Xbox 360 Launches In U.S.

Well, it's here. Braving long lines and launch parties, and even jail time, those that were willing to pony up the time and money have their hands on the first player in the next-gen war. 360 impressions are available all across the web, with [H]ardOCP and Gamespot offering exhaustive experiences for the interested gamer. The BBC, as always, offers a bigger perspective on the launch, and Gamasutra confirms that Microsoft is in for the long haul in the games industry. From the BBC: "Sony and Nintendo are planning to unleash their next gen consoles during 2006, giving Microsoft an edge over its rivals. The software giant is virtually tied with Nintendo for second place, way behind Sony, in a games market worth $25 billion globally. Microsoft has ambitious plans for its new machine. It said it expects to ship up to three million 360s worldwide within 90 days. But the company has admitted that the worldwide launch of the console could mean shortages in the run-up to Christmas. The console is due to hit Europe on 2 December and Japan on 10 December and some retailers are also warning about limited supplies."

Comments

Out first=Clear Advantage?

[Puhase]

I'm still unclear about why the fact that 360 is out first is a definitive advantage. I guess they get a chance to take a first crack at the market, but...there seems to be some extremely dark clouds on the horizon due to this early arrival.
1. No HD-DVD or Blu-Ray- whatever happens with this media format debacle, the people with the new 360 out now wont have it.
2. Future Version Product Confusion/Backlash- Because of the above, when they begin to release future updated hardware versions of the 360, the market will be confused as to what they should purchase. Its not a new system, but it has new features this time around. Will there be expensive add-ons to accommodate current owners? Because those who have the old and not the new are gonna be pissed that they didn't get the finished system. This isn't the slim-downed PS2 I'm talking about here. That was a cosmetic change or downgrade option(imho), this will be a complete technical upgrade.
3. Debut game lineup-What lineup? If I don't like sports or shooting Nazi's... not much left, maybe Kameo. Much of the "meat and potatoes" was delayed past X-mas, creating a weird kinda of late winter "secondary launch".
4.All they are competing with is heresay and conjecture-The hard and fast realities of the PS3 and Revolution are still out in the open. So a decision by the consumer is hard to make, because no real comparison can be made. This will inevitably create a bubble of "undecided". Although with how rabid gamers can be, there will always be those too impatient to wait.

I'm no fanboy, I own all three of the current generation and agree all have things about them I like. It just seems to me that we've got a situation here where the 4th grader has rushed to finish his test first and hand it in to the teacher so he can look back at the class and say "I'm done first". Even though he did a sloppy job, didn't fully answer each question and in the end didn't get a great grade.

fake shortage may backfire

[asv108]

From all accounts, it appears that Microsoft is trying to create an artificial shortage by only allowing a small number of units to be sold today. I called a few retailers this morning, all of them are sold out. Most of them had less that 40 systems for sale, and this in the Philadelphia area, not some rural market.

While the intended effect is to create a buzz that encourages a christmas buying frenzy, it could backfire just as well. The original Xbox launch had an enormous supply. I wasn't really looking to buy an xbox at the time, but I happened to be in Best Buy 2 days after the launch, so I decided to give it a shot.

Today, Xbox 360's are selling for nearly $2,000 on ebay. Not even a package, just the system. The "shortage buzz" will certainly keep casual purchasers away and I'm sure quite a few people might decide to wait a few months for the ps3.

Re:I admit it

[Red Flayer]

1. "Microsoft sooo does not belong in the game console market. They make Office software, for Christ's sake."

Lest you forget, they also make an Operating System. They also make media apps. Why are you upset about greater competition in the console market? That should benefit all of us.

2. "The first X-Box was just a PC in a box."

Ata fraction of the cost. Tons of people won't spend $1k to buy a new computer, but $300 for a console is fine.

3. "The name is stupid and personifies what I hate about this machine and its community"

What does this have to do with anything? Is the Dreamcast, or the Revolution, any better? Who cares what it's called.

4. "The game library will mostly just be PC ports and Playstation ports"

See above comment re: PC-in-a-box. Also, as a social activity, gaming on a PC with a few friends just sucks. Much easier to sit on the couch.

5. "At least with the Playstation 3, it has the appeal of being the absolute top hardware"

Hah. It's not so different from the 360. By the time the PS3 launches, it won't be near the top, compared to first-class gaming rigs.

6. "Instead of letting the product sell itself based on its own value, as other companies do (a cliched example, but see Apple and its iPod...all Steve Jobs had to do was hold up an iPod nano to the camera, and everyone was SOLD on it)"

You really crack me up. Apple spent millions and millions to market the iPod brand.
"this thing is just a shareholder-driven profit grab"

Now, a profit grab would imply that MS is making a profit on these. They are building a long-term business with the 360, not grabbing profits.
"not a genuinely fantastic product from a company that actually makes games and game consoles and belongs in that market

I won't claim to know if the 360 is fantastic or not, but like it or not: MS makes game consoles and they also make games. By your rationale, shouldn't Sony stick with audio equipment, and get the hell out of the game console market?

It's obvious you hate MS. That's fine. By why are you upset that they released a product YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY? Or are you just upset that it gets press?

Re:Zero Hour

[Saige]

I realized after a bit of play last night and this morning that Live is what's going to make or break the 360. The better graphics and more power is nice, but it's the amazing ton of features on Live that make it such a next-gen experience. Being able to voice chat with my friends while we play different games and even switch between them. Streaming my music from my PC to my 360 as a custom soundtrack in any game. Achievements and Gamer scores. Xbox Live Marketplace offering amazing games for $5.

I feel about 10x more connected to people on my friends list than I did on the original Xbox. It's no longer this separate "play online" section - you're ALWAYS playing online in one way or another, with scoreboards or directly against opponents.

I really think that anyone with a 360 and broadband needs to at LEAST make sure they're connected with a silver account, even if you don't want to pay the $50 to play online. It adds that much.

Re: Microsoft is in for the long haul

[stonedonkey]

Seriously, at $399 a unit, I'm absolutely shocked that Microsoft is still losing money on the thing. The CPU and the GPU are the two expensive components. In bulk, I'd have a hard time believing that they cost more than $150-$175 together. The rest of the hardware is relatively inexpensive stuff, costing maybe $50-$100 at most. That leaves me with a total of $200-$275 for manufacturing, making me wonder where the inefficiency is. Is Microsoft really that BAD at hardware design that they can't sell a $399 integrated PC at anything less than a loss?

Yeah, they'll make a killing since they didn't spend a penny on advertising, manufacturing, research and development, haggling with developes, distribution... nigga, please.