A price cut that small is definitely disappointing. Better than nothing, sure. But a $50 price cut would probably have sparked a LOT more consumer activity. Obviously, it wasn't going to match the first PS2/Xbox cuts last Memorial Day ($100 cut down to $199). But a $50 cut would have created a good buzz - especially since retailers and consumers were buzzing in anticipation of it. This wimpy $20 cut is just a disappointment to both.
Time will tell, but I doubt we're going to see much of a spike in sales for either the Xbox OR the PS2.
Microsoft has maintained its position by taking every potential challenger very seriously. They do not take their success for granted.
Like many people already pointed out, this activity is standard fare for competition. No business wants to lose, and they will all think of how to beat out their competition.
Personally, I would like some good competition vs. Microsoft. If Microsoft's software is so terrible, and the alternatives are so good, then people will opt for the alternatives despite cheap/free pricing from Microsoft. (The current reality, of course, lies somewhere between both extremes).
There is a finite number of people willing to spend monthly fees to play online games.
Very few people are willing to pay monthly fees for multiple games. Most choose their favorite and become dedicated to that game.
Every online game released since UO and EverQuest has struggled, to some degree, to gain an audience. New games have to either succeed at pulling gamers away from other games, or by bringing its own separate audience. Warbirds can succeed because the hardcore flight-sim audience has very little crossover with the online RPG audience. A game like Star Wars Galaxies will succeed on both fronts: pulling RPGers away from other titles AND bringing in a new audience that had no interest in Rat Hunter 3D but would love nothing better than to play in the Star Wars universe.
At first glance, you would think The Sims would bring its own audience. But take note that the average Sims player is not a Sims junkie. Out of the bajillions of copies sold, only a small percentage are owned by the kind of junkies that might be interested in paying for an online game.
THEN take into account the various problems with the online game. Pushing a shoddy product onto a smaller-than-estimated audience is a good formula for, well, exactly what's happened.
but nothing beats EA when it comes to turning out hit sports games.
NFL2K3, IMO, played much better than Madden this year. Madden's running game continues to lack realism. 2K3 still has flaws of its own, but it was a great game. NFL2K3 also was picked as the superior product by as many publications as chose the reverse. So it's a pretty tight competition there.
However, there's no question in the world that Sega's NHL2K3 was MILES beyond EA's NHL 2003 this year. And I was a diehard NHL 200x faithful until this year. NHL2K3 made NHL 2003 look like a joke. I hope EA really retaliates hard this year, because they always have a nice, polished product. I'm worried about NHL2K4, as the franchise has changed developers...
The improvements for Xbox Live are a bit understated in the article, but they're gonna be big.
A web-based stats database? Sure beats the "records get reset every month" stuff we get now. We've had stats on the Web for games like UT on PC, but a central stats database for every Xbox Live game? That's just downright cool. Not to mention the site will also have communicate-with-friends features.
General lobbies will also be really nice.
Some of the integration features, like alerts to your cell, or games that allow you to accept online challenges even when you're playing single-player, are the kind of features that don't mean much to the 90% that won't use them, but mean the world to the 10% that do. It's extra features like that - ones that don't get in the way if you don't want them - that make a nice, complete product.
The Xbox should really be defined by Xbox Live. It's the best online console by a ridiculous margin. Hopefully people will get over the Microsoft bashing, Sony/Nintendo faithful chest-pounding, and take note that Microsoft is (*gasp*) truly innovating here! No other console, or PC for that matter, have the kind of complete online gaming service that Microsoft is making Xbox Live to be.
Ungodly large? It's virtually the same width, slightly deeper, and a little taller than the PlayStation2. The device is considerably heavier than any of the other consoles (hence my.sig), but it is at worst "moderately" larger than the PS2 - not "ungodly" large.
Hey, no problem. I appreciate helpful comments, ambiguous or not.:) I probably should've realized you were talking about Mozilla, but the version numbers would've work for either!:)
I'm using Gentoo and typically just use the ebuilds. I'll give it a try on my own instead...
Done both. Even disabled Java, and the CNET page still comes crashing down.
Funny how legitimate issues are "flamebait" - especially when I'm a big fan of the software outside of these issues.
Highlights include support for NTLM authentication, usability improvements, and lots of performance, stability, and site compatibility fixes.
I'll settle for "doesn't crash when I try to load some CNET news article, or the CSU Fresno home page".
I'm a big Mozilla & Phoenix/Firebird user, but I'm quite tired of having my browser crash when trying to load certain websites. I don't care how bad the page is written, the browser should be able to handle it in a way other than crashing entirely.
Slashdot Mirror
Just imagine what Doom 4 will require. :)
Speak for yourself. I'd rather castrate myself than play an EverQuest game.
Devices like this ensure that geeks do not get laid by the cute coworker down the hall.
Time will tell, but I doubt we're going to see much of a spike in sales for either the Xbox OR the PS2.
I repeat myself when under stress I repeat myself when under stress I repeat myself when under stress I repeat myself when under stress I repeat!
Imagine an online game where everyone can slow down time to bullet-time. Talk about the slowest game EVER.
People need to chill with the persistant online RPGs. There's gonna be a whole lot of half-sustained games out there at this rate.
I'm still waiting for a persistant war sim that doesn't suck (WWII Online did not live up).
We'll still like it even if it's called Mini-Moz.
Just don't call it Usher.
Like many people already pointed out, this activity is standard fare for competition. No business wants to lose, and they will all think of how to beat out their competition.
Personally, I would like some good competition vs. Microsoft. If Microsoft's software is so terrible, and the alternatives are so good, then people will opt for the alternatives despite cheap/free pricing from Microsoft. (The current reality, of course, lies somewhere between both extremes).
Very few people are willing to pay monthly fees for multiple games. Most choose their favorite and become dedicated to that game.
Every online game released since UO and EverQuest has struggled, to some degree, to gain an audience. New games have to either succeed at pulling gamers away from other games, or by bringing its own separate audience. Warbirds can succeed because the hardcore flight-sim audience has very little crossover with the online RPG audience. A game like Star Wars Galaxies will succeed on both fronts: pulling RPGers away from other titles AND bringing in a new audience that had no interest in Rat Hunter 3D but would love nothing better than to play in the Star Wars universe.
At first glance, you would think The Sims would bring its own audience. But take note that the average Sims player is not a Sims junkie. Out of the bajillions of copies sold, only a small percentage are owned by the kind of junkies that might be interested in paying for an online game.
THEN take into account the various problems with the online game. Pushing a shoddy product onto a smaller-than-estimated audience is a good formula for, well, exactly what's happened.
NFL2K3, IMO, played much better than Madden this year. Madden's running game continues to lack realism. 2K3 still has flaws of its own, but it was a great game. NFL2K3 also was picked as the superior product by as many publications as chose the reverse. So it's a pretty tight competition there.
However, there's no question in the world that Sega's NHL2K3 was MILES beyond EA's NHL 2003 this year. And I was a diehard NHL 200x faithful until this year. NHL2K3 made NHL 2003 look like a joke. I hope EA really retaliates hard this year, because they always have a nice, polished product. I'm worried about NHL2K4, as the franchise has changed developers...
A web-based stats database? Sure beats the "records get reset every month" stuff we get now. We've had stats on the Web for games like UT on PC, but a central stats database for every Xbox Live game? That's just downright cool. Not to mention the site will also have communicate-with-friends features.
General lobbies will also be really nice.
Some of the integration features, like alerts to your cell, or games that allow you to accept online challenges even when you're playing single-player, are the kind of features that don't mean much to the 90% that won't use them, but mean the world to the 10% that do. It's extra features like that - ones that don't get in the way if you don't want them - that make a nice, complete product.
The Xbox should really be defined by Xbox Live. It's the best online console by a ridiculous margin. Hopefully people will get over the Microsoft bashing, Sony/Nintendo faithful chest-pounding, and take note that Microsoft is (*gasp*) truly innovating here! No other console, or PC for that matter, have the kind of complete online gaming service that Microsoft is making Xbox Live to be.
No, but I date one.
Heh. Interesting. I've never tried that.
:)
I take advantage of Fresno State's wireless when I'm on campus. It's a nice way to avoid paying attention in class.
If you're still conscious, it's all yours.
That's why Internet access is so important. Like, duh.
I'm using Gentoo and typically just use the ebuilds. I'll give it a try on my own instead...
I have both Mozilla and Phoenix. I've had the crashes with both. :(
I will give installing Java to a clean directory a try.
Done both. Even disabled Java, and the CNET page still comes crashing down. Funny how legitimate issues are "flamebait" - especially when I'm a big fan of the software outside of these issues.
We all know how great Slashdot quality control is. :)
I'll settle for "doesn't crash when I try to load some CNET news article, or the CSU Fresno home page".
I'm a big Mozilla & Phoenix/Firebird user, but I'm quite tired of having my browser crash when trying to load certain websites. I don't care how bad the page is written, the browser should be able to handle it in a way other than crashing entirely.
Well, since the PS2 and GameCube are so inferior at online gaming, I had little choice.
... we've about doubled the number of people to ever "use" a Dreamcast...