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Xbox Live More Popular than iTunes?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the quite-a-boast dept.

Microsoft announced this morning that they'd reached 10 Million downloads with the new Xbox Live service, a download rate even faster than the iTunes Music Store. From the Gamespot article: "The tech giant also revealed that more content for Xbox Live is on the way. The company confirmed that new achievements and automobiles will be available for Project Gotham Racing 3, new multiplayer maps are headed to Perfect Dark Zero, and an online cooperative mode for Kameo: Elements of Power will be ready soon. The company did not say whether said downloads would be free or, as is more likely, come at a price."

21 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Yay inflammatory titles by Ryan+J.+Evans · · Score: 4, Informative

    Talk to me when XBL has a billion downloads...

    Apple iTunes downloads passes 1 billion songs

    (Disclaimer: I use and like both itunes and XBL, but saying that something that just hit 10m downloads is more popular than something that just passed 1b is ridiculous.)

    1. Re:Yay inflammatory titles by Ryan+J.+Evans · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Actually, I get what they're saying just fine. I just don't think their statement has any real value. Even if we ignore the fact that comparing total downloads between XBL and iTunes isn't relevant, and we ignore the fact that XBL didn't hit 10m any faster, there's still the fact that these are two network services started approximately 4 years apart after a great deal of consumer training done on the part of apple and others. Hitting 10m at the 4 month mark simply doesn't have the same impact as it did 4 years ago.

    2. Re:Yay inflammatory titles by RatPh!nk · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Talk to me when XBL has a billion downloads... Apple iTunes downloads passes 1 billion songs (Disclaimer: I use and like both itunes and XBL, but saying that something that just hit 10m downloads is more popular than something that just passed 1b is ridiculous.)

      And not only that, talk to me when those 1 billion downloads are paid downloads. AFAIK, Apple only counts the stuff they sell as a download, but I am not 100%.

      --
      Argh. The laws of science be a harsh mistress.
  2. Misleading title by iced_773 · · Score: 5, Insightful


    One thing cannot be compared to an unrelated thing. XBox Live is for gaming, while iTunes is for music (and video) downloads. The title should read:

    Gaming More Popular than Music Downloads

    Now I'll go read the summary. ;)

    1. Re:Misleading title by BewireNomali · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The results are skewed. It's still way easy to get free current music. It's more difficult to get free current games/mods,etc for the XBox. XBox Live is in the situation where it is the only provider of the content people are downloading. It's an enviable position if you're XBox Live execs.

      Music is infinitely more popular than gaming though - for the obvious reasons. It's a poor comparison.

      However, XBox Live is positioning itself to be a content provider to the home. They can easily distribute music now - and core gaming and music demos by and large overlap. I didn't read the article, but this is probably where they're headed.

      --
      un burrito me trampeó.
  3. Apples to Oranges by fonos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Uhm, you're comparing how many downloads a big company gets when they offer new maps and stuff for free, to songs that you purchase for 99 cents a piece. It seems like you're comparing apples to oranges.

    1. Re:Apples to Oranges by interiot · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, some of the XBL downloads are for $5-10 games, and for paid themes/icons/etc. But yes, it would be nice if the press release noted the number of paid downloads, rather than lumping free downloads (maps, preview games, movie trailers) into the number. (though large companies are notoriously unwilling to give out numbers that would give others a peek into the financials of a product)

    2. Re:Apples to Oranges by moochfish · · Score: 3, Funny

      Actually, it's Apples to Microsofts.

  4. Only one wait to find out... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Apple should offer video games through iTunes to see if it's more popular than Xbox Live. Of course, I think Ballmer will hurl a building or two if Apple can one billion games downloaded. :P

  5. misleading by suspected · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This article is the definition of misleading

  6. By all the gods of geeks... by ChrisKnight · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...that was the most useless and nonsensical Slashdot headline I have ever seen.

    -Chris

    --
    -- This sig is only a test. If this were a real sig it would say something witty. --
  7. same as iTunes by morcheeba · · Score: 4, Informative

    The XBOX360 has been out for 4 months now -- that's the same amount of time it took iTunes to sell 10 million songs. But, Xbox has been released world-wide -- at that time, iTunes hadn't launched in europe yet and was only available to rabid mac owners.

    --
    HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
  8. Talk about desperation... by Gothic_Walrus · · Score: 5, Insightful
    iTunes isn't mentioned in the article proper, and it doesn't even appear on the page until one of the comments that appears halfway down the page.

    We're stealing headlines from random forum users now? For shame, guys. For shame. :)

    --
    Goo goo g'joob.
  9. I can totally see this... by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can totally see this! I mean there are SO many Xbox owners compared to iPod own...er... uh. Oh.

    Are they sure they're not fudging numbers somewhere?

    --

    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
  10. More News (just in) by polyp2000 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Shoes are more popular than television sets.

    --
    Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
  11. Re:Free Downloads too by Dance_Dance_Karnov · · Score: 2, Interesting

    uhh...no. You pay real money for "points" that you then use to purchase downloads, not all downloads cost money. But they certianly aren't all free. IMO, the use of points to aquire downloadables is a great marketing move on MS's part, people don't think of them as money, and are more willing to part with them.

  12. Oblig Simpson's Quote... by tdeuces · · Score: 4, Funny

    Article's comparison reminds of a conversation on the Simpson's:

    Lenny: If you ask me, Muhammad Ali in his prime, was much better than anti-lock brakes.
    Carl: Yeah, but what about Johnny Mathis versus diet pepsi?
    Moe: Oh, I cannot listen to this again!

  13. How many of those were free downloads? by smaffei · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Sure MS got that many downloads. A lot of them were free. Like movie trailers, game demos, and tutorials on how to use the XBox 360.

    I just think it's sad that MS keeps speweing out this FUD because they have no chance of catching up to the iPod.

    --
    Sure, Windows PCs dominate the market. But so do cheap toupees.
  14. In a related story... by SilentOneNCW · · Score: 2, Funny

    In a related story, the Orange Industry of Florida declared "Oranges More Popular than Apple."

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    games journalism blog
  15. I've just got to ask... by thedletterman · · Score: 2, Funny

    So how many of those downloads were bug fixes?

    --
    Any fool can criticise, condemn, and complain, and most fools do. - Benjamin Franklin
  16. Richest kid wins? by neumayr · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Alright, so you can buy yourself some kick-ass car and rock at Project Gotham?

    Oh well, skills are overrated anyways..

    --
    Truth arises more readily from error than from confusion. -Francis Bacon