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Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 2nd, 2007, 8:56 am
by Steerforth
http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25736714&sid=6173352&om_act=convert&om_clk=newstop&tag=newstop;title;8 80 percent of consoles in households can play DVDs or have the ability to download and watch films from the Net. 30 percent of those surveyed were aware that their console could play movies, and less than half of those--some 13 percent--had actually done so. The report's author, Dale Gilliam III, commented, "Today's next-generation games consoles, such as the Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation 3, are true digital multimedia powerhouses. Yet very few of these devices are connected to the Internet, and even though these same platforms may feature a high-definition DVD playback system, very few consumers are using them for nongaming media applications He goes on to blame it partially on "lack of awareness", lol. Steerforth calls it apathy. I mean, half the people who
do know don't take advantage of it, and if the rest of this crowd is so clueless than it wasn't a priority when they laid down their money in the first place. So they either don't need it or more likely it is already been accounted for by another device.
And you thought Nintendo was being cheap by not providing DVD playback, internet, and massive hardrives all these years!
I know I've never played a DVD in
any of my game systems! I am a
true gamer!
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 2nd, 2007, 1:42 pm
by feilong801
That's a great report because it confirms something I've always known anecdotally: lots and lots of features do not really make a great product.
When I first heard about the 360 movie download service, I immediately moved my system from my game room (well, it was going to become a baby room anyway!) to the living room because my wife and I both like to watch movies.
We have used the service a whopping ZERO times since then. It is partially because the movie library is limited, but also because the download times you have to wait and the price is steep (when compared to what we spend for the Blockbuster/Netflix service we use).
The only extra feature I use on the 360 is the custom music lists.... but that is only because the music in some games (MLB 2k7, Forza 2) is terrible.
-Rob
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 2nd, 2007, 4:21 pm
by VideoGameCritic
I've been saying this for a while also. I've had a Blu Ray player in my PS3 for 6 months but have yet to bother with it.
Only a small population of techno-geeks really make use of the extensive multimedia features of the PSP or PS3. Yet Sony unwisely bet the bank that it would propell the system to greatness. Dumb!
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 2nd, 2007, 7:01 pm
by Michael D
[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]I've been saying this for a while also. I've had a Blu Ray player in my PS3 for 6 months but have yet to bother with it.
Only a small population of techno-geeks really make use of the extensive multimedia features of the PSP or PS3. Yet Sony unwisely bet the bank that it would propell the system to greatness. Dumb!
[/QUOTE]
Well, to be fair, the PS2's DVD player did help the DVD market, particularly in Japan, so I can understand why Sony tried the same thing with PS3 and Blu-Ray, even though it didn't work out.
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 5th, 2007, 4:21 pm
by ActRaiser1
I use my 360 to watch DVDs for the simple reason that I've run out of component inputs on my switchbox. I also use the 360 as a music server when friends come over as the lightshow on it is way better than anything else available.
For giggles I threw in a Police CD into my Wii this weekend. Would you believe it wouldn't recognize a regular audio CD? Seriously, that's just plain weird. Every CD based gaming system plays audio CDs but not the Wii. How is that even possible? I can watch YouTube clips but not listen to a CD. Weird...
Bud
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 5th, 2007, 7:11 pm
by a1
[QUOTE=ActRaiser]
For giggles I threw in a Police CD into my Wii this weekend. Would you believe it wouldn't recognize a regular audio CD? Seriously, that's just plain weird. Every CD based gaming system plays audio CDs but not the Wii. How is that even possible? I can watch YouTube clips but not listen to a CD. Weird...
Bud
[/QUOTE]
Well, if they're not including DVD I can't imagine they'd bother with CDs. Really, how many people would even utilize that function?
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 5th, 2007, 7:45 pm
by Sudz1
I used to play CD's on my Playstation back in the day only because it was in a convenient place already for me when I wanted to study and have background music on. Aside from that though, I've never used any console to watch a movie or download anything but added game content. Call it what you like but Americans simply like to have their techno-gadgets specific for a given task and have never taken to multi-use toys like cell phones that can also play music.
Sudz
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 5th, 2007, 7:54 pm
by Sudz1
[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]I've been saying this for a while also. I've had a Blu Ray player in my PS3 for 6 months but have yet to bother with it.
Only a small population of techno-geeks really make use of the extensive multimedia features of the PSP or PS3. Yet Sony unwisely bet the bank that it would propell the system to greatness. Dumb!
[/QUOTE]
More and more though I've come to realize that Sony's ultimate strategy was simply to push Blu-Ray as the next DVD format in order to start making a larger profit by their movie division. I think they're actually prepared to take big losses with the PS3 as a gaming system so long as it helps cement Blu-Ray over HD-DVD, and thus makes them massive profits with all the movies they own the IP for. And, it appears to be working; BluRay is almost certainly now going to be the dominant format over HD-DVD.
Sudz
Report finds multimedia features in consoles underutilized, overrated.
Posted: July 6th, 2007, 5:05 am
by Funkmaster V
[QUOTE=Sudz]I used to play CD's on my Playstation back in the day only because it was in a convenient place already for me when I wanted to study and have background music on. Aside from that though, I've never used any console to watch a movie or download anything but added game content. Call it what you like but Americans simply like to have their techno-gadgets specific for a given task and have never taken to multi-use toys like cell phones that can also play music.
Sudz
[/QUOTE]
My thoughts to a tee. Why bother with a crappy DVD player or a crappy MP3 player when I have a deluxe DVD player and an ipod. Woot
Funk