Now that Steam is what it is, how will the next gen compare?

I was just thinking earlier about all of the crazy Steam sales and mods of games that do so well and become PC phenomenons (IE Day Z) and their is no way that the new Playstation and Xbox are going to keep their online-store formula and general ways of business the same. How will the new consoles evolve to handle the competition?

What does everybody think? What's on your minds?

If they continue being stubborn with pricing, they'll be done for as high end PC's become cheaper and cheaper.  Achievements and trophies can only go so far in keeping people around.  Unless exclusives become a huge factor next gen.
 
Honestly, if the new consoles just get on par with current PC specs it'll be the Wii U situation (meaning they'll quickly be surpassed again).  I hate to make it a graphics discussion, but the multimedia box idea has already been realized with this generation.  Better graphics seem like the main new feature to expect. 

imma buy the systems, because systems are cool.

And have this pretty rad Computer

GONNA BE GREAT

They'll be fine, probably. Part of the appeal of consoles is that they don't have any real barrier to entry in regards to knowledge; you can build a great PC that destroys consoles, but in the end, if you don't care or don't know enough, a console's fine. In that regard, games on those platforms are kind of unique, and so they can afford to charge people a fair amount of money up until the point where they won't any more. That's just rational business, really.

And besides, high-end PCs are really a trademark of "hardcore", deeply entrenched gamers. Is your average 13-year-old going to get his parents to put together a bunch of money and buy him an expensive thing which takes a lot of work just so he can play Call of Duty? No, especially when he knows that none of his friends will either. That's who consoles are kind of targeted at: kids and casuals. It appeals to others, but those are the main ones.

Computers have gotten easier to game on and consoles have gotten harder to game on (patches, patches everywhere) but console people will always prefer the familiarity and prices of a console. 
 
Yeah you can plug a tv and a controller into your PC and Wa-Bam you have a much better looking and running game. The gaming PC is still uncommon, at least a *real* gaming PC not one of these off the shelf i7 2.5GHz with an nvidia 530 and 20 GBs of RAM. Also the prebuilt PC market is leaning more into lower powered "portable" computing such as a 17" laptop over a traditional desktop. Desktops are even looked at as lame or outdated, cool gamers go to the xbox and play their games there with no idea why this game looked so much better in the commercials. 
 
So I think consoles are here to stay.

@byterunner said:

imma buy the systems, because systems are cool.

And have this pretty rad Computer

GONNA BE GREAT

Word.

EDIT: If the consoles can take anything from Steam it's how easy it is to gift people games. PLEASE MAKE GIFTING EASY!!

I'm giving neither Microsoft nor Sony the credit to think that they consider Steam a competitor in what they're trying to do with their online marketplaces.

@byterunner said:

imma buy the systems, because systems are cool.

And have this pretty rad Computer

GONNA BE GREAT

@Hippie_Genocide said:

I'm giving neither Microsoft nor Sony the credit to think that they consider Steam a competitor in what they're trying to do with their online marketplaces.

This. Microsoft and Sony will continue to battle each other, completely ignoring the PC ecosystem. The vast majority of console users will continue to buy consoles and console games, no matter the pricing or how better Steam is. It'll be exactly the same as this generation, and I'm completely fine with that. I'm extremely happy with my PC, thank you very much.

I should really get around to saving up for a good gaming PC. but like most people have said: MS and Sony will continue to fight each other while steam continues to make more and more money.

Yeah I don't think consoles are in any trouble. Even though PC may always be at the cutting edge, there will always be people out there who would not prefer the complexity(?) of PC gaming or simply prefer the console experience.

Heck, I still even buy a next generation console to so I can media server it up (and for the games, of course). My PS3 does a great job playing anything I throw at it now, even 1080p .mkv files, surprisingly. A much better solution than going downstairs with my laptop to watch stuff.

I dunno, I think Sony has a pretty compelling argument with PS+ in doing online marketplaces right. The amount of value I've gotten out of that is pretty staggering.

If MS and Sony start doing day one downloads of new releases with the licenses tied to your account with unlimited downloads on as many machines as you want, that'll be fantastic.

well it kind of looks like sony does alright with plus. every month they give people free games for like a month or how long they decide. they also give discount on items.

hope that consoles don't go digital. i don't like it too much of how they run things. don't really know what is going to happen.

If can only go down from here, Xbox Live and Playstation Network new redesigns of clunkiness, slow downs, and not being able to find diddly squat.

I think its still the point of consoles in the world to be a universal constant in terms of hardware. While PCs get cheaper, they are not user friendly to update or to know how powerful you are next to the everyman example. Not every gamer wants to switch out motherboards and ram every 6 months to get the best possible look to their game, and that is what consoles do. Give a universal look and feel to a game, making it easier on people. Steam is a force, totally true on that. It's really got a vice-grip on the PC right now and i do hope we get something close to a rival on PC soon, its sad to see Origin be the "only other thing" right now but i think consoles will start taking notes from steam and bring them into their online very soon. The gaming world is build in taking ideas from each other.

@csl316 said:

If they continue being stubborn with pricing, they'll be done for as high end PC's become cheaper and cheaper. Achievements and trophies can only go so far in keeping people around. Unless exclusives become a huge factor next gen. Honestly, if the new consoles just get on par with current PC specs it'll be the Wii U situation (meaning they'll quickly be surpassed again). I hate to make it a graphics discussion, but the multimedia box idea has already been realized with this generation. Better graphics seem like the main new feature to expect.

I think you are correct for a certain audience. It'd be hard to get a lot of gamers to switch to PC given some of the hoops you have to jump through.

A Steambox could make that very interesting however.

For me and many other more "hardcore" gamers you are right though. Just got a new PC and I'm sure it will be similar if not better in specs than the next gen machines and I'm loving the pricing I'm getting online. Consoles can't compare. Well not yet. As I said I hope they adopt similar pricing practices in the next gen.

Sony and its PS+ service as been one of best services for console so expanding upon it for next gen would be cool and hopefully Microsoft could do the same. Also changing how online stores are handled to better reflect what Steam has been doing for pretty much years with big sales and day one releases for most games. Also I just want easy access to all my downloaded games pretty much on the front page and one button press away.

Console gaming will always be the main appeal to casual gamers. You just plug it into the TV and go. Using steam and the PC is not complicated, but it's not as easy.

@csl316 said:

If they continue being stubborn with pricing, they'll be done for as high end PC's become cheaper and cheaper. Achievements and trophies can only go so far in keeping people around. Unless exclusives become a huge factor next gen. Honestly, if the new consoles just get on par with current PC specs it'll be the Wii U situation (meaning they'll quickly be surpassed again). I hate to make it a graphics discussion, but the multimedia box idea has already been realized with this generation. Better graphics seem like the main new feature to expect.

I think you are correct for a certain audience. It'd be hard to get a lot of gamers to switch to PC given some of the hoops you have to jump through.

A Steambox could make that very interesting however.

For me and many other more hardcore gamers you are right though. Just got a new PC and I'm sure it will be similar if not better in specs than the next gen machines and I'm loving the pricing I'm getting online. Consoles can't compare.

@csl316 said:

@ArtisanBreads said:

@csl316 said:

If they continue being stubborn with pricing, they'll be done for as high end PC's become cheaper and cheaper. Achievements and trophies can only go so far in keeping people around. Unless exclusives become a huge factor next gen. Honestly, if the new consoles just get on par with current PC specs it'll be the Wii U situation (meaning they'll quickly be surpassed again). I hate to make it a graphics discussion, but the multimedia box idea has already been realized with this generation. Better graphics seem like the main new feature to expect.

I think you are correct for a certain audience. It'd be hard to get a lot of gamers to switch to PC given some of the hoops you have to jump through.

A Steambox could make that very interesting however.

For me and many other more hardcore gamers you are right though. Just got a new PC and I'm sure it will be similar if not better in specs than the next gen machines and I'm loving the pricing I'm getting online. Consoles can't compare.

You're right about the hoops. I mostly stick to consoles because I use a laptop for my computer needs (which can run most games well, but still). I think Jeff even mentioned the fact that consoles have their place due to ease of use. That's why the Steambox crossed my mind, but that's still just a snapshot of current technology. All I know is that I stay away from digital downloads of retail games. Prices are high and we can't trade with friends. Curious if Sony's single use disc idea comes to fruition and if it changes my stance on things.

Steam sales and Amazon now have made prices quite low at the right time of the year for digital. I know what you mean about the drawbacks but when the pricing is as good as it was this holiday it's hard not to want to go digital. I just bought Spec Ops, Bioshock 1, and 2 for $10. I got Max Payne 3 for $15. With credit I got from Amazon I got Hotline Miami for free. Hard to not go digital with those prices.

If you are paying full retail it is less enticing. Your reasons have to be convenience, and since my internet is quite slow it's not really that for me at the moment. It's all pricing.

it'll all hinge upon microsoft/sony/nintendo's ability to deliver a gameplay experience that steam cannot provide- be that console-exclusives, interface hooks, value, etc. because as it stands right now, steam is very much my favourite platform. also- it's a very different maketplace from when the last console generation was released- we have the prevalence of iOS devices, a tough economy, and the rise of steam as a substantial player. it'll be interesting to see what the manufacturers come up with.

Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted, Forza

Yeah I don't think consoles are in any trouble. Even though PC may always be at the cutting edge, there will always be people out there who would not prefer the complexity(?) of PC gaming or simply prefer the console experience.

Heck, I still even buy a next generation console to so I can media server it up (and for the games, of course). My PS3 does a great job playing anything I throw at it now, even 1080p .mkv files, surprisingly. A much better solution than going downstairs with my laptop to watch stuff.

@csl316 said:

@ArtisanBreads said:

@csl316 said:

If they continue being stubborn with pricing, they'll be done for as high end PC's become cheaper and cheaper. Achievements and trophies can only go so far in keeping people around. Unless exclusives become a huge factor next gen. Honestly, if the new consoles just get on par with current PC specs it'll be the Wii U situation (meaning they'll quickly be surpassed again). I hate to make it a graphics discussion, but the multimedia box idea has already been realized with this generation. Better graphics seem like the main new feature to expect.

I think you are correct for a certain audience. It'd be hard to get a lot of gamers to switch to PC given some of the hoops you have to jump through.

A Steambox could make that very interesting however.

For me and many other more hardcore gamers you are right though. Just got a new PC and I'm sure it will be similar if not better in specs than the next gen machines and I'm loving the pricing I'm getting online. Consoles can't compare.

You're right about the hoops. I mostly stick to consoles because I use a laptop for my computer needs (which can run most games well, but still). I think Jeff even mentioned the fact that consoles have their place due to ease of use. That's why the Steambox crossed my mind, but that's still just a snapshot of current technology. All I know is that I stay away from digital downloads of retail games. Prices are high and we can't trade with friends. Curious if Sony's single use disc idea comes to fruition and if it changes my stance on things.

Steam sales and Amazon now have made prices quite low at the right time of the year for digital. I know what you mean about the drawbacks but when the pricing is as good as it was this holiday it's hard not to want to go digital. I just bought Spec Ops, Bioshock 1, and 2 for $10. I got Max Payne 3 for $15. With credit I got from Amazon I got Hotline Miami for free. Hard to not go digital with those prices.

If you are paying full retail it is less enticing. Your reasons have to be convenience, and since my internet is quite slow it's not really that for me at the moment. It's all pricing.

Steam will do nothing to the structure of XBL/PSN. They have to set their prices high, because retail stores are still the primary sellers of console games. Undercutting them would annoy retailers, to the point where they just wouldn't carry games for that console any more and that would effectively kill the console and unlike with PC gaming, the masses are still content to buy full priced $60 games. There's no reason for them to change anything.

@Demoskinos said:

@EquitasInvictus

Yeah I don't think consoles are in any trouble. Even though PC may always be at the cutting edge, there will always be people out there who would not prefer the complexity(?) of PC gaming or simply prefer the console experience.

Heck, I still even buy a next generation console to so I can media server it up (and for the games, of course). My PS3 does a great job playing anything I throw at it now, even 1080p .mkv files, surprisingly. A much better solution than going downstairs with my laptop to watch stuff.

You've got a point but even arguing the complexity bit nowdays is a hard argument to make when steam automatically patches everything. Back in the days where you had to manually hunt and download patches things could get a bit dicy but nowdays its so easy to game on PC outside of the few old games that you have to jump through hoops to get running on Win7.

That's also true; considering where we are today compared with a decade ago it is definitely a whole lot easier to game on PC, hence I put a question mark after complexity: the actual complexity really varies depending on the person and their prior experience with PCs. While we might remember the days when Steam didn't exist and there were a whole bunch of issues with compatibility with specs, drivers, and patching that Steam takes care nowadays there are still probably some people who are really young and really old who wouldn't take advantage of that. Especially with newer games when the specs are little more demanding and most people would've either had to upgrade or dish out a lot of bucks for a new computer altogether, getting the console version would be much simpler alternative for them since they wouldn't have to be mindful about that kind of stuff.

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted, Forza

...would all look wonderful on PC.

@c0l0nelp0c0rn1 said:

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted, Forza

...would all look wonderful on PC.

Will never be on them....Add GTA V to that list.

@Bourbon_Warrior: One can dream, though. In the meantime I will begrudgingly play those games.

I doubt their bothered TBH.

Enthusiasts, like the people that frequent these types of sites are slowly starting to wise up. But theres still that huge mainstream audience who have probably never even heard of Steam.

'PC gaming has been dead' for multiple years, now those same people are on newegg looking at parts. So It's still a victory for the PC.

Unfortunately once the consoles are out, I doubt we'll see the PC love from Giant Bomb, we've been getting as of late.

Hopefully developers will carry on the trend of putting out great PC versions of games, like recent times.

@csl316 said:

If they continue being stubborn with pricing, they'll be done for as high end PC's become cheaper and cheaper. Achievements and trophies can only go so far in keeping people around. Unless exclusives become a huge factor next gen. Honestly, if the new consoles just get on par with current PC specs it'll be the Wii U situation (meaning they'll quickly be surpassed again). I hate to make it a graphics discussion, but the multimedia box idea has already been realized with this generation. Better graphics seem like the main new feature to expect.

High end PC's aren't reaaally becoming cheaper and cheaper. It's only relative to the current generation. To outclass the next generation will mean a more expensive computer than to outclass the current consoles. And new consoles will be far worse than current PC specs.

@csl316: High end PCs are about to get much more expensive, because the new generation is going to make the low end of console ports looking much better than they do now. The reason they are cheaper now is because we are so far into the current generation that games haven't really gotten that much better looking for a while.

Microsoft's already made their move. Give it a few years, and Steam is going to be looked at like a virus because of the Windows 8 Marketplace.

"Why isn't it on the marketplace? Must be a virus."

Steam has all the market it's ever going to have, unless Windows 8 fails spectacularly.

While I personally have shifted the majority of my gaming from consoles to PC this year, I very much consider myself an enthusiast. I would not expect people I see at the store, or even some acquaintances of mine, to leave the console habitat due to what others have said: simplicity. The fact that the only real hurdle with a console is plugging it into a TV is hard to ignore when looking at prevalence with the masses. Even with all this said, I still don't think that current pricing strategies on XBL and PSN can survive, since I would think that even the casual consumer would wise up and come to expect better pricing on a digital product. At the same time, I realize that network limitations and long-established bonds to physical products can significantly hamper the chances of people finding these digital experiences if they are not already actively interested in finding them.

It's possible that Steam could completely alter Microsoft and Sony's strategies in the future with whatever hardware they're working on, but for now I wouldn't expect anything too great from consoles in terms of their digital space. I think release-day availability of digital downloads will be ubiquitous on the new consoles, but I don't see the discounts that Steam and other online retailers feature becoming part of the consoles' ecosystems; due to them not wanting to ruin relationships with retailers just yet, along with the fact that they can continue to make enormous profits by keeping the pricing strategies the same.

Even with all this said, I remain hopeful that my opinion is wrong and that there are great surprises for us, but I'm skeptical. If I had to pick one console manufacturer that might be getting closer to a Steam-like innovation, it would be Sony with PS+. I think PS+ is a fantastic service, and am interested to see how it further develops in the next generation--especially with Sony's acquisition of Gaikai.

p.s. I also think that the ease of chatting with friends on XBL is unmatched (from my experience). I think that if a proper "party" system were to be implemented to Steam, Origin, or any other digital distributor, it would be very worrisome for the consoles going forward. Or maybe such a system already exists, and I have yet to hear of it.

@Terramagi said:

Microsoft's already made their move. Give it a few years, and Steam is going to be looked at like a virus because of the Windows 8 Marketplace.

i don't know man- have a look at windows 8 adoption rates- they're not looking so good.

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/windows-8-adoption-rate-reportedly-worse-vista-1C7800805

and it's not like windows 8 marketplace is directly competing with steam- and the day microsoft makes pc's windows-marketplace-only machines is the day windows is done.

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

Will never be on them....Add GTA V to that list.

gta 4 got an eventual port- i'd actually be surprised if we don't see a gta 5 port some months down the line.

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

@c0l0nelp0c0rn1 said:

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted, Forza

...would all look wonderful on PC.

Will never be on them....Add GTA V to that list.

Considering that Max Payne 3 and LA Noire both came to PC, and how well GTA IV has ended up selling (especially on Steam) I have no idea how you can make such a stupid claim, especially as GTA IV came out and now Rockstar actually seem to understand how to create a good PC version of a game.

@Sooty said:

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

@c0l0nelp0c0rn1 said:

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted, Forza

...would all look wonderful on PC.

Will never be on them....Add GTA V to that list.

Considering that Max Payne 3 and LA Noire both came to PC, and how well GTA IV has ended up selling (especially on Steam) I have no idea how you can make such a stupid claim, especially as GTA IV came out and now Rockstar actually seem to understand how to create a good PC version of a game.

My guess is they are saving the HD assets for the next Xbox\PS4, to help sell more consoles. RDR sold more than Max Payne 3 and LA Noire combined, didn't come to PC. Will probably be a "HD" version on the next Xbox\PS4 just like GTA 5 and a lot of other games like Far Cry 3 will have.

Hopefully digital distribution will just become the norm, and less expensive. I currently am just planning on building a living room PC instead of buying the consoles (don't know who I'm kidding..I'll have consoles).