Xbox

What Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo don't get

Each other.

Too simple? After seeing yesterday's NPD numbers and hearing about them from all the companies, each has their own spin on what went down last month. Nintendo (rightfully so) chose to gloat about how well the Wii is selling. According to NPD, the Wii outsold the 360, PS3, PS2, and PSP during April. Even better for the company, it held the number two spot in hardware sales with its DS platform.

On the other hand, Microsoft chose to discuss how well its platform has done so far and explained to me that its 10.1 million units sold mark is a major milestone for the company because the first console in each generation to hit 10 million units sold in the US has won the console war. When asked if it should be worried about Nintendo, Microsoft said it doesn't see Nintendo as a competitor. When asked if it should be worried about Sony, the representative said it's not worried at all and the company believes it's in the best possible position right now.

Finally, we move to Sony. The company was barely beaten in hardware sales by Microsoft -- a mere 900 unit margin separated the two companies -- and it did relatively well in software sales. That said, it only captured 35 percent of GTA IV sales, which the company attributes to a smaller installed base. Of course, a more logical notion suggests the robust online component included in the Xbox 360 version was the main reason. Regardless, it contends that it's coming on strong and can win the console war.

And as I examined what each company had to say about the numbers, it became quite obvious that not one understands the other.… Read more

Nintendo tops April video game console sales

Update at 3:30 p.m. PDT: This post has been modified to reflect the public release by NPD of its April video game industry sales figures.

Nintendo's Wii was the best-selling next-generation video game console in April, research firm NPD Group said Thursday afternoon.

Nintendo had earlier put out its own release citing NPD's numbers.

According to NPD, the Wii outsold Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 in April. The Wii sold 714,000 Wiis during the month, bringing its total sales in the United States since the Wii's launch in late 2006 … Read more

Why Sega should release a new console

Sega is in trouble. According to its latest filing in Japan, the company incurred a loss $501 million during its 2008 fiscal year and its video games division lost about $56.3 million. And as the company was quick to point out, something needs to be done on the video game front.

"As rebuilding our consumer video game business is crucial, we now need to review our game title strategy more flexibly to adapt ourselves to changes in the trend of the market," said Koichiro Ueda, head of Sega's public relations department.

Of course, Sega did what it could to downplay the news of its impending failure on the video game front and said that it thinks it can turn things around, but I just don't see how that's possible with just games. Let's face it -- the company's once proud Sonic franchise is floundering and there's no indication that it's really that valuable on Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo platforms. Beyond that, the company has done poorly with other titles it has released and aside from a lingering desire for the return of the Shenmue series, few people even think about the developer any more.

With that in mind, Sega needs to change its strategy and turn things around. And the only way it can do that is to release its own video game console.… Read more

Sony posts loss, but has rosy outlook for electronics division

Weighed down by its financial unit, Sony posted a $45 million loss for its fourth quarter earnings Wednesday.

Analysts were expecting an average estimated profit of $260 million for the quarter.

Revenue for Sony's video game unit, which competes head-to-head with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, grew by 26 percent in the past year based on better sales of the PlayStation 3 console.

Still, the bright point of the company's quarterly report was its electronics business. Revenue was up 9 percent due to increased sales of its digital cameras, video cameras, and notebook PCs.

The … Read more

Xbox 360 hits 10 million sold in U.S.

Microsoft said on Wednesday that its Xbox 360 has become the first next-generation video game console to hit 10 million units sold in the United States.

Further, said Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, that milestone has historically been reached by the eventual best-seller of each previous console generation, a fact that Microsoft will certainly be using to bolster suggestions that the Xbox 360 will eventually prevail sales-wise over Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3.

Of course, Sony has been the winner of the two previous generations, with the original PlayStation and … Read more

2010 will be an important year for Microsoft

Every year is important for Microsoft, but the way things are shaping up, I think 2010 will be its most important yet. And although the company has yet to confirm any concrete details about where it's going in the near-term, it has been especially tight-lipped lately about the future of Windows and the Xbox 360. And if you ask me, those two products will be at the center of the company's issues in 2010.

Why 2010? The way I see it, this year is pretty much over for Microsoft. Sure, the company will finally stop the sale of XP (or so we think) and the Xbox 360 will see some minor improvements made to its software, but all in all, nothing too major will happen this year. And considering 2009 will be the year that Microsoft tries to solidify itself as the major player in the gaming and OS markets, it makes perfect sense to suggest that 2010 could be one of the most important years in the company's storied history.

But if it doesn't wake up and realize that it's in some serious trouble with Windows and the Xbox 360 could face problems if it continues to be compared to the Playstation 3, 2010 could also be one of the worst years in the company's history.… Read more

'Gears of War 2' to headline Xbox showcase Tuesday

In a few minutes, I'll be heading over to Dogpatch Studios in San Francisco for what seems to be an annual showcase of new Xbox 360 games from Microsoft Game Studios (MGS).

I'll have more on this later on Tuesday, but for now, I'll give a brief peek of what I'm expecting to find when I get there.

The gorilla in the room, as it were, is surely going to be Gears of War 2, developed by Epic Games for MGS and the sequel to one of the biggest games in Xbox 360 history.

"Attendees … Read more

Nintendo launches WiiWare with six games

Nintendo on Monday put its latest shot across the bow of Microsoft and Sony when it officially launched WiiWare, its new online repository of downloadable games.

Ostensibly a service where Wii gamers will be able to shop for new, independent games, WiiWare seems to be Nintendo's answer to Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and its XNA Studio and to Sony's PlayStation Store.

WiiWare is launching with six games: Square Enix's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, Frontier Development's LostWinds, XGen Studios' Defend your Castle, Nnooo's Pop, High Voltage Software's V.I.… Read more

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EPISODE 96

Rory Reid from CNET.co.uk joins us to talk all things tech. iPhones won't help you get laid in the U.S. or the U.K., Speed Racer looks like an abomination and Randall's stuffy nose ruins the show.

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