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re: Grand Theft Auto IV nets $500 million in one week

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:19:36 GMT

Chart Tracker is reporting that 55% of GTA IV sales belong to the Xbox 360. The remaining 45% of sales belong to the Playstation 3. The big loser here is Nintendo whose violence restrictions have hurt its sales AGAIN. Does anyone remember Mortal Kombat on the SNES with no blood? No wonder Genesis sales were so good. $500,000,000.00 is something both Sony and Microsoft are laughing it up all the way to the bank.

This is why Nintendo and its Wii console will fail. Nintendo cannot afford to blow off the adult side of the video game industry. With MS and Sony working on motion controls and better family friendly games, the competition will adapt to the Wii. No matter how good Mario Kart Wii does, it just got blown away by Niko and GTA IV. I've heard that Wii game sales drop off 90 percent after the first week. I'm sure GTA will stay strong in sales well after the first week.

Nobody is disputing the fun factor of the Wii. Its just that when a console caters to one section of the industry, the rest will give the customer what it wants. I'm sorry, but I can only play so much Wii sports, DBZ 3, and Super Mario Brothers before I want something more relavent. I think Nintendo needs to grow up and join the rest of the industry.

re: Microsoft Gears Up to Release Xbox 360 with New Chips

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:07:26 GMT

Anyone who has ever worked in the gaming industry retail side will tell you, the money is NOT in the consoles but in the software being sold. Thats why MS held the rights to DOS, Windows, Office, and every other piece of software it developed. The Wii did sell twenty million units. But that is a one time sell. What happens when it reaches market saturation? Then Nintendo will need software sales of games to sell its products. Since the numbers I've read say the Xbox 360 sales rate 4 to every 1 Wii game, Nintendo could be in big trouble when the Wii reaches the saturation point.

My brother has let me borrow his Wii because honestly he doesn't play it anymore. Right now MS is killing Nintendo with game sales. MS has always known where the money is to be made. I do agree with Lindy's comments that Nintendo is deliberately keeping supplies tight. I don't buy any manufacturing issues when it has historically been able to crank out consoles in the past. I think the refresh of the 360 console will bring its console sales back up. The big thing that will put MS over the top is a Blu-Ray add-on or specialty integrated unit.

Most reviewers have even haled the 360 as a better media unit. I think it comes down to a gimmick vs actual performance features. Wii may be a fun system, that I do not dispute. However, being able to do more than just game is the growing evolution of modern consoles. This is where the Wii falls short because you don't have the same options as a PS3 and Xbox 360. I think once the hype around Wii finally settles down, the 360 and PS3 will trample over it.

Game changer or not, I think Nintendo is in trouble. If Wii games are outsold 4 to 1 or 7 to 1 and you are the head of GameStop/EB games, Walmart, Target, etc.... Which games will you promote harder?

re: Windows Vista tip of the week: Make UAC less annoying

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:55:25 GMT

Good tip, but I think this is one of those Vista issues blown way out of proportion. Its only for the umpteenth time, ONE CLICK. Its such a non issue for me. You guys act like its 20 clicks and your passworld. Just leave the UAC on and deal with the one click.

re: Google Friend Connect

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:53:55 GMT

I'm going to wait and see on this one. Could it be a game changer? Not if other companies lock out Google friend connect from interact in any way with their service.

I honestly see Apple, MS, Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and others locking out this function from the interaction. That could kill it in a cold minute.

re: Zune Eats Creative's Meager Lunch, Grabbing 4 Percent of MP3 Player Market

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:52:02 GMT

I'm split on this issues. Comparing Macs to Zune isn't Apple's to Oranges. (I apologize for the pun.) However, lets be fair. The Zune at its current stage is still way behind the iPod. But it does speak to a larger issue. How come Apple has not sealed the deal with the larger segment of the computing industry or consumers? How many more years before Apple makes it to 10 percent? Another 20 years?

Just because the Zune is making slow progress doesn't necessarily mean its dead. Sometime the old adage, slow and steady wins the race would be appropriate here. Apple didn't just grab the number one spot over night, it took awhile to get there. However, I will agree that Microsoft's execution of Zune has been horrible. There is a lot MS can do to get Zune in demand. But its also been a failure not to launch in as many markets as possible.

re: HBO heads to iTunes

lotsamystuff — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:48:13 GMT

If I should find it within myself to desire viewing such a most f***ing excellent f***ing television show such as "Deadwood" I shall certainly and with all due diligence explore all available f***ing options that are presented to me by such wonderful c***s***ing outlets such as NetFlix, the iTunes Music Store and even such motherf***ing places as Amazon, because as the most f***ing excellent Paul Thurrott has advised you novices in these matters, Deadwood is indeed an exceedingly worthy f***ing show that all you c***ks***ing ba***ards should f***ing watch, pursuing such an activity as a remedy for your f***ing ignorance in these matters.

re: Live Search gets a makeover

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:30:36 GMT

Okay, I'm going to have to disagree here. Instead of mirroring Google, how about something original? It really isn't offering something different than what Google offers. Thats why I keep my home page moored at Yahoo. Yahoo gives me what I want in a home page and isn't as boring as the Google page.

re: HBO heads to iTunes

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:28:55 GMT

Why can't any of these content providers on iTunes ever get it right. I'm not sure if its Apple or the content providers, but HBO and Paramount has the same problem. If you going to provide episodes, get them out to the stores quickly. Whats the point of the announcements when what you want isn't available?

There are plenty of season ones available on iTunes but what about the rest of the series? We're paying good money, a little expedition of service would be nice here.

I'm not knocking HBO for the extra price tier. Their shows are much better than anything on NBC. Why pay more for crap? Seinfeld was not funny and I'd laugh at anyone paying a lot for that show. Friends? Yawn. The only thing NBC has going for it was Law and Order franchise.

I'd pay HBO/iTunes $2.99 for quality content. Thats still pretty reasonable compared to whole season DVD prices.

re: Free designer templates for Office 2007

lotsamystuff — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:21:29 GMT

"MS tapped advertising and design firm Bradley & Montgomery for the creation of designer templates..."

Oops. Should have read the whole article first instead of skimming it and checking the link.

Anyway, they do look good.

re: Free designer templates for Office 2007

lotsamystuff — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:20:29 GMT

I always liked the templates MS provided; I'm still using one of their invoicing templates from waaaaay back.

At any rate, free is always good and these aren't horrible. Microsoft must have hired some actual designers. Bravo!

re: Smart phone numbers

subzerohitman721 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:20:02 GMT

I personally don't the vast majority of any of the implementations of smartphones for non-business users. The web browsers are crap, you can't really download anything, and the storage chips are ridiculous inadequite. How hard is it to add a USB port so you can plug in your thumb drive? Especially, if you need something off the web and the only source you have in certain situations is your mobile phone?

Now I'm not talking about business smartphones. Most of those gadgets are pretty useful. I'm just talking about walking into any cell phone provider and getting better functionality. Cause the majority of the ones I got offered were not smartphones or you had to buy an expensive business package.

It would be nice if we had more of the iPhone's implementation of the web on phones. I know it would require some work, but the phones we have are useless. Some of you will argue, well its a cell phone first. I think in today's market, being a cell phone isn't enough anymore. Bigger screens, music storage, photo options, and other ideas are part of the modern usage.

I know this goes a little off topic, but if Microsoft wants to capture marketshare, they need to address these issues. Work on their browser and its treatment of the web would be essential. The idea that we need a mobile version of the web has been blown away by the iPhone.

re: Smart phone numbers

lotsamystuff — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:18:04 GMT

Who are you and what have you done with Paul? ;-)

Guess you woke up smarter. I think you just gave "Waethorn" a coronary.

re: Zune Eats Creative's Meager Lunch, Grabbing 4 Percent of MP3 Player Market

Dude1313 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:05:06 GMT

Ahh another Waethorn gem-

I'll take the the "single digit market share improvements" of the Mac (and the assocaited profits) over the "single digit market share improvements" of the Zune.

That is the point that Paul and his Jihad about market share avoids, time and time again.

re: HBO heads to iTunes

tayme — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:44:00 GMT

So, jp...now there is no reason for you to get your missed HBO episodes illegally...

--tayme

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