Just as the title suggests , do you believe that MS is just a big a brand in gaming as sony?

My answer is obviously yes , The Xbox brand has risen while the PS brand has fallen and now we have them meeting somewhere in the middle.....The 360 is STILL in second place and it is nearing its 5th year on the market , something it couldnt dream of doing if it didnt have a rising brand.

It's not a good idea to ask people on this site questions like that....

I think they have since they're selling enough games and consoles.

you know the answer

Nope, Sony Dominated for two generations, MS has taken 2nd place twice now and might drop to 3rd this gen.

I don't think so, not yet anyways. The Xbox brand is only really strong in NA, the Playstation brand is known worldwide.

They have done quite well for themselves but to be honest their development and publishing portfolio leave a bit to be desired.

Oh and the Japan thing...

Equal to Sony? No.

Sony have great sales in all regions and have 3 platforms on the market, wheras Microsoft only have 1 platform on the market, that only has great sales in America and a small part of Europe. It has yet to pick up any kind of real momentum in Japan.

All you need to do is take a look at this weeks sales. Without the "Americas", the 360 only sold ~50k in the rest of the world, wheras the PS3 sold ~100k in the rest of the world.

I would say though, that the Xbox brand is now greater than the PS brand in the US, and possibly in the UK.

We need to wait and see how this gen finishes to give them that kind of lifelong assesment.

For now, I would say they definitely have put their foot in the door (everywhere but Japan) as long as they can stay above water.

Microsoft has been around two generations and I think with the 360 beating PS3 in marketshare it has definatly become as big a name as PlayStation. When you think gaming you think Mario , Kratos and Master Chief. Infact when I think gaming I think Halo, Mario , Donkey Kong , LOZ....etc....etc...

In a way I think Microsoft has surpassed PlayStation. With Halo beating any of Sony's competitive first party titles while other titles like PGR and Forza have taken out GranTurismo. I think Microsoft has more reputable brands then Sony does. Yes Sony's getting some franchises together but I think Microsoft's brands and IP's trump Sony's at least ties them.

Now will Microsoft every be to gaming as Nintendo is? , Hell no. But Sony's a good start!

Had the japan not been nationalists(Im not stereotyping, its just that homegrown products take priority over others) then I would have said the same thing you just did.....but it is unfair to expect the Xbox brand to go over a hurdle Sony never had to.