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J. Allard Predicts Disappointment at 360 Launch

Posted by Zonk on from the inevitable dept.

Eurogamer has an interview with J. Allard about the 360's imminent launch. Among other things, he admits that some people will be let down by the console supplies when it goes retail in Europe. From the article: "We decided we're going to take a little bit of heat on allocations, frankly, in all the territories rather than take a lot of heat in one or two territories. So, we're not saying Europe comes four months later, we're saying Europe comes now, but with that combining it with the physics properties of the silicon means we're going to have some disappointment in terms of what we can provide to retail and ultimately to the consumers this year, but that's okay, because we want to get the market started. We want to get started on a worldwide basis, we want to do the right thing for gamers, for our publishers and for consumers."

125 comments

  1. More dissapointment for publishers by CuriousForge · · Score: 1

    The fact that consumers won't be able to get their hands on this immediatly is secondary to reaction they will get from publishers with an innability to quickly ramp install base and help them get some ROI in Q4

    1. Re:More dissapointment for publishers by ivan256 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If we were talking about any other company but Microsoft you probably would have a point. Microsoft, however, seems to know the magic word that keeps developers coming back for more every time the folks up in Redmond decide to sick it to them. It's uncanny. If any other company treated third party developers the way Microsoft does (And I'm talking on all platforms here, Whatever version of Windows you can think of counts), they wouldn't have any developers left.

      It's funny, because the third party developers are the only thing keeping people on Windows. In the business world, people buy the platform their application runs on. Until recently (the last 12 years or so) that was SCO UNIX, VMS, DOS, OS/2, DG/UX, Digital UNIX, or HP/UX. End users didn't care which. They bought the one their application ran on. Now application vendors are under the false assumption that if they don't write for Windows, nobody will buy their product. At this rate, that may end up being true... even for Xbox.

    2. Re:More dissapointment for publishers by @madeus · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Microsoft, however, seems to know the magic word that keeps developers coming back for more every time the folks up in Redmond decide to sick it to them. It's uncanny. If any other company treated third party developers the way Microsoft does (And I'm talking on all platforms here, Whatever version of Windows you can think of counts), they wouldn't have any developers left.

      As much fun as most /.'ers have Microsoft-bashing at every available opportunity, that's just not true. As a games company there is nothing to suggest they treat their developers no worse than the competition, in fact probably a lot better than competitors Sony and Nintendo (who have both spectacularly shafted developers).

      Microsoft make significant effort in providing SDK's and development resources (knowledge bases, code samples, easy to use libraries) to developers, they are also pretty up front about their plans for the console - if you are sceptical compare them to Sony or Nintendo who are being at best very elusive about their consoles, and in Sony's case telling outright lies about it (just as they did with the PS2).

      It's true I find Apple's information a lot more useful (probably knowledge base aside, but it's the developer documentation I'm usually most interested in), but at the same time I find Sun's information a lot worse (it's wonderful if all you care about is re-writing all your existing applications in the latest version of Java - otherwise it's enough to make you want to never develop anything that runs on Solaris, on purpose, just to spite them). In this respect MS are not The Great Evil, they are doing a perfectly competent job.

      As much as I prefer Mac OS X (or even just any Unix system) for 'Serious Applications', there are a whole bunch of things (games development particularly) that are a lot easier to do on Windows than any other platform due to the libraries, SDK's and documentation provided by the vendor.

      In the business world, people buy the platform their application runs on.

      That's true for a comparatively small set of specialist software (on the server side, at utilities companies (power/telco/etc), and for things like financial traders) but not for the vast majority of systems, which are traditional (very dull) desktops.

      They run Windows because they always have, everybody else does, and MS Office (particularly Outlook) runs on it - and because it also runs a bunch of other applications they also use (be that Sage, Visio, Visual Studio, MS Project, or whatever floats their boat).

      It's a collection of reasons, and if one application on it's own stops being available, people will either stop using it and switch, or if it's really vital to their business, they will by a additional systems dedicated to running it only for those that really need it (and either give those people X11 software on their Windows system so they can access it, or just give them a second desktop).

      Now application vendors are under the false assumption that if they don't write for Windows, nobody will buy their product.

      That's essentially true though, because if they don't write for Windows most there customers will just switch to an alternate product, rather than switch OS on all their systems (because that would require switching all their other applications too, and IT staff with new skill sets and putting up with lost productivity and additional expenditure of switching to a new system).

      If their product is the only one in the market - or is regarded as best by a significant margin - they will have the option to survive for a time with a much smaller user base (though this is almost certainly just a long, protracted death as they won't be able to put enough resources into new development to stay competitive in the long run).

      That's the best case likely scenario though, if there is reasonable competition then they will simply die very quickly (probably within 5 years) as everyone jumps ship. It's a lot easier to switch a single application vendor than switch all your desktops, your server infrastructure, your IS/IT staff and all your other software.

    3. Re:More dissapointment for publishers by @madeus · · Score: 1

      .After years of console development on a large number of platforms I can say:

      You're an idiot.

      Please shutup in the future.

      How marvellously refuted. I'm convinced by your persuasive argument that my own years of experience of using Microsoft development tools (as much as I prefer Cocoa) has been some sort of bizarre dream.

      Yeah, Microsoft and there stupid XNA and directx is so much less easier to use than manually optimising for individual vendors unique hardware, even when (like Sony [1]) they dick you around over specs and access to the hardware.

      [1] Oh, I know we said it's was going to run 300 Mhz and that your units run at that speed, but you can only use 200 Mhz of that or we won't release it, and no you can't have a UMD burner, you'll just have to send it to us hope your game doesn't have horrible loading issues that you don't have enough time to resolve before release.

      I bet you hated the Dreamcast and it's stupid SDK's (including Win CE kits) too! Easy to develop platforms are for noobs huh?

    4. Re:More dissapointment for publishers by ivan256 · · Score: 1

      As a games company there is nothing to suggest they treat their developers no worse than the competition

      That may be true, but not making nearly enough consoles (which effectifely caps your developers sales) and seemingly being okay with that is pretty bad.

      What I was talking about regarding Microsoft and their developers had nothing do do with documentation or programability, or quality of the platform... It's that if you write a successful application, you're practically guaranteed to have Microsoft come out with their own version that works better because of access to special Microsoft only hooks in the OS. It's dangerous to write innovative software for windows if you like being in business and you're not already a huge company.

      That's true for a comparatively small set of specialist software (on the server side, at utilities companies (power/telco/etc), and for things like financial traders) but not for the vast majority of systems, which are traditional (very dull) desktops.

      Not only is this a recent occurance, but it's also probably wrong. If you add up all the machines that run banking, insurance, manufacturing, point-of-sale, automotive, or CRM software, you'd have the vast majority of business computers. These are all applications that have no good reason to run on Windows, because they're so specialized that customers would buy them regardless of what platform they run on. People make a big stink about needing Office, but most people just plain don't create documents. The only killer Office app for 90% of workers is Excel, and there are capable spreadsheets on practically every platform.

      That's essentially true though, because if they don't write for Windows most there customers will just switch to an alternate product, rather than switch OS on all their systems

      That's starting to be true now, but remember that it's only recently that Microsoft has a stranglehold on the business desktop. 10-12 years ago if you saw a Windows box in a business setting it was probably there to run a serial terminal emulation package to hook into the company's UNIX box. This is the developer magic I'm talking about. Microsoft got to where they are because they got all these app developers to port. It's not the other way around.

      It's only been 10 years since most of these applications ran on thin clients. The users didn't need access to anything but this one application and still don't. It was under protest that most end users moved away from the thin clients (dumb terminals mostly) to full PCs that cost more, and broke more easily. They had to switch though, because their app moved to windows.

      It's a lot easier to switch a single application vendor than switch all your desktops, your server infrastructure, your IS/IT staff and all your other software.

      No kidding, but it happened in the last decade. Everybody switched their desktops to Windows 9x+. The server side isn't finished yet. Microsoft is just finishing up getting into the server side in a serious way, but slowly they've managed to convince companies to throw away their infrastructure for Windows.

    5. Re:More dissapointment for publishers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Believe it or not, Nintendo is the only company that Doesn't lie about the performance they expect from their systems; they said the Gamecube would do 12-15 Million polygons per second and the Gamecube had games that produced 12-15 Million Polygons per second (Sony claimed 66 Million and delivered 9, Microsoft claimed 150 Million and delivered 15); in this generation Sony and Microsoft are claiming "Uber, Mega, Super Power" and Nintendo is claiming "4 times as powerful as the Gamecube", I expect that all systems will be similar in performance and be about "4 times as powerful as the Gamecube"

  2. What a weird interview! by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Allard was basically saying, the whole time, that the won't make nearly enough units and that there will be problems and that the first games will suck and that the press should not descend on them like vultures. Talk about anti-hype! But I think what's important for MS is that they have their marketing machine in gear before PS3 launches (surely with its own set of troubles), and I expect they will.

    1. Re:What a weird interview! by xerxesVII · · Score: 1

      Maybe he just realized that some of that Nintendo modesty is the flavor of PR that he wants to try this week. However, he realized that there's already been way too much trumpet-blowing to convincingly pull off that stunt. So now he's going to shift all the way back through neutral into reverse and talk about how the 360 will not be all that it could be.

      It could happen.

      --
      "We shall grapple with the ineffable, and see if we may not eff it after all." - Douglas Adams
  3. Well, I tried to RTFA by adamwright · · Score: 4, Insightful
    And got as far as...
    "We moved the Halo 2 date out to November, and people said 'oh, I expected it in April, this is a travesty, it's disastrous!' No, it's the best game that's ever been created, and we were glad that we waited and didn't rush it out"

    "It's the best game that's ever been created"? I'm sorry, but your credibility just dropped to 0. I've played it, and it's a good game, but I can name 10 games I certainly enjoyed more off the top of my head (Hmm, Zelda : OOT, Goldeneye, WoW, Ico, SM 64, KOTOR just to pick some at random). I doubt you'll find any actual game critics who would name it in their top 5, let alone their favorite ever game (we are *not* counting single platform "unbiased" magazines/fansites that only cover Xbox). Hell, the rather unreliable Gamerankings doesn't even have it in their top 10.

    The best PR requires at least a modicum of truth. Total out and out bullshit makes you look like an idiot Mr Allard, and I stopped reading your interview right there.
    1. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6456214/

      "If independent sales figures show that Microsoft topped or exceeded $125 million in sales, then "Halo 2" would definitely count among the top five best-selling games in history for first-day sales, said David Riley, senior manager with The NPD Group."

    2. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On top of that, it's very obvious that Halo2 WAS rushed out to make the holiday sales. Either that or Bungie wanted all of their normal maps to load after the geometry, creating pop-in even on the simplest objects in every scene?

    3. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by ajservo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Just 'cause it's a good selling game doesn't make it a good game.

      After playing "Enter the Matrix" for 2 weeks, I was ready to return it and IT made a ton of money as well.

      There's tons of good games that sold VERY poorly.

    4. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by Keeper · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Best" is a subjective comment. You can no more say that he is correct than he is incorrect in labeling a game as such, because your opinion is different than his.

    5. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by oGMo · · Score: 1
      Just 'cause it's a good selling game doesn't make it a good game.

      Especially if it's the only game your platform's got. ;-)

      --

      Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

    6. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by Saige · · Score: 1

      But were there a ton of people still playing Enter the Matrix a year later?

      There are still hundreds of thousands of people that play Halo 2 over live every week, and it's been nearly a year. While that doesn't make it the best game ever, it does suggest that it's definitely a really good game.

      --
      "You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."
    7. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by falcon5768 · · Score: 0
      no it just means its got a high replay value, which while a factor is not what would make a good game great.

      I dont play Final Fantasy VI anymore, but that is one of the best games I ever played, many people would considered the original Super Mario Brothers up there too.

      Milllions of people play WoW and thousands FFXI even after 4 years, still I wouldnt considered either of them better than say Sonic the Hedgehog, even though they have extreamly high replay value. Heck people still play Quake, and im not talking about arena im talking about the original nail gun quake.

      Honestly HaloII was Halo I to me, both FPS that have been overdone.

      --

      "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

    8. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "best" is a subjective term. Who says he's not telling the truth? If I said that Marathon is the best FPS game ever, would I be telling the truth? Even if you like Goldeneye better?

      I think you need to work on your reading comprehension skills. He didn't say anything "incorrect" or "untruthful."

      --
      Comment of the year
    9. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by triso · · Score: 1
      ...but with that combining it with the physics properties of the silicon means we're going to have some disappointment in terms of what we can provide to retail...
      Can someone translate this gibberish for me? Is he trying to say there will be a shortage of units or is he trying to say that the computing power will not be as impressive as the hype promises?
    10. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by bigman2003 · · Score: 1

      Do you really think that Goldeneye is a better game?

      So, if a publisher came out with Goldeneye tomorrow, you would go buy it? Or, would you think, "Oh my god, that looks like crap, and it plays like crap!" Personally, the first thing I would say is, "What? No on-line multi-player?"

      He didn't say, "The best game at the time of it's release."

      Really...go play Goldeneye. Don't sit there and remember how much fun it WAS, judge it for what it IS.

      --
      No reason to lie.
    11. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by Slothy · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think it's safe to say that there is a big group of people out there who would say that Halo 2 is the best game ever. Just like you have your own game that you think is the best.

      J Allard is welcome to his own opinion on what the best is, and you are welcome to yours. He is not "wrong", any more than I am "wrong" in thinking the color blue is great!

    12. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by gl4ss · · Score: 2, Insightful

      halo2 wasnt even best game at it's release... which surely is what the ms rep was saying anyways - that it was the best game ever at release.

      it doesn't have the best plot.. it doesn't have the best action.. it doesn't have the best multiplayer(no network coop either)..

      worth the wait? nothing is 'worth' the wait - not with games anyways, with release dates slipping and so forth the better question is: is it worth the money at the time of release? I don't think halo 2 is worth buying, lot's of pc fps's are better in just about every department(farcry for example, even with it's god awful annoying mutants).

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    13. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by Trepalium · · Score: 1

      Add the three magic words "for the X-box" to the end of the statement he made, and it's probably true. In that context, Halo 2 was the greatest game ever since the original Halo.

      --
      I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.
    14. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by KDR_11k · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Except he's a marketing guy and would call Halo 2 the best game ever even if he hated every minute of it.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    15. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by unclethursday · · Score: 1
      There are still hundreds of thousands of people that play Halo 2 over live every week, and it's been nearly a year. While that doesn't make it the best game ever, it does suggest that it's definitely a really good game.

      Or, that the rest of what's on Xbox Live doesn't have the mass draw appeal of Halo 2, nor the already tried and true strategies and other such that people have built up over the past 10 months.

      This seems to be more of the case. Other games come out, they get a little XBL hype... then people go back to what they know and can pwn at: Halo 2.

      Halo 2 is a very simple FPS to get into. This is good. It has a slow pace to it. This is not good to me. It had exploits that people used ALL THE TIME, many of which Bungie knew about a year before release (hey, some of these walls aren't solid!), and it took them until 8 freaking months after release to fix them (and maybe brought about new exploits, who knows... I haven't played it since, oh, around February). This is BAD. They had to release a quick patch to fix a 480p HUD problem and unlock the hidden map because they made the way to unlock it so screwed up that people would rather break the game than do it. This is good that they released that patch early... but bad that they let that ship.

      Halo 2 is certainly not the best single player, nor multiplayer game on the Xbox. It is just the one that has so many idiotic people behind it 24/7, that it remains the most popular game on the Xbox and XBL.

    16. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by fbjon · · Score: 1
      For the X-box? Aha, so this is like the new "...in Japan!" thing?

      Let's try:

      DNF will be out in 2009 ... for the X-box!
      Daikatana was the greatest game ever ... for the X-box!

      Yeah, I think it kind of works... Mum, I found a new meme!

      --
      True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
    17. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by IpalindromeI · · Score: 0

      Please. Everyone knows that green is the best color ever created.

      --

      --
      Promoting critical thinking since 1994.
    18. Re:Well, I tried to RTFA by eqkivaro · · Score: 1

      I stopped at the same point in the article. Best game ever? I didn't think it was as good as the original Halo. It certainly wasn't the best value. The game took me 5 hours to complete, which translates to $12/hr for the experience (not considering the fact that i sold the game for $40 on ebay :))

  4. Nice Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You go with "J. Allard Predicts Disappointment at 360 Launch" instead of something closer to what the article contends such as "J. Allard Predicts Supply Disappointment at 360 Launch". News, this is not...

    1. Re:Nice Headline by vcv · · Score: 3, Funny

      You must be new here

    2. Re:Nice Headline by zojakownith · · Score: 0

      I heard a rumor that slashdot was bias against microsoft.

      --
      I have bad karma....

      Open source is heavenly, Microsoft is the devil, SCO is going to hell

  5. I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 launc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Even though I have given up attempting to understand the purchasing habits of 'Normal' people, I honestly suspect that Microsoft is putting themselves into a horrible position with the Xbox 360. Microsoft is releasing their system too early (the XBox only launched 4 years ago), they system (and accessories) cost way too much, and the first generation of games (even by Microsoft's own admission) are not of next generation quality.

    Even though it is by no means a scientific measure, I have talked to many XBox owners and it doesn't sound too peachy for Microsoft; most of them say that they think the 360 is cool but they have no plans to purchase one. The most common comment I have heard from XBox owners is that the XBox already produces 'good enough' graphics and it isn't worth $500 to upgrade their system.

  6. Yeah Right. by voxel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wouldn't doubt they do this on purpose. There is probably some historical, mathematical or even emotional reasoning to limiting the distribution on launch.

    Lower supply, increase demand. Those who said "I'll wait a month or two to buy an XBox360", are now thinking, "Oh man, if I don't buy it NOW, I may not get it for a long time, I better get in line today for one".

    They could even be completely lying, say supply is "Low", but don't provide any real numbers as to what "Low" means, and then get people lining up and "Low" could mean "Have enough for everyone", now they have a much nicer launch, plus they can say "Sold out!" which drives people even more to want one.

    Tell someone they can't have it, or may not be able to get it, and all the sudden their wallet is open. Say we have over-stock on XBox360's, and people take their time getting to the store for one.

    --
    Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes
    1. Re:Yeah Right. by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      It does occur to me that this will not be the first console where supply is unable to meet demand. And it certainly makes it sound more popular when people are extremely desperate to get hold of one.

    2. Re:Yeah Right. by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      "I wouldn't doubt they do this on purpose. There is probably some historical, mathematical or even emotional reasoning to limiting the distribution on launch."

      You're mostly right, this is a strategy that has worked wonders for many, many companies in the past. Usually this happens when there is no direct competition for the product -- whether because of innovation, branding, or product timing. Whether it's Cabbage Patch Dolls, Collectible Card Games, or gaming consoles, artificially induced scarcity works well for the bottom line when there is no competition.

      Where you are a bit off is that lowered supply does not increase demand. Instead, it increases the price at which the units can sell -- those that REALLY want it will pay the early adopter premium. Later, when more inventory is rolled out, the prices drop to a level where most of the market is comfortable buying the product.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    3. Re:Yeah Right. by voxel · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I believe it does increase immediete demand. Those who were going to wait to buy one will buy one NOW. All the extra hype generated because "So many other people want this thing, they don't have enough supply" causes those who were on the fence about getting one may jump on the bandwagon and say I want one now too. Couple that with the "You can't have one!", ever so simple reverse psychology and the wallet, or purse opens.

      I don't know how many people this accounts for, but I'm sure its some significant percentage (1% to 3% of purchases).

      I know one thing for sure, I've fallen for it in the past.. tell me I probably can't get something, all the sudden I am out looking for it even though I may not of really wanted it.

      --
      Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes
    4. Re:Yeah Right. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where you are a bit off is that lowered supply does not increase demand.

      That sounds great and all, but you're forgetting that this isn't pure economics. This is the real world with real people buying real products based on real emotional responses to real marketing. It's all about manipulation of the customer/consumer, and it has very little to do with economics, especially "pure" economics.

      Lowered supply doesn't increase demand based on rational thought, but it does increase demand based on "I want one and if I don't get it now someone else will get it first and I won't be the first one on the block to have one and I'll have to catch up to the Joneses later oh no my world will end." This is something pure economics has always left out. This is the main reason pure economic theory is never adequate for describing any market anywhere. It leaves out the very element the market is based on - people. It's especially inadequate for video game systems, where the early-adopter mentality permeates the entire market.

    5. Re:Yeah Right. by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      Check wikipedia for some microeconomics info. A lot of what is really affecting your increased demand is not low supply; it is marketing.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    6. Re:Yeah Right. by voxel · · Score: 1

      Exactly my point. Saying there is "low supply" IS the marketing.

      --
      Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes
  7. Re:wait for it ..... weeee haaave MARKETING SPEAK! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    meaning you can make only so many chips (out of silicon) in a set ammount of time. there will not be an unlimited number of consoles ready by release date.

  8. Well... by vertinox · · Score: 1, Interesting

    The games look good. Really good... But... To me it feels like the original Xbox all over again. Not to say the original Xbox was fun, but I didn't run out to buy it til it was $149. I feel the same about the new Xbox360 because even though I really want to play the "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" (it just look so damn awesome visually) I don't think it's currently worth the money to be the first to buy it before the holiday.

    Maybe quarter2 will be good time to buy and I think many people feel the same way with the wait and see attitude. I don't think this means failure of the xbox, but i think many people are either waiting for a price drop in the console or what Sondy and Nintendo show us first and then make a decision on which console to get.

    --
    "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
    -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    1. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      After seeing the PD0 stuff, and how Microsoft(along with countless other companies) are rushing to get games out for easy first next-gen game cash, I agree.

      Plus I have to question how well they run, you know something is up when the DOA creator is claming and bragging about being able to do 40 FPS when the others are only managing 30 FPS.

      Oh well, I don't buy consoles on launch and usually wait a few years. It seems that last gen most first batch systems had some sort of defects, which seem to take 3-5 revisions before the main problems are fixed. Someone I know gave me their Xbox and got a new one because of random, yet too frequent disk read errors(they installed no mod chips, no funky mis-use stuff; sometimes it works, some times it cries "this isn't an Xbox disk, please blah blah whaaa whaaa etc").

    2. Re:Well... by ivan256 · · Score: 1, Interesting

      even though I really want to play the "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion"

      You know it's shipping simultainlously for the PC, and that it has what could arguably be called it's most important feature (The construction kit and the ability to load third party modules created with the kit) on the PC exclusively, right?

      Of course if it's like TES3, the other important feature that will be PC only is the ability to patch.

    3. Re:Well... by fortunate_monk · · Score: 0

      "To me it feels like the original Xbox all over again." And remember the drive problems the Xbox had in its first two incarnations. I was all hot to buy a 360 until a friend of mine reminded me of this. Instead I think I will wait a bit and see what the overall experience seems to be like for those who bought the first run. With Microsoft's record of pushing out products before they are truly complete I say it will be wise to wait. Elder Scrolls IV will be just as much fun in six months. Until then there is always Tuxcart.

    4. Re:Well... by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 1
      Good plan. I didn't wait as long as you did, (I got mine at 199), but a good rule of thumb with buying video game systems is to wait until they drop in price and have a decent library of games. I made the mistake of buying my Gamecube almost at launch (I was a Nintendo fanboy once, though my posting history certainly doesn't reflect that). It's now collecting dust, since the library just didn't pan out like I had expected it to.

      Moral of the story? Wait.

      --
      I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
    5. Re:Well... by metamatic · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it'll be like the original Xbox. If you want to buy one the week it's released you might have trouble--but if you wait a month or two, the stores will have boxes of unwanted Xboxes piled high, and will be offering all kinds of bundles and deals.

      --
      GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
    6. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I waited, I would've missed out on countless Halo LAN parties. Of course, I don't see any Halo-equivalents for the 360 any time soon but you get my point.

    7. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The drives will most likely swap out for when the HD-DVD (or possible BluRay if HD-DVD gets pummeled before MS releases it) drives are released for the 360...

    8. Re:Well... by cthulhubob · · Score: 1

      So why don't you get it for PC for $50 or so instead of getting it for Xbox360 at a total cost of $450 for a version with fewer features?

      The choice seems pretty clear to me.

      --

      In post-9/11 America, the CIA interrogates YOU!
  9. Interview w/out the fat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've taken the liberty of shortening his answers considerably.

    Eurogamer: What was the hardest part of getting to where you are now? The hardware or the software?
    J Allard: Both.

    Eurogamer: How many units do you think there will be available for launch?
    J Allard: No comment.

    Eurogamer: Has the launch proved harder than you expected?
    J Allard: No.

    Eurogamer: Are you worried that this is going to overshadow your message because the media's going to talk about lack of stock?
    J Allard: I hope not.

    Eurogamer: Can you be specific on the launch line-up, because it's still kind of ambiguous what games you're going to launch with the console.
    J Allard: The ones that are done!

    Eurogamer: Can I press you on that? Can you say with conviction which ones?
    J Allard: No.

    Eurogamer: What are you hoping for?
    J Allard: All three of the first party titles to be there on day one.

    Eurogamer: Are you saying these three key titles might not be ready for launch?
    J Allard: Yes.

    Eurogamer: Does that keep you up at night, the fact that you know you can't guarantee these three key titles from you, and other key titles from other publishers might not be there for launch?
    J Allard: No.
    Eurogamer: Would you risk putting a game out that was almost finished?
    J Allard: It's up to the publishers, you know, it's happened before.

    Eurogamer: Do you feel X05 was a success?
    J Allard: Yes.

    Eurogamer: Can you tell us a little more about Xbox Live Arcade?
    J Allard: We're going to have 15-20 games this holiday.

    Eurogamer: Can you list any of those?
    J Allard: No.

    Eurogamer: It'd be nice to see some retro titles on other systems, available on Live Arcade maybe?
    J Allard: Maybe.

    Eurogamer: What about the Xbox Live Market Place stuff? It's intriguing...
    J Allard: It is intriguing.

    Eurogamer: Is this very much a publisher lead thing, or is Microsoft Games Studios going to be doing experimental stuff as well?
    J Allard: Both.

    1. Re:Interview w/out the fat by Strell · · Score: 1

      Eurogamer: Can you be specific on the launch line-up, because it's still kind of ambiguous what games you're going to launch with the console.
      J Allard: The ones that are done!

      ROFLMAO

      --
      I'm not scared of anonymous cowards.
    2. Re:Interview w/out the fat by PhoenixOne · · Score: 1

      Thank you for saving me all that time. Can I hire you for the next "Dog and Pony" show I have to go to?

      --
      Spell cheek you've failed me four the last thyme!
    3. Re:Interview w/out the fat by wormbin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      When reporters interview politicians or market droids who give answers without content, it would be great if the reporter would follow the interview with a summary similar to what the parent did. A few embarassing summaries might prod the interviewees to give more substantive answers. Better yet, they may cancel the interview. Who wants to read an interview that has no content?

  10. I predicted this by yagu · · Score: 1

    I posted on this a while back, and predicted a shortage, especially in the upcoming holiday season. I thought, and still think, this could be somewhat artificial so Microsoft can roll it out under way-too-high prices under the auspices of "rare" goods (anyone remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls?).

    So, they create an artificial shortage, whip up crazed demand, sell way over price through the holiday season with the additional wallop of great sales afterwards from all of the parents who weren't able to get the box for their kids, but promised they'd get it for them as soon as they became available. Good marketing... turns my stomach a bit.

    1. Re:I predicted this by Rod+Beauvex · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Yet when Sony does this same trick, the unwashed masses beleive there really is a shortage and falls for it.

    2. Re:I predicted this by cornface · · Score: 1

      I posted on this a while back, and predicted a shortage, especially in the upcoming holiday season. I thought, and still think, this could be somewhat artificial so Microsoft can roll it out under way-too-high prices under the auspices of "rare" goods (anyone remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls?).

      If the unwashed slashbot wisdom is true and the consoles are sold as loss leaders to drive game sales, where the actual profits are, what possible reason would there be to artificially restrict the number of consoles sold? Your Cabbage Patch analogy would only hold if Coleco was selling the dolls at a significant loss and counting on the sales of tiny pants to pull them into profits...in which case it would be just as silly as thinking MS is going to artificially restrict their one chance at toppling Sony to squeeze a scant few extra spacebucks out of Joe Consumer.

      They have six months to a year (depending on region) to build a market before Sony comes beating down the door. If there are grubby hands desiring a 360, you can be assured Microsoft will be doing their best to fill them.

    3. Re:I predicted this by Hexxon · · Score: 0

      Sony tried the same thing with the PSP and obviously it didn't work.

    4. Re:I predicted this by ivan256 · · Score: 1

      If the unwashed slashbot wisdom is true and the consoles are sold as loss leaders to drive game sales [...]

      That's a big if. We know they sold the Xbox at a loss, but it would be a stretch to say it was a "loss leader," since they didn't have a chance in hell at making up the loss through games and accessory sales. The pile of cash they burned is mind-boggling. You've got to assume, though, that they're in this to make money in the long run. If the Xbox losses were tolerable to get them into the console market, then presumably they've got to turn a profit this time. That means they can't possibly be allowing a 360 out the door for less than the manufacturing cost minus the profits from the sale of two games. If the parent to your comment is right, maybe they're selling the unit at a profit for now, and won't undercut until the PS3 comes out.

      You can build a damned lot of machine for $400 in quantities of 1 million+, especially when it doesn't have to be upgradeable.

      As for the conventional wisdom, I'd bet you couldn't find proof that any recent consoles sold at an initial loss, other than the Saturn, the Dreamcast and the Xbox.

    5. Re:I predicted this by BenjyD · · Score: 1

      It's better to give the impression of rarity, driving pre-orders and making the console seem more special and desirable. Then make a few statements about last-minute rushed production or something and actually deliver lots of Xboxes. Every console seems to do it - "only a few PSPs in stock" seem to appear all over the place here in the UK.

    6. Re:I predicted this by llevity · · Score: 1

      Not to steal thunder from your "prediction", but you don't exactly have to be a prophet to predict a new major console is going to suffer from shortages, especially when it's coming out near the holiday season.

  11. Re:wait for it ..... weeee haaave MARKETING SPEAK! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what you said is english - his bullshit isn't. He could have said, the challenges of putting out enough physical products, and getting enough chips from our vendors. He didn't instead trucating the blather by using the cute term that means something on the microsoft campus - but dick-all elsewhere.

  12. Odd word choice... by yammosk · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We want to get started on a worldwide basis, we want to do the right thing for gamers, for our publishers and for consumers.

    Anyone else find it odd that Mr. Allard separates the two and thus implies that they are not the same thing? Not a sermon, just a thought.

    1. Re:Odd word choice... by rtaylor · · Score: 1

      Perhaps he was thinking that gamers are the kids and consumers are their parents?

      It doesn't fit with the people I know who have purchased the console, but oh well.

      --
      Rod Taylor
    2. Re:Odd word choice... by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Maybe "gamer" is the person who plays the game, and "consumer" is the person who buys the game... not always the same person. If my grandma bought me Halo 2 as a christmas gift, she would be a Microsoft consumer even if she never plays the game.

      --
      Comment of the year
    3. Re:Odd word choice... by Mr_44 · · Score: 1

      He could be making a distinction between "hardcore" gamers and "casual" gamers. (God, I hate that terminology... it's just so corny!)

      Or maybe he's just being redundant and not really paying attention to what he's saying.

  13. Silicon in short supply by cgenman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Power PC chips? In short supply?

    I'm glad to see Microsoft continues to follow in Apple's footsteps.

    --
    The ______ Agenda
  14. Worldwide release? by ActionGaz · · Score: 1

    Nice for some more confirmation that Australia and New Zealand are at the arse end of the world. We get to wait until "early 2006". Clearly that's not going to be January or they'd just release it in December, so I'm betting we're going to have to wait at least four months after the US as usual.

    1. Re:Worldwide release? by cornface · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Nice for some more confirmation that Australia and New Zealand are at the arse end of the world. We get to wait until "early 2006". Clearly that's not going to be January or they'd just release it in December, so I'm betting we're going to have to wait at least four months after the US as usual.

      The day that sheep and kangaroos start playing video games is the day that anyone in the video game industry starts caring.

    2. Re:Worldwide release? by Yakman · · Score: 1

      Maybe that will mean some of the delayed games are at least out by then :) If I get one, I'll wait for the initial scrambling to blow over and get one once the prices start dropping - probably by mid-2006.

  15. So if you want it this year... by mildness · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...lube up to get bundle-fucked.

    Thanks MS. Yet again.

    Bill

    --
    bamph
    1. Re:So if you want it this year... by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 1
      And how is this unique to Microsoft when the PSP did the same damn thing?

      Man, you guys are really desporate. How's that "Xbox is a failure" rhetoric you guys repeat to yourself every night working out?

      --
      I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
    2. Re:So if you want it this year... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except the PSP didn't sell out at launch ...

    3. Re:So if you want it this year... by mildness · · Score: 0
      I didn't have to buy a bundle when I picked up my PSP the first day. And, I will be buying both an Xbox and a PS3 and selling the one that collects dust. So, AlexMax, you are the one coming off as a desporate fan boy.

      Good luck with that,

      Bill

      --
      bamph
    4. Re:So if you want it this year... by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 1

      No, it's just the post of a frustrated slashdotter of someone who is sick of stupid fucking Microsoft bashing at every turn. Don't get me wrong, they're not infalable, but seeing the entierty of slashdot shit all over every single Xbox-related news release since day 1 with strawman logic and stupid rhetoric is grating on my nerves.

      --
      I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
    5. Re:So if you want it this year... by eboot · · Score: 1

      Yeah I guess but I mean the 360 is blatently going to suck balls isn't?

      --
      Two tears in a bucket. Motherfuck it.
    6. Re:So if you want it this year... by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 1

      I'm reserving judgement until games that I actually care about come out. Project Gotham 3 looks hot, as does Perferct Dark Zero, but it doesn't warrant a $400 investment at launch, especially when the PC front is looking so awesome in the near future.

      --
      I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
  16. Not surprised by shoptroll · · Score: 1

    Isn't this true for every M$ product? Look at what happened to Longhorn... Instead of something new, we get a neutered package. M$ hypes and promises like mad up till it's time to push something out the door, and then everything starts to come unglued.

    --
    Insert Sig Here
  17. Ehh... misleading title by billybob · · Score: 1

    Just from the title, it sounds like he's saying the system is going to suck. No, not so.... the only disapointment that's going to come of it is the lack of quantity early on. But I thought that's what all these expensive ass "bundles" were supposed to be about, so that only people who really really wanted one would be able to afford it. Frankly it pisses me off because you know the people selling them are set to make a ton of money. And I can already imagine how much they're going to go for on eBay.

    I really want a 360 but I'm not willing to pay $800 for one... who knows how long I will have to wait. Oh well..

    --
    Joseph?
    1. Re:Ehh... misleading title by ivan256 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      From the interview, it sounded to me like the disappointment was going to be the lack of games when it comes out. The disappointment in quantites is probably going to be on his end when he sees the initial sales figures.

      I know dozens of gamers (including myself), and lots of Xbox owners. I know *one* person planning to buy a 360 on release day. Everybody else is either waiting for some good games to come out, or expecting a price drop when the PS3 comes out, and is planning to wait until then.

      If you really want one that badly, I expect you won't have too much trouble walking into a Wal-Mart on the 22nd and picking one up.

    2. Re:Ehh... misleading title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      are you willing to pay $40 at freeprizenet.com?

  18. We want your money by gullevek · · Score: 0, Troll

    we don't care what you think of our product. It will suck, yes. We lied to you in what we can provied, we lied, but who gives a shit about it. We make it look so cool, that you will give us your money. And then, we launch the second extended version, and we will get your money again. Ain't that cool.
    Damn, no toilet paper, I'll just use this 100$ bills here ... flush them, I get 100 more from you tomorrow.

    --
    "Freiheit ist immer auch die Freiheit des Andersdenkenden" - Rosa Luxemburg, 1871 - 1919
  19. J. Allard Predicts Supply Disappointment at 360 La by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    The slashdot headline has a finite amount of space.

    It's the same as the comment subject limit.

    Observe what happened when I tried your suggestion.

  20. At least Europe... by trawg · · Score: 1

    ...has a release date! Australia is still being told "early 2006".

    1. Re:At least Europe... by psergiu · · Score: 1

      Those Aussies are so lucky. The original Xbox has not yet been launched in Romania (Eastern Europe). When i asked half year ago a microsoft Romania sales rep about the availability of the Xbox he told me that even at the HQ they didn't received one. The playstations otoh had only a month delay. So everyone here bought PS2s.

      --
      1% APY, No fees, Online Bank https://captl1.co/2uIErYq Don't let your $$$ sit in a no-interest acct.
  21. Re:wait for it ..... weeee haaave MARKETING SPEAK! by fwitness · · Score: 2, Funny

    Call it misspoken. If he had said, "the phyical properties of silicon" then he would have been correct. He's even smarter than I. I knew that lead (Pb), for example, has the physical property of being a solid at room temperature. Unbeknownst to me, silicon (Si) apparently has the physical property of resisting MS game console production.

    Thank god fanboys (Fb) have an electrochemical weakness which causes them to be attracted to all things new and shiny.

    --
    -- I have fans? Wow.
  22. Re:I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 la by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    Technically xbox 360 is the first ever "rushed" console. M$ can rush windows OS out the door and get some hotfixes later. But I am curious to see how this console holds up assuming people really don't want to do console firmware upgrades.

  23. MOD PARENT UP by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 1

    Thank you for bringing a shred of sanity to Slashdot.

    --
    I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
  24. M$ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    true for every M$ product? Look

    Stop

  25. For some odd reason.... by Bega · · Score: 1

    ...that quote reminds me somehow remotely of something else...

    --

    THIS IS THE INTERNET. PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SERIOUS BUSINESS SUIT AT THE FRONT COUNTER.
  26. Re:I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 la by KDR_11k · · Score: 2

    I would call the Nintendo DS rushed as well. The firmware is far from perfect (switching off the system after changing conigurations?!? not able to remap the buttons in GBA emulation?) and outside Japan the launch lineup was awful with an N64 port as the flagship title (not a problem for me since I had no N64 but a problem for the rest). Some Sega consoles were rushed, too, I think.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  27. Re:wait for it ..... weeee haaave MARKETING SPEAK! by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

    Marketing should always be read in Advocatus Diaboli mode. Perhaps he's saying ithe 60 will exhibit an unusually large failure rate.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  28. Didn't compute for me either by Lonewolf666 · · Score: 1

    After all, the chips are supposed to be developed by now, and I don't expect them to change much over the lifetime of the console. Except maybe for some bugfixes that come with a firmware update.
    Thus, claiming that the "physics properties of the silicon" will lead to initial disappointment is not very credible.

    --
    C - the footgun of programming languages
    1. Re:Didn't compute for me either by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would disagree. I would expect at least one die shrink if not two during the 4-5 year product life span. I don't have much use for marketing speak in general, and less for MS marketing giberish in particular, but the "physical properties" blather from Mr. Allard just sounds to me like a non-chip guy trying to talk chip-speak. They're trying to ship 2 million or so of these things by Christmas? That's 2 million 90nm brand new 165-million-transistor CPUs, 2 million 90nm brand new 232-million-transistor GPUs (with a 105-million transistor on-package memory), and 8-16 million 700Mhz GDDR3 memories (depending on the config they use to get to 512MB), not to mention 2 million of whatever else is on this thing. (source: http:///http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360/> No doubt they are in yield hell right now, trying to push the process to get the performance they need without dissapating more watts than your average kitchen oven. I'm sure "the properties of physics" are kicking their ass all over the place at the moment. Good luck.

    2. Re:Didn't compute for me either by burnetd · · Score: 1

      after all, the chips are supposed to be developed by now

      Yes and IBM were supposed to deliver 3Ghz PPC's to Apple over 18 months ago.

  29. eBay? by thebdj · · Score: 1

    So does this mean when the shortage hits just in time for X-Mas, they'll all show up on eBay for like $1000 a piece? I mean seriously, I can envision them costing that much when the parent who has the spoiled brat child HAS to get this for them.

    Paranoid comment of the day: What would keep M$ from secretly selling these on eBay for an extra $200 or $300 to all those people struck by the shortage...

    --
    "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
    1. Re:eBay? by Tilmitt · · Score: 1

      What would keep M$ from secretly selling these on eBay for an extra $200 or $300 to all those people struck by the shortage...

      Logistics?

      --
      This guy are sick.
  30. Offtopid reply to your .sig by jmacleod9975 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Saying "I think" is redundant. If you hate "I, for one", you probaby can't like that too much either. Maybe you were making a joke?

  31. Re:wait for it ..... weeee haaave MARKETING SPEAK! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's all in the chemical equations:

          Fb + Nc = Le
    (Fanboy) (New Console) (Liquid Explosion)

  32. Re:I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 la by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    GBA is not emulated, it's native. The system contains the same processor that the GBA houses (it's used as a second coprocessor in DS games). You can't remap the GBA buttons on a GBA, so there's no real reason to expect to be able to on the DS. That being said, I do wish that X & Y had been mapped to L & R.

    The common shutdowns are irritating, but no huge deal as it takes so little time for the thing to boot up.

    But at least we're not having to deal with random firmware updates in order to play new games (I don't know if the games update the firmware themselves, or you have to update the firmware to play games -- I don't have, and don't desire a PSP, as it sounds like an unstable piece of garbage from a distance).

  33. 360 Has bigger problems - Blu-Ray... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    MS has promised that 360 would be able to play HD DVD's when they came out - betting the farm on the HD-DVD format. Now that Sony has garnered most of the major Hollywood studio support with Blu-Ray, consumers now have even more reason to ditch the 360 in favor of the PS3 (which will have a Blu-Ray drive).

    1. Re:360 Has bigger problems - Blu-Ray... by phxbadash · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but MS never said anything of the sort.

  34. Can you say... by CaseM · · Score: 1

    ...hype to get more people eager to get one?

  35. Do some research by faloi · · Score: 1

    We want to get started on a worldwide basis, we want to do the right thing for gamers, for our publishers and for consumers."

    The right thing for gamers and consumers isn't to release something with a shortage of available machines. Part of me wonders if it's an artificial shortage... Hype it up, make people want it, then make sure everybody knows there aren't enough of them to go around world-wide. Hope that the people on the fence will rush out to get it, just in case there aren't many of them available. But then, I'm cynical.

    The right thing for everybody would be to accurately scope the demand for your product, and make sure you can meet that demand. If you have enough systems to guarantee Pepsi can give out 120+ a day, chances are you can tap some sort of reserve for the parts. Get them to everybody, stop talking about the massive shortage you expect.

    --
    "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
  36. Hell, I'm ALREADY disappointed myself by elrous0 · · Score: 1
    I'm a big fan of the original Xbox, but I will not be buying an Xbox 360 at launch (may not buy one ever, if they don't get their shit together):

    • No hard drive standard = no designer support for hard drive
    • Their one-and-only MMORPG (slated for a distant December 2006 release, no less) will be in 480p with no support for voice chat. What exactly is the point of this, anyway? If I wanted to chat on an MMORPG with a clunky keyboard, I could do it *now* on my PC, with much higher resolution than 480p.
    • Crappy lineup of launch titles (and it looks like they may actually only have a handful of the one's they had originally indicated)

    No soup for you, Microsoft.

    -Eric

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Hell, I'm ALREADY disappointed myself by tepples · · Score: 1

      Their one-and-only MMORPG (slated for a distant December 2006 release, no less) will be in 480p with no support for voice chat. What exactly is the point of this, anyway? If I wanted to chat on an MMORPG with a clunky keyboard, I could do it *now* on my PC

      For one thing, games that run natively on commodity PC hardware tend to be more finicky about what video, audio, and even CD drivers they run with than games for a major console, which has fixed hardware. Microsoft will have to improve the reliability of PC gaming if it has any hope of its Games for Windows initiative taking off so that Microsoft can commandeer two platforms to compete with Son¥.

  37. Re:I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 la by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

    The output screen can be changed and while it might be difficult with the current design they could easily have made the DS able to remap the keys if they were designing the GBA mode with that in mind. Personally I'd like to use Y and B instead of B and A, easier to reach.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  38. High Demand and Marketing by Puhase · · Score: 1

    I was just wondering if anyone out there had read "Jennifer Government" by Max Barry http://www.maxbarry.com/jennifergovernment/ . In that book, Nike released like 2 or three pairs of their new shoe line in order to drum up insane demand and charger whatever they want. Then, when they flood the market they stage shootings in order to display the lengths people are going to go to get them. Now I'm not saying M$ is going to go out and get some hired guns, but this cycle of fiddling with supply in order to bring demand to a boil could definatly spiral out of control. Playing with people's material wants and needs can lead to some seriously unexpected consequences. And on a less serious note, what do you expect from X-Box factories in Mexico?

    --
    I am and always will be a stereotype, because who in their right mind prefers mono?
  39. Release Precedence by mattboy · · Score: 0, Troll

    You guys are all forgetting one thing. The Xbox360 will have a WORLD WIDE RELEASE within weeks of each other!!! No other company has EVER done that with a video game console. The idea and magnitude of doing this is crazy. You guys don't remember how long it took for the PS2 to finally hit US shores, while we were all drooling over it. Microsoft is setting a huge precedence here, whether you want and Xbox360 or a PS3. Do you think that Sony can wait 6 months before releasing in the US? Not a chance. With all these stupid conspiracy theories going around, you guys forget what this means for the industry as a whole. So thank you Microsoft for kicking Sony's butt into high gear so that I can have a PS3 sooner.

    1. Re:Release Precedence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What a fucking pathetic little fanboy.

      Looooooooooooooooser.

      Go back to teamxbox retard.

    2. Re:Release Precedence by mattboy · · Score: 1

      STFU!!! You remember the shortages the N64 had. Plus if you could read past a 3rd grade level, you'd see that I want a PS3. Fanboy? You are an idiot.

    3. Re:Release Precedence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To be honest, Microsoft has a much easier problem than either Sony or Nintendo would have; in order to launch the 360 in japan they need like 2 systems (I'm kidding, more like 50,000) whereas Nintendo or Sony would need 500,000 - 1 Million systems. Microsoft can slightly screw both North America and Europe to do a 'worldwide' launch; their is almost no chance that Nintendo and Sony could provide enough systems to launch in Japan, Noth America and Europe at the same time.

  40. Same old story by geemon · · Score: 1

    Meh...more FUD from MS that there won't be enough units so all of you sheep should go out and make sure you pre-order a costly bundle from your neighborhood retailer.

    The more uncertainty MS can spread about supply shortages, the better to get the masses all riled about about having to find one for little Junior this holiday season.

  41. Please, Mr. Moderator... by ivan256 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Explain to me what is in my comment that warranted a 'Troll' moderation?

    Morrowind was one of my favorite games ever, but it's no secret that both the PC and Xbox versions crashed frequently.

  42. Fb + Nc = Le by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That would describe me. Mr. guilty.

    On the other hand, while my father was carping on my video game habits, I was trying to imagine what fuck-all a 10 year old was supposed to do otherwise. Rent a car and go on a bender in Las Vegas?

    Bah.

    I also like people who pause at the stereotypes of gamers while they drink themselves into an early liver transplant at overpriced clubs where they can't hear the person next to them yelling in their ears. Funk-that. Instead, let me go online and meet and converse with many interesting people from all over the world - and blow their heads off into spouty meaty gibs in WWII simulations.

    It's called PROGRESS of the social condition. Love it luddite-scum!

  43. Re:I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 la by ad0gg · · Score: 1
    Xbox 360 bundles are already sold out at ebgames and other retailers. This aren't your $500 retail packages, we are talking $600+. Good luck getting an xbox 360 for under $800 right now.

    Only place that i know that has them

    --

    Have you ever been to a turkish prison?

  44. Re:I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 la by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bill Gates was kind enough to preorder them all for poor children in Africa.

  45. Good by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1

    I genuinely appreciate Microsofts attitude towards this. As a european gamer, I'm sick of Europe being the last target market (ie. getting the PSP last, Nintendos handhelds last etc). This means that the first adopters in all the markets will get theirs (mine is already preordered and the delivery is confirmed), while the second comers will get theirs after the Christmas period. It makes good business sense, and it certainly makes europeans happy :)

    1. Re:Good by Joel+from+Sydney · · Score: 1

      I'm sick of Europe being the last target market (ie. getting the PSP last, Nintendos handhelds last etc)

      You should try living in Australia then! Notice how our release date is "early 2006"? That means March at the earliest. And it's like that for pretty much everything. Hell, the PSP was only released in Australia on September 1. Yes, that's right. Six weeks ago tomorrow.

    2. Re:Good by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1
      I hear you. The PSP was released in Europe on September 1., too. :(

      I've seen the prices you're charged for computer gear -- it's really a lot worse than over here. In Norway, the price you pay for computer parts and consoles is not too bad, though still something in the range of 50% above the going rate in the US. I bought a Nintendo DS and a Nintendo SP from the US in june for less than the asking price of the Nintendo DS alone when it was eventually relased in Europe earlier this fall.

  46. Re:I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 la by Generic+Guy · · Score: 1

    You can take my comment with a huge grain of salt, because I have no inside info or anything. But:

    I suspect later revisions to the DS will drop the GBA cartridge support. The newest Gameboy-micro already dropped older Gameboy support. So spending a lot of time working on clever GBA button-remapping features probably isn't worth Nintendo's effort, which would be better spent trying to get as many people upgraded to DS titles (like with all the old Gameboy and NES titles re-made for the GBA).

    --
    { - Generic Guy - }