Has XBox lost its competitive edge?

[CableKC]

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge XBox fan and not some PS2 troll roaming XBox forums.

I think that when Xbox started out.....Microsoft had a real opportunity to take away a significant share of the market from PS2. With clear advantages on the hardware level ( built in HD and NIC Card, far superior graphics card, more robust components actually built in the 21st century, and the eventual addition of XBox Live ), I would think that it would be able to close the gap significantly by now.

However, with the addition of the PS2 Hard drive, increased online play for many of the PS2 games ( like Final Fantasy, SOCOM and the EA Sports games ), and the market share that the PS2 has with its game library ( many popular games that are exclusive to the PS2 ); I think that Xbox has lost its competitive edge.

No longer can XBox say that it is the only console game that boasts an online community. No longer can Xbox say that it is the only console with a Hard drive to allow for downloads.

Now....the only clear advantage that the XBox has over the PS2 is superior hardware and graphics. You would think that this would provide XBox an advantage in creating far superior games over the last couple of years.......but how many truly standout games have come out on the XBox compared to the PS2? Halo? KOTOR? what else?

Don't get me wrong....this is not to say that it hasn't made great strides and hasn't closed the market share gap between PS2 and XBox. I would say that the XBox has made the biggest impact of any console system against PS2.

Just my thoughts.......

[CRAYMAN]

Well for one thing, xbox is a better value as it has everything "preloaded".
And secondly, xbox definitely has a greater library of (current)A++ titles.
Thirdly, their online package is better.
Finally, most games that are released for the PS2, are also released on the Xbox but are enhanced.

***How could you fail to mention Ninja Gaiden, PGR2 and Pandora Tomorrow???***

[SnoochyBoochy]

xbox is the bomb.
but i'd buy a ps2 if the price dropped a little more. maybe... erm.. well maybe not. i'd rather buy booze

[Xorg]

The fact that not every ps2 has a harddrive, not every game has harddrive support

[SnoochyBoochy]

couldnt you just save ur games on the hard drive instead of the memory card now?

[Xorg]

couldnt you just save ur games on the hard drive instead of the memory card now?

What I meant for harddrive support is that not every ps2 has a harddrive so not every game will support it by making game saves bigger than the memory card size i.e. KOTOR game save wont fit in a memory card

[Ninjermy]

yes some of that may be true about XBOX loosing its edge, but still XBOX is the top-of-the-line console system out. the graphics are speed are way above PS2 and XBL is great. dont forget XBOX was first to have the harddrive and XBL. PS2 had to just keep up with microsoft.
basically my point is xbox is still the greatest console system out there

[Slowride]

No, Xbox hasn't lost it's competitive edge for reasons mentioned by crayman. Worst. Thread. Ever.

[TheWheelMan]

And just wait until xbox 2 is out its ganna rock ps3 and whatever the **** nintendo is doing i really dont care lol ive never owned a nintendo product other then a gameboy and i never intend to buy another nintendo product sooo stick that in your pipe and smoke it nintendo ill go down to japan and boot **** the head of nintendo

[l Maximus l]

I believe Sony is milking the PS2 for all it's worth. How many peripherals are they going to add to become an XBox? Definately not enough.

1. Memory cards are a thing of the past...so, they add a hard-drive. Did I hear "seperate purchase"? Oh, and if a person doesn't want the hard-drive, $24.99 will allow them to purchase a memory card just so they can save the progress on the games gamers play.

2. 2 available controller ports. There is an added peripheral called a multi-tap that allows PS2 owners to play up to four people. Did I hear "seperate purchase"? Too bad there are only a handful of games on the PS2 that support up to four players...and they pretty much include sports games for the most part. [sarcasm]Honestly, there's nothing worse than being stuck playing a receiver, lineman, or some other position during a game of Madden football while your buddy is having a blast playing quarterback.[/sarcasm]

3. I don't remember the PS2 supporting High Definition...except for a select few games...and certainly not true 5.1 DD SS. For an HDTV owner like me, there's no way I would pick up a PoS2.

4. PS2 has an on-line community? Actually, it doesn't. It's on-line system is sub-par to XBox...by far. This on-line system for PS2 is developer based. It's far more complex than XBox Live to get people together. On-line stats? Forget about that option.

5. What innovative games, again, are there for PS2 that XBox is trying to compete with? With every single game, XBox has a different one that steps up the benchmark higher...and if XBox doesn't have it, it's already in the process of being made. Final Fantasy? Geez...talk about a franchise that can't live up to Final Fantasy XII...they still can't do it. I think Fable is going to blow the socks off of Final Fantasy.

6. And more about games: XBox has better versions of the same game. Ubisoft, for example, develops the same games on the XBox as it does for PS2, however, the XBox versions are far more superior in every way. Rainbow Six: 3, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is likely to head to PS2 as well, but, seriously dummied down simply to maximize the PS2 hardware. All of this and the same price tag for each game.

7. It's also not fair to say that XBox is extremely far behind PS2 regarding sales because PS2 had a 1-year head start. But, look at the games...XBox has nearly as many games as PS2 does...not too shabby.

I mean, I could write a book about this subject...the way I see it is if a true gamer doesn't own an XBox by now, they must be: 1. A complete idiot, 2. Still saving up to purchase an XBox, or 3. A "true gamer" in denial.

Other than that, I would like to mention a few exclusive games on XBox or that are coming to XBox that wouldn't even operate properly on a PS2:

1. Halo
2. Halo 2
3. DOOM 3
4. Half Life 2
5. Ninja Gaiden
6. Fable
7. B.C.
8. Rallisport Challenge 2
9. Dead or Alive: Ultimate
10. Knights of the Old Republic

A PS2 couldn't even operate any of those games due to the fact that it has 1/3 the processor capability, 1/3 the graphical capability, and a lack of a hard-drive (which is required to operate these games).

Just FYI: Please don't think I'm bashing your thread...because I'm not. Though, I will say it's pretty stubborn to say that the XBox has lost it's competetive edge...this is Microsoft we are talking about. MS doesn't give up until it's on top...and it will be. In the meantime, I'll be like every other gamer out there and reap the benefits of the console war.

And, by the way, welcome to XBoxaddict

[SnoochyBoochy]

max, ur my hero.

all i hear from my stupid friends and old boss is... well xbox has like, no games.
ARRRGGGHHHH

[CRAYMAN]

This guy is FOS, no way is he a "huge Xbox fan". He neglects to mention Ninja Gaiden, Pandora Tomorrow, Rainbow 6 3, PGR2, and a slew of other Xbox exclusives that are "system sellers". The only games that have made me *mildly* yearn for a PS2 is the Ratchet & Clank series.

[TheWheelMan]

Is anyone listening to me i said lets rally together and destroy nintendo odelay' odelay' lol

[Duke]

Saying pandora and R6 are xbox exclusives is like saying that the GTA series is PS2 exlusive. EXCEPT WITH WAY LESS EXCLUSIVE TIME.

R6 is already out, and pandora will be.

I wouldn't say that xbox is so much losing it's competitve edge in the current market, it's the next one that is in question. They're more or less shooting for the same target date, which, i think, will nullify a lot of the hardware advantages the xbox has.

Personally, unless something drastically changes, I'll be buying the nextbox, and not the ps3, but who knows.

[CRAYMAN]

Is anyone listening to me i said lets rally together and destroy nintendo odelay' odelay' lol

???Why kick the guy that's down???
Nintendo is a distant third competitor in the Next Gen War.

The PS2 is not even as good a product as the Gamecube. The Gamecube is a good product, but the loyal fan base of the PS2 and their aggressive marketing tactics is keeping Gamecube out of the running.

The only reason Microsoft is even close to the PS2 is due to the fact that they are aggressively marketing as well. Gamecube and Xbox are obviously superior products to the overpriced and outdated PS2, but only Microsoft has been able to weather the storm of Sony due to financial might.

[CRAYMAN]

Saying pandora and R6 are xbox exclusives is like saying that the GTA series is PS2 exlusive. EXCEPT WITH WAY LESS EXCLUSIVE TIME.

I think most people understand that "exclusive" today means "temporarily exclusive" when it comes to third party titles.

And while some third party developers may be able to make some watered down versions of their titles they've developed for the Xbox, many are not even possible due to the constraints of the PS2 system.

I wouldn't say that xbox is so much losing it's competitve edge in the current market, it's the next one that is in question. They're more or less shooting for the same target date, which, i think, will nullify a lot of the hardware advantages the xbox has.

MAYBE the hardware advantages will be gone, but even still, Microsoft has a big jump in on-line gaming and I'm sure they're counting on that to be the difference.

[l Maximus l]

...but only Microsoft has been able to weather the storm of Sony due to financial might.

Though I find it true that Microsoft has deep pockets, it's hardly the only reason why Microsoft has been able to weather the storm of Sony. XBox is a far superior product and XBox Live is nothing short of the best damn on-line forum in console history.

I know of a dude that was so damn anti-XBox that it was pathetic to hear him. On top of his strange convictions, by owning a PS1, he thought that it only made sense to get a PS2 so he could play his old PS1 games. The first question I asked was "Does your PS1 work?" He said "yes". My reply was: "Why don't you just play your PS1 games on your PS1?" He didn't say too much. But, to make a long story short, he ended up buying an XBox because he likes multi-player games (Far more XBox games support more than 2 people, unlike the PS2), he got 2 free games, and didn't have to purchase a memory card just to save the progress of the games he played. To him, what mattered most, in the end, was how much money he was spending. Clearly, the XBox is a much better value...and on top of that, it's a far superior system.

[Trento52]

Actually world wide teh nintendo gamecube is in second place and xbox sort of behind as of i think february. Also ninja gaiden isn't a system seller, it is a hardcore gamers game which i think too many people classify it as. Also gamecube has pitful game sales except for there most known or first party titles. Nintendo doesn't support there third party developers adn i think is losing it's competitive edge but only is competitive for the price it is. I am tempted to get one for resident evil 4 if capcom doesn't go broke from an 89 million dollar loss.

Oh and Maximus you can add a crap load more games to your list that ps2 would blow up or start on fire trying to play like

full spectrum warrior
operation flashpoint
Otogi 2
The chronicals of Rid****
Far Cry
Project gotham racing 2
Jade empire
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Ninja Gaiden
K.O.T.O.R.
mechassault 2
Tron 2.0 killer app
painkiller
Kameo elements of power
Conker live and uncut
theif 3 deadly shadows
True fantasy online

[Duke]

Exactly. Only xbox has weathered the storm? Then why are they in third now?

Xbox is the only system I own and the only one I want to (currently), but you all sound like smilebit singing the praises of nintendo.

[CRAYMAN]

Though I find it true that Microsoft has deep pockets, it's hardly the only reason why Microsoft has been able to weather the storm of Sony. XBox is a far superior product and XBox Live is nothing short of the best damn on-line forum in console history.

Maximus, you keep stating the same things I've already said.
Lay off the booze man