I just love this generation. No generation has ever been as hilarious as this one.
This generation began with the premise that “Nintendo is going to go third party.” When the ‘Revolution’ was unveiled, journalists asked Nintendo execs, “Is this going to be the last Nintendo console?” Analysts wrote Nintendo off. The last bastion of Nintendo, the handhelds, was to be decimated by the PSP.
PS3 and Xbox 360 were going to be ‘top box consoles’ to unite all media together in the living room. Meanwhile, Nintendo execs were warning about the incredible shrinking Game Industry. “Do not listen to them,” we were told. “They will say whatever. What they really mean is the shrinking Nintendo sales, not industry sales!”
When the DS came out, analysts scoffed. “Why does it have two screens!?” DS was declared to be Nintendo’s new Virtual Boy. Games like Nintendogs was laughed at. When the DS began to trounce the PSP, it was declared, “Nintendo always does well with handhelds.” Could Nintendo’s new home console do as well as the DS? “There is a difference between home consoles and handhelds!” thundered angry people.
When the Wii remote was showed off, people gasped. IGN wrote, “Has Nintendo gone crazy!?” People were quick to write Nintendo off that they had become nothing more than a novelty toy. The ‘Revolution’ would be too far behind technologically.
But analysts like to try to become the smartest person in the room. It was often declared, “Nintendo’s only way to ‘win’ would be to sell to BOTH Xbox 360 and PS3 consumers. Selling like 60% to each of their install bases would put Nintendo ahead.”
When the ‘Wii’ name was announced, it was declared “stupid” and that no one would ever buy a console with that name.
One game developer said that if that Wii became popular, he would quit the ‘Game Industry’ and go work in movies.
The Wii comes out and is sold out in America for three years. All through that time, we were told, “It is just a fad,” and “It is just a gimmick.”
“Wait until GTA IV comes out. It is game of the generation!” It made no difference. Mario Kart Wii would end up outselling it.
“Wait until the price cuts.” Price cuts never changed anything outside a temporary boost.
Then, it was time for Nintendo to join the Theater of the Absurd. “Our new direction in games is to make games that have no content. We are going to put the burden of content on the customer. We are geniuses.” Wii momentum collapses!
At E3 2009, NSMB Wii was announced. “Is it a DS port?” “Why is Nintendo so lazy?” “Is Nintendo copying LittleBigPlanet?” “No one is going to buy that game.” And then the game keeps selling out, Wii momentum returns.
And then you have people like Michael Pachter who has been on the wrong side of every issue since this generation began. “Mark my words,” said the Pachter, “Wii HD will be coming out in 2010. It is their strategy.”
The Theater of the Absurd continues with Pachter getting his own show. I am all for it. When someone acts like a clown, put the person on the stage.
Pachter’s sideshow is only going to hurt his reputation even more (of whatever reputation he has). It is one thing to quote analysts and have them as guests. It is another thing to make them the entertainer. The result has always been that the analyst becomes seen more as an entertainer than an analyst.
Does anyone consider Cramer to be an analyst? No, everyone considers him to be an entertainer.
To those who watch the Pach-Attack video, you will instantly spot that it is an Xbox commercial. If there is any big loser in 2009, it would be Microsoft. PS3 has gained tremendously in momentum while the Xbox 360 is flat as a pancake. Wii slid down some and rocketed back up again.
How can anyone talk about the business of video games and not talk about the best selling home console and best selling handheld? If you came from Mars and watched the Pach-Attack, you would not know the DS and Wii existed. The only time Wii was mentioned was with the “declining casual gamers”. Sales of Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort are not mentioned, hilariously. All the talk about the ‘declining casual gamer’ are retailers not buying the garbage Third Rate Companies thought they could milk the Expanded Audience. The Third Rate Companies are going to be stuck selling their garbage on the core market.
I think we should start our own show called, “How Many More Porsches Can Pachter Buy?” He already has five. This guy will say anything provided the money is there.
What other new development will come from this Generation of the Absurd? We’ll just have to wait and see!
“The Industry is not declining! Pay no attention to the decrease of sales and decline in number of games being made. Casual gamers are going away. Hardcore gamers are the winners. Watch me repeat this same line again and again on Pach-Attack!”