Nintendo Wiicast vs. The Microsoft Jaguar vs. The Sony Sequel

[Hyperguy]

November's an exciting month for gaming.  Wii and Playstation 3(Playstation Wii? lol) are both coming out this month, and within a few days of each other too.  While a clear cut winner's yet to be decided we can at least speculate how this next console war's going to turn out.

While the Wii's definitely innovative, I think it might just be a bit too gimicky and because I heard the system's graphics are only going to be a step up from the Gamecube I'm predicting they'll either place in 3rd this time around or sell just enough units to be considered 2nd, or even still, have a product that's so different that it might even be considered it's own market.  Hell, at this point Nintendo could very well branch off into their own genre of interactive entertainment that's more than just pressing buttons on a controller.

I still haven't found a reason to buy an X-Box 360 aside from Geometry Wars, DoA 4, and Rumble Roses.  Then again, there's the fact that some games aren't backwards compatible, which I think is bullshit.  I might just end up getting a regular X-Box instead seeing as how there's more games on it that I want to play.  The 360's had a head start thus far, though so did Dreamcast and Sega Genesis.  I'd really like to see a killer app that isn't Halo or a first person shooter or a PC port come out for it.

Playstation 3's got a lot of potential, but until Tekken 6 or Soul Calibur 4 or at least any solid fighting game comes out for it, I don't think I'm going to even consider it.  Sure, they've got Ridge Racer, but so did PS1 and PS2 at launch.  If MGS 4 does make it in time for launch, I've got a feeling that it's going to move the console in a big way.

I don't know.  The outcome of this new console war feels all too much like it'll be the same as the last one, considering companies are just doing the same things over again, this time with better graphics.  Nintendo seems to be the only one doing something different, but I doubt mainstream audiences will catch on to that, let alone care.  Let's specu-guess.

[Regdren]

It's funny that you would bring this up. Not too long ago I believed that the Wii would be the best choice due to its lower price and interesting setup. I doubt that I'd buy a PS3 under any circumstances; $600 is way beyond what I can afford in a single gaming purchase. and I'm not really a Microsoft fan either, so I have some reservations about the Xbox 360.

Unfortunately, the Wii isn't looking that great either, upon close observation. I'd like to direct you to this well-written editorial that explains why. It's notable that the person who wrote this is apparently quite a Nintendo fan. In the words of the Penny-Arcade news that first reffered me to this link, "I sincerely doubt he enjoyed writing it." But there it is, and I'm hard-pressed to argue with it.

Edit: fixed the link

[Spaceworlder]

I predict that the Wii will take the top position in Japan, but it'll probably perform like the Gamecube in America. The launch line-up isn't very impressive, and neither is the 2007 line-up so far. Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros 3 look awesome, but, as the Gamecube showed, new Smash Bros and Super Mario games aren't enough to push a console. Neither are mildly enhanced ports of DS games. The fact that Nintendo has moved many of its late '06 Gamecube releases to the Wii's '07 line-up only serves to reinforce the notion that the Wii is a souped up Gamecube, and also betrays desperation on Nintendo's part to get some solid games into the Wii's library. As someone who's dabbled in the whole motion sensor thing with Square-Enix's Dragon Quest sword game, I have to say that the sensor bar is probably going to ruin many people's Wii experience and generate negative buzz among the public.

In America, everything is going to boil down to a showdown between Microsoft and Sony. With 360 software consistently appearing on Top Ten sales charts across the country, I think Microsoft is going to have the upperhand this year. Supply problems are going to prevent Sony from gaining any siginificant ground this season. Given the solid performance of the 360 thus far, and given that Halo 3 is due for '07, I think the 360 has a good chance of dominating next year as well. If Sony wants to keep their position at the top, they're going to need to improve their flow of console supply and release software that demonstrates the capacity of their much ballyhooed Cell processor.

I personally have no problem with 'more of the same but with better graphics', as that's been the mantra of new game consoles since the days of the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. I have to question the notion that Nintendo is the only person doing something 'different' this generation, given that the Wii's software library is going to be dominated by ports of current and next-gen console games as well as DS titles. In terms of game design, I haven't seen a single concept on the Wii that can't be realized through conventional game controllers.

[ROMate]

Every time I try to care, I remember that half the games I play these days aren't for any of the current-generation systems, and that my interest in video games in general is slipping. I'm just not seeing anything that really grabs my attention and makes me go "Oh wow, that's so fucking awesome". Most of the games that have my attention only have it because they're part of old franchises that I've had since I was a wee scrummins (Sonic & Mario).