Doing my dissertation: Console vs Mobile
So I'm currently working on my dissertation for university. I'm researching whether the growth of mobile gaming could damage the future of console games.
I have found a reasonable amount of information on this topic via web articles, however i would really like to get some opinions off you people here at poly count
What is the future for games consoles?
is mobile gaming taking over the industry?
Below are two of the aforementioned web articles i have been looking through, take a read and make up your own mind
http://techland.time.com/2012/08/09/are-tablets-like-the-ipad-poised-to-dethrone-game-consoles/
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-09-24-game-devs-ditching-mobile-in-favor-of-pc-console
I have found a reasonable amount of information on this topic via web articles, however i would really like to get some opinions off you people here at poly count
What is the future for games consoles?
is mobile gaming taking over the industry?
Below are two of the aforementioned web articles i have been looking through, take a read and make up your own mind
http://techland.time.com/2012/08/09/are-tablets-like-the-ipad-poised-to-dethrone-game-consoles/
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-09-24-game-devs-ditching-mobile-in-favor-of-pc-console
Replies
Asking if mobile is going to affect console is like asking if YouTube is going to affect blockbusters.
Yes, youtube and feature movies are both visual consumption medias, but they are consumed in different ways. People don't avoid the theater because they supplement with youtube, they use them for different things, each scratches a completely different type of itch.
But I don't think touch devices will take over the entire console market. Touch controls are very limited and a game needs to designed with that in mind or already be easy to convert to touch. The simplicity that touch controls offer are its greatest merits but also its greatest disadvantage.
That's why I also don't believe that mobile devices will destroy the handheld market. That market will shrink no doubt. Again because many of the more casual games that are ideal on a handheld are also ideal on a mobile device. But you'd never be able to play Monster Hunter on your phone because of the (again)controls.
Mobile devices are another addition to the list of devices gamers can choose from and are here to stay. But it's not taking over, it's just the new buzz goin' 'round. The market and the hype will calm down after it settles into its place. Then we'll get onto the next "new" thing.
End of ramble.
It's like with xbox vs playstation vs wii. The biggest thing is that each console has their own games that you can only play on that system. It's the same with mobile. If mobile games stay unique to mobile then it shouldn't have an effect.
My opinion goes along with ysalex in that they are both similar yet separate.
Streaming services aren't perfect, I got to try the closed beta for Onlive a few years back and it was impressive but it was not a viable alternative to console/PC gaming due to the huge input delay. A little while later I tried the Gaikai beta and was flawlessly streaming Dead Space 2 at the highest settings on my shitty integrated graphics laptop and I felt almost no input delay whatsoever, it was incredible.
This won't be the case for everybody since not everybody has access to fast internet, but in 10 years I see games getting more unified if nothing else. People will still play games on home consoles, but they'll have the ability to pick up their game and move it to their phone or tablet at any time if they want which is great if another family member wants to use your TV for something.
If something like Playstation Now picks up, I think it'll change the industry forever simply because console "exclusives" won't really be tied to a piece of hardware anymore and will be more or less tied to a subscription based service. I see this as a great thing because ultimately, it will shorten the gap between "casual" gamers who only play games on their smartphone and "core" gamers who only play games on their console/PC.
This will also benefit both gamers and developers alike because gamers will have access to a much larger collection of games and developers will have to worry less about things like game updates or losing sales through used games.
Just my random thoughts though, take it with a grain of salt.
There is a major trend for the convergence of technology in the living room.
Consoles are being turned into 'Entertainment Hubs', that can browse the internet, search Netflix, watch sports, and play games.
With Cable companies hemorrhaging subscribers... I can't help but think it's not the death of the console, or cable TV.
I think we're facing the death of the conventional living room. I have a strange feeling the future generations won't care about purchasing couches or TV's. Consoles are just a part of that.
The entire paradigm of a mobile/tablet is that you aren't anchored to a location to consume media. You can watch TV shows on the toilet, play games in bed, and surf the net on the bus. As a whole, our generation has less and less time, and therefore have some guilt built into sitting idly watching TV rather than multitasking.
So on a long enough timeline, I don't necessarily think Tablets will replace consoles. I think they will absorb them.
IMHO Consoles are rigid in their philosophy (Steam is potentially breaking that though). They must be connected to a TV, they must have a controller, and they must use hard media storage devices, and have uniformity in all of the individual hardware specs.
Tablets are very organic in terms of their definition, and can therefore one day combine all the elements of what a console is... without the anchor to a TV.
Just to let you know...
I have an overactive imagination about this crap, and I am 99% of the time VERY VERY wrong in my technological predictions.
An interesting theory. And there is definitely some truth to it, certainly for some people. But I don't think we have to worry about big screens or couches going away just yet. Their significance might decrease, but for some people they will continue to be a fixture.
I'm not an on-the-go guy, and I will never be a multi-tasker. It's not a matter of being old-fashioned. Multi-tasking simply isn't in my nature. There is always going to be a place in my house for a home theater. And some experiences are just improved by tying them to a single physical space. Not everything has to be on-the-go or in the palm of your hand. I can watch some television shows or shorter productions on mobile devices. But I don't like watching feature-length films on my smartphone. I want a sit-down experience for that.
It's a mistake to assume that one is ever going to completely subsume the other. Both approaches provide a distinct experience. There is room for both to coexist, and in some cases even augment and enhance each other. The question should be how the two approaches to game delivery affect one another. The scare of mobile gaming destroying console gaming is just a knee-jerk reaction from an industry too obsessed with following the latest trends.