I love video games, and I love consoles, but it's a nuisance having so many consoles set up to my TV (the SCART and HDMI networks would baffle a brain surgeon!), plus having so many controllers lying around isn't ideal either. In a way, I envy PC only gamers, as they have all of their games on one machine (I also have a PC for gaming, but it's in another room, so doesn't contribute to the tangle of leads under the TV. Sometimes I almost wish that there'd only ever been one console released, and all consoles games had been released for that, but on the other hand, I like having lots of consoles, and they all have their own feeling, well, up until the 360 and the PS3, which is where (to me) consoles started to feel largely the same, but still fairly individual. Plus liking a particular console gives you automatic entry and membership into any group of fans of that console, which is great. Forums devoted to an old machine, say the N64, PS2, original XBox, etc, can be really great places, as most trolls and idiots don't bother with older machines (it's much 'cooler' to own the latest machines, so trolls tend to move on when a machine commercially dies), and you are able to discuss things with real fans who love that machine and it's games. Anyway, would you prefer things to be how they are (two or more competing console comes out, have their own games (exclusive or multiplatform), then say five to ten years later the consoles commercially die, and no more games are made for them, and the next consoles comes out, etc. Or would you prefer if only one console existed? I know that that would complicate things (would the console be upgradable over time, would Nintendo, Microsoft, Sega, Sony, etc be happy publishing on the same system, etc, but for the sake of the poll, let's assume that every console game that was ever made for the dozens of consoles that did/do exist in our world, were made for that one console, and ignore any question of what the joypads would be like, would it be online, etc. Just assume it does everything that real consoles do. Yes, it's pointless discussing such a hypothetical console, that maybe couldn't exist anyway, but I'm bored (I daren't play games here (at work) on the PC, but I can surf the 'net), so why not? Me, I'm voting for option 2. I do like individual consoles, and I'm glad each has it's own 'feel' and fanbase, but I'd love to be able to play every game on one machine, assuming that one machine was well designed and lacked no features of the real consoles.
I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to gaming consoles in that I prefer genuine hardware for each era. If I wanted to run many games on one machine, I could fire up any of my computers, phones or tablet for emulation.
I can't be bothered explaining my reasons which I've probably voiced a billion times in the past so I'll just say - Many
Efficiency Apartment - 1 console + PC emulation box -> Modest TV Apartment with Living Room - 2-3 consoles -> Bigger TV (PC upgrades to it's own proper setup) Small House - Dedicated Gaming Room -> Old CRT + PVM + Proper large OLED display Large House - Dedicated Gaming Room + Air-Hockey, Pool, Darts Mansion - Gaming Wing, every game system and game ever made, painstakingly organized, small bowling alley, outdoor rock climbing Small Town - Akihabara Jr, but with every arcade game and system ever made Large City - Everything and everyone is video games. Realistic Pokemon battles, fighting tournaments, and shoot-outs are everywhere.
I like that there are different consoles and I don't want an all in one system (the pc is an aio btw). But, it's kind of a pain to have a bunch of consoles. I plan on putting them away once I've finnished the 50 or so games that I want to finnish.
It would be cool if there was a console that could play every game that ever and will ever existed but i like individual consoles better.
The only real reasons why I would like to have only one console, is because I lack space and don't feel like spend $400 on each new set every time. Especially when dealing with exclusives... but it seems like the problem has taken care of itself in the current generation!
For older games, at this point it doesn't really matter, most all of them have good emulators that are freely available. Plus some of the best games for a retro system took advantages of hardware quirks that weren't present in other consoles (Super Mario World wouldn't look nearly as good on a Genesis, and Sonic 2 would plod along on an SNES). Also, for the "one console ever" idea, that means you couldn't upgrade, like, ever. The hardware inside gets better as the years move on (hell even in a console's lifespan, the current manufacturers have made improvements to how the consoles run and are sized as the console ages).
When I started getting into retro gaming I was content with emulators. But then I started coming across the original hardware in shops and markets, and every time it was like seeing an old friend again. I understand the ease of emulation, and would understand (and be very impressed by) a console that was capable of truly playing every game ever without emulating, with a controller perfectly suited to each one...but it would be like assuming you've been to an art gallery by looking at a photo of the Mona Lisa.
Moved to general gaming... last time I checked, games consoles weren't off topic on a gaming forum Gotta have 'em all!
Has to be all in one for me unless it's a handheld. Don't have the inclination for so many home consoles with a billion wires and controllers. I play all my retro stuff on a GPD XD console and everything else on my laptop. Still have a PS2 set up in the back room and a PSOne with screen in my office/workshop room although they don't get much use.
As much as I like trying to collect each and every console , there is only so much space under my living room tv. I try to consoldate my systems through backwards compatability (PS1 games on PS3, Master System Games on MegaDrive) and the clone systems that play more than once console at a time like the Retro Duo.
Considering computers are powerful enough to emulate anything GC and before (sans Xbox), I'm fine. Besides all of the video game consoles today are manufactured by the same company. PS4 Xbox One Wii U? Just a Foxconn product.
The problem could be that these older consoles can't be updated and kept in working order as easily as a PC can, although many of you are excellent at replacing parts. In addition, as more of these consoles and their components start to fail, the prices increase as rarity does the same. I love all my consoles and still enjoy playing them, but there's always that sneaking fear that one day I'm going to attempt to use one of them and it won't operate correctly. I'm speaking as a person who's not too savvy with part replacement.
Luckily there's people out there that can fix them if you can't yourself. I had the PSU in my Saturn die, less than 20 bucks and 30 minutes later I had it back up and running with a new part used for car computers. They can be revived!
What i wouldnt give for a console that plays everything , even if it was the size of an old vhs player. A console that takes any disc based game of any age would be amazing , also a console you can feed 10 dscs in would be amazing , but thats me being lazy. And a console that takes any cartridge game from nintendo and sega would be great
It's so impractical in a business viewpoint... But I like the way it is. The controllers for me are very very important. Some people like to stick with just one, like the "pc players" as said, but that will be a let down for me. IMO, there was something good about the games being developed around a controller. Today we only have Nintendo and the Kinect that fits that reality.
