Xbox 360 LittleBigPlanet killer part of shift to casual market
Microsoft revealed plans to crank out games that are a bit more scalable than the average hardcore fare. It seems like the company may have a competitor for LittleBigPlanet in the works. However, it is yet to be seen if Microsoft’s gambit will pay off.
Microsoft expressed interest in the pursuing the casual market after witnessing the phenomenal success the Nintendo Wii has been experiencing. The company has already shutdown Ensemble Studios in pursuit of developing games that do not cost much to develop and appeal to a larger audience.
We have already witnessed the gradual shift in 2008 with the release of games such as: Lips, Scene It? Box Office Smash and You’re in the Movies. It is an interesting scenario when you consider the huge market potential casual games hold. Hardcore games usually cost millions of dollars to develop and cater to a much smaller niche audience.
Costs to develop casual games can usually be recouped with a fraction of the sales hardcore games usually require. You could say that out of the three, Nintendo probably had the right idea from a business standpoint. I suppose at the end of the day the goal of a business is to make money more than anything else.
However, out of the PS3 and Xbox 360, the latter is probably in a better position to completely do a ‘360′ and become a casual gaming device. Microsoft has been slowly dropping hardcore first party studios over the years and has been primarily relying on third party software sales to move the system. However, Sony has been doing the opposite with over 20 internal first party studios, with many of them already heavily invested in hardcore titles for the PS3.
Microsoft recently showcased a new title that will be heading towards the Xbox 360 titled Kodu at CES. According to Microsoft, this game is said to “turn Xbox 360 players into creators.” The game was demonstrated with a 12-year-old girl who started creating a game on the spot. The game was described by Destructoid as a game where Robbie Bach, Microsoft President of Entertainment division went on to look for “imaginary rocks among musical trees with a teenage girl calling herself Sparrow.”
Most likely this is Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s LittleBigPlanet, where user-generated content is the focus of the game. I am actually curious to see what kinds of capabilities the game offers in regards to creating something. This may be an interesting title to watch out for in 2009.
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34 Responses to “Xbox 360 LittleBigPlanet killer part of shift to casual market”
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January 8th, 2009
No thanks, not interested.
January 8th, 2009
Sony and MS have left it far too late to place their console as the casual choice for this gen.
Wii virtually owns the word casual. Sony at least have had experience in the PS2 of having a system that has mass casual and hardcore appeal.
I think MS will find it hard to make a console that has the same mass appeal/sales that both the Wii and the PS2 currently enjoy.
If MS drop hardcore games significantly and goes primarily casual, they will go straight up against Nintendo who, as shown by the fact that the top selling games are all Nintendo property, will provide a severe sterner test than that of Sony.
All my fanboyism aside, I think MS has done well with the 360 this generation. But the way MS talk, it sounds like they genuinely believe that they have the game industry conquered. Maybe they should look at where Sony were with much better results with the PS2; and where they are now…
Also, can anyone tell me why Ballmer and Bach consistently went on about the TV in their keynote? Are MS going to go into the consumer TV electronics industry? Given MS’s “eventful” foray into consumer electronics so far, I don’t want a TV that has “Channel Screen of Death”.
Sorry.
In all honesty though, I don’t know how Robbie Bach could keep a straight face when announcing yet another “borrowed” idea…
January 8th, 2009
theres been a frenzy if user created stuff this last year… with Far Cry 2, LBP and World Tour…
we shouldnt discourage anyone from coming up with new ways to create and play games… but with user creation… comes the shitstorm of copyright stuff…
first thing people are going to do when they get this… is create a Halo level… its inevitable….
January 8th, 2009
You can’t take on Little big planet and Win, its cute and loveable! needless to say i haven’t played LBP since last year… I need a creative spark.http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kvoSmmkSJ2M enjoy
January 8th, 2009
like the MGS content was inevitable with LBP.
I remember when Mario Bros was “hardcore”. It seemed to do alright in sales. Give an MGS5 or Halo4 the same amount of time, pack it in with a console, and advertise it right and you would come up with comparable sales, except that whole killing thing comes into play for the kids. Is it possible to make a good “hardcore” title that does not involve killing other humans? Because that would seem to be the only thing alienating sales.
January 8th, 2009
I just scanned my games collection, and death is present in all of them (except Skate).
My casual, non playing, elders and family appreciate that the best games are violent. They just wish games like Sonic: Unleashed and Mamma Mia could be good too.
January 8th, 2009
@lock_down
If Sony wants to tackle that market they simply have to market one of their older ideas better.
There were sports games attached to eyetoy play 1-3.
Actually have a commercial showing eyetoy being used like wii sports.
Same thing with eyetoy kinetics…cough cough wiifit.
Come out with a damn commercial showing your ideas. Everyone will think you’re ripping off the wii, but who gives a damn.
Sell the eyetoy as an accessory to both the ps2 and ps3 market. Just advertises the damn thing. Motion Control was a good idea, that Nintendo ran away with.
January 8th, 2009
Royzy, maybe Shadow of the Colossus or Gran Turismo. Both of these titles sell very well already, now imagine if they were marketed better.
January 8th, 2009
DWH – I sent you an invite last night. That was you right?
Phranctoast – is that your PSN ID?
I have Royzy and Ivan PSP already… who else am I missing?
January 8th, 2009
Did Shadow of Collosus sell well? I just assumed it didn’t, because I know Ico sold terribly, which is a real shame. Great games.
January 8th, 2009
At the price the basic XBox now is this could well be a very smart move.
It’s a pretty obvious move and was alwatys bound to happen once it was clear that Nintendo is making a lot of money (dispite the snooty protests of the ’serious’ gamers).
Everybody in the industry just wants some of it.
So much for that silly nonsense that Microsoft would only be offering more Halo stuff tho, eh?
January 8th, 2009
I looked it up because I was curious… Colossus managed to sell really well. Sony put a huge marketing push behind it, unlike ICO. I still can’t believe that we haven’t seen or heard anything about team ICO’s new game. At this point, I really don’t think it will be out in 2009.
January 8th, 2009
@BJ
thats my ID.
January 8th, 2009
Barnabe, my id is Wylie77 if you want to send me an invite.
January 8th, 2009
Happy,
I understand where you are coming from. But at this point, I really don’t think it matters how casual either of these consoles get. Sure the 360 price is right for casual gamers, but the Wii has such a grasp on that demographic it won’t matter. Apparently most casual gamers like to stand in their living rooms flailing their arms around with a controller. It’s the hot item right now and people always want the hottest items.
January 8th, 2009
Looks VERY interesting
Landscapes look fully 3D and explorable which will be very cool.
First person to recreate Wind Waker for me gets a cookie.*
*Again, there is no cookie – it would make harry fat.
January 8th, 2009
Barnabe,
Are you missing me, perhaps?
-Arvis
January 8th, 2009
Arvis! Yes I am. If I remember it’s ArivsJa… thats all I got. I remeber I saw it but didn’t have a chance to write it down.
January 8th, 2009
Wyile 77 I’ll send you one tonight.
January 8th, 2009
barnabe… what is your PSN ID?? I got a request from some guy… I hope its not you…
ARVIS YOURE BACK!!!
from the articles I read… Colossus sold well enough to be in the greatest hits… but not like other mainstream popular games… which is sad… again…
also the entire thing is fucking confusing… I wouldnt expect everyone to love it…
January 8th, 2009
My PSN is kdiggyd123. It probably was me lol.
January 8th, 2009
As far as Colossus I have to admit, I had a really hard time trying to figure it out. I rented it and it didn’t come with a book. I was pretty lost.
January 8th, 2009
all right… looks like we are all getting added on PSN… could we please… for fucking gawds sake… play gta 4 multiplayer??? please???
we need to set up a decent time… Im in the -5 00 time zone… we got some bitches in the UK… but I think we can do it over the weekend…
January 9th, 2009
That sounds like a good idea to me. I’m in the Eastern Standard Time in the US. I’ll have to get some practice in first. I haven’t played GTA in while.
January 9th, 2009
“we got some bitches in the UK”
Hey, don’t insult the UK female population like that DWH.
January 9th, 2009
Lock_Down – I think what he meant is “We have PS3 users from blorge that are from the UK” … he was using slang. It wasn’t meant as an insult. We are going to get a blorge game going. What’s your PSN?
Arvis – is your PSN ID Arvis?
January 9th, 2009
hhahahahahah lock down thinks Im serious… hahahahahahah
sorry dude if I offended you…
hahahahahahahaha
January 9th, 2009
Of course I knew you weren’t being serious.
Christ…
January 9th, 2009
PSN ID: “Arvis_Jaggamar” without the quotes.
Make sure you don’t spell it “Arivs.”
DWH, I don’t have GTA4. So… you’ll have to play that with some of the other guys.
-Arvis
January 9th, 2009
Who is going to suggest the gaming time then?
Those of you good chaps who haven’t already, write this down if you love me:
Royzy
I may be on over the weekend. I have to do some drawing practice though, I’m lacking in my skillz. Nudes nudes.
January 9th, 2009
Nudes are always good.
Thanks Arvis! I may not have a chance to add you until Sunday though. I did send a request to “Arvis”, but after I typed the name it immediately turned to Japanese characters. So I may have made a new friend in the process.
January 10th, 2009
I’ll pass… I’d rather play Viva Pinata!
January 10th, 2009
Royzy is sending nudes?
January 10th, 2009
Well I can be sending them, if you want them harry. Preferences?