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The battle between the PC game industry and console (video) game industry has been brewing for years. The convergence of the Internet with console game devices has the media predicting the doom of the PC game business. The heat in this battle has certainly been turned up in the last few years with next-generation game consoles released by Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. These game consoles blur the lines between the two camps with devices mimicking Internet-connected PCs. The Sony PlayStation 2 allows gamers to play online and play CDs and DVDs on the same device. Microsoft, a newcomer to the console game industry, released its powerful XBOX Internet console with advanced graphics, interaction, DVD and powerful Intel Processor.
PC Game enthusiasts have always had a good chuckle when people say that the console game market will replace them. However, with the emergence of the Internet, some of the boundaries and distinct differences between the two industries have lessened. In fact, many of the console companies have retooled their devices for Internet connectivity to mimic the PC. Also, the decline in PC sales during the last couple of years may be a sign of things changing. Five years ago, the strengths of the PC vs. console-gaming industries were relatively even: £1.2 billion in sales for PC games, £1.4 billion for console games. The sales figures for 1999, however, tell a different story: PC sales have just inched past the £1.4 billion mark, while the console industry has exploded, surpassing £2.8 billion in sales for games alone
Games have always ranked high in user applications for the PC. According to IDSA (International Digital Software Assn.) 26% of computer users say that games are their most frequent PC application, with email at 19.5%, Web surfing at 14.6% and word processing coming in last at 14% (www.idsa.com). Considering the fact that new game consoles offer features like email and Web surfing, it's not hard to imagine the impact to the PC market if gamers move over to the console camp.
The PC game advantage has always been superior sound and graphics capabilities. The realism and complexity of PC games has always been significantly higher than console games, which accounts for the fact that adult audiences have traditionally gravitated toward PC games. In fact, 70% of the PC game market is players 18-years and older with 42% of that population over 35 years of age. PC games have always been strong in first-person shooter, strategy and fantasy genres. If you look at recent statistics regarding online games from IDSA (International Digital Software Association) the top genres are roles playing and strategy covering 21% of the market in 2000 (www.idsa.com). Considering the difference in numbers between the 7.3 million baby boomers and the approximately 4 million generation x'ers, this age advantage could weigh heavily on the side of the PC game industry. Getting the older generation to warm up to game consoles, no matter how connected they are to the Internet, may be an uphill battle. Furthermore, the PC is so ubiquitous that it's hard to imagine it disappearing from the technology landscape. Many think that innovations in PC technology will keep the PC alive and well long into the future. Mick West, a technical director at game studio Neversoft Entertainment is one such person, "I think advances in computer power are going to lead to some very interesting developments in voice and image recognition. You'll be able to actually hold conversations with the characters in your role-playing game. Eventually, the characters in the role-playing game will be able to watch you via a video camera, and respond to your expressions and gestures. The real world and the world inside your video games will become increasingly intertwined.
Traditionally, online games have been under the exclusive domain of the PC industry. All that is about to change with the latest upgrades in game consoles coming out this fall. The "lines in the sand" are no longer as apparent between PCs and Internet-connected consoles. Consoles have always enjoyed better processing speeds than the PCs at a fraction of the cost. It's not just the cost of the PC that one has to factor into the equation. By the time you add upgrades to your PC with special graphics cards, gadgets and upgraded operating systems, you're talking £140 to £280 more.
While game consoles have targeted the teenage market in the past, they are starting to "port" existing PC games over to their new systems in an effort to attract the adult game audience. The "plug and play" characteristics of a game console are a real advantage to the next group of Internet users, who are just now coming online. The early adopters of the Internet were "techie" types who understood how to install graphics cards and new operating systems into their PC. This next-generation user is made up of mainstream Americans, who are not as technically sophisticated. A "plug and play" device could win points with this next generation Internet user.
While it is hard to predict the future, the fact that these next-generation consoles will appeal to a broader audience makes a compelling case for consoles eventually overtaking the PC game industry. PCs have evolved over the years, however, no one would suggest that they have gotten easier to use. If the online game audience is any indication of how the game population is changing, the PC industry may be in for a few surprises. Online games attract more women than traditional PC games. In fact, 48% of online gamers are women. This is, perhaps, additional evidence of mainstream users entering the online market. Whatever the outcome of the battle between PC Games and Console Games, the Internet has generated a whole new crop of avid gamers. It may look like the game console manufacturers have the upper hand at the moment, but I wouldn't totally rule out the PC market. Watching the competition for that 16.4 hour per week user is bound to be interesting.
You Decide...
Thanks for reading.
PC Game enthusiasts have always had a good chuckle when people say that the console game market will replace them. However, with the emergence of the Internet, some of the boundaries and distinct differences between the two industries have lessened. In fact, many of the console companies have retooled their devices for Internet connectivity to mimic the PC. Also, the decline in PC sales during the last couple of years may be a sign of things changing. Five years ago, the strengths of the PC vs. console-gaming industries were relatively even: £1.2 billion in sales for PC games, £1.4 billion for console games. The sales figures for 1999, however, tell a different story: PC sales have just inched past the £1.4 billion mark, while the console industry has exploded, surpassing £2.8 billion in sales for games alone
Games have always ranked high in user applications for the PC. According to IDSA (International Digital Software Assn.) 26% of computer users say that games are their most frequent PC application, with email at 19.5%, Web surfing at 14.6% and word processing coming in last at 14% (www.idsa.com). Considering the fact that new game consoles offer features like email and Web surfing, it's not hard to imagine the impact to the PC market if gamers move over to the console camp.
The PC game advantage has always been superior sound and graphics capabilities. The realism and complexity of PC games has always been significantly higher than console games, which accounts for the fact that adult audiences have traditionally gravitated toward PC games. In fact, 70% of the PC game market is players 18-years and older with 42% of that population over 35 years of age. PC games have always been strong in first-person shooter, strategy and fantasy genres. If you look at recent statistics regarding online games from IDSA (International Digital Software Association) the top genres are roles playing and strategy covering 21% of the market in 2000 (www.idsa.com). Considering the difference in numbers between the 7.3 million baby boomers and the approximately 4 million generation x'ers, this age advantage could weigh heavily on the side of the PC game industry. Getting the older generation to warm up to game consoles, no matter how connected they are to the Internet, may be an uphill battle. Furthermore, the PC is so ubiquitous that it's hard to imagine it disappearing from the technology landscape. Many think that innovations in PC technology will keep the PC alive and well long into the future. Mick West, a technical director at game studio Neversoft Entertainment is one such person, "I think advances in computer power are going to lead to some very interesting developments in voice and image recognition. You'll be able to actually hold conversations with the characters in your role-playing game. Eventually, the characters in the role-playing game will be able to watch you via a video camera, and respond to your expressions and gestures. The real world and the world inside your video games will become increasingly intertwined.
Traditionally, online games have been under the exclusive domain of the PC industry. All that is about to change with the latest upgrades in game consoles coming out this fall. The "lines in the sand" are no longer as apparent between PCs and Internet-connected consoles. Consoles have always enjoyed better processing speeds than the PCs at a fraction of the cost. It's not just the cost of the PC that one has to factor into the equation. By the time you add upgrades to your PC with special graphics cards, gadgets and upgraded operating systems, you're talking £140 to £280 more.
While game consoles have targeted the teenage market in the past, they are starting to "port" existing PC games over to their new systems in an effort to attract the adult game audience. The "plug and play" characteristics of a game console are a real advantage to the next group of Internet users, who are just now coming online. The early adopters of the Internet were "techie" types who understood how to install graphics cards and new operating systems into their PC. This next-generation user is made up of mainstream Americans, who are not as technically sophisticated. A "plug and play" device could win points with this next generation Internet user.
While it is hard to predict the future, the fact that these next-generation consoles will appeal to a broader audience makes a compelling case for consoles eventually overtaking the PC game industry. PCs have evolved over the years, however, no one would suggest that they have gotten easier to use. If the online game audience is any indication of how the game population is changing, the PC industry may be in for a few surprises. Online games attract more women than traditional PC games. In fact, 48% of online gamers are women. This is, perhaps, additional evidence of mainstream users entering the online market. Whatever the outcome of the battle between PC Games and Console Games, the Internet has generated a whole new crop of avid gamers. It may look like the game console manufacturers have the upper hand at the moment, but I wouldn't totally rule out the PC market. Watching the competition for that 16.4 hour per week user is bound to be interesting.
You Decide...
Thanks for reading.
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Thanks for your feedback guys.
We will just have to wait and see how the future comes about in terms of consoles and PC's but in my mind there is room for both to exist.
We will just have to wait and see how the future comes about in terms of consoles and PC's but in my mind there is room for both to exist.
Like I said earlier - to make it worthwile the games would have to be damn good and they would have to have some kind of system to stop people registering more than once like they do with online PC games. This way people would be banned for doing things like cutting off when they are losing which gets so damn annoying.
I think some kind of link to the console or BB adapter serial no when regitering would have to be used.
I think some kind of link to the console or BB adapter serial no when regitering would have to be used.
Probably not, but it'll be much quicker to pick up and play once everything's been set up.
Imagine coming home from work, switching your PS2 on and connecting to a gaming server in 2 minutes, with no loading up of WIndows or any unneccessary programs loading up and getting in the way.
Imagine coming home from work, switching your PS2 on and connecting to a gaming server in 2 minutes, with no loading up of WIndows or any unneccessary programs loading up and getting in the way.
Right, but with many people already connected to the internet via their PC and mainly commited to ISP's through paying monthly charges, do you think when Sony release their broadband idea that PC user's will pay extra for a HD and the Broadband and change over to an internet based console?
I don't think i'd pay extra for it when I already have it set up on my laptop, unless it was much better than what ive got.
what do you think?
I don't think i'd pay extra for it when I already have it set up on my laptop, unless it was much better than what ive got.
what do you think?
AbsoluT Neo wrote:
Im a bit
> confused on this 'online gaming idea' from Sony, will this mean that we can play
> online aginst others through connection via a phone line i.e. same as PC? and
> does this mean we will able to access the Internet through the modem and a
> browser?
I think the internet will be a bit restricted to only playing online games, downloading demos, music and film trailers. A broadband connection is also a must, along with the adaptor-modem thing that Sony are releasing sometime this year. The HDD will also be a necessary purchase as you need to store all these downloads somewhere.
Im a bit
> confused on this 'online gaming idea' from Sony, will this mean that we can play
> online aginst others through connection via a phone line i.e. same as PC? and
> does this mean we will able to access the Internet through the modem and a
> browser?
I think the internet will be a bit restricted to only playing online games, downloading demos, music and film trailers. A broadband connection is also a must, along with the adaptor-modem thing that Sony are releasing sometime this year. The HDD will also be a necessary purchase as you need to store all these downloads somewhere.
AbsoluT Neo wrote:
Im a bit
> confused on this 'online gaming idea' from Sony, will this mean that we can play
> online aginst others through connection via a phone line i.e. same as PC? and
> does this mean we will able to access the Internet through the modem and a
> browser?
I was reading in OPS2 that Sony have signed up a deal with Telewest to provide broad band access in the UK for PS2 so it wont be a modem connection. They are going through testing at the moment with 1000 users somewhere ??
Im a bit
> confused on this 'online gaming idea' from Sony, will this mean that we can play
> online aginst others through connection via a phone line i.e. same as PC? and
> does this mean we will able to access the Internet through the modem and a
> browser?
I was reading in OPS2 that Sony have signed up a deal with Telewest to provide broad band access in the UK for PS2 so it wont be a modem connection. They are going through testing at the moment with 1000 users somewhere ??
Pro Evo:
Going back to the upgrading part, i just hope that consoles to tread
> further down this path than they already have, pritty soon Sony will bring out
> the HD and Modem which are upgrades, i hope this doesnt go to there head and we
> end up getting more of these upgrades that are needed to play the games.
Good Comment, it would get tedicious after a bit, I mean imagine how much it would cost if Sony kept bringing out various upgrades, thus making games totally dependant on these upgrades, meaning many people missing out on some top games because they cannot afford the extra's.
Im a bit confused on this 'online gaming idea' from Sony, will this mean that we can play online aginst others through connection via a phone line i.e. same as PC? and does this mean we will able to access the Internet through the modem and a browser?
Going back to the upgrading part, i just hope that consoles to tread
> further down this path than they already have, pritty soon Sony will bring out
> the HD and Modem which are upgrades, i hope this doesnt go to there head and we
> end up getting more of these upgrades that are needed to play the games.
Good Comment, it would get tedicious after a bit, I mean imagine how much it would cost if Sony kept bringing out various upgrades, thus making games totally dependant on these upgrades, meaning many people missing out on some top games because they cannot afford the extra's.
Im a bit confused on this 'online gaming idea' from Sony, will this mean that we can play online aginst others through connection via a phone line i.e. same as PC? and does this mean we will able to access the Internet through the modem and a browser?
In my house right now i have obviously a PC and a Console, both are used for gaming, but one more than the other, the PS2, why? Well as said below its far easier to come home with a game and play, and cheaper. You buy a PC and within a month its out of date and there are already some games out that you cant play. Therefor you then need to upgrade every so often forcing you to spend even more money, so in my eyes, something with the PC's is going to have to change before it begins to dominate.
One area i think it will dominate in though for the future is the online gaming area. its already set up and everthing compared to the console version, there are loads of games already out for it and an easy means of which to get access. The PC is known for online gaming, consoles are known for household gaming, in my mind its going to take alot to change that.
Going back to the upgrading part, i just hope that consoles to tread further down this path than they already have, pritty soon Sony will bring out the HD and Modem which are upgrades, i hope this doesnt go to there head and we end up getting more of these upgrades that are needed to play the games.
One area i think it will dominate in though for the future is the online gaming area. its already set up and everthing compared to the console version, there are loads of games already out for it and an easy means of which to get access. The PC is known for online gaming, consoles are known for household gaming, in my mind its going to take alot to change that.
Going back to the upgrading part, i just hope that consoles to tread further down this path than they already have, pritty soon Sony will bring out the HD and Modem which are upgrades, i hope this doesnt go to there head and we end up getting more of these upgrades that are needed to play the games.
This business of consoles taking over from PC's is folly - nothing else. The one topic you are talking about is games, and yes consoles are superior to PC's for gameplaying for many reasons - You buy a game, slp it in the console and it will play, You can put your console wherever you have a tv in the house etc.
Sony and Microsoft can bring out all the accesories in the world but what is the point in spending fortunes on Mice, Keyboards, hard-drives, modems etc unless the games publishers produce enough games of sufficient quality to warrant buying them. The dreamcast had most of these but how many people actually used Dreamcast online ? most of us either play games alone (MGS2 for instance) or with mates in the same room.
That is the beauty of the console, you can put it in a bag with your controllers (+multi tap for PS2) and pop round your mates, plug it in and your away playing in a matter of minutes and you have the social side of being in the same room and taking the mickey etc. PC multi player is still a lonely passtime and one thing that has really pee'd me off is when you are playing online and winning the other person so often just quits, this is a down side that will no doubt increase with console players.
Sony and Microsoft can bring out all the accesories in the world but what is the point in spending fortunes on Mice, Keyboards, hard-drives, modems etc unless the games publishers produce enough games of sufficient quality to warrant buying them. The dreamcast had most of these but how many people actually used Dreamcast online ? most of us either play games alone (MGS2 for instance) or with mates in the same room.
That is the beauty of the console, you can put it in a bag with your controllers (+multi tap for PS2) and pop round your mates, plug it in and your away playing in a matter of minutes and you have the social side of being in the same room and taking the mickey etc. PC multi player is still a lonely passtime and one thing that has really pee'd me off is when you are playing online and winning the other person so often just quits, this is a down side that will no doubt increase with console players.
RM18 wrote:
>a PC can have
a lot of other functions than a console, which console developers won't try and
> copy for fear of being criticised for moving away from games.
Good point, but with consoles already briging out the mouse, modem, online gaming, internet, DVD player, Linux it shows that they are already including functions of the PC, and who knows what the they could include in the future consoles, I think the fact that these are multi-tasking consoles are actually attracting customers,
I think one of the reasons Microsoft have 'entered the console market' is because they know they can boost their profits, they could have easily made a next generation PC but they know where the money is - in consoles.
>a PC can have
a lot of other functions than a console, which console developers won't try and
> copy for fear of being criticised for moving away from games.
Good point, but with consoles already briging out the mouse, modem, online gaming, internet, DVD player, Linux it shows that they are already including functions of the PC, and who knows what the they could include in the future consoles, I think the fact that these are multi-tasking consoles are actually attracting customers,
I think one of the reasons Microsoft have 'entered the console market' is because they know they can boost their profits, they could have easily made a next generation PC but they know where the money is - in consoles.
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