Console Wars
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Console wars as school daze
Richard at Aeropause compiled a list of 10 reasons the console wars are like high school. Everbody loves an extended metaphor. Which industry player most resembles your scholastic stereotype of choice, i.e., the jock, the band dork, the trench coat psycho, the class slut, etc.?[Thanks Dan]
DS, Wii set to dominate the holidays
Japanese media giant Enterbrain recently surveyed retailers, as reported by Gamefront.de, about their expectations for game system sales this holiday season. We know you're not surprised, but right now? The show is all Nintendo. Retailers were asked, "Which next generation console do you think will sell better this Christmas?" The results lean heavily toward Nintendo -- 88% thought the Wii would boast better sales, and 11% settled on the PS3. We're not sure if it's worse that Microsoft wasn't even listed (perhaps because the Xbox 360 was released last year) or that Sony only garnered 11% in the poll.The Wii loses, however, when it comes to all systems ... because 60% of retailers queried thought the Nintendo DS would be the top dog of all holiday console sales. Only 32.8% chose the Wii ... and a shocking 3.3% picked the PS3.
You could be eating this controller contest winner [update 1]
We asked you for limericks on the topic of the next-gen console war and the responses astounded us. All manner of limerick were fashioned, many of them clever, some of them just awful. It's as if some of you were channelling Edward Lear. That makes choosing one best limerick difficult, so we're going to shirk the responsibility and ask you to choose from among our 20 favorites. You can vote once per day and you can select multiple limericks per vote. We'll end voting on Tuesday at 11:59 PM EDT. [Update 1: Existonfile has won. He has been contacted.]
Kutaragi admits "decline"
Reuters catches Krazy Ken in a tortured moment of honesty about Sony's recent troubles:"If you asked me if Sony's strength in hardware was in decline, right now I guess I would have to say that might be true," game unit head Ken Kutaragi said after Sony pushed back the PS3's European launch by four months to March.He's referring to Sony's manufacturing capability, not the PS3's over-hyped specs, but why not make it a two-fer?
Analysts promise they're not just making it all up
Ever had the fleeting thought that maybe those video game analysts just don't quite know what they're about? Don't worry, it's not just you -- even they admit that the ever-changing market can be a challenge to ride.Next-Gen's Krist Graft sat down with Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities to discuss the challenges of predicting the business of video games. How does he do it? The same as any 'armchair' analyst, Pachter keeps up with the news. Some firms (like WMS) change their predictions as often as there are new developments, and this tumultuous week has brought about some major updates. What else? Analysts look for comparisons in gauging what's hot in the console war. He pointed to the success of the DS, particularly games that employ the stylus, as evidence that Nintendo is on the cutting edge of the interactivity that consumers want. Trend-spotting like that forms the basis of so much analysis in video games. What's the final verdict for us? "The Wii's going to crush," Pachter says. Well, we don't understand all this fancy-schmancy business jargon he's using there, but we have to agree.
Sony tries baseball, bribery
Lacking anything positve to report, the Sony public relations squad took a bunch of press types to the ballgame for the the purpose of winning a few media hearts and minds. Tony and Ryan from VGMDaily recount how they were fattened with peanuts and Cracker Jacks while playing PS2 games on a Jumbo-tron screen at the Toronto SkyDome -- presumably in hopes they would forget to mention Sony's failures the next day. Having seen the effects of corporate bribery up close at E3, I can confirm that it is a useful technique for inspiring junket journalism, provided the perks are right. But Blue Jays tickets? We're talking massive PR damage here. Next time, try Yankees tix. Or at the very least, Red Vines.
Xbox Community to Sony: Ha ha
Kudos to TeamXbox for the above Simpsons-inspired graphic. For some reason I can't stop laughing at it. They also have nice collection of idiotic Ken Kutaragi quotes, just in case you start to feel pity for Mr. 4D: "The Xbox 360 is Going After the PlayStation 2." "The Xbox 360 won't change the type of entertainment." "Xbox 360 is 1.5, the PS3 is more than what I was expecting, so it's 3.5." "The Xbox 360 is more of an Xbox 1.5 than a next generation console."
Reggie: Wii no sidekick to 360
Numerous fanboys (not to mention Peter Moore) have predicted that the Nintendo Wii find success as "second console," tucked safely on the shelf next to an Xbox 360. An agile Robin, if you will, to Microsoft's burly Batman. Afterall, you can buy both a 360 and a cute, cuddly Wii console for the cost of a PS3. Unfortunately, Mario master Reggie Fils-Aime told USA Today that his Wii refuses to don the green underwear."I'd much rather have the consumer buy a Wii, some accessories, and a ton of games, vs. buying any of my competitor's products."So for Fils-Aime it's my Wii or the high-Wii. Hey, nobody expects Reggie to embrace the role of yellow-caped man-bitch...er...Boy Wonder. The economics just work out that way.
PS3: This is marketing?
Joystiq notes that Sony has a new slogan for their European PS3 marketing campaign: "This is living."Hmm. The phrase has a familiar ring that I can't quite place. It's oddly remeniscent of weight loss ads aim at aging yentas. As I suspected "This Is Living" is the title of actress/old people hero Lynn Redgrave's autobiography. Redgrave was the 80s era spokesfrau for Weight Watchers and I swear to God they used the same tag line in an ad campaign back in the day.Just another shining example of Sony's originality. When Sony brings this campaign stateside they should hire Kathy Lee Gifford and shoot her with a few blue hairs milling around a Carnival Cruise ship."If you could see me now, I'm playing a PS3."
Sony: Lack of innovation = value
Sony Entertainment President Kaz "Riiiidge Racer" Hirai says the $600 PS3 is a "very good value." Why? Because, thanks to Sony's geological approach to console development, it only costs you $60 per year of faithful service (This is the only answer he came up with):I think that we are offering a very good value for the consumers. We look at our products having a 10-year life cycle, which we've proven with the PlayStation. Therefore, the PlayStation 3 is going to be a console that's going to be with you again for 10 years. We're not going to ask the consumers to suddenly buy another PlayStation console in five years time, and basically have their investment go by the wayside. So for all those reasons, I think at $599 we're offering a very good value to the consumers.To put this in perspective, by the time you take home a PS4, your girlfriend's breasts will be three inches lower and that illegitimate glint in your eye will be in the 3rd grade. But it explains alot. Sony thinks their lack of innovation is actually a plus for the consumer. By this logic, why not stretch the cycle out to 30 years. That way, PS3 fanboys could still be dusting off their super-duper value in 2036 while our grandkids play with their "Xbox Classic" Home Holodecks.The world is just turning a little too fast for Kaz these days.[Thanks KingOfGods]
PS3 "Exclusive" plays on 360
This is what passes for a "PS3 Exclusive" thesed days. Notice anything wrong with the picture? Xboxic has a full analysis.
Analyst downplays Wii, gets eaten by Nintendo fans [Update 1]
Oh, look. Another independent analyst stepped up to predict the outcome of the console war. This time it's Boston-based Yankee Group, and they're in with a win for Sony. According to their report, Sony will outsell the competition with 44% of the market share, and Nintendo will suffer a devastating loss in the "war" with 16% market share. They have Microsoft closing in on Sony with 40%.The biggest (it was a tough call) problem with this report, from our fan-centric perspective, is not the numbers or the predictions or anything else. It is the fact that Wii is being compared to the GameCube. Sure, there are similarities in hardware. But for the purpose of comparing market share? That's not the same ballpark. It may not even be the same game. If a comparison must be drawn, look instead to the Nintendo DS. Nintendo has opened a new world of potential by looking beyond just the gaming community. The proof is in the DS -- and unless there's some outrageous mistake on an epic scale in Nintendo's future, it's probably a safe bet that Wii will be nothing like the GameCube. Whether or not it'll fare better in the console wars is still somewhat up in the air (though it has price on its side), but comparing the two from a marketing perspective is something of a stretch. And predicting that the Wii will sell fewer units than the GameCube's 21 million? That's laughable.As for all these predictions ... in 2011, if anyone was right, will we even care?[Update 1: 12 is totally not 21.]
MS Exec: Expect "surprises" (except a price cut)
Microsoft's European executives continue to talk better smack than their US counterparts, and hence earn our fanboy love. Richard Teversham, marketing manager for Xbox Europe, promised MS will reveal "a number of surprises" intended spoil Sony and Nintendo's party this fall. Teversham specifically denied plans for a 360 price cut, re-directing the question at Sony's gilded console. He went on to call the Wii a "Gamecube with a DVD drive" and questioned Nintendo's ability to meet demand. En garde!So what surprises could Microsoft have up their sleeve?
PS3 entitled to mockery
In the July 19 EGM Live Podcast, editor Dan Hsu reported that Sony's new, yet oddly familiar, points system will allow gamers to pile up "entitlements" by achieving certain goals in PS3 games. Set aside, for a moment, the fact that this entire concept is a blatant rip-off of Microsoft. It doesn't even make sense. Last I checked, entitlements were something the modern welfare state sent your grandmother in the mail, not things that you earn through toil and tears. Microsoft calls them "achievements" because you're..um...achieving something. This is a hilariously awkward attempt by Sony to avoid using their rival's nomenclature that denotes both a lack of creativity and a failure to comprehend the English language. I guess "goals" and "accomplishments" were also taken. Leave it to Kutaragi & Krew to come up with a reward system that sounds like they're doling out government cheese to the indigent. Then again, if you plunk down $600 for PS3, you better be entitled to something besides a hefty credit card bill.I almost can't believe this will be in the final product. Is Sony as dense as they are shameless?[Thanks Geof]
Wii to crush gaming industry, shoot kittens
As fall approaches, bringing with it the imminent lauch of the Nintendo Wii, some of the press seem to be going a little doomsday on us. Over at The Age, Jason Hill has decided that if Wii succeed (that pun just really never gets old), it will kill the entire gaming industry and probably beat up your mom afterwards. We here at the Wii Fanboy offices think that may be totally insano overstating things just a tad. Here's the deal: some people are crying because they didn't catch Nintendo's third party development train quickly enough. Now that Nintendo is looking to make a very good showing this year, they're scrambling to catch up. Jason Hill seems to think it will be too little, too late, particularly considering Nintendo's less-than-stellar track record with third party developers. Okay, sure. Perhaps a few companies will take a slight monetary hit by not developing for Wii if Nintendo decimates the competition this Christmas. But that's hardly the sound of a death knell for such franchises as "Grand Theft Auto, Pro Evolution Soccer, Prince of Persia, Final Fantasy, Need for Speed, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Burnout, Guitar Hero, Elder Scrolls, V8 Supercars, [and] Splinter Cell." After all, some of those games are already slated for Wii release! And the support of such industry heavy-hitters as Ubisoft and EA apparently isn't enough to convince Jason Hill that Nintendo really isn't out to cap Solid Snake from beneath the cover of a cardboard box. Hill says, "A successful Nintendo is great for gamers and the entire interactive entertainment industry, but a dominant Nintendo is not." I guess he forgot about all those years when Nintendo was the gaming industry. [Via Go Nintendo]
The business end of the console wars
The console wars are everywhere these days -- even in Businessweek magazine, and the Wii and PS3 aren't even out yet!Nintendo's high numbers in the market haven't been missed by stockwatchers; the Businessweek article points to the incredible success of the DS when projecting how the Wii will fare. But the article ventures behind the numbers and into surprisingly apt analysis, considering the type of publication. But perhaps that just goes to prove the widening of the gaming market, and its emergence as a true force in the global economy. While the piece kicks off as a look at projecting the business side of the console wars, it quickly becomes a Nintendo love-in. We understand that mentality around here and can't help but fawn over the Wii ourselves. However, there are some interesting tidbits therein. Why Wii will succeed (according to Businessweek): Unique and innovative system offers developers more latitude Price point -- no one can argue that Wii're cheaper! Wider market -- count on the business-minded to pick up on Nintendo marketing to everyone, not just gamers The glowing praise drops off near the end with the article's projected sales numbers for the PS3 and Wii. Despite the PS3's exorbitant pricetag, Businessweek expects the console to outsell Wii. Wii may just have to prove them wrong on that one.
Japan, does the big M need it?
In Gamasutra's latest "Analyze This" column, Howard Wen asks industry analysts a question that's been popping up a lot lately, "Does Microsoft really need Japan?" or, more specifically:"So how important should the Japanese market be in [Microsoft's] overall strategy for the 360? What do you think Microsoft specifically did wrong in Japan? Can they fix things before (or during) the arrivals of the Wii and PS3?"Wen also asked whether or not Microsoft needs Japanese games to entice North American's and Europeans who grew up on Japanese consoles.One of the best responses comes from analyst Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies:"I am not sure Microsoft did anything horribly wrong with Japan. The problem they face is that this is a market dominated by Sony, who employs many people in that country and are loyal to those products. If Microsoft has done anything wrong that needs to be fixed, it is a lack of understanding of the Japanese market."The article contains responses from several analysts and is worth a read. So, do you think Microsoft needs Japan to succeed in the world market? Are a few titles like Bullet Witch or Blue Dragon (or this one) enough?
DFC Intelligence outlines next-generation views
Sure, we've seen the countless polls and message board flamethreads that are the next-generation console wars. Amidst all the fanboy dreck, however, it's nice to know that industry experts can offer their opinions in a logical fashion, with solid facts to back up their conjectures. Such a report can be found here, written by DFC Intelligence's David Cole. It shares some interesting views on the current market views regarding the Playstation 3 (especially from an international perspective), and describes the possibilities of shift in console market share. Certainly a read for the more business-minded gamer, but a decent one nevertheless.
Memoirs of a Gaijin Console
The story of the Xbox 360 in Japan should never be told, but Microsoft is still officially counting on a Hollywood ending:"We're committed to Japan for the long run, and we're off to a solid but not spectacular start, and I think that's what we expected to happen," Microsoft's Shane Kim told Kikizo recently.Kim pointed out that success in Japan is dependent on game makers making games specifically for the Japanese audience.One of these, Ninety Nine Nights by ex-Sega developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi, is already out, and sales have been underwhelming. The big games in the offing include Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey - both RPGs developed by former Square Enix developer Hironobu Sakaguchi.I'd like to think it's all about the games and not some fundamental hatred for American consoles. Can the Xbox 360's fortunes in Japan be revived with one kira app?
Sony exec says PS3 games won't work on 360
While hilariously bragging about the PS3's groundbreaking online distribution plans, some Sony exec decided to talk trash about their first-party games:"Certainly being able to sell globally on-line makes it easier to reach international and remote markets," said John Hight, Director of External Production at SCEA Santa Monica. "On the business side, it also lowers our cost of sales and eliminates inventory risk. It should help curtail used game sales and piracy."He added a few more points, saying "This new form of distribution will lower the barriers of entry for new developers." "We can try out new ideas in a low risk, quick feedback environment."Sony is looking for fresh game ideas that will release the true power of the PS3."Our first party projects are all unique to PS3. Some of our games, by virtue of their design and hardware demands, simply couldn't work on Xbox 360." Plus they come in a PS3 box.
