Earlier today I was having a debate with my good friend Jono0 about whether consoles are dying out or not. As a console and occasionally PC gamer, I didn't think that this was true. We talked it over, him saying that console games eventually get ported and emulated to the PC, so what's the point of getting a console if you can have one machine do it all? I was making the point that consoles don't have to be upgraded as frequently, and new ones come out when they're needed and aren't as do-it-yourself when it comes to setting up the parts you want.
That's when I remembered that consoles are really just computers made for playing games. Like with the Odyssey and the Atari. Computers were still in a pretty rough stage and they didn't have such a variety of uses and apps like they do now. So some were developed with the sole purpose of gaming. Arcade machines were made for more complex and detailed games, but those couldn't be brought home, so companies tried using smaller computers to play simpler games at home. When the consoles took off, there became a different market for them, and so it became as if they were completely separate from computers. Over the years, consoles have grown and grown, and so have computers, into what they are today. And people consider them different entities when the only thing that really differs in them is their designed purposes. PCs are made to perform a huge variety of functions, and gaming is just one of them. Consoles are made to play games and have a few other things that they can do on the side. And don't worry. I'm going somewhere with this, I think....
My point in all this is that while console gaming may have dominated the mid- to late-90's and early 00's, and some have said not too long ago that PC gaming was dying out, PC gaming is being reinvigorated by new titles such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Spore, and the games are not just ports and Microsoft Flight Simulator like they used to be. Consoles may be on the rise as well. With what Nintendo's doing with the Wii, home console gaming should not be getting drab anytime soon. But one thing that has seen a definite decline is arcades. With arcade games having versions made to be played at home, no one has had really any reason to enter an arcade unless they get bored at the mall while their mom is in Sears. However, arcades have been reportedly on the rise as of late. So how could something so seemingly outdated make a comeback? Nostalgia. Gamers must be some of, if not THE, most nostalgic people in the world. We remember something that we loved and we like to revisit it. I myself have been meaning to play MGS2 again for some time, because that is one of the greatest games I've ever played. Although I'm not old enough to be a member of the arcade generation, I'm sure that the people who are have fond memories of it. When someone in the game industry recalls something from the past that they loved, they like to see if they can bring it back or at least pay homage to it and raise interest. So, because of this and probably some other reasons, arcades may come back, not to what they were before, but I highly doubt they will ever die.
The same goes for consoles. If the market for consoles were to ever die down, and many people not buy them anymore (something that is definitely not going to happen anytime soon), they may remain in a sort of stasis until someone remembers how much fun they were and does something to bring them back. If someone is nostalgic for something, they hate to see it go away, and gamers of all kinds are nostalgic.
Another thing I recently realized, while writing the second paragraph in fact, is that, as computers branched off into home consoles, the process seems to be coming full circle. With modern technology, consoles are being made to do so much stuff, that they seem to be turning into little computers devoted not just to games anymore, but to entertainment in general. This will not come as a surprise to a lot of people, as it actually seems kind of obvious to a certain degree. Of course, consoles will never become full-fledged computers, because, seriously, no one wants to see a tournament that consists of two people trying to outdo each other in PowerPoint. But game systems are becoming much more than just that. They are now entertainment hubs for the entire house. Interactive worlds, tv shows, and streaming music. All available in one place (for the right price, that is).
So, the point of all this is that, like everything else in this world, nothing ever truly dies in the world of gaming. True, some things may die down, but they never die. Hope you guys liked my first real editorial. Feel free to shout at me for getting something wrong :)
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