Re:still supprised at the $250 price tag.
on
The Wii Takes NYC
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· Score: 1
I guess my confusion came from all of the conference footage I watched where they used a wired wii-mote; if what you say is true what I saw was probably just an early prototype.
Reguardless of the feature differences between the Wii and the Core I think the biggest differences are in the games, they both offer distinctinctivly different gaming experiences. Basically my point is that it makes the Core more desirable to non-gamer gift givers this holiday who don't know much about the differences. And it also makes the Core more desirable to those who might only be giving the Wii a shot because they'd be saving at least $100 but now that gap has narrowed (and could narrow further if Ms drops their price).
I guess I was just confused having seen may of the game conference footage using a wired wii-mote (or now that you mention it possibly just a charge cable of some sort).
I don't understand why people consider the 360 core to be so weak. Comparing the two versions, yes the $400 model is a lot better.... but compared to the Wii they're pretty evenly matched.... point to the Wii for it's controller but point to the 360 for delivering better graphics.
The Wii doesn't include any of the accessories included with the Premium 360 so why compare it to that? The only things the 360 looses without the hard drive is Backward compatibility and the the ability to download things that don't fit on the memory unit (which is pretty much just game demos and some game trailers). Xbox Live is still there, Xbox Live arcade games are still there, all the media functions are still there. It's just missing accessories that the Wii doesn't come with itself.
The idea that the Core is somehow "stupidly stripped down" because it doesn't have Backward Compatibility is just ridiculous.
Even still you're buying the controller in halves with a price of $60 for the whole.... Did they even mention if the packed in Wiimote was the wired or the wireless version? (I hope for the sake of the price tag that $40 Wii-mote is wireless)
Re:still supprised at the $250 price tag.
on
The Wii Takes NYC
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· Score: 1
...even though its a striped down hunk of junk compared to its real older brother
The core system really isn't that bad at all. There are 4 accessories that make up the difference between the core and premium versions 1. the hard drive, 2. the headset for voice chat, 3. the HD video cables, and 4. a wireless controller instead of wired.
Considering the Wii 1. has no hard drive, 2. has no headset, 3. has no HD video cables, and 4. may or may not ship with a wireless wii-mote. I'd say the Core version could be VERY appealing to would be Wii buyers. Even without the HDD on the core you can still play on Xbox Live, Download Xbox Live Arcade Games, use all the media features ect. Basically the only thing you loose is Backward Compatibility (since ever Xbox 1 game was built around the permanent Xbox 1 hard drive) and you can't download things that wont fit on a Memory Unit (and they make them in 64MB and 256MB sizes) Which really only excludes game demos and videos, since all XBLA games are required to be less then 50MB and most are far far smaller then that. Not to mention you can still pickup those game demos and videos from places like the official Xbox magazine disc.
If MS drops the Core price by $50 the console is by no means crippled when compared to the Wii and would make for a serious competitor.
I think the difference is when the feature boost the cost of the console. Nintendo can add things like weather and browsing without boosting the consoles price... Blu-Ray is costing Playstation fans a boatload weather they like it or not.
I found the list of those features interesting as well. A lot of them are things offered on modified Xbox consoles that a whole lot of people complained were included with the Xbox 360.
My biggest concern is resolution. Weather is ok but viewing text news and web browsing on a TV in 720x480 (or worse: interlaced 640x480) probably wont be a very pleasant experience for the eyes. I completely agree with Nintendo's reasons for not supporting HD resolutions but without HD text is either impossible to read or so large that you panning all over the place.
I myself love the hard modes as well. But I think on a whole the hard modes walk a fine line... some are genuinely difficult, they'll test your gaming abilities but they'll always give you a sense that if you just tried a little harder, didn't make that one little slip-up, or just tweaked your strategy... you'll make it through. Call of Duty 2 on Veteran difficulty is a good example of that. The game was HARD, but it wasn't cheap, and I wasn't put in any unfair advantages. Whenever I died there was no doubt that it was my own fault. When I finally completed it I felt a great sense of accomplishment, I'd made it through. Another game like that is Hitman Blood Money, playing through on Professional the enemies are more aware, and you can only save between levels, which means you have to be on your toes and play though the levels without slipping up.
Other games are just cheap, they'll lower your health, weaken your attacks, make the enemies stronger and more numerous, but sometimes they'll go even beyond that giving your opponents abilities that would be impossible if playing against a human opponent or even within reason based on the fantasy world they created. Street Fighter II comes to mind. The computer on the hardest setting can perform moves instantly and rapid fire that require human players 2 seconds to charge. The window of opportunity to attack is left wide open for the computer and reduced to next to nothing for the human player. Also the human players attacks do less damage and they take more damage from the opponents attacks. Rather then making the game harder in terms of skill by increasing the Computers AI they cheaped out giving them abilities that are just plain cheap, and it makes the game not very fun to play. Gun is another game like that, on "Insane" difficulty 2 shots from an enemy will kill you but you need to make 10 shots to kill them, enemies are more numerous and just attack in droves. When I play against the computer I want to feel like I'm on equal footing in terms of ability and that the computer defeated me because it played the game better then I did.
Hard mode is great, but not when the computer is cheap.
You don't finish playing the flue but you DO finish playing a song... You have to look at the flue as the machine the runs the game... and the song as the game itself. Never ending or "open ended" songs would get pretty boring in my opinion. Sure you might like to play the song a lot but if a song just went on forever it would get pretty repetitive don't you think? Personally I avoid games without endings, I like to have some semblance of closure. To make it feel like I finished the journey that I started, finished the story, and gives me a point where I can look back at game as a whole. Of course it also depends on the game. Games like Tetris or Soul Calibur play their course in a matter of minutes, and then you start over again. To me most games are like reading a book. Even books that I like I don't want to go on forever, if they did the books would eventually just become boring an repetitive like watching someone's daily routine. Some books I'll read more then once, but typically I like to finish my books, think about what the author (developer) was trying to get across, and start another.
Actually the CORE bundle is definitely a strong contender against would-be Wii buyers... There are only 4 things that separate the Core from the Premium version of the 360 1. A hard drive, 2. HD video cables, 3. a headset, and 4.Wireless controller instead of wired.
Now lets look at the Wii: It doesn't have a hard drive, just like the core, it doesn't come with HD video cables, just like the core, it doesn't include a headset, just like the core, so the only thing left is the wired/wireless controller and we don't know for sure yet what the Wii will include (however if E3 is any indication they do make both versions and I wouldn't put it past them including the wired version).
Even without a hard drive you can still use Xbox Live, you can still download game updates and Xbox Live Arcade games... the only problem is that you have to fit it on a memory unit which come in 64MB and 256MB versions. Really the only thing the CORE prevents you from doing is downloading big stuff like game demos and trailers (though there's still Official Xbox Magazine discs for that), also games take a little longer to load since they have no where to cache, and you can't play Xbox 1 games (since they were all designed to work with a hard drive on the Xbox 1).
The Premium Xbox 360 version is already starting to see a $50 instant or mail in rebate in certain stores in the US, there's a huge fall price cut rumored for Japan and Europe. It wouldn't be out of the question that MS would drop the price $50 on both versions in the US.... the Core could compete with the Wii DIRECTLY and the Premium would be that much more cheaper then the PS3.
Well personally I think that both the Libertarian and Pirate parties represent my views fairly well... but most people in that situation are torn between voting for the party they'd really like, knowing full well they have little to no chance of actually getting that party elected... or making a "lesser of two evils" vote to help keep "generic big party scumbag" out of office.
Except according to the the article, the game that will be using XFire is "Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom" which as far as I can tell is a PS3 exclusive. And correct me if I'm wrong but Sony's "tiny MMOs" use a different service altogether called PlayOnline... why would they throw XFire into the mix. That makes 3 separate online services running on the same machine. It hardly sounds like a "unified" solution.
This is beside the point that the new Playstation Network is supposed to be unified a cross-platform itself (to compete with MS's Live Anywhere). Sony even cited that it would spam PS2 PSP and PC in addition to PS3.
So again... why would they bring Xfire into the mix if the Playstation network already delivers the same thing?
Sony Online Entertainment is claiming XFire will only be used in some of their titles in a deal separate from the Playstation Network.
So if the Playstation Network handles all of the things Xbox Live does "feature for feature". and select titles will make use of the XFire service... Why? If the Playstation Network already does match making, friends lists, chatting etc. then why would you need to stack XFire on top of it?
Just be glad you don't live in Japan, typically the console pricing is SET by the manufacturer which is why it costs the same wherever you go (with the exception of bundles) but apparently the premium version will have "open market" pricing in Japan. Meaning retailers can charge whatever they please... I'll leave it up to your imagination which way how they'll push the prices.
That was my first guess when I heard the news. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Halo originally going to be an RTS before bungie was bought by MS? There have been rumors about a Halo RTS in the works for a while, before Halo 3 was announced a lot of people were speculating that the next title might be an RTS. Not to mention it makes sense; RTSs get barely any coverage on the console space (debatably because they're hard to play with a controller). It'd be in MS's best interests to build their start franchise laterally instead of making it just a straight sequel machine.
Yeah, I don't think it's so much a niche market as it's a SILENT market. Meaning a whole lot of the people who game on PC don't really consider themselves gamers, they don't camp out at Best Buy for the latest releases, they don't bombard message boards about their hobby. They'll pickup something that looks fun while they're out shopping for other things, or download something and play it in their spare time.
You can't track sales of PCs that get used for gaming like you can consoles that get used for gaming... and the number of games available for the PC dilutes the market so you don't get clear winners like you do on a console with only a fraction of the library. PC games have a lot more staying power too. PC gamers are likely to buy WoW or EVE and be good for the next 6 months to a year, unlike console gamers who buy a gamer or two every month (because that's about how long most of them last). Not to mention the mod community adds to the longevity of a PC game's life.
I wouldn't call PC games a niche market... PC gamers are just a DIFFERENT market, the gamers who play there have different tastes and attitudes towards gaming and the machines are good at running different types of games. The back and forth is pretty pointless because neither platform is going anywhere anytime soon.
Yeah I agree with you on all your points... the only thing I can think of was that Halo (before it came to the Xbox) was originally going to be an RTS before MS bought them IIRC. There has also been more then one rumor that they plan to eventually release a Halo RTS as a way to branch the franchises out laterally as opposed to just a sequel machine. If that is the case then MS might want to shut this project down for the fact that at some point it WILL be competing directly with one of their own products and undoubtedly draw comparisons... Why doesn't the official game do X when the free one does... I like the mod version much better then the real one because of X...
From a business standpoint even if MS just THINKING about MAYBE making an RTS Halo it's probably in their best interests to squash such a project now before it matures into a real competitor.
Then again it could just be MS and business as usual...
In the same way you can argue that a PC can be used for more then just gaming an HDTV can be use for more then just gaming as well... HOWEVER the $400 graphics card in the article is rarely used for more then just gaming, and while all it takes is the purchase of a console to turn your existing entertainment center into a gaming platform, you typically have to buy more then just a video card to convert your office/internet machine into a gaming machine.
I also don't understand your logic about how friends gathering on a couch is somehow "distancing", if you're going to play games against each other gathering on a couch is far more personal then playing against each other online, and certainly a whole lot easier to plan and easier to make frequent then a LAN party. It's certainly more interactive then watching a football game or a movie together.
I'd have to disagree. When the 360 came out IGN did a poll asking if people thought the PC or 360 version of games looked better (using what was currently a bleeding edge PC), in most cases the PC version was voted as having somewhat better graphics but COD2 was one that was considered to be clearly better looking on the console. (I'd link the article but it's difficult to find now that it's months old).
Keyboard and Mouse isn't necessarily better, you can make the argument that the mouse is more accurate but are you sure you don't prefer that method simply because that's the control mechanism you learned how to play FPSs with? Personally I'll take a gamepad over a keyboard and mouse any day of the week, it's just more comfortable for me and feels more natural to me, I currently use a console like controller for all of my PC gaming because it's my preferred input device.
As for online matches "online system is everything I would ever need on the PC" is hardly an argument for why PC gaming might be BETTER. The two are fairly equivalent feature wise but I feel I find more quality matches on Xbox Live... at very least it's easier to find people of similar skill and easier to maintain that in-game relationship for future matches and games. Things like that are what make Xbox Live more then just playing games online... it's a community, much like you'll find in an MMO, but it spans across every game you play online using that console.
You're making arguments as if you don't own an Xbox 360 yourself, if you don't own one then IMO you aren't entirely qualified to make such arguments. It'd be like saying running is more enjoyable then swimming, but you've only ever read about and watched other people swim as opposed to spending some time and learning how to do it yourself before making such a claim.
Being crazy about a culture and having the same tastes as that culture are two completely different things. Last time I checked most American's aren't exactly crazy about American culture.
Someone being crazy about American culture might wear clothes styles that are popular in America, they might use English words and phrases, watch American movies and listen to American music. That doesn't actually change their personal tastes. Just because they listen to music that was made in America doesn't mean they have the same tastes as Americans. An American might listen to the latest Country or Rap chart topper while a Japanese person who is infatuated by American culture might pick up an American artists who sounds most similar to something J-Pop.
Not to mention there is a disconnect between what American culture actually IS and what other countries might perceive that culture to be, following that would be like creating some hybrid culture that doesn't actually exist.
I would think that if they were as "crazed" as you say they are they would be buying the Xbox 360 by the truck loads, or maybe MS should market the Xbox 360 as something that makes you seem more American.
I agree with points 2 and 3 but not necessarly with 1. I think that was very true for the Xbox 1, and I think it was very true for the Xbox 360 at launch, but I don't think it's true today. There are a number of Japanese specific games that have already been released in Japan that haven't hit the US or Europe yet, some of them probably never will and it's probably why you haven't noticed them (because they're Japanese only).
I think the biggest problem is, as you said, MS has a crappy name based on their last console, they scrwed up the launch of the 360 by having NO japanese oriented games (with the exception of Ridge Racer 6... need I say more) so it basically just shouted "HEY! We didn't change one bit!" Now that they have the good games (and I think the design of the console is good too) they need to work overtime to reverse that negative image they have. Though it doesn't seem like they're doing so.
If you're wondering about the kinds of games Japan has for the 360:
2006 FIFA World Cup
Bomberman Act: Zero
Bullet Witch
Chromehounds
Condemned: Criminal Origins
(Convenience Store 200X)
Dead or Alive 4
Dead Rising
Special (Dynasty Warriors 4 Special)
Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires
Enchanted Arms / [eM] -eNCHANT arM-
(Everyparty)
FIFA 06
Final Fantasy XI
Kameo: Elements of Power
ZERO (Kengo Zero)
King Kong
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
LoveFOOTBALL
MotoGP '06
Ninety-Nine Nights
Over-G: Fighters / Energy Airforce
Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Sylpheed
(Pro Baseball Spirits 3)
Ridge Racer 6
Rockstar Table Tennis
Rumble Roses XX
(Samurai Warriors 2)
Senko No Ronde Rev.X
(Shutokou Battle Ten)
Spectral Force 3
(Tenchu Senran)
Tetris Grand Master Ace
(Toryumon)
WRESTLE KINGDOM
Zegapain XOR
(Far East of Eden)
EX NEO (Zoids Ex Neo)
Some of them are here in the US and Europe, some of them are in Japan and will eventually come to the US and Europe, some of them will never leave the shores of Japan. But I think there are a fair number of Japanese specific titles available now... the only problem is getting people there to know enough about them that they'll want to buy it.
I don't think it's so much they hate the 360 because it's American, they just don't like it because it's made for Americans, and they're not Americans.
I couldn't agree more. There are plenty of examples of American products that do well in Japan, the iPod is probably the most popular example. If they hated non-Japanese culture so much then they probably wouldn't go around wearing close with English text all over it. The problem is that most foreign companies simply don't understand the Japanese market well enough to make the products that appeal to the Japanese. Heck even Japanese companies have trouble selling products in Japan sometimes. Heck, the Genesis/Megadrive sold like total crap over there, despite the fact that it did fairly well in the US and Europe.
Speaking to people I know in Japan the console just isn't advertised at all, hardly anyone knows the console exists and those that do don't know anything about it. Not to mention the launch there was the biggest flop I can think of with such notable titles as TETRIS and NFSMW (yes I'm sure the Japanese would like to buy a game were white-trash Americans take a dump on their car culture). At least now they're starting to have a decent amount of games available but if no one knows about it then no one is going to buy them.
Basically my impression is the Xbox 1 was just a poor product for Japan, it didn't appeal to what the Japanese market wants in a console. The Xbox 360 has improved a whole lot on this, but the launch game line up didn't show this at all so MS basically screwed up the first impressions, now that they have the games available they're not marketing anywhere close to well enough, nevermind putting the marketing into overdrive to overcome the negative launch impressions.
oops I forgot to add "external power supply" to the CORE list, obviously it include the power adapter as well.
I think it's important to note that asside from the usless chrome trim, there is absolutely no difference internally between the two versions. If you buy the CORE and decided to morrow that you should have purchased the premium, you can go to the store and buy all of the accessories that make up the differences between the two, and the console will look and function no different.
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I guess my confusion came from all of the conference footage I watched where they used a wired wii-mote; if what you say is true what I saw was probably just an early prototype.
Reguardless of the feature differences between the Wii and the Core I think the biggest differences are in the games, they both offer distinctinctivly different gaming experiences. Basically my point is that it makes the Core more desirable to non-gamer gift givers this holiday who don't know much about the differences. And it also makes the Core more desirable to those who might only be giving the Wii a shot because they'd be saving at least $100 but now that gap has narrowed (and could narrow further if Ms drops their price).
I guess I was just confused having seen may of the game conference footage using a wired wii-mote (or now that you mention it possibly just a charge cable of some sort).
I don't understand why people consider the 360 core to be so weak. Comparing the two versions, yes the $400 model is a lot better.... but compared to the Wii they're pretty evenly matched.... point to the Wii for it's controller but point to the 360 for delivering better graphics.
The Wii doesn't include any of the accessories included with the Premium 360 so why compare it to that? The only things the 360 looses without the hard drive is Backward compatibility and the the ability to download things that don't fit on the memory unit (which is pretty much just game demos and some game trailers). Xbox Live is still there, Xbox Live arcade games are still there, all the media functions are still there. It's just missing accessories that the Wii doesn't come with itself.
The idea that the Core is somehow "stupidly stripped down" because it doesn't have Backward Compatibility is just ridiculous.
Even still you're buying the controller in halves with a price of $60 for the whole.... Did they even mention if the packed in Wiimote was the wired or the wireless version? (I hope for the sake of the price tag that $40 Wii-mote is wireless)
Considering the Wii 1. has no hard drive, 2. has no headset, 3. has no HD video cables, and 4. may or may not ship with a wireless wii-mote. I'd say the Core version could be VERY appealing to would be Wii buyers. Even without the HDD on the core you can still play on Xbox Live, Download Xbox Live Arcade Games, use all the media features ect. Basically the only thing you loose is Backward Compatibility (since ever Xbox 1 game was built around the permanent Xbox 1 hard drive) and you can't download things that wont fit on a Memory Unit (and they make them in 64MB and 256MB sizes) Which really only excludes game demos and videos, since all XBLA games are required to be less then 50MB and most are far far smaller then that. Not to mention you can still pickup those game demos and videos from places like the official Xbox magazine disc.
If MS drops the Core price by $50 the console is by no means crippled when compared to the Wii and would make for a serious competitor.
I think the difference is when the feature boost the cost of the console. Nintendo can add things like weather and browsing without boosting the consoles price... Blu-Ray is costing Playstation fans a boatload weather they like it or not.
I found the list of those features interesting as well. A lot of them are things offered on modified Xbox consoles that a whole lot of people complained were included with the Xbox 360.
My biggest concern is resolution. Weather is ok but viewing text news and web browsing on a TV in 720x480 (or worse: interlaced 640x480) probably wont be a very pleasant experience for the eyes. I completely agree with Nintendo's reasons for not supporting HD resolutions but without HD text is either impossible to read or so large that you panning all over the place.
I myself love the hard modes as well. But I think on a whole the hard modes walk a fine line... some are genuinely difficult, they'll test your gaming abilities but they'll always give you a sense that if you just tried a little harder, didn't make that one little slip-up, or just tweaked your strategy... you'll make it through. Call of Duty 2 on Veteran difficulty is a good example of that. The game was HARD, but it wasn't cheap, and I wasn't put in any unfair advantages. Whenever I died there was no doubt that it was my own fault. When I finally completed it I felt a great sense of accomplishment, I'd made it through. Another game like that is Hitman Blood Money, playing through on Professional the enemies are more aware, and you can only save between levels, which means you have to be on your toes and play though the levels without slipping up.
Other games are just cheap, they'll lower your health, weaken your attacks, make the enemies stronger and more numerous, but sometimes they'll go even beyond that giving your opponents abilities that would be impossible if playing against a human opponent or even within reason based on the fantasy world they created. Street Fighter II comes to mind. The computer on the hardest setting can perform moves instantly and rapid fire that require human players 2 seconds to charge. The window of opportunity to attack is left wide open for the computer and reduced to next to nothing for the human player. Also the human players attacks do less damage and they take more damage from the opponents attacks. Rather then making the game harder in terms of skill by increasing the Computers AI they cheaped out giving them abilities that are just plain cheap, and it makes the game not very fun to play. Gun is another game like that, on "Insane" difficulty 2 shots from an enemy will kill you but you need to make 10 shots to kill them, enemies are more numerous and just attack in droves. When I play against the computer I want to feel like I'm on equal footing in terms of ability and that the computer defeated me because it played the game better then I did.
Hard mode is great, but not when the computer is cheap.
You don't finish playing the flue but you DO finish playing a song... You have to look at the flue as the machine the runs the game... and the song as the game itself. Never ending or "open ended" songs would get pretty boring in my opinion. Sure you might like to play the song a lot but if a song just went on forever it would get pretty repetitive don't you think? Personally I avoid games without endings, I like to have some semblance of closure. To make it feel like I finished the journey that I started, finished the story, and gives me a point where I can look back at game as a whole. Of course it also depends on the game. Games like Tetris or Soul Calibur play their course in a matter of minutes, and then you start over again. To me most games are like reading a book. Even books that I like I don't want to go on forever, if they did the books would eventually just become boring an repetitive like watching someone's daily routine. Some books I'll read more then once, but typically I like to finish my books, think about what the author (developer) was trying to get across, and start another.
Actually the CORE bundle is definitely a strong contender against would-be Wii buyers... There are only 4 things that separate the Core from the Premium version of the 360 1. A hard drive, 2. HD video cables, 3. a headset, and 4.Wireless controller instead of wired.
Now lets look at the Wii: It doesn't have a hard drive, just like the core, it doesn't come with HD video cables, just like the core, it doesn't include a headset, just like the core, so the only thing left is the wired/wireless controller and we don't know for sure yet what the Wii will include (however if E3 is any indication they do make both versions and I wouldn't put it past them including the wired version).
Even without a hard drive you can still use Xbox Live, you can still download game updates and Xbox Live Arcade games... the only problem is that you have to fit it on a memory unit which come in 64MB and 256MB versions. Really the only thing the CORE prevents you from doing is downloading big stuff like game demos and trailers (though there's still Official Xbox Magazine discs for that), also games take a little longer to load since they have no where to cache, and you can't play Xbox 1 games (since they were all designed to work with a hard drive on the Xbox 1).
The Premium Xbox 360 version is already starting to see a $50 instant or mail in rebate in certain stores in the US, there's a huge fall price cut rumored for Japan and Europe. It wouldn't be out of the question that MS would drop the price $50 on both versions in the US.... the Core could compete with the Wii DIRECTLY and the Premium would be that much more cheaper then the PS3.
apparently you all missed the parappa reference...
Duck! Jump! Turn! Pose! ?
Well personally I think that both the Libertarian and Pirate parties represent my views fairly well... but most people in that situation are torn between voting for the party they'd really like, knowing full well they have little to no chance of actually getting that party elected... or making a "lesser of two evils" vote to help keep "generic big party scumbag" out of office.
Except according to the the article, the game that will be using XFire is "Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom" which as far as I can tell is a PS3 exclusive. And correct me if I'm wrong but Sony's "tiny MMOs" use a different service altogether called PlayOnline... why would they throw XFire into the mix. That makes 3 separate online services running on the same machine. It hardly sounds like a "unified" solution.
This is beside the point that the new Playstation Network is supposed to be unified a cross-platform itself (to compete with MS's Live Anywhere). Sony even cited that it would spam PS2 PSP and PC in addition to PS3.
So again... why would they bring Xfire into the mix if the Playstation network already delivers the same thing?
Just be glad you don't live in Japan, typically the console pricing is SET by the manufacturer which is why it costs the same wherever you go (with the exception of bundles) but apparently the premium version will have "open market" pricing in Japan. Meaning retailers can charge whatever they please... I'll leave it up to your imagination which way how they'll push the prices.
That was my first guess when I heard the news. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Halo originally going to be an RTS before bungie was bought by MS? There have been rumors about a Halo RTS in the works for a while, before Halo 3 was announced a lot of people were speculating that the next title might be an RTS. Not to mention it makes sense; RTSs get barely any coverage on the console space (debatably because they're hard to play with a controller). It'd be in MS's best interests to build their start franchise laterally instead of making it just a straight sequel machine.
Yeah, I don't think it's so much a niche market as it's a SILENT market. Meaning a whole lot of the people who game on PC don't really consider themselves gamers, they don't camp out at Best Buy for the latest releases, they don't bombard message boards about their hobby. They'll pickup something that looks fun while they're out shopping for other things, or download something and play it in their spare time.
You can't track sales of PCs that get used for gaming like you can consoles that get used for gaming... and the number of games available for the PC dilutes the market so you don't get clear winners like you do on a console with only a fraction of the library. PC games have a lot more staying power too. PC gamers are likely to buy WoW or EVE and be good for the next 6 months to a year, unlike console gamers who buy a gamer or two every month (because that's about how long most of them last). Not to mention the mod community adds to the longevity of a PC game's life.
I wouldn't call PC games a niche market... PC gamers are just a DIFFERENT market, the gamers who play there have different tastes and attitudes towards gaming and the machines are good at running different types of games. The back and forth is pretty pointless because neither platform is going anywhere anytime soon.
Yeah I agree with you on all your points... the only thing I can think of was that Halo (before it came to the Xbox) was originally going to be an RTS before MS bought them IIRC. There has also been more then one rumor that they plan to eventually release a Halo RTS as a way to branch the franchises out laterally as opposed to just a sequel machine. If that is the case then MS might want to shut this project down for the fact that at some point it WILL be competing directly with one of their own products and undoubtedly draw comparisons... Why doesn't the official game do X when the free one does... I like the mod version much better then the real one because of X...
From a business standpoint even if MS just THINKING about MAYBE making an RTS Halo it's probably in their best interests to squash such a project now before it matures into a real competitor.
Then again it could just be MS and business as usual...
In the same way you can argue that a PC can be used for more then just gaming an HDTV can be use for more then just gaming as well... HOWEVER the $400 graphics card in the article is rarely used for more then just gaming, and while all it takes is the purchase of a console to turn your existing entertainment center into a gaming platform, you typically have to buy more then just a video card to convert your office/internet machine into a gaming machine.
I also don't understand your logic about how friends gathering on a couch is somehow "distancing", if you're going to play games against each other gathering on a couch is far more personal then playing against each other online, and certainly a whole lot easier to plan and easier to make frequent then a LAN party. It's certainly more interactive then watching a football game or a movie together.
I'd have to disagree. When the 360 came out IGN did a poll asking if people thought the PC or 360 version of games looked better (using what was currently a bleeding edge PC), in most cases the PC version was voted as having somewhat better graphics but COD2 was one that was considered to be clearly better looking on the console. (I'd link the article but it's difficult to find now that it's months old).
Keyboard and Mouse isn't necessarily better, you can make the argument that the mouse is more accurate but are you sure you don't prefer that method simply because that's the control mechanism you learned how to play FPSs with? Personally I'll take a gamepad over a keyboard and mouse any day of the week, it's just more comfortable for me and feels more natural to me, I currently use a console like controller for all of my PC gaming because it's my preferred input device.
As for online matches "online system is everything I would ever need on the PC" is hardly an argument for why PC gaming might be BETTER. The two are fairly equivalent feature wise but I feel I find more quality matches on Xbox Live... at very least it's easier to find people of similar skill and easier to maintain that in-game relationship for future matches and games. Things like that are what make Xbox Live more then just playing games online... it's a community, much like you'll find in an MMO, but it spans across every game you play online using that console.
You're making arguments as if you don't own an Xbox 360 yourself, if you don't own one then IMO you aren't entirely qualified to make such arguments. It'd be like saying running is more enjoyable then swimming, but you've only ever read about and watched other people swim as opposed to spending some time and learning how to do it yourself before making such a claim.
Being crazy about a culture and having the same tastes as that culture are two completely different things. Last time I checked most American's aren't exactly crazy about American culture.
Someone being crazy about American culture might wear clothes styles that are popular in America, they might use English words and phrases, watch American movies and listen to American music. That doesn't actually change their personal tastes. Just because they listen to music that was made in America doesn't mean they have the same tastes as Americans. An American might listen to the latest Country or Rap chart topper while a Japanese person who is infatuated by American culture might pick up an American artists who sounds most similar to something J-Pop.
Not to mention there is a disconnect between what American culture actually IS and what other countries might perceive that culture to be, following that would be like creating some hybrid culture that doesn't actually exist.
I would think that if they were as "crazed" as you say they are they would be buying the Xbox 360 by the truck loads, or maybe MS should market the Xbox 360 as something that makes you seem more American.
I think the biggest problem is, as you said, MS has a crappy name based on their last console, they scrwed up the launch of the 360 by having NO japanese oriented games (with the exception of Ridge Racer 6... need I say more) so it basically just shouted "HEY! We didn't change one bit!" Now that they have the good games (and I think the design of the console is good too) they need to work overtime to reverse that negative image they have. Though it doesn't seem like they're doing so.
If you're wondering about the kinds of games Japan has for the 360:
- 2006 FIFA World Cup
- Bomberman Act: Zero
- Bullet Witch
- Chromehounds
- Condemned: Criminal Origins
- (Convenience Store 200X)
- Dead or Alive 4
- Dead Rising
- Special (Dynasty Warriors 4 Special)
- Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires
- Enchanted Arms / [eM] -eNCHANT arM-
- (Everyparty)
- FIFA 06
- Final Fantasy XI
- Kameo: Elements of Power
- ZERO (Kengo Zero)
- King Kong
- Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
- LoveFOOTBALL
- MotoGP '06
- Ninety-Nine Nights
- Over-G: Fighters / Energy Airforce
- Project Gotham Racing 3
- Project Sylpheed
- (Pro Baseball Spirits 3)
- Ridge Racer 6
- Rockstar Table Tennis
- Rumble Roses XX
- (Samurai Warriors 2)
- Senko No Ronde Rev.X
- (Shutokou Battle Ten)
- Spectral Force 3
- (Tenchu Senran)
- Tetris Grand Master Ace
- (Toryumon)
- WRESTLE KINGDOM
- Zegapain XOR
- (Far East of Eden)
- EX NEO (Zoids Ex Neo)
Some of them are here in the US and Europe, some of them are in Japan and will eventually come to the US and Europe, some of them will never leave the shores of Japan. But I think there are a fair number of Japanese specific titles available now... the only problem is getting people there to know enough about them that they'll want to buy it.Speaking to people I know in Japan the console just isn't advertised at all, hardly anyone knows the console exists and those that do don't know anything about it. Not to mention the launch there was the biggest flop I can think of with such notable titles as TETRIS and NFSMW (yes I'm sure the Japanese would like to buy a game were white-trash Americans take a dump on their car culture). At least now they're starting to have a decent amount of games available but if no one knows about it then no one is going to buy them.
Basically my impression is the Xbox 1 was just a poor product for Japan, it didn't appeal to what the Japanese market wants in a console. The Xbox 360 has improved a whole lot on this, but the launch game line up didn't show this at all so MS basically screwed up the first impressions, now that they have the games available they're not marketing anywhere close to well enough, nevermind putting the marketing into overdrive to overcome the negative launch impressions.
oops I forgot to add "external power supply" to the CORE list, obviously it include the power adapter as well.
I think it's important to note that asside from the usless chrome trim, there is absolutely no difference internally between the two versions. If you buy the CORE and decided to morrow that you should have purchased the premium, you can go to the store and buy all of the accessories that make up the differences between the two, and the console will look and function no different.