X-Box: $-1,000,000,000 a year

[A Black Falcon]

I guess we needed someone here who has to be an X360 fan... ... I guess...

From what I read the Xbox 360 is cheap to make, and they'll be selling it at a very minimal loss. Seeing as how Microsoft has full control over the entire production of the 360 they'll be able to make it cheaper, faster (unlike the raping they got on the Xbox). I think it was said they expect annual cost reductions (don't confuse that with annual price cuts, though that's not out of the question).

I'd say you're being optimistic there. Minimal loss? Sorry... they'll lose money. Oh, they're partially trying to cope by having that "core" system which has a corded controller and no harddrive, but they'll still lose a good bit. This isn't cheap stuff. Oh yes, and what does "full control over the production" mean? As far as I can tell, nothing...

Every third party is on in one way or another, plus alot of Japanese developers. They can't ignore the growing userbase for the Xbox in the states, especially since Japan's gaming market seems to be eroding. Seriously, did you expect games like Resident Evil 5, Tenchu, Armored Core 4, Ridge Racer 6, Mobile Suit Gundam, and two RPGs (Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon) from a well known RPG creator, and 5 games from Team Ninja to be announced for the Xbox 360 this early on? Not to meantion the unnamed Namco RPG. It reads like a Playstation lineup, imo.

Ah yes, the great support from Square... oh wait, it's a port of a PC and PS2 game? Right... Tecmo? They're already weirdly in love with X-Box so it's expected. As for the others, yes, MS is clearly making a better effort than before, and launching first will help, but between how dominant the PS2 is (really, the next console generation starts when PS3 launches, I think...) and how the Japanese don't really like foreign stuff, it won't make a big enough dent to truly damage Sony. Or Nintendo, for that matter, in the Japanese market.