Next gen trashtalk.

[slade]

Nintendo a Niche Player?
Yes, according to Microsoft's Bill Gates. Full story.
by Matt Casamassina
May 6, 2005 - Microsoft's new Xbox 360 console is still several months off from its rumored November debut, but the next-generation of trash talking has already begun.


A new article published by Business Week Online suggests that Microsoft head Bill Gates is more worried about Sony's next-generation console than he is Nintendo's. In the article, Gates seems to dismiss Nintendo's forthcoming Revolution console.
"Now people are looking really at two companies," Gates says on the subject of the next-generation consoles.. "I'd say that everyone's watching what Sony will come out with for this next generation, and what will we come out with, and who can be the leader this time around. Both companies will be very big on it. Nintendo is more likely to be a niche player this time around."

In a follow-up article, Sony takes a stab at Microsoft's new Xbox 360 console, painting the picture that it could be a mere marginal update to the current console.

"We look at delivering a quantum leap in technology, not just Xbox version 1.5," Sony spokeswoman Molly Smith is quoted as saying.

Ouch.

Expect more big words from the big three as the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2005 approaches.

Give Molly a raise!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gadfly2317]

From music to film to books to restaurants to friends. . . all the best things in my life I've found in the niches and inbetween spaces.

[Jupiter_x]

From music to film to books to restaurants to friends. . . all the best things in my life I've found in the niches and inbetween spaces.

I would freakin laugh if Nintendo came out on top...or at least in 2nd!


Sony is not scared...theyr'e just know they rule!

[thelastword]

Give Molly a raise!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah! she deserves something does'nt she!

Another hint at PS3's superior capabilities, they just don't stop coming do they. Must be something to it you think ?

[Superjoint Ritual]

Xbox version 1.5?.... Ouch. Molly laying the smack down Reggie style. :eek:

[Glockstar]

Give Molly a raise!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh really?!

If there was any system that was a "1.5-upgrade" it was the PS2! And what did you have to say about that system when it came out?

[Jupiter_x]

I was not all that impressed when PS2 first came out, I admit, it seemed like PS-1.5!

But now PS2 has a great selection and those J-RPGs (Suikoden 2) have my attention!


The Xbox? pretty much stayed fairly strong in what good titles it has had since day one! I don't know what's been wrong with me lately, but I am so tweaked over SC-CT and Halo 2 on my Xbox...my GC and PS2 have not been getting much attention all! :confused:

Splinter Cell 3? Holy Sh*t

[slade]

Oh really?!

If there was any system that was a "1.5-upgrade" it was the PS2! And what did you have to say about that system when it came out?

Haha, figures you wouldn't like what Molly had to say.

[theWacoKid]

Nintendo had two choices for next gen, attempt to re-establish themselves as a dominant player with traditional methods, the bigger, better, badder approach or create something different to differentiate themselves from MS and Sony.

The revy will be as powerfuil if not more so than xbox 360. The cube was known for ease of programming, that will likely continue with revy on a comparitive basis. The big unknown is controller/interface design. At the moment, people are expecting DS wackiness or something that will throw off third parties so bad, they'll never look at a nintendo product again. But, what if the opposite happens, and developers go, wow, now, that's really neat and makes a lot of sense. If nintendo offered up a superior method of control for a next gen madden, why wouldn't gamers go for it. This current gen, games like madden suffered on the cube for various reasons. Pathetically sized mem cards were a huge issue and the lack of online was another. Neither issue next gen should impact the revy.

MS discounting nintendo is a HUGE mistake. Developers will follow where gamers go. If the revy offers equal to greater power, a solid online plan, and a superior interface controller design, then why would I bother with an xbox 360. The irony of MS is that they talk about the hi-def era. The ps3 will likely feature hi-def movie playback as standarrd and will be the console of choice for people really wanting to enter the hi-def era instead of just putting one foot in. The ps3 will be more powerful and sony has very large third party support, good relations with those third parties and solid first and second party development teams. From what I can tell, all MS seems to be relying on is gettting out of the gate first. Molly's right, its the xbox 1.5 program when everything is said and done. Halo 2 in high def pretty much sums it up.

Also, to add one other thing, that people tend to forget. The xbox at $299 when it debuted was a sluggish selling console. MS had to drop the price by $100 after only 6 months because sales projections were well under what was anticipated. What makes people think that MS is going to sell xbox 360 at a $399 price point and have them fly off shelves.

[Mochan]

If there was any system that was a "1.5-upgrade" it was the PS2! And what did you have to say about that system when it came out?

I don't really care much about the tech they come up with, as long as the games they deliver are up to pat.

But I have to admit I'd like some higher resolution in consoles. Gaming on a PC that can go 1600x1200 makes looking at the PS2's dinky 640x480 resolution look like crap. And actually, I'm not even running them at that res since my TV can't handle it.

And yes Jupiter, Suikoden 2 is the dope!!!

[shogun]

I don't really care much about the tech they come up with, as long as the games they deliver are up to pat.

I do, because otherwise what's the point of these new consoles existing in the first place? We already can have great games NOW, with the technology we have NOW. If a console can do little more than push a few additional polygons, what's the justification for it existing in the first place? Such is the dillema I see with 360. To me, it's simply a reason why I'm not gonna be able to play Perfect Dark, Kameo, Fable 2 etc on my XBox. There is NOTHING to indicate that 360 has the ability to take gameplay to the next level. In fact, sans HD it seems like little more than 2 steps forward for the superficial, and one step back for the substance.

[Mochan]

Well, you have to consider that a game won't be "up to pat" anymore if its technology is too primitive. I honestly can't say that a game like, sya, Super castlevania 4 is still "up to pat." And thus improving technology definitely plays its part. But my point is that the emphasis should be on the games being made, rather than the technological capabilities of the system. And this seems to be true; why else would the PS2, which is technologically inferior to the other two systems, be the king of the hill? It's all in the games.

In terms of the XBox360, I don't really follow the XBox arena too closely but if the XBox360 has the hardware it's touting, its games should appear a lot better than what XBox can do. The big deciding feature I think will be the resolution; it really pains me to see games in 640x480 these days.

I do get your point: if the XBox 360 can't offer substantially better games, why bother? So it *must* be able to render games much better than the Xbox for it to be worth anything. I think it's premature for us to be saying it can or can't, though, since we haven't actually seen it in action for ourselves. But your discourse does seem to indicate that we are in agreement: the emphasis should be on the games itself rather than on the console, and if today's games look good and run good, then a next-gen console isn't necessary.

However, that said, I do think a next gen console is needed for Sony at least since the graphical capabilities of the PS2 are getting a little outdated. I would say the same for the XBox, actually. Compared to PC games, XBox games just look horrible.