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Consoles, I am guessing that a huge number of us have them. Why else would we be on here if we didn't? So why did you buy your console?
There are a few reasons why the console is a better choice than a PC for gaming.
Firstly consoles are a lot cheaper. The most expensive ones are around £300 and you can pick up older consoles from around £30.
Consoles are designed so that they can be set up easily and used with most televisions. The loading times are much less that with PC's. There is no need to worry about compatibility with components, for example no need to worry about what operating system, sound card, and graphics card you have. The developers know exactly what is in the console and can use this knowledge to make games that use the hardware to the best they can.
Consoles are dedicated games machines, although newer consoles seem to have extra features such as DVD and audio CD playback, ability to browse the web. So are consoles changing and no longer being dedicated games machines?
Who knows maybe consoles will become more and more like PC's, no longer just allow playing games but let the user to many different tasks. This is one thing I wouldn't like to see happening. Consoles have always been, and should always be dedicated games machines, If we want all the others then we can buy a computer.
A brief history of the console
The first consoles came out in the 1970's. The first commercial arcade machine was the Computer Space by Nutting Associates which was released in 1971. In 1972 the Atari introduced PONG to the arcades, it is for most the first successful game and many can still remember it. Looking back now it looks total pants. For those days though it was a breakthrough that started the industry off.
PONG was then released on the Atari home games system and once again it was a huge success. Atari Video Computer System (VCS) was the first home console and was released in 1977. Each game cartridge could hold 4KB of data. Probably enough these days to store Mario's glove.
In 1985 the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) was released. I remember wanting one and everyone I knew wanted one. The NES changed the industry for the better, even if you aren't a fan you have to admire what they have done for the gaming industry. The NES used control pads instead of a joystick, it brought games that were of an arcade quality to a home system.
Sega were next with the master system which couldn't compete with the NES.
Next Nintendo released the Super NES and sega released the mega drive. Again Nintendo were unbeatable although the sega console was a success and gained many many fans.
It was the playstation that again changed the industry. It used CD's as the storage medium for games. It attracted a lot of people to games and particularly and older generation who had finally been given the chance to own a console with the kind of games they like.
You all probably know the rest as it wasn't that long ago that the others were released, and soon more will be released over here.
Although a lot has changed since the Atari and NES, a lot of things still remain the same. All consoles have:
User control interface - Something to allow the user to interact with the game. A controller or a joystick.
CPU - Central Processing Unit. It processes all the data and works out what to do with it which eventually outputs sounds and images.
RAM - RAM is important. It provides temporary storage of games as they're being played. Makes the games run at an acceptable speed.
Software kernel - It is like an operating system for the console. It provides the interface between the various pieces of hardware, allowing the video game programmers to write the programming code using common software libraries and tools.
Storage medium for games - Has evolved over the years. Originally it was cartridges but these have disappeared to make way for things like CD's, optical disks and DVD's.
Video output - Controls how the video output is displayed on a television.
Audio output - Controls how the sound is outputted through the speakers.
Power supply - Provides power to the hardware components in the console that require it.
Well that's the past and the present so what about the future of the console? As mentioned before consoles seem to be moving away from being dedicated gaming machines. Maybe in the future consoles will have many different uses. They may be able to play music through CD's, mini disks etc. They will probably continue to play DVD movies and allow internet access not only for on-line gaming but for browsing the web and checking e-mail.
Technology will also improve and the ability of consoles will improve, this means the graphics and sounds will also improve.
The processor is a very important part of any console and these will also improve greatly with time. One thing you should all be aware off is that usually in computers the MHz speed of a processor tells you very little and the higher doesn't usually mean its better (unless they are made by the same company, e.g. Pentium 4 is better than a Pentium 3). But with games playing the higher the clock speed usually means its better. Comparing processors is very tricky. Some have higher clock speeds but lower band-with. Also it depends on what tasks the console must perform, as consoles move away from being dedicated games machines processor time is split between running a game and performing these extra tasks. It is worth noting that most consoles don't just have one processor, usually a few which means that the processing powers can be bigger than you think.
All this makes it very hard to compare consoles these days. Most have their good and their bad points. It all depends on how the internal architecture of the console is made up and what limitations there are for the developers due to the hardware. Everyone has their own taste in what they like and dislike.
One thing we can be sure of is that consoles should improve a lot in the future and are at a very high standard. Maybe new console developers will appear and some will go but as a gamer the future does look bright.
So what do you think future consoles will be like and what kind of things will they be able to do? OR Do you
think they will return to being dedicated games machines? OR
Will the console die out?
Your views please.
There are a few reasons why the console is a better choice than a PC for gaming.
Firstly consoles are a lot cheaper. The most expensive ones are around £300 and you can pick up older consoles from around £30.
Consoles are designed so that they can be set up easily and used with most televisions. The loading times are much less that with PC's. There is no need to worry about compatibility with components, for example no need to worry about what operating system, sound card, and graphics card you have. The developers know exactly what is in the console and can use this knowledge to make games that use the hardware to the best they can.
Consoles are dedicated games machines, although newer consoles seem to have extra features such as DVD and audio CD playback, ability to browse the web. So are consoles changing and no longer being dedicated games machines?
Who knows maybe consoles will become more and more like PC's, no longer just allow playing games but let the user to many different tasks. This is one thing I wouldn't like to see happening. Consoles have always been, and should always be dedicated games machines, If we want all the others then we can buy a computer.
A brief history of the console
The first consoles came out in the 1970's. The first commercial arcade machine was the Computer Space by Nutting Associates which was released in 1971. In 1972 the Atari introduced PONG to the arcades, it is for most the first successful game and many can still remember it. Looking back now it looks total pants. For those days though it was a breakthrough that started the industry off.
PONG was then released on the Atari home games system and once again it was a huge success. Atari Video Computer System (VCS) was the first home console and was released in 1977. Each game cartridge could hold 4KB of data. Probably enough these days to store Mario's glove.
In 1985 the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) was released. I remember wanting one and everyone I knew wanted one. The NES changed the industry for the better, even if you aren't a fan you have to admire what they have done for the gaming industry. The NES used control pads instead of a joystick, it brought games that were of an arcade quality to a home system.
Sega were next with the master system which couldn't compete with the NES.
Next Nintendo released the Super NES and sega released the mega drive. Again Nintendo were unbeatable although the sega console was a success and gained many many fans.
It was the playstation that again changed the industry. It used CD's as the storage medium for games. It attracted a lot of people to games and particularly and older generation who had finally been given the chance to own a console with the kind of games they like.
You all probably know the rest as it wasn't that long ago that the others were released, and soon more will be released over here.
Although a lot has changed since the Atari and NES, a lot of things still remain the same. All consoles have:
User control interface - Something to allow the user to interact with the game. A controller or a joystick.
CPU - Central Processing Unit. It processes all the data and works out what to do with it which eventually outputs sounds and images.
RAM - RAM is important. It provides temporary storage of games as they're being played. Makes the games run at an acceptable speed.
Software kernel - It is like an operating system for the console. It provides the interface between the various pieces of hardware, allowing the video game programmers to write the programming code using common software libraries and tools.
Storage medium for games - Has evolved over the years. Originally it was cartridges but these have disappeared to make way for things like CD's, optical disks and DVD's.
Video output - Controls how the video output is displayed on a television.
Audio output - Controls how the sound is outputted through the speakers.
Power supply - Provides power to the hardware components in the console that require it.
Well that's the past and the present so what about the future of the console? As mentioned before consoles seem to be moving away from being dedicated gaming machines. Maybe in the future consoles will have many different uses. They may be able to play music through CD's, mini disks etc. They will probably continue to play DVD movies and allow internet access not only for on-line gaming but for browsing the web and checking e-mail.
Technology will also improve and the ability of consoles will improve, this means the graphics and sounds will also improve.
The processor is a very important part of any console and these will also improve greatly with time. One thing you should all be aware off is that usually in computers the MHz speed of a processor tells you very little and the higher doesn't usually mean its better (unless they are made by the same company, e.g. Pentium 4 is better than a Pentium 3). But with games playing the higher the clock speed usually means its better. Comparing processors is very tricky. Some have higher clock speeds but lower band-with. Also it depends on what tasks the console must perform, as consoles move away from being dedicated games machines processor time is split between running a game and performing these extra tasks. It is worth noting that most consoles don't just have one processor, usually a few which means that the processing powers can be bigger than you think.
All this makes it very hard to compare consoles these days. Most have their good and their bad points. It all depends on how the internal architecture of the console is made up and what limitations there are for the developers due to the hardware. Everyone has their own taste in what they like and dislike.
One thing we can be sure of is that consoles should improve a lot in the future and are at a very high standard. Maybe new console developers will appear and some will go but as a gamer the future does look bright.
So what do you think future consoles will be like and what kind of things will they be able to do? OR Do you
think they will return to being dedicated games machines? OR
Will the console die out?
Your views please.
I don't think we will ever see upgradeable consoles. For one, the cost of such things would be so high that the industry would loss a lot of money. We may see small extras, like the expansion pack being used but nothing that will replace the whole inside of the console. Consoles are and should always be for games playing. To do more like a PC we would encounter lots of problems, just like we do nowadays with the PC, security problems while on-line, lots of bugs and viruses.
If we were to see such things as a fully upgradeable console we may see Nintendo and Sony stop making consoles as others will be able to the same and do it for cheaper. You may think that it's a good thing to get them for cheaper but the quality that most associate with the likes of Nintendo will disappear. Also with the original console it is very hard to upgrade them as everything is pieced together in a certain way to make the console run as best it can. Upgrading the PS2 would require a bigger heat sink and probably lots of other little extras so that it doesn't get damaged. So I guess there would be a huge risk to mess around and try to do this yourself.
I disagree with a lot of you. Consoles are consoles, not PC's. They may be similar in some ways but they will always be there solely to play games. Sure they may do some extra's like play DVD movies or let you browse the web. Consoles in my opinion don't need upgrading. They are released and it takes the developer quite some time to use the full potential of the console and usually by this time a successor to the console is already planned and maybe due for release. There are dangers with upgrading a console. If it was to get damaged the developer isn't going to fix it without charging you a lot and if it isn't their part chances are they wont fix it.
Think on why you buy a console, to play games. Would you buy one if it let you do more, probably yes. But would you buy something that you have to upgrade to keep up with the times or one that comes and what you get is all you need? If it were to happen chances are it would happen just for the money that could be made. Nintendo could release a console and then release the upgrades (I'm sure they could make it illegal for other companies to produce extra parts for it) then they could charge more for the better parts. Would these make much of a difference though? There is only so much improvement it could take before you need to replace all the original parts, i.e. it would be a different console.
This would lead to problems with the games too, some not compatible with the specifications your console has. Which means more money required to make your console up to certain standards. It would mean a lot of kids not being able to play the games they want to. Might as well scrap the idea of having consoles altogether and just use PC's.
But who knows what could happen, stranger things have happened. We may well see upgradeable consoles, giving us so many options that nobody could ever tell which console is best. Some of us may miss out on some of the best games as we can't afford to keep up with the constant upgrades. It will be a terrible day for gaming if this ever happens.
If we were to see such things as a fully upgradeable console we may see Nintendo and Sony stop making consoles as others will be able to the same and do it for cheaper. You may think that it's a good thing to get them for cheaper but the quality that most associate with the likes of Nintendo will disappear. Also with the original console it is very hard to upgrade them as everything is pieced together in a certain way to make the console run as best it can. Upgrading the PS2 would require a bigger heat sink and probably lots of other little extras so that it doesn't get damaged. So I guess there would be a huge risk to mess around and try to do this yourself.
I disagree with a lot of you. Consoles are consoles, not PC's. They may be similar in some ways but they will always be there solely to play games. Sure they may do some extra's like play DVD movies or let you browse the web. Consoles in my opinion don't need upgrading. They are released and it takes the developer quite some time to use the full potential of the console and usually by this time a successor to the console is already planned and maybe due for release. There are dangers with upgrading a console. If it was to get damaged the developer isn't going to fix it without charging you a lot and if it isn't their part chances are they wont fix it.
Think on why you buy a console, to play games. Would you buy one if it let you do more, probably yes. But would you buy something that you have to upgrade to keep up with the times or one that comes and what you get is all you need? If it were to happen chances are it would happen just for the money that could be made. Nintendo could release a console and then release the upgrades (I'm sure they could make it illegal for other companies to produce extra parts for it) then they could charge more for the better parts. Would these make much of a difference though? There is only so much improvement it could take before you need to replace all the original parts, i.e. it would be a different console.
This would lead to problems with the games too, some not compatible with the specifications your console has. Which means more money required to make your console up to certain standards. It would mean a lot of kids not being able to play the games they want to. Might as well scrap the idea of having consoles altogether and just use PC's.
But who knows what could happen, stranger things have happened. We may well see upgradeable consoles, giving us so many options that nobody could ever tell which console is best. Some of us may miss out on some of the best games as we can't afford to keep up with the constant upgrades. It will be a terrible day for gaming if this ever happens.
What do you think is the main difference between PCís and consoles?
Ö
Well, I think itís the fact that PCís need upgrading if you want to be able to run certain programmes, play certain games or run programmes and applications quicker.
With consoles, you can play any game without needing to upgrade. You just stick the cartridge or CD in and play.
Hang on a second though... Didnít Nintendo bring out a certain piece of hardware last year? Something that added an extra 4 MB of memory to the N64?
Yes, they did. It was called the Expansion Pak. Originally it was just intended to be used to boost the graphics on certain games. Expansion Pak enabled I think was the official term. But wait a minute. Werenít a few games brought out that NEEDED the Expansion Pak to run properly? Again, yes there were. Perfect Dark, Turok 3 and Zelda: Majoras Mask. These three HAD to have an Expansion Pak if they were going to run fully.
But whatís going to happen in the future? Weíve all ready seen an upgrade being provided for the N64. Is this going to become the norm among consoles as it is with PCís?
Whatís so bad about upgradable consoles becoming more frequent? Can you imagine what would happen? The developers will be making more and more games that require upgrades. The cost of all this hardware would put A LOT of people off. I know I canít afford many peripherals let alone games, let alone hardware! Some people either wouldnít be able to afford the new hardware. This makes it unfair on those people as they wouldnít be able to play all the new games, I for one, find that a tad annoying.
Of course, there is a plus side in all of this. The games themselves would be improving graphically and also in the respect that a lot more features could be added in to the games, extending their lastability and enjoyment factors. Seeing as the games are the reason why people buy consoles in the first place, then the fact that they would be getting better and more enjoyable quite quickly is in now way a problem.
And then thereís the consoles themselves. How are they going to accommodate all this extra hardware? Nintendo obviously had all ready planned the Expansion Pak because the hole in which itís placed was all ready there.
Itís fine if the developers of the consoles think ahead about what theyíre going to create so they can put the nooks, crannies and special places on the console beforehand. But what if some bright spark suddenly comes up with a great idea that the company really want to use but havenít got anywhere on the console to put it?
The obvious answer to that would be to redesign the console and bring the re-modelled ones that can accommodate the new hardware. That means though, that the players are going to have to buy a whole new unit just to be able to play certain games!
Upgradable consoles could well be the future for the gaming market, but they could also be itís demise.
RBS
Ö
Well, I think itís the fact that PCís need upgrading if you want to be able to run certain programmes, play certain games or run programmes and applications quicker.
With consoles, you can play any game without needing to upgrade. You just stick the cartridge or CD in and play.
Hang on a second though... Didnít Nintendo bring out a certain piece of hardware last year? Something that added an extra 4 MB of memory to the N64?
Yes, they did. It was called the Expansion Pak. Originally it was just intended to be used to boost the graphics on certain games. Expansion Pak enabled I think was the official term. But wait a minute. Werenít a few games brought out that NEEDED the Expansion Pak to run properly? Again, yes there were. Perfect Dark, Turok 3 and Zelda: Majoras Mask. These three HAD to have an Expansion Pak if they were going to run fully.
But whatís going to happen in the future? Weíve all ready seen an upgrade being provided for the N64. Is this going to become the norm among consoles as it is with PCís?
Whatís so bad about upgradable consoles becoming more frequent? Can you imagine what would happen? The developers will be making more and more games that require upgrades. The cost of all this hardware would put A LOT of people off. I know I canít afford many peripherals let alone games, let alone hardware! Some people either wouldnít be able to afford the new hardware. This makes it unfair on those people as they wouldnít be able to play all the new games, I for one, find that a tad annoying.
Of course, there is a plus side in all of this. The games themselves would be improving graphically and also in the respect that a lot more features could be added in to the games, extending their lastability and enjoyment factors. Seeing as the games are the reason why people buy consoles in the first place, then the fact that they would be getting better and more enjoyable quite quickly is in now way a problem.
And then thereís the consoles themselves. How are they going to accommodate all this extra hardware? Nintendo obviously had all ready planned the Expansion Pak because the hole in which itís placed was all ready there.
Itís fine if the developers of the consoles think ahead about what theyíre going to create so they can put the nooks, crannies and special places on the console beforehand. But what if some bright spark suddenly comes up with a great idea that the company really want to use but havenít got anywhere on the console to put it?
The obvious answer to that would be to redesign the console and bring the re-modelled ones that can accommodate the new hardware. That means though, that the players are going to have to buy a whole new unit just to be able to play certain games!
Upgradable consoles could well be the future for the gaming market, but they could also be itís demise.
RBS
At the moment Consoles are Pc's that we cant uprgrade so to speak, in the future this will change and Consoles will 'catch up' with PC's and everyone will constantly need to upgrade to play the latest games.
In the future consoles wont be able to be advanced anymore and 'console wars' will end and be born will be the 'game wars' which Nintendo will obvioulsy win and then there will be one dominant console company. Nintendo.
;-)
In the future consoles wont be able to be advanced anymore and 'console wars' will end and be born will be the 'game wars' which Nintendo will obvioulsy win and then there will be one dominant console company. Nintendo.
;-)
I agree with gaming boy.
Gaming Boy wrote in FOG Chat topic "Consoles":
> In my view, consoles are BECOMING P.C's.
> I mean, having internet access, some use keyboards etc. They're becoming more and more like P.C's.
The next thing you know we'll stop buying newer consoles and start just upgrading graphics crads and stuff in the console to save time and money.
> In my view, consoles are BECOMING P.C's.
> I mean, having internet access, some use keyboards etc. They're becoming more and more like P.C's.
The next thing you know we'll stop buying newer consoles and start just upgrading graphics crads and stuff in the console to save time and money.
Consoles, I am guessing that a huge number of us have them. Why else would we be on here if we didn't? So why did you buy your console?
There are a few reasons why the console is a better choice than a PC for gaming.
Firstly consoles are a lot cheaper. The most expensive ones are around £300 and you can pick up older consoles from around £30.
Consoles are designed so that they can be set up easily and used with most televisions. The loading times are much less that with PC's. There is no need to worry about compatibility with components, for example no need to worry about what operating system, sound card, and graphics card you have. The developers know exactly what is in the console and can use this knowledge to make games that use the hardware to the best they can.
Consoles are dedicated games machines, although newer consoles seem to have extra features such as DVD and audio CD playback, ability to browse the web. So are consoles changing and no longer being dedicated games machines?
Who knows maybe consoles will become more and more like PC's, no longer just allow playing games but let the user to many different tasks. This is one thing I wouldn't like to see happening. Consoles have always been, and should always be dedicated games machines, If we want all the others then we can buy a computer.
A brief history of the console
The first consoles came out in the 1970's. The first commercial arcade machine was the Computer Space by Nutting Associates which was released in 1971. In 1972 the Atari introduced PONG to the arcades, it is for most the first successful game and many can still remember it. Looking back now it looks total pants. For those days though it was a breakthrough that started the industry off.
PONG was then released on the Atari home games system and once again it was a huge success. Atari Video Computer System (VCS) was the first home console and was released in 1977. Each game cartridge could hold 4KB of data. Probably enough these days to store Mario's glove.
In 1985 the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) was released. I remember wanting one and everyone I knew wanted one. The NES changed the industry for the better, even if you aren't a fan you have to admire what they have done for the gaming industry. The NES used control pads instead of a joystick, it brought games that were of an arcade quality to a home system.
Sega were next with the master system which couldn't compete with the NES.
Next Nintendo released the Super NES and sega released the mega drive. Again Nintendo were unbeatable although the sega console was a success and gained many many fans.
It was the playstation that again changed the industry. It used CD's as the storage medium for games. It attracted a lot of people to games and particularly and older generation who had finally been given the chance to own a console with the kind of games they like.
You all probably know the rest as it wasn't that long ago that the others were released, and soon more will be released over here.
Although a lot has changed since the Atari and NES, a lot of things still remain the same. All consoles have:
User control interface - Something to allow the user to interact with the game. A controller or a joystick.
CPU - Central Processing Unit. It processes all the data and works out what to do with it which eventually outputs sounds and images.
RAM - RAM is important. It provides temporary storage of games as they're being played. Makes the games run at an acceptable speed.
Software kernel - It is like an operating system for the console. It provides the interface between the various pieces of hardware, allowing the video game programmers to write the programming code using common software libraries and tools.
Storage medium for games - Has evolved over the years. Originally it was cartridges but these have disappeared to make way for things like CD's, optical disks and DVD's.
Video output - Controls how the video output is displayed on a television.
Audio output - Controls how the sound is outputted through the speakers.
Power supply - Provides power to the hardware components in the console that require it.
Well that's the past and the present so what about the future of the console? As mentioned before consoles seem to be moving away from being dedicated gaming machines. Maybe in the future consoles will have many different uses. They may be able to play music through CD's, mini disks etc. They will probably continue to play DVD movies and allow internet access not only for on-line gaming but for browsing the web and checking e-mail.
Technology will also improve and the ability of consoles will improve, this means the graphics and sounds will also improve.
The processor is a very important part of any console and these will also improve greatly with time. One thing you should all be aware off is that usually in computers the MHz speed of a processor tells you very little and the higher doesn't usually mean its better (unless they are made by the same company, e.g. Pentium 4 is better than a Pentium 3). But with games playing the higher the clock speed usually means its better. Comparing processors is very tricky. Some have higher clock speeds but lower band-with. Also it depends on what tasks the console must perform, as consoles move away from being dedicated games machines processor time is split between running a game and performing these extra tasks. It is worth noting that most consoles don't just have one processor, usually a few which means that the processing powers can be bigger than you think.
All this makes it very hard to compare consoles these days. Most have their good and their bad points. It all depends on how the internal architecture of the console is made up and what limitations there are for the developers due to the hardware. Everyone has their own taste in what they like and dislike.
One thing we can be sure of is that consoles should improve a lot in the future and are at a very high standard. Maybe new console developers will appear and some will go but as a gamer the future does look bright.
So what do you think future consoles will be like and what kind of things will they be able to do? OR Do you
think they will return to being dedicated games machines? OR
Will the console die out?
Your views please.
There are a few reasons why the console is a better choice than a PC for gaming.
Firstly consoles are a lot cheaper. The most expensive ones are around £300 and you can pick up older consoles from around £30.
Consoles are designed so that they can be set up easily and used with most televisions. The loading times are much less that with PC's. There is no need to worry about compatibility with components, for example no need to worry about what operating system, sound card, and graphics card you have. The developers know exactly what is in the console and can use this knowledge to make games that use the hardware to the best they can.
Consoles are dedicated games machines, although newer consoles seem to have extra features such as DVD and audio CD playback, ability to browse the web. So are consoles changing and no longer being dedicated games machines?
Who knows maybe consoles will become more and more like PC's, no longer just allow playing games but let the user to many different tasks. This is one thing I wouldn't like to see happening. Consoles have always been, and should always be dedicated games machines, If we want all the others then we can buy a computer.
A brief history of the console
The first consoles came out in the 1970's. The first commercial arcade machine was the Computer Space by Nutting Associates which was released in 1971. In 1972 the Atari introduced PONG to the arcades, it is for most the first successful game and many can still remember it. Looking back now it looks total pants. For those days though it was a breakthrough that started the industry off.
PONG was then released on the Atari home games system and once again it was a huge success. Atari Video Computer System (VCS) was the first home console and was released in 1977. Each game cartridge could hold 4KB of data. Probably enough these days to store Mario's glove.
In 1985 the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) was released. I remember wanting one and everyone I knew wanted one. The NES changed the industry for the better, even if you aren't a fan you have to admire what they have done for the gaming industry. The NES used control pads instead of a joystick, it brought games that were of an arcade quality to a home system.
Sega were next with the master system which couldn't compete with the NES.
Next Nintendo released the Super NES and sega released the mega drive. Again Nintendo were unbeatable although the sega console was a success and gained many many fans.
It was the playstation that again changed the industry. It used CD's as the storage medium for games. It attracted a lot of people to games and particularly and older generation who had finally been given the chance to own a console with the kind of games they like.
You all probably know the rest as it wasn't that long ago that the others were released, and soon more will be released over here.
Although a lot has changed since the Atari and NES, a lot of things still remain the same. All consoles have:
User control interface - Something to allow the user to interact with the game. A controller or a joystick.
CPU - Central Processing Unit. It processes all the data and works out what to do with it which eventually outputs sounds and images.
RAM - RAM is important. It provides temporary storage of games as they're being played. Makes the games run at an acceptable speed.
Software kernel - It is like an operating system for the console. It provides the interface between the various pieces of hardware, allowing the video game programmers to write the programming code using common software libraries and tools.
Storage medium for games - Has evolved over the years. Originally it was cartridges but these have disappeared to make way for things like CD's, optical disks and DVD's.
Video output - Controls how the video output is displayed on a television.
Audio output - Controls how the sound is outputted through the speakers.
Power supply - Provides power to the hardware components in the console that require it.
Well that's the past and the present so what about the future of the console? As mentioned before consoles seem to be moving away from being dedicated gaming machines. Maybe in the future consoles will have many different uses. They may be able to play music through CD's, mini disks etc. They will probably continue to play DVD movies and allow internet access not only for on-line gaming but for browsing the web and checking e-mail.
Technology will also improve and the ability of consoles will improve, this means the graphics and sounds will also improve.
The processor is a very important part of any console and these will also improve greatly with time. One thing you should all be aware off is that usually in computers the MHz speed of a processor tells you very little and the higher doesn't usually mean its better (unless they are made by the same company, e.g. Pentium 4 is better than a Pentium 3). But with games playing the higher the clock speed usually means its better. Comparing processors is very tricky. Some have higher clock speeds but lower band-with. Also it depends on what tasks the console must perform, as consoles move away from being dedicated games machines processor time is split between running a game and performing these extra tasks. It is worth noting that most consoles don't just have one processor, usually a few which means that the processing powers can be bigger than you think.
All this makes it very hard to compare consoles these days. Most have their good and their bad points. It all depends on how the internal architecture of the console is made up and what limitations there are for the developers due to the hardware. Everyone has their own taste in what they like and dislike.
One thing we can be sure of is that consoles should improve a lot in the future and are at a very high standard. Maybe new console developers will appear and some will go but as a gamer the future does look bright.
So what do you think future consoles will be like and what kind of things will they be able to do? OR Do you
think they will return to being dedicated games machines? OR
Will the console die out?
Your views please.