Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Warner Bros Mortal Kombat for PS3 Coming Soon
With a return to the mature presentation and classic 2D fighting plane, Mortal Kombat is the most accessible and competitive MK game coming to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Mortal Kombat further extends the brutal experience with a visually striking story mode that will rewrite the ancient history of the Mortal Kombat Tournament. After centuries of Mortal Kombat, Emperor Shao Kahn has finally defeated Raiden and his allies. Faced with extinction, Raiden has one last chance. To undo the Emperor’s victory, he must strike Shao Kahn where he is vulnerable…The Past.
Game Features:
* Fatalities make a triumphant return to their original violent form as Mortal Kombat gives its fans what they’ve been demanding. Graphic details, never before possible are presented with the most sophisticated graphics engine in MK history.
* By returning to its classic 2D fighting plane, mature presentation, and up to 4 player tag-team kombat; Mortal Kombat introduces an all new fighting mechanic that’s both accessible and provides the depth that fighting game players look for.
* Mortal Kombat offers the deepest story mode of any fighting game. Players are taken back to the original Mortal Kombat tournament where they try to alter the events of the past in an attempt to save the future.
* Characters, environments and fatalities have never been presented with as much gory detail as in this next generation Mortal Kombat. From internal organs to the most ?realistic? blood effects, Kombat has never looked this good.
* In addition to an enhanced online feature set, Mortal Kombat introduces Co-op arcade mode and many additional modes to be announced in the upcoming months.
Game Features:
* Fatalities make a triumphant return to their original violent form as Mortal Kombat gives its fans what they’ve been demanding. Graphic details, never before possible are presented with the most sophisticated graphics engine in MK history.
* By returning to its classic 2D fighting plane, mature presentation, and up to 4 player tag-team kombat; Mortal Kombat introduces an all new fighting mechanic that’s both accessible and provides the depth that fighting game players look for.
* Mortal Kombat offers the deepest story mode of any fighting game. Players are taken back to the original Mortal Kombat tournament where they try to alter the events of the past in an attempt to save the future.
* Characters, environments and fatalities have never been presented with as much gory detail as in this next generation Mortal Kombat. From internal organs to the most ?realistic? blood effects, Kombat has never looked this good.
* In addition to an enhanced online feature set, Mortal Kombat introduces Co-op arcade mode and many additional modes to be announced in the upcoming months.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
DC Universe Online beta for the PS3 is a hefty 15GB
PlayStation Plus members can now enjoy the DC Universe Online beta on their PS3, but first you will have to take care of the 15GB download. The PlayStation Store has been updated to include the beta, and at 15GB this is one of the largest PS3 installations yet. But the game looks well worth it.
If you still have one of those old 20GB PS3s, you might want to skip this one. The beta will be downloaded in segments, which is nice for those with unreliable Internet connections. If you have problems you won’t need to start over again.
If you still have one of those old 20GB PS3s, you might want to skip this one. The beta will be downloaded in segments, which is nice for those with unreliable Internet connections. If you have problems you won’t need to start over again.
Sega working on a Dreamcast compilation
Sega plans on releasing a collection of video games from the Dreamcast, its last endeavor in the video game hardware business, Game Informer reports.
The compilation will be similar to the Ultimate Genesis Collection, available now for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The collection includes games from the Sega Genesis, such as Altered Beast, Phantasy Star and Streets of Rage.
"We are looking to bring some of the old Dreamcast games to market digitally and packaged. The titles are still to be announced," Alan Pritchard, Sega's vice president of sales and marketing, tells the magazine. "The Ultimate Genesis Collection did huge numbers on PS3 and 360, so it's an important part of our business."
The compilation will be similar to the Ultimate Genesis Collection, available now for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The collection includes games from the Sega Genesis, such as Altered Beast, Phantasy Star and Streets of Rage.
"We are looking to bring some of the old Dreamcast games to market digitally and packaged. The titles are still to be announced," Alan Pritchard, Sega's vice president of sales and marketing, tells the magazine. "The Ultimate Genesis Collection did huge numbers on PS3 and 360, so it's an important part of our business."
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Get $75 Amazon Credit with Purchase of PS3
Amazon has a great deal for those in the market for a PlayStation 3!
The online retailer is currently selling a 160GB PlayStation 3 for $299, and with the purchase customers will also receive $75 credit to use towards items shipped and sold by Amazon.com.
Watch 'Avatar' in 3D...NOW!
Get the Ultimate 3D Starter Kit today.
Some restrictions apply and full details can be viewed here!
This offer is available only for a limited time and one per household, so if you're interested be sure to take advantage of the savings as quick as you can.
The online retailer is currently selling a 160GB PlayStation 3 for $299, and with the purchase customers will also receive $75 credit to use towards items shipped and sold by Amazon.com.
Watch 'Avatar' in 3D...NOW!
Get the Ultimate 3D Starter Kit today.
Some restrictions apply and full details can be viewed here!
This offer is available only for a limited time and one per household, so if you're interested be sure to take advantage of the savings as quick as you can.
'Mass Effect 2' demo for PS3 next week
A demo for Mass Effect 2 will be available for PlayStation 3 owners from next week.
Electronic Arts has confirmed to Eurogamer that the PSN teaser will be released on December 22 in Europe.
BioWare has said that the port, which will feature all previously released downloadable content, will be "good, if not better than" the Xbox 360 version.
The title will be available from January 18 in the United States and January 21 in Europe
Electronic Arts has confirmed to Eurogamer that the PSN teaser will be released on December 22 in Europe.
BioWare has said that the port, which will feature all previously released downloadable content, will be "good, if not better than" the Xbox 360 version.
The title will be available from January 18 in the United States and January 21 in Europe
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Nintendo's Dilemma: Time for the Wii 2?
Despite selling some 75 million units and bringing motion control gaming to the masses, the Nintendo Wii is now starting to look a bit tired. After its release in 2006, the console took just a year to surpass the Xbox 360 as the current generation sales leader, a position it has held ever since. Crucially, the Wii appealed to new markets where games had previously had limited impact, chiefly families and older people. However, the arrival of Sony's PlayStation Move and Microsoft's Kinect has meant that the Wii's unique selling point of motion control gaming no longer holds water. Factoring in the console's lack of high definition graphics and basic online multiplayer, and the Wii starts to seem rather dated. As Nintendo always has a few surprises up its sleeve, rumors persist that a new version of the Wii is on the way, possibly as early as next year. Digital Spy investigated the prospects of the Wii 2 being unleashed, including whether it may be too little, too late for Nintendo.
Before its release, Nintendo's seventh-generation console was codenamed the Revolution, later taking the name Wii to symbolise the concept of playing together (although more often the butt of numerous toilet-themed jokes). Revolution, however, was possibly a more apt title as the console genuinely brought a brand new dimension to gaming, involving the Wii Remote and infrared sensor tracking the player's movement and reflecting it on the screen. Before long, millions of people were getting sore arms playing Wii Sports into the early hours, or eagerly collecting stars on the excellent Super Mario Galaxy. However, Sega vice president of marketing Scott Steinberg expressed his belief as early as 2007 that the Wii's popularity would be short-lived, arguing that gamers and developers would soon jump ship to the more powerful Xbox 360 and PS3. Initially, Steinberg was proved wrong, but there is now a growing feeling in the industry that Nintendo is planning to refresh the Wii to keep pace with its rivals. But will the Wii 2 be a revolution, an evolution or something else entirely?
Back in 2008, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that designs for the Wii 2 were being worked on within the firm, but no clear launch plans have emerged since. In February this year, Nintendo America executive vice president of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway said that the firm does not have any immediate plans to unleash the Wii 2, but will have the console "ready when we think the time is right". The question of time is a contentious one. The Wii is still selling very strongly and so there is a sense of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. However, the console's hardware seems to be reaching the end of its lifecycle and the competition has got a lot stronger in the meantime, so surely the Wii's days as market leader are numbered.
Nintendo has never really pitched the Wii as a hardcore games machine, instead targeting a more casual market. Staying out of the processing power arms race between Sony and Microsoft has served Nintendo well so far, but the Wii's lack of HD muscle is now starting to show. The point is marked by the latest Call of Duty, as the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Black Ops appear sharp, crisp and impressive, while the Wii lags far behind. The biggest priority for the next iteration of the Wii will surely be supporting HD graphics to bring parity with the current generation Xbox and PlayStation. Michael Pachter, the managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, said that the Wii still has the potential to sell around 15 million units per year until the successor is launched. However, he claimed that Nintendo may have scored an own goal by waiting so long to launch a new HD version.
"The question is what happens when the successor launches, as it is likely it will be too little, too late," said Pachter. "I think that Nintendo missed the opportunity to launch an HD successor in 2009, and again in 2010, and waiting until fall of 2011 concedes a lot of market share to Microsoft and Sony."
Competition for the Wii has become somewhat keener ever since Microsoft and Sony jumped into the motion control market. Sony's PS Move is broadly similar to the Wii Remote, as the player holds and moves the wand-like device to control the on-screen action (although the Move does not come as standard with the PS3, instead costing around £34.99 as a standalone product, or £49.99 with the PlayStation Eye camera). Microsoft's Kinect ditches the physical controller entirely, instead using 3D cameras and motion sensors to track body movement and reflect it on the screen. Pachter said that the pricing of both systems means that they "don't directly compete with Wii", and won't until the price points are significantly reduced.
As a standalone product, Kinect is currently priced at around £129.99. However, Pachter noted that an Xbox 360 Arcade bundled with Kinect currently retails at around $300 (£189), and is selling "extremely well". That is still 50% more expensive than the current cheapest Wii bundle, but Pachter believes that Microsoft will cut the price to $250 next spring, which would cause major headaches for Nintendo. An Xbox Kinect bundle at that price would give consumers an Xbox 360, motion control, HD graphics, a large library of games and access to the Xbox Live platform for only a little more money than the standard Wii bundle.
"Anyone with a Wii who bought a HD TV has to notice that the graphics on a very large screen don't look as compelling as most HD content, and Microsoft and Sony will market to these people," said Pachter. "Kinect is pretty unique, while Move is very Wii-like, but both run in full HD, and consumers will begin to appreciate that more as prices for the PS3 and 360 bundles approach the price of the Wii."
Nintendo has a habit of surprising the industry both in terms of sales and new products, often just as it is being written off entirely. It shouldn't be forgotten that the Wii launched in the aftermath of the PS2, the biggest-selling console of all time, and at a time when Microsoft was well established in the next-generation console market with the Xbox 360. However, the Wii 2 would have to catch up on some features that are now viewed as pretty much standard by gamers, such as HD graphics and a strong online platform to rival Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Another important issue would be getting a better variety of software, as too many average or poor titles litter the current Wii. Nintendo's own software tends to sell the best on the platform, while few other publishers have had wholesale success. That means there is a lack of the genuinely AAA titles, particularly first-person shooters, with the recent reboot of GoldenEye being the possible exception.
However, it also seems clear that Nintendo would not want to launch a console that merely replicated the features already offered by its rivals. There would have to be something else, something unique. Starting a new revolution is no easy task, but a possible way to go for Nintendo would be launching a 'cloud' gaming machine, in which HD titles would be played over IP networks using some kind of iTunes-hybrid for video games. Pachter, however, believes that Nintendo getting into cloud gaming is highly unlikely. He instead thinks that the firm will create a controller-free system similar to Kinect, possibly incorporating the firm's long-awaited Vitality Sensor, a device which clips onto the user's finger to measure their pulse while playing.
"Nintendo is not yet competent with online multiplayer, so the notion of them being first in the cloud is laughable. They are going to be a very late arrival to the cloud," said Pachter. "I have no idea what they have planned, but suspect that they will be extremely proud of their ability to innovate. My guess is that they're working on something similar to Kinect, but the Vitality Sensor could be the direction they are heading in as well."
Strangely, the biggest challenge facing the possible launch of the Wii 2 in 2011 comes from within Nintendo itself. Next March, the 3DS handheld will hit the market, bringing 3D gaming to consumers without the need for special glasses or an expensive new TV. The 3D upgrade of the already hugely popular DS is the ace up Nintendo's sleeve and it seems unlikely that the firm would want to create additional competition for gamers' cash with the launch of a new console.
"The 3DS will be a massive success," said Pachter. "I think that the device is appealing to anyone who ever owned a handheld, including adults who owned Game Boy 15 years ago. I expect the 3DS to be supply constrained for at least a year, and expect sell-outs through holiday 2011 and into 2012. Nintendo will definitely gain a lot from this device, and reinvigorate handheld software sales, but I can't say that this will have much of an impact on their console strategy."
In the absence of any firm announcements from Nintendo, we are left with mere speculation about what's next for the Wii. The console is certainly not a dead product by any stretch of the imagination; one look at the hardware sales charts demonstrates that fact. However, the arrival of motion control rivals from Sony and Microsoft has really brought the Wii's weaknesses into focus - a lack of HD graphics, limited online multiplayer and a comparatively weak selection of truly AAA games. The Wii has certainly delivered a revolution in video gaming since its release in 2006, but the world has now turned full circle and it's surely time for Nintendo to mix things up all over again.
Before its release, Nintendo's seventh-generation console was codenamed the Revolution, later taking the name Wii to symbolise the concept of playing together (although more often the butt of numerous toilet-themed jokes). Revolution, however, was possibly a more apt title as the console genuinely brought a brand new dimension to gaming, involving the Wii Remote and infrared sensor tracking the player's movement and reflecting it on the screen. Before long, millions of people were getting sore arms playing Wii Sports into the early hours, or eagerly collecting stars on the excellent Super Mario Galaxy. However, Sega vice president of marketing Scott Steinberg expressed his belief as early as 2007 that the Wii's popularity would be short-lived, arguing that gamers and developers would soon jump ship to the more powerful Xbox 360 and PS3. Initially, Steinberg was proved wrong, but there is now a growing feeling in the industry that Nintendo is planning to refresh the Wii to keep pace with its rivals. But will the Wii 2 be a revolution, an evolution or something else entirely?
Back in 2008, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that designs for the Wii 2 were being worked on within the firm, but no clear launch plans have emerged since. In February this year, Nintendo America executive vice president of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway said that the firm does not have any immediate plans to unleash the Wii 2, but will have the console "ready when we think the time is right". The question of time is a contentious one. The Wii is still selling very strongly and so there is a sense of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. However, the console's hardware seems to be reaching the end of its lifecycle and the competition has got a lot stronger in the meantime, so surely the Wii's days as market leader are numbered.
Nintendo has never really pitched the Wii as a hardcore games machine, instead targeting a more casual market. Staying out of the processing power arms race between Sony and Microsoft has served Nintendo well so far, but the Wii's lack of HD muscle is now starting to show. The point is marked by the latest Call of Duty, as the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Black Ops appear sharp, crisp and impressive, while the Wii lags far behind. The biggest priority for the next iteration of the Wii will surely be supporting HD graphics to bring parity with the current generation Xbox and PlayStation. Michael Pachter, the managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, said that the Wii still has the potential to sell around 15 million units per year until the successor is launched. However, he claimed that Nintendo may have scored an own goal by waiting so long to launch a new HD version.
"The question is what happens when the successor launches, as it is likely it will be too little, too late," said Pachter. "I think that Nintendo missed the opportunity to launch an HD successor in 2009, and again in 2010, and waiting until fall of 2011 concedes a lot of market share to Microsoft and Sony."
Competition for the Wii has become somewhat keener ever since Microsoft and Sony jumped into the motion control market. Sony's PS Move is broadly similar to the Wii Remote, as the player holds and moves the wand-like device to control the on-screen action (although the Move does not come as standard with the PS3, instead costing around £34.99 as a standalone product, or £49.99 with the PlayStation Eye camera). Microsoft's Kinect ditches the physical controller entirely, instead using 3D cameras and motion sensors to track body movement and reflect it on the screen. Pachter said that the pricing of both systems means that they "don't directly compete with Wii", and won't until the price points are significantly reduced.
As a standalone product, Kinect is currently priced at around £129.99. However, Pachter noted that an Xbox 360 Arcade bundled with Kinect currently retails at around $300 (£189), and is selling "extremely well". That is still 50% more expensive than the current cheapest Wii bundle, but Pachter believes that Microsoft will cut the price to $250 next spring, which would cause major headaches for Nintendo. An Xbox Kinect bundle at that price would give consumers an Xbox 360, motion control, HD graphics, a large library of games and access to the Xbox Live platform for only a little more money than the standard Wii bundle.
"Anyone with a Wii who bought a HD TV has to notice that the graphics on a very large screen don't look as compelling as most HD content, and Microsoft and Sony will market to these people," said Pachter. "Kinect is pretty unique, while Move is very Wii-like, but both run in full HD, and consumers will begin to appreciate that more as prices for the PS3 and 360 bundles approach the price of the Wii."
Nintendo has a habit of surprising the industry both in terms of sales and new products, often just as it is being written off entirely. It shouldn't be forgotten that the Wii launched in the aftermath of the PS2, the biggest-selling console of all time, and at a time when Microsoft was well established in the next-generation console market with the Xbox 360. However, the Wii 2 would have to catch up on some features that are now viewed as pretty much standard by gamers, such as HD graphics and a strong online platform to rival Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Another important issue would be getting a better variety of software, as too many average or poor titles litter the current Wii. Nintendo's own software tends to sell the best on the platform, while few other publishers have had wholesale success. That means there is a lack of the genuinely AAA titles, particularly first-person shooters, with the recent reboot of GoldenEye being the possible exception.
However, it also seems clear that Nintendo would not want to launch a console that merely replicated the features already offered by its rivals. There would have to be something else, something unique. Starting a new revolution is no easy task, but a possible way to go for Nintendo would be launching a 'cloud' gaming machine, in which HD titles would be played over IP networks using some kind of iTunes-hybrid for video games. Pachter, however, believes that Nintendo getting into cloud gaming is highly unlikely. He instead thinks that the firm will create a controller-free system similar to Kinect, possibly incorporating the firm's long-awaited Vitality Sensor, a device which clips onto the user's finger to measure their pulse while playing.
"Nintendo is not yet competent with online multiplayer, so the notion of them being first in the cloud is laughable. They are going to be a very late arrival to the cloud," said Pachter. "I have no idea what they have planned, but suspect that they will be extremely proud of their ability to innovate. My guess is that they're working on something similar to Kinect, but the Vitality Sensor could be the direction they are heading in as well."
Strangely, the biggest challenge facing the possible launch of the Wii 2 in 2011 comes from within Nintendo itself. Next March, the 3DS handheld will hit the market, bringing 3D gaming to consumers without the need for special glasses or an expensive new TV. The 3D upgrade of the already hugely popular DS is the ace up Nintendo's sleeve and it seems unlikely that the firm would want to create additional competition for gamers' cash with the launch of a new console.
"The 3DS will be a massive success," said Pachter. "I think that the device is appealing to anyone who ever owned a handheld, including adults who owned Game Boy 15 years ago. I expect the 3DS to be supply constrained for at least a year, and expect sell-outs through holiday 2011 and into 2012. Nintendo will definitely gain a lot from this device, and reinvigorate handheld software sales, but I can't say that this will have much of an impact on their console strategy."
In the absence of any firm announcements from Nintendo, we are left with mere speculation about what's next for the Wii. The console is certainly not a dead product by any stretch of the imagination; one look at the hardware sales charts demonstrates that fact. However, the arrival of motion control rivals from Sony and Microsoft has really brought the Wii's weaknesses into focus - a lack of HD graphics, limited online multiplayer and a comparatively weak selection of truly AAA games. The Wii has certainly delivered a revolution in video gaming since its release in 2006, but the world has now turned full circle and it's surely time for Nintendo to mix things up all over again.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Square Enix delays PS3 release of 'Final Fantasy XIV'
Publisher Square Enix has delayed the release of its massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Final Fantasy XIV for the PlayStation 3.
Originally scheduled to launch next March, the RPG's release is "to be determined," reads a statement from Square Enix.
"Rather than simply converting the current Windows PC version, it is our intention to include all the improvements we currently plan to meet customer expectations for the PS3 version," reads a portion of Square Enix's statement.
The PC version of Final Fantasy XIV debuted in September, and has suffered through a rocky start. According to Metacritic, the game holds an average review score of 52.
To address a series of significant technical bugs, developers have planned a series of several updates, including one that just released in late November. Kotaku reports additional updates are scheduled for this month and into early 2011. Square Enix has also extended the game's free trial period.
Originally scheduled to launch next March, the RPG's release is "to be determined," reads a statement from Square Enix.
"Rather than simply converting the current Windows PC version, it is our intention to include all the improvements we currently plan to meet customer expectations for the PS3 version," reads a portion of Square Enix's statement.
The PC version of Final Fantasy XIV debuted in September, and has suffered through a rocky start. According to Metacritic, the game holds an average review score of 52.
To address a series of significant technical bugs, developers have planned a series of several updates, including one that just released in late November. Kotaku reports additional updates are scheduled for this month and into early 2011. Square Enix has also extended the game's free trial period.
Mass Effect 2 Gets a PS3 Release Date
t has been almost a year since Mass Effect 2 was first released for the Xbox 360 and PC, but EA and BioWare have finally set the release date for the game's PlayStation 3 version. North American PS3 owners will be able to acquire BioWare's acclaimed sci-fi RPG on January 18. The European release will come just three days later, on January 21.
The PlayStation 3 release of Mass Effect 2 will include bonus content that was released as DLC for game's previous releases
The PlayStation 3 release of Mass Effect 2 will include bonus content that was released as DLC for game's previous releases
Xbox 360 leads strong November sales
According to the latest NPD figures, the Microsoft Xbox 360 led the way again for the month of November, beating out rivals Wii and PS3 in hardware sales.
The Xbox 360 has now led sales in the States for six straight months.
Microsoft saw 1.37 million Xbox units sold for the month, up 68 percent year-over-year, followed closely behind by the Nintendo Wii at 1.27 million units, up .8 from last year.
Sony saw their year-over-year PlayStation 3 sales fall by 25 percent to 530,000. Sony slashed prices of their console last November.
Overall, sales of hardware, software and accessories jumped 8 percent, the first rise in the industry since May.
Year-to-date revenue now stands at $14.73 billion, down 5 percent YoY.
The Xbox 360 has now led sales in the States for six straight months.
Microsoft saw 1.37 million Xbox units sold for the month, up 68 percent year-over-year, followed closely behind by the Nintendo Wii at 1.27 million units, up .8 from last year.
Sony saw their year-over-year PlayStation 3 sales fall by 25 percent to 530,000. Sony slashed prices of their console last November.
Overall, sales of hardware, software and accessories jumped 8 percent, the first rise in the industry since May.
Year-to-date revenue now stands at $14.73 billion, down 5 percent YoY.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
'Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime' Coming to PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Atari today announced Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime, a downloadable game for Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows, scheduled for release in Spring 2011.
Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is a four player game where players assume the role of a rookie hired by the Ghostbusters to save New York City from a ghoulish invasion.
Along the way players will encounter bosses that require swift action to defeat using a variety of weapons including the Proton Stream, Plasma Inductor, and the Fermion Shock. Players can take on these bosses, and the entire game, on their own or with a team of friends both locally or online through the game’s multiplayer capability.
"Following the success of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, we are committed to continuing the lore of the Ghostbusters franchise with Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime,” says Jim Wilson, President and CEO of Atari. “In Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime, we are introducing an entirely new look and gameplay experience on digital platforms that will impress new and loyal Ghostbusters fans alike."
PS3 Firmware Update 3.55 drops to Playstation Network
Sony Corp. this week released Firmware Update v3.55 for the Playstation 3.
The update is said to be a security patch for the PS3 hardware, likely to prevent jailbreak hacks to play unauthorized software.
The prior update, version 3.50, enabled 3D Blu-ray disc playback functionality to the hardware.
In addition, the update included Facebook integration to access profile information in compatible games, and a new Grief Reporting Function to send claim reports for inappropriate messages.
Sony in Apr. released update v3.30 which enabled stereoscopic 3D game functionality.
3D titles available include MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, PAIN, Super Stardust HD, and Wipeout HD.
The 3D Blu-ray playback and stereoscopic game functionality is compatible with new 3D HDTV sets.
The PS3 is sold in a 160GB SKU at $299.99, 250GB SKU at $349.99.
Playstation Move Console Bundle includes a PS3 320GB SKU, Playstation Move Controller, Playstation Eye, and Sports Champions at $399.99.
Nintendo's Wii losing ground to Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360
By VICTOR GODINEZ / The Dallas Morning News
vgodinez@dallasnews.com
For four Christmases in a row, the Nintendo Wii was the must-have, can't-find holiday gift.
Parents camped out in front of toy stores and electronics shops, while retailers packaged the Wii with multiple games to maximize revenue from desperate buyers.
Not anymore.
While still a strong seller – Nintendo said it sold 600,000 consoles during Black Friday week – the Wii has come down to earth.
Experts cite a variety of factors in the Wii's decline, from the lack of high-definition compatibility to an uneven flow of innovative games to competitors at Microsoft and Sony duplicating and surpassing the Wii's groundbreaking motion controls.
"I just think Nintendo has completely screwed up," said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. "Nintendo could have just taken all the good things from the PS3 and [Xbox] 360 and improved them" for a Wii HD. "I thought they'd do it in 2009. And they blew it. Waiting until 2011 will be too late."
Gamers have noticed the drop-off, as well.
Allen resident Ron Guest and his family bought a Wii a little over two years ago.
"We played the Wii a lot the first year or so we had it," Guest said via e-mail.
"These days it still gets regular use but as more of a standby entertainment rather than a 'Let's drop everything and play games on the Wii.' "
"The reason in our case is pretty simple – lack of compelling new games for our diverse crew (4-year-old through adult). Games we buy these days are either poorly done or rehashes."
For the last several years, Wii hardware sales trounced those of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 in the critical holiday months of November and December.
Often, sales of the Wii were larger than the sales of those two platforms combined.
But analysts don't expect that to happen this year.
Market research firm NPD Group will release its tally of November sales today, and Pachter estimated the Xbox 360 will take the top spot with 1,075,000 systems sold, up 31 percent from the same month last year.
He expects the Wii to place second with 975,000 consoles sold, a 23 percent plunge.
The PS3 is predicted to come in third with 650,000 units sold, down 8 percent.
Fastest seller
Nintendo noted that the lifetime sales of the Wii are 20 percent higher than sales of the PlayStation 2 were at this point in its lifecycle, and the PS2 went on to become the best-selling console of all time.
"Wii remains the fastest-selling home video-game system – ever," Charlie Scibetta, senior director of corporate communications at Nintendo of America, said in a prepared statement.
The company declined to make an executive available for an interview.
"In the last two years, Wii set consecutive records for most consoles ever sold in America in a year," Scibetta said. "It is unrealistic to expect that trend to continue indefinitely and that every year we would continue to sell more than the last."
The Wii undoubtedly remains a major success, having sold roughly 30.5 million units in the U.S. since its launch in late 2006, according to NPD data, compared with lifetime sales of 22.2 million for the Xbox 360 and 13.4 million for the PS3.
So the recent slowdown merely gives the laggards a chance to close some of that gap.
But the decline is unmistakable.
And while that decline has all sorts of negative consequences for Nintendo, it actually is expected to do less damage than might be expected to GameStop Corp., the Grapevine-based video-game retailer.
Pachter said GameStop specializes in new, hard-to-find games and hardware.
But since the Wii long ago became a mass-market product, the retailer has put less emphasis on that system.
"Of course, they'll sell hundreds of thousands [of Wii consoles over the holidays], but if they have 25 percent market share, there's no way they're selling 25 percent of the Wiis this holiday season," Pachter said. "They're probably selling 15 percent."
Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop, said it's too early to count the Wii out for the holiday season.
"Earlier in the year, there was definitely a slower rate of sell-through," he said.
But Nintendo generally does so well in the holiday season that it could recoup the lost sales from the first few months of 2010, McKenzie said.
Limitations
There are several reasons why the Wii no longer generates the frenzy it once did.
According to research firm Nielsen, when the Wii launched in 2006, the percentage of households with high-definition televisions was under 10 percent.
So the Wii's standard-def limitations weren't a big deal.
But as of July, more than 54 percent of households had an HD television, making the console's technical limitations much more apparent.
The PS3 and Xbox 360, by contrast, both have HD capability built in.
Not everyone is convinced the Wii's lack of HD is hurting the system.
"I have an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old, and we've got the Wii hooked up to a high-definition TV in our house, and I don't find myself or my kids looking at it going, 'I don't want to play that. It doesn't look cool, or as good as the PS3 or 360,' " said GameStop's McKenzie. "It's really more about them being engaged in the gameplay."
What's more, while games made by Nintendo for the Wii – the Marios and Zeldas – always sell in the multiple millions of copies, independent developers and publishers have had a much tougher time crafting blockbusters for the Wii.
In part, that's because the Wii doesn't have the graphical horsepower of the Xbox 360 or PS3, so developers can't simply tweak a few lines of code and re-release their games on the Wii.
And even if publishers could simply rehash their games for the Wii, the mainstream audience that flocked to Nintendo's console is generally less interested in the blood-and-guts-style titles that rule the Xbox 360 and PS3 sales charts.
"Nintendo has succeeded with an audience that is just not the same as these publishers are used to appealing to," Pachter said.
"In order to please that Nintendo audience, they have to make Nintendo-like games, and it's hard to do. And no one wants to try, and that's killing sales."
At the same time, Microsoft has launched the popular Kinect accessory for the Xbox 360, which uses a video camera to do full-body motion tracking, while Sony has essentially upgraded the Wii remote with its Move controllers.
Looking ahead
In some ways, the Wii is a victim of its own success.
It so completely redefined what games could be and how they could be played that it will be hard for Nintendo to get lightning to strike twice.
But the company's next game-changing innovation might come in different segment of the industry: handhelds.
Just as the prelaunch buzz around the Wii was a hint of the wild consumer demand that followed, so too could the hype around Nintendo's 3-D handheld, the 3DS, herald the next big thing in gaming.
That device is expected to go on sale next year.
"The 3DS is awesome," Pachter said.
"That device is cool. They're going to do well. I think they're going to more than make up for the Wii decline with the 3DS."
vgodinez@dallasnews.com
For four Christmases in a row, the Nintendo Wii was the must-have, can't-find holiday gift.
Parents camped out in front of toy stores and electronics shops, while retailers packaged the Wii with multiple games to maximize revenue from desperate buyers.
Not anymore.
While still a strong seller – Nintendo said it sold 600,000 consoles during Black Friday week – the Wii has come down to earth.
Experts cite a variety of factors in the Wii's decline, from the lack of high-definition compatibility to an uneven flow of innovative games to competitors at Microsoft and Sony duplicating and surpassing the Wii's groundbreaking motion controls.
"I just think Nintendo has completely screwed up," said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. "Nintendo could have just taken all the good things from the PS3 and [Xbox] 360 and improved them" for a Wii HD. "I thought they'd do it in 2009. And they blew it. Waiting until 2011 will be too late."
Gamers have noticed the drop-off, as well.
Allen resident Ron Guest and his family bought a Wii a little over two years ago.
"We played the Wii a lot the first year or so we had it," Guest said via e-mail.
"These days it still gets regular use but as more of a standby entertainment rather than a 'Let's drop everything and play games on the Wii.' "
"The reason in our case is pretty simple – lack of compelling new games for our diverse crew (4-year-old through adult). Games we buy these days are either poorly done or rehashes."
For the last several years, Wii hardware sales trounced those of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 in the critical holiday months of November and December.
Often, sales of the Wii were larger than the sales of those two platforms combined.
But analysts don't expect that to happen this year.
Market research firm NPD Group will release its tally of November sales today, and Pachter estimated the Xbox 360 will take the top spot with 1,075,000 systems sold, up 31 percent from the same month last year.
He expects the Wii to place second with 975,000 consoles sold, a 23 percent plunge.
The PS3 is predicted to come in third with 650,000 units sold, down 8 percent.
Fastest seller
Nintendo noted that the lifetime sales of the Wii are 20 percent higher than sales of the PlayStation 2 were at this point in its lifecycle, and the PS2 went on to become the best-selling console of all time.
"Wii remains the fastest-selling home video-game system – ever," Charlie Scibetta, senior director of corporate communications at Nintendo of America, said in a prepared statement.
The company declined to make an executive available for an interview.
"In the last two years, Wii set consecutive records for most consoles ever sold in America in a year," Scibetta said. "It is unrealistic to expect that trend to continue indefinitely and that every year we would continue to sell more than the last."
The Wii undoubtedly remains a major success, having sold roughly 30.5 million units in the U.S. since its launch in late 2006, according to NPD data, compared with lifetime sales of 22.2 million for the Xbox 360 and 13.4 million for the PS3.
So the recent slowdown merely gives the laggards a chance to close some of that gap.
But the decline is unmistakable.
And while that decline has all sorts of negative consequences for Nintendo, it actually is expected to do less damage than might be expected to GameStop Corp., the Grapevine-based video-game retailer.
Pachter said GameStop specializes in new, hard-to-find games and hardware.
But since the Wii long ago became a mass-market product, the retailer has put less emphasis on that system.
"Of course, they'll sell hundreds of thousands [of Wii consoles over the holidays], but if they have 25 percent market share, there's no way they're selling 25 percent of the Wiis this holiday season," Pachter said. "They're probably selling 15 percent."
Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop, said it's too early to count the Wii out for the holiday season.
"Earlier in the year, there was definitely a slower rate of sell-through," he said.
But Nintendo generally does so well in the holiday season that it could recoup the lost sales from the first few months of 2010, McKenzie said.
Limitations
There are several reasons why the Wii no longer generates the frenzy it once did.
According to research firm Nielsen, when the Wii launched in 2006, the percentage of households with high-definition televisions was under 10 percent.
So the Wii's standard-def limitations weren't a big deal.
But as of July, more than 54 percent of households had an HD television, making the console's technical limitations much more apparent.
The PS3 and Xbox 360, by contrast, both have HD capability built in.
Not everyone is convinced the Wii's lack of HD is hurting the system.
"I have an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old, and we've got the Wii hooked up to a high-definition TV in our house, and I don't find myself or my kids looking at it going, 'I don't want to play that. It doesn't look cool, or as good as the PS3 or 360,' " said GameStop's McKenzie. "It's really more about them being engaged in the gameplay."
What's more, while games made by Nintendo for the Wii – the Marios and Zeldas – always sell in the multiple millions of copies, independent developers and publishers have had a much tougher time crafting blockbusters for the Wii.
In part, that's because the Wii doesn't have the graphical horsepower of the Xbox 360 or PS3, so developers can't simply tweak a few lines of code and re-release their games on the Wii.
And even if publishers could simply rehash their games for the Wii, the mainstream audience that flocked to Nintendo's console is generally less interested in the blood-and-guts-style titles that rule the Xbox 360 and PS3 sales charts.
"Nintendo has succeeded with an audience that is just not the same as these publishers are used to appealing to," Pachter said.
"In order to please that Nintendo audience, they have to make Nintendo-like games, and it's hard to do. And no one wants to try, and that's killing sales."
At the same time, Microsoft has launched the popular Kinect accessory for the Xbox 360, which uses a video camera to do full-body motion tracking, while Sony has essentially upgraded the Wii remote with its Move controllers.
Looking ahead
In some ways, the Wii is a victim of its own success.
It so completely redefined what games could be and how they could be played that it will be hard for Nintendo to get lightning to strike twice.
But the company's next game-changing innovation might come in different segment of the industry: handhelds.
Just as the prelaunch buzz around the Wii was a hint of the wild consumer demand that followed, so too could the hype around Nintendo's 3-D handheld, the 3DS, herald the next big thing in gaming.
That device is expected to go on sale next year.
"The 3DS is awesome," Pachter said.
"That device is cool. They're going to do well. I think they're going to more than make up for the Wii decline with the 3DS."
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