You don't think Microsoft could've saved their $375 million and found someone else to make their casual shit (avatars, Kinect Sports, etc)? I mean really, EA bought Bioware and Pandemic (who had 4-5 different studios between them) for $200 million. Sony bought Evolution and BigBig (together) for £16 million.
Point taken, but Microsoft has been dead set on not letting them development anything. In fact, at some point, Microsoft just started killing off dev teams. Rare seems to be around solely because Microsoft can utilize them on Kinect.
But really, with J Allard gone, who knows what Microsoft is doing? Ballmer does not seem to.
Don Mattrick just doesn't seem interested. He's kind of just there, doing things, but doesn't seem to have any strong opinions or feelings about anything. MS miss Peter Moore so badly and really need to take a long hard look at the Xbox division, with a mind to putting someone more visibly interested in games at the top.
Not just Peter Moore but a few of the executives that left when Microsoft shifted focus to the casual audience, Shane Kim amongst them. At this point I think they're just being told to make it profitable. Most risks of loss are completely avoided/discarded and the few they do make (like Kinect), they go all in on. It's a pretty bland strategy really, but it suits Don Mattrick.
As for Allard, his departure wouldn't have had any effect on the game development side. He was strictly a hardware guy.
I agree entirely, the whole thing just feels safe and bland, which disappoints me. But consequently, since they'll be planning the new hardware at the moment, it makes me worry that the next console will follow that strategy without someone like Allard to add a spark of genius to its development.
Four days of decline blamed on delayed releases and dropping hardware sales
The stock market price of Japanese gaming specialist Nintendo has declined for four straight days in a row.
The company's total value has now decreased by over 15 per cent since the end of February.
As reported by Andriasang, investment services company Fisco primarily points the finger at the disruption caused by the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake.
In addition, the High Street has also seen a number of key titles delayed – a factor that Fisco directly speculates has lead to a slump in 3DS sales.
The PSP overtook the machine in the weekly sales race last week.
3DS has sold a total of 836k units so far in Japan since its launch in late February. Nintendo had previously pledged to ship 1.5m units to the territory by the end of last month.
I really wish Nintendo had previously released new hardware early in a year to have something to compare the sales to. The closest things are some hardware revisions.
Ubisoft CEO believes the publisher can be No.1 in the world now EA has sold its stake in the firm
Ubisoft’s founder and CEO Yves Guillemot has told MCV that his company can overtake the industry’s two behemoths, Activision and EA, to become the global games market leader.
Commenting on the eve of the firm’s MCV Award Grand Prix win, he said that EA selling its stake in Ubisoft last year has made the company “feel a lot better”. It opens the way for possible acquisitions.
He said: “When they left it changed lots of things for us. We had a competitor owning a share of the company and we were always wary that they could decide they would go for the company – and that wouldn’t have been welcome.
“The problem is that when you have the number one player in your company, you can’t buy another company that would be in conflict with them or their strategy.
“So now we are totally independent again, we feel a lot better, we are number three and our goal is to beat those guys, EA and Activision, at some point.”
Ubisoft is expected to announce revenues of just over €1 billion for the financial year just ended. Activision and EA boast annual revenues of roughly $4.5bn and $3.5bn respectively.
Guillemot, however, is not daunted by the size of the task: “We got from number 25 to number three, so we think that we can continue and that it is possible to be number one. It’s not certain, but we are taking the steps that we think will get us there.
Asked if that would ultimately have to be through acquisition, he replied: “It has to be by creating or finding products that will make the difference and will be recognised as the best products in the industry. We have to create the products that will fuel the growth. I’m not saying we won’t do acquisitions, but the focus is on creating products.”
To read the full interview with Guillemot, head over to the Features Section.
No confirmation from Sony, but Bloomberg says Euro price cut has been actioned
News agency Bloomberg is reporting that Sony has cut the price of the PSP in Europe.
The platform holder reduced the price of the machine in the US earlier this year, with many presuming that the shift in strategy was in preparation for the arrival of NGP later this year.
The European RRP has reportedly been cut from €169.99 to €129.99. In the UK the PSP officially carries an RRP of around £140, though it is typically found new for around £130.
If true, this price could bring the device close to the magic £99.99 price-point in the UK.
MCV has contacted SCE UK for clarification.
“The price cut is aimed at increasing adoption of the player in Europe,” spokesperson Satoshi Fukuoka is quoted as saying.
Sony has previously claimed that both the PSP and NGP will co-exist on the market once the new device arrives.
Rob Saunders' high-profile move is followed by another shock appointment
Apple has poached not one but two of the games industry’s best PR execs – with Activision’s Nick Grange set to join Nintendo’s Rob Saunders at the manufacturer.
As with Saunders, Grange’s appointment is yet to be officially confirmed, but MCV understands that he will be joining the company in a role focussed on iPad hardware.
Grange has had a stellar career in the games market. Following spells at Electronic Arts and Microsoft, he joined Activision in 2007. He is currently the publisher’s European PR director.
It remains to be seen how significant the recruitment of Saunders and Grange will be in regard to Apple’s game market ambitions and its relationship with the market.
European slash due to exchange rate, will not be implemented in the UK
A spokesperson for SCE UK has confirmed to MCV that the recent price cut to the PSP in mainland Europe will not apply in the UK.
From today the machine will retail for just €129.99 – that's almost a 25 per cent discount.
"The price drop is for continental Europe only," the statement reads. "It has been made possible by favourable fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Euro and the Yen.
"Since we in the UK are vulnerable to two exchange rate calculation, pounds into Euro's and Euro's into Yen, we are not in a position to offer a similar cut in PSP for the UK."
The PSP carries a UK RRP of around £140 though can widely be found for around £130, or less for older models.
But Gamestop has rid itself of PC games at retail already so the danger of cannibalizing their sales directly is pretty low.
Then again, I still don't see why they would want to buy second rate digital distribution or streaming companies.
This is why it is silly to say that Gamestop will bring users to Impulse by offering discount tokens for purchases at the store. PC gamers don't buy games at the store, they buy them on Steam.
Really the only way Gamestop can win is by bribing publishers to not release their games on Steam.
It's also really silly because they make so much money off of used games. So, you're going to give people discount tokens to buy games from a digital service, which a) are not used games, and b) doesn't bring people into the store where they can buy used games. When I purchased games from Gamestop, I'd look at the used section for GameCube games or harder to find DS games and sometimes make impulse (not Impulse) purchases. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would do that. So why would Gamestop try to entice people to not shop in their stores?
Four days of decline blamed on delayed releases and dropping hardware sales
The stock market price of Japanese gaming specialist Nintendo has declined for four straight days in a row.
The company's total value has now decreased by over 15 per cent since the end of February.
As reported by Andriasang, investment services company Fisco primarily points the finger at the disruption caused by the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake.
In addition, the High Street has also seen a number of key titles delayed – a factor that Fisco directly speculates has lead to a slump in 3DS sales.
The PSP overtook the machine in the weekly sales race last week.
3DS has sold a total of 836k units so far in Japan since its launch in late February. Nintendo had previously pledged to ship 1.5m units to the territory by the end of last month.
I really wish Nintendo had previously released new hardware early in a year to have something to compare the sales to. The closest things are some hardware revisions.
Yeah, it will be interesting to see how the 3DS does in Japan when one of the big Nintendo franchises comes out. Such an odd time to release the system but at least it is getting a head start.
With the earthquake and everything else that happened afterwords I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that most Japanese companies took a huge hit on the stock market.
And all that PSP stuff from the last page. It was pretty obvious that the joke was about us no longer getting numbers with NPD and Sony typically being the one not to release them in their PR either. Or practically release no PR at all like last month.
My 3DS impression: It's a fantastic system that is going to explode when Mario Kart 3DS or some other must have all audiences title comes out for it. By then the price might be closer to $200 as well.
Xenogears of Bore on
3DS CODE: 3093-7068-3576
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DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
edited April 2011
Yeah. I mean...I don't believe the DS was doing all that extraordinary outside the gate either.
I mean it had decent sales but the couple of years for it was kind of whatever.
I'm just glad that it's easy to find the 3DS in stores. It was highly frustrating when we decided to buy a Wii 4-5 months after launch and it took us a couple weeks of searching before we found one.
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
dbrock270 on
0
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
People have no self-control.
At least we are no longer in the 90's when collecting was so popular in the US that people fighting over the next big thing happened several times a year.
All those poor trampled souls for stupid Tickle-me Elmos, Furbies, Beanie Babies, etc.
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
People have no self-control.
I should have known better, I went to the PS3 launch. Which started similar to the Wii launch, I got the PS3, but I had to get escorted out of Wal-Mart by a cop because people were trying to steal from me and attack me.
Edit: I was thirteen then, and adults were still attacking me.
I like my 3DS - I'm also kind of glad there's not a ton of great titles for it yet, since I still need to finish DQIX on my DS, and there's a few PSP titles I want to pick up.
Serule on
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Brainiac 8Don't call me Shirley...Registered Userregular
edited April 2011
Honestly, me too. I was very happy that no games were coming to it that made me feel like I had to get it at launch. Now I can hold off and not get my 3DS until after the summer so I can finally work through the majority of my backlog.
I'm gonna have to wait until E3 and see if there's any games that catch my eye I before I decide to get a 3DS.
Considering this the first year for 3DS post release and last full year for the Wii probably, I'm pretty sure some super dick head exploding announcements are to be made.
I'm gonna have to wait until E3 and see if there's any games that catch my eye I before I decide to get a 3DS.
Considering this the first year for 3DS post release and last full year for the Wii probably, I'm pretty sure some super dick head exploding announcements are to be made.
Maybe Nintendo will just stop making consoles all together and just focus on the 3DS. I doubt it, but you never know.
I bet the Wii hangs around longer than most people expect.
Xenogears of Bore on
3DS CODE: 3093-7068-3576
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Brainiac 8Don't call me Shirley...Registered Userregular
edited April 2011
I will have one eventually, for these reasons:
1. New 3D Mario developed by the Galaxy team.
2. Star Fox 64 (The best one) 3D up-port.
3. New Paper Mario!
4. Mega Man Legends 3 (assuming post Inafune Capcom doesn't axe it)
I'm gonna have to wait until E3 and see if there's any games that catch my eye I before I decide to get a 3DS.
Considering this the first year for 3DS post release and last full year for the Wii probably, I'm pretty sure some super dick head exploding announcements are to be made.
Maybe Nintendo will just stop making consoles all together and just focus on the 3DS. I doubt it, but you never know.
I hope not, as I have loved the Wii so very much.
Either way, if Nintendo had ever decided to go handheld only, it would have been before the Wii when they weren't selling bucket loads.
I actually played the 3DS demo the other day and my right eyeball almost exploded. Intense pain and pressure... I need glasses or something.
As for buying it... not any time soon... Im not much of a portable gamer anymore but im sure when the token Mario Kart game comes out and all my friends are playing it i'll pull the trigger.
MistaCreepy on
PS3: MistaCreepy::Steam: MistaCreepy::360: Dead and I don't feel like paying to fix it.
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
People have no self-control.
I should have known better, I went to the PS3 launch. Which started similar to the Wii launch, I got the PS3, but I had to get escorted out of Wal-Mart by a cop because people were trying to steal from me and attack me.
Edit: I was thirteen then, and adults were still attacking me.
Did you live in the only area of the country with a shortage? I had people returning them because they couldn't unload them for a huge profit on eBay.
Years of playing WoW has really mellowed MistaCreepy out.
lol nah man Ive always loved Nintendo handhelds. Just dont care for every home console theyve put out since the SNES.
And things are different now then they were when I was doing battle in these threads a couple years ago. I was one of maybe 3 PS3 owners and the PS3 was struggling. Now its more than secure and Im pretty sure a few of my rash statments of old turned out to be true but I dont keep track.
Also playing the vidiya is alot more fun than arguing about the vidiya.
MistaCreepy on
PS3: MistaCreepy::Steam: MistaCreepy::360: Dead and I don't feel like paying to fix it.
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
People have no self-control.
I should have known better, I went to the PS3 launch. Which started similar to the Wii launch, I got the PS3, but I had to get escorted out of Wal-Mart by a cop because people were trying to steal from me and attack me.
Edit: I was thirteen then, and adults were still attacking me.
As the red-headed stepchild of consoles, they were only doing their duty.
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
People have no self-control.
I should have known better, I went to the PS3 launch. Which started similar to the Wii launch, I got the PS3, but I had to get escorted out of Wal-Mart by a cop because people were trying to steal from me and attack me.
Edit: I was thirteen then, and adults were still attacking me.
Did you live in the only area of the country with a shortage? I had people returning them because they couldn't unload them for a huge profit on eBay.
I'm pretty sure the entire launch shipment of the PS3 sold out instantly - but a significant portion of the initial buyers were scalpers. Some saw the PS3 as easy cash. If a $250 Wii could be sold on eBay for $400, think of how much a $600 PS3 could sell for! It turns out a $600 PS3 sold on eBay for $600, so a lot of scalper dreams were crushed.
Am I the only one with the feeling that Nintendo may want to make the 3DS into the successor to the Wii and the DS?
I'm not really sure what else they could do with the concepts introduced by the Wii, especially considering the way the system has--software-wise--been spinning its wheels since very early on. The DS on the other hand has been a gigantic success both financially and creatively.
At this point, making a Wii 2 seems like it would have a lot of problems, and trying to suddenly play catch up with the HD systems seems unlikely as well.
I tried to buy the Wii at launch. You've never had to experience a bunch of silly geese running and trampling over you just to get to the gaming part of Wal-Mart. I got punched in the face and had a good black eye for the next month.
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
People have no self-control.
I should have known better, I went to the PS3 launch. Which started similar to the Wii launch, I got the PS3, but I had to get escorted out of Wal-Mart by a cop because people were trying to steal from me and attack me.
Edit: I was thirteen then, and adults were still attacking me.
Did you live in the only area of the country with a shortage? I had people returning them because they couldn't unload them for a huge profit on eBay.
I'm pretty sure the entire launch shipment of the PS3 sold out instantly - but a significant portion of the initial buyers were scalpers. Some saw the PS3 as easy cash. If a $250 Wii could be sold on eBay for $400, think of how much a $600 PS3 could sell for! It turns out a $600 PS3 sold on eBay for $600, so a lot of scalper dreams were crushed.
Also: There was violence at a number of stores!
No, there was a ton available everywhere. Sony desperately tried to convice people there was a shortage but there never was.
Magic Pink on
0
ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
No, there was a ton available everywhere. Sony desperately tried to convice people there was a shortage but there never was.
This. There was no sellout the first few months. I remember e-mails coming down from corporate threatening disciplinary action because they thought employees were talking people out of PS3 purchases (our DM said there could be "no other explanation" to why a launch system wasn't selling out).
Edit: In February you started seeing them sellout as people got tax refunds and shipments were not arriving quickly. But everything was selling out then - DS, PSP, 360s, and of course Wiis.
Posts
I agree entirely, the whole thing just feels safe and bland, which disappoints me. But consequently, since they'll be planning the new hardware at the moment, it makes me worry that the next console will follow that strategy without someone like Allard to add a spark of genius to its development.
I should have said "... except when speaking to a foreign audience."
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/43880/Ubi-We-can-beat-EA-and-Activision
That's the cost of doing business in the Greatest Nation On Earth.
It's also really silly because they make so much money off of used games. So, you're going to give people discount tokens to buy games from a digital service, which a) are not used games, and b) doesn't bring people into the store where they can buy used games. When I purchased games from Gamestop, I'd look at the used section for GameCube games or harder to find DS games and sometimes make impulse (not Impulse) purchases. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would do that. So why would Gamestop try to entice people to not shop in their stores?
3DS FC: 0817-3759-2788
Yeah, it will be interesting to see how the 3DS does in Japan when one of the big Nintendo franchises comes out. Such an odd time to release the system but at least it is getting a head start.
With the earthquake and everything else that happened afterwords I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that most Japanese companies took a huge hit on the stock market.
And all that PSP stuff from the last page. It was pretty obvious that the joke was about us no longer getting numbers with NPD and Sony typically being the one not to release them in their PR either. Or practically release no PR at all like last month.
My 3DS impression: It's a fantastic system that is going to explode when Mario Kart 3DS or some other must have all audiences title comes out for it. By then the price might be closer to $200 as well.
I mean it had decent sales but the couple of years for it was kind of whatever.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
One of the reasons I never try to get tech or the new hotness day one.
People have no self-control.
At least we are no longer in the 90's when collecting was so popular in the US that people fighting over the next big thing happened several times a year.
All those poor trampled souls for stupid Tickle-me Elmos, Furbies, Beanie Babies, etc.
I should have known better, I went to the PS3 launch. Which started similar to the Wii launch, I got the PS3, but I had to get escorted out of Wal-Mart by a cop because people were trying to steal from me and attack me.
Edit: I was thirteen then, and adults were still attacking me.
Twitter
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
Considering this the first year for 3DS post release and last full year for the Wii probably, I'm pretty sure some super dick head exploding announcements are to be made.
Maybe Nintendo will just stop making consoles all together and just focus on the 3DS. I doubt it, but you never know.
1. New 3D Mario developed by the Galaxy team.
2. Star Fox 64 (The best one) 3D up-port.
3. New Paper Mario!
4. Mega Man Legends 3 (assuming post Inafune Capcom doesn't axe it)
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
I hope not, as I have loved the Wii so very much.
Either way, if Nintendo had ever decided to go handheld only, it would have been before the Wii when they weren't selling bucket loads.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
As for buying it... not any time soon... Im not much of a portable gamer anymore but im sure when the token Mario Kart game comes out and all my friends are playing it i'll pull the trigger.
Did you live in the only area of the country with a shortage? I had people returning them because they couldn't unload them for a huge profit on eBay.
lol nah man Ive always loved Nintendo handhelds. Just dont care for every home console theyve put out since the SNES.
And things are different now then they were when I was doing battle in these threads a couple years ago. I was one of maybe 3 PS3 owners and the PS3 was struggling. Now its more than secure and Im pretty sure a few of my rash statments of old turned out to be true but I dont keep track.
Also playing the vidiya is alot more fun than arguing about the vidiya.
As the red-headed stepchild of consoles, they were only doing their duty.
I'm pretty sure the entire launch shipment of the PS3 sold out instantly - but a significant portion of the initial buyers were scalpers. Some saw the PS3 as easy cash. If a $250 Wii could be sold on eBay for $400, think of how much a $600 PS3 could sell for! It turns out a $600 PS3 sold on eBay for $600, so a lot of scalper dreams were crushed.
Also: There was violence at a number of stores!
I'm not really sure what else they could do with the concepts introduced by the Wii, especially considering the way the system has--software-wise--been spinning its wheels since very early on. The DS on the other hand has been a gigantic success both financially and creatively.
At this point, making a Wii 2 seems like it would have a lot of problems, and trying to suddenly play catch up with the HD systems seems unlikely as well.
No, there was a ton available everywhere. Sony desperately tried to convice people there was a shortage but there never was.
This. There was no sellout the first few months. I remember e-mails coming down from corporate threatening disciplinary action because they thought employees were talking people out of PS3 purchases (our DM said there could be "no other explanation" to why a launch system wasn't selling out).
Edit: In February you started seeing them sellout as people got tax refunds and shipments were not arriving quickly. But everything was selling out then - DS, PSP, 360s, and of course Wiis.
I'm looking for a witty one right now.