| AngryLittleAlchemist said: Yep. Consumers aren't dumb. It's never been exclusively about the graphics, it's always been about the best value for your dollar. That's why the PS2 won and not the Xbox or Gamecube. A lot of Playstation 2 games look like they could be Gamecube games and vice versa. I've heard people start saying stuff like"but but PS4 is winning this gen and the base model is the most powerful base console", but even that wouldn't make sense as an argument because the PS4 had more support and was 100$ cheaper at launch. This has never been a case with any console manufacturer, in fact Microsoft have sacrificied visual fidelity for a consistent 60 frames per second this gen, although Sony did try to push graphics a bit with the 3. Sony and Microsoft do focus on graphics, but that's only in relation to Nintendo, and really it's more like Nintendo focuses less on graphics in relation to the entire rest of the market. I do agree with the articles basic premise that the Switch is succeeding because it's graphics are "good enough", but then again they better be for a device that's selling entirely on being a home console-experience that you can take on the go. So yes, the article is right, and in some ways Nintendo should get credit for making a unique device, but still it's a bit too black and white and basic. |
Graphics likley did play a larger than normal role in the PS4's victory, but it was a 'free' advantage. As you note, it ultimately comes down to value. Success is dependent on appealing to a large chunk of the market, and to achieve that you have to do pretty well at lots of things. Being the king of one thing is usually not enough, and no one can be king of everything.
I completely agree that Nintendo deserves credit for the Switch. As much as it doesn't mesh well with many of my own preferences, there's no denying the general value in Switch's ideas and their execution.
On a side note, i think it's interesting how similar the Switch and PS4 are in some respects. They both represent a significant compromise on what Sony and Nintendo wish they could do (Sony acknowledging that the market doesn't always want a premium 'look how shiny the box is' product, and Nintendo acknowledging they can't consistently maintain two ecosystems on their own), and the market is rewarding them for that compromise.
