I would like to compare this PSP debate to the GC and Xbox debate
Three years ago many people believed that the GC would be more successful than the Xbox. Many ridiculed Microsoft for blindly charging into an area of business they knew little or nothing about; but Microsoft played it smart, they introduced a capable system with hardware features the competitors did not have, better graphics, good game selection and solid online play, and now rank above Nintendo in units sold for both hardware and software. It’s become obvious to me as of late that there are many striking similarities between what we saw with the Xbox and GC and what we are seeing with the DS and PSP.
Japanese Sales:
In both cases it appears that the competitor is selling poorly in Japan when compared to the Nintendo system in question. The Xbox is getting destroyed by the GC and the PSP is getting destroyed by the DS. Does this really mean anything in the long run? No. But considering the Japanese market has been known to love the crappy and not the brilliant, it almost goes without saying that a majority of the time if a game sells poorly in Japan it will sell well in America, and visa versa.
Graphics:
The Xbox launched with generally superior (though only slightly) graphics when compared to the GC. The PSP has graphics are years ahead of the DS. Now of course it is known that graphics don’t make the game, but one would be hard pressed to find a John Q. Public who believed that to be the case. Us here, the “hardcore”, we know that there are diamonds in the ruff, but to every mom and dad who walks into a Gamestop or EB, they will take one look at the DS and PSP and assume that the PSP is the better choice because of it’s graphical capabilities. Well, that and one other thing...
Game Selection:
Just like the Xbox offers more games than the GC the PSP looks to be offering more games in its first year than the DS. Many consumers will look to the handheld with the most choices to meet their needs, and considering the PSP will also be the place to go for T and M titles, there is a high probability that adult gamers will again see Nintendo’s system as “kiddy” and not for them.
Other Features:
The Xbox offers MP3 storage and the ability to play movies, so does the PSP. The GC and DS do not. I find it highly likely that customers looking for a system that does more than just play games will be more drawn to MP3s and Movies than Pictochat and touch screen. Why do I think this? Well, MP3s and Movies beat out GBA to GC connectivity (arguably a better idea in theory than touch screen controls for racing games and sending pictures of pikachu to people you don’t even know) in the Xbox vs. GC war, so why would they not here? Besides, having MP3s on a portable device is much more valuable than a console, so the appeal should, in theory, be magnified.
Now my point isn’t that the PSP is the obvious winner, I know it has it’s flaws too. I just thought these few similarities were interesting.
Thoughts?
