Consoles are doomed - Romero

[wraggster]

via eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=75074)

Slipgate Ironworks' John Romero - formerly of id Software and Ion Storm - reckons that consoles like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will have to undertake radical change to avoid being killed off by cheap PC hardware.

"Next-gen console is big but its future isn't too bright with the emergence of cheap PC multi-core processors and the big change the PC industry will go through during the next 5 years to accommodate the new multi-core-centric hardware designs," Romero told Adrenaline Vault.

"My prediction is that the game console in the vein of the PS3 and Xbox 360 is going to either undergo a massive rethink or go away altogether."

Romero - whose credits include the likes of Doom and Quake, and ill-fated first-person shooter Daikatana - has greater expectations for Nintendo though, backing its belief in broadening the market with a more accessible machine.

"The Wii has the perfect design for a console that doesn’t pretend to be a PC and is geared more toward casual gamers than hardcore gamers," he explained.

"The hardcore gamers are going to either be playing on their PCs or a new PC-like platform that sits in the living room but still serves the whole house over Wi-Fi, even the video signal," Romero predicted.

In the meantime, he's working on a PC MMORPG at Slipgate Ironworks, although he still can't say anything about it, other than, "we're creating something that's the first of its kind and we want to be first to market with it".

[kaffie]

Lets do some 101 math. One outlay on a console with a 5 year lifecycle versus multiple outlays every 6 months or so over the same period on a PC. Hmmm...

1 x a Xbox 360 = approx £300

10 x variations of new gfx card/sound card/mobo/CPU/ram etc = Romeros a moron

[XDelusion]

John Romero: A Legend in his own mind. :)

[werpu]

Lets do some 101 math. One outlay on a console with a 5 year lifecycle versus multiple outlays every 6 months or so over the same period on a PC. Hmmm...

1 x a Xbox 360 = approx £300

10 x variations of new gfx card/sound card/mobo/CPU/ram etc = Romeros a moron
Not really a moron, an AMD system with about 1 gig ram and a GeForce 7600 is around 700 dollars.
The next thing is, that PC games after 1-2 months only are a fraction of a price of the similar console version. Third an upgrad every year is exaggerated it is along the lines of every 2-3 years. Sorry to say that, medium ranged PCs currently hit the PS3 price threshold, and given the fact that most 2-3 month old pc games are in the 30$ range while console games get their first reduction after half a year minimum makes the PC overall cheaper.

I think now that console prices have hit PC regions there is a critical line reached which could cause a problem for consoles, especially since the overall savings are zero, in fact they are more expensive if you add in the game prices.

[alucard001]

romero stfu

[Mr_Biggs]

what a ****ing moron.

a good pc would cost around 1000 bucks if you dont want to play slideshow games, and you would have to upgrade the son' bitch every year or so to keep up with the newest games. i hate to have to think if the game I want will work with my PC's hardware. If i want a game for my xbox, i look for a game with the xbox symbol on top of the box. This is foolproof unless youre some kid's dumbass mom out birthday shopping.

John Romero-Mega Dumbass.

[MZeroEW2]

I agree as a PC gamer it cost way more to play games on PC then on my Playstation or xbox. it's true i rather pay one free every 5 years then pay that same free every 2 i know what it takes to upgrade a PC and 1 Gig ram is nothing these days.

[Vangar]

John Romero has always been a failure. Daikatana would have to be the biggest example of this. Leaves to create his own game, but uses the quake engine anyway? What a tool.

I'm not listening to what he has to say again, after i bought daikatana expecting something other then killing friggn frogs.

[JKKDARK]

He is a ***got. He has not idea about video games

[Vangar]

He is a ***got. He has not idea about video games

You can say that again. Have you played diakatana JKKDARK?

[Basil Zero]

He is a ***got. He has not idea about video games

Finally something we can agree upon:rofl:

[wiseguy109]

You hear these kind of things about PC gaming all the time; I have never heard anyone who believes that console gaming will be obsolete. It is ridiculous to think that; sure consoles are going to change but not because they have to, just so they can stay innovative and set themselves apart from their competition. PC gaming will never go away either, there is always going to be PC and console gaming, neither will disappear. There are always going to be gamers that want to have the absolute best graphics they can possibly get and PC gaming will always be the answer to that.

In the meantime, he's working on a PC MMORPG at Slipgate Ironworks, although he still can't say anything about it, other than, "we're creating something that's the first of its kind and we want to be first to market with it".

Yeah, I have heard that one before.... I think the name of that genre defining game was Daikatana. Hopefully this game won't take ten years and millions of mispent dollars too. John Romero is so full of it.

[Skateblind]

You cant call a man who gave us such great games a f****t. Yes he is completely wrong and before this he was going on about how the 360 would win the battle due to its support for developers, now he saying that they are all doomed. Oh and something that is as powerful as a pc and sits in your lounge is called a console, or PS3/XBOX360.

[Mr_Biggs]

the most i ever got out of john romero was the pleasure of blowing up his severed head in doom 2.

oh, and skateblind, watch me do what i supposedly cant.

JOHN ROMEREO IS A ****ING ***GOT!

[brainpan]

It's funny how industry hacks like Jonh Romero like to say things just so people dont completely forget who they are or that at one time their opinion might have mattered to someone.

[Shadowblind]

John Romero head on a stick. Hes the last boss in Doom 2.
http://images.wikia.com/doom/images/thumb/a/a0/Romero_head.PNG/256px-Romero_head.PNGThese guys have alotta humor, maybe why they're saying that.

[werpu]

I agree as a PC gamer it cost way more to play games on PC then on my Playstation or xbox. it's true i rather pay one free every 5 years then pay that same free every 2 i know what it takes to upgrade a PC and 1 Gig ram is nothing these days.
It really depends, if you always want the latest then it becomes rather expensive to stay on the PC side, the trick is to wait half a year, then games you want to play usually are 10-20 dollars new and you can get away with medium sized equipment. I have been on the PC side of things for 16 years, and I recently again moved into the console domain. I was rather shocked how expensive in the long run it is on the console side. Games usually stay very high priced for a long period of time, games generally are more expensive.

The upgrade on the PC side of things is not that bad if you do not really walk the planks of getting a new pc for the next upgrade. I usually stayed 3-4 years on the same processor and upgraded the graphics card, and if it really was needed the ram as well. I always got not the fastest but the one being fast enough, that was the trick. The upgrade was around 100-150 dollars every two years and one big upgrade every 4-5 years, but I saved a load of money on the games. Of course there are others who want to play the latest shooter which barely runs the fastest machine you can get. I never was that type.

[werpu]

You hear these kind of things about PC gaming all the time; I have never heard anyone who believes that console gaming will be obsolete.

I dont think so either, both consoles and PCs will stay, but the man has a point, the PS3 is at the upper limit of what a console should cost. Or in other words, thou shall not be as expensive as a PC...

The problem is the justification to buy such a thing, especially that similar performant pcs reach the same pricelevel a few months later. Add to that significantly higher game prices (a PS3 game usually goes for 70 Euros here, while the PC äquivalent is somewhere between 30 and 50 Euros) and you can see where the problem really is. Romero did not say consoles are obsolute, he just said the console makers have to rethink their strategies and place in the market to be competitive to the PC, and he has definitely a point there.

[kaffie]

Of course there are others who want to play the latest shooter which barely runs the fastest machine you can get. I never was that type.

If you find yourself not wnating to turn up the gfx and sound to the max on any game then you are in the minority and yes PC gaming will be cheaper for you.

For most its the other way around.

[wolfpack]

Sure daikatana was a failure but look at the other games, you guys are whining over ONE freaking game. Sure he can be a dumbass but think of doom, think of quake, those were classics, id software left a mark in history. i dont see how anyone here doesnt see that.

[solid12345]

Romero obviously has not been paying attention the last 5-10 years where video games (specifically console) have become as mainstream as movies and pop music.

PC gaming is, and will always be a niche platform. Most people just like to sit on the couch and play for 20 minutes.

[Mr_Biggs]

well wolfpack, im not too impressed with him, considering he just pointed fingers and told how it goes for quake and doom. john carmack is the one to thank.

[wolfpack]

very true, cant forget about carmack, he did a good job

[Psyberjock]

I think now that console prices have hit PC regions there is a critical line reached which could cause a problem for consoles, especially since the overall savings are zero, in fact they are more expensive if you add in the game prices.

Agreed. Consoles are becoming too expensive. Nintendo (NES) was cutting edge for it's day but it didn't cost $700! Not even price adjusted for inflation!


He is a ***got. He has not idea about video games

I think you don't know who you're talking about.


I dont think so either, both consoles and PCs will stay, but the man has a point, the PS3 is at the upper limit of what a console should cost. Or in other words, thou shall not be as expensive as a PC...

Romero did not say consoles are obsolute, he just said the console makers have to rethink their strategies and place in the market to be competitive to the PC, and he has definitely a point there.

Amen! It's simple. Consoles should not cost as much as something else that can do more.


If you find yourself not wanting to turn up the gfx and sound to the max on any game then you are in the minority and yes PC gaming will be cheaper for you.

For most its the other way around.

True. I always wanted to have the highest quality graphics and sound on my FPS as a kid and I never had the hardware to do it. The quality of the games progresses much faster on PC and if you want to be on the leading edge, it's not cheap. That's one point where consoles have an advantage. Not higher graphics than a PC overall, but always the same and always their best.


Sure daikatana was a failure but look at the other games, you guys are whining over ONE freaking game. Sure he can be a dumbass but think of doom, think of quake, those were classics, id software left a mark in history. i dont see how anyone here doesn't see that.

I agree. I think the problem is that most of these people weren't in the scene when Doom and Quake were first released. They don't understand the impact and can't appreciate the contribution.


Romero obviously has not been paying attention the last 5-10 years where video games (specifically console) have become as mainstream as movies and pop music.

PC gaming is, and will always be a niche platform. Most people just like to sit on the couch and play for 20 minutes.

I must disagree that PC gaming is a niche platform. There are more PCs in homes than consoles and probably 95% are used for games. Granted mostly solitaire and mine sweeper, but games are games and if anything consoles are the niche platform. You don't honestly think that consoles came before the computer do you? Must we even get started on the MMOs and other games that have millions of players world wide?

------

All in all, Romero is sounding like the people who hyped up the Segway. "People will stop walking!" they said. Well they were wrong.

Will people stop buying consoles? No, they're too easy. Are they better than computers for playing games? No, computers are better because they constantly evolve. Which is more expensive? I don't know; maybe it all comes out about even. But you can't replace one with the other just yet. They both provide different services. Ease and cutting edge.

[ish420ism]

Romero, You're the one that's DOOMED:rofl:

[Vangar]

I agree. I think the problem is that most of these people weren't in the scene when Doom and Quake were first released. They don't understand the impact and can't appreciate the contribution.


I call bull on that.

And why is Daikatana such a problem? It was the first game he totally had control over. Quake and Doom? The whole ID team is to thank there. Yes maybe some of these PSP lovers are not old enough to know and appreciate these games, but Romero's acts have shown what a person he is well after Quake and Doom.

So yeah, Romero is a nut.

[Broadus]

Y'know, I don't like consoles much myself, and I hardly ever play the ones I own, but they're still great for multiplayer because you only need one console and one TV and a bunch of overpriced controllers.

[Psyberjock]

I call bull on that.

And why is Daikatana such a problem? It was the first game he totally had control over. Quake and Doom? The whole ID team is to thank there. Yes maybe some of these PSP lovers are not old enough to know and appreciate these games, but Romero's acts have shown what a person he is well after Quake and Doom.

So yeah, Romero is a nut.

I can't argue with you, you make a very valid point. But my intention was never to excuse Romero's nuttiness. He is a nut. Nor did I discount the contribution of the rest of the id team even though I didn't mention it. But Romero was a part of that team and he did have a positive impact. My references to people not appreciating Doom and Quake was based on the comments to the effect that Doom and Quake are POS. More of a comment on the direction the thread was taking and less on John Romero as a fortune teller.

[Vangar]

Ah i see. No worries then mate.

[Warhamster]

If we're talking pure hardware then yeah, for the moment Romero is mad.

But what about the growth of the Micro payment gaming sites out there?

They've been in the Far East for ages, with games like Pangya and Gunbound etc. and now you've got:

goa.com
gpotato
gamescampus
ogplanet

They offer games for free, updates for free. You just
pay for the optional bits you like. Why pay a fortune for Wii Super Swing Golf when you can get the basic game for free on-line go multiplayer and use the money to personalise your character?

Free gaming the way to go?