If you live somewhere with no internet access or connection to the outside world, it may be news to you that Sony unveiled its PlayStation 4 console in New York on 20th February. Over the course of two hours it confirmed a Holiday 2013 release, showed off the system's user interface and social functions, a new version of the DualShock controller and a host of games and graphics engines. Third party developers were reeled out and Sony made a big play of the graphical power and multi-functional social aspects of the system, with generally positive reactions around the web.
Naturally, Nintendo will have been watching. Wii U has just passed its three month birthday and is currently gearing up for a Spring and Summer offensive of games to renew momentum in a system that, as sales figures show, has lost steam after a thoroughly decent launch week in various territories. Around three million Nintendo fans had willingly forked over a fair bit of cash when the system arrived up until the end of 2012, but Nintendo has admitted that the system is now struggling to get off the shelves, reacting with a broad range of big retail releases for the rest of the year; some of which start to arrive next month.
Although it will have known that new competitors from Sony and Microsoft would be moving onto the scene during this campaign to win consumers over to Wii U, Nintendo now has one half of its traditional rivals out in the open for all to see. With Microsoft rumoured to be saving its big reveal for E3 2013, Nintendo now knows it has a big fight to seize the market and gamers ahead of a vitally important Holiday season.
So how does PS4 stack up against Wii U or, perhaps more accurately, how does its offering differ most significantly from Nintendo's? For one thing, it's clear that it possesses graphical power and resources beyond Wii U's capabilities - eight core processing and a somewhat daunting 8GB of RAM stand out in the known specifications. Many of the presentations from developers focused on new graphics engines being put together to utilise that power, while some did take the opportunity to show games on the way for launch or 2014. Some of the results were undeniably stunning, with some visuals arguably comparable with the best seen on high-powered PC rigs; this is a reality that Wii U can't avoid. There was some positive news for Nintendo fans that, despite a PS4 version being unveiled, Watch_Dogs from Ubisoft is coming to Wii U (as well as PS3 and Xbox 360), while comments suggesting that future Need for Speed releases for the system will arrive promptly are also cause for optimism — perhaps lower dev costs and increasingly scale-able graphics engines could help Wii U compete for multi-platform games, but some developers will surely opt solely for the greater visual fidelity available on PS4 and (in all likelihood) Microsoft's successor.
Next up we have the PS4's social aspects, which we can broadly compare to Miiverse and online capabilities seen so far. While Miiverse is easily the best social element that Nintendo's ever produced, Sony made big promises about its own equivalent component. The company will be leveraging its strengths in other technology industries to help bring PS4 accounts and socializing onto devices such as phones and tablets, though Miiverse should be available on other devices as a browser app in future. Integration with Facebook means that the PS4 service won't be quite as insular — whether that's good or bad is down to personal preference — while the most fun feature will be the ability to hit a button and instantly record gameplay video to share, going beyond the intuitive screenshot capture on Miiverse.
And then we have the gaming itself, or what we've been shown. The new DualShock controller seems to be dividing opinion online, with some being fans and others being unsure of the shape and relevance of the small touch-pad located in the middle. This touchpad isn't significant in size, with the controller not far off the dimensions of the PS3 equivalent, while a Move-style strip on the top will allow some motion detection to be picked up by a new enhanced PlayStation Eye camera bundled with the system. Of the games shown, most used standard controls without much manipulation of either the touchpad or motion sensor, so clearly developers are figuring out how to use this best. Those developers were out in force, however, with Sony stating that the number of companies committing to the platform is well into three figures.
In these stakes we suggest that control input is the biggest distinction and unique-selling-point that Nintendo has up its sleeve — alongside its own IPs and games, of course. Technology from streaming company Gaikai — acquired by Sony last year — will power Remote Play to Vita handhelds, with the goal of any PS4 game being playable on the portable system, mirroring the game. This may be a threat of sorts to the GamePad concept, but it's unclear how much this Vita link will be able to go beyond mirroring the main action, and whether the experience will match the almost non-existent latency and multi-screen variety seen on the Wii U setup. In addition, it also requires a hefty investment for gamers to buy both Sony systems, and due to that it's possible that many developers will opt to include the minimal mirroring and little more. Finishing with Gaikai, backwards compatibility will come through the streaming service, placing a reliance on strong broadband services rather than popping in an older disc, such as with Wii on Wii U.
Ultimately, both consoles offer different experiences, and once again Sony's system will bring a range of functionality and raw power beyond some equivalents on Wii U, with Nintendo once again focused on delivering a different kind of play through its GamePad and innovative software. Parallels can certainly be drawn between the Wii and PS3 head-to-head, though we'd suggest that the online infrastructure of Nintendo's system isn't lingering far behind as it did in the last generation.
This Holiday, then, Nintendo and Sony console values and concepts will go into a big head-to-head, no doubt joined by Microsoft's successor.
This Holiday, then, Nintendo and Sony console values and concepts will go into a big head-to-head, no doubt joined by Microsoft's successor. Sony didn't give prices, it must be said, but some rumours suggest a basic SKU close to the price of a Wii U Deluxe, and others expect a second model to be quite a bit more expensive. We suspect Sony will try to match Wii U's 32GB system pricing with a basic SKU — or at least get close — though by November/December we'd be surprised if Nintendo's system isn't fighting back with attractively priced bundles; even if an official price cut isn't made. Nintendo's recent Wii U Direct showed some big games on the way, and we'd bet a lot of eShop credit that a favourite such as Mario Kart will hit the console for Christmas, and possibly one other big first-party title.
The question will be whether Wii U's year-old library, Nintendo first-party games and the GamePad concept will be enough to take on challenges such as that posed by PS4. It'll be intriguing to watch, and once again we're likely to see a clash of priorities and strategies; we'll have to see whether the gaming market and consumer base are big enough to ensure successful sales for everyone. Nintendo and its rivals will need to bring their A-game.
Have you looked at the announcement of PlayStation 4? What do you think of Sony's system, and after seeing what it has to offer are you confident that Wii U will enjoy a successful year and Holiday season? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and don't forget that the best coverage of all things Sony can be found on our sister-site, Push Square.
Comments (247)
Kinda funny how they said the exact same thing with PS Vita...
It'll be an interesting year, that's for sure. Sadly it'll also be full of the usual: fanboys, bashing, overreactions, speculation taken for fact, etc etc.
I think the the price alone will be a very huge hurdle for the system. It took some momentum from the WiiU and an even higher price will hurt even systems like the PS4. The games i saw so far are nothing really new. Sure, they look really nice, some almost like CG from the current gen, but the gameplay ideas themself seem to be the same old, same old. No doubt that the more "conventional" system will attract a broader crowd, mostly the "graphic > gameplay" people, but i woul be lieing when i said that im hyped.
I make no fuzz about the fact, that im a nintendo fanboy and am kinda biased towards sony, so a little part of me hopes that the "technical powerhouse" fails against the usual innovation that is nintendo.
For me, changing how games look is NOT a selling point, its how games are played, and for that matter, nintendo is still my personal nr.1
I dont know, for me as both a SONY and Nintendo fan i wasnt too impressed by the PS4 yet. But some multiplatform games were shown that i would rather play on Wii U.
Honestly, I don't believe the Wii U is in a position to take on anything yet. There simply aren't enough games and if the delays we have seen at launch continue, then when we get to the 2013 holiday season, the promised games will still be promises.
No native backwards compatibility, and not being able to transfer/play PSN purchases on the PS4 will be a difficult sell.
The fact that they are already announcing games like Watch Dogs will ship on PS3 AND PS4 shows that Sony have learned nothing from the previous generation transition.
Notice they announced all these new things, but left out the price because they want to make sure they can't lower it before saying a number (Nintendo did this with the WiiU as well). By holiday 2013, Wiiu will have significantly more titles, which means if the PS4 isn't directly backwards compatible and comparible in price to the WiiU then it'll fall right on its face for its first couple years.
They do know what they're doing with their online though; something that Nintendo doesn't understand in the slightest. Although the wat they advertised Vita compatibility means that they're banking on the Vita to help sell, which isn't a solid move.
Pretty much they didn't announce anything controversial in the Sony conference, so main factors lile price, the look of the console, backwards compatibility, and the ability to turn off certain online features (downloading games we haven't bought yet? Seriously?) will be what determines the console's success on release.
I'm betting on a 800$ bundle with the vita!
Not a single PS4 feature really impressed me. It's a shame too as I really wanted to like it. PS3 it'll be then.
Another good write-up by TW.
Watching the 2 hr. presentation last night I thought was a mixed bag for Nintendo. On the 1 hand Sony took Miiverse and ratcheted it up to 11, as if Mark Zuckerberg had just purchased Sony and was using them to replace Zygna.
OTOH there were several new games that are also coming out on the PS3, and this means the Wii U could easily get a port. And the graphically improvements, while noticeable, were not a huge leap over the PS3, which the Wii U should be able to match. I'm sorry, but playing Wii games after any time playing PS3 games was really hard on the eyes on a 52" 1080p tv. There was no announcement of 4k resolution last night, so maybe Sony had to cut that to keep the console price, and game development costs, down. So anything the PS4 can do, the Wii U should at least be able to match it's 1080p output and therefore look similar.
And I strongly believe that between Gaikia, sharing, so much online play and so much to DL Sony will have an Xbox like "gold' account or will make PS+ as mandatory as a gold account - i.e. you don' t"need" it for offline, just everything online. I don't see how else that system can sell for $400 w/ a Kinect like Eye in the box. And by holiday 2013 Nintendo should drop the Basic altogether - 8GB is insulting - and drop the Deluxe to $300. (I saw Target selling the Basic for $275 yesterday already.)
So Sony wins, but it was a split decision, and it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Nintendo definitely has it's work cut out for it. It needs games in a big way! This will be the only way to save it. The big N needs to dip into that vast cash reserve and get the creative engines blasting at full speed!
The PS4 looks interesting for sure. It is interesting however that Iawata was right when he said that the days are gone when you see these insane graphical leaps. The games I saw look beautiful for sure, but it's not like the giant steps we saw with one generation to the next like in the past now that everything is in HD. It will be advanced AI and algorithms that show the differences. Sony knows it can't rely on graphics alone, hence all the social bells and whistles and streaming everything.
Nintendo cannot take a half measure here (especially with Microsoft being an unknown at this point). Nothing short of a full measure will do. New talent needs to be hired, new games need to be coded yesterday, and new programs and advertising must be employed. Nintendo has 9 months to get a jump on the competition, which is fierce.
Hmmm. E3 is gunna be a blood bath this year. PS4 seems like a super charged PS3, Graphics have hit there point banking on that I dont think is a Smart Move. and Sony Investing in the MOVE and Vita is a huge risk because the Vita hasnt Sold well and MOVE wasnt Even Really Supported by Sony themselves. we will See i think by E3 Nintendo will be ready with an almost Comical amount of trailers and Demos for WiiU. but we will see.
I'm a Nintendo fanboy all the way, but this looks a lot more interesting than the Wii U, that's for sure. The only Sony product that I own is a used PS2 and some used games, so I never spent a dime on Sony products but this oughta change if Ninty doesn't step it up.
I hate to be so worried about Nintendo, but sometimes lately, I have been worried about them. I just dont' know if they have gone quite far enough with the Wii U as they should have...
I'm a Wii U fan only and I know a lot of people that play the 360 but I don't know a single PS3 owner so I don't think Nintendo has as much to worry about with Sony.
I dont think that anything can match the MiiVerse. Sure, its pretty basic, but it reeks with charm. Other than that, nintendo needs a boost, and NOW. They need to esteblish themselves before the competition is ready. Get the VC ready, with more software than before, get new People for the eShop, get some games for the system, adjust the prices. The WiiU HAS the potential to walk in the Wiis footsteps...but it needs to finally start walking instead of crawling
This is what I see: Sony is a giant electronics corporation. Nintendo is a gaming company. Sony has X amount of money to spend while Nintendo only has Y amount to spend. Nintendo releases a console utilizing current technology while Sony stands back, takes the positives of the system, and releases their own system months later with new and powerful technology that makes Nintendo look last gen. It happened with the N64 (analog & rumble which the very first PS controller never had), it happened with the Wii (motion controls), and it's happening now (Miiverse). Sony will do great this year and could probably overshadow the Wii U in sales this holiday season. But the real battle will be in the next three to four years. Let the system with the better games win.
The PS4 will eventually have an amazing library like the PS3 does now, but it looks like it might take awhile. I'm definitely going to get a PS4 eventually, but I need to buy a Wii U first.
@Elnherjar - I don't think the Wii U has any kind of chance of being as popular as the Wii, even if they dropped it to $99. It's too complex for the older crowd and has no titles that would appeal to them. My grandma loves the Wii, she would not even consider a Wii U.
@Knux - it may have some hardcore games but for the casual gamer the PS3 has very little to offer.
Just started reading, and the console itself was not unveiled: never seen no PS4 during that presentation.
Sony's controller has kept me from buying anything from them game-wise since the PS1. Hate isn't a strong enough word to describe that hand cramper. I'd rather play games with the Colecovision controller than a dual shock 1-4.
The lack of price, the rumors of zero backwards compatable and the over concerns of power have me uninterested. MS vs Sony will be the norm again with Ninty marching to its own beat. What about fun, quality games? I feel all alone in the gaming world, not caring about social gaming and how many polygons can be pushed every second.
@SteveW Thats what i meant with "potential". What made the Wii so atractive for casuals was all the gimmics, ballance board, a familliar controller in form of a remote, something we use every day and software that just delivers what its wants, without much bells and whistles.
The WiiU can use all that stuff and more, its just a software thing. And THAT needs to change FAST
I feel Sony just keeps getting caught up in new features and enhanced technology that they seem to forget what really matters: fun games. Just look at Vita.
In retrospect, had I known the PS3's library of exclusives was going to turn out as strong as it eventually did, I probably would have gotten a PS3 instead. But gosh, back when I got my 360, the PS3 had a really lousy library. Now there's almost nothing I want on the 360 that's not multi-platform. 99% of it is dudebro shooter rubbish.
I learned my mistake the hard way. First Nintendo, then Sony, and probably never Microsoft again.
will be waiting until E3 to make my mind up what console I'll be getting this gen, wii u hasn't made me want to rush out and buy so far though the promise of monolith RPG and WW HD means I'm definitely considering it, also want to see steambox actually is and how nextbox shapes up, if its kinect centric though that will be automatic pass for me but will have to wait and see for now.
@MrWalkieTalkie exactly !
So when wlll we finally get back to gaming consoles making new ways to play games that are fun and immerse the player?
And why havent they made any advancements in enemy AI?
@Knux Same thing that I plan to do in future.
@MrWalkieTalkie Yep.
@Tsuchiya or Wii U, which in the end is next gen after all.
What kills me is that Nintendo can make the Wii U huge by doing a number of things that they probably will never do... 1.Let it play DS and 3DS games (from cartridge please, no repurchasing!). 2. Earthbound Wii U. 3. A real Kid Icaurs game. 3. A collection of the original Gameboy Mario games remade in color 4. Bring a real Pokemon RPG to Wii U! Why handheld only???
Gah this social crap, paying for online, and cloud gaming is a bunch of bullpoopy. Get back to the issue at hand, Games. Not freaking quick time event CGI films
@Rikuze Yre
Improved enemy AI ? You cant do that ! All the 13 year old kinds playing CoD will feel pretty embarast if the enemy AI is any better than a sack of potatos
@RikuzeYre - I agree 100% but unfortunately thats all some people care about
Looks like a much better console than the Wii U to me, but at the same time it won't have Nintendo's IP's and it'll be far more expensive.
But man, virtually nonexistent load times... sigh.
Its not a better console, a console should be judged by its game library
So that is what happened during it? I had so much lag that the graphics were a muddled foggy mess and could have been out done by early 3D games (N64 and PS1). It will be interesting to see the price and how it performs in the new holiday season.
I t was made out that the leap wouldn't be as big as previously but I was really impressed with its visuals at least, deep down looked quite a bit better visually than any current console I thought.
You can improve enemy AI without upping difficulty. Make the enemies smarter dont buff the hell out off them .
Apparently that guy who got raided for selling an Xbox Durango Dev Kit was true.
So apparently the NextBox is going to be always online and have a mandatory kinect ( which microsoft filed a patent for that will allow them to dictate how many people can view one of their products by spying on them with the Kinect )
Graphics dont really matter when its all in HD anyway, just keep the visual framerate and the lighting effects and colors their fidelity, utilize good art style, and things will work out. Just make sure the interaction is fluid.
@Magnet_Man018
I own a WiiU, an Xbox and as of today, a PS3.
PS4 just doesn't float my boat at all. Cloud gaming is a huge turn off for me.
I'm bracing myself for the price though.
There were rumours it could launch at the same price as the Wii U, which would have been a killer blow against Nintendo, but with 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, that's surely impossible now. The GeForce Titan card only has 6GB and costs $1000.
They didn't show anything last night that particularly called to me, so I can't see myself getting one at launch, but I'll almost certainly be getting one at some point, probably about a year after it comes out. I know you can make great games with needing power like that, but they're going to be able to do so much amazing stuff with specs like that, way beyond just improved graphics. I can't wait to see what Naughty Dog and Santa Monica come up with.
Being a self-appointed "Nintendo AND Sony" gamer, I'd wish good luck to PS4, but sadly, with that childish, troll-esque jab at "another Mario game" seen last week (reminiscent of Sega Genesis' "campaign"), united with the whole Rayman Legends thing, I just can't sympathize with them yet.
@RikuzeYre
Totally agree dude.
The Wii U will be fine, Nintendo has a lot less to go up against this time around. With the rate of evolution in graphics slowing down these days, the scalability of game engines, and online services in abundance, the Wii U will do just fine. It might not outsell the PS4 as much as the Wii did with PS3 and 360, but I feel confident in saying the PS4 is not a big threat by any means.
I don't understand all these 'you can't get better than 1080p' comments. So are you saying, because from NES to the Wii, resolution was stuck at 480 for NTSC and 576 for PAL, we never saw graphical improvements?
I'm sorry, but ever since the Playstation and N64 days I've been hearing people say that graphics won't be improving much because we've reached the peak, but we're nowhere near. Things will keep improving until they hit photo realistic, and we are nowhere near that.
Tough to say i mean Sony has made a lot of lofty promises about PS3 and Vita in the past and they barely held water. Grapics will be great of course but I'm honestly fine with graphics from current gen. It all comes down to future 3rdparty support and marketing. Nintendo needs to step it up! Be creative but also get with the times on tech! the wii kid fan base is growing up! I have my worries but keeping fingers crossed....
In all Honesty PS4 Vs Wii U isnt like PS3 vs Wii. The Xbox has a different build they apparently went with a DDR3 ram because the system multitask and runs multiple apps. Its becoming more of a media interface for you're living room rather than a gaming machine
@peach64: I think the better question is when will the graphics become so good that no one cares anymore about improvements
Project Cars looks serious Peach. The visual clarity on HD TVs is pretty apparent. It doesnt seem like it can improve until we have new tech in 5 years. Even with the 4k resolutions. It would have to be the next wave
I care more for processing power and what it means for the differences in the types of games we'll be able to play
I thought Son'y PS 4 was impressive power wise. Nintendo getting very little 3rd party support. Their 3rd party support has been very average to poor. This is part of why the Wii U is failing so hard. Nintendo needed to come out of the gate with a brand new ip made for everyone to play, not just the Mario or Zelda players.
@SteveW The ''casual market'' has flocked to mobile devices (iOS and Android), so that's an invalid point.
It's not a threat for Nintendo, just look at the Vita... when they announced the Vita it was not a threat either for Nintendo. Poor sony, it is doomed.
It is impressive but is there enough for it to sell well for a decent profit. I have to say, the Capcom game, the Squenix video, 3D drawing and Watch Dogs are all really impressive. This is the first time since the PS that I was truly interested in a Sony console. I think that Sony could score big by pulling the Halo fans to the PS4 with Bungie (No pun intended). The Wii-Us early momentum and price might put the hurt on Sony.
@eirikrto be fair wii u isn't exactly flying of the shelves either so its not just vita that is of to a slow start and even 3DS hasn't been selling greatly outside of Japan it seems, I'm sure wii u and vita will be able to turn that around eventually though.
@pixelman This is why I love Nintendo, not the specs, but the franchises, the solid game-play, and the light-hearted experiences with friends and family.
@Mikau94 Agreed. It is all about the games and Nintendo is severely lacking in that area. Ask yourself, do I want to go play Destiny a brand new fps or go rehash Mario or Zelda for the 100th time ?
I'm not worried about the PS4. Sure, it's powerful, but if powerful is all it does, then why would developers develop for it if the PS3 can do similar at cheaper development costs. I've never heard any developer complain about being limited by the PS3's schematics. PS4 just sounds like bigger for the sake of bigger, which doesn't excite me as a gamer. What new potential in gameplay can be done on the PS4 besides giving me another reason for my friends not to come over and just stay home and watch me play games?
I don't say this out of Nintendo loyalty, but out of just wondering. What's the big deal about the PS4?
Its not selling great by nintendo standards.They system has sold 23 million units worldwide. Its doing better than the DS in the same space of time but Nintendo hasnt been profiting from it.
Like Sony hasnt been profiting from any of their tech in the last 7 years. But they can afford to do that because they're a multi-faceted conglomerate and are seemingly stupid.
Nintendo however is a gaming company primarily and despite their massive amounts of money in the bank they have to stay profitable for shareholders. So they can invest in innovating the industry.
More specifics coming out... PS4 will not be backwards compatible with disc or downloaded ps3 games. It won't support 4K and seems to be backing away from the 3d realm too. I'm not too worried. We all knew that sony was going to release a technical powerhouse, but people buy nintendo systems for nintendo games. That's the edge they'll always have over Sony and Microsoft. As long as I can only play f-zero, pikmin, wonderful 101, mario, zelda, metroid, etc. on Nintendo systems i will continue to purchase nintendo systems. I will go on record and say i'll eventually get a ps4 too but that won't be for a few years after a few price drops and the bugs are out of the system.
Space ape Mario's be around for a long time. the games are all pretty much different, they share the same name and the general format but doing the NSMB2 and NSMBU was a bad idea but they arent bad games.
Sure its over prevalent( Its their Brand after all) but nintendo has a lot more going for it
to those that say people buy nintendo for the games, yes they do, but so do people that buy xbox's, playstations or any other console they aren't buying them as ornaments.
Need I remind you how many games Sony has that are the same?
After Steambox all MIcrosoft will have is the dudebro and the faux-paus fakegamergirl markets.With innocent straddlers roped into their media multiplex device
People buy Nintendo for a unique experience that only their charm and skill can offer.
I still cant figure out why they stuck a touchpad on the controller. It also has motion controls and a bloody eye.
Wheather the Wii U has a fight on its hands depends on a number of factors:
The cost of PS4, this beast is not going to be cheap I predict £350 - 400 min possibly £500. If Sony go down the same route as Nintendo did on the hardrive it might be able to sell it a bit cheaper, but Sony is got to try and sell at a profit quickly due to their finances.
The lack of backwards compatibility and being unable to transfer PSN purchases will upset some Sony gamers but will they be upset enough to buy a Wii U?
Games what games will it get and how much will they cost, don't forget people are moaning about the price of Wii U games, with higher production costs PS4 games will not be cheap.
Sony again have gone all in on the power front just like PS3 & Vita, the high cost got PS3 to a slow start and the Vita is selling slow, it all comes down to cost and how much money people have.
The Wii U has offscreen gameplay with the gamepad, for PS4 you will need to buy a Vita which makes PS4 even more expensive.
If I was Nintendo now is the time to create new IPs, and get games, games and more games coming to Wii U, create even more experiences that people would want to buy a Wii U. At the end of the day whether the Wii U survives PS4 comes down to games and cost of hardware
I see new games and new ideas in this play4 presentation. New characters and new stories, along with "old" franchises like infamous (wich i really appreciated). This round will be hard for nintendo, they can't simply come out with the old dear zelda. They need to create new characters and new stories and, YES, cool graphics to bring players to their side.
And please.. stop this SuperMarioBrothersWiiUNewYetAgain titles.. simply you don't have more space on the game cover to write it.
Sony owned Nintendo with that power! With such things more doors will open where devs can discover new possibilities!
Sales mean nothing, profit means everything. Selling consoles at a loss means you have to sell a lot more games and add ons (controllers, merch, DLC, etc...). Will this generation buy the mass of product they have in the past?
I don't think you can judge the Playstation 4 until the manufacturing and retail costs are revealed. Will SONY sell it for a £200+ loss? Would the masses pay £500-£600 for a console?And will people be willing to pay out for a vita and a SONY 4K telly (£25grand)to get the most out of their System? Risky business plan to me.
Luckily, Nintendo released their console considerably before and has time to fight back. If they keep improving the Miiverse, expanding it to the 3DS and smartphones, and get their games fast enough and assemble bundles with them, they could still take on both rival systems. I dont want to spell doom, but if Sony fails to deliver we might see another Vita/3DS case.
@peach64
Exactly what LordLZGlad just said. There will be improvements in graphic fidelity. That's not in question. The thing is that you get to a point where graphics look so good that any step up isn't mind blowing. It's refinement on a minuscule level. When one day you look at playstation 8's graphics vs ps3's you'll see a huge difference. System to system from here out isnt going to be a mind blowing leap like is was from ps1 to ps2 for instance. Real differences will be in the subtile. More background characters on the streets acting independently and not cloned. AI acting in less patterned and predictable ways. One could conceivably experience a different game each time. You won't be waiting for a bad guy to round the corner to pick him off. The system may have learned from your skill level and be waiting for you. Multiple processes can run at once in a seamless fashion. This is what we'll see. Not night and day graphic differences, but perhaps play experiences. The additional (social aspects) is just additional to grab purchasers who care about such things.
@Farmboy74:
Well, the PS4 doesn't seem to go the "599 $" route, which is already a fresh start for them in that they learned from their mistakes this time around. However, their trolling a few days ago means they still underestimate Nintendo - which is kind of reassuring once you think about it.
Killzone graphics looks great, but the gameplay is the same as every generic fps out there. The only good thing about the conference was new footage from WatchDogs.
Unrelated, but I just want Nintendo to fix the damned overscan issues. Games should look better for some people ONCE SAID GAMES AREN'T STRETCHED LIKE CRAZY.
It is going to be tough because MS and Sony can easily rely on graphics to sell games. As soon as games see particle effects and polygons they go googly eye. Killzone looks great but the gameplay is the same as the others. Also I am not sure if it is just me but I am getting sensory overload when games have so much poop going on. Nintendo does have to worry tho, they need to try twice as hard as the other consoles.
SONY is DoOm3d. Nintendo is going to make a gundam and send it to SONY HQ, where it will blow SONY to smithereens. BWAHAHAHA!!! ALL HAIL NINTENDO!
And I just bought the new model of PS3 with AC3 bundled... don't get me wrong, I love dat thing, but damn....
Purely hardware wise, I'm so liking the PS4:
(Nintendo should also have a Pro Pro Controller which would have motion sensors and the Wiimote IR camera.)
So how can Nintendo compete with Wii U? Time will tell. As someone said, it is always in the retrospect that we love our Nintendo consoles. I'm sure I will have many a great times with my Wii U, and by next holiday it will have a lot of appeal, but this might be the first time I'll buy another console for titles not available on Nintendo. But I'm pretty I'm not buying an American console.
@AntiGuy C'mon, it was pretty obvious that they were going for a Holiday 2013 release.
I have Wii U and will most certainly get PS4. Wii U will only serve as a secondary console (mainly for it's exclusives). Nintendo did not create machine that would be real "next gen system", so PS4 will do the job as primary one.
Im thinking you'll be eating those words of yours in a couple years Dark Angel
Lopezdm let me just show you the wonderful work some indies have been doing on the Wii U
Cost of the PS4 is going to be a big factor tho
$400 - I think Nintendo is in trouble
$450 - They have a chance
$500 - Definately chances are good
$550+ - Nintendo will be sitting good
and if there is a paywall then Nintendo will be a great force.
Always interesting to see what the other guy is doing but quite frankly I have other hobbies besides playing video games all day, every day.
Nintendo will need to rely on indie devs n use that as a selling point
Sony goes all in on developing the ultamate portable games machine, puts it on the shelf at a fair price for what you're getting, and it just sits there.
Now, Sony goes all in on developing the ultamate console, will put it on the shelf for what I'm sure will be a fair price for what you'll be getting, and expects it to save the stagnating video games industry.
Am I the only one that sees the failure in this model? Someone once said the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing many times, but expecting different results. The Wii U is sitting on shelves right now, not because of it's conservative specs, or lack of hardcore IP, but because the industry we once knew has changed dramatically in the last 4 years or so. For Sony to step in and more or less do what Nintendon't isn't a solution to the real problems facing hardware manufacturers today. We have a slowly sinking economy, increasing unemployment rate, and dollar values that have plunged significantly. The incremental model that has worked for games makers in the past conflicts with the changes in our economic environment. People have less disposable income to spend on luxuries like video games, so to release more expensive hardware and software in the face of such financial errosion is incredibly short sighted.
Nintendo may be able to bring the Wii U back from the dead with a price cut on BOTH hardware and software, as well as a sprinkling of quality first party titles here and there, but it will never find the success the Wii has. It may even be ambitious to hope it'll beat the Gamecube, sad to say. Sony, on the other hand, hasn't learned anything from even their most recent mistakes. This gung ho attitude towards console design, just because it's what a very zealous minority (as well as norrow minded developers) demands, is only going to hurt the games industry further, and push more and more people to the MUCH cheaper options out there.
I like Sony, but this isn't very innovative, the Wii U wins this battle hands down.
I can tell this generation I will have a Wii U this year once the ZombiU bundle hits shelves, and a PS4 by the end of 2014~
personally only Nintendo and Sony are interesting to me so far this gen ((the 8th generation), Microsoft throws up alot of ehs for me, due to my experience with the 360, which i just sold~ again, personal opinion/experience~
I guess all has already been said. There isn't much to discuss until pricing is disclosed.
When PS4 comes out it will be expensive.
Now, it looks like most 3rd party games will be available on all consoles.
So, if the WiiU has a price drop before around the time of the other console releases, parents are going to pick it over the competitors.
The WiiU will not have the success of the Wii, but it isn't dead in the water, people are still reeling from Christmas credit card debt and I think sales will gradually pick up through the year (a few new titles would help sell the system too - I'm looking at you monster hunter)
So the PS4 is the same system Sony's had for over a decade, but with "b3tt3r grafix", more social crud that gamers really don't need, and random bits attached to the controller?
With Nintendo there's a definate evolution from GC to Wii U. People complain about all Nintendo IP games being the same; but with Sony, what about the freaking console itself? The controller?
nintendo have absolutely done the right thing going for less power.if they had come out with a power house console they would have sold a few million extra consoles to all the tech heads,but they would have lost 40 million sales from families who would'nt pay for it.nintendo make toy's for kid's and awesome games then try to cater to adults.sony and mircosoft do the opposite.
@gazamataz 40 million in sales??? I don't think they have quite that kind of demand
i'm projecting over the course of the consoles life span mate.you are right it is a bit wide of the mark at the minute:)
E3 will help me decide what next console to get. The Wii U needs a better library and better VC service. While the PS4 did not impress me much. I hope Sony has more to show at E3 because last night's show looked pretty average.
well that would make it twice as popular as GC at the end of its cycle, at least I think so anyway, in a 5 year period or so I think that might be do-able, don't expect PS4 or nextbox to fare much better mind you.
I'd be lying if I said the visuals didn't look good for the PS4, but honestly, nothing in the conference had me screaming "wow", and I fear the price is going to be high for the tech and fluff they put into it.
Wasn't too impressed with what Sony showed so far. All that streaming of games, downloads and updates is going to mean latency, even on decent Internet speeds. No backwards compatability for disc or digital Ps3 purchases, or the Dualshock 3 for that matter. Looking past all PR fluff I saw a prettier Killzone, tech demos and Ps4 versions of current gen games.
If I were to crack a cynicist joke, I'd say Sony's innovation boils down to awesome graphics, hefty price tags for consoles, and blood 'n' guns 'n' Kratos onscreen. Oh wait, I just did >_<
Anyway, the companies behind the two above-mentioned golden age PS franchises, Crash Bandicoot (Naughty Dog) and Spyro (Insomniac Games), shifted their focus towards darker games for the PS2 (Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank) and did the same with the PS3 (Uncharted, Resistance), so I think it's safe to say that the two most relevant second-party developers for Sony count as valid examples to sum up PS titles with, nowadays. Just compare a group shot of the Super Smash Bros. Brawl roster with one showing the combatants of Playstation All Stars Battle Royale. The realistic human characters outnumber the cartoony ones in the latter, which I think is kinda representative of Sony's usual fare when it comes to the actual games themselves. Heck, just think of the current most prominent PS franchise, God Of War. Couple that with Resistance and what you get is my vision of most of the PS3's library.
Now I know that's stretching it too much or even being kind of ignorant on my part, especially given how I don't even own a PS3 myself (all the "current Sony stuff" I own is a PSP, and barely anything - save for Daxter, Ratchet And Clank Size Matters, and Jak and Daxter The Lost Frontier - is first/second party, the main reasons I even own a PSP are the downloadable Crash and Spyro classics [made portable with the PSP, natch], and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep), but as a mere "outsider", I think that may suffice to sum up the console's output as a whole. That said with all due respect to LittleBigPlanet, so, sorry to anyone pointing out my admitted ignorance.
The Wii U will survive. Nintendo can manage itself, but what I expect is if Nintendo releases more games, team up with developers, and add more features, then it will be a blast to be a Wii U owner. And about that PS4, might not get it until they release more info(What the system looks like and feature videos, etc;) But right now, I am happy to just be a plain Nintendo fan
The PS4 is definitely looking good, but not incredible, which is to expected considering this is the first reveal with the console not coming out for 9 months. The main draw for me with the PS4 announcements (besides all the Sony 1st party games, they announced that all 12 of their studios are working on PS4) is the convenience. They claimed that you can start playing downloads instantly, and you can put games into save states, which is rad. I'm getting one, now I'm just curious to see how Microsoft will react to the PS4.
But the WiiU has a secret weapon
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
I really hate to say this, but ever since the N64, Nintendo has FAILED to dominate the home console market. They always seem to be one step below the competition in terms of raw power. They will always appeal to a limited audience, nothing more or less. However, they will ALWAYS dominate and destroy any competition in the handheld market; and they've done it since the original Game Boy. I will always cherish my 3DSXL and all my Nintendo handhelds!
@rjejr hmm, i dont hate Sony but I dont see how a console can "win" anything since all consoles are totally different. And Wii U can already basically do everything that Sony is doing.
The price will be massive. At the end of the day it all comes down to the games. I own a PS3 and a 360 with a 70,000 gamerscore thats been collecting dust for a year because I'm tired of the Killzones, CODs, Halo's and Gear of Wars, its just a formula that gets repeated endlessly with sequels that just keep getting bigger and bigger that do little to further the core gameplay; I can't help but feel that with spiraling production costs the whole thing is going to implode.
You could argue Nintendo have been doing their repetitive formula forever, but I personally find the simplicity of their products more appealing. The prospects of Nintendo's future Wii U releases, even the ones that haven't even been announced have me more excited than the stuff on show last night. Graphically they're admittedly gorgeous, but they just don't interest me in the slightest.
Dont forget people, devs havent fully utilized the Wii U just yet!!! Graphics probably will be better then what we have seen so far on the Wii U!!! So lets not compare a 3 month old console to one that hasnt even released yet (btw i think it is a mistake for them to release the PS4 this early)! And also, I am starting to look at new game ideas as well as innovation as next gen and at that conference I saw nothing new from Sony or those developers. Those of you who are fixed on graphical power as next gen alone, its a shame you call yourselves real gamers!
For me I never enjoy having competition fail (will result in lazy games) but I always like enjoying seeing Nintendo on top...
No doubt sony and Nintendo approches are on different planets XD
Sony presentation was all about hardware specifications, while Nintendo always based its presentations on the gameplay.
Honestly, as it happened with Wii and PS3, it's clear how big the differences are, not just between consoles, but in the core of the companies style, so I doubt we can talk of "challange".
Can't wait to see how things will evolve and the big battle at the next E3 XD
Of course I will be between those cheering for our dear Nintendo
Sony didn't really show anything outside of up-ports and franchises that people don't buy systems for.
Unless people think power is the reason people buy game systems. Which has already been proven many times to not be a realistic scenario outside of a small pocket of fanboys.
There's no way it will release around the price point of Wii U Deluxe pack. You have to take into account that the 8GB of RAM are GDDR5-RAM which is very expensive. I'm betting on 450 bucks at the least.
And also, I dont see this as the same Wii / PS3 head to head. Wii U I believe is stronger in comparison as the Wii was.
The only thing confirmed long ago was that they are not going to repeat the same mistake they made when the ps3 was released.. The price is already rumored to be cheaper than what the ps3 was originally sold at
$499 US Dollars sounds realistic. I'd bet on that.
There is no concrete reason to buy a PS4 at this time. But Nintendo could give us some more reasons to buy a Wii U right now too. They need to get more games out there that show off what the Wii U can do. (Yes, I'm aware it's only been out for 3 months and I'll have to be patient.)
The only thing I liked about the PS4 presser was that the system appears to primarily focus on games. If the rumors about the new Xbox are true (that it forces kinect usage and will be a media player/DVR/etc...) I will likely buy my first PS system since PS2.
I truly believe the only reason the wii u is suffering in sales is due to our economy. I purchased a wii u and i won't be purchasing the new xbox or the ps4. The reason being that nintendo always has great first party titles and if i wanna play new releases it has those also like Injustice and so forth. I strongly believe that most consumers will not spend $500 dollars on a new system. Instead they'll go for the cheaper more family friendly console the Wii U
Frankly, I was practically blown away by the PS4 last night. The graphics I couldn't care less about. However, the sheer amount of third party support and the features of this system astounded me. Knack really impressed me, Driveclub impressed me, and Deep Down impressed me. The connectivity and spectating mode of the system impressed me.
It looks like Sony has finally brought out the juggernaut we've heard rumblings about for at least 2 years now, and it is big. And it is big. Hope isn't lost though.
Nintendo has been around for years in the gaming business, longer than either Microsoft or Sony. They've been through the motions of many console wars and I'm confident in their ability to gain support and breathe life into their consoles with their own fantastic games. A lot of the features like spectating could very well be seen in future software updates and I am not intimidated. However, I do hope Nintendo sees what Sony is bringing out here, analyzes it, expects the same or worse from Microsoft, and brings their A-game as well. I can't wait for E3 for all the cards to be set onto the table.
Let me see some co op 3D Mario!
Great article. I am very excited to see how this generation plays out. I wouldn't be surprised if X-Box comes in last this time around.
No one won the next "console war" yet, so Nintendo fanboys stop saying that Wii U wins this hands down. Also Sony more than likely held back a few more things about the PS4 so that they have something to show at E3. Obviously there will be more to show graphics wise and games. I can't take fanboys seriously sometimes when they negate everything else, but their own console. I mean every console have their fans. I'm a fan of all of them. I have a Wii U and I'm almost positive that we have yet to see anything the Wii U can actually do. It's still in its infancy right now. PS4 has just been announced yesterday...so we can't really speculate what IT can really do. However, we do know that it will be extremely powerful.
Bottom line is.....however you put it, Sony is definitely a threat to Nintendo. Talk about the Vita all you want, but its still an innovative machine. Also the PS3 is doing quite well. Of course PS4 is going to be a threat to the Wii U and vice versa. Not to mention the Xbox 720. All I'm saying is keep an open mind about how things will play out. We have ALL of 2013 to see what will happen!
As long as dev's keep using the gamepad then we've got nothing to worry about.
I was slightly impressed by it, but I'll have to see some first party titles that I'm interested in before I buy one.
@Rafie They're not threats at this point, merely competition for each other(and we won't know for a few years how things will play out). The PS3 has done well this past generation, so has the Wii and 360. Now the PS2...that just crushed competition like a grape; that was a threat.
The Vita can also be as innovative as ever but that means diddly squat if they are going to keep ignoring it game-wise. This isn't a bash either; I've been interested in a Vita for quite a while now because it has HUGE potential but until they act like they want to build up it's library I'll have to sit that money aside for something else. It doesn't help that they aren't trying to give it it's own identity either.
The PlayStation 4 is completely irrelevant. What Wii U needs are good games, and if it has them, it will succeed regardless of the competion.
I wasn't to impressed with ps4 meeting to behonest. Not because am Nintendo fanboy! Just because i didn't see anything that made my jaw drop! Kill zone look just like ps3 game nothing to special there! Though the New ip that uibsoft made looked lovely but still nothing amazing as ive see PC games just as beautiful. Just wasn't that impressed. And amount times hear sumone say PS4 was insane!
@Chriiis I agree for the most part. When I said "threat" I meant it from every avenue. As Sony or Microsoft would be to Nintendo and vice versa. Anyone that can potentially steal something from another's market is considered a threat. PS2 wasn't even a threat anymore. It was just the king of the consoles of that time. LOL I think this will be a fun competition instead of a complete blowout. I will say this, I think the Wii U will still be the "funnest" console out of the other 2. That's why Nintendo excels and always has. It's not about the hardware really (well kind of...), it's about the fun factor. In that aspect, Nintendo will win there. Hands down.
I hope Sony does put some focus on the games for Vita. That would be a waste for Sony to ignore that.
The Wii U will have more games. I don't understand why Nintendo Life focuses on the negative stuff sometimes. It's a new console. Watch when E3 comes...the guns are coming out!!! We'll start seeing what the Wii U can really do.
At this point I've stopped caring about home consoles, I work long hours so i dont have time for large scale games anymore and even if i did have time I wouldn't be spending my paycheck on $400 consoles, not in this economy long and Im not paying $60 or $50 for a game that I will play through once and get $5 for when I try to trade it in.
@Chriiis i have a vita and it is fantastic.the games i've played are excellent and the battery life is not at all bad.the main reason sony handhelds have struggled against nintendo one is practicality.the clam shell design of the ds is so good and the more robust design makes it so much easier to carry around and use without fear of dropping it.the vita design makes you scared the leave the house with it and if your playing games at home you might as well play something hooked up to your tv.all sony have to do fit a sturdy case that you can snap shut and bob's your uncle fannies your aunt it would sell really well..
@jpfan1989 Oh man. Watch out!
@Ragie I see what you mean, I just look at a threat as something more along the lines of 'has the potential to kill', which didn't really happen last gen and I don't see it happening this gen. That's why I was using the PS2 as an example, that just swept the damn floor. XD
Another thing you pointed out that I don't get is why everyone's always about the whole 'solely the games' when it goes both ways. True, games matter a lot but at the same time power helps in what the thing is really capable of, experience wise. Another big thing is the price point.
I think that's one of the things that's made me grow fond of Nintendo, they try to balance it out. They tend to use slightly dated tech to 'beef things up a bit' at a more affordable price. Aside from the games, which I think are on the expensive side a bit, I think the Wii U console itself is a steal for what the thing should be capable of(as of now).
@gazamataz Yes, it has some good titles out now, but overall you have to admit that their focus towards games is pretty cruddy. It' would also be nice if they gave it more of its own identity instead of a mini PS3. That's what I'm hoping they will head soon enough, I may just pick one up in that case.
I really doubt the design is as much of a bother as you're making it out to be. In all honestly, I love the rounded edges and design overall of the Vita over the 3DS. The 3DS just makes me feel like it was made for robots instead of people, with the boxiness(if that's even a word). If it was the case you're making it out as, iPhones and much more expensive tech wouldn't be selling like the hotcakes they are; The Vita does have protective cases you can buy too.
My only real complaint is that the analogs are what makes the thing an annoyance to carry around if you want it in your pocket; Have to watch out for those things since they stick out!
Wasn't impressed, so instead I'm likely to pick up a PS3 this year.
Interesting to see that this holiday will mark the generation leap completely. With not only the Wii U, but the PS4 and most likely the next Xbox competing all at once. As far as Nintendo handling the upcoming competition with its rivals, I would say the Wii U is unique enough to hold its own.
While the PS4 is more powerful, the Wii U has a concept that no other console currently has. Not to mention, with Nintendo's franchises, there's a lot of value in getting the Wii U for the sake of the games to come.
I'm personally not interested in the PS4. It doesn't seem to innovate anything. I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of both my PS2 and PS3, but I just don't seem intrigued by this successor. Of course, I also don't really have the money to support any more than a handheld and a home console.
I think I'll be set with my Wii U and 3DS.
@jpfan1989
Sell your games on ebay or Craigslist, you get way more $$$. In fact, I just sold my copy of Fire Emblem on Ebay today and it went for $56
@abevigoda - I used you as an answer on the TV Show 'Pointless' and the answer was pointless.
Surely with Sony and the PS4, its biggest rival is the PS3 not Nintendo or Microsoft.
I wanna hear what Nintendo has to say about the PS4! Or at least how they are gonna compensate for what PS4 has to offer. Obviously they will because it's the nature of competition to get 1up
I laughed when they said: "Sony is about innovation". Anyways, I think Nintendo has a plan. I bet you I can predict it. I think around September 2013 Nintendo will have a price drop for both models of the Wii-U. I think Microsoft will unveil its new console at E3 and and it will BLOW the PS4 out of the water. I don't think the 720 will be cheap because of the lack of 1st party games. I also think Live will become way more expensive. I think this is Sony's last console. So, back to Nintendo. Nintendo will have a price drop this September to compete with the other consoles. They will also release a new 3D Mario game and Mario Kart HD. I think heard a rumor that PS4 will be 429$ for basic package and 529$ for deluxe set. Every other rumor that person made was correct so I think it is safe to say that is correct too. Kids will flock to the Wii-u because it will be cheap and they want the new Mario games. 720/PS4 games will be around 80-100$ if I had to guess because of the magnitude of them. The PS4/720 will be marketed towards 18-25 year old men who will not be able to afford that upfront. I think Wii-U will be successful and the PS$ will fail, The 720 will be king though. That is my prediction, I could be wrong.
Competition is good.
This is going to be interesting
@jpfan1989 then why are you commenting on this article if you have no desire for console gaming.
Well it's cheaper to play the Wii U (Don't have a Vita) on the pot so the Wii U will dominate this generation.
I was very impressed by what Sony showed. The specs are great and they seem very focused with a clear vision. They've certainly upped their game compared to the PS3's troubled launch and will go into the next-gen fighting. I'm very interested in what their first party studios will do with the console given their excellent work on the PS3.
As for Nintendo, they need to bring their A game and improve their marketing (both very achievable), but I suspect the real challenge will be securing third party support in the long-term. Will their year-long head start have been wasted? E3 should be very interesting. It's an exciting time to be a gamer as good competition has a habit of forcing the best out of rival companies...
@AceTrainerAndy I doubt Microsoft will "blow" Sony out of the water. I do think that Microsoft will add something different to the show. MS will counter Sony on some of the features they will have. Looking forward to that! Another thing is I can already tell that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will be neck and neck this time. Not just Sony versus Microsoft. It's pretty much neck and neck with the current consoles of Sony and Microsoft in terms of enjoyability all over. Nintendo really has stepped it up as far as innovation is concerned. Miiverse is better than damn Facebook and Twitter! Nintendo took that and integrated gaming with it. That was phenomenal! That's why they will stay in this race! The 720 hasn't come out yet, so you might want to reserve that claim of "king of consoles" until you can see what it can do.
@WaveBoy You just don't like Sony at all, do you? That's fine. Everyone doesn't like every console. Innovation is being throw around like a cheap whore on Biggums St. While I don't think Sony was innovative at all, I do enjoy the fact that they do have great games. Like it or not, Sony does have great games that has great visuals. I noticed you said that having great graphics wasn't really a deal breaker for you. Why did you purchase a Wii U then? I'm not trying to be sarcastic....I really want to know.
If Nintendo fails, who will be the one to push forward innovatively? All Sony and Microsoft ever do is pick their nose on the sideline while they wait for Nintendo to release something groundbreaking so they can improve upon it. Sony may come out with better stuff at the start, but only because they rarely have to expirament.
Im so buying the ps4, which does put a HUGE dent to MY money that WAS going to the WiiU.
I've had a ps3 for the better of 6 years and i guess it really was the system aimed for me.In the end i found sony to be the best for me personally. I will not forget about nintendo though, Ive bought the WiiU and games for it. But honestly, All the older PS3 games i couldnt afford at the time are starting to come down to 20$ and i pay and play the ps3 way more then my shiny new WiiU with the games all still 59-39 dollars.
Even the ps4 lineup makes the system worth buying day one.But i guess i will hold off the first year, lets just hope Nintendo picks up the pace.
Please nintendo, pick up the pace.
On one hand, we have supposed Kinect only gaming and forced installs while on the other hand, Cloud gaming and possible zero backwards compatibility. I like and (now, as of today) own all 3 systems but thank God we have Nintendo keeping gaming fairly simplistic.
I find it funny that some people actually believe in all those romantic explanations of how a new console will help developers expand their creativity and possibilities and blah, blah, blah...It's always the same discourse, not only Sony, but also Microsoft and Nintendo. Most people just want good games to play, if you like Nintendo exclusives just buy a Wii U, if you like Sony exclusives or multiplatform games, you should buy a PS4 or the new Xbox. Or if you're like me, a videogames enthusiast, you should buy all the consoles available on the market and forget about all these pointless discussions about the future of a console, i really find it boring and counterproductive. If you can't afford buying all the consoles available, just buy the one you like most and that's it, problem solved.
Right now Nintendo is Nintendos biggest threat. I buy a Nintendo console for Zelda, Metroid, Fire Emblem (recently ). Mario is hit or miss, I personally don't care for Pokomon but I know people love it.
Nintendo needs to get it is their IP that sells there consoles. 3rd party games are generally an after thought because either a) people don't own another console and it would be nice to have them also or b) they are playing the 3rd party game on another console.
When the finally decide to go all in for the games that makes the Nintendo brand great, which they should have led with one, consumer and developer confidence will improve.
The sooner they do it, the sooner WiiU can take potential ps4 sales. In the end it always about the games.
I wonder how much of that 8gigs goes to games. I'm sure a good chunk of it goes to the OS, especially since they're aiming for zero load times and all that jazz they mentioned. Which sounds, you know, impossible. If most of the RAM goes to the OS, then I can see the Wii U being able to keep up better than the Wii could. It'll never match the PS4 obviously, but I could see 3rd party games fitting nicely on both consoles. Engines are supposedly becoming more scalable, and if Watch Dogs on Wii U looks as good as the PS4 version, then who knows what could happen. Also, when I look at Monolith's new game, it does make me wonder what the Wii U is capable of compared to the PS4. Early footage of that game looked just as good (or better, in some parts) as Watch Dogs for the PS4. And they're both gonna be big games. Xenoblade was huge, so obviously X will be huge as well, maybe even bigger. It gives me plenty of hope for the future of the Wii U.
And it sounds like the PS4 has a lot of features that my internet isn't fast enough to utilize. Having my friend's game stream to me and I play it? That won't work with my internet. Playing a game the instant it starts downloading? That won't work with my internet either. No backwards compatibility outside of Gaikai? Well then no BC for me at all. I tried Onlive, and it didn't work, so I don't expect half of this stuff to work for me either.
@HiroshiYamauchi Well said.....
To people saying that PS4/Xbox games are the same old shooters over and over again, that's just silly. Besides the fact that nearly every third party games comes to both their systems, they also make first party games with a lot of variety. If you don't want to play shooters on the consoles, then don't buy the shooters. Buy a game from any of the other genres, because they are all present and supported.
If PS4 comes in at the rumored £300/£350 then Wii U may suffer big time, but hopefully if Sony do announce a price like that Nintendo will lower its price to something a little more sensible like £200 or a £250 bundle pack with Mario Kart or whatever the big holiday release is at the time, at the moment though Wii U needs games and its such a shame that Nintendo didn't have any big games ready to ship for the first year (Yes Pikmin is great but no system seller) which is a massive oversight, they could have used this one year head start, but the lack of games is killing sales.
PS4 and Durango are going to cost $600 min. I agree with another commenter that they could bundle PS4 and Vita for $800-$850, but it's still going to be almost three times as expensive to get the same off-screen capabilities of Wii U.
By the time PS4/Durango release, Wii U is going to have a lot more games out as well. Nintendo is going to be fine. The bigger question is, which survives - PS4 or Durango? The next generation can't handle 3 systems anymore - we don't have enough gamers to go around for the same basic experience on all.
No yearly cost for online gaming could be Nintendo's key feature to win gamers back, when PS4 online will probably be by subscription basis only.
As an owner of the PS3 and Wii U, I saw no reason to buy the PS4. I saw generic fps games, driving games that showed nothing and multi platform games. Games like Watch Dogs and Destiny will be coming to to PS3 and Wii U anyway. Your option is buying a £50 game or spending £100s on a new console then an additional £50 for the game. The only game that I saw that I would pick up exclusive to the PS4 is The Witness but I'm not shelling out just to play that.
The PS4 is powerful and it is capable of some great things, like that tech demo for Deep Down and the old man, but I wasn't convinced to pick one up at launch. Besides, there will most likely be a slim version after a year. I might pick that one up. Sony have to do a great E3 to convince me but I'm sure we will get a bunch of same looking fps titles, racing games and button bashers.
Boy, it looks like all the fancy power of the PS4 will be its liability, not asset. Considering that the price will have to be jacked up due to all the bells and whistles, and that most people are looking to save money nowadays, the prospects for the system don't look too bright.
I need to see more of the PS4 before I make my final judgement. All we saw was games and the new controller.
I also question how they'll pull off graphics on television sets. I mean, is there even an option to go beyond 1080p or 1080i? If that's not possible without upgrading to some new TV set, I'm pretty sure that would put dampers on buying this system.
@UnseatingKDawg It can display up to 4K graphics when not in game. The cheapest TV that supports that is over $5000 and most are well over $10,000 and even $20,000. I don't see a huge market for that right now. Games are at 1080.
@UnseatingKDawg
Yeah but higher detail texture mapping and improved lighting and animation will look better no matter the resolution, all the PS4 trailers ran in 1080p, think of Dreamcast and GameCube they both ran at 640x480 but GameCube still looked better due to its hardware same case here.
Worry not about the state of your console - Just play the games and enjoy the experience. Let Nintendo worry about sales prices while you get back to having fun with your system.
And, for the love of Grodd, buy the games. The WiiU has almost a dozen games rated above 80% on GameRankings, so, unless you've experienced them all, there should be something left for you to play.
On one hand, streaming the old games will be better because there won't be any emulation problems. On the other hand, if you don't have a fast enough connection, they will be unplayable.
@brooks83 Are you talking about the PS4? Old games won't work on it and neither will Playstation Network titles. It has a different architecture.
from what I seen from both companies offerings, I can see Wii U being a big sell, and PS4 as well, but for some reason I think Xbox will miss out this holiday 2013. I have hope for Nintendo and Sony, but not for Microsoft at this point, I hate to say it, but there along the lines of SEGA at this point.
Gameplay-wise, I don't see what the PS4 brings to the table that's new. The social stuff, ok, sure, it's neat, not a system seller. The graphics and processing power are handy but I would prefer a cheaper system to a powerful system. So as far as I'm concerned PS4 adds some kind of streaming (which would be cool for demos), and input features that are already done better on other systems.
I have at one point owned a PS3 and sometimes regret selling it a tiny bit, so I am not anti-Playstation by any means. I just don't see any cause for excitement as a user or any cause for concern for Nintendo.
@XCWarrior There is NO way that the PS4 or next Xbox will cost $600. The only reason the ps3 cost that much was because of the bluray player. I wouldn't be completely surprised of they came in at $500, but it's much more likely that there will be at least one SKU for each console available for $400. The components aren't THAT great, and they are all mass produced/stock pc parts which = cheap.
Sony and Microsoft don't control Nintendo's future. Nintendo controls Nintendo's future, so they should start by announcing huge games at E3 if they want to turn this Wii U situation around.
I just don't understand what Nintendo has good going for the console right now. The console is underselling, it lacks big games and it doesn't seem there will be any big game for Nintendo to promote for people to go out and buy a Wii U anytime soon. Yet people insist Nintendo will be fine.
I don't hate Nintendo at all. I own a Wii U. I even went out and bough a portable hard drive for downloads and so far I haven't downloaded a single game because most of the games are old pc ports and are overpriced. That is really disappointing.
Unless Nintendo has some secret plan they have yet to reveal to Wii U owners then unfortunately Sony and Microsoft is going to wipe the floor with the Wii U in 2013. I wish you luck Nintendo I really do but it would seem you botched this one up big time.
I didn't know the playstation 4 had been unveiled until I saw this article...
herzausstein It won't support 4K
It's already been confirmed the PS4 supports 4K, which is not a big deal really unless your rich.
This alone kills the Wii U (8GB GDDR5 Memory), if the PS4 sells at £300 the Wii U is in trouble. And much like we are seeing now some of the PS4/720 games, is to powerful for the Wii U and no one wants a dumb down version. Like Watch Dogs we be on the Wii U compared to the PS4, and the price of the PS4 will be 100% cheaper than the PS3. the Wii U is in trouble unless your a fanboy, it makes me wonder if my investment in the Wii U might be pointless. i want games not just the Wii U hardware, which the PS4 will bring plenty of...
@SpaceApe Just because destiny is a new ip doesn't it's gonna be good. it haves good art direction but I haven't seem anything.
@pixelman they said that last time with the ps2 and ps3. The system lacks privacy and Sony will sell your info to everyone.
So basically enjoy all the adds every time you get on to play.
@Lopezdm actually a lot of developers say the same praise about the wii u. I think it has to do more with deeper pockets. Rayman developers, criterion, gearbox and crap load of other developers. Wii u had its on developer trailer just like ps3. And nintendo does go and ask the developers. They have articles about it.
@Trikeboy -
No, they mentioned you will be able to stream PS1, PS2, and PS3 games onto the PS4 rather than play them natively or through emulation.
@banacheck you know developers are finding out a lot what they can do with the wii u and that it can render pc quality texture and advance lighting. Ps3 claim to have bells and whistles before it came out then the truth came out and developers were having a hard time figuring out its archicture. I have a feeling it's the same crap again. Cause sony seems to do that.
@SpaceApe no they didn't. They're prices are great and not all are ports. I'm not sure when you started gaming but EVERY console launch is slow and so will the ps4 which nintendo will have some big boys before then.
@Lopezdm Those are parody accounts on Twitter read the INFO
Rambling thoughts at 1 AM:
I wasn't impressed with the PS4. Most of the features mentioned have been on PCs for years - even my little two/three year old netbook that i am using right now. (running windows xp. I am so on the cutting edge!)
Yes, the visuals were purty. However, I've seen the visual thing touted time and time again - better visuals doesn't mean a better game. Think about it - there is one game that everyone seems to love on both the PC and 3DS called VVVVVV. It looks like it could've been developed on the Atari. However, the gameplay rocks and it is a fun game. I'm looking for gameplay, not graphics.
I don't like the fact that your PSN purchases don't transfer and there isn't physical backwards compatibility. One reason I loved my PS2 is because I could play my PS1 games on it. Unfortunately Sony doesn't do that anymore...
That being said - I believe Nintendo really has to get on the ball to stay competitive. They can do it, as seen with the 3DS, but it won't be easy. I don't know what Nintendo can do to bring their market share up - I know I plan on buying a Wii U soon (The ZombiU edition) but I want others to buy it, so games still come out for it. I loved my wii, but man it lacked 3rd party support. Nintendo has had a hard time courting third parties since the days of the N64.
Another competitor is one i don't see mentioned much on here. The Ouya is also launching next month. It is a 99 dollar console that is at that "impulse purchase" price. I have no idea if it'll do well or not, but it is there. Plus there are other 99 dollar android systems coming out...
PC gaming is really picking up steam, again, as well. The question is this: Can a person buy a similarly powerful PC for around the same price as the PS4? Since we don't know the price yet, I don't know. I do know I need to upgrade my own rig and I might as well do it this year. Nothing I've seen with the PS4 makes me want to hold off doing that to buy the console. The only two games I really waned to play in the PS4 presentation are WatchDogs and The Witness. I want to build a PC to play those.
I want a console that is like comfort food. I don't want to be blasted with ads and hip/edgy commentary and games that splatter blood all over the screen. With the economy the way it is and the world the way it is right now, I want games that take me way from what is happening. I guess that is why I play RPGs mostly... Sure I'm interested in games like Zombie U and Watch Dogs, but I want a system that my kids can sit down and play without me worrying about them. I don't see the PS4 or the nextbox ever being that way. That is what attracts me to Nintendo Systems. Sony and MS have tried to corner the market, but they can't. They are much too focused on the LOUD OBNOXIOUS EXPERIENCE. I just don't want that noise blasting all the time. I want a WII U because it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Anyway... I know this is kind of rambling. To sum up: The PS4 is trying to hard. I'd rather have Mario and Cellda than "X Shooter: 2015 edition."
If there is no true backwards compatibility then its a 'not buying' from me. I have a more then ample internet connection to support streaming but don't want to do this. I don't want two ugly Sony consoles sat under my telly.
@Davidiam007 : PC graphics quality, with only 1GB DDR3 ram avaible?? The same amount of memory, but GDDR5, is located in my radeon 5870, on the other side i have 6Gb ddr3 system ram. As you can see, my pc has less ram than the ps4.
I got a wii u and, unfortunately, i have to admit that the current situation is the same we had with wii, ps3 and xbox360. Both ps4 and xbox720 will have 4 times the power of a wii u, and any third party game developed for wii u will be a scaled down game from the competitors.
Graphics, yahoo...
Nope. This is sony risking a LOT. This console will have to be sold at a loss, needs to rank in huge numbers, then barely returning the company to profitability.
I am quite curious how this will play out. Nintendo will make a profit on the wiiU soon, so they'll live. Sony is coming out guns blazing only to barely survive, with no terribly revolutionary concept or improvement, and more brown green and grey games. Sure, there'll be some good ones, but it will be limited.
I think the money talks in wiiU's favour, and the wiiU will sell more and more over time. Sony will face some trouble either way.
PS4: Oh yey 1000s more no name/brand games that nobody cares about with a few miracle lucky shot good games.
But that's bound to happen when you just constantly throw every title you can find in google onto the system.
I'm sticking with Nintendo, Quality over Quantity anyday. (Quality game play that is, I don't care about the graphics much, most of my fondest memories of games are ones with horrific graphics, it's all about the gameplay.)
I was very impressed with Sony's event. I'm definitely excited for the PS4 - though I won't be getting one at launch.
The features of the console sound great - and are loaded with potential (though it remains to be seen if Sony follow-through with that potential). The Vita streaming in particular sounds really neat; it could really take away some of the appeal of the Wii U.
Games wise, Killzone looked great...but the gameplay looked depressingly familiar. I think Bungie's Destiny is much more creative and ambitious.
Knack looked really neat (though I hope it doesn't devolve into a generic beat 'em up), as did Media Molecule's sculpting demo.
Watch_Dogs looked really fun (though I'm wary of how the game will turn out - I've been burned by Ubisoft many times before), and inFamous 3 will hopefully turn out to be great (loved the previous games). The Witness looks wonderful too (though not exactly pushing the PS4's limits).
Like Killzone, Diablo III looked woefully archaic (THIS is the best of PC?), and David Cage spoke his usual drivel.
Despite my reservations, the PS4 looks to be an absolute beast. I actually believe it could have games that look BETTER than PC. Sceptical? Take a look at Uncharted and God of War - games running on PS3's near decade-old tech. Much like the Wii U - people are foolish in directly comparing the PS4's guts to PC. Consoles are different; they are gifted with a fixed hardware that allows maximum optimisation by developers. It'll be very interesting to see future Wii U graphics compared to future PS4/Durango graphics, not to mention the large, AI-intensive worlds and computing power.
Also, I'm really digging the PS4 controller. Sony made the right move in evolving the traditional (outdated?) DualShock/joypad design.
It's Microsoft's move now...
These consoles are made with feedback from game developer studios.
As such, I am sure that Nintendo knew exactly, during Wii U's development, what the specifications of the other upcoming consoles were going to be.
Nintendo never intended to make a machine that would replace the PS4 or the next Xbox console.
Most game developers are probably going to stop simultaneously releasing games for both generations in 2015. So the Wii U is going to get some multiplatform games from the end of 2013, into 2014, and maybe at the start of 2015. After this, they will need to be again a niche that offers something entirely different than the other consoles.
Most likely, all this was part of Nintendo's plan.
I am curious about the 2013 holidays. There will be five different videogame machines available.
I expect that 2013 will be so-so for the Wii U. Then 2014 will be awesome. And I am really curious to see how 2015 will turn out.
PS4 is gonna be incredible, im pre-ordering next payday. I'm a gamer, not a fanboy!
The release date hasn't been announced yet, the only thing we're judging it off is the Watch_Dogs release of Fall 2013 which doesn't mean anything. Yes it's coming on day one, and yes it shown at the conference but that doesn't mean that's when the PS4 is released. Look at Wii U, that was announced a whole year before it was released, something that i'm expecting with the PS4.
Don't get me wrong, i'm looking forward to it, but I don't think it's a day one purchase for me.
@zing06 They said it's coming holiday 2013 at the end of the presentation.
Well, I have already expressed my opinion regarding this:
PS4 has much better technical capabilities than Wii U and is going to be released only one year after Wii U. I can see Xbox3 coming soon and Wii U struggling with its poor power. It doesn't look like Wii success will be repeated on Wii U.
From Ign.com:
Cerny said the platform is "by game creators for game creators" and that its architecture is "like a PC, but supercharged." PS4 uses the X86 CPU and has 8GB of memory and a local hard drive. It uses APU technology and GDDR5 memory, which is typically reserved for "top of the line, high end graphics cards."
PS4 has 8GB of super fast RAM memory when Wii U has 2GB and only 1GB for games. If you think of Xbox3 being similar than PS4, it's going to be tough for Wii U.
I own a Wii U and I won't be buying PS4 but this is the truth and we have to see it. I bought Wii U for Nintendo games but not everybody else is going to do the same.
@Sun
Wii U has poor power? IGN?
I need a sit down.
i think Nintendo have really screwed them self's with 3rd party games again
@Tsuchiya To be honest most of the times IGN.com is more objective than NL. I haven't found a better games website yet, but I think this article here is reasonable.
'Wii U poor power' are my words, you can change them for 'much less powerful Wii U' if you want. CPU is slow and it only features 2GB RAM and 1GB if for OS alone. Have you to sit down to face this simple fact?
Not at all, there is only one interesting game and that's inFamous: Second Son, the others are real crap or really mainstream like Killzone and Driveclub.
Seriously, they are gonna use the PSVita to stream games from the PS4 (like having a Wii U Gamepad), that's gonna make only multiplatform ideas more easy to be in both consoles.
Plus it's not even that poweful, it's easy to do a sketch with black screen and only one face in ultra powerful textures, look at the Dino demo from PS1, they have shown lots of graphical effects, they can be dangerous to some people but nothing much in the textures, you can see at te rope from the next Killzone to tell that.
Games are gonna be like Far Cry 3 on PC on Ultra settings, nothing more.
I think PS4 is going to be very expensive so it will be a risky veuture for Sony, but there are always people who want the best and most powerful console on the market. Personally i'd be surprised if it was much cheaper than the PS3 was at it's launch.
The lack of backwards compatibility means on top of buying the console, new games will be a necessity. It will probably struggle early on with the exact same issues that Wii U is having now, i.e. low attachment rates for games sales and a lack of momentum a few moths down the line, once all the early adopters have already got their hands on it. The economy is still not showing any strong signs of recovery, which won't help matters either.
Personally i expect the PS4 will succeed although a lot may depend on Microsoft's plans, both Sony & MS seem to offer very similar machines and go for the exact same part of the games market.
Just as the Wii was a success for Nintendo, in the last generation up against PS3 and Xbox 360, i expect the Wii U to succeed alongside the powerhouse Sony or Microsoft machines, due to the unique library of games, Nintendo first party titles and innovation in design.
@Sun
Oh a simple fact. Ima just get my dunce hat and eat a crayon.
@Tsuchiya So you are saying is not a fact Wii U is less powerful than PS4? Okay then, enough for me.
I think I'll be sticking with Nintendo for this gen, at least for the first few years until there are quite a large number of PS4 or Xbox720 exclusives I want to play.
Of course they can't show off all the PS4's games just yet but that's what is going to get me to buy a PS4, not all its technological potential. I can always buy a Nintendo console in the launch window, since I know Nintendo can/will deliver the games that most appeal to me. But as for the other two upcoming consoles, I'll take the 'wait & see' approach with them.
Sony has decided to do everything that Nintendo does.
People do know that to support all the streaming features, instant on functionality, Play while downloaded and all the other impressive features a certain amount of that extra power will be reserved and not available to games.
Sugestions are circulating that for games you will game 4 available cores and 4gigs of ram available for games.
It's also worth noting reports are saying the actual Processor runs at 1.6-1.9ghz and the Gpu is that a GPU not a GPGPU.
Also Sony have always built powerfull machines, however history has show they don't neccessarily put them together in the most effiecient many, look at the Ps3's bottleneck problems... it will be interesting to see if they learned from thier mistakes this time round.
While it seems be the most powerfull system (it said to be more powerfull than the reported Nextxbox's specs), there some things to take into consideration.
Backwards Compatibility via cloud streaming, and most the social online features will internet connection intensive. With variying qualities of peoples internet speeds, and quality online play as it is now can be troublesome for some, there's no way everyone will have the experience of the ps4's Social network features as Sony intends it. Also bear in mind if Your isp have a usage cap streaming games will seriously eat into that. Anyone whos tried OnLive will know both the the above points to be true.
Also Sony have yet to dispell the rumour that Used games will not work on thier system (something also said to the case on nextbox). I tend not to trade, unless the game is a bit poo, however many people to trade games regularly to get new releases or because they can't afford to buy new games.
The thing about this rumour is, its no secret developers/publishers want to get rid of the used game market, and It seems the companies the most negative towards WiiU are the most positive with Ps4/Nextbox are the likes of EA and Activision (amongst others). Remember it was EA who invented the Online Pass system, so it stands to reason they will be pushing consoles that don't support Used games more, under the guise of alternative reasoning.
Grahically, yes the WiiU will not be as strong as Ps4 or nextbox, but at the same time once developers start using the the Large Cache on Cpu, Making proper use of the super-short piplines and actually start programming to allow the GPGPU to do everything its ment to do and take the load off the Cpu, Graphically there wont be A massive difference, not like Wii vs Ps3/360, unless the Ps4 does do 4k rez, and you happen to have a 4k tv.
WiiU's touchpad, Nintendo ip's and a mixture of Real World application of the Ps4's features along with the used games issue (if the case) and no native backward compatabilty means the WiiU may end up in a much stronger position than people believe.
However Nintendo need to get some strong ip's released before christmas, that really use the WiiU's Architecture properly to show what games can really look like on the system, and then advertise the hell out the WiiU.
Like @CDreams, I too am not A nintendo fanboy, in fact WiiU is the 1st nintendo system I've owned since the Gamecube, which I traded to go to XboX, then I got a xbox360 on release then about a year ago went to Ps3 and now I've Got my Ps3 & WiiU.
Although Ps3 now mainly gets used for Blurays, Singstar by the missus and Rocksmith by me.
I was just bringing up some points to put the Ps4/WiiU situation into perspective, which is The is more to a console than Raw Specs.
@GiftedGimp They have officially come out and said used games will not be blocked. Their head guy did a huge interview with Eurogamer and it was in that.
@Peach64 Ok thanks for the info
So that leaves just Microsoft to decide on used games then.
Nintendo will be @ GDC this year...They better have something amazing up their sleeves....
@idork99 The first commercial motion gaming experience actually happened with the eyetoy for PS2. Playstation doesn't lack innovation. Yes, gaming companies are going to mimick each other in some sort of fashion, but if you think that's new to the business world I sympathize. The fact is the best thing for Nintendo IS to be mimicked by Sony and Microsoft for more than one reason. For one thing, mimicry is the best form of flattery, and for another, if those two companies aren't rivaling Nintendo, then Nintendo won't feel pushed to make the improvements it needs to make. It all comes down to games, and PS4 has made it so easy for developers to work with the console, and that's where the underlying success is. The easier it is for developers to work with the consoles, the more intrigued they will be, and the better the games are going to be. I'm truly impressed with PS4.
PS4 was a joke. No reason to upgrade from my PS3 at all right now.
ugh is it just me or this gen more about apps like facebook,youtube etc then bringing new ways to play and tons of new games or new IPs?
but honestly the whole ps4 actually feels like it rly is a new gen not like with wii u... :[ then again sony seems to be about being cocky and throwing high graphic, online and high price console(a console which was never even shown) and thats it o_o
if nintendo had brought out some crazy new 3rd party game announcements that would of been great and not release games late that there realising on the other consoles(rayman legends) sigh -_- cant wait till MS announcement instead they seem to always have that balance between sony and nintendo
oh yeah and whats up with that ugly control?it looks like some china ripoff of the ps3 controller to me o.o come on you can do better! and the bulky sensor bar xD
I like what i saw of the PS4, but i still have my doubts about it, gaming on consoles its not about graphics (and never has for all that matters) its about accesibility and the "easy of play", that social-media its taking a center point on current consoles shows that just better graphics wont do the cut, nowadays you can grab a PC with even better graphics than a PS4 for about the same price (and PCs can do A LOT more things), the WiiU took that and a made a step further by adding the gamepad (wich i LOVE...)
The problem, games... Killzone looks awesome and i love Infamous (one of my fav PS3 games btw), but theres nothing "mind-blowing", just like the WiiU launch, and justify the purchase of a new console its hard when games comes to old and next gen for about a year
I dont care about graphics, thats why i have my PC, i care about the console itself and what can add to gaming, if they keep doing more and more with the social part of gaming ill gladly get a PS4 and put it right next to my PC and WiiU (and 3DSXL for all that matters...)
And no microsoft, why ? because 1 good exclusive (gears of war, i just dont like halo, do not hate me) doesnt compare to the millions of great exclusives Nintendo/Sony has, period
@CDreams:
"I love how people spout of system specs as if that's the most important thing. It's going to help Sony and MS to have great specs because that's what they are all about, however I'm pretty confident Nintendo, even without coming close to those SUPER SPECS, will still have games that rank as some of the best this coming generation. In some ways the specs are irrelevant."
Of course Nintendo will not disappear, thank heaven. But we are not talking about that here, we are just talking about how this early PS4 and Xbox3 (once it is announced) would affect Nintendo since they are coming 3 years earlier than stated (by Sony) and 1 year after Wii U with much more powerful systems.
Does it mean that Nintendo is going to disappear? Of course not, Nintendo could survive even with first-party games only. But I don't think we are discussing that kind of stuff here, to be honest.
@CDreams, I like your writing but I don't think Wii U is going to get the same success as Wii. Look 3DS compared to DS. As you said Wii U is a good upgrade but only because Wii is little more than GameCube. I bought Wii U on January to enjoy Nintendo games as I do every generation since SNES, but I think Wii U should be power powerful in order to get a better support from other developers. Also, I prefer an amazing-looking Nintendo game than an OK-looking Nintendo game, not talking about anything specific here.
The majority of games footage that was shown was not gameplay footage, they kept saying that. Sure Killzone and Drive Club looked graphically impressive but to me they looked staggeringly unoriginal. The two games which looked most interesting were Destiny and Watch Dogs, one of which has been confirmed to be on the Wii U the other rumoured.
I didn't see anything on the Ps4 which couldn't be done on the ps3 that I thought looked interesting. Ok that clay sculpting thing looked impressive but that 'one take video' is illogical, how can waving a controller animate all those things at once :/.
The ease of degisn aspect did worry me though in terms of 3rd party stuff. We will have to see.
After having the Wii U for a couple of weeks, I see the big advantage with having the second monitor in hands. There is so many possibilities with this, like giving the suspense moment in Zombie U where u have to look down, but can't pause the game. And every dev. can explore this mechanic with no risk, since it's already included.
But I can't see that this will happen with PS4/Vita, since it's not bundled. Devs can't make a game reliant on using the Vita, since that would exclude most users.
I don't think there will be a playstation on me in this round....and that will be a first...since I think Wii U will cover all my needs. But we will see, maybe when the price is right
Without competition we would still be playing Pong
Good to see competition, motivates Nintendo to pop up some super exclusives
@Eien1239
No but they made Halo and good dev teams don't just all of a sudden go bad overnight. Highly unlikely Destiny will be bad.
@Davidiam007 Darksiders 59.95, Arkham City 59.95, ME 3 59.95. These are old pc ports and over a year old and yet they sell for full price ? Should I even continue with the lack of quality games on the Wii U ? Majority of the games are platform puzzlers. I know it is a console and platform games are popular but you have to stop making for the niche crowd and start making for the masses if Nintendo wants to see sales rise. It is just that simple. It is amazing that fans can see this but yet Nintendo can't ? Perhaps Nintendo needs to get with times and stop rehashing old games.
@Peach64 They just said its a "publisher" decision now so keep backpedalling
@SpaceApe Darksiders is great on the Wii U So is Batman. Everything you just said is completely incorrect. Yes ports, but thats not all is there. Now shut up and actually play the system before you start talking about quality games. back to Trine2
@Gifted Gimp Everything you stated is down pat. All this cloud bullcrap sheesh/ Honestly the New Xbox looks to be more of a multi-media machine with Kinect, basically a PC for your living room(which you can already hook up to your TV so all it is a microsoft branded product that comes with all their forced upon consumer spiel that only benefits well microsoft)
@Sun Power never helped get Nintendo support(Gamecube has about 30 worthwhile games on it tops.), power isnt also going to make them profit. The Wii U isnt very difficult to develop for. According to Ubisoft and all the indie developers.
3DS is selling more than the DS in the same span of time the only difference is Nintendo isnt making a profit on it.
Nintendo is always working. Always, after the Wii U they are going to surprise us even more with their inter connectivity. But the Wii U itself is going to shine for a long period of time. I hope it meets their goals so Iwata doesnt have to consider stepping down.
Despite the load of RAM the PS4 has, I doubt its architecture will be able to make full use of all its parts working in tandem, especially if half of the RAM is constantly being used by the console itself.
Lets not forget how much money this thing is going to cost. 475$ is my guess.
Im more concerned about processing power than graphics, game developers arent innovating and finding new ways to immerse and evoke emotion from the players, have you seen the AI in these games? THEY SUCK, take a look at Skyrim Vs Arkham City. Which one has the better AI? Batman.
I'd love to see new genres and types of games
@SetupDisk
I have a feeling 360 fans will say the same exact thing come 720.
I haven't owned a Sony system since PS2. I went 360 rather than PS3. I was practically begging Sony to get me interested in PS4 as I wanted their new Sony system alongside Nintendo this time around. They failed. I bought a PS3.
RetrogamerFan i think it will be cheaper then ps3 cause bluray is old tech and the cpu they are using is just the same as ones in pc's when they used cell cpu's they where expensive to make
I think that the success of both the Wii U and PS4 rely on its fan base and with the era the gaming industry is going through. There are Nintendo fans, PS fans, Xbox fans and people who just enjoy the odd Call of Duty game. It's harder now to get people entised into paying £300 + for a console unless they follow the brand and have for years. The way in which we approach games has changed drastically in the last few years and the fact that games can be downloaded or streamed is far more beneficial to the industry, rather than releasing a game and it going through a 'recycle' phase such as trade in.
In terms of specs; in reality no one gives a damn. Its all about the games and the graphics (and real gamers play games for what they are, not because of the graphics). Nintendo has managed to sustain itself over the years not thanks to its graphics but its own library of classics. With the Wii U it was great to see that it had so many launch titles of which more than half were 3rd party owned. This proved the faith that these 3rd party developers have in Nintendo and it's Wii U. Sony'a new machine sounds great, and the specs are definitely to next gen standards. I'm more interested to see what the last contender (Microsoft) has to offer in the future. The fact is that the Wii U is seen as another platform in which big games will be released and not just exclusive to PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively. Then the real question will be: "Which version shall I get? The Wii U or the PS4?" Nintendo has essentially created a giant DS experience with the Wii U with its gamepad and its a good formula. Its going to be an interesting year ahead of us and the gaming industry. Let the Games Begin!
@Lopezdm
It just didn't interest me at all. That ok?
And I'd listen to @CDreams, his hand is on his chin.
The PS4 is the first system ever that I'm preordering. The Wii U is the first Nintendo system I'm skipping. Granted my tastes have been leaning away from Nintendo more and more latley, so that's just me. If i described how psyched I am for the PS4 we'd be here all day though.
After reading a lot of "I buy Nintendo consoles for nntendo IPs" comments I came to a realization, the only Nintendo IPs I care about are Zelda and Pokémon. So I'll keep using my 3DS as a jukebox until Pokémon Y arrives, and borrow a friends WiiU when the new Zelda arrives, and buy a PS4. Unless Nintendo manages to get good 3rd party support.
The PS4 will be released in November and come in 2 SKUs: Basic: $499 (includes ps4 (500 GB), ds4 controller, ps eye, hdmi n power cables) Premium: $599 (includes Basic bundle plus accessories (charging cradle,etc..), more memory(1TB) and free 1-year PS Plus subscription)
@CDreams
' Before the Wii U launched and no figures were thrown out there, if you asked what would be a good sales for the Wii U at this point, based off previous knowledge, excluding the Wii as that was essentially an anomaly, then if you said 3 million people and especially publishers would be delighted if it hit that figure'.
Then why Nintendo who is very prudent has lowered its expectations for Wii U sales for the first fiscal year?
@CDreams
'This time of year is always quiet and it's why all the big games were due to come out around March. That's when things start picking up again sales wise after the holidays and going into spring. The Wii U sold brillant in Nov/Dec, slowed right down in Jan/Feb. Big games are coming next month and we will start to see sales pick up again'.
I agree but also makes me think that only 2.66 million people are willing to get a new generation Nintendo console in the first 3 months. Nintendo has to work very hard to get that number risen.
You are saying elsewhere on your comments that there are a lot of great games out there for Wii U. I don't really agree. Not a single great Nintendo game is available right now for Wii U. Nintendo Land is not that good, actually I still prefer playing Wii Sports Resort. New Super Mario Bros. U is the best 'New Mario' but people are quite disappointed by the 'New' series. And if you think of it it's better to say that's the reason for this somehow low sales (even if you think that they are high).
@RikuzeYre Nintendo DS had a very low start until games like Brain Training, Nintendogs and New Super Mario Bros. were released.
@RikuzeYre: 'Power never helped get Nintendo support(Gamecube has about 30 worthwhile games on it tops.), power isnt also going to make them profit'.
Why would I care about Nintendo profits? Specially since most of them are not for artists, engineers or bosses. I would care if Nintendo was struggling to survive which is not the case. All I care about is for Nintendo games and they were nearly perfect until New Super Mario Bros., Skyward Sword, Super Mario 3D Land, New Super Mario Bros. 2, Paper Mario Sticker Star and stuff like that. Not saying they stink (NSMB2 actually does) at all, just saying I miss superb and really inspired Nintendo games like Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Super Mario Sunshine, Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door, Wave Race Blue Storm, F-Zero GX...
So even if SNES, N64 and NGC were less profitable than Wii and DS, bring that stuff back to me and I'm the happiest man in the world.
@Tsuchiya
I was actually kinda angry about the PS4 presentation. Nothing blew me away. I was getting ready to start saving some funds but infamous isn't enough even though I really enjoy the series.
Like you said I can see the same thing happening with the 720. Some new social features and one or two games that aren't worth buying a new system for. Plus it would be nice for some official prices but that seems like it won't come till the last minute for either system.
Also I wonder what Sony will do next to sell the Vita. Crossplay and now they are even pushing it as a controller.
I said it once and I'll say it just once more. If you all will just WAIT til E3, you will see what all of the systems will be offering. Yes I'm talking more elaboration on the PS4, the reveal or more info on the Nextbox, and the hard hitting games that will keep Nintendo pretty comfortable....not to mention some of the 3rd party titles coming its way. Saying PS4 wasn't impressive...blah, blah, blah wasn't meant to be a full presentation. It was nothing more but a mere announcement of the PS4. Have some patience folks.
@Rafie
Here's hoping they flog the designer of that hideous pad and change it come E3. It looks like one of those GAME own brands.
First impressions are everything and they failed to impress me. I was really hyped for it too. I'll pass.
@CDreams I like chatting with you because you are not disrespectful and make silly comments as the other guy (or girl?).
Okay, actually New Super Mario Bros. U is a good game, but people were disappointed by New Super Mario Bros. 2 which was released a bit earlier. I love Mario since Super Mario World and NSMB2 is garbage. If rookie developers without any inspiration at all make a Mario game, this is what you get, a game that could have been developed by any freak on the Internet. NSMBU on the other hand is a huge step forward from NSMB2 and note that better people (when it comes to developing games, of course) worked on it.
About indie games that I have ignored on my comments I love Mighty Switch Force but this is a port. I was disappointed by The Cave demo and I'm going to download Trine 2 next week but again, nothing new here. Same for PS360 games that have been later released for Wii U, you have to admit some of them were poorly ported! I can't say Zombi U is a great horror survival game and I love that kind of games, I own and enjoyed Silent Hill Shattered Memories (Wii), Cursed Mountain (Wii), Project Zero 2 Wii Edition and also all of the Resident Evil released for Wii (both Chronicles included).
Nintendo Land is exactly the type of game that would have never been able to boost Wii U sales and would make it be seen as just a newer Wii, as that's exactly what Wii U is for most people. And only Nintendo is to blame. New Super Mario Bros. U, it was not its time yet.
When Nintendo releases a beautiful Zelda, an awesome Mario or a deep Metroid (Prime) is when people start considering Wii U as something worth its price and worth Nintendo's legacy.
I don't really care about all those technical details and raw power of the PS/XB consoles in the past and even less now. While they go for the technical advanced stuff, Nintendo offers pure gameplay joy, which is what I'm interested in. My PC is strong enough for those "full HD and beyond" titles.
@FineLerv Well said. I'll add that I wasn't impressed by PS4 showing, didn't like the look of the DS4 at all, with that silly touchpad in the middle, but that's my opinion. Gamewise, yes I liked Watchdogs and Deep Down, but if they're gonna end up on the Wii U I can't see a reason to fork out £400-500 for it. With that said, I'm also a Sony fan, so I'll probably end up buying it, I'll just wait for more games I like.
One thing about nintendo is that they take less(technology as some people would use more and do the same thing you could do with stuff thats not even release yet thats why they don't want to let go of those tech specs just yet because the competition would use it to capitalize on their ideas if they were release all the details of whats to come sony and micro would have something simillar with a little more content,so in all i like the way the system is set up with the cpu gpgpu which they know why it should be like that compared to something sony trying to piece together to keep up with the wii u.this nintendo console is in a race by itself its easy to see.all they need is at least a couple of nintendo games every two months.
I think the way the wii u is set up only nintendo knows how to unlock the potential of what they created.And with 8gig of memory for ps4 as with the 2 in the wii u and some called slow cpu think its going to be the same resolution outcome ,these japanese are the best in tech and quality so they could take my money anyday with their innovation.think they would do anything else but innovate in tech specs thats about all you payin for.But as far as gameplaying experiences will see what another dual shock experience has to offer
@Lopezdm thats why Sony launched Move/Wonderbook and MS Kinect crap, because hardcore gamers like those kind of games because they are hardcore lol
Developers want to develope for the PS4 because its easier to port over the game from pc. But then again, they also want to develope for the wii u because they can be more creative with the gamepad. And also, i dnt believe it will be scaled down that much from the ps4 and those who say yes because of specs, it wont be noticeable. Also there is always a chance these specs can change so we really dnt have the right to say who is better.
@Lopezdm I think his point was, the hardcore crowd loves to play all types of games. Sadly these days people dnt understand the difference between hardcore gamers and people who own a couple of rated m games and call themselves hardcore.
The problem with all this high tech: high costs. I'm juts hoping not to hear “599 US dollars” again.
Assassin87
Going by your logic with a lot 3rd party releases coming soon why are they not on the Wii U seeing how all the developers want to use the Gamepad? The graphics not noticeable from the PS3 to the PS4? Look again because it is unless you've not got a clue. The Specs chance after they've been released possible but not going to happen, else it wouldn't be able to release in 2013. There are a lot of really hardcore gamers out there, and they are easy to spot over causal gamers. I think it's there actual game time & trophies what give them anyway. If the PS4 releases for 350 and the Wii U is 300 it's a non brainer which one people will go for and i'm not talking about every day gamer here.
@banacheck please re read my post, i nvr said there wasnt a difference in graphics from ps3 to ps4. Also, the question about the 3rd party games is one to ask all those developers who on the video at E3 who said it was revolutionary and can give new experiences to games. The third party games that were already on the Wii U were simple ports soo it was easy to release them on the Wii U since those projects were already completed but newer games that are getting released soon, the developers probably didnt have the amout of time to make a Wii U version because they were already far along into the development an i think some developers have said that. I think the price point for the ps4 is going to be more into the $400 to $500 price range. There has been times were a game isnt annouced for a certain console when it is announced but later down the road they come out and say "it will be on this console". For instance watch_dogs wasnt originally announced for Wii U but recently it has confirmed. With this beeing said, i am excited to see wut both companies bring to E3 this year and ill will more than likley buy a ps4 if the price is right.
So Lopezdm, if youre saying that hardcore gamers are the ones that buy and spend thousand upon thousands of dollars on real gaming machines and hardcore games, explain to me, WHY DOES THE VITA its not selling at all, its the pinacle of hardcore gaming on the go, everyone should be mad about it, but they are not...
To me, Nintendo always had problems with third party at least since the N64 days, but the real problem its not the console itself or the games because power has never been the real problem (N64 and GC were better in tech, yet they failed), its some kind of paradigm about Nintendo and childish play,, and in this day and age where feeling like a "grown up" and call yourself a "hardcore" gamer its so important, because you know, being a "hardcore gamer" makes you better in life, playing nintendo games its bound to make you fail in life, if you search you can find lots of so called "hardcore" games, that they are not Millitary FPS its not nintendo's problem
I own a PS3, Wii, WiiU, a damn awesome PC and soon to get a PS4 (25 years old, working and i dont have a family yet, money its not an issue to me at least) am i a hardcore gamer ? you can say so, but to me, im just a guy that likes gaming, i can have fun playing a Wii game (like i did A LOT of times) and with a PS3/PC game.
Like i said i blame that paradigm over nintendo about the games (and the name itself, god what an awful name its "Wii", WiiU for some reason, while a bad name, its not AS BAD)
And to say that Sony has the money to waste, its just plain wrong, Sony its been bleeding money all over them, their stocks has been falling ever since 2000, In fact, the PS4 reveal hit them with another fall, 3% (And Nintendo rose 3% but i dont know why actually)
They finally started to get things right, like with their Xperia smartphone division (i own the Xperia S, awesome smartphone btw), but its a loooong way since they can finally get into a decent economy
Sony has been in big, big problems since the 90s, so no, they dont have the amount of money you think they have, last year they hit their lowest stock price since... 1984!!!!!
PD:Sorry my english, not my "native" lenguage, yo hablo español
The PS4 is a slick sounding machine but there is a few things that bother me.
Price ? 8Gb of GDDR5 ram will not be cheap.
Controller? Telling me I cant use my 60.00 DS3 to play another round of Killzone, God of War ? WTH
Social features ? Just gets in the way of me enjoying my games.
What Nintendo should do.
Stay the course that you have shown us for 2013. The game line-up is very impressive guys
Let Sega create another F-Zero
Let Platinum give us their take on the Star Fox series
Allow Retro to spread their wing's and deliver a great new IP... after Metroid Prime 4
Give us a HD version of Eternal Darkness
Do these simple things and it will not matter what tech demo Sony & MS show.
@Lopezdm I partially agree with you. I don't know why Nintendo didn't put a second circle pad on the 3DS/XL and I don't understand what are they doing with Wii U either. They focus so much on their own ideas (good idea for developing software) but don't really try to make real balanced hardware lately with at least some kind of support from other developers.
I have always been a fan of both Sony and Nintendo but my parents are not RICH considering today's economy,therefore I need to choose either wii u or ps4 (no weakbox for me)
I just hope the wii u does not get a bunch of fps games,surprising that a "COD Loving" 12 year old says that, I actually want fire emblem awakening more than anything right now and probably luigis mansion 2 which comes out on my bday this is the 2nd time in a row a game I actually want comes out on my bday the first was KI:U 😜
@Ronan3461
Fire Emblem awaking is truly epic.
@SetupDisk I hope it is, the demo was great!
E3 will be BIG this year! super smash,mk8, 3d Mario, wonder what Nintendo has up their sleeves right now!
''I think Nintendo needs to focus on marketing the Wii U more trust me, if anyone frome Nintendo is reading this Spend some money on marketing The Wii U because it is a truly a great sysystem i own one and i play it everyday i like all the the features and i dont plan on buying any other next gen system i'm currently playing blackops : II New Super Mario bros, and Zombie U, all my friends that come over and play it love it and think it's really kool, but they asked me why havn't they herad of it? al ot of people love it but dont really know about Wii U, so i think nintendo should start rite now hypeing up the wii U and playing commercial's a lot all over T.V make it popular make it kool fun and exciting start playing a l ot of adds on Utube etc.. i havn't even seen one Wii U commericial cmon now.. The future is now! The Wii U! ''
second focus on the videogames please unleash the beast! Nintendo start getting Exclusive titles to the new system everything.. that the gamer want's and needs, look i know videogames are 60$ each now i know that but i will buy every single game that is worth buying, i dont mind spending my hard earned money on great games but they have to be good games, focus on a steady flow of games and The Wii U will be the standard i promise U. keep the games coming. trust mii no time to waste lol Wii U BAAAYYBYYY! the future
that's the ps4? hahahah sony is falling off, The ps4 look's wack what is there to be excited about? i have no plan's to buy a ps4 i'm happy with my Wii U and if anybody think's that the ps4 graphic's are super great, remeber this the Wii U is capiable of diplaying 1080 p in full HD! most ps3 games run on 720p, that said i think that any game developer's want to make on the Ps4 they can make on the Wii U im pretty sure, so why would i need to buy another console? The future is now!
@Lopezdm As do I, i meant people shouldn't claim themselves to be gamers because they own like a couple of rated m games and only play them once or twice a week.
As a Wii U and PS3 owner I'm gonna pass on the PS4. The Wii U meets my needs gaming. Sadly I don't have the 24/7 gaming days I used to when I was younger. Now I just play all nintendo IP's and some 3rd parties that are must play on my PC. BTW my PC is about 4 times stronger then PS4 and I might get a new computer soon as I build one ever 6-12 months.
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