Full Story: http://www.gamepro.comThe PS3 isn't the only console with problems. Microsoft has an equal share of issues with the Xbox 360 that could prove just as harmful as Sony's. Here are six reasons why the Xbox 360 is in trouble, though not necessarily doomed.
1. It's unreliable.
2. It only sells marginally better than Xbox.
3. A recent string of bad publicity.
4. It has limited appeal.
5. It bleeds money.
6. It still doesn't sell in Japan.
Looking ahead to fall of 2007, the Xbox 360 has the biggest games lineup in recent memory, a lineup that includes BioShock, Mass Effect, Madden 08, Assassin's Creed, and more in addition to the hugely anticipated Halo 3. Master Chief's last adventure could easily be the best-selling game of the year and shift hundreds of thousands of 360s in the process. If there's one thing that sells consoles, it's great games, and Xbox 360 has them. Sadly, Microsoft's ongoing string of mishaps may keep them from truly ending the year (or the season for that matter) on a high note.
Six Reasons The Xbox 360 Is in Trouble
Six Reasons The Xbox 360 Is in Trouble
To be human is to choose.
It is better to die on your feet
than to live on your knees.
- Emiliano Zapata
It is better to die on your feet
than to live on your knees.
- Emiliano Zapata
Some (not so) quickie thoughts:
For the record, Sony fought against the very notion that there was ever a defect in the first few PS2 models, and only repaired said consoles after a class action lawsuit was brought to them. While the 360's defect rate seems to be just as bad, at least they're being a little more proactive by refunding repair costs and extending the system's warranty.
2: While the system was selling at a slower rate than the initial XBOX after launch, at this point it has consistently been selling at a faster pace for some time. Expect that to jump quite a bit higher in September when Halo 3 releases.
In terms of worldwide sales, it is quite a bit ahead of the first XBOX, sitting at some 10million or so sold, compared to the ~6.6mil at this point in the first console's lifespan.
3: Every single console and handheld has had to deal with bad publicity at one point or another. For every story about the RROD, there's a football player plugging how awesome Madden 08 is on Microsoft's console. In the end, this probably won't hurt them too much.
4: Limited appeal? Compared to what, Nintendo's "Wii would like to play" approach? Compared to the Playstation brand? The system has games for the casual crowd, the hardcore crowd, and almost everyone in-between. For every Gears of War, there's an Uno. For each Bioshock, there's a SceneIt. And even semi-"hardcore" games like Halo or Guitar Hero appeals just as much to the college male demographic as Madden and GTA do.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the XBOX brand was the lack of Japanese developer support (save for Team Ninja), something that the 360 has certainly rectified well enough so far. The fact that games like Lost Odyssey and Eternal Sonata are being created for the 360 was unthinkable even three years ago.
5: Yes, it does. Microsoft is certainly rich enough to stay with this for the long haul, but are their stockholders willing to do the same? They represent a far greater threat to Microsoft's games division than Sony or Nintendo.
6: Selling well in Japan is no longer the Alpha and the Omega of videogame success. While it is a big part of the puzzle, the Americas and Europe represent a far larger gaming market for the type of buyer Microsoft is courting. Take the hugely successful PS2 as an example. Even though it launched in Japan well before any other territory, barely 21% of their hardware sales have come from there. They have sold almost twice as many units in NA, despite launching a good seven and a half months later. Sales in the PAL territories isn't all that far behind us either. The 360 will benefit far more from Japanese developers making games for their system than Japanese gamers purchasing them.
Also keep in mind that, as of the past year or so, Japan is basically NintendoLand. The Wii is easily outselling the PS3 3:1, and the same ratio can be applied to the DS against the PSP as well, and those margins are growing wider as each week passes. Hell, if you were to add up the PSP+PS2+PS3+360 sales in Japan on almost any given week, the DS alone would still double it in hardware sales, and crush it even further in software sales (where 45 out of the top 50 selling games last week were for N's systems).
Nobody is able to compete with Nintendo in Japan at the moment, not even Sony.
1: The last system that had reliability problems in its first couple of years was PS2. Currently, Sony has shipped more than 120 million of those systems worldwide. Guess that doesn't matter much in the end if they can fix the defect rate, eh?Rivas wrote:1. It's unreliable.
2. It only sells marginally better than Xbox.
3. A recent string of bad publicity.
4. It has limited appeal.
5. It bleeds money.
6. It still doesn't sell in Japan.
For the record, Sony fought against the very notion that there was ever a defect in the first few PS2 models, and only repaired said consoles after a class action lawsuit was brought to them. While the 360's defect rate seems to be just as bad, at least they're being a little more proactive by refunding repair costs and extending the system's warranty.
2: While the system was selling at a slower rate than the initial XBOX after launch, at this point it has consistently been selling at a faster pace for some time. Expect that to jump quite a bit higher in September when Halo 3 releases.
In terms of worldwide sales, it is quite a bit ahead of the first XBOX, sitting at some 10million or so sold, compared to the ~6.6mil at this point in the first console's lifespan.
3: Every single console and handheld has had to deal with bad publicity at one point or another. For every story about the RROD, there's a football player plugging how awesome Madden 08 is on Microsoft's console. In the end, this probably won't hurt them too much.
4: Limited appeal? Compared to what, Nintendo's "Wii would like to play" approach? Compared to the Playstation brand? The system has games for the casual crowd, the hardcore crowd, and almost everyone in-between. For every Gears of War, there's an Uno. For each Bioshock, there's a SceneIt. And even semi-"hardcore" games like Halo or Guitar Hero appeals just as much to the college male demographic as Madden and GTA do.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the XBOX brand was the lack of Japanese developer support (save for Team Ninja), something that the 360 has certainly rectified well enough so far. The fact that games like Lost Odyssey and Eternal Sonata are being created for the 360 was unthinkable even three years ago.
5: Yes, it does. Microsoft is certainly rich enough to stay with this for the long haul, but are their stockholders willing to do the same? They represent a far greater threat to Microsoft's games division than Sony or Nintendo.
6: Selling well in Japan is no longer the Alpha and the Omega of videogame success. While it is a big part of the puzzle, the Americas and Europe represent a far larger gaming market for the type of buyer Microsoft is courting. Take the hugely successful PS2 as an example. Even though it launched in Japan well before any other territory, barely 21% of their hardware sales have come from there. They have sold almost twice as many units in NA, despite launching a good seven and a half months later. Sales in the PAL territories isn't all that far behind us either. The 360 will benefit far more from Japanese developers making games for their system than Japanese gamers purchasing them.
Also keep in mind that, as of the past year or so, Japan is basically NintendoLand. The Wii is easily outselling the PS3 3:1, and the same ratio can be applied to the DS against the PSP as well, and those margins are growing wider as each week passes. Hell, if you were to add up the PSP+PS2+PS3+360 sales in Japan on almost any given week, the DS alone would still double it in hardware sales, and crush it even further in software sales (where 45 out of the top 50 selling games last week were for N's systems).
Nobody is able to compete with Nintendo in Japan at the moment, not even Sony.
Hey spookyJim wrote:Some (not so) quickie thoughts:
1: The last system that had reliability problems in its first couple of years was PS2. Currently, Sony has shipped more than 120 million of those systems worldwide. Guess that doesn't matter much in the end if they can fix the defect rate, eh?
For the record, Sony fought against the very notion that there was ever a defect in the first few PS2 models, and only repaired said consoles after a class action lawsuit was brought to them. While the 360's defect rate seems to be just as bad, at least they're being a little more proactive by refunding repair costs and extending the system's warranty.
2: While the system was selling at a slower rate than the initial XBOX after launch, at this point it has consistently been selling at a faster pace for some time. Expect that to jump quite a bit higher in September when Halo 3 releases.
In terms of worldwide sales, it is quite a bit ahead of the first XBOX, sitting at some 10million or so sold, compared to the ~6.6mil at this point in the first console's lifespan.
3: Every single console and handheld has had to deal with bad publicity at one point or another. For every story about the RROD, there's a football player plugging how awesome Madden 08 is on Microsoft's console. In the end, this probably won't hurt them too much.
4: Limited appeal? Compared to what, Nintendo's "Wii would like to play" approach? Compared to the Playstation brand? The system has games for the casual crowd, the hardcore crowd, and almost everyone in-between. For every Gears of War, there's an Uno. For each Bioshock, there's a SceneIt. And even semi-"hardcore" games like Halo or Guitar Hero appeals just as much to the college male demographic as Madden and GTA do.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the XBOX brand was the lack of Japanese developer support (save for Team Ninja), something that the 360 has certainly rectified well enough so far. The fact that games like Lost Odyssey and Eternal Sonata are being created for the 360 was unthinkable even three years ago.
5: Yes, it does. Microsoft is certainly rich enough to stay with this for the long haul, but are their stockholders willing to do the same? They represent a far greater threat to Microsoft's games division than Sony or Nintendo.
6: Selling well in Japan is no longer the Alpha and the Omega of videogame success. While it is a big part of the puzzle, the Americas and Europe represent a far larger gaming market for the type of buyer Microsoft is courting. Take the hugely successful PS2 as an example. Even though it launched in Japan well before any other territory, barely 21% of their hardware sales have come from there. They have sold almost twice as many units in NA, despite launching a good seven and a half months later. Sales in the PAL territories isn't all that far behind us either. The 360 will benefit far more from Japanese developers making games for their system than Japanese gamers purchasing them.
Also keep in mind that, as of the past year or so, Japan is basically NintendoLand. The Wii is easily outselling the PS3 3:1, and the same ratio can be applied to the DS against the PSP as well, and those margins are growing wider as each week passes. Hell, if you were to add up the PSP+PS2+PS3+360 sales in Japan on almost any given week, the DS alone would still double it in hardware sales, and crush it even further in software sales (where 45 out of the top 50 selling games last week were for N's systems).
Nobody is able to compete with Nintendo in Japan at the moment, not even Sony.
I didnt write that article I was just passing it.To be human is to choose.
It is better to die on your feet
than to live on your knees.
- Emiliano Zapata
It is better to die on your feet
than to live on your knees.
- Emiliano Zapata
