Why I don't believe in "System Sellers"

[Grey Acumen]

I agree with much of the logic that has been shown here, but also want to throw out another point to consider.


If you think about it. If there's a game you are absolutely GOING to buy, you tend to go out and get the console even before the game is out. There might be a small initial boost in sales for those that have been specifically waiting for the individual game, but that doesn't change the slope of the sell rate, it just creates a bump in it.

For me, Smash Bros Melee was a system seller. Simply put, that was the game I played, and I played it often enough that it justified the purchase of both the game and the console.
This game also changed my entire perspective on vs battles. Everything that I hated about those games, the random combos, the set limit health meter, the limited ability to avoid attacks, the inability to have an actual strategy. All of the problems I had with fighting games were gone when I played this game.

A game that can change the way a genre is played, or the way a console is viewed in general, will be a true system seller. No matter how good a game is, how critically acclaimed it is, or how eagerly anticipated it is, it will not be a TRUE system seller without this.

People are pointing to final fantasy XXLMD whatever and Metal Gear 5 and all these other games. Yes, they are good, and with all of them they may begin to push sales a bit better, but it's not going to suddenly reverse which side has the advantage.

As far as I'm concerned, I see Little Big Planet being a TRUE system seller for the PS3. It's the one thing that I've seen for the PS3 that honestly looks FUN, and it looks like it uses the high def graphics to actually look PRETTY, instead of gritty and shitty.

Wii has the advantage here because the console itself is changing the way genre's are payed, Sports games, racing games, simulators, exercise games, brain games, FPS, TPS, Adventure, Minigames, everything is getting overhauled. There wil be a bunch of people who come out with crappy games, but as soon as someone does get it right, they're going to rake everything in, big time.