The Console Wars Hit the Shelves - Sony’s PlayStation 3
(Page 2 of 4 )
The hype for the successor to the PlayStation 2 started not long after the PS2 launched. The Playstation 3’s launch was supposed to be a few months after the Xbox 360 hit shelves. This however got pushed back since it wasn’t ready for production.
The delay appeared to not hurt the hype around the PS3. When it finally launched it was within a week of Nintendo’s Wii. Even though, as I will discuss in the next section, these consoles are for different fan bases, it didn’t help that the two launches were so close together.
The PS3 launched with a mere 400,000 units. This is a very small number and since then the stock has trickled into the US. It seemed at launch this was a must-have console, and on eBay they went for hundreds of dollars above the suggested retail price.
After the initial rush of diehard fans, though, consumers haven’t taken the PS3 to heart. Even though not many consoles have made it to the market, there are already lots of them pilling up on the shelves after only a few months.
Nintendo Wii
After the Gamecube got labeled as a kiddie console, Nintendo decided to go with it. Producing a console is no cheap job, and throwing in as much hardware as Microsoft and Sony did makes the price tag more than a pretty penny. Nintendo didn’t go and throw brand new expensive hardware in to the Wii. The components of the Wii aren’t much different than the Gamecube. They didn’t go after the people that wanted the newest and greatest graphics but rather made the games truly interactive.
The controllers are motion sensitive so you can no longer sit down and play video games all day; you’re up and moving. When it launched, it sold out just like the other consoles did. It was overshadowed by the PS3 however. Even on Black Friday, the console was buyable if you waited in line.
As time passed, though, they become harder and harder to find; more people wanted one. Normally video games are bought for the teen to middle-aged male market. The Wii however was being sought after by nearly everyone. You could swing the controller as a golf club and watch the ball fly. Grandparents, parents and kids of all ages wanted to play.
How is it doing a few months after the launch? Well, I have yet to find a single one on the shelf. Nintendo truly gained from the trend and people have turned the Wii into a must have.
Next: The Price Effect >>
More Opinions Articles
More By jkabaseball
/ 4 
