I'm not saying consoles are doomed, but they better watch it.

[0098386]

The only thing consoles really have to worry about is PC/cloud integration in everyday life. Soon CPU speeds and GPU speeds won't really matter anymore and you will be able to pull up call of duty from your TV without need for the latest console.

The current 60 dollar per game business model is going to waiver in my opinion. I can buy games like minecraft for 26 dollars that give me unlimited hours of enjoyment, when there are plenty of really ****** games that are retailing for 60 just because thats the price point. I think it's going to be interesting to see what the industry does to combat used gaming next round.

I doubt Cloud Gaming will have any real impact on PC or console gaming, and Call of Duty is the best example of why not.

Latency.

It's a twitch shooter, and fast games are the ones that already perform weakest on cloud services.

And again CoD is a glowing example of why games aren't going to get any cheaper. CoD games are frequently the most preordered games, breaking records on each release. And those are for full-priced £50 games, the DLC sells for £11 and contains 4 (or 5, I forget) maps. People are paying more each new generation of gaming.
This isn't for all games, thankfully. But the price range is now broadening; full sized games are being released for free, full quality indie games at £7-15, full console games at £30 and the upper tier games at £50.

For the record I really dislike Call of Duty.

 

[moonman239]

Not to mention you can buy an Apple TV. Then when your friends come over to play, you and your friends can stream the game to your Apple TV.

 

[Liquorpuki]

The only thing consoles really have to worry about is PC/cloud integration in everyday life. Soon CPU speeds and GPU speeds won't really matter anymore and you will be able to pull up call of duty from your TV without need for the latest console.

The current 60 dollar per game business model is going to waiver in my opinion. I can buy games like minecraft for 26 dollars that give me unlimited hours of enjoyment, when there are plenty of really ****** games that are retailing for 60 just because thats the price point. I think it's going to be interesting to see what the industry does to combat used gaming next round.

Beside the one Dagless brought up, another hurdle is none of these cloud gaming companies own their own IP. They have to acquire licenses for every game they want to offer and have to settle for non-exclusives. Console makers are not gonna let them license their exclusive first party IP (Mario, Halo, etc), because that IP is what sells their own hardware. Console makers have the leverage here.

Another thing is console technology is also evolving and the hardware is becoming more differentiated. Cloud gaming in its current state assumes the gamer doesn't need anything except a TV, a conventional controller, and an internet connection. But the Wii U will require a controller with its own screen and AR/motion detection capability. The next XBox will have a built in Kinect sensor. I can't see cloud gaming companies being able to account for these differentiated technologies in a cost effective manner.

 

[h1r0ll3r]

iOS games can never compete with console gaming, period. For me, iOS games are time killers more than anything else. I have yet to play an iOS game I didn't lose interest in within a day or so. Console games is where it's at. If COD came out on the iPad/iPhone (Black ops zombies sucked IMO) I'd never buy it as the experience is completely different on both platforms. As a long time gamer, the feel of a controller in your hand will always trump some virtual d pad on a screen. For a casual gamer, yeah, the iOS games just might be enough for them. For gamers, I'd laugh out loud, literally, at anyone who says iOS gaming is better than console gaming.