Pachter Predicts No New Console Cycle, Everything Going Cloud Based

Video game industry analyst, Michael Pachter, recently spoke at a Q&A session at PAX that was filmed for his show “Pach Attack”, which appears on GameTrailers. The very first question that he was asked was whether or not he thinks it would be possible for another company to bring a brand new console to the market. Pachter responded by saying that he doesn’t think that there will be a new console cycle at all, and that everything will be moving to streaming server-based solutions like OnLive.

[darkcharizard]

There'll be at least one more console cycle, imo

[ForceCSW]

If Patcher said it then you expect the opposite. There will probably be a million more console cycles now lol.

[Edward-Kraken]

I predict Pachter will not STFU anytime soon.

[MrMccormo]

There WILL be at least one or two more console cycles.

My opinion? Handheld gaming platforms have a better chance of going cloud-based before consoles do, because of how handhelds are slowly melding with cell phones.

But here in the USA at least, we are not even close to cloud-based gaming for everyone. All you need to play games is a TV and the game console. Lots of people aren't going to like it if you have to add a paid monthly internet service as a requirement.

[Shadow Flare]

I know pachter comes out with stupid things sometimes, but this prediction is just ridiculous. He expects Sony, nintendo and Microsoft to all go cloud based gaming?? No way! Not for quite a while anyway. Didn't Sony themselves say their next console will use disc based storage? Seriously pachter....pretty much everyone on n4g who comments would do a better job at predicting things then you. Seriously

[FURY__UNLEASHED]

What's this article about?

[Lifendz]

All go cloud? What about the people that don't have access to broadband internet? Are they just left out? No. Until we have fast and affordable internet in all the major video game markets, there will always be a console.

[ravinash]

How many countries in the world have the network infrastructure to allow cloud gaming???

japan might, but everywhere else....no way.
US is too big for everyone to get it and most of the rest of the world are years behind with their current setup.

There will be a market for a stand alone console for many years to come.

[PopEmUp]

I stopped reading at "Pachter"
What's this article about?
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go and read it if you wanna know what it about

[The Killer]

if the console wanna lose money, then the best way to do it is by making cloud consoles!!

because the only countries that will have the technology to support the could gaming would be very few i.e. USA, UK, France, Spain, Japan and very few other countries!!

what about the rest of the world? so i think we might not see cloud console until the next 20 years!

[8thnightvolley]

i agree too that there is at least one more console live cycle, and this one will be one hell of a beast of tech coz they will surely be the longest cycle even more than the ps3 and xbox360 due to the fact console companies like MS and sony even nintendo are clear that over time these consoles have to evolve like pc with new tech and new addtitions and if they are not flexible enough they will quickly become outdated, its become a new expectancy to always ask a console of 4 or 5 years what else can ur console do and can it do this or that, .. onlive on the other hand will take off on consoles but it will be needed to have a serious visual and technical edge to appeal to the hardcore but yet again not all hardcore players are fund of not having their disc at hand to be sure and knw u acutally own that game and not some vapourware that can be taken if u dont play for a service.

[Downtown boogey]

Uh... The reason for the increasing duration of life cycles is that with each new step, technology evolves thus making the new games require correspondingly more time.

[Downtown boogey]

Depends how long this cycle'll be. I think the last cycle will partially co-exist with the cloud but ultimately be subdued.

[dredgewalker]

I predict that Pachter will never shut up about any gaming related predictions.

[EYEamNUMBER1]

wait i don't get it this makes no sense to me even if the future did go cloud gaming you would still need a console to access that

so technically speaking that is a console cycle no?

[kevnb]

you wouldnt need a console, you could use a laptop or something like an apple tv.

[ZombieAutopsy]

Doubt it since only about half of console owners are connected to the internet and Sony/MS/NiN all make money of royalties from games on their consoles.

[belal]

be consoles, it sells, why not make another one lol. patcher is really stupid.

[Downtown boogey]

Great job, buddy.

[a08andan]

Of course there will always be console cycles. If one of the three stopped selling consoles the other ones would invest even more into it. No one is gonna let the market disappear, not as long as there is a chance of profit! :P

The way they distribute games etc might change though. Although I sincerely hope that you will always have a choice between downloading a game to your console and buy a physical copy. I do not want a future where everything is digital. I want to collect my games. For me it is pretty much like books. And it will be treated as old books are today in the future.

Although I would like to see the on-line distributors making their way to a digital marketplace on each of the consoles so you can order from your console without the need of using a PC :P Consoles are gonna get more and more functions and become more like a PC in the future, at least I believe so.

[koehler83]

In my experience, cloud computing is all talk and no walk.

Even the smallest server-side operation in a game causes noticeable lag.

Bandwidth restrictions at large are getting worth before they get better. It simply doesn't add up to a net-gain in user experience.

[I HARLEM I]

????????????????? THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN UNTIL THE INTERNET IS FREE WHICH MIGHT NOT HAPPEN IN OUR LIFE TIME'S...........

[Mr Exclusive]

I don't get the Pachter hate, If you actually watch Pach Attack he comes off as a really nice guy.

You also have to remember he is a buisness analyst, he doesn't give a stuff about fanboy wars, pixels, resolutions and framerates. He just looks and tells things from a buisness perspective.

[NamelessTed]

Yeah, I didn't think this was going to turn into a Pachter hate thread like this. He is one of the nicest guys and he is very knowledgeable. If people actually look at most of what he does, he is actually pretty accurate. This was just one particular thing that he said that I think he isn't right about.

Of course, I might be part of the problem. People don't report when he says things that are correct. People only like to talk about the couple things he says from time to time that are a bit out there.

[kevnb]

He can only predict things that are 100% obvious.

[radphil]

Thing is, you have to factor in some sense along with the perspectives. We have to have everyone on at least consistent broadband first before we even think about cloud-based gaming.

I can see that working in say, Japan, but for it to effectively work in EU and US, we have to change around the way how people have their communications. There's still people running off of DSL, let alone there's actually a rare couple of people running off of 56k still surprisingly.

@NamelessTed Well the thing is, people quote him from his "predictions". Thing is when those don't equate out to how things are after findings, it doesn't settle well in peoples' minds.

[radphil]

Edit: I would like to see a feature of who does these random disagrees, cause I just want to know who keeps doing that.

[iammason]

Not everybody has adopted to a digital format yet. Many people like to buy their games from stores still.

Pachter needs to buy a new crystal ball.

[Droid Control]

We are 10+ years away from that, so i would say we'll have at least one more console cycle to come...

[Stealth20k]

We will always have consoles. Peopel will just quit gaming

[INehalemEXI]

Didn't someone from nintendo say the next console would amaze us recently....cmon.
http://www.zeldauniverse.ne...

[SkylineR]

He's a freaking n00b who seems to sit down and say to himself, "right, what can I make up to sound like I know I can predict the gaming market?".
He's an idiot who everyone should ignore.

[Fatal Blow]

I really don't see this happening sometime soon probably in the future but not next gen or even after that gen that's just my option tho

[fooltheman]

I need fysical copies...

[Reefskye]

I want my physical copies. I don't want to depend on my internet to play games. Plus if it goes DD then I want cheaper games I refuse to keep paying more for when am getting less, example Dragon Age: Awakening £30 off PSN yet in shops its £20 with case, disc and manual!

damn you Bioware for not releasing it on disc for PS3 in UK!

[kevnb]

if you have no choice, you'll adapt.

[Omega Zues]

and look at how well that turned out.

[vangl76]

I predict there will be a new console cycle. If I'm right, Pachter must agree to give me his job.

[morkendo23]

CONSOLE'S WILL NEVER END and patcher will find another nonsense job.

[ChickeyCantor]

I dont think they would, however they will incorporate features that use cloud systems.

[dorron]

Yeah, sure...leave a lot of countries who have 1 to 10Mbps broadband lines out of the console market. Sure, Pachter, sure...

This guy is stupid. Have him fired!!!

[btk]

Well...
Facebook games are cool. Some RPG will be great in browsers / cloud.
But for really good graphics and something like GT6? Not a chance. Consoles will continue to evolve. Next gen will be 3D standard, accurate 1:1 motion controllers will be a given, 1920x1080 @60fps default. Can not do that on cloud based.

[STONEY4]

"Next gen will be 3D standard"
"1920x1080 @60fps default"

I really doubt that, unless they only want slight graphical boost. 1080p standard, yes. Not so much on 60fps though. It'll be up to the developers, who will probably opt for 30fps most of the time, simply because you can really do so much more graphically than you can trying to hit 60fps minimum.

[dcbronco]

Very powerful in their own right. But with the ability to connect to a Cloud system like Live or PSN and add power to the box. The PS3 would be very good for this since the Cell runs well parallel. If Sony could add power to their existing console without a new console, it would go a long way toward making the PS3 the console of choice while still offering a good machine locally.

[hazelamy]

FUCK OFF pachter.
i'm almost as fed up of hearing from this twat as i am from reading that greedy douchebag kotick's interview this week.

[DarkFantasy]

i don't think we have seen the end of console,i don't really like the idea of cloud based tbh,but you never know i could change my mind if the price and the features are right.