makingmusic476 said:
1. Of course Netflix subs increased significantly. The application was suddenly available to millions of 360 owners via an easy to use means. That isn't evidence towards your point at all. I'm sure many 360 owners then and many new 360 owners today make use of the feature, but that doesn't mean it was pivotal in moving a significant amount of consoles. 2. Modern Warfare, released only two months after Halo 3, somehow convinced people to buy ps3s? Anybody willing to buy a console for an FPS would've surely gone with a 360, no? Modern Warfare's release was well timed on ps3, coming right after the release of the ps3's first $399 model, and it did sell quite well on ps3 as a result. However, I believe this was more a case of new ps3 owners buying Call of Duty, rather than people who wanted Call of Duty buying ps3s. The franchise becoming the phenomenon it has also lead to more and more ps3 owners buying it through word of mouth from their 360/ps3/pc gaming friends. Eventually picking up the next big game on your console is no surprise, however assuming people bought the console solely to play that game is one hell of a stretch. Do I think Call of Duty may have been the tipping point for some to buy a current generation console? I'm sure it was, but there's a reason said buyers chose a ps3 over a 360, and I'd assume it's the console's other exclusive content that interested them. Otherwise, why would a shooter fan not go with the console that has Halo and Gears? 3. Sony doesn't "drop" their IPs. Their developers often decide to head in new directions, yes, much like Bungie. This says more about the freedom Sony gives their developers than how important they feel their individual IPs are. And they often return to their old IPs, as shown through the recent Sly 4 announcement. Besides, Sony whoring out every IP they have on PSP implies they think they're pretty important. Why commission third parties to make new Ratchet, Jak, and Socom games on PSP if the IPs aren't worth anything? |
2. No, a compelling game is a compelling game whether it is exclusive or not. Games like Madden NFL sells consoles inspite the fact that it comes on more than one. The next best thing to a huge exclusive is a huge multiplatform release. So do I think that Call of Duty 4 convinced people to buy PS3s? I sure do. Like pachter said, a lot of people spend hundreds of hours playing a game like Call of Duty online so the idea that people would buy a system to play one game where they invest so many hours is logical and it is irrelevant that the game also came on the 360 and PC platforms.
3. Developers heading in new directions = dropping that I.P. The only I.P. they really carried forward and promoted significantly was I.P. which sold a lot in the case of GT5 and God of War 3 and Ratchet and Clank or niche titles which they promoted online. They dropped everything else on their main console for good reasons, they thought they could do better financially with new I.P. and that is purely a business decision.
Tease.