Note to Sony and Microsoft: Nintendo is your competition
by Blake Snow 
{ Jan 22nd 2007 at 4:55PM }
Dean Takahashi, respected columnist and games writer, poops on recent Bill Gates comments from CES that Sony, not Nintendo, is the company's primary competition. Takahashi believes both Microsoft and Sony should openly view Nintendo and its Wii as a competitive threat, not just a complimentary, mentally-challenged little brother. The gist of his argument is that according to The Innovator's Dilemma by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, many companies fail to understand when technology becomes "good enough" for the majority of consumers (read: not hardcores). At that moment, also called an inflection point, people stop paying for better technology opting to buy the good-enough cheaper products. Hence, Wii's HD-less graphics could potentially suffice for average gamers assuming developers don't significantly enhance gameplay via all the horsepower found in the PS3 and 360.
From Takahashi's recent post on Mercury News: "As I see it, Nintendo's console is indeed competition for the Xbox 360 ... If Nintendo is right, Bill Gates may not realize just how much of a competitive threat Nintendo represents. Or, more likely, he may just not be willing to acknowledge it."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Adam @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:04PM
Bill Gates said Nintendo is now the main competition at CES... a bit after, this article is moot
Steve2 @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:13PM
Sony is MS' primary competition.
360 is aimed at hardcore gamers. Hardcore gamers will never find a Wii to be a substitute for a PS3 or 360. If they buy a Wii, it'll be in addition to a 360 or PS3, not instead.
MS has little interest in non-hardcore gamers. Hardcore gamers buy 10 games a year, casual gamers, maybe 1 or 2. And games sales, not console sales, are how MS (and Sony) make their money.
Marlos Hill @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:10PM
i still believe the biggest draw for the wii outside of the revolutionary (read: novel) control- is the price.
If by some stroke of wild imagination, MS or Sony dropped their consoles to 300 (not the crippled ass core model 360) or to 250.... all that nintendo talk would *POOF*
I am a proud PSWii60 owner...so its not fanboy haterism.
MobileTatsu @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:14PM
I dunno.. the price is attractive, but honestly, all of the people I've seen that had their interests piqued with the Wii came from descriptions of how the controller worked. I'm actually quite surprised at how many people in my office have Wii's. There was 0 talk of video games going on before the Wii launch.
crono141 @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:18PM
Marlos, you are absolutely right. If you could get the 360 for 250 dollars, Nintendo would indeed be in trouble.
Except that Nintendo will always have the price advantage. As soon as sales slack off in june or july, they'll be ready for a price drop ahead of MS. Sure, the 360 might hit 300 premium before christmas, but the wii will hit 200 or less if that happens.
Wii will always be cheaper.
deaftly @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:28PM
in a year from now when the wii's gimmick grows old and is in the state that the gamecube was in, we'll see who the competition is
BalderPI @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:23PM
I agree with Steve2, hardcore gamers are also the ones that pay for xbox live and buy stuff from it, and there are more than enough of them to support a console and make it profitable.
RaDd @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:19PM
I've been console-less for almost a year now, I sold my PS2 and never bought the xbox 360 i had intended on buying. I've got a wii now, and I will agree, it is definitely "good enough." don't need anything else :-)
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:20PM
I always lol when people compare just the PS3 and the 360 as if the Wii do not exist. But then again, it could be taken with two different contexts. One of awe, the Wii is in its own league that both Sony and MS cannot touch right now or one of arrigance. In either case, both companies needs to be prepared to be brought down to their knees by the little console that could. Just in case.
Scott @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:33PM
I do agree with Gates though. For now the Wii is selling like hotcakes...but give it a year or so when the Xbox 360 and PS3 (if its still around) are pushing out some mind blowing graphics and the Wii still looks like playing an Xbox game. Its graphical power thats going to win this generation with the uproar of people getting getting HDTV's.
Now whether the PS3 or Xbox 360 takes the cake thats debateable. Personally cause its all about the 360 right now, I have a feeling that Microsoft might take this one. Every console has its time to shine - Nintendo with the NES then SNES...then Sony with the Playstation 1 and PS2...now its Microsoft's to shine and win a round or two.
Its all up in the air right now and its too soon to make any true answers...but common sense can tell you alot.
playclever @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:24PM
I'm a hardcore gamer, and the only home console I own is Wii. If Wii hadn't happened, I would have bought a 360. If that isn't competition, I don't know what is.
In general, this situation can only be good news for us gamers. MS and Sony forced to look beyond graphics for their titles? Fantastic!
NintendoFanbot @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:23PM
If price is what worked, then Sony's finished.
Anyways, I'd like to have a Wii60 relationship... when I had a GC though the only real reason I'd ever consider another console is certain 3rd Party games (Capcom games, especially). I have plenty of 3rd Party games for GC, but a real console to look forward to would be nice. And I really respect Microsoft now. They have a well-rounded console and back it up with a lot of good games and 1st-party support.
I don't care about anything that Sony does at this point. They talk too much.
White Rose Duelist @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:26PM
I'm pretty sure I meet any reasonable definition of "hardcore gamer", and the only next-gen console I own is the Wii. I'll probably get one of the other two someday, but neither has shown me anything to justify the investment (FPSs aren't my thing, and are a dime a dozen anyhow).
If Sony and/or Microsoft don't consider Nintendo to be competition - well, they'd better start. Developers will take notice of which system is in the most homes, and what few exclusive game there are will move there.
Word @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:31PM
My God! Do sales numbers not mean a thing to you people. Why in gods name is this even an argument, holy crap? They are all in competition!!!!!! They all develop video games, I don't care if it is HD, or revolutionary. They all make VIDEO GAMES. So why in the hell are we arguing about direct competition. Yes, there is a possibility of a different demographic here, but even with that they are still competition. It is crazy to not think of a company as a direct threat with the amount of success they are having.....my god!!!!!
SmilingAssassin @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:27PM
I am a casual gamer and the Wii looks like a steamin' pile of crap on my HD monitors. If you want one you can pick up the one I returned to Circuit City in Glendale this morning.
MosquitoControl @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:29PM
If they start looking at Nintendo as their main competition it will just be bad for gamers.
Ok, so Sony went too far with their top-of-the-line-ness, making the system too powerful and too expensive with too little differentiating it frmo the cheaper competitor. Fine. They should learn a lesson from that.
But I fear the lesson that they'll learn combined with being spanked by the Wii.
The Wii is great. As the third console out there. Even if it wins this generation it is best as being thought of slightly different than the other two.
But if the Wii wins you'll see less emphasis being put on the system's raw power. Which is a let down for millions of users.
Furthermore, you'll see more emphasis on "innovation." This leads to a few problems. For one, "innovation" is often half-assed. This is bad. For another, "innovation" is often well thought out but ultimately misguided and misfires. This is bad. Lastly, how much room do we really have for innovation? How many changes can gamers tolerate? What happens if each company "innovates" in a different way, forcing third parties to either choose sides or water-down and/or ignore the innovative aspects?
It's great having the offbeat system with some unique innovations. Wonderful. But Nintendo needs to be thought of as off the beaten path, not carving a new path. Don't get me wrong, I'll proudly be a "wii60" owner like many claim here, once I find one, and it might get more play than my other consoles, like my GC did... but I want it to be the exception, not the rule.
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:31PM
The gist of his argument is that according to The Innovator's Dilemma by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, many companies fail to understand when technology becomes "good enough" for the majority of consumers (read: not hardcores).
-----------------------------------------
What is the Original Poster talking about? Sony already saw what was coming and tacked on the motion sensor to their Sixaxis, shrewdly copying Nintendo's ideas(not execution, fortunately for Nintendo). Sony is ahead of Microsoft in that regard, I give them that much.
GoonieGooGoo @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:54PM
Let's be honest...despite the industry's best attempts to pit them against each other.....the Wii is going after a completely different demographic than the PS3 or 360.
For the casual gamer it may be a nice main system.....but for most adult gamers and hardcore.....it will be a complementary system to the 360 and/or PS3.... for parties and Nintendo core titles.
Having all the systems......it's been interesting to see which type of people gravitate to each system when they come over to my house.
In my personal experience:
Wii - The Kids (Nieces and nephews) and girls
SONY PS3 - my techie and gadget friends and buds who only own a PS2
XBOX 360- My more hardcore gamer friends who own all the systems and like the Media Center capabilities (i.e. music).
Is the Wii a good system?....Definitely yes. Does it satisfy all my needs as a gamer??...no.
This professor can say whatever he wants....but technology always moves forward and people like shiny new graphics and dolby sound and HD.
Ockham's razor is not always the ideal solution
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:40PM
@Mosquitocontrol
I'm pretty sure they said the same things when they released the rumblepak, d-pad, analog stick. Why change the paradigm of the things that work right now!! Innovation are for the halfassed games anyhow.
Matthew @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:53PM
I think the main problem with the Wii will be HD adoption. Considering the life cycle of a console is 5 years, and TV manufacturers are pushing 1080p NOW, I think the Wii is going to burn out early.
Even on my 768p Plasma, the Wii looks downright crappy. Maybe they'll come out with a revised Wii that has a built in upscaler?
NintendoFanbot @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:41PM
@ 16
Apparently you missed how the companies explained how they were not directly competing due their respective admitions in targeting different audiences.
Microsoft wants to reach gamers and people who want a multimedia hub, especially get them connected to the Internet/their Live service.
Nintendo wants to show that gaming doesn't have to intimidating to people who aren't gamers, while still catering to their core fans and software/technology that isn't a major burden to developers old and new.
Sony (or more specifically, a representative of) was once quoted that they could sell 5 million PS3s and not have any games for it.
crono141 @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:41PM
I wouldn't worry about the change in direction that might be caused by Wii trouncing both competitors.
Even if NEXT next gen takes the same strategy as Wii: using slightly better than last gen graphics at a lower cost, you're still left with stunning HD visuals at a low price.
How is this bad?
Duscrom @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:43PM
I'm not that Hardcore of a gamer, and honestly find the Wii fun for a little while, but, it's much like a DS. The system is fun while waiting for the bus, but not for long term. The Thing collected dust from Xmas, till the release of Wario. My Xbox 360, that i've had since launch, has yet to do that. So far, the Wii does 2 and a half games very well (Wii Sports and Wario Ware, Zelda is a gamecube game). But it's, so far, more hype then substance, and it dosen't feel like a real console. It kinda feels like a handheld plugged into the TV.
Anyway, Wasn't Nintendo the company that started the whole "We're not competeing with the 360/PS3" mumbo jumbo? The Wii is in a legue of it's own.. and so is the PS3/360. They bother are completely different gameing experinces. Wii can't do what a 360 can do, and a 360 can't do what a Wii can do.
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:46PM
@Scott
Why are you assuming again that blockbusters are defined by graphical power alone. Granted it helps but I can use the same arguments for the Wii. An ultra unannounced light saber game could come out of nowhere and have an experience you just cannot get on both the 360 and the PS3 even if they killed 10,000 puppies each.
Remember some of the best selling and best well known games(that are bordering on becoming "classics") of the Playstation line? DDR? Guitar Hero? See a pattern yet? They do not push the system's mythical "raw power" and thrive on novelty. The Wii is basically transforms almost any games into that kind of novelty(for better or for worse).
MosquitoControl @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:46PM
"I'm pretty sure they said the same things when they released the rumblepak, d-pad, analog stick. Why change the paradigm of the things that work right now!! Innovation are for the halfassed games anyhow."
You're missing my point.
I'm not saying innovation is a bad thing. In fact, I lamented REPEATEDLY on this site that Microsoft and Sony were failing to innovate in any way, shape, or form with this generation, giving us bigger and better versions of last generation's systems. I felt the difference in generation should be less how the games look and more how they play. Dpad changed games drastically. Two buttons to six changed games drastically. 3D graphics changed games drastically. Dual analog sticks and internet multiplayer changed games drastically. What do the 360 and PS3 do to change games drastically?
However, too much innovation is arguably worse than not enough. One major variable changing per generation is enough. If all three systems were constantly looking for innovation we'd end up screwed. One would decide to bring back the powerglove, one would go with 3D headsets, one would put in an overpriced built-in projector that no one ever used.
You want innovation to come in ways that seem obvious in retrospect, in fact appear to be evolutions in retrospect. All of your examples fit as this. But there can only be so many of those at a time.
If all three developers are fighting to out-innovate each other we'll end up with pointless "innovations" and not enough overlap between systems.
jabbertrack @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:49PM
Dean is wrong in this case. That's really all there is to say.
playclever @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:51PM
MosquitoControl makes a very valid point. It worries me that (given their "me too" tendencies in the past) Sony / MS might go to far in aping the Wii. Even within Nintendo, I worry that games like Zelda might not survive when it's so easy to churn out a Warioware clone... but this is no reason to damn innovation. Innovation WORKS when you have good game designers, when your company is dynamic and creative. It doesn't work every time, but surely you would prefer a Psychonauts or Katamari or Half Life 2 to one of those FPS clones that White Rose Dualist mentions?
What I hope MS and Sony take from this is that they have been too small-minded. What they do is not *wrong*, but it isn't the whole picture either. Hell, I wouldn't mind if someone mentioned the PC from time to time: Some 150 of my 200 games are for that platform.
I am convinced that raw power does not need to increase at the speed it is. Personally, I don't believe we need a new generation of consoles every 5 or 6 years. What we need, now that the industry has matured, is consistency. We need consumers (especially non-hardcore gamers) to see the purchase of a console as a similar investment to buying a TV. Right now, in the desperate pursuit of graphical perfection, consoles are a long way away from that.
There will always be a market for hardcore games, but as long as the console cycle remains short and costly, we are stifling innovation for hardcore games, casual games, and everything in between.
The focus needs to shift from technology wars to gameplay wars, and it needs to happen now.
Izuna Drop @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:33PM
Steve 2 and BalderPI,
While what you say may be true, I can guarantee MS and Sony both strongly desire the casual market. They may be aiming for the hardcore, but the casual produces more profit. If hardcore gamers make up 3% of the gaming it doesn't take a mathimatician to see that 3 out of 100 people buying 10 games @ $49.99 retail ($40.00 wholesale) = roughly $1200 profit total (not counting costs), however if 97 people by 2 games/year that's $7760 profit (not counting costs). It's clear where game publishers make there money. That's why Madden, GTA, and Halo are such huge money generators; they penetrate the mainstream.
tack @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:53PM
No gamer would own just a wii. Its a great system for the video game retarded and to play for short sessions, but skipping everything the 360 has to offer this generation would make you a complete moron.
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:54PM
@MosquitoControl
I see your point about innovation but I don't consider the Powerglove or the Virtual boy in the same league as the Wii. The Wii's implementation is almost flawless and people are reacting positively overall. It's also not weird-looking like the powerglove or the 3d headset.
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:09PM
@MosquitoControl
I see your point about too much ("radical-ness")innovation but I don't consider the Powerglove or the Virtual boy in the same league as the Wii. The Wii's implementation is almost flawless and people are reacting positively overall. It's also not weird-looking like the powerglove or the 3d headset which could partially explain alot.
Darkness @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:09PM
MosquitoControl, you're clinging to the old way of doing things. Gaming has to change at some point. I don't know about anyone else, but for me, it's been dry and dead for a long time. I've purchased my obligatory Final Fantasy, Black, and Dead Or Alive, but I've been bored. Each new console is just the same thing over again with pretty pictures. Don't get me wrong, I like nice graphics, but when you pick up a game and know the button layout without ever having to read the manual, then that's not really good.
I see the Wii as the new way to go. A new level of interactivity. I fully expect the hardcore guys like me to resist every step of the way. If this thing takes off, then gaming as we know will be put on it's ear, and you can bet that Sony and Microsoft will have their own motion sensing controllers next time around. It's just the evolution of gaming. How many of us complained when we went from joysticks to gamepads? How many resisted when we went from d-pads to analog sticks? I know I fought hard to avoid using gamepads when I was kid...
mike @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:13PM
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12549/Bill-Gates-Nintendo-is-Our-Toughest-Competition/
Joystiq which part of this link dont you understand lol
Duscrom @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:00PM
Oh, and By The way, Nobody should be calling themselves "Hardcore" and follow it up with "only next gen system i have is Wii" That's not Hardcore.
Hardcore has the goal of owning all 3, because they all have different experinces. Hardcore, recognize that if you limit yourself to one system, you WILL miss out on some spetacular games. And for the Hardcore gamer, the Wii isn't up to check yet.
Opinion? Not really. I'm looking at the software. The good Wii games can be counted on your hands. Elebits, Wario, Zelda, Red Steel, Call of Duty 3, Monkey Ball, Rayman, Far Cry. Oh, and of course, Wii Sports. Zelda took 60 hours. The "Hardcore" finished that within the first 2 weeks. Red Steel and Elebits, significantly shorter games. Same with Rayman and Farcry. Wii sports, while fun, deffinatly dosen't have enough challenege for the hardcore, and Monkeyball.. well that'd be perfect.. but still. 2 months later?
The rest of the list is Ubi's crap, and licenced kiddy movie games.
Second, a Hardcore, would realize that the 360 isn't 100% shooters. Sure it's alot of the games, but not all of them. There is Dead Rising, Viva Pinata, Kameo PGR, geometry wars and roboblitz.
Smithra @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:00PM
#15/Frankie
The point of the section you quoted is that companies tend to continue improving products (blue-ray, HD, etc.) beyond the point where the vast majority of consumers care. This is only a problem because the higher quality comes at a cost. Why pay $600 for one product when you can get something that meets all of your needs for $200? And while there will always be a hardcore demographic aching for that tiniest additional ounce of power, it's more economically sound to appeal to 500 cost-conscious people who kind of like your product than 10 who really really like your product and will pay whatever it takes to stay on the cutting edge.
playclever @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:16PM
#27: "No gamer would own just a wii."
This is because you don't define people who own a Wii as gamers.
v1cious @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:02PM
none of this means anything until December 2007, it's all hype really. sales will cool down once everyone that wants one has it. the Wii may seem like the "In" thing now, but once spring comes, Nintendo will be the one fighting an uphill battle. Microsoft has some HUGE titles coming out, and don't think Sony's gonna take all this lying down. they still have some good titles on the way, as well as big things coming for the European launch. they may be down, they're not out. the only killer app Nintendo has on the way right now is Super Paper Mario, and there's no way it will compete with what's on the horizon(Crackdown, Mass Effect, Heavenly Sword, Lair".
i think this year's gonna surprise people. E3(or lack thereof)will be a real bombshell on the industry this year.
GamerG @ Jan 23rd 2007 6:31AM
I agree it works work some things and will help DVD trounce HDDVD/ bluray for years but I cant see it working longterm for gamers. I reckon most Wii owners will end up buying a ps3 or maybe even a 360 to compliment their wiis
ramdaas @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:05PM
I paid 300 for an xbox360 premium at Best Buy one week before christmas (toys r us circular had a $100 giftcard with the purchase of the premium) Bestbuy, who matches competitor's advertised prices, wouldn't give me the giftcard. Instead they gave me a hundred dollars off. So for the cost of a Wii and Component cables, I got a 360 premium at a major retailer. The dreamcast moved console gaming online, and though I love that little white box more than life itself, it wasn't a commercial success. The Wii might prove a market for motion sensing (and I think it already has) but that doesn't mean it will dominate. It's always the software. It's always the games.
NintendoFanbot @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:09PM
"Opinion? Not really. I'm looking at the software. The good Wii games can be counted on your hands. Elebits, Wario, Zelda, Red Steel, Call of Duty 3, Monkey Ball, Rayman, Far Cry. Oh, and of course, Wii Sports. Zelda took 60 hours. The "Hardcore" finished that within the first 2 weeks. Red Steel and Elebits, significantly shorter games. Same with Rayman and Farcry. Wii sports, while fun, deffinatly dosen't have enough challenege for the hardcore, and Monkeyball.. well that'd be perfect.. but still. 2 months later?
The rest of the list is Ubi's crap, and licenced kiddy movie games."
What an analytical approach to something a "hardcore" is probably passionate about. One-word reviews and 2-month impressions compared to a system that has a year to it.
If that's how a "hardcore" gamer cycles through games then I'd rather not be one.
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:37PM
@Duscrom
I read somewhere that the really vocal homophobes tend to be just a little bit gay themselves. And that the bigger and more muscly the car, the smaller the penii.
I think it applies to videogaming too. The more you project your "hardcoreness"
Sorry about the doublepost. I hate Joystiq's comment system and delayed emails.
Frankie @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:14PM
@Duscrom
I read somewhere that the really vocal homophobes tend to be just a little bit gay themselves. And that the bigger and more muscly the car, the smaller the penii.
I think it applies to videogaming too. The more you project your "hardcoreness", chances are good that you're a big closeted Hello Kitty Island Adventurer yourself.
Sorry about the doublepost. I hate Joystiq's comment system and delayed emails.
DojoRacoon @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:15PM
I don't know if everyone has heard the explanation of why nintendo did what they did this generation. Basically they way the industry is heading is not sustainable. To get any kind any really noticeable difference console makers are having to multiply the horsepower by more and more each generation which is why the consoles this generation are so much more expensive than last. It also makes things unsustainable for developers who have to spend more money to develop for more powerful systems. In a nutshell the increase in cost of development is greater than the growth in the industry.
We've reached a point where graphics are "good enough" for the average gamer. I think Gears style graphics are great but but the last time I can remember being truly awed by a graphics jump was probably the N64. That's just me but I believe there will be more and more people like me with each generation of consoles. I will concede that maybe Nintendo jumped the gun a little with this strategy maybe graphics will matter this generation but so far I'm doubtful.
Duscrom @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:49PM
Misquito asks: What do the 360 and PS3 do to change games drastically?
Well, i speak not for the PS3, but as far as the 360 I pull this as an argument of innovation.
Community-Xbox 360 has gone further then any platform in exsistance. Sure Online play, digital downloads, and online chat/VoIP has been around for ages... but the so has a on-screen pointer (mouse) and motion sensing controllers (MS's own Sidewinder). But much like the Wii takes them and impliments its functionality in a much more user friendly way, so does the 360. Xbox Live IS the gold standard for Online consoles.. hell online gaming, that Nintendo and Sony are already trying to rip off.
New Blood, Microsoft innovates with XNA. Nintendo has some new options for developers, but it's the same old developers. Microsoft is opening the gates towards new people. People who aren't drawn by money, but by the passion to create games. No publisher who has to meet market demands, just some nerd with too much programming knowledge. Look at Geometry Wars, RoboBlitz, Marble blast ultra..... The people without boundries now have the ability to make something. And again, this is something that Sony and Nintendo are already in the process of trying to steal.
So.. if Microsoft didn't change the game... at all.. why are the others in the game, trying to copy it?
ackmondual @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:26PM
@ #2
""If by some stroke of wild imagination, MS or Sony dropped their consoles to 300 (not the crippled ass core model 360) or to 250.... all that nintendo talk would *POOF*""
Key phrase being >>IF BY SOME STROKE OF IMAGINATION
Mr. Khan @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:31PM
Spot on
They all make video games
and the key is thus; the only time Wii has to worry about the onset of HD is NOW
Because once the install base is there, the developers will go there, and the point will be moot
If the inadequacies of the Hollywood Chip kill the Wii, it will be sometime in the next year, but if, by 2008, the hype is still there and the sales are still strong, i don't think HD will be a factor anymore
+ while the Wii is currently riding Casual gamer hype, by 2008, Wii will have all the reasons for more traditional gamers to buy, namely Super Smash Bros/Super Mario, which will give them a boost on the traditional gamer front
Infil @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:31PM
Duscrom: The fact that you can mention that many games for Wii a short two months after its initial release should tell you a little something about the software powerhouse the Wii will be. Could you have named more than 3 360 games 2 months after its launch?
And this is considering that Metroid, a huge flagship title, was pushed back from launch. You have that, and Mario, to look forward to this year, and perhaps as soon as summer. Not to mention other surprises Nintendo has, and other 3rd party announcements. And let's not forget Smash Bros Brawl, which will hopefully be a Christmas release, and will end my social life as I know it.
Hardcore does not mean owning all 3. Hardcore means you take your games seriously, and spend a good deal of time both playing and reading about them. It also means you've been doing so for quite a while.
I consider myself hardcore (though less these days than before), and I still only own a Wii. Seems many others in this thread are in my position as well.
manny @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:33PM
I think the sales of PS2 this holiday season show that graphics may have very well gotten "good enough".
ackmondual @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:34PM
@ #2
""i still believe the biggest draw for the wii outside of the revolutionary (read: novel) control- is the price.
If by some stroke of wild imagination, MS or Sony dropped their consoles to 300 (not the crippled ass core model 360) or to 250.... all that nintendo talk would *POOF*""
With how high end and thus costly PS3 and 360 are, it's highly unlikely they'll dip that low anytime soon. Not impossible. It could happen, but not likely anytime soon.
It's like saying if luxury cars like Mercedes and Lamborginis only costed $30K, Toyota, Ford, and the like would be doomed since everyone would want a luxury car now. If ppl could work retail/floor at Walmart and make $50K instead of just a paltry $20K, then the US' poverty and health insurance situation would be much better. Unfortunately, that's just not reality.
.
@ #3
""MS has little interest in non-hardcore gamers. Hardcore gamers buy 10 games a year, casual gamers, maybe 1 or 2. And games sales, not console sales, are how MS (and Sony) make their money.""
I'd like to think, with how some ppl i've met have volumes and stacks and bookshelves of games, that hardcore gamers could buy up to 25 games a year. Not just 10 which seems understating it to me.
Jareck @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:35PM
Enough with the Dean Takahashi crap! It seems that every article i read on joystiq is about him, or about what he wrote. Have you seen his smug profile in the mercury news? Arms folded across his chest as if he is the new anointed king of gaming news and technology. His opinions are important, but he's not the only source on these things.