Opinion: Microsoft should never have built the Xbox

[Zeus]

The guys at Digital Trends are arguing that MS should never have built the Xbox. And it all comes down to opportunity cost. Essentially, they feel that MS has sacraficed the billion dollar PC market to try and 'assure' success of a product that makes millions in the Xbox.

<blockquote>There is no argument that the Xbox 360 is a sound game system, and it isn’t uncommon for a company struggling with its primary product to broaden their product portfolio and look to other areas for growth. The problem is that the opportunity cost is generally greater than the benefit, and that is the case here. As PRJ points out, PC gaming isn’t what it should be, but that was a cost of doing the Xbox 360, so Microsoft effectively sacrificed a product that generates billions to assure the success of a product that makes millions.

The ultimate cost to Microsoft to produce the Xbox platform was a weakened PC ecosystem, a stronger and more profitable rival in Apple, and an overall poor computer gaming experience. Bottom line: The cost of the Xbox significantly exceeded its benefit.</blockquote>

News Source: <A href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/microsoft-should-never-have-built-the-xbox/2/" target="_Blank">DigitalTrends</a>

[poisonousjuice]

Microsoft is trying to expand it's reach from just the computer to in people's living rooms, to their cell phones, to their entertainment. Somehow I doubt the xbox has anything to do with Apple's success. They've been an inventive source for a very long time. Stupid article.

[dwrecording]

Microsoft is trying to expand it's reach from just the computer to in people's living rooms, to their cell phones, to their entertainment. Somehow I doubt the xbox has anything to do with Apple's success. They've been an inventive source for a very long time. Stupid article.

Apple success if from them making 400$ profit from every ipad and iphone sold. And the lame ass people that just check email and go on the web but have to have a mac because there kid's told them its better, then a (PC). Witch that is all a mac is a PC. Hell 80% of the people could just use Linux and be just as happy. Apple is just rapping people. Yes, the ipod is great. But you would have to be out of your mind to buy one of there pc's.

[Mchief298]

Opinions like this are annoying and have no reasoning behind them -.-

[beterweter]

if the xbox wasnt here we would still be playing with thise little brick systems.
no custom soundtracks
boring daschboards with only the "play disc" and "options" menu.
they started of well and all had to follow,the downside however now is they are getting cocky and charge for every little piece of software.
they put on a great example for in game menu's in the 360,and easy to work with options.
they did good in carefully watching the scene with the 1st gen xbox ,watching what hackers could come up with and implementing them in their new system.

they should be aware for tgheir next gen,and make shure they have a damn fine cooling system and everlasting hardware,as people need to be reassured that its going to be alright or they won't be selling that much anymore upon release.

[bubbleboy]

they did good in carefully watching the scene with the 1st gen xbox ,watching what hackers could come up with and implementing them in their new system.

more like they hired the original xbox hackers! bunny anyone?

[billysastard]

boring daschboards with only the "play disc" and "options" menu.

oh joy of joys, a GAMES console, you know, something that plays complete, working games that have had proper testing and have 1 player and multiplayer split screen gaming with a few of them having online multiplayer options, the ability to buy, sell, lend or borrow COMPLETE games at will, the ability to play games whenever you want and know that you'll be able to play them in the future too and not only be able to play if the servers are running and the company allows you to play, the ability to cheat if you want (local cheats affect all players in offline gaming) without fear of having your console gimped because it messes with someone elses e-penis.

the original opinion was absolutely right microsoft should have kept out of games consoles because they have ruined them by turning them into marketplaces instead of games consoles.

[sirxlaughs]

oh joy of joys, a GAMES console, you know, something that plays complete, working games that have had proper testing and have 1 player and multiplayer split screen gaming with a few of them having online multiplayer options, the ability to buy, sell, lend or borrow COMPLETE games at will.

the original opinion was absolutely right microsoft should have kept out of games consoles because they have ruined them by turning them into marketplaces instead of games consoles.

What has Sony contributed to gaming? They've tried turning them into media centers instead of games consoles. When wasn't a games console used for marketing? If anything, it can be argued that Sony is the odd man out that should never have built the Playstation.

[IBNobody]

It is debatable whether or not the 360-PC ports that Microsoft enabled as a benefit to their SDK weakened the PC market. What Microsoft really did was weaken itself by having a bloated development team working on Vista.

[Signa]

I fully agree with this guy that MS sacrificed the PC market for its own good. There was a list of games that some one put together once showing the decline of awesome PC games right around the time that the first Xbox was announced. It started with titles from '97 to I think '04. Games like Starcraft, Thief, No One Lives forever, and Morrowind were all in production before the Xbox was announced. After the Xbox came out, the number of epic PC titles started dwindling each year until you were pretty much just left with console ports.

If you need more evidence, just look at the PC game controller market. When the Xbox launched, MS, who was arguably the best gaming hardware manufacturer stopped making their gamepads and joysticks. I remember buying one of those force feedback joysticks, and the damn thing doesn't even work anymore because MS stopped making drivers for it on XP. It was the gameport version and now my gameport doesn't even work on Win7.

[sirxlaughs]

I fully agree with this guy that MS sacrificed the PC market for its own good. There was a list of games that some one put together once showing the decline of awesome PC games right around the time that the first Xbox was announced. It started with titles from '97 to I think '04. Games like Starcraft, Thief, No One Lives forever, and Morrowind were all in production before the Xbox was announced. After the Xbox came out, the number of epic PC titles started dwindling each year until you were pretty much just left with console ports.

If you need more evidence, just look at the PC game controller market. When the Xbox launched, MS, who was arguably the best gaming hardware manufacturer stopped making their gamepads and joysticks. I remember buying one of those force feedback joysticks, and the damn thing doesn't even work anymore because MS stopped making drivers for it on XP. It was the gameport version and now my gameport doesn't even work on Win7.

Was the Xbox directly responsible for that? Or was it console gaming in general? Xbox just brought DirectX to consoles. You could say that made it easier for PC developers to make the transition into consoles. This article makes it sound like Microsoft took it's Windows development team and made them all work on the Xbox. Microsoft is a massive company with multiple divisions each working on their respective tasks. Not to mention that Microsoft doesn't make money on Windows gaming (generally) unless they're the ones making that game. There's no licensing and such with Windows. Are you really upset that your 10 year old, force feedback stick doesn't work? That's like getting upset that your SNES controller doesn't work on your Wii. You can always buy a new one from someone like Logitech or use the 360 pad on your PC.

[SLAYERPSP]

Thank god they made the xbox in my mind ms just took over were Sega left off. just Sony and Nintendo would have sucked big time. the wii is old hardware like everything Nintendo does rehash crap no new ideas at all. Sony the kings of lying about everything were so cool we know best attitude. online gaming wouldn't even really be around without ms.

[billysastard]

What has Sony contributed to gaming? They've tried turning them into media centers instead of games consoles. When wasn't a games console used for marketing? If anything, it can be argued that Sony is the odd man out that should never have built the Playstation.

this opinion wasnt about sony so no need to mention them, you do know the playstation was snes cd drive add on that they cancelled?

oh and i said marketplaces (ie they are now using them to sell you stuff you never own and in many cases should have been in the games to begin with) not marketing.

[sirxlaughs]

this opinion wasnt about sony so no need to mention them, you do know the playstation was snes cd drive add on that they cancelled?

oh and i said marketplaces (ie they are now using them to sell you stuff you never own and in many cases should have been in the games to begin with) not marketing.

The PS1 was originally meant to be an SNES add-on and mainly designed by Nintendo, which is why it's still Sony's best console. Every console after that has been Sony's attempt to take over the market and people's living rooms. The article is about consoles and gaming. Sony and Nintendo are both involved. Your comment suggests that Microsoft ruined console gaming. I'm making the claim that Sony was almost responsible for that. Sony managed to wipe out Sega, and was on the verge of wiping Nintendo out of the home console game.

Are you talking about things like microtransactions (avatar clothing) or the Live Arcade? When you buy software, you buy a license, not the software. Microtransations are also nothing new and weren't invented by Microsoft. They were simply the first to put together an online console community. Judging by it's popularity, and how every other console has followed suit, I'd say it was a good idea.

[Taft]

What a load of crap