Should Nintendo be worried?

[Pyxis]

Same here... It's certainly not worth £179.99... The GameCube was £129.99 and that had FAR FAR FAR better graphics for its time. I'll still buy it because im a fanboy. The only reason why I would purchase a Wii at launch is for Zelda. Nothing else is worth the £179.99... That's a lot of money. I picked up my Gamecube Zelda bundle for £129.99..that included the windwaker, the ocarina of time and master quest.

 

The console should be £149.99... I dont want Wii Sports, I'm not even willing to try it..I'll just throw it in the bin. It's just ruining the console's packaging for me.

[Eddage]

Same here... It's certainly not worth £179.99... The GameCube was £129.99 and that had FAR FAR FAR better graphics for its time. I'll still buy it because im a fanboy. The only reason why I would purchase a Wii at launch is for Zelda. If it wasnt for Zelda, I would wait a good few months until Mario and Smash Bros is released.

 

Why are people so wrapped up in the graphics? As far as I'm concerned no console is worth over £200, no matter how great the graphics are, the Wii is worth every one of the 180 pounds I'm gonna be spending on it!

[Pyxis]

"Why are people so wrapped up in the graphics?"

 

 

:woops: Wii sports included? I'd actually want to buy the Wii more if it didnt exist.

[Eddage]

It's a bunch of mini games to show off the controller, I couldn't give two shits about the fact that the graphics aren't amazing, to be honest I think they have a certain charm in themsleves!

[Sparko]

I'm more than happy to have Wii Sports bundled with the console, looks like it could be a lot of fun and it'll be good for getting used to the controller. Me and my mates are going to look ridiculous, can't wait

[AshMat]

Some people are just never pleased.

[Carlos]

I hope there's a bundle coming to my united states!

 

I want a Xbox 360.

[solitanze]

Nintendo should be concerned and heres why:

 

So many people are complaining about the price of Wii and its accessories particularly the controller and nunchuck and going on about how the hardware isn't good enough to justify the price of the console as its essentially a gamecube 1.5.

 

Yet the PS3 is twice as expensive as a Wii and most people are only complaining about the price, not the actual hardware, how many people are actually saying that the PS3 has got crap hardware and is not worth the money, no one. Virtually no one has said that the Wii is legitimately a better console than PS3. The only reason a majority people aren't buying a PS3 and are a getting a Wii instead is simply because of the price, this in itself says alot about the public perception of Wii and it isn't good. All it'll take is one large price drop from the PS3 and RIP Wii.

[assofaman]

Nintendo should be concerned and heres why:

 

So many people are complaining about the price of Wii and its accessories particularly the controller and nunchuck and going on about how the hardware isn't good enough to justify the price of the console as its essentially a gamecube 1.5.

 

Yet the PS3 is twice as expensive as a Wii and most people are only complaining about the price, not the actual hardware, how many people are actually saying that the PS3 has got crap hardware and is not worth the money, no one. Virtually no one has said that the Wii is legitimately a better console than PS3. The only reason a majority people aren't buying a PS3 and are a getting a Wii instead is simply because of the price, this in itself says alot about the public perception of Wii and it isn't good. All it'll take is one large price drop from the PS3 and RIP Wii.

 

Nintendo are simply in their eyes relishing an opportunity, the price was deliberately set at $250 US after the delay of PS3 in Europe was officially announced to capitalise on the PS3s high initial price and shortages. They know people will still pay that price for the console with the shortages and higher price of PS3, all they have to do is drop their price as soon as the PS3 drops in price and they're safe, they won't RIP, the Wii will be the second console of choice for most people but their current strategy certainly won't grant Nintendo complete and utter market domination, far from it. We all know the price isn't great, but at the end of the day, just about all of us will pay it.

[Dilli Gee]

My biggest problem is that if/when I spend £350 to £400 on a PS3, I won't leave the shops feeling it's not worth the money. With a PS3, I'm getting not only one of the most powerful systems ever, I'm also getting a Blu-ray player and various other nuggets. I've also got guarantee it'll be future proof, for at least 10 years.

 

Wii however doesn't feel like it's worth £180. There's nothing grabbing me, I think the price is still £50 over, and they should reduce it as soon as possible. And features like integrated brower and photo/video player isn't original at all, my Xbox 360 can do all that as well as play music off of my iPod.

[solitanze]

My biggest problem is that if/when I spend £350 to £400 on a PS3, I won't leave the shops feeling it's not worth the money. With a PS3, I'm getting not only one of the most powerful systems ever, I'm also getting a Blu-ray player and various other nuggets. I've also got guarantee it'll be future proof, for at least 10 years.

 

Wii however doesn't feel like it's worth £180. There's nothing grabbing me, I think the price is still £50 over, and they should reduce it as soon as possible. And features like integrated brower and photo/video player isn't original at all, my Xbox 360 can do all that as well as play music off of my iPod.

 

This is exactly what i've been referring to in my previous post, this is the general public perception of PS3 vs Wii, no one, absolutely no one is saying that the PS3 isn't worth the money, only thats its too expensive. The Wii on the other hand, people are not only saying its too expensive, but its not worth the money with inferior graphics and gimmicky features that are available on the more expensive consoles. LARGE PRICE ON PS3 = DISASTER FOR NINTENDO.

[assofaman]

Expect a $50US price cut on the Wii console [not accessories] in March 2007 to counter the PS3 launch in Europe, Australia etc.

[Shino]

This is exactly what i've been referring to in my previous post, this is the general public perception of PS3 vs Wii, no one, absolutely no one is saying that the PS3 isn't worth the money, only thats its too expensive. The Wii on the other hand, people are not only saying its too expensive, but its not worth the money with inferior graphics and gimmicky features that are available on the more expensive consoles.

 

Agreed, I'm not going to buy at lunch because I feel it's a rip of. And because I have no money.

 

Expect a $50US price cut on the Wii console [not accessories] in March 2007 to counter the PS3 launch in Europe, Australia etc.

 

That's when I'm going to buy it (probably).

 

EDIT: I like your nickname.

[Dilli Gee]

Expect a $50US price cut on the Wii console [not accessories] in March 2007 to counter the PS3 launch in Europe, Australia etc.

PS3 could well sell out through pre-orders, so it would do nothing to the PS3's launch.

 

There's no point thinking the Wii will compete with the PS3, it won't. It's really PS3 vs. Xbox 360. Nintendo has distanced itself from the traditional gaming market, so it's not a competitor to the PS3, or the Xbox 360.

 

But the new 360 bundles sound like they could kill Wii's chances in the UK. Even I would wait until next year for a Wii, if I didn't have a 360 already.

[assofaman]

PS3 could well sell out through pre-orders, so it would do nothing to the PS3's launch.

 

There's no point thinking the Wii will compete with the PS3, it won't. It's really PS3 vs. Xbox 360. Nintendo has distanced itself from the traditional gaming market, so it's not a competitor to the PS3, or the Xbox 360.

 

But the new 360 bundles sound like they could kill Wii's chances in the UK. Even I would wait until next year for a Wii, if I didn't have a 360 already.

 

Its not about what it will do to PS3s launch, its about selling additional units which could potentially draw some people away from getting a PS3 once the second shipment comes in and thats what counts as additional units sold = more revenue which ultimately contributes to their bottom line. The higher price is experimentation on Nintendos part, they'll adjust their price subject to demand vs supply of Wii consoles which would most likely be done around the launch of PS3 in Europe, Australia etc if demand has suffered as a result of the initial higher price.

 

It does not matter that Nintendo are going for a differentiation strategy, the Wii is still a video game system, so its still in the same market as PS3 and Xbox360 and is therefore still a potential competitor even though Nintendo dismiss this very thought, its just that they are attempting to expand the market and attract non gamers AS WELL as traditional gamers.

 

EDIT: Thanks Dude! @ Shino.

[Eddage]

You know this is starting to sound exactly like the PSP vs DS arguments....

 

The PSP comes with so much more - music, video, blah, blah, the DS's graphics suck, blah, blah, look what happened there! (I know that the handheld market is different, but it still clearly shows that there is potential for a new innovative system to hold its own against a graphics multimedia whore)!

 

Also stop harping on about the blu-ray player, if the PS2's dvd player taught us anything then its probably that this is gonna be a first generation piece of crap, which may work ok for a while but will soon be rendered obsolete by some of the stand-a-lone players! (It's Sony - you know its gonna be built poorly, and that isn't fanboyism, its fact)!

 

Also the PS3 isn't worth the money, I seriously believe that!

[Blue_Ninja0]

^ I have to agree. Let's hope word of mouth works with Wii at least half as it worked for DS.

 

And yes, 599€ is probably a good value for all the transistors and Red Goblins inside PayStation3 BUT i have yet to see a decent ammount of good games that would make me pay such price for the platform that runs them.

[Dilli Gee]

Also the PS3 isn't worth the money, I seriously believe that!

Well I guess if you think that, then fine.

 

Considering you're getting the new generation's most powerful system with inevitable killer applications, one of the best microprocessors ever (although it'll also be used in PCs and other electronics in the future), a Blu-ray player and a complete online network, I think it's worth it.

 

Well, worth more than a Wii is, which is just a modified Xbox with nifty controller, and a tweaked online system which allows downloads. As for all this picture viewing and online browsing, it's nothing new.

[pedrocasilva]

Well I guess if you think that, then fine.

 

Considering you're getting the new generation's most powerful system with inevitable killer applications, one of the best microprocessors ever (although it'll also be used in PCs and other electronics in the future), a Blu-ray player and a complete online network, I think it's worth it.

 

Well, worth more than a Wii is, which is just a modified Xbox with nifty controller, and a tweaked online system which allows downloads. As for all this picture viewing and online browsing, it's nothing new.

Wii is a modified Xbox? you just made my day. lol.

 

Seriously though... Cell won't be used in home PC's do you see AMD and Intel shivering in fear? is IBM going for Cell rather than powerPC 970 (G5 CPU's)? Cell is a CPU just like any other, done with todays tecnology, but applied on a diferent form, home cpu's need to be good all around, they don't need gigaflop performance, that's why the graphics card is there.

 

Sony for PS3 considered using two cell cpu's but eventually settled for one and a GPU, do you think it was for nothing? maybe the GPU is there for something. and maybe (more than maybe I'd say) the astounishing numbers they are claiming... include the GPU.

 

See my point? CPU-wise a Intel Pentium 4 @ 3,2 GHz does ~3,6 Gigaflops, GC gekko's at 485 MHz did ~2 Gigaflops, PS2 Emotion Engine did ~6 Gigaflops... the thing is... PS2's GPU didn't output any graphics just texture clipping, thus this work had to be done by the CPU, it's a lot better to have a a dedicated GPU designed for that work. In the end both GC and PC's had more fillrate on the GPU.

 

It's a matter of the PC's getting a GPU that outclasses the cell+GPU and it'll be outdated in no time. On the other hand... Cell is already outdated in general purpose performance. (And that is also needed in games, as in any software)

[Dilli Gee]

I said one of the best. Of course there will be better.

 

All I know is that Sony, Toshiba and IBM spent $400,000 to $500,000 on developing the processor, and it's meant to be good. The PS3 is only one product of many that is in development using it.

[pedrocasilva]

I said one of the best. Of course there will be better.

 

All I know is that Sony, Toshiba and IBM spent $400,000 to $500,000 on developing the processor, and it's meant to be good. The PS3 is only one product of many that is in development using it.

Cell is a good cpu, for specific tasks. But it is horribly weak in others.

 

That's just how technology works, a GPU is designed for graphics, try to make it process general purpose and you'll see. that's why we design CPU's optymized from ground for certain functions, you won't try pulling 3D graphics from a AMD64.

 

All in all I find PS3 unbalanced. Sure it has big tech specs for graphics, but what about the rest? developers will work around it (as they did with PS2), but the machine is still flawed at heart. And certainly not easy to develop for.

[Kurtle Squad]

It's a bunch of mini games to show off the controller, I couldn't give two shits about the fact that the graphics aren't amazing, to be honest I think they have a certain charm in themsleves!

 

And according to IGN, Wii Bowling's pretty awesome

[YenRug]

Cell is a good cpu, for specific tasks. But it is horribly weak in others.

 

Yep, I was reading a tech piece on the Cell; it went on to describe how the Cell is optimised for video decoding, rather than general processing. In other words, the Cell is focused on supporting the Bluray player in the system, not on games.

[pedrocasilva]

Yep, I was reading a tech piece on the Cell; it went on to describe how the Cell is optimised for video decoding, rather than general processing. In other words, the Cell is focused on supporting the Bluray player in the system, not on games.

Not necessarily enhanced for it, basically the SPE's can only run microcode, if we think about it most "programable" video decoding chips out there follow this basis, whereas a x86/PPC general purpose cpu has to decode it through a codec, these microcode chips are relatively unexpensive and due to running microcode they can do a lot of operations per second faster... In the end they are completly useless for things like running a operating system.

 

The multicored Cell only features one real CPU, and it's not a general purpose one, it's a PPE, based of PowerPC architecture (like Xenon is) but striped down of complexity, this explains why it does achieve 3,2 GHz for massproduction where G5's (PPC 970) is stuck at the 2,5 GHz. It's a rather weak chip in that front thus... IMO unbalanced.

[Dilli Gee]

Is it weak compared to the Wii or Xbox 360?

 

And how do you rate Wii's inner workings, and of course the 360's?