Microsoft betting big on XBOX 360 sales...

[cruzer1]

No wonder, we're making huge orders for XBox 360 games...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/fun.gam...eut/index.html

Microsoft betting on big Xbox 360 sales

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday said it expects to sell as many as 3 million Xbox 360s in the first three months after its launch -- a strong start in its battle to dominate the market for next-generation gaming consoles.

Some big retailers in the United States have stopped accepting early orders for Xbox 360.

Microsoft will be the first of the three major companies to launch a new console when the Xbox 360 hits store shelves on November 22. Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Revolution each are expected sometime later in 2006.

Microsoft is aiming to sell 2.75 million to 3 million Xbox 360 units in the first 90 days after the launch date, Xbox Chief Financial Officer Bryan Lee told an investors' conference in New York.

The company set that target nearly two weeks after trying to play down industry expectations. At its latest earnings announcement, it warned that initial Xbox sales might not be as high as some in the gaming industry have expected.

But analysts said the new 90-day sales figure was probably still low, given that the Xbox 360 will not have a direct competitor this Christmas and that it will be accompanied by a rich line-up of games.

"The 3-million-unit number that Microsoft quoted today is extremely conservative," said Rochdale Research analyst David Eller.

Lee also said that sales of the new consoles, games, peripherals and online gaming subscriptions should total about $1.5 billion in the same period.

"In GameStop stores, the reservation process is closed," said Chris Olivera, a spokesman for GameStop Corp., the biggest U.S. video game retailer, adding that advance orders at GameStop's recently acquired Electronics Boutique stores were due to close "relatively soon."

Best Buy Co. Inc., the No. 1 U.S. electronics chain, said on its Web site that it had stopped taking orders for the Xbox 360.

The figures released on Tuesday are "a good signal about the overall health of the business," Microsoft's Lee said in an interview ahead of a presentation at the Harris Nesbitt Media & Entertainment Conference.

The 90-day sales target totals more than half of Microsoft's target of selling between 4.5 million and 5.5 million Xbox 360 consoles during the current business year, which ends June 30, 2006.

Lee, the CFO of Microsoft's home and entertainment group, declined to say how many consoles would be on retailers' shelves on November 22 when the Xbox 360 launches, saying that Microsoft would have enough machines for a solid release and steady supply thereafter.

Microsoft has contracted with three electronics manufacturers to build the Xbox 360: Flextronics International Ltd., Wistron Corp. and Celestica Inc. The Celestica plant is expected to come online in early 2006.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft's Xbox 360 will debut at least three months before its main rival Sony begins selling the PlayStation 3, the gaming industry leader's next-generation console.

Current-generation Xbox sales have slowed ahead of the launch.

Microsoft had cautioned on October 27 that early Xbox 360 sales would not be as high as expected.

But analysts noted that Microsoft would benefit from avoiding a big sales spike after the launch. Disgruntled customers were a problem for Sony when it launched its best-selling PlayStation 2 console in 2000

[NotoriousCPC]

I have heard that the release will be tremendously shallow initially and that stores are only getting a handful on launch because they are way behind schedule. I've also heard that stores are forcing customers, because Microsoft forced them, to buy the X-Box in bundles that include sometimes a minimum of four games with the purchase. I think that is pretty sh*tty.

[cruzer1]

I have just begun my preparations for the PS3 by buying a Samsung 56' DLP 1080p today...

World's First 1080P DLP
The 56" HLR5688W pedestal DLP is the very first 1080P DLP TV to hit the market. The Cinema Smoothä Optical Engine provides super-high (1920 x 1080) pixel density and progressive scanning for matchless video-image quality. The 5000:1 contrast ratio keeps colors lifelike and vibrant, while Samsung's enhanced Digital Natural Image Engine (DNIe™) takes the signal from any kind of input and turns it into a stunning picture. The set is Digital Cable Ready (DCR) with a built-in CableCARD™ eliminating the need for a set-top box for digital cable program viewing.

The unique pedestal display showcases Samsung's design ingenuity and ensures that the set "Fits Where Others Won't." The DLP TV utilizes Samsung's AnyNet™ System Solution providing simple one-touch control for home theater equipment. Two High-Definition Multimedia Interfaces (HDMI™) ensure optimal signal transmission from DVD players and other digital devices. Cinema Film Mode, 3:2 pull down and a robust 30-watts of audio power complete the home theater experience. The 50" model, HLR5087W, incorporates the same features with a Cinema Smooth™ 720P engine and a single HDMI. Both models will be available in February 2005. The HLR5087W has a $3,699 MSRP. The HLR5688W has a $4,999 MSRP.

[potthole]

Any official news on a price for PS3 yet? I know it's expected to be up there, like possibly over $500.

[spikesglaring]

Ugh, these console guys are terrible. I've decided long ago I'm not even considering a purchase of a PS3 or X-Box 360 for a while. $299-$500 for a game system is ridiculous, and has to be a huge profit for the companies.

Personally, I'll stick with my X-Box & PS2 for now. Sometimes you just have to say something isn't worth the money.

[cruzer1]

I won't say it. I'll be gaming in 1080p.

[cruzer1]

Originally Posted by potthole

Any official news on a price for PS3 yet? I know it's expected to be up there, like possibly over $500.

I'm expecting a thousand. Less, I'll be happy, and will buy right away. More, I'll have to buy flowers first.

[djhutch]

Nutshell this for me guys. What's gonna be so different about the 360 that I don't get on the X-Box? As long as I can play baseball & football, do I need anything more?

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by djhutch

Nutshell this for me guys. What's gonna be so different about the 360 that I don't get on the X-Box? As long as I can play baseball & football, do I need anything more?

The graphics will be incredible, and there will be wireless controllers. Plus the processor is way faster so it'll load a lot quicker. That's about it though.

[qsilvr2531]

Originally Posted by djhutch

Nutshell this for me guys. What's gonna be so different about the 360 that I don't get on the X-Box? As long as I can play baseball & football, do I need anything more?

Eventually you won't be able to get new football and baseball games for X-box. Until the actual games come out, that's about all that can be said. The new games will almost certainly have better graphics. Will they be any better? Personally, I have my doubts.

[snoogit]

PS3 is slated for a Holiday 2006 launch. Personally this could be trouble for Sony, especially since I heard that theya re once again stripping the PS3 like they did the PS2 to get it to a lower price point to compete with the Xbox 360.

Microsoft is going to have 2 advantages this generation:

1: Earlier release date, yes this killed the Dreamcast, but Microsoft has more money, and support from EA and Square. Something Sega did not.

2: Halo 3 is supposedly coming out the day the PS3 does. Along with that it would be foolish not to think that the Xbox 360 will have a price drop along with the PS3 release.

2a: Another thing I have heard on the rumor mill is that Microsoft is quietly talking with EA to make ALL EA titles Xbox 360 exclusives. That means Madden, that means NBA Live, James Bond Games, etc. Every EA game a Microsoft Xbox exclusive. That would KILL a struggling Sony who relies on Playstation sales to survive.

[djhutch]

Originally Posted by Yoda

...there will be wireless controllers....

Finally, I won't have to worry about my dog unplugging me everytime the neighbor pulls into his driveway.

[cruzer1]

There are rumors of someone trying to buy EA...

[potthole]

I would not be a happy camper if Microsoft got exclusive rights to EA.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by potthole

I would not be a happy camper if Microsoft got exclusive rights to EA.

That would be pretty sweet! I'm sick of half of my friends having PS's. It's hard to just jump on one when the controllers are set up differently. If everyone would just buy an XBOX like they did when Nintendo came out there would be no problems!

[belcherboy]

I get my xbox 360 on the Saturday before it is released!! I won it on the Mountain Dew/xbox giveaway!!

Can't wait!!

[mancity09]

Originally Posted by Yoda

That would be pretty sweet! I'm sick of half of my friends having PS's. It's hard to just jump on one when the controllers are set up differently. If everyone would just buy an XBOX like they did when Nintendo came out there would be no problems!

I fully agree, Yoda. And its not just that the controllers are different, but the PS controllers are not configured well IMO.

[potthole]

Controller configuration is all personal preference.

I was brought up on the original Playstation, so PS2's controller feels perfect to me, considering it's the same setup. When I play X-Box, I feel that it is poorly configured.

[mancity09]

Originally Posted by potthole

Controller configuration is all personal preference.

I was brought up on the original Playstation, so PS2's controller feels perfect to me, considering it's the same setup. When I play X-Box, I feel that it is poorly configured.

My main problem with the PS controller is it doesnt fit well in my hands, and I really hate the 2 L and R buttons.

[potthole]

Originally Posted by mancity09

My main problem with the PS controller is it doesnt fit well in my hands, and I really hate the 2 L and R buttons.

Heh, and I would say the same about X-Box controllers. See, it's all just opinion, and what you're used to.

[osurower]

So how will Sony piss off their gaming customers? Will they do the same as music or attempt something new?

As an aside, I've been steadily getting more and more dissatisfied with Sony as a product. I've been looking at TV's and Sony's are overpriced and the picture quality is grainy and poor. It seems like the company being driven into the ground.

I like the original XBOX much more than the PS2 due to the improved graphics and connectivity. Has anyone ever played 16 player HALO with all 16 players in one house? It's the coolest gaming concept of all time.

[belcherboy]

Originally Posted by osurower

So how will Sony piss off their gaming customers? Will they do the same as music or attempt something new?

As an aside, I've been steadily getting more and more dissatisfied with Sony as a product. I've been looking at TV's and Sony's are overpriced and the picture quality is grainy and poor. It seems like the company being driven into the ground.

I like the original XBOX much more than the PS2 due to the improved graphics and connectivity. Has anyone ever played 16 player HALO with all 16 players in one house? It's the coolest gaming concept of all time.

At my church, my buddy (the youth pastor) suggested that we build a gaming room hooking up 3 xbox's and connecting them all. We got a lot of weird looks and complaints when we first did it. Well, our youth group as doubled since we did it just over a year ago (to be fair our church has grown about 40% in the past 2 years...not because of xbox). It is incredible how addictive Halo is. I get angry when I play these dang kids in the game room that play 3-4 hours a night at home. I play an hour a week if I am lucky. I've played about 5-6 hours of Halo 2 since I got it last year (the night it came out). I get mad because I get the games and don't have time to play them. These kids just wax me and mock me afterward until I have to shove a pool stick up their rears (not literally, but I do threaten at times )

I just think Microsoft does a better job at a game system than any of the others, but opinions vary. I don't care as I'm getting a free xbox 360 saturday, thanks to pepsi. I'm wanting to get call of duty 2, Tiger Woods, and either Perfect Zero (halo type game) or Quake 4. I'm leaning toward PZero because it can play 4 players at the same time. Really I'm just wasting money, as I can barely play games as it is and afford them when they are starting out at $60 a piece.....OUCH!!

[cruzer1]

To me, there isn't much of a comparison right now. Microsoft simply hasn't prepared their machine for the next generation, while Sony has. PS3 will come with Blue-Ray technology, meaning I won't have to get a separate HD player, which will start at about $1,000 bucks. Sony says the PS3 will cost $300-$400, which is an absolute steal. It will act as my central entertainment system in my house. Paramount has left HDDVD for Blue-Ray, which is a crippling blow to HDDVD. Bet on the Blue-Ray, and bet on Sony over Microsoft right now. I checked with my friends at EA, and they said 1, they're not for sale; and 2; they make too much money from Sony to limit themselves. They'll do better with more formats.

[potthole]

$300-$400 for the PS3? Holy crap, that's so much better then I was preparing myself for! All that I had hear previously was making me think we'd be looking at a tag of around $700.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by mancity09

My main problem with the PS controller is it doesnt fit well in my hands, and I really hate the 2 L and R buttons.

Actually the new XBOX controllers are set up that way.

[osurower]

Originally Posted by cruzer1

To me, there isn't much of a comparison right now. Microsoft simply hasn't prepared their machine for the next generation, while Sony has. PS3 will come with Blue-Ray technology, meaning I won't have to get a separate HD player, which will start at about $1,000 bucks. Sony says the PS3 will cost $300-$400, which is an absolute steal. It will act as my central entertainment system in my house. Paramount has left HDDVD for Blue-Ray, which is a crippling blow to HDDVD. Bet on the Blue-Ray, and bet on Sony over Microsoft right now. I checked with my friends at EA, and they said 1, they're not for sale; and 2; they make too much money from Sony to limit themselves. They'll do better with more formats.

I keep my gaming confined to a side room where the extra support of Blu-Ray wouldn't be of any use. I'm also not completely sold on HD formats since my gf's grandfather showed me the difference. It's nice, but way to much money for my tastes when sound and video are purchased.

[mancity09]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Actually the new XBOX controllers are set up that way.

I have heard that, and I am not happy about it. Maybe its a good thing I can't afford a Xbox 360 and will be buying my friends Xbox when he gets his 360.

[Yoda]

controller

[kpking3032]

I have read and heard too that that insane price is LOW if anything. The consoles are a tremendous loss-leader for Sony and Microsoft, and they make a fortune on the games and peripherals.

[cruzer1]

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=61581

Sony CEO Howard Stringer has revealed the company's plans to dominate the marketplace with a range of high definition products, including forthcoming next generation console the PS3.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Stringer discussed the product range at the heart of Sony's consumer electronics ambitions, confirming that its Cell microprocessor and HD technology would spearhead the next wave of devices.

"We have an HD value chain that no one else in the business has," Stringer said.

It starts with cameras and goes through projectors and television sets and ends up with the PS3. You can see an HD necklace with all the pearls connected."

"Owning the content as we do is all of a sudden part of an integrated relationship with the device. Each understands the value of the other. And that is what makes Sony so unique, since we make them both. More and more, you will see Sony's fully integrated HD strategy," he added.

Discussing the company's attempts to cement Blu-Ray as the industry standard for next generation DVD production, Stringer commented on the technological benefits in comparison to the rival HD-DVD format.

"If you are going to take the DVD to the next generation, the customer experience better be more exotic. So, Blu-Ray offers far more capacity and the potential for 3G and interactivity. The Blu-ray package has greater selling power than transitional technology," Stringer stated.

One of the major drivers behind Sony's determination to establish Blu-Ray as the standard throughout the industry is its inclusion in the architecture of the PS3. The Reporter stated that Sony would be releasing a number of portable video devices to "fill the time gap before PlayStation 3 launches in Japan in March and in the US a year from now," though these dates appear to be the inference of the interviewer and did not come from Stringer himself.

Another un-named executive from Sony said that the company's Blu-Ray campaign would place the console on much more of an even keel against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and suggested a lower price point than that hinted at by Ken Kutaragi.

"The reason Sony has suddenly gained support for Blu-ray is simple," the executive said.

PS3 is a subsidised Blu-Ray play that will sell 20 million units. The first HD player will be on the market for USD 1,000. PS3 could be at USD 300 or USD 400. Sony will be selling them at a loss the first six months to a year just to get Blu-Ray players out in the market."

Stringer appears convinced of a victory for Sony in the next generation battle, ending the interview by stating boldly: "Innovation and quality will win the day. Eventually consumers are going to want devices that play everything and everybody's content in the end. And the customer is king. So, I have no doubt that Sony will prevail."

[belcherboy]

PS3 is a subsidised Blu-Ray play that will sell 20 million units. The first HD player will be on the market for USD 1,000. PS3 could be at USD 300 or USD 400. Sony will be selling them at a loss the first six months to a year just to get Blu-Ray players out in the market."

check mate! This should keep them securely in the lead in the video game market. I don't think it will hurt Microsoft as much as it will hurt Nintendo. Xbox seems to have a real good reputation (I love it) and Microsoft isn't afraid to pull out the punches. That should get them a little more as the market grows. Sony will probably take the lion's share of the growing market and will probably eat into Nintendo's share of the market. We shall see. Maybe Nintendo becomes the big player with their new system!

[cruzer1]

What does Nintendo have left? All they are is a game, nothing more. They haven't changed with the times, which means multi-functional devices. Sony seems to be pushing the envelope the most.

[NotoriousCPC]

Even though Nintendo's market share has decreased they still make quite a bit of money because they have no "loss leaders" in their lineup. Every console makes a profit and all their best games come from Nintendo producers.

Their only problem is their comfort with becoming a niche brand, and if that is a strategy that is sustainable into the future.

[kpking3032]

Perfect example -- buying a damn GameCube because Mario Tennis is the only videogame my girlfriend will actually play!

[cruzer1]

WOW!

[spikesglaring]

Yeah, I'm in love with Madden for the 360. It's a few features short of being the best sports game ever made IMO.