Console Wars
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Armored Core 4 prepares to assault 360
Joystiq brings word that the 360 version of Armored Core 4 should see a Japanese release in March, with an English version hitting the US afterwards. As with many releases these days, Armored Core 4 will come in both regular and collector's editions. The collector's edition comes with a bonus DVD and an art booklet. SEGA plans to bring both versions to the states, though a specific release date is unknown at this time. It's important to note that this is the first iteration of the Armored Core series to appear on a non-Sony platform. Though it was confirmed for 360 some time ago, From Software was initially cagey about platform designations. With other big name exclusives -- like Virtua Fighter 5 -- being culled from the PS3's library, we have to ask: is the era of 3rd party exclusives over?[Via Joystiq]
Get your vote on! Who's prettier: 360, PC, or PS3?
After Gamespot released its comparison of 360 graphics versus PS3's, ZDNet felt obligated to get the people's opinion. ZDNet's own Adrian has posted a poll asking which console has the best graphics with your options being the Xbox 360, PS3 or a PC. I don't know how fair it is to compare consoles whos software development cycles are a year apart, but I'm throwing caution to the wind and voting on the prettiness factor none the less. And of course I would never tell you who to vote for (even though this is Xbox 360 Fanboy), but if you look at the image above, you'll see a certain winner emerging with around 50% of the votes. Take a look at the evidence, become edjamacated, and go vote![Via Digg]
Moore: 360 sales to exceed 10 million goal
Forget those fabricated stories about the 360's lackluster sales, because Peter Moore has the real goods. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Peter Moore reiterated Microsoft's goal of selling 10 million 360s by year's end. What's more, he states that Microsoft is well on their way to exceeding that number, thanks to strong sales during Thanksgiving. Said Moore, "They key is we're in stock, we're available, we're delivering well to retail. Certainly the consumer is recognizing the fact that we have a great price point as well as 160 games available and that flies in the face of our competition."Certainly, those are all great selling points for gift givers. Do you know anyone who picked up a 360 when there were no Wiis or PS3s to be had?[Via TeamXbox]
Invest virtual cash in game sales
Fanboys may have a serious fling with their various system, but are they willing to put their money where their mouth is? Apart from the indignity of having to go with a competitor (or give up on gaming entirely) if their choice fails to materialize as a big winner, most of the fanboy community doesn't have any tangible stake in the entire system; that is, they aren't going to be losing their livelihood over the downfall of one system or another. A new site, The simExchange, asks fanboys of all stripes to ante up and bet on who is going to be the best; albeit, without risking any real money. The simExchange is set up as a stock exchange where users can "invest" fake money in consoles and individual game titles. Game values are based on sales levels or anticipation level for those that aren't yet released/currently in short supply; Red Steel is a perfect example, rising sharply until Wii launch then nose diving afterward. The simExchange looks to be an entertaining diversion between your regularly scheduled gaming sessions and scouring Joystiq for news. The site could be a perfect way to test your ability to predict what's hot and what's not. Sign up and see if you can make a big profit, or you may end up diving off the top of the virtual stock exchange when you lose your eShirt. [Thanks, Matt B.]
NYC Virgin Megastore dominated by 360
360 Fanboy reader, Nick, sent us some pictures he took of the New York City Virgin Megastore's revamped videogame section (and a few shots of the HD DVD drive at Circuit City). Looking at the pictures, it seems like the 360 practically is the videogame section. Our tipster points out that there are six(!) demo kiosks and that the 360 has most of the prime shelf space -- note the 360 themed pillars in the above image. We'd like to see some shots of the competition for comparison, but either way, this is a mighty impressive showing for Microsoft's white box. To be fair, this doesn't mean that Virgin prefers the 360. More likely, the company knows that 360s will actually be in stock this holiday and hopes to sell as many as possible. It's a subject that's been beaten to death, but the sell out nature of the PS3 and Wii means that plenty of 360 purchases will be made by desperate gift givers.Has anyone else been to this store? Send us some pictures of the Sony and Nintendo sections, and we'll post 'em.[Thanks, Nick]
Xbox brings the sexy back [update 1]
Okay, so we're not exactly Justin Timberlake Fanboy, but we couldn't help but point out this video produced by On10's Laura Foy. Now, being fanboys, many of you are bound to point out a few fallacies in the video, like claiming the PS3 isn't backwards compatible and that the 360 has a "huge" hard drive. And, really, you should point out things like that. That's what fanboys do. Still, the video is funny and worth a watch. Check it out after the break.
360 ads plastered all over PS3 website
An observant blogger recently noticed something amusing on Gamespot's PS3 page. It looks like someone over at Microsoft's marketing department has a good sense of humor, as the PS3 page is covered with 360 ads and images. Sure, it's funny, but there are 360 ads on all the other pages, right? Nope, we checked and the only page to receive the 360 treatment was the PS3 page. In fact, all the other pages have blank backgrounds, so this was definitely intentional on someone's part -- or an ironic mistake. We were curious, so we checked IGN and 1UP, but saw nothing similar. It looks like Gamespot is the only site to fall victim to Microsoft's joke ... for now anyway.[Via The Midas Touch]
Xbox 360 price cut vs. cost reduction
The San Jose Mercury News has posted an interview with Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division (a title alone that speaks volumes about the structural problems at MS), that has some interesting tidbits in it. Most notable is when Bach says, "Right now we are thinking about how to cost reduce the Xbox 360. That seems to be the first order of business."It has been rumored for some time now that the Xbox 360 would see a price cut around the holidays, but now that Black Friday and the PlayStation 3 launch have come and gone, you can kiss that one goodbye. What Bach is talking about here is that Microsoft wants to drop the production cost of the 360, in an effort to make it profitable. There's a big difference between cost-reducing and price-cutting. When a manufacturer costs reduces, they're making it cheaper for them to produce something, usually by switching to different vendors or using cheaper materials. Microsoft promised that they would cost-reduce the Xbox 360 every year, which they've already done this year. The console was rumored to cost Microsoft between $525 and $715 for each unit produced, vs. the current production price of around $329, giving MS a chance to make a small profit on each premium system sold. As they find more cost-reduction options over the next year, that gap should widen. The only time we'll see a price drop on the console itself is either when the PS3 drops theirs, or when the Xbox 720 II Virtual Gameulator comes out. Of course, you can always take Micro Center's deal and get $100 off, your choice.Microsoft has repeatedly said that the Xbox division won't turn a profit until 2008, although Bach dances around that with statements like, "Xbox is on the trajectory we thought it would be on. We feel very good about that." There's a difference between a good feeling and black ink, though. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft not only plans to compete with Sony not only in numbers of consoles sold, but where the profits are coming from.If Microsoft really wants to make a profit, they might think about buying stock in companies that sell red pens if they keep releasing things like the Zune.
Microsoft gets a stock boost from 360
Competitors be damned! With the launch of both the Wii and PS3 come and gone, things are still looking rosy for Microsoft. On the basis of Microsoft's strengthening position in the digital entertainment arena (read: 360 and Zune) Credit Suisse has decided to raise Microsoft's stock rating from "neutral" to "outperform." Credit Suisse believes that Microsoft stock could appreciate as much as 20%, all thanks to the Entertainment and Devices division, the group responsible for both the 360 and Zune. Sure, this is good news for Microsoft, but it has deeper implications as well. Credit Suisse's decision reflects an implicit belief that Microsoft's performance will increase despite the competition from PS3 and Wii. This doesn't necessarily mean that Credit Suisse believes Microsoft will dominate this generation of gaming, just that MS will be making money. Perhaps more to the point, it means that MS will be making more money than before. This holiday, it's a safe bet that plenty of 360s will be bought when shoppers can't get their hands on a PS3 or Wii, so the stock upgrade makes sense. The question is: how long will Microsoft's success last?[Via Joystiq]
A handy chart for Next Gen warfare
If you invest much of your time in tracking the current leader of the "Next Gen" console wars, we have a new toy for you. NexGen Wars is a website designed exclusively to track the sales numbers of the three next gen consoles. Unsurprisingly, the Xbox 360 is currently in the lead with 7,112,165 consoles sold (still hoping for 10 million this year, MS?), Wii is in second with 661,881, and the PS3's supply woes peg it at third place with 258,218. We have no idea where these numbers came from, and the website gives no sources, but right now things are looking great for the curvy white box. However, beyond the simple tracking of sales numbers, the site also allows users to vote on which will win. As of this post, Wii is in the lead with 52.7% of the vote, followed by 360 at %29, and PS3 with 18%.Is any of this accurate? Who knows, but it will undoubtedly give fuel to many a fanboy fire. Will it become the IMDB of videogame geeks, ending arguments on the spot? Only time will tell.[Thanks, Justin U]
Game industry on console wars: Wii FTW
Gamasutra's moles are popping out of their holes, reporting on Wii versus PS3 woes. In a series of blurb-sized industry interviews, developers, publishers, reporters, and others state their personal choice between the consoles. While some choose neither -- or the Xbox 360 -- the significant majority are buying Wiis.We wish more of the quotes were attributed; most name-brand developers didn't want to be on-record dissing one of the systems. (Some statements even complain about company arrogance.) But depending on how much you trust Gamasutra -- we give them the benefit of the doubt -- this may be a fair sampling of the whole industry.Does industry support for the Wii, or skepticism of the PS3, mean anything? Maybe. As much as anyone, we like the blockbuster games that are expected on the PS3 and Xbox 360. But we balance those with smaller, quirky games; voices in the industry have also been pushing for gameplay and fun over movie-sized budgets and 80-hour weeks.Sure, the HD consoles have accessible, fun games, especially in the download channels. And the Wii will have epic, AAA titles. But Nintendo is talking big about the Wii being the paramount console for gameplay, and that may speak to the ideals of the industry. If that emphasis speaks to consumers, however, remains to be seen.
Early warfare: Xbox 360 ads invade UK
Although the PlayStation 3 doesn't launch in Europe until March of 2007 (or maybe even later), and the Wii won't be out until next month, Microsoft has fired an opening salvo across the bow of the UK while both the PS3 and Wii launch in North America.Joystiq reader Ian noticed that today's issue of Metro (a free UK daily newspaper) has an ad from Microsoft on every single page, including the cover, touting the 360. There are two page spreads for Gears of War, the Xbox Vision Camera, and even Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.Metro boasts that it's the world's largest free newspaper, distributing over a million copies a day. No doubt Microsoft imagines that UK gamers will be inundated with TV and web coverage of the launches across the pond this weekend, and hoping to get buyers to pay attention to the fact that while the PS3 hasn't arrived yet, they've got plenty of 360s on sale.Now quick, someone suggest a song to get "The Metro" by Berlin unstuck from our heads.[Thanks, Ian -- p.s. can you flip those images around? We're not da Vinci.]
Xbox 360 finally in the black (PS3? No.)
In an article detailing the overall parts cost for the PS3, iSupply reveals that Microsoft is no longer losing money on the Xbox 360. Last year, the company reported that Microsoft lost $126 dollars on every 360 sold. Due to a reduction in overall component costs, iSupply estimates that it now costs Microsoft $323.30 per Premium Xbox 360 manufactured. Thus, Microsoft actually earns $75.70 on each unit sold. On the other end of the spectrum, Sony loses a lot of cash on each PS3. The high end PS3 costs $840.35 to build, losing Sony $241.35 per console. The cheaper PS3 actually costs nearly the same to produce, so Sony takes a hit of $306.85. According to the article, the primary pricing differences between the 360 and PS3 are the processors, and of course, Blu-ray. The PS3's motherboard and Blu-ray drive cost Sony $500, whereas the 360's motherboard and DVD drive cost Microsoft $200 -- down from $370 when the 360 launched. Naturally, Sony's costs will decline over time -- especially if Blu-ray is adopted.At any rate, we're happy that Microsoft is finally making money on the 360, because that means we get a price drop, right? Right?[Via Joystiq]
A note of welcome to PS3 and Wii
So, I took a break from Gears of War yesterday to read up on the latest gaming news, and I discovered that there are actually two other video game consoles launching this week. Apparently, there's another Playstation coming out as well as a Nintendo ... what is it ... Wii? That can't be right .... Yup, that's what it says. In all seriousness, 360 Fanboy would like to put aside the chainsaw bayonet for a moment and extend the olive branch to our sister blogs, Wii Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy. This week, they both enter a new phase in their lives. Welcome to the week that your hardware ceases to be an unobtainable dream and becomes a tangible, expensive reality. Will the PS3 live up to its god-like graphical hype? Will the Wii's motion sensing prove to be more that a gimmick? Being a blogger for 360 Fanboy, perhaps it's best that I don't disclose my preference between the two (apart from my beloved 360, of course). Let's just say that my Halo 2 Spartan has a Triforce on his shoulder.Welcome aboard fellow fanboys. The hyperbole is over, let the games begin.
MS wants EU to see 360 next to PS3
In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Microsoft's Neil Thompson said he wishes gamers in Europe could see a 360 right next to the PS3 this Christmas. That is, he wants consumers to finally be able to make direct comparisons, so that they can decide what they really want. According to Thompson, "Sometimes it's worse when you're fighting a myth, than when you're fighting reality." He's speaking to the much publicized capabilities of the PS3, including the Blu-ray drive. He seems confident that when consumers compare the consoles side by side, paying a premium for Blu-ray out of the box won't seem like such a rosy proposition -- of course he says this while noting that consumers can upgrade the 360 to HD DVD should they choose to do so. Thompson also takes time to throw a few unexpected jabs at Nintendo's upcoming Wii, claiming that it's not a competitor to the 360 and is in fact "a kids toy" -- innovative, but still a toy.While Europeans won't be making any direct comparisons this holiday (and maybe not next March either), American consumers can start as early as next Friday. Will any of our 360 Fanboys be gunning for a PS3 next week? (It's okay, we won't judge you.)[Via Xbox-Scene]
Atari founder praises 360. PS3? Not so much
In a short interview with Red Herring, Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, speaks his mind about the next generation of gaming. He makes the comment that he likes Xbox Live because it may become the "platform for the living room." With Live gaining more and more functionality, we're hard-pressed to argue. He further praises the Xbox 360 while simultaneously denigrating the PS3. When asked about Sony's strategy, he replies that "Sony shot themselves in the foot," and that "the price point is probably unsustainable."Bushnell believes that Microsoft's easy to use development tools and the extra money to be made on Live will ultimately be what separates the 360 from the PS3."For years and years Sony has been a very difficult company to deal with from a developer standpoint. They could get away with their arrogance and capriciousness because they had an installed base. They have also historically had horrible software tools. You compare that to the Xbox 360 with really great authoring tools [and] additional revenue streams from Xbox live... a first party developer would be an idiot to develop for Sony first and not the 360. People don't buy hardware, they buy software."While we agree with many of Bushnell's points -- we are fanboys, after all -- we're not as eager to agree that the PS3 will outright fail. According to Bushnell:"It would not surprise me if a year from now they'll be struggling to sell 1 million units. I think in the U.S. the number of early adopters you have is actually around 300,000."Bold claims to make about a company with one of the largest brands on the planet. Then again, there may not even be 300,000 PS3s to be had.[Thanks, Vic]See Also:UWink: Chuck E. Cheese for Adults
Takahashi talks console wars
Xbox scribe Dean Takahashi posted a nice summary of the current console war outlook based on the recent round of financial reports. Excerpt:On the bright side. Microsoft has more than 4 million Xbox Live subscribers worldwide and it plans on hitting 6 million by June 30. It will have 160 games out by the end of the year. In the U.S., Microsoft has sold 2.9 accessories per console and software sales are at 5.1 games per console. Those numbers probably don't hold up worldwide. But I'm told that the attach rates and Xbox Live subscription numbers are ahead of plan. There is even some good news in Japan, since the limited edition run of Hironobu Sakaguchi's Blue Dragon game – bundled with the Xbox 360 – sold out.Follow the link for Dean's take on Sony and Nintendo's respective situations.
Yoko Jaffe pops off about XBLA
Whilst extolling the superiority of Kutaragi's oh-so original Electronic Delivery Initiative to a sycophantic Newsweek reporter, Sony-loving developer David Jaffe embarks on an extended musical metaphor that should win him a Grammy for pretentious assitude: The way I was describing it to somebody yesterday who'd never heard of EDI, I said, 'God of War, Twisted Metal, Resistance and Gran Turismo, those are like operas. These are like pop songs.' For me, it's been a lot more fun to write pop songs than operas. And in the future, because I think these services are going to be really successful, I think it's actually going to end up being more lucrative to write pop songs, just like in the real world, than operas....I would say that there are pop songs by Ashlee Simpson and pop songs by the Beatles. My goal is to write pop songs like the Beatles, not like Ashlee Simpson. If you want Ashlee Simpson pop songs, go to Xbox Live Arcade. Actually, they're the oldies station, because all you're getting is Scramble and Pac-Man.Yeah, and Geometry Wars: Evolved and Small Arms and Space Giraffe and Mad Tracks and Cloning Clyde. Let's put it this way, if XBLA is an Ashlee Simpson (post-nose job hopefully) top 40 single, then Sony's rip-off is the poorly translated J-pop karaoke version produced by Simon Cowell and performed by William Hung.Do you suppose all the sphincter-love Mr. Jaffe received for God of War went to his head just a little? The dude thinks he's John Lennon, but he comes off like Yoko, right down to the "I'm an artist" ego-slobber. You'd think he invented the concept of casual games. Mastering this level of operatic bullsh-t is a real achievement -- or in Sony's retarded nomenclature, a real "entitlement."
New 360 ad says, "It's the games stupid"
Some of you may have seen the latest Xbox 360 ad -- we saw it during Adult Swim. The commercial depicts thousands of Xbox 360 game cases flying around to assemble the 360 console itself, like a puzzle. The commercial closes, saying that, "The next generation is over 100 high-def games. The next generation is now." It's a very slick way of reminding consumers that the 360 has more games to offer this holiday than its other next gen competitors, and also that you won't have to wait in line to get one. See the commercial after the break.
Clarifying thoughts on hi-def game rendering
Microsoft Director of Technical Strategy for Xbox Live Andre Vrignaud asked MS Senior Software Engineer Bruce Dawson for his thoughts on the trade-offs of 1080p game rendering vs. 720p. Here's his response: 2.25x: that's how many more pixels there are in 1920x1080 compared to 1280x720 55.5%: that's how much less time you have to spend on each pixel when rendering 1920x1080 compared to 1280x720-the point being that at higher resolutions you have more pixels, but they necessarily can't look as good 1.0x: that's how much harder it is for a game engine to render a game in 1080p as compared to 1080i-the number of pixels is identical so the cost is identicalThere is no such thing as a 1080p frame buffer. The frame buffer is 1080 pixels tall (and presumably 1920 wide) regardless of whether it is ultimately sent to the TV as an interlaced or as a progressive signal. 1280x720 with 4x AA will generally look better than 1920x1080 with no anti-aliasing (there are more total samples). Follow the link for more analysis from Andre and an interesting comment thread. Is all this 1080p babble making your head hurt yet?
