Would the idea of Iterative consoles hurt us collectors?

[bubsystation]

Hi I am new here, though I have been lurking around the forums. Mostly because I've been hanging around gaf mostly, and I do find it odd a site based on collecting isn't a bit more popular but it's a nice community here.

Anyway, this whole Idea of iterative consoles such as the PS4k and anyone else who jumps in on it, seems to me to be a thorn for us collectors. The vast majority of sales of a set of iterative consoles would be the first edition. The next upgraded until they hit the real next generation will all be stronger but sell less, with games made with them in mind hitting performance (and I assume eventually some games just won't run at all on the original.)

This means to me that say I want to collect PS4 games, but the PS4 3 just finished up and the PS5 is about to come out? It would be crazy for me to buy the original model, and have bad performance or no performance. So I'd have to buy the latest editions that sold least, and of course, you know how Amazon/Ebay sellers get with limited quantities even if there's still plenty, raise those prices high high high in the sky.

Then of course there are the games, because the newere games will sell but of course being made for the new generation of iterative consoles, they will of course raise in price as well since the console itself has sold less. So the software, despite being newer will also sell less. But this doesn't just apply to the latest version., all versions after the original will have the same issue.

In the end I just think it's a bad idea. Not to mention I'm not even sure it'll work, it'll still sales from the original, compete with shelf space, compete with manufacturing, and you'll have to deal with these retail workers who'll be struggling to explain what's going on.

[aliensstudios]

I think the PS4k is ludicrous personally, but as long as games released still run on the old PS4 systems, I haven't got much of a problem with it. From what I hear, some software will be "enhanced" on the PS4k but I don't think it will have its own library of games like the New Nintendo 3DS does.

[ignition365]

I think the PS4k is ludicrous personally, but as long as games released still run on the old PS4 systems, I haven't got much of a problem with it. From what I hear, some software will be "enhanced" on the PS4k but I don't think it will have its own library of games like the New Nintendo 3DS does.

I think Nintendo realized that Xenoblade Chronicles 3D didn't sell well and I don't believe any other games are New 3ds only.

[bubsystation]

I think the PS4k is ludicrous personally, but as long as games released still run on the old PS4 systems, I haven't got much of a problem with it. From what I hear, some software will be "enhanced" on the PS4k but I don't think it will have its own library of games like the New Nintendo 3DS does.

But they have hinted that devs will have new tools and focus games on the new consoles, so the running on an old PS4 could just end up being a slide show.

[turf]

Welcome! 
Swing by the intro thread and tell us a little about yourself

I'm with you.  These mid-generation consoles are a pain in the ass.  I don't like that some games don't get full playabilty on the first console that I bought. 

I guess you could say that N64 started this with the expansion pak. Perfect Dark wasn't even playable without the add-on. 

[bubsystation]

Welcome! 
Swing by the intro thread and tell us a little about yourself

I'm with you.  These mid-generation consoles are a pain in the ass.  I don't like that some games don't get full playabilty on the first console that I bought. 

I guess you could say that N64 started this with the expansion pak. Perfect Dark wasn't even playable without the add-on.

But can you really though? Expansion pak was an optional add-on, they didn't re-release the N64 at $300 running games with no blur at 60fps and double the textures.

[ignition365]

Welcome! 
Swing by the intro thread and tell us a little about yourself

I'm with you.  These mid-generation consoles are a pain in the ass.  I don't like that some games don't get full playabilty on the first console that I bought. 

I guess you could say that N64 started this with the expansion pak. Perfect Dark wasn't even playable without the add-on.

That's a relative statement.  Perfect Dark was playable, you just didn't have access to the majority of the games features.

[aliensstudios]

I think the PS4k is ludicrous personally, but as long as games released still run on the old PS4 systems, I haven't got much of a problem with it. From what I hear, some software will be "enhanced" on the PS4k but I don't think it will have its own library of games like the New Nintendo 3DS does.

I think Nintendo realized that Xenoblade Chronicles 3D didn't sell well and I don't believe any other games are New 3ds only.

You've got the SNES virtual console titles as well as The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, but that's not enough to sway me into buying the hardware.

[bubsystation]

I think the PS4k is ludicrous personally, but as long as games released still run on the old PS4 systems, I haven't got much of a problem with it. From what I hear, some software will be "enhanced" on the PS4k but I don't think it will have its own library of games like the New Nintendo 3DS does.

I think Nintendo realized that Xenoblade Chronicles 3D didn't sell well and I don't believe any other games are New 3ds only.

You've got the SNES virtual console titles as well as The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, but that's not enough to sway me into buying the hardware.

The SNES titles are exclusive to New 3DS?

[burningdoom]

I don't why this whole thing is such a big controversy for the gaming community. It's not like you HAVE to buy it. If a PS4K or XBox 1.5 come out, you'll still get the regular versions of PS4 and XBox One games coming out.

Those that own a 4K TV can get it, and they get some fantastic looking games. Those that aren't rushing out to get a 4K TV can stick with their normal PS4s and XBox Ones. And everyone still gets to play the same games.

I think it's a great idea!

[bubsystation]

I don't why this whole thing is such a big controversy for the gaming community. It's not like you HAVE to buy it. If a PS4K or XBox 1.5 come out, you'll still get the regular versions of PS4 and XBox One games coming out.

Those that own a 4K TV can get it, and they get some fantastic looking games. Those that aren't rushing out to get a 4K TV can stick with their normal PS4s and XBox Ones. And everyone still gets to play the same games.

I think it's a great idea!

You're forgetting the part where devs and tolls will focus on the new versions. I think people keep overlooking this. I don't think people will be happy running Uncharted 5 at 10fps with pop-in and low res textures.

I feel as if they are forcing it on people, especially since they also announced how it would be better on 1090 televisions as well. Kind of like MS forcing Windows 10 upgrades recently/

[zenimus]

This sort of thing has been going on for a long time.

The Sega Genesis is probably the biggest culprit, with not only the Sega CD but also the 32X. TurboGrafx 16 got the CD attachment too.

The N64 did it with both the Expansion Pak and the 64DD in Japan. The SNES had the infamous CD attachment planned. The Famicom had the Disk System expansion.

Even the old Colecovision had a "Super Game Module" attachment planned that would've boosted the RAM for more advanced games, but the idea was scrapped when the video game market crashed.

EDIT:

You could argue that the entire Game Boy Color system was an example of this too. It only existed for about 2 years as a marginal upgrade before being replaced by the Game Boy Advance.

[burningdoom]

I don't why this whole thing is such a big controversy for the gaming community. It's not like you HAVE to buy it. If a PS4K or XBox 1.5 come out, you'll still get the regular versions of PS4 and XBox One games coming out.

Those that own a 4K TV can get it, and they get some fantastic looking games. Those that aren't rushing out to get a 4K TV can stick with their normal PS4s and XBox Ones. And everyone still gets to play the same games.

I think it's a great idea!

You're forgetting the part where devs and tolls will focus on the new versions. I think people keep overlooking this. I don't think people will be happy running Uncharted 5 at 10fps with pop-in and low res textures.

I feel as if they are forcing it on people, especially since they also announced how it would be better on 1090 televisions as well. Kind of like MS forcing Windows 10 upgrades recently/

If it's anything like the "New" 3DS has been, then I don't think we have to worry about that.

[hoshichiri]

It really boils down to how the games are handled- if a standard PS4 can run most/all games about as well as a PS4k can, it's no different than the console redesigns we've been seeing from the start- PS2 slim, NES toploader, Atari Jr... it goes all the way back.

If games released post PS4k are all significantly better on that version- or worse, won't play on the older models at all- that's a big issue. I don't think that'll happen though. Can you imagine the fallout of parents discovering on a birthday/Christmas that the expensive game system they bought their kid suddenly doesn't play new games anymore? I'm sure at least one person would try a lawsuit.

I expect this to have all the impact of the new 3DS. Just another variant that, while nice to have, is hardly necessary for most people.

[gf78]

I think the problem is it rubs console gamers the wrong way.  Console gamers buy games that run & play exactly the same on every single system.  You don't have to worry about upgrades or thinking that you aren't running the game at it's best possible performance, or that another person may have an unfair advantage over you.

Higher resolutions is precisely why Bungie didn't make Destiny cross-compatible between PS3 and PS4.  It provides an unfair advantage to the gamer running the game at a higher resolution.  Now think about framerates of a game running on a vanilla PS4 and one on a PS4K.  This too would unbalance the gameplay.  Maybe not as much as one user using a keyboard & mouse versus a console controller, but a difference nonetheless. 

If Sony and Microsoft stated that these upgraded consoles were simply for 4K movie playback, it would be a non-issue.  But they (Sony at least so far) have stated that developers will make the games where they take advantage of the extra horsepower for the PS4K.  No matter how you slice it, this will give the 4K system gamer an advantage through higher resolutions for more "pixel-perfect aiming accuracy", faster frame rates or both.