Xbox 360: The Last Hope?

GamingVice.Net:

"This past week, Star Ocean 4: The Last hope was released as an Xbox 360 exclusive. To the casual western gamer this may not have come as a huge deal unless you're a Star Ocean fan. However in the Land of The Rising Sun, this release moved hardware something fierce. Last week the Xbox 360 outsold every other console in Japan. In case you've been living under a rock for the last few years that's HUGE news for Microsoft."

[Sonyslave3]

here we go again yall ps3 fanboys keep saying the same sh!t ever year this year the 360 is doomed 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and we are still waiting for the 360 to die.

[syanara]

not every playstation fan says that okay and its not like the 360 fanboys didnt do their digs remember when halo 3 came out they all said the PS3 was done and look its still around and doing great. I got nothing against the 360 but what i do have a problem with is people saying taht its only 1 side doing all the fanboyisim.

[rbrtchng]

360s have been dying all around you every single year.

Where have you been?

[Arnon]

360 has been selling more each year. Every single one of Sony's consoles has sold less since the PS3 started each year.

[Zeus Lee]

What Microsoft need to do is stop relying on 3rd party games so much.

It's quite pathetic actually,rather than promote Banjo Kazooie they spend their money promoting 3rd party multi-platform titles such as Resident Evil 5 etc.

[lord_of_balrogs]

While I do agree to some extent, there's nothing wrong with 3rd party support and 3rd party exclusives. The only difference really is that instead of MS using one of their devs to make the game, they're paying another dev to make their game for them. Look at MS and Epic, could MS come up with something as great as Gears of War on its own?

[soxfan2005]

When you have the lowest priced console, it is a huge advantage to promote multi-platform games. MS is looking to increase sales, and they want potential customers to know that a $200 console can play most of the same games that the competition's $400 console plays.

Besides, MS obviously knows how strong Sony's exclusive lineup is this year. I highly doubt they will fall asleep at the wheel and not announce major exclusives of their own.

[zoneofenders]

yeah i am really looking forward to this E3. just to see what MS can come up with. PLZ no more buying stupid exclusive DLC bullshit. give us some games!

[Game13a13y]

Also, don't forget about Xbox 360: The Lost and Damned.

[solidsnakus]

just cause the p3 no longer has third party exclusives you bash it lol. just stfu please, MS knows how to market games and clearly is doing it right from the sales numbers.

[FarEastOrient]

@Lord

Well maybe that's the problem, they should developing their own games that can compete to the level of Sony and Nintendo. Can Microsoft make a game as good as Gears of War on their own, nothing is holding them back but the lack of first party support. Sony is developing God of War III, GT 5, Killzone II, and Little Big Planet on their own, Microsoft should be able to do the same.

Has Microsoft even made the money back on the GTA IV DLC content yet? It isn't an evergreen project so it will be interesting to see what they on my quarter reports.

[360 man]

so4 baby

[umair_s51]

I think Microsoft should just quit this industry, because of their stupid $$$ they purchase 3rd party exclusives, instead of making their own. I am not a fan boy, I just hate Microsoft and there lame-ass products, I mean look at vista, how much better is it than XP. I think it is inferior if you ignore DX10 for gaming, it performs slower than XP. These guys produce crappy hardware, that fails and damages discs and then they further screw up their name in the industry with there pratices of channel stuffing. But give Microsoft some credit though, their competition with sony had led us gamers to have better products at a lower price.

[Sarcasm]

"Last week the Xbox 360 outsold every other console in Japan. In case you've been living under a rock for the last few years that's HUGE news for Microsoft."

Is it really that HUGE? The system's got exclusive RPGs up the ying yang in the land where RPG's are bought. But still hasn't hit 1 million consoles sold.

[ps3d0]

MS is actually really smart in promoting 3rd titles They have a low pricest console and games like RE5, GTA4, FF13 , CoD are game people know and love. Plus they still have Halo and Gear and they are willing to spend money to promote other 1st party games too like Fable 2. As far as ps3 killer 09 line up well every year sony has a killer line up that cant be stop and every year in the end MS is the one that comes out on top.

[Arnon]

"Is it really that HUGE?"

Actually, yes. It is a HUGE accomplishment. The Xbox 360 is the underdog in Japan. Sony and Nintendo have been around for-EVER. The fact that it sold more than both of those means something.

[lord_of_balrogs]

Splinter Cell Conviction
Mass Effect 2 (PC as well)
Lost Planet 2 (timed?)
Two Rare games
ODST
Star Ocean TLH
Section 8 (PC as well)
Alan Wake (PC as well)

And numerous others aren't big?

Just wait for GDC and E3 for the official announcements.

[Capt CHAOS]

bring em on.

[Zeus Lee]

But there is something wrong with promoting 3rd party games instead of promoting your own.

[lord_of_balrogs]

And I agree with that completely, Banjo had so little coverage, it's a miracle that it even sold 500k copies.

[Gambit07]

Why do people almost always think, more promotion = more sales? Sometimes no matter how much a product is promoted, if it's not appealing for the consumer, it won't sell well.

[ps3d0]

Look when Banjo came out those It came out When GoW2, Fable 2, CoD5, Fallout 2 and every other major title came out. MS put its money behind GoW2 and Fable2 instead of banjo. If rare had of released the game 4-6 months earlier or even later then the game would most likely of sold better.

[Sanzee]

I approved your story but come on. One game can't knock an opposing console off their throne. Ecspecially when that game had no more than a dozen launch parties across the country. Even the 360 version of Fallout 3 had over a hundred of its own launch parties. I'm not saying that launch parties determine if a game is sucessful or not. Killzone 2 is a great game.

But don't get ahead of yourself man. Microsoft is doing fine. When Sony has 27 million consoles sold, then I still won't consider the PS3 as a winner. I'll see it as an equal.

It's false hope man. False. Hope.

[Bladestar]

To the Sony leg humper that said, "What Microsoft need to do is stop relying on 3rd party games so much. "...

why is that?

Do you think a real gamer sits and asks, "mmm... Who made this game... I know this is a great game and is a AAA title... but because is 3rd party... I will not buy it...".

Only Sony leg humper actually think that 1st party games are the only ones that matter... when in reality as long as the game is great it does not matter.. and the gamers will buy it.

I find it hilarious because Sony got to where they are at because of 3rd party developers...

I mean... name all the great games on the PS1 and PS2... and you will see how 90% or probably more of the games that made the PS1 and PS2 great were all 3rd party exclusive games...

We are talking about Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, GTA, and the list goes on and on..

You see... Sony introduced itself in the game industry as a 3rd party saviour and a platform where unlike Nintendo developers could make great games and make a ton of money...

Well Sony lost the original Playstation root... now Sony and their fanboys only speak and appreciate what Sony makes... most 3rd party games suffer in terms of sales on the PS3.

Microsoft should continue to make partnerships and deals with 3rd part developers... since the biggest best games come from them. That the way things always were.

Of course 1st party games are great... but real gamers play games and judge it by its content not by whether is 1st or 3rd party...

Sony leg humpers aren't gamers... thats why all they talk about is... the 1-2 1st party games... that are still getting destroyed.. by 3rd party games like Start Ocean, Mass Effect, Fallout, Gears, Bioshock and COD.... all made by 3rd party developers... all sold and are enjoyed by more players.

[OmarJA]

Says the M$ coock sucker...

[Man_of_the_year]

Typical ignorant Sony Droid response. Can't counter the arguement that was stated so you resort to insults and attacks...PATHETIC, you are truly PATHETIC.

[Obama]

"Do you think a real gamer sits and asks, "mmm... Who made this game... I know this is a great game and is a AAA title... but because is 3rd party... I will not buy it..."."

For someone who cares so much about sales and first place, third place etc, it's quite ironic that you say that.

[Obama]

SO4 is a mediocre game, and it moved some units in japan solely because it is a jprg, nothing more. And since the west don't care about SO4, the sales will definitely suffer in NA and EU.

[Man_of_the_year]

I agree with Obama - SO4 is a mediocre game with an entertaining combat system. It is basically a place holder until FF XIII comes out...

[Silver360]

Where is the talk about the game. It is so good the JRPG that I have been waiting for.

[Droid Smasha]

Did you hear what I said HUGE!!!

[Droid Control]

LEAVE!

Thye don't want you or you sh!t!

[cyrus228]

star ocean is timed like eternal sonata and tales of vesperia were.

look at the start guide, it says for xbox 360 version lol.

eitherway i luv this game :D 25 hours in

Edit*lol wat was the disagree for? that the game was fun or that it says "for 360 version" on strat guide, wish people wud comment and just not disagree for no reason

[FarEastOrient]

Don't worry about the disagrees, the guide is labeled correctly because according to Square Enix shareholder reports Star Ocean IV is not considered exclusive.

[Arnon]

Or the fact that there has been no confirmation that Tales of Vesperia is coming to the PS3. Namco Bandai stated that it was incorrect and that they immediately took it down.

http://www.namcobandaigames...

[Bengoshi-San]

e xbox360 always outsells competition when a good jrpg is being sold in japan.

But the same applies for other consoles.

Japanese gamers in general love jrpgs and j-oriented games, such as Yakuza 3 for example, which moved a lot of Sony systems.

Either way, MS has a lot more work to do for its japanese audiences.

Tales of Vesperia was a big win, now Star Ocean 4.

What JRPG will be a MS exclusive next? ;)

[Argento-Nox]

TOV and SO4 together aren't going to match FF XIII or FF Versus's by themselves. Those 2 title will probably beat the 360's top 5 games in Japan, all rpgs no less. Add the fact that a new Shin Megami Tensei exclusive for the PS3 and you have people who will buy the PS3 for that one title.

The best contender to the above PS3 titles are all Nintendo exclusives; DQ9 (NDS), DQ10 (Wii) and Monster Hunter (Wii). 360 is climbing a steep hill if you ask me, b/c I don't see a lot of companies stupid enough to do exclusives for the 360 like SE. Best to sell it multi-platform.

[KobeBryant]

The PS3 stuff is looking crazy right now, honestly I don't even know how Microsoft is going to come back, I'm just going to wait until GDC and E3 to find out. You know they're coming with something.

[jrsenkbe]

There is no way that M$ would get the Shin Megami Tensei series away from SONY. It is an extremely Japanese series, most American gamers who think that M$ pioneerd gaming have never heard of the series. SONY and Atlus are very close.

[frauny]

That's why there's SO many Atlus games on the PS3....

[Godmars290]

The PS3, no.

But the PS2 and PSP?

The Tensei guys just aren't ready for the move to HD gaming. And then they do, they're going to look at their fanbase, not someone flashing cash in their face.

That's not to say you wont ever see a SMT exclusive on the 360, you're just not going to see them excluding the PS3. Or the Wii, DS or PSP.

[jrsenkbe]

completely agree with you. The Tensei guys are great at spreading the wealth. They are already working on a Tensei game for the PS3 according to IGN, plus Persona 1 is being redone for the PSP.

[bonesmccoy]

There's nothing explicitly wrong with focusing on third party support at the expense of first party games, but only as long as those third party games are exclusive or contain some sort of incentive to be played on the 360.

imo, the financial crisis has killed the relatively short era of third party exclusivity. I would be very surprised if we even see many more deals like the MS purchase of GTA4 dlc ever again.

[andron]

I don't think the JRPG boost will sustain them for very long, they haven't before either...

[pixelsword]

...It's dependence on other devs in lean times doesn't look great on the surface, but it will eliminate risks for bad games; so I guess that's good.