Timbo acting like a retard douche, again, and losing an argument, again Options

[Throwdown]

i saw this in the austin american statesman today. you have to register to view the article so i just pasted it here

The new generation of video game consoles from Sony Corp., Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp. have more than zippy processors and flashy graphics in common: They're also getting serious about online services.

Although earlier models also provide the necessary plugs to enter most online worlds, they've done little to capitalize on them.

That's changing with the upcoming PlayStation 3 from Sony and the Wii from Nintendo, as well as the Xbox 360 released by Microsoft late last year.

All three contenders in this round of console wars have announced broad plans to turn their systems into networked hubs that deliver an array of content and services beyond just games � features such as videoconferencing and downloadable movies.

Just how they will stack up should be a central theme of this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, the game industry's de facto annual conference.

As always, the overall focus of the expo, E3 for short, will be actual games, many of which make their debut at the show. But the days of unconnected gaming are numbered.

In fact, a new AP-AOL Games poll of 1,046 gamers finds that among the four in 10 Americans who play games on computers or consoles, 45 percent play online. And they spend more money and time on gaming than those who only play offline.

The market for game downloads on consoles and PCs, meanwhile, is poised to grow from less than $1 million in 2005 to nearly $4 billion by 2011, according to ABI Research.

"It is the future that we have to move toward," said Denis Dyack, whose company, Silicon Knights, is working on "Too Human," a sci-fi multiplayer game for Xbox 360. "What you get online cannot be duplicated. When you play with your friends, that creates something intangible that can't be done in any kind of linear experience."

The shift to online comes four years after Microsoft took the first step and debuted its $50-per-year Xbox Live service for the original Xbox.

Back then, according to Microsoft, less than 10 percent of gamers played online. Today, about half of the 3.2 million Xbox 360 units sold so far are connected.

Even with more than 2 million paying subscribers, Microsoft's early lead is not insurmountable for its rivals, said Josh Larson, director of GameSpot Trax, an industry service that measures emerging trends in gaming.

Sony has a shot at convincing gamers that the PS3 can deliver a comprehensive online service that's simple and affordable, Larson said, despite the company's history of releasing proprietary, hard-to-use standards.

"The software is really the killer app," he said. "We know roughly what the systems are going to look like. Now it's just 'show us what we can do with it.' "

Though full details haven't been released, Sony executives have positioned the PS3's online service as a family media hub with voice and video communications over the Internet. Players will be able to buy downloadable extras such as game demos and virtual weapons and armor used in play.

Sony also has access to the vast library of music and motion pictures owned by its entertainment subsidiaries.

Nintendo, meanwhile, will stick to games and dip into its decades-old library, offering a "Virtual Console" download service to play classics such as "Mario Bros" and "Zelda."

Sony and Nintendo haven't announced prices for their online services or consoles. As with Xbox Live, players will need a high-speed Internet connection and related networking gear.

that is absolutely ridiculous imo. call me old school or a dinosaur, but i enjoy just sitting down, turning a system on and playing a game. i've never played online, nor do i have a desire to ever play Madden against a frenchman. they're saying that of the 40% who play games, 45% play online. that's only 18% of gamers, and they're now trying to make all consoles online only? sounds like another ploy to screw gamers out of more and more money

[Timbo]

Do you realize the production costs for these pieces of hardware ?  Everybody knows that the original Xbox console was sold at a price that was costing microsoft with each unit.  They tried to make the price lower and hoped to sell enough games to perpetuate profits.  I haven't read for exact figures on the 360 to see how much each unit costs to produce, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a similar case - or maybe actually closer to the production costs. 

The amount of work that goes into game development !?

These prices definately are high for entertainment - I agree.  However its not as if these companies are ripping everybody off and LOL'n all day and night.

Yeah, it costs them about 2 or 3 bucks I bet to physically produce each copy of a game.  But the number of people who had to work on it, and for how long it can take to make a game....its not that out of the question to request 59.99 msrp.


The consumers definately drive a market, but they already have spoken.  X milliion ps2's and xbox's sit hooked up to tv's across the world.  THe percentage of console gamers has risen insanely.

And again, these machines cease to be gaming consoles exclusively.  They are moving towards more of a full out entertainment center.  Microsoft created the 360 with the intentions of allowing it to integrate with a MCE box as well.  Corporate product synergy !


If everybody was "smarter" with their spending, and avoided stupid buys - few of us would have jobs.

I hear ya on the production costs and game development; they are staggering. That's nice about the original X-Bawks, and although I sort of see the point you're trying to make, we're not talking 'bout the Ecks-Bawks. IT'S ALL ABOUT NEXT-GEN BABY

EDIT: Just realized how long this became, sort of a thing-by-thing thing -.- APOLOGIES AND CIGARS IN THE NEXT ROOM

And figures on the 360? http://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/28/xbox-360...ts-715-to-make/

Earlier numbers by Business Week may have reported that Microsoft is losing $126 on every Xbox 360 sold. That figure is now believed to be a bit higher by some. According to Insider Scoop, the world's largest software maker is losing upwards of $300 per console sold. From the article: "A high ranking friend at IBM, one that worked on the Xbox 360 chip design, tipped us regarding the real expenses involved in manufacturing the Xbox 360... 'It costs Microsoft approximately $715 to make, the manufacturing costs are still too high, another reason why they’re producing relatively small quantities.'�

Ouch. They're shipping money with each unit hoping, as with the original xbox, to make money on the games. Not so certain how well that's working so far, but they've just introduced a whole new lineup, and Halo 3 has been announced, so I expect the gap to close considerably.

The point is this: It ain't our fault that costs are what they are and our wallets shouldn't be *overly* penalized because of it, AND O_O since the consumer drives the market, as you said, SURELY they'd pay respect to the oldest economics 101 trick in the book: As price does up, quantity demanded goes down.

Heh, and yes the prices are high! And will presumably get higher each generation, but I never said these companies were ripping everybody off left and right; just Sony. TO BE CLEAR: I say this not just because of the stupidly high price they're asking for the PS3, but also because they already lost my trust with this whole rootkit business. I don't find myself in a particularly agreeable mood when a company installs purposefully installs *cloaked malware* onto my system for buying one of their music CDs. A line..... *single tear* has been crossed

Plus finalfantasysucksmetalgearsolidsucksknickssuckyankeessuckmetssuck

CERTAINLY, as I said before, others are free to decide how they spend their money, but a stupid purchase is as stupid purchase does

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like $2-3 is quite a bit more than it takes to produce physical copies of, say, a PC game or a PS2/Xbox/Gamecube game. I remember hearing numbers, and I have no source to back this up , along the lines of less than 2 cents for the copying of data onto the disc and close to 10 cents for the printing. In those terms, $2-3 per physical copy is A LOT more (albeit prolly not too much when passed onto the consumer, but you wonder if this is a sign of things to come o_o...)

I agree! Consumers have spoken! For the PS2 and X-Box! And even the Gamecube (you did say across the world =o)! Now then! Tell me which of these consoles costs $600 to purchase with games costing $60-$70 per! People use the past to predict the future all the time... but, uh... a leap from $200 to $600? :/... Future might not be so bright. Just my opinion, of course =o

See, about the whole universal entertainment center thing... Um... do you own a TV? A computer? A DVD player or something that can play DVDs? A CD player or something that can play CDs? ECONOMICS: If you already own things that can perform a specific function, then purchasing something else because "IT'S GOT EVERYTHING" is akin to wiping your ass with your money, swallowing it and shitting it out again........ and swallowing it again, but this time because it was mostly digested the first time around, it was able to be broken down into a fine urine, wot when applied to the faces of african children, cures AIDS.

And! Not everyone deserves to survive Darwin was an unforgiving wench.

Timbo