Non-neutral Net not nice to networked gamers
Earlier this year, the owners of the data pipes that carry the packets that power the Internet started claiming that content providers owed them - again. AT&T's chairman for instance said that companies like Google should be paying him a premium for the privilege. Opponents said telecoms companies should not be acting as the Internet's bouncers and noted that its enormous global success has been because it is "stupid by design" - the network itself cannot and should not discriminate against packets based on content type.
Market research company RampRate has noted another class of Internet user who could suffer from a non-neutral Net: the online gamer. Multiplayer games are sensitive to network delays. Shoot at your opponent and if there's enough of a lag, you'll be shooting thin air. If telcos get their way however, gaming traffic could easily be relegated to the back of the queue, making certain kinds of interactivity impossible.
"Unlike video and voice, ISPs are unlikely to have or be able to obtain a viable material stake in the gaming business and have no replacement for the service," says the report. "As a result, consumers stand not only to lose their choice of the source of this product, but the very value of the gaming service itself."
The Wii's killer advantage - you can actually buy one
Nintendo's secret weapon in the console war? It has a lot of units to sell. Playfuls says the gaming giant's goal of selling four million units by the end of the year is on track. Already, 700 000 seem to be have been sold (if the sales tracking numbers are correct), with another 400 000 coming to the Japanese market this week.
Whether Sony can compete on volume is dubious. "As the holiday season is only days away, it's hard to imagine that Sony will miraculously come forward with another couple of hundred thousand consoles, conjured out of thin air," notes Playfuls.
In the US, availability is impressive too. GamesIndustry reports that between 150 000 and 200 000 units will be delivered to US retailers every week until the end of this year. The same report also points out the eBay phenomenon: a significant number of PS3 buyers are reselling their units.
"More interesting is the estimation that between 10% and 15% of all PS3 purchases may have been bought with the intention of being resold by profit-minded consumers," concludes GI.
Thanks to RampRate.com, Playfuls and GamesIndustry.biz.
Share
