Hindsight is 20/20, they say. We're all geeks. We love video games so much that we are willing to make profiles on a video game website and discuss them. With that geekiness comes a certain degree of bias, wishful thinking, and instinct. We know The Last of Us wil be critically acclaimed before we've seen the first trailer. We know Microsoft will release Halo, Gears, or Forza every year. We just know. But sometimes, we don't know. Sometimes, we get it wrong. In no particular order, here are my top 10 "We got it wrong" moments of last gen. How many of them can you identify with? Time to say "I told you sou" as we reflect on generation 7.....
10. Xbox 360 won't ever sell 50 million consoles: In 2001, the original Xbox was a powerful and semi popular console but in 2005, Microsoft cut support for the Xbox in favor of its successor, the Xbox 360. The first year was semi successful as the Xbox established itself but selling about 6 million consoles was a far cry from the 10 million Microsoft intended to sell before the successor to the Gamecube and PS2 hit the market. People called the Xbox a "Dreamcast" after finding similarities with Sega's early realesed, beloved, and ill-fated final entry in the console market. Many expected the PS3 to overtake the Xbox 360 almost instantly. Hardware issues like the RRoD spelled doom for Microsoft's second console. Fast forward to 2013 and the Xbox 360 is still going strong and is approaching 80 million systems sold.
9. Playstation 3 will never overtake Xbox 360 in sales: As rough as the Xbox 360's first year was, you could argue that the PS3 had it even rougher. The online wasn't quite as polished as what the Xbox was offering. The games didn't show any significant improvement over the year old Xbox technology and, in many instances, the PS3's hardware performance was worse! Not only this, the media of the day seemed to take great joy in singing the praises of the Wii and 360 while, at the same time, condemning the Playstation 3. The company that dominated two earlier gens of home consoles suddenly found themselves in an unfamiliar position. A bitter rivalry developed between fans of the Xbox 360 and the PS3, dubbed the "HD Twins". Xbox fans boasted of high sales of hardware and software while Playstation fans developed the mantra, "You can't play sales". It seemed impossible but the PS3 slowly chipped away at the 360's lead and finally, albeit a little behind schedule, took the lead in 2013. Way to go!
8. DS is doomed: Oh, DS. How we love thee. Home to many of the best experiences of the 7th gen, the DS was the console that casuals and hardcore grew to love. This was not always the case. Back when the DS launched, it was the most powerful portable console ever released. That was before the PSP. Sony released the PSP and by comparison, offered a home console experience that the DS just couldn't match. The PSP offered music, movies, web browsing, Skype, and much more, all in a sleek and sexy package. On paper, the DS never should have stood a chance. That's when Nintendo showed why you don't bet against them. Nintendo knows portable gaming like no other. They offered experiences that were catered to the gamer on the go, redesigned the console, gained their footing, and never looked back. They also repeated the success with gaming's current sweetheart, the 3DS. When they mess up, they mess up big time but when they get it right, nobody does it better than Nintendo.
7. The Wii's secret power will be unlocked When you see the Wii's graphics, you will say "Wow". That's what Nintendo said prior to the Wii's launch. They weren't lying. Who would have thought that Nintendo's newest console would actually be a step back from the Xbox 360, a console revealed one year earlier? Whether you loved motion control or loathed it, deep down inside, you know you were disappointed in the power behind the console. Die hard Nintendo fans (including me) held strong to the idea the Wii had untapped potential that would be released one day. Nightmare Creaturs, Lost in Shadow, Sadness (Never released), The Conduit-all games that were expected to give Wii gamers that "HD feel" all came and went with little fanfare. Eventually, Wii owners had to face the truth. No matter how much fun the console was, the games just didn't look that good. Even a third tier Xbox 360 game like Bee Movie showcased graphics that the Wii's heavey hitters like Mario Galaxy or Metroid Prime 3 never met.
6. Sony can't afford a new console launch: Console launches cost money. The Playstation 3 cost Sony tons of money. With Sony's credit rating lowering on a monthly basis and Sony posting a loss year after year, it just didn't seem possible for Sony to release a Playstation 4. Many that did believe Sony would still move forward expected the PS4 to be a modest jump in quality when compared to the power of the PS3. With a high profile reveal, we've learned that the PS4 is coming this year. That wasn't the only surprise. The successor the console that many feel is the biggest financial loser of the generation is actually going to be the most powerful console of the 8th gen! To paraphrase a popular quote, "The reports of Sony's death were greatly exaggerated."
5. Wii doesn't sell third party games : It does.
4 .The Xbox 360 won't have five years of support: It did.
3. The power of The Cell: Never reached the potential that Sony promised.
2. Americans buy Xbox because of patriotism: Was never even remotely the case
1. Call of Duty sucks: In my opinion, t's awesome.
I'll edit later. In the meantime, let me know if you agree, disagree, or what have you. If you feel so inclined, how about posting your own moment where you got it wrong.
