Handheld systems will almost cease to exist
With the rise of of popularity of the "smart phone" and the tablet, people have become accustomed to hand held devices that have multiple functions. The market has catered to handheld devices that do just about everything. The most notable part of these devices for me, is their ability to play a multitude of games. Smart developers have already started to tap the potential of this new gaming market, I don't see hand held devices with mostly gaming in mind as being a profitable market in the future. Most consumers have become accustomed to the jack-of-all-trades route presented by their phones or tablets.
It has already started to cut into the handheld market, but I see a future where both Sony and Nintendo will have to sink or swim with their hand held devices. Microsoft is already touting their own tablet, and has a buzz of excitement with it. I've heard it asked for years if MS should get into the hand held gaming market, and the release of a tablet by them, is probably the best solution. I have no doubt that many mainstream developers will line up to make games for it, and that there will be many quality games in development for MS' tablet.
Both Sony and Nintendo have always been a little hard-headed when it comes to their technology, and, with a few exceptions made by Nintendo with technology in the Gamecube and Wii, they like to keep their products proprietary. However, I see a future where a partnership with a current tablet maker would be a smart move for either developer. The tablet and smart phone market is already so crowded that releasing their own versions would not be a smart move for either company. A partnership with an existing tablet maker would be a logical move, but that can either be a good or bad move looking at gaming history (see the history of the partnership between Sony and Nintendo for a SNES disk system for perspective). Each company likes to be in control of their own hardware, but sometimes pride can hinder smart business. With the buzz created by MS' entry into the tablet market, an announcement by Apple, or another tablet maker of a partnership with Sony or Nintendo to bring games to their already established platform could potentially steal some of the thunder fro MS.
While I believe there will always be a market for gaming-only handheld devices, I see that market getting smaller and smaller in the future. Nintendo has always made war-bucks on handheld gaming, and probably always will, but with consumers being interested in handheld devices that do everything, I see that market shrinking more in the future.
We all hate Gamestop, but...
It is pretty clear that in future generations of gaming, console makers, and game developers want to move into the digital download-only arena thus pulling the rug out from under retailers like Gamestop who thrive on the resale of used games. Developers have already found ways to punish gamers for buying used (or in my case with the PS3 MoH game new, but old games) by forcing them to pay for online codes.
Here's something I think they need to learn, I don't see gamers as being ready for digital download only games. Sure, the market has a decent following with the download services presented by each current-gen platform, but some people still prefer physical copies of their games. MS may go digital download to avoid putting a Blu-Ray drive in their next generation system (thus having to pay Sony royalties), but in the end, I don't see it being a viable option just yet.
Plus I do not like the idea of being at the mercy of developers who, without a used gaming market out there will free to keep we gamers at their mercy. Whatever price they want to charge, and keep, gamers have to comply if they want to keep gaming. And what's to stop them from releasing their games in installments which we have seen with other digital download games? "You've paid half a season of Madden, to continue, pay $20 more. If you want to play the superbowl, then it's $20 more." Quite frankly, the games I buy used, I wasn't planning on paying full price for anyway. Developers have always hated both used and rental games going back all the way to Nintendo suing Blockbuster video years ago.
In the age of DLC, developers now have a chance to make money off of used games, and I'm not talking about by punishing gamers by forcing them to pay money to play the games online like EA, THQ, and a few other have done, I mean by gamers buying the expansions, or map packs for the games. In previous generations their complaint was more valid, but even used games can bring in extra revenue for developers.
Punishing gamers for taking the cheapest route, just makes you look like a dick. After purchasing a brand new copy of Medal of honor from a store, and finding out that my online code was "out of Date" (I guess codes have a sell-by date so as not to go bad on the shelf), I have decided that EA will never get my money for a new game ever again. I will purposely buy all their games I want(both of their good ones) used, and not even bother with online play for them. If you want to be as shady to people who buy them new, but at a reduced price (I paid $15 for MoH), then you will never receive my money again. Capcom will never get my money for the BS fo their DLC already being on their game disks, and neither will any developer who has followed suit. If you want to piss on gamers, don't be surprised when we piss back. When Mirror's Edge 2 comes out, I will intentionally buy it used.
I understand that developers want money for their hard work, but giving them the monopoly on game distribution is a much worse option than what we have now.
I'm not standing up for Gamestop, because I generally don't like the way they do business. They have already started a gaming service, and will be forced in that direction for certain if games stop having physical copies. My suggestion to console developers is to not jump too quickly into the next generation of gaming. I think gaming can survive a ten year plan for consoles like what Sony (assuming they were full of s*** when they said it) has said they were going to do with the PS3. The Wii U is coming out, but I see it as a smarter move for both Sony and MS to wait it out a little longer before releasing new home consoles.
And to Gamestop, you know all those retro games that you got rid of, because you didn't see a market in them, when digital download becomes the norm, you're going to be cut out of the current gaming market, and will only have what's left of your current stock to sell. Bet you feel like an idiot now.
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