Nintendo is kicking everyone's ass!

[Iron Draggon]

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/console-wars-who-won-08-/1276642

and to think I thought the Gamecube would put them out of business... now it's just giving Wii owners that many more awesome games to choose from!

[tom]

the work out Wii sold quite well in Germany, but seen here at Saturn (one of the leading console sellers), lots on the shelf (but so was everyone elses (PS3, 360):
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/DSC00013.jpg


Top selling console in Germany? PS2 still top after all these years

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I'm glad to see they are doing good financially, but I judge gaming systems on the QUALITY of games, not the number of games. Right now, Nintendo has a large amount of casual gamers who will buy anything, Cooking Mama, etc. As a result, we are seeing more and more companies produce shovelware, just so they can cash in on the casual crowd. Righ now, I think at least have of the DS and the Wii games should be discontinued.

[swlovinist]

One thing is for sure, the Wii is here to stay, and it destroying its competition. It has its problems as a console(like the rest of them), and is far from perfect. I look forward to hopefully more third party quality games this year, as well as seeing what great Wiiware games get released. I am glad Wii Music bombed, that game was a piece of crap. I agree that the system has a ton of shovelware, but most successful systems do(PS1, PS2). I personally have found enough good games on the system to enjoy it, but am looking forward to a stronger lineup in the future.

As for the 360, I think that the game system has a strong software lineup for the hardcore fans, I just wish they would now do a console design revision other than internally. I think that if they continue to make decent software for the console, they will keep in second place, even if it will be a distant second place. One thing I fear is that when the console reaches 5 years, it will be dropped like a bad habbit. I do have to say that I cancelled my xbox live account, and will have to rely on the PSN for my online fix. $50 a year for me was something I can spend elsewhere.

The Playstation 3....actually a great system that has been totally screwed from the beginning with poor choices from the powers at be. I had a discussion with my good gamer friend, and we both agreed....going from marketing a game system to everyone(PS2) to marketing an expensive game system for the elite(PS3) was a huge mistake. Taking out the BC(PS2) feature on a machine that is marketed as a media center was a move that probably cost them more than they realized. Dont get me wrong, the system is great, it is just not going to win over developers or people sitting on the fence when the system is at $400. When its competition is beating it with price difference by $150, people are not going to see the additional features the PS3 has(Blu Ray). The Blu Ray player thing is not going to be a factor with the public until the blu Ray movies become more affordable and more titles are available. With the prices of Blu Ray players going way down in price, Sony is not out of the race, but if they dont do some drastic things with the console this upcoming year, it is going to be hard for it to last 5 years in retail space, not ten.

On a side note, who would have thought that the PS2 would be still kicking it at nearly 9 years? I bet its Dec sales numbers will be decent. There are ton of games to be had at decent budget prices, and the system is the one very bright spot for troubled Sony. I for one will be continuing to buy some great budget titles this year, as the PS2 is one of my favorite consoles of all time with its huge library and obscure titles. It is defiantly showing its age, but it is continually surprising me with its very diverse library.

[j_factor]

I'm glad to see they are doing good financially, but I judge gaming systems on the QUALITY of games, not the number of games. Right now, Nintendo has a large amount of casual gamers who will buy anything, Cooking Mama, etc. As a result, we are seeing more and more companies produce shovelware, just so they can cash in on the casual crowd. Righ now, I think at least have of the DS and the Wii games should be discontinued.

I remember when Cooking Mama came out for DS, nobody called it shovelware. But now that it's on Wii, it's shovelware. I'm not saying the Wii doesn't have more than its share of bad games, but it's becoming more clear to me that 90% people who bash the system already have their mind made up against it and are going out of their way to justify their pre-conceived opinions, rather than honestly considering what the system has to offer. People either talk crap about games they haven't played, or completely ignore worthwhile games as if they didn't exist while focusing exclusively on the crap. Or both. And I hate how the lexicon has changed. Terms like "hardcore" have been completely re-defined just to make Xbox 360 look good and the Wii look bad.

Every system (unless we're talking about Gizmondo or something) has its share of worthwhile games. Often when systems are still new, they are lacking, but every current system has been around for a while now, and has a decent-sized, well-established library. Not every system is to every person's taste, but none of them suck.

[TheRealist50]

PS3 will do much better in 2009. 2008 is a year Sony would like to forget.

[Arthur-Otaku]

One thing is for sure, the Wii is here to stay, and it destroying its competition. It has its problems as a console(like the rest of them), and is far from perfect. I look forward to hopefully more third party quality games this year, as well as seeing what great Wiiware games get released. I am glad Wii Music bombed, that game was a piece of crap. I agree that the system has a ton of shovelware, but most successful systems do(PS1, PS2). I personally have found enough good games on the system to enjoy it, but am looking forward to a stronger lineup in the future.

As for the 360, I think that the game system has a strong software lineup for the hardcore fans, I just wish they would now do a console design revision other than internally. I think that if they continue to make decent software for the console, they will keep in second place, even if it will be a distant second place. One thing I fear is that when the console reaches 5 years, it will be dropped like a bad habbit. I do have to say that I cancelled my xbox live account, and will have to rely on the PSN for my online fix. $50 a year for me was something I can spend elsewhere.

The Playstation 3....actually a great system that has been totally screwed from the beginning with poor choices from the powers at be. I had a discussion with my good gamer friend, and we both agreed....going from marketing a game system to everyone(PS2) to marketing an expensive game system for the elite(PS3) was a huge mistake. Taking out the BC(PS2) feature on a machine that is marketed as a media center was a move that probably cost them more than they realized. Dont get me wrong, the system is great, it is just not going to win over developers or people sitting on the fence when the system is at $400. When its competition is beating it with price difference by $150, people are not going to see the additional features the PS3 has(Blu Ray). The Blu Ray player thing is not going to be a factor with the public until the blu Ray movies become more affordable and more titles are available. With the prices of Blu Ray players going way down in price, Sony is not out of the race, but if they dont do some drastic things with the console this upcoming year, it is going to be hard for it to last 5 years in retail space, not ten.

On a side note, who would have thought that the PS2 would be still kicking it at nearly 9 years? I bet its Dec sales numbers will be decent. There are ton of games to be had at decent budget prices, and the system is the one very bright spot for troubled Sony. I for one will be continuing to buy some great budget titles this year, as the PS2 is one of my favorite consoles of all time with its huge library and obscure titles. It is defiantly showing its age, but it is continually surprising me with its very diverse library.


Wii is an waste of time, bad online playability, crap download games, crap retail games. 300 dollars is too much to expend for play 2 or 3 good games, you can buy an ps2 for 50 bucks with same graphics and with more than 100 excellent titles in your library

People don't want more blu-ray titles, they just don't want blu-ray, like they don't care about hdtvs

I really don't understand the people of 2k era, they don't want modern things anymore, they play wii (the worst of 3) and watch and prefer dvd in sd format, oh man, 20% of japanese people still owns vhs players and only 5% owns an blu-ray player, it's so ridiculous

[kainemaxwell]

Nintendo is making the Wii (and DS) like the system this gen for casual gamers too with their variety of titles, etc (Wii Fit, that How to Cook DS title, the stop smoking DS title, etc).

[Dastardly Dylan]

Ooooooooooooooooooooh Yeah!

Nintendo has a great lineup of games coming out in the future that I'm excited about for Wii! It couldn't get better for Wii in '09!

Now with that said, anyone wanna exchange Animal Crossing City Folk friend codes? I just picked it up yesterday.

[scooterb23]

The Wii is successful? No way! This is breaking news!

The next thing you're going to tell me is that the Sun is big, we live on Earth, and wild grizzly bears can rip your face off if you aren't careful!

[j_factor]

PS3 will do much better in 2009. 2008 is a year Sony would like to forget.

Didn't people say the exact same thing a year ago?

I think it's gotten to the point where PS3 has "settled in" to third place, and it will remain there regardless of what Sony does or what games come out. Which is unfortunate.

[intvsama]

If the sun were hollow a million earths would fit inside, and yet, it is only a middle sized star.

[Alfador]

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace

[BHvrd]

Didn't people say the exact same thing a year ago?

I think it's gotten to the point where PS3 has "settled in" to third place, and it will remain there regardless of what Sony does or what games come out. Which is unfortunate.

The majority of people from the PS2 generation still own PS2's and buy games for it. Once the new Final Fantasy games release and they start rolling out more key franchises they will reel in their target audience. Yes 360 will also get Final Fantasy 13, but PS3 is only one that will have (Versus) and you know how those Final Fantasy peeps are, they gotta have the complete deal.

From a technological standpoint you get more with PS3, but yes titles like Gears of War and Mario Galaxy have ruled the day and rightly so, but I wouldn't count out the possibility that one key game could change that very quickly.

[The 1 2 P]

Great article. Especially because they brought up the abundance of Wii shovelware. Of course the Wii does have some really good first party games (and a few good third party ones as well) but unfortunately many of those great titles get lost in all of the clutter. But 2009 will be another good year for the Wii---guranteed.


PS3 will do much better in 2009. 2008 is a year Sony would like to forget.

Um....didn't we hear this in 2006 about how the PS3 would cetch up in 2007? And then in 2007 about how things would turn around in 2008? They were so confident about 2008 that they dubbed it "the year of the PS3". They should have made it "the year the PS3 solidifies their third place standing". Regardless of how the PS3 does in 2009---they will still be in third place when 2010 rolls around---guranteed.


The majority of people from the PS2 generation still own PS2's and buy games for it. Once the new Final Fantasy games release and they start rolling out more key franchises they will reel in their target audience. Yes 360 will also get Final Fantasy 13, but PS3 is only one that will have (Versus) and you know how those Final Fantasy peeps are, they gotta have the complete deal.

The same could have been said about Metal Gear Solid 4(a real PS3 exclusive....atleast so far). Although it did well it's first month of sales, what happened after that? Last I heard it didn't even sell a million units in it's homeland of Japan, but that was as of early November. While FF13 will definitely move some systems for Sony, the same can be said for the 360. Or, you could say that the 360 will steal many potential PS3 sales. While the Versus game will sell, you should already know by now that the main FF games are the ones that sell the most. The side games(while some do sell well) pale in comparison.

Back on point, the Wii will continue to dominate this generation. Actually, it's academic at this point as they've already won. That doesn't mean that there aren't great games to find on each system. But Nintendo has pulled off the greatest comeback in video game history. Microsoft has proven that they can beat all the major players (they beat Nintendo last gen and beat Sony this gen). And Sony has....well Sony has proven that theres no such thing as an unstoppable jugganaut and ignorance isn't always bliss. As a major electronics giant Sony will definitely come back stronger, but not in this generation. And thats a good thing. Sony fans will hate this, but the greatest lesson Sony could have learned is by coming in last place after being on top for so long.

[megasdkirby]

PS3 will do much better in 2009. 2008 is a year Sony would like to forget.

Unfortunately, that's the same thing that was said last year with regards with 2008.

Many said that 2008 would be the year for the PS3, mainly for Metal Gear Solid 4.

I don't think Final Fantasy XIII would make things any different. Same as God of War 3.

[megasdkirby]

Back on point, the Wii will continue to dominate this generation. Actually, it's academic at this point as they've already won. That doesn't mean that there aren't great games to find on each system. But Nintendo has pulled off the greatest comeback in video game history. Microsoft has proven that they can beat all the major players (they beat Nintendo last gen and beat Sony this gen). And Sony has....well Sony has proven that theres no such thing as an unstoppable jugganaut and ignorance isn't always bliss. As a major electronics giant Sony will definitely come back stronger, but not in this generation. And thats a good thing. Sony fans will hate this, but the greatest lesson Sony could have learned is by coming in last place after being on top for so long.

Quotted becuase I love it, and for me, FOR ME, it's completely true.

Sony was too arrogant. It bit them in the end. Same thing occured to Nintendo.

No one thought Microsoft could beat out it's competitors, but it actually did. Though truth be told, that may change later on with units sold (consoles). I have noticed that slowly, the PS3 has been catching up to the 360 in terms of hardware sales.

Everything, IMO.

[RPG_Fanatic]

To be honest I bought a Wii (my girlfriend really wanted one) played it a lot for the first week and it hasn't been used since. My 360 & PS3 are used daily, the Wii just doesn't have any games that appeal to me. Thats great for Nintendo selling a shit load of Wii's and bringing in new gamers but I guess i'm a little more of a hardcore gamer than a casual gamer. I think the 360 has the best games this generation and thats my favorite machine this generation.

[skaar]

I still haven't plugged my Wii back in since bringing it to my girlfriend's parents' place last summer during a visit.

The 360 sees daily use, and the PS3 hasn't been connected since the move (October)

I enjoyed the Wii but my experience mirrors many others' - it's fun for awhile, there's some great games... then, you go back to the 360 until something else new and exciting comes out. I bought my GF Wii Fit as one of her gifts this year, and we still haven't hooked the Wii up to even try that out yet... we've been playing through Tales of Vesperia instead.

My buddy sold his off during the holidays. Sad, really. I mean it's nice to have a market of people buying your products but when the novelty wears off... yeah. I read somewhere there's something like 2-3 games sold per Wii (most of the owners just play Wii Sports) and 10+ for the other consoles - or is that just random BS?

I still think that Nintendo's strategy of making "Everyone a gamer!" is bad news for the industry - I want some freaking difficulty in my games, thank you very much. I don't need a pat on the head telling me I'm special. That's why I get my own bus. :D

[maxlords]

I bought a Wii on release thinking there'd be games to play on it. I friggin hate it. I've never liked the damned thing...I find it gimmicky as hell, and the software is ass. I played Wii Sports for a few days. I played a bit of Zelda...then went and bought the GC one cause it's easier to play. I played a bit of Metroid...which is a pain in the ass for left handed people, had to give up. The ONLY game I've played through on the Wii is SM Galaxy. That's it. There's honestly nothing else worth owning to me. I'm seriously considering getting rid of my Wii. There are no games coming that I want. There are no games that I simply have to own. It's just NOT fun to me.

Why it's doing so well is completely beyond me. I understand the reasons....it just blows my mind that people still think it's fun.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

The Wii is a popular system.

The Wii is a money-making system for Nintendo.

The Wii is the least expensive (in a full-featured model) of the current gen consoles.

As an owner of all three current-gen systems and a self proclaimed "favorite-agnostic" console enthusiast, do I consider it to be the overall "best" current-gen system?

No.

Between it's online model, DLC, price point, and software library, I think that the 360 is currently on the top of heap as the "best" buy for somebody looking for a gaming console.

Would I recommend the Wii to a consumer who had yet to buy any of the 3 current-gen systems as their first and/or primary system for this generation?

No.

If the household only consists of youngsters (under 10) and adults who haven't maintained a gaming "hobby" for the past 10+ years, Wii could fit the bill. BUT I'd really have to wrestle with the concept of recommendation beyond that, as once you step outside the realm of Nintendo's 1st party titles and the AAA DLC offerings, you're awash in a sea of shovelware garbage.

I do think that the Wii is Nintendo's best system since the original NES, BUT, IMO it's runaway popularity and success has more to do with things that don't directly correlate to a quality GAMING EXPERIENCE (and that should be the most important thing right?)

Wii is good, Wii is great, but its success in the market is not all that it appears to be and does not project a positive future for big-budget, deep, intellectual games in the mainstream marketplace.

[dendawg]

2008 is a year Sony would like to forget.

...and 2007, and 4Q 2006....

Let's face it, unless Nintendo or Microsoft suddenly go bankrupt, Sony's staying right where it is.

[Bojay1997]

The Wii is a popular system.

The Wii is a money-making system for Nintendo.

The Wii is the least expensive (in a full-featured model) of the current gen consoles.

As an owner of all three current-gen systems and a self proclaimed "favorite-agnostic" console enthusiast, do I consider it to be the overall "best" current-gen system?

No.

Between it's online model, DLC, price point, and software library, I think that the 360 is currently on the top of heap as the "best" buy for somebody looking for a gaming console.

Would I recommend the Wii to a consumer who had yet to buy any of the 3 current-gen systems as their first and/or primary system for this generation?

No.

If the household only consists of youngsters (under 10) and adults who haven't maintained a gaming "hobby" for the past 10+ years, Wii could fit the bill. BUT I'd really have to wrestle with the concept of recommendation beyond that, as once you step outside the realm of Nintendo's 1st party titles and the AAA DLC offerings, you're awash in a sea of shovelware garbage.

I do think that the Wii is Nintendo's best system since the original NES, BUT, IMO it's runaway popularity and success has more to do with things that don't directly correlate to a quality GAMING EXPERIENCE (and that should be the most important thing right?)

Wii is good, Wii is great, but its success in the market is not all that it appears to be and does not project a positive future for big-budget, deep, intellectual games in the mainstream marketplace.

Strongly agree with this and I am in the same position as a console agnostic, multi-platform gamer who owns all three (well, five if you count the DS and PSP) current-gen systems and buys games for all of them regularly.

[TheRealist50]

...and 2007, and 4Q 2006....

Let's face it, unless Nintendo or Microsoft suddenly go bankrupt, Sony's staying right where it is.

True those were some bad times. But they got some good things going for them, the Ratchet and Clank series, Jax and Daxter, MGS 4, KZ2, Resistance, Twisted Metal, God of War, Final Fantasy (even though its on both PS3 and 360, I believe It would still do better on PS3) Siren (great game on the PS3, Nobody ever talks about it when mentioning PS3 but not a console savor like MGS4)

also with games like Uncharted 2 inFamous coming up on 2009...I'm positive sony will have a much better 2009 then any other year up till this point.

[megasdkirby]

To be honest I bought a Wii (my girlfriend really wanted one) played it a lot for the first week and it hasn't been used since.

Me too. I rarely use the Wii, and when I do, it's usually to go online via the Opera browser (usually to read stories or see YouTube vids). I havent' upgraded my firmware because of the Freeloader disc I have, so I am kinda stuck on the old Opera for now.

I just haven't found any games interesting enough to purchase. Not even Smash Brothers brought any interest. Nor Animal Crossing. And I LOVE both game series...

I honestly believe that if the PS3 was lower in price, around $300 instead of $600, that would have made a world of a difference. It's a great console, but the price was very prohibited at first. Not everyone could afford it, and even now, I know of customers that refuse to purchase one until it reaches a "decent" price (usually around $200 or so, maybe $300 flat).


also with games like Uncharted 2 inFamous coming up on 2009...I'm positive sony will have a much better 2009 then any other year up till this point.

True, but I don't think it will be possible to escape from third place. I hope I am wrong, though.

[geneshifter]

I think that the main thing Sony has going for it right now is the BluRay player inside. Most people I know have one for watching movies and that's it. Kinda like how people are buying the Wii for the Wii Sports and that's it. So sad really. They all use the 360 or PC for gaming except for a few titles like Mario Galaxy and Uncharted.

There are new technologies (by Toshiba, I think) that will allow for up to 500GB of storage on a bluray disc with storage capacities of 1TB coming in the next 5 years. That would be great and may really help Sony take marketshare.

However, by then we'll be looking at the next Xbox and the next Wii which do not adhere to an absurd 10 year cycle in a fast changing technological world. I would bet cash that the next Xbox will have the bluray player, if not the next format after that, leap-frogging the PS3 and forcing Sony to change some things.

As for the future of Nintendo, who knows. They are definitely the wild card of the three. If they don't join the HD world by then, they won't do very well next time IMO.

[TheRealist50]

True, but I don't think it will be possible to escape from third place. I hope I am wrong, though.

Sony will have a better 2009 then Microsoft. I don't mean Sony will blow them out of the water but they will be just a tad better then Microsoft. But in the overall picture Microsoft will always be ahead of Sony thanks to the strong start they had.

[Leo_A]

While I don't see why it happened since I think the 360 has many advantages over it, the PS3 is hardly solidly in third place. Until the last couple of months with Xbox 360 price drops and a few games spurring on sales, they were closing the gap all year.

I believe the PS3 overtook the 360 in Europe earlier in the year, and are only 5 million behind or so now in worldwide sales. And that gap was even less a few months back. They still have at least a outside chance of ending up in 2nd place this generation, especially if Sony keeps it around longer than the 360 like they've done with their last two consoles.

I think the 360 is securely in 2nd place for the US, but they could still possibly lose that position in worldwide sales.

[j_factor]

While I don't see why it happened since I think the 360 has many advantages over it, the PS3 is hardly solidly in third place. Until the last couple of months with Xbox 360 price drops and a few games spurring on sales, they were closing the gap all year.

I'm pretty sure PS3 only outsold 360 in the US in January, February, and June. However much that closed the gap was easily reversed by the last two months alone, I'm sure.


I believe the PS3 overtook the 360 in Europe earlier in the year, and are only 5 million behind or so now in worldwide sales. And that gap was even less a few months back. They still have at least a outside chance of ending up in 2nd place this generation, especially if Sony keeps it around longer than the 360 like they've done with their last two consoles.

The only reason Playstation and PS2 were around so long was because they were the most successful consoles of their time. Same reason we had NES games until 1994. You're not going to see any console stick around for a significant period of time past the introduction of its successor, unless it's doing well to begin with.

I don't know how accurate they are, but according to VGchartz.com, the two are just under 8 million units apart in worldwide sales. PS3 is beating the 360 in Japan, but that's to be expected, and the Wii is outselling it almost 3 to 1. You are correct about the PS3 surpassing 360 in Europe, but the difference in the US is so wide it puts its worldwide totals firmly in third. I think the PS3 could very well remain second in both Europe in Japan, and still remain significantly behind worldwide due to US sales.

[XYXZYZ]

I love how Nintendo is on top again, being nostalgic for the good old days before Sony and Microsoft dominated everything. I sure wish the Wii had something I wanted to play on it. :|

[The 1 2 P]

I think the 360 is securely in 2nd place for the US, but they could still possibly lose that position in worldwide sales.

Very true, but only because the Japanese very stubornly refuse to support the 360. And for what? Last generation they supposedly didn't support the Xbox because it was "too big for small Japanese apartments" and it had "very few games (rpg's) that appealed to the Japanese market". Ok, so whats their excuse this generation? The 360 has more rpg's(and better ones) than both the PS3 and Wii combined. And the 360 is not only smaller than the original Xbox but it's also no bigger than the PS3. And that right there is why the world wide gap has gotten smaller(100,000+ PS3 sales a month to 7,000--if that--360 sales a month in Japan sort of has that effect).

But the US picture is much different because we(as a whole) don't make up any imaginary excuses as to why we will blatantly not support a foreign-made(non-US)game console. Sony can't cetch the 360 in the US because they were outsold ALL of 2006, 2007, and most of 2008. For the PS3 to cetch up they would not only have to outsell the 360 every month for atleast a year straight, they'd also have to do it by 2-1 or 3-1. So Sony's saving grace is in Japan, but that won't help them in this country.....atleast not this generation.

[heybtbm]

Another one of these "Wii RULZ...fap fap fap" threads?

What I'm really interested in (and I don't remember being discussed) is how many people at DP actually prefer the Wii over the PS3 or 360? I refuse to believe it's above 25%.

[gepeto]

nevermind

[Cryomancer]

the work out Wii sold quite well in Germany, but seen here at Saturn (one of the leading console sellers), lots on the shelf (but so was everyone elses (PS3, 360):
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/DSC00013.jpg


Top selling console in Germany? PS2 still top after all these years

Wait, the samba wii bundles DO exist? Any chance you have more info on that?

[dao2]

The Wii is successful? No way! This is breaking news!

The next thing you're going to tell me is that the Sun is big, we live on Earth, and wild grizzly bears can rip your face off if you aren't careful!

that is a complete lie

wild grizzly bears will rip of ur face even if ur careful :P

[Aussie2B]

Terms like "hardcore" have been completely re-defined just to make Xbox 360 look good and the Wii look bad.

I think that's probably the most insightful comment made in this topic.

Maybe it's just me, but in the many years I've heard the terms "casual" and "hardcore", I've always viewed casual gamers as the teenage male crowd that just plays Madden and a little bit of Halo or some other FPS now and then. I've actually consider the "cutesy" games more "hardcore" because a gamer that plays them is not being superficial and considering their image when they play a game, so they'll give any game a chance, regardless of how obscure or strange, as long as it offers quality gameplay. Hardcore gamers are the early adopters of Katamari Damacy, not the 360 owner that snubs the Wii because he doesn't play that "gay shit".

I don't think any system can be defined as being "casual" or "hardcore". This is defined by the player him or herself. I mean, what if someone gets a Wii to play Fire Emblem and No More Heroes? Is that a "casual" player? I wouldn't think so.

[alxbly]

PS3 overtook the 360 in sales here in Europe a few months ago but since then the 360 has had another significant price drop (you get get a 360 arcade for less than half the price of a PS3 here in the UK) and has been really aggressively marketed this xmas. I think the balance will have shifted back in the 360's favour when more recent unit numbers become available.


What I'm really interested in (and I don't remember being discussed) is how many people at DP actually prefer the Wii over the PS3 or 360? I refuse to believe it's above 25%.

Despite being the first of the current gen consoles that I bought, it's also the once I rate the least. This is the first xmas in over ten years that there's not been any Nintendo games under my tree and that makes me kinda sad. Luckily, the games I got for the 360 and PS3 have cheered me up again... :D

[Famidrive-16]

I remember when Cooking Mama came out for DS, nobody called it shovelware. But now that it's on Wii, it's shovelware. I'm not saying the Wii doesn't have more than its share of bad games, but it's becoming more clear to me that 90% people who bash the system already have their mind made up against it and are going out of their way to justify their pre-conceived opinions, rather than honestly considering what the system has to offer. People either talk crap about games they haven't played, or completely ignore worthwhile games as if they didn't exist while focusing exclusively on the crap. Or both. And I hate how the lexicon has changed. Terms like "hardcore" have been completely re-defined just to make Xbox 360 look good and the Wii look bad.

Every system (unless we're talking about Gizmondo or something) has its share of worthwhile games. Often when systems are still new, they are lacking, but every current system has been around for a while now, and has a decent-sized, well-established library. Not every system is to every person's taste, but none of them suck.

etcetcetc I pretty much agree with this post etc.

That being said 2008 was pretty lousy for the Wii. I think people underestimate the system, but Nintendo needs to think up a Plan B, and quick.

edit: thank you, jfactor and aussie2b, for not making me feel alone in noticing the 'hardcore shift'

[Kid Ice]

Sony will have a better 2009 then Microsoft. I don't mean Sony will blow them out of the water but they will be just a tad better then Microsoft.

I can't think of any logical reason to believe this will happen. If you were to force me to argue this point I wouldn't know where to begin. I can't even think of a reason the PS3 would have a better year than 2008. Weren't Home, MGS4, and Little Big Planet supposed to move systems? Unless the general public suddenly becomes as enamored of Wipeout HD as I am, the system is in trouble.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Wait, the samba wii bundles DO exist? Any chance you have more info on that?

Info = on Wii the game is so broken on a gameplay level that the only thing that they could bundle with it to make it worth buying would be:

A Dreamcast, a copy of Samba for Dreamcast, and the Dreamcast Maracas controllers.

[j_factor]

Too true. :(

[stargate]

The Wii is so successful, in part, due to the fact that Nintendo has created a system that has lured in not only casual gamers, but also non gamers. I work at a company with 2,000 people. Everyone is buying this thing including a 56 year old lady who works for me who can't figure out how to use Word.

Unfortunately, for many "gamers" such as myself, it's just not what we are looking for in a console. I want HD (1080P if possible). I want on-line gaming with a slick interface. I want challenging, immersive games. I want a system that pushes the limits of technology.

Looking forward, I think we are going to see a split between inexpensive, easy to use consoles and high end gaming rigs. I think there is a demand for both.

[darkslime]

I honestly wish the wii failed and put nintendo out of business. They've completely changed their target audience and have forgotten about gamers.

And to whoever said cooking mama on the ds was not called shovelware and when it came to wii it was, that's because cooking mama on the ds was fun, but when it came to wii it was made crappy by the motion controls and easy so it's targeted at kids and old ladies.

[Push Upstairs]

The only people I know who own a Nintendo system are my GF's GRANDPARENTS and I can't really see them being into video games the same way I am.

I admit the system looks fun in that "play it for 30 minutes, tops" kinda way, but I can't really bring myself to consider it a "dedicated" game system like the others I own.

I do think it is a perfect system for "casual" gamers who want to play and have fun without getting caught up in the hobby like we do.

[swlovinist]

The wii has some decent games, and its Wiiware titles have some gems. I am not going to argue with the fact that many of its games dont cater to me, but I feel that 2009 will actualy be a great year for the system. The wii library reminds me of the Sega Genesis library...a little rough around the edges but if you digg, you can find some gems. I agree that the wii is a system you either love or hate, and as an owner of all three current systems, I play it on par with my other systems.

Everyone is going to have an opinion about the system...love it or hate it you might as well get used to the fact that a good chunk all the major game companies will be making games for it, if not already. The sales of the system will affect future projects, as comapnies are not going to avoid a system that is selling out it competitors anywhere from 5 to 1 to 10 to 1. The simple truth of the matter is that with the ecomony going to the pits, game companies are going to focus on the biggest audience, and that my friend is not the PS3 or 360. Sure there is alot of crap on the system, but there also is some great games that are for gamers. You just have to look a little harder.

The people who dont like the system....that is why there is the 360 and PS3 for games like Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, Halo, Resistance, Gears, etc.

[djbeatmongrel]

I don't get all this Wii hate/disdain. I don't want to come off as a fanboy but i will state that the wii suits my needs in console gaming.

At this point in gaming i really don't care about cutting edge graphics since the jump just isnt that major to me. Online play is fun but not necessary for my overall experience becuase i like a solid single player experience and for my multiplayer time to spent in person. Also i like the fact that there are games that are taking advantage of the control possibilities of the controller. Remember it is early on still in the consoles life so theres time for none shovelware to be released and shine.

Why haven't I gone towards PS3 or 360? Stagnate lines of releases. FPS and Action games are great and all but thats the brunt ot the A list titles i might as well just go with pc gaming for that experience. When the only reall innovative titles are offered on the download service it seems a little off putting. Shovelware of not I like physical releases much more than a portion of hardrive space filled.

The price points for the highest end console itterations are way too high for my taste. Hell the price of the games are too high for me too. does the average price need to be jacked up another $60?

On side note towards the 360, the reliability of the units is another major negative. People tell me its no big deal to send it out for repair but i want my console to last atleast a few years before it needs some for of maintenence.

I will eventually buy a ps3 and a 360 but as of now the wii fits my gaming needs perfectly. And before some jackass asks what games i or have played for it heres a link to that portion of my collection.

http://www.rfgeneration.com/cgi-bin/collection.pl?name=djbeatmongrel&action=&results=&findimages=&folder=Collection&console=|132|&type=

[Cryomancer]

Info = on Wii the game is so broken on a gameplay level that the only thing that they could bundle with it to make it worth buying would be:

A Dreamcast, a copy of Samba for Dreamcast, and the Dreamcast Maracas controllers.

I read your thread about that. My girl and i grabbed the game for 20 bucks as we had some gift cards to burn, and she's been playing it a lot without that much trouble far as I can tell. I'll have to give it a shot myself, but it looks like the normal wii fare to me, in that the controls aren't quite what they should be, but once you figure out what the game wants you to do you should be ok.

She got those samba samba maraca covers as well, and said that they seemed to help with upward detection. The game certainly isn't perfect from what I've seen, but it doesn't seem quite as broken as your other thread makes it out to be. Like i said though, this is from *observation* on my part, and her comments while playing. I'll try it myself eventually and will probably agree with you more. Sadly I still don't have the DC maracas, so i've only ever played the game on a controller anyway.

edit: this came out longer than i thought it would, maybe i should have posted this in the samba thread afterall

[Icarus Moonsight]

I'm running Wii only. I don't feel like I'm missing out either. There is good stuff in that box, you just have to look. Bought 12 games this year (Animal Crossing hasn't been added yet) for a 1 game a month average. Not bad. So like dj, here's what I play on Wii for those who are curious;

http://www.rfgeneration.com/cgi-bin/collection.pl?name=Icarus+Moonsight&action=&results=&findimages=&folder=Collection&console=|132|&type= (http://www.rfgeneration.com/cgi-bin/collection.pl?name=Icarus+Moonsight&action=&results=&findimages=&folder=Collection&console=%7C132%7C&type=)

While I'm open to owning another current console I'm not going to do so until the 360 is fixed and redesigned in and out or the PS3 is in the neighborhood of two to three hundred bucks with full features and remaining solid on reliability. That means WiFi, HDD, Backwards compatible and natch. Otherwise, I'll just buy a few more PS2's and call this gen closed for me. I'll get it for pennies per dollar second hand and enjoy it just as much later. Maybe not online stuff, but I hardly care for that anyways.

Looking forward to the '09 match up of N's Motion+ vs Sony's Stereoscopic 3D! Magic 8-ball predicts a slaughter. :D

[TheRealist50]

I can't think of any logical reason to believe this will happen. If you were to force me to argue this point I wouldn't know where to begin. I can't even think of a reason the PS3 would have a better year than 2008. Weren't Home, MGS4, and Little Big Planet supposed to move systems? Unless the general public suddenly becomes as enamored of Wipeout HD as I am, the system is in trouble.

Sony has got a lot more games lined up for future releases, 2 games isn't enough to put out so much money for a PS3. But what will be coming in 2009 and beyond PLUS whats already on the market will help boost PS3 sales.

[Kid Ice]

Sony has got a lot more games lined up for future releases, 2 games isn't enough to put out so much money for a PS3. But what will be coming in 2009 and beyond PLUS whats already on the market will help boost PS3 sales.

Sony has a lot more games lined up for future releases....and Microsoft doesn't?

The PS3 has some pretty good stuff available already and it's still not selling. It's being outsold by a machine that just randomly breaks down. I can't imagine a scenario in which it begins to outsell the 360....maybe if the 360 grows arms and legs and starts beating people's kids?

[TheRealist50]

Sony has a lot more games lined up for future releases....and Microsoft doesn't?

The PS3 has some pretty good stuff available already and it's still not selling. It's being outsold by a machine that just randomly breaks down. I can't imagine a scenario in which it begins to outsell the 360....maybe if the 360 grows arms and legs and starts beating people's kids?

Sony will up their game in 2009. Lets just see what happens, its too early to predict who is gonna kick whose ass in the next few years. All I know is the PS3 sales were growing as the months went on in 2008. They will do better in the future but not come out of third place and I never argued that point. All I was arguing was that the PS3 will catch the 360 sitting back and give them a little shock.

If I had HDTV and not come cheap Chinese television "Misakai" then I'd buy the PS3, but the Blu Ray doesn't help me in anyway. The negatives outweigh the positives.

No BC + No need for Blu Ray + Price Tag = not for me.

[kainemaxwell]

I still think that Nintendo's strategy of making "Everyone a gamer!" is bad news for the industry - I want some freaking difficulty in my games, thank you very much. I don't need a pat on the head telling me I'm special. That's why I get my own bus. :D
"Everyone's a gamer" was more or less Sony's plan with the PSX and the PS2...

[DeputyMoniker]

How many times per year can this be considered news? At this point, if you don't know the Wii is outselling everything but itself, then you must be in solitary confinement.

[calthaer]

As someone who owns a DS but not any other current-gen console, this thread is actually pretty informative to me.

I'm generally a Nintendo fan and think my GameCube was one of my best purchases of the last gen. I was very favorably impressed by the lineup of games, some of them surprise hits that I really liked - I didn't think Animal Crossing would be as fun as it was, the first Metroid Prime was excellent, Ikaruga was great, etc. I'm also a fan of the Pokemon games and enjoyed the Colosseum games that came out, as they had actual adventures.

The Wii, however, hasn't given me a compelling reason to buy it yet. The Pokemon games are cheap and gimmicky like they were for the N64 (i.e. - they don't contain an actual adventure, and are more like 3D battle simulators). The Zelda game is available for the GameCube. Some of the other games like Mario look sorta fun but are not must-haves in my book. The virtual console is too little too late - emulators have been around for years, and even so, I have most of those games I really want either on the original hardware or when they were re-released for the GBA recently.

On top of all that, there are loads of games for my GameCube, PS2, GBA, and DS that I haven't even opened yet. Lacking any must-have reason to get one, why would I go out of my way to get a Wii? I've never even seen one on store shelves to-date. The 360 has a real bad rap in terms of hardware failure, and I don't see any exclusive games for that that I must have (I'm sorry - the Halo series of games are solid FPSs but are really nothing that far beyond what was available on the PC ten years ago). The PS3 is just completely redundant, in my opinion...the real reason I got my PS2 was because it was backwards-compatible with the PSX, and the PS3 doesn't even have that for the PS2.

It's very intriguing to me to hear other gamers saying that they play with it for a while and then go back to their core gaming avenues like the 360; I can easily imagine myself having the same experience. Thanks for the informative thread.

[crazyjackcsa]

It's too bad that Nintendo doesn't cater to the petulant whim of "teh Hardcorez" It worked so well for them in the past.

I'm a one system guy, and the Wii is mine. Maybe I just don't need as many games as I used to. I currently have about 8 games. Metroid and Battalion Wars and Mario Galaxy are my one player games at the moment and they offer everything I need.

The multi player is where the system shines for me. I sat down over the christmas break and played Mario Kart with my whole family. We put about 2 hours a night into the game. We played Boom Blox a ton. I got everybody to try out de Blob. My Dad and My Mom and my wife and my sister all played. It felt just like a round of Goldeneye back in highschool.

The last time anything like that happened? Never.

If being a hardcore gamer means not having anybody to play with, I'll pass.

[Gentlegamer]

Maybe it's just me, but in the many years I've heard the terms "casual" and "hardcore", I've always viewed casual gamers as the teenage male crowd that just plays Madden and a little bit of Halo or some other FPS now and then. I've actually consider the "cutesy" games more "hardcore" because a gamer that plays them is not being superficial and considering their image when they play a game, so they'll give any game a chance, regardless of how obscure or strange, as long as it offers quality gameplay. Hardcore gamers are the early adopters of Katamari Damacy, not the 360 owner that snubs the Wii because he doesn't play that "gay shit".That is how I view the terms, as well.

[chrisbid]

its not news, but looking at history, only the SNES was able to make a comeback after a slow start to end up number 1. can the PS3 make the same kindof charge? save a massive price drop it just isnt going to happen.

[DeputyMoniker]

...save a massive price drop...

You mean a massive loss increase?
Lol.
Here's to the PS4. I hope they do better next generation. I sure have been happy with my PS1&2.

[Bojay1997]

That is how I view the terms, as well.

I don't think that's how the industry views casual gamers, though. A casual gamer seems to be someone who buys a console later in its lifecycle (or early in the case of the Wii since it's at a relatively low price point) and over the years buys or rents a few games for it that don't require any kind of commitment to learn to play. It's the gamer who likes Tetris-type puzzle games or trivia games or mini-games. A casual gamer has always been someone who you ordinarily wouldn't think of as being a gamer or who doesn't think of themself as one. I don't think it was designed to be someone who is a FPS or sports game player. I would consider those people to be the "average" gamer since they buy consoles early or mid-way in the cycle, regularly buy new release games and spend at least some time every week playing games. A hardcore gamer in my mind is someone who buys a lot of games, has multiple consoles, plays lots of different genres and has an awareness of what's going on in the video game world. A hardcore gamer could like Halo just as much as Madden or Katamari or any other game. They could also like Nintendo just as well as 360 or PS3.

I guess when I complain about Nintendo not necessarily catering to "hardcore" gamers, it's a complaint that there isn't enough variety on the Wii. That's changing and I believe 2009 will be a good year, but so far it means that I haven't played my Wii much since buying it.

[Bojay1997]

It's too bad that Nintendo doesn't cater to the petulant whim of "teh Hardcorez" It worked so well for them in the past.

I'm a one system guy, and the Wii is mine. Maybe I just don't need as many games as I used to. I currently have about 8 games. Metroid and Battalion Wars and Mario Galaxy are my one player games at the moment and they offer everything I need.

The multi player is where the system shines for me. I sat down over the christmas break and played Mario Kart with my whole family. We put about 2 hours a night into the game. We played Boom Blox a ton. I got everybody to try out de Blob. My Dad and My Mom and my wife and my sister all played. It felt just like a round of Goldeneye back in highschool.

The last time anything like that happened? Never.

If being a hardcore gamer means not having anybody to play with, I'll pass.

Fair enough, but there are lots of people who have had similar experiences with the 360 and PS3. Games like Buzz, Scene It, Singstar, just about any FPS, Lips, You're in the Movies, etc... are all great group games and typically have a very minimal learning curve. I think it's strangely ironic that you mentioned Goldeneye when you can't really find an FPS of Goldeneye quality on the Wii. Hopefully that will change this year with the Conduit among other games.

[RPG_Fanatic]

Sony will have a better 2009 then Microsoft. I don't mean Sony will blow them out of the water but they will be just a tad better then Microsoft.

I think the only way Sony will have a better 2009 will be if they do a drastic price drop it's that simple. A DRASTIC PRICE DROP!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I think the only way Sony will have a better 2009 will be if they do a drastic price drop it's that simple. A DRASTIC PRICE DROP!

Every major increase in PS3 sales has been tied to price drops, so that's a hard theory to argue with, and one that I agree with.

If Sony dropped the price of the unit to $300 I bet we'd see two to three hundred percent increases in sales.

[megasdkirby]

I think the only way Sony will have a better 2009 will be if they do a drastic price drop it's that simple. A DRASTIC PRICE DROP!

Agreed.

If they would have priced it competitively from the very beggining, things would have been different. At least Sony would have been in second place.

But the $600 price tag DID hurt sales, and the price continues to be an influencing factor.

[j_factor]

I thought people were going to work overtime and get second jobs to get a PS3.

[The 1 2 P]

I thought people were going to work overtime and get second jobs to get a PS3.

Problem was they still couldn't afford it:shameful:

[RPG_Fanatic]

I thought people were going to work overtime and get second jobs to get a PS3.

Lets just say I paid a shit load when I got mine (launch day and got it off Ebay) but I still don't regret it!

[alxbly]

There's some really interesting views here, both of the Wii and games players in general. First up, my own personal experience of the Wii isn't that it's a "love it or hate it" console, quite the opposite. I view the Wii with neither frame of mind; I own it because I want to be able to play the exclusives but I'm not gonna get worked up about it because there's been very little to work me up after the initial high of Wii Sports. Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Zelda, Metroid... most of the big Nintendo franchises on Wii felt like half-arsed Gamecube updates. Hell, Brawl and Mario Kart Wii felt like dumbed-down versions of their Gamecube predecessors. The two games that really shone for me were No More Heroes and Endless Ocean and I didn't expect that, I expected Nintendo to lead the way. Now with Animal Crossing it seems like there's another first party, half-arsed Gamecube update on Wii and despite loving the previous AC games I just can't bring myself to part with the asking price... whilst knowing there's not much new there. Wii = Meh.

The casual gamers vs hardcore gamers discussion has been done to death now. There's always gonna be people who want to be known as "teh hardcorez", usually I avoid them because they feel they have something to prove... and really, who cares how "hardcore" these douchebags are? But there also seems to be a backlash against the elements that are seen as hardcore; hating on FPS in general (especially Halo) or stating that hardcore games aren't fun and it's all about graphics. Yeah, graphics play a part, but for most people surely a bad game is still a bad game no matter how shiny it is? And for the life of me I can't get my head around why some people assume that "hardcore" games can't be fun or can't be played with friends... I know I'm playing them for just those reasons.

[slip81]

How many times per year can this be considered news? At this point, if you don't know the Wii is outselling everything but itself, then you must be in solitary confinement.

In other news, the sky is blue.

[Garry Silljo]

In other news, the sky is blue.

Really? I just looked outside and it was black ... with stars. You're a liar.

[scooterb23]

Really? I just looked outside and it was black ... with stars. You're a liar.

zomg variant sky rarezorz

[slip81]

zomg variant sky rarezorz


I didn't know Rare was the developer of Sky.

[DeputyMoniker]

I didn't know Rare was the developer of Sky.

It must have something to do with your location. I don't know. I'm not a scientist.


I thought people were going to work overtime and get second jobs to get a PS3.

I would have. Unfortunately for Sony, I had to work overtime & get a second job to pay my bills.

[megasdkirby]

Next to it, the DS looks like a product of another age. It's barely capable of 3D, let alone delivering a suite of mobile applications of the PSP's caliber. Not, in fact, unlike the contrast between the Playstation 3 (modern, immensely powerful, and pricey) and the Wii (underpowered, basic, and cheap.) Oh, and phenomenally successful. The parallels you can draw between Sony and Nintendo's offerings go deep.

The paragraph reeks of fanboyism and ignorance.

But so do many Yahoo! articles... O_o

[j_factor]

The PSP is doing fine. Just because it's not selling close to what DS is selling, doesn't mean it's doing badly.

Although I do wonder what people are doing with their PSP's, since PSP games almost never seem to sell very well. But the hardware sells okay.

[Rob2600]

Next to it, the DS looks like a product of another age. It's barely capable of 3D, let alone delivering a suite of mobile applications of the PSP's caliber. Not, in fact, unlike the contrast between the Playstation 3 (modern, immensely powerful, and pricey) and the Wii (underpowered, basic, and cheap.) Oh, and phenomenally successful. The parallels you can draw between Sony and Nintendo's offerings go deep.

The paragraph reeks of fanboyism and ignorance.

But so do many Yahoo! articles... O_o

The DS's 3D graphics aren't the best ever in the whole world, but they're fine. The more important factors are battery life, price, size, and game selection. That's why the original black-and-white Game Boy killed the graphically superior Lynx, Game Gear, and TurboExpress.



Just because it's not selling close to what DS is selling, doesn't mean it's doing badly.

I agree. There have been roughly 45 million PSPs sold worldwide. That's in no way a failure.

By the way, here's an amusing article: GamePro - The 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time (http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/125748/the-10-worst-selling-handhelds-of-all-time/)