Gamers Using Consoles For Gaming Only
With all the fuss surrounding the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD format wars (aka Sony vs. Microsoft) on gaming consoles, a Texas-based firm called The Diffusion Group is finally asking the most important question in the entire debate. It’s not which format is better, it’s not which format will come out on top, it’s how many gamers actually use their console for movie watching?
Considering the amount of emphasis that PS3 and Xbox 360 creators have put on their respective playback devices, marketing it as one of the most advantageous and “ahead of the tech curve” features on the new systems, let’s face it, it doesn’t matter a whit if gamers aren’t using the functionality.
The Diffusion Group reports the results of their study in a brief entitled: “The Multimedia Future of Next-Gen Game Consoles Remains Uncertain” and has uncovered some rather disturbing (for console makers anyway) trends. They found that 80% of the consoles currently in American households had the capacity to playback movies, or to download and rent flicks online. Great, right? Well how about this stat: only 13% of the people using these consoles had ever used their system for movie watching. Even worse is the alarming 60% of people who didn’t even know that their console could be used for that purpose. Ouch. All the marketing dollars spent by Sony and Microsoft touting their new consoles as complete multimedia devices apparently fell on deaf ears.
The report sums up the surprising finding by saying that:
Today’s next-generation games consoles, such as the Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation 3, are true digital multimedia powerhouses. Yet very few…consumers are using them for nongaming media applications, demonstrat[ing] how poorly many consumers understand the capabilities of today’s game consoles and a major barrier to persuading consumers to start using these platforms for nongaming media consumption.
Via | GameSpot
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POSTED IN: Culture, News, PS3, Things That Suck, Xbox 360
9 opinions for Gamers Using Consoles For Gaming Only
Mike
Jul 4, 2007 at 1:11 am
I don’t use my consoles for movie viewing. It shortens the life of the unit’s lens. I suggest you guys steer clear too if you value the longevity of your purchase. ;)
By the way Erin, I tagged you for a meme. :D
LarcenIII
Jul 9, 2007 at 11:44 am
I watch all my movies on my console, allways have, play Halo2 every night for a year for hours and hours, watched many many flicks, never a prob.
It’s goes like the saying, use it or lose it. What good is a warranty if you never really use the product to it’s full potential? Well I guess dust is the real killer but I keep a clean house, I guess that’s really what it’s about. I mean you can kill a xbox 360 in one night by leaving it on with a blanket over it… common sense that’s all it takes.
BTW Good write up Erin.
++LarcenIII
Mike
Jul 9, 2007 at 8:25 pm
It’s not like watching a couple of flicks would suddenly destroy your entire console or its lens. Your console would likely last longer than the warranty even if you watch films on it regularly.
However, don’t expect your console to last the entire generation. I’ve refrained from using my PS2 as a DVD player, and it’s still alive after all these years. I reckon it would still be alive when the PS4 rolls by.
In contrast, a couple of friends chose to watch movies on their consoles. The outcome? Their lenses lasted for a couple of years only (yes, both of them). Had to be replaced, which is a real biatch because these lenses are quite expensive.
Make no mistake, this isn’t an isolated case. Local repair shops made the same observations so they advise console owners to not watch movies on their console if they can help it.
You see, convergence is a double-edged blade. If you’ve bought converged electronics (e.g. consoles, cellphones), then you should know by now that they’re not as good as devices dedicated to one application. A DVD or Blu ray disk player is still the way to go instead of using a console. Sure, you can “maximize” your console, but it would only shorten its life. Results may not be as drastic, but it’s there.
Playing movies on your console is like smoking. Some last longer than the others, some don’t seem to get affected at all. Bottom line: the huge exposure to risk.
The question is: are you willing to take that expensive risk?
Erin
Jul 9, 2007 at 11:22 pm
I doubt many people would risk it Mike, especially if they paid through the nose to get a PS3 or a 360 in the first place. $600+ down the drain is never pleasant.
LarcenIII, obviously you’ve taken a different stance here of ‘if it can do it, use it’, but what do you think about the lens issue? Are you concerned at all, or are you just hoping that if yours goes, it’ll be when the console is still under warranty :D
LarcenIII
Aug 1, 2007 at 3:47 am
Well you do have a point Mike, about dedicated electronics usually lasting longer. But now you can buy external drives for the 360 (I got the HD-DVD drive) so now it’s less risk. But I still only use my 360 and my old xbox as dvd players, several of my frinds old xboxs have bad cd drives now, but they all had one thing in common, they laid in the floor or were other wise exposed to alot of dirt heat or humidity. I’m actually kinda rough with it, but I change air filters twice a month too.
I think however, I agree with you. Like most things they do have an engineered lifespan (I don’t think nintendo does though. Of course they don’t want the old xboxes or PS2’s to last too long. One one hand it forces everyone to buy a new “Next Gen” system every few years, on the other at it pushes technology ahead by keeping the market alive.
I mean, really, there isn’t much difference to the console between playing a game, or a movie.
A movie is just less CPU usage and spins the disc at 1x as opposed to whatever speed it is at max.
Mike
Aug 1, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Good point on the external drives. ;) I think there’s a difference playing a game or a movie in a console. Notice that when you play a movie, the drive reads the disk more often. When you play a game, the drive reads the disk during loading portions, but in actual gameplay, there’s minimal reading involved.
I think this is why consoles last longer when they’re dedicated to gaming. There’s more work for the lens when you watch movies.
However, new technologies are making movie viewing on consoles more feasible, but at a price. Soon enough, when these peripherals become cheaper, I think I’ll do more movie-viewing myself on a more current console. But until then, I’ll wait by watching 300 in my DVD player, LOL
LarcenIII
Aug 2, 2007 at 1:14 am
Yeah, I got 300 on HD-DVD :D :D :D
It’s awesome on my HP 50′ Plasma.
Price: $199 for External Drive
TV: $1499 (or $17 a month ala Best Buy)
Eh, a little expensive but now that I got them it wouldn’t be the same without them….
Mike
Aug 2, 2007 at 1:23 am
300 in HD DVD? You’re blessed, my friend. :D But the $199 is something that we have to save for, or wait for (to drop :P).
So is the TV, lol.
Poll Tally: Wired For Film
Aug 4, 2007 at 7:14 am
[…] to be a little bit higher to be honest, but judging from the interesting discussion going on in the comment thread, it appears that convenience isn’t the only factor affecting […]
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