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Console vs PC - Game over for consoles?

Euchale

Crazy German Guy
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Dear everyone,

with the recent announcement of Steam OS I felt like it is time to recapitulate on Consoles. About me, the first console I played on was the NES, the first one I owned was a Gamecube. Additional to these two I own a PS 2 and a Wii/Wii U as well as an Gamegear. Generally I am more of a PC Gamer, as my most favorite games are RTS, but since I also enjoy RPGs (most of them, not only J-RPGs) there is no way around getting a console.

[bimg]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Atari2600a.JPG[/bimg]The first consoles that came out had very rudimentary graphics and gameplay. There were some fun games but the video game crash was bound to happen because:
  1. Too many different and incompatible consoles
  2. Games were pressed out at a fast pace without checking for quality
  3. First computers with the ability to play games on
This caused console gaming to go into depression in the for some years. In 1986 consoles were pretty much dead in US/Europe and the only source for consoles was Japan. The next big things were on the rise: 8-bit Consoles in the form of the NES and the Super Master System.
Both consoles had everything you wanted from a console: Nice graphics and sound and overall good hardware for the time and developers ready to experiment for new gameplay.
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A lot of franchises were created, some of which still exist and are loved today. One thing that most of the games had in common was the difficulty. Since as a child you could only afford one game a month, developers tried to make games as difficult as possible, either through real difficulty like hard bosses, only one life, or artificial difficulty: Bad controls, "cheating" enemies.

The next big area was 16-bit consoles, SNES and SEGA Mega drive.


It was a huge step up from 8-bit. More memory was the key feature, so everything was able to look nicer and sound better. But the room for experimentation got smaller. Also the difficulty decreases, as people were able to buy multiple games within one month and there was no need anymore for super difficult games.

With the PS and Nintendo 64 finally 3D-Graphics.

The good news was: Games looked better than ever and new sounds banks made them sound awesome. The bad news, thanks to the camera and people not being used to programming in 3D, a lot of the games were difficult to control. A lot of great games came out for this console, and thanks to the 3D environment a whole bunch of new things were tried. Another thing was remakes of old games which has not been seen in that scape before.

PS2, Gamecube, Dreamcast, Xbox is the next row of consoles.

The improvements are not that big. Graphics got better, sound was now able to be played in MP3. First sign of ageing: I call this time the era of the sequels. The amount of new franchises was pretty low and even if it was a new franchise, from a gameplay perspective, it was similar to what we have seen before.

And finally to the consoles that are passing away right now: Wii, PS3, Xbox 360

On PS3 and Xbox 360 you had vastly improved graphics. But from a game mechanics perspective there was nothing new. The Wii on the other hand, had a new controller. New possibilities. But companies were afraid of trying out new stuff, because it could turn into a commercial flop. And this is where we are right now. With the next Generation of consoles coming out, how high will the risks be companies are ready to take? When a game like Dark Souls is released and everybody is overjoyed, just because it is difficult and different.

What did the PC do in the meantime? Since everybody was able to build their own PCs I will only be able to give you a rough timeline:
C64 was one of the first PCs that was used for games. It had a vast catalog of games, most of which were pirated. You really needed to know what you were doing if you wanted to use it.
The next step up is DOS. In DOS you already had a good selection of RTS games, but also the first adventures and even some 2D shooters.
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And then Windows. With windows a lot of things changed. The PC was more centered around RTS and Shooters and did not care as much about RPGs, but still it had a good selection. Notable examples are Elder Scrolls and Gothic among others.

But where is PC gaming now? Most games today are becoming multi-platform, but the PC is often left out of the equation. Why? Because of piracy. It is far easier to pirate a game when you are on a PC than it is when you are on a console. What does the reduced amount of games cause? The only 2 big things that are still mainly a PC thing is MMOs (including online games in general like MOBAs) and indie Games.
Now the big question is: What do you want to play?
A game that offers you a easy accessible difficulty, that you can just play when you want for how long you want?
Or a game that tries something new, something different, where you have to be engaged? Then Indie games are your way to go.
One thing you will always have to remember: Your money is what they want. So if you stop buying bad games, companies will have to put out better games. If you buy a bad game and complain about it, nobody cares. You spent money on it, company is happy.
Another point that I often hear is that PC is more expensive, than a console. This was true until PS2. After that, a PC with comparable power costed about as much as a console. Also good television screens and the peripherals for consoles tend to be more expensive than Mouse, keyboard and monitor. If you want a PC with TOP settings all the time, then you can spend an unlimited amount of money.

In conclusion here are the pro´s and cons of consoles:
Pro:
-Unified hardware gives developers low level access.
-Everybody is using the same peripherals which gives developers the ability to make the best controls possible for their game.
-No technological information required. Plug it in and go (after you installed it on the harddisk).
-console exclusives
-Basically no pirating

Cons:
-Almost no freedom, you cannot choose your Hardware and Software
-You are forced to do with the console what the developers want (no free keybindings for example)
-No modding (even though it could come with the new generation)
-No PC exclusive titles
-Most of the time, no backwards compatibility

And the same for PCs:
Pro:
-Built what you want. Pick your software and hardware however you like it.
-mods, mods, mods
-Play older games with better graphics thanks to modding
-PC exclusives: RTS, MMOs and Indie
-Backwards compatibility thanks to modding

Cons:
-A lot of multiplatform titles are not for PC
-Developers have a hard time programming for all possible configurations
-If you build it for yourself it is somewhat difficult
- price

Before I come to the topic of Steam, I want to dive a little bit into pirating. Pirating is a problem that was around since at least the C64. There were magazines that had floppies with 100 games or so and nobody really cared where the games came from. It stayed the same for PCs, with companies using funny copy protections in their manuals and later adding draconian DRM.
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On the consoles this was not a problem as pirating a cartridge was very difficult. But then the PS1 came along, and by adding a chip to it, it was opened to piracy again. And the same thing happend with any console using discs afterwards.
But why do people pirate? Most pirates themself say one of these three things:
A. Games are not worth it.
B. I try out the game and buy it if I like it.
C. The game is using a draconian DRM and I don´t want it.

The most interesting point is for me is C. Why? Because Steam.
People rarely complain when the DRM being used is Steam. If something else is doing the EXACT same thing they complain. We have seen this with: The U-play, Origin, Xbone and several other services. People state that they don´t like it that the service will be down, when the servers of EA or Microsoft are down.
But why don´t they complain about Steam?
Is it because you can easily use it in offline mode when you want to? Is it because you don´t really "see" that it is a DRM (in U-play you can see the "connecting to the server" message). Is it because Valve is more trustworthy than other companies? Or is it because we got "used" to steam?
I personally enjoy the service Steam gives me. So far it never let me down. There is only one complaint I have with steam, but the same problem has pretty much every service (except for GoG):
Regions. Stuff like: You cannot buy this game, because it is not available in your region. Or prices for games are different. Or a sale in just one region. I know how to use the internet and thus I know what other regions of the world pay/get.

Now back to the PC vs Console discussion and to my last point:
Steambox / SteamOs
The steambox will try to combine the best thing of both worlds:
A. Unified Hardware and Software to some extend
B. You are able to change Hardware later if you want.
C. You can pick from various different applications
D. Cheap price.
E. Difficult for piracy (as in no Windows)
F. New controller
G. Stream from you gaming rig to your Television
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Now what do you think, will the steambox be the end of consoles? Or will people not be ready to change from PS4 and XBone to a different console?


edith says: I´ve written this article and I am very confident, that there are a lot of spelling error or grammatical errors, if you find one you can keep it (or send me an pm)

This article has been inspired by:
 
Great article. I only skimmed it since it was so long. I will go back later and read the entire thing. The first thing i saw was the first picture. I'm going to guess this is the "master race" on the right and the consoles on the left? I actually hate that saying, I am a PC gamer and a console gamer and don't see one above the other. Each person has their play styles......

Back on topic, I think the Steambox will be a great addition and will broaden the horizon but will not eliminate the consoles. Xbox is Microsofts baby and we all know Microsoft loves money and the Xbox is a great money maker.

Sony is into their 4th generation of consoles and is going strong.

I see the Steambox to draw more from the PC gamers than the console gamers in a way that (IMO) Most PC gamers have dreamt of playing their awesome PC games on the big screen. Like myself, i like playing on a big screen opposed to having to lean in and lay on my small laptop screen. I like to sit on my couch or chair and relax.
 
I don't think Steam will be the death of any of the Big 3. Console gamers are fiercely loyal to one or more brands. They will be lost as customers when that publisher ticks them off enough to leave, but I don't think they will leave for another console. Keep in mind that many franchises are still proprietary. If people want to play Halo, Mario, Zelda, God of War, Final Fantasy, and other popular series, they have to stay with their console.

I think Steam will be bought alongside those consoles in many homes. I don't expect it to compete on the same level as Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, but who knows? Maybe people will really love it.
 
Great article. I only skimmed it since it was so long. I will go back later and read the entire thing. The first thing i saw was the first picture. I'm going to guess this is the "master race" on the right and the consoles on the left? I actually hate that saying, I am a PC gamer and a console gamer and don't see one above the other. Each person has their play styles......

Back on topic, I think the Steambox will be a great addition and will broaden the horizon but will not eliminate the consoles. Xbox is Microsofts baby and we all know Microsoft loves money and the Xbox is a great money maker.

Sony is into their 4th generation of consoles and is going strong.

I see the Steambox to draw more from the PC gamers than the console gamers in a way that (IMO) Most PC gamers have dreamt of playing their awesome PC games on the big screen. Like myself, i like playing on a big screen opposed to having to lean in and lay on my small laptop screen. I like to sit on my couch or chair and relax.


The whole article is an excuse to post the picture :D
I think everybody who is getting multiple platforms anyway, will definitely get a steambox instead of a normal PC. I don´t know how many people it will be that change from only PC to Steambox, but this is something we will have to see.
 
If people want to play Halo, Mario, Zelda, God of War, Final Fantasy, and other popular series, they have to stay with their console.

I think Steam will be bought alongside those consoles in many homes. I don't expect it to compete on the same level as Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, but who knows? Maybe people will really love it.


Halo - dead
Mario - dead
Zelda - zombie
God of War - still alive
Final Fantasy - dead

Also I agree that it will be bought together with another console. I just wonder what will happen with the next generation. Will there be a PS5 and a Xbox -1?
 
And with the first picture i think its funny how 4 of the 5 are beasts with some serious ab muscles and the one looking out has a gut
 
Halo - dead
Mario - dead
Zelda - zombie
God of War - still alive
Final Fantasy - dead

Also I agree that it will be bought together with another console. I just wonder what will happen with the next generation. Will there be a PS5 and a Xbox -1?

Halo isn't dead, the studio that took over they have Halo 5 release in 2014 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/343_Industries)
FF isn't dead, just crawling with both legs bitten off and only 1 arm. This new one they have coming out has my attention but if its like 15 then i finish them myself
 
Consoles will never kill off pc gaming, and pc gaming will never kill off consoles. They are 2 different products that hit different markets. Brand and "type" loyalty will ensure each will get its own market share. Just like apple and non-apple products do.

As for piracy: Steam games are pirated as easily as other pc games. Not only that, console games are pirated too. Console games aren't pirated as much since you have to burn it to a disk, but its still there.

I think the reason games are made on consoles OR pc, but rarely both is that you have to build a very different back end to be optimized on each. Not the piracy issue. Not only that, control schemes are a big part of the design, and while its easy to design for all the consoles, to port it to pc (or vice versa) you have to really change the control scheme. Most people on a pc play with mouse and keyboard even though controllers are widely available.

Anyway, love the article, very well done.

The pic in this section is broken, so you may want to go through and update the link.
What did the PC do in the meantime? Since everybody was able to build their own PCs I will only be able to give you a rough timeline:
C64 was one of the first PCs that was used for games. It had a vast catalog of games, most of which were pirated. You really needed to know what you were doing if you wanted to use it.
The next step up is DOS. In DOS you already had a good selection of RTS games, but also the first adventures and even some 2D shooters.
quote]
 
As long as people buy xboxes and play stations that is as long as the companies will make them.

As for steam, believe it or not there are many many people who have no idea what that is still. PC gamers know steam. So maybe it will take a few of them. But most PC gamers are loyal to PC and console with loyalty to their brand or franchise. So no innovation at this point for a PC clone with no pirating is a laughable offense to a PC user.

Also I moved this to rants since ultimately that is what it boiled down to and I wanted it to have front page exposure.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think the market for the steambox will be for console only players who will now have access to all the smaller pc games or pc only games on a platform they are used to. Pc gamers will stay with steam on their pc.
 
Halo - dead
Mario - dead
Zelda - zombie
God of War - still alive
Final Fantasy - dead

Also I agree that it will be bought together with another console. I just wonder what will happen with the next generation. Will there be a PS5 and a Xbox -1?

That's a matter of opinion. I think I remember Gyoin saying that he is really enjoying Mario on the Wii U. The Mario franchise is consistently rated as one of the best franchises ever. I think the spinoffs are a bit much, but TONS of kids want games just because it's got Mario on the cover.

And Zelda a zombie, really? Name one bad Zelda game ever released by Nintendo. Bad Zelda games don't exist. I think it's weird that they are remixing Windwaker of all things, but they are developing new titles as well. In my opinion, the games have been improving every time.

Final Fantasy may be gasping a bit on consoles. We'll have to see if Realm Reborn helps revive interest. Is that cross platform or PC only?

I don't know anything about Halo, so it may have run its course. I had thought that 6 main games were planned, not including the spin-offy ones.

Hardcore gamers don't drive consoles like they do PC. There's a lot of people that are into video games, but not into the tech. Being able to modify stuff on Steam isn't going to draw them because they have no idea how to upgrade a video card, much less program. Prepackaged consoles are easy and familiar. Steam will have its market for sure, but it won't be stealing large shares from console.

Similar stuff to what you are saying was said about the Ouya. That was pretty anti-climatic.
 
That's a matter of opinion. I think I remember Gyoin saying that he is really enjoying Mario on the Wii U. The Mario franchise is consistently rated as one of the best franchises ever. I think the spinoffs are a bit much, but TONS of kids want games just because it's got Mario on the cover.

And Zelda a zombie, really? Name one bad Zelda game ever released by Nintendo. Bad Zelda games don't exist. I think it's weird that they are remixing Windwaker of all things, but they are developing new titles as well. In my opinion, the games have been improving every time.

Final Fantasy may be gasping a bit on consoles. We'll have to see if Realm Reborn helps revive interest. Is that cross platform or PC only?

I don't know anything about Halo, so it may have run its course. I had thought that 6 main games were planned, not including the spin-offy ones.

Hardcore gamers don't drive consoles like they do PC. There's a lot of people that are into video games, but not into the tech. Being able to modify stuff on Steam isn't going to draw them because they have no idea how to upgrade a video card, much less program. Prepackaged consoles are easy and familiar. Steam will have its market for sure, but it won't be stealing large shares from console.

Similar stuff to what you are saying was said about the Ouya. That was pretty anti-climatic.


Mario is fun, but the new mario is not a new mario. It feels like a remake of a old one. I have to agree though, that Mario Galaxies was a lot of fun.

Zelda: Train Tracks. It was horrible. Also I don´t know if you played akwards sword for the Wii, but I didn´t enjoy it.

Final Fantasy Realm reborn is PS3 and PC if I remember right.

I hope that they will do it easy for their steambox too. Stuff like: 1 year is over, this is what you should build in your console if you want to upgrade.

I didn´t donate for the Ouya because I already expected something like this to happen. "Everything IT related comes and dies with it´s programs" was true back in 1980 and is still true today.
 
Consoles are here to stay. each generation will become more of an apple tv like product though. That's pretty much where the Xbox one is now.
 
Mario is fun, but the new mario is not a new mario. It feels like a remake of a old one. I have to agree though, that Mario Galaxies was a lot of fun.

Zelda: Train Tracks. It was horrible. Also I don´t know if you played akwards sword for the Wii, but I didn´t enjoy it.


Of course Mario is a remake. At it's core, it's a 2d side scroller. Personally, I love the nostalgia of playing that style with updated graphics, new levels, and mechanics. It's still a masterpiece of the platforming genre.

Spirit Tracks had the trains, which were wonky, yes. But it also had new gameplay in the form of ghost Zelda that I found really interesting. I think it's one of the weaker games in the franchise, but I don't consider it a bad game.

I absolutely LOVED Skyward Sword. The origin of LoZ was awesome to explore from a lore standpoint. I'm not a fan of Wii motion controls. I would have preferred a traditional Gamecube controller, but the controls did work. In spite of my dislike of the motion control in general, I found the detail in the sword tracking to be pretty amazing. I think the game holds up next to Twilight Princess quite well.
 
Im really curious to see how the XBox One does once released. For all the knocking that we do on it I know Microsoft is trying really hard to make it appeal to people. It just doesn't scream gaming machine to me like the PS4, PC or hell even the Wii U does. I always think there will be some balance between PC and console gaming. One won't out do the other for too long. I feel like PC gets the back burner once the new generation of consoles come out, but slowly creeps back in over time.
 
I feel like PC gets the back burner once the new generation of consoles come out, but slowly creeps back in over time.


PCs upgrade all the time, and they can be updated incrementally in the same machine, so there's a lot less fanfare than with these all-in-one devices that need to sell millions of units to keep their brands afloat.
 
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