Who is likely to win the next round of console wars?

With the PC marching to the beat of its own drum, and Nintendo (by the looks of it) having secured another victory in handheld wars, it's interesting to stop and debate who will emerge victorious in the next round of the console wars. It's interesting because none of us can ever be sure- how many of us were positive back in 2005 that the Wii would be Nintendo's downfall, that the PS3 would be a runaway success, that the Xbox 360 couldn't possibly make any inroads into Sony's territory? How many of were fully confident that Nintendo and Sega would absolutely be able to stave off the laughable assault of industry newbie Sony back in 1994?

However, it's still always interesting to make some predictions. Here, I'm going to list all the (presumed) nexty generation systems, along with a complete list of their pros and cons, and let's try and debate which system will ultimately emerge victorious.

MICROSOFT

Xbox 720/Xbox Loop/Xbox Infinity/Xbox 3/Xbox Next

The Pros:

• Xbox LIVE: Microsoft has, with the Xbox and the Xbox 360, managed to build up a thoroughly excellent online community. Argue about PSN's relative merits all you want, argue about the fact that at $60 a year, Xbox LIVE is a veritable rip off. It doesn't matter one bit. Millions upon millions of gamers worldwide have built their online presences and identities on Xbox LIVE, complete with Gamertags, Games Lists, Achievements, Gamerscores, Friends Lists and more, and they're unlikely to move. Their absolute level of comfort with Xbox LIVE makes it likelier that they will stick with the console that offers LIVE rather than migrate, and this gives Microsoft a massive pre installed base to begin with. There are people who argue that the Xbox has no exclusives, but it has one, and that is very powerful: it has Xbox LIVE.
• Third party support: Mixrosoft and the Xbox may not have much in the way of exclusive third party support, but it doesn't matter at all. All third parties, and especially western third parties, seem to favor Microsoft's consoles, which offer straightforward architecture and a lot of hardware resources. Multiplats are almost always developed for the Xbox 360 first, and as long as Microsoft can continue the tradition of offering simple, PC like powerful architecture to third parties, then it will ensure that it gets all the notable games next generation.
• Mainstream recognition: The Xbox brand has become supremely powerful over the last generation. Achieving a level of mainstream recognition and acceptance that arguably rivals the kind that Nintendo, Sony and Sega have all enjoyed in the past, the mainstream media and audiences are likely to flock to the next Xbox, especially considering the kind of success the Xbox enjoyed this generation because of Microsoft's clever positioning of the system as the Call of Duty box.

The Cons:

• Kinect: The Kinect was incredibly successful, and it gave the Xbox a new lease of life just as it seemed the system might be flagging. Hiwever, Microsoft's insistence on pushing the new peripheral has been nothing short opf disastrous, as core first party support for the system has all but dried up, leaving us with nothing but Kinect shovelware. If Microsoft's insistence on continuing with Kinect carries over into the next generation, then we might see a repeat of the Wii.
• Japan: The Xbox has no traction in Japan. Period. None whatsoever, and this can be highly problematic for Microsoft in the coming years. Yes, the fact that the Xbox manages to keep apace of the PS3 and even get ahead of it, in spite of the fact that it has one full territory less to work with, is highly impressive, but in the coming years, Microsoft will need to actively do something to ensure that the Xbox brand gains traction in Japan.
• No first party whatsoever: Halo. Forza. Fable. And that's it. That's all Microsoft has. They have Gears of War, but that's Epic's IP. They have a plethora of other IPs, like Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Project Gotham Racing, Conker, Kameo, and much more, but they aren't doing anything to utilize them. As it becomes incresibgly clearer that all consoles next gen might be on par as far as third party support is concerned, Microsoft needs to work on building a good first party, and fast.
• The Specs: Reports on the next Xbox's power are conflicted, although most seem to point at a system that won't be a massive leap over current generation systems at all. This leaves the success of the next Xbox entirely contingent on the hands of what Sony and Nintendo do- if they decidce too that their next system shouldn't be much of a power leap, then Microsoft is safe. However, in the opposite scenario, Microsoft might be screwed.

SONY

Playstation 4

The Pros:

• Incredible First Party: Sony has, over the last few years, built a stable of some incredible first party franchises. God of War, Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, inFamous, Killzone, Resistance, Ratchet and Clank, and much, much more, covering a diverse variety of genres, all high quality. As long as Sony can maintain the quality of their first party stable with their next system, they have a differentiating base that can attract a fanbase.
• PSN: It sucked at the beginning of the generation, but over the last few years, Sony has worked on improving it, and now, it's an asset. The negative publicity brought on by last year's hacks notwithstanding, PSN represents the same kind of advantage for Sony that LIVE does for Microsoft.
• Guaranteed Third Party Support: So far, there has never been a Sony system that did not have proper third party support. Even the PS3's formative years were marked by lost exclusive third party support, not third party support period. With the PS4 too, we can rest assured in the investment, knowing that it will have both first and third party support.

The Cons:

• Sony's makes incredibly sh*tty decisions: $599. Absolutely baffling advertising. Overpriced PS Vita memory cards. No backwards compatibility on the PS3. The goddamn Cell. I could go on. The problem with Sony is, as great as their products are, they almost always manage to run them into the ground with some of the worst corporate decisionsm, ever.
• Sony's financial situation is precarious: The company as a whole is in dire straits, and it might not be possible for Sony to continually invest in a loss making venture, assuming the PS4 turns out to be one. Their entire decision making process might be fully dictated by their financial situation.
• Power: It is almost certain Sony will opt for the system power route with the PS4 again, especially if the PS Vita is any indication. The problem with this is, not only would it make the system expensive again, both for Sony and for consumers, but we might also be looking at a situation where the extra system power is never utilized, especially if both Microsoft and Nintendo decide to opt for modest power jumps instead,a nd third parties develop for them and simply upport to the PS4.

NINTENDO

Wii U

The Pros:

• Nintendo's First Party: Seriously, let's stop and consider Nintendo's first party. Simply the best first party in the industry, and the most enviable stable of franchises and IPs, games like Mario, Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros., Kirby, Donkey Kong, Pikmin, Fire Emblem, F-Zero and Star Fox will sell themselves, as well as the system they are on. As long as Nintendo can maintain the integrity and consistency of these franchises- and let's face it, they will, they've done it for over two decades now- they're good to go.
• Third Party Support: There is definitely increased third party support for the Wii U. Assassin's Creed, Arkham City, Tekken, Ninja Gaiden, Darksiders, Future Soldier, and many, many more third parties games and franchises have all been pledged to the Wii U. Nintendo is making a visibly improved effort to address the one shortcoming of its consoles, and that is consistenctly little third party support.
• Head Start: Releasing at the end of this year, the Wii U will be the first eighth generation console out of the gate. This gives it an opportunity to develop a user base ahead of the competition, and to gain favor with third parties, especially as a lead console for all multiplats. This one year lead might be the decisive factor in a potential Nintendo victory.
• The tablet controller: The tablet controller is a stroke of genius. Essentially a traditional controller with a touch screen, the controller is infinitely customizable, presenting for the traditonalist a dual analog control scheme, but for third parties and the more enterprising gamer, options and alternatives. The tablet controller might turn out to be Nintendo's most successful controller experiment since the N64.

The Cons:

• System Power: How powerful is the Wii U? We don't know, although most reports indicate it is 2-6x as powerful as an Xbox 360. Is that enough? The Wii U might be able to keep pace with the HD twins, but will it be left in the dust again, similar to the Wii, once the new Xbox and Playstation hit the markets? The Wii U's continued success with the third parties is entirely contingent on how powerful Microsoft's and Sony's systems are. If the Wii U is at least in the same power range, it will do well, otherwise, it might be in a world of trouble.
• Third Party Support: An extension of the point raised above, but exactly what kind of third party support can we count on for the Wii U, and for how long? Can we be certain, for instance, that third parties will support the Wii U even after the PS4 and Xbox 3 have released? Can we even be certain that many major third parties, like Epic and Rockstar, will even support the Wii U? These are all integral questions that Nintendo needs to answer, and fast.
• Online: Nintendo blew it with their online strategy. Thankfully, only six years too late, they have woken up to the reality of the situation, but there are two problems. As promising as Nintendo Network sounds, are we sure it will be up the standard set by the competition? And even if it is, will people who have already created profiles, complete with their achievements and friends lists, want to migrate and start from scratch?

There will be other contenders in the market too. Apparently, Apple wants to enter the console race tangentially with its Apple TV, like it entered the handheld race with iOS. Whether they can replicate that success in the console realm is a question up for grabs, but it's an interesting notion all the same.

Then there's Valve, who apparently are working on an infinitely customizable, and supremely powerful, Steambox. Considering the goodwill Valve enjoys, as well as the level of third party support it could potentially have, a Steambox sounds like it might upset the market, especially given the open source model Valve is reportedly considering.

All in all, next gen will be exciting. What system do you guys think is most likely to win the console wars next gen?

Microsoft has already won

They have Fable, Witcher, Gears, Halo i care about

None of the other systems have any games i care about, especially PS4 that lost everything

I like how the TC listed the most important thing about xbox 720 in the Cons section !!!!!!

Halo, Gears, Fable are the main reason people buy xbox, this is the ultimate advantage of xbox 720

Sony games are indifferent comparing, so they are the worst part about PS4, their first party is their biggest weakness

Nice work. Nice to see SW done right.

I think the PS4 will win back a lot of people. If they learn from their past mistakes. I'm skipping next gen but am very interested in what Sony has to show us.

Nice work. Nice to see SW done right.

I think the PS4 will win back a lot of people. If they learn from their past mistakes. I'm skipping next gen but am very interested in what Sony has to show us.

Namgis

They will probably have even more indifferent shooters in the usual ettempt to fight Halo and Gears

And they will fail even more next gen for sure, since they have abandon the real PS gamers like me completly

I did not like PS1-2 because of the shooters, that is for sure

Who is most likely? Really have no idea, I think any of the big 3 have the opportunity to win it if they play their cards right.

Personally I'll probably be going PS4, unlike loosingENDS I prefer to have a console that has more than 4 franchises rehashed on a yearly basis.

Who is most likely? Really have no idea, I think any of the big 3 have the opportunity to win it if they play their cards right.

Personally I'll probably be going PS4, unlike loosingENDS I prefer to have a console that has more than 4 franchises rehashed on a yearly basis.

Vari3ty

What if i dont like those franshises at all though ?

The number is irrelevant in that case

Give me a Demons SOuls every year and i will become the biggest PS fan you have ever seen, but you see, Sony failed in that

I'm an Xbox user but I'm considering switching in the next gen of consoles. I'm primarily a PC gamer and I really only use the console for some multiplayer games. I really only play with strangers, so I don't have a circle of xbox friends I'm connected to. I mainly picked up the systen because of it's lower price, but have since learned that was a ridiculous decision when I look at the added cost of the LIVE subscription. I'm definitely feeling ripped off.

they have abandon the real PS gamers like me completly

loosingENDS

I don't get that impression from you. Nothing I've read from you suggests you even have a PS console. Let alone 3. If you hate them so much why but them at all? If you were a real PS enthusiast, you would not bash the system with every breath you take.

No longer feeding the troll. Move along, move along.

If Apple enters the console market, there'd be no doubt it would win in sales.

Quality though? If PS4 still has quality free online and an abundance of exclusives it will definitely an excellent choice. I also expect the "Steam Box" to do great in quality as well. Just not in sales.

If Apple enters the console market, there'd be no doubt it would win in sales.

Nega3

[QUOTE="Nega3"]

If Apple enters the console market, there'd be no doubt it would win in sales.

charizard1605

People are stupid. That's why.

Anyone who sees "i" or "Apple" in the name would buy it.

Also, Apple spends millions on advertising.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="Nega3"]

If Apple enters the console market, there'd be no doubt it would win in sales.

Nega3

People are stupid. That's why.

Anyone who sees "i" or "Apple" in the name would buy it.

Also, Apple spends millions on advertising.

All that flashy writing accumulates to nothing. The poll will only determine how many Cows/Sheep/Hermits/Lemmings etc. are online at this point in time.

There is a key set of ideas that, if any console maker follows, will win the generation for them.

Be cheap, be feature-rich (and I'm not saying have features for the sake of having them, but actual **** people want), and have a killer app.

In numbered format

1. Don't scare away consumers with your price.
2. Play movies, have great online, and definitely have streaming services.
3. Software sells systems, so make it count. There's no point in wasting resources on games nobody wants no matter how "highly reviewed" it may be.

[QUOTE="Nega3"]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"] How can we be sure about this though? Apple has no first party to speak of, and the only third party support they have is based on a low end pricing, low tiered software model. How can we be so sure that their model, suited as it was to the smartphone market, will actually be able to replicate its success in the console market?charizard1605

People are stupid. That's why.

Anyone who sees "i" or "Apple" in the name would buy it.

Also, Apple spends millions on advertising.

You have a point, but look at when MS came to the console market. AFAIK They didn't have first party until the Xbox came.

I think that there are many contributing factors that will result in Nintendo winning the next generation in a landslide.

The majority of people these days aren't willing to spend a lot of money on a system. This has been shown through the struggling $600 PS3, the struggling PSVita, the struggling $250 3DS, and the popularity of cheaper console options like the Xbox 360 Arcade and 4gb Slim. I think it is a general consensus amongst the average consumer that all 3 companies are competitive enough to the point that they all have something very significant to offer any consumer looking to buy a new video game system. Because of this, I think the mass majority of consumers just choose to buy the cheapest console. Lets not forget that the mass majority of gamers are casual gamers, they don't post on game forums, they don't research games, they just consider it a casual hobby that they participate in on occasion, and most will choose the least expensive console. I think the cheapest console next generation will be the Wii-U, and that will be instrumental in its success. I have no proof that it will be the cheapest console, it is purely speculation, but since they will be releasing with a 1 year head start, I would imagine that once the Sony and Microsoft next gen consoles are released, the Wii U will be in position to receive a price cut, and the majority of people will choose to go with the cheapest console, just as they have done with this generation.

With all the rumors and speculation going around about the tablet controller being used by Sony and Microsoft, making it a universal feature across all the consoles, it would be safe to assume that developers will be taking it very seriously, and making impressive implementation of it into their games. This is a good sign for Nintendo, because this means that 3rd party developers would embrace them, and they wouldn't be writing Nintendo off similar to what we saw with the Wii, where 3rd parties refused to take them seriously because of the dated graphics and motion controls. The dated graphics and motion controls weren't universal across all 3 consoles, and many 3rd party developers chose not to dedicate the extra resources required to make an entirely seperate game catering to the Wii's needs.

In this current generation, we saw many franchises which were once either exclusives or timed exclusives become multi-platform from the get go. Franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Tekken, Resident Evil, Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, the list literally goes on and on. We have even seen franchises that were once exclusive this generation like Demon's Souls become multi-platform before our eyes with releases like Dark Souls on both PS3 and 360. There is a reason why the 360 and PS3 are called the HD Twins, exclusivity is almost becoming non existant now between Sony and Microsoft. Sony even lost one of their main exclusive studios in Insomniac recently, and as we all know, Microsoft lost Bungie. We don't even know yet if 343 Industries is competent in taking over the Halo franchise, could Halo be dead now? I have a feeling that exclusives between Microsoft and Sony will mean even less next generation.

But what about Nintendo?

Nintendo's first party franchises and exclusives aren't going anywhere. Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Kirby, Punch Out, Sin and Punishment, Paper Mario, all these amazing franchises aren't going anywhere. They're staying with Nintendo, and these franchises sell millions, and most importantly, they move systems, they are system sellers. With what looks to be a level of consistency and similarity hardware wise between the 3 consoles next gen, and with the new founded dedicated 3rd party support for Nintendo, which Sony and Microsoft already have, what is going to set these consoles apart from one another? Well for Nintendo, it is going to be the exclusives, and if you know anything about video games whatsoever, you know better than to count Mario out.

This brings me to my next point, Kinect 2.0.

Is Kinect 2.0 going to be the way that Microsoft differentiates themselves from the competition? This is purely my opinion, but I think Kinect is a fad. I think it is going to die off, and fall off the face of the planet. It is not a good control mechanism. Someone on these boards said it best......

"Seeing as it's restrictive as hell regarding room requirements (staging) and plagued with latency and accuracy issues, I'd say it doesn't even qualify as a good gimmick. A buddy emailed me a review recently where the reviewer actually made the case that a reason a Kinect game was good was due to the fact that the player couldn't really lose when Kinect fuc*ed up recognizing player movement. To me, that's not even up for debate -- that is a BROKEN CONTROL APPARATUS when reviewers have to wait for games in which the player can't be penalized to justify its existence.

I don't know any better way to put it: Kinect is trash. Cancerous trash. Broken controls that do not work 100 percent of the time are trash. The player having to wonder whether his input is going to be recognized (and properly discerned) by the computer is trash. The player having to wait for his input to register on screen is trash. That's not hyperbole -- that is coming from someone who has held controllers of different makes and styles in his hands for damn near 35 years and who knows the fundamental, most basic, most absolutely necessary component of a controller is that it works -- flawlessly. Watching people flail around with this thing trying to explain away all its deficiencies in the name of mindless entertainment baffles me, honest to God. I don't call it trash to be mean, I call it trash because that is the best descriptor when qualifying it as a control mechanism."

Not only that, but what marketable franchises does Kinect have to take into the next generation? Kinect Adventures? Star Wars Kinect? Those are all a joke. They don't have a Mario, a Zelda, a Mario Kart to help propel the Kinect 2.0. The Kinect is a fad, and I think it is going to die off and fall off the face of the planet. The fact that they are putting so much emphasis on Kinect with their next console really makes me think that it is going to fail hard.

As far as Sony goes, heck, I love Sony, I really do, but I think they're coming to an end. They are just run by people who don't know what they're doing, plain and simple. A group of monkeys could put together a better marketing team than they have. The PSVita was a failure the very second someone conceptualized it on a piece of paper, how did they not see it? A dedicated handheld gaming device, aimed at a 16 to 25 year old male demographic? With the growing popularity of smartphones, how many 16 to 25 year old males are going to need more than a smartphone for their on the go gaming needs? A very small percentage of them, most of which are tech enthusiasts such as myself. I am going to buy a Vita, but I understand it doesn't make sense for anyone else to buy one unless they're a tech enthusiast as well, and they need to have the best possible gaming experiences on a handheld. The 3DS can get by by being a primarily dedicated portable gaming device because of the fact that it appeals to people of all ages. That's what differentiates it from the Vita, oh, and also the fact that it has Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Pokemon, Paper Mario etc. etc....

Sony can't hold onto an exclusive franchise if their lives depended on it. For all we know, Uncharted will be on a Microsoft console next generation. Their marketing is a complete joke. Their consoles are high priced, and like I said before, no one chooses high priced consoles anymore. Sony literally has nothing going for them going into the next gen. Releasing their console last will not help matters either.

The next gen is literally Nintendo's generation to lose. Nintendo is a company that is ran by experts, people that know what they're doing. They didn't stumble to where they are today by accident. Just look at how fast they turned around the 3DS situation. They have the best 1st party support, and it isn't going to be seen on Sony or Microsoft consoles. They're getting the 3rd party support they have been missing since the Super Nintendo. They're going to have the HD visuals. They're going to have console price in their favor. Their tablet implementation is going to be used very effectively. The Wii Motion Plus is still compatible with the Wii U, so that leaves even more options open. From what I understand, Nintendo isn't adopting this online pass bull****, and they aren't tying games to their consoles, and preventing used games from being played. I can't stop thinking of reasons why Nintendo is going to dominate.

I'm going to buy a Wii U on day 1. Who's with me??

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="Nega3"]

People are stupid. That's why.

Anyone who sees "i" or "Apple" in the name would buy it.

Also, Apple spends millions on advertising.

Nega3

You have a point, but look at when MS came to the console market. AFAIK They didn't have first party until the Xbox came.

I'm going to buy a Wii U on day 1. Who's with me??

arkephonic

Ya know, people might actually talk to you if you went to the gym, got a haircut, and subscribed to some acne medication instead of wasting your time making dumb articles like this. No one here values you as much as you think.Labavo

you should probrably leave the forums cause dumb articles like this appear on a daily basis. You should know that.

Anyways, its all gonna depend on what is announced at E3 pretty much cuz were basically making guesses on just product name. Once that happens, then we might have a lil more inkling on whats going to go down next gen. Personally, I think MS got this in the bag, while Nintendo will stay somewhere in the middle making good profit, which I'll be happy about.

LoosingENDS, unfortunately, no one cares anymore about your posts in these type of debates. We heard the same story before in countless threads so we know where you stand. Let more interesting peeps give their thoughts/opinions mkay? thx

edit: oh and yes, I also will be getting Wii U day 1 as well

360 = Xbox Next/Nextbox. The Xbox Next was what the Xbox 360 was called before it's official name as the 360 (the 360 had a couple names, but that was the main one)....I guess since gens take a long time, people forget or just never knew. I would have replaced that with Durango for the OP, as that's the latest name to crop up. People just keep trying to use the same old project names for the Durango/720 as they did the 360/Xbox Next..

Thanks for the OP, I read it all. :P

A misnomer I've noticed in SW is people imagine that the current marketing efforts and the low yield of 1st party games aren't related, but in fact they are. Every company and division has a budget, and the more money disversified into multiple games products in a 1st party portfolio would most likely equate to a much lower budget for marketing per title.

I see people assume that automatically correcting the lack of 1st party output + mega marketing budget = win! They don't realize and haven't put together that those two variables are inverse proportionate (inversely proportionate, lol.).

I didn't vote nor do I have a guess because I don't have enough details on the 720 and PS4, nor really the Wii U yet. I need launch dates, pricepoints, and game launch details to wager a decent guess. Right now, I would just be blindly voting with no real backing. :P

Edit, a post like this is ignored in SW, which I learned in my first two years, lol.

The xbro's will win again, Nintendo will go third party and Sony will stop existing :cool:

Let's wait until E3.

You might say, but PS4 could be a no show, however that in itself will speak volumes. I can say right now that if they have no answer to Xbox3/WiiU, they will be in trouble.

I also expect parity between Xbox 3 and Wii U, meaning they will have similar controllers, set the standard together for next gen multiplats, and that they will meet halfway compared to 7th gen price wise.

Can Sony make a comeback? Can Nintendo grab a significant portion of the CoD/GTA crowd?

Me.soulitane

[QUOTE="soulitane"]Me.charizard1605

Super Nintendo or the Atari 2600

Sales wise MS will probably will. Quality wise its anyone's games. If MS decides to acquire new studios and make some good new original IPs, they could have it. If they focus purely on Kinect and rely on 3rd parties to take care of the core gamers, than the 360 will be obsolete to me

Presumably this refers to winning the sales war. Thoughts:

On Microsoft: They've decided to rely largely on third party support. The problem is the third party are fickle, as has been shown through successive generations - and the days of the third party exclusive are dead. But in making certain third party franchises intrinsically tied with the system, despite their multiplatform nature, they circumvent this problem.

The Japan problem will remain, ergo they'll take a mere 5% sliver of a potential 20+ million console market.

They've gained a great deal of mindshare in the US and the UK, mainly because of the price differential and earlier launch - these enabled the building of a critical mass based on social conformity - but inroads into continental Europe have been less successful (e.g. in Europe's second largest gaming market, Germany, there isn't a single 360 title in the top 40 this week iirc).

I don't believe the rumors that Microsoft will go for weak hardware, I think they'll launch in 2013 worldwide, and they'll aim to outpower the Wii U and evolve their disruptive Kinect technology. I think they'll launch two models between $299-$399 in price, at breakeven or slight profit per unit.

-----

On Sony: They lost a great deal of marketshare and mindshare this generation particularly in the US and UK as noted above.

But they've shown with the Vita in terms of design they've learned from their mistakes of $599. Similarly rumors of the architecture of the PS4 being much simpler. They seem to be building to a target price point now too, with a view to being cashflow positive from launch.

I think globally, despite the XBOX brand growing mindshare, the Playstation brand is still an incredible asset.

They need to launch sooner, they need to have sufficient power to differentiate themselves from the Wii U, they need to launch at a reasonable price. The problem is given their financial situation, large loss leading is out of the question, ergo they'll need to find a way to create enough of a differentiation to the Wii U that it's visibly obvious to the general public.

I think they'll launch at $399, no more than 6 months after the XBOX3 at breakeven or slight loss per unit - but easily made up for with a game or two's royalty fee.

-----

On Nintendo: They're gambling on a tablet based controller being disruptive. I personally don't believe it to be so. They're competing on Apple's territory in a very very crowded market. I don't see consumer adoption to mirror the Wii's disruptive new gameplay at all. I also don't think the core gamer will take to the controller.

I imagine they'll largely be competing with the PS3 and 360 to begin with, which means they'll need to convince consumers upgrading why they should get a WiiU. I don't think the graphical improvement will be easily perceivable - ergo they'll be relying on their new hook - the tablet - which I don't believe to be as compelling as the Wiimote.

That being said, I don't think they'll be as bereft of third party support as they were this gen - but I think their versions of multiplatform games will be straight ports of PC/PS3/360 games to begin with and eventually downports of PC/PS4/XBX3. I don't foresee third party developers doing anything particularly compelling with the tablet, that will be up to Nintendo.

I think they'll launch at $299, at a reasonable profit.

-----

I think this generation has been the most even we've seen in a long time. Microsoft and Sony are within spitting distance, while Nintendo's lead doesn't really match up to the PS1 or PS2.

But I think next generation has the makings to be even more evenly divided. I think they'll all be viable, but have no idea who'll take the sales crown.

Incredibly premature.Cherokee_Jack

That's what she said.

Maybe you could afford all of them if you didn't waste all your money on lubricant for your fap-fest.Labavo

Now there's a beautiful image. Charizard fapping.

I think this generation has been the most even we've seen in a long time. Microsoft and Sony are within spitting distance, while Nintendo's lead doesn't really match up to the PS1 or PS2.

But I think next generation has the makings to be even more evenly divided. I think they'll all be viable, but have no idea who'll take the sales crown.

shinrabanshou

WARNING: This post is not a counter argument, just discussing.

This is a common picture mentality amongst many, Wii is only 30m ahead of the competitors.

It's different when you look at it from a profit standpoint. Don't take this as downplaying the success of PS consoles, but profit is what ultimately counts for companies, and in that regard Wii completely dominated its gen. They also had more revenue even during the PS2 era due to GBA.

8th gen will be interesting, because it seems like Nintendo is going for the marketshare this time and they seemingly succeeded in the handheld space through being super aggressive.

This is a common picture mentality amongst many, Wii is only 30m ahead of the competitors.

It's different when you look at it from a profit standpoint. Don't take this as downplaying the success of PS consoles, but profit is what ultimately counts for companies, and in that regard Wii completely dominated its gen. They also had more revenue even during the PS2 era due to GBA.

8th gen will be interesting, because it seems like Nintendo is going for the marketshare this time and they seemingly succeeded in the handheld space through being super aggressive.

SuperFlakeman

I don't really see how Nintendo going for marketshare in the 8th generation is any different to this one... where they're also going for marketshare. They were forced into an aggressive pricing model for the 3DS due to initial hubris. The design philosophy behind the 3DS doesn't really indicate much of a change - lower spec hardware with a hook - the hook isn't particularly compelling, imo, compared to the Wii's, however. And I don't think the tablet controller will be either.

The 3DS, and now the Wii U, in my view, are riding trends rather than creating them - in contrast to the Wii.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="soulitane"]Me.soulitane

I have to go with Microsoft.

It will be a fair fight between the core audience (sony) and the casual audience (microsoft).

loosingENDS, you have 6500 posts and I never saw you post something that we can call 'good'.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="Nega3"]

If Apple enters the console market, there'd be no doubt it would win in sales.

Nega3

People are stupid. That's why.

Anyone who sees "i" or "Apple" in the name would buy it.

Also, Apple spends millions on advertising.

wii u easy bro

I voted Steam Box.

But I wouldn't mind who wins.

I plan on getting Wii U day one. I also plan on getting a PS4 and a Steambox if it is real. But we won't know that until GDC or E3.

Let's wait until E3.

You might say, but PS4 could be a no show, however that in itself will speak volumes. I can say right now that if they have no answer to Xbox3/WiiU, they will be in trouble.

I also expect parity between Xbox 3 and Wii U, meaning they will have similar controllers, set the standard together for next gen multiplats, and that they will meet halfway compared to 7th gen price wise.

Can Sony make a comeback? Can Nintendo grab a significant portion of the CoD/GTA crowd?

SuperFlakeman

One area Nintendo is in deep trouble if Nintendo truly and really want the COD crowd is online, they have to woo the current XBL, PC, and PSN fanbase, and currently what we know is underwhelming. Still, it's not out and there is plenty of time to whelm or even overwhelm us, but I wouldn't bet my little pony on it.

They can surprise us, but even if they make something exactly equal to the status quo...that won't exactly pull people off their current rigs, not to mention we can bet the competition will best their current gen efforts as well. It's definitely going to be interesting to see how they handle online, but currently what I've read is to expect 3rd party decisions on that, reminiscent of the PS2 online (which, while good for it's time, isn't up to current standards).

I'm not against the Wii U, and in fact plan on buying it...but I already considered the fact that it's quite probable that Nintendo probably won't be attracting gamers like me with their online efforts, but I remain hopefully optimistic. COD and games like it will be on Wii U, but will I want to play it on Wii U, will I like the feature set of Wii U, and Will I want to play such games with my Wii U buddies instead? That's the question many millions of gamers will be posed with soon enough.

I think it's possible as well that Nintendo isn't that interested in grabbing a significant portion of the COD/GTA crowd, actually...as that is a mountain to climb, but just having those games on there will please the Nintendo Wii U owners.

Microsoft has already won

They have Fable, Witcher, Gears, Halo i care about

None of the other systems have any games i care about, especially PS4 that lost everything

I like how the TC listed the most important thing about xbox 720 in the Cons section !!!!!!

Halo, Gears, Fable are the main reason people buy xbox, this is the ultimate advantage of xbox 720

Sony games are indifferent comparing, so they are the worst part about PS4, their first party is their biggest weakness

loosingENDS

I'd have to see more specifics on the Nextbox, and the PS4 before making any kind of decision. I do know whoever brings a reasonably priced console to market with the support of good games will more than likely win.

I also know that first party exclusives aren't anywhere near as important as they used to be in the real world. So Sony needs to step up their game. Trying to win a generation on a stable of less than exciting first party exclusives will lead them exactly where they are now. Into last place trying to claw their way to second.

Apple is not going to make a console. There's no way. They make way too much off of iPods, and iPads to invest the money into a console and loose money for the first couple of years. The closest they may come is steaming apps over Apple TV. Sort of a console, but not really.

If I had to pick right now I'd go with Nintendo. The Wii-u looks pretty impressive, and if it's released at a reasonable price, then next gen is Nintendo's to win or loose.