How consumer opinion has shaped this console generation

GameZone writes, "Sometimes, it’s as simple as speaking with your wallet. In the case of the home console, though, it’s been more than just speaking with your wallet. Gamers haven’t been the least bit shy when it comes to voicing their desires for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One."

[mikeslemonade]

Consumers are choosing more of the right things to forward technology. Choosing Wii motion technology and choosing 360 as the first system to buy early was detrimental to the gaming industry. This time the consumers vote no for WiiU and no for Kinect 2.

[admiralvic]

Isn't that thinking a little backwards, since you're basically saying no to new ideas...

[lifesanrpg]

Not if the new ideas suck. Wii U's gamepad was a gimmick and nothing more so people said no to it. Why pay for something you don't want?

[admiralvic]

@ Liifesanrpg

"Wii U's gamepad was a gimmick and nothing more so people said no to it.'

The Wii U gamepad was basically Nintendo implementing the DS concept to the home console. The idea isn't entirely terrible, considering people seem to love the idea of the Vita's remote play, though you could certainly argue that it could be improved. However, I would argue that the Wii U has some interesting games that use the gamepad. Nintendoland offers a lot of unique party games that make use of the gamepad, Zombi U had an interesting concept to say the least and Rayman Legends did something neat with Murphy. Sure, not all the things are ground breaking (they don't all have to be, some people just like looking at the command list in a fighting game or map in an adventure game), but I think it could lead to interesting things if it got some support.

"Why pay for something you don't want?"

My comment was in reply to "Consumers are choosing more of the right things to forward technology," since the kinect / motion / gamepad could do some interesting things in the right hands, though the ideas / tech / etc just aren't there yet (sometimes it takes time).

[GameSpawn]

The problem with the WiiU's gamepad is not lack of innovation, but more that "is it worth the cost of entry?". The gamepad is the reason for the console's price tag and lack of power under the hood (to balance the price -- Nintendo had to choose either a decently powerful console matching the PS4/XBO and no gamepad or one on par with the PS3/360 but with the gamepad).

Lack of developer support only exacerbates the downfall of the gamepad and the system. And the gamepad, unlike Kinect, is so damn integrated at this point Nintendo cannot make it optional, regardless of that there is a power discrepancy between the WiiU and XBO/PS4 so it's hard for the system to compete on its own without the gamepad.

Luckily in Microsoft's case the Xbox One can stand on its own legs without Kinect 2.0 and with it becoming optional the whole system will not be weighed down by waning developer support for an accessory.

In both the gamepad's and Kinect's cases lack of good developer support doesn't help either's success, but at least in Kinect's case consumers had already spoke their minds with Kinect/360, so why in god's name Microsoft had ANY sort of hope that making Kinect central to the XBO would make it successful is beyond me. The gamepad was a true gamble for Nintendo, because it DID prove to be successful with the DS and 3DS, so I can see why they naturally thought it would be fine with the WiiU.

Can Nintendo and Microsoft overcome their shortcomings?
Only time will tell...

[miyamoto]

We are living in the Information Age.
In these times the truly Informed with the truth wins.

In the case of video game industry, the Informed Gamer Consumer wins.

And the Informed Gamers decides who wins, what product wins, what company gets the wallet votes.

i.e.

"This small corner of the Internet knows specs, the general public does not."

That is what the Xbox division PR department also thought until its too late for them.

This is the age of the Informed Consumer.
Have you been there during the word war between Apple's iPhone 4 and the Samsung's Galaxy S3? If you think the console word wars is fierce its has nothing on these two giants. We all know what happened afterwards. S3 catapulted Android OS past iOS. And the people who buy smartphones are by all means not "hardcore" consumers like me...

BUT

What they do is read "word wars" over the internet to make "informed purchases".
Consumers are not dumb.
They want the best bang for their buck.
And they let the tech savvy do the digging up for them; the research of facts then they decide and make their informed choice.

This is how the marketing of products is won - by word of mouth over the internet. And this word of mouth goes to the streets, subways, schools,church etc.

In this Information Age the casual consumer are spectators and we, the keyboard word warriors, are the spectacle.

The sensible consumer listen to sensible commentators.

This 8th generation, only Sony was straightforward & transparent with the facts, the specs, the information, the presentation of the PS4.

Both Microsoft and Nintendo were secretive, mum, grayish with how they revealed, unveiled, presented, and marketed their next gen machines and boy did they suffered immensely for it.

The average electronics are innocent about these gadgets so their need to know (ever basic features & specs) must be met. And we the Informed Gamer do all the work for them-be it through comments or videos.

Informed Gamer vs Corporate Media
These liar bloggers are becoming extinct.

The gaming industry has matured and so has the gamer.
The gamer has become fully informed and equipped with facts.

You know what, we are witnessing a new phenomenon in the gaming industry.

It's called the Informed Gamer versus the Corporate Media.

The 7th Generation was a fierce battle ground fought by the average gamer against the corporate media power houses where the gaming media seem to hold the power to determine the outcome of the war.

Not anymore!!!!!!!

We Informed Gamers are the true champions, the winners, the masters. The masses listen to what we say because what we say are sensible, undeniable facts.

We the Informed Gamer has had enough of this lies & deciet in our beloved gaming industry.

These corporations are now at the mercy of the Informed Gamer.

The scenario we are witnessing is proof of that. Things are now back in order of logic and sense.

[MysticStrummer]

Consumer opinion always has an effect. It did last generation too, when the early perception was that PS3 was too expensive and 360 was getting marginally better versions of multiplats. Later adopters followed their friends so 360 built up good momentum even though it was being outsold worldwide fairly consistently. Every gamer I personally know bought a 360, but their experiences with RRoD have now contributed to them shunning MS's new console. XB1's reveal, price, and early policies didn't help.

The moment I knew XB1 was in trouble… my 12 year old cousin and I were talking about the new consoles. He and his friends were all about the 360 last gen so I figured they'd all be wanting XB1, but when I asked him about it he laughed and said "No. Just no.". That kid doesn't take any gaming mags at the house and all he does online is play Minecraft, but he knew about the differences between XB1 and PS4 and knew which one he wanted.