Xbox 360 passes Xbox in Japan

[Bodhesatva]

Erik Aston said:
Generally speaking, once they reach market leader, they take (possibly shady) steps to secure their position. The easiest examples: Microsoft Word became included in the Windows software package, which not only gave it the lead, but secured it ad infinitum.

Name any time MS has done this without leveraging their OS monopoly.

Things like Office and IE became included with Windows, and so maintaining the monopoly was cake. Outside of leveraging Windows to capture new PC software markets, has Microsoft ever had a truly successful venture?

Regardless, I believe you agree with the main point that this growth is meaningless if some fundamental circumstance changes in the 10 or 15 years it would take for said growth to lead to market leadership.

What I'm honestly imagining is a time when a "PC" and a "Video Game system" are synonymous, which I think will approach within the next 10, possibly 15 years. At that point, Microsoft's PC monopolies have important weight for Video Game systems as well. Microsoft has the most powerful monopoly in the electronic world: if we can't figure out how to leverage that in the video game market -- which is rapidly coming to resemble the computer market -- then I think we're simply not being creative enough. 

Still, your point is well taken. And yes, we agree on the main point.