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It is very rare for Nintendo to ever admit they're in the S**t but looks like they have done. Speaking to various Japanese publications Iwati of Nintendo fame confirmed that they are struggling to read the "Japanese Market".
It appears Nintendo maybe thrashing Microsoft but they are still suffering badly and the brave attempt to save themselves stems from Iwati's belief that "Consumers don't want flash graphics and better machines". So Enter the DS, Nintendo's big hope, success will mean a saved Nintendo....
"If we are unsuccessful with the Nintendo DS, we may not go bankrupt, but we will be crushed. The next two years will be a really crucial time for Nintendo."
Ah. Naturally with the continuing massacre on peoples wallets by the Pokemon franchise there is little to fear in the bankcrupcy department.
But it looks like the DS is more important than we though.
For the love of God say you are right Nintendo... please be right.
It appears Nintendo maybe thrashing Microsoft but they are still suffering badly and the brave attempt to save themselves stems from Iwati's belief that "Consumers don't want flash graphics and better machines". So Enter the DS, Nintendo's big hope, success will mean a saved Nintendo....
"If we are unsuccessful with the Nintendo DS, we may not go bankrupt, but we will be crushed. The next two years will be a really crucial time for Nintendo."
Ah. Naturally with the continuing massacre on peoples wallets by the Pokemon franchise there is little to fear in the bankcrupcy department.
But it looks like the DS is more important than we though.
For the love of God say you are right Nintendo... please be right.
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Interesting...
http://spong.com/detail/news.asp?prid=6246
And a quick snippet...
'This also brings Sony's ability to effectively launch a new platform into fresh doubt. The release of the PlayStation 2 was a disaster in all territories, with a lacklustre software offering being compounded by dire hardware shortages and reportedly high failure rates.'
As i say. i very tough job for Sony indeed.
http://spong.com/detail/news.asp?prid=6246
And a quick snippet...
'This also brings Sony's ability to effectively launch a new platform into fresh doubt. The release of the PlayStation 2 was a disaster in all territories, with a lacklustre software offering being compounded by dire hardware shortages and reportedly high failure rates.'
As i say. i very tough job for Sony indeed.
Darwock wrote:
> I think something we're losing sight of it's that it was also touted
> as a portable console rather than a handheld... time will tell what's
> meant by that I suppose. E3 may actually be interesting this year!
Since the PSP has been delayed till 2005 I can presume the DS will have no competitor for the Christmas market... and can REALLY steal Sony's thunder.
> I think something we're losing sight of it's that it was also touted
> as a portable console rather than a handheld... time will tell what's
> meant by that I suppose. E3 may actually be interesting this year!
Since the PSP has been delayed till 2005 I can presume the DS will have no competitor for the Christmas market... and can REALLY steal Sony's thunder.
Darwock wrote:
> It should be easily done - gaming is so common these days there's
> even articles appearing in the metro. The high disposable-income
> mid-twenties crowd that bought iPods DO play games. The PSP is not
> targeted at kids (from the start they said it was a high-end device)
> and unfortunately the Gameboy does have a kiddy image (even more so
> than the Gamecube!).
Since the release of the SP the Gameboy's mature gamer userbase has raised 110%.
> It should be easily done - gaming is so common these days there's
> even articles appearing in the metro. The high disposable-income
> mid-twenties crowd that bought iPods DO play games. The PSP is not
> targeted at kids (from the start they said it was a high-end device)
> and unfortunately the Gameboy does have a kiddy image (even more so
> than the Gamecube!).
Since the release of the SP the Gameboy's mature gamer userbase has raised 110%.
I think something we're losing sight of it's that it was also touted as a portable console rather than a handheld... time will tell what's meant by that I suppose. E3 may actually be interesting this year!
Well, some valid points there mate. Maybe you are right.
However, I must say in my experience of the games industry, and my own personal opinion, I am still far from convinced that any handheld, PSP or otherwise, can capture the hearts (and wallets) of the casual gaming masses.
Handhelds come and handhelds go, but none of them have really punched into the mainstream (not even the GBA) like MP3 players, iPods and these other 'executive toys'. The issue for Sony is that they either NEED to break into this mainstream arena, or start taking customers from the GBA.
Either way - it's gonna’ be very, very tough for them.
Don't get me wrong, I want the PSP to fail - far from it. I don't particularly consider myself to be affiliated with any console maker or 'brand' - I just tend to buy what I like. And if the PSP appeals to me as a gamer, I’ll be there with 150 notes in hand.
I guess my point is that Sony really do have their work cut-out with the PSP in the UK – I cannot comment on how the machine will fair in Japan (probably very well!) or the USA, as I don’t have the same level of experience with regard to consumer habits and market trends in the games sector.
One thing I am pretty sure about it that it’s not going to be a case of simply appealing to young professionals (and 20-sometings) and basically creating a huge user base, essential for free (by this I mean without having to take it from a competitor) as they did with the PSX.
The handheld may be a console, but when it comes to marketing it to a casual gaming ordinance, it’s a completely different beast to that of it’s home-based brothers.
Man, i always write way to much ;-)
Sorry guys.
However, I must say in my experience of the games industry, and my own personal opinion, I am still far from convinced that any handheld, PSP or otherwise, can capture the hearts (and wallets) of the casual gaming masses.
Handhelds come and handhelds go, but none of them have really punched into the mainstream (not even the GBA) like MP3 players, iPods and these other 'executive toys'. The issue for Sony is that they either NEED to break into this mainstream arena, or start taking customers from the GBA.
Either way - it's gonna’ be very, very tough for them.
Don't get me wrong, I want the PSP to fail - far from it. I don't particularly consider myself to be affiliated with any console maker or 'brand' - I just tend to buy what I like. And if the PSP appeals to me as a gamer, I’ll be there with 150 notes in hand.
I guess my point is that Sony really do have their work cut-out with the PSP in the UK – I cannot comment on how the machine will fair in Japan (probably very well!) or the USA, as I don’t have the same level of experience with regard to consumer habits and market trends in the games sector.
One thing I am pretty sure about it that it’s not going to be a case of simply appealing to young professionals (and 20-sometings) and basically creating a huge user base, essential for free (by this I mean without having to take it from a competitor) as they did with the PSX.
The handheld may be a console, but when it comes to marketing it to a casual gaming ordinance, it’s a completely different beast to that of it’s home-based brothers.
Man, i always write way to much ;-)
Sorry guys.
I didn't mean that to sound so fanboy-ish. I own a GBA SP and play it on the train too. Advance Wars 2 rocks.
I've also noticed that not many people play GBA on the tube and train, including myslelf, despite owning one. Why?
Well I think it's because the GBA SP isn't cool. Some of the games are ace, but like someone mentioned, trains and buses shake like crazy and get the lighting wrong and you're screwed.
They're a kiddies toy - no offence - and people seeing you with one aren't exactly going to think - wow. It's the image that Nintendo have given it. It has no casual gamer appeal - the average twenty something thinks it's a bit crud and doesn't own one.
The PSP will get the image that will take it into trains and buses and will have people waving them around with pride - I think this because:
1/ it's priced at a level where you'd expect a quality phone / mp3 player / console to be - at a couple of hundred pounds. The kiddies are priced out, making this something exclusively for the young professionals (the core market).
2/ it plays huge quantities of digital music on interchangable UMD disks. Well - that's sold it already to me. Talk about an untapped niche! You wouldn't even have to take it out of your pocket to play these, so it will find it's way into trains etc.
3/ Sony will do a PS1 / 2 ad campaign that will push it into the twenty somethings faces.
4/ Portable video - in widescreen too. Amazing.
5/ Oh yeah. and games - great games. Maybe some PS1 titles that are 4 years old. But the GBA has SNES ones over 8 years old.
All that for <200 quid? Bargain.
The DS souns a bit naff seeing as it seems to be a GBA with 2 screens (why?). I will buy one if it works, but I'm already weeping with joy at the thought of a PSP, as are a couple of non handheld playing 20 something friends of mine.
Well I think it's because the GBA SP isn't cool. Some of the games are ace, but like someone mentioned, trains and buses shake like crazy and get the lighting wrong and you're screwed.
They're a kiddies toy - no offence - and people seeing you with one aren't exactly going to think - wow. It's the image that Nintendo have given it. It has no casual gamer appeal - the average twenty something thinks it's a bit crud and doesn't own one.
The PSP will get the image that will take it into trains and buses and will have people waving them around with pride - I think this because:
1/ it's priced at a level where you'd expect a quality phone / mp3 player / console to be - at a couple of hundred pounds. The kiddies are priced out, making this something exclusively for the young professionals (the core market).
2/ it plays huge quantities of digital music on interchangable UMD disks. Well - that's sold it already to me. Talk about an untapped niche! You wouldn't even have to take it out of your pocket to play these, so it will find it's way into trains etc.
3/ Sony will do a PS1 / 2 ad campaign that will push it into the twenty somethings faces.
4/ Portable video - in widescreen too. Amazing.
5/ Oh yeah. and games - great games. Maybe some PS1 titles that are 4 years old. But the GBA has SNES ones over 8 years old.
All that for <200 quid? Bargain.
The DS souns a bit naff seeing as it seems to be a GBA with 2 screens (why?). I will buy one if it works, but I'm already weeping with joy at the thought of a PSP, as are a couple of non handheld playing 20 something friends of mine.
Darwock wrote:
> Dringo wrote:
The high disposable-income
> mid-twenties crowd that bought iPods DO play games.
Yes they do.
But the question is, where do they play games?
The vast majority play them at home on their PS2.
So why would they want a portable PS1? Where would they use it?
> Dringo wrote:
The high disposable-income
> mid-twenties crowd that bought iPods DO play games.
Yes they do.
But the question is, where do they play games?
The vast majority play them at home on their PS2.
So why would they want a portable PS1? Where would they use it?
Belldandy wrote:
> Dringo wrote:
> Safedisc_V2 wrote:
> So just when is a casual gamer going to use a £150 PSP?
>
> Which is more to the point...
>
> No it's not. Plenty of "casual gamers" forked out nearly
> £300 for PS2 consoles, and the same with Playstation.
Hmmm you might want to go back and check the sales figers for the PS2 on UK release - it wasn't that great.
However, regardless of this, you need to look at why people spend £300 on a PS2 - why were people who had only been gamers for 1 previous generation of games machine (i.e. the PSX) spend that kinda’ cash on a PS2. Simply reason - the PS2 was cool, it promised stunning visuals, amazing games etc etc etc, you all know the hype. If you had a PSX, as millions of casual gamers did, this was the next step - the PS2 was, and still is, cool.
The PSP on the other hand doesn't promise amazing visuals, it's a PS1. You can't have a bunch of mates around on a Friday night, have a few beers and play Tekken Tag on your shiny, cool new PS2. You sit there on you own playing games from 4 years ago! Casual gamers like what's new, what’s cool, they have no understanding of 'classic' games, you think a casual gamer sits around and talk about how stunning the story line of Final Fantasy 7 was? No. They don't.
You seem to really want the PSP to do well BellDandy - which is cool, as I do to. I will probably buy one when it's released in the USA - providing it has region free games. But you also seem let this blind faith cloud your judgment. You are obvious not a stupid lad, but surely you can see the problems that Sony are going to come up against. This situation is nothing like the PSX/PS2 situation and as such; Sony will need different tactics, as they can't just create their own market by going for casual gamers this time - or certainly not to the same extent.
It will be interesting indeed.
> And if the video and music function isn't included at the start
> it'll
> be so dissapointing.
>
> This would be the functions that the DS doesn't even have??
Yes, but that isn't, and has never been a selling point of the DS. The first rule of the games market, don't offer what you can't deliver. There is no quicker way of alienating you market, and if Sony want to get some casual gamers onboard, they really need these features from day 1.
Although for the record, I think the DS sounds like a load of crap. Nintendo should crack on with the GBA 2 and forget about this dual screen nonsense.
> Dringo wrote:
> Safedisc_V2 wrote:
> So just when is a casual gamer going to use a £150 PSP?
>
> Which is more to the point...
>
> No it's not. Plenty of "casual gamers" forked out nearly
> £300 for PS2 consoles, and the same with Playstation.
Hmmm you might want to go back and check the sales figers for the PS2 on UK release - it wasn't that great.
However, regardless of this, you need to look at why people spend £300 on a PS2 - why were people who had only been gamers for 1 previous generation of games machine (i.e. the PSX) spend that kinda’ cash on a PS2. Simply reason - the PS2 was cool, it promised stunning visuals, amazing games etc etc etc, you all know the hype. If you had a PSX, as millions of casual gamers did, this was the next step - the PS2 was, and still is, cool.
The PSP on the other hand doesn't promise amazing visuals, it's a PS1. You can't have a bunch of mates around on a Friday night, have a few beers and play Tekken Tag on your shiny, cool new PS2. You sit there on you own playing games from 4 years ago! Casual gamers like what's new, what’s cool, they have no understanding of 'classic' games, you think a casual gamer sits around and talk about how stunning the story line of Final Fantasy 7 was? No. They don't.
You seem to really want the PSP to do well BellDandy - which is cool, as I do to. I will probably buy one when it's released in the USA - providing it has region free games. But you also seem let this blind faith cloud your judgment. You are obvious not a stupid lad, but surely you can see the problems that Sony are going to come up against. This situation is nothing like the PSX/PS2 situation and as such; Sony will need different tactics, as they can't just create their own market by going for casual gamers this time - or certainly not to the same extent.
It will be interesting indeed.
> And if the video and music function isn't included at the start
> it'll
> be so dissapointing.
>
> This would be the functions that the DS doesn't even have??
Yes, but that isn't, and has never been a selling point of the DS. The first rule of the games market, don't offer what you can't deliver. There is no quicker way of alienating you market, and if Sony want to get some casual gamers onboard, they really need these features from day 1.
Although for the record, I think the DS sounds like a load of crap. Nintendo should crack on with the GBA 2 and forget about this dual screen nonsense.
Dringo wrote:
> The PSP doesn't offer anything really that would persuade people to
> enter handheld gaming...
This is what I alluded to earlier, I think Sony have the marketing savvy to pull it off, and brand it similar to the iPod as a trendy accessory to have.
It should be easily done - gaming is so common these days there's even articles appearing in the metro. The high disposable-income mid-twenties crowd that bought iPods DO play games. The PSP is not targeted at kids (from the start they said it was a high-end device) and unfortunately the Gameboy does have a kiddy image (even more so than the Gamecube!).
The market may not be interested in 'handheld gaming', but Sony could easily sell it by angling it a bit differently.
> The PSP doesn't offer anything really that would persuade people to
> enter handheld gaming...
This is what I alluded to earlier, I think Sony have the marketing savvy to pull it off, and brand it similar to the iPod as a trendy accessory to have.
It should be easily done - gaming is so common these days there's even articles appearing in the metro. The high disposable-income mid-twenties crowd that bought iPods DO play games. The PSP is not targeted at kids (from the start they said it was a high-end device) and unfortunately the Gameboy does have a kiddy image (even more so than the Gamecube!).
The market may not be interested in 'handheld gaming', but Sony could easily sell it by angling it a bit differently.
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