Will ps3/xbox360 be vintage?

[insertNameHere]

Ironically, it was the N64 that pulled that off last. It had a memory expansion upgrade mid way through its life and it was required for some of the latter games like Goldeneye.

Actually, Goldeneye didn't require the upgrade it was perfect dark... basically the same thing with more options that actually threw in some of the exact goldeneye maps.

And as someone pointed out upgraded consoles are a pain, having one standard is nice. ALSO, remember that the XBOX had an HD DVD drive that you could upgrade too? Ah... right it went to the wayside because had it been standard, it might have just been able to compete with blu ray.

Another thing, I think I mentioned before having the consoles break is PERFECT marketing scam, you have all these titles and backwards compatibility is a joke these days only select titles are able to work usually the most popular ones. So, if you want your games to work you need another system which usually people buy new because used systems are hit or miss. OH yeah, and now they in the tech cycle where they MAKE money on the system.

[lordlundar]

I often wonder is it that they aren't built to last or just that more sensitive equipment?

It's a legitimate question because the lower tech something is the fewer electrical components it tends to have less things to go wrong with it.

A food processor to grind up and smash your fruits and Veggies.

The electric one sitting on your counter is more likely to break down than the Mortar and pestle you have.

For obvious reasons.

It's a technical application of K.I.S.S., or Keep It Simple Stupid.

A mortar and pestle is two pieces, often made of granite or marble, and that's it. If one piece fails, you know it and get a cheap replacement. The food processor has dozens, if not hundreds of individual pieces, any of which can fail and all of which require a fair bit of money to replace because it costs a fair bit to make.

There is also an issue of quality. A car built in the 50's has roughly the same manufacturing process that is currently used, or more modern techniques are more precise and guarantee consistent and better results. So why are cars from the 50's so much more durable? Because fiberglass and plastic are lighter and cheaper to use than steel.

[Andara Bledin]

So why are cars from the 50's so much more durable? Because fiberglass and plastic are lighter and cheaper to use than steel.

Short term gains over long-term losses.

Most people don't look past the next few months, much less the next few years. Consumerism has been sold to the public at large and we have become a disposable society where everybody expects to have traded up for the latest and greatest before the shelf life of the current batch has run out so the fact that things aren't built to last only matters to those who pay attention to the long view.

^-.-^

[Ginger Tea]

Modern consoles also flow-solder the chips to the board so you cannot just swap out a duff GPU or other componant.
8 bit home computers and consoles, even when using custom chips not available via radio shack/maplins would fit the normal breadboard sized holes (OK without looking at a pcb, there may be one or two too tiny to do so) so you could remake such a console with mini wires spaghetting up the place instead of a PCB, yet modern chips require nanometer or some such precicion soldering and thus breadboards for such chips would be impossible.

[jackfaire]

A mortar and pestle is two pieces, often made of granite or marble, and that's it. If one piece fails, you know it and get a cheap replacement. The food processor has dozens, if not hundreds of individual pieces, any of which can fail and all of which require a fair bit of money to replace because it costs a fair bit to make.

That was kind of the point I was going for. Often people mistake this for being a conspiracy instead of the logical conclusion of more moving parts.

[Hyena Dandy]

That comes back to hardware reliability though. How long as these things really going to last? The X-Box especially has a reputation for being, well, a piece of crap really. They're also more difficult to repair than an older consoles and individual parts are more delicate. They'll be discontinued pretty fast too so parts will become a problem rather quick.

They're just not built to last. They don't want them to last, its not profitable. -.-

You could toss the NES in a moldy basement for 20 years and it'd be fine. If I tripped and hit my toe on the X-Box I'd be worried I damaged it.

As I said, if someone is a collector of vintage electronics, I doubt they would care how well it worked. If they really needed to, they could replace some parts. I doubt they'll be actively used, but they likely will still be bought and sold.

Also, I think that the way that games are made these days is more delicate than the NES. The hardware is more complicated, so its easier to break.

They're not built to last, but that doesn't mean they won't. They won't in working condition, but considering emulators and digital distribution, I think that the people who want to play 360 or PS3 or Wii games on original 360s and PS3s and Wiis will be even less 'standard' gamers than people these days who still actively use their NESes. I'm thinking the games will be digitally distributed, emulated, and pirated enough that there won't be a real NEED to own the original systems if you want to play the game, and therefore, no need for the original system to remain in working order. I can still see a reason to own a N64 or a SNES, genesis, Atari 2600, whatever. But I think the future of gaming is digital. The only people who will still want a working-order PS3 or 360 will be dedicated 'classic gaming' hobbiests, and if there's one thing I've learned about hobbiests, is that they'll spend money. They'll know how the things work and buy/make their own parts. The other people will be collectors, who are separate from hobbiests in that they don't CARE how well what they collect works.

And additionally, I think there are games from this generation which will be considered 'classics' 20-30 years from now. Which ones, I'm not sure. I'd have to sit down and consider it for a while. But there are games worthy of being called classics. And there are others that aren't worthy of the title that will be called classics anyway. But to say there won't be is remarkably short-sighted.

Honestly, now I'm curious about what games will be called 'classics'

I think I'll make a thread about that.

[dendawg]

But I think the future of gaming is digital.

Download-only consoles will never be feasible, at least not until the antiquated notion of bandwidth "caps" is done away with.

[Hyena Dandy]

Download-only consoles will never be feasible, at least not until the antiquated notion of bandwidth "caps" is done away with.

Perhaps, perhaps not. I'm not an expert on this. And while you might be, I don't know whether you are or not for sure. What I do know is that there are companies that exist almost entirely on digital sales, and while the one I'm thinking of is a PC gaming company, I expect, though again I'm not an expert (as I said, only 'I think' the future of gaming is digital) that there will be console companies going the same way. They'll still make hard copies, but they won't be entirely hard-copies.

[Gravekeeper]

Really, consoles are the only hard copy format of gaming left if you think about it, and they still have some games that are digital only. ( WiiWare, XBLA, etc ). Plus with emulation there isn't much use in having the hardware for what we would currently think of as classic games right now. Nevermind in the future.

PC gaming on the other hand has made the hard copy completely irrelevant when it comes to classics as well. Steam and Good ol' Games have tons of classic games that were revived for digital sale. With the increasing push towards cross platform development ( Console and PC releases of the same title ) they'll be little need to have the console at all in the future.

If you even bought the console version of the game to begin with.

[jackfaire]

As I said, if someone is a collector of vintage electronics, I doubt they would care how well it worked. If they really needed to, they could replace some parts. I doubt they'll be actively used, but they likely will still be bought and sold.

Actually I am all about vintage video game machines but only to use them not for the "they are old"

Like my VCR they simply serve to let me use an older format.

[Hyena Dandy]

Actually I am all about vintage video game machines but only to use them not for the "they are old"

Like my VCR they simply serve to let me use an older format.

I appear to be confused. What is your point?

[jackfaire]

I appear to be confused. What is your point?

You said you doubted people that collect vintage systems, like me, would care how well they work. I was pointing out that the reason I collect them is to play them so how well they work is the most important factor.

[Hyena Dandy]

You said you doubted people that collect vintage systems, like me, would care how well they work. I was pointing out that the reason I collect them is to play them so how well they work is the most important factor.

I apologize for the confusion. I was saying there's a difference between collecting to play, and collecting because you want to own them, not necessarily use them. As time goes by, there will be fewer games you can only play on a console, but some people will still collect them the way I collect pipes, just to admire, not to use.