Wii, Xbox360, PS3 = Win, Win, Win!!

[Dregun]

Has anyone really sat down and thought about how great this generation is turning out to be? With all the mudslinging I know its hard to see through all of it *Raises Hand*(guilty party), but when you do you see every gamer should be satisfied. Something is offered for everybody and the next couple of years are going to be interesting (hardware sales aside) when compared to the previous generations.

So I'm going to break down what I have seen and how I believe it to show how great the industry is looking to be this generation.

Xbox360
Current leader, no doubt that the value MS has offered with its second console is remarkable...kudos to MS for creating a console with incredible graphics and great functionality. The 360 really showed that the gaming community is eager to choose what options they feel show value or what they can afford by releasing two different versions of the 360. Although the launch lineup wasn't spectacular it did show how much promise the machine had and as a result the consumers rejoiced when the vision of GOW graced their screens for the first time. For those looking for a no nonsense machine capable of displaying great graphics and a tested and proven online infrastructure with an increasing library of AAA games... a gamer can't go wrong buying the 360.

Wii
Complete surprise for most people on the success of Nintendos GC follow up. Nintendo preached that gamers don't value graphics as much as the media portrayed and if the recent sales say anything about it Nintendo might have been right. Nintendo saw a market that was ripe for the taking and took a gamble on releasing an innovative control scheme that would allow for greater adaptation for those new to gaming. Although I have consistantly expressed my lack of enthusiasm of the under powered console I have to admit that the audience Nintendo was after could probably care less about graphics and therefore my personal opinion. The Wii has shown many people that playing Video Games can be fun and Nintendo's Party software is perfectly suited for this demographic. The Wii is in a whole other class compared to the 360 and PS3, its what Nintendo was aiming for and they hit that target perfectly.

PS3
No denying that the PS3 has some very impressive hardware that has the potential to deliver incredible graphics and AI. Sony has followed suit with MS's release of two separate consoles that give the consumer a choice on features and price. Included in the console at both price/hardware points is a HD movie format capable machine that offers a new format for watching movies on a HD display. Although the launch lineup of software available for the PS3 has seemed to be lackluster the impressive RFOM has shown it can keep up with the 360 out of the gate. Even though nothing is certain it looks as though the PS3 will offer some great gaming opportunities in the not so distant future. Its current high price and the aforementioned lackluster launch lineup shouldn't hold the machine down for long and those looking for a great gaming experience can be rest assured the PS3 will be able to deliver in spades with a little time.


I see no reason why people wouldn't be happy owning any 2 of these consoles. This generation is going to mark the insurgence of multi console owners, last generation showed the gaming community could support it. This generation is going to show that gamers are willing to support more then one console out of the gate, even going as far as blurring the lines of console loyalty. I don't see clear domination from one console maker this generation, instead I see all three consoles bringing gaming to the masses.

Each machine holds a certain value over the other, yet none of them can honestly show they are completely superior in all aspects. This is something we didn't have last generation, MS had the graphics crown but its software lineup was sub par. Gamecube had good graphics and some decent AAA titles but not enough software support to keep the majority of gamers happy. The PS2 was the weakest console yet had the best software support and the most AAA titles and some gems that matched some of the XBOX's graphics capabilities. The 360 and PS3 look as though in 2 years are going to be close in both software and graphics this generation as compared to last. The Wii is a different beast and the software is going ot be different so the graphics are going to be a minor factor compared to the audience it serves.

All in all, this gen is looking fantastic and superior to last generation...and last generation was fantastic if you ask me.


Dregun

 

[Bobbler]

To be honest, this is probably the first generation where I felt having all consoles was actually almost a necessity.

 

[TheChefO]

To be honest, this is probably the first generation where I felt having all consoles was actually almost a necessity.

I own all consoles from last gen but I staggered the purchases based on bang/buck.

I anticipated doing the same this gen but I'm not sure. It will depend on how quickly ps3 can drop and how soon next-nextgen comes.

Currently I own a xb360, I anticipate Wii purchase this year <$200 and will get ps3 @ <$200 if next-nextgen isn't coming in the same year.

I look at ps3 as fairly equal in ability to xb360 so with xb360 I already have my "HD" fix. Multiplat games will likely remain the same through the gen so the only draw will be ps3 exclusives which will mostly be SCEA 1st party/2nd party by my estimations. Given that, the value to access this sub-library to me is only worth <$200. But if this price is not met by the time next-nextgen rolls around, I feel it would be money wasted, and those dollars would be better spent applied to one of those consoles.

Wii offers a significantly different experience from xb360/ps3 so I value it's inclusion in my entertainment center more so than adding a ps3 but the value proposition is somewhat compromised by it's inner workings. I can't help but feel Wii isn't "worth" $250 when in contrast, xb360 is only $50 more. The system offers value of course, but technologically, I feel ripped off at $250. <$200 and they have a deal.

That's my view/situation anyway.

 

[Readykilowatt]

Well, all the consoles this generation are more expensive than the ones last generation. As a result, there will be fewer consumers who will be able to afford multiple consoles. Therefore, I predict this gen we will have a console that bombs massively (like 3DO), one that struggles (like Xbox) and one that succeeds tremendously (like the DS).

 

[DuckThor Evil]

I predict this gen we will have a console that bombs massively (like 3DO)

That's ridiculous. I'm not sure that is possible even in theory, actually I do know, it's not possible.

 

[dobwal]

Actually, last gen showed that the market couldn't support 3 console at least under the circumstances presented by the Xbox as it was unprofitable. This generation presents different circumstances and is dependent on marketshare on whether the market can support 3 consoles. I don't think the PS3 will be profitable unless it captures a large part of the market. I am also unconvinced that MS strategy doesn't require growth for profitability. Depending on how the market plays out we can have 3 profitable system, 1 profitable system or something in between.

 

[NERO]

I agree with the pacifists that we should make love and not war in console world, but now that the discussion is moving into the business realm, I have a question for the savy: (1) We understand that profit making from console hardware is secondary to software licensing (where the money's at) but is there a vague breakdown of some of these licensing agreements?

As for the profitability of the current gen consoles; We know Wii has already made it in hardware, while the XBox2 and PS3 are going to take long and longer, respectively. All there makers are riding the downloadables market and that will bring nice change, but these licensing agreements...gadzuks! Please someone reccomend a site, book, or anywhere I can find this knowledge (maybe past records) because it is a huge gap when trying to analyse this stuff.

 

[Todd33]

I look at ps3 as fairly equal in ability to xb360 so with xb360 I already have my "HD" fix.

Well that is kind of a ridiculous statement, if you have a gaming PC, why buy a 360? I've had my "HD" fix for years before the 360 came out on my PC, does that mean I don't want a HD console? HD is the standard now, not a premium. TV hardware, TV programs, movies, games - SD is going the way of the Dodo bird.

Multiplat games will likely remain the same through the gen so the only draw will be ps3 exclusives which will mostly be SCEA 1st party/2nd party by my estimations. Given that, the value to access this sub-library to me is only worth <$200.

Sony has better 1st/2nd party dev than MS IMO, both systems will have great exclusives, as we saw with the prior gen. You sound like you are doing intellectual somersaults to convince yourself of your purchase.

Wii offers a significantly different experience from xb360/ps3 so I value it's inclusion in my entertainment center more so than adding a ps3 but the value proposition is somewhat compromised by it's inner workings.

I agree the Wii is different, but to me it's a gimick. I don't think the Wii has long term viability, not in this new HD era. Waving a controller around in the air does not appeal to me.

I own a PC, 360 and PS3. While all three overlap, it's the games and features that they do not overlap that makes them a worthwhile investment.

 

[Readykilowatt]

That's ridiculous. I'm not sure that is possible even in theory, actually I do know, it's not possible.

How "possible even in theory" was it for DQ9 to go to the DS? You should stop speaking in absolutes.

 

[TheChefO]

Well that is kind of a ridiculous statement, if you have a gaming PC, why buy a 360? I've had my "HD" fix for years before the 360 came out on my PC, does that mean I don't want a HD console? HD is the standard now, not a premium. TV hardware, TV programs, movies, games - SD is going the way of the Dodo bird.

I have a htpc, it is horrible at games as I found by attempting to postpone my xb360 purchase by upgrading it and purchasing Oblivion.

I personally am quite sick of dealing with pc tweaks etc. I don't have the time or desire. Thus, xb360. Problem solved.

Sony has better 1st/2nd party dev than MS IMO, both systems will have great exclusives, as we saw with the prior gen. You sound like you are doing intellectual somersaults to convince yourself of your purchase.

In your opinion, and I would guess most people would give SCEA 1st/2nd party the nod as well. However xb360 was first and it is still cheaper. If ps3 was available at the same time for the same price with a comperable library I probably would have made a different choice. However, I knew ps3 was not coming anytime soon nor would the library be comperable and when I found out the price I made my decision to not only take the plunge in xb360 but to do so immediately given that MS did not feel any pricing pressure last year from Sony.

Regarding my intellectual somersaults, My decisions were based on a logical evaluation of the current and likely future situations that best fit me. I'm quite happy with my investment while you have yet to post a positive statement about xb360 on this forum. Are you happy with your purchases? In fact, if one were to analyze your post history one might come to the conclusion that given your purchases you may be feeling a bit of buyers remorse yourself. Not that I want to speak for you or anything but you seem a bit defensive regarding ps3. Like you said though, 1st/2nd party SCEA will make it worth while regardless of how the platform ends up so I wouldn't worry if I were you.:smile:

I agree the Wii is different, but to me it's a gimick. I don't think the Wii has long term viability, not in this new HD era. Waving a controller around in the air does not appeal to me.

I own a PC, 360 and PS3. While all three overlap, it's the games and features that they do not overlap that makes them a worthwhile investment.

Agreed - games make the platform and while you may think the Wii is a gimmick, you will be missing out on quite a few gems if you choose to ignore it.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Well that is kind of a ridiculous statement, if you have a gaming PC, why buy a 360? I've had my "HD" fix for years before the 360 came out on my PC, does that mean I don't want a HD console? HD is the standard now, not a premium. TV hardware, TV programs, movies, games - SD is going the way of the Dodo bird.

Oviously he's talkin about consoles not pc's. And HD isnt standard yet, most people still dont own any HD hardware and by the time the vast majority will have HD tv's ps3/x360 gfx wont be that impressive anymore anyway.

Sony has better 1st/2nd party dev than MS IMO, both systems will have great exclusives, as we saw with the prior gen. You sound like you are doing intellectual somersaults to convince yourself of your purchase.

he isnt trying to convince anyone. he just says he doesnt want to spend over 200dollar to play those few exclusive ps3 games since most games will be multiplatform anyway.

I agree the Wii is different, but to me it's a gimick. I don't think the Wii has long term viability, not in this new HD era. Waving a controller around in the air does not appeal to me.

1. You dont wave the controller in the air, stop using that idiotic argument.
2. Indeed, new HD era, by the time HD in standard we have next next gen consoles. I dont think HD will be the reason why people buy a certain console.

 

[Todd33]

I have a htpc, it is horrible at games as I found by attempting to postpone my xb360 purchase by upgrading it and purchasing Oblivion.

I personally I'm quite sick of dealing with pc tweaks etc. I don't have the time or desire. Thus, xb360. Problem solved.

True, but there are some great PC games and they are always cheaper. Dark Messiah comes to mind, great game for $30, better than Oblivion IMO.

In your opinion, and I would guess most people would give SCEA 1st/2nd party the nod as well. However xb360 was first and it is still cheaper. If ps3 was available at the same time for the same price with a comperable library I probably would have made a different choice.

I wasn't try to make you sell you 360 for a PS3, but claiming the PS3 is only worth $200 is silly. It's a great BD player and will have a great library. So why is the 360 worth $400 at launch but the Ps3 is only worth $200 at the end of it's life

Regarding my intellectual somersaults, My decisions were based on a logical evaluation of the current and likely future situations that best fit me. I'm quite happy with my investment while you have yet to post a positive statement about xb360 on this forum.Are you happy with your purchases? In fact, if one were to analyze your post history one might come to the conclusion that given your purchases you may be feeling a bit of buyers remorse yourself. Not that I want to speak for you or anything but you seem a bit defensive regarding ps3. Like you said though, 1st/2nd party SCEA will make it worth while regardless of how the platform ends up so I wouldn't worry if I were you.:smile:

You want to know why, because it seems the 360 walks on water and everyone attacks Sony and the PS3 as a hobby. Both have pros and cons, but it seems the 360, especially by people in NA, is some wonder device. So if I am in the middle of the two (I do own and play both) and see undeserving praise for the 360 I will call it out, same goes for the PS3 bashing. If both systems and companies were treated equally then I would have little to say. But if you want to analyze my short post history so be it, we should also do yours. You are pro 360 and politely if not passively anti-PS3 but you don't even own a PS3. At least my criticism or praise of a system/game is based on use and ownership.

As for the Wii the only game I would have any interest in is Zelda and I could play that on the GC.

 

[dobwal]

I wasn't try to make you sell you 360 for a PS3, but claiming the PS3 is only worth $200 is silly. It's a great BD player and will have a great library. So why is the 360 worth $400 at launch but the Ps3 is only worth $200 at the end of it's life

Why would you describe someone's opinion of what something is personally worth to them as silly?

As for the Wii the only game I would have any interest in is Zelda and I could play that on the GC.

Why would you forgo Zelda on the Wii to play Zelda on the GC if you already own the Wii?

Reading your responses makes me believe that we share an ugly habit of sometimes prematurely posting counter responses before truly interpreting the posts of others.

 

[Natoma]

Anyone saying the Wii is doomed to failure need only look at all the DS-failure prognosticators lying in its wake.

As for Xbox360/PS3, I believe that as long as the high end PS3 has a $200 premium over the high end Xbox 360, it will trail, and trail badly. The 360 has too much of a lead in terms of games announced and created for the PS3 to overcome with that kind of price differential. The exclusives that have defected to the 360 and DS, or become cross platform, only prove as much. As does the current sales trends. Things are not particularly pretty for Sony atm, but they can turn it around. It starts with significantly dropping that price.

p.s.: Good post Dregun. pos-rep.

 

[TheChefO]

True, but there are some great PC games and they are always cheaper. Dark Messiah comes to mind, great game for $30, better than Oblivion IMO.

Agreed, I will miss and have missed out on many a great pc title. But I'd rather spend my time and money elsewhere than constantly upgrade and tinker with the pc to enjoy them.

I wasn't try to make you sell you 360 for a PS3, but claiming the PS3 is only worth $200 is silly. It's a great BD player and will have a great library. So why is the 360 worth $400 at launch but the Ps3 is only worth $200 at the end of it's life

PS3 is only worth <$200 to me because I already have a xb360. I already will get the 3rd party games as well as MS 1st/2nd party. The only thing I'm missing out on is SCEA 1st/2nd and potentially a 3rd party exclusive here or there.

You want to know why, because it seems the 360 walks on water and everyone attacks Sony and the PS3 as a hobby. Both have pros and cons, but it seems the 360, especially by people in NA, is some wonder device. So if I am in the middle of the two (I do own and play both) and see undeserving praise for the 360 I will call it out, same goes for the PS3 bashing. If both systems and companies were treated equally then I would have little to say. But if you want to analyze my short post history so be it, we should also do yours. You are pro 360 and politely if not passively anti-PS3 but you don't even own a PS3. At least my criticism or praise of a system/game is based on use and ownership.

How long have you lurked this site before joining? One might have said the exact opposite not too long ago.

As for my posting/leaning, I try my best to post fairly regarding games and systems, but Sony collectively (KK, Harrison, Kaz etc) have made many foolish mistakes in my opinion, all the while being as arrogant as possible. I enjoy bringing truth to their statements/actions probably just as much as you enjoy bringing justice to what you perceive to be unjust posts. I sometimes even get a laugh or two just as I'm sure you do. :smile:

As for the Wii the only game I would have any interest in is Zelda and I could play that on the GC.

Well, as far as you know that is the only game you will have interest in, but keep in mind before playstation's success there were many franchises that did not exist, some not in the form they do today. Same for ps2. If Wii continues to sell this well, publishers/developers will be lining up in droves to bring new and old concepts/franchises to the console. I'm sure one or two of these would be worthy of your time.

 

[Todd33]

Anyone saying the Wii is doomed to failure need only look at all the DS-failure prognosticators lying in its wake.

As for Xbox360/PS3, I believe that as long as the high end PS3 has a $200 premium over the high end Xbox 360, it will trail, and trail badly. The 360 has too much of a lead in terms of games announced and created for the PS3 to overcome with that kind of price differential. The exclusives that have defected to the 360 and DS, or become cross platform, only prove as much. As does the current sales trends. Things are not particularly pretty for Sony atm, but they can turn it around. It starts with significantly dropping that price.

p.s.: Good post Dregun. pos-rep.

The $500 PS3 is equivalent to the $400 360, that's a $100 difference (ignoring the play and charge kit cost). Whether or not someone will pay $100 for BD playback and the Sony exclusive library is up to debate. The PS3 sales in NA and Japan are as good as the 360 in the same time period correct? Europe pre-sales are also good. So by what measure is the PS3 selling bad? Maybe just more doom and gloom spin?

NA:
http://www.vgcharts.org/aconscomps.php?name1=PS3&name2=X360&type=2&align=0

Japan:
http://www.vgcharts.org/japconscomps.php?name1=PS3&name2=X360&type=2&align=0

 

[Natoma]

The $500 PS3 is equivalent to the $400 360, that's a $100 difference (ignoring the play and charge kit cost). Whether or not someone will pay $100 for BD playback and the Sony exclusive library is up to debate.

Doesn't the 360 have ~150 games right now vs the ~10-15 games for PS3? I'd say that's a rather huge difference in addition to the price for a gamer to consider.

The PS3 sales in NA and Japan are as good as the 360 in the same time period correct? Europe pre-sales are also good. So by what measure is the PS3 selling bad? Maybe just more doom and gloom spin?

NA:
http://www.vgcharts.org/aconscomps.php?name1=PS3&name2=X360&type=2&align=0

Japan:
http://www.vgcharts.org/japconscomps.php?name1=PS3&name2=X360&type=2&align=0

No argument there. But the 360 had the market all to itself to work out the kinks and build up a base of software for a year. The PS3 has to deal with the Wii, a mature 360 market/games picture, and a very high price premium. That's far more formidable imo.

 

[TheChefO]

The $500 PS3 is equivalent to the $400 360, that's a $100 difference (ignoring the play and charge kit cost). Whether or not someone will pay $100 for BD playback and the Sony exclusive library is up to debate. The PS3 sales in NA and Japan are as good as the 360 in the same time period correct? Europe pre-sales are also good. So by what measure is the PS3 selling bad? Maybe just more doom and gloom spin?

NA:
http://www.vgcharts.org/aconscomps.php?name1=PS3&name2=X360&type=2&align=0

Japan:
http://www.vgcharts.org/japconscomps.php?name1=PS3&name2=X360&type=2&align=0

Even if that were true, that is still a horrible fall from what Playstation2 was and what many expected ps3 to be. What's even worse is if they go on tracking the same as xb360 they will be behind xb360 in the end. All the while this whole scenario could have been avoided by Sony had they chose more wisely in their design decisions.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry about their situation. If they weren't so arrogant I'd probably have a lot more sympathy for them.

Regarding the $400=$500. This is true for a games console. However one must also conclude that for a games console, one has a significantly larger library and a better online service.

On non-gaming functions ps3 has a BR player linux and a web browser. XB360 has media extender and movie downloads (if one were so inclined one could add HD-DVD).

 

[infinity4]

this generation will see huge move into online, and it will be key component of a games console. All thanks to Microsoft i should say

 

[dobwal]

The PS3 sales in NA and Japan are as good as the 360 in the same time period correct? Europe pre-sales are also good. So by what measure is the PS3 selling bad? Maybe just more doom and gloom spin?

Sony using the 360 sales as a measure to judge the PS3 success in japan is like judging a movie against "Battlefield Earth" to determine its worthiness as a Oscar contender.

Of course the PS3 isn't selling well in japan as the Wii or the PS2 are more relevant measures.

Comparing sales in the US would be irrelevant because the true demand of the PS3 isn't known and was supply constrained as of the last report of sales.