The Xbox is impressive? In what way? Technically? Maybe. But it isn't all that impressive in sales. MS, despite the slow moving by Sony on the PS3, is still a very distant second in the console wars, and may have new pressure from Nintendo despite the lame name of their product.
I've read one estimate that has 6-8 million 360 consoles shipped by the time the PS3 rolls out this fall. The high price of the PS3 may give some pause, but I'm willing to bet that Sony has close to that number by the time Xmas is over.
MS banked on Halo to drive their console. It did. But they also banked on raking in the developers. That did not happen. Xbox, both the original and the 360, are dismal failures in Japan, the country where a lot of game development is done or at least headquartered.
Impressive? Can't agree with you there at all. The Xbox is further indication of MS problems, in fact: Proof that they don't have a clue about how to win a market segment, despite given the opportunity to do so. MS is too arrogant and clueless with regard to the consumer space to succeed.
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