Xbox 360 doomed to failure before launch day?

unless im missing something (which is very likely) microsofe still doesn't have much japan support. This generation, Japanese games have become a big strength for sony. With GC fading fast, and xbox selling as well as an NGage in the country, sony has a major control over the country of gamers
 
[quote name='drone8888'] I'm not saying that the holidays are not awesome times for sales,... but we adults are the primary purchaser. How many parents, who may have JUST bought their kid/s an XBox, are willing to lay down $400-500 on another system?? [/QUOTE]

After I read that I couldn't read anymore of your post. You, sir, are stupid. You might have made the most unintelligent statement I've ever seen on this forum, and that's saying a LOT.

"Holidays are not awesome times for sales". Unbelieveable.
 
[quote name='AlbinoNinja']unless im missing something (which is very likely) microsofe still doesn't have much japan support. This generation, Japanese games have become a big strength for sony. With GC fading fast, and xbox selling as well as an NGage in the country, sony has a major control over the country of gamers[/QUOTE]

The Japanese are the most racist group of people on Earth - they'll never support an American product like Xbox, no matter how many great games it has.
 
[quote name='mmn']After I read that I couldn't read anymore of your post. You, sir, are stupid. You might have made the most unintelligent statement I've ever seen on this forum, and that's saying a LOT.

"Holidays are not awesome times for sales". Unbelieveable.[/QUOTE]
Pretty much... The Holidays are the biggest time of the year for video games and consoles, by far. So much so, that the market is often oversaturated with tons of games that want to take advantage of it. Its so much of a big deal, that Revolution is planning for a Holiday launch... in 2006.

[quote name='mmn']The Japanese are the most racist group of people on Earth - they'll never support an American product like Xbox, no matter how many great games it has.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't say that... There might be some more support for a domestic console, but Xbox basically gave them nothing that they'd ever want. They even stopped printing manuals and cases in Japanese. A lot of games don't even use Japanese in game there, they get it in the menu's, if they're lucky. Japanese people like playing Japanese games, or failing that, games in their language.


The MSX sold pretty well there, back in the day. MS could have easily partnered with a brand they know over there (Sega, SNK and a bunch of others desperately need the cash), but they didn't.
 
[quote name='dafoomie']Pretty much... The Holidays are the biggest time of the year for video games and consoles, by far. So much so, that the market is often oversaturated with tons of games that want to take advantage of it. Its so much of a big deal, that Revolution is planning for a Holiday launch... in 2006.


I wouldn't say that... There might be some more support for a domestic console, but Xbox basically gave them nothing that they'd ever want. They even stopped printing manuals and cases in Japanese. A lot of games don't even use Japanese in game there, they get it in the menu's, if they're lucky. Japanese people like playing Japanese games, or failing that, games in their language.


The MSX sold pretty well there, back in the day. MS could have easily partnered with a brand they know over there (Sega, SNK and a bunch of others desperately need the cash), but they didn't.[/QUOTE]

You might say that Xbox has become a sort of contradiction, a manufacturer supported import system. Somewhat like what happened with the Turbo Grafx after NEC spun off Turbo Technologies to continue supporting it. They sold several games that required an import adapter to play but needed nothing beyond a brief manual to comprehend. In a similar way, there is a big crossover between those Japanese able to read English and those interested in game genres that are much more popular in the West. I imagine a lot of them are like flipside version of a friend I had who was Japan obsessed. Almost all of his consoles were imports, as was most of his software. Any game from a non-Japanese source had to be extraordinary to be seen in his possession.

I wouldn't use MSX as an example. The ASCII side of that was far more prominent than the Microsoft side and more importantly the brands on the hardware were are icons in Japanese consumer goods. JVC, Yamaha, Sony, etc. Other than the BASIC interpreter and a few apps there wasn't much Microsoft influence visible. There was a lot of Coleco influence visible since the chipset was identical and US Coleco games would run with a cartridge adapter. The ROM boot sequences were compatible by no small coincidence. (The reverse was also true and a lot of MSX games were imported for the Coleco orphan market.) MSX did some business in Europe but primarily a Japanese market for a product perceived as Japanese.

Western products can make a big win in Japan if they're sold right. The iPod is competing very well against the native offerings. Japan has accepted some Western brands like Apple, Disney and others as being almost as acceptable as Japanese brands. Achieving that level of acceptance is Microsoft's challenge for the 360. The Mistwalker RPGs will get their foot in the door but they'll have to keep lining up more material to keep the momentum. THe Japan audience has demonstrated before that they're willing to buy a machine for one game and sell it off, buying the machine again used for just one more game a year later. That problem really held back the N64 installed base.
 
[quote name='mmn']What SHOULD they be pushing then? EVERYONE knows the ONE thing Microsoft has over Sony and Nintendo is a fantastic online service. Doesn't it sort of make sense they'd want to expand on that? What would you rather them do, get rid of Xbox Live altogether? Then what would be the selling point of the 360? Because it sure wouldn't be great exclusive games or the most powerful hardware.[/QUOTE]

They shouldnt be focusing too heavily on XBox Live because vast majority of current XBox owners are obviously indifferent to it. If you can afford a game console and games to play on said console $7 a month is not too much to ask for an online service.

The two million people who care about online gaming now arent going to be enough to carry a console and somehow I dont think the promise of an expanded XBox Live service is going to do much for those other 18 million XBox owners who aren't interested in it in the first place. What reason will they have to buy an XBox 360? Put yourself in that person's place and think - "If I don't care about online gaming, what reason do I have to own an XBox 360?". Then consider that's currently about 9 out of every 10 XBox owners.

I don't know exactly what they should focus on. I would hope it would be about games you can't get on any other platform but I guess they're too busying putting all their time and effort into this online stuff that only the hardcore crowd cares about...
 
The biggest problem with the Xbox360 is the AAA+ Quality line-up of Psp,Ds,Gc,Ps2,Gba & Xbox1 games coming out this fall.

The majority of people who would buy this system like me, at launch, probably own all the latest systems & i HIGHLY doubt that they're gonna skip over ANY of the major titles coming out this fall.

Mario Kart & Animal crossing for the DS
GTA for the Psp
Ninja Gaiden Black for Xbox
Zelda for Gamecube
Kingdom Hearts 2 for Ps2
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl DS/Gba
Final fantasy 12 for Ps2 in japan i think?
Also ton's of price drops for GREAT GAMES & i'm assuming system prices will drop also!


These are the types of games, even at CAG, that people will buy on the release day.
 
mmn,... I think you read my post incorrectly.

I'm not talking about sales, as in after the holiday sales. I'm talking figures/sales.

I've ranted on enough for now, hopefully this'll get interesting. Your points of view rock! This is why early adoption is getting cheaper, and more expensive. Don't be confused, just let me blab.

:)

I guess Pumbaa forgoy about his thread.
 
[quote name='drone8888']mmn,... I think you read my post incorrectly.

I'm not talking about sales, as in after the holiday sales. I'm talking figures/sales.

I've ranted on enough for now, hopefully this'll get interesting. Your points of view rock! This is why early adoption is getting cheaper, and more expensive. Don't be confused, just let me blab.

:)

I guess Pumbaa forgoy about his thread.[/QUOTE]
Yes, sales as in amount of product sold, not as in price reductions. The Video Game Industry sells more product in the holiday season than they do the rest of the year. Its by far their biggest sales period. One major factor is the holiday season itself, where people are buying a lot more in general, its also the biggest part of the year for all of retail. Another factor is that people spend more time indoors playing videogames when its cold outside.
 
[quote name='drone8888']mmn,... I think you read my post incorrectly.

I'm not talking about sales, as in after the holiday sales. I'm talking figures/sales.

I've ranted on enough for now, hopefully this'll get interesting. Your points of view rock! .[/QUOTE]

Wow, gimmick, you're doing a really good job of pretending to be the dumbest person who ever posted in these forums.
 
[quote name='sketch226']They shouldnt be focusing too heavily on XBox Live because vast majority of current XBox owners are obviously indifferent to it. If you can afford a game console and games to play on said console $7 a month is not too much to ask for an online service.

The two million people who care about online gaming now arent going to be enough to carry a console and somehow I dont think the promise of an expanded XBox Live service is going to do much for those other 18 million XBox owners who aren't interested in it in the first place. What reason will they have to buy an XBox 360? Put yourself in that person's place and think - "If I don't care about online gaming, what reason do I have to own an XBox 360?". Then consider that's currently about 9 out of every 10 XBox owners.

I don't know exactly what they should focus on. I would hope it would be about games you can't get on any other platform but I guess they're too busying putting all their time and effort into this online stuff that only the hardcore crowd cares about...[/QUOTE]
MS is doing exactly what it needs to do, its creating niches for itself and applying its strengths. If you're going to buy a console, and you're interested in online gaming, Xbox is clearly the way to go. You make the incorrect assumption that only a small minority of people are interested in playing online (do you work for Nintendo btw?).

Your numbers are also off, there are about 13-14 million Xboxes, and 2 million paying subscribers, this does not include people using free trials. And as I said before, every 360 that is connected to broadband will have free Xbox Live Silver. They'll get tons of these things that MS is pushing, for free, they'll just have to pay if they want to play the games online.

MS is also differentiating itself from the rest of the market by being a multipurpose machine, not just a videogame box. Its positioning itself as the hub of your entertainment center, it'll play your DVD's, CD's, video and audio files from your computer, your iPod, your PSP, and since your have Live for free, you can get streaming video of trailers, TV shows, songs, concerts, even (reportedly) XM satellite radio (probably for a fee). MS wants 360's fingers to be in all of your electronics and entertainment, not just games. Xbox Live is a big part of this. More than half of US households have broadband, and 360 owners are far more likely to have it, so I would think that the vast majority of 360 owners would be connected to Live.

So now 360 has the Online gaming market, and the high end consumer electronics market. Lets say that you don't care about online, you don't care about media center, or any of the other crap, you just want a box that plays games. This is a market that MS will clearly not dominate, but they should do fine, depending like this generation on the individual's tastes. If they want FPS's, its 360. Japanese games, its PS3. Cute and cuddly, its Revolution.

Remember, PS2 did very well by also playing DVD's when it launched, a big deal at the time. It did more than just play games. This is what MS hopes they can do with all the extra stuff they're adding.
 
[quote name='captaincold']The biggest problem with the Xbox360 is the AAA+ Quality line-up of Psp,Ds,Gc,Ps2,Gba & Xbox1 games coming out this fall.

The majority of people who would buy this system like me, at launch, probably own all the latest systems & i HIGHLY doubt that they're gonna skip over ANY of the major titles coming out this fall.

Mario Kart & Animal crossing for the DS
GTA for the Psp
Ninja Gaiden Black for Xbox
Zelda for Gamecube
Kingdom Hearts 2 for Ps2
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl DS/Gba
Final fantasy 12 for Ps2 in japan i think?
Also ton's of price drops for GREAT GAMES & i'm assuming system prices will drop also!


These are the types of games, even at CAG, that people will buy on the release day.[/QUOTE]

Nope, not a one. There is only one circumstance under which I pay SRP for any game. When buying a newly launched console and having no other options. Even that is more due to my low resistance to getting a close up look at the newest machine. Since I didn't buy the PS1 until it was down to $149 my track SRP avoidance track record is perfect there.

Consoles have always faced competition from new releases on existing machines. A console hasn't launched into a perfect void since the NES. It is always incumbent upon the new machine to deliver something to qualify the purchase. I suspect the installed base of affluent HDTV owners is going to be able to absorb the Xbox 360 units for several weeks all by themselves. That is over ten million potential buyers in the three major territories. That doesn't count all the people who'll buy a new screen to go with their 360. Offering features with high appeal to those seeking to show off their home theater investment will absorb a lot of units early on.
 
[quote name='epobirs']Nope, not a one. There is only one circumstance under which I pay SRP for any game. When buying a newly launched console and having no other options. Even that is more due to my low resistance to getting a close up look at the newest machine. Since I didn't buy the PS1 until it was down to $149 my track SRP avoidance track record is perfect there.

Consoles have always faced competition from new releases on existing machines. A console hasn't launched into a perfect void since the NES. It is always incumbent upon the new machine to deliver something to qualify the purchase. I suspect the installed base of affluent HDTV owners is going to be able to absorb the Xbox 360 units for several weeks all by themselves. That is over ten million potential buyers in the three major territories. That doesn't count all the people who'll buy a new screen to go with their 360. Offering features with high appeal to those seeking to show off their home theater investment will absorb a lot of units early on.[/QUOTE]


The "affluent" people that will be the early adopters for the 360 more than likely have all of the current consoles & they WILL buy the big games for there existing systems this fall because they can afford to. When they're sitting in there living room with all these systems hooked up i HIGHLY doubt they're gonna pass over Zelda,Kingdom Hearts 2,Half Life 2 etc.. to play Xbox 360 games.

I understand your point about you being a SUPER CHEAPASSGAMER but Halo 2,Gta San adreas etc.. proved that people are not gonna wait months to buy MUST HAVE games so they can save $10-$20 dollars.
ALOT of people here at CAG bought Halo 2 at launch & that says alot because it takes a FREAKING HUGE game for that to happen, and a few of those FREAKING HUGE games are being released this fall for the DS,Psp,GC,Ps2,Xbox & Gba.
 
[quote name='captaincold']The "affluent" people that will be the early adopters for the 360 more than likely have all of the current consoles & they WILL buy the big games for there existing systems this fall because they can afford to. When they're sitting in there living room with all these systems hooked up i HIGHLY doubt they're gonna pass over Zelda,Kingdom Hearts 2,Half Life 2 etc.. to play Xbox 360 games.

I understand your point about you being a SUPER CHEAPASSGAMER but Halo 2,Gta San adreas etc.. proved that people are not gonna wait months to buy MUST HAVE games so they can save $10-$20 dollars.
ALOT of people here at CAG bought Halo 2 at launch & that says alot because it takes a FREAKING HUGE game for that to happen, and a few of those FREAKING HUGE games are being released this fall for the DS,Psp,GC,Ps2,Xbox & Gba.[/QUOTE]


agree'd. I think you overstate who is buying HDTV's. Not all HDTV buyers are videogame players. My father is one, and he certainly doesn't even KNOW about the 360. Most of the people who are HDTV early-adopters are Home Theater buffs... not videogame fans.

I think you are voerestimating exactl how many 18-34 year actually own an HD compatible TV.m
 
[quote name='adamsappel']The casual Xbox gamer who only plays Halo is probably Microsoft's worst nightmare. They lost money on the console sale and it wasn't reimbursed with the single software sale. I know a few people who only play Halo 2 and have stopped buying other games.[/QUOTE]

Actually, I would argue that they wholeheartedly embrace them. Halo is essentially only enjoyed with multiplayer. This translates into either $30 a piece controller sales or a $50 Xbox Live membership.

These "casual" gamers also tend to influence others, which may turn out to be "hardcore" gamers that purchase several titles.

Even if the casual gamer only buys one Xbox and Halo, it still allows Microsoft the increased sell-through numbers to brag about. The bandwagon effect has much power my friend.

Just my $0.02
 
[quote name='dafoomie']MS is doing exactly what it needs to do, its creating niches for itself and applying its strengths. If you're going to buy a console, and you're interested in online gaming, Xbox is clearly the way to go. You make the incorrect assumption that only a small minority of people are interested in playing online (do you work for Nintendo btw?).[/QUOTE]


My "numbers" are directly from Microsoft's Press Conference. I thought they were claiming 14 million XBoxes sold way back around summer 2004.

Even assuming I'm totally incorrect, we're still talking about 1 paying XBox Live subscriber for every 7 XBox owners. That's a small percent of their current install base to build a market around.

What other assumption is there to make? I think it's too easy to assume most everyone wants online gaming- especially when we're having this very discussion online. I know from experience that most people walking into retail stores to buy an XBox (or PS2 for that matter) are buying it based on marketing/branding and not because they have any intention of playing games online- and I don't see how that's going to change in the near future.
 
After reading this months "Wired" with an Allard interview, I believe the sucsess of the 360, is somewhat assured, but most undesirable. To qoute a line from the magazine, Allard stated "My inspiration for getting up, and going to work everyday, was a copy of (Sony's CEO) resignation letter on my desk"...

Man, I hate Allard
 
[quote name='Ozzkev55']Man, I hate Allard[/QUOTE]

Its not just Allard, that's the Microsoft mentality.

And that's why they're one of the most successful companies in history.
 
[quote name='Ozzkev55']After reading this months "Wired" with an Allard interview, I believe the sucsess of the 360, is somewhat assured, but most undesirable. To qoute a line from the magazine, Allard stated "My inspiration for getting up, and going to work everyday, was a copy of (Sony's CEO) resignation letter on my desk"...

Man, I hate Allard[/QUOTE]

if i worked at MS, that would've made me happy too.

Corporations aren't corporations because they "play nice" all the way to the top. The people at Nintendo were thinking the exact same thing...but they would never say that in an interview.
 
Xbox is going to try to get mass sales by being the first next-gen console. Of course, PS3 is right around the corner and will be far superior. Secondly, PS2, the first of the current gen consoles, still has the best support from its core developer. MS is too busy focusing on the 360, and Nintendo ( Zelda aside ) is struggling to keep the DS afloat.

PS2, however, has a horde of titles in development, and will keep me busy for at least another 2 years while I wait for console prices to go down.

I think MS really alienated the old Xbox gamer. This about it -

Old Xbox gamer - I must have the best hardware

New Xbox 360 gamer - It's ok that I have the worst hardware of them all as long as I get it first. For a whole half year, I'll be #1!

So -> now
 
[quote name='BrandonMills']Xbox is going to try to get mass sales by being the first next-gen console. Of course, PS3 is right around the corner and will be far superior. Secondly, PS2, the first of the current gen consoles, still has the best support from its core developer. MS is too busy focusing on the 360, and Nintendo ( Zelda aside ) is struggling to keep the DS afloat.

PS2, however, has a horde of titles in development, and will keep me busy for at least another 2 years while I wait for console prices to go down.

I think MS really alienated the old Xbox gamer. This about it -

Old Xbox gamer - I must have the best hardware

New Xbox 360 gamer - It's ok that I have the worst hardware of them all as long as I get it first. For a whole half year, I'll be #1!

So -> now
 
[quote name='BrandonMills']You know, I give. I don't know what the Xbox is about. It's not games. It's now not hardware. It's not online, since now everyone is online.
So what the heck IS the new Xbox 360 about?[/QUOTE]

Its about having the ONLY machine on the market that will play the Halo series.

And that's all I need.
 
[quote name='pumbaa']agree'd. I think you overstate who is buying HDTV's. Not all HDTV buyers are videogame players. My father is one, and he certainly doesn't even KNOW about the 360. Most of the people who are HDTV early-adopters are Home Theater buffs... not videogame fans.

I think you are voerestimating exactl how many 18-34 year actually own an HD compatible TV.m[/QUOTE]

I don't think anyone would try to claim that every HDTV owner is a console gamer but if we're going to invoke anecdotal evidence, a bit of cross examine is called for.

It's understandable that your father would not be a console gamer. From the references you've made to your own age (in correlation to your school work) and if he is typical for his generation, then he is probably in his mid-40's or older. Older than the first generation to take up console gaming in a big way. So his lack of interest is understandable if he isn't looking forward to the next generation of consoles.

But does the family's entertainment interests end with his? Do you still live at home or have younger siblings? Plenty of parents buy big TVs to please their own interests but still serve the desires of the household's younger members in the process. I know plenty of families with big screens that the whole family uses but the consoles connected that are only used by the kids. Works out the same for the console makers.

The fact remains that the primary demographic target for new consumer electronics devices is within the 18-35 age range. Particularly those couples in their late 20's who've been out of college long enough to start making good money but have yet to produce kids and may never do so. DINKs (dual income, no kids) are a big target for selling new tech toys. This was the group that put DVD on the map and did so more quickly than its promoters had dreamed possible. As price go down the product permeates that age range well before making serious inroads elsewhere.

The prices on HD screens are poised to drop considerably as their desirability increases to drive sales volumes and every new source of content designed for HD displays drives that desire to a wider audience. If you consider how limited the options for HD content have been to date it's pretty remarkable how many units have been sold already. (It would be like selling a million cars to a country with less than a hundred miles of paved roads.) Sales have shown an appreciable gain in every region where the local cable MSO added extensive HD support and as more satellite offering came to market. The advent of extensive video game and prerecorded discs for movies are the two big missing links in completing the picture for a mass market display standard.

Big screen sets have been driving the display market since the early 90's. DVD has recently made EDTV models the revenue leader as the best way to view DVDs without going to the full expense of HD. This is entirely for lack of the content options those consumers required to make the investment worthwhile, not for lack of ability to pay. Why spend money for unsupported feature when the same thing can be had for less money when that support becomes a reality. That 18-34 demographic has become accustomed to how consumer electronics pricing works. They grew up with it and they know that the cost of entry goes down for those who wait for a platform to mature to their liking. With the entry of a video game console with HD support in all games that maturity will have come to HDTV for a large enough piece of the market to get the ball rolling.
 
This doesn't look too good for the 360's launch in Japan. From www.the-magicbox.com

Famitsu Weekly has conducted a next generation reader survey, to see which console system the readers are most interested.

Most Interested Next Generation Console
1. Nintendo Revolution - 42.2%
2. Sony PlayStation 3 - 39.8%
3. Microsoft Xbox 360 - 18.0%

Why do you like Revolution?
- Compact design, typical Nintendo style
- Able to download Famicom (NES), SFC (SNES) and Nintendo 64 games
- Possible innovative / new designs in Revolution
- Confidence in the hardware

Why do you like PlayStation 3?
- Outstanding technical specifications, standout against other next generation consoles
- Downward compatibility with PSone and PlayStation 2
- Cell processor and Bluray support are unique to the console
- Like the design of the console (but the controller design is crazy)

Why do you like Xbox 360?
- Developer support is splendid, especial people like Akira Toriyama and Sakaguchi.
- Square Enix supports the console
- Positive console design, color, technical specs and software lineup
- Console can stand vertically
 
[quote name='scdoanintendo']This doesn't look too good for the 360's launch in Japan. From www.the-magicbox.com

Famitsu Weekly has conducted a next generation reader survey, to see which console system the readers are most interested.

Most Interested Next Generation Console
1. Nintendo Revolution - 42.2%
2. Sony PlayStation 3 - 39.8%
3. Microsoft Xbox 360 - 18.0%

Why do you like Revolution?
- Compact design, typical Nintendo style
- Able to download Famicom (NES), SFC (SNES) and Nintendo 64 games
- Possible innovative / new designs in Revolution
- Confidence in the hardware

Why do you like PlayStation 3?
- Outstanding technical specifications, standout against other next generation consoles
- Downward compatibility with PSone and PlayStation 2
- Cell processor and Bluray support are unique to the console
- Like the design of the console (but the controller design is crazy)

Why do you like Xbox 360?
- Developer support is splendid, especial people like Akira Toriyama and Sakaguchi.
- Square Enix supports the console
- Positive console design, color, technical specs and software lineup
- Console can stand vertically[/QUOTE]

It's a big improvement on where they stood when preparing to launch the original Xbox. They've been very realistic in saying they don't expect to be huge in Japan but instead want to build their standing in a way that will benefit them with more software for the other regions. Having a small but viable market for native software in Japan greatly improves the ability to attract developers. While big companies like Namco and Capcom can afford to create titles almost solely targeting foreign markets it's much more to ask of smaller companies who rarely handle their own overseas publishing and instead license to outfits like Atlus.

If the Mistwalker titles live up to expectations those will drive a lot of people to buy the machine for those alone. This runs the risk of flooding the market with used hardware after they've finished playing the games but it's far easier to sell someone more software if they already own the platform it runs on.
 
Most Interested Next Generation Console
1. Nintendo Revolution - 42.2%
2. Sony PlayStation 3 - 39.8%
3. Microsoft Xbox 360 - 18.0%
Click to expand...

If anything, that's good for MS. They sell about 200 X-boxes a month in japan.
 
Microsoft is trying to revolutionize the video game world buy making more money not on console or licenses. They for some reason think that services will make them money. they don't care about gaming as much as they put on. the are a company like any other lets not forgets this. They saw how much money was in gaming and they wanted there own chunk of it. however the whole service thing to me is dumb. I have a router and an open port I guarantee you I will more then likely never go on line. I have a the current console and never go online If I want to play someone I will call a friend. they only thing that intrigues me is the fact that you can download more levels and more items which you can do with some games already on the live.
 
[quote name='Graystone']Microsoft is trying to revolutionize the video game world buy making more money not on console or licenses. They for some reason think that services will make them money. they don't care about gaming as much as they put on. the are a company like any other lets not forgets this. They saw how much money was in gaming and they wanted there own chunk of it. however the whole service thing to me is dumb. I have a router and an open port I guarantee you I will more then likely never go on line. I have a the current console and never go online If I want to play someone I will call a friend. they only thing that intrigues me is the fact that you can download more levels and more items which you can do with some games already on the live.[/QUOTE]
Don't knock XBL unless you try it. Especially if you have Friends/Family in far off places.
 
X360 will do fine, it comes out first in the holidays and everyone will want one because it's new and shiney. The PS3 will still beat it later one, but nothing new there. And Nintendo.... dumb old Nintendo..... will be last and no one but Nintendo fans will want to buy it because it came out last and Nintendo never gave people a reason to wait.
 
Don't forget MS's marketing... They're going to sell it as the "cool" thing to have, like an iPod, and more than just a game box.

Plus they're going to release Halo 3 the day that PS3 comes out, and might even do a price drop on the system the same day. That would really be taking a shit on the PS3 lauch.

I'd like to see it, just to see how Sony reacts... Maybe they'll drop the price sooner and I can get a PS3 earlier than I thought.
 
[quote name='scdoanintendo']This doesn't look too good for the 360's launch in Japan. From www.the-magicbox.com

Famitsu Weekly has conducted a next generation reader survey, to see which console system the readers are most interested.

Most Interested Next Generation Console
1. Nintendo Revolution - 42.2%
2. Sony PlayStation 3 - 39.8%
3. Microsoft Xbox 360 - 18.0%[/QUOTE]

Actually, I think that DOES look good. Compare that to the first XBox and it's a notable step up...it probably would have been like 2% or something.

I'm still undecided on what to buy. I'd like to buy a 360 as opposed to a PS3 or a N-Rev but I still need a really strong reason to. The only thing that really grabs me about the 360 at this point is how centrally integrated XBL is. The N-Rev really got my attention with the "total backwards compatibility" thing, but honestly...is it REALLY necessary with PC emulation being possibly more accurate, not to mention free?

I still don't know about MS insisting on being first to market for the next round...we saw where not having a stranglehold on first place and insisting on being out first got Sega over the last couple systems they did. Not to say lil' Sega and massive Microsoft are the same thing so the outcome could be totally different.

I think it'll sell ok because MS appears to be really aiming at the mainstream consumer as opposed to the hardcore gamer so far, and I'm sure they have plenty of money to spend around November. If the PS3 really comes out in Spring '06 it'll probably knock the 360 down several pegs, but I find it hard to believe it'll really be out then...maybe in Japan but that's it. And I don't expect that much of a gap in performance/graphics for the first two years or so until developers figure out how to harness the supposed "awesome power" of Cell technology.

Like Dafoomie mentioned, I'm hoping for a Halo 3 launch and a possible 360 price drop the day the PS3 comes out, whenever that is. As long as Halo 3 isn't the only good thing for the system at that point I'd probably go for that. It certainly didn't take the first XBox very long to have a price drop (4 months?).
 
The launch of XBOX 360 will not be like the initial launch of the XBOX. When the XBOX came out the only good game was Halo and public perception was not so well (greedy Microsoft, gigantic controller, gigantic system). Somewhere between the launch and ending of the XBOX, it became THE system for multiplatform titles and has several great 1st party titles. I may speak for myself on this, but isn't anyone leery of buying a launch PS3 after all the hardware problems of the PS2?

XBOX 360 will have far more going for it than Halo 3. Seriously, look at the launch lineup. If you can't find at least 5 titles that interest you so far you don't belong in gaming.
 
[quote name='manofpeace20'] I may speak for myself on this, but isn't anyone leery of buying a launch PS3 after all the hardware problems of the PS2?

[/QUOTE]

I have had problems with launch PS1 & PS2. This is why I am not going with Sony this gen.
 
I think lots of people are hyped about the 360 simply because it is the next latest and greatest console to launch. Once the inevitable post-launch letdown sets in the real test will begin...
 
The results of the poll aren't what they seem, because they are inversely proportionate to the amount of information we know per system. Of course people are most interested in the Revolution because we have the fewest of the hard facts for it. Then the PS3 because we were flooded with specs but were only teased with prerenders, so everyone wants to know what games will actually look like when being played. And then there is the 360, which everyone has seen and we know the most about the hardware and have actually seen in game action and playability.
 
[quote name='manofpeace20']If you can't find at least 5 titles that interest you so far you don't belong in gaming.[/QUOTE]

I guess I don't belong in gaming :)
 
I'm just going sit here and play my favorite game - the waiting game. I already have plenty of games and systems to tide me over until a few months after ps3 and xbox360 have come out and the smoke has settled. Neither system has really impressed me right now (unless you count the ps3 tech demos, which I don't) so I have no reason to rush towards either camp.

By September or October, everthing should be moving full force. It'll be a few month until the xbox 360 launch so: MS should have everything finalized with prices and launch games, Sony will be launching its counterattack by divulging its most ass kicking games (maybe even a Killzone that looks remotely similar to the tech demo) and hinting at a decent price point to drive away almost all 360 customers, and Nintendo will hopefully announce what makes the Revolution so revolutionary (Nintendo has already said it would release more info later this year and what better time to do it than before the xbox 360 launch).
 
I could care less about tech specs, and surveys, and all that crap. I know 2 things:

1) Sony puts out crappy-quality systems at launch.
2) All systems drop in price eventually.

So, I'm just gonna bide my time reading game reviews until something comes along that interests me. Then I'll buy a new system, and if I'm lucky the 1st price drop will happen about then.
 
[quote name='pumbaa']No... I think Sony got 3rd party support because they took the previous generation by storm. PS1 sold amazingly well, and PS2 essentially rode that wave of success. I suspect that Microsoft will not have the upper hand when it comes to 3rd party developers... Sony is still the one to beat because of decisively "winning" this generation in all 3 important continents. Remember... Xbox may be in "2nd" in the US... but its laughable in Japan... a very important area... developer wise.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you and I disagree, lets start with Japan, and I really think that they are #2 in the world for dominance in games, the US being #1, so I really think Japan matters for developer support, but I think the US is going to be the biggie this time around. I also hope Nintendo's less is more approach is going to be king this round, I mean seriously, if they can push a big launch and sell mad consoles the first year, there will be nothing to it. It's time to make Nintendo King Again All!

Also i noticed someone said that the Ps2 had no great games at launch. I think they had 2 in SSX and Tekken Tag Tournament (which I loved and I thought were killer apps), and I am not a big supporter of Sony or M$, but I am a Nintendo fanboy.
 
[quote name='KaneRobot']Actually, I think that DOES look good. Compare that to the first XBox and it's a notable step up...it probably would have been like 2% or something.

I'm still undecided on what to buy. I'd like to buy a 360 as opposed to a PS3 or a N-Rev but I still need a really strong reason to. The only thing that really grabs me about the 360 at this point is how centrally integrated XBL is. The N-Rev really got my attention with the "total backwards compatibility" thing, but honestly...is it REALLY necessary with PC emulation being possibly more accurate, not to mention free?

I still don't know about MS insisting on being first to market for the next round...we saw where not having a stranglehold on first place and insisting on being out first got Sega over the last couple systems they did. Not to say lil' Sega and massive Microsoft are the same thing so the outcome could be totally different.

I think it'll sell ok because MS appears to be really aiming at the mainstream consumer as opposed to the hardcore gamer so far, and I'm sure they have plenty of money to spend around November. If the PS3 really comes out in Spring '06 it'll probably knock the 360 down several pegs, but I find it hard to believe it'll really be out then...maybe in Japan but that's it. And I don't expect that much of a gap in performance/graphics for the first two years or so until developers figure out how to harness the supposed "awesome power" of Cell technology.

Like Dafoomie mentioned, I'm hoping for a Halo 3 launch and a possible 360 price drop the day the PS3 comes out, whenever that is. As long as Halo 3 isn't the only good thing for the system at that point I'd probably go for that. It certainly didn't take the first XBox very long to have a price drop (4 months?).[/QUOTE]


The Dreamcast Myth really needs to be debunked once and for all. Sega didn't jump the gun in a bid to be first. They desparately needed to have a new platform in the market and get some revenue coming in. Remember, between the death of the Saturn and the Dreamcast launch was over a year where Sega had no place to sell new games. As it was they shipped only token amounts of the last round of first party titles (Panzer Dragoon Saga, Burning Rangers, Shinig Force III) to fulfill obligations but avoid laying out any more money on Saturn products than absolutely necessary. The Dreamcast was arbitrarily the beginning of the current generation more by misadventure than by deeply thought out marketing plan. If the Saturn had gone tits up a year earlier the Dreamcast might have been of sufficiently lesser features to be considered still of that generation.

Microsoft is in a similar situation for different reasons and has none of Sega's cashflow problems. The Xbox cannot go through another price cut without driving the initial loss per unit too high to be acceptable. That effectively ends the generation as far as MS is concerned. They have to make a move in time to have a new offering when the PS2 goes down to $129 and later $99. While the home entertainment division at Microsoft has produced red ink for most of its existence (Xbox is just the most prominent of the products that fall under that division) the losses to date are no greater than what MS indicated they expected to throw at Xbox from the start and have been lower overall with a suprise profit in one quarter. The losses are minor measured against the entire company's revenues while Sega in its entirety was deeply mired in debt and lack of confidence from capital sources.

I'm becoming less and less impressed by Cell. While Kutaragi is maintaining his line of bullshit about miraculous and magical network aggregation apps, inapplicable to games and any other identified consumer application, IBM last week admitted in the same publication they can still only link two Cells in any useful manner. The real horsepower for the PS3 is going to come from the Nvidia RSX chip, a late addition to the design after the muliple Cell approach was scrapped.
http://eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=163701734

I think it extremely unlikely Microsoft would cut the Xbox 360 price just as they were launching what is hoped to be a killer app. Such software is supposed to spare the company the need to take such measures, especially only 6-8 months after launch, even more so if the y come close to a $300 launch price. Sony could find themselves taking a really serious loss per unit to match that.
 
I can remember Ken Kutaragi (whatever his name is, the Sony guy) blowing about how the original Xbox was doomed before it launched several years ago, and yet I see millions of systems and games sold today despite this. It's all a load of hype and conjecture until the final sales figures are in anyway, so let's not get all worked up over nothing just yet.
 
the muliple Cell approach was scrapped.
Click to expand...


oh_snap.jpg
 
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