Multi The Future Of Video Game Consoles

[Vee]

I think this is a excellent topic to discuss. What do you guys think the next consoles will shape up like? What technology do you think they'll be using? When could you see us buying them and how much would they cost? What we'll they be called?

I read a rumour that said the next PS3 would have a huge SSD so that it could download full games from the internet. This sounds like the direction that video games are going, with the success of PSN and XBLA. I think retailers are going to have a big problem in the future, when people can download full games from the internet without leaving your home.

I know i would, the convieniance of being able to get a game without having to make a journey and not having to swap disks to change games.

Discuss!

 

[Moose]

Home entertainment will become just that - home entertainment. I think games will become more diverse, and need more user interaction. As for the aspect of how you get the entertainment. I think it will all be instantly streamed through high speed fiber-optic cables.

But that's just me. As technology advances, the above will probably not be possible. Technology keeps tripping itself up and running the race before the race has started. Get me?

 

[Vee]

Yeah, jumping ahead of itself?

I hope the prices of video games drop if their made into digital downloads, no more expenses with packaging, right?

 

[Access_Denied]

We're going to completely eliminate gaming system soon. You're just going to install the 'Sony OS' on your PC, and then you'll be able to download and play games just like that.

And yes, we'll be using fiber-optic cables pretty soon, so think about 1TB per second hitting your PC. Scary, huh? Think of how many 360 games you could download in just a few minutes.

 

[Bran]

Yeah, jumping ahead of itself?

I hope the prices of video games drop if their made into digital downloads, no more expenses with packaging, right?

Theoretically digital distribution would only offset high production costs, as higher quality games = higher prices.

 

[Nero]

I want virtual reality stuff. Would make gaming much more entertaining XD

 

[Greyone]

but...but....but...i like my game packaging

I feel too weird buying just data, it's kinda nice to have a physical copy.

 

[Sousanator]

And yes, we'll be using fiber-optic cables pretty soon, so think about 1TB per second hitting your PC. Scary, huh? Think of how many 360 games you could download in just a few minutes.

My parents house still doesn't even have cable. Not even DSL is an option so you still have to use dial-up.
Maybe in very large cities fiber-optics will become standard, but I don't see it happening everywhere within the near future.

 

[Pokemanz master]

I really don't think gaming consoles are gonna die anytime soon... many people don't even have an 360, or ps3 yet let alone internet, or dial up

 

[Adiuvo]

One the next generation of consoles hit I think it'll be the last of consoles with gaming as their primary focus. Instead, it'll just be a media center. That's pretty much happening now, but I think it'll eventually get to the point where there's no distinction.

 

[twelve]

We're going to completely eliminate gaming system soon. You're just going to install the 'Sony OS' on your PC, and then you'll be able to download and play games just like that.

And yes, we'll be using fiber-optic cables pretty soon, so think about 1TB per second hitting your PC. Scary, huh? Think of how many 360 games you could download in just a few minutes.

I don't understand why so many people think Fibre-Optic is going to change everything.

Virgin media in the UK use fibre now and they've managed to get 25mbps download to users with a crap upload, and that's not a constant speed.

At work we have been on fibre for years. During a night shift I get around 22mbps down and up, but during the day when more people are in it drops to around 4mbps.

Point is even when fibre goes mass market it will not be used the way you think. It will not be a fibre link to your PC. The fibre will be used on the back end network infrastructure within the ISP itself. Your connection from PC > Router > Phoneline will not change.

1TBps to your PC is a dream. If you really believe that will happen in any of our lifetimes then you're delusional.

 

[Vee]

I agree with Phil. Though, did read a article on a site, saying that a few UK ISP's are investing money to get the cables changed in the UK to fibreoptic. Surely that means it'll be fibreoptic in our houses?

I was planning to upgrade from my 8.1 Mbps internet, to a Be/O2 24Mbps, but i'm not even hitting anywhere near 8.1 Mbps, even on a paid rapidshare subscription. I only get about 700kbps MAX.

So will upgrading really do that much more?

 

[Bran]

Most people don't realize fiberoptics are used a lot in company's internal networks, but it's almost always just for the backbone of the server network cause that's where the heavy loads are.

Fiberoptics are not going to be replacing coaxial anytime soon for the average end user. Fiberoptic is actually probably overkill for a personal setup, cause I doubt network tech where it is at right now would be able to keep up to that speed. A normal coax connection is not even pushed to it's limits with normal internet use.

 

[Moose]

I agree with Phil. Though, did read a article on a site, saying that a few UK ISP's are investing money to get the cables changed in the UK to fibreoptic. Surely that means it'll be fibreoptic in our houses?

I was planning to upgrade from my 8.1 Mbps internet, to a Be/O2 24Mbps, but i'm not even hitting anywhere near 8.1 Mbps, even on a paid rapidshare subscription. I only get about 700kbps MAX.

So will upgrading really do that much more?

Yeah, I read that BT have plans to lay down some sort of fibre-optic cable lines in the near future. Not sure where though, apparently it will be costing them near to a billion for what they want to do. I'm pretty sure they are asking to be funded by other sources too.

But... not sure if it's true.

 

[twelve]

I agree with Phil. Though, did read a article on a site, saying that a few UK ISP's are investing money to get the cables changed in the UK to fibreoptic. Surely that means it'll be fibreoptic in our houses?

I was planning to upgrade from my 8.1 Mbps internet, to a Be/O2 24Mbps, but i'm not even hitting anywhere near 8.1 Mbps, even on a paid rapidshare subscription. I only get about 700kbps MAX.

So will upgrading really do that much more?

Rapidshare speeds and all http download speeds are limitted by the hosts speed. at most ive had 3mbps from RS but that was across 2 files. Unless the hosts upgrade their upload connection then having a fast download is pointless.

 

[twelve]

Most people don't realize fiberoptics are used a lot in company's internal networks, but it's almost always just for the backbone of the server network cause that's where the heavy loads are.

Fiberoptics are not going to be replacing coaxial anytime soon for the average end user. Fiberoptic is actually probably overkill for a personal setup, cause I doubt network tech where it is at right now would be able to keep up to that speed. A normal coax connection is not even pushed to it's limits with normal internet use.

Fibre backbone is exactly what we have. All servers connect in with gigabit ethernet and all desktops are 100mbps ethernet. Only the mainframes have direct fibre connections and that is only because we need fast reliable mirroring between them. It's fiscally bad business to replace all copper connections with fibre.

 

[Zero]

but...but....but...i like my game packaging

I feel too weird buying just data, it's kinda nice to have a physical copy.

Me too. I think it will be a more hybrid system, with both download and retail versions available for each game. (downloads could be released more early and slightly cheaper at the disadvantage of not having a physical copy)

I believe that gaming consoles are going to be more like PCs rather than media centres (although that too could be a function). We've already seen this with the PS3's otherOS function.

Consoles will also be here for a long time too. Consoles provide a simple system, where you don't have to worry too much about specs or extra equipment. As long as the game is for the console, it'll work, and that kind of simplicity alot of people will miss.

 

[Sousanator]

I don't understand why so many people think Fibre-Optic is going to change everything.

The potential fiber-optics has is what makes it great. An infinite amount of data can fit in a single hair of a fiber-optic cable.
The only problem is we don't have the technology to read/write for an infinite amount of data, and that is what makes fiber-optics limited right now.

But if we start making houses and cities with fiber-optics instead of copper it will really benefit us in the future. Its a lot easier and cheaper to replace the ends, than it would be to rewire everything. And the longer we keep using copper in new towns, the worse, and more expensive it will be when we finally decide to start replacing them. We just keep digging ourselves a bigger hole with copper

 

[twelve]

There's one reason and one reason only why fibre wont take off inside peoples homes. Wifi. People don't want wires going all over their homes.

The most you can ever expect from fibre is to have it come as far as the router.

The other reason that copper wire is still the number 1 solution is sustainable costs. Fibre is stupidly expensive and can be very hard to work with. Due to the way fibre works there is a minimum size of a bend that the cables can take (it can't do right angles that many people use in network infrastructure).

Fibre is also easily damaged. We proved this at work when a dumbass colleague of mine stood on a wire that we were laying and it completely destroyed the internals.

The potential for fibre is huge, I'm not denying or arguing that but it wont be used in the way so many people think.

 

[Muratcan]

Calm down, calm down lol. I ain't even got a current gen console yet!