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ONE SYSTEM TO RULE THEM ALL (Maybe)


Imagine a world where you don't have to buy the next best system. A world where you don't have to plug your console into the TV you want to play with. A world where you carry your controller wherever you want to play games in your house. A world where the only gaming choice you have is which game do you want to download. Imagine.

While surfing today I found an article at the BBC where Gerhard Florin, head of EA(Electronic Arts) international publishing, called for a universal console. Here's a snippet of the article (Follow the link for the whole article):

EA wants 'open gaming platform'
By Darren Waters
Technology editor, BBC News website

Rival gaming systems should make way for a single open platform, a senior executive at Electronic Arts has said.

Gerhard Florin said incompatible consoles made life harder for developers and consumers. "We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," said EA's head of international publishing.

He said the web and set-top boxes would grow in importance to the industry. "We're platform agnostic and we definitely don't want to have one platform which is a walled garden," said Mr Florin.
EA currently produces games for more than 14 different gaming systems, including consoles, portable devices and PCs. "I am not sure how long we will have dedicated consoles - but we could be talking up to 15 years," Mr Florin added.
He predicted that server-based games streamed to PCs or set-top boxes, would become increasingly important. "You don't need an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii - the consumer won't even realize the platform it is being played on." Set-top boxes are becoming increasingly more powerful as they include technology to deal with High Definition TV streams and access to the internet.

I'm not sure if I like the idea of a "universal" console. It would be nice to not spend money on a console every 5 years or so. Gamers could spend the $400 to $700 on games and not have to decide on which console offers them the better experience. We could buy accessories to customize our systems. Imagine the possibilities. WAIT A MINUTE! We already have something like that! It's called a PC!

Now for the downside(in my speculative opinion):

1. Game prices could rise exponentially. Consoles keep the price of games down, mostly because of competition.
2. A universal console could end up being more expensive in the long run than multiple consoles combined. Look at the PC market and tell me that I'm wrong.
3. There would be more games than people on the planet. With every gaming company releasing games for one console, it would flood the market. (DarkZero.com staff discussion)
4. Gaming companies would go out of business. More than likely in droves.
5. There wouldn't be as much excitement for gaming as there is when new consoles and games out. Basically: Too many games, not enough money for advertising hype.
6. Jesus Love Consoles (look at the PC market and tell me I'm wrong)

I don't know if there is a good side to having a universal console. I'm pretty sure that the console makers won't let this happen for years, if ever. Nintendo has always made money off of their consoles and will continue to be in the game. Sony has it's name to live up to in Playstation and it's consoles have a long shelf life (the PS3 is supposed to be 10 years). I could see Microsoft going universal, but would they? They seem focused on building community and creating brand loyalty through that. Going universal would blur the brand line for not only Microsoft, but the rest of the console giants, and create less profits in other sectors of these companies.
The future is closing in fast, how it ends up is anyones guess. One thing is for sure, I miss the past already.

Comments

Duff said…
Do the people who keep mentioning this idea not remember what it was like to have the 3DO? This cannot happen... it won't work...
November 1, 2007 at 3:43 AM
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