360, will it be too early?

[Baroque]

Right,
Here we are again at the ramp up to the next gen system launch.

We lost a gem in Sega when it was dragged off the field of battle, (And dragged into what looks to be gaming oblivion) Dreamcast possibly being the most under estimated system ever launched, but we've picked up a viable competitor in Microsoft.

However, the question, and there is one, is if Microsoft have tipped their hand too early with XBox 360?

Yes we'll have it this year, regardless of if there's software ready for it or not, and lets face it Perfect Dark Zero is going to be no HALO, and it'll have a Christmas all to itself, but Sony are experts at raining on someone else?s parade.

Have Microsoft handed Sony a gift in launching their system months before Sony launches there's?

[AllYourBase]

i think microsoft are really going to steal sony's thunder tbh and the timing is good for them. they should get a good install base over the xmas period i imagine, especially with the onslaught of promoting they are sure to be doing (sega's downfall was really the lack of agressive marketing)

if they can succeed in getting the best games companies to develop for x360 it will be a winner, they will probably like how easy the directx is to develop for

how it will fare in japan will be interesting of course

rumours are that when ps3 launches so will halo3!! whatever happens it is going to be a fun few years for console lovers

[Mad Gear]

At first i was a bit annoyed that the 360 was due so soon. Now i just can't wait. Giving the 360 a whole holiday season to itself should be interesting, seeing Sony having to play catchup will no doubt get rather messy.
I'm glad that the 360 is due this year, if all 3 next-gen console were released together i seriously would think that we would lose one of them forever. Just imagine if they all released together @ crimbo 06, it would be panemonium. At least with staggering them then they will all get the space they deserve. I just wish that the Revolution was released before the PS3. I guess i'm a bit worried that the Revolution will be a bit too quirky and therefore overlooked by many.

[Bleeders]

Japan is Microsoft's problem region. They've taken significant steps in getting a few highly-respected Japanese developers signed though thus signalling their intent to "crack" the Japanese market this time round.

[EvilBoris]

The 360 is gonna steal away alot of PSP and PS2 sales when it comes to christmas. specially if it launches at say $300 dollars or ?200 then it'll only be like ?20 more than a PSP. I know what I'd rather have if I was given the choice

[sj33]

Can't help but feel it could be another Dreamcast... very popular for a while, but Sony will just kill all the hype when the PS3 is released later, and the XBox 360 will be yesterdays news.

[revisedgenocide]

It could go either way id guess. That said MS are really going to get the blanket coverage going. Theyre sponsoring the next world cup last i read. Personally i reckon ms will get a good lead going and Sony will catch up eventually.

[djtickle]

Hard to say at the moment, im looking forward to it but wanna see some real footage before i deside. But excellent point about the dreamcast, i love my dreamcast but i think the launch was a most of the problem.

[charlesr]

It really doesn't matter when it launches. All that matters is the amount it's rammed through people's eyeballs via marketing - posters on the street, TV ads, Cinema ads, DVD ads (rentals), Internet Ads, Sponsorship of snowboarding, skating, F1 and demo pods. Demo pods in hotel receptions, cinemas, shops - and pods with HD screens properly plugged in - none of this composite rubbish. Competitions on local radio. Just keep at it until everyone sheeps into buying one.

[TheShend]

I'm looking at it this way.

PS2 is getting abit long in the tooth.

Now, i worked at GAME over chrimbo, and the xbox was certainly being taken seriously by folk who'd i consider your casual PS2 market (chav as an example). Whether in their judgement or as a genuine second purchase to their PS2s.

So in my mind people are itching for next-gen and without any PS3 details forthcoming, or even PS3 release which is impending, the xbox 360 can be seen as a genuine and proper time to replace their PS2.

I'm sure most people may not understand or give a stuff for the amount of functionailty 360 will offer but they'll certainly see a slew of release day EA games looking pretty hot dam photo-realistic funk-chav-tastic.

They only way i can see people holding off buying a 360 is if the PS3 is getting a release near enough for them to wait. I reckon anything over 3-4 months away and they'll invest.

So in a weird and cheeky sense the 360 is perfectly poised to be the 'PS3'.

On another note, if it does come out during November and with as a no-frills option price point; i can't see them pricing it above ?200 for the non HD model, no matter the loss, then if you've a choice between a portable PSP with PS2 standard graphics (impressive tho that it is) wouldn't you rather invest in a next gen system for the sake of a month and to an extent ?30??

N.B. I aint knockin the PS2 or PSP, both are stupendous pieces of kit ^_^

[MikeRox]

Can't help but feel it could be another Dreamcast... very popular for a while, but Sony will just kill all the hype when the PS3 is released later, and the XBox 360 will be yesterdays news.

I also reckon it could suffer from "old game" fever like the DC did, I mean "key" titles being Tomb Raider 4 which is already availible on PS1 isn't the big reason to buy a console. I jus reckon until PS3 comes out, a fair few Xbox 360 games will still be PS2 ports.

[Stuart Smith]

Well, when you consider that console launches are largely bought out by early adopters who are going to get Xbox 360 anyways, like most people on this forum, I'm sure the Xbox 360 will do fine at first. What I think is more problematic is the situation this creates for developers, who are only just getting the very most out of Xbox hardware. The shift to a new console when there's still visibly plenty of life in the existing ones might be a financial obstacle just too high for many developers and some may be forced to hold off on developing for Xbox 360 until they've had time to wind down their Xbox development.

That's pure hypothesis, but if there were going to be any problems associated with the early launch, I'd say it'd come from that angle if anywhere.

[Kotatsu Neko]

I jus reckon until PS3 comes out, a fair few Xbox 360 games will still be PS2 ports.

I think you may well be right on that one.

Another thing which will harm Xbox 360 in the US and Japan is that it will ship with a standard DVD drive. PS3 will play hi-def movies from Blue-Ray (or whatever format of disc they finally decide on). Movie playback was a key early winner for Sony with PS2.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Well, when you consider that console launches are largely bought out by early adopters who are going to get Xbox 360 anyways, like most people on this forum, I'm sure the Xbox 360 will do fine at first. What I think is more problematic is the situation this creates for developers, who are only just getting the very most out of Xbox hardware. The shift to a new console when there's still visibly plenty of life in the existing ones might be a financial obstacle just too high for many developers and some may be forced to hold off on developing for Xbox 360 until they've had time to wind down their Xbox development.

MS are strongly discouraging developers from working on Xbox 1 now, and have been for some time.

Kind of a strange situation to be telling developers not to make games for your system... And proof as if any were needed that nobody (except Microsoft it seems) needs a next-gen console yet.

[Zapp$ter]

For me personally it's too early. I've got loads of games to play and to look forward to from the current gen. I'm hoping the PS3/Rev will launch in about a year or two. It'll give me some time to get through my collection and move into the next gen with a clean slate. I fully intend to get the most out of my games next gen, so I won't be buying new games until I've finished current games(that's the plan at least).