zodiacprime wrote:Perspective? well, its pretty obvious really. These numbers are not just indicative of what is happening here in the US, but all over the world. A big reason Sega was finally able to outsell the hugely popular NES was because there was a perceived degree of 'Next Gen-ness' about the Genesis. Gamers had squeezed every ounce out of their NES and were ready to move on. The 360 has none of that appeal. I would happily be playing my regular old Xbox for years to come if MS hadn't decided to push the 360 down our collective throats. So, what do these numbers tell me? This simply says, "Hey, we don't think an extra layer of graphic polish justifies 'Next Gen'!" and you know what, the dirty little secret is: It doesn't! There is no compelling reason to buy a 360 at this point. I can't say that I'm too sad about this fact, not really sure why, but I get a bit of satisfaction out of knowing that Microsoft is failing and all the momentum nowadays seems to be going Nintendo's way. I'm glad Microsoft is failing on it's attempts to sully the industry with the stance that graphics matter more than gameplay. To me the best thing to happen in the industry in the past two years is the Nintendo DS. And if these numbers are any indication, then most people are agreeing with me (wow, that just doesn't seem right). But what is more important than the DS is the _success_ of the DS. As Sony and Microsoft (and their development houses) see that people prefer fun games over graphic polish they'll hopefully learn what it takes to make fun games again. So far I see little things here and there that give me hope (e.g., Loco Roco, Xbox Live Arcade) but overall they've got a lot to learn. No matter who you're rootin' for, we should keep on thanking our lucky stars the big N is still in the game.
I agree that it is great that Nintendo is still in the game. I like my DS, but I play my 360 way more. Probably due to the fact that I don't take the bus to work, etc. That and the Mario games just seem to be rehashes, so that was a bit disappointing. I played Brain Age for a week or so, but soon got a little bored with it. I am almost finished with Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, but again, it seems like the same game I have played for the Playstation and Super NES. Maybe, I am just buying the wrong games, but I guess I haven't seen any long lasting games on the DS yet that are innovative. The ones that seem to be innovative don't last that long (for me). But, I am probably the exception to the rule.
Don't get me wrong, I will get the Wii day one, but I am starting to fear that it may be getting a bit overhyped. If it does, I fear there will be a backlash. With the DS, most people believed it would fail, so there weren't such high expectations. With all the hype the Wii has received, it now has a very high level of expectation that it must meet. To date, there haven't been many (if any) people who have played the Wii for an extended period of time. I am sure it makes a great first impression, but playing it for long periods of time is a concern for me as well.
As far as the 360 goes, I really like the Live stuff. The ability to always see your friends online. The ability to compare scores, and to play the classics, and new classics (Geometry Wars, etc.) has far exceeded what I expected from it. It definitely isn't for everyone, but for me at has been a blast.
One thing we said when we started this podcast, is that we weren't biased, and I am truly not biased. If the PS3 looks good, I will buy it as well. I am not a Nintendo, M$, or Sony fan. I am a fan of games that I enjoy playing. Regardless of who makes it. Oh, I also drink Coke and Pepsi as well... I know.... scary.
--Raz.