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The past year has been full of successes and failures. In 2012 Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft will continue to try to balance both the casual and more dedicated gaming crowds in an economy where every penny counts. What do these 3 giants need to do to gain momentum in 2012?
Hit the jump to find out...
For Sony, 2011 was bittersweet. Public relations and lack of consumer confidence was a key issue that held them back from realizing their potential during the year. The PR spin may have dubbed the Playstation Network hacking situation a “service outage”, but the reality was that it was a compromise of personal financial information of millions, a failure of Sony PR to be upfront with the risks facing customers and the launch of several games being crippled by the lack of PSN service. Add to that the bad PR for the service update to PSN that required users to give up the right to participate in a class action lawsuit and the challenges they have faced as a company in 2011 are more than apparent.
What do we need to see from Sony for 2012?
1. No Bad PR
Gamers are forgiving, as is apparent from the fact that Sony still had a fairly decent year. There are tons of Sony fans out there that want the platform to grow and do well but legal and security issues draw attention away from the games and the unique gaming experience Sony can provide. Focus on the games, focus on the high quality customer experience and let the past fade into the past.
2. Dashboard update
The cross media bar is great, but it has gotten stagnant. Gamers like new things. A dashboard update would breathe some new life into the system and generate some excitement for it. They don’t have to re-invent cross media bar, just update it.
3. Tell us about the PS4
The PS3 had a difficult launch and has, in terms of sales, played catch up to the 360 ever since. Sony needs to nail the PS4 launch by releasing it before the next Xbox and at a competitive price. Strong Kinect sales have locked Microsoft into the Xbox 360. They can’t afford to introduce a new console this year and it may even be too soon to tease about it. Sony needs to press this advantage and get the word out about the PS4 sometime in 2012.
Nintendo was the most revolutionary console manufacturer this generation, but 2011 saw them decline steeply. The 3DS launch was not as successful as they wanted it to be and the subsequent price cut was viewed by many as a necessary price correction rather than an extra incentive to buy. The Wii ended the year strong with the latest entry into the Legend of Zelda series, but overall Nintendo saw profits decline and its casual consumer base continue to move on to the next “new thing”, the Kinect. Hope is on the horizon with the release of the Wii U, but there is no room for mistakes by Nintendo or they will be left behind.
What do we need to see from Nintendo this year?
1. More standard gaming experience
The best games released this year were multiplatform. Either they didn’t come to the Wii, or the Wii experience was substandard. Nintendo cannot afford to ignore third-party talent in 2012. An option for traditional controls that comes standard with the Wii U, along with solid HD capabilities, would go far in making the next Nintendo platform more appealing to outside developers.
2. Take Care of Your Own
Nintendo has proven that they can still be a player in the game with their strong stable of first-party titles. There is no reason why they need to lose ground in that area. They will need to continue promoting the exclusives, as well as unique innovations like motion control and the controller with a secondary screen alongside the more traditional gaming experience.
3. Establish the brand in the online space
The lack of a robust online service has been another main issue for Nintendo. At E3 2011, it was implied that they aren’t going to provide an online service for the Wii U that is on par with PSN but that future consoles will be online capable. However, publishers and developers will need to provide all of the online services. This may be good for EA and Activision, who want more control of their online space, but it’s not necessarily in the best interest of Nintendo. Online features are a selling point in most of the top games and that trend will only accelerate in 2012. Launch “Nintendo Online” this year for the Wii U and give it functionality on par with PSN and Xbox Live. The words “Nintendo” and “Online” need to fit naturally together so that when a gamer has a choice of platforms on which to play a game, he or she chooses Nintendo.
Of the big three, Microsoft had the best year in 2011. The issues with PSN and the stagnation of the Wii (excluding Skyward Sword) opened the door for them. Kinect has continued to put up strong sales numbers and even the recent issues with Xbox live accounts being stolen haven’t slowed them down.
What does Microsoft need to do to keep the momentum going in 2012?
1. Justify Kinect
Microsoft is experiencing Wii-like success with the Kinect. They need to avoid Wii-like failure by continuing to pursue games like Child of Eden and Gunstringer so that customers keep using their Kinect. I would actually like to see a Kinect price cut this fall. If they can reduce the base price by +25%, they can capture the last few holdouts and literally get a Kinect in every gamers home. If they say anything about a new console, they need to make sure they mention that it is Kinect compatible.
2. Don’t abandon the 360
The Xbox 360 was the top selling console every month of 2011 and exited the year by selling 1.7 million units in December. With that kind of market penetration, 2012 could be the biggest year yet for 360 games. The only way Microsoft can have a truly bad year in 2012 is by pushing the next console and de-emphasizing the 360. Teasers and rumors about the next console won’t do any damage, but stick with what’s making the money, the 360.
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