The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
I know that we have no idea what the games are going to be like on the X-Box yet but I am interested in hearing what people think the systems chances are.
As this is supposed to be a future of gaming discussion forum and much as I enjoy talking about coffee machines I thought I would raise this topic to get us back on track.
My initial reaction is to run as far away from the X-Box as possible. I mean Microsoft releasing a games machine!! Havent they done enough damage already?? The thing is that they are really going to push this machine on the general public. They have a huge advertising budget and by the time release rolls around there wont be many people who dont know what the X-Box is. Can the X-Box distance itself far enough from Monopolysoft's reputation?? or will that reputation work for them in the eyes of the uninitiated. Many gamers who only got into the whole gaming scene after Sony made it 'hip' may just see Microsoft as another multinational company that can offer them good support and the approval of the mass market.
As the Saturn proved a system does not live or die merely because of its games. Most people cant afford every system and as such they have to make a decision. The Dreamcast has many quality games and is a good system in its own right but lots of people have decided to wait for the PS2.
So my fellow gamers do you think that the X-Box can market itself well enough to convince mainstream gamers to buy it??, will the X-Box be that much better than the other systems that it will convince Sony fans to give up their PS2's OR will the X-Box be crushed by the excessive expectations that it is already creating?
As this is supposed to be a future of gaming discussion forum and much as I enjoy talking about coffee machines I thought I would raise this topic to get us back on track.
My initial reaction is to run as far away from the X-Box as possible. I mean Microsoft releasing a games machine!! Havent they done enough damage already?? The thing is that they are really going to push this machine on the general public. They have a huge advertising budget and by the time release rolls around there wont be many people who dont know what the X-Box is. Can the X-Box distance itself far enough from Monopolysoft's reputation?? or will that reputation work for them in the eyes of the uninitiated. Many gamers who only got into the whole gaming scene after Sony made it 'hip' may just see Microsoft as another multinational company that can offer them good support and the approval of the mass market.
As the Saturn proved a system does not live or die merely because of its games. Most people cant afford every system and as such they have to make a decision. The Dreamcast has many quality games and is a good system in its own right but lots of people have decided to wait for the PS2.
So my fellow gamers do you think that the X-Box can market itself well enough to convince mainstream gamers to buy it??, will the X-Box be that much better than the other systems that it will convince Sony fans to give up their PS2's OR will the X-Box be crushed by the excessive expectations that it is already creating?
Reactions we don't need reactions. X-Box may be faster than most, because it's Microsoft of course and it does what a PC can do except play games better.
What annoys me is how everyone, hears about the PS2 they say 'wow, that's the best console ever, i'm getting one, it plays DVD's and music CD's' (anyone see sarcasm in this) .They really said this by the way, and what morons they are to say that. Who cares if it can to that, i think the reputation it has is good making it look good, and sell really well. If it does who cares, i will carry on playing my PC and N64.
X-Box doesn't pose a problem with me, it's a good console with potential, so does the GameCube.
We can't keep on predicting how good they are until we finally buy them on release. Then we can say it's the best console.
What annoys me is how everyone, hears about the PS2 they say 'wow, that's the best console ever, i'm getting one, it plays DVD's and music CD's' (anyone see sarcasm in this) .They really said this by the way, and what morons they are to say that. Who cares if it can to that, i think the reputation it has is good making it look good, and sell really well. If it does who cares, i will carry on playing my PC and N64.
X-Box doesn't pose a problem with me, it's a good console with potential, so does the GameCube.
We can't keep on predicting how good they are until we finally buy them on release. Then we can say it's the best console.
I am sure that is what Microsoft will try and do but I hope that they will find tough opposition from the likes of Sony, Sega and Nintendo.
Very good point there bjlangley, I remember that attempt at a console by Commodore it was a cartridge based affair but the games were all pretty dire as far as I remember and it died pretty quick. X-Box representatives have said until they are blue in the face that they wont let their machine become merely a platform for PC ports but I, like so many, have my doubts.
The day I heard that Microsoft were entering the console market I must admit that I was disgusted. Why does that horrible Gates man have to have a finger in every pie?? Hasnt he emassed enough money already??
Prejudice aside, however, I suppose we will just have to wait and see what the software that appears on the machine is like. If it is really alot better than the PS2 then I will probably go and buy an X-Box (that is, as long as it never crashes, I have given up on PC gaming as I am sick of the bloody thing crashing and the endless patches for games that should have been finished properly before release).
I have to hold my hands up and say though, that to be honest nothing would make me happier than the X-Box turning into a complete fiasco.
Very good point there bjlangley, I remember that attempt at a console by Commodore it was a cartridge based affair but the games were all pretty dire as far as I remember and it died pretty quick. X-Box representatives have said until they are blue in the face that they wont let their machine become merely a platform for PC ports but I, like so many, have my doubts.
The day I heard that Microsoft were entering the console market I must admit that I was disgusted. Why does that horrible Gates man have to have a finger in every pie?? Hasnt he emassed enough money already??
Prejudice aside, however, I suppose we will just have to wait and see what the software that appears on the machine is like. If it is really alot better than the PS2 then I will probably go and buy an X-Box (that is, as long as it never crashes, I have given up on PC gaming as I am sick of the bloody thing crashing and the endless patches for games that should have been finished properly before release).
I have to hold my hands up and say though, that to be honest nothing would make me happier than the X-Box turning into a complete fiasco.
I think X-Box is definitely worth keeping an eye on, as it sounds excellent - and I don't even like Microsoft!
My main concern, though, is that it sounds far too good to be true. The spec they're listing, and the price they're allegedly aiming for, just don't seem to add up.
We all know that current console manufacturers make most of their money from software licenses rather than unit sales - Sony have apparently made little or no profit from the 3.5 million units sold in Japan. But if the spec and price are correct, it seems to me that Microsoft would be selling X-Box at a hell of a loss.
Then again, they can probably afford to, so is X-Box just an attempt by Gates/Microsoft to move in and smother the console market, as they have practically done with the home PC market?
My main concern, though, is that it sounds far too good to be true. The spec they're listing, and the price they're allegedly aiming for, just don't seem to add up.
We all know that current console manufacturers make most of their money from software licenses rather than unit sales - Sony have apparently made little or no profit from the 3.5 million units sold in Japan. But if the spec and price are correct, it seems to me that Microsoft would be selling X-Box at a hell of a loss.
Then again, they can probably afford to, so is X-Box just an attempt by Gates/Microsoft to move in and smother the console market, as they have practically done with the home PC market?
I seem to remember, back in the day that the Commodore Amiga was the home computer of most British people's choice. Commodore also released a console, (I think it was back in the days before the SNES, I'm not sure if it was before or after the Megadrives British release, because I had an import one.) Anyway, it flopped. Why would anybody want to buy a console that was just the same as there Amiga, but without the ability to do the office type stuff? If, as it seems, most X-Box games will be ported across to the PC, because it's so easy, what will the X-Box have to draw people to it? I can't see it being particularly cheap either, unless they take the risk of losing huge amounts on the hardware and hope to make it back with the games.
I know that we have no idea what the games are going to be like on the X-Box yet but I am interested in hearing what people think the systems chances are.
As this is supposed to be a future of gaming discussion forum and much as I enjoy talking about coffee machines I thought I would raise this topic to get us back on track.
My initial reaction is to run as far away from the X-Box as possible. I mean Microsoft releasing a games machine!! Havent they done enough damage already?? The thing is that they are really going to push this machine on the general public. They have a huge advertising budget and by the time release rolls around there wont be many people who dont know what the X-Box is. Can the X-Box distance itself far enough from Monopolysoft's reputation?? or will that reputation work for them in the eyes of the uninitiated. Many gamers who only got into the whole gaming scene after Sony made it 'hip' may just see Microsoft as another multinational company that can offer them good support and the approval of the mass market.
As the Saturn proved a system does not live or die merely because of its games. Most people cant afford every system and as such they have to make a decision. The Dreamcast has many quality games and is a good system in its own right but lots of people have decided to wait for the PS2.
So my fellow gamers do you think that the X-Box can market itself well enough to convince mainstream gamers to buy it??, will the X-Box be that much better than the other systems that it will convince Sony fans to give up their PS2's OR will the X-Box be crushed by the excessive expectations that it is already creating?
As this is supposed to be a future of gaming discussion forum and much as I enjoy talking about coffee machines I thought I would raise this topic to get us back on track.
My initial reaction is to run as far away from the X-Box as possible. I mean Microsoft releasing a games machine!! Havent they done enough damage already?? The thing is that they are really going to push this machine on the general public. They have a huge advertising budget and by the time release rolls around there wont be many people who dont know what the X-Box is. Can the X-Box distance itself far enough from Monopolysoft's reputation?? or will that reputation work for them in the eyes of the uninitiated. Many gamers who only got into the whole gaming scene after Sony made it 'hip' may just see Microsoft as another multinational company that can offer them good support and the approval of the mass market.
As the Saturn proved a system does not live or die merely because of its games. Most people cant afford every system and as such they have to make a decision. The Dreamcast has many quality games and is a good system in its own right but lots of people have decided to wait for the PS2.
So my fellow gamers do you think that the X-Box can market itself well enough to convince mainstream gamers to buy it??, will the X-Box be that much better than the other systems that it will convince Sony fans to give up their PS2's OR will the X-Box be crushed by the excessive expectations that it is already creating?