Next Generation Console Hopes/Predictions

[Keilyn]

Wii Sports - 76
Wii Fit - 80
Wii Sports Resort - 80
Mario Kart Wii - 82
Super Smash Bros Brawl - 93
Super Mario Galaxy - 97
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 95
New Super Mario Bros Wii - 87
Metroid Prime 3 - 90
(Source: Metacritic.com)

According to the NPD Group and the IDC group...both top market research groups...57% of gamers are under the age of 12...and the majority of money that the gaming industry makes comes from them...

So most of these "high scores" come from the mind of 12 year olds and teenagers who have the time to use the internet...and possibly the reason why Nintendo Wii and Playstation sells because of their appeal to children and teens...

...while most adult gamers who love tournament gaming and more serious games go to the PC side of things...and since 360 has the clash between console and PC mentalities...it becomes something abstract.

Look at most gaming forums...how they are littered with 12 - 15 year olds spamming their opinions all day and all night long...Its like 4-chan all over again.

[amtalx]

So most of these "high scores" come from the mind of 12 year olds and teenagers who have the time to use the internet.

Metacritic scores are compiled from reviews from places like IGN, Gamespot, 1UP, Gamespy, etc.

[Outrider]

So most of these "high scores" come from the mind of 12 year olds and teenagers who have the time to use the internet...and possibly the reason why Nintendo Wii and Playstation sells because of their appeal to children and teens...

Metacritic scores are compiled from reviews from places like IGN, Gamespot, 1UP, Gamespy, etc.

Yeah, those were the professional review scores. The user-generated scores look quite different.

...while most adult gamers who love tournament gaming and more serious games go to the PC side of things...and since 360 has the clash between console and PC mentalities...it becomes something abstract.

That's kind of a nice bit of insanity, but there are plenty of adult gamers who play PS3 and Wii, and there are plenty of kids who play Xbox and PC. In fact, let's take a look at the vgchartz top sales numbers for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC:

Xbox 360:
Halo 3
Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
GTAIV
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty World at War
Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Assassin's Creed
Guitar Hero 3
Forza Motorsport 2

PS3:
GTA IV
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
MGS 4
Call of Duty World at War
Resistance Fall of Man
Assassin's Creed
Motorstorm
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Uncharted Drake's Fortune

So five of the best selling games on Xbox were also on the top ten list for the PS3. It certainly doesn't sound like one caters more to a younger demographic than another.

As for the PC - hard sales figures are difficult to get as the NPD doesn't report on digital downloads (though, I think that changed just recently). However, The Sims is generally considered to be the best-selling game of all time on PC, with 16 million copies sold of the original game as vgchartz's best estimate.

I did find a press release from August 2008 announcing that the Bejeweled franchise had sold 25 million copies: http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/31222...s-to-25m-sales

Seeing as that was over a year ago, I imagine the number is quite larger these days.

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but PC gaming has been dominated by casual games for a long time.

If anything - the PC is a great example of where console gaming might be heading. Sure, there will still be breakout core titles such as World of Warcraft or Half-Life, but the many individual "casual" games will begin to add up and gain in popularity. But I don't see it as a takeover situation so much - the core developers and core games will still be there. They'll just exist within a much larger industry that also has large casual developers and casual games.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

EDIT: My mom bought and Wii and just told me she wants Wii Fit for christmas. D:

So now you can play Punch Out another way if she tires of this balance board.

I think me and my bros used the Mario Paint Grey Plastic mousepad as a balance/boogie board back in the day as it has a crack in it. Collector value down 80%. Wish we still had the Super Bomberman package with multitap. Biggest SNES game box ever, Red Logo up the sides. Hotness.

-
There's also the little talked about kickbacks on their marketing teams made especially to get better review scores.

-
On topic to the last post, Outrider's previous link why people don't finish games article, avg age is 33 for gamers. Well then, I won't be so worried about it all ending soon and filling that need with sports cars/SUVEE/minivans before finally golf. And unearth an attic, indestructible Classic Wii to do some bowling as a real senior. Kids in the future just won't know how we do.

[amtalx]

Mario Paint Grey Plastic mousepad

I still have mine. D:

[Tetsaru]

Tetsaru. How difficult is it for you to realize that you are one data point among millions? That your friends are a dozen data points among millions? Collectively you can't even amount to a drop in the bucket. What you think and your personal experiences amount to is next to nothing as far as the industry of gaming is concerned. The arrogance required to make that assumption and the obstinateness and ignorance required to maintain it are somewhat shocking.

Ignoring that games like Metroid Prime 3 handle motion control very well, whether it's "gimmicky" or not is irrelevant. He's already shown you that it sells hardware and software, and frankly, that's all that matters. Project Natal and the "Gem" aren't possibilities, they're actualities, and regardless of what you want to think, they exist because the market shows the demand is there.

How exactly do you propose to support your arguments without searching for and citing the necessary figures and statistics? Who cares what search engine anyone uses to find their information. It's all cited and confirmed by other sources. Until you're prepared to do the same I would suggest you abstain from posting, because it will only serve to further derail the thread with personal bias and ignorance.

A few things I found:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/foru....159907?page=1

http://www.gamecritics.com/tera-kirk...h-disabilities

http://www.busygamernews.com/2007/04...e_about_w.html

I also found this rather humorous, but the sad truth is, I'm sure all of these games could've easily been ported to the 360 and PS3 with NORMAL controls and GOOD hardware, graphical HD support, and online support:

Spoiler!

I also looked at the preview videos for Project Natal and the PS3's new motion controller... Natal looks like it could have some promise, the PS3 controller just looks ridiculous and the applications they showed were just as bad as the Wii's.

Face it - most gamers are lazy people... even I'll admit that. I don't like flailing my arms around looking like an idiot. I don't like getting up off my ass just to input certain commands. I like to have my controls at my fingertips, at the press of a button. If I wanted to make excessive movements like that, I'd go out and exercise or play REAL sports. And what would happen if I broke an arm or leg, and had to put it in a cast? Would that suddenly mean I couldn't play any of these games because they're so intent on sticking to this form of controls?? I'll try keep an eye on how each company takes this "revolutionary idea," but it seems like a bunch of crock that I don't want to involve myself with. There's just no need to make a waggle-control for an attack or punch that you can easily map to the B button or something... that's just over-complicating things imo.

My Wii has been sitting on my dresser for months, gathering dust lately. The only thing I played recently was Twilight Princess, only because I hadn't beaten it yet, and the last recorded save I had on it was from a YEAR ago. Granted, I MIGHT get New Super Mario Bros. Wii for Christmas, but I'm sure I'll beat it within a few days and quickly forget about it. The gimmick is gone, and now I yearn for Nintendo to make fun, immersive games in which I don't have to twitch my hand (which is already probably developing carpal-tunnel and/or arthritis from playing games most of my life in the first place, among other things) around to do a fucking spin attack.

I'm sick of arguing with you people... you don't have to look at sales reports or trends. All you have to do is look around on the internet or ask fellow gamers, I'm sure you'll find at least ONE besides me who thinks motion controls are just retarded.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

I still have mine. D:

Meet you on the snow hill for some sledding in 5.

Or take mine and strap them to your feet to walk on the snow.
Now who's playing with Power?!

I'm sick of arguing with you people... you don't have to look at sales reports or trends. All you have to do is look around on the internet or ask fellow gamers, I'm sure you'll find at least ONE besides me who thinks motion controls are just retarded.

But these escapists yearn to be heard by someone after they don't get anywhere ranting to their local Gamestop clerks. Plus collectively those are just pat on the back guys to all have the same idea. "Good one bro. We don't play that kiddie Wii, Nintendo just doesn't get it/us man."

There are also places on the NET to look at of people keeping up with Wii releases, evaluating purchases, awaiting and hyping the new ones. And all are just niche forums/groupings among the many people who buy - faceless, non openly opinionated, not keyboard warriors voicing upsetting hyperbole complaints.

I don't think it was really an argument to get stressed out over, but you weren't conceding that the industry as a whole doesn't mirror just your experience. Your opinion is valid enough, just skewed from your perspective. No need for the huffing and puffing.

[Randomness]

Random aside... what kind of ignorance does it take to put Fire Emblem in the picture? You might as well have had the stick guy complaining Super Mario Galaxy was only on the Wii.

[Squirrel3D]

I'm sick of arguing with you people... you don't have to look at sales reports or trends. All you have to do is look around on the internet or ask fellow gamers, I'm sure you'll find at least ONE besides me who thinks motion controls are just retarded.

And I'm sick of you not seeing the big picture at the end of the day. Motion controls are here to stay, wether you like it or not. The Wii has some great games on that system, wether you want to deny it or not.

Why do you think MS and Sony wants to cash in on the success of the Wii? Becuase they too see the big picture just like the majority of the game industry and videogamers. And oh by the way, you and your friends do not respersent the entire landscape of the gamer population. It's just like when these so-called black leaders--no nvm, not gonna go there.

And I'm also sick of you and other people saying that the Wii's demographic is kids...when it's really ANYONE, thus the term "casual". You seem to have a big problem with say...your grandmother playing Bowling in Wii Sports, as if you are offended as a gamer (which would be an oxymoron). Well that's the whole point of the Wii and the DS, and you ether refuse to see that, or are just going to contuine to be ignorant.

No one told you to buy a Wii. That was your decison to buy it. If it doesn't appeal to you, fine. But just becuase it's not your thing of your friends' thing, doesn't mean it's the same for everyone. So you might as well just stop it at this point. Your aurgements is getting you nowhere, and you're only using your own experinces to somehow justify why the Wii isn't for every videogamer and how it's "shit" and etc etc etc.


(but we'e still friends, right?? )

[Outrider]

A few things I found:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/foru....159907?page=1

http://www.gamecritics.com/tera-kirk...h-disabilities

http://www.busygamernews.com/2007/04...e_about_w.html

Okay, a poll with less than 300 people, an article on gamers with disabilities (actually an interesting topic, thanks), and a rant about the Wii. I'm glad you did your research, but aside from the fact that the disabilities article isn't really relevant, you're still just showing us a small sample of opinions.

I also found this rather humorous, but the sad truth is, I'm sure all of these games could've easily been ported to the 360 and PS3 with NORMAL controls and GOOD hardware, graphical HD support, and online support:

Spoiler!

I'm pretty sure the joke is that the people complaining are making excuses. That's why it shows the angry guy saying that the Wii has no games when we earlier saw that it has plenty of games he wants to play, but he refuses to play them because of his bias against the Wii.

That's the whole point of the joke.

I also looked at the preview videos for Project Natal and the PS3's new motion controller... Natal looks like it could have some promise, the PS3 controller just looks ridiculous and the applications they showed were just as bad as the Wii's.

Face it - most gamers are lazy people... even I'll admit that. I don't like flailing my arms around looking like an idiot. I don't like getting up off my ass just to input certain commands. I like to have my controls at my fingertips, at the press of a button. If I wanted to make excessive movements like that, I'd go out and exercise or play REAL sports. And what would happen if I broke an arm or leg, and had to put it in a cast? Would that suddenly mean I couldn't play any of these games because they're so intent on sticking to this form of controls?? I'll try keep an eye on how each company takes this "revolutionary idea," but it seems like a bunch of crock that I don't want to involve myself with. There's just no need to make a waggle-control for an attack or punch that you can easily map to the B button or something... that's just over-complicating things imo.

Sure, in some cases motion controls don't make sense. You seem to think that everything is going to be replaced by motion controls, when that's simply not the case. As I said several times in this thread - developers are going to get better with knowing when they're appropriate and when they're not. To use Twilight Princess as an example - the motion and pointer controls are great for aiming the projectile weapons and activating the shield bash/spin attack, but they fall a little flat having to use them for every sword attack when there's no relation between your movements and the direction of the sword. That's something they noticed, and presumably they'll improve that in the next game.

But still - this argument that motion controls involve a lot of movement - they really don't. Some games do (I know several Motion Plus games track a difference between a minor movement and a large movement), but you're just showing your own ignorance with these games if you think that games like Zelda or Mario are going to be tiring because you have to use a pointer or small movements.

My Wii has been sitting on my dresser for months, gathering dust lately. The only thing I played recently was Twilight Princess, only because I hadn't beaten it yet, and the last recorded save I had on it was from a YEAR ago. Granted, I MIGHT get New Super Mario Bros. Wii for Christmas, but I'm sure I'll beat it within a few days and quickly forget about it. The gimmick is gone, and now I yearn for Nintendo to make fun, immersive games in which I don't have to twitch my hand (which is already probably developing carpal-tunnel and/or arthritis from playing games most of my life in the first place, among other things) around to do a fucking spin attack.

I'm sick of arguing with you people... you don't have to look at sales reports or trends. All you have to do is look around on the internet or ask fellow gamers, I'm sure you'll find at least ONE besides me who thinks motion controls are just retarded.

Again with this "you against the world" concept. Who said that there aren't people that agree with you? I'm sure their are. The point is that they're a minority, and you and these people don't consistently represent what the rest of the gaming world is interested in.

The way that you consistently ignore clear evidence is astounding. Dislike these changes to the industry all you want, but your summaries of the industry are wrong, plain and simple. Tuck your tail between your legs, accept the hit to your ego and walk away already. You're wrong - live with it. Everybody is wrong sometimes.

Random aside... what kind of ignorance does it take to put Fire Emblem in the picture? You might as well have had the stick guy complaining Super Mario Galaxy was only on the Wii.

Yeah, that's actually the point. The guy who's complaining is clearly the butt of the joke.