So Sony revealed more details about the PS3 today at E3. The world seems underwhelmed and aghast, and I can't help but agree. I *want* competition in the gaming industry, but now Microsoft will have a one year first-mover advantage (huge!), a second generation online experience (Sony's PS2 online is a sadly balkanized, fragmented experience), and absolutely nothing compelling over the other consoles except, perhaps, a bluray drive (though, of course, HD-DVD is already here, and Microsoft will likely have the HD-DVD addon for the XBOX 360 much sooner than the PS3's November release).
I won't even mention price ($500 for the low end version, $600 for the high end version that actually can play bluray discs at hidef). Come on, Sony! That's a joke. Some of us "grown-up" geek gamers may be able to afford that, but the vast majority of your market won't. Hell, I'm so insulted by the lack of innovation and absurd pricing that maybe I won't buy one.
There is a glimmer of hope in the Nintendo Wii (bleh name). There is a real chance that it can bring something genuinely new and innovative into the game market. I hope its low price, novelty, solid backwards compatibility, and true innovation will carry it far. I think Nintendo has it right on this one. Low price, compatibility, simplicity. I hate that it lacks hidef output, but the more I see what they do, the more I suspect that the Wii may be the next major console, with the XBOX 360 close behind, and the PS3 relegated to a distant third.
It's all about the games. Microsoft has apparently made it very easy for developers to make games, but the platform is still very complicated (multiple cores will take years and years for the industry to really take advantage of). Nintendo, though, will have significant backwards compatibility, a library of pre-Gamecube hits available online, and apparently has a significantly cheaper development kit compared to Sony or Microsoft. This could really ignite a developer base, which is a very good thing, since the innovation of the new controller could make it much easier for independent publishers to make fun and different games, as opposed to the current market where it costs a huge amount to field a title for a PS2 or XBOX/XBOX 360.
This year's console wars are getting interesting.
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4 comments:
I've been of the opinion for a while that this Microsoft / Sony fight is not going to happen. Sony dropped the ball a long time ago and then they lost it. And it was the wrong ball.
I think that the potential for the Wii is the highest of all the next gen systems. The DS doesn't have the same specs as the PSP, but it's miles ahead in gameplay and all out fun. I think somewhere along the line, MS and Sony forgot that fun games are going to win, not pretty games. Look at any internet fad game - they're all addictively fun.
I'm still waiting for Google Games to come out... ;)
so true! this generation's console war is definitely going to be interesting. all of the e3 news inspired me to write up my thoughts too, so i'm always interested in hearing others.
the network platform is clearly a huge point of competition. it really is a fundamentally new and orthogonal aspect of building a new console. sony took far too long to accept that, and it could cost them even more than ms's delayed entry into the internet age and the browser market.
i also agree with you both that the wiimote is a wild card, especially since - virtual boy notwithstanding - nintendo has proven its ability to take input and game mechanic innovations and actually capitalize on them.
sadly, though, none of this necessarily translates into moving units. as much as it's fashionable to bash sony and hype nintendo right now, the numbers for the last generation speak for themselves. 100M ps2s, 22M xboxen, 21M gamecubes. that was despite nintendo's retail price advantage and franchises, and despite xbox live. (granted, live arrived too late to make a big difference, but still.)
ps3 will likely still be #1 this generation, if only due to pure momentum and AAA properties. i'm more interested in how much ms and nintendo can close the gap...and whether wii's price point triggers a "two console household" phenomenon. hey, it could happen. :P
I still love my Nintendo!!!!
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