Seven Things Microsoft Can Teach Sony and Nintendo

[Spindel]

Seven Things Microsoft Can Teach Sony and Nintendo | Second Story Gamer

Seven Things Microsoft Can Teach Sony and Nintendo


By Mark Dawson | January 25th, 2009 in Editorial, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3

Welcome to part two of our three-part series (Here are six of Sony’s advantages, in case you missed them). This time we’ll talk about seven things that give the Xbox 360 an advantage over the PlayStation 3 and the Wii.
1. Build a Feature-Perfect, Unified Online System

By far one of Microsoft’s biggest advantages at the start of this generation was its brilliant online system, Xbox Live. Sony and Nintendo’s systems just couldn’t hold water to the brilliance of Live, with its beautifully integrated friends system and in game dashboard. However, Sony has considerably improved the PlayStation Network to the point where it is has nearly reached the caliber of Xbox Live, but Nintendo’s online system, on the other hand, is still archaic and quite useless.
2. Interact With the Community

Another great idea Microsoft had for this generation was a huge amount of direct interaction with the community. Starting off with Major Nelson, expanding to the recently deceased Gamerscore Blog, and finally pushing it directly onto Xbox Live, Microsoft has been the best when it comes to directly talking to its consumers. Sony is getting better with their PlayStation blog, but again, Nintendo fails in this category because even high level journalists have trouble getting the information from Nintendo that Microsoft and Sony freely give to everyone.

3. Aggressively Price Cut

Microsoft knows that when its console is selling a slowly (the first half of 2008), they need to slash the price (which they did in September). Sony did cut the PS3’s price ferociously (cheapest SKU originally $499, now $399), but they need a cut now: the PS3 isn’t exactly flying off the shelves and a $50 price cut would help alleviate that problem. Nintendo, on the other hand, hasn’t moved its price down a cent, mostly because they haven’t had to. However when if the demand for Wii’s ever slows down, Nintendo needs to be ready to reduce the Wii’s price.
4. Implement Netflix

One of my favorite features of the Xbox 360 is its ability to stream Netflix movies and TV shows in seconds. Sony and Nintendo really need to strike up a deal with Netflix (or Blockbuster) because, in my opinion, this is a huge selling-feature for the 360.
5. Make Regular, Relevant, and Expansive Software Updates

One of my least favorite parts of the PS3 is Sony’s software updates. Not only do they seem to happen whenever I’m really craving some LittleBigPlanet, but some of them are so trite that you wish you could skip them entirely. For example, the latest PS3 firmware, firmware 2.60, added a photo sorting feature. While the feature is interesting, I really do wonder why Sony took time and resources to develop this when the system clearly needs other enhancements (a Home update, for example). I like Sony’s decision to fix bugs on the fly but I think it should be limited to fixing bugs and glitches, not adding big software updates; Sony should make a regular (2-4 times a year) software update that adds a plethora of features. Not only would this excite the community (look at how people get into a tizzy about the latest 360 software update), but it would also stop the system from rudely interrupting my playing time for a ten minute software update that I probably don’t want.
Nintendo’s software updates have been neither regular, relevant, or expansive so it again loses in this category.
6. Snatch up exclusives (or Take Them from the Competition)

Without a doubt, the 360 has the best third-party exclusives of each of the three consoles. That’s mostly because Microsoft has been very smart in their pursuit of exclusives. They are very good at realizing a game’s potential and snatching it up as their own before the competition can get to it (for example, Crackdown). Microsoft has also been very good at stealing what were previously PS3 exclusives and making them multi-platform titles (Devil May Cry 4, Final Fantasy XIII). Sony and Nintendo have great first-party lineups but Sony’s third-party exclusives are slim pickings and Nintendo’s are crap.
7. Release Your Console First

Perhaps Microsoft’s smartest move this generation was its decision to beat the competition to market by releasing the Xbox 360 first. The decision gave them a big head start in install base over the competitors (although Nintendo did overcome that obstacle quite fast) and more time to lower the price of the Xbox 360. This head start gave Microsoft a big advantage, especially over Sony

A great article to start a great fameboy flamewar.

I'll comment the points when I have more time (when I'm home from work)

[Carnage]

I very much agree with all of them.

1. Build a Feature-Perfect, Unified Online System
And charge your userbase while they sleep!

2. Interact With the Community
With fun microtransactions!

3. Aggressively Price Cut
In 2012!

4. Implement Netflix
With fun microtransactions!

5. Make Regular, Relevant, and Expansive Software Updates
Because that's what people care about not

6. Snatch up exclusives (or Take Them from the Competition)
Um, well so far the ps3 has taken all of 360's exclusives, the 360 has taken all of the ps3's exclusives and nintendo has taken everyone's exclusives! hahaha, merry 2009

7. Release Your Console First
Burn your house down second.

[boffo]

This is actually one part of a three part series of articles. I'll post the other two as well.

[boffo]

1. Build a Feature-Perfect, Unified Online System
I haven't used Xbox Live but it seems the praise for it is pretty much universal. Only problem is that the price for it becomes more and more a question as Sony improves their online offerings. Is it worth $50 a year compared to what Nintendo gives? Probably. But is it worth $50 compared to what the PSN now offers? Not very likely.
2. Interact With the Community
Definately a good thing. You see it a lot with games now as well, where the developers are actually reading user comments on their forums and making changes through updates to help fix issues that the people who play the game have with it.
3. Aggressively Price Cut
MS has done this rather well. Sure it's costing them more money for each console sold, but they've succeeded in stimulating growth when it's been needed.
4. Implement Netflix
Fine if you already have a subscription to Netflix. If you don't then it doesn't add anything for you and I don't really think it's something that is much of a selling factor for the console. With some Blu-Ray players now Netflix enabled and requiring no additional annual subscription like Live does this is really nothing more than a bonus for existing 360 owners.
5. Make Regular, Relevant, and Expansive Software Updates
Personally I like the PS3 firmware updates more often than not. Sure they take too long to download but it's nice to know that any time you turn on your PS3 you may be getting some cool new feature that you never had before. Sure having larger updates twice a year makes them more special, but people can be impatient, so whay make them wait?
6. Snatch up exclusives (or Take Them from the Competition)
That's if you can or want to afford it. MS really didn't have much other choice since they have so few 1st party studios, so they have to count on 3rd parties wanting to make games for them. I actually find it kind of funny that they call this something Sony and Nintendo should learn from MS since Sony and Nintendo have way more exclusives than MS does. MS should really be learning something from them in this case, not the other way around.
7. Release Your Console First
This would have been true as it gets people to jump on board that are just otherwise impatient and don't want to wait another year to go next-gen, however a certain ring of red doesn't help MS much in this case. Yes they got a jump in sales, that was quickly erased but it also cost them a billion dollars for that short lead, assuming an extra year of development would have helped fix the problem before it started.

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by Leonidas

1. Build a Feature-Perfect, Unified Online System
And charge your userbase while they sleep!

2. Interact With the Community
With fun microtransactions!

3. Aggressively Price Cut
In 2012!

4. Implement Netflix
With fun microtransactions!

5. Make Regular, Relevant, and Expansive Software Updates
Because that's what people care about not

6. Snatch up exclusives (or Take Them from the Competition)
Um, well so far the ps3 has taken all of 360's exclusives, the 360 has taken all of the ps3's exclusives and nintendo has taken everyone's exclusives! hahaha, merry 2009

7. Release Your Console First
Burn your house down second.

Leon is still retarded. Despite his lame attempts to be funny, he brings up no valid points at all.

3 rips at xbl/dlc and 1 at rrod, that's valid

ms are broke

[Ark]

i think we can scratch the net-flix part...everything else is pretty much dead-on

[E6600]

Nintendo and Sony sure learned not to release a console knowing it has serious defects!

[Spindel]

1. Sure I give them that

2. Also fine

3. Why cut the price when your console is still selling at the initial price? MS needs to learn from Nintendo how to make a console that does not sell at a loss initially. This is also ruled by the demand factor in Nintendos case a price cut is not needed since the demand is still high. For Sony this could be fatal since they are already making a loss on each sold console

4. Why, most people buy a console for gaming.

5. Or make things right from the beginning so these exapansive SW updates aren't needed.

6. Get a good in-house 1st party studio and this isn't as important

7. Because being released has really helped the 360 to be the leading platform? Also being released first really cemented Dreamcast as the best selling console when it was released?