Sony’s Playstation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii:
A Comparison of Home Entertainment Systems
COURSE : BY : TO : DATE :
GDES3B07 section1 Wilson Chui 2238822 Greg Van Alstyne 09/24/07
Archtetype: Nimrod and Magnavox Odyssey
Since the invention of television, game designers want to take gaming from the real world closer to home. The first attempt was a computer-like game console in 1951 called The Nimrod. Though built more like a mainframe and not suitable for home, it is the first step towards developing later video game consoles. The world’s first video game console, built around 1972, was called the Magnavox Odyssey. Using a cartridge system, it features games like Pong, a classic table tennis game that can be played on the television screen. It is interesting to note that despite the thirty years time difference, game consoles nowadays still follow the same mechanics and concept of this predecessor. Systems such as PS3 differs only in technology, capable of better graphics and with better media storage. Wii takes the difference one step further with interactivity that no other systems are capable.
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
jwgibbs.cchem.berkeley.edu/nimrod/index.html
Technical Innovations: PS3
- high definition (108p HD) resolution in game experience - suppport both HD and standard (SD) televisions - plays Blue-ray discs, DVD and CDs - 1 wireless controller - connects to internet via ethernet cable or wireless LAN
- view or play games, music, videos and photos from Memory Stick, SD memory card or Compact Flash card - you can play or view content from a USB device - backward-compatible to most PS one and two titles
www.us.playstation.com
Technical Innovations - Wii
- starndard resolution - does not support HD - action-based interactivity with controllers
- 4 ports for controllers allowing multi-player option - connects to internet via wireless or Wii LAN adaptor, Wii also can connect wirelessly with Nintendo DS.
- a self-loading media bay plays single- or double-layered 12-cm optical discs for the Wii console, as well as 8-cm Nintendo GameCube discs.
- backward-compatible to all Nintendo GameCube games
Optional Game Controllers
wii.nintendo.com
Gaming Experience - PS3
Gamers favoring PS3 are usually young adults and older “hardcore gamers” who appreciates stunning graphics and sophisticated game-play. The high amounts of detail in the rendering of graphics help add a sense of realism to the game, which gamers are quick to role-play upon. In fact, most of the games from PS3 are role-playing games in a sense - from driving a hot-looking sports car, a hero on a quest, to being a NBA superstar. Multi-player is not important here, since the role-playing experience is very much an individual experience.
www.gamespot.com
Gaming Experience - Wii
Wii is a system that anyone can play, not limited to age and gender. In fact, it can be considered the ultimate entertainment unit for casual parties at home or even in the work place. Graphics is not the most important here, but the thrill of competition playing against friends, family, and even co-workers. Just playing the games is a treat itself, having the body experiencing the interaction that no other gaming systems can offer.
Samples of Interaction
www.gamespot.com
Marketing Strategy - PS3
In the graphics realm, no other gaming system can beat PS3’s high definition resolution. Sony understands this, and puts in great efforts in their game design to fully utilize the technology. The various screenshots and videos from their website emphasize the stunning graphics as well the sophisticality of the game design. Even when not playing games, PS3 is very versatile with the Blue-ray player and support for both standard and high definition TV to be the standalone home entertainment system. It’s no wonder that PS3 is set at such a fairly high price level.
www.us.playstation.com
Marketing Strategy - Wii
The “Wii experience” means “fun, exciting, trendy, global, something you can do with your friends and family” - such is the marketing strategy of Nintendo’s extremely successful product, the Wii. Countless numbers of gamers from across the globe are captured in video format on the Wii website playing in an exciting game using their controller against friends and family alike. Samples of gameplay are also shown promoting the various feats of interactivity using the controller. The system itself is more affordable, being about half the price compared to PS3, though optional controllers are needed for the various games it offers.
wii.com
Comparative Analysis
Wii is great as a networking venue, with it’s interaction mechanism and the multi-player capability. This is reflected with its huge sales, which is three times that of PS3 in Japan last year. PS3 on the other hand is more for “hardcore” gamers playing by themselves who crave realism with stunning graphics and sophisticated game design. Both systems excel in their genre; they simply cater to different needs and different people. Gamers of one system will unlikely switch to the other since their needs will not be satisfied. The Wii gamers cannot find the interactivity and multi-player capability they enjoyed with PS3, while PS3 gamers are not overly impressed with the interactivity since they find Wii annoying having to follow the same mechanics with all the games, appalled at the “shifty graphics” and disgusted at the “simple classic games”. Unfortunately, with the current system console, neither systems can improve to meet those unmet needs: Wii does not have the hardware capability for higher graphics, nor does PS3 have interactivity and multi-player capability. If either company wants to tap into each other’s market, they will have to do so with a newer system console.
Credits and Sources:
USERS INTERVIEWED:
Michael, Juilia, Stephanie, Kevin, Thomas, Christopher
INFO AND GRAPHICS SOURCES:
www.us.playstation.com wii.nintendo.com wii.com www.gamespot.com en.wikipedia.org jwgibbs.cchem.berkeley.edu/nimrod/index.html