Quote Originally Posted by Bolivar View Post
I also disagree with consoles becoming outdated in relation to PCs. I didn't play primarily on consoles because they were cheaper than PCs - I played on them because it's more comfortable to game on a television than it is a computer monitor and there's a lot of games that just don't appear on PC, or aren't as practical. I'll always prefer a large screen with surround sound and a comfy couch or bed to a vision-deteriorating monitor with a small stereo set and a wheely-chair to hunch over on. And as I hinted at, home consoles are becoming arguably more relevant than ever with the advent of Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Not only do they play disc-based movies (Blu Ray for one of them at that), but they have a multitude of streaming options for movies and television, current television if you use Hulu. With ESPN on Xbox Live and MLB, NHL, and NFL Sunday Ticket on PSN, the need for the cable box is diminishing. There's already hints of cable coming to Xbox Live. Not to mention you can also surf the web on PS3 and both systems adequately function as networked media centers for your connected devices. I said above in the future your cable company will give you a controller along with your box and remote, but I think it's becoming increasingly likely that your console manufacturer will include a remote with your system and controller.
I don't think it's quite that cut and dry though. Many PC games (particularly console ports) support controllers, platforms like Steam are providing gaming platforms that are at least the equal of the PSN and Xbox Live (better in my opinion), and multimedia PC's have been around for years. Hell, that's basically all a console is becoming: a multimedia PC with a closed operating system and no keyboard or mouse.

Like I said, I don't think consoles are going anywhere right away, but the lines between them and PC's are becoming increasingly blurry, and that makes it a lot harder to see the difference and understand why they will continue as separate entities in the future. All I can come up with is that they're simpler to operate and maintain than a PC. I won't say they're simpler to set up since that isn't necessarily true anymore.

So even though I agree that they aren't going anywhere, I can't escape this feeling of not knowing where they're going to go from here, and how their existence will be justified in the future. Because I could easily see PC manufacturers trying to take their place with ready made multimedia boxes that will do everything they do and more. Possibly running custom versions of existing operating systems to streamline the experience for less of a PC experience, and more of the smooth console/multimedia experience people are looking for. The difference being that such a platform would be a lot more open to developers and could be updated every year or so instead of every 5+. Not saying it's going to happen, simply that if you look at the console market now I don't see any clear path forward for them that says a console is really a must own gaming device anymore. Frankly, with the prevalence of console ports these days I've been considering skipping the next console generation entirely, particularly given how underwhelming a lot of this generation has been.