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I was thinking last night about why Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all decided that the Games Industy could be a good market to enter and compete in. In this post I will try to go over certain details and give my reasons why I think they made the move and why other companies haven't.
So where do I start? Why not at the start, seems as good a place as any. From the start it was Atari, Nintendo and a few others, Nintendo are the only one to last since the early days. This is due to the huge number of fans and also due to the quality of their consoles and games. When you look at the competition that Nintendo are up against there is no clear winner but Nintendo have a lot at stake, Microsoft are headed by Billionaire Bill gates and Are a very rich company and Sony also sell a huge range of products like TV's, mini disk players, CD players, DVD players, video players etc. So they are all taking a risk with this industry but what you have to realise is that if you get it right you are sure to make a lot of money and all three look as if they have got it right.
Sony entered the market around 1994-95 with the Playstation, took the industry by shock and showed the industry that it wasn't only Sega and Nintendo who could make great games and consoles. Sega since then went downhill, the dreamcast couldn't live up to expectations and cost Sega a lot, now they stick to games, maybe once they once again build up a reputation again they will try their luck again. What was special about the Playstation was that it appealed to a market that none of the other consoles appealed too, the more mature and adult gamers. A good move from Sony as this proved to be a highly succesful console that probably changed the industry for the better.
Sony filled a gap that had been waiting to be filled, finally a console that was aimed at gamers of all ages as the Nintendo console always had a kind of kiddie image associated with it.
I must admit when I heard Microsoft were making a console I was shocked. Creators of the most popular operating system, microsoft planned on making the most powerful console ever, and it looks as if they may well have done so. Microsoft are mainly a software company although they do make some hardware peripherals like mice and joysticks. I originally was very wary as to what to expect from their console as their software usually is full of bugs so I wondered if maybe the console would become a flop. Bill Gates hopes to have an X-Box in every house in America, not going to happen but it the X-Box will make him an even richer man. Americans will buy the X-box as it is made by an American company, gamers will buy the console that appeals to them. I tried to think why Microsoft entered into the Gaming industry, probably to make money as there is a lot to be made if you do things right. But in a way this could be a bad move, expanding into various areas could be dangerous as if they do bad in one area then there
reputation could fall in all the areas.
The X-Box, like the PS2 and GameCube is aimed at gamers of all ages, this means that they all are aiming at the same areas of the market, The X-Box will be hoping it has enough potential to take some of the Sony and Nintendo fans away from their old consoles. On paper the X-box appears to be the most powerfull and advanced console available but this isn't everything and if they mess up in some way it could cost them.
All the developers entered into the market to make money, main objective of any company is to make money. Now they are all trying to provide the best service with quality consoles and games. Competition isn't good for the developers but in a way it is good for us the gamers as each developer must ensure ensure that the games they are releasing are of a high enough standard to compete with the competition.
So what other companies could also make a similar move? I don't think that many would take the risk as Competition from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft would be hard to beat. You would need a lot of money to develop a console and also to find game developers who are interested in making games for it. Also there isn't much in the way of gaps to exploit, so if the conosle and games didin't take gaming to a new level then the chances are the console wouldn't be able to compete with the others.
I think there probably are a few gaps left in the industry and it is only the gamers who probably can identify areas that could be improved. I think thats what makes Nintendo a little special as they have been around and seem to not only love games but appreciate their fans.
The gaming industry is one of the fastest growing and there will come a time when the growth slows down as everyone who wants a console will have one, doing well in this industry has a lot of benefits, money and a good reputatuon. But in the future will there be enough room for as many console developers? I read an article not that long ago that stated that one day we could expect a customisable console in which you may be able to choose what kind of processor, graphics synthesiers, sound cards, memory space etc you wanted in it. This could get rid of all developers except for the one behind the idea.
Problem is it could come to much like the PC gaming industry in which to play the latest games you must have a failry advanced and up to date system. This means more money for the developer as we have to continuously dip our hands in our pockets if we want to play the up to date games.
So where do I start? Why not at the start, seems as good a place as any. From the start it was Atari, Nintendo and a few others, Nintendo are the only one to last since the early days. This is due to the huge number of fans and also due to the quality of their consoles and games. When you look at the competition that Nintendo are up against there is no clear winner but Nintendo have a lot at stake, Microsoft are headed by Billionaire Bill gates and Are a very rich company and Sony also sell a huge range of products like TV's, mini disk players, CD players, DVD players, video players etc. So they are all taking a risk with this industry but what you have to realise is that if you get it right you are sure to make a lot of money and all three look as if they have got it right.
Sony entered the market around 1994-95 with the Playstation, took the industry by shock and showed the industry that it wasn't only Sega and Nintendo who could make great games and consoles. Sega since then went downhill, the dreamcast couldn't live up to expectations and cost Sega a lot, now they stick to games, maybe once they once again build up a reputation again they will try their luck again. What was special about the Playstation was that it appealed to a market that none of the other consoles appealed too, the more mature and adult gamers. A good move from Sony as this proved to be a highly succesful console that probably changed the industry for the better.
Sony filled a gap that had been waiting to be filled, finally a console that was aimed at gamers of all ages as the Nintendo console always had a kind of kiddie image associated with it.
I must admit when I heard Microsoft were making a console I was shocked. Creators of the most popular operating system, microsoft planned on making the most powerful console ever, and it looks as if they may well have done so. Microsoft are mainly a software company although they do make some hardware peripherals like mice and joysticks. I originally was very wary as to what to expect from their console as their software usually is full of bugs so I wondered if maybe the console would become a flop. Bill Gates hopes to have an X-Box in every house in America, not going to happen but it the X-Box will make him an even richer man. Americans will buy the X-box as it is made by an American company, gamers will buy the console that appeals to them. I tried to think why Microsoft entered into the Gaming industry, probably to make money as there is a lot to be made if you do things right. But in a way this could be a bad move, expanding into various areas could be dangerous as if they do bad in one area then there
reputation could fall in all the areas.
The X-Box, like the PS2 and GameCube is aimed at gamers of all ages, this means that they all are aiming at the same areas of the market, The X-Box will be hoping it has enough potential to take some of the Sony and Nintendo fans away from their old consoles. On paper the X-box appears to be the most powerfull and advanced console available but this isn't everything and if they mess up in some way it could cost them.
All the developers entered into the market to make money, main objective of any company is to make money. Now they are all trying to provide the best service with quality consoles and games. Competition isn't good for the developers but in a way it is good for us the gamers as each developer must ensure ensure that the games they are releasing are of a high enough standard to compete with the competition.
So what other companies could also make a similar move? I don't think that many would take the risk as Competition from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft would be hard to beat. You would need a lot of money to develop a console and also to find game developers who are interested in making games for it. Also there isn't much in the way of gaps to exploit, so if the conosle and games didin't take gaming to a new level then the chances are the console wouldn't be able to compete with the others.
I think there probably are a few gaps left in the industry and it is only the gamers who probably can identify areas that could be improved. I think thats what makes Nintendo a little special as they have been around and seem to not only love games but appreciate their fans.
The gaming industry is one of the fastest growing and there will come a time when the growth slows down as everyone who wants a console will have one, doing well in this industry has a lot of benefits, money and a good reputatuon. But in the future will there be enough room for as many console developers? I read an article not that long ago that stated that one day we could expect a customisable console in which you may be able to choose what kind of processor, graphics synthesiers, sound cards, memory space etc you wanted in it. This could get rid of all developers except for the one behind the idea.
Problem is it could come to much like the PC gaming industry in which to play the latest games you must have a failry advanced and up to date system. This means more money for the developer as we have to continuously dip our hands in our pockets if we want to play the up to date games.
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I was thinking last night about why Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all decided that the Games Industy could be a good market to enter and compete in. In this post I will try to go over certain details and give my reasons why I think they made the move and why other companies haven't.
So where do I start? Why not at the start, seems as good a place as any. From the start it was Atari, Nintendo and a few others, Nintendo are the only one to last since the early days. This is due to the huge number of fans and also due to the quality of their consoles and games. When you look at the competition that Nintendo are up against there is no clear winner but Nintendo have a lot at stake, Microsoft are headed by Billionaire Bill gates and Are a very rich company and Sony also sell a huge range of products like TV's, mini disk players, CD players, DVD players, video players etc. So they are all taking a risk with this industry but what you have to realise is that if you get it right you are sure to make a lot of money and all three look as if they have got it right.
Sony entered the market around 1994-95 with the Playstation, took the industry by shock and showed the industry that it wasn't only Sega and Nintendo who could make great games and consoles. Sega since then went downhill, the dreamcast couldn't live up to expectations and cost Sega a lot, now they stick to games, maybe once they once again build up a reputation again they will try their luck again. What was special about the Playstation was that it appealed to a market that none of the other consoles appealed too, the more mature and adult gamers. A good move from Sony as this proved to be a highly succesful console that probably changed the industry for the better.
Sony filled a gap that had been waiting to be filled, finally a console that was aimed at gamers of all ages as the Nintendo console always had a kind of kiddie image associated with it.
I must admit when I heard Microsoft were making a console I was shocked. Creators of the most popular operating system, microsoft planned on making the most powerful console ever, and it looks as if they may well have done so. Microsoft are mainly a software company although they do make some hardware peripherals like mice and joysticks. I originally was very wary as to what to expect from their console as their software usually is full of bugs so I wondered if maybe the console would become a flop. Bill Gates hopes to have an X-Box in every house in America, not going to happen but it the X-Box will make him an even richer man. Americans will buy the X-box as it is made by an American company, gamers will buy the console that appeals to them. I tried to think why Microsoft entered into the Gaming industry, probably to make money as there is a lot to be made if you do things right. But in a way this could be a bad move, expanding into various areas could be dangerous as if they do bad in one area then there
reputation could fall in all the areas.
The X-Box, like the PS2 and GameCube is aimed at gamers of all ages, this means that they all are aiming at the same areas of the market, The X-Box will be hoping it has enough potential to take some of the Sony and Nintendo fans away from their old consoles. On paper the X-box appears to be the most powerfull and advanced console available but this isn't everything and if they mess up in some way it could cost them.
All the developers entered into the market to make money, main objective of any company is to make money. Now they are all trying to provide the best service with quality consoles and games. Competition isn't good for the developers but in a way it is good for us the gamers as each developer must ensure ensure that the games they are releasing are of a high enough standard to compete with the competition.
So what other companies could also make a similar move? I don't think that many would take the risk as Competition from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft would be hard to beat. You would need a lot of money to develop a console and also to find game developers who are interested in making games for it. Also there isn't much in the way of gaps to exploit, so if the conosle and games didin't take gaming to a new level then the chances are the console wouldn't be able to compete with the others.
I think there probably are a few gaps left in the industry and it is only the gamers who probably can identify areas that could be improved. I think thats what makes Nintendo a little special as they have been around and seem to not only love games but appreciate their fans.
The gaming industry is one of the fastest growing and there will come a time when the growth slows down as everyone who wants a console will have one, doing well in this industry has a lot of benefits, money and a good reputatuon. But in the future will there be enough room for as many console developers? I read an article not that long ago that stated that one day we could expect a customisable console in which you may be able to choose what kind of processor, graphics synthesiers, sound cards, memory space etc you wanted in it. This could get rid of all developers except for the one behind the idea.
Problem is it could come to much like the PC gaming industry in which to play the latest games you must have a failry advanced and up to date system. This means more money for the developer as we have to continuously dip our hands in our pockets if we want to play the up to date games.
So where do I start? Why not at the start, seems as good a place as any. From the start it was Atari, Nintendo and a few others, Nintendo are the only one to last since the early days. This is due to the huge number of fans and also due to the quality of their consoles and games. When you look at the competition that Nintendo are up against there is no clear winner but Nintendo have a lot at stake, Microsoft are headed by Billionaire Bill gates and Are a very rich company and Sony also sell a huge range of products like TV's, mini disk players, CD players, DVD players, video players etc. So they are all taking a risk with this industry but what you have to realise is that if you get it right you are sure to make a lot of money and all three look as if they have got it right.
Sony entered the market around 1994-95 with the Playstation, took the industry by shock and showed the industry that it wasn't only Sega and Nintendo who could make great games and consoles. Sega since then went downhill, the dreamcast couldn't live up to expectations and cost Sega a lot, now they stick to games, maybe once they once again build up a reputation again they will try their luck again. What was special about the Playstation was that it appealed to a market that none of the other consoles appealed too, the more mature and adult gamers. A good move from Sony as this proved to be a highly succesful console that probably changed the industry for the better.
Sony filled a gap that had been waiting to be filled, finally a console that was aimed at gamers of all ages as the Nintendo console always had a kind of kiddie image associated with it.
I must admit when I heard Microsoft were making a console I was shocked. Creators of the most popular operating system, microsoft planned on making the most powerful console ever, and it looks as if they may well have done so. Microsoft are mainly a software company although they do make some hardware peripherals like mice and joysticks. I originally was very wary as to what to expect from their console as their software usually is full of bugs so I wondered if maybe the console would become a flop. Bill Gates hopes to have an X-Box in every house in America, not going to happen but it the X-Box will make him an even richer man. Americans will buy the X-box as it is made by an American company, gamers will buy the console that appeals to them. I tried to think why Microsoft entered into the Gaming industry, probably to make money as there is a lot to be made if you do things right. But in a way this could be a bad move, expanding into various areas could be dangerous as if they do bad in one area then there
reputation could fall in all the areas.
The X-Box, like the PS2 and GameCube is aimed at gamers of all ages, this means that they all are aiming at the same areas of the market, The X-Box will be hoping it has enough potential to take some of the Sony and Nintendo fans away from their old consoles. On paper the X-box appears to be the most powerfull and advanced console available but this isn't everything and if they mess up in some way it could cost them.
All the developers entered into the market to make money, main objective of any company is to make money. Now they are all trying to provide the best service with quality consoles and games. Competition isn't good for the developers but in a way it is good for us the gamers as each developer must ensure ensure that the games they are releasing are of a high enough standard to compete with the competition.
So what other companies could also make a similar move? I don't think that many would take the risk as Competition from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft would be hard to beat. You would need a lot of money to develop a console and also to find game developers who are interested in making games for it. Also there isn't much in the way of gaps to exploit, so if the conosle and games didin't take gaming to a new level then the chances are the console wouldn't be able to compete with the others.
I think there probably are a few gaps left in the industry and it is only the gamers who probably can identify areas that could be improved. I think thats what makes Nintendo a little special as they have been around and seem to not only love games but appreciate their fans.
The gaming industry is one of the fastest growing and there will come a time when the growth slows down as everyone who wants a console will have one, doing well in this industry has a lot of benefits, money and a good reputatuon. But in the future will there be enough room for as many console developers? I read an article not that long ago that stated that one day we could expect a customisable console in which you may be able to choose what kind of processor, graphics synthesiers, sound cards, memory space etc you wanted in it. This could get rid of all developers except for the one behind the idea.
Problem is it could come to much like the PC gaming industry in which to play the latest games you must have a failry advanced and up to date system. This means more money for the developer as we have to continuously dip our hands in our pockets if we want to play the up to date games.