Console has a very interesting history of its own and how it came to be. First there were arcade games along with commodore 64 and Atari. Subsequently, Nintendo dominated the market with the Super Nintendo and Game Boy. Now we’re entering a new era of gaming with Nintendo’s PS3, Xbox360 and Wii, each offering different features for its console in unique ways. From PS3 taking the console crown from Power horse to xbox360 “Xbox Live” the question is what’s in store for Nintendo’s next console, Wii? Will Nintendo be able to stay in the market? And is it possible for Nintendo to get the upper hand in the M$ Giants and Sony’s next Gen console war? I think all this is possible for three main reasons. Both Sony and Microsoft have not been able to offer anything new in the gaming experience with the exception of the graphical upgrade of the previous consoles. They still use the same mechanism to play games using the old button and button control system. In addition, both have not been able to understand the players for a console. Gamers aren’t asking for a $400 device to have fun gaming, but they want it to be affordable. One of the most important aspects of a console is its software. Xbox was able to use that with games like Halo and Nintendo DS with NintendoDogs. Looking at all three of these points, there is a strong possibility that Nintendo could come out strong.
One of the key notes about the Next Gen console from Microsoft and Sony is the power of their consoles. It seems that each one tried to get on the horse cart to see who had the most power. Sony’s PlayStation boss has even gone so far as to say that PS3 can do 120 f/s “to get a rough idea, your eye can only see up to 70 f/s” and also with PS3 the world will be transformed into a 4D dimension. Believe it or not, that’s an actual statement from Sony PlayStation CEO Ken Kutaragi. This left the question of how the games are actually going to be any different. Play while still implementing an old game mechanism that uses sticks to play. Nintendo tried to make use of this idea. Graphics can make games more realistic, but you still live in the polygonal world of games. At this point, Nintendo was trying to experiment with the Gamecube to find a new way to play the game. The idea was that if you have a game where you have to mow your grass, you actually use the controller to mow, or actually if you have to shoot the ball with the Tennis Stick, you use your hand movement to power the ball. It was a difficult concept to design the controller for and the technology could never be provided until three years ago, when a Japanese company came up with motion sensor technology to use movement in the hands to power scrolling on the screen. Nintendo had the idea and now there was the key to unlock it. Thus, the final design was one of the most awkward console controllers ever. Many questioned the accuracy of such a controller and answers were given when one of Time magazine’s reporters was able to play Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princes where he was actually slashing using the controller and analog stick. One more thing to note about Nintendo is their focus on gameplay that can be seen on the DS (“New Game Machine Driven After Game Boy Advance AKA Dual Screen Nintendo”). DS has proven to be successful and amazingly has outsold Sony’s PSP (“The one where it has vastly superior graphics capabilities”) 4 to 1 and sold over 16 million worldwide. Both PS3 and Xbox have not tackled the game with the exception of superior graphics.
The second issue was the affordability and features of the gaming machines. Microsoft seemed to be able to offer a good price range for their Xbox360 with a 399 Premium bundle and a 299 Core bundle with the difference that Premium has a 20GB HD, headset and wireless controllers all for an extra 100. Sony has gone on the record and recently announced that the PS3 will come in two bundles, one at $499.99 and one at $599.00. Yes, you heard me right, that is the price of the Sony PS3 and why? Because you just get blue-ray technology for DVDs and who will use it? No one. That is simply a price for playing games. The good alternative is Nintendo’s new Wii system for less than US$299 or even cheaper at US$199.99. Nintendo not only offers consumers a fun and affordable system to play, but they also make a very good profit on it.
The third problem and the biggest and most important of all is the software. Sony has strong iterations in that area, but the rivals are catching up. M$ is putting out very strong games. On the other hand, Nintendo has surprised many with its new library of games like Red Steels, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princesses, and Sadness. So Nintendo will no longer be BIG with Mario just for kids, but for hardcore gamers alike.
To conclude this long article, I have to say that there is a bright future for Nintendo and looking at the fact will tell how much Nintendo is ahead of its competitors in understanding the gaming market and gamers alike by offering a solid system that is fun to play. and affordable with lots of great features like wireless Wi-Fi and retro Nintendo library as well as great games to play.