Follow the Next-Gen Console Wars

Discussion in 'The Living Room' started by Ant, Nov 19, 2006.

  1. #1
    Ant

    Ant Ambient

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    http://www.nexgenwars.com/

    360 obviously has the early lead, followed by the Wii, then PS3. Remember the Wii launched slightly after the PS3, but had far more units shipped.
     
  2. #2
    Chris.

    Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

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    Wii will have the lead for awhile but once PS3 starts actually making decent sized shipments, I'm sure Sony will get the lead back even though I played the ps3 at target and it's not that great. It has the same interface as the PSP and the only difference in the gaming is the graphics and the motion sensor. I'm having a lot more fun playing the Wii.
     
  3. #3
    Ant

    Ant Ambient

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    You're right in that it will be "awhile", since Nintendo plans to ship over 4 million by the end of the year and Sony plans to ship only 2 million, if I remember correctly.

    I don't think Sony will overtake Nintendo for well over a year or two, if it ever does overtake Nintendo.
     
  4. #4
    Todd

    Todd FLǕGGȦ∂NKđ€ČHIŒβǾLʃÊN LPA Administrator

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    Even though the only difference are graphics and the motion sensor, I think the PS3 will pull ahead. It's the cheapest blu-ray player on the market by $500. People who just want a Blu-Ray player will go for the PS3 because its cheaper, plus you get so much more than something that plays movies.
     
  5. #5
    Mark

    Mark Canadian Beauty LPA Administrator

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    The thing is; who really cares about getting a BluRay player at this point? I've been doubting it'll take any market share from DVDs whatsoever.

    For those who don't care about BluRay players (see: most people) either because they're hesitant to invest in a brand new media format or they don't care that much about storage space and picture quality, there's not much from the gaming side of the PS3 that exactly motivates a consumer to purchase one.
     
  6. #6
    Chris.

    Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

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    I agree completely. Blu-Ray DVDs, on average, cost about 10$ more than regular DVDs and then you're shelling out a lot of money just to get the player in order to play these movies.

    On the topic of the PS3, When I played it, it was exactly the same as playing Xbox360. I almost couldn't tell a difference in graphics at all. The motion sensor would be more useful obviously, when its not connected to the display case...but it seems to me that the whole motion sensor idea was jacked from Nintendo. I know Nintendo didn't create it but they were the first major company in this generation of gaming to reveal their motion sensored controller and then Sony completely revamps their controller to match their old controller and they add the motion sensor. It seemd like a real desperation attempt to make people feel better since so many people bitched about the first controller design.
     
  7. #7
    Todd

    Todd FLǕGGȦ∂NKđ€ČHIŒβǾLʃÊN LPA Administrator

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    People said the exact same thing about DVDs 10 years ago when they were much more expensive than VHS tapes and DVD players cost nearly a thousand dollars. People said the same thing about CDs back in the 1980s.

    All technology is like that. I remember when I bought my very first CD burner back in the 90s. I spent $450 that day. $400 on a 4x burner and $50 on a 50 pack of CD-Rs. Now, a CD burner that is 4 times faster and also burns DVDs can be had for less than $50, and a 50 pack of CD-Rs is less than 10 bucks. Blu-Ray is expensive because its new, but prices will fall. But the reason the PS3 will sell well, because right now, it is the cheapest Blu-Ray player and there are early adopters out there who want to be the first to have the latest technology.


    The Wii will win this holiday season because it's cheaper and more readily available. But it's no more powerful than the Game Cube (and a friend who is a Nintendo fanatic and waited in line for a Wii told me that, so I'd say its an unbiased opinion) and the novelty of waving around a controller will wear off. But for this generation of consoles, the 360 and PS3 will be the main contenders.
     
  8. #8
    Ant

    Ant Ambient

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    Todd: the amount of people who want a Blu-Ray player at this point is extremely minuscule. Right now, the Blu-Ray is a product that only die-hard technology and entertainment fans will be interested in. As soon as the these people have their PS3 for a cheaper cost than the average Blu-Ray player, Playstation 3 sales will be stagnant.

    To put it bluntly, this is a similar concept to Snakes On A Plane. There were the die-hard fans that made the movie seem like it was going to be a smash hit, but it only lasted the first two weeks and then the movie was never heard from again, for the most part. The Playstation 3 won't be this dramatic, but you get the point.

    Secondly, the Blu-Ray is not a proven technology. The high-definition DVD wars are still raging on between the HD-DVD and the Blu-Ray DVD, and analysts really can't tell which one will win out. Buying one or the other at this point doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense.

    Secondly, if you seem to recall, Sony has already lost a few format wars already. Remember the Betamax? If you don't, that's precisely my point. It was the combatant to the VHS tape, and it was Sony technology. Sony was also trying to create their own format of DVD that they eventually abandoned. Trust me -- Blu-Ray is not going to make people want to buy a PS3 anymore than for the gaming on it, unless they're die-hard fans.

    Furthermore, the Wii is more powerful than a GameCube, just not by much. I believe it's been classified as 2 to 3 times more powerful, but again, it's no match for the PS3 or 360 in terms of graphics. But that wasn't the point of the system. It emphasizes gameplay over graphics, along with its unique motion sensing design, that will undoubtedly get stolen as other Nintendo technology has (read: the analog stick, controller rumble, etc). I think it's pure folly at this point to assume that the Wii's image will wear off and to go ahead and claim that the 360 and PS3 are the winners.

    Edit: Don't want to double post, but it's interesting if you watch the site I linked. The Wii is selling like crazy, and the 360 is actually keeping a surprisingly respectable pace, despite it being out over a year now. The PS3 is selling extremely slow, but that's likely because most of the shipments are selling out.
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2006
  9. #9
    Tomi

    Tomi   LPA Addict

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    So Ant, you can suddenly read people's minds and immediately know how much of the world wants a Blu-ray player?

    Amazing.
     
  10. #10
    Ant

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    Tomi, thanks for the sarcasm, and no, I am not proclaiming that. But what I'm telling you is that, if you base this off history and former format wars, you will know that there are not many early adapters. It's a historical fact. If you just want to ignore history, be my guest, but I'm merely informing you. Again, though, thanks for the sarcasm -- it's much appreciated. :rolleyes:
     
  11. #11
    Kæton

    Kæton is Keaton LPA Über VIP

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    Yeah Ant, you can call Sony on all its mistakes, and I whole heartedly agree that the PS3 could be the most expensive mistake Sony will make if they don't market it properly, but you seem to ignore the fact that despite Sony being the king of the losing format, years later it is still one of the top dogs in the technology wars. Sony has been the top dog in the console wars for a decade or so, but only now do they actually have competition.

    Snakes on a Plane can't be compared to Sony's Blu-Ray. Why? Because Snakes on a Plane had no previous solidarity to put faith into the product--it was just a bunch of hype built around a phrase. Looking at history, I'd say whether or not the PS3 is the top selling dog this year will not justify demise.

    Not to mention the amount of people who don't care about Blu-Ray probably don't know what it can do. If you ask me, I'd rather publish my material on Blu-Ray than HD-DVD solely based on the amount it can hold. On top of that, it doesn't matter which console a consumer buys. If you add in the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360, you're paying just about the same as a PS3 core package (I think). Nevertheless, the DVD format wars are just beginning, so we CANNOT say what consumers are interested in. We can only assume based on history of a company and that (as history proves) is not always true.

    We won't see the console wars heat up until next year, when Sony comes around to second-generation (year) games and Xbox 360 begins its third. You won't see a definite "this format is better" until around that time as well, since more folks will be able to experience both. Until then, we can only speculate.


    On another note: I plan to buy all three consoles this year. I can't ignore the Wii's innovative controls. Despite none of the games really impressing me with their use of the new motion sensor (perhaps aside from Zelda), I'm still excited to try it out. As for the Xbox 360, I think if they produce Gears of War-esque games (I haven't tried it, but I've heard good things), the 360 will be a great competitor, giving Sony its first real run since its debut in the console wars.

    My personal hope is that Sony continues to be the top dog in this all. However, they need to remember that exclusivity is what makes consoles sell. The bells and whistles are but a small portion that us, the gamers appreciate about our gaming experience. I think in recent times, that's been forgotten to please a general entertainment-driven crowd instead of the straight up hardcore gamer.
     
  12. #12
    Ant

    Ant Ambient

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    Kaeton, I'm not saying that Sony is going to lose these console wars. I'm really unsure of who will and who won't win these console wars, but what I'm saying is that Blu-Ray will have relatively no impact on the issue.

    The "Snakes On A Plane" to Blu-Ray comparison was a rough one, at best, to give an example of what I'm talking about. You seem to be completely ignoring my point on that: as soon as the early adapters (which I was comparing to die-hard fans) get what they want, there's not going to be as much demand for the product (which I was comparing to the movie). It's a perfectly logical comparison and makes sense.

    You can say history is wrong all you want, but I'm going off the facts. If you think that there will be a lot of early adapters, I'd love to see some statistics of that, or at least something similar that happened earlier with technology. Face it -- people aren't going to adapt to the Playstation 3 for Blu-Ray. Is Blu-Ray an amazing technology? Yes, it is, I'm not saying it isn't, so please don't put words in my mouth. I'm saying there is absolutely no predicting on whether or not it will win the format wars, and very few movies (or anything, for that matter) are actually published on either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD right now, so to say that consumers will scoop up the PS3 for the BR player seems like a dubious claim to me.

    I don't really care who wins the console war and who doesn't, but I do hope that Sony gets humbled and realizes that they can't treat their consumer base like crap and act high and mighty on the issue.

    Edit: Just an update -- Nintendo seems well on its way to selling at least 1 million before the end of the month from the looks of it.
     
  13. #13
    Kæton

    Kæton is Keaton LPA Über VIP

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    Thus I said that we won't really see any outcomes until next year... :lol:
     
  14. #14
    Astat

    Astat LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    I think Sony said it won't be until March that the PS3 supply will meet the demand. I think sometime during the spring we'll see the first price drops on the PS3, although I'm sure they won't be too big. Marketing-wise, I've been seeing a lot more good advertising for the PS3 than the Wii, but the Wii makes up for it with its price.

    The 360 is obviously in the lead and will be for the forseable future, just because of how much longer it's been out. I anticipate the PS3 pulling ahead of the Wii once they start getting more units shipped, not sure if either system will catch the 360 though. Microsoft definitely struck a big blow by getting on the market fastest.
     
  15. #15
    Ant

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    I'm willing to bet there won't be a price cut on the PS3 for a long, long time. They're rumored to lose as much as $200 per console sold. The technology cost won't decrease that rapidly.
     
  16. #16
    Chris.

    Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

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    I don't really understand what happened to gaming where the graphics make the game and not the gameplay.
     
  17. #17
    Kæton

    Kæton is Keaton LPA Über VIP

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    It started when gaming went 3D. :lol:
     
  18. #18
    Derek

    Derek LPAssociation.com Administrator LPA Administrator

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    Personally I think the PS3 is a wash. Even though Blu Ray can hold so much more...when exactly are developers going to take advantage of that additional space? Usually games are developed multi-console, so there's no real time for them to make the ps3 version infinitely better, or to take advantage of that extra space on the disc (unless they make it PS3 exclusive which is rare these days).

    Furthermore while the PS3 may have the best graphics chip and hardcore processing power, its RAM is only half that of the Wii and 360 (proven by the specs).

    So tell me, where does the value of the PS3 come into play unless you're a hardcore movie/technology buff?
     
  19. #19
    Astat

    Astat LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    Meh, I still think the Xbox and Wii controllers suck. :lol:
     
  20. #20
    Chris.

    Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

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    and I still think that the xbox and ps3 controllers suck.
     

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