480°

Microsoft’s New Xbox 360 – Where Did it Go Right/Wrong?

To anybody who doesn’t know. This week is the biggest gaming week of the year for gamers. This week marks the time when gamers get a gander at any new and upcoming software and hardware from the “big three” in Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Monday, June 14, marked the day that Microsoft had it’s press conference for E3 2010. The biggest reveal of their press conference was most notably the announcement and reveal of the new Xbox 360 design.

Along with the reveal of Project Natal a.k.a Kinect, the Xbox 360 and it’s motion “controller” both received similar design overhauls. While the design of the new Xbox 360 is extremely slick and has great features, it doesn’t come without faults.

Read Full Story >>
mygamernation.com
dizzleK5101d ago Show
-Alpha5101d ago (Edited 5101d ago )

Well it's a great new device, much better than the original 360.

The design should have happened a long time back, but I don't really find anything wrong with it except:

-New HDDs that aren't compatible with older models, + $20 to transfer= BS.

It's a nice looking console and helps the 360 look more trendy and modern.

Edit: Holy crap, 5 USB ports? That's nice.

Nike5101d ago (Edited 5101d ago )

I think it's a good device as well (though the main body design does evoke some major Wii deja vu), but that people were disappointed because there wasn't any change in price. I do applaud them for making it available from Monday onwards to the public.

However, one thing I found incredibly shady was how they were giving free XBox 360 S consoles to those in attendance. I hope the more trust-worthy journalists refused them (you know who you are, Hsu, Takahashi and Gerstmann).

hmmmm5101d ago

Why would you hope they refused something that was given to them for free? Im sure you would have taken it, who wouldn't? its free!

blumatt5101d ago

They added Wifi and 5 usb ports. On the flip side, there's still a power brick and the damn hard drive is still not a standard SATA 2.5 like the PS3. Bad move with those last two things.

RememberThe3575101d ago

But I'm sorry to say I'd probably do it. My Mass Effect file is on there and I'm not going to do all that crap over again.

OneSneakyMofo5101d ago

They went wrong about three years ago with the red ring. They should have fixed that ASAP. I guarantee had MS gone ahead and fixed their problems or waited six months to stabilize their console, they would probably be close to the Wii in first place.

Now they are trying to play catch-up with the Kinect and now the 360 S. Too bad the Kinect failed miserably and the 360 S will be a hit-or-miss depending on the next couple of months (for reliability sakes).

commodore645101d ago

I agree they went wrong with the rrod.

Had they got that right, they indeed might be near the wii in terms of sales. That $1 billion in rrod losses didn't help either, although it is a far cry from the $5 billion that Sony has lost on the ps3 so far.

However, I gotta call you out for trolling with regard to this:
"..Too bad the Kinect failed miserably"

Kinect hasn't even released yet.
How can you say it has "failed miserably"?

That's a fail, son.
Try to think before you speak.

Christopher5100d ago

Good device, but doesn't fix my two biggest complaints:

1. Non-proprietary HDD
2. Quieter disc drive

I don't mind if it's external wi-fi, there's a way to get it. I don't mind if it only has 2 USB slots, there's a way to expand them. But those two items? I can't fix them unless Microsoft does.

rkimoto5100d ago

Looks pretty damn good I might say, so maybe Microsoft is serious on going with the 360 for the long haul too... Which makes me happy because I don't have enough money for new consoles in the short term!!!

I would want new consoles to come out at least 4 years from now.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5100d ago
dorkyfresh115101d ago

Right with it

1 - Wi-Fi

2 - Lots of USB ports

Wrong with it

1 - No answer to the demand for growing software storage capacity (Blu-Ray)

2 - the official name (Xbox 360 S) is left up to the fans to have fun with (or make fun of)

TheAwesomessMan5101d ago

Actually, I kinda like the name but as long as you don't say the whole (Xbox 360 S) and just saying '360 S' even though though saying something something 360 is like going going stopping then going because you really can't say something and then say 360 all together fluently without stopping to say 360... yea.

IcarusOne5101d ago

Wait. You honestly for any amount of time thought that MS would incorporate blu-ray into their remodel? Um...what? Really? Why? Who are you?

I'm so confused.

dorkyfresh115101d ago

@IcarusOne

then you can blame your assumptions. i didn't say that i expect them to incorporate blu-ray (even in any of their future consoles). i simply said that they still have no answer. they're using last gen media, it would've answered a lot of their problems and propelled gaming forward if they had an answer to this problem.

IcarusOne5101d ago (Edited 5101d ago )

(I'll put this up front: this is a long reply.)

Let's just consider Red Dead Redemption - a multiplat that does more for pushing gaming forward than any other game I can think of. While the PS3 crowd might care solely for graphics, I'm looking at the gameplay and design. Sure, KZ2 and UC2 and GOW3 are beautiful, but they're fairly standard when it comes to gameplay and actual innovation.

Look at RDR and how large the world is. Now look at the AI and the way pretty much everything, from strangers on the road to the animals you hunt, behaves in such a unique and believable way. Then factor in the day night cycle and the lighting engine. I've actually sat on my horse for ten minutes just watching the sun set and rise, it's that beautiful. Then consider the weather and how ferocious the lightening storms are and the wind ripping through the trees. This to me is the definition of a next-gen game - in its gameplay, it's visuals, it's sound, and ABOVE ALL ELSE, it's storytelling, characters, writing and acting.

If ever there was a studio that 100% disputed the supposed limitations of DVD9 it's Rockstar. Of course, you can argue that on blu-ray it would've been even more spectacular, and that's probably true, but it doesn't dispute my argument that you don't need blu-ray to create a totally immersive, mind-blowing gaming experience. Nor do you need it in order to tell a good story.

Time and time again, the games that have captured my imagination the most have been on "last gen hardware", and some of them multiplats, from Arkham Asylum to Assassin's Creed, from Mass Effect to Fable. PS3 exclusives sure do make my eyeballs bleed, but so does every Michael Bay movie.

Red Dead Redemption is like a movie written by the Coen brothers, directed by Clint Eastwood, and shot by Roger Deacons. The talent and craft of the narrative is rivaled only by the massive expanse of a truly cohesive world.

And they made it all happen on that oh-so-last-gen, oh-so-antiquated Digital Versatile Disc.

I go where the true artists go. And true artists don't give a shit about the format. So neither do I.

dorkyfresh115100d ago

.
.
...so don't give me this crap about how artists don't care about format. you made some really good points and i agree with some of them, however, ideas aren't the only things that propel games forward. if you have a truly epic vision and run into space problems (like several gaming companies are complaining about), then you obviously need more space.

theXfactor5101d ago

It does look better than the original 360 and 2 extra USB ports + built in wifi and a bigger HDD are all nice touches, but I don't think that justifies keeping it at a $300 price tag ($320 if you want to keep your old game saves.)

TheAwesomessMan5101d ago

I think keeping it at $300 is fine seeing as how they added something worth buying it for 2 extra USB ports, wifi 802.11n kinect ready where as buying the original 360 at $300 then buying a wifi adaptor of wireless adaptor plus the dungle for kinect and then kinect would probably run $600-$700.

theXfactor5101d ago

It is an absolute bargain, but imo the original 360 was overpriced as it is...adding 2 USB ports ad wifi couldn't have costed much and when you compare it to the competion rather than to its predecessor it is not a good price at all. Also, aren't all 360 "kinect ready" (as in compatible with kinect?)
Again, this is just my opinion.

On another note. That was a good reply. How do the "bubbles" work. I'm new lol.

gamingisnotacrime5101d ago

i like it, if gamestop does a promo for trading the elite for the "S" i will upgrade

etownone5101d ago

I think they are goin to try and clear out the stock of elites out now, and then probably drop the price of this new console to $249 either in sept for that holiday rush or alongside the release of Kinect.

If they would have dropped the price now, then existing elites would have had to be dropped even more like down to $200.

Show all comments (48)
150°

10 Biggest Xbox Mistakes of All Time (So Far)

The Xbox brand has done a lot of good over the years, but their various blunders are pretty wild to look back on in their magnitude.

Read Full Story >>
culturedvultures.com
piroh8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

Ironically number 9 can save them at this point (releasing games on multiple platforms)

ChasterMies7d ago

By “save them” you mean make more profit for Microsoft. Xbox will still be a dying hardware platform.

OtterX7d ago

You could add the naming scheme for the consoles, it just confuses customers. I know they wanted to avoid traditional numbering bc it would always be lower than their competitor, but this whole 360 then One then Series thing is confusing af. Imagine a Soccer Mom trying to figure this stuff out. I still mistakenly call the Series X the One from time to time on accident.

RNTody7d ago

Don't forget about the Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox Series X! Good luck to Soccer moms around the world.

S2Killinit7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

They did that on purpose to confuse and direct attention away from the generational numbering.

MS doesn’t like reminding people that they joined the industry after others had already been involved in gaming.

For instance, they called the xbox “360” to combat PlayStation “3” because they wanted to seem like “more” than “3”, so instead of xbox 2, they opted for xbox 360. Also this had the additional benefit of selling consoles to uninformed parents who might purchase a “360” instead of a “3” by mistake, or because they thought 360 was more than 3. Kind of a disingenuous move.

They have been continuing with their confusing naming patterns for pretty much the same reasons. Frankly, it fits with who and what they are as a brand.

FinalFantasyFanatic6d ago

I can understand their reasoning, but whoever came up with that naming scheme should be fired, bad naming schemes have killed consoles (I'm pretty sure it was the major reason for the downfall of the WiiU). They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo and Sega have had for their consoles, far less confusing for the consumer.

rob-GP3d ago

@FinalFantasyFanatic "They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo..."

lol, you mean:

NES, SNES
GameBoy, GameBoy Advanced, GameBoy Colour, GameBoy SP
DS, DSi, DSXL
3DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 3DS XL
Wii, Wii U
Switch, Switch OLED

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3d ago
Cacabunga7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

Phil Spencer is the worst that has happened to Xbox.
They built a respectable brand up to Xbox one. Then this guy took over and things became a joke

Reaper22_7d ago

He still has his job. Something you can't say about Jim Ryan.

Cacabunga7d ago

Both bad execs. One is on job and one thankfully retired.

FinalFantasyFanatic6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

I didn't like either person, both people damaged their respective brands and produced worse outcomes, but Phil did save the Xbox brand from being retired by Microsoft. Although in hindsight, he should have just let it die, rather than languish in limbo like it is now.

Rainbowcookie5d ago

Yeah but the one that was "bad" didn't even affect sales.

bunt-custardly7d ago

Phil Spencer was also on the team back when 360 was around, alongside Shane Kim, Peter Moore etc. I think the damage that did the most harm was the Don Mattrick "Always Online" console (ahead of its time basically). They handed Sony and Nintendo a free-pass when that was revealed. It went downhill from there. Then the corporate machine went into full swing to try and recover. They have to a degree as a games company for the masses, and less so for the core gamer. Outside USA, the Xbox brand does not sell as well as Japanese based consoles (citation needed).

Cacabunga7d ago

Want a decision maker. The always online and TV plans was a disaster yes, but they caught up by announcing 1st party games that gamers actually kept the hype going.. until this moron took over and introduced the PC day one release.. e all know where that ended..

S2Killinit7d ago

I dont think they were ever a respectable brand, not since the beginning, when their goal was never to be involved and share in the gaming space. I think the OG xbox was an exception because MS as a brand was still getting its foot in and so the people behind that were people of the gaming industry.

FinalFantasyFanatic6d ago

The 360 was the brand in its prime though, everything went downhill towards the end of that generation. Its staple games like Halo, Forza and Gears are what kept the console relevant and afloat for so long.

MaximusPrime_7d ago

Really good video.

I remember the days with RRoD was big news on here, N4G.

Microsoft had it turbulence number of years.

Looking at the success of Sea of Thieves despite being 6 years old, time to release Halo, Forza horizon 4 & 5 on PS5. It'll help their revenue

shinoff21837d ago (Edited 7d ago )

2 of the 4 games they did already sold really well. So it's definitely going down. Idk about halo or forza but I feel those studios they've bought in the last 5 years, their coming

ChasterMies7d ago

I found this video painful to watch. Can someone list them out?

Top 10 for me from are:
1. 2013 reveal presentation
2. Bundling Kinect 2 with Xbox One
3. RRoD or why rushing to market with hardware is always a bad idea.
4. Buying studios only to close them.
5. Ads on the Home Screen
6. Letting Halo die.
7. Letting Geard of War die.
8. Every console name
9. Charging for Xbox Live on Xbox 360 when Sony let PS3 players play online for free.
10. Cancelling release of OG Xbox games after the Xbox 360 launched.

Show all comments (31)
150°

Microsoft to Add Copilot AI to Video Games

Microsoft recently revealed its plans to incorporate Copilot directly into video games, with Minecraft being the first showcased example.

Read Full Story >>
xpgained.co.uk
Fishy Fingers12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

F*** AI

"Hey Copilot, what's a good meme to prove I dislike AI".... https://giphy.com/clips/sou...

Einhander197212d ago

Two trillion dollar company that just can't wait to put as many people possible out of work as fast as possible.

It feels like every single thing they do is making gaming worse and destroying the industry.

12d ago
12d ago
12d ago
darthv7211d ago

....you know it takes people to program the AI.... right? It isnt like it is sentient. We haven't reach skynet level of situation or anywhere close to the matrix just yet.

That's next Thursday.

Einhander197210d ago (Edited 10d ago )

It takes a people to program the AI then that AI is used for who knows how many games eliminating countless jobs which only grows as AI is used for more and more game creation functions.

What you're saying is so ridiculously short sighted and truly larking any kind of understanding and foresight.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 10d ago
CaptainFaisal11d ago

Why all the hate? Im actually excited about this! Always wanted this kind of immersion, and an AI companion with me all the time helping me out knowing the status of my skills/inventory/progress and giving me tips on the best approach or how to craft something specific is game changing for the industry.

Hate all you want about AI, but this is just the start and I can see the potential already. You wont be complaining in the next 5-10 years about this, but rather complain if a game hasn’t implemented it.

MrDead11d ago

Yes we can't wait for the work of others to be used without the need to pay them so that MS can profit even more from the people they fire.

I_am_Batman11d ago (Edited 11d ago )

There is no chance I'd ever use something like this, especially if it's not part of the core game design, but a layer on top of it. It's way too much handholding. Many games already feel like busy work, because they don't let the player figure things out on their own. Having a real-time interactive guide defeats the purpose of playing the game in the first place in my opinion.

If this were to become the standard like you predict, we'll see more and more video games get away with bad design, because people will just be used to ask for help from the AI companion anyway.

Number1TailzFan11d ago

Well Nintendo don't need this with some of their games these days, with invincible characters, items, easy bosses etc.. they do the hand holding built in

helicoptergirl11d ago

Takes "hand holding" in games to a whole new level.

BlackDoomAx10d ago

Because human nature xD Almost every new technology had these kind of comments.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 10d ago
Show all comments (19)
70°

Activision team is opening a new game studio in Poland 'Elsewhere Entertainment' to build new AAA IP

Microsoft's Activision subsidiary announced today that it is opening a new game development studio to take advantage of the huge talent pool growing in Poland. It'll be the second Activision studio based in the region, joining Infinity Ward Krakow, although this studio is, in fact, not working on Call of Duty.

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
Psychonaut8515d ago

They’re not working on Call of Duty? Give it time.