Electronic underdogs

I will be the first to admit that I am a Apple and Nintendo hack. From the first time I used an Apple to do layout and photo work, I knew this was the computer from me. Since the good old days of NES, I have never owned anything but a Nintendo gaming system (although I never progressed past the N64).

It is with great glee that I give you these two wonderful stories from the beginning of the holiday shopping season: Gamers: Wii beats PS3 and Zune has long road ahead.

While Sony has continually thrived on being bigger and flasher, Nintendo has been the one leading the way through innovation. Sony grabs the headlines with the risque, mature video games. Nintendo develops better game play.

Sony may have bet too much on their dominance in the gaming market. They thought they could use the release of the PS3 to force Blu-Ray technology on the masses, gaining the upperhand in the next generation DVD wars, while continuing to move ahead in the console wars. They may have lost both.

The PS3 must beat out the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii this Christmas and it already has drawbacks compared with the other two. Many of those who actually got a PS3 have encountered numerous bugs, issues with it working on specific HDTV's and just a general let down after all the hype.

The Xbox 360 has been around longer and has more games out, with the same next generation graphics that Sony boasts in the PS3. Xbox also has a more popular online gaming community with Xbox live.

The Wii also has more games out. The graphics on it do not push the envelope as much so game developers can produce games quicker and cheaper. The Wii has the innovative controller system (Wiimote), which gives gamers a completely new feel to the gaming experience. Plus, the Wii has the Nintendo name, which still means a lot for those of us in our mid-twenties who grew up on the NES and SNES. Along with the Nintendo names comes the Nintendo characters - Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon. With the ability to purchase old games on the virtual console, the Wii may grab a huge market share and take over first place.

What is going to hinder the PS3 the most is the cost. The Xbox is somewhat cheaper, while the Wii is less than half the cost. What hurts Sony even more is that even with the outrageous price tag, they are still losing money on every PS3 sold. In the end, the PS3 may mark the decline of Sony in the gaming field and may cost the company billions if Blu-Ray becomes the next Betamax, despite their work to manipulate the market.

Speaking of innovation versus market manipulation, its always good to see Apple handing it to Microsoft in at least one way. The Windows giant lauched yet another buggy piece of technology called Zune, which was dubbed "The iPod killer." What Microsoft actually produced was what they have a tendency of producing - a bug infested, overly complicated, Apple rip-off.

The Zune looks like the iPod, but with a bigger screen, so just on apperances Microsoft improves on what Apple has done. But then we get to the actually interface. For some unknown reason, Microsoft sets up some insane points system where 79 points equals $0.99. They are not even compatible with Microsoft Vista (the new OS) and Media Player. Above everything else, it just lacks the "it" factor that turned iPod into the market brand.

While sales were up at the launch date, over the Thanksgiving break the Zune slipped off the radar. On Cyber Monday (the biggest day for online sales), seven of the top ten electronic items on Amazon.com's best selling list were digital media players - six were iPods, none were Zunes (the top ranked one came in at #76).

Industry analysts said that the Zune was "unattractive" to consumers. It was on the shelf with the other players and "it just didn't compare."

Being the poor father of two that I am, I don't own any next generation gaming system or any digital media player, but I know which ones I want. Give me a Wii and let me and my family jump around the living room playing some of the cool sports games while listening to some music through a iPod dock. I'll be happy.

Comments

[Cineaste]

PS3 vs. wii

Best video game console commercial ever! Warning: Louis the marketing probably won't work on you :)

[Aaron]

That is a pretty funny parody of the PC v. Mac commericals (which are, naturally, some of my favorite).

[seeker]

As a pc-only gamer (I don't do consoles ;), I have always derided macs for their high prices and relative lack of cpu power.

However, once they moved to OSX's *nix base, and the lower cost, AND the superiority of the itunes player and ipod, I have to hand it to them. They are rocking.

We had a zen player and, well, we just don't use it, in part because the interface sucks, and in part because syncing with wmp is not that intuitive.

My wife wants an ipod, and i don't blame her. I still won't own a mac b/c all of my other machines and software are pc, and you still can't really game on a mac (see humorous rvb video.

But I may get a 360 to serve as an extender box for my homebuilt media pc based on Windwos xpmce. And besides, both my wife and daughter want to do DDR.

[Cineaste]

Hey! Aaron, you told me you were unable to watch videos!

[Aaron]

Seeker, join the Apple revolution. Down with Big Brother!

I knew you would catch that Cineaste. This week is a bit of an exception - a slow time at work, after a big rush and before a big rush. If you link to a short video this week, I will probably be able to watch it. I didn't get to listen to all the sound on the "commercial" and that kind of defeats the purpose on the political videos. I don't even watch the ones made by one of my favorite blogs - Hot Air.

[Sam Wilkinson]

Aaron and I agree yet again. What is the world coming to?

[Lawanda]

WHOOSH! That was the sound of this conversation going right over my head!

But I wanted to say that I couldnt watch the videos you linked to about morality Cineaste. It may be because our computer is old. I don't know! *shrugging*

[Cineaste]

WHOOSH! That was the sound of this conversation going right over my head!

After reviewing the PS3 vs. wii commercial several times, I have determined that it is aimed directly at men's heads, not women's. Maybe that is why it went "WHOOSH!" for you but it went "DING DONG" for me. If the Nintendo wii is anything like the wii I saw in the commercial, sign me up for 3 of them at least! Fun and Cheap!

[seeker]

Hey aaron, I'm in Charlotte NC till Thursday. If you're in this area, shoot me an email and maybe we can hook up. Thanks.

[Sam Wilkinson]

Seeker,

"Hooking up" with Aaron is expressly forbidden in your religion. Do me a favor and stay in control of yourself.

[Aaron]

Ah, Sam the resident gutter mind of Two or Three.

[Sam Wilkinson]

Seeker's the one that wants to "hook up" with you.

[Aaron]

Is it 9th grade all over again? When did that happen? ;)

[Pam Earls]

No one will hook up with Aaron, but me, his wife. He is crazy if he thinks I am going to let him get a Wii. Have ya'll not heard of the remotes through the TVs stories yet. The wristband apparently hasn't been working and alot of stuff is getting broke in living rooms across America. We will stick to a game free zone in our house, for now. P.S. Love you honey!

[Sam Wilkinson]

Imagine me narrating in a Nature documentary voice.

"Oh my goodness, it's an appearance of the Aaron Spouse! This is a rare treat indeed, as the wild Aaron Spouse rarely makes her presence known. What a tremendous appearance this has been."

[Aaron]

I never said I was getting a Wii, just that if I had my choice that is the one I would get. It wouldn't be all bad if our TV got busted, our sons have already killed one.

And our house is not a game free zone, I still have two N64 games that were not stolen and I have my SNES emulator on the Mac. It will never be game free.

See, this is what happens when wives get jobs and the internet. ;)

[Pam Earls]

Aaron -- When do you play? NEVER. And I have been working which is something you need to get back to. Did you check out the websites I sent you about the Wii? Funny for everyone else - check out http://www.wiihaveaproblem.com/

Sam -- You'll hear alot more from me in the future. You will find that I am even more opionated than my husband. BEWARE However, I get totally lost when he starts talking politics (most of the time)

[Sam Wilkinson]

Flamewar between the Earls, Flamewar between the Earls. Seeker, Cineaste, Louis and I? We're ducking for cover.

[Sam Wilkinson]

Pam,

We get just as lost when Aaron talks about politics, as he seems to be completely confused most of the time about what does, and doesn't, make good political sense.

[Pam Earls]

Now, I am not sure about that. We agree on most things, somethings we differ on though. I am against the death penalty and he once accused me of being a communist (I wanted Utopia, still think that can happen but...) but for the most part we agree.

[Aaron]

You'll hear alot more from me in the future.
Nooooooooo! heh, heh!

Sam, I don't think you want to start my wife going, as she said she is more opinionated than I am and makes less sense than I do, most of the time.

And Sam doesn't get lost when I talk politics, he just disagrees....vehemently sometimes.

[seeker]

Man, maybe I should stop encouraging my wife to read my stuff, if this is what happens! (ducking back down)

[Aaron]

Okay, I did not call her communist. I just thought it was funny (and somewhat accurate) when a professor of ours did.