E3 07: PS3 strikes; Xbox 360 holds; Wii flexes
At the inaugural day of the E3 Media & Business Summit, Sony Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. held widely different business approaches to attract new game buyers.
Microsoft Corp. took the first shot at the next game wars by featuring many core game titles to be available this year, including Grand Theft Auto IV, Mass Effect, and Halo 3. Additionally, the box will receive casual titles like Viva Pinata Party Animals, Rock Band, Guitar Hero III, and a range of Xbox Live Arcade titles to download.
Still, Microsoft's approach largely appeals to the game and electronic enthusiast. From new Japan-developed role-playing titles, to racing titles to PGR 4, to first-person shooters like Call of Duty 4, the concentrated effort for the HD-loving, online multiplayer fanatic is likely to leave little for casual players to expand the Xbox 360 user base. And the exclusive 'Scene It' for Xbox 360 probably won't help much.
Sony Corp.'s uphill battle to sell the Playstation 3 to consumers has left the company humble and at its most aggressive. Absent at the company's briefing were the boastful slides that indicated impressive year-to-year sales, and introduced were games, games, and more games for all Playstation consoles.
The company's first-person titles including Heavenly Sword, Lair, and Ratchet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction looked and played fantastic.
Additionally, the Home online social networking service has great potential to lure new buyers, with unique personal spaces, instant casual and core gaming, and mobile phone update capability.
The PSP retail SKU updates are poised to perform well at retail, with new colors and affordable deluxe SKUs for Daxter and Star Wars Battlefield at $199.
The Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots trailer and exclusivity was a much-needed bout of confidence from a third-party publisher.
But the killer app that had everyone buzzing was the real-time Killzone 2 demo. The pseudo real-time demo demonstrated at E3 2005 was finally in real-time and looked phenomenal. The title is the kind of software that will have consumers perform a double-take at a retail kiosk and is sure to sell systems when it fires in 2008.
Former underdog Nintendo took Sony's place as the new market leader in consoles and handhelds and presented a brand new range of PowerPoint slides to show off its dominance.
Wii is still sold out after 33 week of availability worldwide and the Nintendo DS has reached 40 million units shipped worldwide. In addition, Nintendo is broadening the market for games, with 32 percent of game players in 2007 age 25 and up. Additionally, Nintendo titles perform well with women, consisting of 33 percent of buyers for their products.
While Nintendo will keep core gamers happy with Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Smash Bros., the new Wii Fit exercise title will keep Wii's buzz factor sky high when it launches in early 2008.
The fitness title, which includes a balance board peripheral, will allow all to perform aerobics, muscle training, and yoga to help keep in shape. Think of it as an unofficial sequel to Wii Sports that will garner just as much attention.
Also, the Wii Zapper and Wii Wheel with Mario Kart Wii leaves no peripheral unturned and no gamer un-served.
Via PunchJump
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