Videogame Portable Wars: Nintendo DS VS Sony PSP

PSP is doing better than all the current consoles:

35.95M



They’re basically just surviving off the popularity of PS3 and PS2. As someone said, they’re just porting crappier versions.




DS is doing twice as good:

74.90M


So I consider PSP an intelligent business move for Sony, but it is directly connected to the success of PS2 and PS3. If Sony drops in the console race, the PSP will follow suit.

It’s actually similar to the Game Gear, which was dependent on the success of the Genesis. I think Sega may have innovated slightly more than Sony is though.



Meanwhile on the DS, Nintendo is innovating like crazy with the pen technology and the dual screen. They are also repackaging all their old 2D titles (that’s the beauty of Nintendo’s model: with each new system they resell every game they’ve ever made), they are really selling the value of their wireless connection (people are going crazy over it), they are innovating on the casual games front (jaw-dropping sales on Nintendogs, Brain Age, etc.), and they are listening very well to what consumers want (a Peach platform game, Mario and Luigi game, Donkey Kong, lots of Pokemon stuff, etc.). Plus the portable market seems to be even more focused on price point than the console market. And Nintendo always wins with the price point.




So Nintendo knows exactly what they’re doing in the portable market. I think we should avoid it and port our games to the other handhelds. If we can’t beat Nintendo on the console front, we have no prayer on the portable front. Nintendo has owned it since the Game & Watch days. The best we could do is emulate the PSP and make a few bucks porting crappier versions of our games to a portable system. I doubt we’d even have as much success as the PSP though, because they’re success is tied to the PS2, and we haven’t had anything on the console front that’s as successful as PS2.



- TAE

Xbox 360 E3 Sales Announcements

The E3 announcement of Xbox 360 having more 3rd party sales is silly. Wii has more game sales overall, and a lot of their sales are 1st and 2nd party, which puts more dollars per sale in their pocket. They are also getting more dollars per sale for every console they sell than Xbox is, and they are selling a lot more than Xbox is.


So while it’s true that we have more 3rd party sales, we don’t have more overall sales, and we don’t have the most profitable business model by far. It just means the Xbox 360 is the best system for distributing money across many companies rather than padding our own pockets. Seems like a silly thing to advertise.


I also noticed that Xbox announced they have more North American hardware sales than Wii does... exactly three days before it was no longer true and Nintendo announced the same thing. =^)


- TAE

Sony's Playstation 3 showing at E3

At E3, Xbox enthusiasts argue that PS3 was showing off too many future games, "vapor ware."



But I think that “vapor ware” might actually be in their favor, even if it is frustrating. A few of their hit games are coming out this fall, and the games after that are what people are going to buy PS3 in anticipation for.

We had the same effect with Halo 3. After Halo 3, we just didn’t generate the future excitement we had. In other words, we’ve done that too, just not to such an extreme degree by showing so many different games that are far out.


Sony’s doing the same thing. They’re selling people on buying now for a couple of cool games and out of anticipation for more cool games.


I think that’s phenomenal marketing, no matter how infuriating it might be. When we or Nintendo got the games lined up like that, we also play that card. I think that’s Sony’s current advantage.



First of all, their fall lineup is comparable to ours…




Sony:

1. Resistance 2 (Nov 08)
2. Ratchet & Clank Future 2
3. MotorStorm 2 (Oct 08; the first had 3.4 MUS)
4. Socom 4 (Oct 08)
5. The Agency (Dec 08; MMO)



Microsoft:

1. Gears of War 2
2. Fable 2
3. Banjo-Kazooie
4. Viva Pinata 2
5. Too Human

(Too Human looked good at the product fair.)



Nintendo:

1. Wii Music
2. Animal Crossing: City Folk
3. Super Mario Sluggers
4. Wario Land: Shake It
5. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles 2 (maybe 2009)




Second of all, they’re doing a better job pointing to future games…




Sony:

1. Killzone 2 (Feb 09)
2. DC Universe Online
3. Gran Turismo 5
4. infamous
5. Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier
6. MAG
7. Twisted Metal 5



Microsoft:

1. Halo Wars
2. Star Ocean
3. Alan Wake



Nintendo:

1. Wii Sports 2: Resort
2. Pikmin 3
3. Kid Icarus
4. Zelda Wii 2
5. Mario Wii 2
6. Wii Motor Sports


I think this is also why Nintendo’s realizing to get more games going for the gamer market (they’re obviously concentrating too much on the casual market). They suddenly realized that Animal Crossing, Mario Sluggers, and Wario Land weren’t exciting enough people. So Nintendo is working on Mario, Zelda, and Kid Icarus games, but they should also try to revitalize Star Fox and Donkey Kong properly. It’s also funny that Nintendo doesn’t have to show any of these future titles. We just nag them and say “when’s it coming out?” until they confirm that they’re working on it. =^)


- TAE

Mickey Mouse doesn't get evil (Epic Mickey)

GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) -- Mickey Mouse won't be bad in the upcoming "Epic Mickey" video game. He was just drawn that way.

Warren Spector, creative director of Disney Interactive Studios' Junction Point, said the beloved international icon won't transform into a snarling rat as originally planned for the game when players make mischievous choices, such as pilfering treasures from a store or erasing characters with thinner. Instead, Mickey will take on a smudgy look if he's naughty.

"We're not going to change Mickey's image so much," said Spector.



During a recent demonstration of the latest iteration of the upcoming Wii game that will be on display at this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Spector said the decision to scrap the malevolent-looking Mickey was made following negative feedback during focus testing of the game, which features Mickey trekking through a cartoon wasteland.

"People don't like it when you mess with Mickey," said Spector. "We did a focus test that was really eye opening for me. There was a biker dude saying, 'Oh, I'd never play a Mickey Mouse game,' and then we showed him images of a changed Mickey. I was sitting there thinking, 'You're gonna love what we do,' but he said, 'No! Don't mess with my childhood.'"

"Epic Mickey" is set in a virtual world of wayward renditions of Disney locales, such as Adventureland and Skull Rock. Throughout the game, players will be faced with moral dilemmas about whether to help other characters. For example, should Mickey persuade a lovelorn pirate to give a bouquet of flowers or an ice cream cone to a lactose intolerant Henrietta Cow?

...

After "Epic Mickey" appeared on the cover of Game Informer magazine last fall, several fans were outraged over Mickey's makeover...

Read more:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/mickey-mouse-s-mean-makeover-erased-from-wii-game/1402557
=================================

Okay, first of all, Spector, you shouldn't listen to that biker, and you should fire your user researchers. Why are you even talking to a guy who says he'd never buy a Mickey game? He isn't even your audience! Who cares what he thinks? You need to ask the people who WILL buy your Mickey game. They're your audience.

Second, this isn't new. Walt Disney also complained about this. He always intended Mickey to be mischevious, but somewhere in the 30s, he didn't make it apparent enough, and when he went back to show Mickey's mischevious side, all the fans got angry.

That's when Walt realized Mickey had to be a happy mouse. That's also when Walt concentrated more on Donald Duck and gave him the qualities that Mickey used to have. As expected, Mickey's popularity went down when Walt gave the fans what they asked for, but Donald's popularity went up (plus Disney had the films to rely on).

So trying to make Mickey mischevious again is going to upset some fans. However, Mickey Mouse in Runaway Brain (a short from 1995) got away with making Mickey an imperfect mouse.

- TAE

New Goldeneye game for Wii

Activision is trying to make a sequel to Goldeneye again...

Never say never, gamers.

On Tuesday, Activision unveiled GoldenEye 007, a re-imagined take on a Nintendo 64 classic that many consider to be among the greatest first-person shooter games ever created. And like its forbear, the new version will be a Nintendo exclusive when it arrives this holiday for the Wii console.

...

Perhaps the most notable tweak is a casting change. Current Bond Daniel Craig will replace traditional GoldenEye lead Pierce Brosnan as the star of the show, and while that might not sit well with GoldenEye purists, the game itself looks to stay true to form.

With an emphasis on multiplayer (the real hallmark of GoldenEye), the new effort boasts 40 different characters, 5 maps, 3 basic modes and 16 modifiers that will purportedly let gamers create over 500 different kinds of multiplayer games. It will also be playable online with up to 8 players and include some sort of experience system rewarding online play. The game will support multiple control schemes as well, including the somewhat underused Wii Zapper.

Released in 1997 for the N64, the original GoldenEye was a bona fide smash. It enjoys a startling 96 rating on Metacritic and has sold over eight million copies, making it far and away the best-selling Bond game ever.



Read more:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/the-spy-who-loved-wii-new-goldeneye-game-announced/1402397
========================

The article and trailer have been pumping it up much bigger than it deserves. Activision has been trying to sell off the success of Goldeneye for over a decade, including an actual sequel to Goldeneye. They're just trying again. Nothing new here.

And as gamers know, a game's only as good as the makers. So this would be a much more impressive announcement if they announced that they got Rare to make it.

That said, it does look like a great game, and they certainly put a lot of hard work into the game and its promotion.

- TAE

Could Cloud Computing take over videogame consoles?

There’s a fox in the henhouse at E3 this year.

As Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo promote their upcoming hardware innovations and try to extend the life cycle of this generation of consoles, a burgeoning company called OnLive sits on the show floor of the video game industry’s trade show, sending out the message that dedicated game machines could be a thing of the past.

The idea behind OnLive is simple: Games are stored and played on its centralized servers (the "cloud," in tech parlance) and pushed to users via a broadband connection. When you press a button on your controller at home, that action is transmitted virtually instantaneously to the game and reflected on screen.

On the surface, it sounds like a just another delivery method—but what makes OnLive and other upcoming cloud-based gaming services interesting is their ability to transform almost any screen into a high end gaming system.

Core PC gamers spend thousands of dollars to put together systems loaded with RAM and bleeding edge graphics cards to get the most out of their games. But with cloud gaming, a $300 netbook or low-end desktop will be able to play games just as effectively, with optimized graphical and other gameplay settings – since all the processing is done remotely. OnLive will soon launch a peripheral for television sets as well, letting you play in your living room.

The iPhone and iPad are next logical steps—and while the company hasn’t announced any formal intention to support Apple’s products, it has shown demos of the service up and running on them, indicating plans are in the works.

...

OnLive isn’t the only company exploring this space. Gaming industry veteran Dave Perry is working on a similar platform, called Gaikai. And privately held Otoy is working on a software solution that would accomplish the same goal.

What makes OnLive stand out is its founder—Steve Perlman—who previous led development on the technology behind QuickTime and founded WebTV. The company also has several high profile investors, including AT&T Media Holdings and Warner Bros.

...

The service isn’t without its hurdles, though. OnLive, which launches June 17, is untested in the open world. Still uncertain is whether games will be as responsive with subscribers as they are in controlled media demos. Many also wonder if they’ll be able to fully enjoy the service’s benefits with a typical broadband connection—or if they’ll need to pay more for faster service from their provider. And the monthly $14.95 service fee (which doesn’t include the price of games) could be offsetting to some as well.

Read more:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/cloud-computing-a-paradigm-shift-for-gaming/1402424
=========================

My take: I think these small companies better watch out and figure out how to get big FAST! In other words, they need to get started and immediately sell out to a large company like Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, or even Apple or Google. And then that large company will give it a fighting chance.

Otherwise, they're on a time clock to their own demise. It will only take the big three (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo) a couple of years before they realize they need to fashion new systems in this way. And then with their muscle for peripherals, motion-controllers, and game libraries, it's all over for the small companies.

- TAE

The History of Nintendo Systems

Nintendo is in the unique position that it must produce a new hardware product every three years or so (including home systems and portable systems). As a result, some of its ventures have been more successful than others. Let’s take a look at some successful products and some less successful products to see how they did when attempting to overcome the new risks and challenges with each product.

Although it seems that videogame hardware would be fairly straightforward, as new technology progresses, the opportunities progress as well. Nintendo must take advantage of the latest technology, ideas, and innovations or else their competition will take advantage of them and have more success.

The first product we’ll take an in-depth look at is the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) from 1985. That was Nintendo’s first big console success (they’ve had a few successful arcade ventures before that). Atari had died down and the videogame industry was thought to be dead. Nintendo sought to do what Atari was doing previously, but they wanted to take it to the next level with arcade-like graphics (they do not compare to the graphics today’s games, but they were cutting edge for their time), scrolling environments (this was a new innovation at its time), games with many items and power-ups (also an innovation), a new innovative controller (they invented the cross pad for this system), innovative supporting peripherals (like the Zapper and Power Pad), and a large library that covered all the genres.

Along with a stellar advertising campaign that made the games look cool, Nintendo was able to overcome the high risks and investments to produce an innovative system and get people excited about games once again. One of the biggest opportunities that they took advantage of was covering all the genres. Because they had all the sports games, athletic types started playing videogames. The puzzles attracted the parents. The arcade games attracted their existing audience. And the new trailblazers like Mario, Zelda, and Metroid built new audiences. They had to truly look at their broad portfolio to make the biggest impact.

The NES succeeded because of graphics, game mechanics, controller innovation (the cross pad), supporting peripheral devices (including the Zapper), and a large library that covered all the genres and appealed to all audiences. Their next home console, the Super NES, also was the most successful console of its generation, and it succeeded because of having the best graphics (including innovations with 3-D scrolling techniques, the first 3-D polygon games, and 3-D rendered side-view games), game mechanics, controller innovation (the shoulder buttons), supporting peripheral devices, and a huge library (with new genres like Pilotwings).

Next, Nintendo made a few critical mistakes. They abandoned a console they paid Sony to make, which used a CD-based system. They foresaw the troubles of CD-burning piracy and wanted to stick with cartridges for the Nintendo 64. They also continued to ignore online gaming because they didn’t see how it would profit the company. As a result, Sony released the technology themselves in the form of PlayStation, and they took over the industry. The CD technology was preferred by game companies (in addition to PlayStation’s better graphics), and PlayStation ended up with the larger, well-rounded library. For the first time, Nintendo didn’t adopt the latest and greatest technology. Despite that huge bump, Nintendo fought hard and secured a solid second place due to game updates to 3-D (most were masterfully done), controller innovation (analogue control stick and rumble feedback), and a large library of fun games (including games that opened new genres like Goldeneye and Smash Brothers).

However, in the next round Nintendo slipped even further. The new console Xbox came on the screen and Nintendo’s GameCube slid just under the Xbox in sales, making it the #3 system. Nintendo finally upgraded to a disc technology and more competitive graphics, but they didn’t have the game library that turned heads (most of their sequels were seen as inferior to previous versions), they still didn’t invest in online features, and they didn’t get as much support from other game companies, which made their game library even more lacking. Despite these issues, they still performed well enough and included controller innovations (analogue buttons and radio-controlled remote controllers).

Meanwhile, after the NES was released, Nintendo also released the first portable system in 1989 (Game Boy) and created a new product industry. Nintendo never had the best graphics, but they managed to stay on top of the portable industry every time since, including releases of the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS. This was mostly due to having a huge library (where they keep re-releasing previous games), the most innovative games, and the lowest-cost system. Also, with the Nintendo DS, they took it to higher levels with hardware innovations (using two screens and an optional stylus) and new genres (brain training and virtual pets).

The next example is Nintendo’s least-successful product, Virtual Boy. Nintendo took a huge risk by releasing a product that utilized new technology to create a unique 3-D experience. The Virtual Boy was a mask-like viewer that you put up against your eyes to see a virtual, 3-D world. It might have started out like a great, innovative idea, but technology, costs, and usability issues took over as they developed it. First and most importantly, they couldn’t get enough memory and power into the unit to support multiple colors and to get the graphics competitive with the 3-D graphics on home consoles at the time. That meant that they were left with red and black graphics that weren’t visually impressive. Second, they didn’t have a solution for how to make it truly portable, so it was released as a portable system, but you still had to stand it up on a table when you used it, thus limiting your experience to using it with a table and chair combination that was the correct height, and thus making it not portable. As a result of these two issues, there weren’t enough third party games released for the system, and so the system didn’t have the library of titles that the successful Nintendo systems have had.

The Virtual Boy was doomed from the start, before it launched. It seemed to be a case where it was a product that seemed like a great, innovative idea when it was first conceived, but the technology, costs, and usability issues limited the value too heavily. Nintendo was moving forward because it was a great use of new technology, but they didn’t stop before launching the product. They should have researched and re-evaluated the product before launching it, to make sure the product they made was valuable to the consumer and not the product they originally imagined (because they didn’t end up making the product that they originally imagined).

The final example is Nintendo’s latest and arguably greatest success, the Nintendo Wii. After releasing their least successful home console, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo went back to the drawing board and took a look at what made them innovative with their previous systems. What they ended up with is still astounding. As with their previous successes, the Nintendo Wii included controller innovation (motion controllers that you can move to control the games; this opened up new audiences and made everybody a potential gamer), supporting peripheral innovation (Nunchucks for two hands, Zapper, Wheel, and Wii Balance Board), updates to the popular franchises, and a large library that opened up new genres for non-gamers (Mii custom avatar characters, casual sports and games, brain training, casual music-playing, and physical fitness). They also rolled out a marketing plan that marketed the devices to families, parents, and grandparents, people who normally don’t play games. As a result, the sales broke every type of record even though most of the games are purposefully simplified in graphics.


- TAE

Nintendo's new 3D system

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Nintendo is showing off its 3-D handheld gaming system and introducing updates to classic game franchises like "Donkey Kong" and "Kirby."



It's part of an effort by Nintendo to stay ahead of its rivals by sticking to what it knows best - video games. Meanwhile, Sony and Microsoft are working to expand the reach of their consoles beyond gaming.

At the E3 Expo in Los Angeles on Tuesday, an industry conference of 45,000, Nintendo introduced the 3DS, the latest version of its popular handheld device. But unlike other attempts at 3-D screens, the gadget works without special glasses.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says Nintendo "blew people away." But the big question is the price. Nintendo didn't say how much the 3DS would cost or when it will be available.

From:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/nintendo-woos-gamers-with-classics-3-d/1402462

Microsoft Xbox 360 VS Nintendo Wii

1. Does Xbox have profitablity? Has Xbox gotten out of that $5 billion debt they were in? What about that $1 billion or so they lost last year due to the 360 recalls?

2. Do Xbox hardware manufacturing techniques really work? How come Nintendo can make a console that is decently powerful (no way near as powerful as Xbox and PS3, though), sell it for less than Xbox (they always have the cheapest consoles), sell far more than Xbox and PS3, and still make a profit on every single console unit sold (not relying on game sales alone)? Are the Xbox hardware plans and techniques truly better than that?


3. Xbox Live has an advantage in their online strategy over other online strategies, and they need to continue to capitalize on it. However, the other online strategies are also good. So I don't think many people are saying, "I gotta get Xbox Live!" I think they're saying something more like, "I gotta play Halo 3 on Xbox Live!" So it's more like an improvement and bonus rather than a driving sale (still very valuable though).


4. I think Xbox 360 capitalized on Sony's mistakes in several ways: powerful system, first to market, stronger initial 1st and 3rd party support, pioneering cordless controllers that ship with the hardware, an incredibly strong online strategy, and a powerful lineup of coming Xbox 360 games that is/was focused directly on the adult market.


5. I think Xbox should copy Nintendo's motion control ideas and innovate on them, coming up with their own successes in those areas.


6. However, I don't think Nintendo is doing exactly what some might think they are doing. You see, back with the N64 Nintendo had some great 1st party games. That interest built a decent third-party selection of many games that were exclusive and, obviously, geared toward the family market. Sony also hit the family market strong with the PS1 with Crash and Spyro leading the way to a lot of family-market, third-party support. Then, Nintendo did the same thing with the GameCube, but their games weren't as good in that generation and they didn't really innovate much in hardware or other spaces, so the third party effect was a little less dramatic for the GC. Xbox barely beat Nintendo in that round (Console War 4). Playstation 2 came across as the end-all console of adult games and family games.


7. Then Nintendo decided to change leadership and bump up that wacky guy who was leading HAL and who was responsible for the Smash Brothers games and lots of other weirdness. That's when Nintendo DS and Wii came out, and it's when Nintendo took the online plunge. Suddenly Nintendo was attacking non-gamers in all fronts: brain age, Nintendogs, Wii Sports, Wii Play, Miis, Mario Kart wheel, Wii Fit, Wii Music, Internet gaming on DS, and Mario Party 8 with Wii Remote games.


Nintendogs
Nintendo
18,595,723 units sold


Brain Training
Nintendo
13,232,264 units sold


More Brain Training
Nintendo
11,312,032 units sold


Mario Party 8
Nintendo
5.30m units sold


8. So now Nintendo had strong first-party sales on a console. They are in the number one spot in hardware sales (and software sales, but not by much). And Xbox 360 was then kicking Sony to the side and cornering the adult gaming market. So, what happens? Simple. The market splits. Wii has more exclusive titles than Xbox does (barely), because they are attracting all the family titles. There aren't too many kiddie platformers on the 360 (especially successful ones), and there aren't too many violent games on the Wii (especially successful ones). There are only a few family games that aren't on the Wii, and there are only a few violent games that aren't on the 360. For the first time ever, the market has split between family titles and adult titles.


9. So when people say that Wii only has a price point and a Wii mote going for it, I don't think that's accurate. Nintendo always has the price point advantage, and they do it with a bigger profit margin than Xbox or PS3 can get on their hardware. So that's not going away. If Xbox or PS3 lowers their prices and eat more debt on hardware, Nintendo can lower their prices and still make profit on their hardware. Xbox and PS3 can't compete there.

10. Xbox can start doing motion-control games, but Nintendo's already innovating at the next level beyond that. It would take Xbox years to catch up (but I still think they should go for it).

11. Xbox can try appealing to non-gamers, but that's not the 360 image at all. They're known for shooters. And They'd really have to try hard to break into Nintendo's monopoly on the family market. Xbox's strong sales on Lego IJ and decent Viva Pinata sales show us that it's possible (I'm hoping Banjo-Kazooie will help a little in this area). Look at Sony. For Sony to break into the family market and maintain good control over third-party family games, they had to release a Crash game and a Spyro game every year (plus strong support on other sides). They've since done that with Ratchet and Jak. Now they have to try to do it again since Nintendo has cornered that market. So Sony's exactly where Xbox is, struggling in that area. Take a look at Lego IJ. The #1 sales for Lego IJ were on the PS2, followed by the DS, Wii, then the 360 and PS3. That helps show that Sony had the family market on the PS2, but now they're even behind the 360 on the PS3. That's why I think Banjo will help, even if Sony has already gotten a Ratchet title out.


12. I think many are on to something with the fact that Microsoft might want to bring Blu-Ray to Xbox. If Xbox is going to compete with Sony being compatible with the current movie medias, then they might have to. Yes, Xbox would be putting money in Sony's pocket, but part of Microsoft's strategy has been to be DVD compatible, and if Blu-Ray becomes half of what DVD is now, Xbox would be changing their strategy to not support it.




So this is how I would splay out the current advantages:


1. Nintendo: price point, they make money on every system sold (good news for them), Wii-mote innovation, non-gamer health titles, non-gamer intellectual titles, non-gamer casual titles, popular 1st party series (like 30 of them), and a general monopoly on the family market.


2. Sony: Blu-ray (and income for those movie sales as well), MGS4, stronger marketing techniques (this comes across in 3rd party commercials, news media, etc.), coming 1st/2nd party titles (GT5, Jak 4, God of War 3, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Socom 4, etc.), and coming 3rd party exclusives (Final Fantasy 13, etc.).


3. Microsoft: Best online strategy, coming 1st/2nd party titles (Gears of War 2, Banjo-Kazooie 3, Halo Wars, Fable 2, etc.), and generally the strongest sales of non-exclusive 3rd-party games.




I think Xbox is losing the 3rd party exclusivity battle on the family games front to Wii and now slowly on the adult games front to Sony. If Sony has more "killer" titles coming out than Xbox does, and they're buying key exclusive titles like MGS4 and FF13, then they'll quickly grab the adult 3rd-party games market from Xbox, and pass the Xbox 360 in this console war.



So when the typical Xbox fanboy sees this, they bring up software sales. Nintendo is selling more software than Xbox, overall, on Wii. What's worse is that a higher percentage of those sales are Nintendo-made, which means they are selling more games on their system and making a higher rate of profit since more of those games are theirs. Plus they're also making a profit off their hardware.

I hear Nintendo recently changed out their corporate plates and eating utensils to help the environment. Now they use gold.


Enjoy!

- TAE

Punch Out for Wii

Finally!!! We haven't seen Punch out since the SNES! I think maybe showing Little Mack in Smash Brawl got people's interest.

It's a great idea for Wii, seeing how Nintendo already did boxing in Wii Sports! A perfect match.

We're pretty stoked about this game.

- TAE

Nintendo Wii & Porter's Three Strategies

Nintendo Wii did not come out first in this current console generation. It came out after the Xbox 360, but before the Playstation 3. Because it came out before the Playstation 3, it did have an additional advantage. However, the Wii surpassed the 360's sales even though Xbox 360 was the first mover of the console generation.

Second, Nintendo Wii had price leadership. The system was the least expensive to make and then sold for lowest price. As a result, the system was more accessible to more people. Nintendo has always been the cost leader, and this time that advantage really helped the Wii take off in sales.

Third, Nintendo Wii drove differentiation and market segmentation together simultaneously. They innovated with new controllers that included motion control, the nunchucks, using the remote as a pointer device, a wireless, motioin-control steering wheel, a wireless light gun, and a balance board. They also then used those innovative hardware devices to release innovative supporting games such as Wii Play, Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Wii Music (among many others). They also released innovative games like Brain Age that actually improve your mental abilities.

Because all these games targeted non-gamers, their advertising also targeted non-gamers and casual gamers. As a result, many people bought the Wii and played it who would have never played it otherwise, including grandmas, young children, and a lot more women.

================================================

Of the three strategies (Cost Leadership, Differentiation Strategy, and Segmentation Strategy), which do I think works the best? Ultimately, I agree with all three strategies, so I think if you can combine them then you're pretty much on top. My favorite example is Wii (see more details in my Wii post above). Wii managed to nail cost leadership, differentiation, and segmentation. They have the cheapest system, it is very different from the Xbox 360 and PS3, and they are marketing to new people (adding grandparents, parents, and a lot more women).

That said, I think the most important variable is differentiation. There are shampoos and deoderants that get released where the only difference is the price or the marketing/branding. However, The biggest success can be the differentiation in the product. Wii is more well known for the fact that the motion controls and the games that support them open up new customers and make the fans drool... than they are known for having the cheapest systems or for their commercials and branding.


- TAE

Microsoft published a game on a Nintendo System

Rare was bought by Microsoft. First Rare made Nintendo games and had someone else publish them (Nintendo and THQ). Last year, Microsoft published a game for Nintendo DS themselves, making it the first game Microsoft published for a Nintendo system.

Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise


List of Rare games:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rare_games

How well are the Xbox 360 games and Nintendo Wii games selling right now?

How well are the Xbox 360 games and Nintendo Wii games selling right now?


Current software sales of current systems:


DS: 258,119,238


Wii: 135,828,571


Xbox 360: 129,051,761


PS3: 59,029,536










Nintendo makes more money off their overall sales in hardware and in software than we do (or the PS3), because a higher percentage of Wii and DS software sales are Nintendo-made games.






Wii (over 2 million units sold):


Wii Sports - Nintendo 52,533 7.86 24.70m


Wii Play - Nintendo 28,967 6.83 12.99m


Super Mario Galaxy - Nintendo 139,821 8.12 6.72m


Mario Kart Wii - Nintendo 54,958 7.78 5.77m


Super Smash Bros Brawl - Nintendo 20 44,198 5,441,223


Mario Party 8 - Nintendo 25,273 7.46 5.30m

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Nintendo 38,522 8.26 4.87m

Wii Fit - Nintendo 58,684 7.86 4.81m

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games - Sega 10,895 7.76 4.63m

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - RedOctane 20,800 7.69 2.84m

Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree - Nintendo 9,349 7.41 2.46m

Super Paper Mario - Nintendo 15,310 7.79 2.36m

Wario Ware: Smooth Moves - Nintendo 6,886 7.38 2.35m

Link's Crossbow Training - Nintendo 15,562 7.34 2.11m


Between 1 and 2 million units sold:

Carnival Games - Global Star 11,448 7.24 1.99m

Mario Strikers Charged - Nintendo 16,297 7.80 1.68m

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition - Capcom 49,382 8.13 1.65m

Sonic and the Secret Rings - Sega 12,276 7.75 1.41m

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Nintendo 54,068 8.09 1.40m

Rayman Raving Rabbids - Ubisoft 7,211 7.66 1.36m

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - LucasArts 11,004 7.75 1.30m

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles - Capcom 34,220 7.77 1.27m

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 - Ubisoft 12,487 7.75 1.27m

MySims - Electronic Arts 7,225 7.25 1.11m

Red Steel - Ubisoft 6,033 7.04 1.05m




VS




Xbox 360 (over 2 million units sold):


Halo 3 - Microsoft 76,875 7.08 7.97m


Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Activision 43,478 6.99 6.12m


Grand Theft Auto IV - Rockstar Games 41,954 5.76 5.44m


Gears Of War - Microsoft 26,433 7.64 5.23m

Forza Motorsport 2 - Microsoft 20,699 7.53 3.90m

Assassins Creed - Ubisoft 24,955 7.36 3.76m

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - RedOctane 11,662 7.34 3.08m

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 2K Games 10,981 7.70 2.49m

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - Activision 8,011 6.56 2.44m

Madden NFL 08 - Electronic Arts 6,380 7.27 2.30m

Tom Clancy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - Ubisoft 3,212 7.31 2.16m

Guitar Hero II - RedOctane 4,937 7.18 2.14m

Tom Clancy Rainbow Six: Vegas - Ubisoft 5,179 7.36 2.14m

Call of Duty 3 - Activision 3,929 5.65 2.06m

Call of Duty 2 - Activision 3,381 6.18 2.03m




Between 1 and 2 million units sold:

Mass Effect - Microsoft 27,220 7.54 1.93m

Bioshock - 2K Games 28,493 7.69 1.83m

Saints Row - THQ 3,635 7.31 1.79m

Dead Rising - Capcom 6,204 7.36 1.71m

Rock Band - MTV Games 9,407 7.28 1.60m

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Capcom 7,203 7.03 1.55m

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Ubisoft 7,764 7.42 1.54m

Crackdown - Microsoft 4,489 7.35 1.46m

Project Gotham Racing 3 - Microsoft 2,580 6.62 1.44m

Perfect Dark Zero - Microsoft 3,909 6.53 1.40m

Need for Speed: ProStreet - Electronic Arts 4,727 7.00 1.37m

Tom Clancy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 - Ubisoft 2,700 7.39 1.36m

Viva Pinata - Microsoft 6,446 7.09 1.35m

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008 - THQ 2,928 6.76 1.27m

FIFA 08 - Electronic Arts 2,897 7.00 1.24m

Army of Two - Electronic Arts 7,478 6.32 1.18m

Tom Clancy Splinter Cell: Double Agent - Ubisoft 2,840 6.58 1.15m

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 - Konami 4,343 6.85 1.09m

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men - Eidos Interactive 6,507 6.88 1.07m

Devil May Cry 4 - Capcom 32,604 5.18 1.06m

Dead or Alive 4 - Tecmo 4,261 7.48 1.01m



Enjoy!

- TAE