"This is basically Sony's game, guys, which is why I personally find it so intriguing to see Microsoft beating them at it.
Sony was the first company to succesfully open the wallet to pull out exclusive titles. Paying direct cash, paying for development, advertising... its worked wonders for Sony in the past.
I just was saying in another thread that Sony needs to change their model, because Microsoft plays that game too, and they have much deeper pockets. Then I come across this.
Sony could drop the price of the system (which costs money), pay companies for exclusives (ditto), or buy up development houses (ditto), all of which seem to be the core of their current plan -- but they need to do something else, because if their main strategy is money and the willingness to burn it, Microsoft has them beat in spades. "

==> so right guy,
so we know that GTAIV exclusivity is the best weapon of MS ...
What I don't like is that game was suppose to be Sony exclusivity since the first episode (on PS right ?) and now it is like it becomes multiplateform (OK, expected) with a MS exclusive content !!!
so bad,
MS are just stealer "concept", they don"t create anything (except Halo)
they just copy Sony strategy using more money than them
When Sony begin is consle story they have taken FF from nintendo but that is all !!! (no ?)
and they were already winning before FFVII came out ...

(feel free to comment if u think Sony is as bad as M$)

whatever, I know that GTA IV is the most waited game
losing this exclusivity is losing the war for sony
(note that i 've never played to GTA, i don't expect it at all, but i know this game is THE system seller)

well, fight will be really hard for Sony

 I think retail employees should be forced to wear a pin at all times showing their bias, so that customers know where the employee is coming from and can weigh the employee's statements properly.  The 360, especially if you're buying it for downloadable content, is more like $500 (plus annual online fees, etc.) before you even start to pay for the download content.  Sure, you can scam them into buying the $400 system and wait for them to come back later to buy that $180 hard drive upgrade from you too ($400 + $180 = $580 and they still have to pay their annual fees), but that's really messed up, ripping off customers who actually trusted you.

In my opinion this is a sound strategy, executed perfectly. It makes complete sense to me. Since many people have yet to choose what console they will buy this christmas, this news can sway them from PS3 to Xbox360. With stronger first party titles that sony has, Microsoft has to do more of these kind of deals.
A note to Mr. Stickball, since Wii is outselling both the Xbox360 and the PS3, I can't agree with the "ownage on a global scale" remark. Even if Xbox360 completely gets all of future PS3 buyers, they will merely come up with Wii numbers, not ownage.

Seems to me to be a fucking lot, and with spenings like that I can understand that microsoft is losing money on a grand scale.

But they need to do something to attack Wii that is for sure, but it seems like Nintendo will be the winner for this gen whatever Microsoft or Sony does. It seems that Nintendo is the only one that is going to make money from this generation.

With Microsoft getting money from Xbox Live subscriptions, I kind of doubt they can't make money on this generation.

I just have read on a similar french web forum that L.A. Noire was going to be multiplateform too ...

Does someone have a web link to confirm or not this ?

EDIT : http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=25852

 L.A.Noire multiplateform confirmed ... 

==> 2, more or less exclusive, system seller for Xbox360 : Bioshock and GTAIV ...
(Halo3 is just sequel to the "notbad" sequel,Halo2, of a system seller Halo1 :  most people who want to play H3 have already a Xbox360)

A lot of people don't realize the truth of this -- this strategy is how Sony completely trounced the Sega Saturn.  With Nintendo's arrogance driving away third parties, Sony scooped them right up with exclusive and timed-exclusive contracts.  It's how Sony got their foot in the door, and now Microsoft is using their own strategy against them, because this time, it's Sony's arrogance driving them away.

 Yeah, really.  The 360 is actually the most expensive console this generation.  Downloadable content 
is there to push Live subscriptions and overpriced hard drives, not to mention the content is not free either.  The only way they shouldn't be able to make money is if they can't get their hardware issues sorted - and, even then, if they don't handle it properly and get class actioned left-and-right worldwide, that's going to eat chunks out of any profits.  If the extra heat sink resolves the issue, they should do a recall for all current owners instead of the constant singing and dancing around the issue.  It's the right thing to do.  "We don't talk about that."  Yeah, okay, so what will it take to *make* you talk about it?
 

It is not the same thing

- to put money in a project to help this project, to make this project for your console (Sony behaviour for tekken, GT, MGS, tony hawk, medievil, crashbaniccot (and a lot more) that all appear for the first time on PS1 console)

(the only think that sony have stolen is FF but at this time nintendo was NOT out yet and PS was allready selling verywell)

AND

- to put money in a project that is suppose to appear in the concurrent console (because serie begin in PS or PS2), and to make this project become multiplateform (DMC, MGS ?) or even exclusive to your plateform ( GTAIV) 

and i even don't mention game that were develloped firstly for PS3 like assassin creed or Bioshock (huh developpement for PS3 was stoped ?) ...

I don't think that Sony si similar to the MassiveStealer (MS) 

QFT. I can remember Tomb Raider 2 specifically. The games was shown at E3 for PS1 and Saturn. Sony paid Eidos not to release the Saturn version. Since they didn't have the in house development power or franchise recognition of Nintendo or Sega, Sony bought a lot of exclusives. That was how they made up for lack of 1st Party software. When FFVII began development the Saturn was actually outselling the PS1 in Japan. Heck the PS1 and Saturn were dead even until FFVII was released. Then the PS1 took off in Japan and never looked back.

My biggest fear of MS entering the console market X-box was that they would follow Sony's strategy. I didn't like the idea of the gaming industry being ruled by two companies that did not focus on games. Of course Sega mismanaged themselves into oblivion, the PS2 took off, and now we are seeing a war of attrition in gaming market.