My fellow gamers, thank you for the opportunity to sum up the current state of video games. Although many of you are short-term players, a lot of you will recall the bygone days of the Atari 2600 like myself. Over the years a lot has changed on the scene, and now we find ourself in yet another generation of consoles. I'll tackle these one at a time.
First off, is the best-selling console on the market, the Nintendo Wii. Weighing in at a lean $250, when you can find one for purchase, it appears to be a bargain. However, the lack of good games, outside of first party releases, have left many gamers with a smallish white block adorning their shelves- myself included. There are a few titles worth watching on the horizon for the "little box that could", but how they'll actually impliment the Wii's unique controls in a way that won't be just a gimmicky control scheme for a medicore game has yet to be determined.
To Nintendo, I say "bravo" for capturing the interest of grandmothers, parents and small children, all while suckering in your original audience with few worthwhile titles on your system. Back in the day, you were the preferred console of the core gamer, but you've lost that ever since the N64's generation. Enjoy snowing the rest of your consumer base, Nintendo. The Wii I own will be the last of your consoles I'll ever own
Next up, is the always-untrusty Xbox 360. 2008 was a pretty good year for the console, with some decent exclusives hitting the shelves. However, the red-ringed wonder still hasn't alieviated the one thorn in its side- reliability. Day in and day out, Giant Bomb is flooded with new posts of people having to call Microsoft for their coffin- and many are on their 2nd, 3rd or even 6th Xbox 360 console.
While we're on this, I shall say "shame on you!" to the Xbox gamers who continue to roll over and delude themselves into thinking that their purchase was justified. A few decent-to-good exclusives are not worth going through the drill of holding your breath each time you turn on your console, hoping you won't see the red ring of death. I myself had my 2nd generation Xbox 360 red ring on me, only to have it incorrectly repaired, then replaced, then promptly sold on Ebay. Why do the hardcore Xboxers continually allow Microsoft to take you for a ride, time and time again? And shame to you, Microsoft, for making your consumers suffer through this travesty. If there were a "lemon law" for consumer electronics, the 360 would never have made it past the first year.
And lastly, there's the Playstation 3. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! The first two iterations of Sony's flagship system were phenomenal. New franchises were launched, old franchises were updated, and good times were had by all. But, with the PS3, we're only just now beginning to see the upswing in the console's gaming library. A few exclusives, both current and future, are beginning to draw praise of the gaming media. The last few years, the PS3 has stayed in a distant third place to Microsoft and Nintendo.
To Sony, I'll offer a bit of advice on how to save your system. Firstly, decrease the price of the 80gb model $100 to a price point of $299. In an economically troubled time like ours, discretionary purchases are heavily scrutinized, and every penny pinched. The PS3's current perceived value doesn't equal it's current sticker price.
Secondly, tout the benefits of PSN over Xbox Live. Show that players can play games online without the need for additional service fees. Thirdly, play to the biggest advantages PS3 have over their competition: You have more "core" games than the Wii, more reliable hardare than the 360 (and many of the same games as both). Build up the perceived value through side-by-side comparisons. And fourth, advertise more. I see, on average, two Xbox commercials to every PS3 commercial.
Each console has their strengths and weaknesses, and sadly, I've yet to find one that's worth the price of admission. The Wii is amusing for a short time, but doesn't have the games to hold a gamer's interest for very long. The Xbox 360, despite the games, is so unreliable and unpredicable in that regard, that it's a gamble when you purchase and power it on. The PS3, while more reliable, and with some decent exclusives, is so self-absorbed in its own "coolness" that it can't see the writing on the wall, and refuses to capitalize on the advantages it has over the competition.
I think I'l ljust stick with my PC.
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