Just my 2 cents: Generation Fragmentation
What is one of the most important aspects in a console lifecycle? I would guess it is standardization. When the console manufacturers wrap it up, that’s it: they specify it, build it and then create some developer kit version (usually a beefed up hardware version along with some developer toolchain software) and sell to third-parties, so they can develop games to be available when the console is launched to the public. Compatibility is of key importance here, since games already made are supposed to run across all current and future installed consoles, as well as games made later in the console’s lifecycle still run on all the installed base, even on consoles sold on launch. This approach has many benefits.
Unlike on open environments like PCs, developers can optimize games specifically to that platform, since all the their target consumers are running the same software and hardware, there is less (if any) concern about different hardware combinations, operational systems overhead, input methods, multiple device drivers and so on, which also reduces cost on testing and QA. Also, the customer get very good value for money, since each console generation not only has subsidized prices, but also lasts for about 3 to 5 years, and it is guaranteed to run games made for said console. Another good point is that videogame consoles have lower technical entry barriers, since they are specific-purpose hardware with a specialized operational system (if any), which is made to be easy to use.
That approach is not without its problems though. The problem with this monolithic and frozen hardware iterations is that the specification is risky, since any mistake can lead a console to its doom even before its launch. One example being the Sega Dreamcast choice of GD-ROM instead of DVD-ROM as storage, which gave Sony Playstation 2 a significant edge over it right from the start, both as a gaming and as a multimedia device.
Other problem that surfaces is that as the years into a console generation go by, their hardware obsolescence become increasingly obvious, as technology advances through the years. Not only that, but maybe there is a technology novelty or revolutionary idea that had just appeared few years after a console’s launch and isn’t feasible with its technology, or maybe to give a console some longevity later in a generation. Back in the day, manufactures had some clever ideas to circumvent such problems.
In early 90s, during the 16-bit wars, it was all about Sega Genesis (Mega-Drive for Europe and Latin America) versus Super Nintendo (SNES). Although both consoles were within same generation, SNES outperformed its rival even though it actually had a slower CPU, both earlier and later in their lifecycle. And it was all possible thanks to enhancement chips that were bundled inside game cartridges. They had many purposes like wireframe rendering, sprite compress/decompress, mode 7 and many others ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_NES_enhancement_chips ). If you think about it, how awesome is the fact that one of the first 3D polygonal game on a home console (Star Fox) was launched on a console that hadn’t 3D capabilities to begin with?
Later on, both SNES and Genesis tried to enhance their storage space by creating and add on module with CD-ROM capabilities. Although the Genesis one eventually came out, it was not only too late, but it was awfully used (I’ve already talked about that here: https://wololo.net/2015/03/19/just-my-2-cents-the-vr-hype-train/ ). The SNES Playstation was a deal between Sony and Nintendo, which eventually fell apart and later came to be the Sony Playstation. The SNES prototype although never materialized, has recently surfaced around the web.
Another resource developers used were RAM expansions through modules. The N64 expansion Pak and the Saturn RAM expansion are some examples.
There are more subtle enhancements made to consoles, such as hardware revisions (slim versions that Sony love to launch) or even enhanced and updated SDK (developer libs and toolchains). One example would the PSP models after PSP 1000, which featured doubled RAM, although for obvious compatibility reasons, the extra RAM were not available to games.
So, why is this important? Well, you see, even when you enhance things (such as doubling RAM), the prime goal is to keep your user base unified and keep compatibility. If there is a major hardware upgrade, the developers and publishers should explicitly state the addons required for each game, it just make sense, right? Right?… Well, not quite. Recently there are 2 examples that got me scratching my head, since they go against one of the things that make videogame consoles more attractive than PCs and other open standard devices: its uniformity.
As opposed to Wololo ( https://wololo.net/2013/09/09/9-reasons-the-vita-tv-is-sonys-best-idea-in-years/ ), I think that the Vita TV is not only one of the worst ideas ever, but its a bit unethical and also counterproductive. Its a bad idea because it messes with PSVita demography, since developers no more are developing a portable only game, but have to think about people using Dualshock 3 and so on. Not to mention that it has no specific purpose, since there already are PS3 and PS4 to be played on TV. It also fragments its game library, since there are games that only work on PSVita, and not on Vita TV.
Beyond that, the Vita TV is counterproductive since it goes against all that was advertised when PSVita was launched, like its accelerometers, gps, 3G, touchscreen, cameras… Although I myself am not a fan of this stuff, they announce its features, and then launch a revision that ignores all that was advertised. What the heck?
On the ethical side, lets get real for a second here: we know that the mysterious port on the original PSVita was supposed to be a TV (hdmi?) out, just like we had on the PSP, since the developer version even already have it. But instead of giving us a simple cable option, they tried to shove us yet another hardware, that is a subset of the one we already bought. As a PSVita early adopter, I felt betrayed.
But at least made clear that with the Vita TV, they are just shooting themselves on the foot once again, but what baffled me hard was Nintendo’s move, with its New 3DS. Seriously, what the heck is this? What is it? Is it a new hardware revision? A new console? What are its features that truly differentiate it from its “predecessor” (is it?) ? Sure, it had improved specs on the same architecture (slight ram and cpu improvements) and NFC (for optional Amiibos), but what for? There is just ONE exclusive game (Xenoblade), which I suspect it is solely as an excuse to make the New 3DS sale. Actually, the screen is smaller and have lower battery life.
Also, E3 passed and no exclusive New 3DS game have been announced, which kinda make its upgrades quite useless. Also it brings the same problem as the Vita TV/ PSVita fiasco. Will a developer make a game just for the New 3DS, since the install base of regular 3DS are much larger? And on top of that, I read reviews that praised the most useless new handheld ever, as it was a solid improvement over the 3DS like it was a step up. Am I missing something here? What the heck is this suppose to be? So, in my humble opinion, manufacturers are taking away advantages of having an uniform, standard eco-system for no clear direction, uselessly fragmenting each hardware generation. What are your thoughts? Did you think that any of these new iterations were actually a good idea?
Good article
This stuff brings me back
good read, any new of the spanish version? It’s so empty 🙁
As it should be
1st!! Just kidding..
About the blog, i Think the biggest problem here is the smart phones.. Smart phones took away the glory of handhelds..
I dislike smart phone gaming. For me it just doesn’t work. There is something gratifying about a system that has a dpad, buttons and analog sticks. I tried playing games on my phone and I just can’t seem to get a good feel for it. I know I may be one of a small few but I like my phone for keeping in touch with friends not playing games.
You’re not the only one.
While I do happen to own a rather pricey phone, I am not using it for “mobile-‘games’, yes I had to quote that seperately”, but rather as a normal mobile phone (SMS + calling) which has the addition of internet access (twitter, reddit, etc). Thats pretty much it.
This is everything I need my phone to do, and thats what the phone was bought for.
I’m still waiting for xperia play 2 still hoping!
Same here. If developers think they will have true gamers playing on phone for anything more than gimmicky fun; they are seriously wrong. I like to play my games on a game system. There is something to be said about playing Xcom on iPad though…but again, it’s an iPad not a phone which is either for calls or some music.
I’m on the same train as you guys, I have a samsung galaxy s6 and I won’t ever use it to play games, firs problem is that playing complex games on a touchscreen is hard, I tried playing GTA 3 when it came out for the Iphone and was highly unplayable because all the inputs you need to perform with 2 fingers makes it awkward and gets you killed when there are 2 enemies on screen.
Second and most imposrtant is that mobile games kill the battery reallty fast, that’s mainly an issue because I need my cellphone to actually have battery available when I get a work related phone call since I work all around the city and not in an stable place.
I think games like Cut the Rope and angry birds are great, they are fun, you can play them on bits at the time and you only need a finger or two to play them properly, but don’t expect me to play a FPS or an open world game with 20 inputs showing on my cellphone screen and covering all the action.
This person has it right.
not to mention, you can’t really get those types of gaming like handheld gaming does that smartphone has to emulate. would love to see more supports for handhelds, but i doubt the markets will maintain that in the future.
Totally agree with you. Mobile gaming just feels…wrong to me. Kinda like it’s half-a**ed.
I share the sentiment:
http://wololo.net/2015/02/19/just-my-2-cents-mobile-vs-portable-gaming-and-the-future/
Nvidia Sheild
I agree.smartphones came to destroy the handheld appeal.developers saw more money to be made on cheap fart games than to develop something bigger and more sophisticated on a handheld.
I love Yifan lu!!
Random pointless post out of no where
You just need some lovin too, bud. It’s ok, you can admit it.
I think you just want a little lovin’ too. It’s ok to admit it.
comments not showing up.
smash that refresh button.
site’s buggy af
Nope. The site has some caching in place, this is intentional to reduce bandwidth. Your comments will usually show up within 24h, in the meantime sit back and relax instead of double posting 😉
I think about the expansion port on the bottom of the N64 that never got used or the expansion port on the PSOne that was only used for Gameshark. Don’t forget about the downgrade the PS Vita Slim was like the LCD instead of the OLED the original Vita had.
At least Nintendo thought about it and aren’t leaving first 3DS adopters out of the loop with the NFC stuff.
To me the best feature of the New 3DS (what a stupid name BTW) is the Super Stable 3D. No I can play the games in 3D without it giving me a major headache.
The expanison port only got used in for the n64dd [dd=DiscDrive]
The US never got it.
Almost forgot about how each new version of the PS3 was getting more and more downgrades. First they remove PS2 compatibility, OtherOS, USB ports and the card readers. Or the Gamecube that removed the Progressive port later down the line. It’s one thing to make the console better by improving the design to be more resistant to failure or to make it smaller which is better for consumers as let’s face it, the original PS3 was HUGE and heavy.
Then you have the 360 S they made one better as it is more reliable had more USB ports and a dedicated Kinect port. Then MS does a stupid thing by releasing an E model that removes the analog outputs making several products like the Turtle Beach X11/X12 headset useless as they rely on the analog output for sending game audio through the headset.
I believe the reason for removing the backwards compatibility was to try and cut costs. However, the removal of the software BC (which is still in every console, just switched off) was a move that really feels like ‘eh, we don’t want to support it if we’re not getting paid’ (hence PS2 classics).
OtherOS was due to piracy fears, USB ports were due to a lighter PSU (I suspect, at least. My friend’s Slim would complain about power draw when two phones were plugged in, yet my phat could have four no problem, and i do know that they cut down on the power consumption of later models), Card reader i don’t understand myself, Card readers are dirt cheap. Also don’t forget they removed SACD (Super Audio CD) support when they stopped the BC phats.
meh.. bull.cr.ap. why people must buy extra peripheral for old 3DS to use amiibo. Also, the specs is changed, that’s bull.sh.it
And vita specs still waaaaaaay better than New3DS specs.. l.ol
At least you have the option to get it instead of Nintendo saying “Screw it first adopters, you get no amiibos.
I wish my vita had HDMi out or at least remote play were the vita streams to the ps4 or ps3.
Well, the Vita Slim has an extra battery hour, is less heavy, is easier to press the select and start buttons, and is more comfortable on the hands
The N64 expansion was used for the japanese Disc Drive and of course piracy (Doctor V64)
maybe other stuff too, idk
Your last paragraph I think you meant now. Not no.
I told people so many times that 3DS and New 3DS is c.r.ap
See, Nintendo is cancer, not savior.
I find the 3DS is the better handheld. I have more 3DS games that I still play VS the Vita where most of my games were from Playstation Plus. I only have 4 retail carts for the Vita.
my OPIonon IS 3ds sucks
I play my 3DS more than any other system I have.
Solid article.
Great article, just one complaint:
Why do you compare the 3DS XL with a New3DS non-XL?
Compare the 3DS with a New3DS or a 3DSXL with a New3DSXL…
I was thinking the same thing Z. It confused me when I first saw it and had to do my own research…
Bro……..u didnt point tht out….he (The Zett) did that…..only people with brains can do tht…….ur just trying to show the zett that u also noticed tht and u have the same intrests as him…….ur just a d?!k 😀
That was my first question when I saw that. Is there any clarification to what model it is, because in the US there is only one model, the new 3dsxl.
Big screen = XL.
Small/Normal screen = non-XL.
Yeah, I noticed that. Sorry about it.
companies are just trying to get the most out of each system.
13324124
You should compare the “New 3DS” with the “regular 3DS” and the “New 3DS XL” with the “regular 3DS XL” then you’ll see the improvement in battery life and a slightly bigger screen.
It has made the old 3ds xl cheaper and i’m tempted.. But i don’t have the money to invest in a new system.. I have more than half of the whole vita library.. Same with ps3..I’m set for a year or two..
The new 3ds xl’s screen is the same size as the old xl’s.
I’m going to call *** right at the top.
It’s not hard to make things work and keep thing’s working on PC’s unless you live in a walled garden, and they do and that’s a problem.
Write a intermediate wrapper for input, make it open source, collaborate on that between your corps and you’re done. As a new device is added, you add it into your little input library and call it good. And in 30 years when people can’t get the new Xbox 9001 controller to work with a 2020 game, someone goes and finds that driver, adds compatability and zingo off again. Instead they all want it built into the monolith.
Look at libinput, linux manages to keep an standardised input for decades. If you look at X everything had a driver, now it’s just “use libinput driver in X” and libinput takes care of it. New laptop comes out that breaks input, a small fix goes into libinput, people update and bam, world keeps turning.
You’ve seem to forget, not everyone has the same build when it comes to PC.
Sure, PC gives you more varieties and allows you to customize your hardware along with tweaking the setting to the highest setting, but how many are that dictated to gaming hardware as you are? Not everyone has the same GPU, CPU and motherboard, and not everyone use SSD. So, before you state that it easy for a PC to keep up with consoles, you’ve seem to be forgetting that PC spec vary from person-to-person while consoles are all the same, except when they’ve changed. Like the differences between PS3 and PS4 or PS2 and PS3.
Although I’m a heavy Linux user myself, it’s not trivial to make a consistent environment for games. Just now Steam is consitently comming for linux, and even so it has much less games than windows. And it is all on the same hardware.
I wana see some gameplay for the Snes CDR player
very interesting article, especially part dealing with 3ds and ps vita tv at which i agree with you
New 3DS XL is a HUGE upgrade; games load twice as fast, the hinge opening/closing is almost silent, the 2nd analog is great for games that support it, the 3d head tracking, it is truly the greatest portable gaming platform of all time.
Eh I like the new 3ds. Mostly for the super stable 3d finally get to enjoy 3d in games like Mario kart pkm Zelda ect. Also its the majoras mask one so yeah kinda went nuts. But still fd up on Nintendo’s part but I do hope more games can use the extra hw. But who knows.
Amazing evolution 🙂
Good read and so true
I watch the AD , and no idea why psvita fail that time….
i disagree with what you said about the PS TV. Sony made the mistake of naming that device “PS Vita TV” when they launched it in Japan because they use the same OS and let it play some Vita games, but they had since renamed it as “PS TV”. the PS TV is not a revision of the PS Vita. that revision is the PS Vita Slim. the PS TV is its own little thing. it is a cheaper (than ps3 or ps4) streaming device for you to stream netflix or other services (much like Apple TV). it is a cheaper (than buying another ps4) device for you to enjoy your ps4 games on another tv in a different room via streaming when you don’t want to deal with the hassle of relocating and reconnecting your ps4. again, the PS TV is not a revision of the PS Vita nor a new generation of it. there is no restricting factor anywhere (such as a game that will play exclusively on the PS TV) that makes buying a PS TV an absolute must.
on the New 3DS case though, i agree with what you said. it is just weird and quite frankly, a big slap in the face to people who already bought a 3DS, especially with the whole New 3DS exclusive game(s) business.
Thanks for the article arth. I like it for many reasons but what brings out the most of importance is the fact of how the video game market is a very dishonest one and targets younger users more than anything. The cooperate *** that all they think about is just milking everyone for there hard earned money should go to heck. I mean think about it if one console was to truly be concentrated on we would probably have less bullschit firmware updates and better console life. Overall i think what you wrote arth should be a series of many facts to come.
I wholly disagree with the article, the consoles/platforms aren’t becoming more fragmented, it’s converging. More and more development engines allow for easy porting or multiplatform development and more and more applications are being made for play on anything from physical controls to touch screens.
There is a reason why Playstation has many titles that are cross-platform and likewise why you see the PC platform getting less and less big exclusives. Software is becoming ubiquitous.
There’s actually another New 3DS exclusive. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is only going to run on the New 3DS.
By exclusive do you mean in the 3ds family or any consle?
not gonna lie, when I saw the thumbnail i peed a little…i thought an adaptor with an hdmi and mini-usb had been developed! great article, totally agree with you RE the PSvitaTV….i too was sure that an hdmi cable was just around the corner, heck, sony could’ve (and would’ve) sold that cable for at least $50, and it would have sold alot more than the psvtv; and i bet it would have sold more vita units too. i still remember getting my original 8-bit NES as a summer gift for passing elementary school; it came with 2 controllers (imagine that), 2 games! (mario/duck hunt); all the necessary cables to hook up to an old style tv, and also A/V cables included, along with a freaking light gun! didn’t have to go out and get anything extra, didn’t have to download any else (ha! downloading in the 80’s)
As I own(ed) both a PS Vita and a PS TV I can shed some light on the benefits and disadvantages of both…
First – the optimal solution in my opinion based on a PSP example.
PSP’s original TV out sux, but with remote Joy plugin it let me choose when I needed that device as a portableconsole and when I wanted it as a desktop console (on a big screen with a gamepad of my choice atttached). This is what a PS Vita should be – a portable , handheld that can become a desktop console at will. Unfortunately sony did 2 different devices for that…
Vita TV’s game compatibility is a big disadvantage. I really hope the whitelist/blacklist of games will be altered once a native Vita CFW will emerge (since it is possible to download and install a non-compatible to the vita already, but an error message pops up when trying to run it).
However from my experience I learned that the PS Vita has its disadvantages too…
I was unlucky enough for my PS Vita to fall on teh ground and barely crack the OLED screen. on a PSP a crack of that size would be barely noticable and it wouldnt prevent me from using the PSP further… However after 10 hours from the fall the oled totally oxidized leaving nothing but a black, useless screen.
Another sad experience with the next Vita I bought was that it got stolen – never happened to any of my PSP’s and it wouldnt happen to a desktop console for sure…
Still – if you wont look at “Playstation TV” as a PS Vita but more of an “Ouya wanabee” – it’s a pretty decent desktop console that unifies PS One, PSP and some PS Vita titles (possibly other console systems in tehe furute on CFW) – it sums up to a decent desktop console.
looks like sony lost it’s faith in the original ps vita and had to rebrand it as ps4 acessory, to cover up their ***
instead of supporting (developing for) the original device
Sony killed the Vita, and thus the PS/Vita TV by gimping the storage. Period. As Sony as company is moving entirely toward digital distribution, they didn’t have the foresight to include solutions to make storage affordable for their portable devices, instead requiring overpriced proprietary storage mediums. It’s no surprise as Sony has been pulling this trick forever, even though they’ve had more failures (betamax, minidisc, UMD, memory stick, m2, vita) than successes (floppy disk, CD, bluray).
If the Vita and PSTV had gone with the near ubiquitous and industry standard MicroSD storage and primarily digital distribution, with game carts as a backup plan for retailers, I imagine the device’s success would be markedly improved. Sony allows standard external USB hard drives on the ps3 and ps4, there’s no reason they couldn’t use the same security on a microSD.
That being said, they also goofed on PSNow and PSVue, which would be PERFECT uses of both the Vita and PSTV. Streaming content to devices with no storage memory would be a genius solution, but in the current PSNow pricing structure it costs more to “rent” a steamed game than it does to actually buy a digital copy, much less a physical copy.
If Sony made a few smart moves in the way they distribute their content and allow the users a few more affordable choices in how they store it, they would honestly be dominating both Nintendo and Xbox. The reason for this is cross buy/play. Sony is the only manufacturer that currently lets you buy content once, and play it on multiple devices.
The primary reason I didn’t buy Xbox One is that I have a lot of money invested in Xbox live content for my 360 that immediately becomes useless on the new system. With Sony I can cross buy and cross play a lot of titles between PS3, PS4, and Vita, which makes me feel like my investment in digital content is more secure.
Now don’t get me started on the need to install a full 45GB bluray disc onto my PS4 HDD, what a redundant and wasted use of portable mass storage media, where it becomes simply a security check.
ARTHANIS,
Well to comment on the New 3DS issue you have, the New 3DS does improve on more than what you had said. Firstly from what I’ve experienced, the load times on the New 3DS are much MUCH faster than on the original model. Secondly, the 3D feature itself has been vastly improved with the face-tracking 3D that actually works amazingly and makes going back to an old 3DS difficult.
I also feel it’s right to say that comparing the 3DS-New 3DS and Vita-VitaTV differences we should agree that the 3DS wins in terms of functionality. You said it yourself, the VitaTV takes away many things that made the Vita great and improves on nothing. The New 3DS however has improved specs (and sure no ‘exclusive game’ but like I said, makes the load times more bearable), has improved its functionality and ease of use through the C-Stick and the face tracking 3D. Throw in a palette-swapping gimmick and you have a system that isn’t a step DOWN from its ‘predecessor’. That is all, thank you.
I wouldn’t have a problem with it if it didn’t have exclusive games or software. That’s my complaint.
YES someone said it, the main problem with the original 3ds was the 3d, it would give you a headache and only worked in one spot. The new 3ds uses a camera to track your face and move the 3d accordingly, that’s the best feature and was worth it for me
How do you get a guest blog post approved? Been thinking I could write one from time to time. Great post, I think bot Nintendo and Sony made mistakes regarding this.
Contact wololo on the /talk forums and let him know you would like to be a blogger for wololo.net. 🙂
Oh, thanks. Might just do a draft before contacting him.
Thats exactly what I did =]
Hmmm… diversity is the new motto… like with cars and their option list 😉
So what? Just because you have the base model does not mean you should be able to use the whole library 😉
Companies like M$, Sony and Nintendo always want (and expect) to make follow up sales!!
(Special controllers, hdd upgrades, cameras,…)
Umm I’m currently looking at my sega mega drive with its 32x mushroom and the useless cd expansion… and the few sega cd 32x games…
Next thing I look at is the playstation 2, only select few know, that even the ps2 had real compatibility issues with its own games on certain revisions since sony liked to play around with the EE and the GS… XD also look at the older games which utilized the hdd bay… those cannot be played on slim models at all!!!
Next up the wii with its ten thousand different controllers… if you don’t have controller X you will not play game X.
Ps3 and xbox are guilty on the same thing with their ps3 move and Kinect ***.
Oh btw… even the old nds had its upgrade via slot 2 ram expansion 😉 used for the opera web explorer modul… it was later reverse engineered by certain non licensed third party devs and had another life as 3in1 expansion modules with rumble/gba/ram expansion 🙂
Almost every “console” had its revisions… maybe the game gear and the maganvox odyssey didn’t… but all others came out with upgrades and add ons.
The problem isn’t with revisions per se, the problem is when these revisions break game compatibility.
Very nice article, easy to read and nicely expressed ideas and viewpoints. I find all those facts rather true for me and agree but I have to add one more point: the prices are generally too high.
So the Dreamcast has failed because of the GD-ROM and the PS2 was using DVD…
Personally, I don’t mind the “stagnant” hardware of consoles. I feel better knowing that if I get a game for it, I can play it on a console and not worry it it’ll work on a console or not, unlike PCs where I’ve had to constantly worry about whether or not a game would play correctly, if at all. Sure if I had a gaming PC it might be better but I don’t really have the money.to get one (And, no, don’t tell me you can make a PC equal to the PS4 for the same price. Only times I heard that it involved corner cutting or the fact that to make a good PC like that you need to pay more than $400).
That said, I did want a Vita TV at first. At the time I didn’t know about the compatibility issues and, well, I don’t want it any more. I also don’t like the PS3’s triggers either. As for the New 3DS… eh.