The numbers from the NPD Group are promising for the game industry. The Wii took the title for selling the most systems in '07. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 came in second and third place respectively. This news is not a shocker to anyone, but I question if the Wii has the lasting power as Microsoft and Sony look to make up ground. This will be another great year for gamers.
Wii
Nintendo is enjoying good times--The Wii and DS Lite are selling well around the world. The company outsold its inventory of Wiis consistently in 2007. Unfortunately, the company screwed itself by not having enough systems made available for the public. That will not factor too much into another issue that people are starting to realize.
The Wii might take a hit because the development of new and fresh titles for the system is slowing down. Thinking off the top of my head, I fail to think of a single title that I might be purchasing for the Wii this year. As far as other systems are concerned, I could name several games that I am looking forward to. This is an issue that gamers will be considering. After all, what is a great system without great games?
Xbox 360
Microsoft faired pretty well with pushing out 1.3 million units. The company holds the biggest share in the next-gen console wars; however, the Wii seems destined take over the Xbox 360 by the end of this year. Xbox Live is the biggest contributing factor to the system's dominance. Great multiplayer connectivity is an area that the PS3 and Wii needs to make great strides in.
The system is solid and stable, well, with the exception of those who have received the "red ring of death." Reliability issues aside, the gaming division at Microsoft have a lot to be proud of with their performance in 2007. Top notch games are sure to come in the late first and entire second quarters 2008, and the system will maintain healthy numbers throughout.
PlayStation 3
The 2008 year is do or die time for Sony's PlayStation 3. The company managed to put 800,000 consoles in the homes of gamers. This has left Sony in last place with around 16% of the market share; disappointing at best. Sony does have that awesome "Universe of Entertainment" commercial with rockin' music by Saliva, but a commercial can only go far. This could potentially be the year that the Play Station 3 bites the dust.
Not all is gloom and doom at the Sony camp as the PlayStation 3 does have a few important things going for it. First off, being the most recent news, the Blu-ray disc format has pretty much sealed the deal in the physical format wars, and thus the console will benefit from those who are going to view high-def content on their HDTVs. Next, the PlayStation 3 will receiving the most impressive lineup of games since its incarnation. Last, but not least, the do or die attitude will have to motivate Sony to work hard for their current and potential new console owners.
A Look Ahead At The 2008 Console Wars
The Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 are going to mix it up for another year: The Wii needs a killer title, the Xbox 360 needs to avoid the red (ring of death), and the PlayStation 3 just needs everything to go right. The one thing in common with the three systems it that they all have have room for improvement.
It is going to be a great ride for gamers worldwide this year. The competition is getting fast and furious. To put it simply--there has never been a better time to get your game on.
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