Xbox 360 Launch: Success or Mess?

[Paco]

Yes a console that completely failed in an entire region outsold the Gamecube. Keep thinking that.

I don't have to think, the numbers are there and don't leave much open for interpretation.

Okay let's look at PS1 and 2 as examples. *puts on glasses* woo look at all that Japanese support. Hey I wonder if that Japanese support and the fact that they had a few months of time in Japan before hitting the states had anything to do with their successes at launch?

You must not have kept up with the PS1 or PS2 launch. There were a number of games at launch but neither Playstation has launched with a so-called killer app. As usual, there were a number of games at launch, several in the months following (the dry period), and then several killer apps land about 12-18 months after the console has been out. Why, oh why, should Xbox 360 need to follow a different schedule in order to avoid doomsday? They'll be fine, better than fine, just watch.

Going by the same schedule that every console seems to follow, it seems reasonable to think that when the PS3 and Revolution launch then Xbox 360 will have it's second generation games and most likely a killer app or two, all while PS3 and Revolution go through their launch phase. Not to mention there will probably be a price drop and plenty of consoles to go around next holiday while the PS3 inevitably has a shortage and people overlook the Revolution because it's from Nintendo. Oh, and there will probably be a platinum priced game or two as well...probably more. I'd say they are in a great position. Again, these first few months just aren't that important in the long run.

I've never seen a console, in the past twenty years, hit the ground running with a steady stream of games or killer apps. It's a five+ year affair, and it usually isn't until the second or third year when a console really starts to hit its stride in terms of sales and games. You disagree? If not, then why do you insist that Xbox 360 needs a killer app right now? If so, explain, with examples, how Xbox 360 is already a lost cause or that it's long-term success is effected. I'm not arguing that it wouldn't help, because that would be stupid. Of course it would help, but I question how important a killer app really is this early in the game...especially when there aren't any other players in the game.

Please help me understand this post. Let's put aside the fact that Kameo's a teen rated game that your 9 and 5 year old family members want to play: Becase you assume my nephew thinks he's 18 you think he wont enjoy Kameo (which he has interest in) and then go on to say that a game targeted at children will have an audience on a system from a company that has never targeted children before, ever (including Kameo)?

Yeah, let's just forget that children also want to play Grand Theft Auto and Soul Calibur or Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter...all Teen and Mature rated games. What were you getting at?

You obviously haven't payed any attention to what J Allard or Robby Bach or anyone else at Microsoft have been saying, let me fill you in. Their first outting is when they targetted Sony's demographic. The 18-35 crowd, and they've been moderately successful. They realize, however, that there is a bigger crowd out there and one they could possibly reach given the right image and games. Why do you think they changed the color of the console to the off-white color? Why do you think they created two sku's? Why do you think they are completely behind Xbox Live Arcade? It's a multi-faceted approach to gain more gamers ranging all ages. They want to retain their hardcore crowd that bought the Xbox, that's why the harddrive is there. They want a more casual crowd, and the people who play games for a few minutes at a time, that's why Xbox Live Arcade is so important. They want to appeal to a younger demographic and that's why games like Kameo are important. You think a new Banjo game won't sell to the 7-17 crowd?

There are alot of potential buyers out there, Microsoft is trying to get their attention. Surely you, even though you're squarely focused on Nintendo, have noticed that the 360 image and treatment is entirely different than the original Xbox? If they were just going after the same 18-35 crowd, don't you think they would have kept it black, kept the harddrive, given Kameo more of an edge, etc? Think on that.

I apologize that was a bad choice of words on my part, the 'reviews' i'm talking about are from the younger crowds (12 to 15) who are more 'PDZ' oriented (more interested in shooters rather than simulators). I wasn't talking about actual game site reviews.

COD2 is a simulator? Last I checked it was a shooter...yes, I'm pretty sure what I played was a shooter.

Where are your reviews for the 18-35+ crowd?

Kameo sales data:

[url="http://news.teamxbox.com[/url]

Xbox 360's sold in November: 325,902
Kameo, units sold in November: 73,801

It sold to almost a third of the people who bought a 360 in November. How is that bad?

Considering that a game like Halo sold to less than 1/4th the installed user base of the Xbox, or that Grand Theft Auto sold to less than 1/5th of the PS2 base...yeah, think on that.

You are an insane dwarf, i'm not even trying to bash any company and yet here you are in defense mode arguing things that have nothing to do with the context of the discussion.

I see you're getting frustrated, resorting to petty name calling and (I must say) poor insults. You think I being defensive when all I'm doing is disagreeing with you. I see your arguements as largely bias (you yourself admit to being a Nintendo fanboy) and mostly nonsense. I was actually quite surprised you even came in this thread, seeing as how I started it, and I was quietly hoping that you would just stay out so the thread doesn't get ruined. You're almost as bad as OB1 in the sense that you don't give anyone else's word any value. You argue with everyone and stand steadfast even when a sensible arguement no more speculative or no less supported is presented. I'm not talking of myself but of every thread I've seen you in and with some of the other members.