Dumbest Business Decisions ever made

[patjuan32]

Nintendo sticking with cartridges with the N64.

Guys, look back at the time. Two CD console came out and failed. One was by Sega and I can not remember the name of the other company. It could be SNK with the NeoGeo CD but I'm not sure. Because of this Reps at Nintendo decided to stick with cartridges. Remember, Square showed the Final Fantasy N64 SGI Demo giving the impression that they were supporting the N64.

No one knew that the Playstation would be successful. It launched a year before the N64 yet the N64 was the fasting selling system when it launched it broke the previous launch records. However Square launched Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation because the expense of cartridges. 3D RPGs became a popular genre and helped the Playstation become the dominate Platform. What if Square would have supported the N64 with all their RPGs. Would we all still think that sticking with cartridges was a bad idea?

Sony, did what they had to do with the PS3. Their electronics business is falling to the competition. Before most electronics products had the name Sony on them. Stereos, VCRS, and portable music devices. Now there are so many quality products that are cheaper than what Sony can provide. That any technological advancement that they can develop means saving their struggling business. If they, Sony, can establish Blue Ray CDs as the next generation DvD then that means licensing fees, money, that Sony earns off each Blue Ray DVD sold. Sony has not made a lot of money off the Playstation or the Playstation 2. Well not enough to sell off their electronics business. They could have worked with Toshiba and developed the next gen dvd but I guess saving their electronics business mattered more.

Microsoft has to include Japan in their plans. In order to be successful in the console market, A console has to sell well in all three major territories, North America, Japan, and Europe.
Microsoft is going up against established players, Nintendo and Sony who are know in that region and a majority of publishers and developers have worked with them and know them.
Microsoft is unknown and has to work to establish its name. Its something that has to be done. Square-Enix recently stated they wanted to get a better return on their games from the western markets. They also stated that they were going to make games for the western market. The Last Remnant is an example of such a game and is in development for the PS3 and Xbox 360. If the Xbox 360 continues to sell well and continues to get support from Konami, Namco, and Square-Enix, there fortunes can change in Japan. Do not forget that Myst walker is developing games for the Xbox 360. One great game can make a difference.

I think there are some bad business ideas but they have to be taken in context. Was it a bad idea to stick with cartridges? Yes, Nintendo was obviously looking at CDs as an alternative to cartridges but failed to take the risk. Some risk are worth taking. The Blue Ray player could have been a stand alone attachment like the HD dvd player for the Xbox 360. This would have made the PS3 cheaper. Microsoft is looking for support from the top publishers in Japan but have failed to support the mid level and small publishers that would benefit greatly from their support and would have remained loyal to them. The mid level and small publishers can not afford to develop a HD game and lose money. Financial backing from Microsoft would help these companies increase their staffs and increase their market share in the Japanese and Western markets. Not doing this has cost Microsoft.