Xbox 360 slim in 2009?

[johnsobas]

starcraft said:

johnsobas said:

Squilliam said:

 

Whilst I respect history, I don't think you can count on the same rules applying for this generation.

Actually ironically I heard a few rumours a while ago about the Xbox360 being used as a cable box. Cable/TV companies are concerned about losing their market share to gaming, so this makes perfect sense for retaining their key 21-45 age bracket. The cost of the console is meaningless in this example because its rented so people just pay their $20 a month for a gaming box with live and think nothing of it.

Well microsoft could bleed money to try to keep up with Sony, though I doubt just about nothing they could do would result in them having a bigger market share at the end of the generation.

But they don't have to. They have to turn a profit (which they have just as good a chance of doing as Sony do) and they have to stay close enough to Sony by the end of the generation that the PS3 gets no exclusive's it wouldn't otherise have gotten. Even as it stands its doubtful that Sony could ever attain such a lead, but with a strong 2008 and a decent 2009, Microsoft puts it beyond question.

With a good 2009 and on-going support, the Xbox 360 could sell 45 million (or even 50 million) consoles.

 

 Exactly, they could keep closer if they did bleed money but it's just not worth it.  PS3 probably won't outsell 360 til late 09 or so, and by that time 360 will have already secured multiplatform status at least on most games.  

Rather than spending lots of money and playing catch up they can do things right from the beginning, it's much cheaper and more effective.  Just ask Nintendo, they haven't had to be aggressive at all. Nintendo could just cruise this whole gen and end up in 1st place with insane amounts of profit.  They would probably end up in first without even having a price cut or new model the entire generation.