Microsoft wants to go first (again) with next Xbox
by Randy Nelson 
{ Jun 18th 2008 at 4:00AM }
The house Bill Gates built received its share of quizzical looks when it launched Xbox 360 a year earlier than Sony was tipped to ship PS3. Fast forward to today. If you ask MS, it's a move it'll never regret ... and intends to repeat.Speaking with Venture Beat (which, despite its name, is not a Venture Bros. fan site), Xboss Robbie Bach cited the console's year-long lead as helping it "get a leg up with game developers" – which certainly can't be argued. The head-start also "gave a leg up" to Xbox Live, Bach says, allowing MS to grow the service considerably prior to the launch of its competitors' offerings. But the biggie: "If you asked if we'd want to be first again, I'd say yes." He's the boss, folks. Just don't ask if MS will be going with a "Mauve Ring of Death" next time 'round. We're pretty sure he'd get a leg up on you, if you catch our drift.
[Via X3F]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
seakae @ Jun 18th 2008 4:17AM
Well this time I'll be waiting a year after release to see if their hardware is as horribly made as the 360.
RobLink (Return of the McElroy Defence Force) @ Jun 18th 2008 8:34AM
I did wait a year, and I've still had two red rings.
Limezor @ Jun 18th 2008 11:00AM
I'm pretty sure Microsoft has learned their lesson.
Anonim @ Jun 18th 2008 12:06PM
MS wont have a chance to be FIRST this time!
Sony learned their lesson and they will start NEXT-GEN first.
PS4 will come as soona as 2010!
[quote]"A PS4 will be launched by Sony but not until at least 2010 claims the Vice President of Technology for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Paul Holman."
"Reacting to Yuta Sakurai's opinion that the recent Sony management shuffle would mean Sony's eventual exit from the gaming hardware market, SCEE VP of Technology Paul Holman claims that Sony is still intent on releasing a PS4... in 2010 at the earliest. And 2010 isn't even ten years after 2006, if you've noticed."
[/quote]
BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jun 18th 2008 4:46AM
I can understand why they want to be FIRST!!!!111!1111!!lol!1!five. It gives them a chance to build up an install base before the competition is even out.
I say CHANCE, and not a guarantee, because they really screwed it up with 360. But if they learn from their mistakes, they could have a real winner next time:
1) 360's failure rate is unacceptable for a consumer electronic! Yeah, it's nice that they have that 3-year warranty, but does anyone really like to mess with sending out a system for repairs, to be left without something to play games on?
2) If you want a chance in Japan, do it right! Have at least one J-RPG in the launch line-up. While I doubt you'd have a chance at securing the next Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy, something to draw in the majority of Japanese gamers would be nice. And hire a good Japanese advertisement firm to push the thing. Someone who really knows how to cater to the Japanese, none of this "Do! Do! Do!" crap again.
3) Less models, more features! I can't be the only one who thinks the multi-model scheme with 360 and PS3 is stupid. Not because it's "confusing," but because it probably drives up production costs and also means that some things cannot be relied on for all owners to have. Having a HDD-less 360 was ridiculous, as it meant developers couldn't depend on it to be there. Built-in wi-fi is a must for the next system (802.11N should be the standard by then); charging $100 for a wireless adapter is madness, especially since the Wii and PS3 40/60/80 all have it built-in.
4) Less proprietary tech! Use a standard SATA HDD like PS3, so users can easily choose how much storage they want. And it saves you on money by not having to make those stupid HDD enclosures. Controllers should use Bluetooth, too. Makes it easier for third parties to make peripherals.
5) Cheaper accessories! $40 for a WIRED controller, Microsoft? ARE YOU INSANE?!
6) Live for free? Both Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and PSN are free. While NWFC is a bit of a joke, PSN isn't. While I personally feel the $50/year for Live is worth it (and I don't even have an Xbox!), many don't, and free Live would help push a few extra systems.
While I can't say these are the keys to success (the games are always the most important thing), any/all of them would help push them further along.
sicsided @ Jun 18th 2008 4:54AM
haha, funny how all those things sound like the PS3 (at least at this current time).
The only thing I like about the rush is getting developers into the mix early. Other than that, I just bought a ps3, and I sure as hell don't want to see the next-gen come around for at least another 4 years.
Hopefully they do look at mistakes and we don't have another physical form of "Windows" on our hands.
Xoviet chiK @ Jun 18th 2008 5:01AM
I mostly agree on all points there, except the LIVE pricing.
How about a compromise for all the poh people? "Silver" Members can enjoy online multiplayer with up to three other mutual friends in private "unranked" game modes. That wouldn't be too unfair. Then the people who earn at least $4.17 a month can still pay for and play via Xbox LIVE hassle free.
BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jun 18th 2008 5:10AM
Yeah, sic, most of them are things PS3 did right... exceptions being single-model, cheap accessories, J-RPG at launch, and marketing in general (see: US demon baby).
My main beef with PS3 has been the price. And that will come down in time. Once that comes to a point I think it's reasonable, I'll get one.
colin @ Jun 18th 2008 5:12AM
I don't even think you need a job to make 4.17 a month. sell hugs for 25 cents each. you'll be there in no time.
uh-oh polio @ Jun 18th 2008 9:28AM
ever heard of a ps3? Im sure by then, there will be at least a title to interest anyone.
Tyler Jones @ Jun 18th 2008 2:15PM
@BPM
1. Agreed.
2. Xbox is self defeating in Japan, because of the fact that it’s an "X" which means "no" in Japan. But that would help.
3. A basic model and a juiced up model are good ideas, but yes, something should be standard. 802.11N will not be "standard" by then; things don’t standardize that fast in networking. Hell, 802.11g isn’t even standardized yet. But yes, it should be included.
4. Despite what some people seem to thing, Bluetooth is not the savior of mankind. I have never heard of a 3rd party saying "RF wireless controllers are too hard to make." The wireless 360 controller uses the very, very standard 2.4 GHz frequency. It’s not proprietary. The HDD itself is just a 2.5inch drive, which is also not proprietary, although the way it’s connected is. I do think being able to hook up an external HDD, or save to USB would be nice, but there are piracy concerns.
5. Accessories have always been expensive for consoles. It’s how they make money when they are selling a console for a loss at start. All current gen consoles accessories are expensive, I don’t see this changing.
6. Meh. Comparing PSN to Live...it’s not really a good comparison. Live is def. better, and while MS probably could make it free, the mere fact that Live dwarfs PSN in both subscribers and functionality, makes it unlikely to go free.
BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jun 18th 2008 2:46PM
@Tyler:
4) Have you noticed the rather lacking amount of third party wireless stuff? It's because they have to license it from Microsoft.
And while the 360 HDDs are standard on the inside, the encasing makes them proprietary, as you can't just slap any 2.5" HDD into it and make it work.
6) No, not yet, but PSN does seem to keep growing with each firmware upgrade (from my understanding, anyways; I own neither 360 nor PS3).
OSUJay @ Jun 18th 2008 6:15AM
It's not about how much money Live costs but the principal behind it. $50 a year is nothing but Live offers absolutely nothing that is worth spending a dime on to me.
Vcize @ Jun 18th 2008 10:16AM
It's built for people with friends.
I'm not trying to be a jackhole and say "LOLZ YOU HAVE NO FRIENDZ!" but seriously, it's built to make gaming with friends easy. If you don't game with friends, and don't have any interest in building up your friends list then it doesn't offer all that much.
To me, multiplayer gaming isn't even worth doing alone. Playing with friends increases the enjoyability of the experience by a factor of about 100.
OSUJay @ Jun 18th 2008 11:49AM
Well it seems we are the exact same way then Vcize. I rarely ever buy single-player only games until they come down to $20-30 because I find spending $60 for a game I'm going to be playing for maybe 10 hours to be too much. Almost all my games currently have some form of multi-player in them and I've never had any issue playing with friends on PSN. It's not perfect, but it's not so far behind Live that I've ever thought, "man I wish this was Live." Live simply offers nothing to make it worth paying for to me. Why would I want to pay for a service that offers no real advantage over PSN or playing games on a PC?
To biomenace: It's possible that that is what the money goes to but if so then the PS3 is very cheaply priced. If you played your 360 for 4 years you'd be spending $200 to maintain the servers or could spend a little bit more at the start and never have to pay an extra fee for PSN.
Honestly I just feel that Microsoft is greedy (every company including Sony/Nintendo are as well) which is why they charge the fee. PC gamers have been playing games online for free for over a decade now and suddenly Microsoft tries to make them pay to play games (Games for Windows).
Download able content (for a fee), services costing extra money, flash quality games (for a fee), extra $10 per game, etc. I'm not a big fan of this generation of consoles.
Korova *Pyro aspect* @ Jun 18th 2008 6:57AM
I am not sure what next-gen will mean any more. With all this digital distribution and digital only IP, the next gen MUST be fully backward compatible with current gen and continue support for current gen IP.
It would have to be a simple hardware bump up and an expansion of capabilities. If so, I dont care when they bring it out as long as its a quality product and has a compelling reason to buy it. Like BD, a sleek form factor or ability to play new games, a new control scheme etc.
This is also a xbox problem, because PS3 has a 10 year cycle, which means they may give MS even 2 years headstart, for all they care. Ninty doesnt have the backcompat issue as badly since everyone will be eager to get an HD Wii no matter how backcompat it is.
Just my thoughts.
baby sea tuna @ Jun 18th 2008 8:09AM
Is "sleek form factor" really an issue? I mean, the PS3 tried this and it ended up being ugly as hell. All those comparisons to the Foreman Grill were 100% on the nose. Honestly, out of all the systems this gen, the Wii is the most attractive so far. Or maybe it's just the least obtrusive. Either way, it's 180 degrees in the right direction from the PS3, as far as design is concerned.
biomenace @ Jun 18th 2008 8:25AM
Look, Xbox Live runs on servers, right? I am sure these servers have to be maintained in some way( maybe the A/C to cool them, I have now idea) So for everything to run smoothly we fork over 5 bucks a month for some dude to defrag, or unplug a couple of wires. I would assume PSN runs the same way. Therefore, some percentage of the PS3 price tag includes this fee as well. Remember the business mantra: There is no such thing as a free lunch( especially when dealing with two major corporations).
biomenace @ Jun 18th 2008 8:27AM
Crap hit the wrong reply button. This post is a reply toward OSUJay. Sorry.
SKI @ Jun 18th 2008 9:51AM
"because PS3 has a 10 year cycle, which means they may give MS even 2 years headstart"
The 10 year life-cycle is just company FUD and they would never, ever let MS have a two year head start, ever.
wired2thewall @ Jun 18th 2008 10:34AM
"The 10 year life-cycle is just company FUD and they would never, ever let MS have a two year head start, ever."
PS2 is still going strong - where is the original xbox? Sony seems to build their consoles to last longer than 2-3 years and it's something that Microsoft should learn because as a consumer, I don't really feel like going out and buying a new console and going through the painful process of weaker games coming out in the first year.
If you look at years 5+ for the PS2, you will see some amazing games because people really figured out how to get the most out of it. I don't think we are going to see that for the 360 because MS will drop the 360 just as quick and they dropped the original xBox. I support an expensive product as long as it takes in consideration that I don't want to have to upgrade every 2-3 years. Sony was smart in that they built in a lot of good standard technologies into their console (HDMI 1.3, Bluetooth, SATA-HDD, WiFi) while Microsoft thought it was not important. People are now bitching about the high costs of upgrading the 360 to make it current with todays standards. BluRay was icing on the cake for them as a standard was not set at the time of release.
Slayer @ Jun 18th 2008 11:20AM
I couldn't agree with you more about the ps2 still going strong. I still buy games for it. Best part of it all, most of the games a dirt cheap.
Korova *Pyro aspect* @ Jun 18th 2008 3:20PM
That why I think that the next xbox will not be a 720 but a 362 - it will be an upgrade and expand of the platform with minimal or no loss of backcompat. There is no tech issue with 360, its just peripherals and add-on services.
PS3 will survive the next two xboxes and Ninty can put WiiToo out right now and no one will peep.
warlock7 @ Jun 18th 2008 8:14AM
They also believe that the RROD failure rate had no effect on their sales figures.
Please M$ do another rush job and release a more buggy hardware POS.
baby sea tuna @ Jun 18th 2008 8:47AM
You do realize that every time $omeone type$ M$, it make$ them look like a $hithead, right?
Ju$t $ayin...
Poisoned Al @ Jun 18th 2008 9:12AM
Right, the only way you could fail more, is to compare Microsoft to Nazis. Please come back when your internet skill levels up.
Roto13 @ Jun 18th 2008 11:02AM
The RRoD did indeed affect their sales figures. Some people were ridiculous enough to buy multiple poorly-made consoles.
spartan 6453 @ Jun 18th 2008 8:31AM
I think of the 360 like the 2 stroke motorcycle I had as a kid. It was fun as hell when it worked, but broke down every so often. Would I still buy a 2 stroke motorcycle for my kid? Hellz yeah. The fun far outweighed the "down time".
pavs @ Jun 18th 2008 8:42AM
looking forward to more crappy hardware and high failure rates!!
Vista360 FTW!!!
NOT!
chazz06 @ Jun 18th 2008 10:03AM
Wow...really? A "Not" joke. people still use those?
j.howlett @ Jun 18th 2008 11:45AM
some sony haters use it alot. just a week or two ago.
greatslack @ Jun 18th 2008 8:48PM
This suit is NOT black.
ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Jun 18th 2008 8:44AM
Please don't rush.
Freelance @ Jun 18th 2008 10:30AM
Thats what she said,,, to you!
ThePerfectCompanion @ Jun 18th 2008 9:11AM
As long as the hardware is fine from the get go I'm all for it.
Bluray is a must of course with the Bluray drives being built by Panny, LG, or Samsung (all of which I think are good CE companies that provide great quality products at a good price).
Live is a must of course. Hopefully it stays at $50 a year (chump change) BUT if it goes up they better justfy it very well.
And I want the console to look damn sexy. Not ugly and big like the ps3...
Hala Madrid!! (Madrileno hasta la muerte!) @ Jun 18th 2008 9:39AM
Dude please! do not go there, please!
We don't need angry mobs of PS3fanboys in here.
Poisoned Al @ Jun 18th 2008 9:15AM
To echo the voices here, be first, just don't rush it. The PS3's architecture might be too expensive and developer unfriendly, but at least it doesn't curl up and die if you play Dead Rising on it for a few hours.
SoulBlade @ Jun 18th 2008 9:23AM
It's not going to matter if they rush it or not. People will buy it if it has Halo at launch.
Their brand is already hurt by the RRoD and way too many people are going to be very cautious about it. The only thing that can erase such caution is the desire to play a new Halo game so you can brag about it to your friends.
uh-oh polio @ Jun 18th 2008 9:41AM
Am i the only one who doesnt want "digital downloads"? Id rather have the games in some physical form. ie Disk, even usb thumbdrive or something. Id still like to be able to trade in/sell/use in other systems.
The only way id be down for digital could be if they make downloading an entire 30-50gb game very very fast.
AND
They give me AT LEAST a zillion gb hdd because that is gonna be filled up very, very quickly.A 60/80/100 even 300gb hdds,wont take too long to fill. idk about you, I have a lot of games at my house.
taco @ Jun 18th 2008 9:41AM
that guy looks like mel gibson's brother or something. eerie.
Vcize @ Jun 18th 2008 10:20AM
Launching first really did seem to help on the 3rd party games side of things. I'm sure the cell has something to do with it, but having those development kits for an extra year+ has to have had some weight in so many multi-platform games being developed as the lead title on the 360 as well.
I think they've learned their lesson on the hardware side. I can't see them letting the RROD fiasco happen again. Regardless of what they say publicly they know just as well as everyone here that it had a big effect on sales.
Cabcru @ Jun 18th 2008 10:29AM
Seems to be the MS way - "If at first you don't succeed... keep restarting the race!".
Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jun 18th 2008 11:02AM
They spent so much time on Vista and its reception hasn't exactly been the best, I don't like it and I am a Microsoft/Windows fanboy. XP forever! : )
I hope Microsoft learns their lesson from their hardware issues but on the other end, it looks like now the PS3's hardware faults are coming to light, there's been reports of the Blu-Ray drive crapping out.
Ironically, the first models of PS1/PS2 also had disc read error problems, looks like Sony just can't get their lasers right......... : (
I'm going to wait until its absolutely fixed until I buy one and even then, I'll sorely miss my 60gb, RIP hardware backwards compatibility.....
Roto13 @ Jun 18th 2008 11:04AM
Great, cause last time they rushed a console to market, it went so well for consumers.
Getting out first doesn't seem to really have anything to do with winning the console war anyway. It never worked for Sega. Not once.
Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jun 18th 2008 11:26AM
I think the PS2 launching first was a big boost for Sony wasn't it? : )
Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jun 18th 2008 11:27AM
By the time the Gamecube and Xbox launched in the U.S in November 2001, the PS2 was already a year in and big hits like Jak and Daxter, Ico, GTa3, Metal Gear Solid 2, Devil May Cry, etc. were out. With FFX coming out in December 2001, nothing could stop PS2!
Roto13 @ Jun 18th 2008 11:29AM
The PS2 didn't launch first. The Dreamcast did.
lol @ Jun 18th 2008 11:35AM
Eh, not necessarily.
Winning the "race" probably isn't as important as winning, in general. By that I mean, making money, getting a solid install base. The 360 has its failings, but people still play it, still send those RRoD systems back for replacements, still pay for Live, etc.
Sega did manage to do that way back when with the Genesis. It didn't beat the SNES, but it had a presence, and it had some genuine love. It wasn't until the peripheral add-on extravaganza that Sega fell off.
Sega CD, 32X, CDX, 32XCD, blah blah blah. By the time Saturn came, the dominoes were already falling. Not to mention, Sega kinda betrayed retailers by surprising them with the release date, leaving them unprepared.
Anyway, back to my point, getting out early, if it's a promise of improvement, may help the cause moreso than hurt it. Seems like more people are making multiple console purchases these days, anyway.
I remember when you were awesome if you had Genesis AND SNES. Most people didn't, though. Now it's pretty common to hear about someone who has the Wii60 combo, or a PS360, or WiiS3, or whatever amalgamation you wanna call it.
Ugh, those things are about as bad as "Bennifer".
umm....hello??? @ Jun 18th 2008 11:31AM
I don't mind if they're first as long as:
*backwards compatibility with x360
*HDMI output
*backwards compatibility with hardware (controllers/guitar hero/rockband)--I mean really, is there any better controller configuration out there then the PS3 or 360 controllers (unless they go the way of the Wii?)
TheMerge @ Jun 18th 2008 11:39AM
I hope they team up with Toshiba and use the HDDVD technology. More storage on the disc and buying all those HDDVD's won't go to waste. Live will never be free, so stop bitching about it. It should be cheaper about $29.95/per year.