The Next Generation of Gaming Consoles

1. The Next Generation of Gaming Consoles

2. History of the Last Gen • Sony had the #1 Console (PS2), was also the oldest and weakest, but had strong developer support • Newcomer, Microsoft X-Box, attracted more mature gamers with its power and adult oriented games • Nintendo lost a lot of its fan base due to its lack of support for its middle powered, kid-friendly console, the GameCube

3. Market Strategies • Everyone knew that this next generation was going to be difficult to win with such steep competition…

4. Microsoft’s Look-around • They wanted a console which…. • HD graphics • Robust online play • Unified community • Backwards compatible • Familiar to old players • Customizable • Integrated media player

5. Xbox 360

6. Xbox 360 Dashboard

7. 360 Stats • Triple core PowerPC at 3.2GHz • ATI GPU 512MB at 700MHz • 3 USB slots, two up front, one in the back • HDMI (elite), Component, VGA or composite cables for connection to TV • 20 GB removable Hard Drive or 120GB (elite) • Tray loading drive uses DVDs and can read cds and dvds, plus an additional drive add-on can read HD-DVDs • Up to 4 wireless controllers similar in design to first xbox • Port in controllers to plug in Headset • Ethernet port and can use wireless with adaptor • 2 versions with a 3rd coming out end of april • $299 for core, $399 for premium, $479 for elite

8. What this means…. • HD graphics capable of 480i-1080p (although only HDMI and VGA connection can be used for 1080p) • Can only play HD-DVD movies with additional drive • Robust Xbox Live community with most every game online • Ipod and other mp3 players can plug into it • Can connect with windows based PCs • Downloadable TV episodes, movies, HD movies, music, games, demos, additional content

9. Sony’s Dominance or Demise • Having the most developers and having the highest selling console and fan base, Sony decides to take advantage of it • Possibly too much advantage…

10. Wanting to push blu-ray, a technology it owns, sony decides to make this the format of the PS3 • Developers find blu-ray much to expensive of a format • Sony’s console will use state-of-the-art cell processors to power it, again expensive • Sony had an original controller design but got rid of it in favor of the almost exact same controller design they have had since PS1 • They want it to push HD graphics to the max and be wi-fi with free online gameplay

11. PlayStation 3

12. PS3 Interface

13. Sony Home

14. PS3 Stats • 3.2 GHz cell processor • Nvidia GPU of 256MBs at 650MHz • 20gb ($499) or 60gb ($599) hard drives • Plays blu-ray discs, dvds, cds through slot loading drive • Memory card slots for SD, memory stick, xd, Compactflash on $599 version • Backwards compatible • USB slots • HDMI, component, composite cables for video • Wireless controllers (with some motion sensing) using bluetooth up to 4, possibly 7 • $499 or $599

15. What this means… • HD graphics form 480i-1080p (no HD cables come with the console unlike 360) • Online play is free • Media player abilities • Can watch blu-ray movies cheaper than current blu-ray players • Lots of computing power for advanced AI

16. Nintendo’s new style • The company realized that they could not compete monetarily with the machines of Microsoft and Sony, who could afford any and everything • So they tried a new, radical approach by making these necessary requirements for their new console…

17. Cheap manufacturing costs • Easy to develop for • Small and efficient • Innovative • Allows for new people to join the gaming industry (grandparents, parents, women) • What did they come up with…

18. The Nintendo Wii

19. Wii Classic controller to allow for classic style gameplay of downloaded games from Nintendo and Sega past Nunchuck add-on to the wii remote to allow for more involved gameplay

20. The Console Interface

21. The Wii Stats • PowerPC Processor clocked at 729MHz • ATI GPU Processor clocked at 243MHz • Over 100MB of ram memory • 512 MB of built in flash memory for storing games and data • SD card slot • Slot driven disc drive capable of playing both Wii DVDs and GameCube mini-DVDs • 2 USB slots • 4 GameCube controller ports and 2 memory card ports • Up to 4 wireless Wii controllers using bluetooth technology • The ability to use GameCube contollers along with Wii controllers for possibility of 8 player games • Wi-Fi out of the box • Wii controllers have an accessory port to allow controller add-ons to plug in • Sensor bar for mouse-like pointer ability • Can use Component cables for up to 480p resolution • $250 for console

22. What this all means… • The Nintendo Wii is the weakest of the new systems only 2.5 times as powerful as its predecessor and 1.5 times as powerful as the first Xbox • The Wii’s controllers are all motion sensing and can point in precision like a mouse. • The Wii is not in HD, but is much cheaper to produce for • Wii channels offer new ideas

23. Advantages/disadvantages • Xbox 360 pro… • Cheaper than PS3 with minimal to no loss on graphic quality • Comes with all the cables necessary for HD and online play • Xbox live has largest user base for any online community and the xbox live arcade downloadable games • Downloadable TV and movies are taking off fast • Has largest library of games due to its release a year before competitors

24. PS3 Pro… • Most powerful console • “Home” Sony’s new 3d Avatar based virtual world (like the sims) is used for online community and gaming • Blu-ray player • Downloadable games • SIXAXIS motion sensing (although not near as advanced as the Wii’s) • Linux support

25. Wii pro… • Cheapest choice • New style of gameplay using motion sensing and pointing • New types of games • New types of players • Virtual console downloadable classics • Opera Browser support • Largest base of exlusive franchises • Miis

26. Xbox 360 cons… • It is the “middle” console • No motion sensing at all • Does not use bluetooth • Not as broad of a genre and age base as Nintendo and Sony • Too many versions

27. PS3 cons… • Too expensive, puts it way out of reach of many customers • Least exclusives thanks to lost support • No rumble feature in the controller • Poor marketing • Too much reliance of fan base • If blu-ray fails….

28. Wii cons… • Expensive controllers • Not many deep games as of now • Not capable of HD graphics • Little memory for downloaded games • Poor online support • Too much reliance on franchises • Not as much multi-media features

29. What this means…. • The final choice is yours… • There is no “better console” they all have their own strengths and weaknesses • PS3 and Xbox 360 are very similar in both games and power • PS3 is selling very poorly due to its high price • Wii is selling the best in time but over Xbox 360 has sold more due to its longer length of availability

30. The general rules… • Non-gamers should get the wii • RPG lovers and HD movie fanatics should get a PS3 • First-person shooter fans should get an xbox 360 • Two huge advantages the wii has is that it is cheap enough to have it and one of the other consoles and its appeal to new gamers and non-gamers which could swing the war in its favor….. • But keep in mind that it is the quality of games which will sell the system more than anything

31. Sources • www.ign.com • www.wikipedia.com