WildTangent: Consoles are dead

Posted on Monday, May 26 2008 @ 12:10 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
These days you hear a lot about the downfall of PC gaming but that's nonsense according to WildTangent CEO Alex St. John. He declared consoles dead and talks about the PC gaming renaissance:
Beginning one of several brazen claims in his keynote, St. John spoke of the death of video game consoles: “Nobody needs a console when a game's value and DRM is defined by community or an input device. Consoles just serve to keep you from playing a game you didn't pay for.”

He asked, “What's Sony and Microsoft's motivation to make another console? It's been so rocky, and it's not about the pretty graphics anymore.” According to St. John, spectacular graphics have become a commodity, and not the platform for games to differentiate themselves. “The Wii is the exception that proves the rule -- it's not about the graphics, it's about the input device.

St. John speculated that we’re in the early days of an online PC gaming renaissance: “There's a wide open opportunity here. Anybody can get into this, and everything the traditional publishers and game companies know about doing business will ensure their failure.”

“There's no advantage to traditional game publishers online,” he argued. “The box game industry requires the money up front before they'll let you find out if it's any fun. Online, you get to try it before you put money down. And in that world, brand doesn't matter. Brand is the promise of entertainment, but now it's the experience that matters. Great games are best monetized after a consumer is hooked.”
More info at Gamasutra.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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