The Playstation 4 and Xbox one are part of the eighth generation of video game consoles. Things have changed significantly from the days of the Magnavox Odyssey (first generation) way back in 1972. But what does the future hold for video gaming?
Present day
The current video gaming console market has one big difference with the old generations and that is online gaming. The fact that console gamers have taken to online gaming has a big impact on the market shares. More than ever it pays to be the market leader.
Everybody wants to be able to play with his or her friends, if everyone around you is playing on Playstation then it is very unlikely that you are going to buy an Xbox.
No longer will there be a 50/50 split of the market share, it is now a game of all or nothing.
Moving into the Future
Console gamers tend to be a bit more conservative to change than PC gamers. Changes to console gaming are not always well received regardless of the fact that they are meant to take console gaming to the next level.
Only now is this video gaming generation seeing an increase in digital downloads while it has been a very common thing in PC gaming in for what feels forever.
Because of this console makers tend to be cautious with introducing radical changes (with the exception of Nintendo). I believe that this is why Sony is so successful at the moment with the Playstation 4. Although they have improved their console and implemented changes, they downplayed the novel aspects of the console and presented the Playstation 4 as a more powerful Playstation 3, The same concept but with better hardware.
Microsoft on the other hand tried to totally revolutionize their concept of console gaming with their Xbox one and were punished for it, although their suggested changes in hindsight were not that bad.
One step forward
The console makers are already contemplating the future. Where to go next and how to gently introduce these changes to their potential customers. The release of the Playstation Pro and Xbox One X is already a break from what is customary in console gaming. Releasing an improved version mid-cycle has been done before (slim versions of the console) but never with so much extra horsepower.
Is this the start of a trend or just a cautious experiment to see if the gamers will go for it? Console makers know that to keep up with PC gaming they will have to come up with something to improve performance of their console during the long life cycle.
My take on this is that releasing improved versions of the same console will not become a trend. Gamers will soon tire of buying yet another Playstation Pro, X pro, super X type of console just because it has improved graphics or a CPU. Console makers have a better chance with a modular console where you are able to upgrade parts, like the CPU or GPU.
Services
This is most likely where console makers will focus most of their attention on. New gaming services have a lot of potential and a higher chance of being accepted by the gaming community.
Streaming games is still not mainstream, but with more and more casual gamers joining the gaming community it won't be long like we see a subscription model like the one Onlive failed to deliver. Just imagine a Netflix-like service for games.
Sony who bought the most important parts of Onlive is already testing the waters with their Playstation now service. You can expect this to have a more prominent role in the next generation of consoles.
The new realities
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are still in the early stages of development. I don't doubt that they will play a big part of gaming in the future (big Sword Art Online fan) but the question is when that will happen? Jumping on the VR and AR bandwagon to soon might hurt in the long run.
My guess is that it will take a long time before VR or AR will be commonplace in gaming. The technology still has to grow for people (mainstream) to really embrace it.
The New Players
Sony at the moment seems to be at the top of their game and their position in the video gaming market rock solid. But if the history of video gaming has taught us anything, it is that you can lose market dominance very fast in this business, especially to newcomers.
This is very hypothetical but two companies come to mind that can stir things up. Both Google and Samsung have the means to enter the video gaming business and do some real damage. In my opinion this will actually be a good thing. It will force Microsoft and Sony to shake things up and take things to a higher level.
It is not unlikely that new companies will try to take away the crown currently held by Sony. Which company this will be and if they will succeed is yet to be seen.
For Console Gaming things are about to get very interesting. We are at crossroads, which new developments are going to impact our future gaming? What do you think of the future of video gaming? Let me know in the comment section
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