Slashdot Mirror
On Game Consoles As Multimedia Devices
Thanks to GamesAreFun for their editorial discussing whether the next generation of consoles should have multimedia capabilities, such as DVD playing and TiVo-like functionality, or whether the manufacturers should stick with "a console that just plays games." The author argues that these extra features "...add to the overall cost in the end [through licensing and production costs], to both the manufacturers and to consumers (especially at the launch of the consoles)", suggests that there's "more to worry about insofar as breaking down of moving parts", and concludes, definitively: "Personally, all I want is a dedicated gaming machine."
For the same reason that I don't buy one of those stupid Fax/Scanner/Printer deals either.
You end up with a machine that can do all three but can't do any of them that well.
I'm not willing to sacrifice on quality and end up with something that's the jack of all trades and king of none.
For example, your cellphone probably has a calculator function, right? Is it as good as a proper scientific calculator? No. But it wasn't hard for the cellphone OS manufacturers to add one in, and it is useful. If you need a real calculator, you'll go buy one.
The same is true of game consoles. These are computers that were designed to play games, but it's not too hard for the manufacturer to add features that only require software (like CD/DVD playback, or net access). It doesn't matter that playback is as good as a Denon, or net access isn't as good as on a PC. But it does increase the value of the machine to some people, so it's worth putting in.
Um, yeah: Because it's easy to do and if one of company puts the capability in and others don't, somebody falls behind in the system specs race (ask Sega how that worked out for them).
I envision TiVo-like functionality to be the next "It also plays DVDs!", but would Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft build this type of functionality into a game system? And would such a system stay around the $300 price point that seems to be the new standard?
It depends on how cheap NTSC/MPEG encoding chips are when they're ready to start production, since they can't do it in software without killing game performance.
My personal prediction would be that if Sony likes the financial performance of the PSX they'll offer a special PS3 version with the PVR functionality, separate from the basic PS3 (which will still have at least a small hard drive). Microsoft could either do something similar or once again take huge losses on sales of the next Xbox's hardware - I'd say 50/50 chance either way, though if it's the latter they'll leave the market if they don't get better penetration. There's no way on earth Nintendo will include PVR functionality on a console - they'd go to being a third-party software house first. They just don't have any experience in that market.
"I like the way the PS2 did it better than the X-Box. With the PS2 it was free, no $30 extra (I later bought the PS2 remote when it was onsale for $10 just for convience sake)."
You paid for that feature. It's just that you paid by not having an 8gb HD in your system. The dongle that plugs into the Xbox is not just an IR sensor, it's the complete DVD playback program. The features in it are more complete than the "console only" features in a PS2. The PS2 requires you spend that same US$ 30 on a memory card that's 8megabytes in size, rather than a nice 8gigabyte HD. Failing to acknowledge this is just deluding yourself.
"I personally doubt that the licensing fee added anything significant to the cost of my PS2 or X-Box, maybe $1 at most."
On the Xbox, maybe, but on the PS2, wrong. The DVD CCA licence is more than US$ 1 -- you're deluding yourself.
There are plenty of people who won't acknowledge that the GameCube is a viable console choice because it won't play DVDs. Even though it's 110$ cheaper than PS2 or Xbox, and you can buy for 60$ a superior DVD player that also does video CDs (which no current consoles do), MP3 cds (ditto), and Kodak picture CDs (ditto), among other things.
The DVD player feature was fine when decent DVD players cost a fair chunk of change. Since they now cost the same as a new release video game, it's not a big deal. Only people who don't know anything about DVD players will convince themselves it's worth the extra expense.
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Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
A wallet is a single device that exists for one purpose.
A credit card is as well, it's more like consolidating all your creditcards into one card with 1/3 of the total credit-limit, all your debit cards into the same card but it costs you two dollars for every dollar you spend, all your grocery cards into that one card but it's only good for 3 uses, and all your gas cards into it, but they only work on tuesdays.
Now you have one card, it doesn't work NEARLY as well as the individual cards did, but hey it's only one card. oh yeah, and the plastic is less durable, it biodegrades in less than 3 months sitting in your wallet, the magnetic strip is lower quality as well, it's only good for a few reads.
Although not like a multi-function device, there is truth to what you said before as well. Not even old farmers who refuse to use banks are stupid enough to carry all their cash, cards, id, etc in their wallet. By using a bank you are recognizing that putting all your eggs in one basket is a bad idea. Surely you wouldn't carry ALL of your cards in your wallet either unless you only have one or are incredibly fscking stupid. You carry a small traveling subset, maybe $50, one credit card with sufficient limit in case of an emergency, your debit in case you need more cash, etc.