What if there's no next generation?

[toythatkills]

Does the WiiU not count as next gen?

Of course there will be more Playstations and XBoxes in some form or another in the future, there's so much money to be made in the market. Even if they did drop out there would be another company pop up to carry on the consoles - maybe Apple.

Thus illustrating my point about gamers

[abigsmurf]

Does the WiiU not count as next gen?

Of course there will be more Playstations and XBoxes in some form or another in the future, there's so much money to be made in the market. Even if they did drop out there would be another company pop up to carry on the consoles - maybe Apple.

It might do if Nintendo would actually tell us about it.

They've actually been incredibly silent since it was revealed. Wouldn't suprise me if they're doing a lot of tweaking behind the scenes following its lukewarm unveiling.

[speedlolita]

I have arcades now... so consoles can GTFO.

Hate youu.

I only have modern consoles for fighting games really.

[Fader209]

Thus illustrating my point about gamers

What are the odds of both Microsoft AND Sony pulling out of making consoles?
If one was to then the other would benefit greatly from the lack of competition and carry on the gaming market, thus meaning there will be a Playstation or Xbox of some variety in the future.

[Fader209]

It might do if Nintendo would actually tell us about it.

They've actually been incredibly silent since it was revealed. Wouldn't suprise me if they're doing a lot of tweaking behind the scenes following its lukewarm unveiling.[/spoiler]

They did mess up that unveiling so bad though...everyone was confused! I thought the console was the actual controller at first.

Ah well, if it's only a Wii in HD I will be more than happy.

[toythatkills]

What are the odds of both Microsoft AND Sony pulling out of making consoles?
If one was to then the other would benefit greatly from the lack of competition and carry on the gaming market, thus meaning there will be a Playstation or Xbox of some variety in the future.

There probably will be, I'm not denying that, I just wonder why people assume there will be.

Look at the handheld market. Since apps, it's just not viable any more. 3DS software bombs and the chances are that Vita software will bomb as well, because it's just too expensive. The public doesn't see ?35 for a handheld game as good value any more, so only the hardcore gamers are going to buy a Vita. It's like the industry has regressed ten years or something, and it might turn out to simply not be financially viable.

Now imagine if Apple announced a home games console that used the app store model, that allowed everyone to develop for it and that reduced the accepted price of games suddenly to ?4 from ?40. There'd still be a few games (CoD, FIFA) that could survive at a higher price point, but for most they'd sell at a low price. All of a sudden there's no money to be made from a traditional games console any more. Releasing games in a box at retail suddenly feels ten times more expensive and if the games aren't selling, the consoles aren't selling, and it's widely assumed that manufacturers make a loss on consoles anyway.

So yeah, there probably will be another gen from MS and Sony, but I don't think we can just take it for granted.

[Fader209]

Well you have answered your question yourself then. Even if there isn't anything from MS, Sony or even Nintendo then something new would pop up to fill the gap, not necessarily a console as we think of right now but something different using new tech (maybe that game streaming thing).

It's pretty stupid to think Playstation and Xbox will go on forever and I agree there are muppets out there who think this.

[speedlolita]

I don't think Vita will bomb, because it'll not be rubbish like the 3DS is.

/troll

[toythatkills]

My question really though is "why do people just assume there'll be another Xbox?" etc. Why is nobody entertaining the notion that maybe there won't be another Xbox? Won't be another PS?

Or in the next gen, "what if there's life, Jim, but not as we know it?"

I don't think Vita will bomb, because it'll not be rubbish like the 3DS is.

/troll

I'm sure it's price rather than quality. Oh, that and you'll go blind and DIE if you play a 3DS, of course. (c) The Sun, 2011.

[Guts]

Vita will bomb. Hardcore gamers (like people here) will buy it, but the general public won't.

/prediction

[egparadigm]

There probably will be, I'm not denying that, I just wonder why people assume there will be.

Look at the handheld market. Since apps, it's just not viable any more. 3DS software bombs and the chances are that Vita software will bomb as well, because it's just too expensive. The public doesn't see ?35 for a handheld game as good value any more, so only the hardcore gamers are going to buy a Vita. It's like the industry has regressed ten years or something, and it might turn out to simply not be financially viable.

Now imagine if Apple announced a home games console that used the app store model, that allowed everyone to develop for it and that reduced the accepted price of games suddenly to ?4 from ?40. There'd still be a few games (CoD, FIFA) that could survive at a higher price point, but for most they'd sell at a low price. All of a sudden there's no money to be made from a traditional games console any more. Releasing games in a box at retail suddenly feels ten times more expensive and if the games aren't selling, the consoles aren't selling, and it's widely assumed that manufacturers make a loss on consoles anyway.

So yeah, there probably will be another gen from MS and Sony, but I don't think we can just take it for granted.

It's too early to say if dedicated handheld consoles are dead, although it's not looking good at present.

To answer your question on the release of an Apple home console (more likely a media/entertainment with incidental games) with App Store model: it already exists in the form of XBLA, WiiWare, PSN and Steam. If it becomes dominant we simply will not see so many ?40 games being made, they have huge budgets which could not be sustained at ?4 or less. Not that that bothers me too much; I would like to see the various parts of console games split up, so I could buy a single player game and leave the multiplayer on the shelf. Getting what we pay for would bring down the price a fair bit, though perhaps the total costs would be higher.

[Dogg Thang]

The 3DS should not be taken as evidence that dedicated handhelds are dead because the launch was, in many ways, entirely botched. Now if someone releases a good handheld at a decentish price with good marketing and good range of games and that too bombs, it's time to reach for your END IS NIGH boards. But the 3DS launch says more about how not to launch a handheld than it does about the actual state of the market.

[Neon Ignition]

I think the main reason why everyone just assumes there'll be another Xbox or PS console is purely because of the point we're at in the cycle, it's basically a given by now that there will be just like it's a given that there won't be an Apple console. That said, you'd expect some comments as the usual Nintendo 3rd party discussions show there's a mass of people out there with zero understanding of how the big 3 are doing right now.

[Team Andromeda]

I would be happy with no next-next-gen. I have enough to play.

I really don't know why people say this,even in the SNES and Mega Drive days there were so many classics and great games out, that I'll be shocked it anyone played each of them to the finish and if was hard to keep up Of one looks at the amount of classics out for the PS/P2 it's next to impossible to play each of those console classic games to the finish .

If most people think like that, we'll never have moved on.

My question really though is "why do people just assume there'll be another Xbox?" etc. Why is nobody entertaining the notion that maybe there won't be another Xbox? Won't be another PS

That is like saying they'll be no new GPU, or GPU or Window . If developers are making money and getting market share they'll want to hang on to that and build on it, you don't don't that by standing still. For every system they comes a time that a upgrade is needed even for your mobile.

I'm sure inthe Future though Streaming like OnLive mode will the best future in a couple of generations

[Neon Ignition]

I've managed to work my way through everything I wanted to play for Xbox and Cube but it took forever with still the epic PS2 to go so I wouldn't want or expect companies to wait that long to release new hardware. New hardware should just come when the current systems are exhausted and the majority of the consumer market is asking for it, a point we're not yet at.

As for streaming, I expect it will have a big part to play but I'm not convinced it's the future. Online solutions never fully pan out and by the time it gets properly settled there'll be some other 'future' being touted.