Videogames won't become mainstream until there are fewer hardware-gates


Much of this is common sense, but it is worth reiterating.

What is the biggest obstacle to videogames becoming mainstream? Cost. To play anything, from a mobile game to a AAA title, one needs an electronic device (hardware) to play the game (software). Not only is the hardware expensive, but it is a hassle to have to buy, and there are too many choices.

Back when Nintendo reigned supreme, part of the reason was that there weren't many choices, at least in US. Sega Master System was a tiny blip on the radar; the NES owned the market. Nowadays, there are countless different smartphone-manufacturers, tablets, PCs, and the three traditional console-manufacturers: Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.

To watch a movie, you only need money. You pay money for a ticket, and then sit down and watch. Let's round up and say a ticket is $15.

To read a book, it's the same thing. You pay money for a book, and then you can read it. Let's say a paperback novel is $10.

Let's say you want to play Super Mario 3D World. You have to first own a TV. Let's say someone buys a modest one for $200. You have to buy a Wii U. $300. Then you have to buy the game. $60. That is $560 dollars. Whoa.

Even in a money-free economy, the hassle of getting all that equipment and hooking it up is prohibitive. The future is consolidation. Nintendo Switch is a step toward that goal. The 'bigger, better, more expensive' route that PC-gaming is heading, is not sustainable by itself. I think PC-gaming can exist indefinitely, however, as the entry-level gamers get greedy and want 'bigger, better, more expensive' experiences. That is how PC-gaming has boomed in the last five years.

Two major competitors seem to be the extent of what the human race can comprehend and sustain, whether it's in political parties, smartphone operating-systems, or console-hardware.

It didn't help the industry when Sony entered the fray when Sega and Nintendo were battling. It didn't help the industry when Microsoft entered the fray with the original Xbox. People might say that competition is good for the consumer, and in many ways that statement is true, but when there are too many options, consumers get confused and ultimately end up not bothering at all.

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