Eight signs that MS is dead in the water

[iago]

An interesting article, although extremely superficial:

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B629B28CD-9E0E-48CA-8E8B-243AA6E2CB92%7D&dist=lycos&siteid=lycos

[GameSnake]

They're still making gobs of money. I mean come on, when your the richest company in the world do you really have any excuse to be "dead in the water"?

[MyndFyre]

I'd have to disagree with a few of the points:

2.) I don't think that having several versions makes things murky, since people usually just do what the computer guy at the store tells them.
5.) The biggest failure of the Xbox 360 wasn't even understocking.  It was not having more publishers on board with launch titles, and not getting the publishers with launch titles enough support.  Dead or Alive 4 was supposed to be a launch title; I got my 360 on December 24th (a month late) and it was still a couple weeks before DoA was ready.  Gears of War was also supposed to be a launch title based on Unreal Engine 3; it is not due until November -- a full year late.
7.) That .NET and Open-source initiative are incompatible is folly.

[iago]

2.) I don't think that having several versions makes things murky, since people usually just do what the computer guy at the store tells them.

I consider that a problem that goes back farther.  And they aren't doing anything to help it, they're making it worse.

5.) The biggest failure of the Xbox 360 wasn't even understocking.  It was not having more publishers on board with launch titles, and not getting the publishers with launch titles enough support.  Dead or Alive 4 was supposed to be a launch title; I got my 360 on December 24th (a month late) and it was still a couple weeks before DoA was ready.  Gears of War was also supposed to be a launch title based on Unreal Engine 3; it is not due until November -- a full year late.

I think that they could both be considered problems.  Dunno which is worst, though.

7.) That .NET and Open-source initiative are incompatible is folly.

I don't think he said that.  I believe he was saying that there are open-source alternatives to .NET framework. 

[Joe]

As for #5, I'd call launch titles to be the bigger problem. What is an XBox 360 worth with absolutely nothing to play on it?

[MyndFyre]

As for #5, I'd call launch titles to be the bigger problem. What is an XBox 360 worth with absolutely nothing to play on it?

Well I wouldn't say "absolutely" nothing.  There were some great launch titles (I had 3 -- PGR 3, Perfect Dark: Zero, and CoD 2), but they could have and should have done better.

[d&q]

Perfect Dark was overrated; I was really dissapointed. 

[MyndFyre]

Perfect Dark was overrated; I was really dissapointed. 

It's hard, and I enjoy it.

(I'm talking about the game, not my.... yeah).