Is console gaming on its way out?

Posted by on Jan 25, 2012
Is console gaming on its way out?

gaming Is console gaming on its way out?

Yesterday IGN reported that the next-generation Xbox will debut in October or early November of 2013 with six times the processing power of the current system. While that sounds lovely, I’m stuck on the question of appetite: Will consumers line up for an expensive console in an era of extreme mobility? My colleagues and I have gone back and forth on this on our weekly podcast, and I can’t shake the idea that console gaming will fizzle as mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Galaxy Nexus become more powerful and more capable.

Lest you think I’m anti-console gaming, I was crazy about the stuff not too long ago. I’m probably dating myself, but I loved going to arcades, and I spent countless hours in front of my Nintendo, Sega, Xbox, and Playstation. But as devices like the iPhone and iPad emerged and enabled me to get my gaming fix on the go, I found myself straying from consoles more and more. And I suspect I’m not alone here. In fact, anecdotal evidence supports my suspiscion: Friends with young children — once console gaming’s core audience — tell me their kids play games on iPod Touchs or iPads, not Wiis or Playstations .

That said, Microsoft’s Xbox has something over the competition, something I can’t deny or write off — it’s the best console out there, and it claims that top spot for an ironic reason: It’s not just a gaming machine. It’s a multi-purpose entertainment hub. In addition to rendering the latest games, it plays Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu, and a variety of other media. It also has Kinect, which opens the door to all sorts of interactive possibilities.

Still, I think immobility is the limiting factor — not to mention pricier titles. And a recent decline in retail game sales bears that out. Last week, marketing research firm NDP released a report that pegged the downturn at 8 percent in 2011. In December alone, game sales were down roughly 21 percent. Yasir, our resident gaming nut, was quick to point out that existing consoles are in their retirement phase, so it’s only natural that sales of their software and accessories would slowly dry up. I don’t dispute that, but I think the price of admission, for the consoles and their games, is just as responsible for making gamers think twice.

But I don’t think consoles will suddenly disappear from the gaming landscape, either. They’ll linger for years because, dwindling or not, they have a passionate fanbase that appreciates the graphics and controls that mobile devices haven’t yet mastered. But just as arcades took a back seat to consoles decades ago, and desktops have taken a back seat to laptops, I strongly suspect consoles will increasingly play second fiddle to mobile devices like iPhones and iPads.

Photo Credit: Great Beyond

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    • noobermin

      What you’re implying is that consoles are losing customers to tablets and mobiles however it’s possible that tablets which have a use outside of gaming are simply bringing games to people who never would have wanted to buy a machine of which its main purpose is to play games. Consoles demand a sort of intention when you play: you have to put in the disc, you have to plug in to the t.v., you have to learn controls. However, app-ish games tend to be sort of like a one-night stand, you just tap it when you want and you can stop when you’re done.

      It could just be mobiles are just tapping into non-gamers who are most probably a huger market than real “gamers”, so that could explain some of the trend. Still, you noted the decline in console purchases so you could very well be right too!

    • Top Gear

      My iPad is a crappy solution for a gaming console. And no, Infinity Blade does not compare in any way to Skyrim. And yes, after playing Skyrim on my gf’s PS 3, I will now be buying an Xbox 360 within the next two weeks. And no, Apple does not provide any tools that makes developing games or using peripherals easier. And no, there’s no way in hell a flat touchscreen can replace a real controller.

      And I’m saying this after not touching a console for years after my first Xbox died until late last year where I was forced into Modern Warfare and hated it. But I also discovered that I have a thing for RPGs with Skyrim and have been playing that as much as possible.

      This article is ridiculous. And not in line with anything Steve Jobs had said over the years, about devices being good at what they do and things like netbooks not being good at anything. The Xbox 360 and PS3 are good at what they do. High quality console gaming. And they’re both good at other stuff to their respective degrees that makes them more worthy of keeping in the living room.

      I came across this site based on that Galaxy Nexus review from an iPhone user’s standpoint, but this idiocy of an argument means thetechblock is not going near my regularly read rss feeds anything soon. And yes, I use Flipboard for that. Might as well write an article about why the iPad will kill the iMac since the same ridiculous reasoning can be used.

      • Abdel Ibrahim

        Maybe you should re-read the article:

        “But I don’t think consoles will suddenly disappear from the gaming landscape, either. They’ll linger for years because, dwindling or not, they have a passionate fanbase that appreciates the graphics and controls that mobile devices haven’t yet mastered. But just as arcades took a back seat to consoles decades ago, and desktops have taken a back seat to laptops, I strongly suspect consoles will increasingly play second fiddle to mobile devices like iPhones and iPads.”

        It’s gonna be ok, man.

        • Top Gear

          Um, yeah, that part was what I had a problem with. It’s the same foolishness as those who said that because the Wii was bringing in traditional non gamers, it would hurt the Xbox 360 and PS3. Guess what? That didn’t happen. It turns out that the console market grew instead. Your argument is no different than that argument or the argument fandroids use to put forth (as of last week) that Android marketshare somehow hurt the iPhone.

          Console gaming is here to say. New versions are close, and the used console market is well saturated and there simply weren’t a lot of must have games released last year (as said, not a gamer, but I do pay attention to other areas of tech). This makes a lot more sense than the iPad magically gaining games that aren’t finished in a few hours and are as easy to use and better than console controllers. There’s only so many times you can swipe, swipe, swipe before you realize that every single game works in the same very basic way. Only the UI changes. And I doubt people are going to be hooking up controllers to their iPads…

          So yes, I read your post. And I found your reasoning lacking with too much in common with those marketshare nuts and Wii analysts.

          The gaming market will grow. The iPad and new consoles will lead the way. That makes a bit more sense, I think.

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