Dave Jaffe is a multi-faceted man. When he’s not openly criticizing the company that has written his pay checks for most of his career, feuding with gaming blogs, or actually working on the occasional game himself, he takes the time out to make hugely controversial statements about our industry that either work gamers into a fine lather of discontent or a make them beam from ear to ear with glee.
His latest statement is perhaps one of his tamest, but I’m sure it will still be enough to ruffle some feathers. He’s making the old “One console to rule them all” argument we’re all far too familiar with. What sets Jaffe apart from the pack is how un-rehearsed and genuine his thoughts sound.
Quoteth Jaffe- “”A lot of people will say: well, the game companies would never agree to this or that or the other. And to me, that is part of the problem our business has overall. Competition is great. But I think the leaders of the biggest groups should come together from time to time- like the big Mafia families do in the movies- and make some decisions together for the overall health of the business. Heck, maybe they already do this and I am just not aware. But if they do, they have not made the right decision on the one thing I think that could benefit gamers and game makers in a massive way: a single console.”
My thoughts after the jump.
[Via GameDaily]
I agree with Jaffe one hundred percent. Like how movie studios are slowly deciding to support Blu-ray over HD DVD, game developers need support one console so a final “winner” can be crowned. That has never really happened before, as every five years or so we start all over with one, two, or even three new console formats. This is a big part of why gaming isn’t more main stream. Casual consumers can’t deal with being forced to “pick a side”. They will wait until one format wins, then buy it. That’s what they did with VHS/Beta, that’s what they are doing now with Blu-ray/HD DVD, and that’s what they will always do with game consoles unless the industry puts a stop to it.
Let me be clear, I don’t want a one console world, but I do want one universal programming format for all consoles to share. Like with PC’s, multiple hardware developers could still be in competition, but they would all have to stick to the same format. If this happened, no hardware developer could use “console exclusives” to sell their inferior or over priced hardware ever again! W00T! Oh baby, that’s a what I like!
Third party developers would also benefit, as install bases for various consoles would no longer be an issue. Imagine the risks third parties could take knowing that a game they made for the PS3 could also be played on the 360 and the Wii. The install base for the game would be at least 10 times larger, and so would be the potential for sales.
I think the thing that holds the “one console future” back is simple short sightedness and greed. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft all want the “one console future”. They just can’t agree on who’s console the “one console” should be. All three have been voting for themselves seven years running now, resulting in a three way tie that does nothing but limit the industry.
Third parties aren’t much better, running scared from consoles that already have great games, hoping to their less than deserving titles will sell well on more barren hardware. How many third party developers have said they are reluctant to develop for Nintendo consoles because they can’t compete with Nintendo’s first party releases? I’d try to count, but I have to got to sleep in eight hours so I don’t have the time.
If we had one programming format for all consoles, third parties wouldn’t need to worry about that kind of competition. There would be room for everyone. All that third parties would have to worry about is making the best games they could. Sadly, this is precisely what they don’t want. As it is now, third parties can sell essentially the same game twice to the same people on by putting said game on two different consoles and adding the slightest differences between the two versions of the game. In a one format future, such shenanigans would not be an option.
That’s enough ranting for one day. What do you think, D-Toid? Surely there are pro’s and con’s to a one console future. If you were king, how would you have it?
