130°

DFC: Will Sony, Microsoft remain relevant in games by 2019?

Research firm sees PC and mobile grabbing larger and larger share of the expected $100 billion pie

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gamesindustry.biz
ArchangelMike3296d ago (Edited 3296d ago )

Who knows. There might be another economic melt down, and the whole financial market could change.

But all things being equal, in 2019 gamers will still want their big blockbuster AAA games won't they. Casuals will still want their mobile and ipad games as well. The market is big enough for both, and will have to co-exist with both.

Nobody but the financial analysts (who are generally not gamers) have this bizzaro idea that in the future everyone will only play mobile games.

I don't think I'll ever want to play games like Bloodborn, TLOU, The Wicther 3 etc etc on my mobile phone or ipad. I will always want to sit in from of my TV, with the lights down, the surround system on blast and me soaking up the whole experience. And I'm pretty sure the millions of PC and console gamers out there feel the same way. If in 2019 Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nvidia or SteamMachines are around to provide that holistic gaming experience, then the likes of me will still be paying customers

iamnsuperman3296d ago (Edited 3296d ago )

What he is saying though is people will either play mobile games and/or shift to PCs not just everyone playing mobile. I think it is true more people than ever will get a PC and the mobile gaming has expanded exponentially but console still have their place. Children and the more casual crowd play mobile games but they also get excited by new consoles (evident by the popularity of the PS4 and even though the One isn't selling any where near that level it is still selling at solid rate). PCs still require a high entry level (cost, fine tuning settings, fixing drivers.....) Consoles serve the other end of that.

ArchangelMike3296d ago (Edited 3296d ago )

"What he is saying though is people will either play mobile games and/or shift to PC"

He's not actually specifically saying that... I can't summarise the whole artice, but he does contradict himself alot.

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are currently the best competitors on the console market becasue of the high end software they produce. He speaks about Nvidia and Steam, but ignores why Nvidia and Steam are trying to enter the console market - especially if it's a dying market?

He says that consoles are too complex these days and argues that this is a barrier to entry, but ignores the fact the mobile devices are becoming just a complex as PC, negating the need for a PC in most cases.

Then he identifies that it is the AAA software that drives the market, and in one sentence say that Sony and Microsoft are NOT prepared to compete in that market - now if that does'nt smell like absolutely uninformed pretensious rubbish then I don't know what is - then in the next sentence he says that they are the ones who have the advantage at present.

The kicker is that the article ends with the guy saying that they have lowered the forcast for mobile platforms becasue of a lack of AAA games.

I mean the whole thing is just a load of PR analyst speil spouting off to investors to keep investor money. It's self contradictory on many levels, and does not take into account the ability for both mediums to co-exist.

DragonKnight3296d ago

"What he is saying though is people will either play mobile games and/or shift to PCs not just everyone playing mobile."

That's not gonna happen. Look, most of us here have been gamers for a long time. I doubt there are very many one or 2 generation only gamers who started with the Xbox 360. We've seen these doom and gloom articles before, and about all kinds of different things. There was the idea that renting consoles would destroy the industry, it didn't. There was the idea that there were too many consoles on the market and that that would destroy the industry. It didn't. There is still the idea that demos, used games, and piracy would be what does in the industry. They haven't.

PC has been around for all of this time, it's always had cheaper games and Steam isn't a year old. Mobile devices will not sate the appetite for expansive, long games (nor can they play them long enough thanks to battery life) and there will always be more people who favour the convenience of consoles over PC (and don't get into this "PCs are more convenient now than ever argument because that's not the issue, they are not more convenient than consoles at the end of the day) so the only way consoles will die is if people get fed up of the nickle and diming, the half finished games that need day one patches, and the general sense of disgust that comes from developers aimed straight at their audience.

The players change, but the game is still the same. There will be a console market for a long, long time. 40 years and counting so far.

But, that's not to say that PC isn't making huge strides forward in making things easier and cheaper. I just heard of a site that allows you to lease GPU's. You pick a GPU you want, you pay a monthly fee for a year and on your 13th month you can either upgrade or send it back if you don't like it, or pay the exact same price you were before one final time and make the card yours for good.

It's called Cutting Edge Gamer.

http://cuttingedgegamer.com...

rainslacker3296d ago

Things change all the time. Trends ebb and flow. The only thing I can say for certain is that Sony and MS will be more relevant in games in 2019 more than gameindustry.biz or this research firm will be.

Mobile gaming is sure to keep growing. PC gaming is sure to keep growing. Console gaming is likely to continue to keep growing. 2019 is only 4 years away, which will be when the current consoles hit their largest yearly sales numbers.

This article claims that PC/Mobile will take more of the 100 billion pie, but fail to mention that that pie will likely be more than 100 billion come 2019. It's great for the industry, and I don't know why these market research firms keep stating that consoles are on the way out. It's been said over and over again, and you'd think these research firms would research that these claims never actually come to fruition.

KilluaX33293d ago

You can connect your mobile device to TV. And there are god knows how many Android consoles.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3293d ago
iamnsuperman3296d ago

"My kids have no problem playing their PC or mobile games but if I am out of town they have trouble getting on to the console systems. That is a BIG issue."

I am confused by what he is talking about. These are fairly plug in and play system. You plug it in and turn it on. They have not changed since the last generation

Jdoki3296d ago

Yeah, bit confused by this as well.

Maybe he has a complex AV set up? Or maybe having the kids login / out of various accounts could be easier on PS4?

iamnsuperman3296d ago (Edited 3296d ago )

Maybe? Though logging in an out is no different that what mobiles offer (in some ways mobiles only offer one log in). The comment comes across a bit ignorant.

rainslacker3296d ago

Logging in to current gen, or even past gen consoles is practically automatic. I know kids may want to have their own account, but would they not play a game just because they happen to log into their dad's or sister's account? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

I can understand a complicated AV setup, but have to question how young his kids are if they can't figure it out. Kids 5+ are usually pretty good at being shown those things and knowing how to work it. Heck, I had a complicated setup for my own AV setup for my games when I was 13(got a job early in life) and it was far from common to have that stuff then.

As far as they can use a PC fine, but not a console...that doesn't make sense either, since PC's are far from simple, and require logging in to both the PC and the game service in most cases. If a kid can click an icon on the PC, they can likely select the proper account on a console, or turn on the console and start a game.

Ahmay3296d ago

Give them minecraft on console n they will play.. kids like the simpleness of touch screen. minecraft is the only game that all my niece n nephew play together. they tell me that the mobile version of minecraft u cant ride horses. idk. Im not letting them have any internet access at the moment. i feel they need to learn to appreciate offline games.

DragonKnight3296d ago

I think that's a lie. It's not at all difficult to turn on a console on and start playing. It's always been like this since the early days 40 years ago. Hell even today, when you have accounts, you can set it up so that you automatically log in and never have to do anything other than just power up the console. On PC, there are games where you have to log in. Is he trying to say it's easier to log into a game than it is to log into a console when the process is literally identical?

WESKER20153296d ago

sure, consoles are dead blah blah blah, all hail the pcs & dumbphones

pivotplease3296d ago

Mobile gaming intrigued me in the beginning, but it has really gone downhill imo. It just feels like it has hit a wall and there are too many cloned games and recycled microtransaction systems. That and the lack of buttons and the low-end graphical capabilities will always hold it back. Though it would be interesting if a phone could match the Vita graphically in two years or so.

KilluaX33293d ago (Edited 3293d ago )

Phones already can. Take a look at Modern Combat 5 for example. Also just look at Tegra 3 and 4.

Jdoki3296d ago

Maybe in a (console) generation or two there will be a radical shift. But considering the XB1 is selling better than the 360 did. And the PS4 is selling at incredible levels, the signs are there that console gaming has a lot of life left.

I think it's incorrect to see iPad / PC cannibalising console sales. I think they can live alongside each other for the most part. I have an iPad, and I game on it a lot, but it doesn't replace my PC or PS4 or XB1 oe WiiU - they all live together because they all add something different.

I do think maybe Nintendo will struggle with a new handheld, and I somehow doubt Sony will go for another Vita / PSP style device. but whether that is a direct result of the rise of mobile games is hard to say

rainslacker3296d ago

Yes...but we're talking a whole 3-1/2 years away. We all know that sales trends for electronics shift that suddenly and consoles will be practically irrelevent in 3-1/2 to 4 years. Or the more likely is true, MS and Sony will announce their upcoming console in 2019 for release in 2020, and we'll start the whole process all over again...although there may be a major shift in at least one of the consoles focus come that time.

Nintendo is hard to call. Sometimes they are on fire, other times you have to go WTF.

Shineon3296d ago

I was strictly a console gamer last year but this year I picked up PC gaming and I love it.I can see I'm not the only for the market is growing tremendously

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170°

Microsoft Seemingly Closes Bethesda France

As part of its plans to cut 1,900 jobs, Microsoft has reportedly shut down operations at Bethesda France, letting go roughly 15 people

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insider-gaming.com
Hereandthere3h ago

Microsoft should have left them stay 3rd party

GamerRN1h ago

If they are let go, they can be whatever they want. They ARE 3rd party now... 🤦

PassNextquestion3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Bethesda France was made up of roughly 15 people... they couldn't of being doing much

Bethesda France mainly did publishing and marketing within the region

blacktiger1h ago

that's a shame for you to say that, i'm sure Elite loves hearing what you just said.

Profchaos3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Bethesda France focused on publishing and marketing in the region. And 15 people lost their jobs as part of the closure.

I wonder if this is part of Microsoft's strategy to abandoned physical media or possibly gamepass advertising makes their roles redundant you don't need to market a game as hard when the majority of players get the game as part of a sub which already promoted upcoming games

Tacoboto2h ago

It's France too, there's a high likelihood only 1-2 people on the team even had an Xbox.

Profchaos2h ago

Possibly guven all the leaks we know the Xbox brand is really struggling in the region.

XiNatsuDragnel1h ago

Tbh Microsoft I think Bethesda being 3rd party same with Activision would probably more competitive than thus scenario imo

Profchaos12m ago(Edited 12m ago)

I think it would have been better for all parties really especially gamers

TheColbertinator1h ago

The recently purchased Activision French offices might take over all the licensing and marketing for Microsoft in France from now on.

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100°

Sony Could Increase Your Game's Difficulty If It Sees You Complain About It

Sony has recently published a new patent that wants to dynamically handle the games' difficulty and gameplay based on the player's emotions.

jznrpg4h ago

This is something I might use. Sometimes I play some good games but they don’t have difficulty option and are a little too easy.

Profchaos4h ago

Souls games will be like that players struggling make it harder

PassNextquestion3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

I think if used correctly it could work well

280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple10111d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref10d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde10d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander197210d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville10d ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff218310d ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos10d ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 10d ago
isarai11d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref10d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan10d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis0079d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander197211d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

11d ago Replies(3)
Einhander197211d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

11d ago
10d ago
Zeref10d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde10d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander197210d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander197210d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier10d ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto10d ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff218310d ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto10d ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 10d ago
Hofstaderman10d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts10d ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts9d ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic9d ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

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