Gamers are running out of cash; here’s why
It is 2016. The gaming world is dominated by virtual reality, 4K and games that make real life look 8-bit. The cost of keeping up with the latest trends in gaming, specifically consoles, increases at an alarming rate. The world needs an affordable $250 console now more than ever.
TIMES ARE A-CHANGIN’
The three major players in console gaming, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all guilty of releasing revisions for their consoles earlier than ever before. We’re not talking about Slim or Lite versions but editions with more power, more features and exclusive games (I’m looking at you Nintendo). It is evident that if you want to play your favourite franchise you need to cough up some cash or buy a good PC and hope to any entity you worship that they won’t Arkham Knight the port.
GOING RETRO
I keep finding myself revisiting old games instead of the latest releases just because they’re easier to actually obtain and play. Why buy a beautiful yet extremely short 5-hour experience when I can play a 10-year old classic that shows me what gaming is all about? For example, a PS4 is not as expensive as PS3 at launch but additional controllers, games and god forbid VR, all launch the price to around $900.
ARISTO-GAMING
We’re at a point where companies are forcing a very evident division in gaming based on the financial status of the customer. It used to be that everyone got the same experience. Now it’s all based on how much you are able to spend. For me, this is extremely off-putting and I believe that if the console market is to survive, a new trend of affordable experiences must begin. Otherwise we are risking gaming becoming a luxury for the lucky few.
GAMING FOR EVERYONE
Affordable consoles are what allowed me to get into gaming, fall in love with it and have unforgettable experiences that neither movies, TV shows or books can provide. For the last 3 years I have considered many times of making the jump to next-gen but never did because in my eyes, it simply wasn’t worth it. I can’t wait to see where the next 5 years take console gaming. If anyone’s looking for me I’ll be catching Pokemon….on my Game Boy.
3 Comments
Awesome article dude, love the bit about making life look 8bit 🙂
Actually, I wish I never tossed my retro systems. As a Nintendo goer (and have my PC), I’m stuck adoring so many memories of games that in many ways whip a lot of the trite coming out today.
Turok 1 and 2. Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini, Mario SunShine, Deadlock (if anyone remembers that) etc…
Most of these can still be aquired today, but not in a practical or cheap fashion.
Yes the industry is a sad place today where High rez textures are prioritised vastly over meaningful gameplay experiences.
I only discovered GameCube gems like Eternal Darkness and Mario Sunshine due to the Wii’s backwards compatibility and obtaining some of those games is incredibly pricey.
I have a dream that the big console trio will make an online system where you can register old game discs/cartridges and be able to download a digital copy on the latest console. A system with incredible backwards compatibility would sell like hotcakes.