Are wii seeing the end of the Playstation?

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Jetfire
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Are wii seeing the end of the Playstation?

Post by Jetfire »

Are Wii seeing the end of the playstation?



http://www.techsmessage.com/2007/03/18/ ... l-sharply/



http://www.dsrevolution.com/article.php?articleid=1524



It seems the PS3 by some dstance the current loser in the Console war. The post crimbo drop was far greater for the PS3 whose sales dropped 50% into feb while the Wii and 360 sales which were both far higher in the first place, only droped less than 25%. So the PS3 is not only selling far less it's losing ground to the others.
Things did not go according to plan, I guess Sony was expecting to bring the house down with sales and preorders and madness. That did not happen. It was so bad in London that Sony was able to give away a £2,000 Bracia flatscreen TV to the 125 people who turned up at the launch.
In Australia, many stores opened at Midnight to nothing, well not nothing, I guess you could hear crickets chirping. News and radio stations got desperate for stories and attempted to excite the crowd themselves. In one instance the news crew from a radio station began cheering themselves (whether or not it was canned sounds is another story).

The counter point is that Sony's big titles are out in September (Metal gear Solid 4) and December (Final Fantasy XIII) http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 048/SPORTS



However the Wii has several franchaises to come it self (Mario Galaxy, Metroid, Pokemon plus a Final Fantasy of its own) and it can be said that when the market has not got behind console even the big franchaises can't do to much (GTA on the PSP and Mario/Zelda etc for Gamecube hardly saved the systems).



Of course Blueray mght pick up but then having the cheapest Blueray system around doesn't mean it's actually cheep and umd on the PSP was a disaster and DVD succeed as it had no new rivals and the video market was just finishing as a modern technology with digital tech being made perfectly common via PCs.



I actually think the DVD market is far from gone. The quality of picture on a DVD looks great, most people have tons of DVDs that they have no interest in replacing soon and Laser Disk failed simply because the video market was in it's prime and people were not really looking for the next thing yet. The same with minidisks. Both were technically better than what people had but they didn't offer people anything they didn't actually have like Blurray/HD-DVD. But that's my opinion.


A more optimistic assessment of the PS3:

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/...yid=single8004

But it back up it's "Sony will win out in the end" assessment with little in the way of fact. If being the most powerful console of a generation was enough then the xbox woul have edventually destroye the PS2 and the N64 would have buggered the PS1 up the arse for fun.

The power a game has is no indication of it's quality, or how much fun it will be. The PSP pisses on the DS in terms of tech and power. But the DS is crapping all over the PSP in sales dispite less hype, less media attention, no real franchaise exclusives and no movies and a weaker start sales wise.

So how did it best the PSP? It costantly streams out a whole host of great and original games. It's stylus also adds something unique. The Wii does the same. I've played Wii sports with friends and frankly dispite being a very simple game is the most fun I've had with a console that I can recall. It's also a very social console. bring some mates, a few drinks and a great night is a certainty. On your own what can best Zelda or the brilliance ( and manic jokes) of Rayman with a Wii controller?
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Post by Denyer »

Are Wii seeing the end of the playstation?
No. The PS2 is doing fine.

Can't see either Bluray or HD-DVD taking off, like SA-CD and DVD-Audio formats have died on their arses. The average punter doesn't need (and won't get the TV for) more than DVD.

The plan to out-evolve the DVD writers most people have in PCs is going to go about as well as the plan to out-evolve easily rippable CDs.

MP3 isn't a great format either algorithmically. It isn't going anywhere, though.

Welcome to the generation of "things are already good enough."
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Post by CounterPunch »

I'm not sure to be honest, I think the Wii's sales will drop off suprisingly suddenly, I myself am aware of dozens of people who bought the console on the hype and found out it wasnt their cup of tea.

I think the PS3's sales will jump if/when the decision of Blu Ray over HD happens and maybe people are still a little daunted of the pricing at a time before and after Christmas.

I myself have no interest in the PS3, Im not saying its crap as I havent played one, but not a single game strikes my interest (atleast not a single exclusive game)
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Post by Jetfire »

Maybe. However fact is hardly anybody is able to find a Wii sceond hand and qually as hard in shops.

However the PS3 is freely available in shops and yet horribly easy to get second hand. All dispite the fact the Wii hs sold much more, 3 times as many PS3s and the PS3 is falling behind. Sounds like your friends are a unique case or the PS3 is even less satifying than a Wii.

I should add the PS3 has only 1 game in the top 50 in the last month. Thats not great considering the Wii hasn't had any significant releases since the start of January.
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Post by Denyer »

How're PS2 title sales doing, out of curiosity?

It seems a bit daft for commentators to keep harping on about a console that costs a fraction of another one massively outselling it. But then that's what keeps them in ad revenue, I suppose...
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Post by Ice Shard »

nothings changed here
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Good thing you've taken that "Not Jumping on Bandwagons" thing out of your sig, though, isn't it?

The three people I know who own them all seem to agree it's a bit of a novelty - barely turned the thing off for a week, barely turned it on since, but hang onto them for something fun at parties, and don't really intend to buy any more games... Consensus is they feel a bit of a **** playing the thing without a bunch of mates looking similarly daft.
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Post by Jetfire »

Originally posted by Denyer
How're PS2 title sales doing, out of curiosity?

It seems a bit daft for commentators to keep harping on about a console that costs a fraction of another one massively outselling it. But then that's what keeps them in ad revenue, I suppose...


Slowing I believe. A bit behind the xbox360 in 3rd spot (sometimes 4th) due to the PS3 launch then back to 3rd.

I believe, like the xbox, sony have no intention to just drop the PS2 support, just let it slowly fade out. i mean the biggest title in recent months is Final Fantasy 12, just out on the PS2.

I still enjoy my PS2. Pro Evo 6 is like sex and I plan to kill my 2 weeks at easter playing FF12 to the death (When not marking coursework).
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Post by Jetfire »

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Good thing you've taken that "Not Jumping on Bandwagons" thing out of your sig, though, isn't it?
Now we both know that wa spur Irony :p

beside I have always been a Nintendo fan boy, but I do give most console a chance. I'm also a stickler for the underdog and I'm enjoying the only 'pure' games company is socking it to the Big boys money games with innovation.

The three people I know who own them all seem to agree it's a bit of a novelty - barely turned the thing off for a week, barely turned it on since, but hang onto them for something fun at parties, and don't really intend to buy any more games... Consensus is they feel a bit of a **** playing the thing without a bunch of mates looking similarly daft. [/B]


1 word: Zelda.

A contender for the best game ever. I'm sure with Mario Galaxy, Metriod and other titles the single player aspect of it become increasingly awesome.
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Post by CounterPunch »

I feel a bit of a tit in that I was waiting months and months for my Wii and I havent touched it in... 5 or 6 weeks maybe, not cos its crap, but jus cos I dont have the attention span of playing consoles at the moment.
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Post by another tf fan »

Awwe Poor Sony...

I bought two PSXs, Two PS2s and have no intention of getting a PS3 unless it comes into the $299 price range. The thing is too damn expensive.

You people are right about Blu-Ray. it's superior, but not that superior. Like for instance, is my TF:TM gonna look better in HD? Not really. Watching a football game across a dark bar in HD , vastly superior.

There have been so many high end formats come and go, because the buying public just isn't that interested. SACD anyone? LaserDisc? DAT? DCC? MiniDisc? See, nobody cares. MP3 still has a barely noticeable high end swirl and cutoff that 16 bit CD doesn't, but people love the idea of putting 200,000 songs in one device.

People just don't care that much for fidelity, they need a certain level and then it's good enough. I know guys who grew up with records, have CD players, and still think the vinyl sounds better. I can give them chart after chart showing frequency range, but it ain't going to change their mind.

Same thing with next gen consoles. I played my brother in law's 360 in high def and was quite underwhelmed. It looked good, really, but the jump in realism was not the same as it was going from the 32 bit ps1 to the 128 bit ps2.

The Wii has it all over the other two in that it gives gamers a new way to play. hell it may even give some of the lard-asses some much needed exercise. I haven't bought a Wii, but it's just a matter of time. Sorry Sony, like GM you have gotten bigger than your britches and think you get to tell your customers what they want.
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Post by Zisteau »

There's only one thing that will save the PS3, and that's games. Unfortunately its lost some of its console exclusives that made it such a must-have in the past. The only way to make up the lost ground is to release a sustained amount of very good games.
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Post by another tf fan »

Thats the best point. CONTENT!

It's like asking if podcasting is the next big thing:

It will be if it offers something people want, I will die if it doesn't.

It's entertainment, not a car. Just by having the most powerful console does not make it sell. Unlike a car where having the most powerful one will sell a few.

CONTENT
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Post by Jetfire »

Originally posted by Zisteau
There's only one thing that will save the PS3, and that's games. Unfortunately its lost some of its console exclusives that made it such a must-have in the past. The only way to make up the lost ground is to release a sustained amount of very good games.


It may have lost just about all it's significant exclusives:

Devil May Cry 4 is going to both the PS3 and Xbox:
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/acti...yadded;title;1

Possibilities of FF 13 going multi platform:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6167864... stop;title;12

I'm not holding my breath yet. Why would Namco or konami put so much case into developement to release onto what is effectively a minorty market at the moment? Even if it does boost PS3 sales greatly they will still sell far less than if they go multi platform.

Many reports are coming back saying that even the big companies are streamlining what they develope e to the costs so they can't afford failures for their best franchaises and there is very little advantage to being an exclusive to the 3rd most popular console.
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Post by Jetfire »

From that article:





He also answered questions about backward compatibility for the next-gen console, responding to fears that the console would not support many PS2 titles without the Emotion Engine. Fornay said, "Now, if you ask me whether this was a blow to the launch, I would say that [Sony] would have done better to be sure that the console would be completely backward compatible before announcing it. But hey, when it becomes clear what the PS3 is capable of, gamers won't really fancy playing PS2 [games] anymore..."
If anything hasn't the success of the DS over a far superior handheald taught them anything? Has the Wii's incredable prices demostrated that the power of the machine is irrevelant relative to the quality of the Software. Getting a PS3 to stand and look pretty is pointless and a waste of money.

I mean Zelda is clearly not as advanced as anything on the 360 or xbox, however it looks sweeter than most of the games I've seen thanks to the great art direction. Technology is nothing without imagination and innovation.
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by another tf fan
MiniDisc?
Still useful for live recordings, even though the bass end isn't great. MP3 player recorders just haven't taken off much in this area.
Originally posted by another tf fan
MP3 still has a barely noticeable high end swirl and cutoff that 16 bit CD doesn't
Not really, if you do it right. Optimised VBR won't cut high frequencies like the bad old days -- there's a noticeable difference between 128kbps CBR and --alt-preset standard (which averages to about 192kbps, or higher if you're encoding metal.) Still not perfect for classical, but fine for most music.
Originally posted by another tf fan
I know guys who grew up with records, have CD players, and still think the vinyl sounds better.
Somebody was trying to tell me that CDs are better than vinyl because they don't have any surface noise. I said, "Listen mate, life has surface noise." –John Peel

It sounds different, anyway. Slightly different frequency range and warmer sound. Couldn't give a toss personally, though there are a lot of bad vinyl transfers out there that blur the argument.
Originally posted by another tf fan
People just don't care that much for fidelity
Bingo. And a lot of people listen to music whilst driving, walking, etc. in environments where it wouldn't make any difference anyway.
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Post by another tf fan »

Originally posted by Denyer
Not really, if you do it right. Optimised VBR won't cut high frequencies like the bad old days -- there's a noticeable difference between 128kbps CBR and --alt-preset standard (which averages to about 192kbps, or higher if you're encoding metal.) Still not perfect for classical, but fine for most music.


Agreed. Besides popular hip-hop and top 40 is heavily compressed and really has little frequency or dynamic range.



TANGENT ALERT!!!!!
- Production techniques on many of today's rap albums focus on quick cut and paste DAW work. Samples are chosen, but frequencies are not stripped. For example, The Game's newest CD is chock full of subharmonics that interfere with other bass frequencies. I think a rushed production causes this. It's as if the album was mastered on monitor speakers and not with a sub woofer set up. I think for rap a sub woofer mix is essential.

Not to mention many in rap production couldn't carry a tune in a basket. Kanye West's insistence of running vocal samples at the same time as 1st generation vocals clash. Stealing samples is OK with me, but putting a classic song over a new bass and drums that aren't in key with each other is lazy.
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Post by Denyer »

Yup. Volume compression is still creeping up despite the ceiling having been reached about twenty years ago...

Eh, the bands I tend to listen to still have somewhere to go -- distortion.
when it becomes clear what the PS3 is capable of, gamers won't really fancy playing PS2 [games] anymore
Doubt it. Hasn't made 'em buy gaming PCs, has it?

The only downside of PS2 gaming now is load times, TBH. A typical home TV doesn't do anything particularly useful with better graphics.
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Post by Plasmodium »

u talkin crazy. da sony and da pstriple is thee **** ma nig. The wii aint got **** on the ps3. aint. got. ****. only gay faggots like running around with some bitch ass fairy bitch. da true gamerz prefer shootin niggas over that gay ass ****. da pstriple will always be da best. da pstriple has da best games and always will have da best games.

when da bitches see your ps3, dey instantly cream their pants, wii cant do dat **** nigga. DA PSTRIPLE IS BALLINNN.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Denyer, I'm pretty sure I asked this before, but I've kinda forgotten the answer... I remember reading somewhere (Q, I think, about ten years ago - examples were Beck's Odelay and EBTG's Walking Wounded) that a lot of CDs, especially rock and the like, gets 'treated' so it sounds a bit more like vinyl - a bit more "real", apparently some survey or other conducted said listeners found perfect-quality CDs slightly unsettling in a way they couldn't put their finger on... Any truth to this?

Personally I still prefer vinyl, though that's for a multitude of reasons - with some stuff, the crackles are part of it for me after all these years (especially with old punk 7"s), and part for aesthetics - whacking great big sleeves and lyric sheets, etc. I also just like putting records on, and my record player's just so much better than anything I have that plays CDs. Only real problem is that little electrical stores than do styluses (stylii?) are becoming scarcer unless you want to go into some cocksucking DJ shop full of idiots in Global Hypercolour t-shirts who say "pumping" and flick their wrist while doing so.
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