I know a lot of gamers. Most have an Xbox 360. Some of us also have Wiis, some of us also have PS3s. But the one that is played primarily is the Xbox 360. Most of our conversations are about games played on the 360. Surveys have constantly shown that gamers game on their 360 more consistently than other consoles they may own. So, the Xbox 360 is definitely not dead.
Now if the argument is about market growth, than maybe you can consider the Xbox 360's market growth dead. The Xbox 360 has been out longer than the Wii and PS3. Most gamers that were going to buy a 360 have gotten one. Of course, there are a few people left who want to get a 360 and just haven't, but for hardcore gamers, the 360's market growth is mostly dead. The PS3 has more growth to come because of Blu-Ray, and the Wii has more market growth coming since the Wii is finally readily available at stores.
Apparently, another argument is that the 360 hasn't had any big exclusives this year, and the year's half over. Exclusives? Exclusives aren't what they used to be. There really aren't many real exclusives anymore. Game production costs are so high that most developers go for multi-platform release to try to maximize their potential profits. The 360 has more exclusives on the way later this year, but their "big" exclusives have already been released.
But games will continue to come out on the Xbox 360, and gamers will continue to play games on the Xbox 360. So the Xbox 360 is definitely not dead.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
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7 comments:
are there stats out there for which console sold more of a game, like for instance GTA IV. Did the Xbox 360 sell more units or did the PS3? How well will Bioshock sell on PS3? PS3 console sales don't determine anything because that number is inflated, as Andy mentioned, by the Blu-Ray aspect. We'll see how many PS3 owners actually buy Bioshock when it comes out though.
To say a system is dead is kind of stupid, even though I think the 360 is the worst console on the market. Everyone can have their own opinion, but if they aren't basing their choice on games then they are dumb. I don't like the 360 as much, because all of it's good games and the games they look to sell a lot of in the future (Gears 2 for example)are shooters, which I don't care as much for. That said, you make a very counterproductive point to your own argument. You say there are a bunch of studies that say people play their 360 the most. No shit, the 360 has been out for a year longer. I hear a lot of people say the 360 is better because of how many good games it has... yes, because it has been out for a year longer (again I don't care because I bet naming 3 just good, not even AAA 360 games that aren't shooters is almost impossible). Also, the 360 gets played the most because, at least in my opinion, the most "hardcore" gamers are the ones playing a 360, so they play more. Even if they own all 3 systems, most "hardcore" gamers like shooters more than any other genre, so the 360 is the best choice for them.
Also, it would make sense for GTA IV to sell more on the 360 for 2 reasons... 1. More people own 360s than PS3s. 2. The promised DLC.
That said, I think it did sell better on the 360 worldwide, but not in certain territories.
Anyway, since the fanboyism is running rampant on the page, I might as well put this out there... Nintendo is the only company doing it right, because - get this - they actually make money when they sell a system. Who would've thought you could make a business plan based off the idea that you lose money when you sell something. In all honesty, that could lead be the thing that leads to the end of the Playstation and Xbox brands eventually.
I think you're just restating what I said. That most "hardcore" gamers play their 360 more, even if they have multiple consoles.
I own a Wii. I rarely touch it. The games just never hold my interest very long.
I can understand having a PS3, and I'll consider getting one when inFamous comes out. But most of the games that are currently on the PS3 that I would play are also on the 360.
My argument is simply against all these people who are declaring the 360 dead.
"All these people"? Really is there that many? I probably don't go to as many sites as you do, but I have yet to see a 360 is dead article. I have seen many that say the system will probably fall behind the Wii in total sales next month and eventually fall to last place. But they all say that will take a long time, and is due in large part to the blu-ray benefit of owning a PS3. I get tired of hearing that people only buy a PS3 to watch blu-ray movies. Sure that plays a part, but it's a nice extra feature. That's exactly like saying the gamecube was better than the ps2 and original xbox, but they sold better because they could play dvds. It was actually even more in their favor than for the PS3, because everyone wants/needs to own a dvd player, but not everyone needs to make the switch to blu-ray. The 360 is not dead, but it may have reached the point where it's growth won't be as easy to see as it has been to this point.
My biggest thing is there aren't many great games anymore, so people should/will pick the console with the ones that interest them. If you like Halo, get a 360... if you like Metal Gear, get a PS3... if you like Mario or Zelda, get a Wii.
The PS3 has seen a huge jump in sales after Toshiba announced they were no longer supporting the HD-DVD format. I think that was the month they beat Xbox 360 sales.
In the end, what does it matter? If the 360 is in last place as far as units sold in different territories, does that mean the 360 will pack it up? No. Look at the Gamecube. It was destroyed by PS2 and also a new comer to the market, the Xbox. Now look at this generation, 3rd place made it to 1st place.
If anything, being in 3rd place for PS3 or Xbox 360 will hopefully mean that those companies will create a new strategy and better system for the next generation. That new strategy will hopefully involve the hardcore players, unlike Nintendo, who has made games for the people who could care less about gaming.
Again, last place doesn't mean Xbox will be gone next gen. It just means they will probably start pandering to more platforming games and Eric will be raving about how it's the best system, while I'll be talking about Halo 4 on the Nintendo system, which will have the best online system ever seen before.
I didn't say Microsoft should stop after the 360, just that they and Sony have broken business models. The Gamecube got killed last gen because it didn't appeal to as many people as the Xbox and PS2, but Nintendo still made money on each one sold. I also acknowledged that blu-ray support is helping Sony (and the PS3 outsold the 360 last month as well.) And if the next Xbox has a bunch of good platformers, and the system doesn't break all the time, then hell yes I'm going to buy it.
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