As I begin this blog post, I would like to point out that I have been a proud owner of an XBOX 360 Elite for about a year now. Other than the constant fear that the console will red ring at any moment, it has proven itself an excellent, hardcore gaming system. With that said, it is of my opinion that the XBOX 360 has been doomed since its conception, and will succumb to the increasingly superior PlayStation3. And, Microsoft has only themselves to blame.As much as I love my XBOX 360, I can go on all day about what I dislike about the system. Not my system, but the the system in general. The first dissapointment comes in the form of the hard drive. The Premium edition ships with 20GB of storage. Do companies even manufacture 20GB hard drives any more? Could we, as consumers, even purchase a 20GB hard drive if we wanted to? What this tells us is that Microsoft is going out of their way to skimp on the hardware to save a couple bucks. Quite insulting if you ask me, considering how cheap storage has become these days. Don't get me started on the 120GB add-on for $179. I recently purchased a 750GB Western Digital MyBook for the same price. Unacceptable.
Speaking of skimping on hardware to save a couple bucks, how much does a 802.11g chip cost? I guess it doesn't matter, because Microsoft is more than happy to sell you an adapter for $100. It is a shame that they are allowed to get away with overcharging for a feature that should naturally be built in. Even the Nintendo Wii has an internal wireless networking card! Also on the topic, how crummy is it that Microsoft is using a proprietary RF technology for their controllers? Way to crush innovation and not let any third party developers create their own game pads without having to pay outrageous royalties. Heaven forbid the consumers should be allowed a choice. The XBOX 360 has built-in Bluetooth, so that means that we can pair up our Bluetooth keyboards and headsets right? Of course not. You are, however, more than welcome to use a Microsoft branded peripheral; as long as it was developed for the 360.
How about the XBOX 360's redeeming quality, the online aspect? Sure the online gaming experience is better implemented and nicely polished on the 360, but the Sony engineers are not sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Multiplayer gaming will only get better on the PS3, and if Sony ever goes live with their PS Home online network, it's a wrap. Sure, you can purchase a wide selection movies and TV shows on the 360, but the interface clearly pales in comparison to what Apple offers with iTunes and the AppleTV. I won't even get into the whole HD DVD fiasco...
I don't know about you, but I absolutely refuse to purchase anything that requires points. We already have a currency system, let's not make it more complicated than it needs to be. Microsoft is clearly resorting to a method similar to when you buy tickets at a carnival. The concept is designed to always leave you with a leftover balance, so that you are tempted to purchase more points, or take a loss. It also creates a sense of confusion for the consumer, since it is difficult to calculate the dollars-to-points ratio. Why exactly do we tolerate this?
It is pretty clear that the only reason the XBOX 360 is even considered relevant in the gaming world is because of the year head start that Microsoft had over Sony and Nintendo. That year long head start also comes with it's own consequences. The system was admittingly rushed out to consumers, leading to a faulty product that crashes if you look at it funny. Microsoft has since been playing catch up, and has to spend a lot of time and money being reactive, instead of proactive. When this happens, innovation tends to get stifled, and the consumers are the ones that suffer. Thankfully, Microsoft is not a monopoly when it comes to the gaming industry, and they will not be invulnerable to defeat.
