OP:I am conflicted between your smart post, and your dumb sig...
Basically the question is: Who has motivation to push towards the next gen. The answer right now seems to be "no one."
Certainly not Wii, which has no competition for its customers. Not 360, which looks to be winning the competition for its customers, and now at least makes inconsistent profits, which is miles better than consistent losses. Not PS3, which looks to be no longer focusing on marketshare at all. Customers aren't pushing the change, with record game sales everywhere but Japan. Third parties aren't pushing the change, because as was pointed out, transition periods can be painful, and they still need to recover from the mishandling of the last transition.
But then again, two years is a long time. PS3 and 360 have had so many ups and downs over the last two years, it is easily conceivable that they'll be way down by 2010, which will force Sony or Microsoft's hand to release a new console in 2011, whether they planned to or not.
| O-D-C said: Second gen... 1977 (Atari 2600) to 1985 (NES) 8 years... No I dont till think it will be longest yet but it will be likely longer then the last. |
Famicom launched in 1983 in Japan. Atari 7800 came out in 1984 in America. And oh yeah, the whole market crashed around that time, making it hard to argue that the "generation" lasted through 1983 and 84.
"[Our former customers] are unable to find software which they WANT to play."
"The way to solve this problem lies in how to communicate what kind of games [they CAN play]."
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President. Only slightly paraphrased.
