Yep, Microsoft and Sony sell game consoles too
Remember Sony and Microsoft? No? Well, neither does the average Amazon customer.
According to a release sent out by the online retail giant Friday, the Nintendo Wii and all its accessories dominated video game sales during the holiday shopping rush and not one mention was made of Sony's Playstation 3 or Microsoft's Xbox 360.
"Nintendo Wii dominated the top sellers in video games and hardware, including the Wii console, the Wii remote controller and the Wii nunchuk controller," the release reports.
What about all its competitors? Have they somehow entered the realm of irrelevance?
I'm starting to wonder if they have.
A quick glance at console sales over the past year tells you everything you need to know about the video game hardware business. With 43.75 million units sold, the Wii easily dominates the market, which is also home to 26.49 million Xbox 360 units and 18.82 million Playstation 3 consoles.
I was hoping that Sony and Microsoft would have a stronger showing during this year's holiday season and so far, little data is available to make a call on whether or not the companies did. But one thing is certain: if the world's most important Web retailer says Nintendo "dominated" the video game console market, you can bet it's not an isolated incident.
And now, as we wait for accurate console sales figures from NPD, I'm left wondering if Nintendo can push its competitors into the realm of irrelevance with a huge showing in December. After all, with such a huge lead in unit sales and little competition from Sony and Microsoft over the past year, can we really still believe that either company has the ability to beat Nintendo during this generation?
OK, OK, so I'm sure some of you out there are saying that I need to remember that the "Wii isn't a competitor" to the other consoles. Rubbish. The Wii is a direct competitor to the other consoles because it's vying for the same spending dollars that Microsoft and Sony are. To say the Wii isn't a competitor and it's not fair to compare all three consoles is ludicrous.
Say what you will about Nintendo, the Wii, and anything else the company focuses on, but one thing is clear: its hardware is dominating the video game business and Sony and Microsoft haven't been able to do anything to stop it.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
The Wii is a fun machine, but will never be a media hub in any lounge room. My 360 is used daily for music, movies, games and Xbox Live - not once has it stuttered or failed in any way.
I agree with the PS3 pricing. It is still a too high a price point for an average consumer.
As others mentioned RROD is a fault of the 1st gen X360s.
There is also the problem that XBox360's are DUST MAGNETS.... even worse than most computers are! I don't understand it, but I had to clean out an XBox360 for a friend after he got the RRoD (by the way, that fixed the problem!).... I've seen 10 year old, never-cleaned computers that were cleaner than his XBox360, which was only a year old. at the time.
Lerianis, a refurbished 360 like what JeffKni is referring to is the replacement unit you get after you get the red rings of death. You probably didn't know this but they don't send you the same unit that you originally bought, they just have a production line and when they receive your broken 360 they replace it with one of their recently fixed units.
I have a number of friends who have suffered from multiple occurences of the red rings of death
And what amazes me is that people aren't angry that the availability of Nintendo's wares is always so short. I've been trying to get a WiiFit for over a year with no success. No, it seems. The Wii and its components are like heroin.
Are Americans turning into casual gamers? What will that spell for the future for "hardcore" gamers who prefer Japanese titles?
If the sales aren't generating, the developers will start to cut the amount of titles they localize and ship to our shores. We might just suffer the lot of European gamers (at least five years ago it was that way) and be forced to import games we can't understand because they're in the native language.
I own all three consoles and our Wii has been collecting dust for half a year, since the "charm" of Mario Kart Wii wore off (for me that was about two days of being cheated out of fair wins). Yet this is dominating the market?
I had that video games have become so mainstream. People are buying a console that's completely ignoring the people who made Nintendo what it is.
/P
I only own a Wii (and because of that there's basically 0 chance that my parents would allow another console), and I've been sorely disappointed by most of the games that's were supposedly good. It really says a lot that a HUGE majority of my Brawl play time has been in the stage creator, of all other modes. And I'm a HUGE fan of Melee.
*** is a "real" game, and who defines it?
Apparently not you...
And tell me, are the mundane FPS and racing games on those "other" consoles "real" games? And if so, why so?
Discuss.
The gaming industry is stale, all they do is repackage the same game with slightly better graphics.
I have a few games for it, thats it.
I was looking at some games to see if there were any i wanted, none, at all...
Only next one i can think of is No More Heroes 2.
The amount of casual games on Wii is terrible, it isn't even laughable.
What the hell is it with everything being super cute and kiddy?
Seriously, if anyone ever called Nintendo a company for kids, they are more right now than they have ever been.
Damn it companies, stop targeting these people, make some games with actual depth, for the love of gaming, make something DECENT.
I almost want to sell the Wii, because its pretty much sitting there doing nothing.
Ummm... I picked up a WiiFit THIS past summer when it was released here in the US (about 7 months ago). Where have you been trying to get one for over a year?
The big question is, how should Nintendo and its developers advertise to make sure quality games sell well on the Wii? Metroid, RE4, Zack and Wiki, deBlob, Okami, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor Heroes 2, etc.
My fiance and I go at it on the sports pack games at home... I got the Wii fit and we spend a lot of time playing that. I got Legos Star Wars - The Complete Saga as an early gift and I can't put that one down.
As a guy who spends a lot of time playing PC games like BF2/2142, Crysis, COD4 etc... the Wii is fun for EVERYONE where as the PS3 and 360 are more geared towards the hardcore gamers with a few casual games thrown in.
Mario Kart Wii, Carnival Games, Wii Fit, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Legos Star Wars / Indiana Jones / Dark Knight... those are all great games... the virtual games are just as as I remembered them on my NES/SNES with a slightly different controller.
My 360 and PS2 have been collecting dust since Halo 3 and well, um, I can't remember the last time I turned on my PS2. The Wii is played multiple times a week as is my gaming PC.
Just because the Wii does not have five hundred games where you shoot and/or blow up things or beat the crap out of something does not mean it's a boring console. If beating the crap out something/someone or blowing crap up is your idea of fun and a 'real game', then you, my friend, have issues.
The Wii is a joke, Xbo360 which i own.. is so locked down it drives me crazy, and the PS3 seems to be fine for now, since it dropped price. The main issues for us is that the whole industry seems to be restarting. The best game that came out this year wasn't even THAT original, in my opinion it was Fallout 3...
Serious gamers want the innovation back, not this mindless crap.
My mom owns her own Wii.
BTW--look around on the roads. Ever since people lost their home equity loans, the number of BMW's and Mercedes driving around has gone way down as people shift to more affordable VWs--so apparently those companies do compete for the same consumer dollars as well.
You are absolutely wrong. Halo 3, Call of Duty and many many other games like them, are actually doing far superior to what the Wii games are doing. Halo 3 and GTAIV are the two best selling games of this generation, and have sold far more copies than any Wii games that don't come with the Wii free, or come with a controller (wii sports and Wii play). And they will continue to sell more copies, because while Wii's are sitting unused in many homes, the majority of 360 owners are still buying games at least once a quarter (4 times a year) and are also paying to get on Xbox Live every day as well.
well that's a totally different animal. that's because the vast majority were leased - and when the lease (typically 2 or 3 years) expires, people normally turn them in. probably has been happening in even higher numbers lately as people try to keep their finances sane in an insane economy.
don't get me wrong there are just as many BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus on the roads around here as before. I can tell no discernable difference, and I pay attention to these things a lot. but people are not going out and getting new ones in the numbers they were before, nor replacing the ones they turned in off of leases. so if there are fewer (as you say) it's not a direct parallel to gaming consoles since they're not usually owned.
FWIW I don't own a latest-generation console, still happy with my PS2 and have fun with online games and a Nintendo DS. the Wii is OK, I've played it at "parties" but there aren't really any games on it, that are a "must have", I can't find on another console. so if I'd had to choose one today, for my dollar I'd probably purchase the 360. Sony just went way too upmarket with the PS3, and I could still care less about Blue Ray even though I watch tons and tons of movies.
that's the bottom line with the Wii - it provides the most "family fun" AND is the most affordable at the same time. Win-Win, for your average Joe or Jane. it uses a lot of the latest technology and has very good graphics, so that's a huge sell. but the fact that "non-gamers" can step in without ever having gamed before and can sit around and play it with each other (or their gamer kids) is a huge plus. add the fitness type games, etc. and you have an extra segment of the market that Nintendo has been able to create, that didn't previously exist at all.
I know, some of you will point to the $199 Xbox 360 Arcade, but seeing as that doesn't include the hard drive which is required for some of the functionality, the real base price is $299 for one with a hard drive.
The "hardcore" gamer mentality is one that really baffles me. It seems like to be a "hardcore" gamer means that you have to play games with the absolute best graphics and plenty of violence. I, on the other hand, think it would be better defined by the quality of gameplay. Since the Wii has such a nice selection of classic games available besides the store bought titles, I consider it to be in some ways a "hardcore" system.
How are you going to save your game? it has NO internal Memory to even save a gamer profile which is required to sign in and play.
ES4 needed an hdd just to play te expansion set.
I like most Americans have jobs and families, we have niether the time nor energy to involve ourselves in hardcore gaming. Translation we have a life. This is were the Wii fits in. I can play a simple game on my lunch break eat and get back to work. This is something that I can't do with the majority of games on the PS3 or 360. Nintendo gets it. It is going back to the roots of console gaming and I for one am thrilled at that fact. If you are a hardcore gamer look no further then the PS3, 360, or the PC. The Wii is not for you. If you have a job and kids and like to spend time with your family then pick up a Wii. This is the console for you.
Nicely stated. I too have a life and a brood of my own. The Wii system is perfect gaming system for the family to do something fun and interactive together. My 3 year old son loves loves outdoor sports. With the Wii Fit, he is able to get the exercise he's deprived during the winter months when the ambient outdoor temperature is a brisk 46 degrees. While I too enjoy the "hardcore" gaming experience, consoles such as the 360 and PS3 just doesn't fit into a busy work related lifestyle.
For seniors, the Wii system is a blessing. I have a strong suspicion that many convelescent homes have purchased a good share of these units as a cost savings measure, in addition to convenience. My wife's company conducts quarterly Wii events that gives their employees an opportunity to burn of some energy (and frustration) while engaging in good fun and competition.
online English fascinates me, but this one always to creep up more and more. it's almost becoming as common as lose vs. loose..... your vs. you're..... its vs. it's
Honestly I think Wii just caters to a wider variety of gamer. I?m a PS3 and PC man myself, but I wouldn?t underestimate Wii just becuase it focuses on fun facture and functionality, over graphics and story. Wii is definitely a strong part of the counsel wars and admirable at that since they bring a totally different attack pattern to the mix.
I?m vexed though due to the fact a lot of the people here saying that the numbers on Wii mean nothing. When they were boasting on the numbers of Xbox sold against PS3 not so long ago. Hypercritical comes to mind. Just let Nintendo fans play Wii, PS3 fans play PS3, and Xbox fan wait for there next refurbished P.O.S to come in the mail.
And to call the 360/PS3 irrelevent just because the Wii has sold so many consoles shows a complete lack of knoledge of the video game industry. It doesn't matter if Nintendo sells a billion consoles, of they people don't continue to purchase games. The real money is made on the games, not the consoles, and the attach rate of the 360 and PS3 is way beyond that of the Wii. Heck I know people that buy Wii's and have never bought a single game for, they just play Wii Sports. I'm not sure I know anyone with a 360 that has less than 5 games for it.
Yes the Wii was a masterstroke by Nintendo, they are the only maker that make money on the hardware, but they have to because they sell half the number of games as the 360.
Actually, as you've indicated, Nintendo makes money on both, so no skin off of their nose, etc. Microsoft barely ekes out a profit (for the first time in eight years) on xbox console and licensing sales, and certainly hasn't made enough to cover their massive R&D spend, nor enough to even cover 1/4 of the money they lost on warranty work this year... Not sure how Sony is making out, but I doubt they're doing too much better (save for the fact that they didn't have to blow a literal billion dollars on warranty issues, etc).
So while yes you;re correct that games licensing is a lucrative market, it still has to cover all the other costs too, you know?
A Ferrari costs about 50 times a Hyundai--so they aren't in the same market and that's a dumb comparison. All the game consoles are in roughly the same price range and everytime a parent buys a Wii for jr. instead of a 360, it means those systems were competing on the shelf--don't you think MS or Sony would have rather seen a Playstation or XBox section of Toys-R-Us in Times Square that Nintendo got? I know some people buy both, but many families nowadays can only afford one system and do have to make that decision.
MSFT is making a lot of money from licensing on the game side. That's where the money is. Sony is still losing money on each console sold and the number of games available isn't helping.
The Wii is a great party game. However, it's not something people tend to play by themselves. It's like a karoke machine. Each system has its place.
The licensing is covering MSFT's expenses, as does Nintendo on their Wii products for the moment. But the gloss is dulling fast for the Wii. I was at Walmart on Dec 24th and they made a big deal on the PA system saying they had just received a new shipment of Wii's, limited to one per customer. 30 minutes later they said it again. An hour later (yes, Walmart is that slow in getting around on Christmas Eve) they said they still hand plenty available with no limit on purchases.
I wandered over and found the person in charge of handing them out. They were bored. They had their rush of 10 or so customers and the 50+ units they had in stock there were gathering no interest at all. I'm not sure what that really says about the device.
On the other hand, Xbox 360's were sold out days before with no restocking available, rainchecks only. Again, make what you will of that.
Zoobie sorta squished the premise of your (and the parent post's) arguments. Nintendo is making serious bank off of games licensing. ;)
That said, yes Microsoft is making a bit of money off of games licensing, but no, not enough to pay off the billions they spent on the thing so far (not even counting the $1bn they threw at trying to get rid of the RROD issue just this year).
Maybe their next iteration (the 720?) will be profitable, but the 360 certainly is not, unless there's some sudden surge of sales that no one knows about...
I didn't challenge the fact that Nintendo was making a lot of money on their licensing- I never even mentioned it. I said that Microsoft was making a bundle on their licensing. I apologize if you misunderstood that. Yes, they more than made up for the RROD issues in licensing costs alone. Those games aren't free, you know. :)
Besides, just because you hate all things Microsoft, doesn't mean that everyone does. I heard there are actually a few people out there that like Xbox systems even though you hate the unit and all users who choose to use it.
Go with an open mind and you'll see things a lot more clearly in life.
The Playstation 2 dominated the last generation of console games, to the point where no one else could get a word in edgewise, at least in the realm of marketshare. Even after the PS3 and xbox 360 came out, the PS2 still had some hellacious strong sales.
So, this generation, Nintendo owns the market. IMHO, they did it by letting xbox and PS3 beat up on each other (including MSFT's attempts at channel-stuffing just to get numbers), while Nintendo happily swept up the money (and customer base) by providing an innovative and value-laden product for the masses. You know, just like the PS2 did back in its day.
Next gen, maybe someone else will come on top... and so it goes. The winner is the one who appeals to the most.
For those whining about titles not on the Wii, maybe if you voted with your wallet and encouraged makers to write for the Wii, it wouldn't be such an issue, you know?
/P
You can't expect a Yugo to run with Porsches and BMW's, after all. Each one has their own market area.
Try again?
/P
Go to a school with a Game design program like What im in, you will be laughed at for mentioning a Wii. Dead system by the next gen in my opinion.
Guess what, I don?t have to be in a gaming program to know a good game. If you do maybe your white helmet is a little too tight.
It?s a system that did better than 360. Facts are facts and the votes are in, four more years of NINTENDO!!!!!!
Um, where do I go exactly to buy those titles for the Wii?
Riiiiight, you don't have any evidence there. Got it.
Oh, and your link there- ***? I mean seriously, at least stay with the subject. That link has nothing to do with the hardware specs running games from the PS3 or 360 on the Wii. You're not doing so well with your evidence there, bucko.
As you are fond of saying-
"Try again?"
:)
I say this because these are the guys that are going to be developing games for the newer generation systems, being the future.. the only reason the Wii did better is because it appeals to non-gamers and draws them into the idea of gaming. Hence the Wii games and more interactive style of game play, vs the traditional form of just a controller.
I have nothing against the Wii, fun if im at a party, sure. Is it the end all be all of gaming, not even close.
And by your reply to my comment, it just shows your nothing but a fanboi, and rationalizing with you is like talking to a wall.
I say this because these are the guys that are going to be developing games for the newer generation systems, being the future.. the only reason the Wii did better is because it appeals to non-gamers and draws them into the idea of gaming. Hence the Wii games and more interactive style of game play, vs the traditional form of just a controller.
I have nothing against the Wii, fun if im at a party, sure. Is it the end all be all of gaming, not even close.
And by your reply to my comment, it just shows your nothing but a fanboi, and rationalizing with you is like talking to a wall.
Oh and no my school was not founded by M$ and if it did support the Special Olympics, i would have nothing to do with that, as i don't run the school, i just go there for a degree. Do you have something against the special olympics??
I don't see the relevance to the topic dude.
Those game you mentioned are total dog crap made from the same mold as all the crappy console games the last 8 years. Get a frikken clue. Halo3? LOL What a joke of a game.
Hint for you mental midgets: Graphics does not make a good game. Gameplay does.
/P
People are aruing about where all the "hardcore" gamers are... THEY ALREADY BOUGHT THEIR SYSTEMS! They probably bought all three too. But there are more people into WiiFit and the cute games, rather than the hardcore, long story, long gameplay games available on the PS3/360.
I for one love the wii because it has Super Smash Bros, but I play games on the other two just as much.
I'll try to present this in a manner in which you can understand:
Porsche 944 does not equal Honda Civic.
Does the Civic outsell the Porsche? Of course. But you can't compare the two either, no matter how much you want to try to make the comparison.
They are different gaming platforms. Now when you have the same games on all three platforms, THEN you can compare them. To do so without that qualification would just be immature and silly.
Really now, you're getting too upset over a gaming system. Lighten up. :)
If you want to fool around and play silly child / Party games then the wii is fun. If you want to play some serious FPS or racing games then you have to get a 360 or ps3. Even games like Lego Star Wars and Lego Indina jones are more enjoyable on the 360.
Sony and Microsoft just got out innovated, plain and simple. All the Sony and XBox titles are the same old recycled games as the last 8-10 years with just prettier graphics. There is nothing new, nothing innovative and nothing people haven't been doing on multi-player computer games for years. The Wii made games and titles that are different and fun and got the non-gamer crowd back into gaming. They get you off the sofa and doing fun things that make you laugh and have fun. If you think for one second that Microsoft and Sony wouldn't trade places with Nintendo's market share right now you're kidding yourself.
I've been playing games for 30 years, does that count as hardcore? Obviously Halo 3 doesn't appeal to the same market segment of Mario Kart--I really appreciate your keen marketing insight. Let me share some more marketing "insight" from someone who's taking marketing classes, and actually has a job. Engineers are getting their heads handed to them every day at Sony and MS because they haven't figured out how to knock of the Wii controllers without violating patents. The marketing people at those companies are trying to make their consoles as family friendly as the Wii--just look at the advertising campaigns (on stations other than MTV or G4). Of course publically they won't say this, because the fact that after 2 years they are still losing ground makes both MS and Sony management appear incompetent if they admit they are losing to Nintendo every single day.
Wii Sports 30 Million sold, Wii Play 16 million, lets get to non attached games, Mario Kart Wii which is still at a shortage with onlie play 10 Million Sold, Wii Fit 8.7 Million sold, Super Smash Brawl 7.47 Million Sold, Super Mario galaxy (Considerd hardcore) 6.1 million Sold. Now lets compare that to the 360 first party games. Halo 3 8.1 Million, Gears of war 4 million, PS3 metal gear solid 4 million, motostorm 3.3 million.
Now this does not include games made for multiple systems, becuse the band systems are selling better on the wii then the next gen systems, COD WOW is on all systems online with the same story.
As far as marketing goes, I did take a class and marketing is about reaching the largest amount of people for the most profit. This is why Microsoft and Sony are pushing there systems towards a market they forgot. The Wii market. They have both put out family games, Microsoft just had a commercial touting over 200 family games with the Panda game included with the system. Somehow I don't think that is going after the hardcore gamer. never confuse the intent of game publishers as the same intent as the company. Sony knows that they have to keep the family market to be successful. hence Blu-Ray and rentals, little big planet and the likes. Microsoft saw the error of after the last system was designed for hardcore gamers and topped out at 25 million. This time they are making singing games and family quiz games. So if those aren't in the same market what is?
Please use some logic when you post.
For someone who claims to have a life, and family and that sorts, you seem to spend alot of time commenting that could be devoted to your Wii.
Got Wii Tennis arm? is that why your on here so much?
The 360 and PS3 have almost identical game libraries(w/ a few notable exceptions, of course); what comes out for one will almost certainly come out for the other, and is a sure bet NOT to come out on the Wii. The Wii has built a strong foundation of casual games, and has come to be the 'Anti-360' and 'Anti-PS3'.
However, right now the Wii is gathering dust on my shelf, and I play my games on the 360 almost exclusively. After Zelda and Super Mario Galaxy, there has been nothing. When I do play on the Wii, you know what I'm playing? N64 games I bought in the Virtual Console!
I'm definitely no fanboy of any particular system. I love that Nintendo is doing well now, but it hasn't been from anything that I've bought recently. I WANT to see good games on the system. But they haven't been there for me.
Technically, there is nothing stopping developers from making good games for the Wii. But they choose to focus on the 360 and PS3. It's a Catch-22 and Chicken-and-Egg scenario all in one: developers stay away from mature/hardcore titles on the Wii because it's a "kid's console", but it's a "kid's console" precisely because developers only make kid's games for it!
The 360 and PS3 have almost identical game libraries(w/ a few notable exceptions, of course); what comes out for one will almost certainly come out for the other, and is a sure bet NOT to come out on the Wii. The Wii has built a strong foundation of casual games, and has come to be the 'Anti-360' and 'Anti-PS3'.
However, right now the Wii is gathering dust on my shelf, and I play my games on the 360 almost exclusively. After Zelda and Super Mario Galaxy, there has been nothing. When I do play on the Wii, you know what I'm playing? N64 games I bought in the Virtual Console!
I'm definitely no fanboy of any particular system. I love that Nintendo is doing well now, but it hasn't been from anything that I've bought recently. I WANT to see good games on the system. But they haven't been there for me.
Technically, there is nothing stopping developers from making good games for the Wii. But they choose to focus on the 360 and PS3. It's a Catch-22 and Chicken-and-Egg scenario all in one: developers stay away from mature/hardcore titles on the Wii because it's a "kid's console", but it's a "kid's console" precisely because developers only make kid's games for it!
I do notice they have ever-popular titles like Madden for the Wii, but even those the gameplay is completely different than people have become accustomed to / comfortable with because it has to be adapted to the Wii controls. not saying this is bad or a limitation, but notably different.
they certainly aren't coming out with titles like GTA4 on the Wii as you and others point out, so fans of those franchises will never really become Wii converts and will likely stick to or go with the 360/PS3 consoles. but it's also worth noting that even though many of these titles are available for PCs, that isn't being factored into these sales trends at all.
Xbox live is they way kids communicate and play games. Unfortunately, the games on the Wii are not the games kids want to play. They seem to lack the longevity that the other systems have
- I'm just kidding ofcorse.
Wii is full of kiddy games with no proper graphics, no wonder they are leading in sales there are more kids on this earth then anybody else!
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
...among others.
- by database9 December 26, 2008 1:26 PM PST
- The truth be told, Wii appeals to a wider genre, it can be play by anyone, the games are short, amusing, and easy to get the hang of. While on the other hand PS3 and Xbox 360 are for the more serious gamer, who wants long in dept games with advance graphics and game play. The Wii is not competing on the same level, and saying so is like saying there were more Ford Fiestas sold then Lamborghini's, its just not completely relevant.
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- by MSSlayer December 26, 2008 3:11 PM PST
- Your comments would have merit if it weren't for the fact that all PS3 and xbox360 games are derivatives of old games, but lacking any fun.
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- by JeffKni December 26, 2008 3:35 PM PST
- What?s with the analogies between sports cars and economy cars? The performance between the systems isn't that great. If Xbox is so much better and priced the same as Wii then why is Nintendo still pulling ahead of the other two? Two years ago many of the "hard-core" gamers were dismissing the Wii as a fad. Now the same people claim that the Wii isn't competing. Nintendo has made money on that system from day one, and that is the name of the game. Pun intended.
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- by Penguinisto December 27, 2008 10:49 AM PST
- "the games are short, amusing, and easy to get the hang of"
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- by D3vildog699 December 28, 2008 2:02 PM PST
- "It is most amusing with world of warcraft, a game that takes no skill, no brains, only time, yet hardcore gamers think it is a challenge."
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- by Vegaman_Dan December 29, 2008 3:07 PM PST
- Penguinisto is an excellent example of a 'simple' gamer who doesn't want to deal with anything challenging. For him, the Wii is good enough and that demonstrates that there is a market for everyone. That's not a bad thing. Some people want silly and short games like the Wii presents. Others want more serious experiences with more involved situations. That's another type of gamer.
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- by Hockeyfan333 January 5, 2009 8:13 AM PST
- Then why has Lamborghini slashed its price to make it cheaper than the Fiesta? Relevant...yeah, you bet!
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- by MSSlayer January 5, 2009 9:23 PM PST
- "Ever played? If not i can tell it was a challenge..."
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Showing 1 of 6 pages (213 Comments)Gameplay and fun are the most important elements of a game but the gaming industry forgot that as they churned out brain dead titles with pretty graphics.
I always find it amusing how "hardcore gamers" are almost always retarded, yet think that what they do takes brains.
It is most amusing with world of warcraft, a game that takes no skill, no brains, only time, yet hardcore gamers think it is a challenge.
Well, let's describe the complex synopsis of the majority of the "hardcore" games - the typical first-person shooter:
- kill anything that isn't you, pick up stuff from the dead or just laying around, solve minor puzzles, then keep killing until you get to the big boss, and then kill that too. Oh, and gather stuff that makes you look really badassed if it's WoW.
Well gee - that was a real brain-buster, wasn't it? May as well require a chess grandmaster to conquer that type of genre, huh?
Now. Yes, there are complex games out there. WoW ain't one of them. Gears of War ain't one of them. Crysis ain't one of them. Any game that only needs a small hand-held controller (and not a keyboard/mouse) is... get this... short, amusing, and easy to get the hang of. That's the whole frickin' raison d'etre with a console, genius!
The whole concept of needing eye candy and and "advance graphics"? needing long in-depth gameplay? Pfft! Step up and get a real computer before you say that, boy. Otherwise sit down back there next to your mommy and let the men talk when it comes to discussing hardcore gaming, mm'kay? There's a good little lad...
Now... back to the consoles. Their entire reason for existing is because they were expressly designed to allow for quick-learning but long-lasting fun gameplay. They're easy because you can allow Mom, Dad, and the kids to all play together without one family member pwning the entire family in one go. This in turn makes the whole deal fun.
Xbox and PS3's big, fat mistake was in trying to appeal to "hardcore" (*snicker*) gamers first and foremost. Lookit kids - I love a good round of mowing down chumps with a chain gun as the next guy, but sometimes... Sometimes, you just want to break out the turtle shells, and laugh your butt off because your kid just barely won a race against you, but is dancing all around the floor informing you+world that you just got owned. That's the stuff that fun is made of. That's what Nintendo shot for, and won. Sorry if that disappoints you, but hey - deal with it.
/P
Ever played? If not i can tell it was a challenge... figuring out the right combo of gears to max everything out, and then in a month you can't even do any runs... whew thank god i dumped that game two years ago... :p
Both are perfectly valid.
Penguinisto: Don't get so worked up over stuff. It's just a game. Really. Give it a couple of years and it won't matter a bit as everyone will be on to the next shiny object. Nobody really cares what you or I or anyone here thinks- people will buy what they want and play what they want. For some that is the Wii. For others it's the Xbox or the PS3. Don't get so hung up over the fact that someone might disagree with your personal viewpoint. Differences are good.
Then you are a moron.