Do you suppose the next generation of consoles will use cartridges?

[Eeezee]

With flash memory plummeting in price and skyrocketing in size every year, do you suppose the next generation (or perhaps the generation after that) of consoles will revert to cartridges?

Cartridges load much faster (a problem we've seen with Blu-Ray, exchanging speed for size)
Cartridges aren't damaged as easily as optical discs (CD, DVD, Blu-Ray)
Nostalgia factor (has a place in every true gamer's heart)
Retro factor (NINTENDO SIXTY-FOOOOOOOUUUUUR!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!)
Much harder to pirate cartridges (easy to mod a console and play burned discs)

I think there's also the possibility of a console generation where 100% of the games are downloaded to and played on a massive hard drive. At that point the console will have essentially become a computer - you buy the install disc, the game is played on the hard drive and the disc is used minimally if at all.

 

[Dumac]

I seriously doubt it.

 

[mugs]

I've never had a complaint about load times on my 360. Strangely, the first time I noticed significant load times on my 360 was when I played GTA San Andreas from the original Xbox with its 64 MB (?) of RAM. Blu-Ray drives will increase in speed just like DVD drives have, so I don't think load times will be a big deal next generation either.

Add to that the fact that flash memory is still several orders of magnitude more expensive than optical media, and I think optical drives are here to stay.

Re: piracy - consoles have hard drives now; you don't necessarily need to have the game on the physical medium that it is sold on to pirate it. But if you think it's hard to pirate a cartridge, look at the Nintendo DS.

Digital downloads - more likely.

 

[destrekor]

With the coating on BD discs... you basically need to purposely scratch it, nor try to snap the disc in half. Else, it's going to be merely dust and fingerprints that can be wiped off with your roughest cloth towel or t-shirt. There isn't any danger to data on BD discs, and speed is simply because its new. DVD started slow when it was new, but it's been around for awhile and read speeds have shot up since inception. BD will receive the same treatment, and they are already planning on massive speed overhauls in the coming years and technology progression allows for better laser diodes and equipment.

As mugs pointed out, the most likely scenario is fancy set top boxes that digitally download games. They will also likely serve as an HTPC and cable box, with some method of connecting to your local cables digital services, through a universal cable card or digital subscription key. The next console generation might not have this, but quite possibly, further unification will happen around the time of the PS5. I don't think the cable and broadband networks will be prepared for that kind of service when the next xbox and PS4 arrive, as Sony and Microsoft are both already at work on developing tech for the next generation. Prediction of capabilities comes into play, and its likely Sony is going to do its best to marry together as many services together for the PS4, but I doubt universal cable access will be in it, rather maybe only DVR capabilities without access to the cable company's digital services.

+

 

[shortylickens]

Nope.

The only way a format could win is if it held a lot more data than the current best format.
A 64 gig flash hard drive is INCREDIBLY overpriced right now. Would you wanna add that cost on top of the game itself?

One of the the reasons Sony won over the N64 was the CD's (in bulk) cost about a penny to make.


Even though I dont like it I agree that downloaded games are probably the way of the future.

Remember those commercials from a long time ago by AT&T? They promised that by communication to a vast network you would be able to watch movies and play games on the fly with high speed communications.
It took a while, but its finally getting there. Some places in Asia already have gigabit internet access. It will be some time before we have that all over the place in America, but it will come.

Instead of reading the disc every time you load up a level or move between maps, your console will pull data from the server.

STEAM will probably be the first to do that. I dont care for the way STEAM works now, but I have to admit it is pretty popular. I see no reason why (with the proper bandwidth) they wouldnt push it further.

I dont like any of this, but publishers will like it because it helps them keep control of their precious fucking intellectual property.
Consumers will like it because the average American is a lazy, dumb bastard and will gladly fork over his life savings for a bit of convenience.

/RANT

EDIT: Damn! I took too long writing and got beat to the punch.

 

[dighn]

Unlikely, optical media is dirt cheap

 

[Modeps]

Not a chance. If anything, they'll make a move towards downloadable games instead of retail media. Flash memory, no matter how cheap its getting, will never be as cheap as a blank DVD.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Blu-Ray drives will be the medium for next gen consoles, unless some other physical media comes out to replace it.

I doubt the majority of games will be bought via download in the next generation of consoles (games for that system, not the systems preceding it). Switching exclusively to (or heavily emphasizing) full game sales via PSN or Xbox Live would alienate retail distributors like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc who move a large portion of consoles and games. However, add ons, mods, and old (previous generation) games could be sold via online marketplaces without the retailers getting angry.

However, fully downloadable games are impossible to sell used, so I can see where that would be attractive, but going exclusive to download is not going to happen in the next generation.

 

[purbeast0]

if you think cartridges are cheaper than optical media you are clearly mistaken.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Modeps
Not a chance. If anything, they'll make a move towards downloadable games instead of retail media.

That is where they can soak us the most, I think. With ISPs trying to push these models where they either cap your bandwidth, charge you more the more you use, or charge quite a bit for basically unlimited, we will be hit coming and going. I am just skeptical that we the consumers, will see any real cost savings in the end, regardless of delivery system, just corporate profit margins getting better. I hope I am wrong.

 

[Sadaiyappan]

I guess a console that read cartridges would have no moving parts right? It would be more reliable. But I think Downloading will be on the standard in the next consoles along with Blu-Ray (so I guess same as now).

 

[RESmonkey]

Download-able games would SUCK. Having the box + manual + disc is part of the fun

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Download-able games would SUCK. Having the box + manual + disc is part of the fun

I'm with you on this. There are many issues with the idea of downloadable games.
1. Reselling them when you're done
2. Loaning them to a friend
3. If you only have one source to buy them from, there isn't much incentive to sell them for less than MSRP.

I'm with you on preferring the physical media. People say Blu-ray will become irrelevant because of downloadable movies; or at very least, Blu-ray will be the last physical storage medium for movies. I disagree. I WANT the physical medium. I don't WANT to buy my movies on an AppleTV and have them tied to my AppleTV.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

To the OP

If you think retro=N64, you need to take another look at a video game timeline.

 

[Fox5]

Carts are not impossible to pirate, and most likely would be for the cost difference between carts and discs.
How do you pirate a cart? Invent a disk drive that plugs into the cart slot. Use ram to buffer the data. It's how nintendo 64 piracy happened, but the disk drive cost more than the system. However, nowadays it's much cheaper to make burnable cd drives.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
To the OP

If you think retro=N64, you need to take another look at a video game timeline.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

:thumbsup:

 

[Calculator83]

Originally posted by: Fox5
Carts are not impossible to pirate, and most likely would be for the cost difference between carts and discs.
How do you pirate a cart? Invent a disk drive that plugs into the cart slot. Use ram to buffer the data. It's how nintendo 64 piracy happened, but the disk drive cost more than the system. However, nowadays it's much cheaper to make burnable cd drives.

Yea dude, NDS for example, R4DS, Never looked back.

 

[Baked]

In the future, you'll d/l new games straight off the net using future versions of Xbox Live, PSN, and Wii Channel. Downloading is the future.

 

[Rage187]

downloadable is the future. this way you can't trade or sell your games and hurt the developers bootm line on new game sales.

 

[shingletingle]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Download-able games would SUCK. Having the box + manual + disc is part of the fun

I'm with you on this. There are many issues with the idea of downloadable games.
1. Reselling them when you're done
2. Loaning them to a friend
3. If you only have one source to buy them from, there isn't much incentive to sell them for less than MSRP.

I'm with you on preferring the physical media. People say Blu-ray will become irrelevant because of downloadable movies; or at very least, Blu-ray will be the last physical storage medium for movies. I disagree. I WANT the physical medium. I don't WANT to buy my movies on an AppleTV and have them tied to my AppleTV.

This is why I'm against downloading. If they did away with crap like that I'd be more inclinded to support downloads. But I also like to have a physical collection I can look at and browse through.

 

[pennylane]

Originally posted by: shingletingle

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Download-able games would SUCK. Having the box + manual + disc is part of the fun

I'm with you on this. There are many issues with the idea of downloadable games.
1. Reselling them when you're done
2. Loaning them to a friend
3. If you only have one source to buy them from, there isn't much incentive to sell them for less than MSRP.

I'm with you on preferring the physical media. People say Blu-ray will become irrelevant because of downloadable movies; or at very least, Blu-ray will be the last physical storage medium for movies. I disagree. I WANT the physical medium. I don't WANT to buy my movies on an AppleTV and have them tied to my AppleTV.

This is why I'm against downloading. If they did away with crap like that I'd be more inclinded to support downloads. But I also like to have a physical collection I can look at and browse through.

Yeah me too.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
if you think cartridges are cheaper than optical media you are clearly mistaken.

When did anyone claim that cartridges are cheaper than optical media? Did you even read the thread?

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Download-able games would SUCK. Having the box + manual + disc is part of the fun

I'm with you on this. There are many issues with the idea of downloadable games.
1. Reselling them when you're done
2. Loaning them to a friend
3. If you only have one source to buy them from, there isn't much incentive to sell them for less than MSRP.

I'm with you on preferring the physical media. People say Blu-ray will become irrelevant because of downloadable movies; or at very least, Blu-ray will be the last physical storage medium for movies. I disagree. I WANT the physical medium. I don't WANT to buy my movies on an AppleTV and have them tied to my AppleTV.

Those three reasons are EXACTLY why most publishers would push for downloadable content. Add that to the fact that a downloaded copy costs less than producing and selling a physical copy and you've got a winner (from a profit standpoint).

I personally prefer having physical media, and furthermore I loved cartridges.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
To the OP

If you think retro=N64, you need to take another look at a video game timeline.

My parents bought me an Atari when I was a young boy. Yes, it's retro. The N64 is also retro (it came out over a decade ago)

That would be like claiming that the 70s aren't retro because the 60s are MORE retro. It doesn't make any sense.

 

[sdifox]

Can anyone say Nintendo 64?