"They've put themselves in a box. I don't know how they're going to get out of it."

[Mrobinson587]

Well financially yes MAYBE but as far as ideas and stuff go? Definitely not.

[Tag]

If gaming goes where he is suggesting it should, I'll quit console gaming. If the only consoles that are out are underpowered and the games are "easy to develop," (meaning low budget junk like the Wii is receiving so far) I'd rather not waste my time. At that point I'll use my computer to play games. Casual gaming is not for everyone, sure a lot of casuals are jumping on board but in the end you can't alienate your "hardcore" base.

That's part of the problem. For developers and hardcore gamers, there's always the PC alternative. Plus, has anyone noticed how booming the portable industry has become? It wasnt just the success of the DS and introduction of the PSP, developers are looking to it for profits now since it's more reliable then developing for an expensive console.

[Red Tiger]

Originally Posted by Tag

Plus, has anyone noticed how booming the portable industry has become? It wasnt just the success of the DS and introduction of the PSP, developers are looking to it for profits now since it's more reliable then developing for an expensive console.

QFT.

DS games, with their relatively low development costs, achieve profitability at around 100,000 units sold, while a next-gen game for PS3 or Xbox 360 needs to sell around 1.3 million.

[tr1p1ea]

Originally Posted by Gnu

If by "box" he means a particular market segment, sure.

If by "box" he means a situation which will lead to failure, I don't think this is the case at all. Wii attracts a broader customer base, but that doesn't mean that the PS3 and x360 won't find enough customers to make them profitable over their lifespans.

Well ms never made a dime off xbox1 (though i read they actually turned a profit last quarter (halo3)) and sony have a tonne of r&d costs to recoup. It will be interesting if they can turn things around with software sales.

[Deathmonkey7]

Originally Posted by ltzasz

Everyone is so quick to call this guy arrogant. Last week did he not praise the PS3 for LBP, Microsoft for Halo and called Bioshock brilliant? He's complimented them other times before too. Just not that often. He's not getting paid to say "zomg me + sony + microsoft = bfflz lol". It's like a sports rivalry. It's just talking to stir things up.

Now to the original point, no, he isn't being arrogant here. What he has said is the truth. They are losing money on consoles and it is getting way too costly to create games. Does this mean they have failed? Does this mean the wii is the way to go? No. He's stating the truth, and I don't see how it makes him a dick. Maybe if he said "they are screwed, wii is the way of life, come to us developers" then you might have an argument, but currently he is just stating common knowledge.

This is what my post would have looked like had I not been lazy.

[Leonidas]

Arrogant prick? Christ phoenix, bias much?

Like Sony weren't boasting about their success when the ps2 was hot. (ps3, Ken Kutaragi never apologizes)

"DS games, with their relatively low development costs, achieve profitability at around 100,000 units sold, while a next-gen game for PS3 or Xbox 360 needs to sell around 1.3 million."

!!!

No wonder.
Ps, what would you expect Reggie to say? "Well, our competitors could probably climb out of their box and rape us any time, imo"

[Power666]

I remember hearing a little under a year ago that Namco had to sell 550,000 copies of their Gundam game to break even on development. At the time of this comment, the PS3 had yet to sell 550,000 consoles (granted it was during the launch period).

[iconoclast]

Let's look at the issue a bit more closely. So it's more risky and harder to develop for 360 and ps3? Well, that must mean developers are just turning out quality games for Wii??? err, wait..that's right, they're turning out crapware cause they only need to sell a comparatively small number of copies to turn a profit. All they have to do is surround the game with sufficient hype, make it look good in the store, so people will bring it home (casuals)....wait, with the wii attach rate, that's pretty much what the wii is about. on the other hand, developers may need to actually take some care to produce quality titles on the other two consoles, cause they know they're going to have to attract a larger audience, which includes people that actually read reviews and are knowledgeable about gaming. But...they know that if they get it right these hardcore gamers will not only buy the game, they'll come online and talk it up on the boards, they'll buy all the extra merchandise (..halo 3 anyone?), and they'll stay in the game long enough to support a sequel or two.

[PirateThom]

Originally Posted by ltzasz

Everyone is so quick to call this guy arrogant. Last week did he not praise the PS3 for LBP,

What he actually said was that he thought it was on the wrong console. He think it would sell better on Wii.

[Leonidas]

True again.