Gates jabs @ Sony saying Wii is "tough competition"

[CrayZee]

I saw Bill Gates saying that the Wii is "tough competition."

So Nintendo takes a different approach, but is the new controller really just a novelty? Perhaps I haven't adjusted to the controller, but some games just seem hard to control (e.g., FPSers). Why can't the competition just come out w/ a similar offering?

While the lower price point for the Nintendo Wii is attractive, is it not enough to overcome the graphical capabilities of the PS3 and XBox 360?

In the (semi-)longrun, will Microsoft be the console market leader because of their strong position in the software industry (i.e., access to better cost reduction for hardware, in-house software teams for dev kits, etc.)?

Of course this is speculation, as I'm no game industry analyst. Post launch games are only just starting to trickle out for the Wii and PS3, not to mention that devs teams are learning still, but my guess is that:

1. Microsoft
2. Nintendo
3. Sony

It will be interesting to see if Microsoft has a handheld offering eventually as well. It would be very tough to beat out Nintendo in that market space.

[blackize]

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Perhaps I haven't adjusted to the controller, but some games just seem hard to control (e.g., FPSers).

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I think FPS's are easier to control with the Wiimote than dual analog sticks.

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Why can't the competition just come out w/ a similar offering?

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Sony sort of did. They made a tilt sensitive controller, but it seems that it doesn't enhance gameplay for most of the offerings out there. I actually wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft and Sony offering a similar controller addon in the future but it won't be cheap.

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While the lower price point for the Nintendo Wii is attractive, is it not enough to overcome the graphical capabilities of the PS3 and XBox 360?

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The lower price is definitely going to be a plus for your average consumer. As it is there really aren't that many HDTVs in homes. Until HDTVs become standard I don't think the inferior graphics on the Wii will be an issue.

My guess is Microsoft wins this console war, but the Wii has a good shot to overtake the 360 if it keeps selling the way it has been.

[Nicholasp27]

only 17% of households have hdtvs, which is why wii isn't hd quality...the next wii will be, when more homes have hdtvs

they could come out with similiar remotes...but it won't be as supported as wiimote is since it won't be the 'main controller' for the system...next gen they will definitely have wiimote-like controllers...the old button-controllers will be obsolete in a few years

microsoft won't win because they can't win asia...gamecube outsold the 360 in japan this year...

also, wii is being snatched up in droves by non-gaming consumers who are not interested in any other console (and haven't been since original nes or atari, if ever)...so even if they don't get the highest % of 'gaming consumers', they will still win due to the large number of 'non-gaming consumers' they will capture

my parents, who have never owned a system and never even played with me after nintendo, want a wii...i know of countless others whose parents' feel the same

[MrWookie]

I'm loving my Wii, but it's not hard to see that the 17% stat is deceptive. I don't think 100% of American homes have TV's, so the percentage of HD sets in all American homes is higher. Also, I'd garner that of the households that would remotely consider buying a console, the fraction with HD sets will be disproportionately represented compared to that 17% stat. That said, I don't think that the lack of HD is a deal breaker or even an issue for most people yet.

[PITTM]

exactly. i would like to see a stat of "what % of homes that will be buying this-gen video game consoles have hdtv's?"

[Soul Daddy]

Or "will buy an HDTV during this gen?"

Still, the 17% figure is very relevant to Nintendo and the audience they seek.

[MikeSmith]

in addition to the percentage of hdtvs you have to factor in the people who actually buy the high end 1080p hdtvs, most people will have the lesser resolution 720p meaning that their ps3 wont look much more amazing than a well developed xbox game.

[CrayZee]

Good points in the thread.

Perhaps w/ Nintendo targeting the "non-gaming consumers," it's a reflection of the industry growing up...that and people growing up w/ video games maturing.

It's hard for me to see the usefulness of a "standard input" button device going away completely, but it could be the beginning of a paradigm shift for controllers...then again, the Wiimote is an extension design. Who would have thought people would still be paying for Super Mario Bros. 20 years after original launch?

I'm having great fun w/ my Wii so far and have not regretted my somewhat impulse-based purchase.

I'd still be pretty surprised if the PS3 tanked completely even given all the bashing I've seen. The system case design looks cool, it looks like vacuum cleaner or something. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[MikeSmith]

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Perhaps w/ Nintendo targeting the "non-gaming consumers," it's a reflection of the industry growing up...that and people growing up w/ video games maturing.


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I couldnt agree with this statement more, my mother in law who cant check her email is still hassling me for selling my wii for profit b/c she wants to play wii sports again but I cant find another one.

[Dire]

I think the real test for this generation, and particularly the Wii, will come in about 6 months. If the Wii is still doing well and you have mothers perusing video game stores for themselves then it could very well come out on top this generation. I think longevity will be the Wii's greatest challenge. It's one thing to have nongamers entertained by Wii sports for a couple of months - but will Nintendo be able to maintain their attention and effectively 'convert' these nongamers into gamers who are willing to proactively play/purchase new offerings 6 months down the road?

We should also be seeing the 'real' PS3 in about 6 months. They will have adjusted their price line by then and we will be able to see if they've managed to regain the developers currently abandoning the system. If they do regain the developers and get some decent exclusives out then the system could become a competitor.

Lastly comes the 360. Right now they are doing extremely well. They're constantly expanding their library of games, attracting/signing developers for exclusives and improving/expanding their XBox Live / Arcade offerings. The question for them is exactly the same as for the Wii. Can they keep it up?

I'd also put the order at 360, Wii, PS3. The Wii has the potential momentum to overtake the 360 but I'm not sure how long that momentum can last. The PS3 is in trouble.