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Microsoft reaches milestone with Xbox 360

Microsoft has sold more than 30 million Xbox 360 units since the console's release in 2005, the company said in a statement.

Furthermore, the Microsoft Xbox Live service -- which gamers must pay to use -- has more than 20 million active global members, with more than one billion downloads from the Marketplace.  Microsoft reportedly received a massive Xbox Live boost with the release of New Xbox Experience, a new service the Redmond, Washington-based company rolled out last November.

Even though it hasn't been able to catch up with the Wii, both the Xbox 360 and Wii have seen solid sales numbers across the world. 

"We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree," said Don Mattrick, Interactive Entertainment Business VP.  "We expect our growth to continue to accelerate," Mattrick continued. "Our news at E3 next week will underscore our commitment to bringing blockbuster entertainment experiences to everyone and to growing the Xbox entertainment brand globally."

The company also said hardware sales grew 28 percent from the same time in 2008 in the U.S. market, which is highest growth for Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo.

Since launching in 2006, the Wii has sold more than 50 million units, with the PS3 selling around 20 million consoles.  Microsoft has had a difficult time trying to market the Xbox 360 in Japan, but has been able to sell large quantities of Xbox 360 consoles in other markets.

Leading up to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) taking place next week in Los Angeles, there are rumors regarding each company and what could be introduced during the event.  Microsoft's most notable rumor, of course, is continued talk of motion sensing functionality added to the Xbox 360.

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Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By JBird7986 on 5/28/2009 2:39:19 PM , Rating: 1
Congratulations to MS for selling 30 million XBox 360s.

Given the 33% failure rate of the console that once was reported at this site, that means that they've since had to repair approximately 10 million units. What I want to know is how many of them have actually been repaired for RROD problems and resold, and what are the numbers for those? Moreover, are those refurbished models included in the 30 million?




RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By Luticus on 5/28/2009 3:05:38 PM , Rating: 1
As far as I know the 33% failure rate was only for the "first gen" release of the Xbox 360, the last 2 major revisions have had much better success rates. So I think your numbers may be a bit off there. I have a second revision model and it's still hanging in there nicely. It sees about as much action as my WII, mild to moderate use (I game mostly on my PC), and I have the Xbox in an entertainment center that is well ventilated. I don't have any aftermarket fans on it or anything but it seems to be ok. I wouldn't worry too much about the failure rates anymore, I'd say that's pretty much a thing of the past now... granted I'm sure not everyone has had my experience with it. In fact I purposefully held off on buying my because I was worried about the high failure rates, but now that I have it I’m glad I do… It’s proven to be a very fun/entertaining system, well worth the money.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By jarman on 5/28/2009 3:27:03 PM , Rating: 2
I wouldn't be too optimistic yet. My first 360 (203W Xenon) had the RROD. It's replacement, a 175W Falcon just had RROD, and is currently the process of being returned. Only the Second 360 that I purchased (175W Falcon, Elite version) has been RROD free so far (knock on wood).

I'm only 1 data point but so far I'm 2 for 3 on the RRsOD. As such, I would love to see the overall failure numbers from Microsoft.


By Hiawa23 on 5/29/2009 9:57:02 AM , Rating: 3
My launch 2005 model still works fine, it was repaired in June 08, but like I said MS repaired it & sent the same console back, fine since. I also picked up a 3/2008 HDMI model last year that has been flawless.

I am not giving MS a pass as the RROD fiasco shouldn't have happened, but the 360 has been amazing for me. Online, & gaming has been unrivaled compared to the comp, & I also own a PS3 & Wii. The Wii I don't like, really only bought for daughter, I own 8 exclusive PS3 games, over 60 360 games.

I think MS was a genius to institute game installs as my 360s are cooler, less noisey & blows out less heat than my PS3, & if you ask me game installs are what's resulting in lower defects as it's clear there is less stress when running games off the HDD. I had to replace both the PS1 PS2 so as far as I am concerned The 360 has had less issues than both of those consoles, & is my favorite console this gen, like the Xbox was last gen.

I think the 30mill units is an amazing accomplishment especially given how the Xbox1 was received & the failure rates this gen, so all is good in Xbox land for me. The PS3 will continue to be just that for me, exclusives only everything else on the 360.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By Hakuryu on 5/28/2009 3:29:28 PM , Rating: 3
I bought my elite system when GTA 4 came out, and like you I have never had a problem.

While I do not deny there were problems with the console, I wonder how much of it was truly hardware problems versus consumer stupidity. I build and upgrade PC's and it amazes me how many people have their towers stuffed into desk cabinets full of books... and then you open the case and find CPU fans that cant hardly turn due to the build up of dust.

If we could find out how many of the 30 million were refurbished, I'd also like to know how many of the 33% RROD came from improper ventilation and care.


By erikejw on 5/29/2009 9:11:46 AM , Rating: 4
We all know consumers are stupid so we need stupid proof products.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By theapparition on 5/28/2009 3:33:11 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
As far as I know the 33% failure rate was only for the "first gen" release of the Xbox 360

Even that is not completely correct. MS has NEVER released statistics for repairs. That number came from an unofficial at a retailer who estimated returns were 1/3. The corporation promptly refuted that number shortly thereafter, but the internet damage was already done. 33% spread like wildfire and now it's just accepted fact.

Analysts estimate that the overall repair rate is less than 10%. However, even 10% is not good for a consumer electronics, in fact, it's just downright miserable.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By Bateluer on 5/28/2009 3:57:33 PM , Rating: 4
An 'acceptable' fail rate is about 2 to 3%, correct? 10% is still dismal.

I'm betting that 30 million figure included refurbs and repairs as well.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By omnicronx on 5/28/2009 4:06:17 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
I'm betting that 30 million figure included refurbs and repairs as well.
Well I hope you are not a betting man then.. Both NDP and Vgtchartz also put them at 30 million, neither of which take refurbs and repairs into account, only new console sales.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By bety on 5/28/2009 5:18:59 PM , Rating: 1
What it does include is an amazing number of none-too-bright xbox fanboys buying 2nd and 3rd consoles after previous ones have fizzled. This apparently actually happens, according to the net and the local EB manager, though the reasoning is unfathomable to me. 30 million consoles = 20 million happy users??


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By Luticus on 5/28/2009 8:23:45 PM , Rating: 1
Disgruntled much? Microsoft made a pretty good system, despite their rocky start with RROD and other failure issues; I don't think this can be denied. Quit whining and let them have their 15 minutes of fame. If people’s consoles break and they replace them after the second and third time, I think that's saying something about the entertainment value of the system. Granted if mine broke I don't think I’d be replacing it (not because I think it's a bad system, but because I don't like buying things twice), if for some reason Microsoft didn't fix it for me that is.

Second, can we all agree that people who use the word "fanboy" sound retarded... I swear it's like “noob” in a video game, “traitor” in politics, or “heathen” in religion. All it means is "I disagree, but I’m too much of a prick to just say it out right and I’m certainly not intelligent enough to muster a proper insult so I’ll resort to the latest trendy name calling to get my half-thought point across.... unsuccessfully." It was cute back in the day when someone first said it… now its old, stale, and time to give it a rest. Seriously, drop the word “fanboy”, this isn't preschool anymore... we are adults now and we should know how to hold a debate without sounding like idiots. You’re bringing down the collective inelegance of everyone here; we are all “dumber” now having read that.

Oh and another thing, telling people you don’t care how they rate your “controversial” posts is also stupid. I know you don’t care how I rate it, if you did then I assume you wouldn’t have posted it to begin with.

Sorry, I had to get that out of my system because I’m just so sick of seeing it…

I know it won’t mean anything and I know people will keep doing it anyway but hey, hopefully there are some among us who think these ideas are good.

So far people seem to like me so I can hope.

</rant>

;)


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By Elementalism on 5/28/2009 9:45:56 PM , Rating: 2
Y9ou bety's dad? Because you just it an internet spanking!


By Luticus on 5/28/2009 10:08:51 PM , Rating: 2
I expected some odd replys, but wow! ;-P


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By bety on 5/29/2009 5:17:09 AM , Rating: 2
Actually he seems to be an insane man ranting from an asylum. Note the part about how I don't care how he rates my post. This of course was no part of my short post, nor is it something I have ever said. What can one say about somebody who's mental state is so questionable that they make up entire points?

Ironically, he is accusing ME of ranting! lol. (ooh, I bet "lol" is troubling to him). On the subject of his several lines about "fanboy":
1.this is a contentless argument about terminology. It belongs in elementary school. It is merely a common word used to describe a construct, it was not mean to be "cute". I'm not sure if anybody ever had such an intention. If you prefer, try to mentally (challenging I am sure for you) insert "fanatic" in it's place.
2.this has nothing to do with telling somebody what you do or do not think of them. If you think telling somebody "off" on the internet is a sign of character or courage....well when you get more "real" world experience I am sure you will have a different perspective. Your tangential rant about this is revealing in that you are projecting your own fears and insecurities. Funny!
3.I really don't care what you and your young friends think is the current "cool" or "in" lingo. Simply not interested. Used "fanboy" to describe an idea, any criticism you have of the IDEA would certainly be taken more seriously, as opposed to a rant about the use of a word you don't like anymore.

Now, when you say that people buying the console a 2nd or 3rd time speaks to the entertainment value of the system, I absolutely agree that is ONE POSSIBLE interpretation. Unfortunately, you then go on to point out that you yourself wouldn't do it, which in itself inherantly points to another possible interpretation (can you figure out what it is? lol)

BUT the ultimate stupidity/irony was this line, which came after TEN lines of whining about the word "fanboy":

"You’re bringing down the collective inelegance of everyone here; we are all “dumber” now having read that."

So...I'm "bringing down the collective inelegance" eh? Yes, I can DEFINITELY see why that would bother you, and rest assured you are doing a great deal to support the collective inelegance of the forum. Well done. Up with inelegance!!!!


By Luticus on 5/29/2009 8:49:43 AM , Rating: 2
Haha! Nice, honestly I'd been thinking about posting the "fanboy" stuff for a while. You just happened to be the unlucky/lucky winner to say it when I was thinking about it. Half that stuff wasn't really even directed at you. It was more for everyone in general than anything else.

Fact of the matter is that I don't care, that's why I didn't bother to specify.

quote:
BUT the ultimate stupidity/irony was this line, which came after TEN lines of whining about the word "fanboy":

Someone's never seen Billy Madison I see... You should watch it, it's pretty funny. The line was intended more to be funny than anything else. Don't take stupid stuff on the internet so seriously, I know I don't.

Oh and the line about "it was cute when someone first said it", was part of a George Carlin routine… also in there just for kicks and giggles.

I was serious about the over use of the word "fanboy" which has basically degraded the word down to meaninglessness... but seriously, I thought it was obvious the post was exaggeratory... and I was positive at the time of writing that it would be taken wrong and probably rated down.
Putting something stupid at the end like "lol" or "j/k" or anything to show that the post wasn't meant to be 100% serious would have ruined its effect, which so far has been quite nice and very interesting/funny.

quote:
projecting your own fears and insecurities.

Nope, I was just having fun. I’m not so easy to psychoanalyze.

Before I posted the comment I had my wife come over and read it... after she got done she laughed, then I asked her "do you think this will get me rated down?" She said "yes", and I said "Good, screw it" and clicked post.

In other news, it took 10 tons of drugs and booze to come up with the song "Yellow Submarine"... Now that we're completely off topic, back to the box :-) <- I put this smiley face to indicate sarcasm/joke...

When I posted the original comment I was laughing my @$$ off, now I’m laughing harder... Thank you Bety, for making my day twice!

I had fun and (I'm actually being serious here) I hope there’s no hard feelings.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By SlyNine on 5/31/2009 2:39:40 PM , Rating: 2
By my account, I've known about people with Xbox 360's and only 1 of them purchased in 06 is still working with the original. I'd like to see the links to any of these analysts and their affiliations. Citations my friends or else your numbers are more worthless then his, as his is common knowledge at least [ even if it's flawed knowledge ]


By SlyNine on 5/31/2009 2:41:27 PM , Rating: 2
That was meant as a reply to theapparition


By StevoLincolnite on 5/28/2009 4:07:00 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I'm betting that 30 million figure included refurbs and repairs as well.


I doubt it would be, it's world wide, with billions of people living and breathing on the planet at any one time, not just the US.


By wempa on 5/28/2009 10:14:17 PM , Rating: 2
Given the statistics I see, I think the 33% is way more accurate. I see all of my friends' 360 consoles dropping like flies. I belong to a private gaming group on Yahoo and every few weeks another person is saying that they just experienced the RROD. I have 2 consoles and they both got it. Neither were under warranty since I modified mine for extra cooling. Luckily, I was able to fix them both using the "X-Clamp" replacement method.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By rudolphna on 5/28/2009 9:40:08 PM , Rating: 2
Actually I beleive the Falcon is almost as prone, due to the much higher Tin composition of the Ball grid joints. The Xenon model had alot of Lead, which has a much higher melting point than tin, which now makes up a large percentage of the chemical makeup of the solder. That, combined with the minor half-node die shrink to 80nm, means that the falcon GPU is just as, if not more, prone to RROD than the Xenon model. The Jasper model on the other hand, because it shrinks to 65nm, means that RROD risk is minimal.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By theapparition on 5/28/2009 10:10:31 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
The Xenon model had alot of Lead, which has a much higher melting point than tin, which now makes up a large percentage of the chemical makeup of the solder.

Sorry, but lead based solder has a much lower melting temperature than the tin based ones, like SAC320. That is one of the primary reason that RoHS is such a big issue. The reflow temperature has to be cranked up and it tends to melt many of the plasics used for packages and connectors.

Second, and I'm not positive on this, was that all models of Xbox360 were and are RoHS compliant, which means no lead at all, even on any of the BGAs.

It's pretty obvious that the RRODs have signifigantly died down with the advent of Falcon, so I think your supposition is misleading and isn't supported by the facts.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By crazyblackman on 5/29/09, Rating: -1
RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By themaster08 on 5/29/2009 5:21:11 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Microsoft can't afford to challenge them any longer with this expensive lemon of a gaming console. They can't possibly add any more features/updates to the NXE. The thing is already as unstable as Windows ME.

Expensive? You can purchase an Xbox 360 for less than half the price of a PS3. It appeals to those who don't wish to spend over double the price on a console with a similar library of games, similar graphics and overall similar gameplay. Furthermore, with the Xbox 360 you can pick and choose the hardware you wish, to customise it to your needs, thus lowering the price.
I know the PS3's processor is far superior, plus the BluRay player which bumps up the price, but it's been close to 3 years now, and I'm still hearing people saying that the PS3's full potential is yet to be seen. How long do they need?

The NXE is a refreshing new look, particularly for those who have been staring at the original dashboard for the past 3 years. It might not appeal to everyone, and perhaps it's idea has derived from the Wii, but either way, and I'm only speaking for myself here, that's much better than the primitive, tedious interface that is the XMB. I find the XMB the single most boring interface of all 3 of the current generation consoles.

quote:
That's a lot of fools with money...who have probably already migrated to the PS3.

I find this funny, because I know of just one person who has migrated from an Xbox 360 to a PS3, and about 4 who have gone the other way. Granted those people still own a PS3 as well, but find the 360 far more entertaining with the exception of one.

There's something I wanted to add. Hardware advances (Excluding die shrinks).
We've seen a few hardware advances in the Xbox 360, with the inclusion of HDMI, larger hard drives and the like. Admittedly each new Xbox revision released offers an improvement over the last. This can't be said for the PS3 with the exception of hard drives (which in my opinion still isn't large enough considering you have to install many games). Sony have had to remove some hardware features of the PS3, which disgruntled even some of my friends who were at the time yet to buy PS3's, yet it's still a very expensive system without these features.

Quite clearly you have never owned an Xbox 360 hence your very biased opinions. I own both so I believe my argument holds more credibility. I might have been biased in my argument, but this was only to counteract what you have said. You might as well have just said "360 suxx, P$3 pwnz" because that just about sums up your argument.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By crazyblackman on 5/29/09, Rating: 0
RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By themaster08 on 5/30/2009 6:52:59 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
AND...? What about the future, Sherlock?

Let me just jump in my time machine....

quote:
You only responded to a very small portion of what I laid out.

Probably because the rest of what you put just isn't worth arguing. I don't know what the future holds, and the rest of your argument was based on FUD about the 360's future.
If your argument contained any real logic then you wouldn't have recieved the -1 rating you have, so quite clearly it's not just me that disagrees with you.

quote:
You like the NXE huh? Why is everybody crying over the Blades being removed then?

Regardless to whether I like it, I also said:-
quote:
It might not appeal to everyone

Furthermore, I've never heard anyone "crying" about the Blades being removed. I've heard a couple of people mention that they preferred the original dashboard, but not to the extent of crying. To be perfectly honest I heard more people crying about PS2 compatability being removed from the PS3. This was a huge letdown for many of my friends who still wished to play their vast collection of PS2 games but didn't want to pay out for another PS2 after theirs was dying.

quote:
Is that all? NXE? Hardware revisions?

As opposed to a few added XMBoring features that already existed on the Xbox, hardware downgrades and PlayStation Home that is still in beta? With that said though, I admire that Sony are taking their time to perfect it, but how long could they possibly need?

If the Xbox 360 was that much of a lemon, regardless of it's 30 million systems sold, it wouldn't have 20 million Xbox Live subscribers. Surely 20 million people wouldn't have paid to get online if it wasn't worth it.
The Xbox will always hold the advantage of a better online experience, even if your FUD turned out to be true.


RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By crazyblackman on 5/30/09, Rating: 0
RE: Sold 30 million and repaired over 10...
By themaster08 on 5/31/2009 7:36:32 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
People...this is the next generation. Don't buy a PS3 if you still want to just play PS2 games. Got it?

I do see your point, but I don't think you got mine.

If you have a large collection of PS2 games, there's no doubt that at some stage you would like to play them again, regardless of whether they have the latest and greatest games console.

It might be your idea to risregard all of your older games just because something new is out, but I know many people who still enjoy playing PS2 and even PS1 games who have a PS3.
Many of my friends PS2's were on their last legs when they purchased a PS3, and it would have been more convenient if their PS3 allowed for backwards compatability, instead of forking out even more money for another PS2.

Backwards compatability = convenience. Especially when it's predecessor was the best selling games console of all time.

quote:
Sony is doing a great job on updating the PS3 to compete with those features.

All things considered, I agree with you on this one. With that said though, I still think that the XMB is a tedious interface, but that's just a matter of opinion.

quote:
Like I said, the PS3 is built for the future of gaming, even with motion control capability built right in.

I agree with you somewhat, but not entirely. Look at every generation of games consoles and their sales figures. Most people really don't care for stunning HD visuals and 8-core processors. People want something unique, something with excellent gameplay. Look back at the last generation. The original Xbox was by far more powerful than the PS2, but look what happened.

This might just be my opinion, but a large chunk of the PS3 games are aimed at the same user base, and this just isnt enough to invest a large amount of money into. There isn't much variety.
I know there are many great titles yet to be released, but yet again, most of these are just FPS's, only appealing to a more mature audience.

The Six Axis motion control has an awful lot of potential yet to be seen used fully. It could be used in a lot of child-like games, thus appealing to a different audience rather than another FPS that doesn't appeal to everyone. I think this is what has made the Wii so successful. It's not just the motion control per se, but the variety it offers. Look at the variety the PS2 offers. It appeals to everyone .

Once there is a good mix of genres, and when the PS3 drops down in price, then sales figures will probably soar.

quote:
But hey, who wants to be the Wii? Obviously, the 360 does. Better that buying all the addons it would take to be a PS3.

If this actually happens then that's that I guess, but I don't think the Xbox 360 needs to be anything like the Wii or the PS3.
The Xbox 360 is unique in it's own ways, and it's already sold 30 million without motion control. In my opinion, I don't think there would be much to gain by adding it now. Add something unique I say.

quote:
We will just agree to disagree about paying for XBL. I will take the "boring" XMB,PS Home Beta,and free online gaming, any day over being forced to have some childish looking Avatar on my hardcore gaming system.

Well I'm not going to argue with that, because that's your opinion. As for me, I'd prefer the latter. I'm not a hardcore gamer, more of a casual/recreational gamer.

I personally think the NXE, like the Wii, takes away the seriousness people have become to percieve in gaming and brings back what games consoles are all about....fun.


By myhipsi on 5/29/2009 8:39:40 AM , Rating: 2
I have to agree, at least from my own personal experience. I'm currently on my 3rd Xbox 360 console. Thankfully, I purchased my original console at Price Club so I had no problem returning both of the defective units. Before anyone comments on misuse, I have had these consoles on a wide open shelf with nothing around them whatsoever. I had to return the first unit after about 6 months due to crashes and severe artifacting. The second unit I brought back around 6 months after that due to an inability to boot. I've been using the current one for a little over a year now and had no problems up until the past few months, where it only reads one or two games out of my collection (could be just a dirty laser lens, either way it has only been a year of use). Actually, it's kind of funny, the only game it will consistantly play without problems is Halo 3.

So this has been my experience with this console. I'm out of warranty now and I certainly won't be pruchasing another one. I won't bash MS, but I'll vote with my wallet on this one.


.
By StevoLincolnite on 5/28/2009 2:37:39 PM , Rating: 4
Motion sensing will be a little bit to late, considering that:

1) I doubt older games will work with it.

2) I doubt many new games will support the feature (Especially the Arcade games).

3) Motion sensing isn't what we like about the Xbox.

To me it seems they are just trying to replicate the Wii's success by copying some of there ideas. (Avatars, motion sensing etc').

What I would like to see is the Xbox Forums located somewhere on the dash, or perhaps a Twitter/Facebook kind of place, you can use a USB keyboard to type or one of those mini-keyboars that fit onto the controller.

And lastly... Netflix/some form of video rental service available world wide to all Xbox Users.




RE: .
By Mitch101 on 5/28/2009 2:50:19 PM , Rating: 2
Buy an eye toy for the PS2 and sit a kid in front of it playing puyo pop and watch that kid go nuts until they cant move any more. Ninja and Fireworks stuff is a lot of fun also.

Motion sense has a lot of potential if executed well like some of the games made around the eye toy.

BTW There are no controllers in Eye Toy YOU are the controller. You tube it and Virtual Fighter its really one of the neatest things we bought for a game console.


RE: .
By Inkjammer on 5/28/2009 2:54:25 PM , Rating: 5
1) You don't need older games to work with it. You just need *GOOD* games. Half the games on the Wii wouldn't suck as much if they didn't try to force motion sensing into every minor detail (not every game needs it).

2) It all depends on how Microsoft promotes it, how they encourage it, support developers, etc.

3) What is it we do like about the Xbox then? The games? The connectivity? The Xbox offers a wide variety of reasons to like it. Giving it an option for one more isn't going to hurt it.

And yes, the avatars are definitely inspired by the Miis, no doubt, but every company watches each other for what's successful and what isn't. Nintendo took a huge risk and it paid off, and Microsoft wants a part of that. Sony took the same huge risk with the Playstation going from cartridge to disc, and it paid off when Nintendo didn't find value in it. The hammer swings both ways.

In the end, it doesn't matter what they do... what matters is what they do right.


RE: .
By Luticus on 5/28/2009 3:23:54 PM , Rating: 4
I agree completely, some games on WII are really frustrating because they force motion where it doesn't belong just so they can say their game takes advantage of it. A good analogy is: "Keyboards have a lot of keys; a game doesn't suck just because it doesn’t use all of them."

However some games and their use of the motion controls can be real gems. Most are by Nintendo, but hey... Nintendo is a good developer and I think that shows.

I think you're right about the promotion and support thing too. It's all in implementations and support really. Motion as we know with WII can be a huge plus, but it can also be really bad if used improperly. I'm just hoping that if MS does implement motion they don't make it in such a way where it's an obvious counterfeit of Nintendo. That would be a bit disappointing to me and I probably wouldn't buy it on principal if they did.

One thing I think they could do is implement the "mind control mouse technology I’ve been reading about, not as the only method of control, obviously, but as an alternate control method that could really enhance the game play and would be a 1up vs. Nintendo if they managed to get it right. Heck i wouldn't be upset if Nintendo did it either.


RE: .
By Bender 123 on 5/28/2009 3:23:33 PM , Rating: 2
Wii360 FTW...I have them both and the Wii gets pulled out for visitors and some virtual console. The 360 runs the movies and "me time" games.


Almost there...
By VaultDweller on 5/28/2009 2:40:55 PM , Rating: 2
Just 106 million units away from catching up to the PS2. You can do it!




RE: Almost there...
By Mitch101 on 5/28/2009 3:03:47 PM , Rating: 5
We all know the real money is in game sales. Can we say Nintendo World Domination?

Top 20 console games of all time

The 20 best-selling console/handheld games, not originally bundled.
1. Wii Play (Wii – 22.98 million)[66]
2. Nintendogs (DS – 22.27 million, all 5 versions combined)[66]
3. Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green (Game Boy – 20.08 million approximately: 10.23 million in Japan,[44] 9.85 million in US)[19]
4. New Super Mario Bros. (DS – 18.45 million)[66]
5. Wii Fit (Wii – 18.22 million)[66]
6. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES – 18 million)[41]
7. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (DS – 17.41 million)[66]
8. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (DS – 16.81 million)[67]
9. Mario Kart Wii (Wii – 15.4 million)[66]
10. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (PS2 – 14.89 million shipped)[95]
11. Mario Kart DS (DS – 14.61 million)[66]
12. Pokémon Gold and Silver (Game Boy Color – 14.51 million approximately: 7.6 million in US,[19] 6.91 million in Japan)[44]
13. Super Mario Land (Game Boy – 14 million)[41]
14. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! (DS – 13.71 million)[66]
15. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (GBA – 13 million)[73]
16. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2 – 12 million)[103]
17. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (GBA – 11.82 million)[67]
18. Super Mario 64 (N64 – 11 million)[41]
19. Gran Turismo (PS1 – 10.85 million shipped)[95][96]
20. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS – 10.79 million),[67]


RE: Almost there...
By walk2k on 5/28/2009 4:43:51 PM , Rating: 1
Good for Nintendo maybe, not really for 3rd parties.


RE: Almost there...
By KernD on 5/28/2009 6:58:07 PM , Rating: 5
If third parties made games in the same way, they would have success.

Most companies tries to get games finished at the right moment to make the most money, and with the best graphics.

Nintendo releases games when there finished, and with the best game play around.

Third parties have only themselves to blame.

3 games not on a Nintendo platform, versus 17 on it and by Nintendo itself, it's quite impressive.


RE: Almost there...
By Elementalism on 5/28/2009 9:42:09 PM , Rating: 3
10 million closer than the PS3.


Don Mattrick is a dumbass?
By pwnsweet on 5/28/2009 10:17:00 PM , Rating: 3
I just had to say something about this:

"We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree,"

Can someone please explain to me how this makes sense when the knowledge that Wii has sold more units is taken into consideration?




RE: Don Mattrick is a dumbass?
By inperfectdarkness on 5/28/2009 11:25:35 PM , Rating: 3
glad i'm not the only one who caught that.

seriously...i was worried about "me-too!" copycat motion controls from sony & microsoft--at first.

now...now i'd be happy if they attempted to do it. nintendo has PERFECTED it. the 3rd parties are sitting there not even TRYING. so with sony or microsoft putting their full swing behind it--the lazy ass, get-rich-quick 3rd party developers will actually have to start putting decent effort into developing it; or risk getting left by the wayside.

seriously...this will only HELP nintendo. microsoft has NEVER had better 1st party gaming than nintendo--so solidifying play control on motion sensing will put the ball firmly in nintendo's court.

the only difference this will make on microsoft's end, is that the xbox fanbois will no longer refer to motion controls as "gimmicky" once microsoft embraces them.


RE: Don Mattrick is a dumbass?
By pwnsweet on 5/29/2009 3:10:00 AM , Rating: 3
quote:
Nintendo has PERFECTED it.


Woah! The pointer stuff had been done great but the precision of motion is far from perfection. Of course that may change with the Wii MotionPlus.


RE: Don Mattrick is a dumbass?
By themaster08 on 5/29/2009 4:25:54 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
now...now i'd be happy if they attempted to do it. nintendo has PERFECTED it. the 3rd parties are sitting there not even TRYING. so with sony or microsoft putting their full swing behind it--the lazy ass, get-rich-quick 3rd party developers will actually have to start putting decent effort into developing it; or risk getting left by the wayside.

Couldn't agree more.

Nintendo's strong suit has always been their 1st party games. I think 3rd party developers feel somewhat intimidated by their overwhelming presence in the Wii games development, that if they do release something, it will be inferior to that of what Nintendo is releasing.
This is discouraging for 3rd party developers becuse then they will have to actually get off their lazy asses and come up with something that is good enough to compete, and it seems that isn't what they have in mind.

I'm not saying that all 3rd party games are rubbish, far from it, but there's no denying that the Nintendo 1st party library of games is far superior in quality to that of 3rd party games, and always has been.


RE: Don Mattrick is a dumbass?
By someguy123 on 5/29/2009 12:30:13 AM , Rating: 2
well, these are the same people that once claimed the 360 had no RROD problems, the wii was not a threat at all, and that decided it was a good idea to support HDDVD even though Bluray was clearly dominating in terms of studio support.

it's all marketing and PR, though. everyone talks about their own product as though it's the greatest thing ever. Nintendo's slogan is "innovation", PS3 is "ultimate media center", and i guess 360's is "most entertaining".


RE: Don Mattrick is a dumbass?
By Hiawa23 on 5/29/2009 11:21:44 AM , Rating: 2
I just had to say something about this:

"We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree,"

Can someone please explain to me how this makes sense when the knowledge that Wii has sold more units is taken into consideration?

I can speak for no one but myself, but to me the 360 does offer more enterainment value than the Wii & PS3, which is why I never turn on the Wii, other than when my daughter wants me to play with her, yet the 360 gets played everyday. It just has the features & games I like, & I am turned completely off by motion controls. I am looking forward to see what the Sony announces this E3.


Playstation is about 23million & RROD
By Belard on 5/28/2009 8:14:25 PM , Rating: 5
The PS3 has always been about 7 million units behind the Xbox360... because it came out 1 year later. Its market growth is still the same as the 360.

$20million sounds quite a bit worse than $23million.

The other issue is that the XBOX 360s (1~2Gen) have about a 33% failure rate with RROD, Drive failures and the new E74 Error Code which maybe a way to "hide" RROD.

But if we count only the first 2 gen models at 33%, MS had about 25million units on the market. Thats about 7.5~8million failed units.

So how many of these ended up refurbished or destoryed? We have reports of people getting refurbs that die as well.

Notice HOW many Xbox360 owners have bought 2-3 and even 4 units to get a cooler and more reliable unit?! How many PS3 owners buy "replacement" units? None.

So I think the NEW sale rates of Xbox360s is incorrect because of the failures and re-sale of units. How many people have bought 360s 2~3rd hand because the previous owners "upgraded".




RE: Playstation is about 23million & RROD
By robber98 on 5/28/2009 9:18:55 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
How many PS3 owners buy "replacement" units? None.


Not true. I know a few people bought their 2nd PS3 because the len for blueray burned out and their PS3 were out of warranty.


RE: Playstation is about 23million & RROD
By Belard on 5/28/2009 9:21:36 PM , Rating: 2
Okay... there will always be failures... if its within 1~2% which is typical of PS3s, its within the normal failure rates.

I buy new stuff that is sometimes DOA, we are in the electronics industry here ;(


By themaster08 on 5/29/2009 4:13:14 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
Okay... there will always be failures... if its within 1~2% which is typical of PS3s, its within the normal failure rates.

About 15 of my friends own PS3's, of which 8 of them developed some sort of fault and needed to be replaced/repaired. This is no joke.
One of my friends is on his third PS3. It's about the same figure for friends with Xbox 360's, although I don't know anyone on their third 360 yet. I'd say they were pretty much just as unreliable as eachother. Luckily mine hasn't developed any faults as of yet.


By omnicronx on 5/28/2009 9:39:04 PM , Rating: 3
Mined burned out after 2 months of casual game play. Kept it in a non dusty location with plenty of airflow.. I would have been very pissed had it been off warranty. I guess I have bad luck ;) Both my PS3 and redbox PS2 died within a few months of purchase.


It's all in what you need
By EasyC on 6/1/2009 12:58:14 PM , Rating: 2
I love how anytime a 360 or PS3 article gets written, it's bludgened with the same banter and counter remarks.

For the record, I've owned all 3 systems (Wii, 360, PS3). The Wii and PS3 were launch systems in every sense of the word (I bought them the day they came out). The 360 was a 2nd gen. I sold the Wii about 2 months into ownership because it was the most overrated system I've ever seen. I never had any technical issues with it (unless you want to count the very shoddy and inacurate motion controls). My little hand cursor always looked like it was having a seizure anytime I moved it around the screen.

I also sold the 360. Why?.... because I never used it. I had like 2 exclusive games for it (Forza 2 and Dead Rising). Anytime other games would come out, I'd grab it for the PS3 (better graphics, much quieter, no texture compression). During the 1.5 years that I had the 360, it failed .... twice. It was very well maintained and sat on an open shelf on the wall with atleast 3 feet of open air on each side.

I still have my PS3 and use it for everything. It was the only system that supported HD-Audio for my Denon surround sound. I stream my entire media collection from my computer to the PS3 (1000+ CD's, 200+ DVDs, 1000s of pictures). The DVD streaming quality is amazing. I literally see no difference between watching the DVD from the disc compared to from my computers HD. Blu-Rays are also great (If you haven't watched the Dark Knight on a big plasma and an HD-Audio capable surround sound....you're missing out).

I know quite a few people with 360s and quite a few with Wii's.....Only 1 of my friends still prefer either system over the PS3. It all comes down to what you want. Xbox definitely has the online userbase (even if it isn't free like Nintendos or Sony's), but to me.... it just didn't do everything I expected to be classified as Next Gen.

Oh and to the guy who was claiming you can get a 360 for half the price of a PS3, you are greatly mistaken. There's about a 100 dollar difference comparing the 2 model for model. It becomes even if you want wireless internet, since the 360 doesn't come with that built in (its a convenient 99.99 dollar upgrade). And what happens when you run out of HD space on a 360?




RE: It's all in what you need
By themaster08 on 6/1/2009 4:29:17 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Oh and to the guy who was claiming you can get a 360 for half the price of a PS3, you are greatly mistaken. There's about a 100 dollar difference comparing the 2 model for model.

http://www.game.co.uk/PS3/Hardware/~r342030/Sony-P...

http://www.game.co.uk/Xbox360/Hardware/HardwareBun...

PS3 80GB + 1 Game = £299.99
Xbox 360 Arcade + 2 Games = £149.99

I know I am only comparing the most basic 360, but my point is it's still a 360 at half of the price. The RRP for an Xbox 360 Arcade with no games is £129.99, which is less than half.

quote:
It becomes even if you want wireless internet

Exactly. You can pick and choose the components you wish, albeit will obviously bump up the price.

quote:
And what happens when you run out of HD space on a 360?

I guess in the case of having an Xbox 360 Arcade it's convenient that you don't have to install games, so if you do have a hard drive you can use the space as you wish, unlike the PS3 when you're forced to install games at 4GB each then run out of hard drive space. Even 80GB isn't enough for a PS3 if you have a large collection of games.


RE: It's all in what you need
By EasyC on 6/2/2009 12:46:16 PM , Rating: 2
Maybe over in the UK that's the case, but here it's 299 and 399 for the 360's and 399 and 499 for the PS3's.

Picking and choosing wireless internet??? Thats the norm these days. That's like asking for a car to not have power steering.

I don't have to install 4GB's of game everytime I get a new game. Besides the time is negligable anyway because it's a one time thing. I also like not having to find which memory card has which save game. Wireless controllers standard are nice too.

My 360 was a premium because elite wasn't out yet. The HD on it was a joke.


Sony Has sold more than 20 million
By deeznuts on 5/28/2009 4:02:18 PM , Rating: 2
As of March 31, Sony has sold about 23M consoles.

I have all 3. I do play the PS3 more, my 360 doesn't get used as much lately (if Multiplat I play on PS3 because the 360 is quite loud and I have a newer Elite).

The Wii, and I'm serious here, sits in a drawer. Not it's fault. I barely have time to play a lot, so the precious time is spent on games I want to play more, which are found on the other two.




By TerranMagistrate on 5/28/2009 6:05:36 PM , Rating: 2
That sounds about right since the PS3 debuted about 1 year after the 360. The price must come down though if Sony ever hopes to exceed MS's console sales number.


Maybe im lucky?
By Rev1 on 5/29/2009 11:58:10 AM , Rating: 2
I had a 1st gen 20gb 360 that i bought in april of 06 and used pretty heavily until 08 and had no probs with it at all. I now have an elite and have no probs at all, so i cant relate to RROD as i bet most can't.




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