In less than 12 days, all three console makers will have fired their big guns for the Christmas season by releasing exclusive games that will distinguish them from one another. My question is which one will have a biggest impact on the market?
Nintendo - Super Mario Galaxy
This game is already a big hit in Japan, selling over 250,000. It also has received stellar reviews with a 9.5 from GS. This being a classic Mario game and the use of the Wii remote will make this a must buy for all Wii owners. But will this effect non-owners?
This game will appeal to underage gamers and those that are nostalgic for Mario. So I believe SMG will be a big seller this Christmas.
PS3 - Uncharted
This is probably going to be the best game the PS3 will have to offer the year. Any die hard Sony fan will pick it up. Its mixture of Tomb Raider like setting with gameplay similar to GeoW might even cause consumers who favor that style to pick up the new $399 system. But will it do as well as its competition?
Uncharted does have great graphics and gameplay, but it lacks originality and a 10 hour length might hamper it. With SMG reportedly being twice as long and ME 4 times as long, consumers looking for more bang for their buck could skip it.
Xbox 360 - Mass Effect
This is being hyped as a sure fire hit and being made by Bioware almost guarantees it. The developer is known for its excellent RPGs and has not failed to disappoint. Its graphics, story, and depth should cause many Oblivion owners on the 360 to pick it up. But will it be the GeoW of 2007?
I doubt that ME can do as well as its counter part did last year, but there are many gamers out there that enjoy RPGs. And there are even more consumers that enjoy science fiction media. One of the voice actors use to be on Star Trek. Think what could happen if all the Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Stargate fans bought this game. Microsoft would be smart to run their ads on the SciFi channel, which is already doing a 30 minute spot on this game.
TLDR Version
SMG and ME should be the big sellers this Christmas with Uncharted bring up the rear. SMG with its large user base on the Wii and fanbase. ME with its innovative features, setting, and depth. Uncharted not so much due to having been done before and shorter length. One could argue that these gamesaren't in the same genre, but they are the only big exclusives this Christmas to separate the consoles. Which one do you think will do the best this Christmas?
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