XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

[luv_mist]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

Nice post Fossen. Within gaming, the average consumer is a compulsive shopper sometimes. If I see that XBOX 360 has the same stuff as Sony and it's cheaper, then heck, I'm going for it. Not to mention its headstart being a key factor too.

Whoops, thought it was included. If it is though, my point stands. Right Now, people think:

XBox: Hard Drive w/ ingame music ability, Best Graphics, Live, XBOX updates, patches for games, online chatting ability, ethernet connection only providing better and smoother online experience, more money PERIOD

PS2: More games, subpar graphics compared to competition, exclusives, Backwards compatibility, Sony name(which does matter to many people), addition of hard drive (not on same level as Microsofts), online through dialup and broadband

The PS3 seems able to wipe out the current XBox advantages, minus Live, which many people(relatively) don't use anyway, while keeping it's exclusives advantage(in terms of sales). See how the PS3 seems like it has the advantage, especially to the average consumer?

Clearly, the PS3 wipes nothing but its own butt due to their lie of the Emotion Engine which was suppose to be a strong competition with the computer. Honestly, both systems have their strong and weak spots. Sony doesn't have a name that more respected than Microsoft necessarily because Sony's shares seemed to been slipping honestly. I read an article speaking about their stocks slumping more than they expected. Means that their name isn't as golden as it use to be. My point is that the past is not the present though it can be the future. Just wait and see what they both bring to the table when they come out. So far, I'm still waiting (and hoping) that Sony would attempt a reasonably decent online experience. Live is clearly an important part of the gaming experience. If more people would try it, more would buy it. I know that when I get a steady job out of college, that's the first bill I'm paying....

[luv_mist]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

Very true. I was only speaking from what we know at this point.

I think Blu-ray, just like the inclusion of memory slots(compact flash, etc.), can be huge for Sony.

Many kids/gamers sold their parents/themselves on the fact that the PS2 was not only a gaming device, but a DVD player out of the box(although you had to use the controller, and it sucked). That justified the price, to some in a psychological sense.

If people get excited about Blu-ray, and Sony includes the ability to, say, view slide shows from a memory card you took out of your digital camera and put into the PS3, parents and gamers looking for a larger entertainment solution can be swayed by this.

Blu Ray is just a disc format. A format that isn't going to be accepted by the many homes that already have upgraded to DVD just yet. It will definitely take a little while. The price can't be justified if the product isn't reasonable. How many videos and things like that will be in Blu Ray disc format? Not many right now. I'm pretty sure that the prices will go up too for a little while. In the end, I'm sure Blu Ray will get its appeal but then, that's just an assumption right?

Secondly, I'm sure that there will still be DVD formats that are produced for many years already. And also, Microsoft has connectivity that would allow people to use their flash cards and other little things on the system too? I read an article where the PSP could even be used on the 360. Now that's hot. The two systems are equal.

[LIGHTNING]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

Whoops, thought it was included. If it is though, my point stands. Right Now, people think:

XBox: Hard Drive, Best Graphics, Live

PS2: More games, lesser but good graphics, exclusives, Backwards compatibility, Sony name(which does matter to many people)

The PS3 seems able to wipe out the current XBox advantages, minus Live, which many people(relatively) don't use anyway, while keeping it's exclusives advantage(in terms of sales). See how the PS3 seems like it has the advantage, especially to the average consumer?

I think that most people fail to realize that Sony is really not doing well at all financially. They will lose big time money on console hardware sales due to high costs unless they can price the PS3 high enough and they have very poor online gaming service compared to XBOX LIVE. I would not be surprised to see Sony go the way of Sega. This may sound absurd but keep in mind that the video game business is brutal and consumers are very fickle. One big risk for Sony is that the blue ray disks only have a 0.1 mm protective layer which means they will be very susceptible to scratches which could back fire on Sony. Casual consumers are very fickle and big momentum changes can happen real fast in the video game industry. If they start losing momuntum they could be in trouble. Sony is really not as strong as most people think they are.

IF XBOX LIVE grows as much as I think it will next generation, this will give a HUGE advantage to Microsoft. XBOX LIVE growth combined with much better developer support could enable Microsoft to get as much as 35% or more of the console video game market. The XBOX 360 will likely have a much more diverse selection of games compared to the XBOX.

[PSU]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

sony hasnt even shown any real footage yet!! xbox has.

[Tha_Kid]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

With all this talk of Blu-ray, lets not forget that in all likelihood MS is going to use HD-DVD...

[Victory]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

With all this talk of Blu-ray, lets not forget that in all likelihood MS is going to use HD-DVD...

I have not seen anything that makes me think that is likely. It is hard to imagine it fitting into the 360 timeline. PS3 may be one of the very first Blu-Ray devices on the market.

[Crucial Mike]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

I think that most people fail to realize that Sony is really not doing well at all financially. They will lose big time money on console hardware sales due to high costs unless they can price the PS3 high enough and they have very poor online gaming service compared to XBOX LIVE. I would not be surprised to see Sony go the way of Sega. This may sound absurd but keep in mind that the video game business is brutal and consumers are very fickle. One big risk for Sony is that the blue ray disks only have a 0.1 mm protective layer which means they will be very susceptible to scratches which could back fire on Sony. Casual consumers are very fickle and big momentum changes can happen real fast in the video game industry. If they start losing momuntum they could be in trouble. Sony is really not as strong as most people think they are.

IF XBOX LIVE grows as much as I think it will next generation, this will give a HUGE advantage to Microsoft. XBOX LIVE growth combined with much better developer support could enable Microsoft to get as much as 35% or more of the console video game market. The XBOX 360 will likely have a much more diverse selection of games compared to the XBOX.

In terms of North American competition, I believe you're right...Sony is definitely in for a fight.

However, in Japan, I just don't see the Xbox 360 becoming that successful. I've lived there for a while and know the minds of the gamer there quite well. Their preferences for Japanese developed goods are quite solid...Based on their 130 million devoted fans, I think that Sony can breathe a bit easier overall.

[Tha_Kid]

Re: XBOX 360: Initially UNDER-whelmed

I have not seen anything that makes me think that is likely. It is hard to imagine it fitting into the 360 timeline. PS3 may be one of the very first Blu-Ray devices on the market.

Finally, Ballmer called Sony's decision to put its PS3 games on Blu-ray discs a "high-risk, maybe negative-return strategy." He added, "It's not like won't have an HD-DVD option...we'll be agile."

Link