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I have a worrying suspicion that the XBox will go the same way as the DC. Why is this?
Well, many people on here have said that they won't be buying one. If you scale that up to cover the entire console buying population, you get quite a few people who won't be buying Microsoft's box of tricks.
So what if they haven't released a console before? As has been mentioned many times before, the same was said of Sony before they launched the PSX and we all know how well that sold. MS have got all the ingredients of a great console in the making.
Firstly, the hardware, as this seems to be what most people quote when they talk about consoles. I'm not going to bore you with figures of polygons per second etc. What i will point out is that MS are using tried and trusted companies to make the components. The nVidia graphics chip should have no problems working with the processor, which was originally going to be an AMD chip but has now been changed to Intel. Along with it's RAM, which is the most a console has ever had the XBox hardware is spectacular.
As the hardware is so similar to a PC, developers should have no worries getting to grips with it. The "warming up" period, the time the developer have to spend getting the most out of the hardware, should be minimal. The likeness with a PC should mean that ports are going to be easy, and with the quality of PC games at the moment, B&W , Operation Flashpoint, Deus Ex etc, that can only be a good thing.
The XBox looks like it may have a strong launch as well. With Halo, Project Gotham (essentially M: SR with an extra city, tarted up graphics and AI and also destructible cars!) and another Abe's Odyssey game supposedly available at launch, along with a number of games that Sega have in development as well, the XBox will have a good line up.
But i still feel that the XBox will not do as well as it deserves, as did the DC. By the time it is released the PS2 will have established a large user base, and the 'Cube will have been out for a little while as well. I feel that a lack of established games like a Mario or a Sonic will also discourage people to buy the console. Although games like Halo and Project Gotham could well be classics, as not many people have heard of them, it may put them off slightly. Sony doesn't really have a mascot character, but they have the MGS and GT series which people recognize.
The DC didn't take off because of people remembered the Saturn and that put them off. Sony had also announced the PS2 and a large number of games were still being released for the PSX. The same sorts of things may put people off an XBox. Some people still relate Microsoft only with Windows and the problems they have experienced with that. The PS2 will probably be at it's peak of games releases and as i've mentioned before, the 'Cube will have only just been out.
I'm hoping people think of Microsoft as the company that made the first force feedback joystick and now the whole range of quality peripherals. The company that released classic games such as the Age Of Empires series.
But only time will tell whether Microsoft and the XBox can become a success.
Well, many people on here have said that they won't be buying one. If you scale that up to cover the entire console buying population, you get quite a few people who won't be buying Microsoft's box of tricks.
So what if they haven't released a console before? As has been mentioned many times before, the same was said of Sony before they launched the PSX and we all know how well that sold. MS have got all the ingredients of a great console in the making.
Firstly, the hardware, as this seems to be what most people quote when they talk about consoles. I'm not going to bore you with figures of polygons per second etc. What i will point out is that MS are using tried and trusted companies to make the components. The nVidia graphics chip should have no problems working with the processor, which was originally going to be an AMD chip but has now been changed to Intel. Along with it's RAM, which is the most a console has ever had the XBox hardware is spectacular.
As the hardware is so similar to a PC, developers should have no worries getting to grips with it. The "warming up" period, the time the developer have to spend getting the most out of the hardware, should be minimal. The likeness with a PC should mean that ports are going to be easy, and with the quality of PC games at the moment, B&W , Operation Flashpoint, Deus Ex etc, that can only be a good thing.
The XBox looks like it may have a strong launch as well. With Halo, Project Gotham (essentially M: SR with an extra city, tarted up graphics and AI and also destructible cars!) and another Abe's Odyssey game supposedly available at launch, along with a number of games that Sega have in development as well, the XBox will have a good line up.
But i still feel that the XBox will not do as well as it deserves, as did the DC. By the time it is released the PS2 will have established a large user base, and the 'Cube will have been out for a little while as well. I feel that a lack of established games like a Mario or a Sonic will also discourage people to buy the console. Although games like Halo and Project Gotham could well be classics, as not many people have heard of them, it may put them off slightly. Sony doesn't really have a mascot character, but they have the MGS and GT series which people recognize.
The DC didn't take off because of people remembered the Saturn and that put them off. Sony had also announced the PS2 and a large number of games were still being released for the PSX. The same sorts of things may put people off an XBox. Some people still relate Microsoft only with Windows and the problems they have experienced with that. The PS2 will probably be at it's peak of games releases and as i've mentioned before, the 'Cube will have only just been out.
I'm hoping people think of Microsoft as the company that made the first force feedback joystick and now the whole range of quality peripherals. The company that released classic games such as the Age Of Empires series.
But only time will tell whether Microsoft and the XBox can become a success.
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No, that's just optimistic.
Very.
Very.
Dan2K1 wrote:
> Xbox is going to fail. ARRRRGHHHHOOOOOOWWW!
Thats nice Dan!
:P
> Xbox is going to fail. ARRRRGHHHHOOOOOOWWW!
Thats nice Dan!
:P
ummmm.... that 500bn (or whatever) is his! And he is only on member of MS (he is one of the 3 co founders!). So When launching the Xbox, he has had to answer to share holders and the like... he won't just throw it away!
Sonic
Sonic
He doesn't have that much money Dan. That was his largest known total. He lost more than 40% of that through law sues last year.. if that happens again this year then owww!..
Dan2K1 wrote:
> Bill has £467bn. He can waste a little.
I'm sure he didn't get $467bn by just saying "Oh, we'll try this and it doesn't matter if it fails"
> Bill has £467bn. He can waste a little.
I'm sure he didn't get $467bn by just saying "Oh, we'll try this and it doesn't matter if it fails"
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