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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Nintendo wins console wars
For christmas I am going to buy a Playstation 3 for myself. I'll buy it because it is backward compatible with library of PS2 games, and because the Playstation historically has the best selection of strategy games and role-playing games, and I expect the PS3 to follow the same trend. I want to play Final Fantasy XIII on the PS3! But at the same time I am aware that I am not a typical consumer. I'm adult, have a good job, and spending $600 for the better version of the PS3 console isn't killing me. The average consumer will be a lot more price sensitive.
The XBOX 360 in the better version (with hard drive) costs $400.
The Wii will cost "less than $250", lets say $200.
Now if you were a parent with your children pestering you for new game console, and a tight budget, would you buy the console for $200, the console for $400, or the console for $600? The PS3 just isn't a simple game console anymore, it is a complete home entertainment system with Blue-Ray DVD player, online capabilities, and everything. Most people simply don't need all of that, thus they will buy the console that they understand, and which is affordable. And that is the Wii. By the end of 2008, unless Nintendo has production problems, the Wii will have outsold the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Nintendo wins this round of the console wars.
- posted by Tobold @ 4:16 PM Permanent Link
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Werd.
Though my reasons are different. For once, Nintendo seems to Get It. They seem finally to understand that their bread and butter are the Mario, Zelda, and Metroid franchises, and that even now the latter two are grotesquely underappreciated by the masses. To release the new Zelda and Metroid games as launch titles and enforce a short, agonizing wait before the new Mario comes out is a genius move. Add to that what the new controllers will very likely do for the FPS genre - never mind what it might do for platform jumpers and puzzle games - and we may have a true watershed coming up.
I haven't really looked forward to a console since, well, the Nintendo 64. But let's hope the weight of that injury will figure karmically into the equation, rather than being this year's obvious warning I was too tech-blind to heed.
Though my reasons are different. For once, Nintendo seems to Get It. They seem finally to understand that their bread and butter are the Mario, Zelda, and Metroid franchises, and that even now the latter two are grotesquely underappreciated by the masses. To release the new Zelda and Metroid games as launch titles and enforce a short, agonizing wait before the new Mario comes out is a genius move. Add to that what the new controllers will very likely do for the FPS genre - never mind what it might do for platform jumpers and puzzle games - and we may have a true watershed coming up.
I haven't really looked forward to a console since, well, the Nintendo 64. But let's hope the weight of that injury will figure karmically into the equation, rather than being this year's obvious warning I was too tech-blind to heed.
I too have never looked forward so much to a piece of hardware. Nintendo realise that the majority of households will not have high definition sets for a few years to come and have therefore designed their hardware to work well with the current tech, and surely that new controller will bring a new feel to games. Lets also not forget that both Nintendo and Microsoft machines also offer internet access.
So what really differentiates Sony from the rest? Blueray, which for most is not important, though I'm sure will look great if you have the appropriate expensive equipment to display it properly.
So what really differentiates Sony from the rest? Blueray, which for most is not important, though I'm sure will look great if you have the appropriate expensive equipment to display it properly.
# posted by 
: 28/6/06 09:46
: 28/6/06 09:46
Nintendo will win the christmas holiday season for sure, but in the long run, we all know that software sells hardware and nothing else. The PSP still fails cause its games suck, not cause its more expensive than the genuine DS. The PSP-DS-situation is probably a prelude for the Wii-PS3-situation. I mean even centruries ago, if you wanted to play Sonic you needed to buy a Genesis, for Mario the SNES. Many folks will like to play FF13 and there will be only one system to play it on.
Sony still owns some of the best IPs in the whole industry. I remember when they released the PS2. The Dreamcast was cheap compared to PS2 then and it got many really good games, still though it failed and people bought the way more expensive PS2, for mediocre Tekken and Ridge Racer updates. I think nintendo will sell a crapload of the Wii system, but when people got used to swinging the stick, to shoot arrows at Ganondorf, they will miss the graphics orgy that will be FF13. I love Trauma Center on the DS, but in the long run, i always come back to play the classic stuff that is Sonic Rush or Mario Kart.
XBOX360... well they better spend more money to buy into the japanese developers. Even with Halo 4, 5 or 6, they will not sell their systems in asia. Makes you wonder, how much Sony spends, to lock up those Square IPs.
Sony still owns some of the best IPs in the whole industry. I remember when they released the PS2. The Dreamcast was cheap compared to PS2 then and it got many really good games, still though it failed and people bought the way more expensive PS2, for mediocre Tekken and Ridge Racer updates. I think nintendo will sell a crapload of the Wii system, but when people got used to swinging the stick, to shoot arrows at Ganondorf, they will miss the graphics orgy that will be FF13. I love Trauma Center on the DS, but in the long run, i always come back to play the classic stuff that is Sonic Rush or Mario Kart.
XBOX360... well they better spend more money to buy into the japanese developers. Even with Halo 4, 5 or 6, they will not sell their systems in asia. Makes you wonder, how much Sony spends, to lock up those Square IPs.
# posted by : 28/6/06 10:43
: 28/6/06 10:43
Meh, Nintendo figured out a long time ago that the best way to appeal to a wide customer base is to keep the overall price down. With kids becoming more and more spoiled; especially when it comes to games, Nintendo has made the smartest choice they could possibly make; keep the overall cost of the system down. The last gaming system that I purchased was the original Xbox at 300.00 and I thought that was not too bad price wise, but the thing I didn't like back then and still don't like today about councel systems is the lack of options; you get a controller.. YAY... PC for me has been the way to go, their games are amazingly in depth, a keyboard gives more button and hotkey options than a controller ever will, and I can use my PC for more than just gaming. Maybe I am the type of consumer that PS3 is geared towards, but it will take more than being able to play DVD's -blue ray or not- to get my 600.00; especially when I can get nearly every decent RPG on PC as well as PS or XBOX.
# posted by : 28/6/06 17:26
: 28/6/06 17:26
I think Nintendo have wisely chosen to target a different demographic than Sony and MS. While Sony and MS fight over the same customer, being the more mature, adult gamer with the larger, disposable income, Nintendo are aiming at the family market. They still have impressive, disposable incomes, but as Tobold has already said, these adults are buying a games console for their little Timmy, and unless the parents make a $hit load of money and really don't care about the price, little Timmy is going to get a Wii for Christmas.
Interesting theory. How do you account for the fact that there have been more XBoxes sold than Gamecubes, even though Gamecubes have always been cheaper?
The price difference between the Xbox and the Gamecube, at least until recently, was not that great, and many parents were not keen on buying yet another console for little Timmy.
Additionally, there's a good chance little Timmy's father himself has been playing video games since he was a boy, and probably still does play video games. So now rather than Mum & Dad buying a console for little Timmy, Dad is buying a console for little Timmy AND for himself. Dad is a savvy enough games player to know that the Gamecube's library is neither aimed at him, nor does it have enough games to keep him entertained, unlike the XBox and PS2.
So even though Nintendo are aiming for the family market, they may actually be shooting themselves in the foot, because while we may be the Nintendo generation we're not necessarily brand loyal ;)
Additionally, there's a good chance little Timmy's father himself has been playing video games since he was a boy, and probably still does play video games. So now rather than Mum & Dad buying a console for little Timmy, Dad is buying a console for little Timmy AND for himself. Dad is a savvy enough games player to know that the Gamecube's library is neither aimed at him, nor does it have enough games to keep him entertained, unlike the XBox and PS2.
So even though Nintendo are aiming for the family market, they may actually be shooting themselves in the foot, because while we may be the Nintendo generation we're not necessarily brand loyal ;)
Speaking for myself who is old enough to remember the likes of the old home computers and consoles and who now has children of his own, I'm very much looking forward to Wii, the simple reason I want a new way to play games and thats what Wii offers :)
Graphics alone does not make a game ;)
Graphics alone does not make a game ;)
# posted by : 30/6/06 12:30
: 30/6/06 12:30
True, but I'm not quite sure that these new ways to play games are optimal for our age group. For example some time ago I bought an EyeToy for the PS2, which is another great and innovative way to control games. But after half an hour to one hour of fighting Kung-Fu ninjas, or boxing against a robot, I'm dead tired and have to stop.
I still use the EyeToy when we have visitors with children, because it a) amuses them to no end, and b) tires them too, so they are a bit quieter later. :)
So as much as I would like to cross light-sabers with Darth Vader using a Wii controller, I have a suspicion that these aren't the games I'll play after coming home from work.
I still use the EyeToy when we have visitors with children, because it a) amuses them to no end, and b) tires them too, so they are a bit quieter later. :)
So as much as I would like to cross light-sabers with Darth Vader using a Wii controller, I have a suspicion that these aren't the games I'll play after coming home from work.
I don't think you can compare the eyetoy with the Wii Remote, the control with the eyetoy is basic at best, the camera recognising differences in what it sees to determine the effect on the game, you cannot get the fine control possible with the Wii remote. But I guess time will tell, for me I have my money on Nintendo :)
# posted by : 30/6/06 13:37
: 30/6/06 13:37
The video arcades have a few MoCap games which are entertaining to play a couple of times, but very tiring.
MoCap Boxing has you donning boxing gloves (attached the game by cables) and duking it out with several opponents, a la Super Punch Out. But your body becomes the controller. Duck and weave your own body to dodge punches, or slip in a quick counter punch when an opening presents itself, then throw multiple punches when your opponent is dizzy. It gives you quite a workout.
Another MoCap game provides you with a half-length hard rubber katana and throws you into fuedal Japan, but with a House of the Dead flavor. Samurai zombies, anyone? Parry strikes, push opponents blades aside, wave that sword around and slice & dice your way through the game. It's amusing but the sword play didn't seem very realistic to me.
I much prefer gun games like Time Crisis and Ghost Squad, which is why I'll probably buy a PS3 over any other next-gen console.
MoCap Boxing has you donning boxing gloves (attached the game by cables) and duking it out with several opponents, a la Super Punch Out. But your body becomes the controller. Duck and weave your own body to dodge punches, or slip in a quick counter punch when an opening presents itself, then throw multiple punches when your opponent is dizzy. It gives you quite a workout.
Another MoCap game provides you with a half-length hard rubber katana and throws you into fuedal Japan, but with a House of the Dead flavor. Samurai zombies, anyone? Parry strikes, push opponents blades aside, wave that sword around and slice & dice your way through the game. It's amusing but the sword play didn't seem very realistic to me.
I much prefer gun games like Time Crisis and Ghost Squad, which is why I'll probably buy a PS3 over any other next-gen console.
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