Re:The Game Console Is Dead. What Will Replace It?
by IsaacL on Sunday October 28, 2012 @02:43PM
(#4709610)
Yes, I'd much prefer if journalists would switch from using "X is dead" to "X is dying".
Dying is a much better analogy than dead. Dead things don't do anything. Dying things might die quickly (cassettes) or they might die slowly (typewriters). They might die quietly (independent bookstores) or they might lash out and take as many with them as they can (Hollywood). They might be put out their misery by their owner (Flash), remain on life support (Yahoo), experience a miraculous recovery (IBM), or rise like a Phoenix from the ashes (Mozilla).
Re:The Game Console Is Dead. What Will Replace It?
by DanBC on Sunday October 28, 2012 @02:35PM
(#4709588)
Betamax versus VHS. VHS versus DVD - VHS is effectively dead now.
5¼" discs versus 3½" discs versus USB sticks and email.
Re:The Game Console Is Dead. What Will Replace It?
by callmevlad on Sunday October 28, 2012 @03:50PM
(#4709777)
Every example so far is with physical media, but part of the premise is that established market leaders die as a result of innovation. The CompuServe/AOL model was once prevalent, and now has faded completely away. MySpace was the top dog, until it wasn't.
Re:The Game Console Is Dead. What Will Replace It?
by mertd on Sunday October 28, 2012 @03:32PM
(#4709735)
CDs and DVDs aren't dead? Surely there may be some residual activity going on, but physical distribution of data altogether is mostly done for. Dropbox and cdn's pretty much solved the problem of sharing data efficiently.
Let's consider other things that have been declared dead by journalists and bloggers in recent years.
1) Microsoft is dead: http://www.paulgraham.com/microsoft.html
2) The PC/Desktop: http://www.thestrategyweb.com/desktop-is-dead-tablets-on-the...
3) CD's: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2011/11/cds_are_dea...
4) DVD's: http://www.investmentu.com/2011/February/trans-world-enterta...
5) Linux on the Desktop: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/08/gnome-founder-says-deskto...
That's just a small sampling and each and every one is built on an incorrect premise. That premise is that technologies "die" when something better comes along.
This could not be farther from the truth. It is actually very rare when a new technology or device comes along which is so superior, so much more accessible, and so much more cost effective than its predecessor that the predecessor fades completely from view. In fact, it's so rare that I cannot think of a single example of this having occurred since Cassette tapes were upstaged by CD's.
Can you?