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Those of us that follow the latest news on videogames will have read earlier in the week the comments made by SCEA director of hardware marketing, John Koller, about their rival handheld the Nintendo DSi. Like Kazuo Hirai before him, the comments he has made sound like a desperate attempt to try to slay the Nintendo dragon whilst there is a slight show of weakness on Nintendo’s part, whilst again contradicting themselves publically and in such humourous fashion.
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
The Nintendo DSi is a similar re-release of the Nintendo DS that we saw when the DS Lite was released. Not too different an upgrade of system to that of the PSP with the PSP Lite and PSP Slim & Lite. The DSi adds new functionality to an existing machine and is effectively aiming at the same market as they targeted with the DS and DS Lite. This is especially true in Japan where there are so many DSs per household that it is impossible to sustain constant sales without updating the product.
As we know, the DSi has new features: Bigger screen; The ability to record sound via the microphone and let you play with it; Enhanced Wi-Fi; DSi-Ware; 2 cameras that can detect motion and have face-recognition technology and so on. So, gaming enthusiasts who enjoy their DS are likely to find something in the DSi that they would benefit from. Although these features won’t appeal to everybody, there are bound to be some non-DS owners who may now be tempted by the DSi. But the way I see it, Nintendo are commited to supporting a more diverse audience of gamers. However, when you look at some of the top selling games in the charts at the moment: Wii Fit is top, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is 7th, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is 9th and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is 10th. From a Nintendo point of view, the better selling games are the ones accessible to everyone. GTA DS is at the bottom of the top 10 but is still there, however, Wii Fit has surviced 47 weeks in the charts, Mario & Sonic 69 weeks, and Professor Layton 15 weeks. Everything else in the Elspa chart for week ending 4/4/09 are multi-platform titles, so are shared between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Infact, the only top ten title that is on the PSP is Fifa 09, and that’s when I assume that Elspa do include PSP sales amongst those of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.
”Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored, and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi.”
Whilst I admit there aren’t many ‘adult’ titles on the Wii or DS that are selling well at the moment, there may be a reason behind it. After all, Madworld on Wii has already seen price cuts in Game, GTA Chinatown Wars isn’t doing as well as hoped on the DS. But other titles, as already mentioned, are doing well on Nintendo’s systems. Maybe it is Sony who are ignoring ‘significant gamer demographic groups’? Consumers obviously aren’t buying as many PSP games as Sony would like, and this is clearly worrying Sony. I understand the handheld system is selling, but most people I know who own a PSP use it more for other activities, rather than playing official PSP releases. Hirai has already commented that they make their systems challenging to develop for so the best of the console isn’t brought out until later in the console’s life (a risky strategy in my opinion), and this risks alienating developers with higher costs to get their jobs done.
”Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics.”
Ok, I’m listening...
” Games such as Rock Band Unplugged from MTV Games,”
Is that really much different to the various Guitar Hero games already available on the DS*?
”Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft,”
To which there’s already an Assassin’s Creed game on the DS.
” Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix”
I won’t begin to tell you how many Final Fantasy games are available on the current DS, or even DSi...
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
WHAT?
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
Um...so we’ve got one franchise similar to that already available on DS, 3 others that are available on DS, and one of them is Hannah Montana?! A kids show concerted into a kids game that seperates Sony from Nintendo’s kiddy image? I honestly don’t get it. Koller tries to distance the PSP from Nintendo’s strategies by telling us about franchises already available on Nintendo DS, including Hannah Montana.
...” demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the PSP.”
No, it demonstrates the fact that developers are willing to churn out games to a handheld to try and make a bit more money out of a franchise, like most do with DS (Fifa, Hannah Montana, Imagine Babies, Harry Potter, Spider-man, and so on).
”From our own first-party studios, we're launching unique versions of LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm,”
Nice to see a couple of small commitments on the first party scene. However, the test of time will be the proof needed to see how well they actually do compared to the big first party games from Nintendo on the DS.
“and we're also planning a steady stream of downloadable games -- both new titles and PSone classics -- to add to the content that PSP owners can already purchase wirelessly through PlayStation Store. “
To copy is one of the greatest forms of flattery. Nintendo announce downloadable games for the Wii, including original versions of classic games from NES, SNES, N64 and other retro-consoles. Microsoft, via XBLA, also provide a similar service allowing Xbox originals to be downloaded to Xbox 360. Both systems allow for downloads of new games. Admittedly, so does Sony’s PS3. Nintendo takes this service to DSi, and Sony announce they will shortly be doing this with PSP. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on that.
It’s clear to me that Sony are in a bit of a worried state. They’re concerned by DSi’s quick sales. After all, 4th fastest selling system at launch can’t be bad when you consider how many games systems have been released in the last 25 years or so, and with not one Sony exclusive in the current game charts, it’s also clear to me that Sony think they’ll cause more damage in a war of words than they will with the actual product.
Once again Sony execs, I salute you for giving me a good laugh**.
*I know the Guitar Hero games require the GBA port, however the DSi is an expansion to the DS. If consumers want Guitar Hero, they don’t have to get rid of their existing DS. If they don’t have a DS, and want to play a handheld Guitar Hero, the DS Lite is still available and compatible.
**Read my previous thread about Sony’s Kazuo Hirai.
Sources: C&VG, Elspa, Previous Freeola Forums post
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
The Nintendo DSi is a similar re-release of the Nintendo DS that we saw when the DS Lite was released. Not too different an upgrade of system to that of the PSP with the PSP Lite and PSP Slim & Lite. The DSi adds new functionality to an existing machine and is effectively aiming at the same market as they targeted with the DS and DS Lite. This is especially true in Japan where there are so many DSs per household that it is impossible to sustain constant sales without updating the product.
As we know, the DSi has new features: Bigger screen; The ability to record sound via the microphone and let you play with it; Enhanced Wi-Fi; DSi-Ware; 2 cameras that can detect motion and have face-recognition technology and so on. So, gaming enthusiasts who enjoy their DS are likely to find something in the DSi that they would benefit from. Although these features won’t appeal to everybody, there are bound to be some non-DS owners who may now be tempted by the DSi. But the way I see it, Nintendo are commited to supporting a more diverse audience of gamers. However, when you look at some of the top selling games in the charts at the moment: Wii Fit is top, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is 7th, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is 9th and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is 10th. From a Nintendo point of view, the better selling games are the ones accessible to everyone. GTA DS is at the bottom of the top 10 but is still there, however, Wii Fit has surviced 47 weeks in the charts, Mario & Sonic 69 weeks, and Professor Layton 15 weeks. Everything else in the Elspa chart for week ending 4/4/09 are multi-platform titles, so are shared between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Infact, the only top ten title that is on the PSP is Fifa 09, and that’s when I assume that Elspa do include PSP sales amongst those of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.
”Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored, and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi.”
Whilst I admit there aren’t many ‘adult’ titles on the Wii or DS that are selling well at the moment, there may be a reason behind it. After all, Madworld on Wii has already seen price cuts in Game, GTA Chinatown Wars isn’t doing as well as hoped on the DS. But other titles, as already mentioned, are doing well on Nintendo’s systems. Maybe it is Sony who are ignoring ‘significant gamer demographic groups’? Consumers obviously aren’t buying as many PSP games as Sony would like, and this is clearly worrying Sony. I understand the handheld system is selling, but most people I know who own a PSP use it more for other activities, rather than playing official PSP releases. Hirai has already commented that they make their systems challenging to develop for so the best of the console isn’t brought out until later in the console’s life (a risky strategy in my opinion), and this risks alienating developers with higher costs to get their jobs done.
”Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics.”
Ok, I’m listening...
” Games such as Rock Band Unplugged from MTV Games,”
Is that really much different to the various Guitar Hero games already available on the DS*?
”Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft,”
To which there’s already an Assassin’s Creed game on the DS.
” Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix”
I won’t begin to tell you how many Final Fantasy games are available on the current DS, or even DSi...
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
WHAT?
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
Um...so we’ve got one franchise similar to that already available on DS, 3 others that are available on DS, and one of them is Hannah Montana?! A kids show concerted into a kids game that seperates Sony from Nintendo’s kiddy image? I honestly don’t get it. Koller tries to distance the PSP from Nintendo’s strategies by telling us about franchises already available on Nintendo DS, including Hannah Montana.
...” demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the PSP.”
No, it demonstrates the fact that developers are willing to churn out games to a handheld to try and make a bit more money out of a franchise, like most do with DS (Fifa, Hannah Montana, Imagine Babies, Harry Potter, Spider-man, and so on).
”From our own first-party studios, we're launching unique versions of LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm,”
Nice to see a couple of small commitments on the first party scene. However, the test of time will be the proof needed to see how well they actually do compared to the big first party games from Nintendo on the DS.
“and we're also planning a steady stream of downloadable games -- both new titles and PSone classics -- to add to the content that PSP owners can already purchase wirelessly through PlayStation Store. “
To copy is one of the greatest forms of flattery. Nintendo announce downloadable games for the Wii, including original versions of classic games from NES, SNES, N64 and other retro-consoles. Microsoft, via XBLA, also provide a similar service allowing Xbox originals to be downloaded to Xbox 360. Both systems allow for downloads of new games. Admittedly, so does Sony’s PS3. Nintendo takes this service to DSi, and Sony announce they will shortly be doing this with PSP. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on that.
It’s clear to me that Sony are in a bit of a worried state. They’re concerned by DSi’s quick sales. After all, 4th fastest selling system at launch can’t be bad when you consider how many games systems have been released in the last 25 years or so, and with not one Sony exclusive in the current game charts, it’s also clear to me that Sony think they’ll cause more damage in a war of words than they will with the actual product.
Once again Sony execs, I salute you for giving me a good laugh**.
*I know the Guitar Hero games require the GBA port, however the DSi is an expansion to the DS. If consumers want Guitar Hero, they don’t have to get rid of their existing DS. If they don’t have a DS, and want to play a handheld Guitar Hero, the DS Lite is still available and compatible.
**Read my previous thread about Sony’s Kazuo Hirai.
Sources: C&VG, Elspa, Previous Freeola Forums post
Those of us that follow the latest news on videogames will have read earlier in the week the comments made by SCEA director of hardware marketing, John Koller, about their rival handheld the Nintendo DSi. Like Kazuo Hirai before him, the comments he has made sound like a desperate attempt to try to slay the Nintendo dragon whilst there is a slight show of weakness on Nintendo’s part, whilst again contradicting themselves publically and in such humourous fashion.
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
The Nintendo DSi is a similar re-release of the Nintendo DS that we saw when the DS Lite was released. Not too different an upgrade of system to that of the PSP with the PSP Lite and PSP Slim & Lite. The DSi adds new functionality to an existing machine and is effectively aiming at the same market as they targeted with the DS and DS Lite. This is especially true in Japan where there are so many DSs per household that it is impossible to sustain constant sales without updating the product.
As we know, the DSi has new features: Bigger screen; The ability to record sound via the microphone and let you play with it; Enhanced Wi-Fi; DSi-Ware; 2 cameras that can detect motion and have face-recognition technology and so on. So, gaming enthusiasts who enjoy their DS are likely to find something in the DSi that they would benefit from. Although these features won’t appeal to everybody, there are bound to be some non-DS owners who may now be tempted by the DSi. But the way I see it, Nintendo are commited to supporting a more diverse audience of gamers. However, when you look at some of the top selling games in the charts at the moment: Wii Fit is top, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is 7th, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is 9th and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is 10th. From a Nintendo point of view, the better selling games are the ones accessible to everyone. GTA DS is at the bottom of the top 10 but is still there, however, Wii Fit has surviced 47 weeks in the charts, Mario & Sonic 69 weeks, and Professor Layton 15 weeks. Everything else in the Elspa chart for week ending 4/4/09 are multi-platform titles, so are shared between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Infact, the only top ten title that is on the PSP is Fifa 09, and that’s when I assume that Elspa do include PSP sales amongst those of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.
”Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored, and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi.”
Whilst I admit there aren’t many ‘adult’ titles on the Wii or DS that are selling well at the moment, there may be a reason behind it. After all, Madworld on Wii has already seen price cuts in Game, GTA Chinatown Wars isn’t doing as well as hoped on the DS. But other titles, as already mentioned, are doing well on Nintendo’s systems. Maybe it is Sony who are ignoring ‘significant gamer demographic groups’? Consumers obviously aren’t buying as many PSP games as Sony would like, and this is clearly worrying Sony. I understand the handheld system is selling, but most people I know who own a PSP use it more for other activities, rather than playing official PSP releases. Hirai has already commented that they make their systems challenging to develop for so the best of the console isn’t brought out until later in the console’s life (a risky strategy in my opinion), and this risks alienating developers with higher costs to get their jobs done.
”Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics.”
Ok, I’m listening...
” Games such as Rock Band Unplugged from MTV Games,”
Is that really much different to the various Guitar Hero games already available on the DS*?
”Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft,”
To which there’s already an Assassin’s Creed game on the DS.
” Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix”
I won’t begin to tell you how many Final Fantasy games are available on the current DS, or even DSi...
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
WHAT?
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
Um...so we’ve got one franchise similar to that already available on DS, 3 others that are available on DS, and one of them is Hannah Montana?! A kids show concerted into a kids game that seperates Sony from Nintendo’s kiddy image? I honestly don’t get it. Koller tries to distance the PSP from Nintendo’s strategies by telling us about franchises already available on Nintendo DS, including Hannah Montana.
...” demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the PSP.”
No, it demonstrates the fact that developers are willing to churn out games to a handheld to try and make a bit more money out of a franchise, like most do with DS (Fifa, Hannah Montana, Imagine Babies, Harry Potter, Spider-man, and so on).
”From our own first-party studios, we're launching unique versions of LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm,”
Nice to see a couple of small commitments on the first party scene. However, the test of time will be the proof needed to see how well they actually do compared to the big first party games from Nintendo on the DS.
“and we're also planning a steady stream of downloadable games -- both new titles and PSone classics -- to add to the content that PSP owners can already purchase wirelessly through PlayStation Store. “
To copy is one of the greatest forms of flattery. Nintendo announce downloadable games for the Wii, including original versions of classic games from NES, SNES, N64 and other retro-consoles. Microsoft, via XBLA, also provide a similar service allowing Xbox originals to be downloaded to Xbox 360. Both systems allow for downloads of new games. Admittedly, so does Sony’s PS3. Nintendo takes this service to DSi, and Sony announce they will shortly be doing this with PSP. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on that.
It’s clear to me that Sony are in a bit of a worried state. They’re concerned by DSi’s quick sales. After all, 4th fastest selling system at launch can’t be bad when you consider how many games systems have been released in the last 25 years or so, and with not one Sony exclusive in the current game charts, it’s also clear to me that Sony think they’ll cause more damage in a war of words than they will with the actual product.
Once again Sony execs, I salute you for giving me a good laugh**.
*I know the Guitar Hero games require the GBA port, however the DSi is an expansion to the DS. If consumers want Guitar Hero, they don’t have to get rid of their existing DS. If they don’t have a DS, and want to play a handheld Guitar Hero, the DS Lite is still available and compatible.
**Read my previous thread about Sony’s Kazuo Hirai.
Sources: C&VG, Elspa, Previous Freeola Forums post
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
The Nintendo DSi is a similar re-release of the Nintendo DS that we saw when the DS Lite was released. Not too different an upgrade of system to that of the PSP with the PSP Lite and PSP Slim & Lite. The DSi adds new functionality to an existing machine and is effectively aiming at the same market as they targeted with the DS and DS Lite. This is especially true in Japan where there are so many DSs per household that it is impossible to sustain constant sales without updating the product.
As we know, the DSi has new features: Bigger screen; The ability to record sound via the microphone and let you play with it; Enhanced Wi-Fi; DSi-Ware; 2 cameras that can detect motion and have face-recognition technology and so on. So, gaming enthusiasts who enjoy their DS are likely to find something in the DSi that they would benefit from. Although these features won’t appeal to everybody, there are bound to be some non-DS owners who may now be tempted by the DSi. But the way I see it, Nintendo are commited to supporting a more diverse audience of gamers. However, when you look at some of the top selling games in the charts at the moment: Wii Fit is top, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is 7th, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is 9th and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is 10th. From a Nintendo point of view, the better selling games are the ones accessible to everyone. GTA DS is at the bottom of the top 10 but is still there, however, Wii Fit has surviced 47 weeks in the charts, Mario & Sonic 69 weeks, and Professor Layton 15 weeks. Everything else in the Elspa chart for week ending 4/4/09 are multi-platform titles, so are shared between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Infact, the only top ten title that is on the PSP is Fifa 09, and that’s when I assume that Elspa do include PSP sales amongst those of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.
”Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored, and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi.”
Whilst I admit there aren’t many ‘adult’ titles on the Wii or DS that are selling well at the moment, there may be a reason behind it. After all, Madworld on Wii has already seen price cuts in Game, GTA Chinatown Wars isn’t doing as well as hoped on the DS. But other titles, as already mentioned, are doing well on Nintendo’s systems. Maybe it is Sony who are ignoring ‘significant gamer demographic groups’? Consumers obviously aren’t buying as many PSP games as Sony would like, and this is clearly worrying Sony. I understand the handheld system is selling, but most people I know who own a PSP use it more for other activities, rather than playing official PSP releases. Hirai has already commented that they make their systems challenging to develop for so the best of the console isn’t brought out until later in the console’s life (a risky strategy in my opinion), and this risks alienating developers with higher costs to get their jobs done.
”Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics.”
Ok, I’m listening...
” Games such as Rock Band Unplugged from MTV Games,”
Is that really much different to the various Guitar Hero games already available on the DS*?
”Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft,”
To which there’s already an Assassin’s Creed game on the DS.
” Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix”
I won’t begin to tell you how many Final Fantasy games are available on the current DS, or even DSi...
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
WHAT?
“If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.”
” and Hannah Montana from Disney”
Um...so we’ve got one franchise similar to that already available on DS, 3 others that are available on DS, and one of them is Hannah Montana?! A kids show concerted into a kids game that seperates Sony from Nintendo’s kiddy image? I honestly don’t get it. Koller tries to distance the PSP from Nintendo’s strategies by telling us about franchises already available on Nintendo DS, including Hannah Montana.
...” demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the PSP.”
No, it demonstrates the fact that developers are willing to churn out games to a handheld to try and make a bit more money out of a franchise, like most do with DS (Fifa, Hannah Montana, Imagine Babies, Harry Potter, Spider-man, and so on).
”From our own first-party studios, we're launching unique versions of LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm,”
Nice to see a couple of small commitments on the first party scene. However, the test of time will be the proof needed to see how well they actually do compared to the big first party games from Nintendo on the DS.
“and we're also planning a steady stream of downloadable games -- both new titles and PSone classics -- to add to the content that PSP owners can already purchase wirelessly through PlayStation Store. “
To copy is one of the greatest forms of flattery. Nintendo announce downloadable games for the Wii, including original versions of classic games from NES, SNES, N64 and other retro-consoles. Microsoft, via XBLA, also provide a similar service allowing Xbox originals to be downloaded to Xbox 360. Both systems allow for downloads of new games. Admittedly, so does Sony’s PS3. Nintendo takes this service to DSi, and Sony announce they will shortly be doing this with PSP. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on that.
It’s clear to me that Sony are in a bit of a worried state. They’re concerned by DSi’s quick sales. After all, 4th fastest selling system at launch can’t be bad when you consider how many games systems have been released in the last 25 years or so, and with not one Sony exclusive in the current game charts, it’s also clear to me that Sony think they’ll cause more damage in a war of words than they will with the actual product.
Once again Sony execs, I salute you for giving me a good laugh**.
*I know the Guitar Hero games require the GBA port, however the DSi is an expansion to the DS. If consumers want Guitar Hero, they don’t have to get rid of their existing DS. If they don’t have a DS, and want to play a handheld Guitar Hero, the DS Lite is still available and compatible.
**Read my previous thread about Sony’s Kazuo Hirai.
Sources: C&VG, Elspa, Previous Freeola Forums post
the dsi is realy cool i think it is awsome
Typical of Sony...
DS/DSi is aimed at everyone. I'm sure my grandparents would appreciate being told that they were playing a kid's machine. The PSP is ok, but doesn't really set the world alight - plus with the fct that their screens crack easier than a sugarglass window.
DS/DSi is aimed at everyone. I'm sure my grandparents would appreciate being told that they were playing a kid's machine. The PSP is ok, but doesn't really set the world alight - plus with the fct that their screens crack easier than a sugarglass window.
It's just a war of words...and after experiencing DSi, have to say Sony should be scared.
It's very good fun to use!
It's very good fun to use!