I wanted to look at who voted and voted lame by mistake my bad but good article :)

but he didn't touch on XNA very much, or the other tools that MS offers developers. While in the grand scheme of things, these may not be that big, combined with a platform that's much easier and cost effective to develop for than the competition, they can help add to the list of developers that hop on board the 360's wagon. Otherwise, this author hit on every major point.

PLAY B3YOND with the 360!

after reading it i can see why 360 owners are happy with their purchase

i really dont agree with the parts which say, it makes people who don't own a 360 regret they don't have one. I personally dont have a 360. And i don't even want a 360. I know i could never be a xbox gamer because nothing microsoft offers ever really appeals to me

I personally dont think the 360 will win, although theres a chance. The ps3 is an awesome console and it too has a bright future

How bright of a system you think it is, the fact is it is TOO expensive for the average American. Nevermind the people in other countries making much less of a yearly income then we make. Once it hits $200, consider it Game over!

"It's all about the Money!"

Shadow Flare, you are a fanboy that wouldn't even want a 360 if you got it for free, because you're a brand loyal fanboy.

You know what, at the moment I am very pro XBOX 360 because it delivers. It has the best versions of multiplayer games, it has the best exclusives OUT now (not talking about waiting till something will be coming like we hear all the time from Sony fans), plus the best online network and things like Movie HD download and IPTV upcoming.

They just deliver right here right now. Sony isn't. Most things have to be downtuned (remember all games 120fps @ 1080p? Now all in 720p and mostly @ 30 fps?) and many so called 'facts' are lies by Sony.

When the PS3 would (have) delivered, I could even imagine buying one. Not for 600 dollars though. Even not for 500. It's simply not worth it at the moment. If it will have a bright future, well... do you have a crystal ball there? Sony lost 300 million dollar by shipping only 1 million PS3's in 2006 and they are writing red marks since early 2005. They needed a multimillion dollar bank loan just to finance some startup of the PS3. MS has billions and billions of dollars to burn on the 360.

And for sure you can't call me brand loyal. MSX-1, MSX-2, Amiga 500/1200, PC, Nintendo, Dreamcast, PS2, XBOX/360... I am just picking the best deal at the moment having the best experience and best graphics.

Last thing:

360 has an installed base getting close to 11 million (sold 10.4 million @ 25th of dec. 2006, in the mean time 3 weeks have passed already again, selling at least 300k units in a normal month like this in USA alone, might be about 600k world wide)

PS3 has an installed base which will be under or just on one million world wide (1 million shipped by the end of 2006, certainly not sold)

That are the facts. Number of games on 360, plus the best ones. Fact. The best online premium network: 360. Fact. Only HD Movie download service at this point in time: 360. Fact.

And that attracts more and more people that step in right here right now. They don't pay for potential that is based on paper specs and/or lies. They invest in the best experience out there.

Yup, MS could win it all. Another monopoly? Depends. If Sony will rethink their strategy and make a competing console/games/online service for the right price, I would even buy one. If MS will have a monopoly it would be Sony's fault

Technically, also keep in mind that Microsoft HAS won the war. They went from a nobody in the console industry to having the title of next-gen king for a full year or more

And remember- PS3 was supposed to launch Spring 06, so it's not like MS has been without competition- Sony's delay was its own problem, and only one of many.

Console war recap:

1. MS beat on launch date.
2. MS beat on launch titles.
3. MS beat on price.
4. MS beat on HD offerings.
5. MS beat on game comparison graphics.
6. MS beat on controller.
7. MS beat on media player compatibility.
8. MS beat on console size and weight.
9. MS beat on 1080p issue.
10.MS beat--no slaughtered on online service!

Sony: Game Over
Place your initials here: _ _ _

They entered the console market to beat Sony and Apple to the living room, and they did it and were suprisingly successful. Now to put them over the top IPTV! They beat Apples ITV solution, you get a premium game console with IPTV, the games are a bonus. I am going to subscribe to the IPTV as soon as it starts, it is way better than DirectTV or comcast on demand. Go microsoft! F U Sony and Apple. Down with the MAC. Next on microsoft list the IPod, their first entry was good but expect their next model to kill the ipod.

they gotta win japan first.......dont they...japan is the most important region after america...

If cable service providers create a custom cable DVR box that says, "XBox 360 Inside" that enable people to play and have all the feature an standard xbox 360 has what do you think is going to happen? As a PS3 fanboy that hate the Xbox 360 you will own a 360 if you want IPTV from your provider. I think that would be the smarter move microsoft would ever make. Imagine you call your tv cable service provider and they bring you a xbox 360 enable box even if you are not a gamer? What kind of install base would the 360 have? 200 Million? You Sony fanboys better pray microsoft does not suceed on the IPTV market.

@Shadow Flare, you can't blame TheMart for calling you a fanboy, you described yourself as a fanboy when you said, "I know i could never be a xbox gamer because nothing microsoft offers ever really appeals to me" but then goes to say, "I personally dont think the 360 will win, although theres a chance" how can you possibly think otherwise.

In other words you don't dislike the 360 because it's not better than the PS3 but because you dislike microsoft. You probably also dislike windows, and use linux, and love any company that compete with microsoft on any areas regarles of the product. You see, like and own Sony cameras, DVD players, sound systems, etc. I never owned an original xbox because I though it sucked, I went for the PS2. Now I think microsoft is doing a great job (at least for the 360) and Sony is doing bad with the PS3. If Microsoft screws up with the 360 and Sony does better I would go for the PS3. Why? Cause it's all about the games. Brand loyalty are for the weak minded; don't let companies dictate what you like, have earn your money. There is lots of hate against microsoft because they are big, but Sony is not that small and they both share the same goals, dominate the market. I'm not telling you what to do, since it's your money and you can do wherever you want, but Sony was thinking about you when they said, "The PS3 would sell even without games". Because they know people that hate microsoft and are loyal to their brand would buy it even if it sucks. I think they were right. What does that make you?

I thought europe was the next biggest market

You know what Mart? all this time ive been hoping that SCE would eventually show signs of life, it is now so ridicilously clear that SCE is not going to win this one. This article just puts all of the signs of MS overtaking SCE in perspective.
I for one am shocked at how weak SCE has been so far. My hats off to you for saying this louder than anyone else for the past year, you have my respect on this forum. Its Over for Sony and anyone who cant see the writing on the wall is not the sharpest knife
in the draw.

Sony does lie and overstates thier facts.
I dont consider myself a fanboy, but there is no way in HELL that SCE will get my money in 2007.

Sad.

Even when the topic is strictly about Microsoft, all I see every other post is something about Sony. So since they're doing that....

" As far as im concerned SCE deserves to go out of buisness for the way they handled this."

So what exactly did they do that was so bad that they deserve to be shut down? Did they "lie" to you. Did showing target renders just like Microsoft did, I dunno, piss you off? You poor baby. Here's some kleenex. Oh! And another box for reserves.

Come on, the truth is that nothing's really happened. 5 million consoles in the US after 14 months? Meh. It took a year for the 360 to get an exclusive AAA title, while the PS3 had a AAA exclusive on day one. Microsoft should be worried about Nintendo. It's only been two months and they've already sold close to 4 million units. There's no telling what'll happen once Nintendo and Sony start releasing huge titles on their platforms. Metal Gear and FFXIII alone are going to push a crapload of units. Same with Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros.

This is why i'm so passionate about the 360 i'v always have seen it as a futuristic Home entertainment system rather than just a game console. I'v read awhile ago that MS's got some sort of advanced spectating features coming(folks can watch people play like one would FootBall on TV ect).

"DJ" speaking of PS3, PS3 is just a DVD player that plays games. PS3 is just a video game console.

That this article would irritate a few people, but it is very well written and brings up some very interesting points that are virtually impossible to refute. For one, Microsoft IS the next-gen leader. Some will claim by default because they were in the market first, a year before their two competitors...BUT THEY DID THAT ON PURPOSE! Others go, well wait one year, two years, ten years, Sony will overtake Microsoft eventually... Well, if that's true, they better start selling those PS3's that are stacking up in every electronics store in the country, and in the meantime, the 360 is selling fine and adding new features that the PS3 will be hard-pressed to match. The PS3 doesn't even have a scaling chip! Sony fans are lemmings-- let them follow their misguided leader right off the edge of the cliff if they want. For instance, Sony claimed that Motorstorm would be 1080p and run at 60 fps, now it is 720p max and 30 fps. Sony fans say it doesn't matter, but why did Sony make such a big deal about 1080p and 60 fps in the first place? Because they have to keep trying to convince people that the PS3 is more powerful than the 360 to justify its price, but the evidence isn't there. Blu-ray is what is killing the PS3-- led to the delays, and with so few PS3's sold, the jump in the Blu-Ray movie market wasn't what Sony was hoping for. So, you can hate Microsoft all you want for being a big, rich, american company, but they are a SMART and BUSINESS SAVY company... they have and are making all the right moves to put the 360 in first place and in the most homes, world-wide. Results, not predictions. NOW, not a year, two, ten from now. Hard to argue when the evidence is right in front of you....

Well, you already do the work. You might as well get paid.

if microsoft monopolises another market we might just get windows 2000 in the form of XBOX 720

WHEN microsoft rules a market they too often release a lot of crap

The article makes all the clear points points that need to be heard.
Some of my favorite points:
"The only reason Microsoft has the type of opportunity they do now is because they’ve been smart and are in tune with what gamers want, in addition to being very aggressive in finding new ways to make 360 owners increasingly comfortable with their investment. Everything Microsoft is doing not only continues to drive home the fact that people with a Xbox 360 made the right choice, but it also keeps driving home the thought of regret to people that don’t own a 360."
Every friend I have who hated Xbox now owns one after year of 360 games at my place. At first they bashed, now the have bought 360's for them self plus 5 - 10 games each. My buddies and co workers who bought PS3's are just waiting for some thing to talk about and so far they seem pretty bored. So they ask stupid questions or make retarded comments because they feel like @sses. (Seems like this site huh.)
"Has anyone considered the fact that by the time games like Halo 3, Blue Dragon, Grand Theft Auto 4, Lost Odyssey, Bioshock, Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, The Darkness, Brothers in Arms 3, Too Human, Forza Motorsport 2, Fable 2, Splinter Cell 5, Virtua Fighter 5, Banjo 3, Ninja Gaiden 2 and Resident Evil 5 release for the Xbox 360 that it will be possible to buy an Xbox 360 core for $200? ($50 cheaper than a Wii.) Taking into consideration that the last two games I listed (Ninja Gaiden 2 and Resident Evil 5) won’t likely show up until 2008, there is a high chance the price for the PS3 will be $500 for the 60GB model and $400 for the 20GB model."
Like I said in OCT. 2006 games will give the 360 life and kill PS3. 2007 will be awesome for every 360 owner. THANKS M$

1st off who pays $600.00 for a games console for that much I can trick out my PC and still own the PS3.

ATI Radeon X1600 Pro 512 MB AGP $184.00

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40 GHz Desktop Processor (LGA775) $319.00

Corsair Value Select memory - 512 MB - DIMM 184-pin - DDR ( VS512MB400C3 )63.00

For a total of $566.00 before tax.

The PS3 starts at $600.00. What Sony needs to do is focus harder on the games. Because the Sony brand name is not working for the games division at all any more.

"1. MS beat on launch date.
2. MS beat on launch titles.
3. MS beat on price.
4. MS beat on HD offerings.
5. MS beat on game comparison graphics.
6. MS beat on controller.
7. MS beat on media player compatibility.
8. MS beat on console size and weight.
9. MS beat on 1080p issue.
10.MS beat--no slaughtered on online service!

Sony: Game Over
Place your initials here: _ _ _ "

Pure Gold i love this sh1t.

About Microsoft Winning Japan, I think Japan is the most overatted gaming region in the world. Besides having good developers, they develop the same damn thing over and over. FF,Dragon Quest after Dragon Quest. They Don't play action games anymore. Look at Epic with Gears, An American Brand Company that created that top notch game Japanese developers could'nt match graphically no matter how hard they tried. I Don't care Who develop games anymore long as tehy're good. After all i do credit Capcom ( A Japanese developers and Team Ninja for Having their eyes on the Prize and that's the cash plain and simple.) For creating New Games such as Dead Rising and Lost Planet and For Doing that thier faith was rewarded by excellent sales. Now Xbox as 2 Hit Exclusives that will spawn hit sequels like many of the PS2 games that are at their 3,4, and 5's.

360 is worth every cent. it does alot. even sony says welcome change.

Interesting read with some valid points, but also some errors.In particular, i like how he managed to put a positive spin on the core system.Saying core system will sell more units,because of cheaper price than Wii.Yep, thats possible, but what he doesn't say is the lack of hdd as standard will condemn us 360 owners to long loading times and stuttering 'on the fly'loading for the life of the console,probably. Bottom line, core system good for sales bad for gamers!

Need some more proof??.. keep reading.

Next time dont run your lip-box until you have a valid response.

be sure and read this article then you can kick yourself in the a$$ for buying a PS3!

Good Read! Looks like alot of people are starting to realize the truth! People are learning that the 360 is far better than the ps3! Of course you still have your sony duds like DJ, Jin, etc... who will go down with the ps3 ship.

And people that are bad mouthing the reviews for Lost Planet are crazy! The lowest score was a 6 from Gamepro so I was curious why they didn't like it. I read his dislikes and he put this...

"...then there are the explosions. While they're incredibly impressive visually, the explosions kick up a crapload of smoke, which looks great, but ends up obscuring your vision during the heat of battle"

Yeah like real explosions kick up no smoke! I think the explosions and smoke give it an extra sense of realism.

"hardcore gamers will be able to test their uber-l33t skills against the game's difficult enemies, but I play games to have fun"

So he doesn't like the diffuculty of the game! I personally love the challenge. This guy probably should be reviewing games like Viva Pinata if he wants to have fun!

Bottom line is that the 360 is still selling like crazy and the ps3 is not selling at all!!! 2007 has huge games coming out for the 360 and will continue to expand our lead from the competition. The huge installed base will force companies like Konami and others to bring "exclusive" ps3 games to the 360! Capcom has found a new console of choice in the 360! They surpassed their expectations and goals with Dead Rising and Lost Planet! Expect DMC to join the party!

The ps3 is dead! Jump in already!

The PS3 has been out for less than 2 months... let's wait until it's formal worldwide launch in March - when the real games (not ports) start coming out.. Microsoft is known for playing dirty pool and this is an obvious paid PR article, don't drink the Kool-aid.

as they seem to have taken much better steps than last time.

- They reportedly are the most "developer friendly", if you will, and seem to have to the best and most appealing development tools.

- They seem to be securing more support from crucial Japanese devs, such as Capcom, Koei and SE.

- Dev support in general seems on par with Sony's this time as well.

- Exclusives are showing much more promise, as it seems that Halo doesn't have to be the best choice this time around (Mass Effect, LP, GeoW, Forza, Alan Wake, etc.)

- Excellent install base of around 10 million units world wide, and a good attach rate, showing consumer interest/support.

- Undoubtedly the most feature packed online network of the 3 next-gen systems.

- 1 year has established dominant marketshare, and also has given devs time to "work out the kinks".

Microsoft is most definitely a force to be reckoned with in the gaming world, and in such a short amount of time no less. They seem to have all the steps in place, and it is certainly possible for them to be the leader by the end of this generation.

**On a side note, some of the fanatics here really need to put all of these ridiculous jeers and jabs on the back burner. A lot of you are spouting foolishness such as "Sony's FINISHED!!", when honestly, you know good and well that's just not the case. Make all of the excuses you want, but Sony, like MS and Nintendo, is here to stay.

Here's a lesson in human nature, for all of the fanatics that put up a front of not caring about Sony: If you don't care about something, or perceive it as a threat, then you WON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. The simple fact that the vast majority of MS fanatics can't keep Sony out of their posts is because they respect their presence. Make all the asinine comments you want to, but this fact remains.

The insecurity among these fanatics is troubling to say the least. Let's see what we're looking at here:
Your console has an install base of 10 million, with an approximate 5 game attach rate, correct? The 2 competitors combined barely equal half of your install base, let alone having to deal with inferior online platforms and(according to you all) vastly inferior game libraries. If everything is so good on the western front, what's with all of the bickering and commotion?

The insecurity is simply astounding, especially with such a staggering lead, on ALL FRONTS no less. Were I an XBox fanatic, I'd be in Nirvana right now. How is it that anyone who ISN'T a fanatic gets leveled with the title of Sony fanboy? that's just ridiculous, and furthers the foolish insecurities. I've seen people merely express a PREFERENCE for Sony, or simply say that they don't particularly care for the MS game library, and are instantly labeled MS haters or Sony fanboys. Ridiculous.

Again, some of you can't get off of the Sony subject that you will let any and every post turn into a Sony vs. MS war. It makes no sense for a Microsoft fanatic to talk about Sony so much, especially if they're so sure that the competition is dead or dying. It seems that a lot of you are just disgruntled at Sony for whatever foolish reason, and are masquerading as MS fans as a pretense. One of you have an avatar of pissing on Sony for crying out loud. It just doesn't add up.

If you were VERY HAPPILY married, would you join 12 different message boards and spent a good portion of your time slandering and ranting about how horrible your ex girlfriend was? Again, it just doesn't add up. I'm a gamer with a preference for the Playstation platforms myself, and hopefully you can see how open-minded I am, based on my points made on the topic, that I'm open-minded to the idea of Microsoft winning this generation. Do i think they have a terrible system? Hell no, and I actually like their controller better than the sixaxis, personally, it's a superbly comfortable design.

Some of you really need to figure out what it is your after, because if having the dominant console isn't enough, then what the Hell is?

of the N64 when it was first released. It was late to the show, so Playstation and Saturn became entrenched before they ever got there and they also had a media format that nobody liked, even though they had a graphics engine that was more powerful than Playstation or Saturn.

BTW, I was in Target today and saw 5 60gb PS3's on the shelf and Wal-Mart had 4 60gb and one 20gb. They're not selling.

1. PS3 beat on launch date.
2. PS3 beat on launch titles.
3. PS3 beat on value.
4. MS beat on HD offerings.
5. PS3 beat on game comparison graphics.
6. PS3 beat on controller.
7. PS3 beat on media player compatibility.
8. PS3 beat on console size and weight.
9. PS3 beat on 1080p issue.
10.PS3 beat--no slaughtered on online service!
11. PS3 is the much quieter console!
12. PS3 is better looking!

MS: Game Over
Place your initials here: _ _ _ "

Pure Gold i love this sh1t.

About Microsoft Winning Japan it will never happen, I think Japan is the have the most sophisticated, (they know what good games means) gaming region in the world. Besides having good developers, they make inovative and exciting titles. Final fantasy. They Don't play what they feel is good, not fprs games that have an update every 2 weeks. Look at Epic with Gears, An American Brand Company that created that top notch game Japanese developers could'nt give a damm about it because it's a lame game graphically no matter how hard they tried. I Don't care Who develop games anymore long as they're good. After all i do credit Capcom ( A Japanese developers and Team Ninja for Having their eyes on the Prize and that's the cash plain and simple and we are taking about PS3.) For creating New Games such as DMC and Resident Evil and For Doing that thier faith was rewarded by excellent sales. Now Xbox as 2 Hit Exclusives that will spawn hit sequels like many of the PS2 games that are at their 3,4, and 5's, the question remains, what else does MS have as of now nothing.

XBOX 360 SUCKS BALLS. I GO $177.00 INSTORE CREDIT AT GAMESTOP FOR THE DAMN THING. ITS BEEN SENT BACK TO MS TWICE. THEY CAN KEEP DAMN THING AND BURN IT. ITS A FREAKIN FPS CONSOLE. NOW I HOPE WHEN I PURCHASE MY PS3 EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY. BUT IF NOT. I WILL TRASH IT TOO. I ALSO THINK MS GAMERS ARE TOTAL PC REJECTS WITH NO PERSONALITY.

"20.2 - Actually, if you look at the numbers.
DJ - 17 Jan 2007 17:38 | Let him/her speak
50% of both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 owners are subscribers of their online services.

"Microsoft refuses to disclose exactly how many of their subscribers pay for features such as online multiplayer,"

Every day DJ you post this, its all you have anymore isn’t it. I'm looking at your post history you have mentioned this so far 24 times and I cant continue, I’m only on page 5. You buddy haave ran out of ammo and out of exuses for Sony.

"so it's hard to say who has more users playing their games online"
I think this might be the dumbest thing you have said so far, WOW!

Seriously DJ look at your post history when Sony looked good your arguments had merit, now it’s just the same repeats over and over. Is Sony not giving you a big enough check or something? Or is it just the reality of life that the PS3 was Sony’s mistake. Its ok DJ you have the PS4 to look forward to.

Infact I highly doubt that 10 million of those 360's were even bought by actual customers probably only %60 are bought by actual consumers and not by people that sell the 360 on ebay there just all talk and no action and they probably hiding the truth of that matter that there console is owned by those ebay consumers that sell there crap so that doesn't count as selling good

Gears is an idiot considering that Microsoft didn't beat Sony to the living room people have forgotten like the sentence's above me that I typped down that not all 360's have been bought by consumers so there just lieing about that Microsoft one and saying that they made all the right strategy's now thats a full blown lie Microsoft even lost in Japan already by Sony and there going to lose here in the U.S like they did with the first Xbox.