Media Center PC = next Gen Console?

[Chosonman]

Here are some random thought I've been having regarding PC gaming....

I've been checking out the PC games lately and I've noticed a lot of similarity between the games that come out for ps3 and xbox 360 and the PC version (ie Devil May Cry, Grid, Lego Indiana Jones ect..) Basically these games come configured for the Xbox 360 controller right out of the box.

The graphics are on par or better than Xbox360 and PS3 as is the game play. What's more I was able to build a gaming PC with a 500GB HD and 8800GT for the price of a 40GB PS3.

One improvement I think that can be made to PC gaming is an easy to use graphical interface that libraries your game collection and plays them using just a game controller similar to the way consoles have their GUI set up.

One thing I thought about was having an application like STEAM bridge that gap. If STEAM were to somehow evolve it's GUI to be more gamepad friendly and launch at startup with these new games coming out PC's could give consoles a serious run for their money.

Am I seeing the future? What are your thoughts?

 

[Fenixgoon]

windows vista "games" folder does a pretty good job of organizing your games, IMO

also, any game that is "games for windows" certified requires 360 controller compatibility.

 

[Schadenfroh]

My thoughts (probably several generations off):

Microsoft attempts to corner the digital media market (for TV shows / movie rentals).
Sony continues to add features to the PS3 to make it more and more like a media center hub and then trys to compete with Microsoft for the digital download market for movies / tv shows / games.
Nintendo continues to focus on having inexpensive hardware and games targeted at non traditional video game consumers.

A future consortium of game developers tire of the control / royalties asserted on them by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. They create an "open standard" console platform with standardized hardware. They allow any hardware vendor to build and sell consoles to the specification without royalties and competition amongst hardware manufactures drives the "open standard" console down, the game developer consortium may even pool funds to subsidize the console in the beginning before prices fall significantly enough to attact multiple hardware manufacturers. If the "open standard" console enjoys strong success with an extensive market base, they may drop development for the platforms that they have to pay royalties to distribute games for.

Microsoft and Sony shift their focus from the video game market or make their consoles complaint with the software for the "open standard" console to increase their install base (unlikely), but mainly focusing on digital distribution methods and online services exclusive to their future devices along with in-house game development to make money.

Nintendo continues to make first party games for their hardware and remains the last "classic definition" of a console maker. Handhelds continue like they are now.

Later on, consumers get tired of paying $60+ for games that are incomplete, way short, poor quality, or just rehashes of previous games (see EA Sports franchises). Players result to user made / community made mods for existing games, independent software developers, piracy, or simply switch to other forms of entertainment (most likely a combination of all of them). The next great video game crash begins.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

I'd love to see it happen. My HTPC is basically my gaming console now. Plus I get all the other goodies that come with an HTPC. But there is still the issue of it being a PC, with all the complications that can come with that, vs. a console where you just pop in a game and go. For dare I say most people out there the ease of use of a console outweighs all the other advantages of an HTPC. Until that is overcome I think HTPC's are going to stay a niche market, or at least secondary to consoles (and stand-alone DVR's, DVD/BD players, etc.) in the general population.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Given the simple quantity of proprietary technology needed to make a console technologically competitive, I'm unconvinced an open console could work.

 

[Rufus12]

I vaguely remember a company that made a sort of technology that made installing PC games a thing of the past. I don't recall the name of the company, but I think alienware used the technology in their HTPC's.

 

[ed21x]

Originally posted by: Rufus12
I vaguely remember a company that made a sort of technology that made installing PC games a thing of the past. I don't recall the name of the company, but I think alienware used the technology in their HTPC's.

Macs have a drag and drop interface where all files related to a game are packaged into a single folder and installation occurs in the background.

 

[ed21x]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
My thoughts (probably several generations off):

Microsoft attempts to corner the digital media market (for TV shows / movie rentals).
Sony continues to add features to the PS3 to make it more and more like a media center hub and then trys to compete with Microsoft for the digital download market for movies / tv shows / games.
Nintendo continues to focus on having inexpensive hardware and games targeted at non traditional video game consumers.

A future consortium of game developers tire of the control / royalties asserted on them by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. They create an "open standard" console platform with standardized hardware. They allow any hardware vendor to build and sell consoles to the specification without royalties and competition amongst hardware manufactures drives the "open standard" console down, the game developer consortium may even pool funds to subsidize the console in the beginning before prices fall significantly enough to attact multiple hardware manufacturers. If the "open standard" console enjoys strong success with an extensive market base, they may drop development for the platforms that they have to pay royalties to distribute games for.

Microsoft and Sony shift their focus from the video game market or make their consoles complaint with the software for the "open standard" console to increase their install base (unlikely), but mainly focusing on digital distribution methods and online services exclusive to their future devices along with in-house game development to make money.

Nintendo continues to make first party games for their hardware and remains the last "classic definition" of a console maker. Handhelds continue like they are now.

Later on, consumers get tired of paying $60+ for games that are incomplete, way short, poor quality, or just rehashes of previous games (see EA Sports franchises). Players result to user made / community made mods for existing games, independent software developers, piracy, or simply switch to other forms of entertainment (most likely a combination of all of them). The next great video game crash begins.

The future consortium sounds like how PC developers work now. But the thing is, this would never happen because there will always be competing gaming hardware, and the inclination to create the flashiest game (thus more marketable) means developers would want to utilize the latest hardware rather than sticking to a standard that everyone else can utilize. The hardcore crowd tends to be the most marketable.

 

[Coldkilla]

Sony & Microsoft to give up billions in console sales? It'd be better for Microsoft, but what incentive does Sony have?

I say since game makers could make 2x as many games in the same time frame with one platform, more money is made there, maybe sony could have some of that..idk but it needs to be done somehow..

 

[BladeVenom]

Both Sony and MS have lost billions. They'd both have been better off financially if they'd not made a console this generation.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Both Sony and MS have lost billions. They'd both have been better off financially if they'd not made a console this generation.

Funniest part is, Nintendo has a console that literally prints money.

Lulz

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: videogames101

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Both Sony and MS have lost billions. They'd both have been better off financially if they'd not made a console this generation.

Funniest part is, Nintendo has a console that literally prints money.

Lulz

Consoles, the DS is printing money like mad now too.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: potato28

Originally posted by: videogames101

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Both Sony and MS have lost billions. They'd both have been better off financially if they'd not made a console this generation.

Funniest part is, Nintendo has a console that literally prints money.

Lulz

Consoles, the DS is printing money like mad now too.

Quite right!

lulz

 

[Chosonman]

Originally posted by: ed21x
The future consortium sounds like how PC developers work now. But the thing is, this would never happen because there will always be competing gaming hardware, and the inclination to create the flashiest game (thus more marketable) means developers would want to utilize the latest hardware rather than sticking to a standard that everyone else can utilize. The hardcore crowd tends to be the most marketable.

I thought "Games for Windows" was going to solve this.

Here's my thoughts on harware:

Xinput API becomes standardized for Windows games for all gaming peripherals.

AMD Game! is attempting to standardize computer hardware limitations for gaming.

Yea we've got hurdles, but you don't think they can be overcome? I'd love to see the PS3 and Xbox fan boys cry as they see their $$ and consoles and games go to waste by the latest PC technology.

 

[Xavier434]

One of the biggest things to consider here is the cost of a media center gaming rig. I realize that most of us here can build such a thing at a reasonable price. However, the majority of consumers out there are not able to do so. Purchasing a rig that can handle all of this stuff as a packaged deal from one of the usual vendors is usually much more expensive than buying a console even at the prices that the 360 and PS3 were originally listed for.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
The next great video game crash begins.

I like the way you think (Open standard), but such a scenario is not going to happen. Some of the primary causes contributing to the early 80's crash, are in fact, responsible for the tight control measures over their platforms, that current console makers have implemented. Gaming is no longer assessed as a fad either. It is part of many peoples' lifestyles now, and contains a much more pronounced social component than bitd too.

As it stands at present, Microsoft is the only player of the 3 console makers that perhaps, could have folded by now. But, as irony would have it, the empire PC built, has ensured that would not be financially necessary anytime soon.

 

[bullbert]

Originally posted by: Xavier434
One of the biggest things to consider here is the cost of a media center gaming rig. I realize that most of us here can build such a thing at a reasonable price. However, the majority of consumers out there are not able to do so. Purchasing a rig that can handle all of this stuff as a packaged deal from one of the usual vendors is usually much more expensive than buying a console even at the prices that the 360 and PS3 were originally listed for.

One of the BIGGER things to consider here is the durability of a media center gaming rig. Until the likes of M$ can make a piece of hardware (or anything for that matter) that lasts more than a few hundred hours before a critical failure, the general public will refuse to buy them. The is a reason M$ named their latest unit '360'. That is the MTBCF in hours.

Even if they were selling for $50 instead of $500, since you have to send a heavily used unit in for refurb every quarter, the non-tech crowds will never buy another after their first fiasco. Lost customers. Lost revenue. No profits.

 

[weeber]

I think the potential is there, but there's still a long way to go. I haven't owned a console since the Atari 2600. Since then, all my gaming has been on the PC. However, last year I built a powerful enough HTPC that I can game on my HD TV. Like Gonad the Barbarian, that's now how I do all my gaming (and dvr'ing and video conversion, etc.). The HTPC is a powerful tool, but still not as easy to use as a console, and that's the key. Only a minority of people are going to want to go through the trouble of going through driver settings, video optimizations, audio configurations, etc. to get a computer to output to a TV. I've been using an HTPC for several years now, and while the ease of use has improved by leaps and bounds, it's still not ready for prime time. Personally, I find the HTPC to be a great hobby project, but it needs to advance past the hobby stage before it will get wide-spread adoption.

 

[mooncancook]

I like seeing the trend that now sub-$200 mid-range cards like the 4850 is very powerful, and with LCD TV max at 1080p and a lot of them at 720p, these midrange cards will make a regular HTPC a potent gaming rig. I didn't expect the lead for graphic power over current consoles grow so quickly.