@Just_Ben, Of course the Wii can increase sales by lowering price! And it will. But one thing I see with electronics is that manufacturers don't like going lower than certain pricepoints, they prefer just releasing a new & improoved product to be able to maintain the higher profit ratio.
The reason I don't think comparisons to PS2 having similar initial startup is because the ps2 didn't have any signifiantly higher powered hardware to compete with. Sure there was the xbox, but they were arguably in the same ballpark.
You said you've been hearing this since februrary, but that doesn't change the fact that we're still in the first year. Take for example what seems to be the most popular genre out there: FPSs. I wish it were true that great FPSs were being made for older hardware, but in my sad experience on the PC there seems to be a unwritten rule that FPSs have to push technology so they don't release them anymore for older hardware. I see this constantly happening on the PC, and even on the PS2 with it's huge install base. I'd love to play another "Black", or a new Timeplitters on the ps2, but they just don't do it. FPS developers tend to gravitate towards the most powerful videocard/console around, and with FPSs being such a popular genre I see a difficult future in 3 years for Wii because gamers tend to gravitate to where they can find the games they like. Even with platformers people are starting to expect more complex 3d platforming. Time will tell. I have always been an advocate that we don't need so much technology and if only people were to stop at a certain technology more great content would be produced for it... but with a more HD alternative becoming more available in the years to come I honestly can't imagine Wii not being replaced by 2010 with a stronger hardware. Of course by then the Wii impact will have been huge and like somebody said Nintendo seems to be the Disney of our days. With that being said though, with our generation now there have been gamers who grew up on games, and now are crying out for more mature experiences in terms of themes and approach.
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Of course the Wii can increase sales by lowering price! And it will. But one thing I see with electronics is that manufacturers don't like going lower than certain pricepoints, they prefer just releasing a new & improoved product to be able to maintain the higher profit ratio.
The reason I don't think comparisons to PS2 having similar initial startup is because the ps2 didn't have any signifiantly higher powered hardware to compete with. Sure there was the xbox, but they were arguably in the same ballpark.
You said you've been hearing this since februrary, but that doesn't change the fact that we're still in the first year. Take for example what seems to be the most popular genre out there: FPSs. I wish it were true that great FPSs were being made for older hardware, but in my sad experience on the PC there seems to be a unwritten rule that FPSs have to push technology so they don't release them anymore for older hardware. I see this constantly happening on the PC, and even on the PS2 with it's huge install base. I'd love to play another "Black", or a new Timeplitters on the ps2, but they just don't do it. FPS developers tend to gravitate towards the most powerful videocard/console around, and with FPSs being such a popular genre I see a difficult future in 3 years for Wii because gamers tend to gravitate to where they can find the games they like. Even with platformers people are starting to expect more complex 3d platforming. Time will tell. I have always been an advocate that we don't need so much technology and if only people were to stop at a certain technology more great content would be produced for it... but with a more HD alternative becoming more available in the years to come I honestly can't imagine Wii not being replaced by 2010 with a stronger hardware.
Of course by then the Wii impact will have been huge and like somebody said Nintendo seems to be the Disney of our days. With that being said though, with our generation now there have been gamers who grew up on games, and now are crying out for more mature experiences in terms of themes and approach.