Nintendo know something MS and Sony do not know?

[ihamoitc2005]

I work at Target store and we have new shipment of Xbox360 for 2-3 weeks and we sell only 1. Why? Today I talk to one customer who says he is waiting for Nintendo Wii. Also new DS lite has big demand. Today morning one 45-50 years age man bought DS Lite and then in afternoon his wife makes call and says she has played with it also and wants to buy one tommorrow and has asked for "hold" for one DS Lite. She likes to play wireless network games with husband. They are not young players like PS2 or Xbox360 buyer. They are older age buyers.

Also, even before DS Lite we have many older buyers like old Nintendo DS for long trip entertainment. Wireless strategy for Nintendo also is very good for all age users. I wonder maybe Wii will have most sales for next gen in holiday season. I think it will have most fun and easy games. Also, most software sales we have at the store is for Nintendo software maybe because it is fun and easy. Young players and old players do not like hard games.

Sony has Hi-def advantage for HD technology marketing. So this is weakness for Wii. Wii is not HD, only SD. Because we have more and more HDTV sales I think HD console will have more demand for holiday season.

 

[sonyps35]

Latest NPD sales month of May-Xbox 360=221k sold, DS 147k sold.

DS is a smashing success..but so far only in Japan. We'll see if DS lite changes that..

Also NPD's have shown PSP and DS sales neck and neck the last several months in USA, usually PSP a little ahead, for what it's worth.

But as to your broader point I really dont know. I wouldn't speculate on Wii's sales at this point. Six months ago I would have said for sure it would be a disaster. Now I have no idea..

I will still be stunned if a console with markedly inferior graphics outsells ones with better graphics over the long haul. I'll say that much. (not talkling about handhelds so dont bring up DS).

Sometimes I think Wii will almost be like a toy, instead of a traditional console sales cycle. AKA it may be the hot toy for one or two seasons and sell loads, but last only one or two years. Like Tickle Me Elmo , or something like that of the hot toys of the past. Yet in those two years, they may sell unheard of amounts of consoles for a given time frame as well.

I dunno, just throwing an idea out there. Really dont know.

 

[Magnum PI]

Latest NPD sales month of May-Xbox 360=221k sold, DS 147k sold.

don't you think the proximity of the 6/11 DS lite release could affect may sales of nintendo DS ?

Also NPD's have shown PSP and DS sales neck and neck the last several months in USA, usually PSP a little ahead, for what it's worth.

and what is the picture if you take software sales into account ?
the purspose of selling consoles is to sell software for it, it's what matters.

I will still be stunned if a console with markedly inferior graphics outsells ones with better graphics over the long haul. I'll say that much.

it happened before: PS2 vs xbox. and still happening PS2 vs xbox360.

(not talkling about handhelds so dont bring up DS).

why shouldn't we bring up DS ? DS vs PSP is a fine example.
also: gameboy vs gamegear/turboexpress/lynx

Sometimes I think Wii will almost be like a toy

Wii IS a toy.
each console nintendo ever released was a toy.
a console is essentially a toy, isn't it ?

while others promise movies, HD and polygons, nintendo is teasing our appetite for fun.
it's the same-thing-all-over-again-only-with-better-graphics vs a new world of interaction.

i think the fondamentalist (console=toy) approach of nintendo is the key of their success.

 

[sonyps35]

don't you think the proximity of the 6/11 DS lite release could affect may sales of nintendo DS ?

The past five months have been roughly the same sales for DS. For instance in April it sold 138,000.

and what is the picture if you take software sales into account ?
the purspose of selling consoles is to sell software for it, it's what matters.

From what I gather on good information in USA PSP software total life to date sales are even or a little ahead of DS.

Again, this is not referring to Japan, where DS is killing PSP.

it happened before: PS2 vs xbox. and still happening PS2 vs xbox360.

You are talking about a aging economy priced console versus a newcomer. That always happens in that case at the beginning. The real question is what do you think would happen if Sony leaves PS2 alone to combat 360 and never brings out PS3? Who would win
in the long haul? That is more to the relevance of my point.

why shouldn't we bring up DS ? DS vs PSP is a fine example.
also: gameboy vs gamegear/turboexpress/lynx

Because I dont think handhelds play by the same rules, that's why. Graphics aren't as much king in handhelds. Handhelds will never have the best overall graphics anyway (PSP is not as strong even as a PS2) so if you want the best graphics handhelds are not where you go (not too the graphics cannot be fully enjoyed on a tiny screen). Price plays a much larger role in handhelds. Etc. Just imo, it's simply different markets with different rules.

 

[Magnum PI]

From what I gather on good information in USA PSP software total life to date sales are even or a little ahead of DS.

could you share with us the good information you gathered ? what are the numbers ?

You are talking about a aging economy priced console versus a newcomer.

at the same pricepoint or evern being more exepensive, the PS2 outsold the xbox, its inferior graphics. doesn't that contradict your proposition ?

That always happens in that case at the beginning. The real question is what do you think would happen if Sony leaves PS2 alone to combat 360 and never brings out PS3? Who would win
in the long haul? That is more to the relevance of my point.

i think the real question is will the wii enjoy success, not what would happen in some alternate universe.

Because I dont think handhelds play by the same rules, that's why.

If we restrain the debate to ideas that conform to you opinion, i think the issue is predictable.

 

[sonyps35]

could you share with us the good information you gathered ? what are the numbers ?

They come from an in the know source.

at the same pricepoint or evern being more exepensive, the PS2 outsold the xbox, its inferior graphics. doesn't that contradict your proposition ?

Judging by the number of 60 FPS games on PS2, I'd argue it had the better graphics.

i think the real question is will the wii enjoy success, not what would happen in some alternate universe.

I was just explaining my point.

If we restrain the debate to ideas that conform to you opinion, i think the issue is predictable.

See above.

 

[Anvil]

Sometimes I think Wii will almost be like a toy,

God I hope the Wii is like a toy. A toy that is fun fun fun

 

[_xxx_]

why shouldn't we bring up DS ? DS vs PSP is a fine example.

Different target audience, different use for the product. Not a good comparison IMHO.

EDIT: also, I think the Wii being like a toy is the best thing possible. I never felt the urge to buy a console (I played often, but never actually bought one myself) until now - because of the "toy-fun-factor" of the Wii

 

[Oboro Shogun]

Judging by the number of 60 FPS games on PS2, I'd argue it had the better graphics.

Be realistic here. The PS2's visuals were nowhere near the xbox's. Don't mix up art style with actual rendering power either.

 

[pc999]

Knowing a lot of people that the prymary reason why they dont play much is because it is to hard, I think it easly can have potential, that more low prices (HW+SW) and second console potential it is probable that it will have sucess.

 

[Teasy]

Sometimes I think Wii will almost be like a toy

There's no question it will be like a toy, it is a toy, just like every other console. No amount of processing power, side features or Sony/MS advertising will change the fact that all consoles are specifically made for playing games.

 

[London Geezer]

I think that's almost the main issue here.

What happenes in the last decade, and largely because of Sony, is that console had to get an image change in order to become more "mainstream". No longer they would be toys, because 30 year olds don't buy toys, they buy "Computer Entertainment System". Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, it worked very well, and console gaming was made "cool", and sold a LOT both in hardware and in software.

The problem is that if you leave something to stagnate long enough, it gets boring, so now even the "cool" console gaming is just a byproduct of that mentality, the graphics-before-gameplay mentality.

A good idea can surely become a boring idea if there is no change, and i think this is what happening, and what Nintendo is trying to tackle, what Sony is trying to copy from Nintendo, and what MS is trying to monopolise. (ok that last bit just sounded REALLY good in my head so i had to write it, but it's not really what i think!)

 

[kimg]

I think its easy to miss the point with sony's strategy, even when ken kutaragi himself have told it, in some of the interviews posted lately here.

Sony have a home entertainment computer, and, in later internet age, it mean, its a open ended free platform.

Who mean, they cannon take profit from selling a console with LOSS, and earn it by selling content(since, many could buy one for other purposes).

So, now, sony use a different model to earn money, and sell the PS3 with PROFIT, since sony cannot be shure if it will sell much, and devlop, in some ways who dont exist, maybe , as a "home media center" or something who currently dont is a really huge marked, or become a center for free content.

 

[blakjedi]

A good idea can surely become a boring idea if there is no change, and i think this is what happening, and what Nintendo is trying to tackle, what Sony is trying to copy from Nintendo, and what MS is trying to monopolise. (ok that last bit just sounded REALLY good in my head so i had to write it, but it's not really what i think!)

Good point and well said!

 

[patsu]

I think its easy to miss the point with sony's strategy, even when ken kutaragi himself have told it, in some of the interviews posted lately here.

Sony have a home entertainment computer, and, in later internet age, it mean, its a open ended free platform.

Who mean, they cannon take profit from selling a console with LOSS, and earn it by selling content(since, many could buy one for other purposes).

So, now, sony use a different model to earn money, and sell the PS3 with PROFIT, since sony cannot be shure if it will sell much, and devlop, in some ways who dont exist, maybe , as a "home media center" or something who currently dont is a really huge marked, or become a center for free content.

That's right. This is why I follow Playstation news more intensely than Xbox 360. It seems that Sony is trying to redefine the "rules", but they may get burnt in the process though.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Annecdotal evidence from biased f anboys mean nothing. We'll see what happens this Fall.

 

[Magnum PI]

are xbox360, PSP and PS3 toys that are ashamed of being toy ?
and wii/DS toys who assume their toyality.

maybe we should assume the fact we are grown-ups who like to play with toys.

 

[TheChefO]

interesting point -

In some ways I agree but in other instances, I 100% disagree. It really depends on the software. Is a computer a toy? What about tv? Dvd player?

 

[Magnum PI]

i think it depends of how you use it, if you only play games with it a computer is a toy.

if you have several kind of uses with it it's like a swiss knife: sometimes it's a productivity tool, sometime a toy, sometimes a development platform..

you don't play with a tv or dvd player, they aren't toys.

 

[TheChefO]

i think it depends of how you use it, if you only play games with it a computer is a toy.

if you have several kind of uses with it it's like a swiss knife: sometimes it's a productivity tool, sometime a toy, sometimes a development platform..

you don't play with a tv or dvd player, they aren't toys.

By "toy" you reference "play" - so if you are "playing" then it must be a "toy".

What about simlators? Where is the line drawn?