Drew,

If you were to add a keyboard and perhaps other features such email and online chat, the console would still be a gaming console. Sure, it's a console that can email others and communicate with the effeciency of ASCII, but that only means its received one more feature to what it can do. So it can now plays games *and* communicate online. Does this make it a computer? Sure... it was a computer before. Does it make it as powerful as a PC? Not a chance.

Online console gaming would only try to compete with one section of the PC world. The console wouldn't create documents, it wouldn't be able to edit HTML, it wouldn't create FMVs (though few PCs actually do this). At the point it becomes able to perform functions beyond those gaming can take direct or indirect advantage of, then it becomes the mini-PC. Email, conversations, Internet services, even voice recognition could all be used by this hypothetical console, but in the end you're probably only going to use it for the purpose of setting up and playing a console game. So it's still a gaming platform IMO.

-HD

Drew,

I know this is an odd analogy...but what the hell. Remember that scene at the end of George Orwell's novel, Animal Farm? You know, when the pigs are sitting with the humans, playing cards and drinking beer? And the ending line was something like 'the other animals couldn't tell who was human or who was a pig'.

Well, I think that's sort of what's happening with consoles and PCs. PCs are becoming more plug and play (USB) and more commercial. And consoles are becoming more work oriented and 'internet connection'-ish. Soon, the differences will be minimal. Either PCs will have a more console approach to gamming (pop in the CD and play), or consoles will soon ask you to install your games on it's harddrive. You get the point.

I think consoles have become too much PC oriented when they take up PC games' worst feature - incompatability. Even though I know a lot about networks, and video cards, and RAM, and drives, and just about any other computer term you can wave a stick at (my school has a special program for programming and computers), it's still frustrating as hell when my game does work because of some tiny, yet hard to fix problem. My favorite part of consoles is popping in my game, plugging in a controller, hitting the on button, and playing. Four steps. Easy. Simple.

I like PC and consoles. I own a few of both. And I play both because they offer seperate experiences. I just hope it stays that way.

Mike Drucker

Set top boxes seem good on paper. You can play games, watch DVDs,play music, go on the internet... the possibilities are endless. But, they suck horribly, and the PS2 is dangerously close to crossing the line. First, what makes a set-top box? Well, it's obvious - when the developer says so. You know that the system is not a gaming one when they have more peripherals slated on their release list than games. Without the quality of the games, hardcore gamers won't buy it... if it's not popular, the casual gamer won't buy it.. and your consumer base is left with a healthy mix of the rich and stupid. Set top boxes suffer from several major flaws; if they were to be resolved, then they might have a chance.

Of course, the most famous failures are the 3DO and the CD-i. They suffered all the flaws that plague set top boxes - too expensive, too complicated, and not enough good games. First, Set-top boxes are always EXPENSIVE. Hey, you've got to pay for your internet connection, dvd-rom drive, and your gaming console, right? 3DO and CD-i went around for hundreds of dollar - $500 if i remember correctly. The PS2's estimated price point is dangerously high - $370. The high price opint stops such consoles from being an impulse purchase. There are only two ways people buy systems - they see the games months in advance and wait forever, or they walk into the store, notice the pretty graphics, and buy it on the spot. But you'll think twice if buying it means you'll be eating corn flakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two months.

Second, they're too complicated. The average gamer does not know how to check Compton's Encyclopedia online. The interfaces of both systems were crappy and clumsy. A casual user will probably have to read a tutorial to use the system to the fullest. Of course, you could always ignore the other stuff and just play games, but then what did you spend that extra $200 for? Finally, not enough games. Set-top boxes are slow to catch developers; mainly, it's because the company cared mroe about the system than the games. The architectures of the CD-i and 3DO made it almost impossible to program for, thus ensuring both system's demises.

Hopefully, the PS2 will leap over all the hurdles that brought down the 3DO and the CD-i. Lower the price, and make sure you have a ton of developers, Sony, and I'm sure you'll do fine.

-Morpeus "You think your Commodore 64 is really neato? What kind of chip you got in there, a Dorito?"

Basically, a console becomes a computer if it does other things besides play games. To me, as long as the ONLY purpose for owning a console is playing games, then any extra equipment is justified.

I can see a possible counterpoint coming up here- the PS2. I've heard plenty of people bitching about the PS2 playing DVD movies, and I honestly say I think these people are getting a tad bit excited over nothing. It probably took Sony less than an hour to set up a simple little interface to run these movies- the initial hardware is already there anyway to play everyone's precious FMV's. And although the price is somewhat ridiculous, I'm looking forward to buying my PS2 even more because of the DVD movie ability. So what would be the point of having the machinery to play DVD's, but still not being able to?

Speaking of consoles taking on computer technology, there are a few things that I would like to see in future consoles. A keyboard would be marevelous, for one. Another thing would be a standard mouse, just because I hate moving a free cursor with those damn directional pads. Another thing I would love to see is a universal 'console' that would allow you to run games with different parameters, change gamma and color without screwing up your tv settings, change the speed, take screenshots (that you could transport to your PC- I know you GIA people would love this), save movies- the possibilities are endless. Of course this console would not even need to be accessed for games to be played, but I think it would allow gamers with a technical side to have a little more fun with their games.

-MerganserO

You know, with the way Sony is pushing the PSX2, I think the lines between a set-top box and a console are already starting to blur... especially if Sony does actualyl succeed in making their cable modem dream come true. Think, a cable box, a net surfing box, the PSX2, complete with backwards compatibility, even a cable decoder (hey, it's entirely possible.) and a DVD player all rolled into one. That sounds pretty close to a do-it-all set-top box to me. Add on top of that the rumors of a 50 GB hard drive... well, we're talking serious amount of potential here.

But then, it has more or less been commented across the net that it is one of Sony's goals with the PSX2... all they need is a keyboard and a browser to go with the cable modem. Truth be told, the set-top box may not be such a bad idea for the consumer who can't seem to shell out a $1,000+ for a decent PC that can do some of the apps people want. However, Sony, unlike its competitors, Sega and Nintendo, isn't just in the console gaming business... they think much roader (which explains their seeming desire to make the PSX2 the do-it-all wunderbox).

On the other hand, consoles have been traditionally viewed as a toy...and to step beyond those bounds could present additional problems. There are of course, peopel who will always want their console to be dedicated game machines, and there will be the peopel who want their machines to do everything including washing teh windows. Frankly speaking, those who have PC's and decent modems probably won't ever need a do-it-all set-top box... on the other, there are people who are lookin' for the excuse to get a buncha stuff all at once... they just want it all in one package. Personally I don't think it's not such a bad idea... at least we won't have to deal with 30 different cables running behind our TV's just so we can watch cable, surf the net and watch DVD all on the same screen... and that's not even mentioning the billion and one patches for games and software we may or may not end up installing... at least the console programmers are much more consistent... =P

-Blademoor

Hi Drew

There is one console I will never, ever buy, and it's the X-box "if it exist" or whatever its name is. I don't trust Microsoft at all. They know how to make money, and it won't be by selling one console with maybe a few add-ons and something like two controllers and a few games. It will be half of console, then you need to buy one of their cell-phones, win98, register to hotmail.com and so on. They include everything related to them, things you don't want and all that crap. Even if they manage to make an awsome console, I don't want to buy it!

So back to the topic. I think that things are great the way they are now. A console, memory card, one or two controllers, games, and -maybe- a modem "why not pay for the hours you use it? I doubt anyone would use their modem to play on-line games enough to actaully pay 30$ a month". At least with the PS2 I'll already have one controller and a memory card, the ones from my PSX and on top of that I'll have another controller and another memory card which is included with the PS2! Great! Now all that -might- be left to buy is a modem. No rumble pack since it's inside the controller, and you will soon have to buy a voice recodgnition-somethingsomething. See what I mean? A few things are ok, but there is way too many add-ons comming out. A modem is ok, but -only- for on-line gaming. I don't want to be downloading patches on the net and I doubt the causual gamers what to do that too. What's next? Some sort of fan to simulate the effect of wind when you play a racing game or something?O_o

-Phil

Dilly, mutha,

A console becomes more than a console when it can bring me internet pornography and Double Agent, naturally.

-TheDevilYouKnow