Why the trouble? Because the 360 is trying hard to fight two wars at once--the hardcore and the casuals--and it's losing them both. That's why, on Amazon, the best selling Xbox 360 SKU is rarely in the top 50 while the PS3 is consistently in the top 15. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/videogame.
Let's see why the 360 can't win.
HARD CORE FIGHT: Winner PS3
Neither Xbox 360 or the Wii can now compete with the PS3 for hardcore gaming. 2005, 2006, and 2007 are long gone. In 2008, the biggest (Resistance 2) and most advanced games (Metal Gear Solid 4) are on the PS3. No matter how Microsoft and fanboys try to spin it, Xbox 360 is showing its age; it is no longer the console that pushes the boundaries in HD gaming. In fact, it's the PS3 that wins the following:
Most photorealistic: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
Best animation: Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid 4. Soon, Killzone 2.
Best Sounds: Metal Gear Solid 4, which uses uncompressed audio, thanks to the huge space on the Blu-ray disk.
Biggest bosses: Resistance 2, not out yet, but hands-ons have confimed the existence of at least one 300 ft monster.
Biggest multiplayer shooters (that look good): Resistance. Soon, Resistance 2. Killzone 2 is expected to look good for both single and multiplayers.
Best merging of movies and games: Metal Gear Solid 4, Heavy Rain.
Most innovative, user-generated gameplay: Little Big Planet.
Most promising MMOs in development: MAG, The Agency, DC Universe, Free Realms
Most compelling 3D online social interaction: HOME
Best web-browsing: Youtube, Life with Playstation (maps, weather, Google News, etc.)
Most feature rich: Blu-ray
Most high-tech pet simulation: Eyepet
Most high-tech card-based gaming: Eye of Judgment
As such, you are no longer a hardcore gamer this generation if you don't own the PS3. Microsoft is not really using its billions to push the boundaries of next-gen gaming. Instead, it digs its deep pockets to reduce the price of the 360. Why? Because, it knows it can't win on most of the categories listed above. Xbox 360 is simply less advanced than the PS3. That's why Microsoft is focusing on expanding its audience and fight for the casuals.
CASUAL FIGHT: Winner Wii
Sure, Xbox 360 is technechnically the cheapest console right now. If you count the most feature-less SKU, which is the Arcade bundle. On Amazon, at least, the Arcade bundle is far from being the most popular. In any case, the fight for casuals is way beyond the 360's ability.
Free-Online: PS3 > Wii > 360
Cheap games: Wii > 360> PS3
Most casual-oriented games: Wii > 360, PS3
Most casual friendly features: Wii (intuitive controls) > PS3, 360
Most useful non-gaming features: PS3 > Xbox 360 > Wii. Causals don't play games that much and thus they appreciate non-gaming features more.
Cheapest accessories: Wii > PS3 > Xbox 360
Worldwide brand name: PS3, Wii > Xbox 360
Ladies and fanboys, Xbox 360 is stuck between a rock and a hard place. It is stuck between the hard-core and the causals, neither of them seeing the 360 as the console of choice. Mark my words, price cuts and all, Xbox 360 will sell less than most gaming sites expected.
Sihanouk
A very nice and factfull thread.But a very dirty place to post it ! Most of the people here are fanboys and little ki&s.They will NEVER want to agree with you.
Log in to comment