Microsoft dropped the original Xbox after four years because they lost money on every console sold. Nvidia and Intel had full rights to the CPU/GPU, therefore, Microsoft could not get price reductions from economies of scale etc. It was also common sense to release the Xbox 360 before the competition. The Xbox came out long after the release of the PS2 and it got smashed in sales by the PS2.
Yes, some of the peripherals are very expensive, the hard drive is a case in point,...
DiRtY
Nice post. I think that the Xbox 360 is a great console and Microsoft are setting themselves up nicely for the next gen console in a few years time. Compared with Nintendo, and even Sony, Microsoft are still relatively new to gaming and will take a lot of momentum into the next gen. I think Halo 4 will be huge in late 2012 and, in my opinion, will be the second exclusive game after Halo 3 to hit the 10 million sales mark. And I agree with SDF Repellent, I think Micros...
So many negative fanboy posts, I am almost surprised to see balanced and constructive posts nowadays. I love my Xbox 360 but respect the PS3 and therefore won't denigrate it in any on-line forum. I also like Kinect and am looking forward to soon control the Xbox 360 dashboard with gestures and voice. Each to their own.
XDF
Nice post. Microsoft and Sony have both made mistakes this generation and at the end of this generation I think that there won't be much between them in sales. The next generation will be fascinating as I think the momentum will be fairly equal with Microsoft and Sony. The wildcard will be the Wii U and how it goes before the inevitable launch of the next Xbox and Playstation juggernauts.
Yes, PS3 has done very well after overcoming many obstacles. But the PS3 launched after the wildly successful PS1 and PS2 so it had great momentum and a very big and loyal fanbase. Microsoft has been in gaming a much shorter time frame than Sony and brought in the Xbox 360 after the relatively unsuccessful Xbox which just got smashed by the PS2. I don't think Microsoft will care if the PS3 edges ahead in install base. Microsoft are making very good money from the Xbox 360 and will be rela...
I don't think any future console will dominate like the Wii did. The Wii was/is an absolute phenomenon that drew in the 'casual' gamer like no other console. I think the next gen consoles will be a three way battle that will likely be pretty close sales wise. I think the first year will be critical for the Wii U as Microsoft/Sony gear up for their new consoles.
I think the Wii U will do reasonably well but I also think it should have been released by now. And there is so many question marks with the console. What will it offer on-line? Nintendo has talked about a more open model for on-line gaming. Does this mean cross game chat (for example) will be optional with some games having it and some not? Will gamers be happy with only one touch controller and the other person using the older Wii remote? And will they have enough decent third party game re...
TOO PAWNED
Good points you raise. Sony have been in gaming for a lot longer than Microsoft so I think Microsoft has done well to stay competitive with Sony for this console generation. However, I think Microsoft are too U.S. focussed, this will have to change to get the gains they need in Europe and most other areas outside of North America. I don't think Microsoft will get a head start for the next gen though. Sony have been hurt by the one year Xbox head start so I do...
Yeah, Microsoft is pushing hard for parity across its platforms and for voice and gesture control on the Xbox 360. I think that this will transition across to the new Xbox, probably with more accurate and a lag free next gen Kinect.
I think that Microsoft and Sony would love to do away with optical disks and go fully downloadable but I think that it is too soon. I think that Microsoft will continue on their current path with a new optical disk format and upgraded Kinect. I think the Wii U will do reasonably well but it has quite a lot to overcome to get back in the game for the hard core gamers. I think Sony will have a whole new interface with cross game chat enabled. I think they will utilise an upgraded Cell CPU and r...
He said the game will likely be buggy prior to applying the patch. It doesn't really set a good precedent, and I wonder how many journalists will submit reviews of the game without the patch. Will be interesting. I think that DICE/EA has pretty much mismanaged the whole game pre-launch. I wish they devoted more time and effort in developing the game rather than spend so much energy in a bitter slanging match with Activision.
I think that game reviewers want to see a consistently polished experience. GT5 has a massive scope with its number of cars, tracks and racing modes but a level of graphical inconsistency with its cars (premium/standard) and tracks. Forza 4, whilst being much more limited in scope, has a consistent level of graphics across its cars and tracks. If Forza 4 had introduced more racing modes (eg rally) but it was graphically inferior and not as playable the game would have been marked down.
Great analysis. I think the next Playstation and Xbox will be released in late 2013. Until then, I think we have a lot of great games to enjoy. It is amazing the graphic fidelity that they are getting with the games, especialy with the 2011 titles you mention above.
This is absolute greed. I have paid for Dance Central. Why charge to import songs that I already have on my hard drive? And if its $10 in the U.S. that will probably equate to about $15 here in Australia. A nice slap in the face for owners of the original title.
I think the next gen Xbox and Playstation will be released in late 2013. I don't think they will use cutting edge tech (to reduce costs), but they won't need to as the use of a superior CPU/GPU combination with about 2.5 or 3 GB of ram (shared with CPU/GPU) will produce much better results at a relatively low price. The use of the graphical effects you describe should be achievable at native 1080P with high frame rates. I don't think that Microsoft or Sony will aim to produce a gr...
I think Microsoft see a predominent focus on the hard core gamers as not providing them with the means of increasing growth, and, broadening their user base. Even though the Wii pretty much turned its back on the hard core, it has sold over 80 million consoles, over 30 million more than the Xbox 360 and PS3. The increased focus on Kinect and non-gaming entertainment is a means to an end for Microsoft. Kinect is also a unique point of differentiation for Microsoft as Sony and Nintendo have not...
I think Microsoft will have the most surprises, they tend to keep things fairly close to their chest. I am expecting a Halo:CE remake for later this year and Halo 4 announced for late 2012. As well as a lot of Kinect stuff and some core games as well.
Sony will have a few big titles up their sleeve, and show a lot more of the announced titles like Uncharted 3. Of course, the NGP details and launch games will be of interest.
Nintendo will obviously have ...
Looking closely at the ad, isn't that the 4 GB console with the matt finish? Anyway, I don't think there will be any price cuts for PS3 or Xbox 360 announced at the E3. They are both selling well and will have a lot of releases packed into the second half of this year. However, I am expecting a price cut sometime before the release of the new Nintendo console to blunt its impact.
Maybe there will be a price cut in the territories outside of the U.S. sometime this ye...
I think the next gen consoles will be released in late 2013. They won't want to give a Nintendo a big start and this will still give them ample time to make some serious money from the current gen consoles. In late 2013, the Xbox 360 will be 8 years old and the PS3 7 years and I think both will be supported until about 2015.
I think also that Nintendo have a fairly difficult job ahead of them to try to gain back the core gamers who were pretty much deserted with the Wii...
Regarding svoulis comments about Xbox 360 backward compatibility. To get full backward compatibility in the Xbox 360 would have required the inclusion of the Xbox chip in the Xbox 360. Similar to the inclusion of the emotion engine chip in the original 20 GB and 60 GB PS3 consoles that were soon discontinued due to the high cost of manufacture. The inclusion of the Xbox chip in the Xbox 360 would have driven up the price and possibly made it not competitive from a pricing viewpoint against it...