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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Why is the Xbox 360 SO popular in the U.S.?

kain_kusanagi on 15 January 2013

Halo is the best thing to happen to gaming in the last decade. That is why the Xbox is so popular. Americans get it, the rest of the world has yet to be enlightened by Halo.



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kain_kusanagi on 15 January 2013
deskpro2k3 said:

does microsoft count resales?


If you mean used console sales, no. If you mean replacements of RROD, than those were replaced for free under the extended warrenty.



ninjablade on 15 January 2013
Somini said:

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is a sales juggernaut in the U.S. In fact, according to the latest data from NPD, the Xbox 360 led all consoles in sales for 24 months in a row. The console even was able to beat out the Nintendo Wii U in December – a surprising feat considering that console just went on sale in November and the Xbox 360 has been available for seven yeaThe Xbox 360’s staying power in the U.S. is nothing short of astounding. In December, alone, Microsoft sold 1.4 million consoles in the U.S., indicating gamers see no reason to hold off on buying the device until the Xbox 720 launches later this year. Better yet for Microsoft, many of those folks sign up for Xbox Live, providing the software giant with a steady stream of revenue over the course of its lifecycle.

 

All of that success, however, has to get one thinking: why is the Xbox 360 – a console that, at launch, some thought would be trounced by the PlayStation 3 – so popular in the U.S.?

Perhaps the first reason is its core market. Microsoft isn’t trying to take on Nintendo’s more casual gamers. Instead, Microsoft has found a loyal following in the hardcore segment, where gamers like to play online, pick up shooters, and play for hours. To those gamers, the Xbox 360 is a device worthy of its success.

According to NPD, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was the most popular game in the industry last year. And for the fourth year in a row, the Xbox 360 version was the most popular option among U.S.-based consumers.

Is it possible that the competing consoles are causing the Xbox 360 to be so popular? Granted, the PlayStation 3 has sold more units worldwide than the Xbox 360, which is mainly due to Sony’s international success. In the U.S., the Xbox 360 is still the dominant force.


The Wii and Wii U might also be pushing gamers to Microsoft. As mentioned, those consoles cater to a casual sector of the market – one that Microsoft doesn’t really care about. At the same time, hardcore gamers who have played the Wii and Wii U and try to stick with it have trouble. Like it or not, the consoles just aren’t capable of keeping their attention as much as the PS3 or the Xbox 360.

 

 

There are many other reasons but personally i think the Xbox 360 being the American product that it is has helped it out tremendously, which wouldn't make it the first product to profit from such a thing and is to be expected.

Not really, being american has nothing to with it, it more about xbox was the first sytem to get online gaming really started on consoles with halo 2 in the us, also the controller, everytime i talk to a gamer about the ps3 they tell me the controller is garbage, thats why there not interested in ps3, even one of my friends who was a hardcore sony fan, finally got a 360 and told me the experiance was so much better because of  the controller, the biggest reason was price, i mean 360 was 200$ cheaper and the majority of games looked better, especially the modern ware fare and blops those games being much better on 360 made a huge differnce, you argue sony has more exclusives but the only one that matter are uncharted, GOW and GT, the 360 exclusives are better system sellers.



Somini on 15 January 2013
Gamerace said:
First off, MS to date has sold more worldwide than PS3, although eventually that might change.

Secondly, MS since 2010 has very aggressively gone after Wii's casual market with Kinect. Unlike Sony who positioned Move more for the core.

Third: Americans like FPS moreso than Europeans/Asians and Xbox was the console that really brought FPS to consoles in a big way and 360 continued that. I believe CoD sells better on 360 in Europe too. But action games sell better on PS3. This gen it's all about the FPS though so that benefits 360 more, especially in NA.

Forth: Regarding sticking to Wii is only true for core gamers, not the Wii's large casual base - which is why Just Dance 4 is still selling strongest on Wii (and not 360/PS3 despite having superior controls)

I probably shouldn't say this, but a lot of websites have been reporting, based on the IDC report i guess, that the PS3 'outsold' the 360 since the beginning of this year. Some members on VGChartz are the only ones who seem to say otherwise. So until Sony and Microsoft release their own respective numbers, i'll just go along with the more credible source.



ZaneWane on 15 January 2013

same reason playstation and nintendo are popular in japan

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bonkers555 on 15 January 2013

^^^^

Exactly. People forget that the Wii is still the #1 console in the United States this gen. The PS2 was also the #1 selling console last gen.

Last time I checked both Honda and Toyota are #1 and #2 selling car brands in America ahead of Ford and Chrysler (both American company).

Last time we had a American made game console in Atari Jaguar and it didn't made a dent in America.



My Video Games Collection/Set-Up.

vfguy on 15 January 2013

That it is an American console has very little to do with anything. After all, no one is playing 3DO, Apple, or Atari consoles.

Having Netflix first was huge in the US. I have several friends who bought one for that reason. Once the PS3 and Wii could do Netflix, every device could do it, so it didn't matter as much.

Having the best online infrastructure and the most people online certainly hasn't hurt either. Cross-game chat is another related big deal.

This is speaking anecdotally, but online doesn't seem as big in Japan (even though their Internet speeds are ridiculously fast). All of the used games I have purchased with an online pass (DOA5, TTT2, etc.) the online codes have all been unused.



Somini on 15 January 2013
CGI-Quality said:
kain_kusanagi said:
Halo is the best thing to happen to gaming in the last decade. That is why the Xbox is so popular. Americans get it, the rest of the world has yet to be enlightened by Halo.

Somehow, I don't think Halo is responsible for 75 million users all on its own, but surely a notable contribution.

My take just based purely on anecdote - marketing/timing/price handling/word of moth/Xbox LIVE/Sony's missteps. Microsoft positioned themselves like champs this gen, my hat off to them.

Yes, this i agree with.



bonkers555 on 15 January 2013
Somini said:
Gamerace said:
First off, MS to date has sold more worldwide than PS3, although eventually that might change.

Secondly, MS since 2010 has very aggressively gone after Wii's casual market with Kinect. Unlike Sony who positioned Move more for the core.

Third: Americans like FPS moreso than Europeans/Asians and Xbox was the console that really brought FPS to consoles in a big way and 360 continued that. I believe CoD sells better on 360 in Europe too. But action games sell better on PS3. This gen it's all about the FPS though so that benefits 360 more, especially in NA.

Forth: Regarding sticking to Wii is only true for core gamers, not the Wii's large casual base - which is why Just Dance 4 is still selling strongest on Wii (and not 360/PS3 despite having superior controls)

I probably shouldn't say this, but a lot of websites have been reporting, based on the IDC report i guess, that the PS3 'outsold' the 360 since the beginning of this year. Some members on VGChartz are the only ones who seem to say otherwise. So until Sony and Microsoft release their own respective numbers, i'll just go along with the more credible source.

I'll quote this and make sure you eat crow when the numbers come out this quarter.



My Video Games Collection/Set-Up.

Somini on 15 January 2013
bonkers555 said:
Somini said:
Gamerace said:
First off, MS to date has sold more worldwide than PS3, although eventually that might change.

Secondly, MS since 2010 has very aggressively gone after Wii's casual market with Kinect. Unlike Sony who positioned Move more for the core.

Third: Americans like FPS moreso than Europeans/Asians and Xbox was the console that really brought FPS to consoles in a big way and 360 continued that. I believe CoD sells better on 360 in Europe too. But action games sell better on PS3. This gen it's all about the FPS though so that benefits 360 more, especially in NA.

Forth: Regarding sticking to Wii is only true for core gamers, not the Wii's large casual base - which is why Just Dance 4 is still selling strongest on Wii (and not 360/PS3 despite having superior controls)

I probably shouldn't say this, but a lot of websites have been reporting, based on the IDC report i guess, that the PS3 'outsold' the 360 since the beginning of this year. Some members on VGChartz are the only ones who seem to say otherwise. So until Sony and Microsoft release their own respective numbers, i'll just go along with the more credible source.

I'll quote this and make sure you eat crow when the numbers come out this quarter.

Challenge accepted :D