Why console gaming is dying - CNN

[Gamevet]

Apple does it every year with $200+ iPhones and $500+ iPads.

Yeah, but you're talking about social networking vs. gaming. Social networking is much larger than gaming.

My wife doesn't play games at all, but she's always on her iphone checking out facebook and email.

[buzz_n64]

I think the market is over saturated with shooters and sports games like fighting games were in the 90's. Hopefully interest will dissipate over the next generation. Late 70's/Early 80's had space shooters, 80's had platformers, 90's fighting games, 2000's fps games. This has currently been the longest trend in genres and consoles, so no wonder everyone already has a system and Call it Doody 15 or whatever is the years supposed new innovative fps game.

[Gameguy]

Yeah, but you're talking about social networking vs. gaming. Social networking is much larger than gaming.

My wife doesn't play games at all, but she's always on her iphone checking out facebook and email.

I'm pretty sure that was his point. It wasn't that people couldn't afford buying new consoles or games to upgrade technology, it's that they'd rather spend their money on something else other than video games.

[Gamevet]

I'm pretty sure that was his point. It wasn't that people couldn't afford buying new consoles or games to upgrade technology, it's that they'd rather spend their money on something else other than video games.

I understand what his point was, but trying to sell an expensive item to a group that might have a couple of million early adopters, is a bigger gamble than releasing an item that may have an early adopter size in the 10s of millions. There's like a billion Facebook users alone and everyone has a cell phone. It's easier for someone to justify a $300 purchase for an item that they'll use everyday. It's a little harder to convince someone to spend that much on something they may only have a casual interest in.

[chilimac]

This article claims the solution is to casualize gaming even further. In my opinion, that is the opposite of what needs to be done to save console gaming.

The problem with the industry is that it has shifted its focus of making games that appeal to gamers, to those that appeal to casuals; and they've done so by removing the challenge from video games and then enhancing the graphics and story so that video games play more like interactive films.

This shift from gameplay to graphics being the selling point of console games is where the problem lies.

The decline of video game sales can be attributed to two things... 1) Hardcore gamers are buying fewer games because there a fewer games being made that appeal to them, and 2) Casual gamers are getting bored with the outdated graphics of current consoles. Most people would say that the solution is simple, just release new consoles. But the problem with that is, in order for the next-gen of consoles to be so impressive graphically that they'll make old experiences feel fresh again and reinvigorate casual gamer interest, they'll have to be much more powerful than usual, which will only make them unaffordable for the mass market. So what will happen instead is console manufacturers will make their consoles less powerful and more affordable, which will only lead to the casual gamer losing further interest in gaming.

Bottom Line: The graphics well is drying up. The game industry will have to make a shift back to gameplay-driven games that are designed for real gamers, or else the industry will collapse.

[The 1 2 P]

How can the article say this:

Consider this: Dedicated gaming sales — including living-room consoles and handhelds — are in the midst of a four-year tailspin. You might say that's because of a bad economy, but then you'd have to explain why movie revenue and cable TV subscriptions have largely stayed the same.

...while completely ignoring video game digital sales but in the very next article say this:

Or why music sales, gutted by online streaming and piracy, have held up better than slumping sales of console games. Or why the popularity of social, mobile and PC games have skyrocketed to unthinkable heights.

I'm not saying that NPD monthly brick and morter video game sales haven't declined over the last few years but once you add in all the digital sales that have taken place in that time frame on consoles, handhelds and pc(including Walmart sales which have only just been added to monthly video game sales this year) and you have a completely different picture. Add to that the fact of the industry being into the well documented transitional period of ending one gen and starting up a new one and you'll see that the industry isn't doing nearly as bad as what some of the naysayers think. But of course theres always room for improvement.

On a final note, if PC gaming is still alive and well(the death of PC gaming has always been a popular topic over the last decade) then console gaming will NEVER die. It will just continue to evolve more and start to include even more multi media interfaces in the near future.

[Gameguy]

I understand what his point was, but trying to sell an expensive item to a group that might have a couple of million early adopters, is a bigger gamble than releasing an item that may have an early adopter size in the 10s of millions. There's like a billion Facebook users alone and everyone has a cell phone. It's easier for someone to justify a $300 purchase for an item that they'll use everyday. It's a little harder to convince someone to spend that much on something they may only have a casual interest in.

I'm not sure why you have the word "but" in there, you're just posting examples of why Rob2600 is correct with what he said. That word is used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned, not to agree with it.

This article claims the solution is to casualize gaming even further. In my opinion, that is the opposite of what needs to be done to save console gaming.

The problem with the industry is that it has shifted its focus of making games that appeal to gamers, to those that appeal to casuals; and they've done so by removing the challenge from video games and then enhancing the graphics and story so that video games play more like interactive films.

This shift from gameplay to graphics being the selling point of console games is where the problem lies.

The decline of video game sales can be attributed to two things... 1) Hardcore gamers are buying fewer games because there a fewer games being made that appeal to them, and 2) Casual gamers are getting bored with the outdated graphics of current consoles. Most people would say that the solution is simple, just release new consoles. But the problem with that is, in order for the next-gen of consoles to be so impressive graphically that they'll make old experiences feel fresh again and reinvigorate casual gamer interest, they'll have to be much more powerful than usual, which will only make them unaffordable for the mass market. So what will happen instead is console manufacturers will make their consoles less powerful and more affordable, which will only lead to the casual gamer losing further interest in gaming.

Bottom Line: The graphics well is drying up. The game industry will have to make a shift back to gameplay-driven games that are designed for real gamers, or else the industry will collapse.

I'm not sure if the problem is really with so called casual games, they're basically like Atari 2600 games that were made 30 years ago. How many of those games were deep for serious players? They were mostly just quick games to play by yourself for 20 minutes if you have nothing better to do or with a friend to kill some time. At that time consoles were aimed at general consumers, not a niche market. Maybe more people are wanting to go back to those types of games, if so that shouldn't be something to just ignore.

I'm not saying that's what I want with new games. For me personally there's really not that much I want with games that haven't already been made in some form, even if I haven't played them yet they're already out there. Strictly for business they need to switch focus on the younger crowd again. Keep making new games for children, 5 years later when they've moved onto other things release a new console for the next generation of kids who would be unfamiliar with previous games. Parents mostly just buy current things available in stores rather than buy older things, other than to just save money by buying older products used. Older teens and adults have already played most of these games, why would they want to play the same things again for full price? There have always been games focused on older audiences, but this has always been a niche market with a lower demand that worked because fewer developers were making games for this market. Now this seems to be the main focus of almost all developers, I just don't see how a niche market can support a whole major industry. While I know most players are in their 30's(I think I remember this correctly) I'm assuming most of these people are playing older consoles rather than focusing mostly on current ones, and mostly buy games used rather than new at full price.

[kedawa]

Every serious gamer has a backlog of games, and the ones that are smart have the patience to wait for price drops.
I think it's getting harder to get blockbuster sales with anything that isn't on par with CoD or Halo in terms of marketing and fanbase.

[Gamevet]

I'm not sure why you have the word "but" in there, you're just posting examples of why Rob2600 is correct with what he said. That word is used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned, not to agree with it.

Bojay said that in this economy it's hard to sell new gaming hardware every year. Rob2600 pointed out that Apple can sell the latest iphone and ipad at those prices. So yes, I agree with Rob2600 that Apple is able to sell those devices, even though the economy isn't that great. A lot of people don't see the purchase of an iphone or ipad as just a purchase with expendable income; they see the purchase as more of a necessity, since it's a part of their everyday life. Purchasing a game console, a flat panel television, or a new camera isn't looked at in the same manner. Purchasing an iphone or ipad is now considered on par with having a phone in your home, everyone needs that sort of device to communicate with the outside world, and function within it. I know that not having my iphone for a day would really compromise not only my ability to keep in touch with people, it would effect my job as well. I can't say the same for something like a game console or television.

[Edmond Dantes]

This article claims the solution is to casualize gaming even further. In my opinion, that is the opposite of what needs to be done to save console gaming.

As I implied earlier, my problem with this line of thinking is the notion that "casual gaming" is a recent trend. For christmas' sakes, the gaming industry was BUILT on casual games--Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Lode Runner, Tetris, the list goes on and on...

I'm in disagreement with you in a sense--I do feel appealing to casuals is a good thing. Or rather, there needs to be an in-between. Like how Street Fighter II or Othello are both relatively simple games to pick up and play, but there's also plenty of depth to keep a more hardcore player happy. It seems to me that more modern games tend to be black or white--they either cater so much to the hardcore that they alienate casuals, or they're so casual that they're almost like an Atari 2600 game. What the force needs is balance.

[Ryudo]

lol at an article from CNN. A bunch of people who know nothing about gaming. Consoles are not going anywhere.

[Gameguy]

Bojay said that in this economy it's hard to sell new gaming hardware every year. Rob2600 pointed out that Apple can sell the latest iphone and ipad at those prices. So yes, I agree with Rob2600 that Apple is able to sell those devices, even though the economy isn't that great. A lot of people don't see the purchase of an iphone or ipad as just a purchase with expendable income; they see the purchase as more of a necessity, since it's a part of their everyday life. Purchasing a game console, a flat panel television, or a new camera isn't looked at in the same manner. Purchasing an iphone or ipad is now considered on par with having a phone in your home, everyone needs that sort of device to communicate with the outside world, and function within it. I know that not having my iphone for a day would really compromise not only my ability to keep in touch with people, it would effect my job as well. I can't say the same for something like a game console or television.

It's still not a literal necessity, it's a product of convenience. Major appliances would be a necessity, though with these people tend to replace them only when they break down. How often do people upgrade home telephones or answering machines? Our home phones are well over 15 years old at this point, they're probably even older but I can't remember when we got them.

People may not look at smart phones and tablets the same way as game consoles or televisions, but they're basically the same. You can still use an older model phone and basically accomplish the same things, there's no reason to upgrade to a more recent model besides personal preference. People would rather buy a new smart phone than a new video game console, it's just something that more people would rather own as they're more desirable products. They're still not a necessity.

[Gunstar Hero]

Im not a kid, but I bet there are a lot that are hyped, maybe moms too, and preorders were through the roof apparently. Its a new game console so of course theres hype, but for this system the people who are most excited I bet dont log onto forums in droves talking about how much they want it. People have told me when I complain about the Wii U name that Nintendo would be fools if they threw out the successful brand name, but shouldnt, you know, NINTENDO be the bigger name? To people who love the Wii they love Wii casual games, Mario is a Nintendo character and not a big deal to casual game lovers.

Halo 4 though I bet its because another company is making it.

I'm 15 and have many friends who actually were very excited about the new Halo 4 but see the Wii U as another "casual" console that they think will only be fun to younger kids. I barely have heard anyone mention it and when they did it was mostly negative. I can't blame them though, I mean if they used normal controllers similar to the "Wii Classic Controller Pro" I would be 100% on board, but they added the tablet controllers and to me it just dosent feel like gaming anymore. My friends agree that the tablet style controllers are too obscure and make it feel like smartphone gaming, not good ol traditional gaming.

[Bojay1997]

It's still not a literal necessity, it's a product of convenience. Major appliances would be a necessity, though with these people tend to replace them only when they break down. How often do people upgrade home telephones or answering machines? Our home phones are well over 15 years old at this point, they're probably even older but I can't remember when we got them.

People may not look at smart phones and tablets the same way as game consoles or televisions, but they're basically the same. You can still use an older model phone and basically accomplish the same things, there's no reason to upgrade to a more recent model besides personal preference. People would rather buy a new smart phone than a new video game console, it's just something that more people would rather own as they're more desirable products. They're still not a necessity.

Actually, nothing you listed is a necessity. I know plenty of people who don't have working refrigerators/washers/driers/microwaves/stoves, etc...They just go out to eat every night and take their clothes to a laundromat. The point is that people see smart phones and tablets differently than they see video game consoles. Part of it may be that the wireless carriers have built in a two year replacement cycle based on both feature improvements and subsidies. It also makes a difference that some people don't even have landlines anymore (I know I don't and probably half of my friends don't), so a cell phone really is pretty critical. I know I use my smartphone for work and receive reimbursement partially of my bill for doing so. I have a number of friends who receive the same type of subsidy from their employers. In bad economic times, people view cell phones and to a lesser extent tablets as devices that are necessary to them. I even have unemployed friends who perceive their smartphones and tablets as critical to finding and keeping a new job. A video game console doesn't have that same type of perceived value. As such, the economy did and will impact video game and console sales far more than it will phone and tablet sales.

[Gamevet]

Actually, nothing you listed is a necessity. I know plenty of people who don't have working refrigerators/washers/driers/microwaves/stoves, etc...They just go out to eat every night and take their clothes to a laundromat. The point is that people see smart phones and tablets differently than they see video game consoles. Part of it may be that the wireless carriers have built in a two year replacement cycle based on both feature improvements and subsidies. It also makes a difference that some people don't even have landlines anymore (I know I don't and probably half of my friends don't), so a cell phone really is pretty critical. I know I use my smartphone for work and receive reimbursement partially of my bill for doing so. I have a number of friends who receive the same type of subsidy from their employers. In bad economic times, people view cell phones and to a lesser extent tablets as devices that are necessary to them. I even have unemployed friends who perceive their smartphones and tablets as critical to finding and keeping a new job. A video game console doesn't have that same type of perceived value. As such, the economy did and will impact video game and console sales far more than it will phone and tablet sales.

Yep!

My cell phone is my GPS, technical support and a tool used in my field of work. My company just did a rollout for Chase Bank that required us to take pictures of our before and after work, and we were required to email those photos to the project lead before we could leave the site. The phone I had a year and a half ago couldn't do those functions. I'm seriously thinking about upgrading from my 3GS iphone to a better model, because my wife's phone is starting to have problems, and the apps are starting to put too much stress on the phone I have. The upgrade won't cost much, since I'm do for a phone upgrade soon through my carrier contract.

[Gameguy]

Actually, nothing you listed is a necessity. I know plenty of people who don't have working refrigerators/washers/driers/microwaves/stoves, etc...They just go out to eat every night and take their clothes to a laundromat.

That description could also apply to the homeless, or even the extremely rich if they chose to live solely out of hotels. If someone was a nudist and rich enough they wouldn't even need clothing as they'd never have to leave their property. Or the amish could live without electricity or any of those things(except for clothing).


I don't have any of the current consoles, or any smart phone. I can read a map so I don't need a GPS either. A smart phone isn't something I need so I don't consider it a necessity or even something so standard that people are just expected to own them. My current cell phone is at least 4-5 years old by now, it's still working and does everything I need it to so I don't consider modern smart phones wearing out or breaking down in a couple of years to just be normal. I might as well mention that my phone does have a built in camera and pictures can be sent as an email just like text messages can, I don't really use these features but older phones are still capable of doing these things(though probably not as convenient compared to modern phones). I'm sure plenty of people can't live without a modern console as that's their Netflix box, but that's not for me either. I still consider them as optional products to spend disposable income on, they're not bills or taxes or other non-optional costs. If you'd rather buy a new smart phone than a new console it's not because one is more necessary than the other, it's that one is simply a more useful product that more people want so they'd rather spend their money on that. It's not because they have to buy one. Why not settle with an older phone for a few more years and buy a new console instead? People would rather just have a new phone as they'd enjoy it more.

Of course there are certain jobs that require the use of smart phones, but I doubt that there would be so many that it would affect the sales of smart phones overpowering the sales of consoles. Most people using smart phones aren't doing so for work, it's just for personal use.

[Gamevet]

Reading a map and driving around NYC was not what I'd call wise. I had to buy the map and then try to follow it while driving. I guess the map really wasn't a necessity, I would have eventually found my way through other means.

[RCM]

Actually, nothing you listed is a necessity. The point is that people see smart phones and tablets differently than they see video game consoles.

They sure do. I don't mind spending $700 on an iPad when I know I'm not going to be spending much more on apps. That's a major distinction for me and iOS games continue to get better and better. The fact that they'll also work on my iPhone is a major plus too.

[Graham Mitchell]

This article claims the solution is to casualize gaming even further. In my opinion, that is the opposite of what needs to be done to save console gaming.

The problem with the industry is that it has shifted its focus of making games that appeal to gamers, to those that appeal to casuals; and they've done so by removing the challenge from video games and then enhancing the graphics and story so that video games play more like interactive films.

This shift from gameplay to graphics being the selling point of console games is where the problem lies.

The decline of video game sales can be attributed to two things... 1) Hardcore gamers are buying fewer games because there a fewer games being made that appeal to them, and 2) Casual gamers are getting bored with the outdated graphics of current consoles. Most people would say that the solution is simple, just release new consoles. But the problem with that is, in order for the next-gen of consoles to be so impressive graphically that they'll make old experiences feel fresh again and reinvigorate casual gamer interest, they'll have to be much more powerful than usual, which will only make them unaffordable for the mass market. So what will happen instead is console manufacturers will make their consoles less powerful and more affordable, which will only lead to the casual gamer losing further interest in gaming.

Bottom Line: The graphics well is drying up. The game industry will have to make a shift back to gameplay-driven games that are designed for real gamers, or else the industry will collapse.

This is my sentiment as well, though I don't think the industry is going to collapse.

There are some cool looking games on the horizon, but they won't be out until way after Christmas.

This makes me wonder If the hype machine actually backfires, causing people to not buy anything now because they're waiting for what's ahead.

Game informer and other media outlets will announce these games years before they're released. I think it's going on 3 years since I saw the first bio shock infinite trailer. It's ridiculous.

[kedawa]

Smartphones don't last 15 years.