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The "PC"ing of our gaming consoles has begun


On 05/24/2013 at 02:47 AM by NSonic79

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Is the Dark Age of Console Gaming upon us?


I know what you’re thinking. Here is yet another “doom and gloom” blog post about what has come to pass with the Xbox Reveal event that happened this week. I wasn’t lucky enough to catch the event (given I was working at the time) but I did gleam, gather and read up on all the known (and speculated) facts of Microsoft’s new console: The Xbox One.  If anything I have to say that at least Microsoft actually showed us an actual console, unlike what Nintendo and Sony did during their big reveals. So I do give them points for that aspect of the xbox reveal event. The rest though was a mixed bag for me.

After seeing the actual event I couldn’t but think that this new console seemed to be gauged toward the causal users than actual gamers as a whole. Perhaps it was because they showed us more aspects of the system that was devoted toward multimedia functions than actual gaming. Indeed the reveal was more centered on what the system could do that enhance the multimedia experience. Voice activation, Kinnect II commands, multitasking on the fly, integrated skype calling, enhanced TV functionality, the whole thing started to give me a Roku feeling when I learned all of this.

So unlike most gamers out there I wanted to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt and figure we’d learn more about the gaming aspects of this new system at E3. Sure they gave us SOMETHING to remind us this system could also play games. But that wasn’t the thing that stuck in my mind after all was said and done. No, what stuck in my mind wasn’t the snafu about how the system would handle gaming, it wasn’t the talk about cloud process computing, it wasn’t even about the new Kinnect requirements, but what stuck in my mind the most, what I got waking away from all of this, was the very thought that is the title of this blog: The “PC”ing of our gaming consoles has begun. And if the current console generation is any indication, none of this should be the least bit surprising to ANYONE.

Allow me to clarify.

We’ve already seen some aspects of “PC”ing (and no, the “PC” doesn’t mean “Political Correctness” but meaning consoles being built/functioning like a traditional Personal Computer) already starting to creep into consoles when we were introduced to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Here are a few examples:

Day One patches and game updates are now the norm these days with our current systems. Yet it was bad enough that some games released on both systems required a mandatory install just for the games to run on these systems.  Sure we had a handful of games that made a hard drive install an optional choice, if only to help with the game’s load times/have better graphics but these days the optional choice is slowly no longer an option.  All that was missing from this formula was the game to fully install on our hard drives and require an access key like a PC game.

DRM and online verification was quietly used when we downloaded digital games from XBLA and PSN respectively. Depending how the specific system handled it, the game was either tied to the systems’ hard drive, the system itself and/or the person’s gamertag/screen name account. I can’t recall how many times I had to bring my whole console(s) to family get-togethers if we wanted to play a certain XBLA/PSN titles because my game downloads were tied to my hard drive/system. It didn’t matter if I was able to plug my hard drive into my bro’s Xbox and log into my gamertag, the system would still convert them to game demos since my brother’s system wasn’t connected to the internet. And forget trying to install my PSN screen name on a different Playstaion 3 despite originally having the option to have your screen name on five different systems (Now lowered to 2), the time it took to download a title from your download queue you’d be better off just lugging your system to your gaming destination. All that was missing was a secondary program running in the background, or a full-fledged system running in the foreground, to connect to the internet and auto verify that the games I bought were still installed to the system I downloaded them into and used the same gamertag/screen name account that was assigned to them, almost like a PC!

We saw the introduction of full on downloadable content being offered to us gamers as an added new feature to help enhanced our games. The adventure didn’t have to stop at the end of the game! We could be given more with additional missions, side quests, extra items and/or different modes of play. We were no longer limited to what was offered on the game disc we bought. We were able to expand our horizons with what DLC had to offering. New levels, new multiplayer maps, episodic content! We didn’t even have to BUY a certain game anymore if we wanted to. Instead we were offered “free to play” game like XBL’s “Happy Wars” or PSN’s “EVE: DUST 514” and could decide to expand our gaming experience with the use of microtransactions, you know just like on PC!

We saw the push for our consoles to be connected to the internet. If not only for online multiplayer games that raised the bar in console gaming interaction, but so that we could enjoy other features that no other system has ever experienced before.  We could now rent and buy movies, tv shows and songs right off the digital marketplace. We could send and receive limited voice and emails on these systems. And with the right programs we could see each other on screen and voice chat with the respective headset and webcam peripherals. We saw the advent of Facebook and Twitter account integrations as well as apps to your favorite websites like YouTube along with web browser functionality. And when streaming services became available we were able to listen to music and watch old movies/TV shows right off the net, once again almost like a PC!

Noticing a pattern everybody?

Even looking at the system builds of these systems one can see they have more in common with PC builds than with gaming consoles of old. Sony had done away with cell processing and has moved on to an x86-64 chip instruction set while Microsoft is doing the same and upping the core-count. Sure they still have their on GPU’s and thus the heart of a gaming console, yet in the process in creating these new generation systems they’ve ended up losing their SOULS as gaming consoles.

So to answer the question if this mean the Dark Age of console gaming will soon be upon us, I have to give a resounding “Maybe”.

Oddly I find myself saying this since I’m willing to give these new systems the benefit of the doubt till E3 later in June. I’m able to do this because despite all the signs pointing to the “PC”ing of our gaming consoles, there are still a lot of unknowns to be answered. Despite the Playstation 4 being built like it is, the focus of the system still seems to be toward the aspect of gaming. During Sony’s reveal they did show us the new way to play games with a touchpad controller and better ways to share games with the “share” button. They are even revamping PSN to make it more like a social network, far more than what was offered on Xbox Live. And despite the kinnect II being “always on” even when the system is off, there are ways to circumvent that. And with so much confusion being said on what will become of the “constant-on” aspect of the Xbox One, along with the contradicting statements made on the used game issue with BOTH systems leaves some hope that perhaps all that was mentioning may not be the final solution.

But then again both systems are not backwards compatible with their previous game system software offerings, along with their digital releases…..

Perhaps that’s the one good thing that might come out of our gaming consoles being “PC”ed. We have yet to see an emulation program to be released on them, much like current PC’s.  It will only be a matter of time to see if the consoles of the future are the consoles we were truly meant to have. By all indications from the last gaming generation that seems to be the case. Did not people bemoan how our consoles were severally aged and were in need of an update? Did not people originally declare that PC gaming was dead, only to see it not only survive but flourish? Did not PC gamers say console gamers were only limiting themselves given the raw power a PC could offering in gaming goodness? Who knows! Perhaps things will work themselves out by the time E3 comes around. Perhaps Microsoft and Sony will realize the error in their ways and try to make nice with core gamers of the world. Perhaps they’ll see that they can have all the strengths that PC gaming has to offering and remove the potential weaknesses.

But if they do not, and indeed what we have seen during the reveals is what is to be expected in the coming console generation, I only ask that we try to do our best to hold down the ranting and raving about how this isn’t want we wanted. That this was not what we were expecting. That no one in the gaming world asked for this, because from all indications of the last gaming generation seems to say otherwise. I can’t help but be reminded of a quote from one of my favorite movies that seems to answer the question on why gamers got what we got with the PS4 and recent Xbox One reveals.  It’s seems fitting to end this blog with that quote. Hopefully the irony won’t be lost to anyone.

“How did this happen? Who's to blame? Certainly there are those who are more responsible than others. And they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty you need only look into a mirror.” – V.

Ta-ta

“N”


 

Comments

Super Step Contributing Writer

05/24/2013 at 03:18 AM

Oh, so no hard-edged "I hate Microsoft now" blog? How politically correct.

In all honesty, I like that the box can do other things and have no problem with the focus being on more than games. It's the stuff about Kinect, used games, and online that are killing it for me. But we'll see.

jgusw

05/24/2013 at 06:24 PM

Always online kills it for me too.  That's why they know what they know about us.  They're watching us with our online connections.  

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 01:57 PM

I'm hopeful they'll rethink that idea and find someway to remove it with a software update. It not my chances of getting it go down a notch.

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 01:56 PM

Nope not this time. I think I'll wait till E3 in that kind of blog if it's warranted.

I have to agree though on the asepcts of what the Xbox One can do right now. it is interesting. But like you the games aspects is what will sink/swim the system with myself, if not other gamers out there hopefully.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

05/24/2013 at 04:14 AM

yeah there's a PC-ification, but there's also something more going on with the interface, at least for Xbox.  The only problem is you can't upgrade consoles (not really anyway), but at the same time a console has a longer shelf life, though isn't as advanced as PC's (or expensive).  Curious about Steam Box, which I imagine will be mostly about games. 

Serraxor

05/24/2013 at 03:37 PM

Ignore steambox. The first one available to market is $1000. You could get SUCH a better PC with that kinda scratch which does Steam anyway! Just hook it up to your TV =P 

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:04 PM

as a console I have to say i'm interested, if only not to have to deal with the complexities of a PC set up to run steam. But then again at that price point I'd rather try to rack my brain and try to build a decent PC to run steam titles. So far I have the monitor and video card. I just need to work on a new Hard drive since mine is almost full.

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:03 PM

I'll give the Xbox One that. I don't know any PC's that give that kind of user interface, all I've seen is the standard touch screen option but I wonder if a PC gamer would want something like the kinect on their PC.

I've never had an issue with consoles not being upgradable, it's one of the features I enjoyed about them. It was bad enough though that we had to get bigger hard drives. So far I'm still on my 120 GB on my Xbox 360 Elite but it's slowly being whittled away with XBLA titles. Consoles were more simplistic than what was offered on PC. Sure you get the powerhouse that the PC gives you but that hasn't stopped consoles from holding their own. Games like FEAR and Doom 3 held on well.

NOt sure about the STeam box myself.

Aboboisdaman

05/24/2013 at 09:08 AM

I'm sitting next gen out. If consoles are gonna try and emulate PCs more and more, than  I'd rather just buy a PC. They may try to function like one, but they can't do everything that PCs can do, and not nearly as well. There's no way that I'd ever buy a Xbox 1 after all the crap I've read about it.

jgusw

05/24/2013 at 06:17 PM

I agree.  Consoles are not PCs.  

The thing that bugs me the most is the way games are being treated.  I never liked digital games (though I own a few of them) and I never liked dlc (though I did buy dlc in my favorite game).  Digital games are just a way to control the sell & resell of games.  Anyone notice that console digital games rarely drop in price as much as PC digital games.  And, as for dlc, it's just another reason for developers to leave stuff out of a complete game and charge it to you later.  

PCing of our gaming consoles is a bad idea for console gamers.  I've been saying that since it started.  The bad outweighs the good.  

In the next generation, I really want to hope for the best, but I'm expecting the worse.  Only time will tell what the future holds. Undecided 

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:12 PM

Those are some good points. But I have to saw we've slowly been worked to be okay with this new digital frontier. I too have found myself buying some digital games (mostly XLBA and PSN titles) and some DLC (Defense Grid and Bioshock 1 & 2) so i have to say we are somewhat comfortable with this digital offering. And even though we don't see price drops like we do with physical copies, we do see some discounts when games go on sale on XLBA and PSN, most of my titels I didn't buy at full price and I just waited for their speical "sales"

But when they push the evelope to make the consoles more like PC's is when I draw the line myself. If this is the future that console makers are hoping for then I'm giong to have to bow out and wait to see if this'll cause the next video game crash.

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:07 PM

I'm slowly veering in that direction too mate. Infact I have found myself unconsciencely prepped a list to buy more and more retro titles for that very purpose. Indeed if I wanted a PC for gaming I'd use my PC for gaming. I want my consoles to be consoles and that's that. I'm still holding out hope thus why I'm not trashing the Xbox One just yet. But rest assured if the Xbox One stays as it does, I'll be among the many planning to get a Wii U before I get an Xbox One.

smartcelt

05/24/2013 at 06:59 PM

Incredibly good blog that makes some great points. I agree with you 100% that they are try to make consoles more like PC's. I'm just glad they are still making consoles,to tell you the truth. Some industry wonks were saying "consoles are dead,everyone games on mobile devices now' which is utter crap. Sure I game on my iPad,but not as much as on PS3 and 360 by a long shot. I'm sure it's way different for women who play Farmville and such games. They probably do that primarily on mobile. So the fact 2 new consoles are about to come out gets me enthused about the future of gaming. What does worry me is the game companies trying to go completely digital with game releases. You know that is their end game,has to be. No disk,no case,no shipping....same price! Great business model for them. But until we all get onboard with cloud saving and are comfortable having no physical games,that is not going to happen. Thank God!

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:16 PM

I guess you can consider that the silver lining in this potental dark cloud of what could be the next generation of gaming. at least they are making consoles but with that said what other plans could they have in mind. I'm sure the cloud process computing of the Xbox One could be the precursor to a non-console solution in future game releases.

I didn't give much stock in the "consoles are dead" argument given how they were saying the exact same thing about PC's not long ago. Even if moble gaming has caught on, I'm nto sure if they can continue the trend. My Little One has stopped playing my angry birds on my tablet PC because of the constant bombardment of ads during every other turn.

If we do see the future of gaming turn to digital, I'll be sure to only test those waters unlike others that are willing to dive in. I personally enjoy my physical copies if only pass them on to future generations. I do have ditigal copies of some phsycial copies I own, if only to use them to enjoy so my physical copies remain in pristine condition

Caesar

05/24/2013 at 11:00 PM

I don't think these sorts of changes are necessarily bad.  Being able to download software to the console, getting unique - hitherto PC-only - kinds of games to these devices is actually pretty great (even if some offerings are better than others).  Always-online may not be smart to implement just yet, but that - and some other features - are really a natural progression of technology.

I think what should concern gamers more is how our gaming devices are marketed and for what purposes.  From what I've gathered about the XBox One reveal, much emphasis was placed on things that the system could do, but ironically gaming wasn't really one of them.  Facebook compatibility, tracking software usage, being able to buy a dang pizza from your couch--see, those are great things if you're an outside investor.  Why?  Because in that case you're paying for the potential to move more kinds products than ever before imaginable.  At that point, the hardware in question ceases to be just a gaming device; it's a whole new creature, fed and groomed in part by marketing and advertising people.

Is it going to sell well?  I don't see why it wouldn't; after all, it'll still be the best damn FPS console on the market, if only because Microsoft has that audience buy-in.  Ask the kinds of guys who switch off between Halo and Call of Duty and see if (or why) they wouldn't buy the new machine with "XBox" in the name.  It's an assured brand loyalty to an assured demographic.  And with that sort of immediate attention, it gives Microsoft, its shareholders, and outside investors some ability to think of other ways to utilize that hardware--even if it fails to interest those looking to play games.

For various reasons the PC gaming market has declined over the past ten years, but in part it's been for the "consistency" of console tech.  Generations can last a while, giving developers lots of time to really get to know the wholly proprietary hardware, which is often time comparable (or good enough) to PC specs.  Certain genres of games (especially shooters) have since found a new, more stable and readily-available home on consoles.  Piracy isn't nearly as big a problem for the consoles as it is on PCs, and DRM is usually built in to the console OS itself, saving developers and publishers lots of time and money.

With all of the bells and whistles and extra junk demonstrated to the audiences at E3 or elsewhere, I don't think it's exactly accurate to say that the consoles are on a path to being more like PCs, and to say that consoles are entering a sort of dark age is a little too "doom and gloom."  My conjectures aside, a sincere thanks for the good read!

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:36 PM

This might sound odd but I have to agree. Even if I do have a smart TV that can do some of these things, it is a unique beast of a system that is a different direction in what consoles had to offer. IT is interesting to see but it makes me wonder if the trade offs of what we use to enjoy in the last gaming generation are worth it.

I do get that feeling that this system was thought of more than just a gaming system. I've read commentary that this system does so much more than what Apple had planned for a similiar set up for our TV's, and I'm sure the Xbox One would make many investors happy in the choice demographics it'll touch. Yes happy for them yet not happy for many a gamer at the moment. It looks like that so far most gamers have caught on to this.

Now if the system will sell is the true test of Microsoft's pull on gamers. I want to say it won't for any gamer worth his salt wouldn't want to give up what we've got in console gaming for a few more quirks like digital content and cloud process computing. But then again I have talked to some younger gamers that are all the willing to embrace this future despite the fact that they would possibly kiss used games goodbye and occasionally have a high priced paperweight if they happen to lose internet service.  and that's not including those that might be curious about the non game aspects of the system that could win them over.

and if indeed PC gaming has steadly been on the decline, why would MS and Sony want to mimic their systems to be like PC's themselves. Wanting to change the demographic? create a new niche in gaming like a PC/console hybrid model? To me it seems that they are trying to gather all the benefits of PC gaming yet at the same time have their cake and eat it too with all the lockouts/DRM and antipiracy offerings that consoles had to offering with the tatics that PC's have used up till now.

INdeed I will admit that despite the system builds, the new bells and whisles can not be found on PC's but it does make me wonder if this'll bridge the gap between the two, thus us seeing these features coming soon to a PC build near you. We'll have to see this coming E3 when microsoft has the chance to lay all their cards on the table. It will be then we'll see if the console mimics more aspects of the PC than we realize, and if indeed could this be the dark age of gaming consoles. It'll be interesting to see how things turn out this June.  Glad you enjoyed the read!

Caesar

06/02/2013 at 05:42 PM

As far as hardware and many of the features are concerned, it's like I said: a natural progression.  I don't think any of the Big Three are exactly competing with the PC gaming market at this point as much as they're competing with one another, plus Apple and the smartphone market.  The Steam Box might change things up, but we'll have to wait and see.  That being said, the fact that the hardware specs of the systems are quite close to many gaming computers is, I think, more of a coincidence than anything else; I don't really see the PS4 or the XBox One trying to put Alienware or whoever out of business.  Instead, these systems just so happen to have really high-end, somewhat-PC-but-not-really builds.  Cloud-based services and always online functioning are also what I'd consider part of that natural progression.

As for the XBox One attempting to do other things aside from gaming--well, Sony's just as "guilty," really.  It's surely never downplayed the other capabilities of its hardware, from playing music to watching movies; if I'm not mistaken, the PS3 was the best thing to own if you wanted a Blu-Ray player, because it did some other stuff too (like play games!) which made it pretty much the best dollar-to-feature appliance out there in that respect.  Using a game console to update Twitter, browse Facebook, watch TV, etc., isn't my idea of necessary or even really useful, but it's nothing that should make the gaming audience think consoles themselves are on the decline.  So jokes about the XBox One reveal event aside, it's a no-brainer it'll actually get games.  Now, what kinds of games and for what types of gamers they might try getting down the line, we'll just have to wait and see.

I hadn't considered the Apple TV angle, but I'd say that you're on to something with that.

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 06:15 PM

The natural progression of things. That is something I'm having a hard time trying to wrap my head around. I kieep wanting to ask why anyone would want a console that is being offered with the Xbox One, yet I'm find mind more and more people who are actually open to this reguardless of the unknowns given at the xbox reveal. I guess for me is if this is truely the natural progression of things to come, I am not sure if I'm going to go along with this natural progression and find something that better fits my wants and likes. the natural progression just feesl iike a step backwards in some aspections when taken into account the user options that we've come to expect with console gaming. If I want all that is offered with this new system I have to say goodbye to the old method of used games? Resign myself to making sure my internet is relyable (when in my area it's not always the case) and that possibling in a few years my Xbox One will be no better than a high priced paperweight if and when Microsoft discontinues support for it in favor of their next big system. Even if they do have a long term plan for the Xbox One it will comes to an end eventually before my lifetime.

I have to agree that the builds of the Xbox One and PS4 were never intended to take down PC builds like alienwear or their like. it's just something that never occured to me that we'd see our consoles appear more to PC's in their construction. I'm to use to the console makers making their own chipsets like Sony's Cell Processing and using program gobetweens that help PC games to transistion to consoles easier, instead of actually using a PC chipset. Natural progression I'm sure but still something I can't quite accept yet.

Even if both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are gulity of trying to be a multimedia set up, they did it as if it were an after thought. I've read reports on how some blu ray players were better compared to the PS3 in refresh rates and audio quality. And some the first builds of the systems internet explorer and youtube integrations were not all the best. But like I said, they seemed to be offered as an afterthought than an actual push to be a center feature of the system.  Indeed they never downplayed these features, infact I can be held guilty in choosing my PS3 for multimedia functions like DLNS connection, Divx, blu ray and netflix. But I never forgot and always used the system it was originally intended to be: a game console. Everything else is just gravy to me, good gravy I taste every now and then but hardly the reason why I bought my B/C model PS3.

Now if this will signal the beginning or the end of the games console remains to be seen. You won't see me bash the system just yet for indeed it will have games involved. You won't see me bemoan the addition of nongaming applications like facebook, twitter, skype, Ustream, multitasking functions, music/video/tv streaming and digital distrbutions. It'll be how they fully intergreate these into a games console, along addressing the natural progression of the old guard of games, is where I'll save my breathe

Alex-C25

05/25/2013 at 12:47 AM

Gotta say, your blog its a great change of pace from all the negativity surrounding the console over Pixlbit (which i'm a bit ashamed of doing a bit of participation on that). You had interesting points and a good comparasion of how consoles are being more like PCs. I don't know what will happen. I'm just going to quote Marge Simpson and say: "We'll just have to sit and wait".

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:19 PM

It's funny that way. When I was blogging about the terror that was Online Pass, most people thought I was going overboard. Now the roles are reversed where I am holding off on the Xbox One while others are going overboard!

Indeed we haev to sit and wait to see what will become. As much as I'd like to join in on the write offs of the Xbox One, I can't help but wait and see if only to get the full, complete picture of what Microsoft has in store for us. I guess when I see the full story I'll know what I'll say to it.

BrokenH

06/02/2013 at 02:18 PM

I don't mind consoles being more like pcs in some ways. Heck, I welcome it! I'm also not against multiple applications. What I am against is online only functionality,a war on used games, and even fees to play used games. However, I'm hoping microsoft will contemplate changing these negatives in the future. They still have time to learn from constructive criticism. (At least I hope)

Beyond that though, why shouldn't I simply buy a decent pc instead? Like it or not, the consoles themselves will still be inferior to most actual pcs so I rather have a device that can play games and do many other tasks as well. I'm not even talking about netflix,youtube, or i-tunes. (You can use those both on a console or a pc) But a pc can also run art programs, save written documents,manage my account,be used to schedule important events on my calender,help me pay bills online, and run rpgmaker.

Once I can do everything on a console I can do on a pc "then" I'll be more happy. But  that will not be for awhile. Also, microsoft really does need to get its' head out of its' ass. The Xbox one has the potential to be a great "one in all entertainment system" but they need to address what's wrong with it thus far.

I really enjoyed this console generation and the ones before it but this "bold new frontier" might not be for me pesonally. To everyone else? Enjoy! (But don't let the big companies & publishers walk on your rights as a consumer)

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 02:44 PM

I really don't mind the idea myself for if anything the new consoles gives us somthing difrerent from what we are use with current generation consoles. but I'm with you on the otehr negatives that have already been made well know, despite Microsoft's lack of clairification. I too hope that they will change their mind and reconsider these features. For me the negatives overshadow the postives the system has to offer.

I guess for me I'm too use to my PC being able to do other things than play games. the only games I usually played on my PC was the simple card games that were preinstalled in the PC, and that was only played to kill time. And even if PC's can offer a superior gaming experiance, I've found it to be too complicated to even get that far with control issues (I could never get a gamepad to work right), hardware issues (I never seem to have the right video/audio card, CPU), software issues (it was like every time I booted up a game I had to peform a software update/driver check), or the game woudln't work no matter what I did.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable in having my console blurred to the point it's more PC than console but indeed Microsoft best fix the issues addressed during the Xbox reveal. It does have the means to be an al in one entertainment system, but thats all it'll be if it can't be more specific in what they hope to address in the gaming front.

BrokenH

06/02/2013 at 02:56 PM

I think we can agree we want the Xbox one to play games and have a varied library of them to choose from.I just hope the ease up on their anti-used-games crusade and make the Xbox one function even when it's offline. (Noone wants a plastic paperweight later on when said console is no longer supported online thus becomes a lifeless husk)

I actually was more akin to yourself towards the beginning of this gen. Aka, my pc wasn't used for most of my gaming. That changed slightly once I started dealing with Steam & GOG. (And I learned many games I liked did in fact have controller support.)

Also, consoles are still a cheaper alternative for many of us. Top of the line pcs can be ridiculously expensive. (Though in my case I simply want a "good pc". It doesn't have to be one on the cutting edge.)

Regardless, this was an awesome well thought out blog,Nsonic. Thanks for the fantastic read!

NSonic79

06/02/2013 at 03:53 PM

Yes that we can. I love my used game options and retro play in the future than the next guy I hope. But I am a little shocked to learn that the Xbox one will not support past XBLA titles. That was something I didn't expect. I bought XBLA titles thinking they would be able to carry over given they were distrubted thru Xbox Live, a service that's been the pinnical of console gaming. It would be like if a PC gamer bought a new Rig only to find out Stream doesn't support it! Oddly it's one of the reasons why I stopped buying Virtual console games on my Wii for I was thinking those titles wouldn't transfer to their new system. Never thought those situations would be reversed!

I have to admit I did enjoy the few steam titles I own, okay just one (Portal) but it was for free and that was one of the games I couldn't get to work on a gamepad, thus why I bought Portal: still alive on XBLA. But I have been curious about Fallout 1 and 2 ever since I played Fallout 3 and New Vegas.

Price point has been another reason why I stayed with console gaming, it was cheap for a kid like me back in the day trying to buy a system when all I had was part time job money to save up with. Glad you liked the bog BrokenH, it was something I had to get off my chest after seeing all that was in the xbox reveal.

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