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> sony is a giant corp with a reputation and a monopoly on playstations. That's like saying Volkswagen has a monopoly on Volkswagen cars. Sony clearly does no

> sony is a giant corp with a reputation and a monopoly on playstations. That's like saying Volkswagen has a monopoly on Volkswagen cars. Sony clearly does not have a monopoly on the video game industry, and a plurality of video games are cross-platform across consoles, PCs (Windows/Linux), and even MacOS.

nalekberov 13d ago
If I want to move from point A to point B, I can choose from BMW, Audi or any cheaper Chinese brand. But I cannot play 'Astro Bot' on another platform.
- dcow 13d ago
  You can't get the Volkswagen engine sound or drive experience in a BMW, though.
  - nalekberov 13d ago
    Remember? Moving from point A to point B.
    - dcow 13d ago
      Apples and oranges. If you goal is to simply play games, well then there's plenty of hardware out there for you to use. If you want to play Sony exclusives then you have to use their hardware. If I want to get from point A to point B then I can use any vehicle. If I want to get from point A to point B in a Volkswagen then I have to buy a one.
      - nalekberov 13d ago
        A BMW and a Volkswagen are two kinds of apples. Both get you from A to B, which was the entire goal. A Sony exclusive and any other game are not two kinds of anything. If you can't tell these apart, perhaps you should go back to elementary school.
        dcow 13d ago
        > A Sony exclusive and any other game are not two kinds of anything. Are they not two kinds of games? I'm arguing that your comparison isn't the right one. A BMW and a Volkswagen are two types of apples. They both let you drive form A to B. A Playstation and a Nintendo Switch are two types of oranges. They both provide entertainment in the form of video games. How you drive (and how enjoyable your drive is) from A to B, or which games you play, are specific characteristics of the hardware you chose to use to accomplish the task. Neither of those are two types of anything, as it were.
scheeseman486 13d ago
Volkswagen cars aren't a platform that fosters a billion dollar marketplace of third party sellers that contribute the bulk of value delivered by the product.
wredcoll 13d ago
It would be slightly more accurate to say "volkswagen has a monopoly on volkswagen cars... and all accessories and replacement parts" But the analogy breakdown because a car is more or less a complete item you buy and use for a purpose (aside from consumables) whereas a playstation is completely useless without games to play on it. So maybe volkswagen brand gas would be the best analogy here.
- dcow 13d ago
  Not really. I can plug a generic usb cable into my Playstation and it charges my aftermarket controller just fine. I can even use aftermarket screws or put the console in an aftermarket enclosure.
  - scheeseman486 13d ago
    Where can I buy an aftermarket optical drive and motherboard?
    - dcow 13d ago
      Probably the same place you can buy an aftermarket CAN board and controller for your Volkswagen. Oh, looks like cars and consoles aren't that different after all.
      - scheeseman486 13d ago
        Except for the software ecosystem which is the main driver of revenue for consoles and exists largely to support the sale and distribution of products from third parties, all of which is centrally controlled by the platform holder. Someone else in the thread made the comparison to fuel, I'll go with that. Last time I checked, there was no such thing as petroleum DRM.
        dcow 13d ago
        Sony doesn't DRM the power that you use to run the Playstation either. But to try and meet the comparison: there are different manufacturers of fuel just like there are different publishers of games and while Volkswagen can't force you to not put standard fuel in your car they can certainly void your warranty if you don't use premium (and fuel is still tested and regulated for industry compliance). I'm getting a tad lost, though. The point of the sub-thread is that Sony does not have a monopoly over the video game industry. They get to choose which games are allowed on their platform and under what terms. Consoles and Cars both have proprietary components and open interfaces. A console and car have different purposes. And the average consumer has broad discretion to use cars and consoles from whatever manufacturer they wish to.

nalekberov 13d ago

If I want to move from point A to point B, I can choose from BMW, Audi or any cheaper Chinese brand. But I cannot play 'Astro Bot' on another platform.

dcow 13d ago
You can't get the Volkswagen engine sound or drive experience in a BMW, though.
- nalekberov 13d ago
  Remember? Moving from point A to point B.
  - dcow 13d ago
    Apples and oranges. If you goal is to simply play games, well then there's plenty of hardware out there for you to use. If you want to play Sony exclusives then you have to use their hardware. If I want to get from point A to point B then I can use any vehicle. If I want to get from point A to point B in a Volkswagen then I have to buy a one.
    - nalekberov 13d ago
      A BMW and a Volkswagen are two kinds of apples. Both get you from A to B, which was the entire goal. A Sony exclusive and any other game are not two kinds of anything. If you can't tell these apart, perhaps you should go back to elementary school.
      - dcow 13d ago
        > A Sony exclusive and any other game are not two kinds of anything. Are they not two kinds of games? I'm arguing that your comparison isn't the right one. A BMW and a Volkswagen are two types of apples. They both let you drive form A to B. A Playstation and a Nintendo Switch are two types of oranges. They both provide entertainment in the form of video games. How you drive (and how enjoyable your drive is) from A to B, or which games you play, are specific characteristics of the hardware you chose to use to accomplish the task. Neither of those are two types of anything, as it were.

scheeseman486 13d ago

Volkswagen cars aren't a platform that fosters a billion dollar marketplace of third party sellers that contribute the bulk of value delivered by the product.

wredcoll 13d ago

It would be slightly more accurate to say "volkswagen has a monopoly on volkswagen cars... and all accessories and replacement parts" But the analogy breakdown because a car is more or less a complete item you buy and use for a purpose (aside from consumables) whereas a playstation is completely useless without games to play on it. So maybe volkswagen brand gas would be the best analogy here.

dcow 13d ago
Not really. I can plug a generic usb cable into my Playstation and it charges my aftermarket controller just fine. I can even use aftermarket screws or put the console in an aftermarket enclosure.
- scheeseman486 13d ago
  Where can I buy an aftermarket optical drive and motherboard?
  - dcow 13d ago
    Probably the same place you can buy an aftermarket CAN board and controller for your Volkswagen. Oh, looks like cars and consoles aren't that different after all.
    - scheeseman486 13d ago
      Except for the software ecosystem which is the main driver of revenue for consoles and exists largely to support the sale and distribution of products from third parties, all of which is centrally controlled by the platform holder. Someone else in the thread made the comparison to fuel, I'll go with that. Last time I checked, there was no such thing as petroleum DRM.
      - dcow 13d ago
        Sony doesn't DRM the power that you use to run the Playstation either. But to try and meet the comparison: there are different manufacturers of fuel just like there are different publishers of games and while Volkswagen can't force you to not put standard fuel in your car they can certainly void your warranty if you don't use premium (and fuel is still tested and regulated for industry compliance). I'm getting a tad lost, though. The point of the sub-thread is that Sony does not have a monopoly over the video game industry. They get to choose which games are allowed on their platform and under what terms. Consoles and Cars both have proprietary components and open interfaces. A console and car have different purposes. And the average consumer has broad discretion to use cars and consoles from whatever manufacturer they wish to.