The console wars

Here we go. Once again, it's Sony versus Microsoft versus Nintendo. These are the times that console gamers simultaneously live for and dread. The lines are drawn and the pieces are in play, and now we watch as the shit hits the fan. Good times for the people who get behind the winners, and not-so-good for the people behind the losers.

What makes this one even more interesting, though, is that there's another war mixed in with the console wars; the format wars. We've got another beta-max versus VHS going between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, the former backed by Microsoft and the X-Box, the latter backed by Sony and the PS3. Meanwhile, Nintendo and the Wii are sitting that aspect of this war out.

Yes, I'm aware that everyone who hasn't been under a rock for the last year or so would know all of this. I'm getting to my thoughts on the subject.

Firstly, I'm fully behind Nintendo on this one. It's not there yet, but I have no doubt that the Wii will, at the very least, thrive in this war. I honestly expect it to eventually dominate, once Smash Brothers Brawl and Metroid Prime III come out. Christmas is going to be very sweet to Wii owners. I'm waiting for Nintendo to bust out some cool uses for a connection between a Wii and a DS. Nintendo fucked up by putting support behind connecting the GBA and the Gamecube (though Crystal Chronicals and Four Swords were fun). However, now everything is wireless, so the consumer isn't left with the bad taste of having to buy a cable for each connection, making connecting the DS and the Wii much more viable. I'm worried the big N might be discouraged by the flop of GBA/Gamecube connectivity, but hopefully someone there will realize that they've got a good opportunity to do something with that. Even if they don't, though, they've still got the sheer awesome factor of the Wii and DS separated. Nintendo has paved a path to the top of the heap this time, with the cheapest console as well as the coolest premise. The virtual console was promising, but the prices are higher than they should be; I'm still hoping for a price drop on the older games. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that most, if not all, of the NES games should be free. But even if they don't, I'll just emulate if I'm craving something retro.

Sony, Sony, Sony. What the fuck were you thinking? The PS3 has been botched so badly that it's not even funny anymore; it's just sad. I don't have an HDTV, so what the fuck am I going to do with your Blu-Ray player? My PS2 is still getting a lot of playtime, and Sony's going to keep getting money from my for that platform for a while still, but right now I see absolutely no reason to shell out the $600 Sony is asking for the PS3 right now. At the beginning, it looked like they would just smother me with exclusive titles that no gamer should go without. MGS3, DMC4, FFXIII, and so on. They're losing these titles quickly, however, and without them Sony has nothing there to draw me towards them. Basically, if Sony doesn't throw out a cheaper version of the system (say, one that doesn't include that obscenely expensive and almost useless Blu-Ray player) I see little chance of me ever purchasing one. Maybe, maaaaaaaybe if they can get exclusives, but game developers are realizing that exclusiveness is a bad deal for them and for gamers, so I doubt that will happen. I'll live without games like White Knight Legend until I start seeing used PS3s go up for sale at prices I can conceivable afford or when I get a more steady source of cash going. Blatantly stealing the Wiimote concept did nothing to restore my faith in the company and the brand.

I think a year ago, I would have laughed if you'd told me that I'd be saying this, but I'm actually interested in the 360 right now. There are a few more things that need to happen before I'll be paying for one, but unlike with the PS3, this isn't completely implausible. First, I want to see more RPGs for the 360. Right now, there's not much to choose from in the RPG department, and that's where most of my gaming happens. Basically, for this to happen, the 360 needs to start doing better in Japan, and therefore attract Japanese developers like Squeenix. Everything I've seen suggests Blue Dragon has made some headway in this department—we'll wait and see how that goes over. I played Resistance: Fall of Man over at a friend's house (location of my in-person DnD game, actually) and was enthralled by the game. And then we get Halo 3. I'm not going to buy one any time soon, I think, but I'm certainly entertaining the possibility. We'll see on this one.

One thing that the three-front set-up of this war is good for: many households that include even a softcore gamer are going to get two consoles. Now, let's take a look at our competitors. Sony's primary offering is enhanced graphics, a Blu-Ray player, an online network, and maybe a smattering of exclusive titles. Microsoft's primary offering is enhanced graphics, an HD-DVD player, an online network, and maybe a smattering of exclusive titles. Nintendo is throwing out an innovative, unique, fun experience, with games that don't necessarily look any better, but without a doubt play completely differently. If many people are going to buy two out of three, guess which one is going to be most consistently included in the mix. Nintendo has really moved into a tactical advantage here, and I'm pretty sure it's going to pan out for them.