Lunchtime Discussion: Multi-Use
Do consoles need to be Jack of all trades?
Published: 12:00, 01/07/2010 by Kris [Halbpro].
44Ah, nostalgia. Remember the days when all you did with a console was plug in a cartridge and go? Simpler times and, in the opinion of some members of TheSixthAxis’ staff, better times. Your console rarely froze or broke, and if it did it could normally be solved by blowing in it. Now consoles take time to turn on before I get close to the lengthy credits sequence of a game, blowing in them stopped working a long time ago and they do so much more than just playing games.
See the recent 3.40 firmware for the PS3 kicked me off thinking about how consoles have evolved into multi-use media centres. It included some updates to the way that Facebook integrates with the PS3, pulling photos and comments onto the system. Now this may seem completely normal in this generation, but just look at your old Master System or even PS1 and think about the sentence again. Try and combine that sentence with unassuming boxes we used to own. Some how the two just don’t fit together at all.
I don’t know why this really struck me, but it does just seem odd that machines we still call games consoles now do so much. You can play films, talk to friends, update the internet to what you’re doing, publish videos, look at photos, browse the web and even, get this, play games. Yes it’s nice to have a converged media-interweb-social-blogging-flibbetijib-gaming device of some kind, but I’m not utterly convinced we need all of those features on a box that’s supposed to play games. I mean for a start my laptop can do all of the extra features, and do most of them as well if not better than any console can.
Maybe I’m just being old-fashioned and we shouldn’t let all the power of modern consoles go to ‘waste’ when we’re not playing games. Perhaps it is better to have a complex device that does everything under the sun, but personally I’d rather have a few devices that do each task well rather than one device that does everything averagely. That’s why even though my phone can sync perfectly well with iTunes, I still have an iPod. It’s just better at the job.
How do you feel on this issue? Should our consoles be multi-use, or should they be just for gaming? Do we need all these add ons? Was it simpler when just popped in a cartridge and you were away? Or do you just want one thing that does everything you could ever need?
Finally, before I get questions about it tomorrow the scheduling of some regular features is getting tweaked. So in place of a Lunchtime Discussion on Friday’s, you’ll now have Friday Fight moved up to the 12 o’clock slot. Treat Lewis nicely now.
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01/07/2010 at 12:21
Member since: Feb 2009
I have a sony walkman phone, and i’ve got to say although the concept it good, it just doesn’t work properly. If i’m out for a full day, listening to music will kill my battery, then i don’t have use of my phone. The idea of only carrying 1 device appeals to me, but now i have to carry my charger too it kinda defeats the object. As far as my ps3 is concerned, i wont be fully happy til it washes my clothes too. I can’t see any reason why a games console shouldn’t do everything, other than the apparent associated increased failure rate. I love the way i can do anything on my ps3 and love getting additional functionality patched in.
01/07/2010 at 13:09
Member since: May 2010
A console for me just has to play the great selection of games out there. I do like to play music whilst on the dashboard on my 360, but I have an iPod for that. There are simply already services and products on the market that are already available adding them to the console just seems unneccessary.
01/07/2010 at 12:24
Member since: Aug 2008
I think the problem is the competition. With games being so close to identical on rival machines, they have to offer more in other areas to make themselves stand out.
For me, a big pull towards the PS3 was (and still is) blu-ray play back which was half the price of stand alone players that weren’t even as good!
.
As long as the core of the machine is focussed on games, the peripheral stuff is great. In many ways it enhances the games too.
01/07/2010 at 12:25
Member since: Aug 2008
I say ‘problem’, it’s not really a problem unless you are a purist I suppose
01/07/2010 at 12:29
Member since: May 2009
I like being able to play bluray as well. The main thing I like about consoles and would hate to be without now is simply the ability to play not only games but other media as well, such as my videos, photos and music, all on my tv, and only having to have one thing plugged into it, no messing about with cables or other media players to connect a comp to my tv to play videos on my hard drive
01/07/2010 at 12:30
Member since: Mar 2009
I agree the big draw was the blu-ray player and I use my PS3 as a games machine and blu-ray player, and that’s it. I guess the additional PS3 functionality is great for people that don’t already have a seperate PC or other media hub/internet hardware…
01/07/2010 at 13:35
Member since: May 2010
Yeah, Hows the HD-DVD drives going Xboxers ? rofl rofl
01/07/2010 at 12:29
Member since: Oct 2008
It’s weird because about 10 or 12 years ago I remember sitting at a mate of dads house listening to him explain how this was in the pipeline…. a decade later and it does seem like a seamless transition. I love it. Just give me Sky on my PS3 and we’re laughing :D
01/07/2010 at 12:29
Member since: Mar 2009
Even the PS1 doubled as a CD player, PS2 as a DVD player, so Sony have been doing this for a while. I must admit Bluray/DVD, PlayTV and internet (especially for iPlayer) would be sorely missed if my PS3 didnt do them and would mean a fair bit of cash to buy all the functionality.
01/07/2010 at 12:29
Member since: Dec 2008
I think its great that we can do other things with consoles. I remember the good ol’ PSOne days when we could listen to CDs too! That was pretty exciting for me, and the ability to watch DVD/Blu-Ray on my PS3 is a huge bonus.
The more extra features the merrier, I say.
01/07/2010 at 12:39
Member since: Dec 2009
Love consoles that can do everything!
PS3 ftw fo def!
I just hope all PS4′s play ps1, 2 and 3 games!!!
01/07/2010 at 12:47
Member since: Jun 2010
As long as the focus is on gaming then bring on whatever you think of imo. Sadly I think focus has been taken away from gaming :-( otherwise I’d imagine they’d put in some clan support etc. instead of facebook and so on.
01/07/2010 at 13:03
Member since: Forever
I use my PS3 mainly as a Blu-ray player these days… handily I can have a quick blast on games if I have the time & feel the inclination.
Although I don’t use it because I Sky+ everything, I think iPlayer is a great addition, because given the choice people would rather watch TV on a TV rather than a back room computer or a laptop.
Basically all these features, no matter how minor are going to be of interest to someone (so its all good), but I just hope the minor improvements don’t get in the way of Sony making continual improvements to the gaming side of things – particularly with trying to replicate & improve on the Xbox Live’s lobby & game-launching features.
01/07/2010 at 15:28
Member since: Jan 2010
I agree wholeheartedly, the PS3′s versatility as a media centre was a big part in my purchasing decision over 360.
I have lots of media stored on my PC and my audio setup is connected to my TV not my PC so when my PS3 is almost always on. If I’m not playing games I’m likely streaming from my PC to the PS3 so as to take advantage of the big screen and increased audio performance. It would have been nice to see a few more (preferably more responsive) visualisation options along the lines of geiss/drempels/milk drop for PS3. Often when friends are over and before the games go on, the PS3 supplies the soundtrack for the evening.
I regularly use both the Iplayer on my PS3 (I won’t ever buy Sky) as, being a father to a little one, it’s not always easy to ensure a solid block of viewing time at a predetermined time. I’d never have been able to keep up with the likes of Luther and The Thick Of It but for Iplayer.
I also use the remote play function on a daily basis to play PixelJunk Eden/Shooter from the bath or change my bathtime soundtrack.
It’s also incredibly useful when coupled with the USB functionality of PS3 which allows friends to bring stuff over for viewing/listening, even down to viewing friends photos from mountain camps or kayaking trips we’ve taken.
I’m all for increased functionality of consoles, given the caveat that CC points out, of it not coming at the expense of the further development of a consoles core functionality, as a gaming platform.
Bit miffed though that my old Nokia phone worked perfectly with my PS3 though whereas my new one doesn’t :(
01/07/2010 at 13:13
Member since: Forever
Im all for multi-use consoles. Although i find myself hardly using any of the features. Im not gonna use the facebook integration, Ive got an awesome screen for my PC so it better for watching iPlayer, I dont use the web borwser anymore since I got my iPhone. Blu-Ray wasn’t and still isn’t a selling point for me, I still don’t see what’s wrong with DVD, but that another argument altogether.
All in all its a games console for me and as long as it remains the best possible gaming console it can be then all the other guff around it is a brilliant bonus
01/07/2010 at 13:17
Member since: Sep 2009
I wasn’t bothered about HD tv until I tried my PS3 on a mate’s tv and had to have it. Now I use it for blu ray and also ripped all my DVD’s onto my PC and stream all my music and movies that way. It means my PS3 hard drive is pretty empty for demos and games and my kids don’t wreck any more DVD’s. Couldn’t do without the multimedia bit now. If only I could get itunes to stream to the ps3 I’d be sorted.
01/07/2010 at 13:34
Member since: May 2010
Im the same as you, but I download episodes of american tv shows, and they sit on my PS3 harddrive ready for me watch. As an all rounder PS3 rocks ass.