Console Wars II

[Asher]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel
Like the 360 and ps3 have changed how you play a video game?

PS3, no.

Xbox 360 -- are you kidding me? Achievements, Xbox Live's new features, pervasive community feedback and interaction (Forge & Theatre in Halo, PGR on Demand, etc).

The Wii has succeeded in adding another mode of interacting with the game -- one that is less accurate and more twitchy and frustrating than the gamepad approach that apparently only really appeals (and is used for) stellar games such as Cooking Mama. I'm not sure that's a great beacon of hope for most gamers.

The Xbox & Xbox 360 have done more for "gaming" than the Wii, who is still WAY behind the Xbox / Xbox 360 in real gaming features. The Wii has done more for drunken parties than the Xbox, however. Kudos to that?

[Asher]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel


Well, apparently wii sports + a handful of good titles are enough to equal 360 sales in half the time. I think a year' time is a pretty good harbinger for the near future, especially with the lineup the Wii is trotting out.

Fundamental flaw in your argument: It is clear software is not selling the Wii, but your argument is the Wii's upcoming title lineup will increase sales?

Metroid Prime 3, a AAA-rated game on a classic franchise with Wii-specific controls, didn't even dent Wii sales. What do you base your supposition on that Mario Galaxy will drive Wii sales? Even Super Mario Sunshine barely dented Gamecube sales, and the Wii's market is even less Mario-centric now than before.

The reason the Wii's sales are so high is simple: the tickle-me-elmo "hot item" effect. A huge portion of people who have the Wii grow disenchanted with it over time when the limitations that were obvious to me at the beginning become more obvious to more people. The games play and look like ass. The quality of everything on the Wii -- the interfaces and the games -- is several notches below what the other consoles offer. The control scheme can be describes as quirky at best -- even a 10% fail rate in gesture recognition can be exceedingly frustrating. A year ago many people here raved about how Wii for Madden would be so cool -- how you can throw a pass and all that crap with the Wiimote. And what happened? Madden has bombed on the Wii. Twice. Metroid Prime 3 was going to show how FPSes should be done with the Wiimote. It did -- and what happened? Sales pretty much sucked. People have Wiis, but they're not doing anything with them.

This all boils down to the same thing: All this talk about hardware sales is superficial. Hardware sales mean nothing to the industry if people don't buy the damn games!

[Nikolai]

Metroid Prime 3 is out in Canada? For how long? It gets released here tomorrow.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Nikolai
Metroid Prime 3 is out in Canada? For how long? It gets released here tomorrow.

Simultaneous release with the States...

It sold like **** here too.

[Nikolai]

So when was it released in the US? I don't follow the release dates of foreign countries for the most part.

I look forward to the new Simpsons game btw, it comes out Nov 1st here!

[flash9286]

Netflix Wants To Deliver Video Via Xbox 360, PS3

Netflix Wants To Deliver Video Via Xbox 360, PS3 In its Q3 2007 call to analysts, video rental service Netflix said that it would consider delivering movies to its subscribers via internet-connected HD-DVD and Blu-ray devices, which include the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Said Netflix president, CEO and Board chairman Reed Hastings as recorded by financial site Seeking Alpha, "In terms of enabling the viewing of online content on the television screen, we are exploring a variety of options, including Internet connected, high definition DVD players, internet connected game consoles, and dedicated internet set tops, with a variety of partners, trying to understand the best ways to provide inexpensive viewing of online content on the television."

Currently, the company offers video rentals via postal mail and online download, but Hastings said the company's goals include expanding online content and the methods by which users can access their video offerings.

It is unclear, however, whether either Sony or Microsoft would allow such a service to become available on their consoles, as both Sony prepares and Microsoft already offers their own internet-connected video-on-demand services over their respective networks.

I will forgive Microsoft for making a faulty hardware unit if they sign this deal. Netflix's selection + convenience of 360 = bliss.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Asher

PS3, no.

Xbox 360 -- are you kidding me? Achievements, Xbox Live's new features, pervasive community feedback and interaction (Forge & Theatre in Halo, PGR on Demand, etc).

What do those have to do with how a game is controlled?

[DrSpike]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7061210.stm

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Asher

Fundamental flaw in your argument: It is clear software is not selling the Wii, but your argument is the Wii's upcoming title lineup will increase sales?

Wii sports is software, is it not?

And, obviously, at best the wii can only sustain its sales with software, barring any increase in product.

Originally posted by Asher
Metroid Prime 3, a AAA-rated game on a classic franchise with Wii-specific controls, didn't even dent Wii sales.

The wii is sold out, how can you tell what software does increases sales?

Originally posted by Asher
What do you base your supposition on that Mario Galaxy will drive Wii sales? Even Super Mario Sunshine barely dented Gamecube sales, and the Wii's market is even less Mario-centric now than before.

see above.

Originally posted by Asher
The reason the Wii's sales are so high is simple: the tickle-me-elmo "hot item" effect.

Its already been out a year, soon to cross its second holiday seasons. At what point do you expect its sales to drop off and sell below its two competitors? By springtime it will have exceeded the cube's base, and shortly after that, the xbox, in less than 2 years on the market.

[DrSpike]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7058670.stm

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Asher
You can't even use the "there are no good games out" excuse -- there are, and they're sitting on store shelves.

Which games would those be, again

[flash9286]

How does Wii Sports win any awards I was bored within 10 minutes of playing it.

[Asher]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel
The wii is sold out, how can you tell what software does increases sales?




see above.

For one, the software sales were very very low. I welcome you to make the case that Metroid fans have not been able to get a Wii by now...

Its already been out a year, soon to cross its second holiday seasons. At what point do you expect its sales to drop off and sell below its two competitors? By springtime it will have exceeded the cube's base, and shortly after that, the xbox, in less than 2 years on the market.

Again, I don't believe the comparisons are valid. The Wii is fundamentally a different market than the Xbox and PS3.

But I believe Spring 08 is when Wii sales will start their decline. FWIW, weekly sales were already down slightly last month -- masked by the fact that it was a 5-week month for NPD.

[Asher]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel


Which games would those be, again

Metroid Prime III
Zelda

[Nikolai]

Originally posted by flash9286
How does Wii Sports win any awards I was bored within 10 minutes of playing it.

I have had lots of lots of lots of fun with it. And my room mate even more. Not to talk about my friends.