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Consoles’ glory days are over

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GloryDays

This is the first generations of consoles I can recall where right at launch, they’re objectively weaker and less impressive than most meat gaming PCs. It’s the beginning of the end of the glory days of consoles, says Nvidia’s CEO Jen Hsun.

Speaking in an investor call, the Nvidia boss said that there are so many ways to enjoy games these days, that consoles are no longer the bastion of great gaming.

“But my sense is that the game console platform is not likely to enjoy the hay days when it was really unambiguously the only and the best game platform to enjoy games. It’s just not true anymore. There are just too many other ways to enjoy games,” he said.

Where once upon a time, consoles were the undisputed champions of gaming – particularly around the advent of the 16 bit giants, and later PlayStation 1 and N64 – that has been changing, and continues to change.  It’s now the Pc that’s the best, and indeed most prolific, place to play games.

“The PC has become the world’s largest game platform. China, the developing countries around the world, PC is a piece of platform they already own. They can upgrade it two, three, four times without having to change the basic platform. So the total of cost of ownership of a game PC is quite attractive.  And so I think that there’s too many other ways to enjoy games now, for the game console to enjoy the hay days of the past. But we’ll see. The thing that I do know is this, without any question is that the PC is continuing to expand the number of titles. Great titles are coming to the PC. It’s is continuing to grow and the quality of titles is growing up ever so fast.”

Of course, this is exactly the sort of thing a company without any vested interest in the new consoles would say – even if he is right. That of course, doesn’t mean that consoles are dying; just the opposite. Sales of the PlayStation 4 hurtle towards 15 million, a number it looks like Sony will reach before year’s end. The Xbox One and Wii U each approach 8 million unit sales, and all together they paint quite a rosy future for console gaming.

Last Updated: November 10, 2014

91 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief Wang

    November 10, 2014 at 11:05

    Huehuehue

    Reply

    • Splooshypooh

      November 10, 2014 at 12:41

      Wang. lolsies

      Reply

  2. RinceThis

    November 10, 2014 at 11:05

    Already nearly hitting 15 mil? Bloody hell SONY. Well done.

    Reply

    • OVG

      November 10, 2014 at 11:20

      GAMES TALK
      BULLSHIT WALKS

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      November 10, 2014 at 11:22

      I still say the PS4 will sell more the then PS2.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ the valiant

        November 10, 2014 at 11:23

        I think so too. The PS4 is a brilliant piece of hardware.

        Reply

      • RinceThis

        November 10, 2014 at 11:26

        How many did the PS2 sell in the end?

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          November 10, 2014 at 11:28

          According to Wikipedia 155 million

          Reply

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 11:34

            the PS2 will always be KING!!!!

            ALL HAIL THE PS2!!!!

            HAI

          • Captain JJ the valiant

            November 10, 2014 at 11:43

            I had a PS1 and a PS3. No PS2.

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 11:48

            ? The PS2 was the BOMB back in 2000.
            R3 000 for a game console that also played this new CD format called DVDs.

            For the first time ever, Final Fantasy had voice actors, the wheels in GT were rounder thanks to more polygons. It was the biggest leap in a gaming Generation ever.

            Insert Disk, press start.

            The PS2 was the last true CONSOLE. Before the Internet came and turned the Consoles into over complicated PCs.

          • Captain JJ the valiant

            November 10, 2014 at 11:57

            I completely skipped that one. Was on a full pc diet at that stage.

          • Double-O-Six and a half

            November 10, 2014 at 14:15

            “Insert Disk, press start.”

            Loved that whole concept because it meant devs HAD to get it right first time… if your game was unfinished or crap, it wasn’t fixed with a zero day patch or some bug fixes masquerading as DLC… No… It went the way of the dinosaurs and was confined to the depths of the ignominious gaming graveyard (aka the rubbish bin) never to be seen or heard of again…

            Sigh!!! the good old days…!

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 14:17

            If the game was broken the consumer watchdogs would order a total recall.
            Gamers like every other consumer had rights.

            Now these games come with a free subscription for lube.

          • Double-O-Six and a half

            November 10, 2014 at 14:22

            Gamers had rights???? WTF??? Where was I? When I started gaming on my PS2 the only right I had was to have my PS2 called a waste of time by my old man and a means to never score with the ladies for being a nerd / geek or both…

            Only later did the respect come along with having a sweet rig and big screen to play it on Is used to borrow my companies portable screen projector and have Gran Turismo weekends for my geek mates displayed on a “big screen”…

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 14:27

            lol
            Give it 40 years when we scorn at the younger generation for being social misfits thanks to the new AVATAR Holographic naked Elf queen keeping them from ever leaving the room 😉

          • HisDivineOrder

            November 10, 2014 at 16:11

            Oh yeah. I’m gonna scorn them for that.

            So… where would one be able to purchase said holographic naked elf queen? I mean, y’know, if one were so inclined… not that I am, mind you…

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 16:14

            I do Cosplay on occasions 😉

          • Hammersteyn

            November 10, 2014 at 12:02

            HAI!

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 12:06

          • Captain JJ the valiant

            November 10, 2014 at 12:14

            HAI HAI!

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 12:14

            HAI!

      • OVG

        November 10, 2014 at 11:31

        Those 8.5 gigs of RAM will last another 20 years considering only 512mb are only being utalised today.

        Reply

      • Sean Carbutt

        November 10, 2014 at 12:18

        Shooweee, that’s almost 155 million that they will have to sell. Gawdam, that’s a lot.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_2

        Reply

        • Black Mamba

          November 10, 2014 at 15:43

          Goodluck to sony on trying to achieve that. It will not happen in our lifetime. Mark my dying words!

          Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      November 10, 2014 at 11:26

      15 million zombies?!?!?!?! THE EPIDEMIC IS SPREADING!

      Reply

      • OVG

        November 10, 2014 at 11:26

        Once you go JAP you dont go BACK 😛

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          November 10, 2014 at 11:27

          Once they have you in their tentacles?

          Reply

          • OVG

            November 10, 2014 at 11:29

            lol

          • Sageville

            November 10, 2014 at 13:01

            LOL, porntacles FTW!

      • RinceThis

        November 10, 2014 at 11:28

        You shut your infected PC mouth! First you wanted more than 2 PCs in each home, now you want one per room! When will you stop?!

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          November 10, 2014 at 11:28

          NEVA!

          Reply

    • OVG

      November 10, 2014 at 11:35

      FOUR TO ONE BITCHES 🙂

      Reply

    • cr1t

      November 10, 2014 at 12:05

      And they still not even making a profit

      Reply

  3. Skyblue

    November 10, 2014 at 11:05

    “Glory Days the way it’s meant to be played”

    Reply

  4. RinceThis

    November 10, 2014 at 11:06

    Yeah, if they can still make over a billion for GATV in a day on two consoles I don’t see them going anywhere soon.

    Reply

    • OVG

      November 10, 2014 at 11:11

      If these developers do not have an entry level budget of $200 million THEY ARE DOOMED.

      Reply

    • Mark Treloar

      November 10, 2014 at 11:35

      Except PC’s are at a point where 4k resolution is now almost the standard, something which the current consoles will never reach.

      Reply

  5. OVG

    November 10, 2014 at 11:06

    Will somebody please explain why Consoles are updated every 6 years when its clearly obvious that the developers cant keep up with the ever increasing production costs?

    Reply

  6. Alien Emperor Trevor

    November 10, 2014 at 11:09

    Hay days? That would make him a scarecrow?

    Rubbish. PCs & consoles are different. Neither is dying, both are just fine. I’m surprised he didn’t tell console gamers to buy a Shield, or is no one that dumb?

    Reply

  7. Dawid Eduard Roestorf

    November 10, 2014 at 11:10

    Sour grapes from nvidia. Consoles are selling records breaking numbers. Games on consoles are outselling their pc counterparts significantly. But consoles dying. Find it very funny.

    Give us both, and I am happy

    Reply

    • eXpZA

      November 10, 2014 at 11:14

      I like this guy.

      Reply

      • Sageville

        November 10, 2014 at 13:03

        Weird, it’s almost like he is level-headed and sensible….I’m not sure how to respond!

        Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      November 10, 2014 at 11:29

      Ag, consoles & PCs are just taking turns dying. Give it a year & it’ll switch around again.

      Reply

    • ToshZA

      November 10, 2014 at 11:29

      Consoles aren’t dying, but their glory “best of the best” days are over. That’s what he’s saying.

      So they’re now equal or less than in some cases, but no longer the undisputed best place to game. That’s all.

      I love both PC and console, and I will play both, buy games for both etc. There’s always a place for consoles, just no longer at the top. 😛

      Reply

    • HvR

      November 10, 2014 at 11:35

      He did not say dying, he said no longer the undisputed number one place for gaming.

      He saw it coming and Nvidia quite willing stepped out of the console game since it isn’t very profitable.

      I would like a full platter of Nvidia’s record breaking increase in profits grapes instead of AMD’s loosing a crap load of money grapes.

      Reply

    • JustAnotherGamer

      November 10, 2014 at 11:59

      The truth!

      Reply

  8. Andre Gabriel Coetzee

    November 10, 2014 at 11:11

    As a PC Gamer, I have to say, this guy might be wrong. I think consoles will always have a place in the gaming world. I know too many people that are too reluctant to move to PC as a gaming platform because the idea of frequently upgrading your system is extremely off-putting. PC`s are definitely more powerful, but I think most PC gamers are not just gamers, they are PC Enthusiasts. For us, it`s a lovely feeling unboxing your brand new graphics card and installing it yourself, or buying all your parts separately and building your PC from scratch on your own. It`s a part of gaming that we love, but not all people are like that. Some people just prefer going home, turning on a console and start playing a game without worrying about requirements, which I understand one hundred percent.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      November 10, 2014 at 11:15

      That’s it right there. Some people like one, some like the other, and some like both.

      Reply

      • Mossel

        November 10, 2014 at 11:54

        That’s what she said?

        Reply

  9. Ross Woofels Mason

    November 10, 2014 at 11:13

    PC’s have always in my opinion been the best place for gaming, not just because they are more powerful and all that crap.

    Mainly because there is a hell of a lot less red tape for someone wanting to make games for pc. You don’t need a development kit, hell why is the indie revolution on PC because you can pick up numerous free game engines or build your own and just make a game.

    All games let’s face it start on a computer.

    Besides the development side, the things the community can do to them afterwards like mods. Why is Skyrim best on PC mods, now that Ultra SFIV netcode is fixed it’s also the best on pc because of mods.

    There is just a whole lot more to a pc than a console.

    besides all that there is the actual price of the games, which even though a proper rig will set you back more than double a ps4 you will save money in the long run on the games.

    —————————————————–

    That being said though, consoles are not going anywhere and I can easily see them getting their glory days where they are the king of gaming again.

    Reply

    • konfab aka derp

      November 10, 2014 at 11:31

      Moddng a game to make the graphics better is just covering laziness on the developer’s part. Which is why I will always have a love-hate relationship with Bethesda.

      I never looked at The Last of Us on PS3 and thought: hmm that texture could look better.

      Reply

      • Uberutang

        November 10, 2014 at 12:12

        You need glasses. I played Last of us on PS3 and all I could think was: Jeez weird AA on this due, and hs those textures are pure mud!

        Reply

        • Sageville

          November 10, 2014 at 13:06

          So you admit to touching a console?

          MASTER RACE PURITY RAGE, ACTIVATE!!

          Reply

          • Uberutang

            November 10, 2014 at 13:14

            I played in a anti ebola suit as not to get contaminated on a loan unit PS3 🙂
            Kief game all the way , but great textures it did not sport.

          • Wraith

            November 10, 2014 at 13:43

            Hey, it didn’t look too bad bearing in mind it only had 256MB of VRAM to work with.

          • Uberutang

            November 10, 2014 at 14:09

            Indeed, but again not exactly 8k textures there 🙂 For what it had to run on it was an marvel, but going 1vs1 to a PC title it looked dated. Luckily it is not ALL about looks 🙂

  10. Corrie

    November 10, 2014 at 11:13

    Rightfully so

    I mean seriously you have to pay for Multiplayer you pay how much for the console and how much for the game but you STILL have to pay to access a part of your game?

    As well as what they call sales we call stingy discounts

    Some say ooh PS Plus and MS..I dunno what.. they give free games….no they rent you games and if you stop giving them money they disappear

    Oh look 1080p for years it has been done on even lower hardware.. now it’s consider this awesome feature and praise goes around to get it 1080p or if not we get those who shall not be named digging holes

    I used to love my PS1,PS2 and wii but when I went PC I saw the light…I ascended(okay maybe too much PCmasterrace reddit for me)

    Oh and again multiplayer I cave and try and buy a month of Xbox live gold to replay GTA Online but can’t yet my card works since R8 is debit…other places like my money why don’t they?

    Reply

  11. Sageville

    November 10, 2014 at 11:17

    I see this headline once or twice a year… people are still stubbornly refusing to listen….

    Reply

  12. OVG

    November 10, 2014 at 11:17

  13. fred

    November 10, 2014 at 11:18

    Seriously though I’ll never trade my ps4 for a pc , not even one worth 10k. Just watch the next Rockstar game bypassing the pc.

    Reply

    • Viking Of Divinity

      November 10, 2014 at 11:22

      and watch PC owners play Infinitely more exclusive games than all the console combined, while you play the next 3rd person shooter. have fun.

      Reply

    • Captain JJ the valiant

      November 10, 2014 at 11:22

      Who cares? Rockstar can bypass all their games.

      Reply

  14. Captain JJ the valiant

    November 10, 2014 at 11:20

    Nvidia telecaster. I do not approve.

    Reply

  15. Rags

    November 10, 2014 at 11:22

    Saying it like it is. Back when the N64 and later the PS2 where released general PC’s where lagging behind. It made a lot more sense to get a console. Upgrades where difficult then, there were very few hardware options. And if you got the wrong hardware you where screwed. Remember the S3 and last voodoo cards?

    These days the PC is becoming very simplified, with mature API and drivers. SteamOS bring PC to the living room. While consoles are getting more complicated with paywalls and OS related nonsense. Oh and 30fps.

    Reply

  16. Hammersteyn

    November 10, 2014 at 11:23

    fuh fuh fuh next gen consoles uses AMD and not us. Sour grapes all around.

    Reply

  17. Hammersteyn

    November 10, 2014 at 11:27

  18. konfab aka derp

    November 10, 2014 at 11:27

    I bet Nvidia didn’t say this when their chips were powering the PS3.They are just butthurt that AMD is powering the consoles.

    Reply

    • Rags

      November 10, 2014 at 11:28

      Share price performance says otherwise 😉

      Reply

    • Mark Treloar

      November 10, 2014 at 11:31

      Yeah because making money (Nvidia) while your competitor is losing money (AMD) is so painful.

      Reply

    • konfab aka derp

      November 10, 2014 at 11:35

      Only because they have hordes of people desperate to run the unoptimised PC games. :3

      Reply

  19. Fnuik

    November 10, 2014 at 11:28

    I can honestly say that I just enjoy gaming on console more than on pc. I’ts just easier. And I can sit and play a game while my wife makes food or whatever and she never feels that I’m cutting myself off from spending time with her. I used to have a pc, but for whatever reason she did not like me sitting in the study alone while she was doing something else. Pc got stolen, used that money to buy big ass tv instead.

    Each to his own I say. But if consoles do eventually cease to exit, I guess that will be the end of me as a gamer.

    Reply

    • Captain JJ the valiant

      November 10, 2014 at 11:31

      I completely understand this. It’s a more social platform in some ways. My pc is linked up through my house pretty much, so for me I can play where I want (couch, bed, study), though I prefer to be in my study. Lucky for me though, my gf is also a pc gamer, so I suppose it depends on your situation too.

      Reply

  20. Anon A Mouse

    November 10, 2014 at 11:29

    In ’14 tension was running high at my gaming industry

    There was a lot of fights between the peasants and master race

    There was nothing you could do

    Two consoles at a light on a Saturday night in the back seat there was a gun

    Words were passed in a shotgun blast

    Troubled times had come to my console

    My console

    My console

    My console

    (Best I could do on short notice. Apologies to the Boss)

    Reply

  21. Mabenito

    November 10, 2014 at 11:33

    No consoles is China Mr NVidia, until now –
    No everyone want’s to play Quantum Break on a tiny 5″ screen, why not 55″ 4k?
    How do you play TLoU on a PC, if not console?-

    Reply

  22. ToshZA

    November 10, 2014 at 11:34

    Reading the comments here, does anyone actually realise that Nvidia aren’t saying consoles are dead – just that their place at the top is gone? They’ll still be around, it’s just not the ‘best’ place to be any more.

    According to Nvidia.

    Reply

    • FoxOneZA

      November 10, 2014 at 11:45

      In a way it’s good that we have consoles around. With the Xbox having such a mediocre spec GPU, even the guys with a 750ti and R7 260x can enjoy 1080p/60fps gaming without having to always chase upgrade cycles.

      Reply

  23. Captain JJ the valiant

    November 10, 2014 at 11:35

    Suddenly the colour green suits Nvidia more than ever before.

    Reply

    • ToshZA

      November 10, 2014 at 11:35

      Because of all their money? 😀

      Reply

  24. CypherGate

    November 10, 2014 at 11:38

    The usual talks. I bet if the consoles had nvidia GPU’s in them that he would have been singing a whole different tune.

    Reply

    • HvR

      November 10, 2014 at 11:43

      Yes he would standing their red faced explaining how they did not just pass $1.2billion in revenue and missed out on increasing their profits by 45%.

      Reply

      • Rags

        November 10, 2014 at 12:11

        AMD is in a world of hurt right now. I wonder when the console sales start to stagnate in how much trouble AMD will be in if they can’t penetrate the tablet and other markets. I guess AMD like Nvidia will also say no for the next generation of consoles if the margins remain so low.

        Reply

        • CypherGate

          November 10, 2014 at 12:14

          Im sure AMD will be ok though. Nvidia is doing crazy well at the moment.

          Reply

  25. JustAnotherGamer

    November 10, 2014 at 11:59

    Sony be dominating yo.

    Reply

  26. Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)

    November 10, 2014 at 12:16

    Console golden days are over. The public have voiced their discontent by ensuring the PS4 and X1 are the fastest selling consoles in recent history. All hail the death of consoles.

    Reply

  27. Kikmi

    November 10, 2014 at 12:51

    Team green #yolo

    Reply

  28. MakeItLegal

    November 10, 2014 at 13:37

    It’s a bit of PR but it’s also a lot of truth

    Consules will die out , people are tired of investing in closed platforms with no option to upgrade , games that don’t work with the new consoule nor remotes in all honesty

    Not hating just saying more and more will move to the master race !

    Bitches !

    Enjoy the day peasants

    Reply

  29. CAE9872

    November 10, 2014 at 14:20

    Well duh! Everyone knows that. That doesn’t mean consoles don’t have a place – they just another way to experience games is all. His point pray tell?

    Reply

  30. rollingmol

    November 10, 2014 at 16:47

    15 mil sony consoles x 5 years (at least) …. I don’t think it will become the next “ps2” but sales figures don’t lie.

    Reply

  31. Draadsitter

    November 10, 2014 at 17:46

    Sour grapes much Nvidia? As much as I believe PC is the largest platform, this horse have been flogged so many times… And when PS5 or Xbox Two sells like hotcakes someone will make these statements all over again….

    Reply

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