At the BMO Capital Markets Interactive Entertainment Conference on Thursday, Microsoft said it expects to hit a notable milestone with the Xbox 360.
"By the end of this month, we expect our global installed base to reach 25 million units, surpassing that of the first Xbox," said Mindy Mount, CFO of the firm's Entertainment & Devices Division.
She said that the milestone is still "only a start," as "more than three-quarters" of a console's sales occur when it drops to $199 or lower. Three current models of Xbox 360 range from the $199 base Arcade version to the $399 Elite version following an early September price drop.
Due to that drop, Microsoft said sales of Xbox 360 rose 42 percent month-on-month in the U.S., 62 percent in Europe and 500 percent in traditionally Xbox-averse Japan.
Plenty of unforgettable games have completely messed up their players throughout the years, all the way back from the PS1 days to the dark recesses of the modern internet.
With so many games fighting for players' attention and interest losing out over time, time sink games are at risk of eventually losing steam.
It was worrisome to begin with.
It's a niche genre with only a handful of hits that can stand the test of time.
Only a few will catch on. You need a perfect storm to be successful in GaaS and a bit of luck on top of that. But a potential cash cow will keep them trying and some will go out of business because of it.
Helldivers 2 manages just fine…
Keep production costs low… don’t just make custscenes until the mechanics and enemies are perfected first.
Make so much content that you can drip extra content for years, and the game already feels complete without them.
Most importantly: make weapons, enemies, levels, and mechanics that will stand the test of 1000 hours. This might require more devs embracing procedurally generated leveled, which I think separates Helldivers 2 from Destiny’s repetitiveness.
Nameer from eXputer: "Some exceptions aside, I don't think the battle pass is a net positive for gaming with how they're implemented in most live service titles."
I like the way Helldivers 2 does battle passes. It allows you to make purchases on each level of the battle pass and gives you the option of choosing which item to unlock first. The more purchases you make using medals the further you progress. There is no timer and you can earn medals towards purchasing stuff via personal orders and Major orders.
I haven't played much live service games that have battle passes but I remember some games that have battle passes where you progress through it linearly using an exp system. What makes it really bad is that the battle pass will have like 50 or more levels with the cooler stuff being closer to the end. They also have an in-game shop that sells exp boosters so you can reach the end of the pass before it refreshes. Everyone ilse will have to grind their way through.
battle pass in fortnite is perfect; buy one and it buys the rest for every other season as it gives you more money than the first cost. so 8.50 and season ends with you getting 13.00, it pays for the next and you have some pocket change to save up for cash shop. All of which is optional
Microsoft will have sold more 360s in roughly 75% of the amount of time they sold that many consoles for the original Xbox. Not bad for them being the new kid on the block.
congrats MS, now if we could just get the 360 and ps3 selling better than the Wii so companies would stop making shovel ware and make great games . . . wait . . . what am I saying? I can't even afford the games I want this month! There are so many!!!