The XBox - a flop?

[StormWaterdrain]

The following text is from http://www.ananova.com . What do you think?

My 2 cents worth:

Nice machine - pity about the cost, dvd extra, controller and general size. It certainly has absolutely nothing to make me want to get rid of my PS2.

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Analysts claim that Xbox has flopped

Analysts claim Microsoft's Xbox games console has flopped around the world.

They say it has come a poor second to its arch-rival, Sony's Playstation 2.

Analysts say sales have been so poor that it may force a cut in price of the £300 Xbox. It's more than £100 more expensive than Sony's rival console.

The Xbox was launched last month with a huge marketing drive.

According to the Independent, reports from Japan, Europe and the US suggest the Xbox has failed to capture the imagination of the gaming public.

A Microsoft spokesman has told the paper there is "strong demand" in Europe but admits there have been no stock shortages.

The Xbox is the company's first move into the highly competitive games hardware market which is dominated by Sony.

It is initially expected to lose billions of pounds on subsidies for the console to pay for its manufacture and marketing and to encourage games companies to write games for it, reports The Independent.

A report by Takashi Oya, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, says: "While Xbox had been projected to struggle because of inadequate software and poor brand recognition, the setback is worse than imagined."

[gatecrasher]

Yeah i tend to agree..

Im not a console "fiend" but I have not been that impressed by what i have seen from the XBox so far. They are a nice piece of equipment but when you weigh up the pricing, and as you mentioned, extra costs it just doesnt cut it.

I know i will not be purchasing one, and would definatly consider a PS2 before handing out my hard earned cash for one of these...

(we can round that out to 2cents )

[R3ZiN8]

I dont think the launch was a flop at all. All the hype is justified when compared to the PS2. What everyone is forgetting here is that the PS2 retailed for $679 upon launch and its been out for nearly 2 years.

The Xbox has been out for nearly 6 months in other countries and yet it has so many AAA titles which is a testement to Microsofts quality control.

As for the DVD playback - most people buy the PS2 remote with their console anyway, so i dont see a big deal withg MS's choice to not include it in the price.

I love my XBOX and i can safely say that its dethroned my dreamcast as my favourite machine and toppled the PS2 back to my third fave.

Its great to see a western product being the best there is.

[bevancoleman]

I've got one and I can say I don't think it's a flop, nor does anyone else I know who has one.

Nice machine - pity about the cost, dvd extra, controller and general size. It certainly has absolutely nothing to make me want to get rid of my PS2.

The controler is fine, I think it is better than the PS2 one, my GF and I have no trouble with it at all (she has tiny hands and my an't the biggest). The only issue is that the vibration in Ralisport is way to stong and it needs to be turned down for long gameplay.

The size of the box is more of a valid point, but it is smaller and ligher than a VCR. The Xbox is also quieter than a PS2, particularly the DVD drive.

Having to buy the DVD remote is not such a big prob, practicaly every one got one for the PS2 anyway (if not for the remote, then for the updated software)

It's more than £100 more expensive than Sony's rival console.

The PS2 is also 2 years old and came out for a lot more than the XBox initaly.

The Xbox was launched last month with a huge marketing drive.

not that much, have seen very few TV ads, there is a few bus-stop posters but that is about it.

A Microsoft spokesman has told the paper there is "strong demand" in Europe but admits there have been no stock shortages.

while the xbox may not as sold as much as they would have liked it did sell ok considering it was released 3 months after xmas. Haveing extra stock is hardly a bad thing, it could simply be possable that MS is better at stock management then Sony.

A report by Takashi Oya, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, says: "While Xbox had been projected to struggle because of inadequate software and poor brand recognition, the setback is worse than imagined."

on current figures it will reach MS estermated sales (or at least be close), hardly a bad effert.


My conclusion, have a good play on one before putting forward your thoughts (even if it is a copy and paste job). Play one for a few hours and then come in and post what you think.

[StormWaterdrain]

I've got one and I can say I don't think it's a flop, nor does anyone else I know who has one.

I don't think that the word flop is right either. It's just what the article said. Most people who have bought one are not going to agree with the statement on principle anyway!

Having to buy the DVD remote is not such a big prob, practicaly every one got one for the PS2 anyway (if not for the remote, then for the updated software)

Fair play. I haven't met anyone else who has bought a remote for their ps2. Most people I know put up with the controller.

The PS2 is also 2 years old and came out for a lot more than the XBox initaly.

Very true, but at this time XBox and PS2 are apples and apples. For people who are about to shell out the cash, the price difference is a major consideration. The fact that the PS2 plays PS1 games is also a great feature for people upgrading from old consoles.

not that much, have seen very few TV ads, there is a few bus-stop posters but that is about it.

500 million US dollars worldwide for marketing. In London there are ads in every single tube station, train station, bus shelter and magazine not to mention the tv advertising.

My conclusion, have a good play on one before putting forward your thoughts (even if it is a copy and paste job). Play one for a few hours and then come in and post what you think.

I agree. Totally. I have had a play on one for a while and thought that it was very good in it's own right. Certainly an achievement. The reason I posted the article was to provoke some thought on the whole approach.

The Xbox has been out for nearly 6 months in other countries and yet it has so many AAA titles which is a testement to Microsofts quality control.

Hmm. I am not sure what you mean by AAA titles. The XBox owners that I work with are only *really* happy with Halo. I played Gotham city racing for ages and thought that it was lacking.

[dwight_snake]

i wasnt impressed in the least and would definately buy a ps2 instead.
i have a dreamcast, which was a good buy from blockbuster for 100$ with extra controller and a sturdy suitcase to house it.
its gathering dust, but may be used again one day, especially since it needs no modding to play backups.
why doesnt xbox have a usb port?
the only reason i would buy a ps2 would be because i can plug my logi momo into it and plug it into my 21" monitor for driving games, but xbox has nothing to interest me at all.

[Lord_nicon]

i tend to agree, if you look at the graphics on gt3 compared to say gotham racing i personally cannot see the difference in graphics, for the ps2 coming out god only knows how long before the xbox i would say that bill gates has struck again.

And isnt ol bill losing money on the xbox to compete with ps2 current retail price.

[obsolete]

while the xbox may not as sold as much as they would have liked it did sell ok considering it was released 3 months after xmas. Haveing extra stock is hardly a bad thing, it could simply be possable that MS is better at stock management then Sony.

what it really means is that microsoft overestimated the popularity of the xbox.

[xjc8]

i dont know anyone that bought the remote (either for the remote or for the firmware for that matter)

and i dont know anybody that has bought an XBOX....

so, yeah. My ps2 is just fine.

[sefu88]

XBOX is no flop sales are going well.


But Personally i wasnt that impressed with it because of the dud res that is set ont the stores televisions....

They just dont compare to my geforce 4 4400

[dwight_snake]

the xbox i had a play with was bought new and sold less than ten days later.

nuff said

[Bangers]

I hate all consoles.

I watch my bros play N64, and it drives me to tears. Crap graphics, laggy gameplay, no realism, just crap.

These new ones are a little better but i cant see how they beat a proper computer.

[Whitey Ford]

Originally posted by bevancoleman
she has tiny hands.

"i like chicks with small hands 'cause it makes my dick look big" haha... ahem.

Bangers: I hate them too... but its a different machine all together... apples and oranges mate. Personally, I think it would be cool if you could buy a PS2 or XBOX drive for your puta, just like a dvd-rom drive or a cd drive. But it would come with a decoder card and enable you to play the applicable console game on your puta.

anyone else think that would be cool?

Mike

[happygilmore]

Originally posted by Whitey Ford


"i like chicks with small hands 'cause it makes my dick look big" haha... ahem.

Bangers: I hate them too... but its a different machine all together... apples and oranges mate. Personally, I think it would be cool if you could buy a PS2 or XBOX drive for your puta, just like a dvd-rom drive or a cd drive. But it would come with a decoder card and enable you to play the applicable console game on your puta.

anyone else think that would be cool?

Mike

VERY VERY COOL.

[StormWaterdrain]

Bangers: I hate them too... but its a different machine all together... apples and oranges mate. Personally, I think it would be cool if you could buy a PS2 or XBOX drive for your puta, just like a dvd-rom drive or a cd drive. But it would come with a decoder card and enable you to play the applicable console game on your puta.

I remember there being talk of this about 1990-1995 somewhere in an american magazine that I was reading. Would be cool, but then people would whine about it costing as much as the console, but not being able to play it standalone.