Over the years there has been a constant trend within the video game market – splitting and consolidating. Now that may seem contradictory – but it’s not, no really, it’s not. I am talking about the disconnect between different gaming systems as well as the consolidation that happens within a system – whether this trend is good is something that remains to be seen.
Obviously the biggest evidence of the split in the video game market is hate and disgust expressed between rival gaming systems (think Sony vs. Xbox fanboys) and between all gaming systems and the PC. Now, I have nothing against the PC gaming industry, well maybe I do. I started out playing SEGA genesis and NES, and then started playing PC games.
The biggest cause of my switch to a console was the demands of PC games. Yes, it’s great when a game can take advantage of the latest technology, the newest shading algorithms, the most advanced texture modeling – but I hate the cost.
Many times I awaited the release of a new game, sometimes years in development, only to have it not run unless I bought a new graphics card, or not at all with my current processor. This was my biggest reason for switching to a console; while the graphics will never be able to keep up with a PC – with specs doubling every couple of years and consoles lasting for longer lifespans – they have greater accountability.
If I go out and buy a brand new game for a console – PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii – do I ever have to worry about it working in that system? No, any PS3 game will play in a PS3. Now I will admit that some games utilize peripherals for part or all of their functionality, but that is different from replacing a piece of hardware within the system.
But I’m getting off topic a bit, the major problem within the console gaming industry is the competition between companies, and the effect that has on the games. If a game is developed for one system and ported to the other there will always be loss especially because of the difference in programming structure between the PS3 and the Xbox, as well as the spec difference between the Wii and the other two. What happens when the developer instead chooses to develop completely separate versions of the game for each system? Now we have gamers missing out on sections or features of the game which are available on another system, as well as the resources, time and talent of developers being split instead of producing one amazing game.
The other trend I mentioned was consolidation within brands, which brings me back to the peripherals I mentioned earlier (see, not as off topic as it seemed). Anyway, while consoles may go through a form change, the rarely come out with significant upgrades through the life-cycle. In the case of the Xbox there have been multiple motherboard revisions to stop the RROD (Red Ring Of Death), as well as adding a small amount of internal memory.
In this case the earliest adopters of the system are not alienated, their games don’t suddenly stop working, and they can still buy the newest games. When major changes do occur it is normally in the manner of an external hardware attachment or peripheral. Things like the PS EyeToy, Xbox Vision Camera, PS Move and MS Project Natal come to mind. While the last two are not available yet they show the greatest potential for being a midlife crisis type change for video games – both introducing new control schemes and design options that will fundamentally change the way games are played on either the PS3 or the Xbox 360.
How many games will be released that are exclusive for the new peripherals? How many will have extra content available but won’t stop other gamers without the peripheral from enjoying the game? The other question is price, what is reasonable and what is going to put the peripheral into an early grave? I have heard rumours for both systems about a sub $100 price point, and some estimates much higher. One estimate put Project Natal at $200, which I find very hard to believe. Nobody is going to buy a system accessory that costs as much as the system itself.
As for the PlayStation Move, I haven’t heard much about pricing, but I wonder about the logistics of multiple users. The Move system consists of two ‘wand’ like controllers that are tracked by sensors, but what if you have two or more people who want to play co-operatively? Does each person have to have another set of controllers? How much is that going to add up to? That is a benefit I see for Project Natal, with its ability to track multiple people it will be possible to have a friend jump in and play without requiring any more investment than the original peripheral. How this will turn out, I have no idea, but it will be interesting.
So, with the industry split so distinctly into different camps, and games becoming exclusive or diluted between those camps, we are at an interesting point in the evolution of video games – will we ever see a single gaming system in the future? How should I know? – I just talk about video games. I am sure that games will keep coming regardless, and they will keep getting better.
Oh yeah, to tie into the title. Did anybody else ever find it odd that in the old Batman movie (1960’s Adam West and Burt Ward) when the Penguin knocks Batman and Robin out with sleeping gas, he kicks them out of the batmobile and drives away leaving them on the side of the highway – wasn’t it convenient that the batcycle just happened to be hidden in the bushes two meters away? I mean, that was really planning ahead! Anyway, Keep on Gaming!
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