#1 Today, 04:00 AM

[Jupiter_x]

This Generation the PS2 and Xbox were at war, Let's leave Gamecube out of this.The Gap between PS2 and Xbox is pretty big. Sony won this war. Over these last 4 years M$ has made quite a name for their system. This alone is a weapon that would be used for the next generation. I am not going against Sony here but the Gap for the Next Gen console war between the two will be quite a bit smaller. M$ is after blood this time. They have done their homework. X360 seems to be generating tons of steam prior to launch. Japanese support is stronger. That weapon I mention earlier is already in effect!
Xbox 360 will take over N/A by storm, many will buy it to tide themselves over till PS3 or REV, while others are sticking to their guns and awaiting the next Halo. Either way this victory will be close. Japan will embrace PS3 all the way and that is important. Playstation has that worldwide name, much like Nintendo used to. I still think PS3 will come out winning the war again next generation but with some sweat on their brow this time!

[Gadfly2317]

This Generation the PS2 and Xbox were at war, Let's leave Gamecube out of this.The Gap between PS2 and Xbox is pretty big. Sony won this war. Over these last 4 years M$ has made quite a name for their system. This alone is a weapon that would be used for the next generation. I am not going against Sony here but the Gap for the Next Gen console war between the two will be quite a bit smaller. M$ is after blood this time. They have done their homework. X360 seems to be generating tons of steam prior to launch. Japanese support is stronger. That weapon I mention earlier is already in effect!
Xbox 360 will take over N/A by storm, many will buy it to tide themselves over till PS3 or REV, while others are sticking to their guns and awaiting the next Halo. Either way this victory will be close. Japan will embrace PS3 all the way and that is important. Playstation has that worldwide name, much like Nintendo used to. I still think PS3 will come out winning the war again next generation but with some sweat on their brow this time!

Well, in interview after interview, MS indicates that it believes the only reason Sony beat them this time is because it came out a year before Xbox. So Xbox, launching a year later and then ending a year earlier that Ps2--short-assed incompetent hatchet-job. If consumers are ok with a console company like that--MS will do well.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the Xbox 720 in 2007-2008; launching 4 years ahead of Ps4 in hopes that "this time" it'll work.

[Mochan]

Well, in interview after interview, MS indicates that it believes the only reason Sony beat them this time is because it came out a year before Xbox

Well you see, this is the problem when working in corporate. I work in corporate and I know how the meetings take place. Basically the higher ups/executives ask, "what are the key drivers for Sony beating the stuffings out of us?"

Then the managers try to put numbers to together, can't really find a good reason that doesn't make them sound too incompetent, so to save face they say, "Our technology was pretty good, our games were good, our relations with the developers are great. But the problem is that Sony launched a year before us. They got their foot in the door before we did, so even though all our efforts were on par or better than theirs, they got the jump on us so we only came in as second best to the market.

Moving forward, I suggest we turn the situation around and launch one year ahead of them... blah blah blah."

You see, this is the sad part of working with corporate executives and being mangers etc. etc. You try your darndest to present a bad situation in as good a possible light; this is the normal mindset in corporate environments. Because of this, people tend to emphasize the positives and minimize the negatives. I get the feeling that the plan they came up with was due to "negative minimalization" like this by managers who didn't want to sound like they were incompetent.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

What a year early start meant.

It meant by default that the PS2 had way more exlusives it meant by default most games were seen as PS2 games. It meant by default that most games were coded for the PS2 and didn't use the Xbox features it meant by default they had more time to grow the mind share. It meant that they had more time to produce there manufacturing and were able to put out more PS2's than xboxes.

Plus they got GTA3 then paid for a 2year exlusive. Don't be stupid and deny the advantages of first mover sony had. It goes way beyond how many consoles they were able to sell before MS hit the market.

[Gadfly2317]

Well you see, this is the problem when working in corporate. I work in corporate and I know how the meetings take place. Basically the higher ups/executives ask, "what are the key drivers for Sony beating the stuffings out of us?"

Then the managers try to put numbers to together, can't really find a good reason that doesn't make them sound too incompetent, so to save face they say, "Our technology was pretty good, our games were good, our relations with the developers are great. But the problem is that Sony launched a year before us. They got their foot in the door before we did, so even though all our efforts were on par or better than theirs, they got the jump on us so we only came in as second best to the market.
Ironically, Mochan, you've just described what's happening with America's leadership. We elected a failed CEO for president. The "information bubble" people in power are in danger of isolating themselves in is a well known problem going back as far as recorded history, summed up in the aphorism about kings killing "the bearer of bad news." Our president's aids are scared sh!tless of bring him badnews because he's a petulant tyrant, rather than a people-lover who encouraged dissent in his cabinent meetings like our last president. That's why everyone calls this a "reality-challenged" administration. I never thought about that in relation to the detached-from-reality statements we are hearing from MS, but you are dead-on in your insight here into the corporate mentality.

Don't be stupid and deny the advantages of first mover sony had. First; Sega was the first mover, and it didn't help them. Second, "first mover". . . Ps1 had reached the end of its lifespan. Has the Xbox really reached the end of its lifespan in four short years?

[mandark]

Don't be stupid and deny the advantages of first mover sony had. It goes way beyond how many consoles they were able to sell before MS hit the market.
Ummm, did you forget about the Dreamcast from Sega? I believe that was the first next gen console out of the gates.

PS2 sold because people knew from their experience with the PS1 that Sony will have games they wanted. Otherwise they would have waited for the superior Xbox or GC. IMO, PS2 would have still outsold the Xbox even if the Xbox was released a year before the PS2.

This coming next gen it is still doubtful that the 360 will overthrow the PS3. I believe that the 360 will have a sizeable lead when the PS3 launches. But it will not be a lead that cannot be overcome by PS3. IMO, many gamers will be taking the wait and see approach before pluging into the 360 especially with todays economic hardships here in the US.(Gas is estimated to reach $4 to $5 per galon next week because of RITA, OUCH!). For $400+ a console it will be much too expensive for most to commit to an early console especially when something supposedly better with a much better track record is in the horizon.

MS has to come up with some mindblowing games to reach that 1 billion gamers goal they have.

[T.Tashi]

Microsoft knows it wasn't the only reason.

Microsoft reorganizes to compete better (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/apbiz_story.asp?category=1310&slug=Microsoft%20Reorganization)

Key points:

"Former Microsoft executive Kai-Fu Lee said recently he defected to Google in part because Microsoft's bureaucracy had stifled decision-making and even made the company the butt of jokes among Chinese government officials."

"Pretty much across the board people are saying that Microsoft is dysfunctional. They are not cooperating across business groups," Enderle said. "The end result of this reorganization is to fix that - to get it so people who should be cooperating are cooperating, so they can start focusing on competitors instead of competing against themselves."

It seems the bloat that plagues its software is plaguing the company itself.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

Sega was a dying brand coming in there previous console was a flop. MS has built the xbox brand and right now it's strong.

Secondly Sega's 3rd party support was woeful. They didn't have the number one publisher on board along with plenty of others no konami, One Namco game and a second tier franchise (popularity wise at the time) No Square, No Enix, No sizeable american support to counter balance that. It's all about the games and as much as loved the DC they tried to build it around off beat and quirky and games that just did not appeal to the mainstream ( I see this happening with the Rev as well).

MS for better or worse is going at the mainstream first and that will make them stronger. At least for a while. The real question is by the time the PS3 is released can they manintain there mindshare.