Journal buffer-overflowed's Journal: Games - Hey there 9
Preface to this: I've have yet to be wrong about anything regarding video games. Even going into the N64 I had bad feelings(back when FFVII was displayed on the "project reality" even), I bought it anyway, and in retrospect it didn't disappoint, but at the time, man, yea it really did disappoint.
The next generation. Sony is dead. They're irrelevant. They'll sell consoles to their die hard idiot fanboys and that's about it. Those people will in turn be burnt, hard, and learn the lesson of SEGA and the lesson of the N64. Past success with 3rd parties does not guarantee future success with third parties. This is not to mention the incoming lawsuit that they'll lose in regards to the motion-sensing functionality. Which they failed to license from any of the parties that have patents on it(Logitech, Thomson, Nintendo, Microsoft to name 4). Just like rumble, they'll lose.
This E3 keeps reminding me, over and over again of the N64 launch. I bought the N64 because of the SNES. I didn't buy the saturn because SEGA had an allergy to money and a need to keep putting out half-supported addons, but I digress. The playstation came along and took away all the 3rd party titles. Why?
It was cheaper. Business, pure and simple.
I still remember the analyst predictions that Sony would fail because they had no first party development. They were right, but they were a few years off. First and 2nd party development has been what has kept Nintendo alive in the console sphere. It's what's made them a profit year after year, quarter after quarter(bar one). Sony can't survive like that. They mainly make knock-offs. Buying a Playstation for it's first party titles is like buying a Sorny instead of a Sony WEGA in 1995. You do it because it's cheap and almost as good.
This next generation, it sure ain't cheap. HDTVs are expensive. The consoles(apart from Nintendo's we presume) are expensive. The games are more expensive. The cost of HD gaming goes up to nigh-PC levels. And we're talking buying a brand new video card when it first comes out levels here. I know of a few psychos who do so, but that's no where near mainstream. I can live w/o the extra 30 specks of blood coming out of the guys back when I shoot him in the chest for a few years to save $300.
But wait... I can write off PC upgrades on my taxes and get the most for them. I know of many companies that'll reimburse you for PC expendatures, like colleges, once every few years. A PC these days can be effectively free. Worst case, you can get up to 30% off(effectively, via adjustment) if you have a quasi-shady accountant(AKA a KICK-ASS accountant) and work in a field somewhat related to computing. So, what's the freakin' advantage performance-wise if it's not cheap!?
But I digress, massively.
The point of this was to gather the legion. And we are legion. We saw the trailer for the fuckin' Wizard and went to see it because it showed previews of the third game in a series. I recently saw the trailer to Super Smash Brothers Brawl and it was not only better than some of the sex I've had, the afterglow lasted far longer. You think I'm joking, I'm not.
This E3 has been like an ex-smoker taking the habit up again. An instant rush of memories and endorphins. Every time I've enjoyed a game over the years with friends, all of those moments, all came rushing back to me. Nintendo always "wins" E3, but they haven't had me this hopped up since the 80s.
thoughts (Score:2)
The lesson of SEGA you're trying to apply to Sony isn't comparable though. Sega burned developers twice with the 32X and Saturn. The Dreamcast was an awesome machine, but at that point most developers were quite satisfied to make large ROI with the PSX and PS2. The PS3 is hard to develop for, but I don't think it's Sat
Re:thoughts (Score:1)
If your competition makes the 3rd parties more profit, they will defect. That's why the PSP is dying and will die, and that's why the PS3 will die.
You are godly game developer Z. I approach you with a deal to develop for platform X. It'll cost you $Y million, you'll need to sell Z hundreds of thousands of units to break even. In the case of the PSP you won't. They haven't had a million selling title yet, hence the rapid ports of "killer title
Re:thoughts (Score:2)
Unless of course Sony or MS has given me incentives to not develop for their rival.
About the $600, I'
Re:thoughts (Score:2)
The 360 offers me nothing right now. I'm past the FPS stage of my life. I enjoy in depth RPG's like Final Fantasy (which is supposed to be ported to the 360, but no one knows for sure yet). I enjoy great racing titles
Re:thoughts (Score:1)
I'm not alone in this.
So tacking in a blu-r
I'm wondering if Nintendo can make a turn around (Score:2)
Re:I'm wondering if Nintendo can make a turn aroun (Score:2)
Alternatively, Sega's biggest blunder could be designing the Genesis so it could only do a max
Re:I'm wondering if Nintendo can make a turn aroun (Score:1)
But its like an old-timers club with a closed membershi
Re:I'm wondering if Nintendo can make a turn aroun (Score:2)
I think aesthetic had a lot to do with the GC not being picked up too: it looked like a kid's toy. Not futuristic, not Ikea-esque but like something only a child would have. And that hurt. Like a lot of UI, it only really hurts you when it sticks out. Sure, the Xbox looked retarded but it was just like an Alienware box flipped on its side. Not too hard to ignore. But the GC with the little discs and t