Could Wii casual gaming signal the end for games consoles?
The Wii has had and is having a massive impact on the games industry. Here is a small, cheap to produce, fun, and easy to play console which is beating its technically superior rivals in to the ground. But its impact could go beyond merely this generation. Could it be that casual gaming, helped by the Wii, will kill off games consoles as we know them for good?
Despite what some people may think, each of the three home consoles competing in this generation is very different.
The Xbox 360 is a pure games console, dedicated to providing gamers with the best game experiences currently possible. The PS3 is doing the same for games as the PS3: pushing the graphical envelope, but it’s also added a multimedia element to proceedings by coming with a Blu-ray player. And last but not least, the Wii has offered a return to simple fun gaming while pushing for a new control system to replace the traditional joystick/joypad/handheld controller that’s been present since the days of Pong.
The Wii has also dragged casual gamers kicking and screaming in to the world of gaming. And that could have repercussions for years to come. John Welch, CEO of PlayFirst, a company offering casual online games for all to play, recently spoke to VentureBeat about how he foresees the death of home consoles.
I think the console is going to be over as we knew it previously. They’re expensive to make, there is no real need for them. The historic justification of the console was one-to-one with interactive entertainment in the living room, because video games were the only form of interactive entertainment.
Now as you look to personal media, Hollywood media and even TV shows becoming more interactive, oh and video game also, and the increasing compute power, storage and connectivity of this beautiful display on the wall that’s not just a gaming platform, that’s a multimedia platform. So I think we see the console hardcore gamer being more of a niche at that platform.
I think the biggest proof point in the death of consoles in my thesis is the Wii. The most successful, most difficult to acquire console in this generation is at least a generation old in hardware. The advances are in software and peripherals. Why do you need a box for that? If the real expansion is occurring because of what Nintendo has done, why do we even need a console?
The technology could be adapted to run on your average set top box, at least in the next generation of set top boxes. How much would it cost to integrate Wii-like technology into a set top box, if anything even needs to be specialized? What we really need are more standards around the input devices.
The man has a point, or indeed a few points. Firstly, consoles are very expensive to make, with the Wii the only current gen console to actually be making money on the hardware side of things. With the PS3 and Xbox 360 likely to end up costing their manufacturers money to even exist, why would either Sony or Microsoft want to do it all over again?
The Wii has proved that building a successful games machine isn’t about increasing the graphical capabilities or throwing new technology at the task. Instead, games can be enjoyed by more people by staying simple and fun. And if that’s the case, who needs a games console?
If anything, the PS3 proves this as well, because by including a Blu-ray player as standard, Sony has shown its desire to move away from simply offering a games console in favour of offering an all singing, all dancing multimedia hub for your living room.
Casual games could be about to signal the end of games consoles as we know it, because the future is likely going to see us all having set-top boxes that provide us with digital television, movie downloads, and games in the one package.
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26 Responses to “Could Wii casual gaming signal the end for games consoles?”
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September 30th, 2008
Dave
Perhaps the Wii could have the adverse effect? People get into casual gaming, see they enjoy it, take a step up into more “hardcore games” just as a try, see they like it and before you know it they’re addicted. I think there’s always going to be a games console, not necessarily the wide berth of consoles we all enjoy today. The competition is so stiff and as you mentioned the costs of making and R&D are so great, companies cant compete against competition like the Wii. I think either Microsoft of Sony will have to throw the towel in, and the winner to enjoy the scraps of war with Hardcore gamers following the company to avoid the childish image of the Wii. But the major manufacturers of the major consoles (bar the Wii) have realised that to make a successful console, they must explore other alternative uses for their consoles apart from Gaming.
September 30th, 2008
Does anybody actually KNOW anyone who has become a gamer because of the Wii? Enjoying Wii Sports and Mario Party does not make someone a gamer…
-Arvis
September 30th, 2008
Arivs
Agreed.
September 30th, 2008
CDA
Thnaks!
-Arivs
September 30th, 2008
That guy is brain dead.
They always loose on hardware at first. And they still do it. Eventually production costs drop enough to be profitable.
And adding the wii stuff into a TV wouldn’t satisfy the hard-core market. Do you think MS and Sony will ignore that market? I can see if both exist.
Also TV and peripherals don’t mix. Look at the TV DVD VCR combos. I wouldn’t buy one if I was paid to.
If the TV dies then you loose your DVD player or vice versa. No one fixes TVs or DVDs now days the replace them. Why pay more for a TV that has a WII in it and then have to the same if the TV dies. Also The Life span of the TV is longer then the consol.
This Article is retarded.
September 30th, 2008
I figure they’ll just cater for both.
Well, I hope…
September 30th, 2008
Ever since I got my PS3 my Wii has been sitting there collecting dust. The Wii is a fad … nobody got rid of their running shoes because Crocs came out. You’ve got my vote for dumbest article ever.
September 30th, 2008
WTF is a Wii? Oh i remember now a crappy little toy for idiots who love playing mini games with the worst geeky awkward controller scheme and terrible sound also awful dated graphics and no true next gen potential or hardware just like Xbox pure gimmick in the end PS3 is the future the best we don’t have to lie to consumers to buy crap we got the real next gen DREAM PS3 nothing better.
October 1st, 2008
I also love cocks.
October 1st, 2008
Affirmative
October 1st, 2008
I agree partly with Dave – I think the Wii can get ‘casual’ gamers more interested in the hardcore stuff. I own both a Wii and PS3. I got the Wii first and I play the stuff like Metroid, Mario, Smash Bros…but my family played all the casual stuff. Once I bought my PS3, my Dad saw me playing COD4 and playing with his mate from work. And now, he playes almost every evening! And for someone who used to hate gaming, that’s a pretty good turnaround.
I definitely don’t think the Wii spells the end of consoles like the 360 etc. If you look at the size of Microsoft and Sony, they can afford to make a loss on the hardware and make money later, they are investing in their brand identity and Sony stands to benefit from the Blu-Ray side of things. So def not the end, just an evolution of consoles as we know them.
October 1st, 2008
amen brother tictac.
October 1st, 2008
The Wii, as its inept name implies, is for kids. As we all know kids grow up and get into better things.
I for one would rather downgrade to an Xbox 360 rather than give up my PS3 for a Wee. No offence intended to Xbox360 fans by the way – just illustrating a point.
October 1st, 2008
You guys are very small minority. Sorry but Majority rules and that is proven with the Wii sales records. Nintendo doesn’t give a shit that you don’t like their consol. They didn’t expect to please everyone.
The wii gets plenty of playtime in my house and always will. I have kids that love it.
I will get the ps3 eventually and be in the minority with you guys.
October 1st, 2008
Who said we ever wanted to be in the majority?
Majority sucks, see : Hollywood.
October 1st, 2008
Wii has always been trash just like the Xbox 360.
October 1st, 2008
Look at the billions of dollars people are spending on gaming right now. That should clearly tell you that consoles are not going away.
I wish there was a way of nowing the average user time spent on Wii’s. I bet after the first month (maybe even a week) of owning a Wii the usage drops more than any other console. It reminds me of a kid who really wants a toy, and so you buy it for him and he wants to take it to bed with him so it doesn’t leave his site and a week later he doesn’t play with it anymore.
October 1st, 2008
Wow, Wii is kicking ass and taking names and has sold a good amount of games and units.
Every system has it’s faults, you PS3 fanboys on here need to get the hell out. Seriously, you can’t even catch up to the 360. Until that day, which won’t come, don’t talk shit about the Wii.
PS3 games sales are low, 2.5 million for Resistance? and that was a launch title…lol
360 has the only chance at catching Wii, PS3 is going to have to settle for third. Don’t give us none of this, PS3 is the future shit either. PS2 is still selling, yeah that’s all well and good. It’s not part of this gen though and this gen is going to either the 360 or Wii, your PS3 can go on selling as much as it wants to after that but it doesn’t matter.
October 1st, 2008
I love cocks more than IVAN!
October 1st, 2008
A video game company that’s successful in the video game industry equals the death of the video game industry?
You heard it here folks, pack it up. The dream is over.
October 1st, 2008
How is the wii at least a generation behind when it is more powerful than the gamecube, which was more powerful than the PS2?
And the historic justification of consoles were to allow one to play arcade games at home and not in arcades.
And multimedia? His point being the Wii? The console that lacks DVD-playback? A hard-drive?
And it doesn’t matter if they put the technology in TVs, they still need developers to make good games. And furthermore that technology is not going to innovate, there will be no reason for TV-manufactures to have Research and Development departments that work on innovating new gameplay ideas and new IPs.
I’m sorry Mr. CEO, you’re argument is contradictory, uniformed, and unrealistic.
October 1st, 2008
The comment section just reeks of Sony fanboyism. Some people around here needs to take a shower. Fast!
October 2nd, 2008
I think I understand what the writer was trying to get at, but it doesn’t really make sense. But we’re here discussing it in any case.
The comment earlier is correct…the ‘hardcore’ are in the minority. However, that minority was around in the 70s, 80s, 90s and up till now. The market has expanded and even been diluted somewhat with big publishers wanting to cash in on the casual sector, but the hardcore minority were catered for in the decades previously and so I hardly think ‘hardcore’ gaming and development will disappear. Not unless the market does.
October 2nd, 2008
Good article, but I’m not sure I think hard core gaming is dead. Sure the Wii has seen some unbelievable sales. But over the course of the last few years, there have been some record breaking sales in hard core games. Look at the Sales of Grand theft Auto 4, Halo 3, Metal Gear 4, Call of Duty 4, and Madden, etc… all of those tiles were from PS3 and 360 sales. The games are not possible on the Wii (Madden for Wii was scaled down of coarse).
And the future for the true next gen consoles (PS3 & 360) looks really bright: Gears 2, Little Big Planet, Fall Out 3, Left 4 Dead, Dead Space, Mirror’s edge, Resistance 2, Resadent Evil 5, etc, etc, etc…. None of which are possible on the Wii.
October 2nd, 2008
Also just reading the comments section… I’m not sure how/why this turned into a fanboy war of Sony vs 360?.. This article was more about the two vs the Wii. PS3 and 360 share most of the hard core multiplatform releases. Sure they both end of with there own exclusives… but they are more similar to each other than the Wii. The Wii is more of a casual gamer’s platform. It’s not a bad thing… I actually really like the Wii. I however really dislike the fact that good games may be dumbed down to suit the masses in the name of making sales.
October 4th, 2008
“The man has a point, or indeed a few points. Firstly, consoles are very expensive to make, with the Wii the only current gen console to actually be making money on the hardware side of things. With the PS3 and Xbox 360 likely to end up costing their manufacturers money to even exist, why would either Sony or Microsoft want to do it all over again?” – once again, davep tells the world he has no knowledge of this industry.
say it with me, kiddo.. “razor to razorblade business model”. i swear, they’ll let any moron with a pc write for this site…
ps…it’s ALWAYS been the casual gamer who sustains a console.