The future of console gaming?

Thought this was quite an interesting article, especially with the buzz around the new console releases rumoured this year. I guess this kind of thing is inevitable really, and could potentially put a swift end to the game rental from the likes of LoveFilm as well as the second hand market.

The next Xbox console may require a permanent online connection and could rule out the pre-owned games market

http://gu.com/p/3dj9v

“may” and “could”. It “could” be a lot of things.

I don’t have the link to hand, but I read about this earlier today.

Paraphrasing from memory, the official line from Microsoft is that individual publishers will have the ability to issue codes with games, so subsequent installation on another console will require an additional purchase of an “online pass.” However, this is entirely down to the game publisher and not mandatory. Plus, it’s no different to what EA are doing right now on current-gen consoles.

Worth bearing in mind that there’s a lot of Xbox and Playstation rumours flying around and they’re just that – rumours. Take with a pinch of salt.

Big debate on Neowin about this.

Can’t see it happening ‘yet’ myself. We are not yet at a stage where everyone has a good consistent and indeed ‘unlimited’ connection so don’t see that working and as for games only working for the original buyer can’t see the likes of CEX etc being too impressed.

IIRC this was touted for the 360 as well.

imagine any other line of products trying to destroy their own 2nd hand market….

books?
car?
bikes?!?!?! 😯
DVDs/Blu rays?

just ridiculous….

if they do insist on this and the PS4 doesn’t have this ‘feature’ it’ll wipe the floor with the new XBOX from a sale point of view…..

imagine any other line of products trying to destroy their own 2nd hand market….

Already there with some eBooks and other media, the joys of DRM

if they do insist on this and the PS4 doesn’t have this ‘feature’ it’ll wipe the floor with the new XBOX from a sale point of view…..

Almost certainly. Which is why it’s probably not true. They’re not silly.

Wait till Valve release their console….gonna be saaweeeeet!

Still, I’m pretty sure consoles are dead, as we know it anyway. The current generation are running 7 year old+ hardware! Surely PC style gaming is where it’s at, with developers constantly pushing boundaries to meet the latest hardware, opposed to being limited by outdated technology. Rumours surrounding the PS4 speculate that the hardware is already pretty dated, it’s not even out yet!

I don’t know, I quite like having to buy a console every seven years rather than a new graphics card every two weeks.

Rumours about console hardware being weak compared to a PC are a red herring; that’s very often the case.

the future of console gaming you say ?

Dunno. Still play and enjoy my ps3 on a daily basis after 4 years of owning it. Plus it fits nicely under the tv. I think consoles are here to stay, especally when the new ones are pretty much just nicely packaged PCs anyway at a fraction of the cost. The new gen consoles are going to be quite cheap from what i’ve read, as the money is in the games.

I do like that console games are also built to the console so (should) run smoothly and look as good as they can be. Opposed to PC games that are jumpy and look rubbish if your PC isn’t up to date!

Sony PS4 rumoured to be announced on Feb 20th, so we’ll see.

Maybe!

It’s more to combat the increasing pirate of games, PC gaming has had it for years as it blocks people playing online. Makes sense to do it with consoles and there’s a handful out there already doing jus that.

PC wise it’s not that necessary to upgrade regular, my current setup is about 4 years old and is still running modern games. Not sure how much longer I’ll get out of it though.

Console technology often feeds off PC technology so its always going to be a step behind, plus cheaper. Im glad I’m off the PC gaming merry go round of expense, console every 7 years, big HDTV and comfy couch please.

Like Drac said, my PC is getting on a bit now and still plays most modern things smoothly on high graphics. It’s just about making sensible choices and not trying to keep at the front, knowing what to upgrade, and when, for the most benefits.

I have an xbox but it doesn’t get used that often because of the stupid online subscription fee!

It’s inevitable that they’ll try to stop 2nd hand users. More money in their pockets. The 2nd hand market appears to have grown hugely of late, there seems to be barely any new games, other than the big titles, available in Game etc.

just ridiculous….

if they do insist on this and the PS4 doesn’t have this ‘feature’ it’ll wipe the floor with the new XBOX from a sale point of view…..

It’s been going this way for a long time. Many people don’t buy hard copies of games now, I used to buy the majority of my pc games over steam and now I buy the majority of my games directly through the Xbox marketplace.

I got irritated with the fact that cd’s get scratched very easily, even by the PC/Xbox cd drives. I’ve never had that problem with buying my games online and when my home net connection has gone down, I’ve just used my phones 3g connection to connect to the net (and even then only when my steam offline mode was bugged).

I’m going to be getting back into my pc games instead of getting a new console because I’m tired of the easy as hell, mass market games eg COD. I miss good strategy games. Most console games bore me into a coma these days.

I thought there was a recent ruling that allowed the sale of “2nd hand” DRM’d stuff like MP3’s and so on?

https://www.redigi.com/

i reckon it come with the next consoles, i dont think it will be with every game, not yet anyways, it would be a simple concept for games to have a code with the game, where the user types that in to go online, and if the game is passed on second hand, then they have to buy a new code. this has happen with a few games already, but i reckon will be more popular on the next gen consoles

how many years do you reckon until discs are gone ?? ps5 or ps6 ??

the downloading of games is becoming more popular than ever,it will come eventually where every game will be downloaded, this i suppose will stop the second market dead in its tracks.

any of the latest games seem to cost £59.99 if D/L through PSN store, that’s £20-30 more than you’d pay on the high street/online.

if your CD scratches that easily, why not send it back? (sure your lazer’s not ****?)

Read rumours recently that Sony are to go the EAgames route killing their S/H games market too.

I get some pretty good buys off xbox live, never anything as drastic as 59.99….new games are always quite expensive (full retail price, so around 39.99)

f your CD scratches that easily, why not send it back?

I’ve had pc games and various consoles for about a 12 years now – all of them….once in a while have scratched a cd of mine. Not to mention the fact that if you knock the device whilst slighhtly it’s reading the cd… they go ape shit and eat the cd for lunch.

I do understand people wanting to sell on games that they’ve played….but I try not to purchase games that have short life spans…..I like re-playability…so that I can come back to them down the line when I feel like. I find you hardly get enough money to justify selling games second hand.

Perhaps the destruction of the 2nd hand games market will force games developers to produce games with longer shelf lives.

Can’t say I’ve ever seen one at £59.99 but yes usually more expensive then buying form a retailer.

Steam isn’t – I really am rather hoping the loss of the second hand games market will result in games with 15 hour play times and shite multiplayer being roundly destroyed by critics and consumers.

I really want console developers to be releasing more sandbox tools like powerful map/mission editors to extend the value of the games, like we are used to in the pc market.

totally agree, the dl prices are disgusting. i dont mind buying the old classics, but i would never buy a new game for 50 quid or more disc or download !

could the likes of gamestation etc survive with out the second hand market ?

the sales of games must be affected if this came in. less games would be bought. which means less consoles sold.

once one console does it, they all will as it wont be the hardware company’s decsion it will be the software houses who are making this decsion..

Bloody hell Black Ops 2 is £59.99 on PSN.

Steam usually is too but they also do their silly sales with 75% off.

Ah.. Bwaarp, you’re dyspraxic.. fair enough.

Black Ops II and Far Cry 3 are both £59.99

Ah.. Bwaarp, you’re dyspraxic.. fair enough.

Eh….I just type fast as I’m thinking…..I tend to write as the words come into my head…between flitting through journal papers etc….so I edit a lot.

Although I was classed as dyspraxic when I was very small – my reactions and hand-eye caught up though. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to shoot a gun for shit – or be half decent at riding a bicycle.

The next Xbox console may require a permanent online connection and could rule out the pre-owned games market

Not a lot different to where MS wanted to take the PC market a (fair) few years ago.

I thought about D/L all my PS3 games so I could install and play them on both my PS3s (different houses) then realised how much more it would cost and how easily transported a CD is (they evemn have handy cases to stop them getting scratched)

I thought you making a comment about my typing duirdh….

took me a bit by surprise as I did have dyspraxia when I was about 8 or 9. I was a clumsy fooker up until I was about 13 – when I came into my own in sports and started doing well in school cricket etc.

Computer games actually helped me.

andeh – Member
Wait till Valve release their console….gonna be saaweeeeet!

the general public will collectively go “Valve who?” (if they even notice) and go straight back to Microsoft/Sony

Wait till Valve release their console….gonna be saaweeeeet!

Win – I’ll be buying that if the implementation is any good and it’s cheaper than buying a decent pc….especially If I can play Company of Heroes on it. I know loads of ex pc gamers who would.

If you can’t help knocking a PS3/Xbox while you’re playing you probably still are..
My experience of dyspraxcia is that it stays with you throughout life to some degree and dyspraxia sufferers can be very good at fucussing on repetitive repetitive sports like shooting/cycling.. and computer games (playing the same ones for 12years rings alarm bells too – obsession?)

playing the same ones for 12years rings alarm bells too – obsession?)

Nahh, I’ve taken quite a few years out. Just have an xbox and a few of the big titles at the moment. The only thing I have still is a bit of disorganization – cluttered mind etc… xbox’s tend to get knocked over when me and my mates are pissed out our faces playing Fifa.

I used to do a bit of gliding and I sure as shit wouldn’t have been able to do that and keep my situational and spatial awareness if I was still particularly dyspraxic. Nor would I be able to judge distance accurately when shooting.

sounds like you were/are fairly low on the scale.

even so, Dyspraxic gliding sounds pretty hardcore!

You know I landed an aircraft (cessna) the first time I flew it….damn right that’s hardcore for a dyspraxic/ex-dyspraxic. Considering I couldn’t kick a football very well until year 9.

I just had a strange neuro development as a child and the more people told me that I wasn’t very good at sport…the harder I tried and the more I threw myself into thins that demanded good co-ordination in an attempt to prove myself…..seems to fit in with the theory I ascribe to that the brain is very plastic (nature vs nurture).

nature has certainly ruined mine

Don’t think like that, if you want to chat about dyspraxia….and swap our experiences about it let me know.

Really, the more as a child I was told that I was crap at this or that…the more I rallied against it. I changed a lot of my problems and it strengthened my personality.

Practicing flight simulators, the piano, cycling and cricket did a world of good for me. I’ve found various coping mechanisms to write essays and deal with paperwork disorganization etc that has meant old school teachers/employers/other academics didn’t notice my chaotic life.

ha ha.. sorry, No I’m not dyspraxic myself (kids are) by “nature” I meant weed an’ ting

Thanks for the kind offer though..

hah….anyway…it’s not on my NHS records as my parents had everything done privately when I was small….so I might take my “**** you” to the world one step further and become an airline pilot. 😈

Are you a psych/researcher or relative of someone with Dyspraxia then?

PS – sorry for the hijack guys.