Year 2001: My Take on the Console Video Game World
My, 2001 was certainly a unique year for console gaming - it's not everyday you see TWO new console systems released by entirely different companies. (It would have been three if Sony was late with the PS2 but you know, Christmas shopping season...) Nintendo released its GameCube to secure the small market share it still had, newcomer Microsoft unveiled the X-box in Bill Gates' latest quest to conquer a new electronic realm, and Sony continued to ensure its domination of the market with the PS2 back in December 2001. But what does it all mean? All does Fate hold for these companies? Let's take a recap of what happened during 2001 and see what did and may happen.
Sega: It was kinda surprising to witness Sega announce that it was going to kill the DreamCast and abandon making console games. More shocking was the announcement that Sega would produce games for its long time console competitor Nintendo. I will miss the DreamCast; it was a great system with a bunch of excellent games (such as Sonic Adventure, Soul Caliber, and Skies of Arcadia) and Sega released more DreamCast games in two years than Nintendo released on N64 in five years. At software stores it's increasing hard to find even a handful of the several hundred DreamCast titles. I attribute the DreamCast's failure to several reasons, including heavy competition from well-entrenched Sony and Nintendo and lackluster support from software outlets and a general downturn in the economy of video game spending.
Sony: Sony's PS2 sales were strong throughout the year, despite the lack of flagship titles or killer applications, which video game systems are always thought to need if they are going to become entrenched in the marketplace. Nobody who owned a PS2 could tell me what the best games for the system was. It's as if Sony's marketing department had convinced the gaming world that they HAD to buy a PS2 for $299, games and accessories sold separately ^_^ However, Metal Gear Solid 2, Grand Theft Auto 3, and Final Fantasy X are becoming the systems MUST-HAVE titles. Sony also released a new, smaller model of the PSOne- with a tiny screen as well, to create that portable feel. Playstation fans were rewarded by an increasing number of titles priced at $30 and under (although nobody can find Castlevania: Symphony of the Night EVEN THOUGH it was re-released as a "greatest hits" title). Sony's continued support of the PSOne is far greater than Nintendo's support of its older gaming systems after introducing the next generation models (NES titles drops off quickly after the release of the SNES and Nintendo practically executed the SNES and N64 in favor of the N64 and GameCube.) Sony is likely to keep hold of most of its 70% of the console market.
Nintendo: Nintendo released its gorgeous GameCube in hopes of keeping its current market share (30%), while also hoping to combat Microsoft's X-Box, and also regain some of the market share it lost to Sony. The GameCube seems to be very well received among consumers (but then again, N64 had a great first few quarters, too) and provided that the GameCube isn't a bitch to program for and Nintendo doesn't repeat its error with the N64 of isolating 3rd-party developers, the GameCube should fair quite well. And if it doesn't... well, Nintendo still has GameBoy and Pokemon to keep them alive for another decade or so. ^_^ By the way, it doesn't look like Nintendo will be re-releasing the NES (with the exception of some games ported over to the GameBoy Advanced). Nintendo and Square are talking again, so maybe Nintendo will get a few decent RPGs this time, but with Square's bombing of the Final Fantasy Movie ($38 million in the red) Big Brother Sony bought over $120 million worth of Square stock and now owns 18.6% of the company. And this month Square said it would continue to be a PS-exclusive company. Poor Nintendo...
Obviously, a small market and licensing issues are the major factors behind this move - but I would like a system where I could store all of my NES titles on a few DVDs along with instructions, box art, player's guides, etc. and wouldn't mind paying some kind of fee for it, but as things stand now, it's more likely a Hong Kong pirate company would release such a device before Nintendo of America.
Microsoft: Yeah, you knew I had to mention THE GREAT SATAN, didn't you? The X-Box is out, but the future doesn't look bright for it. The normal PS2 sales and the GameCube's release sales were better during X-box release month. Apparently, everyone either already owns a PS2 or GameCube and doesn't feel the need to another game system whose only great title is Halo. Others won't buy it because of it's horrible control design, repeated reports of the display units crashing at stores, total lack of game support from Japanese companies as well as a good chunk of American companies. Microsoft is too rich to let X-Box die within a year or two, but Gates will probably continue to throw money in the hole, just like what he did with MSN- however they should stick to making Flight Simulator and Age of Empires expansion packs. Sony, however, is slightly worried about the possibility X-Box creating a multi-unit platform- iow, a gaming system where one could, for example, make telephone calls, surf the internet, watch TV, use computer programs, etc. and may release the PS3 sooner if the X-Box proves to be a big competitor. I'm not worried, though, people don't like to a one appliance handle multiple tasks- if so, we'd have seen multi-entertainment systems appear YEARS ago, and housewives would have a vacuum cleaner that could bake cookies and wash the dog all at the same time.
Conclusions: The next few years will probably transpire as expected- Sony and Nintendo will compete for supremacy in the console world and, if anything, start to become more equal. The X-Box will fizzle out at Microsoft will drop out of the console world, although it may follow Sega's strategy and produce games for Sony and Nintendo systems- but Microsoft's bloodthirsty desire to rule everything may make that a pipedream.
-Jonathan Hertzog 12/19/2001