superchunk said:
sort of. I think the fact that PS360 started so high in price combined with how 3rd parties refused to jump on Wii with signifianct quality IPs like they did for past generational leaders has allowed the 2/3rd place parties to thrive where previosly they have floundered. Very interesting but proves a point to all console makers. 1. Nintendo must be within reason of hareware power. 2. MSony can't expect to win with >$300 hardware. Next gen will be a more 'normal' setup as all three enter with similar abilities in terms of power and probably top out at $300-350. THus, whomever is winning, will have the ability to capture the 3rd party exclusiveness once deemed automatic in previous gens. |
I'd say "thrive" is embellishing it quite a bit. Some 3rd party developers are surviving on PS360 (and a few are doing better than that admittedly), but a rather unhealthy proportion of them have been dropping like flies this gen. We've not had this proportionately many studio layoffs, sellouts or outright bankruptcies and closures since the crash in the 80s.
I said this elsewhere, but 3rd parties are between a rock and a hard place this gen, and it's largely due to their own making. They can face an apathetic/hostile Wii market that no longer trusts them, or the can spend their way to oblivion with a PS360 market that constantly demands more, yet sells less than what they're used to. They basically needed another PS2 this gen, and their own actions have more or less been what's prevented that from happening.
