Posted September 22, 2006 Yes, I know this is SPONG, but they're simply reporting the views expressed elsewhere, it's not an editorial piece. http://news.spong.com/article/10819 TGS: Wii For The Win? According to Famitsu Publisher and Japanese Analysts 22 Sept 2006 So-called experts and analysts can't keep from piping up about who is going to 'win' the new/next generation console war. We reported yesterday that Business Week revealed analysts' predictions of worldwide sales of 71 Million PS3s and 40 million Wii's by 2011. Hang on a second though. Today's two-penneth from some more 'enlightened industry watchers' suggests otherwise. And when one of these industry watchers turns out to be Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain, the publisher of Japan's leading gaming magazine Famitsu, then SPOnG's ears are a-waggin' Speaking at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Thursday, Hamamura stressed that the Wii-mote's intuitive handling is likely to allow Nintendo to attract people that have never played on a games console before, noting that "if one member of a family is a gaming fan, others in the family will be easily drawn into trying out computer games." Which is of course the overriding message we've been hearing from Nintendo for the best part of the last year. Hamamura continued, "I believe there will be big sales (for the Wii) from the very beginning. I feel this growth will slow a little from the third year, but altogether the sales will exceed 10 million units," he said, basing his assertions on figures from an Enterbrain survey of 2,500 Japanese gamers. Speaking about the PlayStation 3, Hamamura noted that: "The impressive feature with the PlayStation 3 is the outstanding graphics and outstanding price... Brand image [for the PlayStation 3] is very high, and half the people we surveyed said they wanted one, but when we ask if they will buy one many say that it's too expensive and that they'll wait until the price drops." Enterbrain estimates that the PlayStation 3 should sell at about half the rate of the PlayStation 2, predicting a price cut and a new Final Fantasy game late 2007 to attract more buyers. The publisher also predicts total Japanese PS3 sales of between 9 million and 10 million consoles by 2010. What of the beleagured Xbox 360 in Japan? Enterbrain's survey suggest it will continue to lag behind in the next four years, with a paltry 1-2 million units sold in the country by 2010. "It looks like Nintendo is giving everything they possibly can for the Wii console," said Hiroshi Kamide, director of the research department at KBC Securities Japan, who also spoke at the correspondents' club. "Nintendo hasn't had a successful machine for the last 10 years, so for us analysts it's quite difficult to imagine a scenario by where Nintendo is actually going to win. But for me right now, especially in Japan at least, Nintendo does seem to have the upper hand. "It doesn't look completely unrealistic that Nintendo could get the dominant market share this time round," Kamide added. (source: http://digitalworldtokyo.com/) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 22, 2006 Those numbers are total bull, first it's total speculation, second I doubt PS3 will sell that much at this price. Anyway, if Wii sold 40 million it would be pretty good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 22, 2006 Yes, Nintendo should be shitting themselves. i agree without question Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 22, 2006 a price cut for the 360 was gnna hapen sooner or later as it has been out for a year now but i donm't think nintendo should be worried as they are two different consoles with different purposes. That's PR bullshit you're being fed, so that just in case Nintendo Wii fails, Nintendo can say "we weren't aiming for the mass market". Nintendo's target audience = Microsoft's target audience. Only PS3's audience is slightly higher, both in age and class/wealth. This price cut will cut Nintendo's wrists, deep. Especially as GoW comes out just before the Wii does - the hype and reviews will create a lagged response just in time for Christmas. We should be worried. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 22, 2006 We should be worried. Except you don't understand that Xbox 360 isn't hot property in Europe. I mean, they have sold only 1.3 million units during 9 last months. And that number covers whole Europe. One game can't really turn tide, no matter people always think. For example, Brain Training wasn't solely responsible for DS boom in Japan. There was also other titles, that, when combined with Brain Training, made DS so popular as it is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 22, 2006 Haven't you bothered reading this thread? Xbox 360 Premium + Project Gotham Racing 3 + Extra Wireless Controller = £300 That's only £230 for the Premium system. They've also apprently got a bundle with this year's big killer app in the works. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 What Nintendo have to do to combat this is givw us Brits an accurate conversion of the price from other regions. We're paying an extortionate amount more than any other region o r country. It's depressing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 I've recently seen Xbox 360 Core Version + PGR3 for £199 some places. Of course you have to spend extra on HDD to fully utilize it, but Wii certainly can't be considered cheap compared to 360. With Gears of Wars and next-gen exclusive FIFA and PES, I believe 360 will prove quite popular leading up to christmas. Wii will sell out at launch though, but it must see a big price cut in 2007. £99 with Wii Sports is a good price... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 Only if they have problems with their own hardware released. Otherwise, no. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 Nintendo should be disappointed, yes, worried? not really since theyre making profit off the hardware from the start and theyre software development will be far cheaper. And their first party games are usually gold mines, even with a low user base. Also in my opinion if the Wii fails it wont be because of the price, it will be because of an overload of inferior ports Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 Nintendos focus strategy with their games has ultimately been the determinant for their success in the past few generations, particularly gamecube where they simply didn't meet the majority of consumers demands with the sorts of games they made, hence why PS2 was such a success. They seem to be heading in the right direction with Wii, making different software and not having as much reliance on their existing franchises. Nintendo should definitely be worried though, it seems as though the only reason people aren't buying a PS3 is because of the price, not because they legitimately believe the Wii is a better console. As soon as the PS3 has a major price cut BAM 100,000,000+ units will be sold, RIP Wii, simple as that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 As soon as the PS3 has a major price cut BAM 100,000,000+ units will be sold, RIP Wii, simple as that. ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 it seems as though the only reason people aren't buying a PS3 is because of the price, not because they legitimately believe the Wii is a better console. As soon as the PS3 has a major price cut BAM 100,000,000+ units will be sold, RIP Wii, simple as that. I do definitly feel this. I've been talking to alot of my friends and they reckon nintendo will have an incredible xmas, but past that it might not be so great, things might slow down come summer if good bundles for PS3 start to come, and then if theres a price drop before next xmas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 What about the fact that Sony stated that the PS3 will be upgraded over time (bigger harddrive for example). Looks to me as a strategy to keep the price-point fixed. Or at least not have it come down so quickly. And Sony have been slow in the past with regards to lowering the price of the ps2. And their pricing strategy for gran turismo HD is totally absurd. Sony should be worried, not Nintendo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 I've recently seen Xbox 360 Core Version + PGR3 for £199 some places. Of course you have to spend extra on HDD to fully utilize it, but Wii certainly can't be considered cheap compared to 360. With Gears of Wars and next-gen exclusive FIFA and PES, I believe 360 will prove quite popular leading up to christmas. Wii will sell out at launch though, but it must see a big price cut in 2007. £99 with Wii Sports is a good price... Sod it!! Why don't they just give it away for free?? And give every one 6 controller each!! Then if they sell the games for, say, £15. They'd be onto a winner!! Honestly some people!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 That's PR bullshit you're being fed, so that just in case Nintendo Wii fails, Nintendo can say "we weren't aiming for the mass market". Nintendo's target audience = Microsoft's target audience. Only PS3's audience is slightly higher, both in age and class/wealth. This price cut will cut Nintendo's wrists, deep. Especially as GoW comes out just before the Wii does - the hype and reviews will create a lagged response just in time for Christmas. We should be worried. Micro$oft & $on¥ are marketing for 50+?!?!? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 Heres a random forum message from the Wii IGN boards, plenty of criticism for the Wii, what are your thoughts?: IDEAL: on launch day Nintendo has hundreds, perhaps thousands of titles available to download through the Virtual Console service. And many of them support multiplayer. Afterall, with a bit of poking around you can find thousands of ROMS on the internet, and then use tunnelling software to get effective multiplay going with them REALITY: nintendo plans 60 titles at launch. An embarrassment. The whole appeal of this service was that you could look back and cheaply obtain games which you missed out on at the time, games that aren't universal classics but which appeal to you personally. I wanted to get hold of Aliens 3, Vigilante 8 II, Space Station Silicon Valley, Command and Conquer 64 (was there a starcraft too?), F-18 games... but it looks like Nintendo is once again keeping it in the family and our choice will be extremely limited. Mario Bros, Mario Kart, etc etc IDEAL: Wii has people playing TOGETHER. That's why it's called Wii. As in WE, THE PEOPLE. IT'S THE REVOLUTION, BABY REALITY: you'll have to shell out £45 for each new controller, and even then the only multiplayer game (except Wii Sports/Play) on the horizon is Smash Bros, which guess what, doesn't use THAT controller, so you'll need to spend another £15 each on cube or classic controllers. Oh and if you were hoping for some online gaming, lol, fuhgeddaboutit. ONLY online game even announced is Pokemon (wont even be live action probably), which wont come out until 2007, oh and the developers haven't even been given instructions on how to make WiFi games. The Wii will have about as much online support as the Swiss Family Robinson got. Even though they're sitting on a pile of potential online smash hits and it's really not very difficult to provide online gaming IDEAL: when you see the graphics, you will definitely think WOW! REALITY: when you see the graphics, you will definitely think WOW I CAN'T BELIEVE I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD THING TO SACRFICE GRAPHICAL HORSEPOWER IN ORDER TO HAVE A QUIET SMALL SLEEK AND SEXY UNIT, I'M A F**&*^G IDIOT. IDEAL: nintendo are trying to expand the gaming market REALITY: nintendo are trying to reclaim their traditional market: kids and kiddie people IDEAL: Wii will open up a new world of web surfing from the comfort of your couch REALITY: nintendo wont get its act together to allow you to connect your own peripherals and storage devices. Overpriced short-stocked official peripherals ahoy! Not to mention, reading web pages from a TV screen that isn't HD will be a real pain. At best i'm hoping for a custom email client that presents your mail in a readable format, so you can quickly fire up the Wii and check your email during commercial breaks IDEAL: Wii will be the king of FPS games REALITY: the Wiimote in the end is actually worse than dual analogue. Trying to turn round corners will remind an entire generation of LSD. Add the lack of online support and most FPS fans will plump for another console IDEAL: Nintendo will provide many updates via Connect24, episodic content, new maps and such, as well as allowing users to trade their own game content. REALITY: Nintendo doesn't do anything that doesn't provide immediate profit for them. They wont support games that have already been released. Plus they're control freaks, so they're not likely to let users design maps and trade them. IDEAL: Nintendo will put the Gamecube debacle behind them by providing a steady supply of AAA titles, rather than a 'dearth of activity' after launch. REALITY: That's what they said when the Gamecube replaced the N64. This will be no different. Mario wont arrive until fall 2007. Smash Bros will make it by spring or earlier but it's just a stupid franchise beatem'up, not a proper game in my books. What we have at launch is nothing to shout about anyway, the headline act is a gamecube game with tacked on controls which will probably end up butchering a highly anticipated title (the cube version has already been savaged by the delays and the removal of widescreen support). Metroid Prime 3 has already been delayed, but it's an embarrassment of a game anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if Retro desintegrate after it flops, hack develepors are replacable, and Retro will no doubt reform under a different banner and carry on making Turok rehashes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 Erm.....that poster obviously knows NOTHING 1. Multiplayer: Wario Ware, Excite Truck, Monkey Ball etc etc 2. Online: Smash Bros (?), BWii (?), Mario Strikers...anyway, any game can be added online at any point so long as they've got the time to impliment it. 3. Kiddyness: Just, No 4. Peripherals & Storage: 2 USB Ports, SD Card Slot 5. ...reading web pages from a TV screen that isn't HD will be a real pain. WHAT?! 6. Rubbish at FPS?: IT'S A BLOODY 3D MOUSE!!! 7. Updates: Don't they give updates on ACWW, and I don't think they really profit from giving you the weather... 8. Last Paragraph: What?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 IDEAL: nintendo are trying to expand the gaming market REALITY: nintendo are trying to reclaim their traditional market: kids and kiddie people Is he trying to say that you and I are kiddy people? IMO he is the kiddie person, does he have to really say all these things in the first place? I just cant wait to see the sales figures come christmas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 Yay let's get all worked up about some random IGN fanboy. I've missed post like this. For a week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 should nintendo be worried? no they shouldn't! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 what is he on about lack of on line support?gobshite if i ever saw one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 HAHAHA, that guy makes me laugh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 I spoke to an editor of a popular game site today (not going to say who), and he said himself that he doesn't think the Wii is worth the $250 it costs in the USA. I'm split. I'll pay £180 for the system, but I still don't think it's worth that much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 23, 2006 I'm split. I'll pay £180 for the system, but I still don't think it's worth that much. That's pretty much the feeling I expressed, in my e-mail to Nintendo, I'll probably still buy one but I'm doing so grudgingly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
