Microsoft: Hardcore games easiest to sell

[Reasonable]

S.T.A.G.E. said:

Reasonable said:
I suspect for MS that's true. Their challenge with Natal is they are out of their safe spot. MS has done a good job of taking a very PC centric culture around FPS, online, community and stat tracking and moving it to a console as well as adding strong, traditional titles.

Now though, they are trying to get an audience that previously only Nintendo and Sony have shown any ability to sell to in a big way, and that is no mean feat. Natal is a good tool, but just having Natal won't get them anywhere without the right games, marketing, PR and approach.

When Natal hits, when the Wand hits, it's going to get interesting, that's for sure.

Sony has been in the same boat with Microsoft for two generations. If casuals bought casual titles on the PS2 they were really taking what they could get with a cheaper system. I got more social activity out of the Gamecube with friends than I did the PS2 unless we were playing fighters, racers or sports. The Original Xbox gave us multiplayer shooters, racers and more. I do agree though, when Natal and the Wand hit it's going to get interesting. I just hate that Sony had to make another product that was just too close to Nintendo. Aside from that it has more promise than the Wii mote for the things you can do with it and over it will most likely be a cheaper peripheral compared to Natal.

I have to disagree a bit on PS2.  It sold over 100M.  I appreciate you might have found more on the Gamecube but you were in a minority.  The PS2 was the console to buy if you were going to casually buy a console, play with a few mates, etc.  Like the Wii today (but without Nintendo clear focus on casual titles) the PS2 was there in the living room and kids, teens and parents would play it casually or sometimes for the hardcore.  Last gen the PS2 was the only console clearly sitting in both hardcore / casual environments.

As I said, only Nintendo and Sony have shown true ability to achieve those huge console sales and casual acceptance.  This gen I agree Sony somehow lost the plot in this area, ending up competiting heavily with MS with AAA hardcore titles while Nintendo has been left completely unchallenged to hoover up everything else.

I'm not saying MS can't do this, don't get me wrong on that.  But clearly they are the new kid on the block in this area, and it will be truly interesting to see how they make out.

I'm also interested that, for the first time really, when all three consoles have motion controls we have the prospect of multi-platform titles using motion control across all three consoles - that will be something I will be curious to see, partly because it means PS3/360 might finally get the critical mass of more casual titles they are sorely missing today, and partly because it might see even more 3rd party developers put games on the Wii because they can spread the risk over the PS3/360.