Finally gonna practise what I preach. Im finally going to buy a 360. I was planning to do this for a while.

My last University exam is on the 27. By not giving into temptation I have made April 29 all the sweeter! 360 Elite all summer....and a job off course. This estimated $100 extra to pay is gonna be a b!tch.

    Well, lets say you own both a 360 and PS3. You want a 3rd party multiplatform game but you can't decide which console to get it for. Here you go.

PS3 Advantages

You will get slightly better graphics. Maybe some included sixaxis functionality. Multiplayer is free.

360 Advantages

Gamerscore motivation, may include custom soundtrack support, Live features (yearly subscription however), rumble functionality, more likelihood of content downloads.  

All of these will be completed by the end of the year. Its just a matter of when in the year these goals will be accomplished.

1. Release the Xbox 360 Elite

    This will silence those people who say that the 360 is inferior to the PS3 because of its lack of hard drive space and a HDMI port. This console is also rumored to run cooler and will cost less then the 20 GB PS3. MS, the sooner this hits the market the better. This will also make the TV and Movie service on LIVE prosper as people will have plenty of download room.

2. IPTV

    This will broaden the 360 portfolio and give consumers another reason to chose the 360 over the PS3. Advertisers like AT&T are also likely to offer massive 360 discounts in exchange for a long-term IPTV contract with them.

3. Price Drop

    It is highly likely that there will be a price drop. After all, its been out for a year now. The question is when and by how much. This will be a severe blow to the PS3 and put some competitive pressure to the Wii.

4. Halo 3

    Here me out lol. Love it or hate it, this is Microsoft's best weapon this christmas. There are independent studies that origional Xbox owners are slow to adopt the 360. I bet you have heard that half of 360 owners did not own the origional. This is because they are content with games (like Halo 2) that are playable on the origional Xbox. When Halo 3 is released, expect a surge of 360 sales from loyal Xbox1 fans.

5. Keep forking out the dough to developers

    This is why I love Microsoft, they got the cash to back themselves up. They are marketing like crazy. They are funding developers games in exchange for making them exclusive (Crackdown, Mass Effect). They are also buying off developers to make their once exclusive franchises multiplatform. 

     All these steps are in the works to be completed by the end of 2007. Console wars are fun.....

    This is a short and sweet blog. Nintendo Wii sales are very beneficial to Microsoft. Here is my logic:

1. People buy a Wii. 2. People "may" crave a more traditional gaming experience. 3. People look at the 360 and PS3. 4. Wii is the cheapest of the 3, but still costed them $250. 5. To save money, they will tend to pick the 360.

    I am sure that this trend is happening in some shape and form. This scenerio applies to middle class teenagers but mostly to parents trying to please their children with more then one game system.  

    In previous blogs, I wrote that I used to be a Nintendo fan ever since SNES. When I decided to convert, I had to decide between the PS3 and XBox 360. Now I liked the 360 because I love the Halo, Gears, Forza, and Fable series. But I also liked the PS3 becuase I thought it would be as successful as the PS2 successor.

    I chose the 360. I chose it for its exclusives and for XBox Live, as it is the single greatest online network in existence (can't even begin to tell you its superiority over PSN and Wifi Connection). *****But perhaps the best reason why I chose the 360 is becuase Microsoft is a software company and has the most money of the three companies.*****

    Microsoft has recently in the past 2 years threw around more money than any of us can guess. ***A lot of that money is geared towards making exclusives multiplatform (Assasins Creed, Unreal Tourniment 3), making new games exclusive to the 360 (Lost Planet, Dead Rising), and acquiring developers to exclusively work for them (Mistwalker).***

    Microsoft is pissed and has the guns to back themselves up. They are systematically taking away everything that makes the Playstation brand great. They are making the PSN seem like a skid mark on the road compared to the behemoth Xbox Live network. They are also taking away playstation 3rd party exclusives (Devil May Cry is now reportedly multiplatform). If this is true, all Microsoft has to do is make Metal Gear Solid 4 multiplatform and the PS3 will officially be a pointless purchase.

    Lets not forget that Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software. Sony is not a specialist in this category. Only 360's have great functionality with Microsoft PC's. And only now is Microsoft finally unleashing the full force of their PC dominated market onto the console war. PC games are exclusively being ported to the 360, leaving the PS3 in the dust. Xbox Live is spreading to PC's and cellphones come May. ****Microsoft is integrating all its resources to the console front. It is a massive movement that few know of its magnitude as of yet.**** This obviously requires a lot of money. 

    Basically, when you buy a 360, you will feel secure that the company backing it will take care of you. When people buy a PS3, they will feel at least for now some form of nervousness like "I hope Sony doesn't screw this up" (thinking in their head as they walk out of the store). Microsoft has the cash, they specialize in software. Sony doesn't, therefore there is only so much influence they can weild.

 ***********P.S. Yes they can be considered unreliable by breaking down but that is not the point I am making. Those problems will be fixed anyway in time when chip production improves.************

    Yes I am full of myself. This is my 25th blog and to celebrate my own sense of venting my opinions on the internet, I have picked my personal favourite blogs. If you haven't read any of these, do so.

1. "Lets finally prove who really has the most exclusives of 2007 (360 or PS3)"

The list is growing as I am updating this year-round as they are released. Interesting results as it is..... can't wait what it'll be in December!

2. "DS = Disruptive Software. That is why the DS is a hit."

Do you really wan't to know why the DS is more popular then the PSP? It's much more then the Nintendo brand, its DS!

3. "Gaming Purists and Non-Conformists.....they Bring Down the Gaming Community"

The best rant I have ever gone on.

4. "Perfect Dark, not Goldeneye, is the best FPS on the N64. Comprende?

A factual and persuasive argument that proves that Perfect Dark is better. If you disagree, you clearly lack any form of rational thinking.

5. "History Lesson: N64 VS PS1. Will history repeat itself?"

This is my reference to a past generation to justify who is going to win in this gen. The thing is though, I can actually back myself up.

6. "Why the Wii will fail in about 3 years (LONG PAPER, I DONT HOLD BACK)"

This is a factual argument of how the Wii will fail if competing with the 360 and PS3. ***However, I wrote this not taking into effect the Wii's potential it had into the non-gamer market.*** None the less it is in my opinion a great paper.

A lot of people say their predictions as to which system will win this current generation (I am one). However, some people refer to consoles of the past to justify their answers. I will say the most common references people say and I will correct them

*****Sony fanboys say that the 360 is like the Dreamcast. The dreamcast was released earlier, had more games, costed less, but still managed to get its A$$ kicked when the PS2 came along (PS2 being the PS3 in this case).*****  

     WRONG. For one, Microsoft is many times more rich then SEGA will ever hope to be. Thanks to Microsofts plentiful supply of cash, they have secured exclusives, making exclusives cross platform onto their console, and have acquired many developers as exclusively working for them. SEGA could never do what Microsoft is doing now with money.

    Dreamcast graphics were terrible. PS2 games were less blocky and more realistic. The PS2 controller looked and played much better then the Dreamcast controller did. Now, the 360's games look on par and in some cases look slightly better then the PS3 counterparts (at least for now). The 360 controller also feels and operates better then the Sixaxis (its true, deal).

    Dreamcast was hacked like nobody's business. Software sales were next to nothing. That's the main reason why it failed. The 360 has done a good job of not being completely hacked yet.

I will add more examples as I hear them. ***Feel free to tell me some improper referencing examples you hear people use***.

     Now that I got your attention with the title, let me explain myself.

     The 360 and PS3 are both competing for the hardcore gamer market. The Wii has shifted gears and is now targeting just about everybody who lives on planet Earth. Microsoft has a huge agenda, something that I have no idea what it is. But I do know their current agenda goal that they must accomplish: overtake the Playstation brand to control their market share.

    *** Microsoft is focusing all its resources to control the hardcore market.*** AFTER, and ONLY after will they focus on directly competing with Nintendo. So, it is commonly known that the 360 is struggling in Japan. ***Now until Microsoft figures out to crack that market, how are they supposed to slow down PS3 sales in that region?***

     The answer is Nintendo. In order to prevent as many PS3's being sold in Japan as possible, Microsoft needs an outside source to take away Sony market share. The Wii is the more precise answer to that. With the Wii's amazing sales taking away from the PS3's, this gives Microsoft more time to crack open the hardcore market in Japan.

     Hopefully, the Wii can hold off the PS3 long enough for the 360 to get some great exclusive Japanese-style games that will drive sales. Blue Dragon gave sales a boost and games like Lost Odessey will continue that trend until the 360 is more established. Nintendo is very generous for helping Microsoft against Sony free of charge.   

   I will add more good video game videos on this blog in time. For now its just these, but I will update this blog with new videos on a regular basis. Only the best (in my opinion) will be on this blog.

1. Here's a well done video of the PS3. The song and everything is origional and its catchy. A must see whether you like the PS3 or not.

http://www.thelastboss.com/post.phtml?pk=2287

2. This is when a guild in Warcraft ambushed a party of people attending a virtual funeral. A complete slaughter and a must see. SCATMAN!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4SnanpSUUI

3. Pro-Wii and anti-PS3 vid. All the PS3 jokes are exagerated and are just poking fun at it. The Wii segment is by far the best part of the video. I recomend just going straight to the Wii section. Overall its meant to be funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EpXCTwFrLU

4. This one is about SONY, Nintendo, and Microsoft battling to the death. Corporate respreentatives and mascots alike are in this. This is used with real people and is extremely funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZJw9sbOTsc&mode=related&search=

5. This is the Gears of War "Mad World" commercial extended version. The song was so unexpectedly catchy and went perfectly with what was going on-screen.  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Ig2JJRpdo

6. I hate Macs. They aren't into video games but since they compete with Microsoft I thought I post this. Very witty and funny.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iEAGmBRC1dc

7. The WOW Leroy Jenkins video. I found this extremely funny. Entire team gets slaughtered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU

8. X-Play Parodies. Breakfast club and X-Play Japan. Its all good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgdwGhMCdzE&mode=related&search=  (X-Play Breakfast Club Part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzqi_lQzk_A&mode=related&search=  (X-Play Breakfast Club Part 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMrNqdmGujE    (X-play Japan)

9. X-Play review of Motorstorm. Very funny.

http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1450/MotorStorm.html

    In a previous blog I outlined how the Wii is inferior to the Xbox 360 and PS3. In short, third party games will be absent from the Wii, online support will be the least of the three, and WIi will have the least amount of M rated content.

    HOWEVER, where it will 100% fail if competing directly against the 360 and PS3, this fortunately for Nintendo isn't the case. See I was somewhat wrong, yes wrong, in my previous blog. This is because ***I SOLELY classified the Wii as a direct competitor against Microsoft and Sony.***

    In reality, the Wii is somewhat competing with them, as they are diverting their energy to untapped markets. ***That is what I failed to acknowledge in the other blog: the potential of the non-gamer market.***

    I didn't believe that it would catch steam with non-gamers but im starting to see that it is. I hear and know of people who have the Wii. These consist of people 23 and older who have no gaming backround, some of which recently imigrated to North America. Overall I know 10 unique cases of non-gamers that own a Wii.

    This may not seem like a believable survey as the numbers are too small but I still feel that it is significant. Most of them did not know of Nintendo's backround in gaming. They simply bought it because the idea of motion sensing games caught their interest.

    Nintendo fanboys aren't enough to save the Wii but luckily this time around Nintendo has more then just that. Its now a matter of how many non-gamers will be hooked to it, and if Nintendo can keep up software releases (not including VC titles). God speed Wii......