PlayStation 3 play Xbox games?

[yoda313]

I still think the more ideal media would be flash-cartridge technology for any kind of storage, portability, playability, reusability, ETC. It's extremely versatile.

That would be sweet. And now with multi gb flash cards being developed the possibilities would be endless.

[Doramius]

I've always seen that since the Atari, NES, SNES, SEGA & N64. Large Storage Flash technology just came a decade too late, and Discs swooped in and shut out cartridges. However, I think Flash Cartridges could make a major come-back if they put some effort into it. I still think Nintendo could be the company to do it, and a good marketing setup could throw them way on top and ahead of competition in doing so.

[yoda313]

Only thing is looks like they're happy with the custom rom discs they're making now. The revolution is disc based and will play GAMECUBE games.

Unfortunately everyone thinks this may be the last console for Nintendo if they don't pick up some major market share.

[Doramius]

I still think they'll do better if they push a cartridge game. I think the main worry there is cost. But if it took off, You'll find 1GB flash drives for about <$20 in about 5-10 years. Their GameBoy Lines are excellent. I think the DS kinda went stale because they went too conceptual with the PDA style. Same with N-Gauge. Just make a damn console. They could even stick with the portability idea and make a unit that holds maybe 4-8 cartridges at 1 time. Beats carrying a disc holder along with the PSP. Also give it the ability to read a certain format, and flash movies to a personal drive to watch on the go.

THAT IS what I see taking off. At the CES here, people were interested in entertainment, portability, and how compact. Though I detest Laptops because they aren't as modular as a tower, people mostly gawked over the new notebooks. I also think a standardized modular version of a laptop would blow the market. BUT you have to go back to flash technology.

There's no way around it. Even for Rental Stores. The possibilities are limitless. Someone comes in asking for a movie. The rep grabs a blank cartridge, pops it into a machine, and loads a movie onto it in about 5 min. The Cartride automatically has a life of 5 days. When it ends you return it. Heck, charge $5 for the rental and if you return a timed-out cartridge, you get $1 back. Same with rental games.

[doppletwo]

Only thing is looks like they're happy with the custom rom discs they're making now. The revolution is disc based and will play GAMECUBE games.

Unfortunately everyone thinks this may be the last console for Nintendo if they don't pick up some major market share.

Only kids (teenagers) think this. Nintendo still makes the most profit on console and game sames. Year after year they actually turn a profit. Where as Sony losses then profits, and Microsoft is still losing money on the Xbox and the Xbox360.


As far as market share goes worldwide the Xbox leads the Gamcube in market share by about 5%-10% and Sony has three times as much as the other two put together.


Yet Nintendo still turns a profit on ther Gamecube. The amounts of money that they are making from the GBA and DS could only be called economic rent. Nintendo is over 100 years old.

[Doramius]

It's also cheaper to make Any of the Nintendo systems. Nice thing about Nintendo is they have always tried to keep the cost of the system less than $150-$200 for a base system. They had a turning out on that issue, and several others, with Sony when they were developing the Dolphin. Sony took their technology and made the PS1. Nintendo is kicking themselves for a bit, but after problems they have had in the past they were sticking to their guns on this one. The stubborness has kept them receiving a profit, though they may not lead the market with the top gaming system.

I've always been an advocate for cartridge games as they always made more sense. Not to mention how much more durable to getting kicked around, as opposed to discs, when kids play the games. I have some friends that are so pissed with the fact they've had to buy the same $40 game on disc because their kids have scratched the disc.

[shelbyGT]

DS outsells everything in Japan... that can't hurt Nintendo's bottom line.

And I play some games on the PC but I really like the console as well. Instead of having to worry if my PC will play the new HL2 game at full res, the console games are built specifically to run on that system no changes made. It's nice, never having to update (until you want a new system). So... 400 every 5'ish years for me isn't that much. If I did that to my computer I could get a decent graphics card but then I'd still have windows 98 on my computer.... I don't know, they both have their pros and I'm fine with that.

And the cartridge based.... how much would that cost to have over 8 gigs of flash in a cartridge? I'm thinking a lot...

[Doramius]

Flash is getting cheaper by the day. THe more use of it causes the price to go down even further. I think it was PC magazine a few months back that said on average 1GB flash drives are about 1/3 the cost they were the year before. I can get a 1GB flash drive for $60. They are already on 40GB flash drives and it only seems like yesterday they were on 16GB. Development of flash technology has been around for a while, but the push for disc media seemed to slow it unbelieveably over the last 5 years. USB flash storage practically held the technology up on it's own after cartridge games stopped being made.

Also, rather than worry if your PC can run the game at full res., you're willing to get the console game that has it's video reduced to work with that platform.

On average I get a new video card every 8 months to a year. However, I either sell my old cards or throw them in my other machines. I get a pretty good price for the cards when I sell them. Now I do that regardless of games. My systems just run smoother, especially when I do DVD work.

[shelbyGT]

You are NOT in the majority if you update your computer every 8 months or a 1. Sorry, but you just aren't.

And yes, I'm willing to have a video game tailored to a console so that I never have to worry about it playing correctly. That's right, I do enjoy it that way.

I realize that the PC world is always going to be a step forward when it comes to graphics (albeit right now the 360 does have the nicest graphics chip for like the next month or so...)

But I do prefer a console when it comes to gaming. Hook it up to the TV, it's small and inobtrusive, you can't get a lot of the same games on each system (surprisingly) and etc etc. Plus, with the 360, I get free long distance now to my cousin who also has it

1GB of flash for even 40 dollars is way too expensive for console games when current media will cost pennies per disc.

[Doramius]

It's not necessarily that I get a new card every 8 months to a year. I have more towers than the average user, and I get only 1 new card a year and swap the others down. But I am definitely not amongst the average Joe PC User.

$40 isn't that Expensive. Agreed that many games are going to be larger than 1GB, there are a bunch of games out there that aren't even that size, even for the PS2. I doubt that there will be any games less than 4GB for PS3 or the XBOX 360 though. Flash isn't that far behind and it'll catch up quick. So in 2 years, you'll probably see 8GB flash for about $50-$60. Blank discs may be pennies, but your games still cost $50-$70. Buy the cartridge for $70 or disc for $70 with the size of material about the same, the cartridge is going to work much more efficiently. After 5 years Carts will blow away disc media in size and they will be a heck of a lot more versatile.

The only problem is the marketing push for flash. There has been such a hard & quick push for disc media lately that alternatives have been placed on back-burner to make way for profit. Can't say I blame them though. If I had a chance to make money over postponing research for 5 years or so, I'd be pocketing the money. The research will get done either way. I might as well get funding for it while I can.

[ps2daddy]

It's not necessarily that I get a new card every 8 months to a year. I have more towers than the average user, and I get only 1 new card a year and swap the others down. But I am definitely not amongst the average Joe PC User.

$40 isn't that Expensive. Agreed that many games are going to be larger than 1GB, there are a bunch of games out there that aren't even that size, even for the PS2. I doubt that there will be any games less than 4GB for PS3 or the XBOX 360 though. Flash isn't that far behind and it'll catch up quick. So in 2 years, you'll probably see 8GB flash for about $50-$60. Blank discs may be pennies, but your games still cost $50-$70. Buy the cartridge for $70 or disc for $70 with the size of material about the same, the cartridge is going to work much more efficiently. After 5 years Carts will blow away disc media in size and they will be a heck of a lot more versatile.

The only problem is the marketing push for flash. There has been such a hard & quick push for disc media lately that alternatives have been placed on back-burner to make way for profit. Can't say I blame them though. If I had a chance to make money over postponing research for 5 years or so, I'd be pocketing the money. The research will get done either way. I might as well get funding for it while I can.

There have probably been 6 PS2 games that are cds that have come out in the last 2 years or so. I would say that in the last 3.5 years that there has been about 25 out of about 375 or so that are less than 1GB most of these disks are classic arcade games. Faster loading times are great though you can beat that and I agree that flash is definitely the way to go for that.
Some of the ps2 games out now load on the fly (not easy to do but it really cuts down the loading time and keeps it from being as obnoxious like God of War)

[Supreme2k]

1GB of flash for even 40 dollars is way too expensive for console games when current media will cost pennies per disc.

Yes, but you guys are talking about consumer flash ram drive. For games, it would be the MUCH cheaper rom chips. Kind of like the difference between cd-r and cd-rw (but with a much wider gap).

I've always been an advocate for cartridge games as they always made more sense. Not to mention how much more durable to getting kicked around, as opposed to discs, when kids play the games. I have some friends that are so pissed with the fact they've had to buy the same $40 game on disc because their kids have scratched the disc.

And to the game companies, CDs make more $ense.

[shelbyGT]

Exactly... spend 12 cents on a DVD and the rest go to profit and creative costs...

or spend $40 on the cartridge itself and either jack the price up to where nobody will buy it or bite into profit and production costs.

Simple decision there.

[yoda313]

Yes, but you guys are talking about consumer flash ram drive. For games, it would be the MUCH cheaper rom chips

Good point. Also they wouldn't want to make the store bought games eraseable now would they??? (well actually they might because if you accidentally erased the GAME flash card then you'd have to buy it over again anyway )

[Doramius]

Flash can be created in different ways. There's even a way to digitally "lock" portions of flash media, so you couldn't erase the main portion. That's available already. It's almost like having multiple sessions on a disc, but flash media let's you just erase and re-write specific sessions without wiping out the entire information.

Disc media is definitely here for a long time. It's inexpensive creation makes it an easy target for distributors who want to make that profit on their copyright. $40 disc really costs them, what, $2 at the most in the long run. $38 on 1 million discs sold in the first 2 days of a release does have a nice ring. Again, when costs start nearing up, the versatility of flash media looks to be the stronger choice of technology to move to.

[lordsmurf]

Lots of new game consoles appeal to super-nerds, but the rest of us that just want some casual fun are not willing to pay out the ass for something super complicated that feels more like work than fun.

I don't what exactly is going to happen in the future, but it's probably safe to say that things must change in the next 5-10 years if video games are going to last.

[Doramius]

Are you talking about video games in general, or console style video games?

I fell viedo games won't go away that fast. I do believe that if Laptops went more modular and carbon processors are cheap enough out on the market, flash technology will revolutionize the portable market and there won't be much need for standard PC towers.

With that, what would you need a console for? I could truly see in 10 years, if technology follows this direction, console style systems will be obsolete, or more for learning fun like the leap-pad. I remember having to pay $15 for one of those Tiger LCD games when I was 14. Now McDonald's has them with Happy Meals for free.

[ps2daddy]

The purpose of a console is a device to play games and thats mainly it
As longs as people want to play games there will always be a device to do so they dont want it to balance the budget or check for mail or sand down thier deck just games.

People will always want to play games and not necessarily want to have a computer to do it even though it can

PC games in general are designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse some games are akward if you try to switch to a joypad if you are used to a keyboard and mouse.

Some games are designed specificaly for a joystick or joypad.

You can buy joysticks or joypads for your computer but its not the same feel (just like trying to use a keyboard or joypad with your xbox console which there is a usb adaptor for by the way)

I think that 300 years from now there there still be console video games

(It might be holgraphically controlled with your mind on the sony playstation 27, the holodeck on star trek, or the xbox 5324)

it might be like the stockmarket it will have its highs and lows just like everything else however I think that there will always be room in the world for both

[shelbyGT]

I enjoy both PC and console gaming, but I'd rather drop 400 down on a console system than update my computer. I think as long as I can surf the net at home... I won't have to update till the thing dies. Than I'll just get a cheapo laptop or something. I'm done with having a fancy computer and it took me too long to realize this after spending too much money on the one I have now. It doesn't take much to run openoffice, surf the net and run iTunes all at the same time.

But it's to each their own. I like both, but lately (the last couple of years) I've been spending more and more time on the consoles than anything.

I realize that either way I'm paying money every so many years to "update", but I guess I just prefer playing on the console on the big TV than I do on the computer.

[Supreme2k]

As far as updating, I still use my Dreamcast for gameplay exclusively. My PC is for video, work and music.

[Doramius]

Now Dreamcast has a nifty capability. It can play emulated games that have been burned to disc. I know someone who has Nintendo, Sega, & a few PS1 games that they play on their Dreamcast. He also creates his own games and plays them on the DC too.

[yoda313]

Now Dreamcast has a nifty capability. It can play emulated games that have been burned to disc. I know someone who has Nintendo, Sega, & a few PS1 games that they play on their Dreamcast. He also creates his own games and plays them on the DC too.

You're talking about that homebrew stuff right?? I fiddled with it a little but never got it to work on my dreamcast.

[ps2daddy]

you can do all that on your xbox too and play psone games from the HD

[Noahtuck]

Now Dreamcast has a nifty capability. It can play emulated games that have been burned to disc. I know someone who has Nintendo, Sega, & a few PS1 games that they play on their Dreamcast. He also creates his own games and plays them on the DC too.

Yep!! I have a bunch of DC emulated games, some have up to 300 games on them!! I have one that has 127 GameBoy games on it that my son used to play on the DC, have some that have a ton of old arcade emus that can play on the DC and the PSX.

The DC was way under rated!! I love mine!!
It's life was WAY to short!!

[Doramius]

Some Homebrew. Others ...........

I just find it funny that the console can do it. You can also find some specs on the DreamCast, and create your own similar console, with a little technical know how. From what I am told, the hardest part is the game creation or conversion or something like that.

[doppletwo]

The best is using a Dreamcast emulator on a PC to play an emulator of a the SNES using a Sony Dual Shock.

[Doramius]

Cool still, is using A PS1 emulator on a PC to play the game on an XBOX that has it's hard drive connected to the PC, That's Moded to look like a PS2, but has storage of an XBOX 360, and uses the joystick from an Atari. :P

Honestly though, how long do you think it will be before someone figures out a way to take a PS3 or XBOX 360 and adapt the HDD to their PC with an emulation program so they can just play or use the games on their regular PC?

[shelbyGT]

Why would you want to play on a 19" monitor... really. That's one of the biggest pluses for me as far as consoles go. Lay on the couch or on the big chair, legs up, 42" tv in front of you... i'ts great! I know you can hook up the computer to a TV, but my computer is nowhere close to my tv and I wouldn't feel like moving it solely for this purpose. Plus, I like using the controller versus keyboard/mouse combo.

[Doramius]

I have 6 PC towers. 1 is installed with my entertainment center.

HDTV is just as good as a regular monitor too. But I will suggest getting chord extensions for the Keyboard & Mouse, or go wireless. Get a good quality wireless mouse & keyboard and you're rocking. Battlefront II is the "Beast Unleashed" on HDTV. :rock:

[shelbyGT]

I realize you can get better resolutions on the PC monitors, BUT...

I don't know... I have yet to see a computer setup that is as nice as a true home theatre. That's where I'm coming from. Or if you do have some 20+ incher LCD monitor, you paid out the wazoo for it!