1up makes a comparison of the 360 launch, to that of the Dreamcast.

[gamevet]

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3145154&did=1

Interesting points, but it's really a jab at those who compare the two consoles and are writing the 360 off as a failure to the PS3.

[Drewbacca]

Who's writing off the Xbox? The thing isn't even sold out everywhere. It's PRE-sold out. It's the hot ticket item of the Holiday season this year. I didn't think 360 would be this hot but I was wrong. I fully expect the PS3 to launch next Christmas (I'll believe Spring 2006 when I see it) but by that time the new Xbox will have dropped in price to compete and it'll probably have a new Halo out.

That's probably when I'll move on it... maybe. I'm happy with the current gen games coming out right now.

[gamevet]

Who's writing off the Xbox? The thing isn't even sold out everywhere. It's PRE-sold out. It's the hot ticket item of the Holiday season this year. I didn't think 360 would be this hot but I was wrong. I fully expect the PS3 to launch next Christmas (I'll believe Spring 2006 when I see it) but by that time the new Xbox will have dropped in price to compete and it'll probably have a new Halo out.

That's probably when I'll move on it... maybe. I'm happy with the current gen games coming out right now.

During E3, alot of people were talking shit about the 360's demos being overshadowed by the ones that Sony showed for the PS3. But with the 360 coming out withing the next 10 days, the talk of E3 has died down and the fans have spoken with their wallets. Needless to say, the Dreamcast was met with simular fandom and sold out very quickly during it's launch as well.

You shouldn't take the article from 1up as being serious. It's more of a jab at the gamers who are willing to write off the 360, as a Dreamcast effort from Microsoft in an attempt to beat the competition to market.

* edit * The second line of the thread title should have read mocking.

[SpoDaddy]

There's a HUGE difference between the Dreamcast launch and the Xbox 360 launch. Look past the coincidences and at the important issues. Dreamcast launched with games unlike anything you could play on N64 or PSX like Soul Calibur. Xbox360 doesn't have a single game at launch that makes you say "I need an Xbox 360 so I can get in on games like THAT".

Some of the things on the list of reasons why Xbox360 will succeed where DC failed are laughable:

"DC had tons of amazing games, but didn't have Halo 3. Xbox360 will have Halo 3".

So tons of amazing games aren't as important as the promise of one future amazing game?

"Final Fantasy 8 launched the same day as the Dreamcast. Xbox360 has no competition"

There is FAR more competition in the form of quality releases coming out for current gen systems now than there was in September of 1999. Hell, some of the Xbox 360's launch titles are even coming out on the current systems in almost identical form, when was the last time that ever happened?

"DC wasn't backwards compatible, Xbox 360 is (mostly)"

So DC was hurt by the fact that it couldn't play Saturn games that nobody in the US knew existed? Earlier in the article the failure of the Saturn is pointed to as a problem for the Dreamcast. So Dreamcast was doomed because people saw Saturn as a complete failure and Dreamcast was doomed because people couldn't play their beloved Saturn games on it?

Also, Xbox360 isn't really backwards compatible. If it was a lot more people would be buying it rather than holding onto their Xboxes and taking the wait and see approach.

"Sorry Dreamcast fans, but the system's controller wasn't really that great"

The Xbox controller has been a direct ripoff of the DC controller since day one.

"DC- Former president Bernie Stolar quit right before the system launched, sending a bad sign. Xbox 360- Solid executive team in J Allard, Robbie Bach, and Peter Moore."

How many gamers know that any of those people exist in the first place (or care)? How many people in 1999 said "I'd buy a Dreamcast, but Bernie Stolar isn't an executive at Sega anymore"?. Oh yeah, and Peter Moore? Didn't he run the ad campaign for the DC? Where are these amazing Xbox360 ads that the Einstein MS "executive team" is churning out?

Xbox 360 doesn't have any killer apps, that's it's problem. It's got the horsepower to compete, MS has the money, it's got the third parties, it doesn't have the games. PSP 2.0 would be a more telling way to go, 1up.

[Andy]

Hay guys, 1UP sez "lol."

[MechDeus]

So tons of amazing games aren't as important as the promise of one future amazing game?

As far as a lot of people are concerned, yes. It's all about that one game that makes people buy a system.

There is FAR more competition in the form of quality releases coming out for current gen systems now than there was in September of 1999.

What hotly anticipated, awaited by millions game is coming out the same day as the 360? DQVIII is like a week before and that's the only thing kinda similar springing to mind (and that's still nowhere near what it was like for a sequel coming off the videogame media darling of FFVII).

The Xbox controller has been a direct ripoff of the DC controller since day one.

And thus they're exactly the same, even when the 360's controller has a full circular d-pad, another analog stick, better nubs on the analog, four shoulder buttons, is wireless, and has a completely different shape?

p.s. You're taking that article way too seriously.

[Satsuki]

I take this opportunity to once again say

[Drewbacca]

I'm getting Oblivion for the PC.

[Dyne]

what does a vmu have to do with "customization"? -point 12-

what does a hack homebrew emu (bleem) which is emulating another companies system have to do with out of the box emulation from the same companies previous gen's system? -point 14-

microphones are a unique selling point? -point 18-

21 i won't even comment on.

the 360 will succeed because of FF11!? lol

never knew FF8 was a Dreamcast killer.

wow. limit the amount of points and you still have a poor list but most of these just don't even need to be mentioned because they're so abstract.

[voltz]

FF8 wasn't a dreamcast killer, it was the sony fanboys who were saying PS2 is gonna kill it and sat on the fence for nearly a year waiting till launch.

As for the compatability thing, I worry cause M$ may only emulate certain games (big stuff like halo since that's too big it has to become 1st priority), which will probably leave a good number of the ones I want off the list.