How Nintendo Can Win the Console Race
Posted by Sean Fallon on February 11, 2006
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If you look at all of the facts, The Revolution is in a prime position to return Nintendo to the head of the pack when it comes to console gaming.
Price
We all know that the Revolution is going to be cheap - under $300 for sure, and maybe even as low as $99. Odds are that the answer is going to be somewhere in the middle, but the bottom line is that the price point is cheap enough to justify picking one up even if you already own an XBox 360 or a PS3.
Games vs. Hardware
Simply put, Microsoft and Sony are engaging in a pissing contest over hardware and polarizing the gaming community in the process. Nintendo’s strategy with both the Game Cube and the Revolution is to focus on games and offer a price point that will appeal to all segments of the market. In my opinion, the innovative features of the new console combined with a commitment to develop more mature titles could help the Revolution succeed where the Came Cube failed.
While Nintendo has carved out a niche for itself as the company for the casual / beginning gamer, it is hard to deny that games like Resident Evil 4 and Metroid Prime move consoles. Undoubtedly, Nintendo has learned that it’s current niche is safe enough to insure that the company can pay it’s bills - but appealing to the hardcore market is what gets you to the top of the pack.
And for those of you who are worried about the Revolution being “underpowered,” remember that we have already learned that the system will be powerful enough to handle Unreal Engine 3.
Develoment and Distribution
Timing is everything, but as we have learned, this is not going to be effective if you can’t deliver on your promises.
Microsoft is blowing its “first to the market” advantage through their inability to distribute the XBox 360 in a timely manner. With shortages expected to continue into the spring and even the summer, Nintendo may be able to jump in and grab market share if it can beat the PS3. At this point, rumors have put the Revolution release date somewhere between May and November 2006.
Finally, we come to development. As far as I know, there have not been any significant setbacks with regard to Revolution development up to this point. On the other hand, Microsoft has been dealing with overheating issues while Sony has been been plagued by rumors that they are falling way behind in their development process. This is in addition to speculation that puts the price point of the PS3 out of the reach of many consumers.
Could the PS3 be the next Neo-Geo? If Blu-Ray fails, where does that leave the new console?
Conclusion
If Nintendo can position itself as the console representing the “best of both worlds” while maintaing its commitment to innovation and affordability, it can put itself in more living rooms than both the XBox 360 and the PS3. However, they need to be more than a fancy controller and a download service. Developing more mature games along with a decent online gaming network will be key for the Revolution to live up to it’s potential.
Posted by Sean
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