Gaming console shake-up
Recently there has been a considerable amount of activity taking place in the current generation console market.
After months of speculation Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have come forward with a number of developments, each of which has the ability to upset the current status quo.
We take a look at recent console developments.
Wii (Nintendo)
Nintendo has truly captured the casual gaming market with its motion controlled Wii console. Sales numbers over the past few months consistently show that the Wii has outstripped competitors Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 by a considerable margin.
Games sales analyst VGChartz shows that in the first three weeks of August more Wii consoles were sold than the Xbox 360 and the PS3 combined. In the first week of August Nintendo reported over 337 000 units sold, in comparison to 106 000 Xbox 360s and 86 000 PS3 units respectively.
The manufacturer has achieved this by sticking to a simple formula. The Wii console has changed surprisingly little since its release in 2007 and has proven popular amongst the largest segment of the gaming market – the casual player.
Recently Nintendo announced that it would be replacing its standard Wii Sports package that was included with the console with an updated Wii Sports Resort. This update adds more features and games to the standard Wii Sports offering.
Additionally Wii Motion Control Plus, which improves the responsiveness of the control, increased in popularity.
PS3 (Sony)
Until recently, Sony’s PlayStation 3 was arguably the most inaccessible console amongst the current generation. Its advanced technology (such as its cell microprocessor and Blu-Ray drive) meant that, although Sony was making a loss on each console, it was still too expensive for the average gamer.
At the E3 conference in May, Sony revealed that it was working on an advanced motion control system for the console, perhaps in a bid to capture a portion of the casual gaming market. The manufacturer has since revealed that the package will be released in 2010 and will work in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye, a web-cam device for the PS3 console. Sony Computer Entertainment’s Jack Tretton has labelled the project “closer to real life than anything you’ve ever seen”.
Another significant development is Sony’s public acknowledgement that a PS3 Slim model exists. At the Gamescom conference in Cologne recently Sony revealed that it would begin shipping the slimmer PS3 model in the beginning of September for $299 (R2 400). It features a Blu-Ray drive and a 120GB hard drive although it has lost the Linux OS capabilities of its predecessor.
Additionally the manufacturer announced a $100 price cut on all PS3 consoles worldwide, bringing the 80GB model down to a price of $299 (R2 400) and the 160GB to $399 (R3 200).
New local pricing has not yet been officially revealed although analysts predict that the PS3 Slim will retail at roughly R3 800-R4 000.
Xbox 360 (Microsoft)
Historically the Xbox 360 has been the main competitor to the PS3 in the high-end console race because it has always been more competitively priced.
Despite featuring older or arguably plainer technology, sales numbers show that Microsoft has sold more units in total than Sony.
At the E3 conference in May Microsoft also announced a motion control system for the Xbox 360, called project ‘Natal’. According to a promotional Microsoft video, the system works on a very similar principle to that of Sony’s motion control package, promising equally realistic results.
An official date of release has not yet been announced although Microsoft Gaming Division executives have revealed that the product is considered a rebirth for the console and will carry a number of exclusive motion control games to support it.
In response, to Sony’s recently announced PS3 price cut, Microsoft are reportedly gearing up for a similar price reduction. Leaked images of US advertising show that the Xbox 360 Elite package, which features a 120GB hard drive, will retail for $299 – the same price as Sony’s PS3 Slim and PS3 80GB model. The Xbox 360 Pro package, which features a 60GB hard drive, will reportedly retail at $250 (R2 500).
Additionally rumours suggest that Microsoft may replace the entire Pro package with the Elite package in the coming weeks. Analysts also suggest that Microsoft may currently be developing an Xbox 360 slim, although none of these rumours have yet been confirmed.
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