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On Xbox's Progression, Positioning For The Future
Thanks to GameSpy for its article charting the progression of the Xbox from its launch to the present day, with the author's introduction suggesting: "For Microsoft, the video-game industry has been a whiplash rollercoaster ride with lucrative peaks, costly valleys, and a changing list of passengers going along for the ride." After charting a timeline for Xbox's history so far, he concludes: "Xbox has not lived up to all of the predictions, but Microsoft has more than made its point. After two years and two months on the market, the numbers speak for themselves." Has the Xbox been all you expected and wanted it to be?
I think it's somewhat premature to say that "the notion that Xbox will be the center point of the livingroom... has been tested and has failed." What failure has occured, is in the creation of an attractive software package for making the Xbox a centre point of the livingroom. It's as if little to no effort was made at all in this respect, yet the Xbox management imply that they tried as best as anyone could and failed at the task.
The Xbox had no PVR functionality, didn't include the DVD player as part of basic package, had no ability to transfer media files (or at least stream media), and has a lack luster though useable interface for media playback. Furthermore, what functionality they did provide in these regards, did not even match what was availible in similar devices at the time. Even as a simple DVD player, it was only adequate at best; lowend DVD players could be obtained at a similar cost of just the Xbox DVD package and offered a better experience.... It's no wonder Xbox didn't succeed as "the centre point of the livingroom."
It's one of the few times where Microsoft could not say they dominated the market. Mind you, because it's Microsoft, people tend to be a bit more critical about their accomplishments. This is partially attributed to their marketing hype at the initial launch of the X-Box. I think from this point forward, Microsoft really needs a series of "Killer Games" (in parallel to the Killer Apps). Consumers need to be convinced that in order to play THAT game, they HAVE to buy the X-Box (just like how Gran Turismo or Final Fantasy did to the Playstation). We'll just wait and see...
I believe the point is: who in 2000 or 2001 expected Microsoft to actually be in stiff competition with Nintendo for the number 2 spot?
Surely no sane analyst would have suggested Sony would lose #1 to either Nintendo or MS in this generation. And the strength and historical performance of Nintendo was counted on as being carved in stone. Most figured that the Xbox would fail spectacularly and go away. Very few thought it would do well enough that MS would make a second one.
That's the performance that's speaking for itself -- the fact that it's even arguable whether MS is in 2nd place or not. The fact that Microsoft stepped in and had a Playstation-like first-console performance (other than Sony, no-one has captured as much of the market with their first console). Sure, they aren't doing as well as their PR department says - but frankly, no-one does.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
I did the solder TSOP thingy on 2 of my xbox's, I got one cheap server for Mail and DNS as well as one very cool entertainment system which includes MP3, DVD (Multi Region) loads of cool emulators as well as some pretty good XBox games and online play (XLink Messenger).
A Highly spec'd PC (which im probably getting for Doom3) could do all this, but the XBox is way more social with interfaces that are good on TV. I also often stick the thing in a backpack and it round to a friends house for some great 2 lan gaming which would be a much bigger operation with PC's.
So yes, the XBox has far outweighed my expectations.
There were doubters about Nintendo's philosophy back in 2002, but I guess that's a +5 Insightful in retrospect.