Next gen consoles - how are they really doing?

Sunday 10 Jun 2007

June has arrived and with it comes the opportunity to reflect on the impact that the next-gen consoles have had on gaming this year. There was plenty of hype pre-launch to suggest the domination of the PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii as the triumphant winner, nevertheless the reality is somewhat different.

The PS3 has all the specs to suggest that it should win on muscle alone, however, has failed to impress given a lack of quality software titles to support the launch. Equally troubling is the removal of hardware level PS2 compatibility support for the European release, discontinuation of the 20GB model, news of software developer layoffs by SCEA and rumored price cuts. All in all Sony seems to be struggling to recoup the massive investment they committed to the PS3. Fortunately the PS2 continues to sell relatively well at a bargain price and will no doubt be boosted by the recent launch of God of War 2. In the long run there is still hope for the PS3 but Sony need to get quality titles released soon - lets hope SingStar, LittleBigPlanet and Assasin’s Creed can turn Sony’s woes around. The PSP is doing reasonably well in Japan and mediocre in the US but it is improving in the States, partially due to a strategic price cut. Will the PSP see a re-launch similar to the Nintendo’s DS to DS-Lite strategy to give it a kick-start in the right direction? Only time will tell.

Show me the money

Nintendo is smiling all the way to the bank with week upon week of outstanding Wii and DS sales around the globe. For instance, in Japan the Wii and DS are outselling the PS3 and PSP at a ration of 5 to 1. Nintendo’s main challenge is producing sufficient stock to keep up with the unprecedented demand. On the software front, there are plenty of quality DS titles to keep avid gamers delighted, however, the Wii could do with some new mega titles. For instance, Wii Play and Wii Sports are keeping the masses happy, but what next? Trauma Center, Zelda and Super Paper Mario are top notch available titles and with Metroid Prime, Mario Party 8 and Smash Bros on the way the future is looking very rosy.

The Xbox 360 now has an attachable HD-DVD drive, tons of downloadable content and the promise of the revved up Xbox 360 Elite version. The console is wriggling its way into living rooms as a “media server” and DVD player in addition to its primary game playing role. Given the Xbox 360 was launched a full year ahead of the competitors, the software titles are plentiful, however, are focused on traditional gamer stereotypes. More attention needs to be given to female and family gamer focused titles.

Check out our news items on the Japanese Sales figures and UK Chart Review for additional analysis.

Sigh, movie tie-ins cash in

Trends that are growing this year are the success of movie tie-in games as well as downloadable content. The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Spider-Man 3 titles have stolen the limelight on the UK All Format Charts for many a week now. Nintendo has reached 100 virtual console titles available for download through the Wii Shop Channel, with American Nintendo fans having clocked up 4.7 million downloads since November 2006. Microsoft has made huge inroads into downloadable content through their Live Arcade and Marketplace services, despite initial infrastructure challenges when the services launched. The public has spoken and the “internet” connectivity of consoles has become a necessity…let’s see how the PS3 Home service is received going forward.

Last but not least, retro is in with remakes of arcade titles and simple additions to nostalgic games from yesteryear selling well. Pac-Man was launched across arcades in 1980 and this past week was re-launched through Xbox Live Arcade. Toru Iwatani, the original designer of Pac-Man, finishes his career this month with the release of this much loved title, adding in new mazes and modes for future generations to enjoy.