mendax.org » nintendo http://mendax.org WyldKard's mental brouhaha. est. 1996 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:40:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Microsoft Kinect: a cute novelty. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F06%2F29%2Fmicrosoft-kinect-a-cute-novelty%2F&seed_title=Microsoft+Kinect%3A+a+cute+novelty. http://mendax.org/2010/06/29/microsoft-kinect-a-cute-novelty/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:16:38 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2062

We haven’t weighed in on ’s Kinect (formerly “Project Natal”) because we haven’t seen anything exciting about it yet. Maybe it’s better than ’s Move, and advancing what the provided from a technological perspective. But let’s step back for a moment and look at where this all began, with ’s current console offering.

We picked up a Wii on release. We waited in line overnight, for crying out loud. And we did thoroughly enjoy the initial titles we played, but let’s be clear: they weren’t groundbreaking titles. Good titles with motion control, yes, but not groundbreaking titles in and of themselves. Maybe motion control is what made the unique, and sold casual to the masses, and maybe even pushed into family entertainment centers where parents were previously skeptical of as family-friendly entertainment. But as far as titles go, there’s no single game that’s more fun to play than any great title on any other console lacking motion control. (For example, the original Mario Kart was no less fun than the current Mario Kart is today.)

Yes, we’ll make a small exception for workout titles; EA Sports is a fantastic at-home workout for those without a gym who want to get into better cardiovascular shape, and traditional control schemes obviously wouldn’t work in this regard. But EA Sports, and games of this ilk, are not exactly fun titles in the traditional sense.

So now with Kinect set to release late this year, we have another motion control scheme, albeit without a physical controller necessary. And this may work well for casual games, and probably pretty good for workout titles also (there will, after all, be an EA Sports title for Kinect). But for other ? If anything, is looking to grab more users and capitalize on the fact that a good chunk of gamers own both a , and an /. Capturing the “casual” crowd is an expected move for , who has already moved in that direction during the dashboard re-do (avatars, et al).

We’re highly skeptical that Kinect will bring anything worthwhile to the table if one already has a sitting next to their ; Kinect is the peripheral for the . It’s a cool idea, but nothing more than a novelty, which conveniently comes out mid-way through the 360 lifecycle. If anything, it combats ’s move of potentially releasing an HD , forcing to up their ante and delay a new product release more in line with and ’s next generation, else simply throw in the towel like Sega did after the Dreamcast.

Either way, the Kinect alone won’t win the battle here; the Kinect is a reactive move by . Not in the way that the Move is ’s reaction to the (which is playing catch-up more than anything else), but in the sense of allowing the to be a competitor to the on all angles – not just meeting the ’s capabilities, but arguably exceeding them without adding cumbersome, physical controllers. This move will likely pay off in keeping the 360 situated as the premiere US console, but probably won’t force out of the console business entirely, unless is able to capture some choice IP for Kinect-based games.

We just don’t see the Kinect doing much to sway the console wars one way or the other at this point. The has already been widely adopted, and so the potential installation-base in -less households appears very small. Unless there are some killer titles out there that make having Kinect outrageously desireable (and we haven’t seen any yet), why drop the money on Kinect? Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/06/29/microsoft-kinect-a-cute-novelty/feed/ 0 Apple to advance iPhone gaming, not join console fray. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F08%2F06%2Fapple-to-advance-iphone-gaming-not-join-console-fray%2F&seed_title=Apple+to+advance+iPhone+gaming%2C+not+join+console+fray. http://mendax.org/2009/08/06/apple-to-advance-iphone-gaming-not-join-console-fray/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:30:25 +0000 WyldKard http://wyldkard.com/?p=1698

Despite ’s sordid foray into the video market with the ill-fated Pippin, TUAW’s Mike Schramm believes that is willing to give console another go. His speculation is based in large part on a piece by Erik Sherman at BNET, in which Sherman notes various patents filed, and various individuals hired, as evidence of ’s console initiative.

No TV console aspirations.

We’ll address Schramm first, by noting that an escapade into console--land would be a horribly poor move for . ’s success with the , and later the , was due to them being able to put a decently-priced but amazingly polished device into consumer’s hands. Before the , mp3 players weren’t particularly notable aside from the fact that they existed at all. pretty much defined the portable mp3 market, and arguably, created the mainstream movement towards legal mp3 downloads. With the , entered a market densely packed with crappy , where even the best sported comparably poor user interfaces and little real online functionality. With the AppStore, blew the doors open on downloadable content, and once again redefined a market, now being emulated by contenders.

The console market is nothing like the portable music or cell phone markets were before got involved. The console market consist of only three key players, all of whom do a great job at building systems, and all of whom have significant industry backing in the form of third-party titles. Plus, all have an indy developer component, and significant mindshare among consumers.

That’s not to say that couldn’t be successful by entering the console wars, but their timing would be way off. Releasing a console before circa 2013, when , , and will reveal their latest offerings, would be dooming an console to irrelevance in only four years time. Furthermore, would fight an uphill battle, akin to what dealt with when they unveiled the original . Only, ’s experience with the mainstream market ( had years of experience dealing with PC ), is virtually null prior to the proliferation of games. Simply put, the console marketplace is too volatile a place for to push itself into – the competition is too fierce, so why take an unnecessary risk? is better suited to define a market with much less competition, and the handheld market is a prime target.

The accidental success.

We’re not so sure that expected to be successful with . Surely, expected to find games developed for the , but titles from big-name publishers using big-name IP? Maybe even built the to be capable of running games with decent graphics and framerates, but the very lack of input options makes us question ’s expectations that the might become a veritable and competitor. But here we are: leveraging the AppStore’s framework, the is able to market pretty amazing games via a convenient, cutting-edge distribution model, all for a much cheaper price than games released for the or . Like the proliferation of the , is build on a solid foundation of more casual titles, but as time goes on, we’re now seeing more and more “mature” titles requiring more of a user’s focus. It’s one thing for to have given Mac a mere head-nod in the past, it’s another for to dismiss a clearly growing phenomenon. So, will continue embracing , and that’s at the heart of Sherman’s observations.

The acquisition of Bob Dreblin, Raka Koduri, Mark Papermaster, and Richard Teversham, might not even indicate assembling a “dream team” for the market, but let’s assume this to be true. Dreblin’s contribution to the Gamecube CPU may be most telling: the Gamecube was underpowered compared to offerings from and , but the thing was admittedly compact. If anything, the rest of the team would play into embedded just as easily as they would in traditional console , not to mention ’s acquisition of PA Semi and their investment in PowerVR. If ’s going to be serious about , they’ll want to develop specific for that purpose, especially since this kind of specialized will still be able to power the thousands of non- applications. By controlling the supply chain specifically, ensures that the competition won’t be building similar products, and furthermore, secures its from additional vulnerabilities.

Sherman makes some good observations about ’s patent filings. If anything, it should be pretty clear that is looking to link and outside media. Much as iTunes can suggest music based on one’s existing music library, application 20080076495 proposes similar functionality, only rather than just making recommendations, games could identify appropriate music to play based on a user’s preference. For example, a scene in a game calling for fast-paced, action-packed combat, may query a user’s music library for metal or hard rock music, and based on the user’s ratings, will play a top song in that category. In other words, games will be minimally tailored to suit the user’s tastes based on other media they own. The patent application, at absolute minimum, forms an extension to the iTunes store, in that games may be recommended based on songs a user owns: lots of metal songs may mean a user prefers more action-oriented games, for instance.

The other patent applications Sherman identifies give further insight into ’s direction with games, but it should be pretty clear by now that is looking at solidifying the game user-base. Arguably, is already ahead of the game with their application distribution model, as and are now moving ahead with their own online stores. The difference is that the is a more flexible system, is nearly always connected to the , and meets an application price-point easily suited for growth. By the time the AppStore starts including games costing $20 or higher, the handheld market will be a shitstorm of competition, because will have become a major contender well before that, assuming the next version further advances a long-term plan (and the 3GS appears to herald this). At that time, and better have stepped up their game, because unlike with the traditional console market, the handheld market is far more malleable, especially when the ’s chief success is drawing spontaneous buyers into a web of easily-accessible, easily-downloadable content.

So for those longing for an console, look no further than your . While it’s already successfully integrated the and cell phone, it’s now looking to devour your friendly neighborhood , too.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2009/08/06/apple-to-advance-iphone-gaming-not-join-console-fray/feed/ 1 Project Natal: death knell to the Wii. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F06%2F05%2Fproject-natal-death-knell-to-the-wii%2F&seed_title=Project+Natal%3A+death+knell+to+the+Wii. http://mendax.org/2009/06/05/project-natal-death-knell-to-the-wii/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:00:57 +0000 WyldKard http://wyldkard.com/?p=1721 Microsoft's Natal: the camera that taunts the Wii.

Reviewing the news coming out of E3 this week has shown itself to be a dreary affair. One, because we had a chance to attend the expo before other priorities revealed themselves (and thus didn’t), and two, because as the hoarse voice in our head mocks, “Perhaps you’re just not a gamer anymore.” And maybe we’re not – we’re certainly not console aficionados anymore, having shed the weight of the console wars many years ago. It was by chance that we again took up the console call with ’s enormous black boxen, and later again with the innovative . But let’s be clear: our time is a mere sliver compared to when we vapidly devoured every PC title worth playing, and the prospect of playing competitively as we did in Counterstrike years before is simply not realistic anymore. Indeed, we may even argue that our three-round battle with World of Warcraft was the end of our earnest days, but perhaps this is an overstatement: time is simply one variable that affects our level of excitement for games these days, and in short, most new titles simply do little for us. One, because we’re now more interested in titles that don’t require massive time investments per session, and two, because the vast majority of titles remaining either aren’t particularly good or simply don’t titillate us.

Sure, there’s the occasional game of note that grabs our attention, like Fallout 3 or its DLC. There’s even a couple titles from E3 that peak our interest, be it Borderlands or Grindhouse. But most titles simply bore us, and we happen to attribute much of that boredom to the simple fact that we dislike, nay, loathe the typical console control scheme. Look, we’re PC gamers at heart (it’s why we took years to come back to ), and quite simply, there’s nothing better than a keyboard and mouse to control most games. Especially titles. In fact, much as we loved Fallout 3, we purchased it for the 360, and the reliance on crappy console controls was our biggest complaint.

This hatred of typical console controls is why we had such high hopes for the Revolution . Yet sadly, as innovative as it was, the proved to be little more than a novelty. Indeed, most games we’ve played on the are either novelty titles (like Sports) which wouldn’t occupy our long-term interest anyway, else titles that really didn’t benefit much from the remotes in the first place. But rather than poo-poo all over the yet again, let’s admit that ’s effort was good, even if the result (prior to Motion Plus, maybe) was marginal.

For those who love casual games, particularly the mini-games titles are known for, the certainly stands out from the 360 and . And that’s why has managed to survive this round of the console wars, and why it was inevitable that and would want a piece of the motion-control pie. So set out both companies did, and both revealed their -killing accessories at E3. The did so with little fanfare, while just made Natal a gamer household name.

For those asleep while E3 was going on, Natal isn’t a controller, it’s the lack of a controller. Natal’s component is a camera that captures physical movements, such that 360 gamers don’t need to hold a controller to swing a sword, or punch, or jump, or do whatever. Natal, capable of facial recognition, will not only act as an interface to the 360, but to a whole slew of new games that will track user movement as an input mechanism. In theory (and from what E3 videos show us), Natal is just as sophisticated as the in terms of motion control, and will likely compete well against Motion Plus equipped Wiis too. The question and have been asking is this: “If we can duplicate functionality on a more powerful system, won’t we lure gamers away from the ?” And that’s a good question to ask, if it weren’t for the lead already has in the motion control arena. While is still vested in the original question, however, made steps not just to duplicate functionality, but to move well beyond it, making their original question moot.

It’s like this: every peripheral that intends to use functionality will likely be built to interface with the remote. If not, then the remote still needs to be used in conjunction with the peripheral. For example, why does EA Sports Active use a resistance band instead of a dumbbell? Never mind the acute advantages of a resistance band for casual athletes over a heavier exercise device: a dumbbell would simply never work alongside the remote and nunchuk. Only a resistance band will work since EA Sports Active is ultimately tied to the ’s controllers to function.

The same game on the 360 (which is indeed coming, BTW), with Natal as an input device, is far more flexible. (It will likely be cheaper, too, since the game won’t require a nunchuk pouch to be part of the package.) Indeed, EA Sports Active, with Natal, requires the user to hold no device at all, so they could just as easily use a resistance band as they could a dumbbell. In other words, the flexibility a workout game can have with Natal is hugely significant, as a Natal-equipped 360 with EA Sports Active could easily be used with a resistance band, dumbbells, a kettlebells, et al.

About the only disadvantage to Natal versus the is what the camera can’t see, as would be the case if the remote is used behind the player. And that’s a relatively unlikely scenario. There’s also the ’s added advantage of having buttons present on the remote while the swinging happens, but Natal can still be used in conjunction with a controller, remote, or other peripheral, so it’s not like Natal’s making gamers give up button presses entirely. If anything, it solves more problems than it creates, and ultimately trumps both ’s and ’s motion control offerings. The trick for will be in pricing Natal competitively, and that means cheaply, in order to keep a Natal-equipped 360 close in price to the , and there’s obviously some difficulty in that. If can work this formula out, however, there’s no reason they can’t succeed in luring the faithful away from ’s current-gen icon.

For gamers like us, Natal presents an interesting new landscape. We can likely expect not only casual games that gamers know and love, but since we’re talking the 360, more mature titles that use Natal as well. And that presents some nice possibilities, as we can easily visualize Natal control schemes for fighting games, , etc, as long as there’s some basic method to control avatar movement. For melee-oriented games, Natal is a no-brainer in this regard, as a nunchuk-like accessory would be enough to compliment the . Even could work incredibly well with a nunchuk with trigger component. The next question is, without that component (and there’s no indication that one will exist at Natal launch), will Natal games be limited to too casual games? Right now, Natal offers a rather incredible control scheme with the potential to add motion control to games that the simply can’t handle, effectively becoming what the should have been at launch. But could just as easily fail on this front, by either focusing too strongly on party games, or not pushing the possibilities for Natal-enabled mature titles to third-party developers. In other words, needs to push the idea that Natal is core to the 360 experience, else it will become just another accessory soon to be forgotten by the general 360 user (think Power Pad, the PS2 camera, etc).

That hoarse voice in our head, it’s chiding us. And if Natal proves to be little more than another console novelty, then maybe it’s right. But we’re pretty certain that Natal can recapture our love for console by making motion control both fun and efficient as an input medium. If not, we’re taking our hat and heading back to PC territory. Even if it’s only for a few minutes a week.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2009/06/05/project-natal-death-knell-to-the-wii/feed/ 0 Dispute the value, not the price. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F04%2F16%2Fdispute-the-value-not-the-price%2F&seed_title=Dispute+the+value%2C+not+the+price. http://mendax.org/2009/04/16/dispute-the-value-not-the-price/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:00:28 +0000 WyldKard http://wyldkard.com/?p=1645

A recent Gizmodo post caught our eye, in which Adam Frucci attempts to draw comparisons between the current generation by price. Asserts Frucci, “the prices of all three are incredibly close, and you can obviously fiddle with these configurations to change them.” And fiddle with Fucci’s ridiculous numbers we can, and should, because Frucci’s evaluation of the is sadly mismanaged, because not only does he include an extra $80 for four Motion Plus add-ons that do nothing for the console right now because they’re not even available yet, but he, in turn, leaves the $90 cost of the 360′s wi-fi adapter out of his baseline console pricing scheme. Is there any consistency to his madness?

Frucci may as well inflate the price of the by another $80 because he left out the Balance Board. Oh, and the price of component cables (even though they’re only 50 cents at Amazon). Come on, Frucci, pull your head out of your ass and realize that the cost of a console doesn’t include accessories that are currently unavailable, and, in fact, don’t have any games out which support them. That’s not to say that the Motion Plus won’t take off, but if they do, they may very well simply be incorporated into the remote at a future date anyway. Why emphasize them in a console price comparison as though they are required for today? Should we also add to the 360′s price because of the rumoured -like remote that may ship for the 360 later this year?

If Frucci’s not a -hater (and a 360 fan-boy to boot), we don’t know why he’d opt for the more expensive controller charging station, instead of the $33 one also available at Amazon. And why does Frucci incorporate the price of a quad charging station for the and , but only a dual charging station for the 360? By our estimates, Frucci’s price should sit squarely at $457, while the prices for the and 360 are $557 and $604, respectively (wi-fi included). We even threw the and 360 a bone here by removing the price of two games, since titles are not only $10 cheaper per title by Frucci’s estimates, but the comes with a game, which, via Frucci’s numbers, means that the is another $50 cheaper.

In other words, games aside, a is approximately $100 cheaper than a and about $150 cheaper than a 360 assuming one needs four controllers and a charging station. And that doesn’t even consider the annual costs of Live!, which accrues at least $40/year just for online multiplayer. So even with Frucci’s silly notion of including Motion Plus in this comparison, that’s only two years of multiplayer on the 360, which we gather, most 360 owners have already paid for (aww, shucks).

Sadly, Frucci and Gizmodo haven’t done anything but add flames to the latest console war. It’s one thing to dispute the value of money spent on each console, but that’s subjective depending on who the user is. From a pure price stand-point, however, the clearly wins, and even though we’re fond of the 360 as a heavyweight machine, the truth is that it’s the most expensive system available, even compared to ’s monstrosity. That’s true even if we don’t include the 360′s wireless adapter, because Live! is disproportionately expensive considering that and offer their online services for free.

Why all the hullabaloo? Because in a highly subjective argument regarding the console wars, there’s still a capacity for objectivity, and price is one of those. One can expound upon the merits of any console to argue for its purchase, but that doesn’t resolve the ugly reality of real costs. A solo gamer looking to play online can pick up a and get for just over $250. Fact. That same gamer can’t get down and dirty with a or 360 without dropping about $100 more. Fact. Buying three additional controllers doesn’t make the any less desirable from a pure price standpoint over its competition.

Let’s not argue value by obfuscating costs to try making a point, and stick with the truth, shall we? We’re looking at you, Frucci.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2009/04/16/dispute-the-value-not-the-price/feed/ 0 A clear disconnect at Nintendo http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F04%2F03%2Fa-clear-disconnect-at-nintendo%2F&seed_title=A+clear+disconnect+at+Nintendo http://mendax.org/2009/04/03/a-clear-disconnect-at-nintendo/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:00:19 +0000 WyldKard http://wyldkard.com/?p=1620

Reggie Fils-Aime is not the man we want to see heading ’s North American chapter. That’s not to say that he’s totally off-base with his opinions and statements, but as VentureBeat’s recent interview of Films-Aimes illustrates, the man comes across as far too defensive of , even for a President. Maybe that’s because should be defensive given the onslaught of and , for despite the ’s propensity for flying off shelves, the library of “must-have” titles is fairly low compared to what’s offered by ’s competitors. Really, how long can the endure with only a couple novelty titles? Isn’t it true that the average 360 or owner buys more titles than the average owner?

We’ve long said that needs a leader who’s not only willing to cater to a new generation of young gamers, but also to the original generation, who is now grown up and wants more mature, engrossing titles. But neglects this latter segment in much the same way George Lucas turned away from the original Star Wars geeks, giving fans a watered-down set of prequels with little weight and too much CGI. Fils-Aime, similarly, doesn’t quite grasp the desires of the old-school fanbase, but perhaps that’s to be expected from a man who marks the SNES days as the origin for his love of Zelda. It’s not as though the man was wearing diapers when the first two Zelda titles were released on the original Entertainment System (NES), so what gives?

The disconnect at doesn’t end in its North American headquarters, however. Rather, its infected the very roots of ’s core, which is why the is such a paradox: for a company that stressed so many times that it’s in the business of making games, not media centers, it’s definitely odd that the sets itself apart from the 360 by offering a free-to-download web browser. There are even third-party keyboard peripherals available at mainstream game shops. Where’s the nexus here? It would be one thing if wanted to firmly leverage Flash for developing small, casual games played through their Opera-powered browser, but that’s not what ’s done. Nor have they extended the ability of third-party keyboard peripherals to be used as game controllers, so as to mimic the experience PC gamers have in many titles.

And while can access YouTube and other video sites, they missed the ball on NetFlix integration. Because they’re a stout company and not willing to promote non- activities? Then explain the weather, picture, and voting channels on the , which clearly promulgate non- activities. ’s actions are clearly going one way, while their “100%-” philosophy says something else entirely. But that’s okay in one sense, because we’re no longer fighting against the PC stereotype that so ardently opposed when they first pushed the into consumer’s hands. Nowadays, we expect our to do more than play off-the-shelf video game titles. What , and to a degree, and need to firmly embrace, however, is this “totality” philosophy, instead of half-assing their media center initiatives. After all, what the lacks in computational power, it can make up elsewhere, and offering channels that leverage more than just games is exactly what needs to do.

As with the , maybe a number of features weren’t available upon initial release. What was important, however, is that the framework was intact, such that the platform could evolve over time. The already has a polished, simple interface, which is far more user-friendly than the interfaces of the 360 or . And the channel system, if innovated upon properly, can easily seed owners with online video streaming, magazines, and music – all areas that ’s competitors have not fully explored. The difference is that if every console manufacturer suddenly invested in these areas, the ’s simplicity, and price, would immediately gives it a market boost, for the same reasons that it couldn’t stay on shelves for the first year it was available.

Back to Fils-Aime and his silliness:

We don’t believe used games are in the best interest of the consumer. We have products that consumers want to hold onto. They want to play all of the levels of a Zelda game and unlock all of the levels. A game like Personal Trainer Cooking has a long life. We believe used games aren’t in the consumer’s best interest.

The topic of used games is relevant to the recession, and arguably anyone with frugality in mind. Fact is, replayability is not a huge feature in most games, and its natural for people to exchange their assets in the same way they shuffle other forms of media. The Zelda titles, for instance, don’t offer much to a gamer once every level has been played and unlocked – like most every other game on the market. Even games with more replayability, like, say, Fallout 3, will ultimately be consumed of its content by an eager gamer. Rather than complain about the second-hand market, what should be doing is developing games with non-liner gameplay, and perhaps focusing on a digital distribution model that would make buying games easier for customers, with the added bonus of combating physical game exchanges. The reality is that despite Fils-Aime’s ridiculous opinion, used games are absolutely in the consumer’s best interest, because in most cases, they get the same experience as buying a game new, but at a cheaper financial cost. Fils-Aime’s quasi-defense?

Describe another form of entertainment that has a vibrant used goods market. Used books have never taken off. You don’t see businesses selling used music CDs or used DVDs. Why? The consumer likes having a brand-new experience and reliving it over and over again. If you create the right type of experience, that also happens in video games.

Perhaps in ’s white towers, there is unlimited money to throw around, and bags-of-holding that make storage inconsequential, but in the real world, people really do buy used goods. Come on, Reggie, Powells isn’t that far from Seattle (you have a -plane, don’tcha?), and there are undoubtedly many a used-book shops in downtown Seattle, too. San Francisco’s Amoeba Music is an obvious testament to the popularity of used music/movies, and again, there are plenty of lesser known stores that cater to similar crowds. And most importantly, the user’s experience is not diminished by these supply chains, because when they get home and pop their media into the appropriate player, the experience is still new to them.

In other words, Fils-Aime is plain wrong. Combating the used games market is not only ignoring revenue streams that are as-yet untapped by the console industry, but it’s also ignoring (and thus under-utilizing) the strengths of the . And that’s rather unfortunate, because on one hand, ’s a great innovator of products, which is why we bought the the first place. On the other hand, is being short-sighted with the , and that’s resulted in a poor game library that’s made us not want to hold onto our . In fact, if it weren’t for the ’s scene, we wouldn’t have hooked it back up to our television after a recent move, and that’s something , and others, needs to take note of – if is keeping buyer’s attentions, then what does the company need to do to incorporate the offerings of developers into the product?

Right now, the ’s growth, even its entire legacy, is wrapped up in how it will leverage its software. Gimmicks like the Fit will only go so far, because they’re expressly limited by their accompanying software programs. If wakes up and starts asking the NES faithful what they want in a system, and not just the kids of the NES faithful, then ’s stake in the console wars will be well-earned. Cooking Mama in the living room, a cooking application in the kitchen, and ubiquity that future generations will grow up with. It’s the dream has been shooting for for years, but it’s within reach of right now.
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