to your TV (which itself can also be done wirelessly these days..) grab your wireless controller and have at it.

[Helix]

the generation after the coming one will be exactly like this

it'll all be pc based, with players signing up for the cloud service of their choice

smart tvs, bluray players, home theatre systems etc will all come with the service apps available out of the box

[calex71]

Interesting concept, well more than a concept I think as others have said it will be a reality before long, I'd say within 5 years maybe. Wasn't there a thread a while back on a steam box ?

Could see it going the route of the smart phone model perhaps, where each company has their own implementation of android or a proprietary one like apple but where games work regardless of the hardware across the platform.

This kind of thing could be rolled out now , it's now next gen nor is a new model as it's not that far removed from the media center under the tv systems or the later blue ray stuff that had been around for years. The problem lies with uptake and agreement on a standard which I could never see the big 3 current gen console makers agreeing on which opens the for the likes of apple or steam or google to muscle in and dominate leaving the others as relics of the past so to speak.

That said I think we a ways off current full time gamers adopting something like that full time as opposed to the casual ones...... or are we? Normally I'd be the first to cry over my xbox controller having to be wrestled out of my cold dead hand and my physical disc's but my attitude towards this has softened significantly lately to a point where I'm very open minded and actively reading on the latest delivery methods and enviously eyeing up some of the higher end smart tv's

[Helix]

the hardware companies don't even need to be on board really. everything will be streaming from high end pc farms, so consoles themselves will be dead. there'll be no need for any kind of box at all really. all that'd need to be agreed on is a universal controller interface standard, which would most likely be bluetooth, and an accepted controller layout (not necessarily style, but number of buttons, motion control etc.)

once that's done the app on your smart tv/pc would be relatively straightforward - you log in, pick from the games, renting or buying as you see fit, and start playing immediately. ive been convinced for years now that the next generation of consoles will likely be the last one we ever see, and im getting more sure of it every passing month tbh

we're not too far away from a point where EVERYTHING is streamed in terms of entertainment

[ScumLord]

The only reasons for not doing this is financial. They make more money the way things are and have no intention of sharing profits. They may well be forced into it down the road as hardware moves towards cloud based systems essentially making all hardware exactly the same but you can be sure they'll fight all that tooth and nail.

[richymcdermott]

I expect consoles will be replaced by a universal box like apple tv box , there use to be a difference with playing a console or pc but this generation consoles are trying to hard to be pc there is no differences anymore.
I believe Its going to happen , there be nothing left for the big 3 than just be like sega and make games, we will have this universal box hook up to your tv and internet router and you be streaming movies, and games on it .
Apple by accident have crawled there way leading the casual game market and if they wanted to get a big foot in , consoles could be gone

[BlitzKrieg]

Originally Posted by ScumLord

The only reasons for not doing this is financial. They make more money the way things are and have no intention of sharing profits. They may well be forced into it down the road as hardware moves towards cloud based systems essentially making all hardware exactly the same but you can be sure they'll fight all that tooth and nail.

Actually the reason I was thinking this is because financially this would possibly suit sony and microsoft more then persisting on isolated hardware platforms.

Putting out new consoles puts them both at a lost and they rely on high software sales to make up for it.

When each console in each generation was incredibly unique this model made sense. The difference between an N64 and a playstation is blatant and the PS2 had a huge hardware element with it doubling as a DVD player.

But this last generation the hardware aspect proved to be hindrance more then the unique selling point that sony hoped for. With cell being a difficult system for 3rd party developers initially and blu ray not being the core sell factor as dvd was with the ps2.

That and the rumours of the next generation having all 3 consoles being quite similar under the hood, with them all being AMD and Radeon systems, the real selling points for each console is going to be peripheral and software based. There is no unique sony hardware on the horizon and Microsoft are not a hardware company, Nintendo have all but already moved out of unique hardware and are already focusing on their peripheral/software support as the cornerstone to not just the upcoming wii u but the previous Wii.

Sony will want to stay in the hardware business, but being able to bring their console production in line with their dvd player production would be appealling and the playstation library is probably now with the exception of nintendo the strongest list of exclusive titles over the last 3 generations that would be a strong basis for focusing playstation as an Operating system over being hardware.

I had read it, and it still doesnt make sense. You're basically suggesting locked down PCs that still have exclusive titles on the various DD platforms. I just really don't see the point, at all. Might as well just say, Hey someone should put out a nice prefab gaming PC, so people who don't want to buy their own without the extra work of a PC etc. can do that. I mean hell thats basically what Windows 8 is anyway. You know XBL is baked into Windows 8, yes? I spent 20 minutes yesterday making my little avatar dude.

Yes I knew xbl is baked into windows 8 I mentioned that in the OP. And honestly from how this generation went and the rumours of the next consoles are pretty much a prefab gaming PC already. What I am discussing is actually having the industry recognise a standard and removing the boundaries of hardware. And we have exclusive titles on various DD platforms already (half life series on steam, starcraft on battle.net and ME3 on Origin) so having microsoft and sony at least moving into this same field and saving themselves a tonne of costs from hardware just seems logical to me.

[Varik]

Putting out a game ( or any product) puts developers at a initial loss until it sells and recoups this as well but with consoles likely to being using more standard parts rather than new complex proprietary ones we'll see manufacturers profiting per console rather than making things worse until much later revisions, changes due to scale, of production or high software sales.

As long as development cost don't get out of hand and considering the current/last generation will be the last to have any unique hardware this is likely.

[ScumLord]

Originally Posted by BlitzKrieg

Actually the reason I was thinking this is because financially this would possibly suit sony and microsoft more then persisting on isolated hardware platforms.

Putting out new consoles puts them both at a lost and they rely on high software sales to make up for it.

Putting out new consoles just makes them more money. People buy new consoles and new games. I'm actually surprised how stagnant the consoles market has been for the past few years.

Microsoft are not a hardware company,

Microsoft may not make as much hardware as Sony but what hardware they do make and associate themselves with is fairly decent.

Microsoft are setting themselves up nicely for the next round in computing. I don't know why they haven't already integrated xbox and gaming for windows? With the direction they're going with windows phone integrating with xbox live they could easily turn the lot into one seamless online gaming hub without losing the console (people will still want it's simplicity or they could even turn it into a consumer PC lite for accessing Microsoft content) and possibly tightening their control over PC gaming while expanding onto the mobile market.