Consoles Are Here To Stay... For Now

There's been a lot of doom and gloom going around about the end of the console era. Pundits saying that the golden age of dedicated gaming machines has come and gone, this mostly being blamed on 'disruptive' technology like the iPad or new business models such as 'freemium.'

I say... hold your horses.

This has been the longest 'generation' of consoles since they've been coming out. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have been sitting on their current machines because they can still do new things with them, and studios are finally capitalizing on their full potential.

From VGChartz, not 100% accurate

Certainly sales of the current generation of consoles (360, PS3, and Wii) have been shrinking for the last couple of years. Why? Because everyone already owns them. So of course sales are going to slow for a product which has been out for years after its release. Console makers don't release a new box every year like Apple does. I believe the next wave of consoles, starting with the Wii U this year, will bring some of that interest and marketshare back to the more traditional game-makers.

Nintendo and Sony have also been using this void to release new handhelds - 3DS and Vita to keep momentum going.

And yes the ominous threat of the iPad and .99 cent games are giving everyone the chills about the future of game consoles, but for the near future, I believe these boxes under our TVs will remain, providing top of the line gaming and new entertainment options. I don't just use my PS3 as a gaming machine, I also watch Netflix on it, play my Blu-rays on it and download new and amazing digital gaming experiences such as the recently released Journey.

Devices like the iPad may make some people reconsider spending money on a home console, but the lack of a dedicated controller and notable games like Mario, Halo and Uncharted will keep the consoles going.

I don't think it's as simple as one more market canibalizing another, if anything what we're seeing is an expansion of the overall video game market. And people who enjoy casual experiences on iPhones/iPads will be more willing to check out home consoles, because that barrier has been removed.

Also my lovely girlfriend made this point and wanted me to share it "Games on my phone are a distraction, when I'm bored they kill time. If somebody wants a true gaming experience they sit on the couch, turn on the TV, which is a much bigger screen by the way, and play for hours on end, you can't do that with a phone."