xbox360

[Neo Neko]

Centralized online gaming (Xbox Live)? Something Sony is still refusing to provide.

That is fine. Now tell me why I need to pay Microsoft for it? What does it give me over just connecting over the internet to play for free? It's fine. But I have never needed centralised gaming before. As far as I am concerned it is a non-feature. A weak point even. If for whatever reason I can't connect to the centralised server I can't play on line period. Regardless of whether or not I can access anything else. Maybe I am missing something. It's fine. But it's not something I see myself wanting to pay for. Though I did hear blurbs about the basic service becomming free and only having to pay for whatever the gold version is.



The latest numbers I've seen put the slices right around 51% for PS2, 34% for Xbox, and 15% for Gamecube. These were published by Gartner right before the launch of the xbox360. I've also seen lower estimates putting Xbox and Gamecube both at 20%. Microsoft definitely has 2nd place in the North American console market.

As you said that is "only" North America. Which excludes the majority of the world. That is also going to be the market most biased in favor of Microsoft as it is their "home" market. So what MS has in just the North American market can't really be indicative can it? What are the odds that in Japan the home market of both sony and nintendo that the Xbox is in a solid 3rd? And would it matter in the larger scale if they were. Not at all. World wide which is the number I think should be the indicator. There Microsoft is tied with Nintendo! At least the most recent numbers I had seen. Which is really sad since they arguably did have superior hardware and resources. Things like Monopoly funding etc. But they still can't definatively beat out nintendo who is coasting on pure inertia as they leave the market and head off into irrelevance. Then there is the wide reports of crashing and literal burning due to faulty design. I know thay all have problems but MS seems to have more. Or perhaps that is an anti-MS media bias. I don't know. All I know is that I have never felt the need to worry about my playstation or gamecube's powersuply catching fire and filling my house with thick black toxic smoke. Or ever had the desire to make a string hammok to allow better air circulation so the powersupply doesn't catch fire. :p

In any event, when a modchip does eventually come out, it will be hard to turn down a 3-core PPC box in that small of a form factor for that small of a price.

That I can kinda agree with you on. I was not interested in the Xbox because even when it was new it was a more or less out dated stripped down PC. The 360 and the PS3 both though should rival even the top of the line PCs on the market for some time to come. So if I can run Linux etc on it. I might actually buy one. But it is doubtfull there will be any games I will want it for. :p

[int 21h]

Worldwide we're looking at what, maybe 2 million x-box 360s out there right now? And how many have we seen actual proof of some sort of combustion? Heck at one time it was estimated that somewhere upwards of 10% of North America's supply was sitting on Ebay...

I think the overheating thing is a little bit of hype, but I also think its a little too early to tell since the sample size is relatively small. Its funny, just the other night my wife came and bothered me because the PS2 would freeze and flash the power LED right at her. She didnt realize that placing the unit on the carpet was causing it to overheat.

[Neo Neko]

Worldwide we're looking at what, maybe 2 million x-box 360s out there right now?

Worldwide I was reffering to Xbox sales. Not 360. ;) Although it is this whole world wide thing that is causing much of the craze. As much as I hate it I see the wisdom in delayed releases of the past. PS2 was out in Japan for almost a year before it reached the US IIRC. Sure there were those that still imported it. And there was still shrot supply. But not as short as Microsoft curretly has. They did it on purpose though. It really has upped the hype. And given them a more diverse beta testing pool. :)

And how many have we seen actual proof of some sort of combustion? Heck at one time it was estimated that somewhere upwards of 10% of North America's supply was sitting on Ebay...

I have seen several reports of actual combustion of "Xbox" PSUs that started fires of one magnatude or another. As well as those that just smouldered a bit. Not 360 mind you. This was the original Xbox. But the 360 is still proving a bit hot tempered as well. :p

[CruNcher]

Sorry but i can't understand some of the peps here. You are buying this "GAME" Console because you wan't to have fun *high output of endorphins in your Brain* but some of the People here sound more like some kind of Zombies mutated by the Virus of Product Placement, Marketing and Social Depression or do you really belive that when a Game has superb Graphics that Game is automaticly a good Game *that will let those endorphins fly* if that should be the case i have to tell yeah thats a very wrong assumption, but the industry did a great work to make you belive this so im really impressed. Another point is that childish thing of selling those stuff higher priced on ebay man i allways have to lough about this and im sure the rich buying those overpriced stuff too because they have very powerful *endorphin discharges* in that situation it's their kind of game, they feel better in that Situation as other individuals not fooled and you helping them getting yourself more and more Social Depressed it's kinda funny how this works :) Gameplay enhancements today are almost dead and because Nintendo goes other ways it means they gonna lose in the end ? hmm im not so sure about that ;) go into google typ in "abandoned games" and have those *endorphin discharges* till you die :) Where Microsoft and Sony invest Researching into how to have the best Graphics Nintendo does into how Games effect our lifes and gameplay can higher those biological reactions in our Brain :) and haveing just some of those exclusive titles that do this will mutate into the same virus that brought some of you into this zombie state that i talked previously off (think about animes). But please try to forget that the industry never want's us to have those ultimate player that can do almost everything in terms of Media they don't they just wan't our money to keep this System *The Productcycle* *Evolution* going.

[stephanV]

The same can be said for HD-DVD/Blu-Ray. Right now we don't need movies at 1920x1080, we actually need movies that are worth while watching. :)

[Chainmax]

Finally it's hard to get excited about a system from a company who's last system while superior hardware wise to all their competitors; could not defeat the has been Nintendo definatively enough to hold second place. Not to mention all the crashing and burning litteraly of both the old and new systems. And the extream loss all the previous and current systems were sold at.

You are wrong. The Gamecube is the only one of the three last-gen systems that has been profitable from day one, it's still profitable after the bundle drop to $99. The PS2 only has been profitable for at most the last year, and the XBOX is still making Microsoft lose loads of money. I can provide linkage if you want.

The latest numbers I've seen put the slices right around 51% for PS2, 34% for Xbox, and 15% for Gamecube. These were published by Gartner right before the launch of the xbox360. I've also seen lower estimates putting Xbox and Gamecube both at 20%. Microsoft definitely has 2nd place in the North American console market.

I'm pretty sure you're wrong there. While PS2 is indeed in first place and a mile away, PS2 and GameCube are much closer. Again, I can provide linkage.

That is fine. Now tell me why I need to pay Microsoft for it? What does it give me over just connecting over the internet to play for free?

XBL does nothing that you can't do on a computer, I grant you that. Thing is, it integrates everything in an incredibly stylized, smooth-running and easy-to-use package that simply has no equal. You can see what your friends are playing, chat with them while they are playing a singleplayer or multiplayer game, you can download small games for cheap (giving small developers and amateur programmers a commercial outlet) and many more things with just powering up the console. And it's not like you don't have to pay for your PC's internet connection, so nothing you do on the internet in your PC is for free either.

[int 21h]

...
I'm pretty sure you're wrong there. While PS2 is indeed in first place and a mile away, PS2 and GameCube are much closer. Again, I can provide linkage.
...

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=alVpp_FPy3R0&refer=news_index

According to that article, an analyst at Piper Jaffray published on April 30th the following: PS2 - 56%, Xbox - 25%, Gamecube - 19%.

The latest estimate from Gartner is only mentioned now, the AP article has since been removed, Joystiq mentions it here: http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000133067806/


Here is a link from Major Nelson (1 year ago) and what he says is directly from the marketing department:
http://www.majornelson.com/blog/2004/12/some-cool-xbox-stats.html

If anyone out there pays for the AP archive, I'd imagine you can retrieve the original Gartner press release that way.

[Neo Neko]

You are wrong. The Gamecube is the only one of the three last-gen systems that has been profitable from day one, it's still profitable after the bundle drop to $99. The PS2 only has been profitable for at most the last year, and the XBOX is still making Microsoft lose loads of money. I can provide linkage if you want.

Link away if you like. But that is not exactly what I was reffering to. I was reffering to market/mind share and not profitability per unit sold. I was always quite sure Microsoft was dead last on the latter. And even though Nintendo may be pulling in actual money for selling Game Cube units. They are not putting out much in the way of exclusive must have titles anny more. Unless you are a poke-tard etc. Zelda is fine. And I would give anything for another classic mario adventure and not another Mario sports title. :( I even bought a GameCube myself. But I can honestly say that the old nitendo magic is gone.

XBL does nothing that you can't do on a computer, I grant you that. Thing is, it integrates everything in an incredibly stylized, smooth-running and easy-to-use package that simply has no equal. You can see what your friends are playing, chat with them while they are playing a singleplayer or multiplayer game, you can download small games for cheap (giving small developers and amateur programmers a commercial outlet) and many more things with just powering up the console. And it's not like you don't have to pay for your PC's internet connection, so nothing you do on the internet in your PC is for free either.

Integration. That's fine. That is Microsofts one strong point. And it again is also their weakest point. Integration also tends to make it's own gated community that keeps the rifraf out. Whether or not they are your friends who are not fortunate to own an Xbox. Can people that own coppies of unreal tournament or Quake III on Xbox play against people on the PC? Unless things have changed that is a negative. It's not the game creaters that are doing this. It is what they have to do to do business with Microsoft. They would much rather have all users of their game from any platform be able to play together.

I don't need a nice uniform interface. Most games tend to have the same basic netplay interface anyhow these days. Not that you could not use something like gamespy if you did. Nor do I need people pestering me to chat when I am playing. I purposefully turn off all IM etc cause I don't have time in the middle of a game much. But if someone thought this was such a good idea there is no reason that any game manufacturer could not include support for something like jabber in game for no charge what so ever. But it still just does not happen.