Gaming What are your thoughts on the future of consoles

[Shubshub]

I'd like to hear the communities thoughts on what they think is going to happen in the future regarding consoles and console gaming

Who do you think is going to remain in the console race and why?
What kind of innovations do you think might happen in coming decades


Personally I feel like Nintendo is going to find continued success in the handheld market, Why you might ask?

The smartphone market is replacing handheld consoles you say? Not in the slightest
Smartphones are mostly for Free to Play titles filled to the brim with microtransactions
I feel like the next big video game crash is going to be one that affects mobile gaming on smartphones due to the over saturation of clones and microtransactions alike

Where as a true handheld gaming console can not survive on a market like this it needs proper games, full sized even to be able to survive its these types of games that keeps me and others coming back to these dedicated systems

also the addition of physical controls without having to shell out extra money for a bluetooth gamepad or other peripheral is excellent

 

[Khangaroo]

microtransactions

 

[TotalInsanity4]

For as long as there are people who aren't technologically inclined there will be consoles. Sony and Nintendo will stay in the console race, just because of who they are. I think that Microsoft is going to start focusing on developing "Steam Machines" after Project Scorpio. Amazon is going to come out of nowhere and become a major competitor

 

[Taleweaver]

Sony and Microsoft will remain, if only because they manage to make a profit. The future will, however, have more affordable, smaller games than now. The expectations of a 50 bucks game are just too much to keep up.

Nintendo... I think they'll go full mobile. Console owners are a strange combination of tech fetishists and conservatives, and ninty's strategy doesn't play into either. They have a solid base with the 3DS...they should just go ahead and release their own smartphone line sooner or later.

Speaking of which: if either side of the gaming industry is going to crash, it'll be the bloated AAA-companies side; NOT the mobile market. The former spends millions and years on games that at best get lukewarm reactions nowadays (and often never make a profit). On the other hand, mobile games are created by 'garage band' studio that pretty much make games as a hobby, with little investments or risk, yet manage to be sold worldwide.

 

[zixu]

I feel like in the next 5-10 years microsoft and sony will completely merge when it comes to their console department. I feel like nintendo will keep on being themselves and do their own thing

 

[DinohScene]

MS is porting pretty much all XBone games to Win 10.
I wouldn't be surprised if the 9th Gen won't have a Xbox.

 

[Futurdreamz]

Nintendo will be Nintendo, but Microsoft will open up Xbox as a Windows edition so that manufacturers can make their own consoles (and you can roll your own). I think the latter will start to stifle Sony, which will be forced to figure out a new strategy that doesn't revolve around only having the most powerful console at the cheapest price.

 

[H1B1Esquire]

This is in our hands. Think about it. In reality, the wii u is the only console that you can comfortably use without extra crap. No monthly subs, no stupid-ass I-wish-this-garbage-would-kinect (or was that the eye-toy?). Plus, no jet engine in my ear when I press power, no complicated menus, you can easily navigate with the gamepad, ''face-time'' people, option to NOT turn a super-bright tv on (with flashing colors to make your betrothed want to kill you (she left me)) or others who may want to watch T.V. (still may want to kill you.), love you, Courtney.

We all know though, it (wii u) lacks support. Software is the driving force of sales. Yes, the install base for mobile Durnald Trumps consoles, but the software is garbage. I don't think I'll ever purchase anything from Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, hell, not even Pokémon GO. Just because. Besides, all that cellular radiation+meme picture messages+you look like a fool in public, are all reasons my phone is just a phone. And one dime they won't pry from my fingers, as I already pay enough for the phone service. Hell, at least PS+ gives out good games; I can't even get full bars for service in my driveway.

Look at the Wii. The games looked, 'okay', there was a lot of gimmickry of shovelware, but millions were sold because the other games (wii sports club, just dance, wii fit,.. rock band, tonyhawk cough, hack) were fun, 'different', and the fact it didn't force you into scenarios where you NEED both hands to play, which contributed to let you feel like this is a unique experience I couldn't have anywhere else but an arcade.

way2fnl;kindaDR, We, the consumer, need to purchase software to support developers to make content to continue the life cycle of our favorite consoles and in turn, companies need to help devs give us the games we want to buy.

I could write a novella on the state of gaming and how to fix it, but 2broke;no motovation. like the state of most things, lulz.

 

[Alex658]

I don't know. I just hope it doesn't come to micro transactions or PTW titles. I seriously wish that the industry focuses on completing games before release and not push 298347238 updates/DLC that fixes their mess.
Also quality being remarked for functionality and mere graphics/high poly count being discarded as a quality trait. I rather a game that works properly than one where i can clearly see the characters pores. That's not to say I want them to go back to the 32bit era, but 4K resolutions are just a liiiittle bit too much.

As for handheld, anything other than mobile candy crush-casual games, moreover on phones with no buttons without a controller add-on. It's a recipe for disaster IMO.
They should keep casual and hardcore separated. The wii was an oddball mixture of both.

 

[RevPokemon]

I think that there will be a larger sort of blurring of lines between non gaming things like the Apple TV and true gaming consoles