Microsoft claims Xbox 360 has second place wrapped up in U.S.
Is the console war over already? There was me thinking it was just warming up, with sales of the Wii showing signs of slowing and the Xbox 360 and PS3 still battling it out for second place. Not according to Microsoft which, in the States at least, thinks it’s job done.
The Wii is currently leading the pack in all three major territories (those being Japan, America, and Europe – sorry Australia and the rest). Which means it has a healthy lead of around 20 million consoles over its current nearest rival, the Xbox 360. Can it be beaten? Probably not, but I won’t give up hope until the fat lady starts belting out a tune.
The numbers (VGChartz) are more interesting if you look at the Xbox 360 vs the PS3 and take each territory separately.
In Japan the PS3 is way ahead, as would be expected, having sold three times as many as the Xbox 360. In the U.S. the roles are reversed and sales of the Xbox 360 are over double those of the PS3. Which leaves Europe where the two are virtually head-to-head. Depending on which side you believe, one or the other is around a million ahead.
Microsoft thinks it has second place sewn up in the States and is now focusing most of its attention on trying to beat Sony in Europe. According to Now Gamer, Microsoft’s European VP for interactive entertainment, Chris Lewis, told 360 magazine:
[Microsoft has] done the job we need to in North America.
He then spoke a little about why Microsoft has struggled more in Europe than the U.S., blaming the fact that every country on the continent needs a different approach to marketing.
It’s a very textured region. You’ve got places like the UK and the Nordic countries…where we’ve been able to apply our more North American approach to those markets with genuine success.
In the sunnier parts of Europe we did have relatively less success up until the last 12 months where I think we have better understood the need to go to those markets with more appropriate content.
While Microsoft is right to be confident in the States, where the Xbox brand is strong, I wouldn’t count the PS3 out of the fight just yet. We’re still only in the early-to-middle stages of this generation and a lot can happen from here on in.
Being based in Europe (the UK), I’m just hoping there’s a price cutting bonanza between Microsoft and Sony as they both fight to take second place. You never know, if prices come down and the Wii trends down then one of them could even snatch first right from under Nintendo’s nose.
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April 16th, 2009
I believe MS to be correct. NA is done. I’d be suprised to see the ‘big picture’ change at all now.
April 16th, 2009
Yup, NA is done and dusted.
April 16th, 2009
its a shame ppl are goin 4 the faulty console jus cuz its ‘americans’ lol. yanks always stick 2 their own. if the ps3 was american it would b a diff story. im prob wrong but i fink that would b the case. so say we all… frak lol
April 16th, 2009
Still lots of people that want all of the systems, things could change one way or another. Microsoft does not have such a lead as to be getting lazy, they need to stay agressive if they want to keep that lead! Still many customers to be had in NA for Microsoft, don’t be getting cocky and letting sales slip to the competetion! Not that I really care what console is in what place, just my two cents on the topic at hand.
April 16th, 2009
well when god of war comes out and a price cut man ps3 can drop off the ole trousers and drop a duce on the 360 cause all u loyal 3shady fanboys will see kickace gameplay at its finest even though 360 is aight cause im an american
April 16th, 2009
oldschool1987 is beating a dead horse. What about the countries outside the US that have got more 360’s than PS3rds?
April 16th, 2009
news that god of war might have the 1st and 2nd GOW games on blu ray for us lack of BC consoles
April 16th, 2009
wow… VGchartz? cmon dave… youre better than that…
also the Three Red Lights podcast (xbox related podcast) from IGn has been changed to E74 podcast…
HILARIOUS!
till I get the error… when I get a 360… change anybody?
April 16th, 2009
“well when god of war comes out and a price cut man ps3 can drop off the ole trousers and drop a duce on the 360 cause all u loyal 3shady fanboys will see kickace gameplay at its finest even though 360 is aight cause im an american”
@Kevo
Um, once more please, in ENGLISH! lol
“news that god of war might have the 1st and 2nd GOW games on blu ray for us lack of BC consoles”
@Kevo
That would be awesome! Care to provide a source of this “news”?
April 16th, 2009
Of course they’re right.
They were also 100% correct to say that even if Xbox sales stood still and PS3 sales doubled (of which there is absolutely zero sign) then it would take until 2012 for the PS3 to catch and pass global total Xbox sales.
The only matter of interest now is whether Dave is right about the Wii and whether Xbox can broaden it’s appeal and cut prices further to reduce the gap between it and the Wii (although again here I do not expect the Xbox could sell strongly enough in the time left to this gen – 2011/12? – to beat the Wii.
(and as for Dave’s little hobby-horse about the Wii in decline?
What shows this Dave?
A lone 2 months in Japan when the PS3 did well cos of 2 specific game launches?
That doesn’t prove anything.)
PS3 owners who clutch at the straws over any single game or even couple of games making much dfifference now are just fooling themselves.
Most of us Xbox owners have friends and family with PS3s and I for one am not impressed.
I am certainly not left feeling I’ve missed out on a single thing.
The sales numbers support my view that I am far from alone.
April 16th, 2009
Sorry HH that was the biggest load of drivel I have read for a while and is almost on par with a Kev comment.
But I do believe you when you say 360 will catch the wii …….. not !! SERIOUSLY DELUDED m8, you pretty much evaporated any credibility you may have had, when you came out with that comment.
The sales gap is not all that impressive between the 360 and ps3 when there is a 18month head start. I find it hard for you to use that as a gloating point. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the ps3 will eventually catch the 360, nor do I care. But I do love the usual xbot we’re winning the “800m race when we had a 400m head start.” argument.
Being an xbox360 owner, I do find the ps3 impressive and are very happy that I have both systems.
April 16th, 2009
Spideydog
“I do believe you when you say 360 will catch the wii …….. not”
…..and just where did I say that, hmmm?
If you look I think you’ll find I specifically said that that I did not expect the Xbox to “catch” the Wii, only perhaps close the gap some.
The Xbox – PS3 sales gap is “impressive” enough that PS3 has no chance of catching and passing the Xbox.
Since last Sept (the timing of the last – 2nd – price cut of 2008) the gap has grown.
This is in marked contrast to the usual PS3 drone’s BS that they are doing much the same and the only difference is the Xboxes earlier launch.
At least you tried tho, eh?
April 16th, 2009
“In the sunnier parts of Europe…”
Europe doesn’t have sunnier parts, it pisses with rain most of the time.
April 16th, 2009
lock_down:
“Europe doesn’t have sunnier parts, it pisses with rain most of the time.”
I think many of the Italians, Greeks, Spanish and Portuguese would disagree most of the year round and the central Europeans would reckon their summers are amazing most of the time too.
April 16th, 2009
And VGChartz…come on Dave, really? That’s bringing you down to the level of CON.
April 16th, 2009
Ah, maybe a little exaggeration
It wasn’t really much of a complaint…I don’t like really hot summers, but something boring like “scattered sunshine” would be my ideal weather…
April 16th, 2009
The US isn’t everything.
I’m interested in global sales only.
And the PS2 sold strong well into this gen. When all those people upgrade they may get the PS3 or the 360, we don’t know.
I don’t think they have upgraded yet nor are they close. If I just got a PS2 last year there is no way I would upgrade yet.
“Most of us Xbox owners have friends and family with PS3s and I for one am not impressed.”
@ Happyhockum
The reverse is true also. I’m not impressed with the 360.
April 16th, 2009
Um Harry Sachz, I was just wondering what goes through your mind linking that website to your username? Is it funny? Is that something that turns you on? You trying to gross people out? Trying to get people fired at work for clicking on something that should be innocent? Either way it is FUCKED UP!
You sir, are a FUCKING DOUCHBAG!
April 16th, 2009
ncaissie
But it’s not just the USA. Europe now too has an Xbox lead (they were similar until the Sept price chop happened).
As for your views on the Xbox?
Go on, admit it, there’s no serious difference between either of them
(save for a different type of video player that may or may not interest you – and which is now available cheaper as a stand-alone elsewhere anyways) and price.
April 16th, 2009
Knighthawk:
“Um Harry Sachz, I was just wondering what goes through your mind linking that website to your username? Is it funny? Is that something that turns you on? You trying to gross people out? Trying to get people fired at work for clicking on something that should be innocent? Either way it is FUCKED UP!
You sir, are a FUCKING DOUCHBAG!”
Oh dear, what’s harry done now?
Oh. Oh my.
“Trying to get people fired at work for clicking on something that should be innocent?”
LMAO
Seriously my friend you really ought not to expect anything on the net to be “innocent”.
Naughty harry.
April 16th, 2009
I for one don’t care about sales, as long as they are high enough to continue the PS3 (which they definitely are, no Dreamcast here) then I will get everything I need.
April 16th, 2009
“Go on, admit it, there’s no serious difference between either of them”
I think PS3 owners like their exclusive games but don’t seriously believe they are more powerful.
April 16th, 2009
““Um Harry Sachz, I was just wondering what goes through your mind linking that website to your username? Is it funny? Is that something that turns you on? You trying to gross people out? Trying to get people fired at work for clicking on something that should be innocent? Either way it is FUCKED UP!
You sir, are a FUCKING DOUCHBAG!”
Oh dear, what’s harry done now?
Oh. Oh my.
“Trying to get people fired at work for clicking on something that should be innocent?”
LMAO
Seriously my friend you really ought not to expect anything on the net to be “innocent”.
Naughty harry.”
@Happyhockum
Agreed, yes you can never be too careful on the internet! There are also kids on this site I am sure and while it’s parents jobs to monitor what their kids are doing theere is no place for linking material like that on a site like this. I honestly thought clicking on his name would give me info on his profile or what not.
I’m usually pretty open minded but shit (no pun intended) like that is sick! I have a pretty good sense of humour but this site is not the place or context for material like that! Harry could you please be a good sport and link to something a little more toned down? Sorry if I over reacted but my 12 year old was right behind me when I opened that! I realize I am at fault for that as well, but it was not my intention. Harry on the other hand, you know full out what you were doing? Don’t you have a child yourself? Would you want them to see that? Please do the right thing!
April 16th, 2009
Um, when I look at VG charts I see 29 to 21 overall. With the year head start, that’s not very impressive.
Yeah the 360 has a decent lead in the US, but with another price drop and GOW III around the corner, I wouldn’t say the race is over just yet. Don’t forget M$ has no exclusives this upcoming year.
April 16th, 2009
On the topic of GOW III. Take the survey. Vote for GOW & GOW II for the collectors edition.
.us.playstation.com/survey/178?&psu=CA09756774C232221762E17F4A52D651&EMC-Research&ATTR=PSU_GOW3SrvyCE_P001_PS3_A7A_001_Survey_H
April 16th, 2009
Oh and one more quick thing before. This dig from M$ was an obvious attempt to try and combat the news below. They do something petty like this all of the time.
Even though there are more 360s out there… the PS3 sells third party software better.
.joystiq.com/2009/04/15/sony-ps3-beating-xbox-360-in-per-title-attach-rate/
April 16th, 2009
Catch ….. close the gap …… same thing m8.
Your whole post was based on opinion. Even in europe there is contention as to who is actually leading ps3 or 360. Even IF the 360 is ahead in europe, that still speaks very poorly of the 360 given it had a 18month head start.
You xbot types will always play down the 18 month head start because you know it speaks poorly of your beloved system and takes the “bragging rights” shine off.
At least you had a go though…. eh !!
April 16th, 2009
There isn’t more 360s out there, just more have been sold.
On a totally awesome side note, my cousin, who is on active duty overseas for the next 9 months, is dropping off his RE5 bundle 360 with his games collection (about 25 games) this weekend. I’ll be able to give fable and fable II a shot finally.
It is just too bad the wife wont let me set it up on the big TV, as she forbids the 360 to sit beside her 60 gigger, lol. Its ok, only 720p native resolution anyway, the 32″ will do just fine.
April 16th, 2009
“There isn’t more 360s out there, just more have been sold.”
Huh?
I’ve gotta quote DWH on this one, lololololololololololol
April 16th, 2009
Man I really hope the PS3 get’s a price cut soon, starts selling like crazy over this coming holiday season and catches up sometime next year and passes the 360! But not by too much, cause I hope the 360 then gets another price cut and passes the PS3 again! All just so I can laugh on the sidelines while the fanboys tear each other apart! Really, it can go one way or another, it’s like what, 9 million apart? What is 9 million in a world of 7 billion? Spidey and HH, neither of you are wrong, cause it’s still anyones game! Catching up to the Wii might be pushing it, but hey, who knows in this crazy world??!!!!
April 16th, 2009
lock_down:
It was an obvious reference to the failure rate of the 360s. I stand by my belief that the sold number can’t possibly be close to the install base.
April 16th, 2009
Spideydog:
“Even in europe there is contention as to who is actually leading ps3 or 360.”
Only to the PS3 fanclub.
We (or one of the other PS3 fanboys) did this before.
You quibbled my claim that Xbox sales in Europe had beaten the PS3 numbers after last Sept.
I provided the link (not from Microsoft but from a sales tracking Co, like NPD) showing Xbox numbers were indeed higher (before X-mas they had a 1 million+ lead).
Barnabe Jones:
“Even though there are more 360s out there… the PS3 sells third party software better.
.joystiq.com/2009/04/15/sony-ps3-beating-xbox-360-in-per-title-attach-rate/
”
Bo*llocks.
You’ve just got Sony making their usual self-congratulatory claims.
Based on one game.
Where they ignore the actual numbers of games sold to go play % games.
Seriously.
(and as the article shows they have to f*ck about playing with % numbers because Xbox sold 446,435 copies of the one game – Street Fighter IV – to the PS3’s 402,919.)
Yeah cos game Co.s & devs don’t care about actual nuimbers of games sold only the % vis the other console.
LMAO
Talk about desperate reaching.
Laughable.
April 16th, 2009
^
Yeah HH, have to agree with you on this. Attach rates don’t mean squat! At the end of the day, it’s all about the most $$$ brought in. Shit, a game, could sell 21 million copies with 21 million PS3’s out there. Still gonna make more money if it sells 21 million and one copy with 29 million Xbox 360’s out there! I swear Sony and Microsoft make me laugh with some of the stuff they brag about!
April 16th, 2009
Attach Rates are just fanboy food.
April 16th, 2009
knighthawk- actually, attach ratios are the gauge to which consoles are defined as success or not. This is how the razor to razorblade business model works. geez…..
shuddup already…
April 16th, 2009
Your direct comparison between consoles and razor blades show how ignorant you really are. This took me 15 seconds to type, so I am not gonna feel bad about wasting my time on you, this time.
April 16th, 2009
Knighthawk:
“my 12 year old was right behind me when I opened that!”
Yeah I can see that you’d not want you child exposed to harry’s, er, more spicy, um, ‘interests’.
But don’t worry too much.
Afterall if there were ever people recently used to playing in sh*t once in a while it’s kids.
They all do it at some point.
It’s my view that ‘we’ tend to get a bit over-the-top about sex and especially the more way-out stuff.
Especially once ‘kids’ get brought into the discussion. I have a bit of a bug-bear and disagree that all adult activities should be held up and judged on whether or not ‘kids’ could/should see it or be around it.
They’re not going to fall down dead or be ruined for life if they see a glimpse of that kind of thing once in a blue moon.
I’m not suggesting allowing them unsupervised access to everything ‘adult’ of course
(recalls funny South Park ep, Butters and ‘his precious’).
Just that we keep the general temp down on the subject.
(not you here, I just mean generally in wider society)
April 16th, 2009
Lock down you got any sources to show why vg charts has no credibility or is it just because ps3 is last?
April 16th, 2009
JofaMang:
“only 720p native resolution anyway, the 32″ will do just fine.”
Is the scaling chipset in your TV (or HD receiver) really that bad?
April 16th, 2009
@ knighthawk
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/15/sony-asking-if-god-of-war-iii-ce-should-include-first-two-games/
April 16th, 2009
@oldschool1987,
“its a shame ppl are goin 4 the faulty console jus cuz its ‘americans’ lol. yanks always stick 2 their own. if the ps3 was american it would b a diff story.”
…and why do you think PS3 sells so well in Japan?
…and how do you explain PS2 still did better than XBox before it was taken off the market?
April 16th, 2009
oldschool1987:
“its a shame ppl are goin 4 the faulty console”
What a load of old b*llocks.
Ever since the Falcon mobo Xbox appeared fail rates have fallen through the floor on the Xbox.
The new Jasper mobo version just cements that normality further.
Typical PS3 fanboy trying to pretend that nothing has changed.
Shame the sales show no-one is listening or caring at that kind of typical exaggerated BS.
April 16th, 2009
LMFAO not for long PS2 still beats Xbox 360 sells in some countries monthly. Sony will pass Microsoft just wait and see how they become #1 again like always.
April 16th, 2009
@kevo and barnabe,
“when god of war comes out and a price cut man ps3 can drop off the ole trousers and drop a duce on the 360″
1 (most likely 8+ hour) excellent game sequel does not make a significant difference in console sales no matter how good it is or it’s existing fanbase, as we have seen with Metal Gear Solid, Killzone, Ratchet and Clank, Fable, Halo (possible exception), Gears of War, etc. It can give it a boost, but that is about it.
“news that god of war might have the 1st and 2nd GOW games on blu ray for us lack of BC consoles”
Wow… is this why they took out bc? To charge you even more for games you might already own (say if your PS2 gives up and all you have is a PS3?)? And why wouldn’t they just put these over PSN instead of selling them on Blu-ray?
“Um, when I look at VG charts I see 29 to 21 overall. With the year head start, that’s not very impressive.”
No, I suppose it is not. Unless you compare it with how well XBox did last gen compared to PS2. Considering the Xbox was only sold for 5 years with approx. 24 million units worldwide, the 360 has managed since it’s launch to (probably) reach this amount 1 year faster, effectively halve the potential PS3 user base by acquiring prior launch exclusives like GTA, FFXIII, Resident Evil (no… not counting Nintendo here), Devil May Cry, etc. (and yes… launching 1 year – not 18mo ahead of the competition).
What is impressive is that PS3 is trying to catch up to 360 in sales and still not selling more on a monthly basis in it’s third year, not to mention that it had to incorporate aspects that are native to 360, like achievements, let alone the live chat (to come), and finally putting bc back in (someday right?).
And yes, we’ve had this conversation before about the YEAR (not 18mo) head start, and it basically works out to if you take 360’s sales of 29 mil and divide by 3.5 you get roughly 8.3 mil/yr. Then if you take PS3’s sales of 21 mil and divide by 2.5 you get roughly 8.4 mil/yr. So how long do you think it would take PS3 to close an 8 million gap at that rate (.1 mil/yr)? Yeah.
So yes, considering Microsoft had a console they could no longer sell (due to NVIDIA) and they wanted to compete with Sony, of course they launched a year early, and they managed to turn the tables on Sony in the process (of course Nintendo makes both companies look foolish in hardware sales, but you get the point).
Impressive, especially considering their relative infancy in the hardware market in comparison to Sony. This infancy and inexperience resulted in RRoD and E74, but they are learning, as Sony did last generation with PS2, and the year before that with PS1. So if anybody has a head start, it is Sony with a full console GENERATION and a massive pre-existing userbase that Microsoft has effectively cut into and managed to hold a lead on in present gen home console hardware. Not bad.
I’m not saying the race is over either, just that you can’t ignore how well Microsoft has managed to beat a very cocky Sony at their own game this gen so far, giving them a run for their money with 7 years less home console experience and a half-century less hardware manufacturing experience.
April 16th, 2009
“Sony will pass Microsoft just wait and see how they become #1 again like always.”
Okay Ivan… let me get this straight… you are saying Microsoft is number one now… and that Sony needs to beat Microsoft because of their lead? Interesting.
April 16th, 2009
yeah but the ps3 was not popular due to a large price tag and lack of games and what are u starting to see….the trend of sony touching its back catalog of exclusives and showing you next gen quality gaming while 360 games look like touched up xbox games like halo 3 and fable…only good game is gears…but you are right with sony having the head start with the ps1 but i can’t say i didn’t like it
April 16th, 2009
Knighhawk,
I have two responses for you.
“No”.
and
“Go fuck yourself”
And you can mention your kids as much as you like, don’t fucking dare mention mine again.
Carry on.
April 16th, 2009
CarlB:
No never said that.
kevo:
Nice you so right. Microsoft is clueless at making games.
harry sachz:
Why you always respond with bad words make a good argument at least for your console of choice sakes. And you have kids… Are they really yours? or Microsoft…
April 16th, 2009
parents… try web filters… they work well and are free.
kevo, back catalogue of exclusives… like bc… the difference in graphics might be significant towards the end of the PS3 lifecycle, but again, by that time we will be moving on to next gen.
the only good game is gears? Do you own a 360?
April 16th, 2009
right, sorry Ivan, you just said “Sony will pass Microsoft”. Nice guess about a possible future event.
April 16th, 2009
Ok i’ve had a change of heart, and have changed my link.
However you have been a dick to me ever since you have graced this website. I’ve done you a favor by changing a link that was there for months, so get off my case now.
April 16th, 2009
Ivan,
Seriously, that was a pretty fucked up thing to say. Attack me all you want, but leave my kid out of this.
April 16th, 2009
wow… i think ivan just over stepped the mark?
April 16th, 2009
He did. Attacking someone’s kids is one of the lowest things anyone can do.
April 16th, 2009
how old is ur kid now btw? i remember you months ago telling us you had become a daddy (i hadnt signed up yet, though i had been reading)
April 16th, 2009
She’s 10 weeks on Monday. She burps and farts like a champion!
April 16th, 2009
ganna be a gamer like her daddy?
April 16th, 2009
Not if her mum has anything to do with it! haha
Hey have you received Kevin Rudd’s $900 yet?
April 16th, 2009
got i had it when i checked to see if my pay check went in on wednesday, but my last name starts with D so id be one of the first?
id spend it on gaming just there isn’t out atm that i want
April 16th, 2009
@HH
“Is the scaling chipset in your TV (or HD receiver) really that bad?”
My 32 is an older, cheaper 720p Vizio I purchased just for the Bedroom, and like I said, my wife wont let me hook it up to the main TV, a 46″ 120hz 1080p Sharp Aquos. (which by the way is flawless in its upscaling)
At one point we had two PS3s, and a second Sharp Aquos (60hz 1080p) for the second PS3. But as a cushion against the economy, they were sold just in case either my wife or I were laid off. (we haven’t been, and probably wont, but we have some cash saved up just in case of extended periods of unemployment)
We might be DINKs, but we aren’t stupid DINKs.
April 16th, 2009
im starting to think im one of the younger guys on this site? 20 in september?
April 16th, 2009
Mine’s going towards either an Outlander or a CRV, the old Lancer just isn’t big enough for the 3 of us if we decide to go away.
April 16th, 2009
I think you may be. Ivan is 22, he likes long walks on the beach and making love by the fireplace.
April 17th, 2009
30
April 17th, 2009
Hey CAD, do you have Left 4 Dead?
April 17th, 2009
Kenny Rogers is the best ……..
I may have contributed to the furore Harry …Sorry I did bring it to the attention of the other bloggers doh.
In answer to your question, I have for our 360 – all Halo’s, Gears of War, a couple of the Tomb Raiders, Ghost Recon, C&C3 and few other xbox orig games. Spent most of my dollars on PC or ps3 games. I will probably get Gears2 at some stage. Thing is, I will either get ps3 or pc version games over the 360 (multi-platform) 360 needs some good exclusive games ….. what do yas suggest ?? Shooters/strategy/rpg ??
Don’t we get a cheque each for ourselves and ya wifey (if you have one) ??
HH,
Ps3 – March 2007 Oceania release
xbox360 December 2006 Oceania release
16months head start in Oceania (yes may have been 12 months in NA)
April 17th, 2009
i forgot kev was 12
April 17th, 2009
harry sachz:
Has no LIFE. I bet you never seen a pussy in your short waste useless life.
CAD:
Cool.
JofaMang:
Get a Sony Bravia i upgraded from a 46″ 1080p to 55″ 1080p.
April 17th, 2009
32
30 somethings seem popular here !!
April 17th, 2009
I have a couple friends with the 120hz 1080p bravias (40″ and 55″), and while they are stunning displays, I find they are a bit more prone to horizontal Judder than my aquos, and the contrast isn’t as sharp.
The 60hz Bravias totally trump the 60hz Aquos, but that’s last years tech, now.
April 17th, 2009
Spidey,
Yep, apparently we get $900 each if we earned less than $80,000 last financial year.
While you’ve still got your Live trial, I was suggest grabbing Left 4 Dead as a hire. I like it more than the likes of COD and Halo mainly because you have to help each other out, whereas with COD and Halo multiplayer it’s basically 18 guys in red, 18 guys in blue, and they just shoot the opposite colour without really needing to think about teamwork.
If you’re looking for a good JRPG, the only one I have played was Lost Odyssey and loved it. It stole around 35 hours of my life. The story starts off rather slow, but around the end of the 1st disc right through to the end of the game was fun. Am considering getting more with time permitting. Fable 2 is good fun also.
Let me know if you get Gears 2 and are still on live. We’ll give Horde mode a spin.
Ivan, there are plenty of stray cats around here. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
31 here btw.
April 17th, 2009
From the ESA:
“2. Sixty-five percent of American households play computer or video games.
3. The average game player is 35 years old and has been playing games for 13 years.
4. The average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 40 years old.
5. Forty percent of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (33 percent) than boys age 17 or younger (18 percent).
6. In 2008, 26 percent of Americans over the age of 50 played video games, an increase from nine percent in 1999.
7. Thirty-six percent of heads of households play games on a wireless device, such as a cell phone or PDA, up from 20 percent in 2002.”
theesa.com/facts/index.asp
April 17th, 2009
Guess I’m the average age, at least until August… but I have been gaming for 31 years vice 13.
April 17th, 2009
im 20
April 17th, 2009
Harry, I’ll give Left 4 Dead a look. I don’t like the two teams and just shoot em games. Team work is where it’s at, so Left4Dead sounds good. I heard some good about Fable 2 as well. I’ll give it a look as well. If I can find cheap copy of gears2 soon, I’ll give you a yell.
April 17th, 2009
where’s harry? he seems to know about 360’s sku’s or something like that with lowering the cost…
April 17th, 2009
excuse me happy srry
April 17th, 2009
“Ok i’ve had a change of heart, and have changed my link.
However you have been a dick to me ever since you have graced this website. I’ve done you a favor by changing a link that was there for months, so get off my case now.”
Thanks Harry, I’m grateful for that, really I am! As for me giving you a hard time, it really was you who stated the aggression and foul languauge towards me, so please spare me, you’re hardly a victim! Anyways thanks again, I take back my harsh comments, my apoligies!
April 17th, 2009
alright… on a completely different note, I just think this was worth watching… nah, she’s not pretty, but if you haven’t seen “Susan Boyle – Singer – Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)” it was pretty cool to watch:
youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
April 17th, 2009
Dude, i saw that this morning on the news and it almost brought this hairy, gruff, blue collar manly man to tears. I think it might have been seeing Simon actually moved by a contestant.
April 17th, 2009
Yeah, it was pretty cool to watch his surprise when she began to sing…
April 17th, 2009
“knighthawk- actually, attach ratios are the gauge to which consoles are defined as success or not. This is how the razor to razorblade business model works. geez…..
shuddup already…”
@Kev
Sorry bud, I got nothing! I obviously don’t know anything as you know it all! Man I don’t even know how my day is going, pehaps you can tell me all about that too!
April 17th, 2009
… and yet another interesting vid- a Microsoft commercial where customers buying a Windows PC shout “BLU-RAY!” in joy as they find their pc of choice… “Is Microsoft finally embracing Blu-ray?”:
news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10221214-1.html
April 17th, 2009
CarlB, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were. I don’t know why they didn’t make a blu-ray add on drive when hd-dvd lost the war, back then I would have bought one. Probably not now.
April 17th, 2009
I doubt it Carlb.
It’s just a dig at Apple and their supposed support for Blu-ray which has yet to been seen by way of a single tangible thing.
Microsoft are going to incorporate a new disc based system into the next Xbox (digitial distribution will be bigger everywhere by then but still not so big that a physical game to sell globally will be unnecessary.
I can tell those that do not know that HD DVD is actually alive and currently still being developed.
For those who don’t know the DVD Forum release minutes of their meetings & tech decisions and the triple layer HD DVD disc (the 51gb one) is still be refined and developed.
I’d bet the house that this tech will be in Miocrosoft’s next Xbox.
It makes sense from so many angles.
The production tech to produce on a regular DVD production line is minute (a few hundred thousand $ US compared to many millions of $ for Blu-ray).
It would be solely for Xbox games and therefore more secure (and handily in terms of available space much bigger than the Blu-ray 25gb discs or even 50gb discs).
It would be a tech Microsoft already own or have a significant share in.
Between now and it’s release I expoect more funn and games but absolutely no Xbox Blu-ray devices.
(not that it’ll stop the rumour popping up from time to time)
April 17th, 2009
“It was an obvious reference to the failure rate of the 360s. I stand by my belief that the sold number can’t possibly be close to the install base.”
-With over 33% failure ratio, that’s very realistic. I personally know a few people who have bought two or three consoles due to the shitty hardware.
So if you take the lead and figure 33%… plus the year head start and… ut oh. You xbots are in trouble.
April 17th, 2009
“I’d bet the house that this tech will be in Miocrosoft’s next Xbox.”
I hope not.
Drop a 1TB hdd in there, and give me installs on EVERY game. Need speedy data transfer rates that optical drives just cannot give you. Which of course we’re all aware of now due to 360 optional installs.
April 17th, 2009
Oh, and package the games on 5 dvd’s for all I care.
April 17th, 2009
Okay Barnabe… For those few that were too lazy to send theirs in for repair they may have gotten a new one or even a PS3 instead. There is also a few that may have had theirs go down after the 3 year warranty was up. Let’s be extremely generous and say a million fall into these categories. There are also those who upgraded their existing 360 to Elite (or a “hacked” 360, like… say… IVAN) when it came out and gave their existing console to family members and such. Another million or so. The year head start accounted for another 5 million, which still leaves another million to split up amongst whatever reason you can come up with (let’s put it into those whose console went down before the warranty was announced). The bottom line? The user base still outnumbers PS3 owners in hardware sales, software sales, and online… so exactly how is it we are in trouble again? Because the 360 came out a year ahead? That’s exactly the reason I got it in the first place (so I didn’t have to wait another year for next gen gaming) and I am still enjoying the same one daily in it’s fourth year of existence… so what is your point?
April 17th, 2009
Good call HH… that makes very good sense, especially if they can keep the read times high (it is already much faster than Blu-ray) with the higher capacity.
April 17th, 2009
Ncaissie,
“The US isn’t everything”
No, it is not, but considering how much buzz PS3 gets for outselling 360 in Japan on this site and others, and Iwata’s quote, “the U.S. is selling ten times as much as Japan on a weekly basis,” it is worth considering.
Microsoft went after the big fish first, and has succeeded. Now they are going after the “others”.
Besides, the U.S. did give you your nifty little gravatar, right? Stay super.
April 17th, 2009
SW:
“Drop a 1TB hdd in there, and give me installs on EVERY game.”
I don’t think the 2 are exclusive any more than we are seeing them a choice of one or other now.
I see no reason for them to take a backward step on this with the new model.
My own take on this is that XBL will grow and be much much more significant to the next console, games on discs will be the 2nd relation to cater for those without decent quality net access & speeds.
But that is (to be fair, SW
, I know you’d like this pointed out) just my own speculation.
But the HD DVD 51gb disc & the DVD Forum info is absolutely not speculation.
That is a fact and I cannot see any reason for them bothering to continue development (nor why Toshiba held onto all the rights to HD DVD when there were approaches made – mainly by Chinese & Tiawanese Co.s IIRC – to buy them off of them when ‘our’ HD DVD video stopped) unless it is for something like this.
We’ll see soon enough, I guess.
April 17th, 2009
Well, as long as I don’t have to stump up for an extra costs associated with the drive and/or manufacturing costs I’m down with it. It only costs $100 for a 1TB desktop hdd these days. Oh that would be another thing, no more proprietary hdd please. Most annoying idea ever.
I say give me the OPTION(you can use just your discs if you want
) to install the game and make them take advantage of the higher data transfer rates (most games do anywhoos, but I heard halo 3 had some issues). Because its not just load times times between levels, its also in game streaming (gta), in game menus that pop up, go play Rune Factory Frontier on Wii and hit ‘-’ to bring up the tools menu, loads alot faster if you’re running off the HDD.
I guess I’m just used to PC installing.
April 21st, 2009
HDD… it would definitely be nice to have a non-propriety HDD, but the importance of that also depends on the type of user you are. Personally I feel the extra cost for Blu-Ray is unnecessary, as I use my game console mainly for games (netflix, dd, and it’s dvd’s aside), and my laptop for everything else.
We (Marine Corps) have at any given time about 50TB available to us in hi-res movies/tv shows/music so it is really not a big deal how much I have for my game console. I could easily have stuck with my 20GB and been just as happy for hard drive install games… but chose the 120GB because I had the cash for the minor convenience. A couple of seconds in transfer speed doesn’t bother me, but then again I may not be what is commonly referred to as a “power user”.
April 21st, 2009
Proprietary… sorry. Where is George? George, could you please give us the ability to edit our posts? Please?