How the Console 'Failures' Finally Won

How the Console 'Failures' Finally Won
Next Gen has a really good and well written article about the history of gaming, and how the older failed systems helped to shape and build the market we see today.[How the Console 'Failures' finally won]Give it a read!

Predicitions Update

Predications Update:

This post is an update to a post I made but on March 07 of 2006 about which console is going to come out on top in this battle for your hard earned dollar. I predicted then, that the winners would be 360, Wii, and then the PS3 in that order. Thought it would be a good idea to come back to this topic after 4 months to see what's changed.

After reviewing all the information I've seen/read over the coarse of the past few months, I think I'm going to need to make a slight change in the prediction.

#1 Xbox 360, Wii
#2 PS3

WTF you say? Well the issue is that the Wii is not a 'next-gen' console. So we can't really compare a system that doesn't really push the technology envelope. The 'next gen' battle is really between the 360 and the PS3. Nintendo is out in left field somewhere playing with its Wii.

Nintendo, I believe, is going to save the gaming industry yet again. Why? Because Nintendo seems to have re-focused on what's important to make a game sell. Game play. It's not super-HD graphics, it's not being able to stick 4 DVD quality movies on a disk, nor is it really about the 'community' factor. It is about the games, and the Wii games just look FUN.

XBox 360:
Right now, Microsoft still has good potential from this machine if they are able to over come two major factors:
A) The 360 needs GAMES! And not this crap that has been coming out lately! Granted,
Christmas looks to be sweet, but I'm getting VERY tired and upset about being able to pick
up good games once a year. I mean, come on, Chromehounds was released BUGGY. This is a console Not a PC and NO ONE should pay for software that hasn't been bug checked. I can see bugs coming out in games like GTA and Oblivion... But still, bugs? When is the last time you saw a bug in a Nintendo game?

B) They need to do something with live. I've seen paint dry faster then update to LIVE. Where are the Xbox Live Arcade Games? Why is there only a handful of them currently, and only like 3-4 more on the horizon? MS OWNS there own game development company. There’s no excuse for this. Granted, MS has started the whole "Live Wednesdays." But, then again, currently there’s only like 3-4 more in development that we are aware of and where are the games that really push the 'live' aspect of the arcade games? Something like Magic: the Gathering Online was MADE for LIVE. I said it 4 months ago: "by they time Nintendo and Sony are players [in the market], the 360 will be on to 2nd and 3rd generation games. MS has the edge this time if they use it." They aren’t.

WII:
Nintendo still has the hook. The games just look fun. Granted, my arms are going to hurt like hell for a week after playing the WII but it just looks fun! I still think the WII is basically a DS for your TV. It's going to be cheaper then all the others, and Nintendo isn't pushing the Wii to be anything other then what it is. A Game Machine. It's worth buying just for the virtual console that will allow the Wii to download and play 1000's of games. Though, I'm still pissed about the name change.

PS3:
I still believe the PS3 is going to be the biggest flop since the Virtual Boy. Yes, the price has dropped from what I originally stated. So you are stuck with a $500 machine. Tack on sales tax, a couple of games, extra controller, and insurance (It's a Sony.. you're a dumbass if you don't get insurance on a first run Sony product) your up to about $700.

With all the lying, double talk, bait and switch tactics, and excellent marketing skills, it's a wonder how the Fan Boys can still be eager for the PS3. I've seen them still going off about how 'cool' the PS3 is going to be and how it's going to take over the market like the PS1/PS2 did.

Too bad the facts are saying the PS3 is going to be a bomb.

And with all the hardware problems as of late (Like IBM saying they can't get the 8 cores to work right, so the PS3 will be shipping only with 7, and the rumored Blu-Ray drive delays, etc) It's wonder how Sony is even going to be able push the PS3 to market in November. Of course, they already delayed it once, no reason not to delay it again.

To make matters worse there's nothing 'new' about the PS3. It's nothing more then a Blu-ray player, that happens to play games.all the 'coolness' of the PS3 has been removed. You're left with a machine without a soul.