Poll II: Most Likely to Happen?
08/25/08
Most Likely to Happen?
UPDATE: Looks like you guys overwhelmingly think the PS3 is the most likely to have a DS-style hardware revision.
Wii LX....34 votes (22%)
PS3 "Lite"...88 votes (59%)
360 eLite...26 votes (17%)
Original Article:
By
"Lite," I mean a DS-like re imagining of the system. Think: a new
standard shell, a new color, a new package, new marketing...all in the
name of prolonging, reviving, or sparking a sales flurry and possibly
salvaging (or hanging onto) a generation of gamers.
The DS Lite
is clearly the most successful revision of a shell/marketing/packaging
in history. It took a relatively mundane product, affectionately dubbed
the DS Phat, and streamlined
it so it was truly a mass-market product intended for all electronics
users. Before it went on sale, it was running neck-and-neck with the
PSP. When the Lite launched in March 2006, it became a worldwide
phenomenon in comparison with the top 2 or 3 systems of all time.
Just in Japan:
In
the same sense, the current gen of consoles might be able to capitalize
on changing demographics to do the same thing mid-generation. Imagine,
a Wii "LX," packaged with an HDD and released in piano black and WM+
built into the controllers. If the price stays the same, sales would
explode.
Or how about a slimmed down version of the PS3 built in
white and sold for $249? I'm thinking a PS3 Lite for $249 packaged with
FFXIII might sell a few units here and there.
Each could provide
an interesting redirection and could spark a change of momentum so
distinct it could change the shape of hardware wars for years. The
strategy involved would require a complete rethinking of target
audiences, an intense commitment to making worthwhile and needed
improvements, and the ability to anticipate what the consumer truly
wants.
So, which is Most Likely to Happen?
