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Great games influcence great sales in the Console Maket. This is the way it always has worked, and the way it always will work untill (or 'if') Gaming ever comes to and end. If the great games of the past, present and future we all have known, love and can't wait for failed to come into existance then you can almost guarrentee that console on the market would struggle to reach even 1 or 2 million sold units in all regions worldwide. But of course, consoles would still sell. After all, there's nothing quite like computer and video games when it comes to home entertainment.
Despite that strong and persistant desire that we, as gamers, have for playing games these-days, 'average' games may help consoles to sell, but they won't last as long as those top-quality AAA titles we've all played and loved, as they'd fail to fulfill each and every area that makes 'those games' what they are.
As we've grown-up through the ages, we've come to realise the fact that there are some games out there that offer you something unique that you won't be able to find in any other game, on any other format - no matter how hard or how many times you try to prove this theory wrong.
Games that offer you something others cannot instantly grab your attention as they arise to become what you see as 'Must Have Titles' - no matter what format you currently own or what you do or do not intend to buy during your time as a gamer.
Console Sales really can benefit from the success of these 'individual' games alone. With the exclusive rights to a whole host of games that come under this particular title, that one console could quite easily see itself shoot-away from the rest to the top of the charts, while earning it's manufacturers and developers and heafty profit and an improved reputation amongst the fans for years to come.
You may have noticed already that this is taking effect in the Gaming World today.
Microsoft emerged as a 'n00b-like' company in the Console Market when they unleashed the heafty X-Box on the world late last year in Japan. We didn't know quite what to expect from them excpet something with a real price tag on it.
After years of experience and success in the PC Market the Nintendo, SEGA and SONY fans of today thought that Bill Gates would be in for a rough-old-time, unless they could offer us something 'special', 'unique' and 'different' that would make gamers choose their console over all the others.
Well, it looks like they had this from day 1 - in the name of Halo, the greatest First Person Shooter of all-time to just about every-single X-Box owner.
This game alone has proven to be a huge pulling point in helping MS's X-Box sales to grow-and-grow. Yet still, they are not no.1 and are still expected to fall behing into 3rd Place as the experienced Nintendo look dead-certs to grab 2nd Place after their latest E3 parade.
Even the X-Box's one and only 8Gb HardDrive and well-thought-out on-line plans may not be enough to steer it clear of the other 2 as it seems SONY and maybe also Nintendo will soon follow along that same path.
It seems that Nintendo too are coming up with the goods that'll make their cute little GameCube seem like a huge threat to SONY and their multi-media empire.
After E3, screenshots and video footage of games like Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime and Resident Evil just go to show these are the exclusive games that'll keep Nintendo ahead in 2nd Place for the remainder of their first 12 months at least!
And then there's a new Zelda game, along with an all-new Mario Kart and a few classy-titles from Rare - that team that saved Ninty's hides in the N64 days.
All those titles from Nintendo alone could really show the people the the GameCube has games 'to buy for'.
Let's not forget SONY, who are miles ahead with over 30 millions units sold worldwide. Not only do they have their on-line plans up-coming along with an X-Box-style HardDrive but they also have certain games you can't get anywhere else.
The first one that pops into my mind has to be the Grand Theft Auto series.
Number 3 is already out and about and will now be a PS2 exclusive for the next 2 years - despite it's PC appearence. And then there's the Vice City add-on on it's way too - also a PS2-exclusive. Hands-off Bill Gates!
Ontop of that there are some more Final Fantasy games to appear as 'Must Haves' to any RPG fans, and there's also Tekken for the Fighters out there, more Gran Turismo, some new Platformers like Ratchet and Clank, and i'm sure there'll be many more to come that'll make every SONY fan stand-up and say "I MUST have those games!!"
As you can see, there are and will simply be a large number of games out there on all 3 Home Console formats that'll make gamers stand-up and say that they cannot play games without that one - just like all FPS who have rushed-out to buy Halo.
You should only buy a console because of it's games and not it's specs or power.
In many cases, we could see a large number of gamers out there looking for second or even THIRD jobs just so that can keep-up with all the high-spending and costs that the demands and temptations of great games will cost them if they want to 'catch-'em-all' (Pokémon-style)!
Either way, this is going to be a great generation of gaming, with an enormous number of must-have titles on all 3 formats.
Just make sure you enjoy the games you have, and try not to spend too much unless you know it's really worth it.
Despite that strong and persistant desire that we, as gamers, have for playing games these-days, 'average' games may help consoles to sell, but they won't last as long as those top-quality AAA titles we've all played and loved, as they'd fail to fulfill each and every area that makes 'those games' what they are.
As we've grown-up through the ages, we've come to realise the fact that there are some games out there that offer you something unique that you won't be able to find in any other game, on any other format - no matter how hard or how many times you try to prove this theory wrong.
Games that offer you something others cannot instantly grab your attention as they arise to become what you see as 'Must Have Titles' - no matter what format you currently own or what you do or do not intend to buy during your time as a gamer.
Console Sales really can benefit from the success of these 'individual' games alone. With the exclusive rights to a whole host of games that come under this particular title, that one console could quite easily see itself shoot-away from the rest to the top of the charts, while earning it's manufacturers and developers and heafty profit and an improved reputation amongst the fans for years to come.
You may have noticed already that this is taking effect in the Gaming World today.
Microsoft emerged as a 'n00b-like' company in the Console Market when they unleashed the heafty X-Box on the world late last year in Japan. We didn't know quite what to expect from them excpet something with a real price tag on it.
After years of experience and success in the PC Market the Nintendo, SEGA and SONY fans of today thought that Bill Gates would be in for a rough-old-time, unless they could offer us something 'special', 'unique' and 'different' that would make gamers choose their console over all the others.
Well, it looks like they had this from day 1 - in the name of Halo, the greatest First Person Shooter of all-time to just about every-single X-Box owner.
This game alone has proven to be a huge pulling point in helping MS's X-Box sales to grow-and-grow. Yet still, they are not no.1 and are still expected to fall behing into 3rd Place as the experienced Nintendo look dead-certs to grab 2nd Place after their latest E3 parade.
Even the X-Box's one and only 8Gb HardDrive and well-thought-out on-line plans may not be enough to steer it clear of the other 2 as it seems SONY and maybe also Nintendo will soon follow along that same path.
It seems that Nintendo too are coming up with the goods that'll make their cute little GameCube seem like a huge threat to SONY and their multi-media empire.
After E3, screenshots and video footage of games like Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime and Resident Evil just go to show these are the exclusive games that'll keep Nintendo ahead in 2nd Place for the remainder of their first 12 months at least!
And then there's a new Zelda game, along with an all-new Mario Kart and a few classy-titles from Rare - that team that saved Ninty's hides in the N64 days.
All those titles from Nintendo alone could really show the people the the GameCube has games 'to buy for'.
Let's not forget SONY, who are miles ahead with over 30 millions units sold worldwide. Not only do they have their on-line plans up-coming along with an X-Box-style HardDrive but they also have certain games you can't get anywhere else.
The first one that pops into my mind has to be the Grand Theft Auto series.
Number 3 is already out and about and will now be a PS2 exclusive for the next 2 years - despite it's PC appearence. And then there's the Vice City add-on on it's way too - also a PS2-exclusive. Hands-off Bill Gates!
Ontop of that there are some more Final Fantasy games to appear as 'Must Haves' to any RPG fans, and there's also Tekken for the Fighters out there, more Gran Turismo, some new Platformers like Ratchet and Clank, and i'm sure there'll be many more to come that'll make every SONY fan stand-up and say "I MUST have those games!!"
As you can see, there are and will simply be a large number of games out there on all 3 Home Console formats that'll make gamers stand-up and say that they cannot play games without that one - just like all FPS who have rushed-out to buy Halo.
You should only buy a console because of it's games and not it's specs or power.
In many cases, we could see a large number of gamers out there looking for second or even THIRD jobs just so that can keep-up with all the high-spending and costs that the demands and temptations of great games will cost them if they want to 'catch-'em-all' (Pokémon-style)!
Either way, this is going to be a great generation of gaming, with an enormous number of must-have titles on all 3 formats.
Just make sure you enjoy the games you have, and try not to spend too much unless you know it's really worth it.
Thanks Russel - that gets right to my point too. :)
'Killer-apps' - like Halo, GTA and every new Mario and Zelda game have and will always make people buy certain consoles to play them.
I've heard quite a lot of people tell me that when the time is right, they will purchase GameCubes for the new Zelda alone. And that the main reason they won't do it now is because of the lack of these 'killer-apps' in it's early days.
'Killer-apps' - like Halo, GTA and every new Mario and Zelda game have and will always make people buy certain consoles to play them.
I've heard quite a lot of people tell me that when the time is right, they will purchase GameCubes for the new Zelda alone. And that the main reason they won't do it now is because of the lack of these 'killer-apps' in it's early days.
Great post Solskjaer! I have many thoughts on this matter, which I think is relevant to the one game essential to a success of a console. I hope you don't mind me posting it here. :D
**************
Every console needs them. That one game, whatever genre it may be, that makes money for producers, draws critical acclaim for developers, and brings hours of enjoyment to us, the player. If you’re lucky, there might be more than one of them on one console. But the basic fact is undeniable – if a console is going to be successful it’s going to need one of these. Yep, you’ve probably guessed from the unimaginative thread title that I am talking about a very special sort of game indeed – the ‘killer app’.
What makes a ‘killer app’? Well, it can be any genre, it can have amazing graphics or simplistic colours, orchestra style sounds or bouncy tunes, but a ‘killer app’ has something. You can’t put your’re finger on it, you just know its there (God I sound like a Pop Idol judge). It just feels like quality and you know hen you are playing it you are probably experiencing something great. A ‘killer app’ can sell consoles on themselves, although as I explain later, that may not necessarily be the case.
With the console ‘war’ developing into to what could be quite possibly one of the hardest fought in the industry’s illustrious history, the need for the so-called ‘killer app’ is more so than ever. With Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all battling for industry supremacy and – let’s face it – the money in your wallet, the ‘killer app’ could be the game that makes or breaks the success of their latest console. I’m not talking about Triple A titles, because there will always be a substantial amount of those. I’m talking about the sort of game that will force people to buy a console just to play that game, and that, my friends, is very, very, hard to come by.
So lets look at the future potentials, starting with Xbox. In order to establish a guaranteed user base and attract customers, they have released their No.1 game for the foreseeable future, Halo. By all early accounts the game certainly seems to be living up to the hype and at this stage could definitely be described as the ‘killer app’. Whether people will buy the console is debatable, because when you strip it of its fancy graphics and new features, it is little more than a standard FPS. What comes after Halo is tricky, as there doesn’t appear to be anything on the horizon for Microsoft? PS2, like Microsoft, seem to have their killer app out already, MGS2 is already selling like a Will Young record and seems, like GT3 before it, to be selling consoles on its own. Gamecube also have games for the here and now - Smash Bros certainly looks like it has all the trappings of a ‘killer app’. Plus Nintendo have a couple of other games waiting in the wings. You might have heard of them, its Mariosomething and that thingamajig Zelda.
However, a ‘killer app’ doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, and Nintendo and Sega can vouch for that. The N64 had arguably the greatest collection of true must-have games, yet they still finished behind Sony, who despite their claims and sales figures had nowhere near as many great ‘killer apps’ (Ooooh, controversial). Why? Maybe the casual gamer just doesn’t appreciate brilliance, or their just happy buying the same graphical updates. Does that prove that a console needs more than ‘killer apps’? Could be. It can be argued that PSone’s cheap price won the first console war. But then what about Dreamcast?
Dreamcast was cheap, and had great games, so why didn’t it sell. I’m probably going to annoy some of you know, but I think that Dreamcast didn’t have a ‘killer app’. (Ooooh, controversial – again). Sure, JSR, Crazy Taxi, Soul Calibur and Virtua Tennis were great games, but would you buy a console because of them? I don’t think so. I think a lot of hopes were pinned on Shenmue to be that ‘killer app’, but it turned out to be something of an acquired taste. Maybe the lack of that ‘killer app’ contributed to Sega’s downfall, who knows?
What I do know is that the ‘killer app’ is certainly important and becoming increasingly more so as the console war hots up. All consoles will need ‘em, that’s for sure. Another thing I’m also sure about is that we can look forward to more great games as developers strive for that elusive ‘killer app’. If they continue to do so, then the future is looking very bright indeed.
**************
Every console needs them. That one game, whatever genre it may be, that makes money for producers, draws critical acclaim for developers, and brings hours of enjoyment to us, the player. If you’re lucky, there might be more than one of them on one console. But the basic fact is undeniable – if a console is going to be successful it’s going to need one of these. Yep, you’ve probably guessed from the unimaginative thread title that I am talking about a very special sort of game indeed – the ‘killer app’.
What makes a ‘killer app’? Well, it can be any genre, it can have amazing graphics or simplistic colours, orchestra style sounds or bouncy tunes, but a ‘killer app’ has something. You can’t put your’re finger on it, you just know its there (God I sound like a Pop Idol judge). It just feels like quality and you know hen you are playing it you are probably experiencing something great. A ‘killer app’ can sell consoles on themselves, although as I explain later, that may not necessarily be the case.
With the console ‘war’ developing into to what could be quite possibly one of the hardest fought in the industry’s illustrious history, the need for the so-called ‘killer app’ is more so than ever. With Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all battling for industry supremacy and – let’s face it – the money in your wallet, the ‘killer app’ could be the game that makes or breaks the success of their latest console. I’m not talking about Triple A titles, because there will always be a substantial amount of those. I’m talking about the sort of game that will force people to buy a console just to play that game, and that, my friends, is very, very, hard to come by.
So lets look at the future potentials, starting with Xbox. In order to establish a guaranteed user base and attract customers, they have released their No.1 game for the foreseeable future, Halo. By all early accounts the game certainly seems to be living up to the hype and at this stage could definitely be described as the ‘killer app’. Whether people will buy the console is debatable, because when you strip it of its fancy graphics and new features, it is little more than a standard FPS. What comes after Halo is tricky, as there doesn’t appear to be anything on the horizon for Microsoft? PS2, like Microsoft, seem to have their killer app out already, MGS2 is already selling like a Will Young record and seems, like GT3 before it, to be selling consoles on its own. Gamecube also have games for the here and now - Smash Bros certainly looks like it has all the trappings of a ‘killer app’. Plus Nintendo have a couple of other games waiting in the wings. You might have heard of them, its Mariosomething and that thingamajig Zelda.
However, a ‘killer app’ doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, and Nintendo and Sega can vouch for that. The N64 had arguably the greatest collection of true must-have games, yet they still finished behind Sony, who despite their claims and sales figures had nowhere near as many great ‘killer apps’ (Ooooh, controversial). Why? Maybe the casual gamer just doesn’t appreciate brilliance, or their just happy buying the same graphical updates. Does that prove that a console needs more than ‘killer apps’? Could be. It can be argued that PSone’s cheap price won the first console war. But then what about Dreamcast?
Dreamcast was cheap, and had great games, so why didn’t it sell. I’m probably going to annoy some of you know, but I think that Dreamcast didn’t have a ‘killer app’. (Ooooh, controversial – again). Sure, JSR, Crazy Taxi, Soul Calibur and Virtua Tennis were great games, but would you buy a console because of them? I don’t think so. I think a lot of hopes were pinned on Shenmue to be that ‘killer app’, but it turned out to be something of an acquired taste. Maybe the lack of that ‘killer app’ contributed to Sega’s downfall, who knows?
What I do know is that the ‘killer app’ is certainly important and becoming increasingly more so as the console war hots up. All consoles will need ‘em, that’s for sure. Another thing I’m also sure about is that we can look forward to more great games as developers strive for that elusive ‘killer app’. If they continue to do so, then the future is looking very bright indeed.
Thanks.
That's a good example of what I was talking about there... 'Mr.V'
Halo makes FPS fans buy an X-Box.
For GTA 3 people will HAVE to go to the PS2 (or possibly PC).
Mario and Zelda can only be found on the GameCube - and Rare right now.
I recently got myself a Dreamcast.
To be honest, I only really got it for the likes of Shenmue and Sonic Adventure that you cannot (as of yet) get these on any other format. There are also a load of other games I want, but these really helped me to decide.
I will also want an X-Box, but not for Halo.
Merely for Championship Manager at the moment (as it runs too slow on my PC), and a few of the older SEGA games like ToeJam and Earl.
You made a good point there too Mikelar.
Fan boys will buy anything just like what they already have.
As Nintendo fans, we will ALWAYS buy Nintendo consoles.
PSX fans have brought the PS2.
PC fans are opting for the X-Box.
Where-as SEGA fans are a little lost, and will usually either stick with their Dreamcasts or look for the best SEGA games on one format, which could be the X-Box.
That's a good example of what I was talking about there... 'Mr.V'
Halo makes FPS fans buy an X-Box.
For GTA 3 people will HAVE to go to the PS2 (or possibly PC).
Mario and Zelda can only be found on the GameCube - and Rare right now.
I recently got myself a Dreamcast.
To be honest, I only really got it for the likes of Shenmue and Sonic Adventure that you cannot (as of yet) get these on any other format. There are also a load of other games I want, but these really helped me to decide.
I will also want an X-Box, but not for Halo.
Merely for Championship Manager at the moment (as it runs too slow on my PC), and a few of the older SEGA games like ToeJam and Earl.
You made a good point there too Mikelar.
Fan boys will buy anything just like what they already have.
As Nintendo fans, we will ALWAYS buy Nintendo consoles.
PSX fans have brought the PS2.
PC fans are opting for the X-Box.
Where-as SEGA fans are a little lost, and will usually either stick with their Dreamcasts or look for the best SEGA games on one format, which could be the X-Box.
A must-have AAA title definately makes me buy a console.
Halo persuaded me to buy an Xbox.
GTA3 persuaded to buy a PS2.
Shenmue persuaded me to buy a Dreamcast.
No game has yet persuaded me to buy a Gamecube, but it will happen.
Oh, my poor wallet! :)
Halo persuaded me to buy an Xbox.
GTA3 persuaded to buy a PS2.
Shenmue persuaded me to buy a Dreamcast.
No game has yet persuaded me to buy a Gamecube, but it will happen.
Oh, my poor wallet! :)
Good post Solskjær, I agree that there are top qulaity titles that can distinguish whether a company like Nintendo or Microsoft do well but there are also tons of other factors which affect what impact a top title has. Advertising, (of which, the lack of it was blamed by some for the downfall of the 64) format; whether the genre is popular or not, and of course fan-boys who'd buy anything that remotly resembles a square, triangle, X, and circle motiff. I know for a fact that this will be a great time for brilliant titles but thats exactly the point, it's my personal preference.
Some people will chose Metal Gear over Zelda and likewise, it's just a matter of taste.
Again, Good read :)
Some people will chose Metal Gear over Zelda and likewise, it's just a matter of taste.
Again, Good read :)
Great games influcence great sales in the Console Maket. This is the way it always has worked, and the way it always will work untill (or 'if') Gaming ever comes to and end. If the great games of the past, present and future we all have known, love and can't wait for failed to come into existance then you can almost guarrentee that console on the market would struggle to reach even 1 or 2 million sold units in all regions worldwide. But of course, consoles would still sell. After all, there's nothing quite like computer and video games when it comes to home entertainment.
Despite that strong and persistant desire that we, as gamers, have for playing games these-days, 'average' games may help consoles to sell, but they won't last as long as those top-quality AAA titles we've all played and loved, as they'd fail to fulfill each and every area that makes 'those games' what they are.
As we've grown-up through the ages, we've come to realise the fact that there are some games out there that offer you something unique that you won't be able to find in any other game, on any other format - no matter how hard or how many times you try to prove this theory wrong.
Games that offer you something others cannot instantly grab your attention as they arise to become what you see as 'Must Have Titles' - no matter what format you currently own or what you do or do not intend to buy during your time as a gamer.
Console Sales really can benefit from the success of these 'individual' games alone. With the exclusive rights to a whole host of games that come under this particular title, that one console could quite easily see itself shoot-away from the rest to the top of the charts, while earning it's manufacturers and developers and heafty profit and an improved reputation amongst the fans for years to come.
You may have noticed already that this is taking effect in the Gaming World today.
Microsoft emerged as a 'n00b-like' company in the Console Market when they unleashed the heafty X-Box on the world late last year in Japan. We didn't know quite what to expect from them excpet something with a real price tag on it.
After years of experience and success in the PC Market the Nintendo, SEGA and SONY fans of today thought that Bill Gates would be in for a rough-old-time, unless they could offer us something 'special', 'unique' and 'different' that would make gamers choose their console over all the others.
Well, it looks like they had this from day 1 - in the name of Halo, the greatest First Person Shooter of all-time to just about every-single X-Box owner.
This game alone has proven to be a huge pulling point in helping MS's X-Box sales to grow-and-grow. Yet still, they are not no.1 and are still expected to fall behing into 3rd Place as the experienced Nintendo look dead-certs to grab 2nd Place after their latest E3 parade.
Even the X-Box's one and only 8Gb HardDrive and well-thought-out on-line plans may not be enough to steer it clear of the other 2 as it seems SONY and maybe also Nintendo will soon follow along that same path.
It seems that Nintendo too are coming up with the goods that'll make their cute little GameCube seem like a huge threat to SONY and their multi-media empire.
After E3, screenshots and video footage of games like Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime and Resident Evil just go to show these are the exclusive games that'll keep Nintendo ahead in 2nd Place for the remainder of their first 12 months at least!
And then there's a new Zelda game, along with an all-new Mario Kart and a few classy-titles from Rare - that team that saved Ninty's hides in the N64 days.
All those titles from Nintendo alone could really show the people the the GameCube has games 'to buy for'.
Let's not forget SONY, who are miles ahead with over 30 millions units sold worldwide. Not only do they have their on-line plans up-coming along with an X-Box-style HardDrive but they also have certain games you can't get anywhere else.
The first one that pops into my mind has to be the Grand Theft Auto series.
Number 3 is already out and about and will now be a PS2 exclusive for the next 2 years - despite it's PC appearence. And then there's the Vice City add-on on it's way too - also a PS2-exclusive. Hands-off Bill Gates!
Ontop of that there are some more Final Fantasy games to appear as 'Must Haves' to any RPG fans, and there's also Tekken for the Fighters out there, more Gran Turismo, some new Platformers like Ratchet and Clank, and i'm sure there'll be many more to come that'll make every SONY fan stand-up and say "I MUST have those games!!"
As you can see, there are and will simply be a large number of games out there on all 3 Home Console formats that'll make gamers stand-up and say that they cannot play games without that one - just like all FPS who have rushed-out to buy Halo.
You should only buy a console because of it's games and not it's specs or power.
In many cases, we could see a large number of gamers out there looking for second or even THIRD jobs just so that can keep-up with all the high-spending and costs that the demands and temptations of great games will cost them if they want to 'catch-'em-all' (Pokémon-style)!
Either way, this is going to be a great generation of gaming, with an enormous number of must-have titles on all 3 formats.
Just make sure you enjoy the games you have, and try not to spend too much unless you know it's really worth it.
Despite that strong and persistant desire that we, as gamers, have for playing games these-days, 'average' games may help consoles to sell, but they won't last as long as those top-quality AAA titles we've all played and loved, as they'd fail to fulfill each and every area that makes 'those games' what they are.
As we've grown-up through the ages, we've come to realise the fact that there are some games out there that offer you something unique that you won't be able to find in any other game, on any other format - no matter how hard or how many times you try to prove this theory wrong.
Games that offer you something others cannot instantly grab your attention as they arise to become what you see as 'Must Have Titles' - no matter what format you currently own or what you do or do not intend to buy during your time as a gamer.
Console Sales really can benefit from the success of these 'individual' games alone. With the exclusive rights to a whole host of games that come under this particular title, that one console could quite easily see itself shoot-away from the rest to the top of the charts, while earning it's manufacturers and developers and heafty profit and an improved reputation amongst the fans for years to come.
You may have noticed already that this is taking effect in the Gaming World today.
Microsoft emerged as a 'n00b-like' company in the Console Market when they unleashed the heafty X-Box on the world late last year in Japan. We didn't know quite what to expect from them excpet something with a real price tag on it.
After years of experience and success in the PC Market the Nintendo, SEGA and SONY fans of today thought that Bill Gates would be in for a rough-old-time, unless they could offer us something 'special', 'unique' and 'different' that would make gamers choose their console over all the others.
Well, it looks like they had this from day 1 - in the name of Halo, the greatest First Person Shooter of all-time to just about every-single X-Box owner.
This game alone has proven to be a huge pulling point in helping MS's X-Box sales to grow-and-grow. Yet still, they are not no.1 and are still expected to fall behing into 3rd Place as the experienced Nintendo look dead-certs to grab 2nd Place after their latest E3 parade.
Even the X-Box's one and only 8Gb HardDrive and well-thought-out on-line plans may not be enough to steer it clear of the other 2 as it seems SONY and maybe also Nintendo will soon follow along that same path.
It seems that Nintendo too are coming up with the goods that'll make their cute little GameCube seem like a huge threat to SONY and their multi-media empire.
After E3, screenshots and video footage of games like Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime and Resident Evil just go to show these are the exclusive games that'll keep Nintendo ahead in 2nd Place for the remainder of their first 12 months at least!
And then there's a new Zelda game, along with an all-new Mario Kart and a few classy-titles from Rare - that team that saved Ninty's hides in the N64 days.
All those titles from Nintendo alone could really show the people the the GameCube has games 'to buy for'.
Let's not forget SONY, who are miles ahead with over 30 millions units sold worldwide. Not only do they have their on-line plans up-coming along with an X-Box-style HardDrive but they also have certain games you can't get anywhere else.
The first one that pops into my mind has to be the Grand Theft Auto series.
Number 3 is already out and about and will now be a PS2 exclusive for the next 2 years - despite it's PC appearence. And then there's the Vice City add-on on it's way too - also a PS2-exclusive. Hands-off Bill Gates!
Ontop of that there are some more Final Fantasy games to appear as 'Must Haves' to any RPG fans, and there's also Tekken for the Fighters out there, more Gran Turismo, some new Platformers like Ratchet and Clank, and i'm sure there'll be many more to come that'll make every SONY fan stand-up and say "I MUST have those games!!"
As you can see, there are and will simply be a large number of games out there on all 3 Home Console formats that'll make gamers stand-up and say that they cannot play games without that one - just like all FPS who have rushed-out to buy Halo.
You should only buy a console because of it's games and not it's specs or power.
In many cases, we could see a large number of gamers out there looking for second or even THIRD jobs just so that can keep-up with all the high-spending and costs that the demands and temptations of great games will cost them if they want to 'catch-'em-all' (Pokémon-style)!
Either way, this is going to be a great generation of gaming, with an enormous number of must-have titles on all 3 formats.
Just make sure you enjoy the games you have, and try not to spend too much unless you know it's really worth it.