Revived PC gaming some day

[booman]

I was reading an article in the new CPU magazine and the author was suggesting that when consoles all have internet connections for updating games with patches/etc. they will start to have the same problems as PC games. When the game is released on DVD it is allready out of date because the Developers have allready made patches. Then the console users will need to download patches after having registered accounts on the website. Then they will go through the same process of connecting to servers with differents patches, mods, punkbusters, etc.
Then consoles will be just as irritating as PC games except for the hardware issues.
Its an interesting article. I wonder if that will really happen?
I also wonder if consoles will start offering upgrade dedicated video cards like laptops are starting to do and then they will inherit the hardware issues.
I just hope that PC game developers will find a way release a game and have an easy way to patch it. Steam does a good job, but some games have hundreds of mods played on servers. Some games also have automatic file downloads when you connect to the server, but its more waiting time.
I'm not even going to get into operating systems here....
Just thinking about the future of consoles

[danrok]

Console games are already getting patches.

There is an unavoidable problem with the PS3, where the developers might test a game, but the console gets a firmware upgrade before the game hits the shelves, meaning it may not have been tested with the latest firmware.

Also, Sony are supposed to ensure that developers don't deliberately release buggy games. They test and rubber stamp them before they can be sold.

[booman]

I knew consoles were allready getting patches but I didn't know about the firmware issue.
So if a game is released before the firmware update the game may not work properly?
How do they solve that? Recall the game or release a patch compatible with the firmware?

man that sounds so familiar with PC's. I kinda see what the article in CPU is talking about.

[danrok]

Originally Posted by booman

So if a game is released before the firmware update the game may not work properly?

It's a possibility. I think the last time there was problems was with firmware V2.00 which was causing some freezes in games, then Sony promptly release V2.01 which fixed that.

[Áedán]

Things like punkbuster are less likely, as modifying the code running on a console is more difficult than on a PC.

[booman]

I also read another article in CPU about companies starting web PC gaming where you can pay per play. You will be able to download a game and pay for so many hours and if you don't like it, stop paying. You will also be able to play a game for free after watching advertisements.
I don't know if this will boost PC gaming to a new level but its supposed to be like a steam environment where the game will automaticly download updates so the user doesn't have to fuss with em.