Topic: What would you do if [insert company here] dropped out of manufacturing gaming systems and became a third party developer? A totally mature discussion.

I've answered your question, now you answer mine. What would you do if Microsoft/Sony didn't succeed with 720/PS4&Vita which leads to their dropping out of console manufacture?

Although each company (Nintendo included) is strong enough to last us until our children's children are talking about this.

Valve going out would be a problem (and I can see their methods eventually causing problems, should they keep things the way they are), and Sony would be sorely missed if they went out, if only for the R&C and Wipeout series (and maybe Sly if Sly 4 isn't the last we see of him). Otherwise, I can't say I care one way or another if a company goes out. Someone will come and take their place eventually, and who knows, they might be better than any of the old guys.

Hi I'm Reala and I'm a Sega fan you may remember that company from such things as Nights into Dreams, Sonic and the 32X; you may also remember they exited the console market and the true devastation that caused with some of its effects such as Sonic 06 still being felt today; well I'm about to publish a book on just how to survive your fav console maker ceasing hardware and becoming a 3rd party developer, this is not just intended as a book but a tool to cope and overcome such a massive life changing world altering event, and get your life back on track while I truly hope such an event doesn't befall your own personal fav console maker; you can never take anything for granted and hope this book will provide some form of peace of mind in the worst case scenario do not delay pre order by the end August and receive a free tin foil hat!!!

Fu-sion, HA!.

But seriously, I'm mainly a PC gamer anyways, so I would be affected that much.

Market Cap:
Sega - 5 billion (no console manufacturing)
Sony - 13 billion (will need to weed out some unprofitable sectors)
Nintendo - 15 billion (with console manufacturing. Will not let go of 50% of its structure easily. See Sega's market cap).
Microsoft - 240 billion (could live without consoles someday, if feels other sectors are more important)

Naw. I can jump fence and be right wing and all that if the debate necessitates it. What I dislike is the immediate assumption that because we're told something, it must therefore be right. We're taught that free markets, capitalism, democracy and freedom of speech (amongst other things) are civilisation aspirations, but they're incredibly flawed, if not broken in reality.

I prefer to keep my arguments academic - I'm pretty neutral on most things. I just don't like when people don't question these things - anyone that sits squarely on the right or left wings are equally strange to me. I would have thought by now that was pretty obvious.

Reala wins the thread.

I like video games so I would probably just get another system or go with a PC.

I mean I would be sad to see any company go but at the end of the day it means the company in question either had serious management issues or failed to innovate which in both cases is unfortunate for the people who work there.

Yeah, Sony's market cap should be higher than that for its various problems...

Sony's becoming prime acquisition material actually.

Yep the prevailing things I hear on tech websites are google or samsung buying Sony.

I doubt Google. Google just picked up Motorola.

Samsung? Perhaps.

My vote in all cases of big acquisitions in tech is Apple. With Jobs gone it's just a matter of time for Cook to make a whopping big acquisition. Apple will also realise that it's growing to the point where M & A is the only way to grow bigger.

I'd hedge bets that it would be either Sony, Nintendo or Panasonic. Those three are big and well known for quality, which fits with Apple's image, and have product ranges that Apple does not.

at this point in time I could maybe see Apple taking Panasonic, but not either of the other two. With Panasonic they wouldn't have to worry about existing consoles, online infrastructure, or IPs and stuff, they could pretty much start their own gaming division from scratch if they wanted to eventually. they wouldn't have to worry about pissing off existing users of Sony or Nintendo products... and then if/when the time is right, they could fully concentrate on luring them away instead.

even if they chose not to go the gaming route, Panasonic would probably be the better buy just to strengthen their small electronics hold versus Sony overall.

Pre-ordered!

Could see apple getting Sony. Sony is a company that makes quality hardware but has a problem with having too many product lines. With apple wanting to make apple TV a success and Tim Cook recently talked about how gaming wasnt entirely out of the question at all things D.

Nintendo is mostly renowned world-wide for their first-party titles, so if they did drop out of the console business, I would be stung rather deeply for the sake of being a doting Nintendo fan, but it wouldn't be too much of a loss. I wouldn't expect them to stop making handhelds though, but on the slight off-chance that they did, I guess doing a SEGA would be the best move; they have the game dev mojo. So long as they continue developing games, hopefully with the PC as their main platform, they'd be well off. I personally believe that neither Sony or Microsoft, would do them justice. But for mainstream gaming, I would fall back on Sony consoles.

If Sony dropped out of the console business, then they're practically dead in the water on the gaming front. They generate next to nothing when it comes to first-party titles of their own, so they have almost nothing to fall back on. When it all comes down to it, Sony's strongest point in gaming is their hardware. As third-party devs, Nintendo would surely conquer them on that front. I can only see Sony getting bought or possibly absorbed/merged with, if this whole scenario were to happen.

As for Microsoft, well, seeing as hardware is pretty much all they have, and most of the Xbox's top games aren't console exclusives, save for Halo, then them dropping out of the console business really wouldn't affect me, or anyone. If Microsoft quit the gaming business today, I wouldn't flinch a millimetre.

Sony and Microsoft are way better off financially than Nintendo is. You know why? Because they also concentrate on other departments besides video games. They are also WAY bigger companies than Nintendo. They would never drop out of the console or handheld race no matter what unless the ENTIRE company went bankrupt, which will never happen. Sony makes TV, cameras, and a whole bunch of electronics. Microsoft makes Windows and Internet Explorer. Nintendo is a company that concentrates only on video games though, so it's possible that they can drop out of the console/handheld market if they have massive financial problems.

lol

I wouldn't, either. They're the only western console maker left right now, but there are plenty lined up to take their place if they fall.

It would be pretty bad if Sony went right now, though. They're the only one keeping Microsoft and Nintendo in check right now.

Sony isn't in any kind of finical stability at all.

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Sony is actually losing quite a bit of money right now: they lost about $6.36 billion US Dollars in fiscal 2012, and the PS3 was the least selling console of the last generation. The Vita is also selling horribly. On the flip side, Microsoft has a huge portion of the computer software market, and XBox 360 is the current best-selling console (not overall, just in recent months). Nintendo is just coming off the monumental success of the Wii, and the 3DS is going strong. So at this point, Sony is actually the most likely to drop out, although I don't think they will.