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Xbox 360 Doesn't Want To Be Hardcore
An anonymous reader writes "CNET.com.au has just posted an interview with Microsoft Game Studio head Shane Kim. The head games exec for the Xbox 360 admits he wants the console to be more family friendly (read: more like Nintendo and Sony). From the article: 'The positioning of the platform is very different now. We were so paranoid that people knew the Xbox was a hardcore gaming machine in the first generation that we really alienated, or closed off, a lot of our opportunity.'"
Xbox was an interesting lesson in a lot of ways.
It really did many things right; I think the controllers were the best from that generation, or at least after the "giant hands" oopsie got fixed.
And it was a terifically powerful system, and I'm so glad that they're landbreaking moves into online multiplayer didn't stop them from giving full-hearted 4 player support...Sony dropped the ball on both of those, with ad hoc per-game network support, and only 2 controller ports w/o a multitap.
On the other hand, even from the outset...the form factor was terrible. The sucker was a beast...one of the reasons why the GC is my "travel" system. The original controllers, though some people dig 'em, were also beastly, and didn't you need to buy a remote if you wanted to watch DVDs? That kind of sucked.
Despite generally having somewhat superior ports of the mainstream games, Xbox relied on its "Killer App" Halo more than the other systems. I enoyed odd PC ports like Crimson Skies and oddball one offs like Fuzion Frenzy...
SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
If they are trying to be family friendly, they need to become more simple, put in the disk, and play. Seems to me like Microsoft is making yet another PR stunt to gain traction on the 360.
If you take inflation into account, and look at some of the prices that children's toys are going for today (some dolls are close to $100 by themselves, some board games go near $50 [heroscape], the xbox 360 isn't really expensive. Of course, the revolution is going to be less expensive, and this will work better for some families. IIRC the SNES was $199 when it came out what, 10 years ago? An extra $99 is a drop in the bucket.
Actually you're pretty dead on. I was a frat boy in school (granted, I went to an engineering oriented school, RPI) but most people had Xboxes because we hooked them up to the house network and played each other in Halo. There is something quite humorous and fun about playing Halo with 15 friends spread out around the house that you don't get by playing with a few in the same room. Since PS2 didn't have the network games setup (not talking about Xbox Live or PS2's equiv) no one really bothered with them.
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Does anyone know what the hell Microsoft is trying to do in the console market?
They are now the only company where you have to pay to play online. There entire online service as a revenue generating machine pretty much looks like a joke now that Sony and Nintendo are providing the same types of services for free.
They rushed the 360 hardware out the door but clearly still haven't nailed down the manufacturing process with the massive defect problems people are having.
They talked up the HD era but have no way of outputting 1080p.
They talked up what a safe long term bet the 360 is but managed to include disc storage that is actually smaller than the first Xbox.
They talked up the graphic power of the machine but those claims have become a joke.
And they talk about expanding out of their old demographic and their library of games is almost exactly the same as the first Xbox.
It's almost like they are actively trying to fuck up across the board in every area of console hardware and software. Every single thing they talk about looks to be the complete opposite in reality. Maybe E3 will turn things around.
Well, yes, that was exactly their strategy. Until Nintendo announced *their* strategy. Then suddenly MS decided that they want a cut of the un-gaming masses as well. Look for a string of crappy movie/Cartoon Network/Nickelodeon licensed platformers, coming to a 360 near you! "Family friendly" is code for "we know what animated characters your children can identify with more accuracy than their own grandparents."
Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.