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Microsoft Admits to Release Schedule Bungle
Eurogamer is reporting on comments made by Microsoft Games Studio general manager Phil Spencer, who has said that first party titles were not released often enough during the 360's first year. While true in all markets, this has especially been a problem in the U.K., where a delay of 210 days separated Dead Rising and Nintey-Nine Nights. From the article: "'I won't duck the question. Obviously our job as a first-party publisher is to lead on our platform and to create content not only that appeals to a broad set of customers, but also content that comes out with a regular pacing to continue to freshen the shelves,' Spencer said. 'But I wouldn't disagree with you that there were periods this year where there were gaps that were too long from first-party.' Microsoft's gaming blackspot was mirrored by a paucity of heavyweight third-party releases over a particular barren summer during which the firm arguably failed to capitalise on good early momentum and the absence of Sony's rival PlayStation 3 system."
What exactly is 360 supposed to convey in the name XBox 360?
I just read the tech specs and developers blog and can't find anything to the name.
I can almost get that 360 is half of 720 and that the games will play at 720p but I think that is a stretch.
The fact that some or all games are in surround sound is also a bit stretchy. Why would you name your console after your audio capabilities?
Both the XBox and XBox 360 utilize 3D rendered graphics so that doesn't make any sense either.
Someone told me that it was Microsoft copying Nintendo on the Revolution name - I can get that and it's almost believable. In fact it's more believable over the other ones I mentioned.
They could have called it XBox Zingo and it would make more sense than XBox 360.
Every time I hear 360 to convey the newest XBox brings back memories of the CD-i and 3DO. Granted that the 360 is more successful than the CD-i and 3DO combined but it still means a crappy marketing naming team behind it to me.
if you steal from one source, that is plagiarism, if you steal from many, well, that's just research.
So, a guy from Capcom makes a comment you don't like, and you hold it against Microsoft?
Explain the logic in that, please.
Honestly, I'm not sure. I think your revolution theory is probably closest. Also keep in mind that the name xBox360 kinda-sorta-if-you-squint-real-hard-you-can-almost -see-it puts it on par with the PS3 (both have 3 in their name, geddit?). Combine 'revolution' with a number that has a strong 3 presence in it and you get 360. Seems ridiculously lame to me, but I certainly wouldn't put it past the marketing guys at MS.
This guy's the limit!
What exactly is 360 supposed to convey in the name XBox 360?
It's supposed to convey nothing more than "OMGWTFBBQ 360 is higher then 3 so the XBox 360 must be better than the PS3".
No, seriously. The marketing guys at Microsoft realised that putting out an XBox 2 versus a PlayStation 3 would sound very bad indeed as a large chunk of the public would see 3 > 2 and therefore better. Since they couldn't call it an XBox 3, they had to come up some other wowser name instead.
Enter the 360 - totally meaningless in and of itself, but a suitably "powerful" replacement for the mere number 2.