"Rob Browning" <pluvius3@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:o4s5o2h4658b24necvemc2bkr5onana4r8@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:55:31 GMT, "El Guapo" <plethora@pinatas.com>
> wrote:
>
>>"Rob Browning" <pluvius3@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:ru93o2phtm5qmqlio9kktm5a1ci232tt83@4ax.com...
>>> On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:42:24 GMT, "El Guapo" <plethora@pinatas.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>"Rob Browning" <pluvius3@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:rbm0o2lvnqt10skda5pquid4h77aril1mo@4ax.com...
>>>>> On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:12:40 GMT, "El Guapo" <plethora@pinatas.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>consoles.  Why in the world would they want to force people to buy a
>>>>>>console
>>>>>>they don't want, just to play their game?  Maybe people would, but 
>>>>>>maybe
>>>>>
>>>>> Good question; why would Squenix want to force people to buy DSes just
>>>>> to play their game?
>>>>
>>>>Come on, how much of a problem is that?  DS had sold over 26 million
>>>>worldwide by the end of September, and sold nearly a million more in the
>>>>US
>>>
>>> The PS2 has sold well over 100 million units worldwide, while the GBA
>>> stands at a little over 75 million.  While a good number of the PS2
>>> sales were replacements, a good number of the GBAs were as well due to
>>> the SP superceding the original version.  That still leaves the
>>> install base of the PS2 at least a few million higher than that of the
>>> GBA.  And that's not even counting the XBox or the GameCube, both of
>>> which have bases numbering in the tens of millions.  This suggests (to
>>> what should be the surprise of no one) that a lot of people who own
>>> consoles have little interest in portable systems.  And that's not
>>> even mentioning the fact that despite all of its disadvantages and
>>> negative reputation, the PSP still withholds a large chunk of the
>>> current-gen portable marketshare from the DS, while the GBA was
>>> uncontested.
>>>
>>> And the only reason why the DS appears to be such a big seller in
>>> comparison to the next-gen consoles is because it's already been
>>> around for two years and has already went through one revision.  Wait
>>> a couple of years before you start comparing the sales of the DS
>>> directly with the sales of the next-gen systems.
>>
>>
>>So what?  Obviously they are concerned with the current generation, not 
>>the
>>last.  Right now the DS has a huge lead and is unlikely to relinquish it 
>>any
>
> And so you missed my point.  I brought up the last generation to show
> you what this generation will probably be like.

You really think this generation will look like the last?  I certainly 
don't, and I'm not sure why you would.  The overall console numbers may be 
the same, but they will be split more evenly over the consoles, and worse 
for developers, between markets.  Right now the 360 has a big lead in the 
US, but is practically dead in Japan.  The Wii is selling in all markets 
right now, but it is an unproven concept, and the PS3?  It will probably 
sell in Japan, though probably not in the numbers the PS2 did.  It might 
also end up selling well in the US, but the price and the 360 lead makes 
that far from a given.

Will this generation look like the last, with one console having a huge 
share of the market in pretty much every country in the world?  Not a 
chance.

>>Whether the console business and portable business overlaps is of little
>>concern to Square Enix, as long as they believe that the majority of their
>>Dragon Quest customers own or will own a DS.  They are probably also 
>>looking
>
> Doesn't that mean by definition that Squenix is concerned about
> whether or not the console and portable markets overlap?

No, I think they are concerned about which system will have the largest 
installed base of DQ fans.

>>>>> What you said is a problem no matter what console Squenix releases
>>>>> their games on.  The only real solution is for them to stop making
>>>>> their games console-exclusive.
>>>>
>>>>They don't do that with DQ, instead they deliberately concentrate their
>>>
>>> Then why are they saying that DQ9 will only be released on the DS?
>>> That's the definition of "exclusive."
>>
>>Meaning, they don't try to make the game for multiple consoles, and they
>>don't want to.  DQ is *always* exclusive.
>
> And I said that the only way to fix this current problem is to stop
> making it exclusive.  What was the point of your reply?

The point is that they don't see it as a problem, it's business as usual. 
Get it?