The fight for Christmas begins: Xbox 360 Vs PS3

The biggest rivalry in gaming hardware is between Microsoft and Sony, with the Xbox 30 up against the PlayStation 3. Now, the Xbox 360 was in the market a whole year earlier than the PlayStation 3 and they were incredibly astute at marketing the console. They learned a lot of lessons from the original Xbox, but one thing they didn’t forget was how to scrap when it mattered the most. According to news recently release by the guys and gals at Xbox, the Xbox 360 experienced what it called “record-breaking consoles sales” during the Thanksgiving weekend I the US with an estimated 25 per cent increase in sales from the previous year.

This is significant, because the guys at PlayStation have been chasing Xbox for a while now and for all intense and purposes, it seems that the Xbox team is beating them at their own game. The PlayStation 2 was still in the market when the Xbox 360 was released and was hands-down the most popular console in the market, shifting some serious numbers and well and truly beating Xbox 360. Now, admiittadly, the PlayStation2 was significantly cheaper, had a larger install base and a greater number of titles, but isn’t that what’s happened here? The Xbox 360 is now in line with the Wii over here in Australia and has a great install base and a raft of titles, people know and understand the Xbox 360, therefore will they be more comfortable buying in to it as the prices get lower and the number of titles increase?

The other great thing that Microsoft did with the 360 is that they built it with add-ons in mind and to some extent, followed the iPod model with new models like the Elite. Therefore, they have a “fresh” console on the market on an almost regular basis. But what about the PS3? They have blu-ray, the legacy of the PS1 and the PS2. All of this is true, but the old exclusive franchises that they used to have are no more and although they’re a lot of hope and hype surrounding Sackboy, will he deliver? The could-be-killer-blow for PlayStation was that the Xbox 360 was released first and has had acres of ground to get to a pretty commanding lead. But, you can never underestimate the guys at PlayStation, they have been redefining the gaming genre for decades and will surely be taking the fight back at Xbox 360. The DVD market is likely to move on next year and with an in-built blu-ray player, will the PS3 steal some ground?

MyTake – So many questions. It’s a tough one to call this, you have to wonder how far off the next generations of consoles is and just who will get the first the get one in to market. One thing’s for sure, if it’s Microsoft, you have to think that it won’t look good for PlayStation. On the flip side, all you need is one killer franchise for PlayStation and the whole thing could get flipped on it head. It’s a cliché, but the ultimate winner is the consumer. Get out there and get gaming.

Ad wars - Mac Vs PC continues

These are the times when it's great to sit back and be a consumer. I posted a while ago on the new Microsoft PC adverts, which I think are really cool, and also on the South Park take-offs, which are cool in their own unique way. Now, here's the latest from from Mac camp.

Interesting that this is all happening around the PDC and Microsoft showing off Windows 7 and Azure. As Microsoft prepare to take on Google with cloud computing, Apple is busy highlighting the perceived shortcomings of Vista. Is this a war of two fronts that Microsoft might end up losing? Nope, but it's entertaining.

MyTake - The current economic climate is going to force a much harder game from marketeers where the focus is going to be on product, product and product. More specifically, why your product is better than your competitors and what their product is doing wrong. In the end, the consumer will be in quite a good spot, but then again, so will companies that have strong products.

The Digital natives are coming to a corner near you

For those that regularly read my blog, you'll know that my soapbox is technology and families, especially parents getting involved with their kids online lives. I think that it's hugely important that we as parents get involved with our kids lives and as these are becoming increasingly integrated with technology and the web, we need to go and "play" there so to speak.

For some of us, it's not a problem, because we work in the digital space or have a love of all things tech, but for others it's a little harder. So, thanks go to Microsoft for launching Kid's Corner, a new online destination for both parents and kids. Your can read more about it on Frank Arrigo's blog, which is where I heard about it.

MyTake - Read Frank's post on this, because he's hit the nail on the head. Our kids are "Digital natives" and get this anyway, they need our encouragement and support. WE need to remain relevant to them and do our jobs as parents. Make sure you check out some of the links on Frank's post as they're pretty good examples of how we parents can interact with our digital natives! 

I'm a PC....and me...and me....and me

My Apple obsessed brother will probably kill me for putting this on my blog, but I actually think it’s a really great advert. I have to admit, I actually liked the Jerry Seinfeld adverts as well, though I appear to be the only one that does. 

 

I think Microsoft has done the right thing by focusing on the diversity of their audience. For all the criticism we throw at them, they have revolutionised they way we work, live and play and I think that this advert demonstrates that in more ways than one. 

MyTake – I think the Apple boys are probably sitting there thinking “bring it on”, because this is what they (Apple) do best. In all honesty, I don’t think that Apple will get drawn in to a war of adverts, I think they’ll probably change their creative, but also lift the bar at the same time. Microsoft have struggled when it comes to marketing, especially on the advertising side, which is interesting considering the PR side of Microsoft is very well run compared to that of Apple. But - Microsoft, pat on the back, it’s a good advert.

The Digital Campfire at Outside Lands

At Microsoft, there is a lady by the name of Laura User and she has the job title “Digital innovation manager” and she gets to do some pretty cool stuff. The most recent being something called CrowdFire. The idea is basically this: integrate social networking and technology into a music concert, add the fans and stick the whole thing in a tent. What you get is a central place where concert goers can share photos and videos via social networks, see highlights of the concert, get to the front of the stage without actually being there thanks to live streaming. If that wasn’t enough, Rock God wannabes can try their hand at Rock Band!

Connecting the dots for you, the name CrowdFire comes from the concept of having a “digital campfire” built by the crowd in the middle of the concert. The results of this first effort at San Francisco’s Outside Lands music festival showed that around 100,000 concert goers decided to get involved with the resulting content streamed to TV screens around the concert an online

MyTake – What a great job to have, I think I have to add the word innovation to my job title. This kind of activity just goes to show that social networking is integrated into most of our lives, even areas that we wouldn’t have thought it would be. What was that quote from that movie…"If you build it they will come”…. Well, that’s pretty much what happened, people wanted the facilities and Microsoft gave it to them. I think we are going to be seeing more initiatives like this, but where next – live sport?

Six appeal

Doesn’t this have something to do with Kevin Bacon? Maybe not. A new study by the boys and gals at Microsoft that took at look at over 30 billion instant messages sent in one month during 2006 seems to back up the theory that it takes only six steps to link everyone.

The study found that on average any two people can be linked by seven or less friends. The six theory had been dismissed in recent years as nothing more than an urban myth, but this new research gives it fresh life – could it be so?

MyTake: Ever heard the saying it’s not what you know, it’s who you know? Well, that could be more relevant than you think. The world is increasingly becoming a more connected place with more and more of us jumping online and talking to each other. With such a huge “lab” in which to test the theory, I think the guys at Microsoft might just be on the money with this one.

Wii wanna play too

I 've been a bit slow on the uptake on this on - but better late than never. Apparently, Microsoft is developing its own version of the Wiimote controller for the Xbox 360. It's just rumour and speculation at the moment - but it's exciting to think that the console that was supposed to be lagging miles behind in this generation race is now influencing the likes of Microsoft. But - should we really been surprised? Out of all the consoles, they have the most experience and despite the technical leaps made by Xbox and Playstation, Wii is the console of choice.

Back to the Xbox 360 Wiimote, the aim to go bigger and better with reports that features could include an analog stick, a microphone, four face buttons and there is even talk of some kind of inclusion of the Xbox Live Vision Cam.

MyTake - Every now and then, something truly awesome happens in the gaming industry - the Dance Mat, the EyeToy - that changes he way we game. The Wiimote did just hat and more. Admittedly, Microsoft have very rarely been the innovative first to market type, but when they do get on board, take-up is pretty certain to be phenomenal

What the future holds?

An awesome piece of future punting from the BBC based on a Microsoft-backed report. According the article, in 2020 we'll be more integrated with computers and terms like "interface" and "user" will be obsolete.

So what do they reckon the future holds - no more keyboard and mouse as there will be a more sophisticated interface. In addition, computers could be embedded in our clothes and even our bodies. Well worth a read, check it out here

Are you talking to me?

Speech recognition technology has been around for a long time, in its early days it frustrated the hell out of a lot of people who generally gave up on it after one try. But, according the Microsoft boss Bill Gates, we’re going to be increasingly interacting with our computers using touch screens or speech. One of the big bets for the boys at Microsoft, they reckon in five years more interest searches will be done through speech rather than through typing.

MyTake – We need a leap like this to kick-start a new era in personal computing. I think that the humble PC has developed very little when it comes to the basics – keyboard, screen etc… and just like the their brothers in the automotive industry, the computer giants are going to have to innovate to stay ahead. The funny thing is that touch screen and speech recognition technology have been around for a while now, but we the consumer have been reluctant to embrace it, which I think comes down to a trust issue – “Did I really put that book in by online shopping basket by doing that?”, “What if it misunderstands me and transfers $100,000 instead of $100”. But just like all the other things we’ve gotten used to, we’ll get used to this.

And the winner is....

It's the bedrock of the gaming industry and it seems still the most popular - long live the FPS. In recently released figures from GFK, the most popular game of 2007 was Activision's Call of Duty 4. Accroding to figures from Activision, it has sold more than seven million copies since its launch. A special nod to the remarkable Halo 3, a fantastic end to one of the most successful gaming franchises, which earned more than £84m ($170m) in sales in its first 24 hours on release, according to Microsoft.

My take - I have played the COD series since the beginning and it's a great concept. The real trick here is cross platform - the more consoles you get it on, the more you sell. But that's not to take away from the achievement - keeping the concept so fresh after so long is amazing.

Gaming the new music classroom

Just read this from the IG CES report:

Gamers were well represented from the start of the show, with Slash rocking out live on Guitar Hero during the CES Pre-Show. Mixing the fun of that wildly successful game with a little education, Guitar Wizard promises to make your skills proper. Combining Guitar Hero maneuvers with real guitar strings, it will help you progress to true rock star status.

In my opinion, games like these are the way to mass market appeal. Being able to get involved with something "real" is hugely appealing and helps to dispel the image that gaming is for geeks in dark rooms

Check out the Slash video here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljiiy5BCQKA