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The other day I was discussing with someone on here (Think it was Shocky but just in case it wasn’t I’ll leave it as “someone”) about getting an X-box. He replied; “I can’t believe it, Dringo the mighty Nintendo fan talking about getting an X-box”, with the questioned loyalty I shook such a thought out of my head and decided to move on to Doshin the Giant. But this isn’t the first (and it won’t be the last) time I was swayed by the X-box, in fact a total of 3 times had me try and claw a way of getting Microsoft’s black kit, and now with SR selling The X-box with Halo for a measly £209.99 I was VERY tempted (can you do a similar deal around Christmas do you think?). Why shouldn’t I get an X-box? True my obsession and seemingly unshakable loyalty to the longest running console manufacturer in the industry will be tarnished (yep that’s right I’m proud of it) but are really X-box the bad guys? I mean is the X-box really a result of money hungry Microsoft employees trying to destroy another industry, well no the fact is the X-box is being outsold by Nintendo, they are making a loss with every console sold and they say they won’t make a profit on it by 2006 but by then wouldn’t a successor the X-box be out? Have Microsoft for the first time really made a mess of things or are they here for a different reason? Yep you can tell I’m thinking of a different reason, that reason is to destroy Sony’s Playstation franchise.
Consoles are for Children through to Teenagers, any older and you’re not really interested, it is sad but most of you reading this now will probably give up gaming all together come 20 odd. Of course many adults do play games but the violent games are aimed at Teenagers so they can look at them and go “cool” and the rest are made for Children or sport nuts. The Gamecube isn’t a children’s console, but it does stick itself in the age bracket of 3-20 year olds, the ages where most gamers can be found, so why is it Sony and Microsoft aim at the 16-26 year old age bracket and still sell loads? It’s all to do with hardware, the PS1 was a games console, but the ability to play music CD’s as well probably swayed a good few older music fans of returning to gaming, mixed with more “mature” or “realistic” games it was a dawn of a new era, yet the dawn of the next era was very close indeed, it was with the death of SEGA’s console reign. After the Dreamcast failed to the seemingly unstoppable killing machine that was the PS2, Sony realized they could dabble in further areas of the industry. Nintendo were a mere piece of gum on the PS2’s shoe at the time and with no apparent opposition, Sony began to make the PS2 appeal to the older gamers, the 30 plus people by not changing anything regarding gaming. So imagine you’re a parent, your kids want a games console, and you see one in the shop that happens to have an in-built DVD player, why now the children can play the games and you can watch those awesome DVD movies.
People claimed the PS2 was falling into a trap of becoming a dumbed down PC, wrong it wasn’t falling into a trap this was deliberate. Nintendo always used to claim themselves as a family computer, this is utter rubbish as few 30-year olds play games (regularly) and so yes Nintendo have made a family “friendly” image but hardly an all round system for the family. The PS2 had meanwhile, the parents can watch the DVD films and the Children can play the games yes but then add a operating system in the form of Linux, a Hard drive, Internet access, a few further PC accessories like a mouse and you have your own portable PC for such a small price in comparison to an actual PC. A family unit all round was made and so many new opportunities arise in social segments, in business areas and of course Entertainment. Nintendo have no interest in developing down these aisles, Internet would only be developed by Nintendo for the use of games not for anything more, after all Nintendo push the fact across “THIS IS A GAMES CONSOLE”. Now naturally the fact the PS2 is descending in such varied sections of the industry will annoy at least a few different companies, I’m putting money on Phillips and other DVD player manufacturers not being too pleased with the PS2. Yet what can Phillip’s do about it? To bring down the PS2 they would need to enter as many markets as Sony including the game one which they have visited before and failed miserably. Panasonic are making small pot shots at Sony by signing with Nintendo, changing Nintendo’s console into one resembling Sony’s. Nevertheless no company would be as worried as Microsoft, a portable PC? Sony was the biggest threat to Microsoft since… well EVER, and the only way Microsoft could deal with it was to bring down the Playstation.
An opportunity arises where Microsoft can enter a new market, getting a foot into one of the fastest expanding industries around as well as putting a stop to this 30 million + selling threat. And so here we are today, and have Microsoft failed in their attempt to crush Sony? No they haven’t they may have only sold 3.8 million consoles worldwide so far (Gamecube has sold 4.8) but when a parent decides on a console and is tempted by the family computer idea who will they turn to now? A computer that boasts better specs, a DVD player built in, a hard drive built in, Internet from the box, Direct X tools… why it offers MORE than the PS2 and straight from the box for the SAME price. You are witnessing the downfall of the biggest selling games console, SEGA were here once remember. So what of Nintendo? Well the X-box has made the next fight much closer, next time the name “Playstation” isn’t going to sell Sony’s third beast and Microsoft are making it harder and harder for Sony by wearing away at them, and soon enough like many before, Sony may not survive, after all PS2 sales have dropped dramatically since the release of the X-box (not Gamecube) mainly because they are competing for the same turf.
And how does this help Nintendo? Well with Microsoft keeping Sony busy with the battle of the PC, Nintendo are increasing it’s sales (the pressure has been properly lifted after the N64 struggle), increasing it’s third party support, increasing its exclusive titles, increasing its adult demographic and most of all increasing it’s dwindled levels of respect. After Microsoft finally has Sony beat (be it out of pure resilience money wise or not), Nintendo will be sitting there ruling the section of the market, which is just about the gaming. Consumers will have the choice, go for Nintendo’s cheap games console or Microsoft’s expensive multi-system console, and no amount of advertisement will really have much effect, if its just a games console you’re after then Nintendo is the way to go but if you are after something for all the family then go get that Z-box. At the moment Sony have gone on to fight the war with Microsoft and SEGA have said their final farewells, Nintendo are now controlling a segment of the market no one is threatening.
So now can I buy an X-box?
Dringo.
Consoles are for Children through to Teenagers, any older and you’re not really interested, it is sad but most of you reading this now will probably give up gaming all together come 20 odd. Of course many adults do play games but the violent games are aimed at Teenagers so they can look at them and go “cool” and the rest are made for Children or sport nuts. The Gamecube isn’t a children’s console, but it does stick itself in the age bracket of 3-20 year olds, the ages where most gamers can be found, so why is it Sony and Microsoft aim at the 16-26 year old age bracket and still sell loads? It’s all to do with hardware, the PS1 was a games console, but the ability to play music CD’s as well probably swayed a good few older music fans of returning to gaming, mixed with more “mature” or “realistic” games it was a dawn of a new era, yet the dawn of the next era was very close indeed, it was with the death of SEGA’s console reign. After the Dreamcast failed to the seemingly unstoppable killing machine that was the PS2, Sony realized they could dabble in further areas of the industry. Nintendo were a mere piece of gum on the PS2’s shoe at the time and with no apparent opposition, Sony began to make the PS2 appeal to the older gamers, the 30 plus people by not changing anything regarding gaming. So imagine you’re a parent, your kids want a games console, and you see one in the shop that happens to have an in-built DVD player, why now the children can play the games and you can watch those awesome DVD movies.
People claimed the PS2 was falling into a trap of becoming a dumbed down PC, wrong it wasn’t falling into a trap this was deliberate. Nintendo always used to claim themselves as a family computer, this is utter rubbish as few 30-year olds play games (regularly) and so yes Nintendo have made a family “friendly” image but hardly an all round system for the family. The PS2 had meanwhile, the parents can watch the DVD films and the Children can play the games yes but then add a operating system in the form of Linux, a Hard drive, Internet access, a few further PC accessories like a mouse and you have your own portable PC for such a small price in comparison to an actual PC. A family unit all round was made and so many new opportunities arise in social segments, in business areas and of course Entertainment. Nintendo have no interest in developing down these aisles, Internet would only be developed by Nintendo for the use of games not for anything more, after all Nintendo push the fact across “THIS IS A GAMES CONSOLE”. Now naturally the fact the PS2 is descending in such varied sections of the industry will annoy at least a few different companies, I’m putting money on Phillips and other DVD player manufacturers not being too pleased with the PS2. Yet what can Phillip’s do about it? To bring down the PS2 they would need to enter as many markets as Sony including the game one which they have visited before and failed miserably. Panasonic are making small pot shots at Sony by signing with Nintendo, changing Nintendo’s console into one resembling Sony’s. Nevertheless no company would be as worried as Microsoft, a portable PC? Sony was the biggest threat to Microsoft since… well EVER, and the only way Microsoft could deal with it was to bring down the Playstation.
An opportunity arises where Microsoft can enter a new market, getting a foot into one of the fastest expanding industries around as well as putting a stop to this 30 million + selling threat. And so here we are today, and have Microsoft failed in their attempt to crush Sony? No they haven’t they may have only sold 3.8 million consoles worldwide so far (Gamecube has sold 4.8) but when a parent decides on a console and is tempted by the family computer idea who will they turn to now? A computer that boasts better specs, a DVD player built in, a hard drive built in, Internet from the box, Direct X tools… why it offers MORE than the PS2 and straight from the box for the SAME price. You are witnessing the downfall of the biggest selling games console, SEGA were here once remember. So what of Nintendo? Well the X-box has made the next fight much closer, next time the name “Playstation” isn’t going to sell Sony’s third beast and Microsoft are making it harder and harder for Sony by wearing away at them, and soon enough like many before, Sony may not survive, after all PS2 sales have dropped dramatically since the release of the X-box (not Gamecube) mainly because they are competing for the same turf.
And how does this help Nintendo? Well with Microsoft keeping Sony busy with the battle of the PC, Nintendo are increasing it’s sales (the pressure has been properly lifted after the N64 struggle), increasing it’s third party support, increasing its exclusive titles, increasing its adult demographic and most of all increasing it’s dwindled levels of respect. After Microsoft finally has Sony beat (be it out of pure resilience money wise or not), Nintendo will be sitting there ruling the section of the market, which is just about the gaming. Consumers will have the choice, go for Nintendo’s cheap games console or Microsoft’s expensive multi-system console, and no amount of advertisement will really have much effect, if its just a games console you’re after then Nintendo is the way to go but if you are after something for all the family then go get that Z-box. At the moment Sony have gone on to fight the war with Microsoft and SEGA have said their final farewells, Nintendo are now controlling a segment of the market no one is threatening.
So now can I buy an X-box?
Dringo.
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Strafex wrote:
> Dringo wrote:
> Oh come on no FPS will beat the multiplayer in Timesplitters.
>
> Perfect Dark can and will!
>
> In the meantime, the fact that Turok's release has slipped could mean
> I get Time Splitters 2 instead. I'll probably end up trusting the
> reviews for these two.
Turok has slipped.... please say it is not true :(
> Dringo wrote:
> Oh come on no FPS will beat the multiplayer in Timesplitters.
>
> Perfect Dark can and will!
>
> In the meantime, the fact that Turok's release has slipped could mean
> I get Time Splitters 2 instead. I'll probably end up trusting the
> reviews for these two.
Turok has slipped.... please say it is not true :(
Dringo wrote:
> Oh come on no FPS will beat the multiplayer in Timesplitters.
Perfect Dark can and will!
In the meantime, the fact that Turok's release has slipped could mean I get Time Splitters 2 instead. I'll probably end up trusting the reviews for these two.
> Oh come on no FPS will beat the multiplayer in Timesplitters.
Perfect Dark can and will!
In the meantime, the fact that Turok's release has slipped could mean I get Time Splitters 2 instead. I'll probably end up trusting the reviews for these two.
Dringo wrote:
> Oh come on not FPS will beat the multiplayer in Timesplitters.
I hope to get a free copy of that game. And run around screaming about it as well.
:)
> Oh come on not FPS will beat the multiplayer in Timesplitters.
I hope to get a free copy of that game. And run around screaming about it as well.
:)
As far as I know there isn't even a multiplay confirmed for Metroid Prime...?
Oh come on not FPS will beat the multiplayer in Timesplitters.
Dringo wrote:
> Don't you just love it when my topics get out of hand... oh and er-no
> it is no joke, Metroid will beat Halo :D
It might beat Halo's single player, but I don't expect Metroid to deliver much in the multiplayer department.
> Don't you just love it when my topics get out of hand... oh and er-no
> it is no joke, Metroid will beat Halo :D
It might beat Halo's single player, but I don't expect Metroid to deliver much in the multiplayer department.
They are being idiots.
They have reacently denied the game exists... which doesn't mean a thing :)
Well, Rare'd be mad not to make a PD sequel, multi-format or not...
I am sad to admit I haven't heard ANYTHING on After Dark/Perfect Dark 0 in months and months.
Please.. someone.. PLEASE
Please.. someone.. PLEASE
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