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I was talking to a console fanboy who doesnt play pc games and I was telling him that console gaming was weakening and pc gaming was getting stronger. I said the new Playstation and XBox wont be as big as the current gen ones and he said based on pre orders they will be incredibly bigger. Either he knows something I dont know or I dont know what Im talking about.
I don't think that much will change compared to the PS3/360 situation we have now, But I suspect
that maybe the PS4 will do a little better then the Xbone this time around, because MS really hurt itself
with that whole DRM debacle.
So no, I don't see console gaming change much.
PS4 will perform moderately well at launch, and after that perform very poorly. Xbox One will perform very poorly as well.
I think the PS4 will eventually sell (at least) as many as the PS3 did. I'm sure a pretty decent number of Sony supporters jumped ship to the 360 when the PS3 was priced at $500-$600, and it didn't help matters that early 3rd party games actually ran better on the 360, but Microsoft really shot themselves in the foot with the Xbone's restrictions, price point, and mandatory Kinect. I think a lot of gamers that skipped on the PS3 (or got one late in the gen after they had already bought the 360) will support the PS4 right out of the gate this time.
I think this gen will be very similar to the 6th gen where the PS2 moved the most units, microsoft came in a distant 2nd, and Nintendo finished closely behind the Xbox. However, I doubt the PS4 will sell anywhere close to the PS2, and I'm pretty certain that the Xbone will sell better than the Xbox sold. The Xbone doesn't look like it will sell well at all outside of the U.S., but I still think that it can push more units here than the WiiU can worldwide. But if Microsoft suffers another RROD debacle, all bets are off. I doubt many Xbox fans will have the patience to go thru that again, and I think it will really sink the system if something even remotely similar happens. I doubt those multiple sales to the same gamers will be there this time to pad the system's overall sales.
When it comes to the WiiU, I'd actually be surprised if it moves as many units as the Gamecube did - I don't expect it to. Nintendo squandered a very important first year, and it's very hard for me to imagine the system really turning things around when the PS4 is right around the corner at only $50 more than the WiiU delux, and 3rd party support that Nintendo home consoles haven't been able to garner since before the Playstation brand even existed. The 50 million+ people that bought a Wii as a curiosity aren't coming back (to buy any of these systems).
(Looks into a crystal ball, shows cloudiness)
Seriously though, gaming now is more spread out than in the past due to a resurgeance of PC gaming [via Steam, GOG, elsewhere] and mobile gaming but personally the new consoles will do okay. Probably not as much selling as in the past (after all it is hard to match with the PS2 and the Wii sales of over 100 million with the 360 and the PS3 not too far behind) but the sales will be steady. As for who will "win" between the 3, it is hard to say since the PS4 and the Xbone aren't even out yet. On Europe though, the PS4 will win console wise (currently they are out of pre-orders by console launch) unless Sony do something stupid even though the UK will try to push the Xbone due to COD/FIFA/Halo/Forza fans so there might be even stevens. Yes, even with the DRM business and forced Kinect there are fanboys who buy anything a company tells them to buy due to marketing or they might just like them games. Japan will be PS4 but even then handheld gaming and phone gaming are popular now [due to apartment space] so it might be a weak win or even a draw with the Wii U [the Xbone will be last again]. Now America, that will be a really tricky one even that I can't predict a winner.
Bearing in mind, there are other countries that we haven't even thought about like China, India and Brazil. With places of weaker Internet, the PS4 might be able to secure console sales [unless the Xbone finds a piracy loophole] or even still the PS3/360 when the other regions are done with those consoles since they are cheaper.
Even then it is hard to predict the future, gaming publishers/developers could go bankrupt affecting consoles like with THQ more recently. There might be reliablity issues with the new consoles like what happened with the 360, there might be developer fall outs moving the game to the PC, a game might be too buggy to play due to being rushed for not just PS4/Xbone but also PS3/360, PC and maybe Wii U so it might cause a lack of games or put people off next-gen [after all some of the earliest PS4/Xbone games are literally upscaled PS3/360 graphics with some tricks like with the earliest 360 games might be upscaled Xbox games], there might be a return of a recession making people not to buy the new consoles since they can't afford them, Microsoft or Sony could introduce anti-consumer policies, etc.
Will they be more PC gaming? Yes, there will be. Will mobile gaming expand? Yes until the bubble will burst. Will other devices provide games like TVs? Yes. However there will always been room for console gaming.
Personally, I don't think that either system will be as big as the systems from the current gen, but they'll do fine. A lot more people seem to be moving to PC and mobile gaming these days.
As Furnessly wrote, the market is spreading in all directions, with even conflicting trends. I can be almost certain that we'll be seeing fewer big-budget titles and more indie games, and perhaps a drive to control ballooning development costs. Plebs will continue to purchase Cod of Doody and its overpriced DLC as usual, however.
I think they will do just fine. I for one am not interested. I have said it before Ill get a WiiU when price drops. i am content with my XB360 if it ever dies again ill get the new 4G model for 199.99 Or a PS3 again when they are on the way out.
Both will sell like hot cakes as the tweens get geared up for the latest CODs.
If the shot callers at Nintendo are able to pull their heads out of their asses these next four months (five with December) could put up decent numbers for the Wii U. An enticing library being offered coupled with a sure drop in price come the holiday season and you might start to see a repeat performance of the 3DS. Even a better $300 bundle might work wonders. All of that assumes these people are able to dislodge their head from their anal cavity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Splatterhouse5
Who knows what the future has for Sony and Microsoft but I'm willing to bet people are pre ordering these systems hoping they will make bank like we saw with the release of the 360 and PS3. Of course millions of people are genuinely interested in using these systems though.
I predict that, due to the asking price, both the PSFouuuur and Xbone will sell slowly. It is just a question of how slowly they sell in my mind in relation to the current gen hardware. Since two megalomaniacal mega-corps are at the helm they will keep supporting both platforms until they strike gold elsewhere. We won't see significantly high sales numbers for either until one of them drops to $300. And in regard to the E3 DRM fiasco, the consumer doesn't care and isn't aware of it and Sony will implement the same when the time is ripe, probably through download only or streaming game services.
That's just the sales prediction though, I also predict that the trend of sequelitis and contrived "exclusive" offerings continues in the indistinct next generation. Bottom line, I don't expect more than one game every two years that interests me in the slightest.
I think the Wii U needs to do a pseudo-relaunch. Too many people are confusing it with the Wii and think it's an accessory for it. A price drop to $279 for the deluxe bundle would do wonders. And they should stop producing the basic Sku cause the public doesn't see any value in it. They also need a commercial blitz this fall that emphasizes that Wii U is a new system and showcase the games while taking focus away from their tablet controller which is perceived to be gimmicky to most gamers.Quote:
Originally Posted by JCU
I think M$ just priced there system way to high. 499.99 then you have have XBL Gold to use all it's best features. I'm disappointed that $ony went with you have to pay for PSN to play online games but free to play games will still be free which is great. I will get one of these new consoles one day I guess I know I have friends that are amped up to get a PS4. But hopefully some of these premium imported PS3 games will come down in price later this year.
I already made my choice. Steam is the way to go.
Nintendo needs something similar to those failing restaurant shows where a celebrity chef comes in and revamps both the menu and appearance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aang
What happened with the Wii U was that the company rested on its laurels and expected word of mouth coupled with the name "Nintendo" to push systems. The advertising was embarrassing. You should have been able to walk in any retailer and seen a 6 foot tall cardboard cutout of a zombie destroying London. As of yet I haven't even witnessed a big push for Pikmin 3.
As a compliment to other systems, the Wii U is satisfactory but it can not do much against the PS4 and X1 without a miracle. It is very hard and next to impossible competing with other devices having quality games released much more frequently.
I would agree. The Wii U seems to be the perfect complimentary system, especially for the folks that mostly game on their PCs since they'll receive all the multiplats. I think they could use a new Metroid and F-Zero instead of another Zelda and Mario Kart. They really could use a new major IP also.Quote:
Originally Posted by JCU