电游巨头新款游戏机维持旺销要靠重磅游戏

    靠新游戏继续辉煌

    由于在百思买（Best Buy）和沃尔玛（Walmart）这样的大卖场，Xbox One和《泰坦坠落》游戏（可下载版）绑定后，售价为449.99美元，微软更有望缩小和PS4的差距。考虑到这款游戏单卖就要60美元，这个捆绑销售套装实际上使Xbox One比PS4还便宜。这款科幻史诗巨作被广大玩家视为微软少有的几款“杀手级应用”，对Xbox One的意义将和当年的《光环》（Halo）对Xbox和Xbox 360一样。

    但不管哪台游戏机，要想成为超级力作，都需要不止一款游戏支撑。在缺少“必不可少”之作的情况下，索尼和微软可能都要从第三方游戏开发商那里寻找独家供应的游戏以激发玩家的热情。

    《电游月刊》（Electronic Gaming Monthly）的游戏评论家兼自由撰稿人保罗•塞梅尔说：“考虑到上市时略显惨淡的游戏阵容，这两台机器的销量已经算是佳绩了。这也说明游戏机并不像有些人说的那么式微。它们目前的销量还不算辉煌，假日季才会是真正的考验，因为那时这两台机器都将推出更多独家游戏。目前我们发现，死忠玩家对这两台机器都很热衷，但他们总归要在其中选择一台。”

    缺乏重磅游戏力作仍是这两家公司面临的最大问题，它们要在下一个假日季前的数月中设法防止增长势头衰减。

    游戏发行商Phoenix Online Publishing主管兼行业咨询师斯科特•斯坦伯格说：“这两款游戏机上市时可玩游戏都不多，让人没什么理由非买它们不可，尤其是眼下像《使命召唤》（Call of Duty）这样的顶级巨作依然能在旧平台上玩。不过这并不是光靠索尼和微软就能解决的问题。开发者和发行商还需要熟悉适应它们，与此同时，因为游戏制作代价日益高昂，发行商愿意承担的风险也越来越小。还有一个问题是，它们都没有安装平台，这也让开发者和发行商都不愿意马上为它们效力。”

    这又是个“先有鸡还是先有蛋”的问题，但这个问题最终肯定会得到解决。凭借这两台最新游戏机，这两家公司可能都会从小型或独立游戏开发工作室寻找富有潜力的重磅力作，而不是冒着风险自己投钱开发。

    IDC的沃德说：“这一次独立游戏开发工作室将更加举足轻重。微软靠Mindcraft赚了一大笔，那时它还没生产Xbox 360呢，而这款游戏就已经让它名声大噪了。结果现在，所有公司都想拉拢独立工作室。产品销售看涨时，要和小型或独立工作室密切合作并获得独家游戏就会容易得多。这样一来，这类公司会获得更多轰动性的力作，也会得到媒体更大的关注。这一切并不能让它们多卖几台游戏机，但会让它们的设备稍微显得与众不同。”

    显然，索尼和微软都要设法让自己的新款游戏机赢得众多关注，这一部分是通过延长产品生命周期、同时创造对新机器的潜在需求来实现的。

    斯坦伯格说：“它们策略的高明之处在于，造足了舆论，也让玩家有充分理由想买一台。”现在它们要做的是，想法设法维持销售看涨的势头。（财富中文网）

    译者：清远

    A turn to titles

    Microsoft could also look to close the gap as bundles of the Xbox One with the aforementioned Titanfall (as a downloadable version) have been offered by big-box retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart for $449.99. Given that the game itself retails for nearly $60, the bundle actually made the Xbox One cheaper than the PS4. The sci-fi epic is seen as one of the few true "killer apps" for Microsoft's system and could do for it what the Halo franchise had done for the original Xbox and the Xbox 360.

    But it will take more than a single title to make either of the next-generation systems a mega-hit. Lacking a "must-have" game, Sony and Microsoft may look at exclusive offerings from third-party game developers to spur interest.

    "Given the somewhat anemic launch lineup, the systems have done have really well. This is a sign that console gaming isn't as dead as people said it is," said Paul Semel, a videogame reviewer and freelance editor for Electronic Gaming Monthly. "It is still a ways off, but this coming holiday season will be the real test, as that is when there are more exclusive titles for each system. Right now what we've seen is that the hardcore gamers have gotten really excited about these systems, but they were going to buy one or the other anyway."

    A lack of notable games is still the biggest problem that both companies will need to resist losing momentum in the many months before the next holiday season.

    "These systems did not arrive with massive software lineups, which does limit the reason to opt for a new system, especially when the biggest games like Call of Duty are on the old systems," said Scott Steinberg, head of Phoenix Online Publishing and industry consultant. "But this isn't just something you can lay at the feet of Sony and Microsoft. Developers and publishers need to get up to speed, but at the same time publishers are taking fewer and fewer risks especially as games cost an arm and a leg to make. There is the added problem too that these new systems don't have the install base, so there is less incentive for the developers and publishers to want to be there right away."

    It's a "chicken or egg" issue that will undoubtedly be resolved. With the latest consoles, both companies may look to smaller or independent game studios to find potential hits without the risk or expense of developing them elsewhere.

    "The indie game development studios could make a big difference this time," said IDC's Ward. "Microsoft did big business with Mindcraft, and while it didn't make or break the Xbox 360, it got a lot of buzz. As a result, everyone is trying to court the indies right now. It is much easier to tie up a micro-studio or small indie studio on the way up and get serious exclusives. That is where the companies can get more bang and get a lot of press as a result. They won't sell a lot of hardware from it, but it gives a little more differentiation on the hardware front."

    Sony and Microsoft have certainly managed to create a lot of buzz around their new videogame consoles, partly by lengthening the life cycle of the product and creating pent-up demand for something new.

    "What they've done right is to make a lot of noise and establish a reason with gamers for wanting to purchase the systems," Steinberg said. Now all the companies have to do is figure out a way to maintain the momentum.