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Are they even working on a successor? You don't hear much about that.

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Weedmonk,

I love that comment, it shows clearly why Microsoft in particular and the computer industry in general puts out such crap.  Why fix our current product when we can build a new one.

The product we have now is a unreliable POS.  We have billions in the bank and have no intention of fixing it, let's just move on to the next generation.

Yeah, it's thinking like that, that led to the downfall of GM.

Regards

Joe Dokes

I have 3 Xbox 360s... Two of which I've sent back and had resurrected due to the Red Ring of Death.  Disappointing yes.  Although I have to admit the return process was very easy and painless.  Funny thing is the 2 that died were primarily acting as Extenders and my primary gaming Xbox is still alive and kicking (which is the one that gets the most use).  Strange.  I really need the sound issue to be resolved cuz the new Linksys Extender is terrible (bought it before I heard Paul's review on Windows Weekly :-(

^ 2 out of 3... not bad ...

I purchased my Xbox 360 in May of 2007 and believe it or not, its still running with no problems. Upon hearing some of the overheating and other technical issues (Thanks Paul.), I bought a supercooling system attachment. Its loud but at least it keeps my 360 running.

I really do hope that MS gets this resolved so I can trade up to one of the newer systems. So far its served me faithfully and its looks AMAZING when you connect it up to a projector. My 360 even held up when we did Halo 3 parties in the fall.

This is one area in which I would absolutely LOVE to see Apple do a video game console. I think there's enough cash to go around the industry for a fourth console. I'm sure that iGame would be one hell of a console. Especially with iPod connect, iTunes store access, Apple TV connect, DVD/Blu-Ray playback, and other options. Perhaps someone should send Steve Jobs a few ideas. Everyone knows any Apple video game console would be highly anticipated. And me a Windows user, would be there cash in hand.

In May/June/July? of 2007 they started putting new heat syncs on the new 360's and on the RROD returns.  To the best of my knowledge those versions have held up.

Prior to then people had multiple returns until the new heat sync.  I bought mine in May of 2006 and it RROD in September of 2007.  It came back with the bigger heat sync.

In September/October of 2007?  They came out with the Falcon models that had a shrunk CPU .65nm, and the new heat sync, plus a smaller power brick 175watts vs 230?  Anyhow none of those have had the RROD either.

This new version is probably aimed at reducing product cost more than combating overheating which is probably not a problem anymore especially after the Falcon models.  These latest ones will allow for more CPU/GPU's per wafer reducing the cost to make a 360.  Plus a die shrink on the GPU will lower power requirements possibly shaving even more cost off components in the PS are of the 360.

Basically this all .65nm version with the quieter DVD drives from BenQ should have been the shipping version of the 360.

"The current-gen Xbox 360 is too loud, too unreliable, and consumes too much electricity, and it's unreal to me that the company hasn't addressed these serious issues in a serious fashion yet."

And yet you wonder why the Wii is the biggest selling console on the planet.

RunTime, yep it's selling well, and hopefully they can sustain sales. But Paul ha a good point that many will have the novelty wear thin. My 14 yr old nephew just gave his Wii to his sisters so that he could get an Xbox 360. The Wii was a xmas present, so it was just 4 months old. He felt that it was too 'childish', but loves his Xbox, although he has only owned it for a month. Of course, even if yoou buy one and then replace it, it's still a sale. My nephew got caught up in the hype as his enjoyment did not last long. he is a very bright kid [from my side of the family].

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@DRWAM - "...although he has only owned it for a month" - That is the problem with kids these days (God, I can't believe I just said that) they have a very short attention span and just keep wanting the newest thing that their frieds think is cool. My daughter is no exception to that rule!!!

--tayme

tayme/RunTimeError

Wii consoles sell well, but the 360 sales more games per month than the PS3 and Wii combined.

My conspiracy theory is that Nintendo purposely keeps Wii console supply tight to hype the demand.  

Seriously looking at the technology in the Wii/360/PS3 and the Wii was built with off the shelf products.  Nothing was cutting edge, like a new GPU/CPU that was clocked high to the point where you were concerned production yields like the PS3/360.  The PS3 could not get enough BluRay diodes and the 360 pushed the initial CPU to the limit of IBM's capability with the 3.2ghz 3 core .90nm CPU.

Why they cant make more Wii's is beyond me.  They should be able to.  They make money on each one, since it came out, something like $100.  I honestly think if they flooded the market they hype would go away as soon as people would see the shelfs full.

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Lindy,

I don't think your correct.  The average Wii stays on the shelf 1 hour before being sold.  Further, my mother-in-law bought a Wii.  I mean really, when you have 70 year old women buying video games it is changing the dynamic.  So I do believe the demand is real.

That being said, I also believe that this casual market is less deep than the gamer market.  That being said, when you out sell your competition 4 to 1, the fact that you sell few games per console is irrelevant.

Regards

Joe Dokes

I dunno Joe. I think Lindy has a point. If demand is high, you can keep the price high, increasing profitability. If more are on the shelves, you may need to lower price, [e.g. iPhone], and the hype of "did you get one yet?" dies down. But I could be wrong. I too think that production should have increased by now.

"the fact that you sell few games per console is irrelevant"  

Um to who?  Games is where the real money is made.  4 million copies of COD4 at $59 in 6 months is pretty dam good.

Heck Gears of War and Halo3 Xbox only games sold way more than any Wii game ever.  The 360 has something like a 7 game attach rate per console.  The Wii is a 1 game attach rate.

Lindy, that was my point on a prior discussion that you must factor profit on game sales as well, but that is if they are sold by the console maker. Sure it is a measure of success as well, but my point was to consider any game profit on the Xbox. However, I am not sure who sells the games.

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Sorry Lindy,

The attach rate for games is lower for the wii than the xbox but it is nowhere near 7:1 that you state.

Actually the Wii's attach rate soared to 8 over the holidays.

arstechnica.com/.../wii-attach-rate-soared-to-81-for-december

Further since Nintendo is making money off of every wii sold it is largely irrelevant if they sell as many games as the xBox.

All that being said, with Mario Kart, Wii Fit, and Rock band coming for the Wii I think that the attach rate will be solid enough.  

Further, when you sell 2, 3, or 4 times as many consoles the attach rate could be 1/2 to 1/4 and you would still make more money.

Regards

Joe Dokes

@joe-dokes

www.xbox360fanboy.com/.../360-attach-rate-now-7-games-per-console

www.cnbc.com/.../22840905

gamer.blorge.com/.../xbox-360-leads-software-attach-rate-even-the-wii-beats-ps3

The 360 makes money per console sold, has since early 2007.  Not as much as the Wii.  The 360 games make more per game.  According to Next Gen Wars, the Wii has sold 21million consoles and the 360 has sold 18 million.

Add in the money made from live membership, and downloadable content, the 360 as horrible as it is hardware wise, is trouncing the Wii as an overall money maker by a big margin.

I actually agree with Paul, out of the 10 or so people I know that have a Wii, 8 say it sits and collects dust and they played it alot for the first 30 days after they got it.  Its not a bad console, and in its target group, young kids and traditionally non-gamers it does well.  That said there is a reason it gets horrible third party support.

I'll use my little cousins as somewhat of a barometer, since they have a Wii.  Once again, it is certainly not a bad console, and it speaks to a certain demo that has been untouched.  But it's untouched for a reason, since that demo uses it for a casual, play at parties console.  They mostly play their DS.

The most telling I think is the release of GTA4.  It sets records, and is only available on the 2nd and 3rd place consoles.