Sometimes I feel like the proverbial voice in the wilderness. The only real issue in this debate are the prices of the respective consoles. Thats what is keeping the majority of gamers on the fence. This isn't a small expense these consoles so young, so new, and so expensive are difficult choices. I know many on these forums have an almost disturbing level of disposable income, but for most consumers three hundred dollars or four hundred dollars are real hardships.
Microsoft has done exceedingly well with their advertising campaigns in the past. Not only have they for the most part been well done. They have driven spending frenzies. We all saw what they did with Halo 3. When Microsoft is serious they can literally pervade the consumer consciousness. Augment that kind of success with a better price tag for their console, and they could corner the market for this game on two fronts.
They might finally make in financially possible for a greater section of the population to take the leap to the next generation, but they could use this game to create a sense of need in such consumers. Those Playstation 2 owners as a whole don't want to move on you really have to rile them up, and it might be possible to get those consumers to pay something between two hundred and three hundred dollars. I am not sure it is possible in mass for Sony to do that with their four hundred dollar console.
Incidentally does anyone else recall that Sony funded a major holiday campaign during the holiday season. I remember some commenting on it perhaps Microsoft deferred some advertising revenue explicitly for a blow out advertising add campaign perhaps to tout Grand Theft Auto, and the suspected price cut.
