Recently, the "I-probably-talk-about-them-too-much" video game company Valve Software debunked the swirling whirlpool of rumors around every news site that they were not making their own video game console. They were merely building PCs to test out the new "big picture" interface they're making for Steam.
Obviously, the picture above is unrelated to Valve. However, the iPad does relate to this news in a way. Many of Apple's products have become a new ground for gaming with its app store, currently receiving its fifty billionth download. It's more popular than any console or PC right now, and that alone is enough to say it has relevance in gaming culture.
However, there's several games that are crossing between consoles, mobile versions, and PC. Who's to say that this can't be for all games and all developers? The PC is already a platform that is like this, but not all developers make a PC version of their games.
As we move into the future, all of our media sources are being converged to the same portable devices. All smart phones today usually have some sort of internet browser, an app store for games and helpful tools, a way to call people (it's supposed to be a phone, remember?), daily news and events, weather, traffic, e-mail, and anything else a typical workaholic needs to survive other than dispensing coffee. What if all video games from all companies and developers ran on one single console? PCs can still be there for those with a preference, but what if Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 games all played on the same plastic box?
It would certainly be good for us gamers, because no matter what flavor of games we wanted, be it M-rated and hardcore or E-rated and casual, we would only have to buy one box for them. Developers and publishers would be happier too with only one console format to learn and possibly one manufacturer to deal with. Then again, with only one box, the price would skyrocket, and it might be even worse than that considering what hell the profits would be split into, even if one company did the manufacturing.
Overall, it's an interesting concept, and with the digital cloud on the distant horizon ready to put a twist on the way we know technology, it'll be a future worth seeing.
(Or we'll all just die come December when the world ends... AHAHA. NO.)
A consolidated box-o-awesome would be wonderful, especially if it was entirely based on online and easily accessible content. I mean, there are thousands of new PS3, Xbox and Wii games out there plus who knows how many Indie (<3) games waiting in the wings. If somehow the gaming world could put aside their differences and create the gaming platform of the century, I'd be the first one in line.
ReplyDeleteNow if you'll excuse me, I have to iron my 'I survived the apocalypse (again)' t-shirt and vacuum my doom's day bunker.