| d21lewis said: My first Microsoft console was the Xbox 360 and I gotta admit, I like it a lot. After spending the better part of the 7th gen on this forum, I realize that a lot of people blame Microsoft for things that are wrong with the industry. Things that, quite frankly, weren't their fault. Read on:
Myth: Microsoft was the one that started making us pay for online gaming -This is false. Anybody who was around at the time knows that SegaNet (Dreamcast) charged for an online gaming subscription long before Xbox Live. In fact, if I remember, SegaNet cost around $19 a month. Even before them, there were paid (unlicensed) online services for Super Nes/Genesis games. |
Exactly right. I remember SegaNet being $10 a month, but maybe prices were different in different areas. It's funny to see people completely ignore SegaNet, idk if it is due to ignorance about the industry, or simply a tendency to only complain when MS does it. When you see the response of most people on this forum to Sony charging for online play, it makes me think people know all about SegaNet, but only want to complain because it is MS. A lot of people seemed awfully quick to accept Sony requiring subscriptions to game online.
Furthermore why this is a bad thing that you are charged for online play, I have never understood. It's like people pick and choose which elements of the PC market they want the console market to follow.
| d21lewis said: Myth: Microsoft made it okay to launch a console with faulty hardware -Again, not true. The original Xbox was built like a tank. The Xbox 360 may have the worst failure rate of all time but the PS2 also suffered so many defects that Sony was the subject of a class action lawsuit. Sony settled. Even before that, it was widely accepted that the PS1 was a fragile device. Quick fixes were common, including turning the console on its side or even upside down. |
Agreed again. And I'm not saying this excuses MS for the 360 issues (nor am I implying you are), but it's strange when people have such a big deal about MS hardware, but have no qualms about Sony hardware. All 3 of their previous consoles had pretty big issues hardware wise. PS1 and PS2 both had disc drive issues, and PS3 had YLOD. At least be consistent in the negatives.
An equally disturbing trend is the almost apologetic excuse of "well Playstation _ had issues but it wasn't as bad as 360!!". Yikes. Which is an excuse that leads into your next myth..
| d21lewis said: Myth: Microsoft ruined the industry with their exclusivity deals -Before the Xbox 360, it was actually Nintendo with the NES and Super NES that wouldn't allow companies to make games for the competiton. Companies found ways around this by releasing their games under different names. For example, Street Fighter 2 Turbo was exclusive to the Super Nes so Capcom would release "Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition" for the Genesis. Virtually the same game but a way around the exclusivity deal. And it wasn't just Nintendo. In a 2001 issue of EGM, Microsoft was preparing for the launch of the Xbox and was quoted saying that certain games were "Moneyhatted" to remain exclusive to the PS2 but they were able to get most of whay they wanted. It would seem that Microsoft "throwing money" at gaming companies for exclusive content was a standard practice long before the Xbox was a threat. |
Exclusive deals existed long before last generation, but the people complaining about it now didn't care because their company was the one with the market power. No one cares that games like GTA had deals with Playstation, because most people were Playstation fans. It wasn't until last gen when Sony lost a ton of marketshare that these same people suddenly hated deals between a console company and a publisher.
...until this gen, when Sony is leading in consoles again. Now it's "great for gamers" and a "smart move by Sony" and "just buy a PS4 if it bothers you" LOL.
| d21lewis said:
There were more examples but I can't think of them right now. I'm at work. I'll try to remember them later. My point is, instead of hating Microsoft for ruining the industry, why not thank them for what they brought to the table? Competition with Sony made Sony a better company. Their focus on online (especially when Broadband was in its infancy) brought about many revolutions. Acheivements gave people many incentives to replay and explore their games. They were the first console to offer Netflix and many other apps. They were the first console maker to pack a built in hard drive when others were using memory cards. Instead of hating on them, why not say "Thank you, Microsoft. Thank you for all that you've done."?
I'm d21lewis. |
I applaud your attempt but there is just too much entrenched anti-MS attitude here. I think you'll probably find a lot more myths just by reading the thread if other people keep replying. I see STAGE is posting in the thread, he is like a gold mine for incorrect anti-MS myths. Like one of those cheap candy crane games that lets you play until you win.
