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Are we coming to the end of good gaming because companies are adding too much to game consoles?
I’m not sure about all of you, but when I buy a games console I buy it too play games and nothing else.
Years ago, people would go to their local game store to buy a games console. The console would be a something where you insert games into it, and a controller or two and that’s basically it. Now days, this has changed, but it is for the better or not?
Some may agree others will disagree with me when I say that the way consoles have changed over the years is for the worse. Obviously it hasn’t all gone down hill. The good things with the changes have been mostly the ability to have much, much better graphics and sound quality. All of which change the way we play games. On the other hand there have been some changes that I have not been to keen on.
I have been fortunate to buy a Dreamcast and a Playstation2. I wasn’t going to buy either because the price is, IMO, ridiculous! I really did want the two consoles, as I knew that they had superb games on them, not for the ability to play DVD’s or music CD’s. I all ready have a CD player and also had a DVD player, so when I found out that the reason the price was so high was because of the ability to play DVD’s and music CD’s I was livid!
As time went on, and I still didn’t have either console, I decided to swallow my pride and buy the console, only to play games on it though! And to this day, I have never played music or films on it, just games! So, you could say I wasted my money, because lets face it, the reason why the PS2 is so expensive is partly because of the DVD player and CD player built in.
Maybe I’m just getting old (at 14?) but I don’t like all the fuss over game consoles being able to play more than games. I wish we could go back to the days where the Mega Drive was alive and kicking! Now that was a great console, and loved by thousands! Now, the reason why it was loved wasn’t because it could play films or CD’s on it, but because it only played games, and good ones at that. If the MD was released in today’s gaming world with the facility to play films and music, the price would be much higher, and many people would buy the console, not to play games but to play films on it. To me, this is a very worrying thought because I believe that there are so many people that are buying games consoles just to play films and music on there.
People have forgotten the fact that games sell a console, not weather it plays films or not. Also, I think some people are starting to lose interest in games because they are to busy playing their favourite films.
What is the world coming to though? People buying a GAME console and not buy a single game on it. This is true for the PS2 because it is proven that people have bought PS2 to play films on, and that’s it. I’m not sure on weather company’s are making their consoles DVD compatible just to be able to sell more units or to increase the price, but what I do know is that it’s damaging the gaming world.
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo need to get their priorities right, games first or the industry will be pushing daises from 6ft under! If we manage to get rid of DVD’s and music CD’s on game consoles then we could be looking at a brighter future. The hardware will be cheaper, and with the hardware being cheaper, the company would get a bigger user base attracting the neutral developers and the customer could buy more games, have more fun and in turn making money for game company’s.
It will be interesting to see which will be the most liked by people, PS2 which plays games, films and music, or Gamecube which is going to be just a games console. Only time will tell…
All in all, I am hoping that game consoles will be only game compatible and therefor be dropped in price. Does anyone have any views on this subject? Are you for or against game consoles having DVD film and music CD players built in?
Thanks for reading,
-M16-
I’m not sure about all of you, but when I buy a games console I buy it too play games and nothing else.
Years ago, people would go to their local game store to buy a games console. The console would be a something where you insert games into it, and a controller or two and that’s basically it. Now days, this has changed, but it is for the better or not?
Some may agree others will disagree with me when I say that the way consoles have changed over the years is for the worse. Obviously it hasn’t all gone down hill. The good things with the changes have been mostly the ability to have much, much better graphics and sound quality. All of which change the way we play games. On the other hand there have been some changes that I have not been to keen on.
I have been fortunate to buy a Dreamcast and a Playstation2. I wasn’t going to buy either because the price is, IMO, ridiculous! I really did want the two consoles, as I knew that they had superb games on them, not for the ability to play DVD’s or music CD’s. I all ready have a CD player and also had a DVD player, so when I found out that the reason the price was so high was because of the ability to play DVD’s and music CD’s I was livid!
As time went on, and I still didn’t have either console, I decided to swallow my pride and buy the console, only to play games on it though! And to this day, I have never played music or films on it, just games! So, you could say I wasted my money, because lets face it, the reason why the PS2 is so expensive is partly because of the DVD player and CD player built in.
Maybe I’m just getting old (at 14?) but I don’t like all the fuss over game consoles being able to play more than games. I wish we could go back to the days where the Mega Drive was alive and kicking! Now that was a great console, and loved by thousands! Now, the reason why it was loved wasn’t because it could play films or CD’s on it, but because it only played games, and good ones at that. If the MD was released in today’s gaming world with the facility to play films and music, the price would be much higher, and many people would buy the console, not to play games but to play films on it. To me, this is a very worrying thought because I believe that there are so many people that are buying games consoles just to play films and music on there.
People have forgotten the fact that games sell a console, not weather it plays films or not. Also, I think some people are starting to lose interest in games because they are to busy playing their favourite films.
What is the world coming to though? People buying a GAME console and not buy a single game on it. This is true for the PS2 because it is proven that people have bought PS2 to play films on, and that’s it. I’m not sure on weather company’s are making their consoles DVD compatible just to be able to sell more units or to increase the price, but what I do know is that it’s damaging the gaming world.
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo need to get their priorities right, games first or the industry will be pushing daises from 6ft under! If we manage to get rid of DVD’s and music CD’s on game consoles then we could be looking at a brighter future. The hardware will be cheaper, and with the hardware being cheaper, the company would get a bigger user base attracting the neutral developers and the customer could buy more games, have more fun and in turn making money for game company’s.
It will be interesting to see which will be the most liked by people, PS2 which plays games, films and music, or Gamecube which is going to be just a games console. Only time will tell…
All in all, I am hoping that game consoles will be only game compatible and therefor be dropped in price. Does anyone have any views on this subject? Are you for or against game consoles having DVD film and music CD players built in?
Thanks for reading,
-M16-
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I was just thinking to myself today, "If sony could turn the clock back to before the PS2 was out, would they take the DVD movie function out?"
I was thinking hard about this, and i really think they would stick with it playing DVD movies, despite their being problems with some units, only playing green dvd's.
What do you lot think?
I was thinking hard about this, and i really think they would stick with it playing DVD movies, despite their being problems with some units, only playing green dvd's.
What do you lot think?
Looking at the PS2 I can't really see anything wrong with it playing DVD's. I mean this attribute will no nothing but sell more consoles. People will buy it for a DVD player and any good games that come along will be a bonus. Of course the PS2 retiled at quite a high price but it was nothing compared to the PSX at about £400. I think once the PS2 makes it mark and raises its user-base Sony will be laughing...Games will come in time but the fact that it plays DVD might even make people buy the console now so that even if the games are no good they still have a rather stylish DVD player. Nintendo can't do this, if the Gamecube completely flops and big-time developers lose faith they can't rely on DVD's until they get back on track. Sony can! Microsoft are another matter, but as for Sony and their current PS2 I think they haven't done too badly they have a DVD playing facility to fall back on until games like GT3 and MGS2 come out as push the PS2 as much as possible...Nintendo might have the right idea but Sony's certainly isn't the wrong one!
And it’s games games games that I want! I hold my hands up in saying that I haven’t followed da ‘cube as much as I would of liked to, but I know that I will be missing out on something big if I don’t buy one.
I think I will wait for it to be released and then wait for the games too start rolling on in. Then I will try to play on it, and THEN if I still love it, I shall buy one, and I can’t go much wrong from there, can I?
I prefer Sony than Nintendo, but my opinion could easily change once I got my dirty mitts on GBA and Gamecube!
So, it seems that my issues have made people think if they appreciate the DVD playback or not and most people have commented that they buy a games console just to play games on. I’m pleased that it wasn’t just me that thought the DVD and music CD player were serious issues with the gaming world.
I think I will wait for it to be released and then wait for the games too start rolling on in. Then I will try to play on it, and THEN if I still love it, I shall buy one, and I can’t go much wrong from there, can I?
I prefer Sony than Nintendo, but my opinion could easily change once I got my dirty mitts on GBA and Gamecube!
So, it seems that my issues have made people think if they appreciate the DVD playback or not and most people have commented that they buy a games console just to play games on. I’m pleased that it wasn’t just me that thought the DVD and music CD player were serious issues with the gaming world.
There nice extras but like you i bought my DC for the games.
All my mates couldnt understand.
"wait for the PS2" they shouted"Its got a DVD player!"
I wasnt interested on that. The Dc had the best games so that was all i cared about.
I think the Gamecube will suit u M16 coz it aint got no extras like DVDs or even music. All its worried about is games games games...
All my mates couldnt understand.
"wait for the PS2" they shouted"Its got a DVD player!"
I wasnt interested on that. The Dc had the best games so that was all i cared about.
I think the Gamecube will suit u M16 coz it aint got no extras like DVDs or even music. All its worried about is games games games...
Whether we want it or not, 'convergence' is coming - not just to consoles, but other items too. Do you need a radio on your mobile? We already have that, and the next generation of mobiles will also have TV receivers!
Regarding the PS2 specifically, I certainly don't think that it costs more because of its ability to play DVD's. Basic DVD playback software is common and cheap; in fact, as Sony make their own DVD players and software, incorporating it into PS2 would not have increased the unit price by much, if at all.
Many people have asked "why did they bother with DVD playback", but the fact is that just as many people (if not more) would have said "why didn't they include DVD playback" had it been omitted; you just can't please everyone.
It's likely that Sony included DVD-video capability on the PS2 to help the machine sell in Japan. Not that it wouldn't have sold anyway, but - apparently - dedicated DVD players are still very expensive in Japan, so it's no surprise that many of the early Japanese adopters were buying more DVD's than games.
The DVD drive was obviously incorporated to allow greater storage capacity, greatly reducing (if not eliminating) the need for disc-swapping, and allowing for much more game content.
Moving back to the general topic though, I personally have no problem with convergence as far as consoles are concerned. Playing games should be the primary function, but if it has a CD drive, let it play CD's, and if it has a DVD drive, let it play DVD's. If the necessary equipment is there anyway, you may as well make as much use of it as possible.
Regarding the PS2 specifically, I certainly don't think that it costs more because of its ability to play DVD's. Basic DVD playback software is common and cheap; in fact, as Sony make their own DVD players and software, incorporating it into PS2 would not have increased the unit price by much, if at all.
Many people have asked "why did they bother with DVD playback", but the fact is that just as many people (if not more) would have said "why didn't they include DVD playback" had it been omitted; you just can't please everyone.
It's likely that Sony included DVD-video capability on the PS2 to help the machine sell in Japan. Not that it wouldn't have sold anyway, but - apparently - dedicated DVD players are still very expensive in Japan, so it's no surprise that many of the early Japanese adopters were buying more DVD's than games.
The DVD drive was obviously incorporated to allow greater storage capacity, greatly reducing (if not eliminating) the need for disc-swapping, and allowing for much more game content.
Moving back to the general topic though, I personally have no problem with convergence as far as consoles are concerned. Playing games should be the primary function, but if it has a CD drive, let it play CD's, and if it has a DVD drive, let it play DVD's. If the necessary equipment is there anyway, you may as well make as much use of it as possible.
I don't like watching DVD's on my PC because it is werid, on my console probably the same, as for the music I just use my CD player I don't see the point of it on the console!
I don't think it will ruin gaming though!
I don't think it will ruin gaming though!
There are pros and cons for all of these, 'unwanted addons' as you put it. Console manufacturers like Nintendo and Sony will always charge a competitive price for consoles. And so if this is the case, which I feel until the Gamecube is launched it is, then DVD capabilities is a vey BIG bonus. But as Nintendo firmly believe it will be games that carry the console and with Nintendo being the only ones seemingly interested in boosting the market through pure gaming they might be the only ones to profit from it.
I think that MS and Sony think that people want more from a console, but with the low prices of DVD Players and CD players from a mere £30 a very high majority of the people will want a 100% gaming console, not a fancy 'Entertainment System'.
I think Nintendo have got it spot on...as you say M16, time will tell, but if what you say about DVD Capabilities and Music Playing is true, then We might be able to find out a little sooner than expected, reports from the US this christmas should give a VERY good idea of where this whole industry is headed.
The Game
PS: I like the Pushing Daisies Comment! He he he.
I think that MS and Sony think that people want more from a console, but with the low prices of DVD Players and CD players from a mere £30 a very high majority of the people will want a 100% gaming console, not a fancy 'Entertainment System'.
I think Nintendo have got it spot on...as you say M16, time will tell, but if what you say about DVD Capabilities and Music Playing is true, then We might be able to find out a little sooner than expected, reports from the US this christmas should give a VERY good idea of where this whole industry is headed.
The Game
PS: I like the Pushing Daisies Comment! He he he.
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