Kojima Predicts One Console Future

[Ares]

Kojima Predicts One Console Future

The Metal Gear director talks about a platform-free, cloud computing future.
By Ryan Winterhalter, 04/07/2010

Fanboys beware, the one-console future is coming. At least according to Hideo Kojima. At yesterday's Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker press conference in Tokyo, Kojima joined the ranks of other prominent developers, like David Jaffe and Dennis Dyack, with his endorsement of a one console future.
Kojima picked an odd way of of broaching the subject. His comments about a platform-less future came in response to the question, "why did you make Peace Walker for the PSP?"
The director prefaced his statements by saying that there were two reasons for the selection of Sony's handheld. The first was that he wanted to make Metal Gear for younger kids. "From the PS1 to the PS2 and PS3, Metal Gear is a game that moves of generation to generation," said Kojima.
After elaborating on the nature of appealing a younger audience for a few minutes, he abruptly shifted, and explained, "Reason number two is... I think we're heading into a future without platforms, where cloud computing that allows gamers to play the same games in the living room that they do in the home. How do you take a game like Metal Gear Solid into that future? Making Peace Walker on a portable platform like the PSP was a way to experiment with that.

Source: 1up.com

 

[Whitey80]

It will hopefully be the direction we head, will be great for developers and consumers alike.

There's been alot of talk about it over the past couple of years.
Ideally we'll end up with what we have with everything else, a single standard, but varying levels of quality.
For instance, you have an entry level $200 game system from Westinghouse, that is completely capable of playing the games and delivering a fun experience. Then you have a $600 version of the same system from Sony, playing the exact same games with the same UI, but, your graphics and audio are far crisper, faster online play, etc.
Just like with all other electronics. You can buy a $150 Insignia reciever and have Dolby and HDMI and all that, and it will play your music and your movies, or you can have, say, a Pioneer Elite. It will do the same thing, play your music and your movies, but in a much different way.

 

[Shock]

I would love to see the PSWii60.

 

[SopRage]

This idea keeps popping up from various sources, but I think it'll be awhile until we get to the point that cloud gaming is a viable alternative to local processing.

You're going to have to convince the hardcore twitch-gaming crowd to ignore the inherent input lag required by today's (or immediate tomorrow's) technology. ... and you're going to have to convince Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo (and even Apple, since they talk about joining the fray every 10 minutes) that this is a better model than what's available.

If the whole cloud thing ever gets rolling, I think the hardcore will be the LAST to jump on board when the tech is matured. It'll be the Wii crowd that deals with the input lag, frame rate problems, etc. ... especially PC gamers who insist on frame rates and response times that often go beyond human perception or capability.

Just a guess, but based on everything I read on this "fad" when it hit the road running the last year or so.