The 360: A console in decline

Recently, Microsoft Xbox 360 director of product management Aaron Greenberg boldly proclaimed "What I can tell you is we remain confident that Xbox 360 will not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation."

Strong words for the man behind a console clearly in decline.

Microsoft introduced its Xbox 360 console in 2005, its second stab at the videogame console market and so far it has been a veritable roller coaster ride of highs and lows for boththe 360 console and for its fans. From its lukewarm reception at launch through to the highs it reached in 2007 withHalo 3, from its struggles with hardware reliability to decreasing sales and economic depression, Microsoft's 360 console has had quite ride up to this point. Now, as the 360 approaches its 4th birthday it appears that hard times are ahead for Microsoft's videogame flagship. After defying the odds for 4 years the signs of the 360's decline are all around us, despite Greenberg's recent comments to the contrary.

[bot slayer]

XB1CHE 360 IS DOOMD.

[chrisulloa]

Lol ps3 fantards.

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

...Red 'RING' of DEATH!!! ;-D

+ I love having a Dump on a xBox 360 every morning!!! ;-D That is what it is for no? ;-D

[AngryTypingGuy]

So I click on N4G to see what's up, and I see an article called "The 360: A Console in Decline". And then right next to it is another article entitled "Xbox 360 MW 2 Outselling PS3 2-to-1". Go figure.

[AngryTypingGuy]

To the "people" who disagreed with me: no really, that's what it said, honestly. In fact, hours later, it still does :-D

[MegaPowa]

OH WAIT I BET MOST OF YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE..or you have nothing better to do with your life it could even be both :0

[Keith Olbermann]

I still feel that upcoming releases like mass effect 2 and alen wake will keep it selling units. I know I will get hate for this but I think Natal will end up being a very casual friendly device with casual friendly controls which will be a big fail for hardcore. Still, I hope all three platforms do well to keep that competition going.

[gamesR4fun]

I agree but lets give em till natlal ships next year b4 we sound the death horn...

dont expect it to do well but i said the same thing bout the wii

the way i see it if they add an extra 512 of ram in the upgrade their games could catch up n maybe even pass the ps3's tho with the new price tag they need to deliver some AAA gems.

And if they make it a inexpensive add on for existing 360's and make all future 360 natal priced at 300 or less they might even get back in the race.

[Anon1974]

But do we know when these will even be released? One of the points made in the article is that these type of high profile exclusives simply aren't coming as fast as they used to.

Also, I don't know how well Natal will do (I'm also skeptical at the impact of Sony's motion control). Historically, the Xbox doesn't have much pull with the casuals. Just look at Banjo Kazooie sales for a recent example. While Natal certainly has an appeal to casual gamers, are casuals really going to pick up a 360 with the Natal add on instead of simply shelling out for that Wii that they've heard so much about? I don't think this will really help the 360, although I have no idea what would.

The only thing I can think of is fix the hardware and bring more games like we had back in 2007. It might not get them to the top but it might at least keep them afloat.

[GWAVE]

The console is in decline. Other than Forza 3, the 360 did not have another AAA exclusive for the entire year of 2009 (sorry, but ODST was an expansion pack).

The PS3 dominated every genre other than racing sim (where it had no exclusive) with its exclusives

- FPS (Killzone 2)
- RPG (Demon's Souls)
- Sports (MLB: The Show)
- sandbox (inFamous)
- third-person shooter (Uncharted 2)
- platformer (Ratchet and Clank: Crack in Time)

The 360 is in decline. 360 owners are still talking about Gears, Halo, and Fable, but what are they talking about THIS year and NEXT year?

[Ashriel]

Well, I'm a 360 owner and I'm looking foward to Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Alan Wake. There's also Halo: Reach and Falbe 3, but I'm not so sure about those ones :/

Plus all the multiplatforms wich look really nice, like Just Cause 2, Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, Bad Company 2, Final Fantasy XIII

But no one can deny that 2009 was a sh1tty year for the 360, but I'm sure 2010 will be better with those games I listed there.

Still, the PS3 has also great exclusives coming out, like Heavy Rain, The Last Guardian, GOW3 + the unnannounced stuff.

Overall I think 2010 will be a more competitive year in terms of exclusives. Because it's clear that 360 lost 2009 xD

[StanLee]

$440 million dollars in revenue generated in the month of September says "hello". Will the XBox 360 outsell the PS3? Not likely when the PS3 is expected to have a life cycle twice as long but the XBox 360 is in no way in decline. It's the only console showing consistent growth in hardware sales this year.

[sack_boi]

Modern Warfare 2 and Left 4 Dead 2, that's all I care about this year.

Keep spreading your BS d!ckride66 while the rest of us enjoy our games :p

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

With the continued domination of the PS3 in all areas, the sales don't seem to reflect that in either software or hardware....

I can find plenty of games, new features to be released in upcoming firmware update and friends to play games with on my 360.

This article is just propaganda from darkride66, rest assured that it has no effect on the end results and only Sony/MS (or Nintendo for that matter) can significantly influence the end results.

"Xbox Division Profits Up 96 Percent In Q1, Sales Flat"
http://www.gamasutra.com/ph...

[ico92]

scince 2007 its kinda dwindled down for the 360

[randomwiz]

"Not likely when the PS3 is expected to have a life cycle twice as long but the XBox 360 is in no way in decline."

where did u get that info that the 360 has half the life cycle of the ps3? Trust me, Microsoft are probably not(im not sure though) going to kill their console when next gen comes. They killed their original xbox, because it was not profitable, and they wanted to promote one product. The 360 will still be for sale once next gen comes along. Microsoft is going to want the glory the ps2 is having right now next gen.

[sikbeta]

lol at the picture

On topic, we have to see first and don't talk trash like some crew usually do, and M$ will not give up so easy, even if already lost $7 billions, probably they'll use that old trick to jump into the next xbox and all we know

[JD_Shadow]

You really DID try to spin that while killing the messenger there, did you?

[PimpHandHappy]

battle of crappy websites will never end

funny how many times is see flame bait like this do i then notice i have never heard or seen the website b4

but anyway
let me add

Halo ODTS didn't help

[sikbeta]

I feel you man, just like you have plenty of time since ODST have a 6 hours campaign and now you have anything to play with, maybe you can try Too Human or banjo kazooie XD

[darthv72]

I tried reading this but lost interest. Someone please tell me the short short version.

Decline by what statistic: sales or quality of games?

As far as I can see the sales are better than last year. It has been selling better each year than prior. The games are getting better as well. Quality titles are being made but maybe not at the frequency of ps3 titles.

Maybe that is what they mean by decline...number of games released in a year. I don't know.

I do know that the quality of darkride's posts are in serious decline.

[Knghtz]

ooooh!

Darthv went there!

I'll admit I laughed

[Mr Logic]

I agree. I don't doubt that Natal will be a casual friendly device, but it will fail to be anything else.

[Knghtz]

Well, it's been working for Nintendo so far.

[ShadowCK]

"Xbox struggles to maintain sales"

Wii – 679k
Nintendo DS – 511k
Xbox 360 – 309k
PlayStation 3 – 203k

The Xbox 360 sold more than 28 million units in 2008, beating the sale of Playstation 3 by 8 million units. The Xbox LIVE community also has 17 million plus members despite the fact that Xbox Live has been down several times last year and still continues to grow. The facts will speak for themselves.

"Where have all the games gone?"

No explanation required here, total failure.
* Here a few from the top of my head:

-Fable III
-Halo Reach
-Forza 3
-Alan Wake
-Prey 2
-Crackdown 2
-Splinter Cell Conviction
-Raiden IV
-Mass Effect 2
-Left 4 Dead 2
-GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

"Bring on the casuals!"

Bring on the fanboyism! Microsoft will definitely not abandon the hardcore like Nintendo did, they have said many times during interviews. Move along people, this is hardly news. This person is obviously a PS3 Fanboy who is looking for hits.

[rockleex]

Actually the PS3 and 360 both sold a little over 10 million units each in 2008.

You're probably talking about overall sales, which is expected. Seeing as how the 360 had a year head start, if both sell the same amount each year, PS3 will always remain behind in overall sales.

But we know the PS3 will remain relevant on the market for a longer period of time than the 360. Which means the PS3 will eventually surpass the 360's total sales without having to beat it's yearly sales.

As of now though, the PS3 has a high chance of outselling the 360 yearly. That means it will surpass the 360's total sales sooner than expected.

[Arnon]

"But do we know when these will even be released? One of the points made in the article is that these type of high profile exclusives simply aren't coming as fast as they used to."

Rofl, yes? They sort of announced a release date for Mass Effect 2, and we've been told spring of 2010 for Alan Wake.

[Sarcasm]

I don't think the 360 is going anywhere anytime soon. But man I seriously hope MS doesn't focus 90% on Natal games and leave us waiting for more Halo titles.

[king dong3]

rubbish, wrote by fanboys(darkride66 get a life you pathetic turd), for fanboys on blogz4fanboys...lol

what the f*^k is going on?? everyone that approved this should lose their approval rites, and darkturd66 should be banned.

and as usual, a big congatulations to useless turd moderators that aint fit to moderate the nickleodeon forums...well done

[7thNightvolley]

seriously.. with all the things that the 360 offers and .. boy i just got the new update with facebook last.fm, sky,twitter,1080p movie streaming, and so much stuff going on ... man xboxlive price is worth it .. no joke ... its makes the console to some serious entertainment kit.. loving the update.. its sick.. thats all i can say.. saying the 360 is in decline is just pure ignorance and stupidity.

[MNicholas]

when you look at annual average.

If you take total units sold and divide by the number of years on the market, the 360 is, and always has been, last.

It has had a few months here and there where it did well but no lasting success.

Using a source that is alleged by some to exaggerate 360 sales, average annual sales:

Wii: 18.7M per year
PS3: 8.6M per year
360: 8.3M per year

When you look at long term trends we see that the 360's marketshare has been trending down. It has now dipped under 30%!

[MNicholas]

what 360 sales would have been if not for RROD. It can be argued that RROD, E74, etc... actually had a net positive effect on 360 sales.

Every time a company other than Microsoft, such as Best Buy or Gamestop, replaces a broken 360 for a customer under a paid replacement plan/extended warranty it actually counts as a sale.

[N4g_null]

What is really sad is the list of games that PS3 owners keep listing only appeals to them. Thus the PS3 is not in any better shape. It is just the PS3 fan will have more to play while the xbox fan will wait longer till a multiplat come out. The only reason for the surge in PS3 sales is bored xbox 360 fans finally getting one. Yet to me they are both in decline much like PC gaming. New games keep getting announced but they just seem to be getting lamer and more realistic that is all. There isn't much difference between the two if you take off the fan googles. Which is why devs don't take advantage of the imaginary power the fans believe the PS3 has LOL.

Just a different perspective from yours don't hate it will all be over in 2011 early 2010. This gen is pretty much over.

[edgeofblade]

Funny how PS3 fanboys call 360 fanboys "desperate" and "fearful". Then they publish articles like this one...

[soxfan2005]

Last September, after the much-hyped 360 price cut, MS sold 347,000 units according to NPD. This September, after much smaller price cuts and re-configurations, MS sold 351,000 units. Plus, this year, the 360 was up against the new $299 PS3 slim, whereas last year, the PS3 was still $399. The 360 seems to be selling better versus tougher competition - hardly a sign of a console in decline.

This also brings up another contradiction in this article. The writer regurgitates the tired old "it's half the price" line that's been overused for the last year. However, the $199 model was unchanged this September, yet MS still managed to increase sales by over 60% from August 2009. If most people buy the $199 model, as many here like to believe, how can he explain the huge increase in September sales when the $199 model did not change?

[Anon1974]

It was looking at longer term sales struggles. Month to month data doesn't give us even close the whole story.

As for the sudden jump in sales this September - Halo: ODST and a price cut on the Elite. That's why the spike. Still, it didn't save the 360 from posting another quarter of year over year declines based on their sales info released this morning.

You can't deny, the fact that the 360 hasn't been able to outsell the PS3 since the PS3 launched worldwide - despite the obvious price advantage it had until recently - is a genuine cause for concern. If you have a look at how quickly the consoles are being adopted by consumers, the PS3 is around 3-4 million ahead of where the 360 was at this point in it's life. Clearly, consumers are buying into the PS3 quicker than they every bought into the 360. Microsoft can't be oblivious to that.

Edit below: Logic would dictate that's true, but we'll never know how much of an impact that actually has. It's not like Microsoft differentiates between "360 sales" and "working 360's on the market".

[GWAVE]

Just a thought: the end of this year marks the end of the fourth year of the 360.

The 360 only has a three-year warranty.

Although there is no concrete way to prove exact numbers, it would be very logical and safe to assume that a lot of 360s that have been selling have been "repeat" customers who had to replace their broken 360 outside of the warranty.

[soxfan2005]

What numbers are you looking at? I read the report from today, and it says that the Xbox division revenues were flat from the same quarter last year, however, profits increased substantially.

That, coupled with the 360's impressive September, clearly point to a strong console, not a declining one.

Despite how you spin it, more 360's have been sold than PS3's. The head start can't just be disregarded - those sales still count. It's just like the fact that the Yankees have the Major League record with 26 championships, despite the fact that the Yankees have been around longer than many other teams. The record books aren't adjusted to mitigate the Yankees "head start".

@gwave - despite how much you want to believe that there are many multiple console purchases by the same people, there is absolutely NO proof to back up your opinion.

[StanLee]

Dude, you're one of the few posters using common sense and facts to comment on this article. I applaud you. Get ready for the disagrees and to loose a few bubbles.

Edit @ Green

That is so hilarious. But yeah, 440 million in revenue generated in 1 month is pretty impressive.

[green]

These were the comments i made an hour and 3 hours ago.

"The spin will come from darkrider66 site, smsgamer.com.I am sure he is reaping their financial report apart looking for loop holes in which to make an article out off.Anyway, it's always good news to hear that companies are recovering from the recession. I hope Sony will report similar profits as well." http://www.n4g.com/NewsCom-...

"Always good to see companies coming out of the recession. I expect Darkrider66 to be scrutinizing every aspect of the financial report in order to wright a spin article.Anyway, hope Sony posts similar profits as well.As for Nintendo, recession was never really a problem for them." http://www.n4g.com/NewsCom-...

I hardly comment on N4G anymore but its good to know that Darkrider66 is still up to his old tactics.

[The Wood]

hear me out. Those same people with 'common sense' you speak of were not applying any of it when the slew of 'ps3 iz doomed' articles were common despite us all knowing as a fact that it was/is the 3rd fastest selling console......wtf man...like i said below eff the sales...im not a shareholder and i draw the line at seeking their numbers from their reports. Neither sony or MS care about my life. If i fall on hard times none of them will get me out of jail BUT i hope BOTH do well enough for competition to continue even if i do prefer the 'trey'.

[Golfcoachh]

I saw them on the pending, but never see them approved, but this drivle is. lol As for Sony, unfortunately they are expect to have a loss this quarter again. Hopefully it won't be as much as last quarter. Sox fan, I know you are going to lose bubbles, as am I when the full force of the sony fans hit this today/tonight, but keep it up. I bubbled you up and agreed, hopefully I won't be down to 1 anytime soon, although at the rate I have been losing them for speeking common sense, it won't be long.

I see the possitive article about the profit is finally approved. Wonder why it took longer than this one? hmmmmm

[nycredude]

Look at all your fools spinning and spinning with all these numbers and sales and year over year and month over month sales and revenues and profits and blah blah blah. All this could be german to me because it doesn't matter at all!! I bought both consoles cause I like games not sales. How does all this BS matter when it's clear with consoles ATM has the upper hand in games this year and next. No amount of sales data is going to change the fact that 360 had only 2 exclusives this year! Are Ms going to go out now and buy up some studios? Because they need to learn a bit from Sony and own your own studios is what they need to do to provide more games for their console.

[KingME]

If the 360 is and has been in such decline since 2006-2007, what the hell has the PS3 been doing. here you have a declining console with a 6-7 million console lead and three years later even after the 800,000 gain of the PS3 slim still leads by over 7 million.

So, if the 360 has been on the decline, How does this clown describe the PS3. This article wasn't written as a public service, it's been written as a PS3 fanboy service.

Then you have software, accessories, XBL I say when you compare the 360 to the PS3 the 360 has been more profitable by far. MS may have had to spend 1 billion on the RROD, but how much did the PS3 re-do and price cuts from 599 cost Sony. Just this past September the 360 carried 1/3rd the of the market software sells.

Honestly, I'm not trying to bash the PS3, I'm just trying to show how, if you want to spin numbers and only tell half truths you can make whatever you want to look good or bad, it's a matter of how you deliver the data.

@Jinx (Below)

Well said, and spot on. Bubbles up.

[Jinxstar]

Truth is no matter what there are just way too many variables to consider in every case. Is Sony willing to take a hit in price to get more BD players out there? Is MS profits this year going to even cover their last few years of losses with Vista and other things? Is Sony gonna actually start some heavy marketing eventually? Does MS count shipped consoles or sold?... Look I am a PS3 fan but this is all really pointless. I see the flaws in both consoles but I go where the games are that appeal to me... I'll defend it too but this kind of stuff really is pointless guys. I'm never one of those "Lets all be friends' people but this argument will never go anywhere because everyones "Facts" really aren't facts and you can spin them anyway you want but truth is... If you like Halo get a 360. If you like MGS get a PS3. If you like arguing about numbers that are put out by MS and Sony to shareholders and all that... It's a circle. "Round and Round we go. Where we stop nobody knows"

Just pointless because... I can pull any obscure fact out of my rectum as well. Watch "Sony's estimated cost of development for the PS3 Slim is approximately 325$. So it's only a 25$ loss and they make it up with 5 blurays of any kind".... Care to prove that wrong? Or "MS keeps statistics on out of warranty failure rates of consoles by the amount of customers that call but will not disclose them to the public. They have them sorted by serial numbers and dates but are still not taking action because their console is now so cheap to produce they don't need to R&D it anymore"

It's not about proving my "Facts" right. You gotta prove them wrong and you never will...

Edit: @ vega below... I know 2 people whose 360's died on them and they "just couldn't wait" for them to return and bought second systems as "Backups" for when they got another RROD.... Granted thats just 2 people I know but once your invested with 20+ games, Points/trophies and have friends on a system your kinda stuck so you might as well go all out... I don't think it's "Bad" or anything but I bet it's more common then most say... I mean imagine your waiting for months to play halo 3 and your 360 dies like 2 days before release... You'd buy another one so you could play halo 3 while your other was in the shop right? Or at least you probably know at least a couple people who would.

The reason why PS3 owners wouldn't in the past is well... Price. 200$ vs the older 400$ is a big deal. Also the failure rate is much lower... Do I think it's a valid point to argue? No because there are no facts. But I think it's a point to be aware of. At least some of those 360's are just sitting there . Maybe they got regifted or something... Who knows.

[Sez]

You say people re-brought the 360. But the same can be said about the ps3 slim. I know people that re-brought the system for the slim version and because there warrenty ran out from YLoD.

[Anon1974]

Profits this last quarter were up year over year, despite decreased 360 sales (MS said XBL revenue was up 50% and that made up for it) but overall this calendar year they've hardly made a dime. The last two quarters before this one they were actually back to posting loses again, despite revenue similar to what they had last year.

In what world is that a good sign?

As for the year head start the 360 had, sure that still counts, but the fact that the PS3 has been selling faster then the 360 even came close to can't be ignored. If the console is so strong, how come if we lined up launches the PS3 would be 3-4 million ahead of the 360 right now, despite being double the price half that time? You're seriously telling me that's not something that developers and Microsoft themselves aren't keenly aware of?

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

Remember when the PS2 whas the shiz and Xbox was the sh!t?

Well, look where we are now! Xbox 360 just elevated itself to PS3 level this generation and PS3, well declined to be third fighting for second. There is no arguing there. MS just posted a profitable quarter and they likely will again this Christmas. That is a fact!

All of Sony's guns are out, there will be no more price cut for the forseeable future. Sales aren't exactly exploding there and frankly they are no better than when the Xbox 360 had it's price cut last year.

No matter what the make believe trend is, Xbox 360 is going strong so far and it looks like they will continue that trend.

[Ravage27]

GOW3 and GT5 are yet to be released....not to mention FF13Vs and FF13(Japan).

[Sarcasm]

"GOW3 and GT5 are yet to be released....not to mention FF13Vs and FF13(Japan). "

and the Last Guardian and Agent. And eventually Uncharted 3, Killzone 3, Resistance 3.

And I'm pretty confident there are many more unannounced titles.

[rockleex]

It is the 3rd fastest selling console behind the Wii and PS2 respectively.

"All of Sony's guns are out, there will be no more price cut for the forseeable future. Sales aren't exactly exploding there and frankly they are no better than when the Xbox 360 had it's price cut last year."

1.2 million PS3's sold in September isn't exactly exploding?

Unlike Microsoft, Sony doesn't cut their prices every single year because they don't need to. Especially now that the PS3 is consistently outselling the 360.

[king dong3]

this isn't an article, it's a blog lol. saddo loser get a life

[MNicholas]

equate to "selling better?"

The 360 started going into decline ever since the Wii and PS3 came out and it's market share simply continues to shrink.

It has now dipped under 30% and continues to decline.

[AliTheBrit19]

The Xbox 360 is a fantastic console, with some amazing exclusives and runs all the latest games better than any other console

It has an absolutely UNRIVALED Online experience, and is not going ANYWHERE :)

Neither is the PS3, so just get over it, both consoles will stick it out and sell like hotcakes until the next generation of consoles arrives.

Heck even some of the more known and more respect PS3 Fanboys know this!

19 hours ago | By: Saaking | Block
Re: Ahhh
Which one? That's I'll try to be more a gamer? well, While it's fun being a fanboy I actually do like the 360's games (Fable II, Halo, Gears, etc). I do not like MS, but I enjoy gaming on the 360.

(Sorry mate, had to do it)

[Bodyboarder_VGamer]

Why are you in the Open Zone with a comment like that? lol

Trying to reason here it's like talking to a wall. The Gamer Zone it is at least a little bit better but still infected with lots of fanboys too. There no end to this!

[sack_boi]

What happened to you Ali? You were once a PS3 fanboy, now you're pretty much just a gamer...

[droid and bot]

wow you really some blinded xbox fanboy

"It has an absolutely UNRIVALED Online experience"

PC got the best online and free
get your head out of your ass

[AliTheBrit19]

^^ I know I was dude

And I regret it, I enjoy both consoles now and use my Xbox 360 for all multi-plats :)

oh and @droid and bot

Wow...As if you didn't know I was talking about consoles, this is after all an Xbox 360 vs PS3 thing

Get some common sense! :)

[LtSkittles]

@Ali

The 360 does have some fantastic exclusives, and so, does the PS3. The thing is though it's been a tough ride for the PS3 2006-2007, and the 360 has been doing great since it launched, but it had one bad year, and that's this year. After the next firmware update you can say that PSN is good as Live without having to pay for it.

PS3 has Blu-Ray-360 has 1080p streaming
PS3 has headset-360 has headsets
PS3 has trophies-360 has achievements
PS3 doesn't have cross-game chat-360 does

Microsoft will probably have a better year next year, but so will Sony.

[droid and bot]

"Get some common sense:
maybe you need to tell that to your self and start talking some sense too

the PS3 is a great console
i know because i got all 4 platform
PC . wii. PS3. 360

all of them are great

so maybe you need to stop being a fanboy for once
and start giving the PS3 some credit
because it deserves it
and you know it
but most likely you'll shut up and only talk in 2 conditions
1- praise your xbox
2- diss the PS3
cus this is all what i see you doing

[kevinx1000]

"19 hours ago | By: Saaking | Block
Re: Ahhh
Which one? That's I'll try to be more a gamer? well, While it's fun being a fanboy I actually do like the 360's games (Fable II, Halo, Gears, etc). I do not like MS, but I enjoy gaming on the 360.

(Sorry mate, had to do it)"

oh, i've got some PMs like that. he enjoys halo himself.
we all know the truth saaking.

"Yep I suck at Halo, but it's fun :)"
"Yea, I play Halo 3. You do know that I don't mean many things Is say. After all I'm in the openzone and I despise xbox 360 bots. I'm also working on SC double Agent"

[PopEmUp]

for once I agree with you

[CR7JUVE1897]

Who approves of this stuff, anyway?

Seriously, there should be some sort of filter for this nonsense.

[WIIIS1]

It is just your regular dose of FUD disseminated by desperate PS3 fanboys.

[jessupj]

While I admit the 360 is definitely not going anywhere, It's quality exclusives have been few and far between. I go through a new game in about 2 weeks. Once I get the platinum I lose a lot of interest, so if I was a 360 only owner I would be a very very sad and bored panda this year. I would be extremely disappointed with the line up this year.

[MNicholas]

to support it's conclusions.

If the 360 has been doing better, it's marketshare would be increasing right?

Then why is the 360's marketshare decreasing?

[Rowsdower]

i mistakenly clicked on a crap article

[ReBurn]

Yep. Anecdotal opinion piece. Not even worth the click.

[Anon1974]

Just because you might not agree with the opinion doesn't mean it's not a well thought out and well researched article.

Tell me this. If everything is all smiles and sunshine for Microsoft, why has it been outsold by the PS3 since the PS3 launched worldwide? Why hasn't it been able to make a dent it Wii sales when it's far cheaper, and a far better gaming console than the Wii? Why is it that so many multiplatform games sell just as well on the PS3, a system supposedidly with 30% less consoles in the wild? How is did Microsoft sell a record amount of consoles over the holidays, bring in more revenue and see almost half a billion in profits disappear?

Open your eyes and at least consider what this article is pointing out. If the 360 was anywhere close to being fine - none of those facts I mentioned above would be true, but they all are.

[The Wood]

the only thing that should concern people is the lack or decline in exclusives. Year on year MS has had less exclusive releases. Exclusives are meant to increase not decrease. The means to produce these exclusives is also in decline with no real move towards getting/acquiring more studios ms seem like they're stuck.

console sales can go up and down so thats not my main concern. Neither are going anywhere and competition is great my only issue with all these numbers coming out of MS's mouths is that they actually brag about how much money they made off accessories that they overcharge for and some could argue should be included from the start.....what a damn cheek

[Cherchez La Ghost]

Rule #1 "Never say never"!

I don't knock down opposition until the clock runs zero. The 360 had a rough start. It's just business. MS had stepped into a world that Sony has been a a veteran and gained respect from consumers for quite some time. Despite some ways that people resent (like all business in this world has), MS has held their ground for the gaming industry. They came in and made a name for theirselves within a 7-year period running against Nintendo and Sony. Now, I give hardware spec's to Sony. The RRoD was a tough lesson to learn, but you'll never learn to win until sometimes you loose. You can count them out if you want to, but never sleep on your competition. The next level is Natal. It's goal is for all age groups for entertainment. Let's wait and see what the people choose at the end of 2010.

[djtek184]

This article speaks the truth. Xbox fanboys should learn to accept the inevitable.

[ShiNe-Box-]

The 360 is DEFINITELY a console in decline. Both Sony & Microsoft issued pricecuts in September. And how did the majority of consumers respond? They choose to purchase a ps3 instead of a Wii or 360.

I'm sure Sony having a better software library also contributed to their decision.

[atreyu_-]

I still want one for Mass Effect 1&2.

[Ripyealip]

the article pic explains what the 360 is and always shall be. a last place, sub HD, explosive, last gen, no games, laggy online, feed online, casual gamer, money sucking peice off crap. PS3 has the hardcore on lock and Wii has the casual on lock thiers just no room for it.

[FwanK]

So whats the news?

[kaveti6616]

Both the 360 and the PS3 have had rough years.

In 2007, the PS3 was having a bad year, and some 360 fanboys were saying, "The PS3 has no games." But at the time Sony was working on a lot of exclusives to release, and guess what? They did. 2009 saw the release of several high-profile Sony games. Neither console has been consistently releasing exclusives. There is a point of time where both companies are developing a slew of games rather than releasing games, so that is why 360 has been having a rough year for 2009. They have been developing many games.

This article is not taking into account the fact that Microsoft is about to do a major relaunch of the Xbox 360 the same way Sony did a relaunch of the PS3. The 360 is not declining in terms of games, either. RARE studios has been pretty quiet until now, but there were a few bits of information a month or so ago that said RARE is working on several games at the moment, some of which might be aimed for the NATAL launch and others that might be more hardcore, like a Perfect Dark sequel.

2009 was not the best year for exclusives for the 360, but in 2010 there are already a few high-profile console exclusives to look forward to, such as Crackdown 2, Fable 3, Halo Reach, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Mass Effect 2 (might be timed-exclusive), and probably a few more games that we've yet to hear of. Yes, many of those games can be played on the PC. I will admit that Microsoft has not done a good job of securing TRUE exclusives to their console. This is something they will have to work on in the next generation if they release a console. But, for me, it doesn't matter if the game will also be coming to PC, because the only PC I have is a crappy Gateway laptop from 2006, and I cannot afford to buy a new PC or build a rig, and therefore you guys should understand, from my point of view, why it's not important that the games coming to 360 are also going to PC. I can still enjoy the games on my 360.

I don't know whether or not the Xbox 360 is actually in a state of decline. Only time will tell, and even then people are going to use their opinions as facts. Sony fanboys have already made up their minds about the 360, so indeed they will spin everything as defeat, and 360 fanboys will spin everything as victory. That is why articles like this don't interest me. Darkride66 has had terrible experiences with the 360, so obviously he's going to have some choice words to say against it, and I don't think anyone can admonish a person who has been wronged.

[Golfcoachh]

Why would microsoft make games that were exclusive to the 360 when they make money from so many games for windows. They are doing fine obviously still making Billiions in profit each quarter. It wouldn't make much sense to do that just to apease the fanboys.

[kaveti6616]

It just adds a bullet-point to Microsoft's resume if they can say that Mass Effect can only be played on an Xbox 360. I personally don't care if every single game that comes to the 360 also goes to PC. But Sony fanboys will say, "Well, now I see no reason for buying a 360 since I can play any game I want on the PC." But I think that having a game purely exclusive to the 360 would give it more value.

[Double Toasted]

when profits double?

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

Seriously. It's just darkpower and his low level of intelligence.

A sony fanboy saying the 360 is in a decline??? SHOCKING!!! Seriously this kid writes numerous articles about the 360. I guess he prefers to write about the 360 than write about ps3's great games. Shows just what he's more interested in.

[droid and bot]

XBl, games and accessory sales

even if they lose money on the hardware they make money out of other things

[Anon1974]

And that suddenly makes up for them being in the red for the two quarters before that? Or does that suddenly make up for the 3.6 billion that was lost prior to that?

You do the math. They're still 3.1 billion in the hole due to the Xbox 360, with sales falling off and selling the hardware at a loss. How long do they have to keep selling the 360 making $100 million a year - if they're lucky - to actually break even on the 360?

Obviously, it's not all smiles and sunshine for the 360. Anyone can see that.

You know, I see a lot of people on here, calling fanboy bias - saying it's all nonsense and what not. Is what I wrote not factual? Because, if I'm wrong on any of my facts - please - by all means correct me. Did any of those who thought to criticize bother checking to see if maybe I'm right, that maybe I have a valid point?

I'm willing to put myself out here on these forums and defend and debate everything I write - and all I get is debubbled and critisized by those too lazy to even bother to consider what I've said to see if I have a point. At least soxfan2005 has the balls to do some research and add a couple of counter points to my arguments.

But go ahead. Jam the debubble and disagree buttons and feel smug about your inabilities to actually engage in rational debate on a legitimate gamer topic. I'm sure at one point, the guy who said "Hey, Sega's not doing so well with the Dreamcast" was ridiculed as well, despite the evidence backing it up. In doing research for this article - I found plenty of quotes from Sega that mirrored the same kind of "Everything's just peachy!" sentiment we're hearing from Greenberg right now.

I did my homework for this article. At least have the decency to do some of your own before you start firing off your mouths.

Thank you.

[Jvanleuvan]

The system is hardly "in Decline" as the autor implied to mean "failing", with the current rate at which the ps3 is outselling the 360 it would take several YEARS to surpass the 360. The 360 ALREADY did what it was supposed to do, Was it really supposed to come out and blow the esablished dominate player out of the water? NO, But it currently does and will continue to give the PS3 a run for it's money. If at the end of this cycle, the 360 is up a few million or down a few million, it won't matter. It'll be a strong contender in the market! (Unlike last generation where the Xbox was a distant competitor)

What other market do you know of that there is only room for the top dog?

We have Honda, Toyota AND Ford and they all sell quite a bit of cars. We have LG, Maytag, AND GE and the all sell quite a bit of Appliances.

Choice is GOOD

[cmrbe]

can't continue to compete with Sony on both the Hardware and Software front. Value wise the PS3 will continue to show much more valuable it has over the aging x360 hardware. The only 2 main front that MS still has a competitive edge is price and online. However MS will lose those edge as well when Sony improve PSN and strive closer to the 199 mark.

Even with MS 2010 lineup like mentioned. Most are not absolute exclsuives like ME2 and SC. People are not stupid. These game are 3rd parties exclusives that will most likely go to the PS3 down the line like Boishock, NG2,Tales,LP,DR etc, etc. This leaves. Halo Reach and Fable 3. The problem with these 2 titles while they will sell alot it will sell alot to existing x360 owners. Most of the fans for these two franchise have already bought an x360 with Halo 3 and Fable 2 and ODST. We have seen this with ODST. Alan wake is not a proven IP. Its the same as saying a new IP like 8 days on the PS3 will be a heavy hitter which is stupid.

Compare to what Sony will dish out in 2010. 2010 will be the year that PS3 will leave the x360 in the dust. As such it will contribute to the x360's decline. People must rememeber that Sony will release its biggest games in 2010 which is GT5 and GT is bigger than Halo. Both GOW3 and GT5 will be the first entry of these franchise this gen. Alot of its fans from the PS2 era will soon buy a PS3 for these two games. Similar to how Halo fans bought their x360 when Halo 3 was released. As i said in previous post. MS have run out of fuel. Their last card is Natal and x360 at 99.

[kaveti6616]

The PS3 hardware is aging, too. It was fricking outdated the day it launched, man. How can you be so dense? Microsoft is fighting both Apple and Sony here. And they're doing a pretty damn good job considering their profits are increasing. As a game, I can see that Microsoft needs to buy more first party studios. But I'm not going to spread needless FUD about them the way Sony fanboys are doing.

[Hoggy1983]

"GT is bigger than Halo"

Oh dear

[cmrbe]

Yes GT is bigger than Halo. Thats a fact.

[Hoggy1983]

Maybe you need to look up the definition of fact.Please can you supply some to this effect?

Whether you like it or not, prefer GT or Halo or not, the Halo franchise is a far bigger entity than GT. I mean, its smashed sales records all over the place, Peter Jackson was linked with directing a Halo film, there are umpteen spin offs and multitudes of different merchandise. What does GT have?

[The real killer]

"PS3 has Blu-Ray-360 has 1080p streaming
PS3 has headset-360 has headsets
PS3 has trophies-360 has achievements
PS3 doesn't have cross-game chat-360 does"

The 360 don't have 1080p streaming, but 720p streaming is just enough for the time being.

1080p FULL HD you need 100 megabit connection and good hope for good servers. Even you have 100 megabit connection, than your beloved 360 the movie will stutter.

You never get the real 1080p experience with fake 1080p streaming.

[LtSkittles]

I never said it was real 1080p :) lol, but my post was made to show Ali that yes, both systems have great features, and I wasn't trying to be a fanboy.

[MAGNUM-RAM]

DOOM!

[MAGNUM-RAM]

its needs that something new. That someone special & Natal isnt it.

[GigaGaia]

Forza 3 is weak compared to the upcoming GT5. Sorry, but the 360 is weak.

[cygnuszero]

Well if you've played Prologue, you would know it sucks with its lifeless physics. And you might want to take a look at the reviews of Forza 3, all of which are stellar. No doubt Forza 3 is better in almost every way than GT5, which is still basically just the same boring crap as every other GT game, just with better graphics. That franchise is a dinosaur, it wont last much longer.

[badkolo]

the ps3 is doing good for 1 month and jesus its like the sdf all over again.

the 360 is the only console to do better yoy, yes 09 sucked but 2010 looks bananas for both ps3 and 360 plus natal is coming.

let the ps3 win for 4 to 5 straight before you guys start making your own dreamland predictions.

im not saying the 360 will win but cmon with these articles only after 1 big holiday exclusive and one big month.

right now besides maybe demon soul

for the months that matter we are at a tie so far, the 360 has sold more then the ps3 in the US for months and now the ps3 did 144k over the 360 and while uncharted will do well the 360 had halo:osdt do real well for them, so now its up in the air.

[nycredude]

Kolo

Its cool to have opinions but you shoudl get your fact straight first. The Ps3 have been selling better than the xbox since it released at a higher price point. The only reason teh xbox 360 is ahead is becuase it came out at least 1 year earlier. So technically Ps3 has already been doing this for 3 years.

[00]

lol I'm surprised this didn't come sooner.

[Figboy]

until all consoles have reached their stabilization points in terms of install base.

the PS1 and PS2 are exceptions to the rule, with well beyond the normal install base of other consoles.

the Xbox and Gamecube settled at 25 million each.

i think that once the consoles reach about 50 million units, the rate at which they sell will slow, but by that point, Sony, MS, and Nintendo will start to focus on software, which will be their main money maker for the rest of the generation.

will any console sell as well as the PS2? i don't think so, but i think the PS3 has a greater chance of reaching that goal in the long run than the others. if existing PS2 owners were so eager to pick up an Xbox 360, they would have already. there are clearly other factors as to why they haven't jumped into the current hardware generation.

some of them could have been waiting for a PS3 price drop. some of them could have been waiting for their PS2 favorite genres to appear on the new platforms. some of them could be waiting until they pick up an HDTV.

if anything, i think the slow HDTV adoption rate here in the US is hindering the growth of the HD consoles for now, moreso than any software deficiencies on the part of MS.

if 2 Halo games and 2 Gears of War games haven't pushed PS2 owners into the 360 camp, then i doubt Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell, and Alan Wake will do the trick.

games like God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5, and The Last Guardian may, however. as well as announcements of Playstation favorites like Wipeout PS3, and Syphon Filter PS3.

it's no lie that Sony has a tremendous first and second party advantage that they can leverage going into the next three years of the console life cycle.

to bring fire back underneath the Xbox 360, Microsoft MUST expand their games division. one or two titles, released at the END of the year just aren't enough to combat the nearly monthly exclusive releases Sony has going.

i mean, just in October ALONE, Sony has released 3 incredible quality exclusives: Demon's Souls, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time (which i should be getting today! woo hoo!).

and that's on top of a rather healthy amount of Blu Ray and PSN releases throughout this year.

360 fans shouldn't have to wait until the last 3 months of the year to get some worthwhile games (games like Star Ocean 4 and Ninja Blade were disappointments, to be honest).

diversity has always been Sony's strength, as well as quality. we are starting to see that in force in 2009, and it's not going to slow down, if the past two Playstation consoles are any indication of what's up Sony's sleeves.

[kneon]

Clearly it must be you suffering from a low level of intelligence, at least with regards to business. Yes profits increased but revenue was flat. That's not a good thing, it means that they probably are making money by cutting costs, not by increasing sales. You need top line growth to be successful as you can only cut costs so far.

Perhaps it was an increase in sales of their obscenely overpriced accessories that helped boost the profit as well. But that also isn't necessarily a good thing as it means actual console sales make up an even smaller portion of their non-growing revenue. They need to get consoles out the door, and not just to replace dead ones.

[Knghtz]

Haha, he went there

"No YOU'RE not intelligent!"

Nice...

[Slinger420]

Well, I just bought a 360 just for L4D and L4D2, I'm a zombie killing fanatic.

[dkgshiz]

:)

[Saaking]

The 360 fails.....54.2% of the time.

[chidori666]

all know this.

[badkolo]

the ps3 hasnt beat the 360 in the us for many months(9) so i dont know what u meant by i need to get my facts straight.

[Blacksand1]

Yes there in decline because 360 people buying PS3 now.

[NecrumSlavery]

A new Xbox is needed by 2012 if MS will stay in the game. Sony games are improving rapidly and breaking ground. This last year the 360 hasn't done anything new. NATAL may be a saving feature but not with Sony battling the casual grounds as well.

[gumgum99]

It seems like the future of growth for the Xbox platform rests on its software lineup for 2010...and this http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[I am Legend]

That was good.

[cygnuszero]

The guys is absolutely right that its impossible for the PS3 to surpass the 360 in sales. The 360 currently has roughly a 7mil lead. PS3 is selling on average somewhere around 300k per month. If the 360 stopped selling today, it would take the PS3 2 years to catch up, problem is the 360 is still selling nearly as much per month on average.

2-3 years goes by, and they're ready to put out another xbox with far more powerful components. You can post fanboi articles all day about the 360 in decline, but it already won the high def console race. It's not possible for the PS3 to catch up, its over.

[Britney Spears]

it's about a 6 million lead by now with the ps3 catching steam rapidly. ps3 will outsell 360 for sure this gen within the next 2 years. 360 is already last in japan,in europe they are about tied and ps3 will overtake them there within the next year. ps3 doing well in japan is what is eating into 360 sales a lot so that is how ps3 will win. Also don't forget sony has a wordwide hardware mover: Gran Turismo 5. Then FF 13 is releasing in japan which will also help. Sega genesis got a 2 year headstar and super snes still caught up, i guarantee you 360 will be 3rd this gen.

[spektical]

unreliable hardware and a greedy company in M$ with incompetance in originality has done this to 360. Sad story, how a company sucks the install base for all its worth, and yet everyone goes back to it. Thats how a lot people see it, same thing with Windows. its always a broken OS, maybe Windows 7 is different...

[dsister44]

Microsoft just released their Q1 financial results and their Xbox division made a profit of 312 million dollars. Sounds like they are going to cancel the Xbox... :\

[Britney Spears]

They lost 1 billion on rrod so they aren't really making that because they had to spend a lot of money. Overall their business is doing bad because the first xbox never made a profit and lost 4-7 billion dollars. this gen they lost an additional billion and that is not including the loss they had earlier to sell the console at $399.

[Britney Spears]

Aaron greenberg is in total denial if he thinks 360 will beat ps3 this gen. I can guarantee you that PS3 will beat 360 this generation and most likely this holiday. Only a small lead despite a year headstart and price advantage. No hardware movers left and a weak 09 lineup. Next year they have some titles but not as strong as ps3,that is why they are trying to grab casuals before it's too late. They are running out of price cuts and there won't be no other place to hide anymore. PS3 is doing well worldwide and still has plenty of price cuts left.

[SixAmpFuze]

how can the console be in decline if it is up year over year .

[ForROME]

I agree the xbox is slowing down a lot, and the sad part is I really do feel next gen MS is going the way of the wii, cheaper more family orientated leaving the hard core behind a bit, not completely they will always need early adopters, but its evident they are counting on 3rd parties now, which tells me they no longer feel that the core gamers need to be the focus

PS3 seems to have learned the core is where its at, the rest comes later, but boy did SONY screw the launch but I think they got it together now and globally will over take them all, Next gen I think the xbox will compete more with nintendo than sony,

But who knows who the new comer will be.......Apple maybe?

[demonwor]

I got so many games on my list to buy that are exclusive to the 360, I don't know anybody who plays the ps3 more than the 360 (except here). And I believe that there is enough casual gamers (soulless freaks) who would get the natal because I keep seeing more and more of them everyday

[pippoppow]

Low grade hardware and reliability, lack of exclusives and an unnecessary online service fee should put it in the least wanted console spot. Even with these things going against it, it still sells well. They are fortunate to have released a year earlier than the competiton to gain a foothold this gen. Many people bought one because a friend already had one. Their sway in the media and marketing muscle especially in the US certainly has helped as well.

If MS were to bow out, so what. It is unlikely but whatever. There will be another company to take it's place. Chances are it may be better for gamers. There have been companies that have bowed out before and the video game industry has continued to thrive. The 360 may have helped push forward console gaming online but it was coming regardless. It wouldn't take much for another company to match what MS delivers. Matching wouldn't take much. That new company would need to buy a few Studios, Have cheap parts but more reliable hopefully and at least a P2P services with plenty of money backing it to thrive and grow. Now imagine that new company coming out with up to date technology with the emphasis on growing there 1st and 2nd party studios and keeping online free hopefully with free online even if it's mostly P2P.

Been gaming for a long time and wouldn't mind at all with MS leaving. Would love to see a new competitor with new ideas and geared toward exclusive experiences that will propel the industry forward. Maybe one day there will be competition as fierce as it once was with the SNES and Genesis.

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

One should expect trends in sales to decline over time. I don't see how that is any different than PS3 or the Wii. I guess the industry is in decline. Oh wait?! It isn't because it is about the games not the consoles, and it so happens the 360 is selling the games.

As far as exclusives, Microsoft has always tried to dominate the holiday season. If just Alan Wake Conviction and Mass Effect released this holiday season, we would be having a different conversation. Not to say it was any great shakes, but don't forget ODST either.

I agree. They ain't no Sony at the moment, but XBox owners shouldn't expect the hardware and games to be on par. It is like expecting PSN to be like XBL. They have different strengths and weakness, although in my opinion Xbox is the weakest.

As another poster said, at least give them until Natal. Natal may be the second coming of the 360 or a total flop. If a flop then I would say Microsoft blew its wad for this generation.

[Bumpmapping]

360 Such a failure.

[Odin777]

Man this stuff has become way too personal for some people. ha ha But that is why I keep coming back, everyone is so dramatic and passionate about such petty nonsense.

[stb]

DYE CR'PBOX.

[DJ]

Fewer people are using their Xbox 360s, and it's evident in the fact that multiplatform publishers are making the majority of their sales off of PS3 owners, despite the hardware install base gap. Sony was right about the PS3 being twice as powerful, and with both consoles at the exact same price point, there's no reason to bother with the 360.

Less power, more money required for accessories, more money required for online service? Who would want that. And not to mention to serious lack of compelling exclusive titles from Microsoft. 2007 was a huge year for them software-wise. Yet every year after that has been nearly vacant. A Gears title here, a Halo spin-off there. Where's the innovation? The drive to succeed?

[Obama]

Alan Wake and SC look like last gen games compared to the mighty UC2. The 360 really has been maxed out.

[danthegardner]

o56=]
'8iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuxz7 e

[glennc]

attachment rate.

[Ninjamonkey]

And stopped there, its obviously fanboy drivel.

And anyway the 360 isnt in decline, NATAL will give it a boost and there may be further price drops, the 360 is making a lot of money.

And what MS means is that by the end of this gen overall the 360 will have sold more units. and with its current lead its still a bug possility.

[tudors]

Xbox 360 MW2 Outselling PS3 2-to-1

There that's better.

I know the PS3 has some great exclusives but does this mean 360 has no games? no ofcourse not, we have exclusives too plus all the multiplats, some people talk as though Uncharted 2 somehow relegated 360 to decline, enough of all these daft articles, 360 is doing great, if you are buying a new console you would not look at 360 and think there are no games would you? same as when I buy a PS3 I will be able to play all the game many of you have already played thus making it seem like a new experience, all this talk of decline is just silly.

[PMR_21]

what a stupid assumption

[Meryl]

ok if the xbox 360 is not in decline then how come it's price reduction did not have the same affect as the wii's or the ps3's, it's simple people are no longer as intereseted as much in the xbox 360, instead they would rather have a wii or a ps3, i don't think natal will save it either by the way, and that's just an opinion.

[tudors]

well the slim as a lot to do with that same as uncharted, same as natal will cause a spike with the Xbox-360, for now until games like mass effect 2 and Alan Wake come out we can expect that the 360 sales will be slow, but in decline, I don't think so.

[Bullseye]

have been trying to kill off the 360 since it's introduction, but damn, that thing just won't die ,will it?! I Love my PS3 and yes,with the current price drops and new slim version, I would agree that the PS3 is finally better value, pound for pound ! Unfortunately, for Sony, many people - including myself, still prefer the games available on the 360. With the very notable exception of WOHD -truly skilled programmers- there's nothing for me personally, on PS3 at this time. Hard rain looks like it'll put my PS3 to work, but then so will Alan wake ! Net result; (360+PS3)/games=enjoy ^n as opposed to PS3<>360/fanboyism=Sad^n

[Leio]

The trend is turning let bring on the Xbox dooming articles!! xD

[younglj01]

Its not talking about hardware sales but software sales.I dont give a damn if PS3 sales 30 million consoles a month.That dont mean sh1t if we dont have any games to play.And this year game of tha year for tha Xbox 360 is MW2.I never seen a mulitplatform game get so much hype from 1 console.The only reason that is happening to me is the lack of games this YEAR not next year.Halo:ODST is a expansion game just like that GTAIV DLC.As a gamer i think its fuked up that 360 owners is spending all that money and is getting nothing back in-return.If I owned a 360 I would b very pissed off on tha lack of games.Only 3 fuking games are consider AAA games and that would b halo,gears,and fable.SC:C should b release this year also ALan Wake.I know some 360 owner may read this and called me a sony fanboy or whatever.I really hope MS have something instore for their loyal fans bc so far they have treated ya'll like sh1t in my eyes.

[dan_dufferin98]

Of course the 360 is in decline! THE PS3 IS THE BEST!! It's INVINCIBLE!! IT'S GAMES ARE THE BEST!! Just ask GWAVE!! Other people's opinions dont matter, especially with sports games. according to him, MLB is the best! so, PS3 RULES!!! YEAH!!!

[maspi]

this is how xbox owners will play action-fps games in the future :)

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Droid Control]

All true. All sad.

[PoisonedTea]

Microsoft need a new, exclusive IP (much like Uncharted in terms of quality - NOT content) to come out of nowhere and just shock everyone with its quality. That will shift a few million consoles, I'm sure. As great as Mass Effect is/will be, even action-orientated RPG's don't really scream "pick-up and play" for the casual gamer. Splinter Cell is looking to be great too, but whatever it's innovations, it's still a Splinter Cell game. Alan Wake might be that elusive title but it's too early to tell. Look at God of War - that was released near the tail-end of the PS2's lifecycle and look how well that did. I'm sure it shifted thousands of consoles that Sony weren't expecting. If MS can somehow have the same luck with a new exclusive, it'll be pretty interesting to say the least.

[MANTIIS]

Excellent read. Waiting for the death of cr@pbox.