Is this the end for consoles?

[The Evil Overlord]

one word response to the headline...

no

[neufuse Veteran]

MS sold 750k xboxes on Black Friday

Sony sold 500k PS3 on the same day.

Consoles are dead!!

:rofl:

oh common, you know numbers mean nothing... sell half a billion PC's last year and the PC's are dead right?... so numbers mean nothing! I can sell you a trillion consoles, doesn't mean anyone uses them right?... right? :rofl:

[M_Lyons10]

Actually if consoles are similar prices to low-end computers which can run high-end games for 7 years without needing to upgrade - who's to say that people will just end up not buying a PC?

Consoles are basically controlled environment PCs running custom operating systems, especially now with more and more apps coming to them, especially in regards to the Xbox 360. The software and hardware integration is even better then that found in Apple's Macs and Macbooks, and it's at a cost that rivals a low-end prebuilt PC. If it has enough apps that most people will use on a computer anyway, which lets face it, for most people is playing music and going on the internet, then surely a console is actually a better purchase?

The only threat I see to the games console is the recently announced Steambox from Valve - that could potentially through a real spanner in the works for games consoles.

You make a VERY good point. And correct me if I'm wrong, but a USB keyboard should work plugged into the XBox 360, right (I've never tried this). So, for someone that doesn't do much on a PC, it would make a lot of sense (Except maybe for printing. LOL But then I know a LOT of people that don't have printers...).

[NeoandGeo]

Consoles are all about ease of use, access of content, and an even ground for players. PC's are counter-intuitive to all of that.

Steam.

[The Teej]

You make a VERY good point. And correct me if I'm wrong, but a USB keyboard should work plugged into the XBox 360, right (I've never tried this). So, for someone that doesn't do much on a PC, it would make a lot of sense (Except maybe for printing. LOL But then I know a LOT of people that don't have printers...).

Well if it works on my Wii I would like to think a keyboard would also work on my Xbox 360... :p

Also with bluetooth and whatnot Microsoft could quite easily just make bluetooth keyboards and mice work natively. Not only this, but the 360 also has a chat-pad which could be used for a light bit of typing.

Adding even more to my original point, voice control will no doubt be a big part of the next Xbox UI, so for those who would like to use an Xbox as a PC, they may not even have to use any HID at all for half of their tasks! I think voice control is a great user interface and personally I'm really excited that Microsoft will almost certainly make it a more fleshed out feature for the next gen.

[shakey]

Long answer No

Short answer Yes