Game developers see lower cost as win for Nintendo.When it comes to video game consoles This is a list of video game consoles by the era they appeared in. Eras are named based on the dominant console type of the era (even though not all consoles of those eras are of the same type). Some eras are referred to based on how many bits a major console could process. , Microsoft Inc.'s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s wildly popular PlayStation 3 boast super-fast processors and the highest-definition graphics. Now comes Nintendo Inc.'s new Wii (pronounced "we") console, which doesn't come near its rivals in terms of state-of-the-art technology. That could, however--along with its lower price--make the simpler, more intuitive player every bit as popular as its rivals and even expand the audience for gaming. Rather than having players press a combination of buttons on a traditional controller to affect on-screen on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. action, Wii players move a wand-like controller as if they were a character in the game. "We hope that we can grow the market dramatically," said George Harrison, senior vice president of marketing and communications for Nintendo of America. He said that many people find video games See video game console. intimidating because of all the buttons on a typical controller, he says. "They don't want to have to read a manual and learn a bunch of button combinations to play a game." The $250 Wii system comes bundled with a game-software package called Wii Sports Wii Sports is a video game produced by Nintendo for the Wii. It was a launch title, and is included as a pack-in game with the Wii console in all territories except Japan, making it the first game included with the launch of a Nintendo console since Super Mario World . That title features five sports games, which were designed to be easy to understand and to play. The sports are baseball, tennis, bowling, boxing and golf. The Wii is the cheapest of the new consoles. The Xbox 360 costs $299 or $399, depending on the configuration, and the PlayStation 3 has models costing $499 and $599. Nintendo makes money on its hardware, while its rivals sell their machines at a loss. Sony and Microsoft then make up the difference by selling high-margin game software. Nintendo has the support of game developers. Wii games This list is a sortable list of the released or upcoming Wii games, referred to by their English titles. The Wii first launched in the Americas on November 19, 2006 with 23 titles, including Wii Sports. can be developed for as little as a half to a third of what it costs for the next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. says Brian Farrell
Brian Farrell (born Bernard Bredan Farrell January 9, 1929) is an Irish author, journalist, academic & broadcaster. , chief executive of game publisher THQ THQ Toy Headquarters THQ Territorial Headquarters THQ Tehsil Headquarters (Pakistan) THQ The Holy Quran THQ Theater Headquarters Inc. Games for the Xbox 360 and PS3 can cost $10 million to 520 million to develop, he says. "That's a huge win for the Wii," Farrell said. His Calabasas-based firm has produced "Cars" and "SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab" for Nintendo. Santa Monica-based Activision Inc. has put out "Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam is a video game based on the Tony Hawk series. The game was a launch title for Nintendo's Wii, and is also available for the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation 2. " for Wii. "There's probably no chance we'll meet demand" this holiday season, Harrison said. That's been a problem with all new video consoles, including the PS3 this year and last year, the Xbox 360. |
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