Console gaming…$1710: The last best hope for PC games

lorax · Post by **lorax** » Fri May 20, 2005 5:35 pm

$1710. Yes, that is the price for next-generation console gaming, according to breaking news at CNN. Let’s take the Xbox 360, from the $400 console to $60 games. And to play the games as intended: a high-definition television. $1000. Surround sound? $250. This adds up to one price: Expensive.

CNN says that consumers will have to learn a lesson: Games don’t come cheap. Or instead, consoles won’t sell. This could be a turning point in the sales of PC games.

Or not. CD and DVD copy protections (such as StarForce) could cancel this effect. Anecdotally, there have been many complaints of intrusive and buggy phone-home copy protection software. Certainly the PC game sales are in a bit of a free-fall and copy protections may discourage any remaining buyers.

Console gaming priced sky-high. PC game sales in a free-fall. Fortunately, we will still have tabletop chess. Bring on the pain!

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Fri May 20, 2005 5:44 pm

Thats nothing... A high end gaming PC will set you back $2000 at least, and likely MORE by the end of the year when you need to purchase on of those little $400 physics engines to compliment your $900 video card.

I already have a HDTV, so the cost of some real gaming will be $400 and about 10 games. $1000 total - which will last a few years, which is a drop in the bucket considering I spend that yearly on PC upgrades and new graphic cards.

Bring on the next gen consoles - now! PC gaming is starting to piss me off after the last round of releases.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Fri May 20, 2005 5:50 pm

Very few consumers are going to buy and HDTV simply because they buy and Xbox 360. They either have and HDTV or they don't. The 360 will work on a regular television. It will work with stereo sound. Instead, the 360 will be ready for when they upgrade to HDTV. Current HDTV owners will buy the 360 just to get the most mileage out of their HDTV.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri May 20, 2005 6:12 pm

Furthermore, the cost of the TV is split, as it is also applied to watching movies and television, plus used for other consoles - unless you're suggesting that someone buy a special HDTV with surround sound just for use with a single console.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Fri May 20, 2005 6:19 pm

Yay! I always wanted to see frothing PC fanbois go up against the frothing console fanbois!

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Fri May 20, 2005 6:50 pm

Movie ticket prices didn't go up this year because ticket sales have been dropping the past 2 or 3 years likely due to DVD's being so cheap. Live concert prices (for the cheap seats) have gone down this year because last year was a disaster. There's every indication that people think that entertainment costs too much nowadays. I think $60 games and a $400 console is going to be a tough sell.

EddieA · Post by **EddieA** » Fri May 20, 2005 9:11 pm

$60 games is a possibility, but I would be shocked if any of the next-gen consoles are more than $300. Both PC and console gaming can be expensive, but you can also do both pretty cheaply, if you're willing to settle for turning down some graphics options or renting games.

Also, that $1710 figure is just a way to get a headline that will make people read the article. You can make anything seem expensive if you go high-end with everything.

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Fri May 20, 2005 9:57 pm

Dirt wrote:Movie ticket prices didn't go up this year because ticket sales have been dropping the past 2 or 3 years likely due to DVD's being so cheap. Live concert prices (for the cheap seats) have gone down this year because last year was a disaster. There's every indication that people think that entertainment costs too much nowadays. I think $60 games and a $400 console is going to be a tough sell.

The REASON movie sales are down, concert sales are down, etc. Is because people are moving more into the home for their entertainment. Its just too expensive to go out these days.

Toe · Post by **Toe** » Sat May 21, 2005 12:30 am

My wife will not let me take over the HDTV for video gaming (and I do not really blame her either). Therefore I would have to purchase another TV.

Consoles need to go ahead and allow for standard monitor hook up (as well as keyboard and mouse while they are at it) to take that advantage away.

Or, is there something difficult about making a console run on a monitor. I thought it was already being done (but I could be wrong).

CeeKay · Post by **CeeKay** » Sat May 21, 2005 1:20 am

Only $1710? Get a clue dude, if you're only paying $1000 bucks you aren't getting much. Now this is something to toot your horn over.

raydude · Post by **raydude** » Sat May 21, 2005 10:02 am

In a way I'm hoping consoles draw lorax into console gaming. Then he can post messages like this on the console boards. Although, with the general maturity level shown on most console boards I doubt he'll get a response above "L0L0L0L0L!!!!!111111 Wh@t a L3m@r!"

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat May 21, 2005 10:34 am

LawBeefaroni wrote:Very few consumers are going to buy and HDTV simply because they buy and Xbox 360. They either have and HDTV or they don't. The 360 will work on a regular television. It will work with stereo sound. Instead, the 360 will be ready for when they upgrade to HDTV. Current HDTV owners will buy the 360 just to get the most mileage out of their HDTV.

True dat. And on the other side of the coin, how many people buy PCs specifically to play games?

Methinks 'tis a silly poll.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Sat May 21, 2005 10:42 am

Ironrod wrote: <Snip>
Methinks 'tis a silly poll.

That's about as good of a definition for a lorax topic as any I've seen.

philosophist · Post by **philosophist** » Sat May 21, 2005 11:48 am

For the XBox, there is currently a VGA solution for the xbox, x2vga+. It supports 420p and 720p.

And from what I understand, the XBox 360 will support VGA out of the box (or at least through a first-part add-on).

The HDTV argument is hollow.

lorax · Post by **lorax** » Sat May 21, 2005 8:27 pm

CeeKay wrote:Only $1710? Get a clue dude, if you're only paying $1000 bucks you aren't getting much. Now this is something to toot your horn over.

$12,000! That's one expensive hobby: next-gen console gaming. Bring on the pain!

quantum · Post by **quantum** » Sat May 21, 2005 8:37 pm

What happened to the fourth 'Eff Lorax' option? I was kind of hoping he had finally realized just how one-sided and downright stupid his threads are.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Sat May 21, 2005 8:39 pm

quantum wrote:What happened to the fourth 'Eff Lorax' option? I was kind of hoping he had finally realized just how one-sided and downright stupid his threads are.

Beergut · Post by **Beergut** » Sat May 21, 2005 10:36 pm

Kobra wrote:
Dirt wrote:Movie ticket prices didn't go up this year because ticket sales have been dropping the past 2 or 3 years likely due to DVD's being so cheap. Live concert prices (for the cheap seats) have gone down this year because last year was a disaster. There's every indication that people think that entertainment costs too much nowadays. I think $60 games and a $400 console is going to be a tough sell.
The REASON movie sales are down, concert sales are down, etc. Is because people are moving more into the home for their entertainment. People are more apt now, than ever before, to invest in expensive home entertainment gear. You can get a LOT of mileage out of a HDTV combined with Netflix or Blockbuster online - large screen movie mileage no less. Same with gaming.. Before people would flock to arcades, family fun centers, and such. Now they can get it all in their home.

Probably explains why HDTV sales are through the roof, DVD sales are massive, and Console sales are at an all-time high. I read an article just last week that said ticket sales at movies are atrocious, and much of that is attributed to people staying home - and picking up some DVD's. So it isn't that people are suddenly thinking entertainment is too costly. It's just that the dynamics of all of it is changing. Everything is coming home.

For example in the case of me, why the hell would I want to go to a movie? I have a 50" HDTV with a HDDVD player hooked up via DVI. Any movie that hits the theater, usually comes out on DVD a few months later. I don't have to fight the crowds, I can just open my mailbox and have a Blockbuster DVD waiting, take it to my media room, drop it in, and have the wife bring in a couple of cold sodas and relax. Not to mention HD-Cable + DVR.

If I want to game, I have a lan center with 5 PC's, all piped through 19" LCD's with the latest hardware, and dozens of top-kit games.. If I want consoles, I have a Dreamcast with about 300 DC games, and 3,000 emulated games. Soon, I will have an Xbox-360.

So what exactly is the point in leaving the house and fighting crowds? My house is a godly domain of entertainment joy. My point - people don't think entertainment is too expensive. Their entertainment methods and locations are just changing.

GREAT POST!!!
(btw, can I come live with you??

)

Ridah · Post by **Ridah** » Sat May 21, 2005 11:54 pm

a high-definition television. $1000. Surround sound? $250.

Maybe if you shop at the flea market. I was at Good Guys a few weekends ago, and for what I wanted it was more like $7000 and $1800.

and likely MORE by the end of the year when you need to purchase on of those little $400 physics engines to compliment your $900 video card.

6800 GT: $300 Physics engine? Does anyone seriously see this materializing?

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Sun May 22, 2005 12:14 am

Kobra wrote: If I want to game, I have a lan center with 5 PC's, all piped through 19" LCD's with the latest hardware, and dozens of top-kit games.. If I want consoles, I have a Dreamcast with about 300 DC games, and 3,000 emulated games..

Are you also a Tupac fan? What are your feelings on sleeping with porn stars?

Octopus Overlords

Console gaming…$1710: The last best hope for PC games

Will overpriced consoles help PC gamers?

Console gaming…$1710: The last best hope for PC games