E3 2013 Thread

[Ack]

Slate had this interesting chart on console prices:

http://slate-features.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... chart.html

The lesson here is that, while the Xbox One is undoubtedly expensive, it has nothing on the PS3, Sega Saturn, and Atari 2600.

Interesting chart. In terms of the value of money at the time of release, Nintendo on average has the cheapest consoles.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Slate had this interesting chart on console prices:

http://slate-features.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... chart.html

The lesson here is that, while the Xbox One is undoubtedly expensive, it has nothing on the PS3, Sega Saturn, and Atari 2600.

Interesting chart. In terms of the value of money at the time of release, Nintendo on average has the cheapest consoles.

It is also worth pointing out that the older consoles typically included a game and, in some instances, multiple controllers, light guns, robotic operating buddies, etc. I think that modern consoles have dropped their inflation-adjusted prices, at least in part, by excluding these items. (The cost of peripherals adding to the price of a console appears to be the case with the Xbox One, which will include a Kinect, and the PS4, which does not come with an expensive peripheral.)

[Ack]

It is also worth pointing out that the older consoles typically included a game and, in some instances, multiple controllers, light guns, robotic operating buddies, etc. I think that modern consoles have dropped their inflation-adjusted prices, at least in part, by excluding these items. (The cost of peripherals adding to the price of a console appears to be the case with the Xbox One, which will include a Kinect, and the PS4, which does not come with an expensive peripheral.)

True, but then changing media formats and incorporating things like Blu Ray and DVD players also costs money. We still get some interesting items in our consoles, they're just not the old pack-ins we're used to.

[isiolia]

True, but then changing media formats and incorporating things like Blu Ray and DVD players also costs money. We still get some interesting items in our consoles, they're just not the old pack-ins we're used to.

Pack in games aren't all that rare either. They're just usually a limited time thing.

[Forlorn Drifter]

For such a long video, this conference has a ton of buffering...

[ZeroAX]

True, but then changing media formats and incorporating things like Blu Ray and DVD players also costs money. We still get some interesting items in our consoles, they're just not the old pack-ins we're used to.

Pack in games aren't all that rare either. They're just usually a limited time thing.

But they are rare on launch day. They usually get bundled games further down the line.

[marlowe221]

The worry about handhelds is that there may not be another solid generation. Lets face it, cellphones and tablets are eating that market alive and when people are debating on a $30 3ds game and a $4 Android/iOS game, well the choice is simple.

I can't agree with this statement. Anyone who does remotely ANY research at all will quickly realize that the $4 iOS game =/= the $30 3DS game. All anyone has to do is google it.

Besides that, almost everyone has played cheap iOS games by now and they have realized that they are mostly cheap, throw-away experiences that try to nickel and dime you every 5 minutes or so for more money.

If anyone can hang against the droid/iOS platform it's Nintendo. Mario is just as ubiquitous as Angry Birds. And yes, I'm talking about "kids these days too." When I gave my 9 year old nephews the Mario-themed playing cards I got from Club Nintendo last year, they shouted (in unison, being twins) "Mario!!!!" and instantly got up a game of Go Fish during which they totally gave away their hands as they proceeded to name every character and enemy on the cards. They knew some names I didn't even know and I was their age in the NES/SNES era.

So.... yeah. Nintendo will keep making successful handhelds for the foreseeable future.

More on the original topic: PS4 looks more attractive all the time. I am also unreasonably excited for Mario Kart 8!

[Jrecee]

If the PS4 was backwards compatible, I'd probably jump on it at the $399 price point since I'm interested in a whole bunch of PS3 games I haven't played, especially The Last of Us.

And if the Wii U wasn't so damn expensive, I'd be interested in that just for the new Sonic.

So basically, no new console purchases for me this year.

[pierrot]

I hate to even say it, but looking back, I think Nintendo might have had the strongest showing, despite not even really being at E3. What I really got from the Sony conference was that some of the stuff still to come out on the PS3 looks more interesting than the sequel explosion on the PS4. Granted I think Knack looks like it could be cool, Destiny looks really nice, and I'm actually pretty interested in the new Infamous game, but even when they were debuting new IPs, they were still pretty much the same style and gameplay experience that has overpopulated this current, waning generation.

I'm legitimately more excited about the Indie games Sony showed, than the major titles, and it's likely I'll be able to pick them up down the road in a Humble Indie Bundle, anyway. I am still interested in Versus XIII (I refuse to call it XV; it's not like the numbering matters anymore, as Square has clearly evidenced) and even though the Kingdom Hearts franchise has soured on me since replaying the original through Final Mix, I'll probably be acquiring KH3 at some point in the future. (Especially if they work Utada Hikaru out of hiatus for a new theme song.)

Conversely, though I think Nintendo offered nearly zero surprise in their Nintendo direct PR (and seemed to have a knee-jerk reaction to the Tropes vs. Women in Gaming videos with Super Mario 3D World) the variety, and feel of the future releases they showed actually make me think of console gaming. Granted, it's mostly Sega and Platinum Games that make me feel that way, but c'mon, Beyonetta 2 looks incredible. Hopefully it plays well too. Am I the only one who was actually really interested in the Art Academy software, by the way?

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that coming down off the sugar-high of E3, I feel about the same way about the industry as I did at the end of last year.

[Stark]

I hate to even say it, but looking back, I think Nintendo might have had the strongest showing

...the sequel explosion on the PS4.

Are you not seeing the ridiculous comparison here?
-Super Smash Bros. Wii U
-Donkey Kong Country Wii U
-Mario Kart 8
-Mario 3D World
-Wind Waker HD

Who's got a sequel explosion again?