By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
Aielyn on 07 July 2012
Edit Thread

There may actually be some truth to the assertion that MS needs to consider announcing a new console.

Think about it. The reason why the Wii got left out so much was that it was too "different" from the other systems.

Now consider the comparison between 360, PS3, and Wii U. 360 is the weakest of the systems. It uses DVD when the other two both use BluRay-size discs (this isn't an issue of cost, it's about consumers having to switch discs part way through a game). The best it can do for touch controls is SmartGlass (which lacks buttons), while PS3 has Vita and Wii U comes with a touchpad controller with standard button layout. It has a motion control system based on a depth-detecting camera (without buttons), when the PS3 has a motion-sensing wand with buttons and the Wii U has the Wiimote.

It has pay-to-play online where the other two both have free online. Its install base is concentrated mostly in America (meaning anything not targetted at America is risky) whereas the PS3 has (and Wii U almost certainly will have) a broad install base across all three regions. Let's not even get into DirectX. And then there's name recognition - everyone knows the Wii. Everyone knows Playstation. Both words have been synonymous with gaming at some point in the recent past. "Xbox", not so much.

In short, if one of the platforms is going to start being ignored, it'll be the 360. It won't be as bad as it was for the Wii, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few A-level games (not AAA, yet) are revealed to be PS3/WiiU. And I don't think MS can afford to moneyhat the problem away.

Sony, of course, can't afford to be showing off a new console any time soon. They're stuck where they are, and right now they need to focus on leveraging what they've already got. They're in the riskiest position, but they need to stay the course. Of course, if MS does announce a new console, Sony will be forced into a really tough position... especially if the new MS console is comparable to the Wii U.