The ScooterBlog

I’m usually not in the position to tell anyone I told you so … but, I told you so!

It is now official that the “price cut” was nothing more than a used-car or discount-appliance store type inventory closeout sale, so that they can release their new version of the system and get back to business as usual. Don’t get me wrong, you can view the inclusion of one game and 20 more gigs of Linux room storage space, even with the exclusion of the hardware PS2 chip (which I’m on the record as strongly disliking) would be a better deal, but in the end I buy the perception of it being a news grab and sniveling move to be reality.

It’s evident from Jack Tretton’s comments and interviews that he views the PS3 still as the best of the best, and that we should all just know that, get the system, and keep on drinking the Kool-Aid. That kind of delusion seems best at play here when in the end, the fanboys can scream “price cut”, and the realists can realize that it’s far from it. That kind of delusion will allow Sony to continue to scream towards third in a three-system race without them even realizing it (until it’s too late).

Wake me up when the August and September sales numbers come out and Sony loses their comparability with a 360 Elite system once again. I sense their July gains will be very short lived.

And Microsoft, listen up! I’m calling it right now. You will lower the 360 price on or around November 1st, and should you do that with your new cooler chips and more efficient manufacturing process, it’ll be as good as firing a sawed-off shotgun right into the heart of Sony’s chances to catch up.

Update (7 PM): A good read of the full interview of David Reeves, the Sony Europe exec who let this out of the bag, shows that in truth, there is not drastic difference between the end result of the new packages in Europe and North America, except the new package in Europe was never brought out as a price cut

Europe’s new package? The system, two games and an extra SIXAXIS for 500 Euros. It’s important to also know that they have always has the “software emulation” version of PS2’s compatibility, so what they were given, and advertised to by Sony is a value-added, not a price cut. Of course the older version of the system will drop in price, but will do so at the discretion of retailer. That’s not drastically different than North America, except that Sony isn’t trying to tell you it’s a price cut, they’re giving you an honest take as to what it is and letting the market do the rest. Bagder said that the interview in the comments was skitophrenic … maybe instead it exposes Jack Tretton’s comments as such.

In the same way that I come into a Sony press conference with admitted preconceived notions that I need to be more impressed, I come into a Nintendo press conference knowing I’ll see things that I want and must have, and will thus like them a bit more. The general opinion of the press on this conference was that it had shortcomings: not a lot of third party stuff, not a lot of new IP’s. But, Nintendo does what it does well, and this was no exception. Without fail, I want almost all of the games they mentioned in this meeting:

• Super Mario Galaxy will be the true coming out party for Mario on a system, as it should be, and will undoubtedly be the best Mario platformer since the Nintendo 64. Grant you, when Super Mario Sunshine is the only competition, it better be solid.
• Wiifit looks like the kind of program that I’d be leary to pay $50 for because it could be well used for a week and then sit, but I still want it because I need it, anything to help getting in shape (and leverage stuff I have in a cool way) has value.
• They really can’t start their online service soon enough. Madden 08 online, Mario Kart, and the new Medal Of Honor game’s online systems (Pokemon too!) need this for the system to continue to thrive.
• Nintendo’s official steering wheel and zapper? Sure, I’ll bite and try them, but they best be well supported. If Nintendo’s making an official wheel, a lot of racing games should have motion controls to use it. Those initial games taking advantage (Medal Of Honor and Mario Kart) are must buys, I hope to see plenty more titles making sure that these hunks of plastic don’t sit in my storage bin.
• Metroid Prime 3 and Super Smash Bros. Brawl … nothing more needs to be said, buy them now!
• The Wii’s wireless guitar also brings up an interesting thought. What system will I buy Guitar Hero 3 for? I’m still leaning towards a 360 version for achievements and better online support, but a wireless guitar does tempt one to change.

Per above, all of these things in my mind are seen with the glass half full, and with the knowledge that they don’t need to do anything with the hardware to ensure continued success. Of course that’s biased, that’s why this is a blog, not a news site!

The DS Lite is still rocking the house, the Wii can’t stay on shelves, so there’s no reason to mess with good things there. As long as the three dreaded words for Nintendo don’t fade away (third party support), these systems will continue to be just fine, and my status as a card carrying Nintendo fanboy will continue.