When will Microsoft learn?

[M3talhead]

From Techspot.som

New royalty program for next generation Xbox
by Derek Sooman on Thu 11 Aug 2005, 06:25 AM

 Microsoft is to introduce a new royalty program for the next generation Xbox that will only permit accessory makers that get Microsoft's blessing to produce Xbox 360 game pads, steering wheels, joysticks and other controllers. How to get that blessing? By forking over a slice of their sales to Microsoft.

Microsoft wants only authorized products connect to the new console, and this is the best way the software giant can think to facilitate this. The company is to create a security mechanism that will be available exclusively to those who sign a deal with the Microsoft. What is this all about? Well, Microsoft seems intent on making a profit with the new Xbox, something that did not happen with the previous incarnation of the console.

"Microsoft has made it very clear that it's all about profitability" with this generation of console, IDC analyst Schelley Olhava said. "Maybe this is a way they are looking to make additional revenue off of the Xbox."

I give Microsoft 2 weeks before that accessory key is cracked and Lik-Sang has 3rd party controllers on the market For XB360.......

[iwillfearnoevil]

I give Microsoft 2 weeks before that accessory key is cracked and Lik-Sang has 3rd party controllers on the market For XB360.......

maybe so but i have a feeling that retail purchases of accessories dwarf lik-sang's sales.

[daveg2000]

Cant wait for XBox 360!!! whoohoo!!!

Cant wait for ANY of the new systems!!!

[USSEnterprise]

I'm holding out for PS3

[daveg2000]

So am I - I dont believe in standing behind just one manufacturer 100% -

There are fun games on every system to play.

People that stick behind one system and bash all the rest just
dont know how to get the most out of life, correct?

So, to stay on topic... yes, microsoft will do anything to make
money, but I will support 'em anyway.

They got me.. hook line and sinker 

[DaveMMR]

From Techspot.som

New royalty program for next generation Xbox
by Derek Sooman on Thu 11 Aug 2005, 06:25 AM

 Microsoft is to introduce a new royalty program for the next generation Xbox that will only permit accessory makers that get Microsoft's blessing to produce Xbox 360 game pads, steering wheels, joysticks and other controllers. How to get that blessing? By forking over a slice of their sales to Microsoft.

Microsoft wants only authorized products connect to the new console, and this is the best way the software giant can think to facilitate this. The company is to create a security mechanism that will be available exclusively to those who sign a deal with the Microsoft. What is this all about? Well, Microsoft seems intent on making a profit with the new Xbox, something that did not happen with the previous incarnation of the console.

"Microsoft has made it very clear that it's all about profitability" with this generation of console, IDC analyst Schelley Olhava said. "Maybe this is a way they are looking to make additional revenue off of the Xbox."

I give Microsoft 2 weeks before that accessory key is cracked and Lik-Sang has 3rd party controllers on the market For XB360.......

How is this different from the way Nintendo was doing business back in the 80s? 

[ChadTower]

Easily different, Nintendo had no competition.

[DaveMMR]

Easily different, Nintendo had no competition.

Sega Master System and Sega Genesis.  Lesser competitors included the Atari 7800, Turbografx 16 and home computers.

Nintendo had competitors, they were just shrewd and successful so it seems like they were the only game in town.

[missioncontrol]

Nintendo had competitors

you can't compete against a plumber trying to save a princess 

[Crazy Cooter]

I don't care anyhow.  I don't like consoles.  The last one I bought was the NES, the last one a member of my family bought was the SNES.  I've played the others, but would never buy one.  There's only a couple games I like that don't have an equivilent on the PC.  I just like how PC games allow customizing more stuff than consoles.  It gets more milage that way.  I think MS is making a poor decision because of that.  For example, who is going to buy a lightgun game if the lightgun blows chunks?  It wouldn't matter how good the game was, the controller would turn people off of the whole experience.

We are the perfect people to discuss how the "right" controller makes or breaks a game.

[DaveMMR]

Just buy a different controller...

[daveg2000]

I don't care anyhow.

[CCM]

I don't care anyhow.  I don't like consoles.  The last one I bought was the NES, the last one a member of my family bought was the SNES.  I've played the others, but would never buy one.  There's only a couple games I like that don't have an equivilent on the PC.  I just like how PC games allow customizing more stuff than consoles.  It gets more milage that way.  I think MS is making a poor decision because of that.  For example, who is going to buy a lightgun game if the lightgun blows chunks?  It wouldn't matter how good the game was, the controller would turn people off of the whole experience.

We are the perfect people to discuss how the "right" controller makes or breaks a game.

Sega Dreamcast had it all (for its time)
Good controllers (you cant beat the VMUs)
and good games,
and good Guns, and good Fishing controllers, etc....
and look what happened to that system.. it went to the pooper.

Consoles are great because they last a long time without having to
'upgrade' to keep playing the games on it. 
That is the PC's downfall.

But you are right about more customizable games on the PC....

Each type of game (Racing, Fighting, Shooting, Puzzle, Strategy, RPG, etc...)
has its own preferred system to play it on.. some on PCs, some one GameSystems, etc)
that is why one should embrace EVERYTHING from PCs to ALL consoles.
there is GOOD in everything.

I have to agree the Dreramcast was a great system, I still play mine quite often.  The Dreamcast was the topic of the show Icons on G4 TV last night, it was pretty interesting.

I'll probably wait for the PS3, I've played an XBOX a few times, and while it is a great console, I've always been a Playstation guy.  Plus I don't have the time or money to play/buy multiple consoles.

[AceTKK]

Oh heck yea, the dreamcast was awesome.  It was the best $200 I spent during my whole college career.  Why do you guys think it was a failure?  I'm guessing that it was under-marketed (every frat-house on campus had a playstation for Madden; nobody had ever heard of the DC) and also that piracy was so easy and so rampant. 

-Ace-

[daveg2000]

Why do you guys think it was a failure?

[geomartin]

Why do you guys think it was a failure?

[DaveMMR]

...also, the Dreamcast had bad timing.  It was released in between hardware generations.  The Dreamcast was late to the N64/PS party but technically inferior by the time PS2/XBOX/GC came along. 

And those VMUs were a pain to find - but I wouldn't cite that as a reason for it's failure.

[RayB]

Nintendo had competitors, they were just shrewd and successful so it seems like they were the only game in town.

Part of Nintendo's publisher licensing contract included a rule that you could not publish for the competition. How's that for ensuring dominance?

[DaveMMR]

Nintendo had competitors, they were just shrewd and successful so it seems like they were the only game in town.

Part of Nintendo's publisher licensing contract included a rule that you could not publish for the competition. How's that for ensuring dominance?

It's funny:  up until maybe around 1992 or 1993 (figure around the time Mortal Kombat was released for every single system simulataneously), gamers were reminiscing about the goold ole days when a popular video game was usually offered for each system without a short time of each other, instead of the then current practice of all games being on one system only. 

Yeah, at the height of Ninetendo's reign of terror (and fun), they required licensees to limit releases to five per  year (which is why some companies had a second lable - such as Ultra and LJN for Konami and Acclaim respectively) and said games couldn't appear on another system for two years.  It led to some bad blood down the line, a few lawsuits (especially the ole Tengen [Atari] and Nintendo battles) and an investigation into their business practices (which was settled by having them send customers $5 coupons).

Nowadays, most of the third party games you want to play are going to be released for the system you own -- unless it happens to be a Nintendo Gamecube.  Karma works in funny ways I suppose.

[shmokes]

The Dreamcast failure is pretty bizarre and sad.  IIRC it had the most successful launch of any console to date.  But after that it just fizzled, in spite of consistently pumping out great games and great peripherals.

[Stingray]

The Dreamcast is the only console of it's generation (and I'm placing it in the N64/ PSX generation for the sake of this argument) that remains hooked up all the time in my game room and still gets constant use. Since I started playing NES emus on it, it's pretty much replaced my NES as well. Three systems that I always have hooked up: PS2, DC, VCS. The others just get hooked up for a few days and then  put away again.

Okay, well the Vectrex is always hooked up, but since all it actually has to be connected to is power, that one doesn't really count.

-S