"Console Market Is In Crisis"

http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/con...in_crisis.html

"The console market is in a crisis as the new generation consoles aren't selling very well when compared with previous generations. The console market seems to be shrinking significantly, in January 2007 a total of 2 million flagship consoles were sold in North America, whereas in January 2014 the numbers add up to just 700,000 units.

An article from tech Crunch points out that there are several reasons for the declining console market. Casual gamers for instance are increasingly moving to mobile/web games, whereas high-end enthusiasts are flocking to the PC platform to get the best in class experience.

Why the shrinking console market? There are likely multiple factors in play here. Not least increased gaming competition from mobile devices. And, well, increased competition for free time in general. Since 2007 mobile apps have taken off, social networking has gone mainstream, mobile gaming has spawned huge casual gamer franchises like Angry Birds and Candy Crush and the rest, and mobile messaging has gone massively over-the-top to make IMing your buddies free and easy (and yet another pull on free time).

Another problem console makers are facing is rival devices’ faster refresh cycles. Mobile devices typically get upgraded with shiny new hardware every year. While, from the other side, top-of-the-range PC hardware is now outperforming console hardware – so really hardcore gamers looking for the best in class gaming experience (at least from a a graphical fidelity/frame-rate point of view) are actually better off with a high end gaming PC than the current console flagships."

The latest console releases are the least technically advanced in relation to what hardware is available.

[lfcrule1972]

Overall sales figures seem good though - http://www.usgamer.net/articles/next...es-in-48-hours

They seem to contradict the figures in the article you found too

Other reports - http://www.dailytech.com/PlayStation...ticle34404.htm

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/17...ound-4-million

In an official blog post this morning, Sony took the opportunity to offload a bunch of impressive statistics. Six million units sold worldwide. 13.7 million games sold. 90% of PS4s are online — producing 3.6 million live broadcasts, 56 million spectate sessions, and 100 million social shares (via the DualShock 4′s Share button). Apparently 20% of all daily broadcasters on Twitch since January 1 have been PS4 gamers.

Killzone: Shadow Fall wallpaperSony also announced today that the PS4 had sold 370,000 units in Japan, in its first week of sales. This is obviously small fry compared to the one million PS4s sold in the first 24 hours in the US — but do remember that Japan only has around a third of the population of the US. A better comparison is the UK, which has around half the population of Japan, where around 250,000 PS4s were sold in the opening weekend. This still makes Japan’s opening week look weak — though it’s worth pointing out that the PS3 didn’t sell very well in Japan early on, either. The Wii sold around the same number of units in its first week in Japan, and it went on to be a huge success. (The PS2 was the first and last console to truly explode the Japanese market.)

All in all I'm happier with the PS4 than I would be with a gaming PC

[Superfly Guy]

All in all I'm happier with the PS4 than I would be with a gaming PC

In what way, of the PS4 games ive played that are also on PC, they are (obviously) graphically inferior and for some (FIFA 14) hugely cut down.
Obviously a console is way way cheaper than a top end PC but as mentioned in the article if you want the absolute best in gaming then it doesn't come cheap.

Neither of the new consoles can do 1080p at 60fps which isn't that surprising as they are using gfx hardware over two generations old.

I used to love my PS3 and ability to get into game from boot far quicker than my PC, however with SSDs (which can be used in a PS4) I can go from a cold PC to online and ingame in BF4 in half the time it takes a PS4.

Until a PS4 can offer me GT and a full fat FIFA il not bother. To be honest my PS3 (very first edition bought on day of release) is going strong and although its horrendously slow BR drive is frustrating, the likes of Last of Us and Heavy Rain are still good enough for me.

I mostly play games like the Total War series, FPS like BF and knock out some flight sim hours for using a PC is an obvious choice. Once you have gamed at 1440p@80fps there is no going back .

If my PS3 dies though il get a PS4

[Gazski66]

Must admit i still have my 360 with no plans of buying the Xbox1, will spend the money on my car instead

[lfcrule1972]

I've never doubted that PCs are going to offer better visuals and processing power so I completely understand your point there. The games I really enjoy tend to be Playstation exclusives like The Last of Us, Heavy Rain, Uncharted, God of War, Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet, Metal Gear Solid (ok not all exclusive ), Warhawk etc...

For me, I don't need the absolute best in gaming, I want a console that plays great games and is relatively low maintenance, doesn't need upgrades to ensure it can play the latest game as it was intended on the console etc.

My last point is the space, the PS3 and my PS4 both fit on the TV stand with no problems, for a high end gaming PC I'd need a desk somewhere and I don't have the space yet....

[Superfly Guy]

I don't have the space yet....

Its easy to get addicted ha ha ha ha.

Some great games you mentioned there, GT and LBP are mega. Its a shame there is no real modding community for consoles, modded versions of games like Skyrim, ARMA and Napoleon Total War are amazing, there are some great moddable racing games as well.

In all seriousness though, if/when I get a PS4 il replace the HDD immediately with a 512GB SSD, one of the best things Sony did with this console is include the ability to replace the HDD, with an SSD it will perform so much better. In BF4 im ingame and capturing flags while most other players are waiting to spawn

[lfcrule1972]

I love Skyrim and would love to play modded versions on a PS3/4, I've spent around 500 hours playing the PS3 version It's a shame you can't do the mods on the consoles, I've really enjoyed the Fallout series as well....

I'd like to stick a SSD in the PS4, might need to wait for the price to come down a little first as I'm saving to move in the summer at the moment.

[Superfly Guy]

I think prices have just about bottomed out, they have certainly sat at their current levels for some time. £175 is about as cheap as you will find for a 480GB model, £230 for a Samsung 500GB drive.

[Gazski66]

Difference between an HDD and SSD

[lfcrule1972]

I was looking at this one before - still £294 on Amazon, probably other better drives available I know

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Seri.../dp/B009NB8WTI

[Superfly Guy]

Difference between an HDD and SSD

A HDD uses spinning platters to store information, they are read a little like a conventional record, they generate heat, use a fair amount of power and due to their mechanical nature can be relatively slow.

An SSD stores information like an SD card, it has no moving parts therefore generates no excess heat and uses little power, it can read and write in excess of 500MB/S which is hugely quicker than a conventional HDD. Think a laptop booting in 25 seconds with an SSD or 4 minutes with a HDD. And when I say boot that is from Windows coming up to a selected program actually running.

[Gazski66]

A HDD uses spinning platters to store information, they are read a little like a conventional record, they generate heat, use a fair amount of power and due to their mechanical nature can be relatively slow.

An SSD stores information like an SD card, it has no moving parts therefore generates no excess heat and uses little power, it can read and write in excess of 500MB/S which is hugely quicker than a conventional HDD. Think a laptop booting in 25 seconds with an SSD or 4 minutes with a HDD. And when I say boot that is from Windows coming up to a selected program actually running.

Ah ok, and you can get SSD for games consoles?

[Superfly Guy]

I was looking at this one before - still £294 on Amazon, probably other better drives available I know

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Seri.../dp/B009NB8WTI

The Samsung PRo is just about as good as its gets, the non-pro is cheaper, slightly slower but uses different memory chips. If I was running my machine constantly for say a server then id use the PRo as its memory is made for constant read/writes.

[Superfly Guy]

Ah ok, and you can get SSD for games consoles?

An SSD is an SSD mate, its a Solid State Drive and they are the same size (well some are slightly thinner than others ie for very slim laptops). The lappy im on now has an SSD, I removed its HDD, cloned it onto an SSD and now it runs faster and for longer on battery. My Media Centre runs its operating system from an SSD, my gaming rig runs its games from its SD as does my daughters and sons. Going back to a hot, noisy and slow HDD is not for this call-sign.

[lfcrule1972]

Thanks SfG !!