Topic: What will/could make the DS prevail

[Ian Sane]

"They are the best first party developer in the world. However, they are still 3rd place. Hmmm....Perhaps Exclusive games aren't as important as we think."

Oh exclusives are still quite important.  However it's not exclusive games that drive sales but exclusive content.  GTA3 has exclusive content.  At the time it was released there were no other games like it.  It provided a unique experience.  Compare this to Super Mario Sunshine.  SMS is an exclusive game but it is not an exclusive experience.  If you played Super Mario 64 you don't absolutely NEED to buy a Gamecube for SMS.  You're not really missing out.  That goes for most of Nintendo's franchise titles.  A real system seller has to have something unlike anything else.  There are exceptions.  Halo was able to make people think it had exclusive content because it was a new franchise and introduced a lot of elements that were exclusive to PC games to console players.  Plus sometimes because a popular franchise is used people don't notice exclusive content.

Exclusive content is ultimately what will win the DS vs PSP battle.  Neither really have anything truly unique (or what will appear to be truly unique) on the way but the first one that does will gain a huge advantage.

[Spak-Spang]

Ian Sane:  Exclusive Content isn't even 100% true.

Halo wasn't a unique game.  You weren't missing out if you decided not to buy an Xbox to play Halo, yet Halo single handedly sold the Xbox to the American public.

However, Nintendo's Gamecube had atleast two very unique games right after launch.  Super Smash Brothers Melee, and Pikmin.  Yes, SSB was available for N64, but not nearly as polished or as great an experience.  Then you have Pikmin which deceptively looked like an RTS, but it felt different.  And if I must say, Luigi's Mansion was also an exclusive content game as well, that provided a unique puzzle type gameplay...sure it wasn't recieved well but it was exclusive.  

Gamecube even had Super Monkey Ball a 3rd party exclusive game, that was a blast.  

In fact, I would argue that if you look at Nintendo's library for unique exclusive content it is much better than Xbox and I think very similar to PS2.  Yet it is somehow 3rd.

The point I am getting at is:  Its less games, less exclusive content, and sadly more about perception and "coolness."  The thing is that Coolness will get you in the door, but the games is what will keep you, and you better have good games.

[Deguello]

I personally think Wario Ware is the system seller for the DS.  Even though it's a franchise, what I played at E3 was 100% different than the GBA game.

[Syl]

Quite simply.

Pokemon is all the DS needs.  Tis enough of a game seller and system seller.  

[VideoGamerJ]

The slated Pokemon titles they have already don't seem very convincing. We all want, and have wanted since the Never Happening extravaganza back years ago, a MMO Pokemon game. That will do the DS justice beyond comprehension.