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XBox (Games)

J. Allard Predicts Disappointment at 360 Launch 125

Posted by Zonk from the inevitable dept.
Eurogamer has an interview with J. Allard about the 360's imminent launch. Among other things, he admits that some people will be let down by the console supplies when it goes retail in Europe. From the article: "We decided we're going to take a little bit of heat on allocations, frankly, in all the territories rather than take a lot of heat in one or two territories. So, we're not saying Europe comes four months later, we're saying Europe comes now, but with that combining it with the physics properties of the silicon means we're going to have some disappointment in terms of what we can provide to retail and ultimately to the consumers this year, but that's okay, because we want to get the market started. We want to get started on a worldwide basis, we want to do the right thing for gamers, for our publishers and for consumers."
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J. Allard Predicts Disappointment at 360 Launch More

J. Allard Predicts Disappointment at 360 Launch

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  • The fact that consumers won't be able to get their hands on this immediatly is secondary to reaction they will get from publishers with an innability to quickly ramp install base and help them get some ROI in Q4

    • Re:More dissapointment for publishers (Score:4, Interesting)

      by ivan256 ( 17499 ) * on Monday October 10, 2005 @11:04PM (#13761477)
      If we were talking about any other company but Microsoft you probably would have a point. Microsoft, however, seems to know the magic word that keeps developers coming back for more every time the folks up in Redmond decide to sick it to them. It's uncanny. If any other company treated third party developers the way Microsoft does (And I'm talking on all platforms here, Whatever version of Windows you can think of counts), they wouldn't have any developers left.

      It's funny, because the third party developers are the only thing keeping people on Windows. In the business world, people buy the platform their application runs on. Until recently (the last 12 years or so) that was SCO UNIX, VMS, DOS, OS/2, DG/UX, Digital UNIX, or HP/UX. End users didn't care which. They bought the one their application ran on. Now application vendors are under the false assumption that if they don't write for Windows, nobody will buy their product. At this rate, that may end up being true... even for Xbox.

      • Re:More dissapointment for publishers (Score:5, Interesting)

        by @madeus ( 24818 ) <slashdot_24818@mac.com> on Tuesday October 11, 2005 @05:13AM (#13763194)
        Microsoft, however, seems to know the magic word that keeps developers coming back for more every time the folks up in Redmond decide to sick it to them. It's uncanny. If any other company treated third party developers the way Microsoft does (And I'm talking on all platforms here, Whatever version of Windows you can think of counts), they wouldn't have any developers left.

        As much fun as most /.'ers have Microsoft-bashing at every available opportunity, that's just not true. As a games company there is nothing to suggest they treat their developers no worse than the competition, in fact probably a lot better than competitors Sony and Nintendo (who have both spectacularly shafted developers).

        Microsoft make significant effort in providing SDK's and development resources (knowledge bases, code samples, easy to use libraries) to developers, they are also pretty up front about their plans for the console - if you are sceptical compare them to Sony or Nintendo who are being at best very elusive about their consoles, and in Sony's case telling outright lies about it (just as they did with the PS2).

        It's true I find Apple's information a lot more useful (probably knowledge base aside, but it's the developer documentation I'm usually most interested in), but at the same time I find Sun's information a lot worse (it's wonderful if all you care about is re-writing all your existing applications in the latest version of Java - otherwise it's enough to make you want to never develop anything that runs on Solaris, on purpose, just to spite them). In this respect MS are not The Great Evil, they are doing a perfectly competent job.

        As much as I prefer Mac OS X (or even just any Unix system) for 'Serious Applications', there are a whole bunch of things (games development particularly) that are a lot easier to do on Windows than any other platform due to the libraries, SDK's and documentation provided by the vendor.

        In the business world, people buy the platform their application runs on.

        That's true for a comparatively small set of specialist software (on the server side, at utilities companies (power/telco/etc), and for things like financial traders) but not for the vast majority of systems, which are traditional (very dull) desktops.

        They run Windows because they always have, everybody else does, and MS Office (particularly Outlook) runs on it - and because it also runs a bunch of other applications they also use (be that Sage, Visio, Visual Studio, MS Project, or whatever floats their boat).

        It's a collection of reasons, and if one application on it's own stops being available, people will either stop using it and switch, or if it's really vital to their business, they will by a additional systems dedicated to running it only for those that really need it (and either give those people X11 software on their Windows system so they can access it, or just give them a second desktop).

        Now application vendors are under the false assumption that if they don't write for Windows, nobody will buy their product.

        That's essentially true though, because if they don't write for Windows most there customers will just switch to an alternate product, rather than switch OS on all their systems (because that would require switching all their other applications too, and IT staff with new skill sets and putting up with lost productivity and additional expenditure of switching to a new system).

        If their product is the only one in the market - or is regarded as best by a significant margin - they will have the option to survive for a time with a much smaller user base (though this is almost certainly just a long, protracted death as they won't be able to put enough resources into new development to stay competitive in the long run).

        That's the best case likely scenario though, if there is reasonable competition then they will simply die very quickly (probably within 5 years) as everyone jumps ship. It's a lot easier to switch a single application vendor than switch all your desktops, your server infrastructure, your IS/IT staff and all your other software.

        • As a games company there is nothing to suggest they treat their developers no worse than the competition

          That may be true, but not making nearly enough consoles (which effectifely caps your developers sales) and seemingly being okay with that is pretty bad.

          What I was talking about regarding Microsoft and their developers had nothing do do with documentation or programability, or quality of the platform... It's that if you write a successful application, you're practically guaranteed to have Microsoft come ou

  • What a weird interview! (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Dr. Spork ( 142693 ) on Monday October 10, 2005 @05:23PM (#13759567)
    Allard was basically saying, the whole time, that the won't make nearly enough units and that there will be problems and that the first games will suck and that the press should not descend on them like vultures. Talk about anti-hype! But I think what's important for MS is that they have their marketing machine in gear before PS3 launches (surely with its own set of troubles), and I expect they will.
    • Maybe he just realized that some of that Nintendo modesty is the flavor of PR that he wants to try this week. However, he realized that there's already been way too much trumpet-blowing to convincingly pull off that stunt. So now he's going to shift all the way back through neutral into reverse and talk about how the 360 will not be all that it could be.

      It could happen.

  • Well, I tried to RTFA (Score:5, Insightful)

    by adamwright ( 536224 ) on Monday October 10, 2005 @05:29PM (#13759609) Homepage
    And got as far as...
    "We moved the Halo 2 date out to November, and people said 'oh, I expected it in April, this is a travesty, it's disastrous!' No, it's the best game that's ever been created, and we were glad that we waited and didn't rush it out"

    "It's the best game that's ever been created"? I'm sorry, but your credibility just dropped to 0. I've played it, and it's a good game, but I can name 10 games I certainly enjoyed more off the top of my head (Hmm, Zelda : OOT, Goldeneye, WoW, Ico, SM 64, KOTOR just to pick some at random). I doubt you'll find any actual game critics who would name it in their top 5, let alone their favorite ever game (we are *not* counting single platform "unbiased" magazines/fansites that only cover Xbox). Hell, the rather unreliable Gamerankings doesn't even have it in their top 10.

    The best PR requires at least a modicum of truth. Total out and out bullshit makes you look like an idiot Mr Allard, and I stopped reading your interview right there.

    • Re:Well, I tried to RTFA (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6456214/ [msn.com]

      "If independent sales figures show that Microsoft topped or exceeded $125 million in sales, then "Halo 2" would definitely count among the top five best-selling games in history for first-day sales, said David Riley, senior manager with The NPD Group."

      • Re:Well, I tried to RTFA (Score:5, Insightful)

        by ajservo ( 708572 ) on Monday October 10, 2005 @05:46PM (#13759729)
        Just 'cause it's a good selling game doesn't make it a good game.

        After playing "Enter the Matrix" for 2 weeks, I was ready to return it and IT made a ton of money as well.

        There's tons of good games that sold VERY poorly.
        • "Best" is a subjective comment. You can no more say that he is correct than he is incorrect in labeling a game as such, because your opinion is different than his.

        • Just 'cause it's a good selling game doesn't make it a good game.

          Especially if it's the only game your platform's got. ;-)

        • But were there a ton of people still playing Enter the Matrix a year later?

          There are still hundreds of thousands of people that play Halo 2 over live every week, and it's been nearly a year. While that doesn't make it the best game ever, it does suggest that it's definitely a really good game.
          • Comment removed based on user account deletion
          • There are still hundreds of thousands of people that play Halo 2 over live every week, and it's been nearly a year. While that doesn't make it the best game ever, it does suggest that it's definitely a really good game.

            Or, that the rest of what's on Xbox Live doesn't have the mass draw appeal of Halo 2, nor the already tried and true strategies and other such that people have built up over the past 10 months.

            This seems to be more of the case. Other games come out, they get a little XBL hype... then pe

        • Re:Well, I tried to RTFA (Score:3, Informative)

          by Slothy ( 17409 )
          I think it's safe to say that there is a big group of people out there who would say that Halo 2 is the best game ever. Just like you have your own game that you think is the best.

          J Allard is welcome to his own opinion on what the best is, and you are welcome to yours. He is not "wrong", any more than I am "wrong" in thinking the color blue is great!
    • "best" is a subjective term. Who says he's not telling the truth? If I said that Marathon is the best FPS game ever, would I be telling the truth? Even if you like Goldeneye better?

      I think you need to work on your reading comprehension skills. He didn't say anything "incorrect" or "untruthful."
    • ...but with that combining it with the physics properties of the silicon means we're going to have some disappointment in terms of what we can provide to retail...
      Can someone translate this gibberish for me? Is he trying to say there will be a shortage of units or is he trying to say that the computing power will not be as impressive as the hype promises?
    • Do you really think that Goldeneye is a better game?

      So, if a publisher came out with Goldeneye tomorrow, you would go buy it? Or, would you think, "Oh my god, that looks like crap, and it plays like crap!" Personally, the first thing I would say is, "What? No on-line multi-player?"

      He didn't say, "The best game at the time of it's release."

      Really...go play Goldeneye. Don't sit there and remember how much fun it WAS, judge it for what it IS.
      • halo2 wasnt even best game at it's release... which surely is what the ms rep was saying anyways - that it was the best game ever at release.

        it doesn't have the best plot.. it doesn't have the best action.. it doesn't have the best multiplayer(no network coop either)..

        worth the wait? nothing is 'worth' the wait - not with games anyways, with release dates slipping and so forth the better question is: is it worth the money at the time of release? I don't think halo 2 is worth buying, lot's of pc fps's are b
        • Add the three magic words "for the X-box" to the end of the statement he made, and it's probably true. In that context, Halo 2 was the greatest game ever since the original Halo.
          • For the X-box? Aha, so this is like the new "...in Japan!" thing?

            Let's try:

            DNF will be out in 2009 ... for the X-box!
            Daikatana was the greatest game ever ... for the X-box!

            Yeah, I think it kind of works... Mum, I found a new meme!

    • I stopped at the same point in the article. Best game ever? I didn't think it was as good as the original Halo. It certainly wasn't the best value. The game took me 5 hours to complete, which translates to $12/hr for the experience (not considering the fact that i sold the game for $40 on ebay :))

  • Nice Headline (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 10, 2005 @05:33PM (#13759638)
    You go with "J. Allard Predicts Disappointment at 360 Launch" instead of something closer to what the article contends such as "J. Allard Predicts Supply Disappointment at 360 Launch". News, this is not...

  • I predict disappointment for J Allard at 360 launc (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 10, 2005 @05:37PM (#13759666)
    Even though I have given up attempting to understand the purchasing habits of 'Normal' people, I honestly suspect that Microsoft is putting themselves into a horrible position with the Xbox 360. Microsoft is releasing their system too early (the XBox only launched 4 years ago), they system (and accessories) cost way too much, and the first generation of games (even by Microsoft's own admission) are not of next generation quality.

    Even though it is by no means a scientific measure, I have talked to many XBox owners and it doesn't sound too peachy for Microsoft; most of them say that they think the 360 is cool but they have no plans to purchase one. The most common comment I have heard from XBox owners is that the XBox already produces 'good enough' graphics and it isn't worth $500 to upgrade their system.
    • Technically xbox 360 is the first ever "rushed" console. M$ can rush windows OS out the door and get some hotfixes later. But I am curious to see how this console holds up assuming people really don't want to do console firmware upgrades.

      • I would call the Nintendo DS rushed as well. The firmware is far from perfect (switching off the system after changing conigurations?!? not able to remap the buttons in GBA emulation?) and outside Japan the launch lineup was awful with an N64 port as the flagship title (not a problem for me since I had no N64 but a problem for the rest). Some Sega consoles were rushed, too, I think.
    • Xbox 360 bundles are already sold out at ebgames and other retailers. This aren't your $500 retail packages, we are talking $600+. Good luck getting an xbox 360 for under $800 right now.

      Only place that i know that has them [gamestop.com]

  • Yeah Right. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by voxel ( 70407 ) on Monday October 10, 2005 @05:48PM (#13759741)
    I wouldn't doubt they do this on purpose. There is probably some historical, mathematical or even emotional reasoning to limiting the distribution on launch.

    Lower supply, increase demand. Those who said "I'll wait a month or two to buy an XBox360", are now thinking, "Oh man, if I don't buy it NOW, I may not get it for a long time, I better get in line today for one".

    They could even be completely lying, say supply is "Low", but don't provide any real numbers as to what "Low" means, and then get people lining up and "Low" could mean "Have enough for everyone", now they have a much nicer launch, plus they can say "Sold out!" which drives people even more to want one.

    Tell someone they can't have it, or may not be able to get it, and all the sudden their wallet is open. Say we have over-stock on XBox360's, and people take their time getting to the store for one.
    • It does occur to me that this will not be the first console where supply is unable to meet demand. And it certainly makes it sound more popular when people are extremely desperate to get hold of one.
    • "I wouldn't doubt they do this on purpose. There is probably some historical, mathematical or even emotional reasoning to limiting the distribution on launch."

      You're mostly right, this is a strategy that has worked wonders for many, many companies in the past. Usually this happens when there is no direct competition for the product -- whether because of innovation, branding, or product timing. Whether it's Cabbage Patch Dolls, Collectible Card Games, or gaming consoles, artificially induced scarcity wo

      • Re:Yeah Right. (Score:2, Insightful)

        by voxel ( 70407 )
        I believe it does increase immediete demand. Those who were going to wait to buy one will buy one NOW. All the extra hype generated because "So many other people want this thing, they don't have enough supply" causes those who were on the fence about getting one may jump on the bandwagon and say I want one now too. Couple that with the "You can't have one!", ever so simple reverse psychology and the wallet, or purse opens.

        I don't know how many people this accounts for, but I'm sure its some significant pe

  • Well... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by vertinox ( 846076 )
    The games look good. Really good... But... To me it feels like the original Xbox all over again. Not to say the original Xbox was fun, but I didn't run out to buy it til it was $149. I feel the same about the new Xbox360 because even though I really want to play the "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" (it just look so damn awesome visually) I don't think it's currently worth the money to be the first to buy it before the holiday.

    Maybe quarter2 will be good time to buy and I think many people feel the same way

    • Re:Well... (Score:2, Interesting)

      by ivan256 ( 17499 ) *
      even though I really want to play the "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion"

      You know it's shipping simultainlously for the PC, and that it has what could arguably be called it's most important feature (The construction kit and the ability to load third party modules created with the kit) on the PC exclusively, right?

      Of course if it's like TES3, the other important feature that will be PC only is the ability to patch.
    • Good plan. I didn't wait as long as you did, (I got mine at 199), but a good rule of thumb with buying video game systems is to wait until they drop in price and have a decent library of games. I made the mistake of buying my Gamecube almost at launch (I was a Nintendo fanboy once, though my posting history certainly doesn't reflect that). It's now collecting dust, since the library just didn't pan out like I had expected it to.

      Moral of the story? Wait.

    • Yeah, it'll be like the original Xbox. If you want to buy one the week it's released you might have trouble--but if you wait a month or two, the stores will have boxes of unwanted Xboxes piled high, and will be offering all kinds of bundles and deals.
    • So why don't you get it for PC for $50 or so instead of getting it for Xbox360 at a total cost of $450 for a version with fewer features?

      The choice seems pretty clear to me.

  • Interview w/out the fat (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 10, 2005 @05:51PM (#13759763)
    I've taken the liberty of shortening his answers considerably.

    Eurogamer: What was the hardest part of getting to where you are now? The hardware or the software?
    J Allard: Both.

    Eurogamer: How many units do you think there will be available for launch?
    J Allard: No comment.

    Eurogamer: Has the launch proved harder than you expected?
    J Allard: No.

    Eurogamer: Are you worried that this is going to overshadow your message because the media's going to talk about lack of stock?
    J Allard: I hope not.

    Eurogamer: Can you be specific on the launch line-up, because it's still kind of ambiguous what games you're going to launch with the console.
    J Allard: The ones that are done!

    Eurogamer: Can I press you on that? Can you say with conviction which ones?
    J Allard: No.

    Eurogamer: What are you hoping for?
    J Allard: All three of the first party titles to be there on day one.

    Eurogamer: Are you saying these three key titles might not be ready for launch?
    J Allard: Yes.

    Eurogamer: Does that keep you up at night, the fact that you know you can't guarantee these three key titles from you, and other key titles from other publishers might not be there for launch?
    J Allard: No.
    Eurogamer: Would you risk putting a game out that was almost finished?
    J Allard: It's up to the publishers, you know, it's happened before.

    Eurogamer: Do you feel X05 was a success?
    J Allard: Yes.

    Eurogamer: Can you tell us a little more about Xbox Live Arcade?
    J Allard: We're going to have 15-20 games this holiday.

    Eurogamer: Can you list any of those?
    J Allard: No.

    Eurogamer: It'd be nice to see some retro titles on other systems, available on Live Arcade maybe?
    J Allard: Maybe.

    Eurogamer: What about the Xbox Live Market Place stuff? It's intriguing...
    J Allard: It is intriguing.

    Eurogamer: Is this very much a publisher lead thing, or is Microsoft Games Studios going to be doing experimental stuff as well?
    J Allard: Both.

    • Eurogamer: Can you be specific on the launch line-up, because it's still kind of ambiguous what games you're going to launch with the console.
      J Allard: The ones that are done!

      ROFLMAO

    • Thank you for saving me all that time. Can I hire you for the next "Dog and Pony" show I have to go to?

    • When reporters interview politicians or market droids who give answers without content, it would be great if the reporter would follow the interview with a summary similar to what the parent did. A few embarassing summaries might prod the interviewees to give more substantive answers. Better yet, they may cancel the interview. Who wants to read an interview that has no content?

  • I posted on this a while back, and predicted a shortage, especially in the upcoming holiday season. I thought, and still think, this could be somewhat artificial so Microsoft can roll it out under way-too-high prices under the auspices of "rare" goods (anyone remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls?).

    So, they create an artificial shortage, whip up crazed demand, sell way over price through the holiday season with the additional wallop of great sales afterwards from all of the parents who weren't able to get the

    • Yet when Sony does this same trick, the unwashed masses beleive there really is a shortage and falls for it.
    • I posted on this a while back, and predicted a shortage, especially in the upcoming holiday season. I thought, and still think, this could be somewhat artificial so Microsoft can roll it out under way-too-high prices under the auspices of "rare" goods (anyone remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls?).

      If the unwashed slashbot wisdom is true and the consoles are sold as loss leaders to drive game sales, where the actual profits are, what possible reason would there be to artificially restrict the number of consoles
      • If the unwashed slashbot wisdom is true and the consoles are sold as loss leaders to drive game sales [...]

        That's a big if. We know they sold the Xbox at a loss, but it would be a stretch to say it was a "loss leader," since they didn't have a chance in hell at making up the loss through games and accessory sales. The pile of cash they burned is mind-boggling. You've got to assume, though, that they're in this to make money in the long run. If the Xbox losses were tolerable to get them into the console mark
      • It's better to give the impression of rarity, driving pre-orders and making the console seem more special and desirable. Then make a few statements about last-minute rushed production or something and actually deliver lots of Xboxes. Every console seems to do it - "only a few PSPs in stock" seem to appear all over the place here in the UK.
    • Not to steal thunder from your "prediction", but you don't exactly have to be a prophet to predict a new major console is going to suffer from shortages, especially when it's coming out near the holiday season.

  • Odd word choice... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by yammosk ( 861527 )
    We want to get started on a worldwide basis, we want to do the right thing for gamers, for our publishers and for consumers.

    Anyone else find it odd that Mr. Allard separates the two and thus implies that they are not the same thing? Not a sermon, just a thought.
    • Perhaps he was thinking that gamers are the kids and consumers are their parents?

      It doesn't fit with the people I know who have purchased the console, but oh well.

    • Re:Odd word choice... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Blakey Rat ( 99501 ) on Monday October 10, 2005 @07:14PM (#13760268)
      Maybe "gamer" is the person who plays the game, and "consumer" is the person who buys the game... not always the same person. If my grandma bought me Halo 2 as a christmas gift, she would be a Microsoft consumer even if she never plays the game.
    • He could be making a distinction between "hardcore" gamers and "casual" gamers. (God, I hate that terminology... it's just so corny!)

      Or maybe he's just being redundant and not really paying attention to what he's saying.

  • Silicon in short supply (Score:4, Funny)

    by cgenman ( 325138 ) on Monday October 10, 2005 @06:29PM (#13760039) Homepage
    Power PC chips? In short supply?

    I'm glad to see Microsoft continues to follow in Apple's footsteps.

  • Nice for some more confirmation that Australia and New Zealand are at the arse end of the world. We get to wait until "early 2006". Clearly that's not going to be January or they'd just release it in December, so I'm betting we're going to have to wait at least four months after the US as usual.
    • Maybe that will mean some of the delayed games are at least out by then :) If I get one, I'll wait for the initial scrambling to blow over and get one once the prices start dropping - probably by mid-2006.

  • So if you want it this year... (Score:5, Funny)

    by mildness ( 579534 ) <bill@bam p h .com> on Monday October 10, 2005 @08:57PM (#13760892) Homepage
    ...lube up to get bundle-fucked.

    Thanks MS. Yet again.

    Bill

    • And how is this unique to Microsoft when the PSP did the same damn thing?

      Man, you guys are really desporate. How's that "Xbox is a failure" rhetoric you guys repeat to yourself every night working out?

      • I didn't have to buy a bundle when I picked up my PSP the first day. And, I will be buying both an Xbox and a PS3 and selling the one that collects dust. So, AlexMax, you are the one coming off as a desporate fan boy.

        Good luck with that,

        Bill

        • No, it's just the post of a frustrated slashdotter of someone who is sick of stupid fucking Microsoft bashing at every turn. Don't get me wrong, they're not infalable, but seeing the entierty of slashdot shit all over every single Xbox-related news release since day 1 with strawman logic and stupid rhetoric is grating on my nerves.
  • Isn't this true for every M$ product? Look at what happened to Longhorn... Instead of something new, we get a neutered package. M$ hypes and promises like mad up till it's time to push something out the door, and then everything starts to come unglued.
  • Just from the title, it sounds like he's saying the system is going to suck. No, not so.... the only disapointment that's going to come of it is the lack of quantity early on. But I thought that's what all these expensive ass "bundles" were supposed to be about, so that only people who really really wanted one would be able to afford it. Frankly it pisses me off because you know the people selling them are set to make a ton of money. And I can already imagine how much they're going to go for on eBay.

    I reall

    • Re:Ehh... misleading title (Score:4, Interesting)

      by ivan256 ( 17499 ) * on Monday October 10, 2005 @10:55PM (#13761433)
      From the interview, it sounded to me like the disappointment was going to be the lack of games when it comes out. The disappointment in quantites is probably going to be on his end when he sees the initial sales figures.

      I know dozens of gamers (including myself), and lots of Xbox owners. I know *one* person planning to buy a 360 on release day. Everybody else is either waiting for some good games to come out, or expecting a price drop when the PS3 comes out, and is planning to wait until then.

      If you really want one that badly, I expect you won't have too much trouble walking into a Wal-Mart on the 22nd and picking one up.
  • we don't care what you think of our product. It will suck, yes. We lied to you in what we can provied, we lied, but who gives a shit about it. We make it look so cool, that you will give us your money. And then, we launch the second extended version, and we will get your money again. Ain't that cool.
    Damn, no toilet paper, I'll just use this 100$ bills here ... flush them, I get 100 more from you tomorrow.
  • ...has a release date! Australia is still being told "early 2006".
    • Those Aussies are so lucky. The original Xbox has not yet been launched in Romania (Eastern Europe). When i asked half year ago a microsoft Romania sales rep about the availability of the Xbox he told me that even at the HQ they didn't received one. The playstations otoh had only a month delay. So everyone here bought PS2s.
  • So does this mean when the shortage hits just in time for X-Mas, they'll all show up on eBay for like $1000 a piece? I mean seriously, I can envision them costing that much when the parent who has the spoiled brat child HAS to get this for them.

    Paranoid comment of the day: What would keep M$ from secretly selling these on eBay for an extra $200 or $300 to all those people struck by the shortage...
    • What would keep M$ from secretly selling these on eBay for an extra $200 or $300 to all those people struck by the shortage...

      Logistics?
  • ...hype to get more people eager to get one?
  • We want to get started on a worldwide basis, we want to do the right thing for gamers, for our publishers and for consumers."

    The right thing for gamers and consumers isn't to release something with a shortage of available machines. Part of me wonders if it's an artificial shortage... Hype it up, make people want it, then make sure everybody knows there aren't enough of them to go around world-wide. Hope that the people on the fence will rush out to get it, just in case there aren't many of them availab
  • I'm a big fan of the original Xbox, but I will not be buying an Xbox 360 at launch (may not buy one ever, if they don't get their shit together):
    • No hard drive standard = no designer support for hard drive
    • Their one-and-only MMORPG (slated for a distant December 2006 release, no less) will be in 480p with no support for voice chat. What exactly is the point of this, anyway? If I wanted to chat on an MMORPG with a clunky keyboard, I could do it *now* on my PC, with much higher resolution than 480p.
    • Crappy

    • Their one-and-only MMORPG (slated for a distant December 2006 release, no less) will be in 480p with no support for voice chat. What exactly is the point of this, anyway? If I wanted to chat on an MMORPG with a clunky keyboard, I could do it *now* on my PC

      For one thing, games that run natively on commodity PC hardware tend to be more finicky about what video, audio, and even CD drivers they run with than games for a major console, which has fixed hardware. Microsoft will have to improve the reliability

  • I was just wondering if anyone out there had read "Jennifer Government" by Max Barry http://www.maxbarry.com/jennifergovernment/ [maxbarry.com] . In that book, Nike released like 2 or three pairs of their new shoe line in order to drum up insane demand and charger whatever they want. Then, when they flood the market they stage shootings in order to display the lengths people are going to go to get them. Now I'm not saying M$ is going to go out and get some hired guns, but this cycle of fiddling with supply in order to bri
  • Meh...more FUD from MS that there won't be enough units so all of you sheep should go out and make sure you pre-order a costly bundle from your neighborhood retailer.

    The more uncertainty MS can spread about supply shortages, the better to get the masses all riled about about having to find one for little Junior this holiday season.
  • I genuinely appreciate Microsofts attitude towards this. As a european gamer, I'm sick of Europe being the last target market (ie. getting the PSP last, Nintendos handhelds last etc). This means that the first adopters in all the markets will get theirs (mine is already preordered and the delivery is confirmed), while the second comers will get theirs after the Christmas period. It makes good business sense, and it certainly makes europeans happy :)
    • I'm sick of Europe being the last target market (ie. getting the PSP last, Nintendos handhelds last etc)

      You should try living in Australia then! Notice how our release date is "early 2006"? That means March at the earliest. And it's like that for pretty much everything. Hell, the PSP was only released in Australia on September 1. Yes, that's right. Six weeks ago tomorrow.
      • I hear you. The PSP was released in Europe on September 1., too. :(

        I've seen the prices you're charged for computer gear -- it's really a lot worse than over here. In Norway, the price you pay for computer parts and consoles is not too bad, though still something in the range of 50% above the going rate in the US. I bought a Nintendo DS and a Nintendo SP from the US in june for less than the asking price of the Nintendo DS alone when it was eventually relased in Europe earlier this fall.

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