Microsoft Comments On Sony's E3 Conference

[RancidLunchmeat]

Even if they knew what could they have done? Show more CGI?

HA! Too true, I guess. But.. am I the only one that really looks at what Sony did here and just shakes their head?

Wasn't it a full year ago that Sony was trying to steal MS's thunder with CGI and promises of a super-computer and all kinds of fancy numbers with more connections that anybody would ever even need?

I don't think this was a case of Sony just setting expectations too high a year ago. I think it's more a case of something going horribly wrong for Sony between then and now.

The two sku Xbox made them incorporate a HDD which I don't think they had planned to include, there is obviously some huge cost concerns to force them to cut back on features and still launch at least $100 more. They still don't have anything really playable. What happened to Killzone? Their failed Boomrang controller design and then obviously being frightened of the Wiimote and coming up with some very odd hybrid solution and then slapping together a Warhawk demo that clearly wasn't ready.

You expect MS to show this sort of disorganization at tech shows... Not Sony.

 

[RobertR1]

Sony looks like they're in panic mode. I just dont' see how they'll be able to compete with the xbox live piece and the direction it's headed, anytime soon.

 

[a688]

Er, can there be anything bigger at E3 now then Halo3? Maybe a next GTA but Sony would've played that card by now...

Microsoft played that card but its not coming out until fall/winter next year.

 

[pakotlar]

Microsoft played that card but its not coming out until fall/winter next year.

looks like microsoft is getting a time exclusive GTA4 (not pos. on this one, but in conference there was "GTA4 on Xbox FIRST"), exclusive XBL GTA4 content (but expect PS3 to have its own exclusive content). that is a major bomb to drop. i never thought i'd say this, but Microsoft has Sony beat right now. The only thing that I could see that would hurt worse would be MGS and FF coming to X360. I thought hell would freeze over before Sony gave up exclusivity of GTA series to Microsoft. Seems like Microsoft really is going "all in". Starting with Saturn, I've always been a fan of "the other guy" topping Sony, but the always put out the most content, and had the best exclusives. I bought the PS2 hype whole heartedly (even though I was a fan of Dreamcast) and did the same with PS3 to a lesser extent. However, for the first time in years, I can honestly say, that Sony's next-gen debut failed to impress. Good console, terrible price, and lack of killer software. Microsoft's debut was worse, but they did not have a competitor at the time, and now their software has caught up. I'm hoping Sony turns this around, because I want Microsoft to keep sweating. In fact, I want all 3 to be extremely competitive, so that we get the best content. If MGS4 came to X360 it would be, imo nearly over in terms of majority market share for Sony. That came has some serious appeal (even though the new trailer didn't impress me quite as much as the first...guess I was looking for a bigger jump in graphical quality than we got...some kojima comments like "this e3 2005 trailer was using mgs3 assets" made me think that we would see a much better version).

 

[rabidrabbit]

Hmmm, is the GTA4 simultaneous launch really going to hurt Sony.
I don't think so, why would it? It's still coming to PS3 the same day.
It's helping Microsoft for sure, but the previous GTA's did come to xbox, albeit some months later than PS2 and it didn't tip the scales then.

Some would say now that the GTA is no longer a timed exclusive, it would steer players away from the Playstation, but it doesn't concern the GTA fans that were going to buy a PS3.
It does concern those who were going to buy the PS3 only for GTA, and who already owned an xbox360.

I just don't see this as big a blow to Sony as some.
GTA is now another simultaneous multiplatform release. It would be another thing if GTA had been total exclusive for PS.

I'd say we'll see less and less of these timed exclusives this gen, I wouldn't be surprised if we'd see none.
The game will sell more if it is released simultaneously on platforms

looks like microsoft is getting a time exclusive GTA4 (not pos. on this one, but in conference there was "GTA4 on Xbox FIRST")

No, as much as you might wish otherwise, it says "GTA4 for xbox360 from day one", meaning it will be a simultaneous multiplatform release.

 

[RobertR1]

Hmmm, is the GTA4 simultaneous launch really going to hurt Sony.
I don't think so, why would it? It's still coming to PS3 the same day.
It's helping Microsoft for sure, but the previous GTA's did come to xbox, albeit some months later than PS2 and it didn't tip the scales then.

Some would say now that the GTA is no longer a timed exclusive, it would steer players away from the Playstation, but it doesn't concern the GTA fans that were going to buy a PS3.
It does concern those who were going to buy the PS3 only for GTA, and who already owned an xbox360.

I just don't see this as big a blow to Sony as some.
GTA is now another simultaneous multiplatform release. It would be another thing if GTA had been total exclusive for PS.

I'd say we'll see less and less of these timed exclusives this gen, I wouldn't be surprised if we'd see none.
The game will sell more if it is released simultaneously on platforms

No, as much as you might wish otherwise, it says "GTA4 for xbox360 from day one", meaning it will be a simultaneous multiplatform release.

I wouldn't call it a "blow" for Sony as much as a very solid gain for MS. Now if the exclusive part is the episodic content, then yes, MS does gain an advantage over Sony for this particular title.

With Unreal Tournament 2007 coming for Xbox360 also (always thought it was PC/PS3 only) that's another gain for them. The biggest gain though is that their console has been out since November and selling. While E3 is nice n' all, I'm done going nuts of CGI hype demo's from either company and will wait for actual gameplay results. The PS3 needs to compete with content at launch vs. 2nd Gen xbox 360 games. It will certainly not out do "live."

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Hmmm, is the GTA4 simultaneous launch really going to hurt Sony.

I guess the point is for those who buy a console just to play GTA, they'll buy the cheap one, right? I don't know how many that is and whether that's applicable when the consoles are still expensive, though XB360 down to $200 in 2007 for this might boost sales.

Though in the grand scheme of things, how many consoles did GTA really sell? Isn't it something like 6 milion copies on PS2? SO if all those PS2 owners bought PS2 just for GTA, and didn't own PS2 otherwise, that'd be 6 million consoles out of...106 million? I don't think any one title makes or breaks a system. Except in Japan with FF and DQ . It's the range of games and if they have anything that appeal to your tastes.

 

[London Geezer]

I guess the point is for those who buy a console just to play GTA, they'll buy the cheap one, right? I don't know how many that is and whether that's applicable when the consoles are still expensive, though XB360 down to $200 in 2007 for this might boost sales.

Though in the grand scheme of things, how many consoles did GTA really sell? Isn't it something like 6 milion copies on PS2? SO if all those PS2 owners bought PS2 just for GTA, and didn't own PS2 otherwise, that'd be 6 million consoles out of...106 million? I don't think any one title makes or breaks a system. Except in Japan with FF and DQ . It's the range of games and if they have anything that appeal to your tastes.

I remember a 12 million figure when i think of GTA on PS2, though i'm not sure if it's for the whole 3 games (GTA3, VC and SA put together) or if it's just one... Certainly more than 6 million though.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Well this is the first site google turned up:
http://geeksincognito.blogspot.com/2006/04/foiled-kansas-school-shootings-blamed.html

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - 13.70 million units sold
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - 13.30 million units sold
Grand Theft Auto III - 11.45 million units sold

So nearly 40million copies sold on all platforms, PS2 must make up the bulk of that.

 

[Powderkeg]

Hmmm, is the GTA4 simultaneous launch really going to hurt Sony.
I don't think so, why would it? It's still coming to PS3 the same day.
It's helping Microsoft for sure, but the previous GTA's did come to xbox, albeit some months later than PS2 and it didn't tip the scales then.

If by "some months" you really meant 2+ years, and after over 21 million copies had been sold on the PS2, that would be correct.


But, judging from the rest of your post, I rather suspect you didn't mean 2+ years? Well, GTA3 released 2001 on the PS2, and didn't hit the Xbox until late 2003.

GTA3 = 10.5 million
GTA: Vice City = 11+ million

BEFORE the Xbox versions were released.

 

[zed]

current figures, Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack is actually the forth best selling game on the xbox, so it was very popular with xbox owners.

for ps2
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (13.58 million)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (13.47 million)
Grand Theft Auto III (11.39 million)

for xbox
Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack (2.27 million)

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

I'm sorry.... what exactly do your "new" figures demonstrate?

I was pretty sure I understood all the other figures.. but yours? Not quite so sure.

They demonstrate what? 1) A smaller Xbox user base than PS2 and 2) That some amount of Xbox users actually waited to buy GTA on the Xbox rather than buy the PS2 and GTA... ?

I'm pretty sure we already knew that.

I don't think your "new numbers" do anything to dispel the fact that GTA was a system seller for the PS2. If anything, they only reinforce the point. Because a lesser percentage of Xbox users bought GTA than you would normally expect... and that difference is explained by the fact they purchased (or already owned) a PS2 at the time of release.