How easy could a New Console swoop in and take over?

both the ps4/xb1 are multiplat drought station

how easy it would be for steam/nintendo to cator to games with a new console thats more reasonably priced better technology, free online, producing games every couple of months dropping

how easy it would be for a real challenger to emerge in this lackluster field xb1 has no games coming for af ull year

ps4 has like 1

how easy it would be to just come out an swing very hard have better tech than ps4 produce more games exclusively and free online cator to more hardcore ppl how hard would that be 2 years froom now 8gb of ram some 2nd tier graphics card and like 1 terabyte hard drives and a busty intel or amd processor

how hard that be at 400 dollar price tag 2 years from now to take over the multiplat drought twins?

Apple

Nintendo will have their next console ready in 2017. It'll be plenty to take over next gen. Hopefully 'hardcore mature' gamers will realize that this is the way to go instead of swallowing whatever Sony shoves down their throats.

Unfortunately, this is true. To break into this market, there has to be huge financial backing and brand awareness. It's akin to what happened when Microsoft broke into the market. It's a cash game.

That's why we will never see Sega usher in the fabled Dreamcast 2. Sega doesn't have the cash.

apple/samsung/google lets see what they can deliver im not satisfied with wiiU/xb1/ps4

lets see what those 3 could do with a console the ones we have now are not innovating and were done with them

Depends on your definition of the word "innovate". I think Nintendo has been innovating consistently. Where Nintendo has failed has been with adopting current trends in media sharing, internet use, online gaming, and console "power".

@ProtossX: exclusive games every couple of months?! You do know AAA games need at least 2 if not 3 years production and millions in budget... If you have 6 a year then you will need at least 18 studios each with say 20 million usd budget... So you need a spare 360 million usd to start with on top of the millions spent on r&d, labour, manufacture, distribution, marketing...

So sure... Is very easy... If you have the money...

It would be interesting. A lot of the big game studios are set up to do the consoles we have now. I can't imagine a new console being drastically different or studios would pass on working on games for it.

Not easy at all. The business and marketing alone for a new console would be ridiculous. They'd have to secure 3rd party deals which would cost loads of $$$ as well as have some sort of content of their own unless they'll be hardware only.

The easiest way to do this for a newcomer would be to create a hardware console and partner with Steam for the software.

I imagine they would need some deep pockets as most developers wouldn't want to risk the setback if the console bombed.

Apple comes to mind as they have deep pockets, but I would be scared to see the business practice of a potential console. We're already trying to fight off the surge in microtransactions in paid games and DLC.... we don't need a company whose current platform contains an endless supply of P2W and "Trick little Timmy into racking up his parents credit card bills for in-game currency". I'll pass.

it cost MS roughly 1billion to get their foot in the door back in 2001-ish. you could be looking at 2-3 times that now.

the console is the easy bit (and thats not easy. it takes years of R&D to make a console).

its convincing publishers to make their games on your platform, setting up an effective first party (a good game takes at least 2 years to make and they will need more than 1 for launch...a lot of cash to burn through right there).

then its convincing the market to buy the thing and use it.

if you get it wrong then its at least 5 years of pain until a chance to fix the problem comes up.

making a box and sticking android/ios on it on its own is not enough (as we have seen).

to be honest, no sane company would try and get in on their own now. its not a massive money maker for the manufacturer and its very very high risk.

if someone wants to get in on the current model then the best way to do it is buy nintendo or buy MSs or sonys gaming division.

the only other way is to throw a wrench in the works and release something that completely disrupts the way the current console business works. cloud gaming tired and failed. cheap and small consoles like ouya failed. so what else coudl throw a wrench in the works?

Not as easy as you make it sound. Apple has zero experience in the core gaming market unlike Microsoft back then. Apple only has experience in the mobile gaming market, and we all know how Ouya turned out. Apple will probably steer clear of the mobile-to-console idea and will have no choice but to compete with Sony and Microsoft on their terms. And Microsoft didn't break into the market till the 360. It was their second console. So if Apple were to follow Microsoft, I don't see them breaking in till at least the next generation.

Exclusives are not as important as you think.

Exclusives are very important. They are the only reason I buy consoles. Otherwise I would only play on PC.

I wonder if in Nintendo's potential last console effort if they'll ditch the Wii U early (but not so early people feel Nintendo abandoned it) and try to outdo both the Xbox One and Playstation 4 in terms of console power by releasing their next console a good year or two (maybe three years) ahead of the competition. Good tech might be cheap by then and they might not need to make a pricey console which might make it attractive on some level, at least until their competitors make their next systems (which might be more powerful) but if Nintendo does it right then they can grab a good foothold of the market early and maintain momentum. Then again, they run the risk of their competitors bringing better consoles to market by releasing a good time after them.

However, also worth considering, Nintendo has been crap regarding features that even the PS3 and/or Xbox 360 had years prior to the Wii U release they might not even have ready for another console, like friends lists with better instant awareness, strong online and in game and/or party chat, better rights retention and transfers, better digital publishing, a userbase that supports third party titles, Nintendo themselves needing to be more attractive to third party developers, and now they're getting a lot of hate from YouTubers over DMCA takedowns. Now consoles have the power to record gameplay, and do live streaming; Nintendo, doubt they'll ever have that. Having a powerful console isn't everything, they need to keep up with the competition. Not to mention, non-gaming features like digital streaming cable/satellite alternatives will soon be starting to take hold on the PS4 and Xbox One and if Nintendo isn't on board it'll fail in the area where consoles will serve as the home entertainment hub. They were good on the Wii U to at least get Netflix and Hulu and such but now the game has changed.

I don't see anybody else trying to enter the console market though. Right now Nintendo is breaking even and that requires a different strategy than MS and Sony who want a larger chunk of the market, and on that end it's not business to make quarterly and annual profits, it's an arms race that's looking years down the road, taking bigger losses now in hopes to achieve market dominance.

Apple crunched the numbers, and they didn't like them. Also, why would anyone want Apple hardware... They are amazing at software, which is why they can get the same performance with less hardware compared to their rivals. That's why they have these big margins, and because game development is to the metal, they would actually need better hardware to get better results.

It would be incredibly difficult. VERY hard.

Not easy at all.

Most people are atleast somewhat brand loyal. If Apple or Amazon threw their hat into the console market, it would take atleast 1 gen for people to get used to the idea (just like MS with the original Xbox). It would also need to have a few exclusives and most multiplats.

It would certainly make SW a more interesting place.

Would not be easy at all.....

It would be very difficult. It would require deep pockets plus I think all of the current console makers would have to make major screw-ups.

Like how Nintendo and Sega both made many screw-ups going into the 5th gen which opened the door for Sony to come in and take over.

Then it costed Microsoft a fortune just to get their foot in the door and even still, they did not get a big piece of the market until after Nintendo abandoned the hardcore gamer to go after the casual market and Sony made major screw-ups with the PS3 which opened the door for Microsoft to build their marketshare out of gamers that were disgruntled with the other consoles.

They'd need a ton of cash to burn, and to realize they may never make money on it. And they'd need a damn good idea to justify doing the console.