E3 2006: WiiNNERS and LO(P)S3RS.
After sitting through a mind numbing 15 hours of E3 coverage, I have some comments on the Super Bowl of videogaming. Since I have been watching E3s, this is the most exciting Expo I have seen and to be honest, it was the E3 that last year should have been. Last year of course, was to be the year of the new consoles. This was where we were supposed to see and be able to play all three next gen consoles, the Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Revolution, and the Sony PS3. Unfortunately, we got dissappointing games for 360, a pretty box with promises from Nintendo, and prerendered “game footage” from Sony. Much to my dismay the “game footage” from Sony was the talk of the show, never mind the fact it was fake. Until E3 2006, this PS3 “footage” seemed to sway everyone in the industry as to who would win the console wars. I mean who would ever predict that Sony, the overwhelming winner of the current round of consoles, with “footage” liked they showed at E3 2005, would do anything but dominate in the new console war? The PS2 was first in the market and never looked back. The PS2 dominated the console market, beating out the graphically superior Xbox and Gamecube, due to a tremendous library and several exclusive “must have titles.” Specifically the success of the initially PS2 exclusive Grand Theft Auto catapulted the PS2 to success. So after a year of development and months after the date PS3 was previously set to be released, how did Sony’s next system fare? First we will consider the competition…
Entering E3 2006, the 360 was the only next gen console actually available on the market. After a near disasterous shortage of consoles at launch (basically missing the holiday season 2005) and a decent but certainly not extremely impressive launch title library, the 360 has begun to shine with titles like Call of Duty 2, Elder Scrolls, Dead or Alive, and Burnout 360. For the best 360 (of two variations available), the asking price was $400. At E3, Microsoft showed demos and playable demos of a console that is coming into its own. Gears of War, Splinter Cell 47 (joke), and several other games wowed the crowd. Microsoft also announced that the next Grand Theft Auto, would be released on 360 simultaneously with the PS3 version. Overall it was solid show for Microsoft.
As for Nintendo, prior to the show, they debued a truly revolutionary controller with laser pointer like and motion sensitive features. Nintendo had promised its new system would be able to wirelessly download ANY game from ALL of its previous systems. I was skeptical of the controller, but hopeful for a game maker still close to my heart. At E3, simply put, Nintendo delivered on its promises and then some. Nintendo’s platform, now named the Wii (pronounced “we”), had four playable games at the show, including the next Zelda, the next Mario, Tennis, and a sword/shooter from Ubisoft. Wii and its titles were the “must see” stop at the show. The risky controller gamble appeared to have paid off, as the controller was a blast to play and be very accurate as an aiming device. Nintendo promises the Wii will be availble before the holiday season, for arond $250, and get this with Mario, Zelda, and Metroid launch titles. Welcome back Nintendo. Welcome back.
So now what did the mighty Sony bring to answer the challenges of Microsoft and Nintendo? Well the PS3 was indeed there. Sony announced two PS3 versions. The version with full functionality that they clearly intend eveyone to buy, will be priced at a whopping $600!!! The “cheap one” with no wireless capability and a smaller hard drive will be available for a bargain basement $500.
The price was no surprise to anyone that followed the PS3 development. You see Sony is backing the Blu-ray high def DVD format. In an attempt to push their format on the consumer, they decided to put the drive into every PS3 and pass the extra cost associated onto their customers. Now you at home can invest into Sony by paying $200 extra so you can buy Sony movies again for $40. Thanks Sony. When Xbox reps were asked why they did not include a high def drive in the 360, they responded that the 360 was a gaming machine and they wanted to keep the consumer costs down. Amen Microsoft, but more on that later…
So what about the PS3 gameplay or hardware? In my opinion, with their previous dominance, if the system delivered with the mind blowing graphics they promised last year, even with the high price, all would be forgiven. When Sony showed the controller, I was underwhelmed to say the least. Gone is the much maligned boomerang concept shown last year. The “new” controller looks, well, old, in fact identical to the current gen controller. They did make it wireless, but removed the vibration capability, maybe because they got sued for stealing it in the first place. To keep the Sony lawyers busy, they added some gyroscopic capability, insert pending Nintendo lawsuit comment here. However, from the demo I saw, it appears the gyros are VERY innaccurate and unlikely to pose much of a threat to the Wii.
So for $600 you get to play with a conroller less capable than the one you already have for PS2? Seriously? As for game play, the system had ONE playable game at the show, a flight shooter based on the PS1 game, Warhawk. One playable game after a year of work and months past the release date? Sony showed lots more prerendered films for future games and some actual Metal Gear game footage that made it clear that what we saw last year from MG was indeed prerendered “target graphics.”
Overall, it is obvious to most analysts and myself that Nintendo stole the show with their games and truly revolutionary controller. Microsoft had a solid show, clearly concentrating on American and Eurpoean hardcore gamers. The only thing most people had to say about Sony was, “600!?!?! OMF!!!!”
To be frank, Sony is in trouble and I couldn’t be happier. The industry a a whole needs to learn a lesson that will be taught well by their struggles. Sony’s arrogance, hype/lies from last year’s E3, and efforts to force yet another expensive format (beta, minidisc, memory sticks, UMD all were such huge successes) will fail. Now don’t get me wrong, Sony will make money and they will be fine. I do however predict they will come in last in the console war. Microsoft cheaper and arguably as capable system, a year headstart, they removed Sony’s Grand Theft Auto advantage, and most importantly: Microsoft has a hype machine to compete with Sony. Nintendo will beat Sony because they will have the best launch lineup ever, the cheapest price, and they care about making a gaming machine with fun games, not to mention they rival Sony’s appeal to the Japanese market.
So what have we learned from this? News flash to Sony and all hardware makers: Give us a game machine and show us actual games. Don’t lie by showing prerendered eye candy and calling it game footage. Don’t push another doomed proprietary format and make us pay for it. Give me a quality game machine and I will pay for it. If you are going to charge twice as much as other makers, you better give us games that look twice as good as your competition. And therein lies the fatal flaw for Sony: The games they showed look, well, next-gen average. As in Xbox 360 average - you know, the system I can get for half the price and play now? Nintendo listened to the players and is making an affordable system with fun games that they actually showed. Nintendo is making a serious effort at bringing in the non-gamers with a controller that is fun to use, that will translate to market share.
So to tie in my not so creative post title, I declare Nintendo as the surprise E3 WiiNNER and Sony is a more surprisingly clear LO(P)S3R. Now go pre-order a Wii, if you don’t you’ll be sorry.
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Sony’s “gyroscopic capability” in their controls doesn’t warrant a lawsuit from Nintendo, as Sony’s version isn’t on par with Nintendo’s. I’m not talking accuracy either, but pure functionality. While Sony’s controllers can detect pitch and yaw in each direction, they don’t sense movement in 3D space, which Nintendo’s do. As such, it’s not even an issue of Sony hoping companies will port Nintendo titles to the PS3, since their controllers can’t be used in the same ways the Wii controllers can.
First of all, thank you for going through days worth of footage that I have no interest in viewing. Sure, I’d love to actually GO to E3, but to watch it on a screen? No thanks. Buy me a ticket to go, however, and I’m in heaven. But since that has little chance of ever happening, I’ll settle for the review of E3 footage.
I am excited to hear that Nintendo is producing something worthwhile again. Nintendo has always been my go-to game system. I started out with the orginal Nintendo, somehow missed the Super Nintendo, and went straight for the Nintendo 64, followed by GameCube. I was skeptical of the GameCube at first, but quickly fell for it. Even the tiny CDs were awesome. If you bought the carry case, you could carry about 20 games in your pocket. Perfect for the spontaneous nerd fest or two. (not that I would ever participate in such an event.)
I’ve always liked the majority of Nintendo’s titles. I tend to go for the cuter side of gaming (guess it’s a girl weakness). I like Luigi’s Haunted Mansion, Super Monkey Ball (which is incredibly hard to play while inebriated. It’s like adding an “extra difficult” play setting.), Mario Golf (see previous note), Mario Sunshine, Ratchet and Clank, and others, including the extremely addicting Animal Crossing. If Nintendo is going to release their new system with equally enjoyable games, I’m there.
PS2 and X-Box left me rather cold. Sure, I REALLY wanted to play Odd World, but I also REALLY didn’t want to buy a system that had the very likely possibility of overheating and freezing in the middle of my game. I know multiple people who had significant problems with the first round that was released. PS2 did slightly better, although I hear many people experienced system failure a year or so after purchase. My PS2 is still going strong, so I consider myself lucky. I even grew to like the PS2, and it was nice to an extra DVD player around so that I wasn’t forcibly subjected to Red Dwarf.
Despite the fact that I spent $300 to upgrade the memory in my computer almost strictly for the purpose of not falling into the lag pit in Iron Forge every time I tried to get to the Auction House (Yes, I am a confirmed WoW addict), thinking about spending $600 on a gaming system makes me want to vomit. I don’t like spending large amounts of money, (I actually threw up when I bought my car) and to me, that is a large amount, especially for a gaming system. So, PS3? I say no. Not only no, but HELL NO! I’ll, of course, accept one as a gift, but I’m not shelling out $600 for it. If the price drops, I’ll think about it, but until then….
I would discuss Microsoft’s contribution, but I don’t really like Microsoft all that much, despite being from the Seattle area. Half of my friends back home have been employed by them at one time or another (much like my family and Boeing), but that doesn’t mean I have to support them. Microsoft lost me when their systems would burn up. Even the 360 has had problems. I’ll play a 360, but I’m not buying one.
So, thank you Nintendo for making a reasonably priced, super awesome gaming system with titles I’d actually want to play. And the controller? OMF… I LIKE it! While at first, I wasn’t going to buy a gaming system this year, I’m retracting my original statement and putting my name on a pre-order list for Nintendo’s Wii! (and please, oh please, make another Animal Crossing!)
An additional comment:
I must apologize. I originally referred to the author of this post as WyldKard, because I didn’t bother to look at the author line, and most posts are his. So, Maxator, an apology goes to you. The comment has been corrected. Carry on, Sir.
I would also like to add that should one convert $600 worth of money into pennies, the copper mass would still not occupy the full volume of an X-Box. This is an important point to make, as it means one could trade-in their X-Box with the money needed to purchase a PS3 without needing to find a container suitable for travelling with 60,000 pennies. Plus, the trade-in value of the X-Box should cover the almost $50 worth of taxes your State will throw onto the PS3’s enormous price-tag.