440°

Has the Xbox 360 lost its way?

TVGB: "Has the Xbox 360 lost its way?

I have been an avid gamer of the Xbox 360 now since April of 2007. That’s a hefty amount of time spent plugging hours of gaming into one machine and it is safe to say I have seen the machine I love change considerably during its lifetime. This is down to a few essential things, each implemented for a few essential reasons. However, the multiple changes Microsoft make to the system’s interface have been met with mixed reactions. As a long standing fan of the console, what do I think about the changes? Well let’s see just how much the system has evolved over time…"

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NukaCola4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

Microsoft knows exactly what they are doing. They have moved in on what Nintendo built and then are now moving the Xbox name towards Windows 8. I don't why. I don't know if MS wants their next gen to be about the UI on PC or what, but it doesn't look like it's moving forward the way games should. With Kinect on PC now, all I see is WINDOWS 8 is the Future for them.

And I don't like the current dashboard. It's boring, full of advertisements and looks like their UGLY phone UI. It's there for Kinect users predominately. What used to be important for XBL is now a tiny square underneath a giant Progressive Car insurance ads and it's a bit disappointing when NXE was so damn awesome.

Dante1124429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

"Nintendo were raking the money in and were beginning to widen gaming’s rather narrow audience. Microsoft caught on and began to widen their own audience but these companies do not seem capable of both appeasing the ‘hardcore’ gamers whilst keeping the ‘casual’ interested or vice versa. So as we can see in this pseudo timeline of sorts, I think that there was initially an improvement in the dashboards of the Xbox 360…but, to this humble writer and long time gamer, it feels like Microsoft has lost its way in a thriving sea of multimedia and kid friendly motion controls."

True. I know Halo 4 and Forza Horizon are coming out but it really is feeling like Microsoft has abandon the hardcore gamer for the casual motion control crowd this year. When are we going to see some new IPs like the Kinect is getting? I didn't buy the 360 for timed exclusive content on multiplatform games, I bought the 360 for it's fresh exclusives (Gears of War launch).

enfestid4429d ago

From what we know so far, Microsoft seems to have a fairly good lineup that balances core games, Kinect/casual games, and XBLA games. I'm not sure why it should matter if they're brand new franchises or just new entries in existing franchises.

I just don't see how having American Nightmare, Halo 4, Fable: Heroes, and Forza Horizon is a down year for hardcore games. What are the new IPs on Kinect for 2012 that you're referring to?

Seems like we'll have a good year for gaming in 2012, from both Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo's kind of up in the air because we don't know much about the Wii U's games yet, but I'm sure all three will be fine.

ABizzel14429d ago

I don;t think they've lost their way, I think their resources are just begin spread too thin.

It's obvious that the Nextbox is the big focus internally for MS. They've done little to grab timed exclusive DLC besides 10+ million selling games. Over the past couple of years their core exclusives have lowered in numbers while Kinect has been on the rise. Kinect is receiving most of the marketing for 360 vs core games.

In other words, the Xbox 360 did it's job of getting enough of the core that now MS only has to satisfying the core while focusing most of their efforts on the casual. MS toss out 3 or 4 exclusives and let multiplats do the rest of the work for them, and it seems to be working for them.

The rest of their budget is going into the Nextbox. MS claims they'll support the 360 after the Nextbox launches, but I seriously doubt it'll be for more than a year or two (don't expect PS2 levels of support). If anything you'll continue to get multiplat games that come out for all consoles (EA Sports, maybe COD, Movie based games, and a 3rd parties not yet ready to move on to next gen).

The 360 is know the Xbox Kinect. I expect MS to unveil their next console sometime this year or next year with a launch date for early 2013 no later than. Halo 4 is their big game this gen, it will be the last big exclusive for the 360, and people will buy the game regardless if a new console comes out or not.

EVILDEAD3604429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

It's laughable how Micrsoft finding the successes it's seen with the 360 this gen literally having people pretending that they somehow 'lost it's way'

In the last two years alone..

- Released the best interation of the console with the 360 Slim

- Released new iterations of EVERY one of it's core major exclusive franchises.

- Successfully took over the motion control world by expanding it's audience with Kinect

- Successfully turned live into arguably the biggest media hub in console gaming.

All of this led to it's biggest year in history.

Sure, the fan blogshpere and detractors is going to continue to repeat the same old articles saying I hate the dashboard, I hate Kinect, I hate 360 exclusives, etc...but that's par for the course for ANY system.

At the end, of the day if millions of your install base continue to support the games, Xbox Live as a whole, Kinect etc, while millons continue to purchase your console, then clearly you are doing something right.

There is simply ZERO indications that the 360 has 'lost it's way'.

Evil

BuffMordecai4429d ago

@EVILDEAD360

You must be one of the most blind fanboys in the history of forever, and your continued 6 bubbles, despite a mountain of disagrees, is one of the great mysteries of this site.

EVILDEAD3604428d ago

'You must be one of the most blind fanboys in the history of forever, and your continued 6 bubbles, despite a mountain of disagrees, is one of the great mysteries of this site.'

Lol @ the fan children still who have ZERO comeback repeating the same old ancient line..'bu-bu-but your a blind fan kid'.

Please ENLIGHTEN me with your razor sharp vision if I'm so blind. Show me where I've stepped over some line that you have to whine about my bubbles.

THAT is why got to love these random fake account who bring NOTHING to ANY topic but claim other are the ones who are blind.

Classic N4G

Evil

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4428d ago
StrongMan4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

You must be a Sony fanboy for not praising MS. /s

Funny thing is you pay a fee for that giant Progressive insurance ad, aren't paid subbs supposed to keep ads away?

I moved in June of last year and since then my Xbox has been in storage. Theres no games I want to play on it and won't be cauught dead flapping my arms like an idiot(good way to stay a virgin is to let girls see that, remember Dance Dance Revolution?). MS has clearly abandoned the hardcore and arcade downgrades and spinoffs of the same four games every year won't cut it. MS is so predictable. Next year they will release Gears 4, Forza 5, Halo 4 odst spinoff, and a Fable spinoff.

The hardcore knows MS is mostly focused on Kinect from now on so don't expect the hardcore to jump in on the nextbox so soon. 99% of Kinect games don't sell pass 300k and MS keeps cranking them out so why can't they take the same risk with new hardcore games? Because they don't care about the core anymore. They will just regurgitate the same four core games over and over and think thats enough.

Godmars2904429d ago

I don't MS has ever said paying for XBL would reduce ads. If anything they've only defended ads running in tandem with paid subscriptions were needed to support the "XBL experience."

Has always sounded to me that buying an Xbox, then having to get Gold for access to other paying services, the online features to games which more and more have become online centric, is buying an incomplete product.

gamingdroid4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

***Funny thing is you pay a fee for that giant Progressive insurance ad, aren't paid subbs supposed to keep ads away?***

You pay for cable TV yet, the ads are right there in your face every 10 mins. You pay (well many do) for movies at the theater, but the the theater shows 10-15 mins of ads before the movie! Heck the movie itself has product/brand placement (ads) that you paid to see or own!!!

Merely being paid, doesn't mean the provider can't find other ways to profit from you.

@Godmars290

It's easy to speak only of the negative, but of the other "free options" on consoles, did any one else provide a completely revamp of the dash even ONCE? I'm not even asking for 2 or 3 revamps like MS has done here.

Fact of the matter is that consumers DO HAVE *OPTIONS*, and clearly many see value in paying for XBL despite you (and many others) don't.

Captain Qwark 94429d ago

lmao you clearly dont know anything about woman. kinect is a chick magnet, all you have to do is ask them to play some dance central and you pretty much are in.

a quick way to stay a virgin forever would be asking her to come play halo or forza or talk about how ms has abandoned the hardcore and now your panties are in a bunch.

i would really prefer they start supporting the core audience again but im not gonna be bitching or complaining if they dont. ill just do what i do now, play all third party games on 360 and when im in the mood for some solid exclusives, ill play my ps3.

SilentNegotiator4429d ago

"You pay for cable TV yet, the ads are right there in your face every 10 mins"

"_____ started it!" is not an excuse for bad behavior. Most learned that before grade school.

And maybe you didn't know, but many are quite against the idea for paying for TV programming, especially with a third of it being advertisement.

And the movies, really? How about not showing up so early?

Gazondaily4428d ago

I'm sorry but how many times has the PS3 UI been updated?

The 360 dashboard has constantly evolved unlike the PS3's and anyone who thinks the latter console isn't in need of a change is just burying their head in the sand.

Yes, some of the aesthetic changes do leave something to be desired but it is a far cry from the lacklustre UI that the PS3 has.

No party chat, no private voice chat, slow-loading interface which makes the most basic of tasks a chore- this is what the PS3 interface is. In this day and age I think it is simply unacceptable.

As far as online play is concerned, the 360 completely eclipses the PS3 in that regard.

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arnyftw4429d ago

Yeah, they've become somewhat profit driven, they know they can get new consoles and people buying live if they release Kinect and COD ads. All they care about is keeping the COD fanbase and Kinect and releasing their exclusives again and again. Personally I dont care, the only 360 somewhat exclusive I have is Mass Effect, I only play Multiplats. And the 360 is usually advertised as the best console to play multiplats like cod on.

vsr4428d ago

I think It's already lost its way on All countries ( Except USA & UK to some extent)

JellyJelly4429d ago

I think MS will grab an even bigger market share next gen.

They have done an amazing job this gen and seem very much in touch with their audience. I expect lots of work going into making Xbox Live even more immersive as well.

Godmars2904429d ago

And its sad that as a gamer you're thinking more of their market share than your own market quality.

gamingdroid4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

Frankly, I think the quality has been better than ever. The fact that studios are failing, publishers getting larger and the market is flourishing with games, suggest there is fierce competition that is healthy for the industry.

I have no issues finding QUALITY games to play as my backlog can testify and therefore see no issue. In fact, there might be too many games.

However, as a multiple media consumer, I openly accept the Xbox 360s new direction. I have found I use it far more now than ever before, and that means more value out of my purchase. How is that bad?

In fact, this new direction might just encourage more people to play games that normally would never touch a console.

@JellyJelly

I think Xbox as a brand is nearing the Playstation brand recognition overall (as this changes by the market) currently since the Playstation brand has declined. Nintendo despite shrinking sales, likely has the strongest brand of the three right now.

That said, on a new console cycle, all three manufacturers get to "insert coin and try again" i.e. time and time again, we the previous generations standing is uprooted.

That said, I think MS is best positioned for the future, as evident by the Xbox 360 evolution this generation. Well... except for the lack of IPs, but that seem to be less and less relevant, as other factors are now gaining in importance.

Half-Mafia4429d ago

I think MS will have a big % of next gen market share aswell. But thats not cause of games we want, thats because of this new push MS is making the 360 out to be (Kinect & Entertainment) and for that exact reason is why ive not bought a new 360 after mine RROD and I why I wont be buying the next Xbox.

Ive got much better platforms to play my games on PC, PS3,Vita.

GraveLord4429d ago Show
4429d ago Replies(5)
BuffMordecai4429d ago

They do an amazing job at shitting on their fans, but they keep buying, so bring on the shit.

torchic4428d ago (Edited 4428d ago )

Microsoft were very lucky this gen. they are where they are today more because of Sony's faults, rather than their own ingenious market strategies. they were just at the right place, at the right time, with more or less the right product to capatalize on Sony's flop decisions.

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Knight_Cid4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

of course. Gamewise worldwide microsoft doesnt make as much money as nintendo or sony or generate as many games

DiRtY4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

WTF! Sony would kill to be in MS position right now. Have you even read about the 2 billion USD loss Sony reported? MS reported 6.62 billion USD profit!

Sonys Consumer Products (Includes PS): 1.1 Billion LOSS
Xbox Division Profit: 528 Million

Consoles sold in 2011: 15m 360, 14.1m PS3.

MS is on track I would say.

*edit* disagrees with facts incoming!

gobluesamg4429d ago

Who cares about your sales facts broseph! It's about quality not quantity. The number of consoles sold for all companies is high enough that they should be providing their respective customers with great unique games but Microsoft is failing to do so. I just can't believe that people on both sides care so much about who sold more. Get a frickin life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Knight_Cid4429d ago

I am not hating on microsoft its just a fact.

Sony does more than games, and so does microsoft. Sony is in the position its in because of its tv business, not games.

And lets use all the numbers

Consoles sold total: 65-/+ 360, 63+/- ps3, 80+/- psp

you tell me who is having the better time of it in terms of game hardware?

CGI-Quality4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

Apparently, Microsoft outshipped Sony last year, but sold less to consumer. A toss up either way.

In the grand scheme, it comes off as you'd rather play profits/revenue than games. One thing's for sure, no matter what you say about Microsoft, Sony hasn't lacked in the gaming area for a few good years now. As a gamer who bought a gaming machine to play video games, I'm pretty satisfied.

My only real gripe with Microsoft is the lack of software that caters to me - but then again, it's not all about me. They have to do what they have to do. Still doesn't mean Sony is in the wrong for following a different plan and despite Nintendo ALWAYS making more profit than Sony, the PlayStation brand was able to dominate two generations in a row based solely on what games and features it brought to the table, which weren't on other consoles - not how much money they made.

Rainstorm814429d ago

Why would you compare Sony Consumer Products to Just Microsoft Xbox Division??

Why not Sony's Playstation Brand vs MS Xbox Division??

Is it because it would be detrimental to your point?

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DiRtY4429d ago

@CGI

I answered to "microsoft doesnt make as much money as nintendo or sony" That is just wrong and you come up with: "In the grand scheme, it comes off as you'd rather play profits/revenue than games". FAIL! Especially from someone who "has posted in the forum 27,441 times which averages 21.26 posts per day" on VGC talking about sales.

@Knight_Cid

Read carfully: Sonys Consumer Products (Includes PS): 1.1 Billion LOSS
Xbox Division Profit: 528 Million

this has nothing to do with TV business. And I can't believe you want to include PSP to show Sony sells more. This is a new low. Next time we compare software sales, let's just add Windows and office. -.-

CGI-Quality4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

Your condescending attitude shows just how bad your argument is. What I've posted on VGC is irrelevant to what I was saying, especially when you won't find one, not even one, post where I proclaim sales > games.

Not really a point to continue with you.

gtxgamer24429d ago

Maybe they should work on getting more exclusives then timed DLC.

4429d ago Replies(1)
C0MPUT3R4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

Xbox is no longer trying to be like PlayStation.

Dante1124429d ago

No, they're trying to be like Nintendo. :(

_Aarix_4429d ago

Actually its more of a hybrid.

As a core gamer, gears of war, alan wake, fallout, blue dragon and portal have kept me occupied enough.

I cant imagine having the time any money to play more than that.

CGI-Quality4429d ago (Edited 4429d ago )

It sure felt like that the first couple of years. Then again, that made sense - they expected, like most of us, the PlayStation to dominate for a third time.

Now that it's been established that the PS3 will never be the market leader, they've gone after the big dog. May not be the most ideal event for gamers, which is arguable, but it's certainly helped their pockets.

Show all comments (95)
110°

Ranking the Devil May Cry Series

VGChartz's Mark Nielsen: "Upon finally finishing Devil May Cry 5 recently - after it spent several years on my “I’ll play that soon” list - I considered giving it a fittingly-named Late Look article. However, considering that this was indeed the final piece I was missing in the DMC puzzle, I decided to instead take this opportunity to take a look back at the entirety of this genre-defining series and rank the entries. What also made this a particularly tempting notion was that while most high-profile series have developed fairly evenly over time, with a few bumps on the road, the history of Devil May Cry has, at least in my eyes, been an absolute roller coaster, with everything from total disasters to action game gold."

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vgchartz.com
VersusDMC1h ago

First to last for me...3,4,5,1,2.

Friendlygamer1h ago

3,1,4,5 to me, never played 2. 5 gameplay is amazing but level design was really disappointing to me, just a bunch of plain arenas, the story felt like a worse written rehash of the 3rd and the charater models looked weird ( specially the ladies ). Another problem with 5 was that there was not enough content for 3 charaters so I could never really familiarize with any of them

monkey60215m ago(Edited 14m ago)

2.
Dmc.
4.
5.
1.
3.

God DMC2 was an awful game.
And in case this isn't obvious it goes worst to best

160°

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Has Appeared On The Xbox Store

Activision and Raven Software's 2006 action role-playing game, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, has found its way to the Xbox Store.

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LG_Fox_Brazil6h ago

Used to love this one, but X-Men Legends 1 and 2 will always be my favorites, especially Rise of Apocalypse. Would pay some good money to play it today with online multiplayer, back then I had no way to get a modem

ZeekQuattro5h ago

I remember buying them dirt cheap on the PS4 and then a few days later I read they were delisted. I was wondering why the bundle was price so low and got my answer when that happened.

Knightofelemia4h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Sad to say this is one game franchise next to the Xmen that needs a sequel. I use to play the hell out of Xmen Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Was great when my cousin had the OG Xbox play with four other people and then playing online. Great games glad to see it reappear even though I own the discs love the mechanics of this game.

Terry_B3h ago

It got a sequel..but for dumbass #reasons as a switch exclusive.

shinoff21833h ago

It looked so horrible to. They should've kept it similar to the first two.

Asplundh3h ago

Because Nintendo funded it, they did the same for Bayonetta.

Knightofelemia2h ago

I totally forgot about the Switch sequel.

jukins3h ago

Misleading. This page is whats available for people who owned the game prior to delisting.

Abnor_Mal2h ago

The first game was the best imo.

90°

10 Weirdest Video Games of All Time

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.

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culturedvultures.com
JonTheGod1d 6h ago

Why are the Katamari games not on the list??