I wish someone would offer a prize, of piles of money, ribbons, and a piece of chocolate cake for a good, simple, delicious definition of the word: “Generation”.
What an immense service it would confer on The Industry!
Generation!
What is it? Where does it come from? What does it do? What ought it to do?
All we know is that it is a mysterious personage; and, assuredly, it is the most promised, most hyped, most accused, the most invoked, and the most provoked of any personage in gaming.
I have not the pleasure of knowing my reader but I would stake ten to one that for seven months he has been imagining new Killer Apps, and if so, that he is looking to the next “Generation” for realization of them.
And, should the reader happen to be a gamer demanding more from the present “Generation”, I have no doubt that the gamer is sincerely desirous of seeing all his dreams for fantastical epic games be easily made, if only the next “Generation” would only undertake it.
But, alas! That poor unfortunate personage, like Figaro, knows not to whom to listen, nor where to turn. The hundred thousand mouths of armchair quarterbacks cry out all at once:
“Integrate online gaming with everything.”
“Instruct your consoles to output to my HD TV.”
“Re-introduce the old arcade games.”
“Make experiments with online advertising.”
“Offer gaming work-kits to gamers.”
“Play DVDs.”
“Plant the new high definition disc into the console like Blu-Ray!”
“No! Offer HD-DVD add-on for those who choose.”
“Make online free with virtual worlds.”
“No! Offer subscription online for integrated experiences!”
“Deliver us Achievements to make Pavlov proud!”
“Encourage the arts by telling your developers they are the new Shakespeare.”
“Rear and perfect even greater epic games.”
“Nurture bald space marines.”
“Discipline us with brown. Colorful games are kiddie.”
“Use cutting edge technology. Turn the console into an entertainment computer.”
“Cure Cancer.”
“Defeat Hollywood at their own business model.”
“Do have a little patience, gentlemen,” says the young ‘Generation’ in a beseeching tone. “I will do what I can to satisfy you, but for this I must have resources. I have been preparing new business models to tax you, which are quite new, as well as incredibly large hardware prices. You will see how pleasurable it will be to pay them.”
Then comes a great exclamation:
“No! Indeed! Where is the merit of doing a thing with high costs? Why, it does not deserve the name of next ‘Generation’! So far from loading us with fresh costs, we would have you price drop your hardware immediately to a manufactured suggested retail price of $200.
“You ought to suppress
“Micro-transactions.”
“Hardware replacement costs.”
“Paying insurance on your hardware.”
“New revisions of systems after I bought mine.”
“Software prices.”
“Online subscription prices.”
“Talking to Indian guy ‘Sharma’ about my broken hardware.”
http://malstrom.50webs.com/drowningintheblueocean2.htm
Predictions:Sales of Wii Fit will surpass the combined sales of the Grand Theft Auto franchiseLifetime sales of Wii will surpass the combined sales of the entire Playstation family of consoles by 12/31/2015 Wii hardware sales will surpass the total hardware sales of the PS2 by 12/31/2010 Wii will have 50% marketshare or more by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!! It was a little over 48% only)Wii will surpass 45 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!! Nintendo Financials showed it fell slightly short of 45 million shipped by end of 2008)Wii will surpass 80 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2009 (I was wrong!! Wii didn't even get to 70 Million)
