Wii outsells PS3 2.6X, sells over 50% what 360 did in 13 months

[FudgeNuggets]

So much for next-gen graphics, online gameplay, mediacenter capability and HD-DVD/Blu-Ray... :shrug:

http://www.vgcharts.org/?w=5

[nvidiaOCmaster]

Jesus... 4 mil shipped..2 sold

[CGR]

I dont think Sony can ever catch or come close to Xbox/Wii

Not with the problems and price of the PS3..

[IAmMoen]

Well the numbers speak for themselves. Sony is in the big hurt.

[Surfrider77]

Yes... and no. Currently, yes of course.

I have both a PS3 and a Wii, but I still hold to the fact that the PS3 is lacking titles. I pretty much bought my PS3 on a whim and have enjoyed Resistance:FOM, but other than that... what the hell else is there? No one is rushing out to buy a PS3 because there still isnt anything remotely exciting for it for titles.

The exact same thing happened to the 360 and the PS2 before it. We all know how the PS2 turned out. I am no fanboy, and will be the first one to call it complete flop if it ever proves itself so. The fact is, PS3s do not sell themselves, the titles sell the systems. There is not a single "gotta have it" title out there yet, and until there is there will be quite a low demand for the system.

I still hold hopes that there will be some killer titles coming soon and when that happens, the sales will pick up significantly. Deja vu with the 360 history.

Basically its just waaaaay too early in the game to start judging the overall outcome here.

[CGR]

The thing is MS didnt really need big titles to sell the 360 because they had no competition for a year. Now there are a multitude of titles for the 360. Sony didnt have that luxery, they came in at a time that 360 sales were strong and had to compete with the Wii as well.

Sony screwed up on multiple fronts. And frankly they are so in the toilet that I am not sure the PS3 will make a comeback

[FudgeNuggets]

Before we play the not very many titles card, there isn't exactly a massive number of games on the shelf for the Wii either.

[rainless]

Before we play the not very many titles card, there isn't exactly a massive number of games on the shelf for the Wii either.

Took the words right out of my mouth :)

[deception``]

Before we play the not very many titles card, there isn't exactly a massive number of games on the shelf for the Wii either.

This is correct; however, the cheapest PS3 is twice the cost of a Wii. As a result, PS3 REALLY needs some marquee (and exclusive) titles in order to move the system. It's true that the Wii doesn't have a lot of software, but at such a relatively low price point you don't need a bunch of titles to sell the system.

deception``

[CGR]

Before we play the not very many titles card, there isn't exactly a massive number of games on the shelf for the Wii either.

Dont need to be when its only $250 :)

Lets say there is one good game out for the Wii and PS3 that you really want. Wii is $250 PS3 is $500 at least.. Which are you more likely to purchase?

[Surfrider77]

Before we play the not very many titles card, there isn't exactly a massive number of games on the shelf for the Wii either.

I still find this is an apples to oranges comparison of systems. Any rational person should.

At least in my household the Wii and Playstation are used for completely different purposes. The Wii maintains its popularity from a social point of view. When people are over, they want to play the Wii. Its simplicity makes even the non gamers (girlfriends) interested. In this regard, the Wii has a hit right IN the box called Wii Sports. There is nothing quite as humerous as watching your 5'4" girlfriend who detests video games flail her arms in the air while boxing.

The Playstation (or X-Box for that matter) is a completely different ballgame.

[tenchi86]

I must say that is pretty impressive. I personally thought the Wii would be nothing more then a novalty and it still has not proved it is not. However for a start atleast it is doing extremly well. If you go by overall money spent they are a bit closer, though I don't klnow if thats actually a good thing haha.

[Surfrider77]

I think the Wii was massively successful for what it is. I am just curious what it is going to come up with to keep people's interest. The novelty of Wii Sports and Zelda is starting to wear off for me. What's next? They need to keep the innovation going if they are going to milk this system into the history books.

[Neural Net]

The Wii is perhaps seen by most as a party console, practically everyone I know says it is great to play when you have friends round etc, but the lack of engrossing single player titles might hurt it a little in the future.

As for the PS3 it is too damn expensive here in Blighty for most to even consider, even for those who have the money.

Hopefully the PS3 won't tank because it should have some killer titles on it that wouldn't appear on any other console, however it would be nice if the playing field was levelled to a 33, 33, 33 split in terms of marketshare between the 3 companies.

[tenchi86]

.... however it would be nice if the playing field was levelled to a 33, 33, 33 split in terms of marketshare between the 3 companies.
Offtopic: That is something I personally really agree with. Though I am not saying a perfect split, when people want a system to tank I just can't see why. If Nintendo tanked Sony would have Japan all to themselves, if Sony tanked Nintendo would then have Japan, and America is a pretty good percent Microsoft so if they tanked that would leave the market to open to Sony and Nintendo and like we have seen with Madden, if you have no reason to work hard then you won't.

[rainless]

The Wii is perhaps seen by most as a party console, practically everyone I know says it is great to play when you have friends round etc, but the lack of engrossing single player titles might hurt it a little in the future.

As for the PS3 it is too damn expensive here in Blighty for most to even consider, even for those who have the money.

Hopefully the PS3 won't tank because it should have some killer titles on it that wouldn't appear on any other console, however it would be nice if the playing field was levelled to a 33, 33, 33 split in terms of marketshare between the 3 companies.

I'm still hoping the damned WII doesn't tank. :)

I mean when people talk about how great a "party system" it is... and the Wii's social aspects... Now, four or five months after launch... they're still only talking about Wii Sports... the game that came with the damned system. And even with four million consoles sold they'll NEVER come close to microsoft if they don't start getting more of the damned consoles in stores. And still everyone forgets that Nintendo had promised for million consoles by the end of LAST YEAR.

And I do believe they could've sold that many... if they had them... which they didn't. So this really isn't the time for fans and owners of the Wii to be jumping up and down celebrating. There was public outcry about the friggin' Wii straps when there SHOULD be public outcry... right now... about the fact that none of the Wii games are online, none of the stores get more than five or six systems in per week, new games are few and far between and most of those that are released (rayman be praised) don't even match-up to the game that came with the system.

If Wii Sports is still the best game on the Wii six months from now, then the Wii is doomed. The gamecube NEVER had a major hit (and before you go dancing in the streets about Mario Kart or something like that, I mean a hit to rival the PS2 or Xbox's best sellers), and the Wii has already taken several departures from its far more popular sibling, the DS Lite.

But Nintendo wields some sort of Disney-like magic over their consumers. And they never seem to raise a fuss about anything... except flinging their controllers through mirrors.

[FudgeNuggets]

Offtopic: like we have seen with Madden, if you have no reason to work hard then you won't.

You sir, have gained much respect in my POV with that 100% accurate statement.

[FudgeNuggets]

But Nintendo wields some sort of Disney-like magic over their consumers. And they never seem to raise a fuss about anything....

This I agree and disagree with. I agree that Disney could release a pile of poo with mouse ears on it and people would think it was a 24k gold collector's item.

Nintendo however has had a lot of innovative things and some have hit (the Wii, the gameboy, the light-gun and the DS) and some have missed (the Virtual Boy, Power Glove and ROB) but not being able to sell really well for a while based on WiiSports is inaccurate because you underestimate how good WiiSports is: Sure the games are short and really no more than minigames, but you've got a couple million, grandmas, wives and girlfreinds who would've never thought to play video games now playing and liking the Wii because of its' simplicity and fun factor. Also remember how many 2600s a little yellow dot-eating puck sold and how many NES units a little former monkey-chasing plumber sold.

[Dersonmg]

Another big % of wii sales come from parents, if you soon ask you for a ps3 and you run to the store to get it, when you get there you will surely try to convince him to get a wii or maybe 2 for the ps3 price

[rainless]

This I agree and disagree with. I agree that Disney could release a pile of poo with mouse ears on it and people would think it was a 24k gold collector's item.

Nintendo however has had a lot of innovative things and some have hit (the Wii, the gameboy, the light-gun and the DS) and some have missed (the Virtual Boy, Power Glove and ROB) but not being able to sell really well for a while based on WiiSports is inaccurate because you underestimate how good WiiSports is: Sure the games are short and really no more than minigames, but you've got a couple million, grandmas, wives and girlfreinds who would've never thought to play video games now playing and liking the Wii because of its' simplicity and fun factor. Also remember how many 2600s a little yellow dot-eating puck sold and how many NES units a little former monkey-chasing plumber sold.

I think you misunderstood my point: I was saying that Wiisports isn't enough to gaurantee the Wii's continued success. No one game (except for maybe Street Fighter 2 in 1992) could accomplish that. Resistance won't be enough to keep the PS3 afloat, Gears of War wouldn't be enough to keep the 360 afloat if that was the only good game they had, and if Wii-sports is all Nintendo has 6 months from now they will be ANNIHILATED (and the annihilating could begin as early as this month.) Mario 64 was a great title, but until Zelda and Goldeneye... and eventually Perfect Dark, were released, the N64 was in danger of being rubbed out almost faster than it eventually was.

No... don't overestimate the strength of any one title. This isn't 1983 anymore. Video games are neither new or rare. The 2600 didn't have nearly as many games as even the PS1. And now there are many times that number of games being released on the market. The competition is heating up, I have my doubts about how well Nintendo will be able to hold on.

[Neural Net]

I'm still hoping the damned WII doesn't tank. :)

I mean when people talk about how great a "party system" it is... and the Wii's social aspects... Now, four or five months after launch... they're still only talking about Wii Sports... the game that came with the damned system...

If Wii Sports is still the best game on the Wii six months from now, then the Wii is doomed. The gamecube NEVER had a major hit (and before you go dancing in the streets about Mario Kart or something like that, I mean a hit to rival the PS2 or Xbox's best sellers), and the Wii has already taken several departures from its far more popular sibling, the DS Lite.


I definitely agree that it needs some more titles making good use of the controller system and preferably multiplayer based as well. People are still only talking about Wii Sports because it is so simple to play and very addictive, not to mention completely unique and new, and hilarious in a party context. Nintendo has deliberately sought this type of customer appeal, it isn't designed to compete the same way that the PS3 and 360 compete with each other (namely releasing big budget blockbuster titles).

As for the Gamecube never having major hits, sure they weren't well advertised nor publicised, but Metroid Prime and F Zero were fantastic games, not to mention Eternal Darkness. That's all I can remember off the top of my head, but they easily competed with any hit Xbox or PS2 title.

[PYROMANIAC]

ps3 is just getting warmed up, not really worried at all, don't even see the wii as a contender in this round.

while sony is pumping out updates and adding features, not to mention the "big thing" coming for ps network, nintendo is busy making things like everybody votes...

until nintendo can better utilize the wiimote they boast so much, and stop making the focus of all the games that are out to be "training you how to use your wiimote" then the wii will be nothing more than a phase.

So much for next-gen graphics, online gameplay, mediacenter capability and HD-DVD/Blu-Ray... :shrug:


so much for having a system that's not already maxed out :shrug:

[FudgeNuggets]

so much for having a system that's not already maxed out :shrug:

Well according to the Wii's success it doesn't matter.

[Sentential]

nintendo is busy making things like everybody votes...

until nintendo can better utilize the wiimote they boast so much, and stop making the focus of all the games that are out to be "training you how to use your wiimote" then the wii will be nothing more than a phase.
Ya know its funny you said that, they said the *exact* same thing about the DS which has since become the best selling handheld of all time. I wouldnt count Nintendo out this round *at all*.

Even without the launch of the Wii, Nintendo will have a good shot at becoming the most successful video game hardware company this year. The manufacturer today said that it expects global sales of the portable DS console to come in at 20 million units, about three million units more than in 2005. Nintendo claims that nearly all of the growth in the U.S. market can be attributed to the DS - with overall 2006 growth so far being estimated at 11% with the DS and only 1.6% without DS hardware and software.

Nintendo believes that about 82 million DS games will be sold in 2006, a 9% gain over the 75 million games sold in 2005. "Numbers dramatically show the value of reaching out to the masses with products that are compelling and comfortable," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "And this perfectly sets the stage for our breakthrough Wii console, which appeals to both core players and current non-players with an intuitive control system and a price everyone can afford."


Nintendo is a far bigger threat than people give it credit for.

[rainless]

Ya know its funny you said that, they said the *exact* same thing about the DS which has since become the best selling handheld of all time. I wouldnt count Nintendo out this round *at all*.



Nintendo is a far bigger threat than people give it credit for.

Unfortunately Nintendo, as usual (in the home market at least) is only a much bigger threat to THEMSELVES. They can churn out Mario and Zelda games for AGES because... kinda like Micky Mouse... they know they have an undyingly loyal public that will buy those games no matter what. This would be fine if they were in the stuffed animal business... (actually it wouldn't work there either because then they would get stomped on by Disney), but they're in the VIDEO GAME BUSINESS. And as long as they're there they're competing in an arena that includes Microsoft and Sony. And forget about arguments about "oh you can't really compare the Wii to the PS3 and 360." That's ridiculous. Nintendo makes video games. They're found in the video game department and in video game stores. And their success/failure is measured against Sony and Microsoft. That's what the shareholders look at... that's what potential developers and investors look at. End of story.

But Nintendo has a long-standing history of shooting themselves in the foot. They struck gold with the DS-Lite only after TANKING with the original DS. And the Wii's current success comes after the Gamecube's commercial failure. I find it disturbing that there aren't more titles at least ANNOUNCED. I find it disturbing that the currently available titles don't make use of all the systems features (like the network adapted it could be using to play games that are online on every other system), I find it disturbing that they haven't secured more developers... five months after the System's release... with all this talk of "success." The last developer I heard jumping on the Nintendo bandwagon was Sega, and the last time Sega was able to turn the tide of a system war was during the Genesis era. And of course I find it disturbing that they continue to have problems producing systems. (By March of last year Microsoft had plenty of 360s out there.)

And that's the real threat... That all the current hype might just be the build-up for a letdown.

We'll call it "substance."

[zexmarquies01]

And of course I find it disturbing that they continue to have problems producing systems. (By March of last year Microsoft had plenty of 360s out there.)


And if you remember, by march last year, Microsoft hadn't sold over 5 million units either. Demand dropped + increased production = many units found on the shelfs.

With nintendo, Demand keeps going up, while production either stays, or increases. ( i say increases, because in their first month, there was only a million or so units made/sold. In two months, 4 more million was pumped out ).

maybe you should take that eye-patch of your 2nd eye rainless. You seem ( and always have seemed ) to be looking at things though one simple perspective. ( at least, when it comes to nintendo ).

rant and rave all you want about how a year ago, microsoft had units everywhere, and were easily found. but quit acting like microsoft has had the same sales as nintendo.

when a company sells more than 50% of a compeditor, in less than a quarter of the time, you can't just say " oh, its only fanboys ", or really...any argument.

an example: My father never touched the game-cube/N64. everything was to "cute" looking, and "kiddie" for him. he acted just as you did. But he WANTS a wii. He by far isn't a nintendo fanboy. honestly, i nearly Sh*t myself when he said he wanted one!


BUT, i do agree with you on one thing. they *NEED* more games. VC games won't keep the wii alive forever. Neither will Twilight princess, or wii sports. once its out for 6 months, they will HAVE to have a game other people are talking about other than wii sports. If they don't get good, ONE PLAYER games on the wii soon, their market share WILL drop, and it WILL drop FAST! If we think sony's in trouble now, If nintendo screws up, it will look like sony's scrooge McDuck swimming in cash compaired to nintendo.

Nintendo has a DAMN good chance of making the wii a HUGE hit. But if the screw it up...god help them.

and sure, Zelda, and mario isn't going to be nintendo's savior. But then again, Final Fantasy, and Metal gear isn't going to save sony's ass either.

oh and i DO agree that nintendo CAN and SHOULD be compaired to sony/microsoft. all 3 are in the video game buisness. all three are DIRECT COMPETITORS with each other. People can say " aples to oranges " all they want when it comes to the wii vs PS3/360. But in reality, all three own a portion of the same market. and game company's go for the system that owns the most market share.

sure, us PLAYERS can't compaire the 3 like that...but then again, we arn't the ones trying to make a profit either. It dosn't matter what kind of Niche market a product has. if it has a low market share, 3rd party support leaves...and fast.

the question is...With nintendo's sudden success with the wii ( which almost no one realized HOW successful it would be ), will more developers suddenly pump out more AND BETTER content on the wii? Thats the million dollar question when it comes to nintendo.

[zexmarquies01]

oh and ontop of that, more bad news.

http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2007/03/03/snk-president-talks-about-neo-geo-on-the-vc/

Found it on digg.com earlier. Figured i'd share the info.

all in all....nintendo isn't letting developers makes games online for the wii. at least not yet, and it appears this ruling by nintendo will last thoughout 2007.

argg...While i want nintendo to do to great, they need to quit shooting themselfs in the foot.

if they'd release games with online gameplay, the wii would be that much more of a compeditor agenst PS3 and the 360.

Maybe its a temporary restrction. dunno. Maybe nintendo is setting up a gaming server like Microsoft runs. Where the Head company runs the server for games, not the individual game company's. ( which is what makes the 360 so damn good ). And they don't want any online games until they are ready....dunno but hey, a guy can hope, can't he?

[rainless]

oh and ontop of that, more bad news.

http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2007/03/03/snk-president-talks-about-neo-geo-on-the-vc/

Found it on digg.com earlier. Figured i'd share the info.

all in all....nintendo isn't letting developers makes games online for the wii. at least not yet, and it appears this ruling by nintendo will last thoughout 2007.

argg...While i want nintendo to do to great, they need to quit shooting themselfs in the foot.

if they'd release games with online gameplay, the wii would be that much more of a compeditor agenst PS3 and the 360.

Maybe its a temporary restrction. dunno. Maybe nintendo is setting up a gaming server like Microsoft runs. Where the Head company runs the server for games, not the individual game company's. ( which is what makes the 360 so damn good ). And they don't want any online games until they are ready....dunno but hey, a guy can hope, can't he?

Heh... Funny. You somehow agreed with me on ALL the important points I wanted to make. What did you borrow my eye patch or something? :)

The only thing I said about the fanboys was that they should be in an uproar over things like "nintendo's habit of shooting themselves in the foot," but they never are for reasons that only Disney Inc. could properly explain. All those NON fanboys you're talking about aren't going to stand for it... but they won't raise much of an outcry either... (grandma and grandpa were never gamers to begin with...) they'll just stop playing. They'll put the damned Wiimote down like it was a book they already read and pick up something else... Maybe a collection of the Criterion Collection DVDs... Or a book on southeastern cuisine.

That's the real danger. Without Actual... FRIGGIN... *SUBSTANCE* all of the Wii's potential will go to waste. And, historically speaking, it won't be their first time.

I've said essentially the same thing all day. Thanks for agreeing with me :beer:

[Neural Net]

Just getting warmed up... Oh that's easy to say isn't it. Fact is the PS3 for the moment is subpar. Sony can add whatever online functionality it wants, all of it is useless without good games.

[FudgeNuggets]

As much as I hate, loathe and despise saying it, BluRay right now has the most appealing title lineup so it will probably prevail. They just need to get their quality up to HD-DVD standards by using Mpeg4 for everything and forgetting about Mpeg2. Just let the consumer win for once and release a player that'll play both for a reasonable price. Currently they're like $1200.

[Falcon-K]

I was saying last night to my roomate that Nintendo has the chance to actually win this generation if they stopped shooting themselves in the foot.. but with their stance on restricting online play and no huge games announced it looks like Nintendo will drop the ball again. Being a fan of nintendo is depressing ha.

[FudgeNuggets]

Nintendo really does need to get out of this “niche” mode they seem to have fallen into so that they can return to the dominance they displayed in the NES and SNES (not so much though due to the Genesis) eras. I’m hoping they’re just not showing all their cards at this point and being a bit secretive as they were before the launch of the Wii. Perhaps if the number of developers they employee is accurate as Tenchi stated in a previous post then it is possible that due to the development of the launch of the Wii and the runaway success of the DS-Lite then perhaps they are stretched a bit thin in the development area at this point. I think the cycle from initial development of games to launch date is increasing so much that it is nearly 2 years at this point. However, with them not having to pour their hearts and souls into graphics and audio then perhaps Nintendo can speed that cycle up to less than a year if they were to hire more developers and we could see some more good titles by Christmas…… We’ll have to see. One thing for sure is that the novelty and the UBER-success of the launch is a honeymoon period and they'll need more solid titles to continue to succeed past the time when everyone waiting for consoles to become available is able to get them and has them for a couple/few months.

[cornbread]

The Wal-Mart next to my house, I know the manager there, he said they have a stock pile of PS3's in the back, they keep getting shipped to them, but none are selling. The case in the main store area had several units also.

Sony has definitely seen better days.

[Oni]

Hey, look at that! We've gone back in time to a point when this thread didn't suck ass!

This thread is officially re-opened for intelligent discussion. Carry on, folks.

[zexmarquies01]

I've said essentially the same thing all day. Thanks for agreeing with me :beer:


heh, no problem.

cause i DO agree with you on most topics about the wii. you ARE correct. in another 3 months or so, the novelty of the wii will be shot down, due to lack of content. i WANT nintendo to succeed. nothing would please me more. But just because i'm rooting for them, doesn't mean i'm blind to their ways.

like fudge said, nintendo REALLY needs to drop this "Niche" Market they created. I'm not sure if nintendo really knows this, but they have SONY, and MICROSOFT as direct compeditors. Personally, i'd rather go up agenst Intel, instead of microsoft AND sony! Those two names are just TOO big to ignore!

sure, during the N64/Gamecube era, they was able to pump out cute games. Hell, some of those cute/kiddie games ARE fun. But how many version of a go-kart game can you pump out?

Yeah, they have mario, and Zelda, and metroid. But how much longer can those hold water to the in-debth story of Metal Gear? how much longer can those titles keep an entire console above water when your compeditors have Final Fantasy, Other online games, Halo, gears of war, Devil May Cry.

They need to start acting more like a compeditor, and less like that novelty store, thats sitting between a Wal-mart, and a Best Buy.

Due to nintendo losing so many developers in the N64/Gamecube era, we havn't seen too many new, and memorable characters/series. They have mario...Zelda...Metroid. I honestly don't know if nintendo can even create another franchise like those 3 anymore. When it comes to game content, They act like that they can hold their own agenst not only the other consoles, but to other game developers. They keep acting like they don't need other game developers to keep them afloat. When in reality, they NEED more support than just the nintendo name.

they seem to have forgotten that some of the BEST selling games/franchises are created by company's that DON'T own a console. Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Devil may Cry, Breath of Fire, Armored Core, God of War, Monster Rancher, Harvest Moon...etc..etc. Those are the titles we ( at least, I ) think of when i think of video games.

Long gone are the days, when the average consumer hears the word "video game" and the first thing to come to their head is Mario. And nintendo needs to realize. this.

/end rant

yeah yeah, i know i know everyone. i'm starting to sound like rainless.......i'm sorry everyone :p ( no offense rainless, just a joke )

[rhettro]

I'm not sure if nintendo really knows this, but they have SONY, and MICROSOFT as direct compeditors.

Nintendo are direct compeditors to MS and Sony the way NASCAR is a direct competitor against bowling. Meaning that while it's true all three parties are vying for your entertainment budget, the idea that Nintendo for some reason needs to mirror what Sony and MS are doing isn't quite true. If Nintendo truly wants the Wii to be a sustainable sucesss, they do need more 3rd party involvement. But that is likely as the numbers of people who own the Wii are more than those that own the PS3, so a developer has a larger base to sell for. Thus and Triple A title released for the Wii will already sell more than the same for the PS3. Factor in the smaller development cost for the Wii, and you get the sense that Sony should be nervous.

[John G]

I share Rainless' concern for the Wii.

It's doing terrific so far, and is as on track to succeed this round as could ever reasonably be hoped for.

But... I played my NES and SNES into the ground. I was the one buying all those crazy historical KOEI turn based strategy games, Square and Enix games, things like Street Fighter 2, Earthbound, Zelda, Mario, Super Tecmo Bowl, etc... It was great. So, when N64 was coming around the corner I loyally waited for the console and got it immediately even though there wasn't much for games yet. I also loyally waited afterwards for all those types of games I used to love for a long time. For the most part, they never came. There were a few nuggets here and there that I liked in part, and Zelda: OoT was great and made me believe in the system again for about 15 minutes. Eventually, I just had to go get the Sony after being flat out game starved for over a year.

Carving out a niche with traditional "non-gamers" is great, but don't forget that people who don't play games don't spend money on games. They are called non-gamers for a reason. Profits for console makers come from those hard core players that surf the wave from one big title to the next, predictably sending in their money at a steady pace out of need to play the next great game. Gamers who buy 5+ games a year are the golden goose. That goose isn't going to sit on the Wii for very long waiting for great games to hatch out of it before they move on to see what all the peeps and screeches are coming from the 360 and PS3.

Fortunately for Nintendo, those same gamers frequently will patronize more than one system. However, they have to deliver great games if they want to grab their piece of the pie. If they want to be a major contender in the long term, it will take more than the occasional Zelda and Metroid game to do the job. Competing with the cross-platform games will be tricky. Will the games be more fun with a Wii-mote or with better graphics, sound, and online play that includes voice communication? Their big opportunity is that the Wii-mote, Wii Sports, and Zelda maybe have sold enough consoles initially that they have a real shot at getting some exclusive 3rd party titles.

[rainless]

Hey, look at that! We've gone back in time to a point when this thread didn't suck ass!

This thread is officially re-opened for intelligent discussion. Carry on, folks.

What?!? I was posting on this thread for like twenty hours yesterday... When was it closed?

Nintendo are direct compeditors to MS and Sony the way NASCAR is a direct competitor against bowling. Meaning that while it's true all three parties are vying for your entertainment budget, the idea that Nintendo for some reason needs to mirror what Sony and MS are doing isn't quite true.

I failed to see the connection... then I realized that there WAS NO CONNECTION.

But I only quoted this because it's a fairly common stance that I've heard a hundred times now: "Nintendo has nothing to do with Microsoft and Sony! Sony and Microsoft are just in the video game business, but NINTENDO is in the "Extended Family Entertainment Popularity Business." Only problem there is that, said business, does not exist. And Nintendo IS in the video game business. And the people who say this usually add that "Nintendo doesn't need to mirrot MS and Sony," but this is excluding the fact that nobody said they did. All anyone is suggesting is that it would PROBABLY be a good idea to ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE of their competitors... and their potential consumers and developers.

Somebody brought up the success of the DS Lite...

I think I wrote, in some other thread, about how that handheld is SO unlike Nintendo that I think they just let some junior staff members have the ball and run with it. I've followed Nintendo's marketing around the world. I was there in Tokyo for the Gamecube launch... and I can tell you it was NOTHING like the launch of the DS Lite. I was in Paris for both the launch of the DS Lite and the Wii... and they were remarkably similar. I'm pretty sure it was the same team that was handling both of them. Those same DS Lites are still everywhere in Paris (and Chicago too) and you find almost every new game ready to be tried on them. And the colors and overall STYLE of the displays have been... "fetching." The Gamecube and original DS launches were something like a Goulagg prison march. A horrible, drab, grey mess... Nobody would come near the things. I remember the pre-launch for the DS in paris... they had the Metroid Prime trial on those HORRIBLE grey pieces of crap, and nobody could be bothered to go NEAR the things. The Gamecube in Europe was such a novelty item that it really only did well in novelty SHOPS that sold nothing *but* Nintendo merchandise and were usually located near collector's toy shops and Manga houses.

So whoever had control over the DS Lite may have been allowed to market the Wii's launch... but they don't seem to have any power over the console itself. Miyamato, or whatever his name is... is pretty damned sensitive about his consoles... And sometimes his vision doesn't quite match up to market demands... or anybody else's.

[Surfrider77]

Man, some of you are hypocrites!

In one breath you say the Wii, 360, and PS3 are all in direct competition and then in the next sentence you go on talking about this "niche market" that the Wii has created!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I think we are all on the same page with the Wii's limitations though. The fact is Nintendo HAS made a niche market and the use of a Wii is quite different in its current state to the 360 and PS3. Look back at the guy talking about his grandfather wanting a Wii... that is proof in itself that the Wii has a market the 360 / PS3 hasnt touched. We all know this is true because we all have friends and family asking to play the Wii who have never so much as picked up an Atari controller.

This is all I was saying on Pg1 of the thread. The Wii has its own appeal, but Wii sports and Zelda are collecting dust now in my living room. In order for Nintendo to keep its bragging rights it will need something to ensure its longevity.

It is blatantly obvious in its current state the Wii is an Apples and Oranges comparison to the 360/PS3. Until Ninteno breaks that "niche" you keep calling it... that niche is what makes it differ from the other two.

[PYROMANIAC]

when i goto ign and look at the announced titles for the wii...the future doesn't look promising.. sure everyone wants it b/c it's a fad. everyone might buy one, but that doesn't mean that everyone will play it for more than 2 weeks. and five months after release the best game is still wii sports?

[rainless]

Man, some of you are hypocrites!

In one breath you say the Wii, 360, and PS3 are all in direct competition and then in the next sentence you go on talking about this "niche market" that the Wii has created!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I think we are all on the same page with the Wii's limitations though. The fact is Nintendo HAS made a niche market and the use of a Wii is quite different in its current state to the 360 and PS3. Look back at the guy talking about his grandfather wanting a Wii... that is proof in itself that the Wii has a market the 360 / PS3 hasnt touched. We all know this is true because we all have friends and family asking to play the Wii who have never so much as picked up an Atari controller.

This is all I was saying on Pg1 of the thread. The Wii has its own appeal, but Wii sports and Zelda are collecting dust now in my living room. In order for Nintendo to keep its bragging rights it will need something to ensure its longevity.

It is blatantly obvious in its current state the Wii is an Apples and Oranges comparison to the 360/PS3. Until Ninteno breaks that "niche" you keep calling it... that niche is what makes it differ from the other two.

Actually it's not different from the PS3 in that it has no games to sell either. That's the NEW niche (WITHIN the video game industry), but at least Sony has planned releases. Motorstorm... Virtua Fighter 4... Army of Two... (also to be released on the 360). I haven't even HEARD of any Wii games coming down the pipeline... This is a bad thing.

I really don't think Sony will be able to sell any large number of systems, at its current price... without a killer hit game. But Sony will be able to sell thousands of times more games than Nintendo will... simply because they have more of them. If Nintendo has ZERO product... well... zero is pretty easy to beat.

Meanwhile Microsoft isn't even concerned by any one of them. They just sold four million copies of Gears of War. Then there was Crackdown... NBA Street... GRAW 2 coming soon... This is what a video game company is actually in business for... the selling of video games.

[FudgeNuggets]

Rainman, it was closed temporarily due to a party crasher.....thanks Oni....

Anyway, there are some good games coming for the Wii. I plan on buying Tiger Woods Golf next week based solely on how FUN WiiSports Golf was and the BIG BIG BIG game coming soon is Mario Galaxy, plus Super Smash Bros is no slouch either. I'm sure Metroid Prime Tre' will sell quite a bit.

Microsoft has the ULTIMATE heavy hitter lineup coming in May with Forza2 and in late summer/early fall with Halo3. Plus some PC players will probably cross-over with Sid Meyer's Spore! but I THINK this may be coming for the PS3 as well. Also Grand Theft Auto 4 is coming this fall for both 360 and PS3, which will be HUGE.

The PS3 has Tekken 6 and MotorStorm aside from the aforementioned Spore! and GTA4. I'm sure there are others but I haven't really been keeping abreast of the PS3 since I'm not really that interested beyond BluRay capabilites, so maybe Tenchi or RedDragonXXX could fill us in on that front...... Anyway, I've partaken in a few adult beverages, relaxed in the hot tub with a cigar and have watched the airplanes circle for landing at the airport near casa-de-la-fudge and am off to view Boondock Saints again in the Home Theater Room, so perhaps I'll check in be again before the Z's kick in, but if not.... G'nite folks....

[rainless]

Rainman, it was closed temporarily due to a party crasher.....thanks Oni....

Anyway, there are some good games coming for the Wii. I plan on buying Tiger Woods Golf next week based solely on how FUN WiiSports Golf was and the BIG BIG BIG game coming soon is Mario Galaxy, plus Super Smash Bros is no slouch either. I'm sure Metroid Prime Tre' will sell quite a bit.

Microsoft has the ULTIMATE heavy hitter lineup coming in May with Forza2 and in late summer/early fall with Halo3. Plus some PC players will probably cross-over with Sid Meyer's Spore! but I THINK this may be coming for the PS3 as well. Also Grand Theft Auto 4 is coming this fall for both 360 and PS3, which will be HUGE.

The PS3 has Tekken 6 and MotorStorm aside from the aforementioned Spore! and GTA4. I'm sure there are others but I haven't really been keeping abreast of the PS3 since I'm not really that interested beyond BluRay capabilites, so maybe Tenchi or RedDragonXXX could fill us in on that front...... Anyway, I've partaken in a few adult beverages, relaxed in the hot tub with a cigar and have watched the airplanes circle for landing at the airport near casa-de-la-fudge and am off to view Boondock Saints again in the Home Theater Room, so perhaps I'll check in be again before the Z's kick in, but if not.... G'nite folks....

Awesome movie... There's supposed to be a sequel, but I think it's just a scam for the director to get money. I have yet to hear anything about actual production... and it's ALLEDGEDLY been in production for like three years now.

[Neural Net]

Now this has me interested in the PS3: Playstation Home. (http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/07/playstation-home-revealed/)

I know to some it will look like a gimmick but to me this is a unique feature and great selling point for the PS3. Of course, it won't be much without the games, but as Fudge has just stated, there are a fair few AAA titles heading for the PS3 which combined with a movie download service could end up making the PS3 a killer home multimedia system. Dare I say it in concept (because we can watch the video in the link but none of us have tried it yet) it makes Xbox live look ever so slightly primitive.

The only problem I could see with the service is that it could be slightly cubersome, meaning that having to control a character and move around may add to time wasted when you can really just be playing games or talking to friends. Does the PS3 come with a headset? Is a cheap one available? I can't imagine this working without most users having them. This is where Microsoft played its cards right, but I do like Sony's idea, lets just hope form does not get in the way of function.

[FudgeNuggets]

I don't know about that Neural, I myself tried SecondLife a couple months ago and thought it was pure crap, just a waste of time/space MMORPG without any real POINT to it aside from buying and selling a ton of virtual crap.

[Neural Net]

I don't know about that Neural, I myself tried SecondLife a couple months ago and thought it was pure crap, just a waste of time/space MMORPG without any real POINT to it aside from buying and selling a ton of virtual crap.

The difference is Fudge, this does have a purpose, it's a matchmaking service/media sharing service with a fancy GUI thrown in. It's Xbox Live 3d, or supposed to be, but guess only time will tell whenever it's any good or not.