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Editorials   You Need Not Be Bitter: A Rebuttal
- By Kevlar Gorilla

This may be a Nintendo-focused site, but by no means does that mean that we don’t mention (and usually mock) other video game consoles and trends. Most of the time, exaggerating and exploiting obvious errors or follies of the stiff competition can be very humourous, however, two things I’ve learned in my life is that (1) lying blatantly doesn’t help anyone and (2) ignorance is grief for the informed.

Now, if you will, let’s decide to visit a magical topsy-turvy place where people wear hats on their feet and horses ride in carriages; let’s take a good look at the Sony Playstation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox and why they exist now, and why they will probably also exist in the not-quite-so-far future as well...

Sony’s Experiment

Sony is a worthy adversary for Nintendo. They have tried, they have erred, they have payed their dues, and they mean business. Note that the main goal why anybody does almost anything in this world is for money and the likelihood of getting more of it. This is true to all three parties, no matter what the developers say. Releasing the PS2 so early with so much hype not only secured a decent head start, it also secured many good licenses and publishers, the wallet of John Q. Gamer, and (more than likely) the lead in console sales for the rest of this year, regardless how many A++ titles Nintendo produces.

I don’t think Sony caters to the lowest common denominator, that is, they are business men who use their name to get their jobs done, just like Nintendo does. The Square games were/are still fun and I found it odd for the Nintendo Power krew to utter words of praise about Timesplitters 2.

As I write this, PS2 outnumbers Gamecube worldwide 6:1, and that’s a very generous estimate on Nintendo’s behalf. With the already established +1000 PSone games (of which -200 are worth playing), and developers getting used to the relatively uneasy tasks of development for Sony’s handwork, it’s clear that the PS2 isn’t going away soon, and when it does, it will go to be replaced with the PS3.

Microsoft’s Venture

Microsoft is in for the long term. They way long term. It seems that Microsoft won’t back down anytime soon, and they have the money-hats to prove it. Here’s a popular opinion about the whole situation I found at one of the many forums I frequent:

“The X-Box isn't meant to be a profitable venture...it's meant to be a foot in the door to people's living rooms. It's a huge step for Microsoft, and 10 years from now, that market will be a source of revenue. Microsoft is too busy looking way into the future to care about the next couple years on this project. It doesn't matter how much money they spend, or how much money they lose for that matter... as long as their mission is a success, it'll be money well spent.”

For example, recent reports say that Microsoft attempted to buy a controlling interest in Sega and Square; a deal that could have cost them $1.8 billion dollars had Sega not declined. There are also many believable rumors that Microsoft attempted to buy Nintendo-exclusive games, several directors agreed but president Yamauchi (who left in May) said no.

But remember, just because Microsoft decided to go ahead with this plan doesn’t mean it’s going to work exactly as planned.

Conclusion

Nintendo’s absolute headlock on the handheld market will keep Nintendo not only afloat, but soaring for decades to come. Of course, the upcoming “fludd” of titles coming up is sure to make a lasting impression on many minds and wallets.

I am a Nintendo enthusiast. I am enthusiastic about Nintendo’s philosophy on games, hardware, customer satisfaction, quality and everything they stand for -- including making great games for money.