Upgradeable Consoles.

[Hateren47]

Your idea is nothing but fantasy. And it's obvious you haven't thought through nor understand what you're talking about.

I do understand what I'm talking about, but if you think I haven't thought it through maybe you would like to inform me why it wouldn't work.

 

[Tharwen]

I think this could be a really good way of generating income for console developers. Imagine if every console was sold as a single case with most of the internal hardware removed. You could then buy the graphics card/memory/processor/hard drive separately, as part of a hugely simplified module which you could simply slot into the case you've already bought. It would also make RRODs and the like much easier to deal with.

I think you would have to leave in the CPU because the Average Joe would not want to fiddle around with thermal paste and the like, and harddrives are already changeable AFAIK. I don't own a console though so I might be wrong.

You're right. A CPU needs to be integrated too closely with a motherboard to be efficient using a single connector on a module. A module might also be hard to cool.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

Like what everyone else has said, if you want to upgrade hardware, you might as well go with a PC.

Consoles are there for folks who don't want to spend extra to make sure the latest games can run well.

 

[Woodsey]

I'm not even going to look at all the PC myths that have undoubtedly started spreading already on this thread, and just say this:

People play on consoles because they don't want to change hardware or have to think about what's going on (unless it dies and you have to send it to the manufacturer).

 

[Worgen]

I doubt it would be as cheap as pc upgrades, I mean look at the prices of the 360 hds, a new 250 gig is 130, you can buy a 2T pc hard drive for that price

 

[Skorpyo]

They tried this concept with the N64. Upgradable RAM pack under a cover on the front.

Didn't go over too well, since no one seemed to need it, and it wasn't a big improvement for $50.

 

[Hateren47]

Like what everyone else has said, if you want to upgrade hardware, you might as well go with a PC.

Consoles are there for folks who don't want to spend extra to make sure the latest games can run well.

I did go for a PC. And in my opinion consoles don't run well, when it gets a little complex like BFBC2 (flickering shadows), Just Cause 2 (low FPS) and Tekken 6 (long loadtimes) as examples, and that's why I made the topic.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

As has already been mentioned, the N64 already did this. I managed to end up with multiple RAM expansions for it, because they were packed in with games I was going to buy anyway, but a lot of other people missed the bundles and ended up with games they couldn't play without having to go buy one (or be lucky and know someone like me who'd give them their extras).

In general, it's not a good idea. Go look at the adoption rate for things that have an obvious, tangible benefit like new control systems (which the Wii's got a whole stack of, but many other consoles have had various optional controllers over the years), and see how low that is. Then realize that it's going to be even harder to get the average person to buy something that doesn't even do something they can touch/see the result of easily .

While you're at it, go look at how tiny the percentage of games released is that require those special expansions or controllers. No one wants to limit the potential sales of their games to a fraction of the market instead of having everyone be able to play them unless they have a really good reason to believe that their game is just that awesome or popular that people who don't have the expansion/controller will be willing to pay extra for it. Yes, that does happen occasionally with various music games, but they're by far the exception.

 

[number2301]

Pc Hardware needs to be updated every 2 months if you want to keep up

Gaming PCs generally have a minor upgrade at 2 years and a major upgrade at 4 years.

10% console tax? Have you seen the scandalous prices of Xbox wireless adapters and hard drives? 100% would be closer to the mark!

On topic, I suppose it could work, the Amiga 500 et al did something very similar, but developers would have to develop for the lowest common denominator so it'd only be superficial improvements. Which kind of becomes a bit pointless.

Of course! New games would be made to run on the first version of the hardware released, it would only rid you of the horrible slowdowns and stuttering consoles get some times and make everything look a bit smoother and fix flickering shadows. And drivers would be included in the "GFX-cartridges".

In fairness, slowdown and flickering shouldn't exist on consoles at all, that's the whole point of the things. I'd be seriously pissed if that became standard.

I think this could be a really good way of generating income for console developers. Imagine if every console was sold as a single case with most of the internal hardware removed. You could then buy the graphics card/memory/processor/hard drive separately, each as a single module which you could simply slot into the case you've already bought. It would also make RRODs and the like much easier to deal with.

The problems with this would then be that game devs would find it hard to program the graphics efficiently, and there wouldn't be much incentive to buy the next generation of consoles.

I'm a bit confused by that, you've jusgt described a PC.

 

[Hateren47]

Would you buy upgrades for you console(s) if you could? Say if the Xbox 360 had a lid on the bottom for more RAM like a laptop or the PS3 had a cartridge-like graphics card expansion slot in the back.

If it wasn't any harder than loading up SMB3 on a NES, would you fork over the money for having more AA and higher FPS or faster load times?

Hardware prices would be the same as the PC counterpart + the usual 10% console tax for putting their sticker on it.

What is your next idea btw? Pc's that all have a general setup and a new pc will be brought out every year?
I don't know if you know what for example microsoft does with xbox : they upgrade everything but the main part console by console and this spells out profit
They don't however change what the main hardware does seeing as people would rage when they can't play new games on their old same genre consoles anymore

I think Apple already beat me to your first point, and of course games would have to be made to run on the first version of the console, they would just look better with updated hardware. I'm sure MS, Sony and Nintendo has the final say should the topic of hardware requirements come up with a developer.

 

[TheComedown]

Your idea is nothing but fantasy. And it's obvious you haven't thought through nor understand what you're talking about.

I do understand what I'm talking about, but if you think I haven't thought it through maybe you would like to inform me why it wouldn't work.

Why it wont work:

1) Console owners have consoles because they don't want to piss around with hardware, drivers etc before they play. They just want to put in the disk and go.

2) Why would they want to fork out more cash for upgrades on a product that already runs everything its supposed to how its supposed to.

3) Drivers aren't as simple as including them in cartridges. I may be wrong but when installing drivers for computer GPUs part of their job is to tell the card how to interact with the mother board and processor, and if the drivers are on the card the console wont know what to do with it.

4) With different companies making different upgrades compatibility becomes a problem, as well as driver support, and all of a sudden its just as complicated as building your own PC.

5) It will cause some head aches for developers and they might as well go back to programing for PC as with the upgrades they will need to scale their games as on PC again removing another advantage of console over PC.

There really is no reason to be doing this. It is simply not needed or wanted, those that like upgrading and playing with new tech already have their rigs and console players are happy with their plug and play no hassles playbox.

Pc Hardware needs to be updated every 2 months if you want to keep up

This is insanely wrong, unless your talking about big bucks for hardware that is completely unnecessary and wont be taken advantage of for at least another year. There are 4 or 5 year old PCs still working fine and are only just now beginning to show their age.

 

[Alfador_VII]

Historically speaking, console upgrades don't sell, and have limited support. I had the N64 Expansion pack for Donkey Kong, Perfect Dark, and Majora's Mask, but there were very very few other games for it.

Anyone remember 32X, Sega CD, etc

Current consoles sometimes allow hard drive upgrades, particularly easy on the PS3, but otherwise, I don't see it catching on.

 

[Nixzilla]

yes i would have the most bad ass xbox ever

 

[Danzaivar]

32X was a load of crap, N64 RAM booster was a load of crap, 360 HD-DVD player was a load of crap...

Leave the domain of upgrades to the PC please.

 

[Ava Elzbieta]

Would you buy upgrades for you console(s) if you could? Say if the Xbox 360 had a lid on the bottom for more RAM like a laptop or the PS3 had a cartridge-like graphics card expansion slot in the back.

If it wasn't any harder than loading up SMB3 on a NES, would you fork over the money for having more AA and higher FPS or faster load times?

Hardware prices would be the same as the PC counterpart + the usual 10% console tax for putting their sticker on it.

Maybe. I'm certainly considering buying a harddrive expansion for the 360. Mostly I'd like a way to backup my save files. I really applaud Microsoft for no longer forcing a proprietary flash drive on us and allowing us to use whatever flash drive we have lying around: that move shocked and delighted me.

Considering games for the 360 and PS3 are designed with the console's specs in mind, I don't quite see the need to upgrade its RAM or video card. Would I really see a difference in performance?

 

[Hateren47]

Your idea is nothing but fantasy. And it's obvious you haven't thought through nor understand what you're talking about.

I do understand what I'm talking about, but if you think I haven't thought it through maybe you would like to inform me why it wouldn't work.

Why it wont work:

1) Console owners have consoles because they don't want to piss around with hardware, drivers etc before they play. They just want to put in the disk and go.

2) Why would they want to fork out more cash for upgrades on a product that already runs everything its supposed to how its supposed to.

3) Drivers aren't as simple as including them in cartridges. I may be wrong but when installing drivers for computer GPUs part of their job is to tell the card how to interact with the mother board and processor, and if the drivers are on the card the console wont know what to do with it.

4) With different companies making different upgrades compatibility becomes a problem, as well as driver support, and all of a sudden its just as complicated as building your own PC.

5) It will cause some head aches for developers and they might as well go back to programing for PC as with the upgrades they will need to scale their games as on PC again removing another advantage of console over PC.

There really is no reason to be doing this. It is simply not needed or wanted, those that like upgrading and playing with new tech already have their rigs and console players are happy with their plug and play no hassles playbox.

1.) It would of course be as simple as remove the old cartridge and put in the new one.

2.) A lot of games don't run how they are supposed to. At least not as well as they could.

3.) I'm sure the console makers could do it. Microsoft have done a great job with automating driver installs in Windows 7. And the driver could easily sit in the cartridge and flash the console when you boot it the first time after upgrading. I don't think there are any technical difficulties to it.

4.) Yes 3rd party hardware could end up problematic, I will give you that.

and 5.) Developers will develop to the requirements MS, Sony or Nintendo tell them to. The basic requirements. 512 MB RAM for Xbox and 256 MB RAM for PS.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Upgrades? When we haven't even seen the limit to what this generation of consoles can do?
Seriously... what a waste of money and effort. I'd rather keep my console a standalone piece of hardware that I don't have to mess with whenever a new game comes out and my PC the hole in which I dump money into from time to time. IF I wanted another hole, I'd buy a boat.

 

[TheComedown]

1.) It would of course be as simple as remove the old cartridge and put in the new one.

2.) A lot of games don't run how they are supposed to. At least not as well as they could.

3.) I'm sure the console makers could do it. Microsoft have done a great job with automating driver installs in Windows 7. And the driver could easily sit in the cartridge and flash the console when you boot it the first time after upgrading. I don't think there are any technical difficulties to it.

4.) Yes 3rd party hardware could end up problematic, I will give you that.

and 5.) Developers will develop to the requirements MS, Sony or Nintendo tell them to. The basic requirements. 512 MB RAM for Xbox and 256 MB RAM for PS.

Again
1) This crosses over into my second point, how easy it is for the end user atm is rather irrelevant because it sure as hell ain't gonna be that easy for the developers or the hardware manufactures. It comes down to now is why would console owners fork out more cash for upgrades they wont notice, unless devs start programing for the consoles like they would the PC making the graphics scalable.... which then leaves me to ask, why haven't you just bought a PC?

2)If the game doesn't run how they are supposed to, its the developers fault not the console, they knew EXACTLY what they where working with before they started.

3)The windows 7 auto driver thingy really isn't all that reliable if you want to start actually using your hardware for more advanced stuff, it didn't pick up my last graphics card, had to download it myself from the site(I would have done it either way) as well as my audio drivers cause the windows ones were buggy and produces rather shit quality.

4)Of course I'm right(what else was I to put here you agreed with me)

5)And Microsoft and Sony will tell them to program for the most recent chipsets to encourage sales which will also means the devs will have to scale their games for older hardware, again this is already what PC developers do, removing any advantages of programing for consoles.

Finally let me ask you this. What platform do you game on?

 

[Pinguin]

and to now [sic] that my console couldnt run games as well as others would be rather annoying.

I think this is the crux of the issue. One of the major selling points of a console, as opposed to gaming on a PC, is that you always know your system will run the game and run it well. If they were upgradeable, you can bet that eventually you'd be required to upgrade to play certain games. And that defeats the point.

I recall the N64 was upgradeable. You could buy a plug-in RAM expansion module. This was required for Perfect Dark, and a few other titles that came after it I think. I'm not sure if it could be said this damaged or helped its market share.

 

[DonMartin]

For me, the point of having a console is the fact that i KNOW that whatever games i buy for that console, it will run it. i prefer paying once for a few years of content, rather than constantly upgrading my pc.

But hey, thats just me.


And i might be an idiot.