Yes, I know MSFT doesn't get all the profit for each game sold. I was making a point that they'll get their money back, and could likely get market share, by doing this. And besides, sometimes you make an investment to win market share. GTA was one of the main reasons that MSFT cites for losing last gen. They're putting a checkmark next to that box with this investment. Besides, $50m to MSFT is like $50 to most of us.
At $60 per game, you have to sell around 850,000 units to hit $50m. GTA III sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 million units on the PS2 alone.
So is $50m worth bonus content? You betcha. Because if GTA faithful decide they'll buy the 360 version instead of the PS3 version to get that content, and it influences only 10% of the buyers (850k/10m)... then they've made their money back. And won market share. And stuck a thumb in Sony's eye.
*** WOW, 4 people (s...
Remember the first Xbox? The only reason it sold anything was Halo. It was the only game for quite a while that was worth the price of the big black box.
Now we see PS3 in third place, lagging behind Xbox 360 and Wii in sales each month. So this is the killer app. This is the "Halo" for the PS3, intended to push boxes.
Sony obviously feels strongly enough about this game to pull off an event like this. I think it's great. I love my 360, but I'll be gett...
I was expecting to see something earth-shattering, but all we got was the same ole "wait til the games come out" rehash, with all the same games listed. This is how they're going to win back the market at Christmas, with R&C? And I saw Jak & Daxter quoted, but Naughty Dog is working on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. I get the feeling Sony doesn't even know what they're saying.
Hello? Wanna save your Christmas season? REDUCE... THE... PRICE!!!
I still have the first one I bought in just 2 months after launch. The disc drive occasionally makes a horrid noise, which it's done for quite some time, but other than that it still works great. Now I have friends who have received the red ring of death, but given the number of friends I have on my list, I'd say only 5% of them have had the failure.
Until PS3 reduces their price, they will remain in GBA-land. They don't have a software lineup for 07 that will FORCE people to spend $600 on a console. They have a decent lineup, but just about everyone I know who wants a PS3 -- including me -- is going to wait until the price is $400 before buying one.
The console makers need to stop being such hypocrites. First they tell us that the average age of gamers is getting older, then they won't allow games that are targeted at adults on their systems.
I realize they're trying to sell themselves as family-oriented entertainment, but who's being kidded here? Do we really think that Gears of War, God of War and RE4 are REALLY any worse than what Manhunt 2 can provide? It's all violence. In Gears you're actually using a chainsaw to c...
Provided the Wii doesn't catch the 360 before September 25th, they won't catch them this year. Halo 3 will simply be a system seller for MSFT. There's a lot of great games coming to all of the consoles, but Halo 3 is the one that will generate the most sales and catapult MSFT into a lead that will be sustained through 07/early 08.
Let's face it, Nintendo is working on borrowed time. I know there will be fanboys who disagree with me, but by going with a non-HD, gussied up, Wiimote-attached Gamecube, they are basically saying that they'll get 2-3 years of life out of this thing before they have to upgrade to an HD solution. The casual gamer might be all about the Wiimote now, but seriously, does the casual gamer want to play butt ugly games on their HD TVs? Of which just about everyone will need to have one by 2009.
10 year olds playing GTA, Halo and Gears. Great. Good parenting job. Have you read the little label on the bottom left hand side, says M... for Mature... 17 years old and up.
I disagree because 100m PS2 owners are not also going to get a PS3. Some of them can only afford one console and have already chosen either a 360 or a Wii. It's folly to assume that your sales from one generation will be equal in the next. You are assuming that brand loyalty is the same FOR 100 MILLION PEOPLE. It's not.
I agree that 19 months is a long time without a price drop. The big question for me is whether MSFT is going to reduce the price before or after Halo 3. It's gotta be a tough call for them. They know Halo 3 is going to sell units like crazy, regardless of the price, so keeping it at $400 is more profit. On the other hand, most consoles have a price drop within their first 18 months... and if a price drop would push more sales against the Wii, perhaps they need to jump sooner, and lose out on ...
That's all we ever hear about PS3. Just wait til Motorstorm comes out. Just wait til Lair comes out. Just wait for FFXIII and MGS4 (that'll be 08 now, that's a lot of waiting).
No one feels like waiting. They feel like playing. If you want to play, then pick up a 360. MSFT has the games. The Wii... well, the Wii is something else entirely. I play games for 2-3 hours a day; I can't be jumping and flailing around with a game that looks like it crawled out from under a Gamecube it...
This is where our lovely console makers are hypocrites. First they tell us that the average age of gamers is getting older, then when a game is made specifically for adults, they won't let it published on their system. Oh, thanks, I'll go back to playing the umpteenth iteration of Mario...
I suspect we'll see a few of these. A game scheduled for release in fall 2007 (and an FPS to boot) that will slide out of fall 2007 "on the Xbox 360" but remain exclusive to the PS3. Gee, I wonder why? I mean, are people really going to be playing Halo 3? Like from Sept 25th through the holidays?
DUH!!!
Release is on PS3 in the fall as a "Halo killer" then bring it out on the Xbox 360 in March 2008, when some of the Halo players want something...
So let me get this straight. In GTASA I could go around shooting anyone I wanted to, run them over with a car, beat them with a bat, etc, all for an M rating. But lordy, show a little skin and a little sex, and all of a sudden it's an Ao and no one wants to carry it.
Now here's Manhunt 2, a game that I'm not ever going to play anyway mind you, and IT IS BEING CENSORED. Does it deserve an Ao rating? Probably. But frankly, so did God of War, Gears of War, the first Manhunt, and ...
Have any of you considered that these types of things get posted because the web site owners are bored?
"Hey, we haven't seen a good flame war lately, let's find something -- no matter how obscure -- and throw it out there and watch all the fanboys flame each other!"
"Great idea! I didn't feel like writing my nineteenth article about my E3 predictions anyway."
All that being said, why does this debate even exist? Both consoles have thei...
Let's face it, folks, MSFT is charging $4 per month (roughly). Now if you're playing Gears of War, Halo 2 (and 3 soon), Rainbow Six Vegas, downloading demos, videos, game trailers, Live Arcade trials and full versions, and you're doing this on a fairly regular basis, then $4 is a VERY SMALL PRICE to pay each month for the quality (and quantity) that you're getting.
PSN is more than 1 year behind. MSFT had Xbox Live going in the last generation. Would I like it to be free? Sure....
I wouldn't go that far. Pachter is a respected analyst in the games industry. However, being an analyst means that he's paid to read the tea leaves. I would agree that on this occasion I don't agree with his analysis. That doesn't mean he's an idiot. Does everyone always agree with you? Do they call you names when they don't? Have some respect.
I love the Civ games. I even sent a request to Firaxis to have Civ IV ported to the 360. This is sweet!