In November 22, 2005, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 and forced the beginning of the current generation. The timing was always intended to give the 360 a head start on its competitors and had mixed results: on the one hand, consumers upgraded and the 360 certainly got its lead in early (to the tune of nearly ten million units), but on the other the allegedly rushed testing of the hardware resulted in the infamous 'Red Ring of Death' phenomenon, and the costliest warranty extension in videogame history. But more than two years since that launch, and now facing some stiff competition, is the 360 in the dominant position Microsoft claims – or does the console rule an empire built on quicksand?
A brutal reset, a smarter story, and a return to what made it great—Mortal Kombat (2011) revived the series.
Underrated comment. I used to hate that game so much that any time my siblings asked me to play it, I just picked Hom and shut myself down mid-match.
15 years went by so fast. I remember playing through the story mode at launch.
New report from Skillsearch found that 22% of those surveyed had been laid off within the past 12 months.
It's a step forward for Stop Killing Games.
This is the fundamental issue facing Microsoft: the likes of Ape Escape, Buzz!, Disaster Report, the EyeToy, God Of War, Guitar Hero, Killzone and SingStar did not sell to the same people, the ‘MASSMAKET’, but smaller groups with specific tastes. The ‘casual gamer’ doesn’t exist – there is no homogenous group that can be targeted with one or two releases over a period of time. Viva Piñata and Scene It on their own are not the answer, and releasing blue and pink pads is a basic move. The big question about the future of the Xbox 360 is not how good its software is or will be – because in its niche, it is excellent – but whether Microsoft is happy with the audience it has attracted with that software, and if not, whether it needs to rethink its entire strategy to expand beyond that current audience.
and that is why sony became the king.
Microsoft reminds me of the guy who wants to be a porn star... He wants it really bad, but he just can't cause he blows his wad too fast.
Gears of War, Bio Shock, Halo 3, Mass Effect... What now?
Gears of War 2... Rinse and repeat, I suppose. Not good business. Even more so with what Sony has behind their doors, trust me.
damn that was a long read
true enough he spent a lot of time going over everything the 360 got right 2 but fact is Sony's mass appeal might put it in second place yet.
Also has most of us know there is a strong shift towards Sony in NA now as well. Should be very interesting to see what ms does under that kind of pressure. I for one hope for some free online but certainly they need to step up to the plate with the casual gamers.