nVidia - Game consoles?

[ravenware]

Has anyone noticed that nVidia maybe in a prime position to start manufacturing video game consoles? I know it sounds silly but it popped into my head in a dream (don't ask why).

1. They have experience - Designing/manufacturing GPU's for XBOX and PS3

2. CUDA - could be used as the base for a development kit.

3. Manufacturing northbridge chips, GFX cards and expressing an interest in x86 chips - Pretty much all of the hardware knowledge that they would need.

4. Should they decide to actually develop a console, they would put either Sony or Microsoft behind in development as they (sony and msoft) would most likely not use ATI for both of their systems.

5. CUDA contest thingy - this would put them in contact with talented programmers to possibly start a first party software development team. This is in addition to the contacts they must have after years of manufacturing GFX accelerators for the PC.


Then again, is there really room for a 4th console? With the dwindling support for PC gaming by developers, it could be worth a chuckle for nVidia.

 

[Heyyou27]

I'm confused; are you trying to say that Nvidia could sell the specifications for a game console with the development tools to Microsoft or Sony and they would then name it PS4 / Xbox720 or do you mean to say they will create their own Nvidia branded console?

I don't think Nvidia is in any kind of position to create a game console to compete with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. They are so many other components that will be required for a game console that Nvidia does not have experience with. The most powerful hardware does not always win, as both the PS2 and Wii have shown, and Nvidia doesn't have the sort of market power that Sony and Microsoft do, and it's likely Nvidia would have to compete directly with them.

 

[ravenware]

"Sony and Microsoft do, and it's likely Nvidia would have to compete directly with them. "

This would the major issue if they decided to do so.

There isn't a lot of other components in a video game system that nVidia doesn't have exp with or at least couldn't hash in a short period of time.

And honestly MSoft didn't have a whole lot of hardware development knowledge before entering into the console market.
Sony didn't have alot software development knowledge before developing the Playstation either.

 

[spuddyt]

the trouble is definitely marketing, I think the average joe bloggs has never heard of Nvidia, whilst all previous new entrants at least had pretty well known brand names in other products.

 

[Heyyou27]

"Sony and Microsoft do, and it's likely Nvidia would have to compete directly with them. "

This would the major issue if they decided to do so.

There isn't a lot of other components in a video game system that nVidia doesn't have exp with or at least couldn't hash in a short period of time.

And honestly MSoft didn't have a whole lot of hardware development knowledge before entering into the console market.
Sony didn't have alot software development knowledge before developing the Playstation either.

Sony has always been in the consumer electronics market, and Microsoft is MANY times larger than Nvidia will ever be, and has a lot more money to develop and market a game console. Their market presence is huge, and even though they've lost billions of dollars on the Xbox and Xbox360, they still operate with an impressive annual profit thanks to their other products and services. As spuddyt mentioned, the average joe isn't going to be familiar with the Nvidia name, and consider that they basically only have the hands in hardware manufacturing, that's not a whole lot. Sony manufacturers tvs, computers, cameras, phones, stereos, DVD / Blu-ray players, the Blu-ray format itself, sound systems for both home and car audio, they currently have the largest market share in the film industry, have the second largest market share in the record industry, and set the record for the most popular game console ever, only to break it with again with the PS2.

 

[gamerk316]

Marketing has a major role. Ever hear of NEC?

In Japan, it was SNES (Nintendo), the PC-Engine/Turbo-16 (NEC), and then the Genesis (Sega). In the US, due to horrific marketing (and a lack of any games being ported, in part due to the soon illegial Nintendo publishing practices...) the NEC died a quick death, despite being (arguably) the best of the three consoles.

Going farther, Sega blew its chance when it marketed the 32x, SegaCD, and Saturn at the same time.

The 3DO died due to the consoles high cost ($999 adjusted for inflation).

Heck, even Nintendo made the mistake of wanting more money and total control of its products, when it cut Sony lose, and let them to release the Playstation.


Still, with the lack of exclusives, its a possibility, especially since neither company plans to release a new console till at least 2012...

 

[tomdrum]

The problem would be games.....

as far as i know, nvidia doesnt actually create/publish games, which really gives no advantage over any competitors

 

[gamerk316]

The problem would be games.....

as far as i know, nvidia doesnt actually create/publish games, which really gives no advantage over any competitors

Actually, they are working with the NaturalMotion team on Backbreaker, so thats one...