Q4 2012 Hardware Analysis (VGC Exclusive)

[Michael-5]

Squilliam said:

Microsoft already admitted their problem and put in a 3 year warranty and Sony likewise recognised their problems too and also replaced defective original PS3s.It wasn't so much poor quality as it was bad luck because a lot of companies got caught out by the transition to lead free solder.

Microsoft isn't trying to attract every person they can possibly attract, they want to attract people who value the services they offer not the people who want to pay as little as possible. Other companies can have different strategies but the way they have added value between Live, Kinect and their high selling exclusive games has been very good to them. Their top 4 franchises have sold better than the top 11 franchises of Sony which makes them the second best first party this generation.

The major problem they have is how to keep the subscription relevant for people who play only a few titles or who are really mostly interested in online content. This is the greatest failure of their strategy, it is with the marginal person who isn't that into online gaming for instance and who won't throw down $50 or subscribe for something they aren't sure about. They need to evolve their service in such a way that their offering justifies the money by somehow making their content delivery worth the added cost and if they include say 5-10 hours of free online with every new game purchase then they can easily give people the option of playing their titles online when they buy them whilst incentivising some new game purchases.

I think the echo chamber of the stuff said online has really clouded a lot of people as to what the real value of Microsofts offerings are. Whilst you may not appreciate it, things like effective moderation and skill ladders improves the experience a lot of people have online. Whilst the hardcore gamers on these forums who pwn noobs left and right have fun the people they pwn aren't so much and they make up a larger proportion of the population. So whilst it probably is less fun for a lot of people to always be matched with people near their level on these forums the wider population appreciates such things.

No they didn't, they replaced my 360 with another broken 360 at first, and refused to give me the significantly improved HDMI model to replace my 360.

360's don't malfunction because of lead free soder, they malfunction because under heat the motherboard sags. Microsoft cut corners and only clipped 2 ends on the motherboard when they should have clipped all 4 sides. A $2 manufacturing cut, is responsible for the entire first gen fail rate, and refubished 360's still don't have these $2 support clips.

I agree with you about Gold, MS has expanded the free service window from 2 days, to 2 weeks, but still. I want a pay per hour card so I can play 1 hour in one month, and then take a 5 month break and play 9 more hours online. I shouldn't have to pay $3 an hour for 6 months use.

As for experience ladders, games do a much better job then the XBL Gold service. I still think Gold is a waste of $$ and I just don't like MS as a console maker. As a game publsiher, they are great, but expensive, unreliable consoles which charge unreasonable fees for online? I'll pass, going back to Sony where customers are more then just bar codes.