“It’s almost here. 2007. The New Year … again.”
As the thought finally hit me earlier today, looking back, I couldn’t help but feel that 2006 had passed surprisingly quickly. Several people I know got off to a horrible start at the beginning of the year. Break-ups, family troubles, financial issues, health problems … it was all there. At the start of the year, nearly everyone I know had resigned themselves to thinking 2006 would be the worst year of their lives.
Now, 2006 is nearing its end, and looking back, it doesn’t seem so bad. While for some of us entering a new year isn’t that big a deal, for a lot of us, it brings the promise of a new start. A reboot. A chance to get off on the right foot … to wake up on the right side of bed. It gives rise to new hopes, ambitions and resolutions for the next year in our lives.
The same holds true for the gaming industry. As 2006 comes to an end, and 2007 begins, all three major console developers have to look to the year ahead and set new and higher goals. We are officially in the “next-gen”, and expectations are sky high.
What could these new goals and ambitions be, and how will they affect the industry? Let’s give it some thought!
The Microsoft Corporation:
We’ll start with the company that’s newest to the gaming industry. Just because they’re new doesn’t mean Microsoft is at any sort of disadvantage, though. No, on the contrary, this past year has been very kind to the creators of what could possibly be one of the most well-balanced consoles ever created. With the 360 in a position to very easily become the dominating system in 2007, I’d say MS has even more work ahead of them now than they did earlier.
Xbox Live is huge. At this point in time, there is absolutely nothing that can compare to it. Microsoft’s Live services could very well be the most important factor in determining whether or not they can overtake Sony and Nintendo in the year ahead. Third party support for the 360 has been fantastic, and this is largely due to the unmatched gaming community that has been created via Live. Still going strong in the multiplayer gaming division, Microsoft has shown no signs of slowing down so far. Adding new and exciting features to Live on a regular basis has been high on their list of priorities, and I assume, will remain as high (if not higher) throughout all of ’07.
In addition to this, Microsoft has recently made advances in Japan, through the release of Blue Dragon. With Lost Odyssey being the next big Japanese game in development for the 360, I can only assume Peter Moore’s schedule for 2007 is tighter than Jack Thompson’s ass when it comes to gathering more support from Japanese developers. MS really needs to do something about that “Shooter” reputation the 360 has acquired, too. Most of the decent games on the 360 are shooters, and it won’t be long before they’ll need to start expanding their library to include other genres. Milking Halo and Gears of War will only work for so long. Targeting wider audiences is something Microsoft hasn’t been able to do very well so far, and if they wish to grow any further, this is something they will need to work very hard on.
Also, there are now two other “next-gen” consoles to compete with the 360. The Wii isn’t the GameCube, and the PS3 is a lot more powerful than the 360 if you take their lifespans into consideration. Maintaining their current status might be harder for Microsoft than achieving it was. Competing with just the PS2 is one thing. Competing with the Wii and PS3 is a whole different ball game.
Sony Computer Entertainment:
You’d think I’d be wincing uncomfortably, biting my lower lip in frustration as I start to touch upon what is perhaps the most controversial company the gaming industry has ever seen, especially taking into consideration their doings this past year. Surprisingly, it isn’t so. Well OK, maybe I am having a bit of a hard time deciding what to talk about here, but it isn’t nearly as bad as I imagined.
Let’s start with their reputation. There’s no denying that Sony has a lot to fix, with regard to how the gaming community perceives them. Given the recent re-shuffling at SCE, I assume Sony realizes the importance of getting to work on fixing their image ASAP. While we’re not exactly sure where the PlayStation 3 will be a few years from now, I think it’s safe to assume it won’t fail completely, contrary to popular opinion. The console is, indeed, as powerful as Sony boasts, and while several game developers complain about the hindrances of the PS3, others are enthusiastic about developing better looking, more powerful, more expensive games for the console.
Sony’s online service needs to be mentioned, too. If they want to stand a chance against Xbox Live, clearly, they have a lot of catching up to do. In the motion-sensing department, I doubt Sony has much of a chance against Nintendo. I have my doubts anyone will really make good use of the SIXAXIS, so putting the rumble back in their controller might not be a bad idea either…
But, let’s get back on track. Gaining back the trust of third-party developers, fixing their reputation, pushing their online services, and most importantly, living up to their claims … these are presumably Sony’s goals for the near future. Focusing on Japan would be a smart thing to do, since the 360 doesn’t have a very strong base there, and though the Wii is extremely fierce competition, the absence of one of the three major console developers is definitely something SCE needs to use to their advantage.
Nintendo Entertainment:
And finally, we come to Nintendo. The pioneers of innovation who seem poised to take the lead away from Sony and Microsoft but never do. There’s no denying that Nintendo has made their share of last-minute screw-ups that always seem to prevent them from taking back the mantle of industry leader.
This generation, however, might just be different. Luckily for Nintendo, the Wii is perceived as successor to the DS, and not the GameCube. The sheer concept of the Wii is ingenius and it has been received very warmly to say the least. Nearly every big developer in the industry is excited about trying out new things on it. Despite this, after the GameCube’s disappointing tenure, Nintendo has a fairly long list of things they need to fix, before they can go any further.
First up, is the obvious need for more mature games on the Wii. Super Monkey Ball and Rayman Raving Rabbids are fine and all, but it’s the more mature titles like Disaster: Day of Crisis and No More Heroes (sorry, couldn’t resist) that will go a long way toward fixing Nintendo’s “kiddy console” reputation. Competing in the online gaming department is completely out of the question for Nintendo, it seems. WiiConnect24 doesn’t seem to be very appealing at this point in time, and I doubt it ever will be … not unless some serious changes are made to the service, and I have my doubts Nintendo will make them.
Not all is lost, however. Not everyone wants to play games online, and single player gaming is just as strong (if not stronger) than multiplayer. And well, the Wii does take us back to the days of gaming socially, and admittedly, that is an attractive feature of the console. What’s most important, is that Nintendo sets an example for third-party developers by trying new and innovative things with the controller, and guarantee a library of unique Wii exclusives, instead of dirty ports. If they can manage that, Nintendo may well end up taking the lead once again, seeing as how the Wii is turning into the iPod of gaming. No one will buy a 360 and a PS3, in my opinion. They’ll buy either a 360 or a PS3, and they’ll buy a Wii.
The New Year is approaching, and there are, undoubtedly, several new and exciting things to look forward to in the coming months. Handheld gaming hasn’t been touched upon in this post, but I will be addressing that soon, as several significant advances have been made in that area. I honestly can’t think of a better time to be a gamer. Let’s hope all goes well, and here’s wishing you all the best from Destructoid!
