Consoles have always been gear toward convenience and it seems as they are adding more and more features which is making them more complicated. I totally agree with you on the fact that all the features they've been touting outside of the cloud, we already have devices that help us with all that. It's a slippery slope for both Microsoft and Sony this generation, lose out on the core gamers and the casuals won't sustain you. Just look at the Wii to Wii U transition. Those core gamers will move more to PC gaming if they want to keep their hobby alive.
To start, i'm sorry about the format that is about to follow. I'm on my PS3, and there's no option to wrap "" around your post that was within mine.
It wouldn't be so poor of an idea cable box wise if it actually improve upon the experience of watching a show. It seems its function is mostly going to be "XBox TV" as opposed to using your tv remote. Again my point about that is simply do you really think 5 bucks/month is reasonable to pay for that? I certainly don't, and I doubt most do.
With regards to the NFL i'm interested. It could end up being a real game changer for fantasy imo. Imagine watching live the games with the people in your fantasy pool, and hearing all their reactions, talking sports like we do here in real time with 25 people or more. I think it could be really, really cool. If they expanded it to the other major sports as well it'd be very interesting.
I don't doubt that if Sony follows suit on a lot of these issues that people who can afford it will move to PC, and I don't blame them. That said unlike Wii U MS and Sony have great games. It seems Wii U relies on Mario, and Zelda to carry their systems, but as a HUGE fan of the N64 Zelda's I hated GC Zelda, and haven't played since. I still about every 2 years go back and smash Zelda for a week. Casuals can't carry a brand period, but in gaming it's even harder. They have no loyalty to the brand (fanboys), and aren't dedicated to the money making products like cores are. They'll drift along and watch Netflix, maybe use the apps, but are they going to spend a 1000 bucks a year on things that actually makes the devs money? If not then why develop a great product for MS when getting a PS4 exclusive could net them twice the profit. If you lose the core, then you will lose the devs. If you lose the devs you don't lose the generation, you lose the war.
Yes, in a perfect world consoles would be digital downloads with open markets, just like PC gaming is with all the store fronts for consumers to find games they want at competitive prices. Unfortunately EB/Gamestop exist because people use the convenience compared to ebay/craigslist. It also sounds like Gamestop will take a hit in profitability, but seems that they are working to be one of the Verified Retail Re-sellers. CEO Tony Bartel himself has come out and said that transition for the company will be fluid between 360/ps3 to Xbone/ps4.
Oh there doesn't have to be multiple places to go to DL the games. Just the PS store, and Xbox equivalent. This is more like a buy it here, or don't, and don't play it. Completely removes the need for EB because they don't creat physical discs. Eliminate the trade in/used market completely. Gives them more profit, and gives us a discount. Perfect world. Reality the HD would fill up every 2 years for me at 500GB, and cost me far more than it currently does.
The Used game market is now the evil portion that is denying developers and publishers money, just like big renting retailers were before it. They tend to neglect that TRADES give the consumer more money to buy new games. Exactly as you stated. I have friend who can afford 5 or 6 games a year with being able to trade back the ones they are done with. If they don't have this option or get less back for their games, this will ultimately lead to only buying 2 or 3 games. Developers and Publishers would then get even less money.
Yeah this is the big oversight with trying to eliminate used, and force new with no price drop. Gaming is already super expensive. 800 bucks a year for me is extreme to spend on games. Not to mention the 500 or so for the console itself, and that's before DLC. I'd have to drop to closer to 600 a year on games.
Another giant oversight is playing a friends/used game is a gateway to being a lifelong consumer of a series. That is why i'm into Uncharted, GOWar, and COD Zombies. Not to mention why I bought Skyrim, and TLOU (again goes back to Uncharted). No used games and I likely skip Uncharted, and TLOU altogether, and possibly GOWar too.
Currently I save 2 games at a time, and take them to EB when they have a get 25 each off X game. I still spend 20 bucks on that game, and still have to buy another at 70 to get that next 1 for 20. Basically what i'm saying is it costs me 140 for the first 2, 90 for every pair there on out. That's if I take all the games to trade, which I don't. Instead of me spending 800 bucks a year, I actually spend 600. Since that's 12 games using this method I get a nice 200 dollar break, and the devs actually get more money from me since I can afford 3-4 more games a year.
Shame to see that system go. I have enough at this point that I can buy, depending on PS4 launch price, 4 games. Since i'm not sure there will be any i'm absolutely sold on, i'd like to trade them out. WD's looks good, but i'm not sure, and I like the concept of the Thief game, and whatever the zombie game that i'm drawing a blank on. If I can do the same i've been doing I can take the chance on them with little risk, if not , then I really can't. I'd hate to miss out on another potential Uncharted because I don't want to risk blowing my load prematurely.
You've definitely hit the head here. Retailers usually only have a 1-3% margin on the new games. Also got to keep in mind that Microsoft is known to dole out extra money for exclusives, DLC(timed or whole dlc), Games, and now features with things such as the NFL/fantasy portion costing them around $500 million
PS does the same. The only one who loses is the gamers. Especially for games like COD Zombies where Easter Eggs are a large part of the game. Exclusive DLC also just screws the gamers too. They're usually minimal, like a couple bonus quests, or exclusive weapons.
One last thing. Can't wait until E3 in about 12 hours. Hopefully MS can shut down all these rediculous things, so gamers finally win...
Not much faith though.