heedstone said: Haha, I think it's because people tend to dislike microsoft as a whole. They really are a hard company to like, Satan gets better press than them. If the 360 was made by any other company people would warm to it a lot more! |
This is about 90% right. It is partially true the 360 catches some flack because of Microsoft dislike, but it is also the way Microsoft acts with the 360.
I don't dislike Microsoft because I hate everything with Microsoft on the made by tag. It is more or less that every time I think there is a product from them I kind of like they screw me. I kind of liked Windows 7 until I found out they wanted 300 dollars for it (and the cheap version, the only one you can get in multi license packs, wouldn't have key features). I kind of liked the 360 when I got it at launch until I needed Wifi (100 bucks) online play (50 bucks a year) a bigger hard drive since most of the 20GB is taken by default (100 plus)and rechargable batteries for the controllers (another 20 bucks).
It's like when I just went to the Trump hotel in vegas and found out there would be an additional "resort fee" of 15 bucks per night per person required to stay on top of what they quoted as the room cost. It isn't that I'm super mad they made the room 110 per night instead of 95 per night, I'd pay 110 for a 5 star hotel near the strip. It's that they weren't up front about the value proposition and tried to tack on extras that should have been included in the base price (wifi, access to the pool and a bottle of water in the room, things you get for free at the 30 dollar residence inn, are what they say the 15 bucks per person resort fee provides).
I've owned something like 14 different systems since the 80s (NES, Genesis, SNES, N64, PSX, PS2, PS3, 360, Xbox, Dreamcast, Game boy, DS, PSP, iphone) and none of them made me shell out cash for basic functionality after I bought the system except for the MS consoles. Technically Sega had seganet for the dreamcast, but that included being your ISP in the fee. If the 360's gold included an internet connection service in the cost I'd be fine with it since it's value added not just charging me for something that should be included.
It's that nickle and dime mentality that I dislike. I would rather just pay 100 bucks more up front then pay a little less then get hit with hundreds in add on fees some perpetually. If Microsoft cut that out next time around I would give their console a chance again (I've owned both a Xbox and 360 though sold both) I just don't know if it's in their DNA to deal with customers straight up like Nintendo and Sony do (well for the most part).
I think a lot of the 360 negativity is from former 360 owners who had one issue or another with their console. At 35 million sold I'm pretty sure almost every gamer on here has either had a 360 or had a friend whose 360 they've used. It's not some irrational hate based on no experience. Look me up on windows live/xbox live, same user name (Impulsivity). I have over a 10k Gamerscore from when I played so you can't say I didn't give it a chance.