Is The Computer Gaming Industry Finished?

geoschmo · #1 November 7th, 2003, 07:37 PM

Baron,

I don't really think the profit from selling the console is all that great compared to the games themselves, although I could be wrong about that. I am pretty sure the margins are much lower on the consoles, and couple that with the fact that for each console you might typiclaly buy a dozen or more games. But one thing I am fairly certain of is that profits from sales of consoles is not going to be a factor for a company like EA trying to decide whether or not to put their resources into a console game or a PC game since they don't sell consoles.

But your point about piracy is certainly a factor I am sure. Think about what happens if you are at your buddies house and try this great new console game he bought. What do you do? You go buy one yourself. But if it's a great new PC game instead? "Hey man, great game. Burn me a copy will ya?"

Fyron · #2 November 7th, 2003, 07:50 PM

Actually... you can get "mod chips" for most (maybe even all) semi-modern console platforms that allow you to play copied games... going to CDs/DVDs was not a wise move on the part of console companies. And you know that hard drive on the Xbox? Just rent a game, copy it on the drive, and run it from there! CD drive + hard drive = piracy guarantee.

geoschmo · #3 November 7th, 2003, 07:54 PM

Heh, I'm showing my age. I keep thinking of console games as cartdiges instead of the CD's they went to now.

Jack Simth · #4 November 7th, 2003, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
But your point about piracy is certainly a factor I am sure. Think about what happens if you are at your buddies house and try this great new console game he bought. What do you do? You go buy one yourself. But if it's a great new PC game instead? "Hey man, great game. Burn me a copy will ya?"

Actually, it is just as difficult/easy to burn a copy of a DVD/CD game for your PS2 as it is to burn a copy of a DVD/CD game for your PC, and you can always build a simulator for the console that runs on your PC, if you know how, and distribute it (sometimes illegally) for free.

What really makes such things difficult are cartriges, which you can't copy or read without equipment specialized for each specific platform. This equipment can be reverse-engineered, so it is possible to copy games from cartriges or read them into your PC. However, that takes hardware manipulation and know-how, not a simple driver or program you can just download off the net, making it considerably more expensive and complex. For now, console gaming companies don't seem to be going the cartrige route, for the most part. Nintendo still does (I think), but as far as I know, they are the only ones doing so.

Phoenix-D · #5 November 7th, 2003, 08:12 PM

FYI on the hardware aspect: most console companies LOSE money on each console sold. They make it up with fees on the games.

That's one reason consoles are so much cheaper than PCs- PC hardware makes money, console hardware doesn't.

Cyrien · #6 November 7th, 2003, 08:15 PM

Jack Smith: Even Nintendo has stopped using cartridges for their consoles except the Gameboy. The Gamecube uses a mini-DVD. Both the PS2 and the X-Box use full sized DVDs that can even be used as DVD movie players. Game Consoles don't even use CD's anymore.

PvK · #7 November 8th, 2003, 12:07 AM

I think back to 1998-1999 when SSI and Microprose were Hasborged. The next year, practically everyone made a RTS game. Megacorps suits looking for hit games based on marketing misunderstandings dominated most of the money being spent on game development - or should I say, on graphics showcases with fragments of old games randomly glued on.

It's a bit depressing how much money and effort is spent developing uninteresting games. Perhaps it's an even worse proportion compared to the amount of uninteresting megacorp dreck churned out in the music, film, and pulp fiction industries. There are very few megacorp game releases that I have any interest in playing. There are practically zero games on consoles that I have any interest in, either.

Megacorps have determined that the most money lies in sales at Walmart etc., to unsophisticated players. Consoles offer concepts that attract suits, like built-in obsolescence and difficulty to pirate.

Megacorp offerings almost never interest me, though. If they all go to consoles only, it'll mainly just mean less distraction by crud.

BTW, Myst is a puzzle, not a game. It only seems like a game for as long as the player doesn't notice he's just watching a bunch of QuickTime animations linked with hot-spots to click on.

PvK

[ November 07, 2003, 22:08: Message edited by: PvK ]