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Console Game Trading (The discs)
Nov. 11th, 2015 12:36 pmI've ranted on what Microsoft attempted to do the console industry with their xbone plans a few years back before outcry made them pull a 180 so fast I'm sure some of them got whiplash. But I wonder if Microsoft (And Sony, who had secretly planned to do the same thing until they saw the reaction Microsoft got.) realize how close they came to potentially ending consoles entirely - except for the Wii U which was already released and very much a relatively "normal" console. Tablet controller aside...
If you think about the differences between consoles and PCs, you'll probably notice that the lines have becomed very blurred over the last few years as consoles adapt all of the worst parts of PC gaming, make it worse, then export it back to PC gaming.
Reasons to use a console include:
1. The Game Just Works.
2. The Game is Complete and bug free.
3. The Game can be traded with friends.
Of these, the games rarely "Just Work" anymore, often requiring patches or even firmware updates to launch. They're virtually NEVER complete with anywhere from 20-300 dollars of DLC, etc.
Meanwhile consoles start their life cycle off with aging hardware compared to PCs. They have lower frame rates on average, lower resolutions, less effects, etc. PC Master Race, blah blah blah, you get the idea. During the console's 5-10 year lifetime the difference simply grows. A LOT. At least in the cartridge era they could hide that somewhat by adding hardware to the cartridges to expand ram, rom, sound, video effects, etc. Plus modding (assuming it survives the TPP) is far easier on the PC whereas most modding is limited or simply extra DLC on the console. (I'm lookin' at you Minecraft)
So now consoles have none of the PC advantages, but they also don't have their OWN advantages anymore. With one exception. You can trade your games with others, buy and sell games you bought, etc. This was something Microsoft had intended to END with the xbone. The very last benefit to having a console, period since PC gamers lost that ability decades ago over bullshit EULA abuse that did a run around the first sale doctrine and whatnot. If they had succeeded, and Sony had followed through as well, I suspect we would have had a much much smaller install base on both consoles and a surge, if any, on PC gaming. Yes you would have had the die hard fanboys on both consoles still. But the companies would have been taking a lot longer to make the consoles profitable with the much smaller audience.
Let's face it, the vast majority of console AAA games are also PC games nowadays - although that's another of those things that Consoles have taken in, made worse, and exported back to PCs. Consider the various horrible PC launches lately. The reasons for those existing is because the game was designed and tested on consoles, then hastily, and sloppily, ported to PCs. People wouldn't have lost out on much gaming, and odds are some of those console exclusives would have ended up being PC exclusives.
Ok finished ranting. For now. >_>
If you think about the differences between consoles and PCs, you'll probably notice that the lines have becomed very blurred over the last few years as consoles adapt all of the worst parts of PC gaming, make it worse, then export it back to PC gaming.
Reasons to use a console include:
1. The Game Just Works.
2. The Game is Complete and bug free.
3. The Game can be traded with friends.
Of these, the games rarely "Just Work" anymore, often requiring patches or even firmware updates to launch. They're virtually NEVER complete with anywhere from 20-300 dollars of DLC, etc.
Meanwhile consoles start their life cycle off with aging hardware compared to PCs. They have lower frame rates on average, lower resolutions, less effects, etc. PC Master Race, blah blah blah, you get the idea. During the console's 5-10 year lifetime the difference simply grows. A LOT. At least in the cartridge era they could hide that somewhat by adding hardware to the cartridges to expand ram, rom, sound, video effects, etc. Plus modding (assuming it survives the TPP) is far easier on the PC whereas most modding is limited or simply extra DLC on the console. (I'm lookin' at you Minecraft)
So now consoles have none of the PC advantages, but they also don't have their OWN advantages anymore. With one exception. You can trade your games with others, buy and sell games you bought, etc. This was something Microsoft had intended to END with the xbone. The very last benefit to having a console, period since PC gamers lost that ability decades ago over bullshit EULA abuse that did a run around the first sale doctrine and whatnot. If they had succeeded, and Sony had followed through as well, I suspect we would have had a much much smaller install base on both consoles and a surge, if any, on PC gaming. Yes you would have had the die hard fanboys on both consoles still. But the companies would have been taking a lot longer to make the consoles profitable with the much smaller audience.
Let's face it, the vast majority of console AAA games are also PC games nowadays - although that's another of those things that Consoles have taken in, made worse, and exported back to PCs. Consider the various horrible PC launches lately. The reasons for those existing is because the game was designed and tested on consoles, then hastily, and sloppily, ported to PCs. People wouldn't have lost out on much gaming, and odds are some of those console exclusives would have ended up being PC exclusives.
Ok finished ranting. For now. >_>
