27th September 2006, 8:34 PM
Without question, the Wii has generated extraordinary amounts of early praise from just about everyone, and it is piquing the interest of a lot of people who in years past would never admit to caring half a damn about Nintendo. The Wii might well be the most intriguing concept out there right now.
However, this was also the case with the Dreamcast seven years ago, remember? Sega was being reborn after years of poor business decisions dragged that name through the mud in the eyes of everyone who wasn't a die-hard Sega fan. With a powerful machine, a strong line-up of games and damn near unlimited potential thanks to the Dreamcast being the bulwark of the online console gaming revolution, the world seemed Sega's oyster in 1999, even moreso after the PS2 stumbled out of the gates with problematic hardware and a collection of titles that were, charitably, less than stellar.
Yet, the Dreamcast lasted an entire three months against the PS2. The interest of the general gamer collapsed once Sony harnessed the power of brand-name recognition. It wasn't even a fight.
The behavior of Sony in particular leads me to believe that the company thinks that will happen again, that the upstart Nintendo will wither in the face of the ultra-powerful PS3. In the console market, Sony has gone head-to-head twice and has come away the decisive winner in regards to market share and consumer awareness. They have also defeated Microsoft, the most powerful company in America, almost as decisively. They have lost overall percentage, but they know that was due mostly to an expanding market and an extra competitor. In strict numbers, the PS2 has been the most successful console ever concieved.
One looks at Sony, even those who are die-hard Sony fanboys, and all get the impression that Sony has decided to rest upon its laurels. We see a company who has dominated for so long that they are convinced that defeat is impossible. Their track record for a long time has suggested that it may be so. Even the PSP's lagging sales may be abberant in that regard. The PlayStation came along at a crossroads in the console market, and succeeded primarily because the top dog, Nintendo, made several critical errors in the conception and promotion of the Nintendo 64. The PlayStation went on to be what was at the time the most successful console ever, but honestly, it was an achievement that was in many ways gift-wrapped by Nintendo's failure to read the handwriting on the wall.
In essence, the roles may be reversing. Sony is now the colossus that sits convinced of its impervious position. Can Nintendo topple them? The tools are definitely there, and the situation seems very favorable. So far Nintendo has done practically everything right. The question is, can they keep it up when it really counts? Can they take this fantastically innovative concept and make it into the standard?
If anyone can do it, Nintendo can, but at the moment, I don't think Sony agrees. I have to say though, this is one former Sony fanboy that would absolutely love to see Sony take one in the kidneys.
However, this was also the case with the Dreamcast seven years ago, remember? Sega was being reborn after years of poor business decisions dragged that name through the mud in the eyes of everyone who wasn't a die-hard Sega fan. With a powerful machine, a strong line-up of games and damn near unlimited potential thanks to the Dreamcast being the bulwark of the online console gaming revolution, the world seemed Sega's oyster in 1999, even moreso after the PS2 stumbled out of the gates with problematic hardware and a collection of titles that were, charitably, less than stellar.
Yet, the Dreamcast lasted an entire three months against the PS2. The interest of the general gamer collapsed once Sony harnessed the power of brand-name recognition. It wasn't even a fight.
The behavior of Sony in particular leads me to believe that the company thinks that will happen again, that the upstart Nintendo will wither in the face of the ultra-powerful PS3. In the console market, Sony has gone head-to-head twice and has come away the decisive winner in regards to market share and consumer awareness. They have also defeated Microsoft, the most powerful company in America, almost as decisively. They have lost overall percentage, but they know that was due mostly to an expanding market and an extra competitor. In strict numbers, the PS2 has been the most successful console ever concieved.
One looks at Sony, even those who are die-hard Sony fanboys, and all get the impression that Sony has decided to rest upon its laurels. We see a company who has dominated for so long that they are convinced that defeat is impossible. Their track record for a long time has suggested that it may be so. Even the PSP's lagging sales may be abberant in that regard. The PlayStation came along at a crossroads in the console market, and succeeded primarily because the top dog, Nintendo, made several critical errors in the conception and promotion of the Nintendo 64. The PlayStation went on to be what was at the time the most successful console ever, but honestly, it was an achievement that was in many ways gift-wrapped by Nintendo's failure to read the handwriting on the wall.
In essence, the roles may be reversing. Sony is now the colossus that sits convinced of its impervious position. Can Nintendo topple them? The tools are definitely there, and the situation seems very favorable. So far Nintendo has done practically everything right. The question is, can they keep it up when it really counts? Can they take this fantastically innovative concept and make it into the standard?
If anyone can do it, Nintendo can, but at the moment, I don't think Sony agrees. I have to say though, this is one former Sony fanboy that would absolutely love to see Sony take one in the kidneys.
YOU CANNOT HIDE FOREVER
WE STAND AT THE DOOR
WE STAND AT THE DOOR