Saturday, December 12

Xbox 360 Has Become A Force To Be Reckoned With




There are things that jump into our lives for seemingly seconds and then leave. What comes to mind quickly are the one hit wonders in the music industry, they come with much flare and flash, make you believe that they'd be around for a least a few years, and before you know it, like a shooting star that zaps across the evening sky with amazing speeds and and eye-blinding light, they're gone. And then there are those things that first you're skeptical about, you hesitantly place your gaze in their direction because you're not too sure what they're up to. Then overtime, they amaze you, surprise you and cunningly convince you that truly, they'll not only be around to stay, but intend on being the best at what they do, all while keeping the competition on their toes. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you a company that came on the scene and has changed the gaming industry forever. A company that many thought would not survive the wrath of Sony and the Playstation brand, but yet still has endured. A company who's motto seems to be "by any means necessary". Microsoft and the Xbox 360 have become a force to be reckoned with. Let's rewind back to the original Xbox shall we?

By the time the original Xbox came on the scene on November 15th, 2001, Sony's PS2 was already a mainstay in households across the globe, but especially overflowing in North America. PS2 had all the major exclusives, massive brand recognition, and no matter what Microsoft did, they just could not take hold of much market share. Although the Xbox was more powerful than PS2, that didn't mean much to gamers who trusted Sony's brand and saw no reason to give the competition a closer look. In fact, many argue that if if were not for Halo, the original Xbox would have been a ghost. The title sold approximately 8 million copies and ended up being the best selling title of the Xbox, indeed there was light at the end of the tunnel....


The Redmond giant was never able to crack Sony's experience-hardened armor; and overtime the PS2 went on to sell 140 million units globally and even to this day is selling like hot cakes. Over 2,000 games were released for the great console and it's deemed industry wide as by far the most successful piece of hardware to ever grace the gaming industry. Microsoft knew they had done little damage to Sony with the Xbox, but as stated earlier, the company saw light at the end of the tunnel.

So what's a company who's desperately trying to get a foothold in the gaming industry do, when everyone is anticipating its competitor's device? Get its console out before anyone else does, and try its best to gain a foothold. That's exactly what Microsoft did.

To much fanfare, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 in November of 2005, one full year before the PS3 and Nintendo Wii, and although the company has paid a massive cost because of faulty hardware (RROD), the year's headstart allowed them to sell millions of consoles to excited customers while Sony looked on unafraid.


Unafraid, but worried; we're now closing 2009, and Microsoft is still in the lead by a few million units. The PS3 has lost weight both in body and price which led to the system being the best selling console globally for months. But the big surprise came this month in America, when the latest NPD results showed that the Xbox 360 which has been out a year before the PS3, and has yet to receive a face-lift, outsold the it by 100,000 units for the month of November, even after Sony has been delivering a stellar ad campaign effort. This is proof that if anything, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has been a success, a monstrous force to be reckoned with. And if all goes well, there's no stopping them.

Next stop, Xbox 720.

12/12/09 Ernice Gilbert

31 comments:

  1. Nice read. Honestly, I find you guys bring more good articles than some of the other websites around, and you're just a blog.

    You need a real Domain name. I'd like to register.

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  2. January 1st, 2010, www.gamesthirst.com will be launched.

    We have a lot in store for all.

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you to a stupid fanboy!

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  5. True. Sony's lost majority of HD console sales to Microsoft in the US. They can, however, win with the rest of the world, if they play it right... They're ahead in Japan and I think Europe/PAL regions. But the US has a loooot of people... We'll see how this ends up.

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  6. There was nothing fanboyish about my comment whatsoever. I was just pointing out that GamesThirst quite often publishes inaccurate and terrible articles.

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  7. @ fanboy
    if the site is so shit, why did you bother to comment, then check your comment, then re-comment twice...
    Good read dude, i agree with you.
    I think there are 2 things that keep M$ in the console industry, 1st is that they came out 1 year earlier than sony and wii and all the early adopters took it up which then fuelled a base to work from plus live was already in place from the original xbox. 2nd was the ease of programming for the architecture of the 360. So much easier for devs to make games. I think if sony released their kits to devs alot earlier and showed them the best way to use the cell processor then things might be a bit different.

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  8. well done article i believe xbox will stay ahead until next generation

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  9. nah i seriously am worried about M$ next year.
    i hope they have a few hidden cards up their sleve because looking at sonys line up than looking at M$ its like going to a 5 star hotel than moving to a crappy motell.
    whats more worrying is that 99% of the 360 exclusives are also on PC.
    crackdown 2 is the only game i want for the 360, the only one.
    and im sure as hell not buying one just for 1 game.
    i hope there not putting all their eggs on natal because that would be a MASSIVE! mistake.
    i seriously cant see it being such a big hit.
    sonys been there done that with the eyetoy.
    its a gimmik it wont last long, look at the wii for the first few years it was sold out everywhere every week of the year.
    now its decresing rapidly.
    not being a fanboy just telling it as it is.
    if their games were leaps and bounds better than it would be ok, quality over quantity i allways say.
    but thats the problem, quality wise there looking just as good as a multiplatform game.
    but than look at sonys camp with GOW3 and heavy rain the quality is through the roof, through heaven and god is complaining its right in his face ;)

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  10. Microsoft NEEDED the year's head start and even that didn't do them much good. In it's first month on the market the PS3 sold more units in Japan then the 360 did for it's first YEAR. That's hardly a foothold for Microsoft.

    Next year it could get much worse, the PS3 has a plethora of AAA exclusive titles while the 360 has very few by comparison. Microsoft have already showed how desperate they are by releasing 3 Halo games in the space of 12 months. If i were Microsoft i would be extremely worried, they're going to be outpaced by the PS3 from March next year right up until the end of this geenration.

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  11. Please can people stop calling the next Xbox console 'Xbox 720'. I feel positive that it won't be called that - that number will just remind people of the standard high definition output. Xbox 1080 is more of a likely name, if they stick with a number at the end.

    Xbox 720- eurgh- that sounds such an old name already don't you think?

    Just call it 'the next Xbox'.

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  12. Terribly written article, and this is coming from an xbox fan. You have some good points, but you need to work on your writing skills, or get a decent editor.

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  13. Wow, at above, you thought it was terrible, but I thought it was a good and decently written read.

    It's amazing how we have varying opinions. Keep up the articles games thirst.

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  14. Learnt to proof read.

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  15. Nice read, however I think that there were other games that was relevant to the original Xbox. Not just Halo

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  16. Sony fanboys should be happy that xbox 360 is wiping the floor with the ps3. We get better games and the ps3 multiple price drops. Is good for gamers. Also don't forget without xbox live there wouldn't be a Psn. Buy both systems and shut up.

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  17. I love my 360's but Xbox Live better get cheaper or free soon as I am starting to lean towards the FREE part of online play on the PS3. I am a gold member and have been for 2 years, and I know all they have to offer for being gold, I only use like 20% and the biggest component is online gaming. It should be FREE!
    Xbox still has the best overall game lineups but that is not enough for the price of a gold membership.

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  18. PS3 is still OUTSELLING AND OWNING the 360 in WORLDWIDEsales every week. America is not the only region that matters for sales.

    But 360 is a force to be reckoned with because they held a 2-week fire-sale in November getting rid of 360 stock at $99 ($100 gift card with a $199 Xbox purchase at Walmart and Amazon)? Or that the PS3 is still kicking 360's ass in worldwide sales every week (Do stupid Americans still not realize that NPD doesn't represent WORLDWIDE sales?). Or that the Wii is kicking both system's asses?

    I'd be ashamed if I didn't at least DOUBLE the sales of the PS3 when I'm basically giving the system away at the ultra-budget price of $99.

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  19. Why do so many ignorant Xbox fanboys act like PS3 is losing? They're outselling the 360 EVERY WEEK/MONTH in terms of GLOBAL/WORLDWIDE sales.

    360 is dead last, the last place console on the sales charts seemingly every week. 360 is the LOSER here, not the PS3.

    No, NPD doesn't represent WORLDWIDE sales, and America isn't the only region in the world that matters for sales.

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  20. If youre noticing lots of fanboys from ps3 this is because N4G just posted this on their website, N4G is a playstation only website.

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  21. xbox's name changes like nintendo's

    so it wont be wii2 or xbox 720 itl be

    super motion console or games power house

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  22. All of you numb nuts bashing this guy's article, are simply retarded. The entire point behind the article was that someone came on the gaming scene and in 5 years, changed gaming. That's a huge accomplishment giving where Sony was and the gigantic lead they had. That's like an NFL football team being up 42-0 at the half and loosing the game. How could Sony have screwed up such a good thing. I mean they sold 140,000 million units worldwide and had been in the game way longer than M$. what M$ did was amazing given how big a mountain they had to climb. What Sony did was blow the biggest lead any entertainment corporation ever had through arrogance and stupidity. If it wasn't for you "I gotta have this $800 behemoth gaming system even with no games at launch" Sony fanboys, Sony's PS3 would have sunk a while ago. The only thing that got them to where they are now are fanboys... Nobody bought the system at launch but fanboys...

    As for the argument about Project Natal... it will change gaming. The one and most important thing that it will have over the Wii is muscle... period point blank. There is no comparison between the Wii and Xbox 360 processing power. In addition, Project Natal will also have its own processor. It will do everything the Wii does and everything it wish it could.

    Because of M$'s one year lead and if they play their cards right, Sony will always be a day late and a dollar short. And one last point, whether you like it or not, people tend to look at us stupid Americans' sales numbers because we drive the market.

    Gladiator007

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  23. In the first paragraph, you said "..and before you know it, like a shooting start that zaps across the evening sky..". I believe you meant 'star'. :)

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  24. good read. you stated all facts and told the truth, no fanboyism. but i think the title should be something like "microsoft in the gaming world has been a force to be reckoned with".

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  25. Thanks Guys, we try to keep it level in here. No bias.

    Also, thanks for the suggestions and for spotting the typos.

    Coming January 1st, 2010:

    www.gamesthirst.com The official website.

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  26. Ps3 is just playing catch up, but it never will lol. Seriously sony f#$%%$ up this generation with that big black box. After riding the hype that didnt deliver people are wiser now than back in the emotion chip days. Sony's hype machine was doa and all they can do now to save face is put out generic sony first party titles that dont sale. It takes money to stay afloat and sony is giving the ps3 away at $299 to look competitive. Look up sony gaming revenue for the fanboy non believers. sony is sunk. well theres always the ps4. (Remember a few months dont make up for 3 years of being dead last):)

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  27. You got Microsofts motto wrong. It's more like 'Buy any means necessary '.

    I agree they changed gaming forever. They sold a console to loyal fans and gamers that they knew was faulty before they launched it. They had no competition and plenty of time to fix the defect before launching but that would mean they cared more about their customers than they do about dollars, which will never happen with MS. They bent us over and millions of consumers took it, got RRoD or DVD errors, then got it fixed with faulty parts and took it again and again. They then knowingly sold the dodgy units for 3 full years before fixing RRoD. What a fantastic company, thanks MS.

    People that buy 360 and support MS are telling them and other major companies that it is OK to treat consumers that way. IT IS NOT OK!

    They also introduced a fee for online play, microtransactions for extra game content and an achievement system that turned single player gaming into a competition.

    Way to go MS.

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  28. Ps3 was catching in world wide sales, with a $600 price, and a year behind. If the Ps3 came out the same year as the xbox it would be a differnt story. And like people have said N.A doesnt count for the rest of the world. All you xbots got to wake up and see that. Oh and GOTY was ...... A Ps3 game, Uncharted 2/ with the best GRAPHICS

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  29. To the Anonymous poster that commented on December 12, 2009 3:01 PM

    I give massive kudos to you. I totally agree.

    I don't give a flying fuck what all the Sony fanboys say. WHETHER YOU GUYS LIKE IT OR NOT, Sony had the gaming market in their pockets with the PS2, and M$ came and swiped the majority of it from right under their noses with the Xbox 360. Microsoft has done a fricking amazing job doing what they've done. So it doesn't really matter how many Sony sell now, Xbox is now a household name alongside Playstation and Nintendo. So unless Microsoft completely change their direction with what their next gaming machine does, each console will most probably receive a fair judgement before someone picks 1 of them (if they had to pick 1 of the 3 obviously).

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  30. Funny how there's a lot of retarded 360 fangirls on here who don't follow the videogames industry. You should be happy the PS3 is wiping the floor with the RROD box 360, you should be happy that PS3 games are named GOTY while 360 games aren't excluive and have garbage gameplay and GBC graphics with compressed audio for that authentic last - gen feeling.

    Why should you be happy? Because PS3 is proving how good games can be. If it were left to Microsoft garbage 360 games to represent the industry people would laugh at us for not having moved forwards in the last 10 years. That is just one of the many reasons why PS3 is outselling 360.

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  31. Xbots loveeeeeeeeee moneysoft, their asses are so sore from getting ass raped by moneysoft, they have to stand to play their cartoon graphic games (aka Halo) But i admit moneysoft and the abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzBOX are doing a great job......... their xbots will never forget their ABCs. Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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