Why isn't XB360 outselling PS3 in Europe? *spawn

[swaaye]

RA RA Microsoft! !!!! I'm gonna get a jersey made up....

Hey I like my old ugly Xbox 1 because 1) the PSU is internal 2) it has a 3.5" HDD that is cheap and easily upgraded 3) the modding community has been amazing 4) that huge gamepad fit my nord hands great. They even had those breakaway cables so if you tripped it wouldn't fall and maim someone. Excellent stuff. lol.

But I don't have PS3 or 360 since I'm not into the multiplayer shooter thing and most of my games are on PC anyway. I have been mostly a Nintendo guy in the past. However there's no doubt that XB Live has conquered consoles. Amazing work from MS there. People are so addicted to it that they even accept the horrible hardware issues of original 360.

 

[AmFreak]

They haven't had crap OS. Loads of PS3's break too, and these don't have any convenient warranty. So I think it averages out in MS's favour. I can't honestly say what Joe Gamer will feel regards the RROD fiasco, but the Sony hack fiasco hasn't seen millions run away from PSN, so I don't think these disasters have nearly as much impact as the long-term experiences.

Me neither, that's why i don't think the "crap os" had any real relevance

@Paper

What does this paper tell us? It could mean anything or nothing. And it states that 25% of the french people and 45% of the asked south koreans were avoiding purchasing american products "as a way of displaying their discontent over recent American foreign policies and military action."
Does anyone here really believe that 45% of the South Koreans and 25% of the French changed their buying habits?

 

[rekator]

They're no anti-americanism feeling in France, we only think by us, so by that, for some American politics and Media (ex:Fox New), we're Anti-american 'cause we don't said "Yes, Sir" to all their desires.

For Playstation vs Xbox, many French Gamers see Japan to the "Country of Gaming" due to heritage, grown only with Japan consoles, don't know Amiga, Atari ST, PC etc… So for them console= Japan Product.

Take also that French are great consumers of Mangas (A French is one of starters of Manga Style) so Japan Culture is really implement in French Gaming.
There also a great cultural cross in general from Japan and France.

@ Silent Buddha: Wine products is not like manufactured products…" A trademark" like Champagne is really attach to the geographic location, you don't have a Champagne product if you don't product on the good soil with the good climatic condition, and goog climatic condition is not only Sun.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I don't buy this anti-American feeling in France argument - just take a look at Apple. Their retail strategy is to put stores where retails sales are traditionally strong and France has nine Apple stores including the incredible flagship store store at Carrousel du Louvre. Not to mention what Apple's products, particularly their design, has done for the reputation of American products.

Europe is made up of a bunch of diverse cultures, the most similar to the US being the UK (where I live) but at the end of the day - history, culture, politics aside - consumers the world over are generally just out for a good deal. If you look at the countries where the Xbox has done well, particularly the US and the UK, these are territories where Microsoft has a strong consumer presence through awareness and advertising. I travel a lot in Europe and see little visibility of Microsoft abroad. Coincidence? I don't think so. I remember when 360 launch time and it was hard to watch any programme in the UK without a 360 commercial in - this just didn't happen elsewhere.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

@Paper

What does this paper tell us? It could mean anything or nothing.

It tells us there's an uncertain influence from possible anti-american sentiment but no-one really knows and someone needs to properly research it! The biggest statistical value it can offer if perhaps 20% of people would boycott XB360 even if it was the better product on account of it being American, and that was in 2005, and that percentage seemed applicable to other markets XB360 was selling to as well, like Australia and Canada - negative reaction to Iraq War II wasn't just localised to Europe...

But that's being very selective. The paper is talking mostly about iconic brands like CocaCola and McDonalds, and references to boycotts speak of cigarettes, drinks and cosmetics. Other aspects of the paper suggest little impact overall, and that political opinions don't greatly affect buying habits. I'm reminded of the film 'Babe' that saw a massive drop in pork products after its release, but that didn't last long.

Ooo, here's a good quote, and then I'll stop because this is a huge waste of time and I consider the nationalism card well and truly torn up!:

Tricon, the owner of the Kentucky Friend Chicken (KFC) chain, offers the perfect example of an American firm fueling its growth through expansion in global markets...For a company like Tricon, one dependent on global markets for expansion, the threat of a mass consumer boycott might inspire fear...Days after the destruction of the Karachi KFC in October 2001, Novak emphasized that KFC is an accepted part of the landscape in many countries due to its longstanding presence. He assured the public, “We are going to have some radical situations,” he told Fortune, “but not to the extent that we think it’s going to alter our business plan.”29

The key to Tricon’s relative nonchalance about the impact of Anti-Americanism-inspired boycotts may be its commitment to localism. KFC is known for allowing franchisees to adapt to local tastes and cultures while maintaining centralized quality control. Thus, KFC offers gravy and potatoes in England while serving fresh rice with sweet chili sauce in Thailand.30 As Clayton Tolley, the CEO of global-branding firm Addison Whitney comments, “More and more, if it’s only an American brand without a regional appeal, it’s going to be difficult to market.”

Another voiice saying target the populace with the right product and their political opinions will have less impact.

Not that that's conclusive. The paper isn't conclusive, and wasn't trying to be. Just, taking everything into consideration, the impact of politcs on XB360 will undoubtedly have been minimal, and rather than question Europeans' sanity or political affiliations in not buying XB360, MS should be finding out how to make their consoles more appealing to this market if they want to see better growth next round.

 

[Silent]

better localisation

Microsoft still doesn't know that most people in Belgium speaks Flemisch/Dutch.

Like for example in Belgium for the last of year there has been a lot of tensions with regarding languages. There is a reason we are still having no real government.

My mother is french and my father flemish so I don't pick sides in this argument. But it has been for years that Microsoft releases stuff in french while the biggest community is flemisch/dutch speaking.

In the past the flemish were suppressed by the french and some people are very sensitive with receiving demo's or content in french without having the means of selecting or switching the language. On the PSN network for example this is a preference.

Sony is a whole other company in that regards. While we are perfectly capable of speaking Dutch, Flemish is only somekind of dialect, they even go so far by sometimes localizing it in Flemish. And we are only with 7 million people.

I sometimes have the feeling that Sony is more sensitive regarding cultural things then Microsoft. Personally I don't care but I do know there are a lot of people fretting about such things.

But a big reason that I know that people are not going for Xbox in this country is also the image of Microsoft. Failing computers, abuse of its powers, ... not a brand that really a lot of people trust. When the Xbox 360 where failing in big numbers people only saw that is an acknowledge for their opinion on this regards.

Don't forget while it may see as a big service in countries that doesn't have long warranty by law, for us Europeans it is quite normal to have 2-3 years of warranty on the products we buy. So while it gets applaud for its way of dealing with it in some countries, that certainly wasn't the case here in Europe.

 

[TheChefO]

I can't speak for the rest of Europe, and maybe there are corners that are stupidly nationalistic, but looking at the mass of products sold here from all over the world, I'd really like to know where these people who feel XB360 is shunned because it's American are getting their ideas from. Where something is made/designed practically never gets a mention. A good TV is a good TV wherever its built. A good computer is a good computer. A good mobile is a good mobile. Some nations have reputations, such as UK built stuff falls to pieces and US cars are gas-guzzling monsters, built up from years of fitting those stereotypes, and new products will have to fight to overcome them (a Euro focussed Chevvy mini car will have an uphill struggle to be taken seriously). Similarly stereotypes like German engineering in cars being good can fall from grace with enough experience to the contrary. But flat-out refusal to buy a product, or recognise it for what it is, just because of what country it originates, I don't see happening from day-to-day.

If nationalism comes into it, it's due to regionalised design philosophies like Kinect not working with smaller homes, or having bigger controllers (which is never gonna sway anyone if we're honest). But it'll be the actual features and design of the product that wins over the shoppers or not. The notion that XB360 could be better and cheaper and yet overlooked by Europeans because it's American is ludicrous when you see American companies like Apple doing as well as anyone else. the real explanation is just boring-old every day commerce.

I don't think it's simply a matter of: "it's American I will never buy that!" or "It's MS, I hate them!" ... I think it's simply a preference (in general) to avoid them. Where there is a suitable (in some cases superior) experience which can be had for a bit more money, consumers are choosing to go that route.

I do think there are pockets of such extremism against MS and/or against US products (even here in the States!), but overall, I'd say it's just a preference to avoid if possible (all things being equal).

As the article pointed out, there was a pretty substantial call to outright ban American products in countries around the globe, but I agree that the sentiment should have subsided by now. People have more important concerns to worry about such as the economy and their finances.

That being said, the cheaper console should be executing rather well in these trying times. But localization and marketing for certain regions across Europe is surely what is killing xb360 potential sales in EU.

I seriously doubt it's a matter of games library accounting for such a sales disparity. If so, we'd see those ps3 exclusives crushing the charts in EU.

http://nintendoeverything.com/76784/2011-ytd-software-sales-in-the-us-europe-japan/

1. [PS3] FIFA 12
8. [360] FIFA 12
9. [PS3] Call of Duty: Black Ops
12. [PS3] L.A. Noire
13. [360] FIFA 11
14. [360] Gears of War 3
15. [PS3] Gran Turismo 5
16. [PS3] LittleBigPlanet 2
17. [PS3] Killzone 3
19. [360] L.A. Noire

Top 20 software sales in the region (Wii & DS removed)

3 Futbal/soccer
4 FPS
LA Noire
1 Racing
1 Platformer

30% of top20 HD sales are exclusives to ps3 - better than I expected, but still down the chart quite a bit considering they are all after Gears (xbox360 exclusive) in sales. Another interesting note, FIFA 11 made the chart for xb360 not ps3. I think this speaks to some of the other comments in the thread where Europeans are buying ps3 over xb360 as a sort of status symbol and xb360 owners are more price sensitive (to the point of buying a year old game into a top 20 sales chart).

I suppose this shows the xb360 price advantage is having the desired effect in bringing in the lower end, but they need some help in building up their image to a more premium brand (or partner with one).

I think a poll is in order :

Greatest setback to MS sales in EU:
Localization (Language, Marketing)
Branding/Image (MS/US)
Quality (RRoD)
Library (Exclusives)
Live (Pay for Gaming Online)

 

[TheChefO]

MS should be finding out how to make their consoles more appealing to this market if they want to see better growth next round.

Agreed.

In addition to the increased investment in localization/marketing, MS should also partner with an established and respected CE brand.

Doing so would help on so many fronts:

Better build quality reduced chance of HW failure
Better "image" of build quality
Better distribution into untapped regions
Better understand how to sell into those untapped regions
Co-branding can share advertising costs
Help nullify anti-US/MS sentiment

If they pick the right one, it may even help them sell reasonably well in Japan (and other regions in Asia).

 

[TheChefO]

For Playstation vs Xbox, many French Gamers see Japan to the "Country of Gaming" due to heritage, grown only with Japan consoles, don't know Amiga, Atari ST, PC etc… So for them console= Japan Product.

Take also that French are great consumers of Mangas (A French is one of starters of Manga Style) so Japan Culture is really implement in French Gaming.
There also a great cultural cross in general from Japan and France.

Indeed Sony brought gaming into the mainstream. The interesting inference here though is that a concsious decision is being made to question whether to buy a xb360 simply because it isn't "Japanese".

The cultural connection with Manga is also interesting. Some of my favorite toons from the 80's were born from this Japanese-French connection (Cities of Gold and Inspector Gadget).

Interesting, thanks for posting.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I do think there are pockets of such extremism against MS and/or against US products (even here in the States!),

Yeah, but there are pockets of anti-Sony extremism too (see your sig. ). These pockets are immeasurable.

As the article pointed out, there was a pretty substantial call to outright ban American products in countries around the globe...

Words are cheap. Plenty of famous folk get death-threats, but these threats aren't carried out. Plenty of people tell their significant other they hate them or never want to see them again etc., in an argument, but they don't really mean it. Someone venting anger through words doesn't necessarily mean they'll back up those sentiments with real actions, espiecally if the actions require a reasonable amount of effort such as finding another brand you trust or giving up on a favourite thing like Coke for which there's no real substitute.

That being said, the cheaper console should be executing rather well in these trying times.

Which would be Wii. When it comes to HD, assuming someone wants HD movies as well as HD gaming than PS3 is the more cost effective argument. If someone wants to game online, PS3 is the more cost effective option long-term. If someone's friends all own PS3 and a host of PS3 games to borrow, PS3 is the cheaper option, while if one's friends are all playing COD online on PS3, you'll just have to bite the bullet and pay alittle bit more. The cheaper option is not always the better seller (entry level XB360 ahs never been a great seller), lean times or boom times. And there's no a huge difference between XB360 and PS3.

I seriously doubt it's a matter of games library accounting for such a sales disparity. If so, we'd see those ps3 exclusives crushing the charts in EU.

That's false reasoning. The exclusives can be the differentiating factor, not the major factor for buying a console. Take 10 million people who want to play COD - they can buy XB360 or PS3; COD is the deciding factor to get a console. Now if 1 million of those want to play LBP, and 1 million want to play Uncharted, and 2 million want to play Singstar (or their families want to play Singstar, or EyePet), then there's added value to PS3. Add in a couple of million who want to play BRDs and a million who don't want to pay to play online, and you have a majority wanting PS3 for minor reasons that won't show in the charts(yes, there's crossover between those groups; it's just for illustration)

Top 20 software sales in the region (Wii & DS removed)

But look at the top selling titles for PS3 -

1. [PS3] FIFA 12
2. [PS3] Call of Duty: Black Ops
3. [PS3] L.A. Noire
4. [PS3] Gran Turismo 5
5. [PS3] LittleBigPlanet 2
6. [PS3] Killzone 3

So the top three titles are the break-out successes of this year, available on either platform. But then a lot of those FIFA and COD players also wanted to play GT or LBP2, which they couldn't do if they bought XB360 to play FIFA and COD. If exclusives didn't matter to PS3 owners then they wouldn't feature in the PS3 charts, but they do.

I think a poll is in order :

Greatest setback to MS sales in EU:
Localization (Language, Marketing)
Branding/Image (MS/US)
Quality (RRoD)
Library (Exclusives)
Live (Pay for Gaming Online)

You'd get different answers for different times. When MS entered the console biz, I'd say option 2. Now I'd say option 1/option 4, and the fact that PS is still serving well so people haven't got a reason to switch brands yet. If there was an option "PS is still trusted" I'd go vote that one (not that I'd actually vote!). That's the thing with brand maangement - once you establish a brand, people will tend to stick with it until you manage to lose them. It's damned hard to woo someone away from a successful brand to your new one; you need the existing brand to cock it up. Which is why creating a strong brand is essential to big business. Sony have gone some way towards undermining their brand, but they still have brand advantage.

 

[TheChefO]

(see your sig. )

Simply a reminder to not get too comfy at the top ...

Yes the pockets are immeasurable, but there is an easy solution to nullifying much of the issue for MS via teaming up with a CE brand which also carrys other benefits as well. As I've illustrated.

...espiecally if the actions require a reasonable amount of effort such as finding another brand you trust ...

Exactly.

In this case, it was rather easy to avoid the offending member for those that chose to do so ...

Which would be Wii.

Do they even have FIFA? It didn't post in the top 20 so I honestly don't know ...

When it comes to HD, assuming someone wants HD movies as well as HD gaming than PS3 is the more cost effective argument. If someone wants to game online, PS3 is the more cost effective option long-term. If someone's friends all own PS3 and a host of PS3 games to borrow, PS3 is the cheaper option, while if one's friends are all playing COD online on PS3, you'll just have to bite the bullet and pay alittle bit more.

Good points ... and yet, we see FIFA from last year in the top 20 for xb360 and not for ps3 ... why?

The cheaper option is not always the better seller (entry level XB360 ahs never been a great seller), lean times or boom times. And there's no a huge difference between XB360 and PS3.

Granted, the xb core/arcade has never been the top seller, but it does bring in the consumer that can't afford the higher price, yet wants the HD experience. With the impending death of Wii, I expect the "core" sku to pick up steam in the <$199 price region.

Price disparity with ps3 and xb360 has indeed come down considerably, but cheaper is cheaper.

That's false reasoning. The exclusives can be the differentiating factor, not the major factor for buying a console. Take 10 million people who want to play COD - they can buy XB360 or PS3; COD is the deciding factor to get a console. Now if 1 million of those want to play LBP, and 1 million want to play Uncharted, and 2 million want to play Singstar (or their families want to play Singstar, or EyePet), then there's added value to PS3. Add in a couple of million who want to play BRDs and a million who don't want to pay to play online, and you have a majority wanting PS3 for minor reasons that won't show in the charts(yes, there's crossover between those groups; it's just for illustration)

Indeed.

However there are also exclusives on xb360 ... as we see Gears 3 on top of the exclusives list. An interesting anomoly.

The same logic holds true, most games available on both systems, but a few million want to play Gears, a few mill want to play Halo, a few mill want to play Forza, Kinect, etc.

I'm not saying PS3 exclusives don't matter, I'm saying I find it difficult to believe that those exclusives are the driving force behind the 40% sales advantage given the fact that there are also exclusives on the other side of the equation as well.

But look at the top selling titles for PS3 -

So the top three titles are the break-out successes of this year, available on either platform. But then a lot of those FIFA and COD players also wanted to play GT or LBP2, which they couldn't do if they bought XB360 to play FIFA and COD. If exclusives didn't matter to PS3 owners then they wouldn't feature in the PS3 charts, but they do.

Sure they matter (as do xb exclusives), I just don't think it's enough to sway a 40% advantage.

Now I'd say option 1/option 4, and the fact that PS is still serving well so people haven't got a reason to switch brands yet.

I agree with #1. Is paying for live gold really that big a deal there? MS really needs to research this.

At this point, I agree with the lack of need for switching. Aside from PSN, there really isn't a compelling reason to switch. The best MS could hope for is building up their regional localization teams and pushing the affordability angle to capture new users.

Nextgen they would have to have this already established and building, and then perhaps give people a reason to switch like being first to launch (again), reasonably priced (again), with the promise of a good library that expands into specific Eurozone tastes.

A 1yr headstart with a new Fifa ought to do it

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The same logic holds true, most games available on both systems, but a few million want to play Gears, a few mill want to play Halo, a few mill want to play Forza, Kinect, etc.

Right, but that's where Sony's investment in diversity pays off IMO. Those who want to play Gears also want to play Halo, so MS aren't attracting any new shoppers there. Those who want to play forza quite probably already ahve an affiliation with GT on PS2, so Forza is unlikely to draw away a section of gamers from PS. Kinect definitely works to attract buyers with something unique that Sony can't offer. However, Singstar sells PS3s to a different demographic that KZ3, which sells to a different demographic to LBP, which sells to a different demographic to Eyepet. There's more variety, especially with the little regional variety, that adds value to PS3 for a broader spectrum than XB360. So I reckon the exclusives are pretty substantial. In fact I dare say one can point to the NA market for proof of that - what are the reasons for people still buying PS3's over there when XB360 offers a 'cheaper, better experience'?

Sure they matter (as do xb exclusives), I just don't think it's enough to sway a 40% advantage.

Not in isolation. But I'd say that'd be a big contributing factor to the overall decision making processes. Someone buying a PS3 to play LBP is another user showing PS3 to their friends and family and enoucraging them to buy PS3 for FIFA or COD or Singstar.

 

[Daozang]

I think that console gaming in Europe is directly associated with the PS brand.
I'm not sure if it is because of PES or GT, games that sold and keep selling very well in Europe,
but I've heard many commentators describing a goal in a football match, as "something out of the Playstation"...

 

[TheChefO]

I think that console gaming in Europe is directly associated with the PS brand.

I see this train of thought repeated often on these forums and elsewhere.

In fact, @Shifty I think this is the reason why you still see a substantial base of ps3 buyers in the US.

This association existed also here in the USA.



Wow.

I just ran some numbers and found an interesting trend in the EU that I didn't know existed:

PS1 sold very well in the EU as well as the US (and everywhere).
US totals near 40m, roughly the same as the EU.

PS2 expanded that success to 56m in the US and an astonishing 65m in the EU. Interesting as most don't think of the EU as a larger market than the US. In fact, this install base is the largest in any region for any console in the modern era.

PS3 saw a major retraction to 21m in the US and 27m in the EU. Less than half the install base of the ps2.

Onto the interesting bit:

Across the generations, the EU has typically picked the winner and rolled heavy with it without much regard for other consoles (regardless of origin):

In the US, the ps1 sold 2x as much as the nearest competitor.
In the EU, it sold nearly 6x as much as the nearest competitor.

In the US, the ps2 sold 3.5x as much as the nearest competitor.
In the EU, it sold 8x as much as the nearest competitor.

This gen, the sales leader in the US is up only 1.2x on the nearest competitor and in the EU the leader is up only 1.3x. Much more balanced than the previous gen in all regions.

Currently, ps3 holds roughly a 20% advantage over xb360 in EU, but it is rapidly expanding that lead with a 40% lead in 2011 so far.

In the US, xb360 holds a 62% advantage over ps3 with a current 2011 ~40% lead.



So yes, there is a reputation that "gaming = Playstation" that existed the prior two generations in all regions. The ps1 and ps2 dominated the competition selling at least double the nearest competitor in every region.

In EU however, the lead was even more pronounced than any other regions for both ps1 gen and ps2 gen (including Japan and US) and so the brand is even more entrenched than others, overshadowing competitors.

Point being the Sony=Gaming reputation isn't just in EU. It was well entrenched in Japan and in the States. Not as gaudy, but still at least double the sales of it's nearest competitor.

 

[-tkf-]

I see this train of thought repeated often on these forums and elsewhere.

In fact, @Shifty I think this is the reason why you still see a substantial base of ps3 buyers in the US.

This association existed also here in the USA.



Wow.

I just ran some numbers and found an interesting trend in the EU that I didn't know existed:

PS1 sold very well in the EU as well as the US (and everywhere).
US totals near 40m, roughly the same as the EU.

PS2 expanded that success to 56m in the US and an astonishing 65m in the EU. Interesting as most don't think of the EU as a larger market than the US. In fact, this install base is the largest in any region for any console in the modern era.

PS3 saw a major retraction to 21m in the US and 27m in the EU. Less than half the install base of the ps2.

Onto the interesting bit:

Across the generations, the EU has typically picked the winner and rolled heavy with it without much regard for other consoles (regardless of origin):

In the US, the ps1 sold 2x as much as the nearest competitor.
In the EU, it sold nearly 6x as much as the nearest competitor.

In the US, the ps2 sold 3.5x as much as the nearest competitor.
In the EU, it sold 8x as much as the nearest competitor.

This gen, the sales leader in the US is up only 1.2x on the nearest competitor and in the EU the leader is up only 1.3x. Much more balanced than the previous gen in all regions.

Currently, ps3 holds roughly a 20% advantage over xb360 in EU, but it is rapidly expanding that lead with a 40% lead in 2011 so far.

In the US, xb360 holds a 62% advantage over ps3 with a current 2011 ~40% lead.



So yes, there is a reputation that "gaming = Playstation" that existed the prior two generations in all regions. The ps1 and ps2 dominated the competition selling at least double the nearest competitor in every region.

In EU however, the lead was even more pronounced than any other regions for both ps1 gen and ps2 gen (including Japan and US) and so the brand is even more entrenched than others, overshadowing competitors.

Point being the Sony=Gaming reputation isn't just in EU. I was well entrenched in Japan and in the States. Not as gaudy, but still at least double the sales of it's competitor.

I guess you just showed just how good the 360 is doing in Europe

The next round is going to be so interesting, Microsoft hopefully will keep on learning and there is a valid risk that Sony wont

 

[Johnny_Physics]

Another voiice saying target the populace with the right product and their political opinions will have less impact.

Except if that political opinion is something KFCs business practices can't accept. KFC isn't everywhere like McDonalds you know.

 

[TheChefO]

Right, but that's where Sony's investment in diversity pays off IMO...

Honestly this is the point in the life-cycle of consoles when real diversity should start to show up. The consoles are getting cheaper to produce and sell so they are now (~$200) finding their way into more homes and with that larger user-base comes more diverse tastes that can adequately support the investment of niche games.

This is why I was honestly concerned/pissed/shocked that Sony's BOM was so high, as it prevented this diversity that would have otherwise been here sooner which in turn would force MS to respond in kind such that creativity would be an honest driving force.

Unfortunately, rising dev costs have forced the industry in exactly the opposite direction up to this point. We see constant copycats, and with the economy the way it is, further regression from the consumer to buy only known "quality" products they are familiar with and know they will get their "moneys worth".

Hence COD dominating the sales charts along with a dozen or so "me-toos".


In order for diversity to reach anywhere near the levels we saw with ps1/ps2, we need to see revolutionary changes on the dev side (nothing to do with hardware) to develop games cheaper and faster. No, this isn't a call for outsourcing. Systems, and libraries need to be easily configurable, editable, customizable, and functional while producing stunning results.

I think the industry may need to further specialize in order to consolidate expenditures and tap resources more efficiently.

Epic is off to a good start with UE3, and Physx as well, but these are only a start.

/rant

 

[tuna]

In order for diversity to reach anywhere near the levels we saw with ps1/ps2, we need to see revolutionary changes on the dev side (nothing to do with hardware) to develop games cheaper and faster. No, this isn't a call for outsourcing. Systems, and libraries need to be easily configurable, editable, customizable, and functional while producing stunning results.


/rant

You have many more viable platforms and distribution methods today than you had in the PS1/PS2 days. I also think we have much more diversity than back then.

 

[TheChefO]

You have many more viable platforms and distribution methods today than you had in the PS1/PS2 days. I also think we have much more diversity than back then.

True, but I'm speaking more of richer gaming experiences.

Most of what you see in the other channels (arcade, indie, phone/tablet) are games/genres that are already well established (with concepts and mechanics that are already well refined), yet not financially viable to sell at $60 retail.

 

[tuna]

True, but I'm speaking more of richer gaming experiences.

Most of what you see in the other channels (arcade, indie, phone/tablet) are games/genres that are already well established (with concepts and mechanics that are already well refined), yet not financially viable to sell at $60 retail.

So you want more diversity but you want everything to be on home consoles and sell for $60 at a retailer?