what! games coming out for xbox this year???????

Advertisements? you mean the old spice commercials cause those are the only advertisemts i see besides video game related ones but i love seeing those when i log in "hey i kinda do feel powerful POTATOE CHIPS!!! SMASH!!!" Lol

MS doesn't have anymore franchise to steal away from the playstation brand. Thats why they are in limbo with their identity among the consoles this gen.

xbox 360 back catalog is still good surely mostly people haven't completed all the older exclusive games. anyways imo i still think the best combo is ps3 and pc. the 360 isn't a bad console it still has a lot of good titles just not many recent new titles.

this kinect family can stuff can only last so long

Has ms lost their way? Doesn't look that way. They were first out the gate this gen and will be first next gen. They launched Kinect and keep improving xbox live and services. They have sold 3 times as many consoles this gen than last and continue to dominate sales here in the US. They own a bigger market share than they used to. The next xbox will continue to strengthen the brand. In my book those are big wins.

MS doesn't care about games or gamers, all it matters is money. Kinect generates a lot of money, so that will be the future along with that tablet crap OS that they call Windows 8.

Why spend money and time developing new titles and games when you can just remake or rapidly develop a crappy sholvelware that sells millions?

Nintendo and MS are going for the casual gaming. Sony seems (I have no idea what they will do next gen) that it's the only one keeping with the 'serious' gaming. Just look at Vita, it doesn't matter if it's a killer console or the games sell millions, it's just a freaking good gaming handheld.

That new Valve console could change the industry as well. Nintendo and MS in the casual side, Sony and Valve in the 'hardcore' side.

Ah the "CasualBox" yes it was a great system when it first launched in 2007 as The Xbox360 it was a time when MS was more interested in hardcore gaming instead of motion controls, mii wannabe's, raping the consumer with XBL, and having adverts shoved in your face.

@OmniSlashPT

Totally agree that's the same impression i'm getting towards the end of this gen.

I think its lost its way if your a PS3 fan. Though I think for the average gamer or a gamer who has multiple consoles don't think that way.

Why would someone complain about the dashboard looking like the Windows Phone? They are trying to integrate the two and have a similar setup so it can be easier to use.

Nobody is forcing Kinect on anyone, blame Microsoft all you want because Kinect is successful, but Sony tried to get in on the motion control bandwagon the same as Microsoft, just to a much less successful level.

I'll say exclusives matter much more at the beginning of a console cycle then the end. Which could be part of the reason the Xbox 360 took off the way it did, it had some of the first true next generation games.

Now that all of the consoles are pretty affordable I think it just comes down to preference. 2011 wasn't a banner year for exclusives for the Xbox 360, but the ones they had were all stellar quality and that cannot be denied. Microsoft ended up looking even better for not going out on a limb with new IP's and taking risks because they ended up number one world wide and there were so many wonderful third party games out.

Sony suffered a bit because they competed with themselves, often releasing games too close together and some games with little to no advertising. I understand it can be fun to beat your chest at the number of exclusives released, but if your not actually buying them, there isn't really a point to it all.

I don't see how Sony fans can bash Microsoft for not putting out a ton of new IP's and games when they aren't even buying the ones Sony is putting out.

I think most new games will feature Kinect in some way, I'm fine with that. Mass Effect 3, Halo CEA and Forza 4 all showed that Kinect can be used in a way with "core" games.

This year we are seeing the biggest core franchise return and its returning with Master Chief.
There is supposed to be a new IP announced for the Xbox 360 later this year, we've seen Alan Wake's American Nightmare and we'll be seeing The Witcher 2, Forza Horizon, which is a new IP in a new genre that will feature open world racing. There is Fable Hero's, Fable The Journey, possible new Gears game, rumors of a new Killer Instinct reboot and more.

I don't see how anyone could think the Xbox 360 has lost its way. I believe Microsoft has done everything they can to help make the Xbox 360 a true entertainment hub and they seem to get crucified for that.

Lets try and keep things in perspective, we need Microsoft just as much as we need Sony in the console business. They play great off of each other and I just don't see why people need to bust on one or the other.

I've defended Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft on this site and sometimes it gets old.

Play what you want, but let others do the same without getting trashed and trolled.

They didn't 'loose' their way. Everyone has just been too blind to see that the only thing they care about is MONEY. Dumbasses.

I think they have but, the way I see it, the only thing that really bothers me about them these days are two things

1) Xbox Live is a paid service
2) Where in f*cks name is my Lost Odyssey 2

My PS3, Vita and 3DS are my main gaming systems these days. Hell my PS3 has been since I got it 5 years ago while my 360 is reserved for fighting games and the ocassional multiplat and my Wii for its various exclusive gems.

Thinking about it, if you're a multi console owner, like myself or you don't own a 360 full stop, you have no right to complain about the situation. With all the exclusive games that Sony and Nintendo are releasing for their home and handheld systems, I personally wouldn't be able to find the time or money if Microsoft started doing the same. I have plenty of games to play on my Xbox 360 personally ranging from Street Fighter x Tekken next week to The Witcher 2 in April.

While I hate Microsoft, they make a good product I guess. Hell I own a Windows 7 Phone so I can't hate them that much? They just need to fix up and start providing games but Microsoft is a company known for dropping support/fans in favour of more lucrative endeavours.

I don't think Microsoft has lost its way at all.

Microsoft has succeeded in establishing a strong gaming/home entertainment brand with Xbox 360. While they have shifted focus away from more traditional "hardcore" gaming, they've expanded their service to provide a wide range of entertainment experiences for their consumers.

I think so, MS feels they already have the core audience and want to expand market share by going after casuals...which is a great idea IF they can hold onto the core.

Problem is, core gamers don't care about brands as much as they do about games (which is why so many switched from Nintendo to Playstation to Xbox) so who ever is offering the most best games will have the core gamers.

MS went from spending money to have the best big name exclusives, which they achieved, to only having Halo going into next-gen.

MS fought so hard for the core gamer and has been throwing them away ever since Kinect launched. Why buy a NeXbox over PS4 if 99% of NeXbox games can be had on PS4 (and next-gen I doubt PS4 will be hard to develop for so multiplats won't look/run worse anymore and have free online).

Even if Infamous, Resistance, Killzone, etc. don't sell gangbusters, they're still quality games that would generate a lot of excitement with next-gen iterations, and Uncharted, God of War and Grand Turismo are already huge. Also, you never know when a game franchise might explode, just look at COD or BF.

I won't buy an Xbox because they're known to breakdown a lot and all the games you buy on Xbox live you can't play unless you have an internet connection. It won't even play movies I download. Now the PS3 on the other hand does all the opposite of what I just typed. I never understood why people buy the Xbox, but I figured it out. It's the fanbase thats keeping it's head above water. When you actually look into the Xbox and what it has to offer it's a really big rip off. They charge you for their online service, something that should be absolutely free. So people are paying over 50 dollars a year to have cross game chatting with friends online while playing a game? Such a rip off.

As someone who owned and favored the Original Xbox, yes, the successor console has lost its way.

I don't understand how crap like this even makes it to the top. This isn't an article of fact. it's some tool's subjective perspective. Postings like this are only meant to instigate. Sure, I think the Xbox is superior to the PS3, but I need to shove it down people's throats. To each their own.

Neither platform is doing bad. The only difference is that last gen, only Sony did well. Nintendo (GameCube) and Microsoft (Xbox) did poorly.

What's happening now?

Sony is still doing well. Microsoft and Nintendo are too.

I've been an exclusive Sony gamer since PS1 simply because that branch of gaming serves me best. I still can't deny that M$ and Nintendo have caught up....which means more competition between the Big 3 and more for us to play.

Has the gaming journalism lost its way?

Not really lost it's way, they're just too busy riding the money wave and got themselves a big head like Sony did when they first launched thinking they are invincible.

It'll be interesting to see where things go nextgen.

Microsoft has built themselves a huge brand with the 360. Sure the original XBOX was their in to the video games console game, but the 360 has made XBOX a real brand. They have done a great job this generation appealing to a lot of different groups of consumers. With a little effort, they could win back the core that are upset with their current business model... if they announced a few quality core IPs there would be some excitement from core gamers again. I'm primarily a Sony gamer, but I'm excited for The Witcher and Halo 4 coming to the 360. If they announced a new Crimson Skies, a new exclusive action/adventure IP and an exclusive RPG or shooter, I'd be excited. I don't care that they support Kinect, I think it's good, I just wish they'd give the same attention to exclusive core games.

I bought a 360 about a year ago, and it hardly gets used. My PS3 is so much better at everything. Plus, since Uncharted 3 and inFAMOUS 2 are my favorite games, it really makes me wonder why I have a 360. What a boring console that thing is.