Monday, January 21,2008 @ 6:25pm
Game companies could learn from Apple
Consumer-friendly design, simple operation, and putting the consumer before business are among the lessons Nintendo, Sony and other gaming companies could learn from Apple according to an editorial by GameDaily. Unlike these firms, Apple "makes customers feel that they are more important than the company's business partners," holding standard pricing for iTunes song and TV show purchases despite industry pressure. Meanwhile, Microsoft has capitulated to media producers, meaning that the Xbox Live utilizes a confusing set of prices and rules for downloading TV shows and movies.
Apple also uses "uncluttered, graphically driven interfaces make (them) elegantly browsable (unlike, say, the impossible-to-navigate PlayStation Network store)." This includes the use of one-finger operation for the iPod, iPhone and other interfaces. The Xbox 260 and PlayStation 3, in contrast, require full-hand operation. For instance, GameDaily says that PlayStation 3's Cross Media Bar -- while cool looking -- :is more of a puzzle game than an easy experience for newcomer."
The only point on which the editorial faults Apple is building a closed-loop system -- "But unlike Sony, at least Apple never tried to freeze out the MP3 format."