The thing is, the way Nintendo have set the playing field (yes, they have really set the field this time) there's practically nothing Sony or MS can do to counter them. New software is not the key here, I would actually go as far as saying that not even Wii Sports or Wii Fit are the reasons of Nintendo's success. Sure, they have and will play a significant part, but the true driver is elsewhere.

So, to answer your question, neither Sony nor MS has the games that would allow them to tap into the new markets Nintendo is opening. And that's because it's not just about the games. Next gen might be a different thing altogether, although Nintendo will have an edge going there too. But as we've seen, edges can dull quickly.

@libellule

Yes "Wii" itself will now become a huge brandname

but the Playstation brand had 2 consoles selling over 100 million and the only handheld to not result in its founding company going bankrupt..

so brandname isn't everything??

I agree with Rol as HARDCORE as a market is still there...

its not going anywhere.

You can still make money in it

SnowWhitesDrug said: I was reading a thread about Microsoft moving its attention towards games that were inclined to the cartoon representation of Nintendo games and less attention on competing with the ps3 on the racing and fps genre. If this is true and MS is focusing on competing with Nintendo do they or even Sony have the ips or the potential they need to create the disruptive software Nintendo is making? (Im concerned that MS doesn't realise a pretty cartoony game is not all that’s behind making these disruptive games that appeal to audiences that have never before played games) There is talk about MS developing a motion control device but if Nintendo is correct it’s not just the input device but the games as well that work with the hardware that make its system disruptive. Nintendo has a HUGE array of ips that have leant themselves to its business plan so what I want to know is if MS and Sony changed their business model to attract the consumers Nintendos blue ocean strategy has, do they have the software to back up the hardware or keep these new gamers on their system??? I ask this because they seem to ride on this “hard core” gamer market with fancy shooters and racers and adventure games all geared towards a teen to adult male audience, do they have anything that would appeal to the markets Nintendo is creating or will they have to re-invent their games or new ones? If they have to make new ones, will they have the market presence of games that carry the tried and true titles of Super Mario this or super Mario that, or Wii sports/ play/ fit. I was also wondering, is it even worth them trying to take back some of Nintendos market share in the long run or would their 40 - 50 - 60 million life to date sales be enough for them as a company to decide to continue to play in the graphics whore arena?

An excellent post.

You asked for facts, not drivel. Now I don't have links, but Shane Kim (a big boss at MS gaming division) has talked several times that MS are aware of the new, "casual" market and the need to offer those types of games on the X360. For example he's said that X360 has a strong profile as a hardcore-console, but not so much as a device for the casual gamers but that it is a priority for MS to strengthen it's casual appeal. In these interviews he's named the IPs that MS has and which they believe in strongly, like Viva Pinata, Banjo-Kazooie and Scene-It. Last summer he also hinted about future plans apart from the games themselves, which I believe can have been the motion-controller that is now strongly rumoured.

If you read analysts (and not just Malstrom) not many people believe in MS or Sonys ability to attract the casuals though (at least not in the short run), and I think MS/sony are aware of that themselves (because they aren't idiots). It's simply that it's hard to turn the tide. Even if there would appear rather innovative new IPs for the X360/PS3 which aren't just kiddy-oriented cartoon games but smarter than that, it will still be the Wii that is identified with being casual/all-including/revolutionising and the other two are simply regarded as dinosaurs for the ancient-age gamer. How do you change that picture? It's already deeply imprinted in the mindset of everyone. Also, de facto it takes time to develop new games/ideas. The time advantage for Nintento is huge.

So personally, I agree with the pessimists, this generation is lost for MS/Sony to attract the wider audience. 

 

SnowWhitesDrug said: ok i also dont want wasted space from people who dont know what their talking about, I want to know games, stratergies, anything any one has regarding MS and Sonys success in the blue ocean markets, if you dont have any insight dont bother posting

1. Not your board, so what you want doesn't matter. The people here are fans, and generally can't offer more than informed speculation, and often not even that. If you can't handle that, don't bother posting.

2. There isn't a whole lot MS or Sony can do right now. Nintendo has cornered the market and been successful in branding their machine for these new gamers, while MS and Sony have been branding their machines for "core" gamers and tech heads. It's not just a matter of "doing", but also "undoing" all they have done up to now. They can introduce all the casual games and controllers they want, but their games are still not priced for the new market, and not built from the ground up to support these new controllers.

3. That said, there is always the next generation. As we have seen in the past, each new generation is a blank slate, and everyone has a chance to win gamers over to their new console (though brand loyalty will always give the last winner an advantage). It will be fascinating to see if MS and Sony continue to do what they've been doing (bigger, better versions of the last console), or if they will tone down the tech in order to play on Nintendo's field (and if they do, how successful they will be). I don't believe they can offer a XB720/PS4 based on the old philosophy with waggle added - that'll just show they didn't get it. But if they aim for a cheaper system with an intuitive interface and user friendly applications, they'll have a shot at beating Nintendo. Of course, it will also be fascinating to see what Nintendo does - will the Nintendo Uss just up the graphics and tweak the controller, or will it make yet another revolutionary step forward?

SnowWhitesDrug said: I was reading a thread about Microsoft moving its attention towards games that were inclined to the cartoon representation of Nintendo games and less attention on competing with the ps3 on the racing and fps genre. If this is true and MS is focusing on competing with Nintendo do they or even Sony have the ips or the potential they need to create the disruptive software Nintendo is making? (Im concerned that MS doesn't realise a pretty cartoony game is not all that?s behind making these disruptive games that appeal to audiences that have never before played games) There is talk about MS developing a motion control device but if Nintendo is correct it?s not just the input device but the games as well that work with the hardware that make its system disruptive. Nintendo has a HUGE array of ips that have leant themselves to its business plan so what I want to know is if MS and Sony changed their business model to attract the consumers Nintendos blue ocean strategy has, do they have the software to back up the hardware or keep these new gamers on their system??? I ask this because they seem to ride on this ?hard core? gamer market with fancy shooters and racers and adventure games all geared towards a teen to adult male audience, do they have anything that would appeal to the markets Nintendo is creating or will they have to re-invent their games or new ones? If they have to make new ones, will they have the market presence of games that carry the tried and true titles of Super Mario this or super Mario that, or Wii sports/ play/ fit. I was also wondering, is it even worth them trying to take back some of Nintendos market share in the long run or would their 40 - 50 - 60 million life to date sales be enough for them as a company to decide to continue to play in the graphics whore arena?

There's no such thing as disruptive software as far as games goes which ties into there being no such thing as disruptive games, at least by how your using it a la there is no such thing as disruptive systems etc, etc... Yes the business plan is disruptive. Take a look at what disruption is and look at what Nintendo is doing - then take a look at what Microsoft is doing, the only way I could see out of this would be to buy Nintendo but I'm sure they wont sell >.> Take a look at the idea behind interest and disinterest, and understand a lot of the reason why Wii platform outsells PS360 and at it's current rate by 2010 will be 50% market share at the least is mainly because they are combating disinterest, while Sony is gunning for the money, what you have in this case is the money isn't enough and someone found a new pot of gold so you have everyone trying to take a dip in, bad ports, shovelware, and now the newton and so on. That simple. Will Microsoft be around for the next go? Yes but under one condition, Sony has to be around next go. Will Sony be around next go? Why not, this is the first time their losing money and their picking back up steam granted they kind of artificially inflated the market with their product they still have a userbase for their software. But if Nintendo pulls the same thing again in 2011 then your looking at some major issues if they find a way to kill the wii or even worse find another blue ocean that the Wii/PS/Xbox didn't cover then this might be signs of bad thing to come... Hope that answered everything.