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This piece will attempt to look at many factors in order to answer the question that is gripping everyone at the moment.
Which of the Next Generation Consoles will succeed?
Dreamcast:
The main pulling power of the Dreamcast to date has been its Internet compatability, and the ease of transition between
itself and the PC. It allows games such as Quake, Half-Life and Black and White the chance to be converted over with
relative ease, and the prospect of playing people across Europe has most people drooling, but there are a few drawbacks to this. The cost of the Internet is why so few people have already taken advantage of this facility. Call charges are still relatively high, not to mention the subscription fees. The idea of giving away a free modem and game is brilliant but, until the cost comes down many will not be able to take advantage of this. Also most households have only one telephone line. Endless hours on the Internet would constantly tie up the phone line.
Will parents allow there their children to tie up th phone line?
Imagine if a group of young men live together will they
mind the line being tied up all the time? Are SEGA's plans for the internet to soon?
PS2:
Everyone nows about Playstation, but will the PS2 be able to live up to expectations? So far most have been very
dissapointed with the software and the DVD player has not exactly been well recieved either. If people wait until quality software comes along will Sony have left it to late? Many people already believe that SEGA and Nintendo are better as Game producers, so what will the reaction be to the PS2 - Granted games such as Metal Gear 2, Gran Turismo 2000 and Final Fantasy X/XI should ensure a number 1 position, but unless this support continues the machine may die. (The Saturn was the first machine to 'get it's hands on' Lara Croft with Tomb Raider.) The fact
that it has such a high cost and many peripherals
may also be a draw back. And the strange launch for Europe has proved another strange decision. Will the consumers get fed up of Sony's extravagance.
Dolphin:
Nintendo need convince no-one of their ability to produce some of the best games in the world but the N64 saw
a lack of third party support that is crucial in the success of a console. Their arrogance much like SEGA's with Saturn
meant that Publishers were flocking to Playstation. Many gamers believe that Nintendo is the purest and finest game
developers in the world but will they be able to offer as much with just them and RARE. Developers need to come on board if the Dolphin is to succeed. Games such as Pokemon, Zelda and Mario should mean it has some part in the market. But such a gaming giant should expect more.
X - Box:
Microsoft has the spending power but will they be too late. I don't think inexperience is a factor because
Sony stormed the world with their first console. So the questions will be can Microsoft get the Developers to make games for them in time before everyone has already bought their Next Generation Console? If Microsoft can ease into the console market and grab a lions share I can imagine that they will be go on to be a console super force. Games will win plaudits and they have already ensured a lot of developer support and this could prove to be a coup. A problem could be the fact that Bill Gates, isn't very liked. People may decide to buy another machine on the fact that it is Microsoft only. There are some drawbacks to being so successful. This I feel would be a mistake, judge the machine on it's games and nothing else.
Nuon / Indrema:
The spec of both machines are very impressive and they may turn out good machines. But not enough is known about that will be available for the formats. However I think Linux is a strong Operating System so the Indrema may been in with a chance.
My Verdict:
At the end of the day all the machines have there own unique features but the reason that people will buy the machines in
principle is to play games. The quality of the games will be the biggest factor on how well the machines do. Whilst no-one will dispute that SEGA and Nintendo's gaming traditions are probably the best in the world, they still need thrid party publishers and the support mainly goes to SONY. That is why I think that the PS2 will be the format of choice for the mainstream. Gran Turismo, FIFA, ISS, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Teken, all of these are available on Playstation. This will confirm success for SONY so long as they can continue to produce games of this calibre. Nintendo and SEGA will have a place in the market what with Pokemon, Mario, Rare, and Zelda for Nintendo guaranteeing people will have to but the machine or miss out on some of the greatest games ever. SEGA has Shenmue, Half-life, Quake and many others that will mean they are in a similar position to Nintendo. As for Microsoft, and the others we shall have to wait and see how the machines perform and the line-up of games.
Which of the Next Generation Consoles will succeed?
Dreamcast:
The main pulling power of the Dreamcast to date has been its Internet compatability, and the ease of transition between
itself and the PC. It allows games such as Quake, Half-Life and Black and White the chance to be converted over with
relative ease, and the prospect of playing people across Europe has most people drooling, but there are a few drawbacks to this. The cost of the Internet is why so few people have already taken advantage of this facility. Call charges are still relatively high, not to mention the subscription fees. The idea of giving away a free modem and game is brilliant but, until the cost comes down many will not be able to take advantage of this. Also most households have only one telephone line. Endless hours on the Internet would constantly tie up the phone line.
Will parents allow there their children to tie up th phone line?
Imagine if a group of young men live together will they
mind the line being tied up all the time? Are SEGA's plans for the internet to soon?
PS2:
Everyone nows about Playstation, but will the PS2 be able to live up to expectations? So far most have been very
dissapointed with the software and the DVD player has not exactly been well recieved either. If people wait until quality software comes along will Sony have left it to late? Many people already believe that SEGA and Nintendo are better as Game producers, so what will the reaction be to the PS2 - Granted games such as Metal Gear 2, Gran Turismo 2000 and Final Fantasy X/XI should ensure a number 1 position, but unless this support continues the machine may die. (The Saturn was the first machine to 'get it's hands on' Lara Croft with Tomb Raider.) The fact
that it has such a high cost and many peripherals
may also be a draw back. And the strange launch for Europe has proved another strange decision. Will the consumers get fed up of Sony's extravagance.
Dolphin:
Nintendo need convince no-one of their ability to produce some of the best games in the world but the N64 saw
a lack of third party support that is crucial in the success of a console. Their arrogance much like SEGA's with Saturn
meant that Publishers were flocking to Playstation. Many gamers believe that Nintendo is the purest and finest game
developers in the world but will they be able to offer as much with just them and RARE. Developers need to come on board if the Dolphin is to succeed. Games such as Pokemon, Zelda and Mario should mean it has some part in the market. But such a gaming giant should expect more.
X - Box:
Microsoft has the spending power but will they be too late. I don't think inexperience is a factor because
Sony stormed the world with their first console. So the questions will be can Microsoft get the Developers to make games for them in time before everyone has already bought their Next Generation Console? If Microsoft can ease into the console market and grab a lions share I can imagine that they will be go on to be a console super force. Games will win plaudits and they have already ensured a lot of developer support and this could prove to be a coup. A problem could be the fact that Bill Gates, isn't very liked. People may decide to buy another machine on the fact that it is Microsoft only. There are some drawbacks to being so successful. This I feel would be a mistake, judge the machine on it's games and nothing else.
Nuon / Indrema:
The spec of both machines are very impressive and they may turn out good machines. But not enough is known about that will be available for the formats. However I think Linux is a strong Operating System so the Indrema may been in with a chance.
My Verdict:
At the end of the day all the machines have there own unique features but the reason that people will buy the machines in
principle is to play games. The quality of the games will be the biggest factor on how well the machines do. Whilst no-one will dispute that SEGA and Nintendo's gaming traditions are probably the best in the world, they still need thrid party publishers and the support mainly goes to SONY. That is why I think that the PS2 will be the format of choice for the mainstream. Gran Turismo, FIFA, ISS, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Teken, all of these are available on Playstation. This will confirm success for SONY so long as they can continue to produce games of this calibre. Nintendo and SEGA will have a place in the market what with Pokemon, Mario, Rare, and Zelda for Nintendo guaranteeing people will have to but the machine or miss out on some of the greatest games ever. SEGA has Shenmue, Half-life, Quake and many others that will mean they are in a similar position to Nintendo. As for Microsoft, and the others we shall have to wait and see how the machines perform and the line-up of games.
The success of the main corporations in the videogaming sector, just like any branch of today's entertainment industry can be determined significantly by these leading proponents ability to market their products;ie, not just by the quality of their systems, games and accessories. A substantial part of Sony's success with the Playstation can be attributed to the advertising blitz that coincided with the release of the console and the innovative and eyecatching nature of this campaign. This combined with the highly marketable presence of one Lara Croft ensured that shortly after its release the playstation had slipped its way skilfully into the nation's consciousness.The other factor which helped the console's cause was the sheer quantity of titles being produced with many big names of the time being utilised to attract a receptive public's interest,eg names like Doom and Streetfighter combined with exciting new titles such as Ridge Racer and Tomb Raider meant Sony receiving many new customers. Many poor games were also released but it was the wealth of choice and the enticing nature of the names already mentioned that ensured a snowballing pattern of continued success.
Compare this to the release of the N64 and one sees why there was the gap in success between the two parties. Prior to its unveiling to the general public and in the months following this there was little in the way of publicity in any of the three main gaming hotspots of Japan, America and Britain. This combined with a hesitant developing of games meant N64 owners had little more than 25 games to choose from in the first 6 months of its existence. Whilst the few games were undeniably of high quality (Super Mario 64, Wave Race, Turok) it was the crucial element of choice which Sony brought to the market that was lacking in Nintendo's effort. Whilst Sony has followed its regime of releasing vast quantities of games with many mediocre games yet vitally a prized quota of superb titles, Nintendo has shunned to some extent third party developers, preferring instead to rely on there own programmers and thosa of Rare to produce a select batch of high quality titles (Goldeneye, Zelda).
The success of the emerging group of titles will again rest both on the strength of their marketing in what is now becoming a multi-billion dollar mainstream industry and the quality of their hardware. However it is worth noting that while advertising may attract the more casual consumer, it is difficult to fool a well informed into buying a lacklustre product.
It is on this count which the Dreamcast scores highly. Console owners have been envious for years of PC owners ability to play games over the internet and this feature has already brought rewards for Sega, although as Tasha rightly states it will take a reduction in cost in internet use for this to really take off. This feature combined with the range of exciting games being produced such as Quake 3, Half life and Soldier of Fortune should ensure that the Dreamcast will not be the flop which Sega's recent forays have been.
Tasha makes many valid points on the subject of the Dolphin but Nintendo's main problem will be convincing gamers once again that they are the main players in this industry. There will be well produced, involving games as one expects from Nintendo and it also looks as if Nintendo are prepared to use lucrative names from film such as Robocop and Batman as well as their own sure fire winners such as Mario and Perfect Dark. The power of the hardware will also be capable of competing with the Dreamcast and staying ahead of Sony so it is possible the future looks bright for the former kings of gaming.
Perversely when one considers the success of the original PS its offspring appears the least promising of the main trio. Its price is immmediately offputting and it displays few new or enterprising features. This combined with hardware apparently less powerful than that of the Dreamcast and the Dolphin seemingly puts Sony as third favourite in the battle for consumer's interest.
Compare this to the release of the N64 and one sees why there was the gap in success between the two parties. Prior to its unveiling to the general public and in the months following this there was little in the way of publicity in any of the three main gaming hotspots of Japan, America and Britain. This combined with a hesitant developing of games meant N64 owners had little more than 25 games to choose from in the first 6 months of its existence. Whilst the few games were undeniably of high quality (Super Mario 64, Wave Race, Turok) it was the crucial element of choice which Sony brought to the market that was lacking in Nintendo's effort. Whilst Sony has followed its regime of releasing vast quantities of games with many mediocre games yet vitally a prized quota of superb titles, Nintendo has shunned to some extent third party developers, preferring instead to rely on there own programmers and thosa of Rare to produce a select batch of high quality titles (Goldeneye, Zelda).
The success of the emerging group of titles will again rest both on the strength of their marketing in what is now becoming a multi-billion dollar mainstream industry and the quality of their hardware. However it is worth noting that while advertising may attract the more casual consumer, it is difficult to fool a well informed into buying a lacklustre product.
It is on this count which the Dreamcast scores highly. Console owners have been envious for years of PC owners ability to play games over the internet and this feature has already brought rewards for Sega, although as Tasha rightly states it will take a reduction in cost in internet use for this to really take off. This feature combined with the range of exciting games being produced such as Quake 3, Half life and Soldier of Fortune should ensure that the Dreamcast will not be the flop which Sega's recent forays have been.
Tasha makes many valid points on the subject of the Dolphin but Nintendo's main problem will be convincing gamers once again that they are the main players in this industry. There will be well produced, involving games as one expects from Nintendo and it also looks as if Nintendo are prepared to use lucrative names from film such as Robocop and Batman as well as their own sure fire winners such as Mario and Perfect Dark. The power of the hardware will also be capable of competing with the Dreamcast and staying ahead of Sony so it is possible the future looks bright for the former kings of gaming.
Perversely when one considers the success of the original PS its offspring appears the least promising of the main trio. Its price is immmediately offputting and it displays few new or enterprising features. This combined with hardware apparently less powerful than that of the Dreamcast and the Dolphin seemingly puts Sony as third favourite in the battle for consumer's interest.
I understand what you are saying and agree with you on some terms but Idont think you added some little factors.Playstation 2 is going to be 299.99 quid for a console whic has yet to impress.The games console to own is the one looking you in hte face at the momment which is the Sega Dreamcast,do not get me wrong I own an import ps2 but so far I have been very very very very dissapointed with it.Look at the titles coming out on the Dreamcast,there is Half Life ,Shenmue,Quake 3,Soldier of Fortune,Jet Set Radio the list goes on and on,there is not one console out there including ones not released yey that can boast that sort of line up,don't believe me OK Here we go again,Sega GT,Metropolis street racer,System Shock 2,Out trigger,Black and white,Virtua Tennis,Phantasy Star Online,Royal Rumble,Seamen,Samba di amigo,not convinced here we go again Ferrari F355 Challenge,Silent Scope,Grandia 2,Power Stone 2,Sonic Adventure 2,Rainbow Six,Dino Crisis and many many more.People out there looking for a games console that brings you the best in entertainment buy a Dreamcast oh and one more thing Crazy Taxi 2 has been confirmed .
Nintendo Dolphin:
The N64 lact developers because the developers thought it to be too expensive to make games on cart form. Now, according to the officials, games like F-fantasy which were originally on Nintendo are coming back to Nintendo because of it's DVD drive.
This may put Nintendo back in the lead and as you said, Nintendo is one of the best games companies in the world!
PSX2 wont be as popular as if it is like the original, will have pixelated graphics and cheap sounds! Some of the Dolphins hardware is twice as powerful as Dreamcast and PSX2's hardware!
The N64 lact developers because the developers thought it to be too expensive to make games on cart form. Now, according to the officials, games like F-fantasy which were originally on Nintendo are coming back to Nintendo because of it's DVD drive.
This may put Nintendo back in the lead and as you said, Nintendo is one of the best games companies in the world!
PSX2 wont be as popular as if it is like the original, will have pixelated graphics and cheap sounds! Some of the Dolphins hardware is twice as powerful as Dreamcast and PSX2's hardware!
This piece will attempt to look at many factors in order to answer the question that is gripping everyone at the moment.
Which of the Next Generation Consoles will succeed?
Dreamcast:
The main pulling power of the Dreamcast to date has been its Internet compatability, and the ease of transition between
itself and the PC. It allows games such as Quake, Half-Life and Black and White the chance to be converted over with
relative ease, and the prospect of playing people across Europe has most people drooling, but there are a few drawbacks to this. The cost of the Internet is why so few people have already taken advantage of this facility. Call charges are still relatively high, not to mention the subscription fees. The idea of giving away a free modem and game is brilliant but, until the cost comes down many will not be able to take advantage of this. Also most households have only one telephone line. Endless hours on the Internet would constantly tie up the phone line.
Will parents allow there their children to tie up th phone line?
Imagine if a group of young men live together will they
mind the line being tied up all the time? Are SEGA's plans for the internet to soon?
PS2:
Everyone nows about Playstation, but will the PS2 be able to live up to expectations? So far most have been very
dissapointed with the software and the DVD player has not exactly been well recieved either. If people wait until quality software comes along will Sony have left it to late? Many people already believe that SEGA and Nintendo are better as Game producers, so what will the reaction be to the PS2 - Granted games such as Metal Gear 2, Gran Turismo 2000 and Final Fantasy X/XI should ensure a number 1 position, but unless this support continues the machine may die. (The Saturn was the first machine to 'get it's hands on' Lara Croft with Tomb Raider.) The fact
that it has such a high cost and many peripherals
may also be a draw back. And the strange launch for Europe has proved another strange decision. Will the consumers get fed up of Sony's extravagance.
Dolphin:
Nintendo need convince no-one of their ability to produce some of the best games in the world but the N64 saw
a lack of third party support that is crucial in the success of a console. Their arrogance much like SEGA's with Saturn
meant that Publishers were flocking to Playstation. Many gamers believe that Nintendo is the purest and finest game
developers in the world but will they be able to offer as much with just them and RARE. Developers need to come on board if the Dolphin is to succeed. Games such as Pokemon, Zelda and Mario should mean it has some part in the market. But such a gaming giant should expect more.
X - Box:
Microsoft has the spending power but will they be too late. I don't think inexperience is a factor because
Sony stormed the world with their first console. So the questions will be can Microsoft get the Developers to make games for them in time before everyone has already bought their Next Generation Console? If Microsoft can ease into the console market and grab a lions share I can imagine that they will be go on to be a console super force. Games will win plaudits and they have already ensured a lot of developer support and this could prove to be a coup. A problem could be the fact that Bill Gates, isn't very liked. People may decide to buy another machine on the fact that it is Microsoft only. There are some drawbacks to being so successful. This I feel would be a mistake, judge the machine on it's games and nothing else.
Nuon / Indrema:
The spec of both machines are very impressive and they may turn out good machines. But not enough is known about that will be available for the formats. However I think Linux is a strong Operating System so the Indrema may been in with a chance.
My Verdict:
At the end of the day all the machines have there own unique features but the reason that people will buy the machines in
principle is to play games. The quality of the games will be the biggest factor on how well the machines do. Whilst no-one will dispute that SEGA and Nintendo's gaming traditions are probably the best in the world, they still need thrid party publishers and the support mainly goes to SONY. That is why I think that the PS2 will be the format of choice for the mainstream. Gran Turismo, FIFA, ISS, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Teken, all of these are available on Playstation. This will confirm success for SONY so long as they can continue to produce games of this calibre. Nintendo and SEGA will have a place in the market what with Pokemon, Mario, Rare, and Zelda for Nintendo guaranteeing people will have to but the machine or miss out on some of the greatest games ever. SEGA has Shenmue, Half-life, Quake and many others that will mean they are in a similar position to Nintendo. As for Microsoft, and the others we shall have to wait and see how the machines perform and the line-up of games.
Which of the Next Generation Consoles will succeed?
Dreamcast:
The main pulling power of the Dreamcast to date has been its Internet compatability, and the ease of transition between
itself and the PC. It allows games such as Quake, Half-Life and Black and White the chance to be converted over with
relative ease, and the prospect of playing people across Europe has most people drooling, but there are a few drawbacks to this. The cost of the Internet is why so few people have already taken advantage of this facility. Call charges are still relatively high, not to mention the subscription fees. The idea of giving away a free modem and game is brilliant but, until the cost comes down many will not be able to take advantage of this. Also most households have only one telephone line. Endless hours on the Internet would constantly tie up the phone line.
Will parents allow there their children to tie up th phone line?
Imagine if a group of young men live together will they
mind the line being tied up all the time? Are SEGA's plans for the internet to soon?
PS2:
Everyone nows about Playstation, but will the PS2 be able to live up to expectations? So far most have been very
dissapointed with the software and the DVD player has not exactly been well recieved either. If people wait until quality software comes along will Sony have left it to late? Many people already believe that SEGA and Nintendo are better as Game producers, so what will the reaction be to the PS2 - Granted games such as Metal Gear 2, Gran Turismo 2000 and Final Fantasy X/XI should ensure a number 1 position, but unless this support continues the machine may die. (The Saturn was the first machine to 'get it's hands on' Lara Croft with Tomb Raider.) The fact
that it has such a high cost and many peripherals
may also be a draw back. And the strange launch for Europe has proved another strange decision. Will the consumers get fed up of Sony's extravagance.
Dolphin:
Nintendo need convince no-one of their ability to produce some of the best games in the world but the N64 saw
a lack of third party support that is crucial in the success of a console. Their arrogance much like SEGA's with Saturn
meant that Publishers were flocking to Playstation. Many gamers believe that Nintendo is the purest and finest game
developers in the world but will they be able to offer as much with just them and RARE. Developers need to come on board if the Dolphin is to succeed. Games such as Pokemon, Zelda and Mario should mean it has some part in the market. But such a gaming giant should expect more.
X - Box:
Microsoft has the spending power but will they be too late. I don't think inexperience is a factor because
Sony stormed the world with their first console. So the questions will be can Microsoft get the Developers to make games for them in time before everyone has already bought their Next Generation Console? If Microsoft can ease into the console market and grab a lions share I can imagine that they will be go on to be a console super force. Games will win plaudits and they have already ensured a lot of developer support and this could prove to be a coup. A problem could be the fact that Bill Gates, isn't very liked. People may decide to buy another machine on the fact that it is Microsoft only. There are some drawbacks to being so successful. This I feel would be a mistake, judge the machine on it's games and nothing else.
Nuon / Indrema:
The spec of both machines are very impressive and they may turn out good machines. But not enough is known about that will be available for the formats. However I think Linux is a strong Operating System so the Indrema may been in with a chance.
My Verdict:
At the end of the day all the machines have there own unique features but the reason that people will buy the machines in
principle is to play games. The quality of the games will be the biggest factor on how well the machines do. Whilst no-one will dispute that SEGA and Nintendo's gaming traditions are probably the best in the world, they still need thrid party publishers and the support mainly goes to SONY. That is why I think that the PS2 will be the format of choice for the mainstream. Gran Turismo, FIFA, ISS, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Teken, all of these are available on Playstation. This will confirm success for SONY so long as they can continue to produce games of this calibre. Nintendo and SEGA will have a place in the market what with Pokemon, Mario, Rare, and Zelda for Nintendo guaranteeing people will have to but the machine or miss out on some of the greatest games ever. SEGA has Shenmue, Half-life, Quake and many others that will mean they are in a similar position to Nintendo. As for Microsoft, and the others we shall have to wait and see how the machines perform and the line-up of games.