I'm going to get on my high horse here for a moment. Forgive me if you don't agree, or if you don't care. However, I think it's important to mention. I want to communicate the huge problem I see with the gaming community.

It's fractured.

If I ask you to comment below on what your favorite way of playing video games was, I'm sure there would be many different answers. Here's a few of the platforms that are currently out there:

• XBOX 360
• Playstation 3
• Wii
• iPhone
• PSP
• Mac
• PC (Windows)

These seven are just the tip of the iceberg. I just pulled them off the top of my head. What's interesting is that I own only one of these (my iMac). I know several friends, each who only only one, or maybe two of these if you count their PC. So, my question is how many games are truly cross-platform. Sure, a couple might be on XBOX 360 and PS3, but how many of those are also compatible with the iPhone, the Wii, PSP, or even, dare I say it, the Mac?

I'm a car guy, and I love racing, especially when it's not dangerous, or illegal. That's why I love to play racing games. They're a fun way to get your Need For Speed in a Hot Pursuit without breaking the law. Yadda, yadda, we could talk about whether it eggs people on or not, but let's stay focused. The fact remains that I love playing a good, solid racing game.

As I mentioned in another post, one of the best aspects of gaming in today's world, is the interactivity with other friends and people you know. To challenge my friend to a street race in a virtual world is a great idea! But I don't have a PS3, XBOX, or PC. I guess I'm sore out of luck.

That's a Problem!

So here's my thought:

A game should be playable on any/all platforms that exist.

Is that too much to ask? I can't play Need for Speed games on my Mac (aside from one that's fairly old). That's a bummer. But beyond that, I want to be able to play games the same game on my Mac that my friend plays on his PS3. What's more, I want my other friend to be able to play it on his XBOX. Even more, others should be able to play it on their Wii, iPhone, PSP, etc!

It just makes sense; it's good usability; and it's also good business.

If a game producer made a game that was fun to play on all the systems, the draw of social interconnectivity would win out. But the Wii has crappy graphics! Well people didn't buy the Wii for graphics, they bought it for fun. So, adjust graphics accordingly. The XBOX 360 and the PS3 have great graphics, so showcase them there. Lower the graphics for some of the limited systems, allow smaller mobile platforms, and let the PC's and Macs in, and connect them all. Sure, that's a tall order, but the rewards would be outstanding. Any good game developer could do it, they might just have to think a little harder than normal. So go ahead, make it happen.

< Back to the blog home