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In this selfish battle for supremacy, and the right to invade our wallets, developers do their very best to make huge sums of cash by raking in sales of their consoles, which in turn allows the consumer to play their games. But what is it that makes people want to buy their products? After all, there are many different variables, but there has to be an overall factor that gets people buying their consoles hasn't there?
Microsoft have followed the same path Nintendo took over six years ago. By releasing the most powerful games console ever created and the players will be so shocked by the console's abilities that they'll want to spend their hard earned cash. But despite a well talked about advertising campaign, Microsoft learned the same painful way Nintendo did that power isn't everything. They soon had to cut the retail price of their console and compensate the gamers who had already spent a fortune on their hardware. You see, Microsoft were new to the console business when they introduced the Xbox, and so many people were skeptical. So they didn't want to spend their hard earned dough on something that could share the same fate as Sega's Dreamcast.
So realising that power isn't everything, what's next? Games. When people talk about the Nintendo 64, they talk about Goldeneye, Zelda, Super Mario 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day. To own all of these titles in your collection meant that you were able to enjoy some of the console's finest games! In fact, these were some of the best games ever to be released in the years of the Nintendo 64, but they didn't do it any good! For the N64 sold disappointing numbers in comparison to the weaker, less powerful machine, the Playstation, and in the eyes of the Sony fans, the N64 failed.
So is it cost? That is a deciding factor for some people - especially the parents. If parents are suprising their child with a home games console, they're going to pick something that wont cost too much to buy, and wont be expensive to buy games for. Much like the Sony Playstation. Although the console started off pretty expensive, the games in the last few years have rarely retailed for anything over £25. Parents know that they wont be spending a fortune in the future, and the children will be kept quiet for hours! However, the teenagers out there are very rarely concerned about costs. A game is great no matter what the cost, and so they are willing to spend whatever it takes to get their games. This spending habit often lasts until the gamer reaches their late twenties and they realise that they haven't really saved much for the future.
What about quality? You have to admit that even though the Xbox is more powerful, and the Playstation 2 can play DVDs and CDs, the GameCube seems the better quality machine. It has no frail or lose parts and the whole unit feels solid. Not to say the other units aren't of good quality, but we all know how bad the first batch of Playstation 2s turned out to be, and the amount of complaints that appeared about the Xbox scratching discs for a few months after launch helped confirm that the GameCube is the better quality machine. But even so, the Playstation 2 is way in front at number one, leaving the Xbox and GameCube battling it out for the number two spot.
Some of it boils down to the developers supporting the machine. There were major differences in opinion about Rareware, Nintendo's second party developer, being sold to Microsoft for a large sum of yen. And Nintendo fought long and hard to be able to get Squaresoft developing the Final Fantasy series on Nintendo systems once again. They even managed to bag the Resident Evil series including two new games for themselves from Capcom too! Microsoft, on the other hand, have managed to nab a few of Sega's franchises as exclusives, such as Sega GT and Jet Set Radio, as well as the already mentioned Rare. It does make differences in the market.
Loyalty often plays a large part. For example, there are many who just love the Super Mario games, and thus will most likely buy Nintendo systems. However, others loved the Sonic series, so will stick to any console that Sega develops the most Sonic games for. Fans of PC gaming are likely to turn to the Xbox for it's PC-like structure, and fans of the Playstation who want to play their old games on a new system are bound to try out the Playstation 2. After all, backwards compatibility has become an option for some gamers, and a new backwards compatible machine can bring new life to old games.
But there is one factor that seems to reduce the relevance of all the others to mere pixels in the gaming universe. It's all in the name.
That's right, if you've got the right name, nothing can compete, and that's what Sony have found out by sheer luck more than anything else. They currently have the one name to rule them all. The name that nullifies all others when it comes to the ill educated, and the name that is most talked about in the console world. That is Playstation.
Nintendo used to have this cool factor years and years ago when they launched their very first system. Everyone wanted a 'Nintendo' to replace their ZX Spectrums, Ataris and Colecos, due to their high specifications and innovative designs. Of course, as Sega, their first real competitors came along with their Master Systems and MegaDrives, things became really competitive, and Nintendo knew this. So instead of thinking up an entirely new name for their second console, they merely added the prefix 'Super' to their console's name. Thus, people could still ask for a 'Nintendo' and the shops and toy distributors would know what they were on about.
Nintendo didn't keep the limelight for too long though. After an argument with Sony, the company famous for their music systems released their own console, the Playstation. Instantly, the Playstation took over and Nintendo were turned into the little dudes in the market. When people talked about games machines in general, they didn't say 'Nintendo' anymore, nor did they even say 'console', instead, they said 'Playstation', a name that has stuck with the gaming world right through to the present. And so, Sony have market supremacy in the console market. Young children who don't know better ask for a 'Playstation' from Santa, and so they receive a Playstation 2. When children to talk about a GameCube or Xbox, the parents get confused and either come out with "Gamebox", "Gamestation" or even "Xcube". But they seem to know what they're talking about when it comes to Playstation.
That is something that Nintendo and Microsoft need to try and get over in the next era of home game systems. Sure, there are other factors involved too, especially if mass market success is something these companies want to gain, but the name plays one of the most important parts in today's society. Other examples would be fashion. What's an £8 pair of jeans in comparison to a £35 pair of Levis? They could be exactly the same, but people want the name. The same is apparent in gaming.
I personally still look out for the name Nintendo. I am a product of the original console war. But I am open to new games and consoles as and when they arrive. The majority aren't. That's Nintendo and Microsoft's problem. And so, Sony get the dough.
Microsoft have followed the same path Nintendo took over six years ago. By releasing the most powerful games console ever created and the players will be so shocked by the console's abilities that they'll want to spend their hard earned cash. But despite a well talked about advertising campaign, Microsoft learned the same painful way Nintendo did that power isn't everything. They soon had to cut the retail price of their console and compensate the gamers who had already spent a fortune on their hardware. You see, Microsoft were new to the console business when they introduced the Xbox, and so many people were skeptical. So they didn't want to spend their hard earned dough on something that could share the same fate as Sega's Dreamcast.
So realising that power isn't everything, what's next? Games. When people talk about the Nintendo 64, they talk about Goldeneye, Zelda, Super Mario 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day. To own all of these titles in your collection meant that you were able to enjoy some of the console's finest games! In fact, these were some of the best games ever to be released in the years of the Nintendo 64, but they didn't do it any good! For the N64 sold disappointing numbers in comparison to the weaker, less powerful machine, the Playstation, and in the eyes of the Sony fans, the N64 failed.
So is it cost? That is a deciding factor for some people - especially the parents. If parents are suprising their child with a home games console, they're going to pick something that wont cost too much to buy, and wont be expensive to buy games for. Much like the Sony Playstation. Although the console started off pretty expensive, the games in the last few years have rarely retailed for anything over £25. Parents know that they wont be spending a fortune in the future, and the children will be kept quiet for hours! However, the teenagers out there are very rarely concerned about costs. A game is great no matter what the cost, and so they are willing to spend whatever it takes to get their games. This spending habit often lasts until the gamer reaches their late twenties and they realise that they haven't really saved much for the future.
What about quality? You have to admit that even though the Xbox is more powerful, and the Playstation 2 can play DVDs and CDs, the GameCube seems the better quality machine. It has no frail or lose parts and the whole unit feels solid. Not to say the other units aren't of good quality, but we all know how bad the first batch of Playstation 2s turned out to be, and the amount of complaints that appeared about the Xbox scratching discs for a few months after launch helped confirm that the GameCube is the better quality machine. But even so, the Playstation 2 is way in front at number one, leaving the Xbox and GameCube battling it out for the number two spot.
Some of it boils down to the developers supporting the machine. There were major differences in opinion about Rareware, Nintendo's second party developer, being sold to Microsoft for a large sum of yen. And Nintendo fought long and hard to be able to get Squaresoft developing the Final Fantasy series on Nintendo systems once again. They even managed to bag the Resident Evil series including two new games for themselves from Capcom too! Microsoft, on the other hand, have managed to nab a few of Sega's franchises as exclusives, such as Sega GT and Jet Set Radio, as well as the already mentioned Rare. It does make differences in the market.
Loyalty often plays a large part. For example, there are many who just love the Super Mario games, and thus will most likely buy Nintendo systems. However, others loved the Sonic series, so will stick to any console that Sega develops the most Sonic games for. Fans of PC gaming are likely to turn to the Xbox for it's PC-like structure, and fans of the Playstation who want to play their old games on a new system are bound to try out the Playstation 2. After all, backwards compatibility has become an option for some gamers, and a new backwards compatible machine can bring new life to old games.
But there is one factor that seems to reduce the relevance of all the others to mere pixels in the gaming universe. It's all in the name.
That's right, if you've got the right name, nothing can compete, and that's what Sony have found out by sheer luck more than anything else. They currently have the one name to rule them all. The name that nullifies all others when it comes to the ill educated, and the name that is most talked about in the console world. That is Playstation.
Nintendo used to have this cool factor years and years ago when they launched their very first system. Everyone wanted a 'Nintendo' to replace their ZX Spectrums, Ataris and Colecos, due to their high specifications and innovative designs. Of course, as Sega, their first real competitors came along with their Master Systems and MegaDrives, things became really competitive, and Nintendo knew this. So instead of thinking up an entirely new name for their second console, they merely added the prefix 'Super' to their console's name. Thus, people could still ask for a 'Nintendo' and the shops and toy distributors would know what they were on about.
Nintendo didn't keep the limelight for too long though. After an argument with Sony, the company famous for their music systems released their own console, the Playstation. Instantly, the Playstation took over and Nintendo were turned into the little dudes in the market. When people talked about games machines in general, they didn't say 'Nintendo' anymore, nor did they even say 'console', instead, they said 'Playstation', a name that has stuck with the gaming world right through to the present. And so, Sony have market supremacy in the console market. Young children who don't know better ask for a 'Playstation' from Santa, and so they receive a Playstation 2. When children to talk about a GameCube or Xbox, the parents get confused and either come out with "Gamebox", "Gamestation" or even "Xcube". But they seem to know what they're talking about when it comes to Playstation.
That is something that Nintendo and Microsoft need to try and get over in the next era of home game systems. Sure, there are other factors involved too, especially if mass market success is something these companies want to gain, but the name plays one of the most important parts in today's society. Other examples would be fashion. What's an £8 pair of jeans in comparison to a £35 pair of Levis? They could be exactly the same, but people want the name. The same is apparent in gaming.
I personally still look out for the name Nintendo. I am a product of the original console war. But I am open to new games and consoles as and when they arrive. The majority aren't. That's Nintendo and Microsoft's problem. And so, Sony get the dough.
Well layed out post Edgy and most of what you said, in a philosophical way, is indeed true. Sony have made a great name for themselves ever since the Playstation. I remember I once asking for one when there were Saturns and N64s about. I saw them as a very dominating figure, so I followed.
Now I have a PS2 and the likes of Nintendo's GC and Microsoft's Xbox are all secondary options.
Good post
Now I have a PS2 and the likes of Nintendo's GC and Microsoft's Xbox are all secondary options.
Good post
In this selfish battle for supremacy, and the right to invade our wallets, developers do their very best to make huge sums of cash by raking in sales of their consoles, which in turn allows the consumer to play their games. But what is it that makes people want to buy their products? After all, there are many different variables, but there has to be an overall factor that gets people buying their consoles hasn't there?
Microsoft have followed the same path Nintendo took over six years ago. By releasing the most powerful games console ever created and the players will be so shocked by the console's abilities that they'll want to spend their hard earned cash. But despite a well talked about advertising campaign, Microsoft learned the same painful way Nintendo did that power isn't everything. They soon had to cut the retail price of their console and compensate the gamers who had already spent a fortune on their hardware. You see, Microsoft were new to the console business when they introduced the Xbox, and so many people were skeptical. So they didn't want to spend their hard earned dough on something that could share the same fate as Sega's Dreamcast.
So realising that power isn't everything, what's next? Games. When people talk about the Nintendo 64, they talk about Goldeneye, Zelda, Super Mario 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day. To own all of these titles in your collection meant that you were able to enjoy some of the console's finest games! In fact, these were some of the best games ever to be released in the years of the Nintendo 64, but they didn't do it any good! For the N64 sold disappointing numbers in comparison to the weaker, less powerful machine, the Playstation, and in the eyes of the Sony fans, the N64 failed.
So is it cost? That is a deciding factor for some people - especially the parents. If parents are suprising their child with a home games console, they're going to pick something that wont cost too much to buy, and wont be expensive to buy games for. Much like the Sony Playstation. Although the console started off pretty expensive, the games in the last few years have rarely retailed for anything over £25. Parents know that they wont be spending a fortune in the future, and the children will be kept quiet for hours! However, the teenagers out there are very rarely concerned about costs. A game is great no matter what the cost, and so they are willing to spend whatever it takes to get their games. This spending habit often lasts until the gamer reaches their late twenties and they realise that they haven't really saved much for the future.
What about quality? You have to admit that even though the Xbox is more powerful, and the Playstation 2 can play DVDs and CDs, the GameCube seems the better quality machine. It has no frail or lose parts and the whole unit feels solid. Not to say the other units aren't of good quality, but we all know how bad the first batch of Playstation 2s turned out to be, and the amount of complaints that appeared about the Xbox scratching discs for a few months after launch helped confirm that the GameCube is the better quality machine. But even so, the Playstation 2 is way in front at number one, leaving the Xbox and GameCube battling it out for the number two spot.
Some of it boils down to the developers supporting the machine. There were major differences in opinion about Rareware, Nintendo's second party developer, being sold to Microsoft for a large sum of yen. And Nintendo fought long and hard to be able to get Squaresoft developing the Final Fantasy series on Nintendo systems once again. They even managed to bag the Resident Evil series including two new games for themselves from Capcom too! Microsoft, on the other hand, have managed to nab a few of Sega's franchises as exclusives, such as Sega GT and Jet Set Radio, as well as the already mentioned Rare. It does make differences in the market.
Loyalty often plays a large part. For example, there are many who just love the Super Mario games, and thus will most likely buy Nintendo systems. However, others loved the Sonic series, so will stick to any console that Sega develops the most Sonic games for. Fans of PC gaming are likely to turn to the Xbox for it's PC-like structure, and fans of the Playstation who want to play their old games on a new system are bound to try out the Playstation 2. After all, backwards compatibility has become an option for some gamers, and a new backwards compatible machine can bring new life to old games.
But there is one factor that seems to reduce the relevance of all the others to mere pixels in the gaming universe. It's all in the name.
That's right, if you've got the right name, nothing can compete, and that's what Sony have found out by sheer luck more than anything else. They currently have the one name to rule them all. The name that nullifies all others when it comes to the ill educated, and the name that is most talked about in the console world. That is Playstation.
Nintendo used to have this cool factor years and years ago when they launched their very first system. Everyone wanted a 'Nintendo' to replace their ZX Spectrums, Ataris and Colecos, due to their high specifications and innovative designs. Of course, as Sega, their first real competitors came along with their Master Systems and MegaDrives, things became really competitive, and Nintendo knew this. So instead of thinking up an entirely new name for their second console, they merely added the prefix 'Super' to their console's name. Thus, people could still ask for a 'Nintendo' and the shops and toy distributors would know what they were on about.
Nintendo didn't keep the limelight for too long though. After an argument with Sony, the company famous for their music systems released their own console, the Playstation. Instantly, the Playstation took over and Nintendo were turned into the little dudes in the market. When people talked about games machines in general, they didn't say 'Nintendo' anymore, nor did they even say 'console', instead, they said 'Playstation', a name that has stuck with the gaming world right through to the present. And so, Sony have market supremacy in the console market. Young children who don't know better ask for a 'Playstation' from Santa, and so they receive a Playstation 2. When children to talk about a GameCube or Xbox, the parents get confused and either come out with "Gamebox", "Gamestation" or even "Xcube". But they seem to know what they're talking about when it comes to Playstation.
That is something that Nintendo and Microsoft need to try and get over in the next era of home game systems. Sure, there are other factors involved too, especially if mass market success is something these companies want to gain, but the name plays one of the most important parts in today's society. Other examples would be fashion. What's an £8 pair of jeans in comparison to a £35 pair of Levis? They could be exactly the same, but people want the name. The same is apparent in gaming.
I personally still look out for the name Nintendo. I am a product of the original console war. But I am open to new games and consoles as and when they arrive. The majority aren't. That's Nintendo and Microsoft's problem. And so, Sony get the dough.
Microsoft have followed the same path Nintendo took over six years ago. By releasing the most powerful games console ever created and the players will be so shocked by the console's abilities that they'll want to spend their hard earned cash. But despite a well talked about advertising campaign, Microsoft learned the same painful way Nintendo did that power isn't everything. They soon had to cut the retail price of their console and compensate the gamers who had already spent a fortune on their hardware. You see, Microsoft were new to the console business when they introduced the Xbox, and so many people were skeptical. So they didn't want to spend their hard earned dough on something that could share the same fate as Sega's Dreamcast.
So realising that power isn't everything, what's next? Games. When people talk about the Nintendo 64, they talk about Goldeneye, Zelda, Super Mario 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day. To own all of these titles in your collection meant that you were able to enjoy some of the console's finest games! In fact, these were some of the best games ever to be released in the years of the Nintendo 64, but they didn't do it any good! For the N64 sold disappointing numbers in comparison to the weaker, less powerful machine, the Playstation, and in the eyes of the Sony fans, the N64 failed.
So is it cost? That is a deciding factor for some people - especially the parents. If parents are suprising their child with a home games console, they're going to pick something that wont cost too much to buy, and wont be expensive to buy games for. Much like the Sony Playstation. Although the console started off pretty expensive, the games in the last few years have rarely retailed for anything over £25. Parents know that they wont be spending a fortune in the future, and the children will be kept quiet for hours! However, the teenagers out there are very rarely concerned about costs. A game is great no matter what the cost, and so they are willing to spend whatever it takes to get their games. This spending habit often lasts until the gamer reaches their late twenties and they realise that they haven't really saved much for the future.
What about quality? You have to admit that even though the Xbox is more powerful, and the Playstation 2 can play DVDs and CDs, the GameCube seems the better quality machine. It has no frail or lose parts and the whole unit feels solid. Not to say the other units aren't of good quality, but we all know how bad the first batch of Playstation 2s turned out to be, and the amount of complaints that appeared about the Xbox scratching discs for a few months after launch helped confirm that the GameCube is the better quality machine. But even so, the Playstation 2 is way in front at number one, leaving the Xbox and GameCube battling it out for the number two spot.
Some of it boils down to the developers supporting the machine. There were major differences in opinion about Rareware, Nintendo's second party developer, being sold to Microsoft for a large sum of yen. And Nintendo fought long and hard to be able to get Squaresoft developing the Final Fantasy series on Nintendo systems once again. They even managed to bag the Resident Evil series including two new games for themselves from Capcom too! Microsoft, on the other hand, have managed to nab a few of Sega's franchises as exclusives, such as Sega GT and Jet Set Radio, as well as the already mentioned Rare. It does make differences in the market.
Loyalty often plays a large part. For example, there are many who just love the Super Mario games, and thus will most likely buy Nintendo systems. However, others loved the Sonic series, so will stick to any console that Sega develops the most Sonic games for. Fans of PC gaming are likely to turn to the Xbox for it's PC-like structure, and fans of the Playstation who want to play their old games on a new system are bound to try out the Playstation 2. After all, backwards compatibility has become an option for some gamers, and a new backwards compatible machine can bring new life to old games.
But there is one factor that seems to reduce the relevance of all the others to mere pixels in the gaming universe. It's all in the name.
That's right, if you've got the right name, nothing can compete, and that's what Sony have found out by sheer luck more than anything else. They currently have the one name to rule them all. The name that nullifies all others when it comes to the ill educated, and the name that is most talked about in the console world. That is Playstation.
Nintendo used to have this cool factor years and years ago when they launched their very first system. Everyone wanted a 'Nintendo' to replace their ZX Spectrums, Ataris and Colecos, due to their high specifications and innovative designs. Of course, as Sega, their first real competitors came along with their Master Systems and MegaDrives, things became really competitive, and Nintendo knew this. So instead of thinking up an entirely new name for their second console, they merely added the prefix 'Super' to their console's name. Thus, people could still ask for a 'Nintendo' and the shops and toy distributors would know what they were on about.
Nintendo didn't keep the limelight for too long though. After an argument with Sony, the company famous for their music systems released their own console, the Playstation. Instantly, the Playstation took over and Nintendo were turned into the little dudes in the market. When people talked about games machines in general, they didn't say 'Nintendo' anymore, nor did they even say 'console', instead, they said 'Playstation', a name that has stuck with the gaming world right through to the present. And so, Sony have market supremacy in the console market. Young children who don't know better ask for a 'Playstation' from Santa, and so they receive a Playstation 2. When children to talk about a GameCube or Xbox, the parents get confused and either come out with "Gamebox", "Gamestation" or even "Xcube". But they seem to know what they're talking about when it comes to Playstation.
That is something that Nintendo and Microsoft need to try and get over in the next era of home game systems. Sure, there are other factors involved too, especially if mass market success is something these companies want to gain, but the name plays one of the most important parts in today's society. Other examples would be fashion. What's an £8 pair of jeans in comparison to a £35 pair of Levis? They could be exactly the same, but people want the name. The same is apparent in gaming.
I personally still look out for the name Nintendo. I am a product of the original console war. But I am open to new games and consoles as and when they arrive. The majority aren't. That's Nintendo and Microsoft's problem. And so, Sony get the dough.