Console fragmentation and consequences

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VideoGameCritic
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Console fragmentation and consequences

Postby VideoGameCritic » November 15th, 2016, 6:06 pm

When I first heard there were new versions of the XB1 and PS4 coming out, I took it in stride. They were just tacking on some extra features like 4K support - not a big deal.

Now we're starting to see some unintended consequences:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/11/p ... comments=1

This is worrisome. The great thing about consoles is that their specs are set in stone. Game are designed to spec so they can be relatively bug-free.

But with changing hardware this advantage is fading away. If we're going to have different models, we're drifting toward the highly undesirable PC model - fragmentation.

And it's not just hardware. Every time you connect your console to the Internet, the system software is updating, which may have adverse effects. You never know how it's going to affect your games.

I'm currently playing Deadly Premonition on my PS3 and I notice a lot of video/audio stuttering. Is it because it's the second model PS3? Is it because I don't have the latest system update? These are not things a console owner should be concerned with.

I'd like to hear your thoughts...

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scotland
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Re: Console fragmentation and consequences

Postby scotland » November 15th, 2016, 6:26 pm

I am old 8 bit computer guy, and we saw improved but compatible units not succeed.

Systems like the C64 and Spectrum were very successful, but when upgraded versions, like the C128 and ZX Spectrum +, were released, they did very little. While the initial evolution to 32k, 48k, and 64k was adopted quickly as notable advancements, further ones to 128k or more colors were not. People had a fun system, and there was not a compelling reason to upgrade until it was a significant upgrade.

If the marketplace rejects these small incremental upgrades, then Sony and MS will stop. Not all innovation gets adopted (like mood lights on the side of your tv), or is worth it. If issues like this come out, maybe people will pause and ask why they are paying for a new console, with little benefit with a minor upgrade, and possibly unintended drawbacks, when the old one is chugging along fine.

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Atarifever
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Re: Console fragmentation and consequences

Postby Atarifever » November 15th, 2016, 7:31 pm

Here's the thing, I follow gaming news and personalities pretty well. Generally, when something is a big deal, everyone talks about it, endlessly, whether or not it is something I care about. Aside from some modest, and even then restrained, cheerleading on big sites like IGN, I do not see anyone, anywhere, very excited over either of these upgrades. On a couple podcasts I listen to (Unlocked on IGN and the Kinda Funny Gamescast) some hosts have tried to argue the Scorpio will be a bigger deal than the Neo because it's "more of a jump." I have not seen much of anyone online, and most certainly NO ONE in real life who has been even remotely concerned with either console, let alone the differences between them.

For people wondering what getting concerned with this stuff ends up looking like, I give you this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gohltVrxkP0&t=265s

The percentage of the console market he makes up is, approximately, none percent. Good on him if he wants to get this deep into this stuff, but "ultra tessilations" and "softest shadows" is not going to move units, nor do I even want to need to know what those are to justify a purchase to myself.

Sonicx9
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Re: Console fragmentation and consequences

Postby Sonicx9 » November 15th, 2016, 11:11 pm

Also the PS4 Pros are melting do to tempter issues!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8o7L5XrkdY

It really is showing that consoles are become more like unstable PC every day!

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Rookie1
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Re: Console fragmentation and consequences

Postby Rookie1 » November 16th, 2016, 10:23 am

Sonicx9 wrote:Also the PS4 Pros are melting do to tempter issues!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8o7L5XrkdY

It really is showing that consoles are become more like unstable PC every day!


To be fair, only one single PS4 has been reported as of right now. And it may or may not even be true.

eneuman96
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Re: Console fragmentation and consequences

Postby eneuman96 » November 16th, 2016, 5:02 pm

This is why I'm anticipating the Switch more and more every day. Nintendo may be accused of gimmicks all the time and they may not be perfect in terms of adjusting to the modern game industry, but in this case I definitely see that as a positive. God forbid we wind up with three systems in one generation that have only minuscule differences between one another besides their game libraries.

Fingers dripping ink
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Re: Console fragmentation and consequences

Postby Fingers dripping ink » November 17th, 2016, 3:50 pm

The existence of the upgraded PS4 and XBone is as bad as the 32X. They should have left weel enough alone and let the small minority of people bitching about graphics keep bitching.


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