What is Digg?64 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+37I give you these 15 … ah, er …. 10 commandments…
With the launch of the PS3 and Wii 3 months behind us, we've taken a look back at those launches and as well launch of the 360 and tried to come up with a set of new rules for the next major console launch. Let's be brutally honest here, this round of console launches was not a pretty one, as people were robbed, shot, and one person even died (albeit during a stupid radio stunt) trying to get their hands on a new console. Honestly, the only real winner in the situation was eBay as they made a truck load of money off people selling their systems on their auction system.
In coming up with these commandments we tried to keep them based in reality. Ideally everyone who wants a console after it launches should be able to get one but the laws of supply and demand just don't work that way. That said we have tried to have a some fun with the commandments and they should be taken with tongue firmly in cheek.
1. Thou shall not force us to kill for your system, thou shall have at least 600,000 units at launch
Look we know it's hard to hold units as you want to get them out the door so you can start making(well, losing) money on the hardware. Resist this urge and instead make sure you have enough consoles so that people don't have to wait in line for days or pay exorbitant prices on eBay to buy your console. Instead wait until you've got at least 600,000 units on hand so that almost everybody who wants one on launch day can get one. Sure, there might be a shortage for a while afterwards but make sure that everybody goes home happy on launch day.
This will also help increase attach rate as there won't be as many eBay scalpers who are trying to make a little money on eBay. This means more money in your pocket from accessory sales. This also makes your game developers happy as they will have more time to finish their games as well as providing them with a larger customer base to sell their games to. It's a win-win for everyone.
Eliminating world wide launches could helps this. Do you really need to launch globally? Sure it looks cool on a press release but there's something to be said for using one market to build buzz and generate hype for the others. Of course as an American I can say that because we get everything first and the only console waiting game I've had to play was for a DS Lite so take that with a grain of salt.
2. Thou shall have enough accessories to go with the system
If you've got the hardware you should have all the extra components people need to play your system with friends and family. This includes extra controllers, video cables, and memory cards. Sure the Wii had nearly enough units at launch but it's damn near impossible to find extra Wiimotes, Nunchuks, and component video cables without having to buy them off eBay. This is inexcusable given the family, multi-player nature of the system. I know predicting sales for a system is a bit of a guessing game but it is frustrating to have such a great system and not have the components necessary to play with friends and family.
3. Honor the father and the mother, do not charge more than $350 for thy next system
We all know that new technology is expensive and that hard core gamers will pay anything to get their hands on new equipment but in the future let's try to keep in mind that not all gamers or purchasers have $400-600 of disposable income around the holidays. When you buy a console you end up paying for the console plus another $150-200 on games and accessories which turns a $400 console into $600 purchase and a $600 console into $800 purchase, both of which are just insane.
Sure the market wants innovation but let's keep the consumers in mind with the next generation of consoles and plan accordingly. Pick one or two new technologies and save the new ones for add on (like Microsoft did with the HD DVD drive).
4. You shall not bear false witness against your system specs
We know that system specs are one big measuring...erm, contest but be truthful with your specs. Sony's the big culprit here but never over-hype and under deliver. It's always better to give out the minimum specs on a machine and to add to it later. It's never good to promise something in there only to cut it out down the road. Don't dazzle us with pre-rendered footage and claim that it's running in real time or give us numbers based on reference samples for a processor. We know the hype machine is fun to run but it's better to set the expectations low and then surpass them than over promise and under deliver.
5. You shall not steal extra money from us by not including key components in the box
If you're going to claim to be a high definition gaming system you need to include the cables it will take to play your system in HD in the box. I get that you're losing money on the hardware at the launch of the system but it seems cheap when people have to spend another $30-40 to play the system in HD.
6. Remember a gaming day and keep it holy (release new online content on a consistent basis)
If you're going to have a system which can download content, pick a day every week to release new content. Music and movie fans know that every Tuesday they can hit the store and buy new content. Pick one day a week like Microsoft (Wednesday) and Nintendo have (Monday) and stick with it. No random day of the month crap, pick one day and stick with it. Companies will need to plan ahead to make they have a full pipeline of content lined up though. Gamers are more likely to accept the occasional weak release as opposed to a week without any content.
7. You shall not covet your neighbors titles, make sure you have at least three solid first party launch titles
Launch lineups are notoriously weak, you know you're going to get a few games from Activision, a shovelware version of Madden that's been hastily ported to the system, and maybe a few Ubisoft titles. Game development for a new console is tricky as developers are coding towards a moving standard but every console launch should have at least three quality first party titles to help get gamers through that slow period at the start of the launch. The closest thing we got with this generation was the Xbox 360 with Kameo, Project Gotham Racing 3, and Perfect Dark: Zero but you really need at least three quality titles to keep people interested (put down the torches Wii owners, I'm not discounting Zelda but it was the only first party title Nintendo released with the Wii).
8. You shall not commit gaming adultery, backwards compatibility should be an all or nothing deal
Look you either support backwards compatibility or you don't. Don't just support the top games or support the games in a crappy low resolution mode. You either support it or you don't. Gamers shouldn't have to check an online list to see if their games are playable on the next generation system and then pray that they will be. In the immortal words of my father "Take a dump or get off the pot", either you support all the games or you don't. Having a half-baked approach to this just confuses frustrates people as they have to wonder if a game is going to be workable on the new platform.
9. Thou should have good tech support and a solid replacement policy in place for defective units
Nothing is worse than purchasing a new high tech gadget only to have it break down after a few days or weeks of use. Factor in having to deal with customer service and it just leaves a really big sour taste in your mouth. All products (especially cutting edge electronics) are going to have a certain defect rate and we're not asking for a 100% defective free launch. Just don't make getting a replacement for your defective unit a hassle as you want the consumer to continue using your console and to purchase more games and peripherals for it. A working console is a profitable console so don't make it hard for consumers to get a replacement console if theirs goes bad.
10. Future launches will launch with one and only one SKU
Two SKUs for a console launch are something that's been tried and should now be officially buried. Sure you can say that people still bought the lower end SKU's for the 360 and PS3 at launch but given how scarce units were at launch I don't think everyone who bought a lower end unit would have made the same decision if a higher end sku would have been available. Not only does this cause customer confusion but it means that you add variability into the console configuration and isn't that the main benefit of consoles?
Hopefully these guidelines will help eliminate some of the ugliness that we saw with the current next generation launch. I'm sure there will be other problems but hopefully there won't be the violence, camping, and massive eBay profits from the next major console release cycle. - idandfei, on 10/12/2007, -7/+30Thou shall be dugg
- GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23Why did Digg changes the layout? Why is there this massive Adsense ad at the top of every page, along with the stats laid out vetrically? I'm running 1400 x 1050 and I have to scroll down an entire page to see the comments.
That being said, I completely agree with #2. No additional Wiimotes or SIXAXIS's were available for purchase in any of my local stores. - monkeyrun, on 10/12/2007, -4/+22LOL...
Thou shall get their facts straight before writing the Ten Commandments. - SSCrow, on 10/12/2007, -4/+22So Based on these laws.
Is Sony Going to Hell? - kazumaSHELL, on 10/12/2007, -3/+21Thou Shalt Not ADMIT Adultery
- schadenfreude56, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15This is one I think should be added...
11. Thou shalt not force consumers to pay an arm and a leg for games and accessories he did not want in a console bundle.
Granted, it's more of a retail problem than a manufacturing one, but still, who doesn't hate having to wait until you can buy the console with whatever games/accessories you actually want? - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12It's called greed; and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
- vhold, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Actually Excite Truck was developed by "Monster Games", so in a sense it's really more of a 2nd party game. But yea, Wii Sports was definitely 1st party.
- monkeyrun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10But he counts Kameo and Perfect Dark: Zero as first party.
Last I check Rare's considered a 2nd party. - pokemogu, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14"put down the torches Wii owners, I'm not discounting Zelda but it was the only first party title Nintendo released with the Wii."
But you're discounting Excite Truck and Wii Sports (Bundled games should not count in?). - hansblix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Thou Shalt give each person waiting in line a week for your console a free one...
well, i guess thats not possible... but seriously. give it. - mrops, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Thou shall have a powerful server to host ten commandments
http://www.duggmirror.com - LogicBomB, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8He forgot a biggie:
Make it work 100% from day1. Don't release multiple versions of the console, don't fix a hardware issue down the line and make us re-buy it, don't make something better then say "oh ya, that will be another 500 bucks". Quieter DVD drive? Why not do it from day 1. More stable ram/processor? DAY 1! Do your testing and get it right the first time. - brwnx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Can someone please summarize the article?? Im getting ufcked by SurfControl...
Thanks...Ill digg you... - keyrat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8thou shalt not release a new console until at least 2012.
- betona, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7600,000 units at launch? I'm thinking more like 1.5 million.
Heck, it's two months after Christmas and you still can't find a Wii in a store unless you want to camp out at 4:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning at Best Buy. But that's another story. - gorgalor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Thou shalt download AD Block Plus for FireFox;)
- Schrade, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7You could use this user style to fix it and remove the ads:
http://digg.com/design/Digg_v4_1_Fluid_UserStyle_and_Ad_Spacing_Remover - Pedobear, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I love how they dropped the "Thou Shalt" format in favor of "You shall" around commandment #4...only to return to "Thou Shalt" at #9.
I guess "Thou shalt maintain consistency in writing style" isn't a commandment. - carcass350, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I love my 360 but...
"Thou shall not write articles that are disgustingly biased towards the XBOX 360" - apoc06, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4both skus have HDMI. the only thing the lower sku is missing is HDD space, mem card readers, and builtin wifi. none of these directly affect games, unlike the HDD-less xbox360 SKU.
- Gohan5052, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Well for number 8 I would rather have a few hundred BC games than none.
- navster15, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6The one commandment for consumers:
Thou shalt not be a tool and purchase a console at launch.
You're just encouraging console manufacturers to continue these half assed launches by lining up by the thousands for a system that will only have compelling software a year down the line. - rhfb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Thank you so much for that stylish link... digg looks like it should again.
- tehgooch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Next page button does not appear in Opera 9 on this site. I was sitting there thinking, "How the ***** do I get to the next page?" Tried firefox and it shows up.
- JayD16, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3According to this Sony did the best job(which isn't true but if you look at this it would be). You can't say there weren't units when there were articles for the last two months on how many there were. If you counted Motor storm(only in Japan) and Resistance thats two good launch titles....The core system is way less gimped for the PS3. Sony actually left out features that were optional. With the exception of PSP connectivity theres nothing the 20gig can't do the 60gig can. Even then you could probably get a USB connection to work.
But we all know that the PS3 launch was pretty bad. - apoc06, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3based on these laws, everyone is going to hell. how do you read that and only see things sony has done? none of the console launches have been perfect.
MS: faulty hardware, bad support, lack of games, lack of units, dual SKUs, shoddy BC, etc
Sony: lack of games, lack of cables, lack of units, cost
Nintendo: lack of cables, lack of peripherals, lack of games, lack of units, cost [and bragging about your profits?]
the article points fingers at everyone, but seems slanted towards supporting the xbox360. - jcholewa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@navster15
> Thou shalt not be a tool and purchase a console at launch.
> You're just encouraging console manufacturers to continue these half assed launches by
> lining up by the thousands for a system that will only have compelling software a year
> down the line.
Wii was the first home console I ever bought in launch window (I did get the DS shortly after launch, but the button placement was uncomfortable, and it had a stuck pixel, so it went back). I got it one week after it came out, before people realized that it was going to be rereleased every Sunday morning, so it only required getting to the store at 9:40, twenty minutes before open time.
Wii Sports was enough to last me for more than two months alone. Call of Duty 3 is great, and I'm having difficulty playing FPSes in the two-stick style now because of how much I enjoyed aiming with the remote. Zelda is promising but I'm still early in the game (damned real life interfering with my gaming!). I may have to get used to Excite Truck, but it has potential. And there are already some really fine looking virtual console titles that I've never played before (sequels I never played to games that I played to death, so I know I'll probably like them: SNES Zelda, Contra III, Space Harrier II, hopefully soon Bonk's Revenge).
This was definitely not a half-assed launch. Quantities were more than reasonable for the demand that most of the industry expected for a Game Cube followup. I'll give you that they should have had far more of the remotes and nunchucks. I'd call it a three-quarter-assed or maybe even seven-eights-assed launch, which I consider reasonable. :) - bennybertow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Here in Germany I bought Zelda and Wii Play along with the console containing Wii Sports - so yeah, I had three first party titles at launch.
- chris9902, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Microsoft Game Studios published those game so they are 1st party. (i think that's how it works, could be wrong)
- cesclaveria, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2we hope so... but I think apple owns it now.
- OwdenBowden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ramsey - Let My System Go.
Aaron - Throw down my Controller... - chris9902, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3yeah. I don't really see how having Madden '03 not working is a problem.
- MrPlug, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_(game_system) Don't forget this little guy, i think their destined for hell.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You aren't trying then., I see Wii's available more than half the time I go into stores now. And my mom and sister each bought one just a week after Christmas...just by going to the store.
- EasyEve, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1MY REVIEW:
Point number 3 made me believe I need to sell Wii nun-chucks on E-Bay- so listen up auctioneers...and point 4- regarding thou who buy thy console- the author is right, DON'T MILK OUR WALLETS, we love our kiddies, but we also have to watch our budgets!
Overall, during the read:
Thou' kept tongue firmly in cheek ;-) - HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Article is bunkem.
The problem is he lays down a set of arbitrary rules he would like, but if you look at the success of recent launches, you learn something different.
These rules mean nothing unless consumers hold the companies to them. And who isn't going to buy a PS3 because the ability to play games in HD isn't included in the box. Or a 360 because the ability to play games online isn't included in the box. And none of the 3 had 3 good exclusive launch titles! - JayD16, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Also we'll see if your 2 makes sense after Vista...I have my doubts.
- NSMike, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I guess pertaining to console launches that would fit in, but this particular list seems directed at the console manufacturers. That sticking point would probably be a good one for a list of ten commandments to RETAILERS about console launches.
- NSMike, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What constitutes a "second party"? A company with a different name owned by the console manufacturer? I was only ever aware of first and third party developers.
- IdanE, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3I don't really agreaa with lots of things said:
1. multiple SKUs: although it wasn't done correctly with the XBox (no HDD ? no use!) The PS3 did it better (even though I don't like the PS3 in general) - no mm card reader, no HDMI and no Wifi is a descent tradeoff for a lower price. BUT the right way to do it is have an upgradeable system, where you can just pop in the accessories into a closed slot, like sony did with the PS2 HDD, or Nintendo always did (and rarely ever used), so that I can buy the components seperately , but the cost of adding them would be higher (so if getting wifi, MC reader and HDMI costs 100$ extra if you get the high end model, buying them separately would cost 125$ or so).
2. backwards compatibility: what he wrote is just dumb. The only way to ensure full compatibility is by either including the entire old HW, adding to cost (which sony did with both PS2 and PS3) or using the same architecture (like the Wii). Something that never gets brought up is that the PC is un essence backwards compatible - you can play almost all your old games, as long as you have an OS the game supports and the drivers needed for your HW). If you don't have the HW, you have to use an emulator, and, since that is pretty complex, you might not get everything to run. I'd rather have a partially backwards compatible system, that keeps updating the list of supported games, than have a system that would cost the same but didn't offer the feature.
Also, remember that most people want this feature because they have games for the old HW. If you want to keep playing unsupported games, you can just keep it and not sell it/ put it in storage. - catharz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"6. Remember a gaming day and keep it holy (release new online content on a consistent basis)
If you're going to have a system which can download content, pick a day every week to release new content. Music and movie fans know that every Tuesday they can hit the store and buy new content. Pick one day a week like Microsoft (Wednesday) and Nintendo have (Monday) and stick with it. No random day of the month crap, pick one day and stick with it. Companies will need to plan ahead to make they have a full pipeline of content lined up though. Gamers are more likely to accept the occasional weak release as opposed to a week without any content."
The rest of the article is ok, but I totally disagree with the last line of this comment. If I have to pay to download content, I'd much rather no content than a weak release. If I want 10+ year old games, I can download roms and play 'em on my MythTV box. This is the #1 reason I haven't purchased a single download from Nintendo. I want stuff that's going to make good use of my console. - betona, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Because it costs money to provide this site for your pleasure.
- viperssxt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1all of these are good but $350 id say $400 at the most
- JayD16, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@Broomett
The Bible conflicts itself all the time whats one more? - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12009 or 2010? Is he serious? All three will not be releasing a new console until 2011 at the earliest.
- skyfire1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Thou shalt not say Wii60!
- maduin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1http://duggmirror.com
- gwolf, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Of the three Microsoft has done the best job IMHO.
-
Show 51 - 64 of 64 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is