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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Why is the Xbox 360 SO popular in the U.S.?

CGI-Quality said:
UnitSmiley said:
The article kind of makes me laugh since core gamers have been what Microsoft has dropped recently. PS3 is the one catering more to the core gamer. Citing games like CoD then saying "hardcore" tickles me pink.

Honestly the reasons I see for its success are all superficial ones. I HOPE I don't offend anybody as these are just my opinion and experiences.

In the US, everything is a popularity contest. If it's advertised as being the best, most people will believe it to be true. Microsoft is much better at advertising than the other two. After just about every multiplat game commercial at the end you'll see "Xbox 360". I cringed when I saw a Final Fantasy XIII commercial with the 360 logo after it lol. I think Microsoft is really good and pretending they are the absolute best when it comes to everything, and most "gamers" don't know any better.

Which leads me to my second point. A lot of people who call themselves "gamers" in the US really aren't. They don't love the hobby or media and they don't have a passion for it. All they care about is doing things with their friends to stay socially relevant. Again not trying to offend anybody but seriously i've met a TON of people who are 360 fans. Not one of them knew anything about gaming at all. All they played was CoD and Halo. Most of them didn't even know the difference between a multiplat and an exclusive game. Yet those same people who know nothing are so quick to attack either Nintendo or Sony. Usually with poor or outdated arguements that can be objectively disproved in a few seconds. Then they resort to "Well whatever it still sucks"

I've seen the hive mind mentality with far too many 360 fans. Even to the point where when I engage them in a friendly debate (not being a jerk or anything) it becomes immediately apparent that they are still using the old arguments of "Sony has go gaemz" from 2007, which they probably heard from someone else to be honest. They never know about new and upcoming games even if it's for their system as well. And don't get me started on how most of them don't even know what Uncharted is lol. Yeah Sony is terrible at advertising but come on..how have you not at least HEARD of it before?

I've shown a ton of people trailers for PS3 exclusives and they all get excited. "Whoa that looks amazing! When's that coming out?" "Any pre order bonuses?" Then I tell them it's a PS3 exclusive and they respond with "oh.." and change the subject right away. Also i'm totally in awe when I see someone pretend that they aren't interested in a game just because it's not on the 360. "Demons Souls? Psh, who would want to play that? Way too hard" then a few years later "Omg Dark Souls is the best thing ever!!"

I'm not dissing REAL 360 fans, like the ones on this site (you have to be a real gamer to check and post on a videogame sales website lol) but the majority of 360 fans I have met are as casual as they come. Honestly Microsoft has done some great things like innovating the social aspect of playing online and actually I'm pretty fond of Gears myself.

Sony started pretty poorly and the media sure didn't let anyone miss that fact, but they have done an outstanding job turning things around. I like Nintendo games (Pokemon omg) I like some Microsoft games (Gears) but I strongly feel that Sony is the one who isn't riding the casual train atm. I know not to associate the people I have met to be representative of the whole, but honestly I'm finding it extremely hard to see Microsofts success as nothing more than fooling those who don't know any better. Justing Bieber is popular too, I guess it's because he appeals to hardcore music lovers right?

That's my opinion and I realize many might or might not agree with it, I don't mean to offend anyone. But like the thread title asks, I to have been curious as to why the 360 is so popular here. Then I look around and find my answer.

You raise good points, but if anything, you also point how Sony lost their way in the States due to serious mismanagement of the PS3 pre-2009.

Thanks and yeah I definitely agree that Sony made some crucial mistakes at the beginning of this gen. Not blaming Microsoft for Sonys bad management that's for sure haha. It's probably wishful thinking but I want to see Sony step up the advertising this upcomming gen.



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Otakumegane said:
Michael-5 said:
Somini said:
Michael-5 said:

For the same reason why the Xbox 360 is so unpopular in Japan.


And the prize goes to contestant number 5 lol. This is what i have been saying as well. This doesn't mean a product or console has to be American made to sell in the US. Just that the 360 is one such product that has profited big from this.

Yea, but In Japan, you need a domestic product to sell well.

Well usually, don't iPads and iPhones sell well in Japan? Or is it South Korea and China exclusively that they sell well in?

In USA being domestic is a big help, you only need a half decent product to compete and viola. I don't knpw if Sony can ever reclaim USA anytime soon, but you never know, no one could have guessed Wii could have done so well in USA.


South Korea is still all about Samsung.

Yea, but doesn't Apple have a decent share in the phone market their? I don't know, I just read that Apple is the best non-Korean branded product there, and I believe it's #2 in phones, and not by a ridiculous margin.



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CGI-Quality said:
UnitSmiley said:
CGI-Quality said:

You raise good points, but if anything, you also point how Sony lost their way in the States due to serious mismanagement of the PS3 pre-2009.

Thanks and yeah I definitely agree that Sony made some crucial mistakes at the beginning of this gen. Not blaming Microsoft for Sonys bad management that's for sure haha. It's probably wishful thinking but I want to see Sony step up the advertising this upcomming gen.

Not wishful thinking at all. In the PS2 era, nobody advertised like Sony, there were PlayStation billboards, posters, and marketing everywhere. They just need to remember that getting the word out keeps interest alive and can mean the difference between 90-100 million consoles sold and 160 million.

Ahh the PS2 era. Fond memories haha, well let's hope for the best next gen. From all 3



UnitSmiley said:
The article kind of makes me laugh since core gamers have been what Microsoft has dropped recently. PS3 is the one catering more to the core gamer. Citing games like CoD then saying "hardcore" tickles me pink.

Honestly the reasons I see for its success are all superficial ones. I HOPE I don't offend anybody as these are just my opinion and experiences.

In the US, everything is a popularity contest. If it's advertised as being the best, most people will believe it to be true. Microsoft is much better at advertising than the other two. After just about every multiplat game commercial at the end you'll see "Xbox 360". I cringed when I saw a Final Fantasy XIII commercial with the 360 logo after it lol. I think Microsoft is really good and pretending they are the absolute best when it comes to everything, and most "gamers" don't know any better.

Which leads me to my second point. A lot of people who call themselves "gamers" in the US really aren't. They don't love the hobby or media and they don't have a passion for it. All they care about is doing things with their friends to stay socially relevant. Again not trying to offend anybody but seriously i've met a TON of people who are 360 fans. Not one of them knew anything about gaming at all. All they played was CoD and Halo. Most of them didn't even know the difference between a multiplat and an exclusive game. Yet those same people who know nothing are so quick to attack either Nintendo or Sony. Usually with poor or outdated arguements that can be objectively disproved in a few seconds. Then they resort to "Well whatever it still sucks"

I've seen the hive mind mentality with far too many 360 fans. Even to the point where when I engage them in a friendly debate (not being a jerk or anything) it becomes immediately apparent that they are still using the old arguments of "Sony has go gaemz" from 2007, which they probably heard from someone else to be honest. They never know about new and upcoming games even if it's for their system as well. And don't get me started on how most of them don't even know what Uncharted is lol. Yeah Sony is terrible at advertising but come on..how have you not at least HEARD of it before?

I've shown a ton of people trailers for PS3 exclusives and they all get excited. "Whoa that looks amazing! When's that coming out?" "Any pre order bonuses?" Then I tell them it's a PS3 exclusive and they respond with "oh.." and change the subject right away. Also i'm totally in awe when I see someone pretend that they aren't interested in a game just because it's not on the 360. "Demons Souls? Psh, who would want to play that? Way too hard" then a few years later "Omg Dark Souls is the best thing ever!!"

I'm not dissing REAL 360 fans, like the ones on this site (you have to be a real gamer to check and post on a videogame sales website lol) but the majority of 360 fans I have met are as casual as they come. Honestly Microsoft has done some great things like innovating the social aspect of playing online and actually I'm pretty fond of Gears myself.

Sony started pretty poorly and the media sure didn't let anyone miss that fact, but they have done an outstanding job turning things around. I like Nintendo games (Pokemon omg) I like some Microsoft games (Gears) but I strongly feel that Sony is the one who isn't riding the casual train atm. I know not to associate the people I have met to be representative of the whole, but honestly I'm finding it extremely hard to see Microsofts success as nothing more than fooling those who don't know any better. Justing Bieber is popular too, I guess it's because he appeals to hardcore music lovers right?

That's my opinion and I realize many might or might not agree with it, I don't mean to offend anyone. But like the thread title asks, I to have been curious as to why the 360 is so popular here. Then I look around and find my answer.

Well you're wording is kinda silly, and many would find it offensive, but your opinion is valid.

About Advertizing, Wii is doing just as good as 360 in USA, with a much smaller advertizing budget. Nintendo's strongest region is often USA, and software typically sells best here (but Japan ties hardware/software for handhelds despite the smaller population). Could you explain why?

I agree with you, many US 360 owners are casual gamers, or Call of Duty gamers, who really aren't "hardcore." However there are exceptions, I tend to consider myself a MS/Nintendo fan, but I'm really not that into Halo or CoD. I like my 360 for games like Lost Odyssey, Gears of War, and Forza, plus a few multiplats which play better on 360 (Mass Effect trilogy, FallOut, Bayonetta, etc).

LOL, what's funny is that the 360 gamers you know are a lot like the PS3 gamers I know. Most PS3 gamers I know in person bought a PS3 either for a multiplatform series (FIFA, Madded, Call of Duty) or as a cheap Blu-Ray player and then got a couple multiplatform games for out. Outside of VGC I only know 1 PS3 gamer who knows anything about gaming, and actually has PS3 exclusives.

For the same reason CoD and Halo attract many blind casual 360 fans, FIFA and Gran Turismo attract many blind casual PS3 fans. The difference is that in USA you have more CoD nuts, and in Europe, you have more FIFA nuts.

However I agree with you. The PS3 hasn't caught on the casual train as intensively as Wii or 360. This is probably largly due to Sony's poor early marketing campaign, and difficulty making a AAA exclusive in the early PS3 years. Lets face it, pre 2009, PS3 sucked, Wii and 360 were awesome. Only halfway through the gen, Sony started to make up, and make gamers for the gamers. However if you actually count, 360 still has more exclusives. Still, I will even agree that the PS3 is currently the better system, but in order to catch the casual train, Sony needed games like LittleBig Planet and Gran Turismo earlier in the gen.



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Michael-5 said:
UnitSmiley said:
The article kind of makes me laugh since core gamers have been what Microsoft has dropped recently. PS3 is the one catering more to the core gamer. Citing games like CoD then saying "hardcore" tickles me pink.

Honestly the reasons I see for its success are all superficial ones. I HOPE I don't offend anybody as these are just my opinion and experiences.

In the US, everything is a popularity contest. If it's advertised as being the best, most people will believe it to be true. Microsoft is much better at advertising than the other two. After just about every multiplat game commercial at the end you'll see "Xbox 360". I cringed when I saw a Final Fantasy XIII commercial with the 360 logo after it lol. I think Microsoft is really good and pretending they are the absolute best when it comes to everything, and most "gamers" don't know any better.

Which leads me to my second point. A lot of people who call themselves "gamers" in the US really aren't. They don't love the hobby or media and they don't have a passion for it. All they care about is doing things with their friends to stay socially relevant. Again not trying to offend anybody but seriously i've met a TON of people who are 360 fans. Not one of them knew anything about gaming at all. All they played was CoD and Halo. Most of them didn't even know the difference between a multiplat and an exclusive game. Yet those same people who know nothing are so quick to attack either Nintendo or Sony. Usually with poor or outdated arguements that can be objectively disproved in a few seconds. Then they resort to "Well whatever it still sucks"

I've seen the hive mind mentality with far too many 360 fans. Even to the point where when I engage them in a friendly debate (not being a jerk or anything) it becomes immediately apparent that they are still using the old arguments of "Sony has go gaemz" from 2007, which they probably heard from someone else to be honest. They never know about new and upcoming games even if it's for their system as well. And don't get me started on how most of them don't even know what Uncharted is lol. Yeah Sony is terrible at advertising but come on..how have you not at least HEARD of it before?

I've shown a ton of people trailers for PS3 exclusives and they all get excited. "Whoa that looks amazing! When's that coming out?" "Any pre order bonuses?" Then I tell them it's a PS3 exclusive and they respond with "oh.." and change the subject right away. Also i'm totally in awe when I see someone pretend that they aren't interested in a game just because it's not on the 360. "Demons Souls? Psh, who would want to play that? Way too hard" then a few years later "Omg Dark Souls is the best thing ever!!"

I'm not dissing REAL 360 fans, like the ones on this site (you have to be a real gamer to check and post on a videogame sales website lol) but the majority of 360 fans I have met are as casual as they come. Honestly Microsoft has done some great things like innovating the social aspect of playing online and actually I'm pretty fond of Gears myself.

Sony started pretty poorly and the media sure didn't let anyone miss that fact, but they have done an outstanding job turning things around. I like Nintendo games (Pokemon omg) I like some Microsoft games (Gears) but I strongly feel that Sony is the one who isn't riding the casual train atm. I know not to associate the people I have met to be representative of the whole, but honestly I'm finding it extremely hard to see Microsofts success as nothing more than fooling those who don't know any better. Justing Bieber is popular too, I guess it's because he appeals to hardcore music lovers right?

That's my opinion and I realize many might or might not agree with it, I don't mean to offend anyone. But like the thread title asks, I to have been curious as to why the 360 is so popular here. Then I look around and find my answer.

Well you're wording is kinda silly, and many would find it offensive, but your opinion is valid.

About Advertizing, Wii is doing just as good as 360 in USA, with a much smaller advertizing budget. Nintendo's strongest region is often USA, and software typically sells best here (but Japan ties hardware/software for handhelds despite the smaller population). Could you explain why?

I agree with you, many US 360 owners are casual gamers, or Call of Duty gamers, who really aren't "hardcore." However there are exceptions, I tend to consider myself a MS/Nintendo fan, but I'm really not that into Halo or CoD. I like my 360 for games like Lost Odyssey, Gears of War, and Forza, plus a few multiplats which play better on 360 (Mass Effect trilogy, FallOut, Bayonetta, etc).

LOL, what's funny is that the 360 gamers you know are a lot like the PS3 gamers I know. Most PS3 gamers I know in person bought a PS3 either for a multiplatform series (FIFA, Madded, Call of Duty) or as a cheap Blu-Ray player and then got a couple multiplatform games for out. Outside of VGC I only know 1 PS3 gamer who knows anything about gaming, and actually has PS3 exclusives.

For the same reason CoD and Halo attract many blind casual 360 fans, FIFA and Gran Turismo attract many blind casual PS3 fans. The difference is that in USA you have more CoD nuts, and in Europe, you have more FIFA nuts.

However I agree with you. The PS3 hasn't caught on the casual train as intensively as Wii or 360. This is probably largly due to Sony's poor early marketing campaign, and difficulty making a AAA exclusive in the early PS3 years. Lets face it, pre 2009, PS3 sucked, Wii and 360 were awesome. Only halfway through the gen, Sony started to make up, and make gamers for the gamers. However if you actually count, 360 still has more exclusives. Still, I will even agree that the PS3 is currently the better system, but in order to catch the casual train, Sony needed games like LittleBig Planet and Gran Turismo earlier in the gen.


It's pretty odd that our situations regarding people who have met are reversed haha.

I would say the reason Nintendo is doing fairly well in the US is because the demographic it is targeting is so different than the one PS3 and 360 are targeting. Theres a reason why the PS3 and the 360 are compared more to each other rather than the Wii. I guess it could be the sales disparity but I've always figured it was because both Sony and Microsoft are fighting over the same fort while Nintendo is chilling in a fort that is miles away. I had a Wii (before the damn flood came -_-), a DS, and a 3DS. I love Nintendo games but I still view them as disticntly different from Sony or Microsoft. Which is a good thing in my opinion.



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UnitSmiley said:
Michael-5 said:
UnitSmiley said:
The article kind of makes me laugh since core gamers have been what Microsoft has dropped recently. PS3 is the one catering more to the core gamer. Citing games like CoD then saying "hardcore" tickles me pink.

Honestly the reasons I see for its success are all superficial ones. I HOPE I don't offend anybody as these are just my opinion and experiences.

In the US, everything is a popularity contest. If it's advertised as being the best, most people will believe it to be true. Microsoft is much better at advertising than the other two. After just about every multiplat game commercial at the end you'll see "Xbox 360". I cringed when I saw a Final Fantasy XIII commercial with the 360 logo after it lol. I think Microsoft is really good and pretending they are the absolute best when it comes to everything, and most "gamers" don't know any better.

Which leads me to my second point. A lot of people who call themselves "gamers" in the US really aren't. They don't love the hobby or media and they don't have a passion for it. All they care about is doing things with their friends to stay socially relevant. Again not trying to offend anybody but seriously i've met a TON of people who are 360 fans. Not one of them knew anything about gaming at all. All they played was CoD and Halo. Most of them didn't even know the difference between a multiplat and an exclusive game. Yet those same people who know nothing are so quick to attack either Nintendo or Sony. Usually with poor or outdated arguements that can be objectively disproved in a few seconds. Then they resort to "Well whatever it still sucks"

I've seen the hive mind mentality with far too many 360 fans. Even to the point where when I engage them in a friendly debate (not being a jerk or anything) it becomes immediately apparent that they are still using the old arguments of "Sony has go gaemz" from 2007, which they probably heard from someone else to be honest. They never know about new and upcoming games even if it's for their system as well. And don't get me started on how most of them don't even know what Uncharted is lol. Yeah Sony is terrible at advertising but come on..how have you not at least HEARD of it before?

I've shown a ton of people trailers for PS3 exclusives and they all get excited. "Whoa that looks amazing! When's that coming out?" "Any pre order bonuses?" Then I tell them it's a PS3 exclusive and they respond with "oh.." and change the subject right away. Also i'm totally in awe when I see someone pretend that they aren't interested in a game just because it's not on the 360. "Demons Souls? Psh, who would want to play that? Way too hard" then a few years later "Omg Dark Souls is the best thing ever!!"

I'm not dissing REAL 360 fans, like the ones on this site (you have to be a real gamer to check and post on a videogame sales website lol) but the majority of 360 fans I have met are as casual as they come. Honestly Microsoft has done some great things like innovating the social aspect of playing online and actually I'm pretty fond of Gears myself.

Sony started pretty poorly and the media sure didn't let anyone miss that fact, but they have done an outstanding job turning things around. I like Nintendo games (Pokemon omg) I like some Microsoft games (Gears) but I strongly feel that Sony is the one who isn't riding the casual train atm. I know not to associate the people I have met to be representative of the whole, but honestly I'm finding it extremely hard to see Microsofts success as nothing more than fooling those who don't know any better. Justing Bieber is popular too, I guess it's because he appeals to hardcore music lovers right?

That's my opinion and I realize many might or might not agree with it, I don't mean to offend anyone. But like the thread title asks, I to have been curious as to why the 360 is so popular here. Then I look around and find my answer.

Well you're wording is kinda silly, and many would find it offensive, but your opinion is valid.

About Advertizing, Wii is doing just as good as 360 in USA, with a much smaller advertizing budget. Nintendo's strongest region is often USA, and software typically sells best here (but Japan ties hardware/software for handhelds despite the smaller population). Could you explain why?

I agree with you, many US 360 owners are casual gamers, or Call of Duty gamers, who really aren't "hardcore." However there are exceptions, I tend to consider myself a MS/Nintendo fan, but I'm really not that into Halo or CoD. I like my 360 for games like Lost Odyssey, Gears of War, and Forza, plus a few multiplats which play better on 360 (Mass Effect trilogy, FallOut, Bayonetta, etc).

LOL, what's funny is that the 360 gamers you know are a lot like the PS3 gamers I know. Most PS3 gamers I know in person bought a PS3 either for a multiplatform series (FIFA, Madded, Call of Duty) or as a cheap Blu-Ray player and then got a couple multiplatform games for out. Outside of VGC I only know 1 PS3 gamer who knows anything about gaming, and actually has PS3 exclusives.

For the same reason CoD and Halo attract many blind casual 360 fans, FIFA and Gran Turismo attract many blind casual PS3 fans. The difference is that in USA you have more CoD nuts, and in Europe, you have more FIFA nuts.

However I agree with you. The PS3 hasn't caught on the casual train as intensively as Wii or 360. This is probably largly due to Sony's poor early marketing campaign, and difficulty making a AAA exclusive in the early PS3 years. Lets face it, pre 2009, PS3 sucked, Wii and 360 were awesome. Only halfway through the gen, Sony started to make up, and make gamers for the gamers. However if you actually count, 360 still has more exclusives. Still, I will even agree that the PS3 is currently the better system, but in order to catch the casual train, Sony needed games like LittleBig Planet and Gran Turismo earlier in the gen.


It's pretty odd that our situations regarding people who have met are reversed haha.

I would say the reason Nintendo is doing fairly well in the US is because the demographic it is targeting is so different than the one PS3 and 360 are targeting. Theres a reason why the PS3 and the 360 are compared more to each other rather than the Wii. I guess it could be the sales disparity but I've always figured it was because both Sony and Microsoft are fighting over the same fort while Nintendo is chilling in a fort that is miles away. I had a Wii (before the damn flood came -_-), a DS, and a 3DS. I love Nintendo games but I still view them as disticntly different from Sony or Microsoft. Which is a good thing in my opinion.

It is, but I might know a reason why. Do you live in USA, Canada, or Europe? I bet you live in USA, so you see more blind 360 fans because 360 is domestic there. I live in Canada, our economy/lifestyle is kind of a blend between USA and Europe, so we see more blind PS3 fans here, and less 360 ones.

You're probably right about Wii. I've read several articles saying Wii 80% of the female console gamers this gen where PS3/360 have about 10% each. Plus parents buy a Wii for their kids, hardcore gamers get a Wii as a secondary console to their HD console, and people who play games ocassionally have migrated from PS2 to Wii, due to the cheap price.



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Michael-5 said:

It is, but I might know a reason why. Do you live in USA, Canada, or Europe? I bet you live in USA, so you see more blind 360 fans because 360 is domestic there. I live in Canada, our economy/lifestyle is kind of a blend between USA and Europe, so we see more blind PS3 fans here, and less 360 ones.

You're probably right about Wii. I've read several articles saying Wii 80% of the female console gamers this gen where PS3/360 have about 10% each. Plus parents buy a Wii for their kids, hardcore gamers get a Wii as a secondary console to their HD console, and people who play games ocassionally have migrated from PS2 to Wii, due to the cheap price.

Yup I live in the US and yeah that makes sense.



LOL. Whoever wrote that article never heard of Kinect.



Xbox Live + a lot of kids who can't afford gaming PCs,Shooters became the Nr1 Genre,a decrease in quality in every media(TV,Music,no one reads these days anymore etc),US Console,advertising and the most important thing > a casual FPS where everyone just can jump in and be the gangster of the hood aka Call of Duty and earlier DLC for it.Especially the heavy CoD marketing in the USA did probably a lot good things for Microsoft there.In Europe CoD is selling better on the PS3 cause it gets more advertised for that console here and cause the PS3 is the king here.

Sony never went that way.
Microsoft did an excellent job in finding out what the people in the USA want and without that they would be long 20-30 Million units or more behind.
They knew after some time they can't conquer Europe and especially not Japan.
Someone asked on an earlier page why the UK is so 360 friendly and the rest of Europe isn't...
They are like brothers - They share a lot.And like the USA no one in Europe likes them really that much.
Everyone outside the UK was always more Asian biased.

@other Poster a few pages back who said Americans know and apreciate how good Halo,Gears AND Forza are..
Forza is selling less and less and can't touch GT that is mainly carried by Europe.

At the end
Its a complete difference in terms of culture and taste in gaming.
Europe and Asia like complete different things than the USA(and UK except for European Football)
Microsoft managed to touch the taste of the USA and Sony the taste of everyone else.Especially the taste of those who aren't war hungry or still like games with a great story.One of the best examples here are Heavy Rain and Alan Wake.They show pretty good how different the taste in games is.Heavy Rain did great on the PS3 and Alan Wake..well 10$ only 2 weeks after release cause it didn't sell and no one cared.



i could be to do with Xbox live and your friends having one already



Xbox One, PS4 and Switch (+ Many Retro Consoles)

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