14 DAY TRIAL // It so happened that I just stumbled upon a very interesting piece of news, saying that all three major console-manufacturing companies today are in a very delicate position, having to make some tough decisions. "Now" looks like a critical point for Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony to start making some changes in order to influence the public. Sony is the favorite now!
The article, found over at Gameindustry.Biz reads: "For Xbox 360, European hardware sales seem to have hit a wall. The target market is still too focused on adult males and the brand does not enjoy the same cachet in non-Anglo Saxon markets as it does in the US and, to a lesser extent, the UK"
"Some publishers are investing much less saying they will leave the platform drivers to Nintendo and ride their coat Tails by spending very little on mediocre quality titles which will give some return."
"Marketing material has tended towards the esoteric and abstract and has seemingly failed to resonate with the consumer."
These excerpts I posted above are from the original report up on Screen Digest. They also point out that Sony could literally drop a "bombshell" by the end of the year, combining a pocket friendly price drop for the overpowered PS3 with the much anticipated launch of PlayStation Home (virtual networking and online game service).
Keep in mind that Sony's PS Home will not launch to be exactly like Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade. In fact, it may just turn out that it's even better, considering that Sony doesn't charge for a lot of stuff they make available on PlayStation Network.
The reality is (and everyone knows this) that Sony had the "long run" in mind all along. Nintendo's Wii was sure to lose its popularity just as fast as it achieved it, while Microsoft's Xbox 360 stands somewhere in the middle: not as simple and "shallow" (if I may say) as the Wii, yet not as powerful and classy as the PS3. My guess is that Microsoft is the company that stands the tallest.
Sure, Sony's PS3 will finally start selling once they cut the price and release Home (and a few next-gen titles to go with it), but the 360 has Halo 3, GTA IV (with the additional and exclusive episodic content) and a couple more titles that will ensure good sales numbers for another year at least. What do you think? Does Sony have what it takes to beat Microsoft?