Top 10 Moves to Put 360 Back on Top
Sales have been slumping for months. We offer up some ways to change that.
by IGN Xbox 360 Team
September 3, 2008 - Microsoft came out of the gate swinging, the first console manufacturer to release a HD capable gaming system. With a year on the market all by itself, the Xbox 360 built a massive lead while Microsoft touted all sorts of statistics about record console sales and attach rates. Then the Wii came out and made the Xbox 360 its sales bitch. Now the PS3, decried by many as bloated and overpriced, has begun to outsell it as well. What's a Microsoft exec to do? After today's announcement of a price drop in the US, we're here to offer up some more suggestions.
10: Price Drop (Done…sort of)
Today, Microsoft announced that it would be dropping the price of all three versions of the Xbox 360 console. The Arcade unit now clocks in at a svelte $199 in the US, cheaper than the rival Wii. The Elite, however, stands at $399. While having a console cheaper than the Wii is certainly attractive to soccer moms and those looking for a cheaper holiday present, gamers know that the Arcade unit doesn't come with a hard drive. In other words, if you want to take advantage of what the Xbox 360 has to offer through Xbox Live, you'll need to buy one of the more expensive models. Unless the cost of gas magically drops before this holiday season, those Xbox 360s with hard drives are still going to look mighty expensive to consumers.
9: Accessory Price Drop
Have you ever tried to go buy a wireless network adaptor or a new hard drive for your Xbox 360? It's highway robbery. You can expect to pay $100 for a wireless adapter or $150 for a 120 GB hard drive if you buy an Arcade unit and want to upgrade your system a bit. Sure, these prices will only piss off every single person that buys an Xbox 360…who in turn will complain to their friends. Microsoft can't seriously expect people to get excited about gaming when a hard drive costs almost as much as two new games. Or maybe they do. That needs to change.
8: Adopt Blu-ray
The HD-DVD drive was a nice thought straight up until Blu-ray swept it off the market. Now the PlayStation 3 is sitting by itself as the only console that can play HD movies. You can rent them through Xbox Live to download, but these compressed versions pale in comparison to what Blu-ray can do. With the PS3 and Xbox 360 offering up largely the same third-party line-ups these days, Blu-ray can easily be the deciding factor between the two. Push a Blu-ray add-on out the door and add another checkmark to your marketing list.
7: Redesign the 360
This one may simply combine the previous few entries on this list, but bear with us. The value of the Xbox 360 Elite is simply not there. It now costs twice as much as the Xbox 360 Arcade, but only offers HDMI, a wireless controller and a 120 GB hard drive to justify that price increase. It's time to make the Elite truly worthy of its name. Add a built-in wireless network adapter. Add a Blu-ray player. Add a slot loading disc drive. Make the console smaller. Give people a reason to pay more money.
6: Play Up Netflix
The Netflix announcement was one of the biggest of E3. If you haven't heard, you're going to be able to stream Netflix movies through your Xbox 360 to your living room television after a system update this fall. Microsoft made a brilliant move here, but there's room for them to capitalize on it. Get the Netflix service running ASAP and give people a free trial month when they sign up for Xbox Live gold. Then advertise the heck out of this deal.
5: Give Us a Casual Friendly Controller
No, the Big Button Pad doesn't count. Dual analog controllers are a great all-purpose solution, but those who haven't grown up gaming often have trouble wrapping their heads around it. Go ahead and ask your aunt to play Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. It may be funny to you watching them die in just a few seconds before you display your superiority, but that's as simple as games get and new players often struggle with it. A motion controller might not be the solution, or it might be. Either way something basic for people to get into simple Arcade games will help Microsoft expand its user base in ways that Viva Piñata, as good as it may be, or avatars could never hope to.
4: Revamp the Marketing
Have you seen a commercial for Xbox 360 lately? We've seen plenty where Microsoft has tried to make you associate popular games like Rock Band or Guitar Hero with the console by flashing a 360 logo on the end of an advertisement they've subsidized, but it's been a while since we've seen any that Microsoft has put together itself. The last time any of us saw something advertising Xbox 360 itself was at a San Jose Earthquakes MLS game. Not exactly high profile. Nintendo ads are everywhere. Sony ads are shoved into every nook Nintendo leaves open. Word of mouth is not enough.
3: Free Pack-in Game
Everybody loves free stuff. They also love playing their consoles as soon as they get them. A free pack-in promotion for the holidays will rally both parents looking for a gift and the more common gamer. Toss in Halo 3 for free and you've got yourself a promotion that might even grab some media attention just as the peak buying season begins. Or, if MS is looking to attract those non-Halo gamers, a Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts pack-in would do just fine. Microsoft has already shown that it is willing to sacrifice some money to attract consumers with that one.
2: Make Xbox Live Free
Xbox Live is Microsoft's ace in the hole, but for how long? The PlayStation Network has been gaining speed with trophies and a more stable --and free -- online playing field. Games for Windows Live went free after Microsoft recognized that it couldn't attract PC gamers with fees for playing online. Well, guess what? You can't attract non-hardcore gamers on Xbox 360 by asking them to pay to play online. Make what constitutes Xbox Live Gold free and add some new bonuses to those that are willing to pay. Things like Netflix, free XNA games, or early access to betas would be nice bonuses to paying members, but playing online needs to be free.
1:More Halos
It's time to take a hint from Nintendo. Though only one true Mario game comes out every few years, games with Mario in them are in no short supply. It's the mascot that defines what Nintendo is and pervades everything the system does. Halo has been an undeniable success for Microsoft. Why not capitalize on it? Halo Wars is a good start, but why haven't we ever seen anything on Peter Jackson's Halo project? Why are the rumors of the next Halo first-person shooter pointing at it coming with the next Xbox console? Diversifying your library is nice, but Master Chief has already penetrated the mass market. Build on what works rather than trying to lay a new foundation.
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