Commentor Ethan Thomas brings some good ideas to the table<

#149 for comments

Now, to the topic at hand. The thing I love best about people who slam Microsoft is that they use the same excuses to do so everytime. This is a topic about Xbox Live, yet somehow the fact that MS lost $4 billion on Xbox 1 comes into that conversation....how? But okay.

For the sake of the blind sheep that follow Sony and Nintendo everywhere they go, here's a little history lesson. Sony bought the PS2 into the game with one thought on their mind, and one thought only: Shut out all competition and just take over. The game plan: Make the PS2 a game player/DVD player at a very good time to do so in order to snatch up consumers from Nintendo and Sega. As the situation played out, Sega folds early with the Dreamcast and Nintendo appears doomed.

Then competition reappears in the form of what? The Xbox. Hate Microsoft, hate Bill Gates, say the Xbox was just a low end PC. It doesn't matter people. If you're a Nintendo fan, as I am myself somewhat, you owe MS for jumping in and competing with Sony.

That said, lets look a little further into the future. MS comes out with Xbox Live. This is innovative. Why? At the time Xbox Live came out, MS was well aware that they were getting smashed by Sony. The installed fanbase was huge and Sony's brainwashed fanboys were running as rampant as flies throughout the world bad-mouthing the new Xbox. Did MS throw in the towel? NO. Did they create a shabby online service that was just enough to be called a fad and die? NO. MS dumped millions into creating an immersive, deep, and satisfying online experience for its consumers. To anyone who says Live isn't innovative, I ask you this: Have you played Sony's online service? It's abysmal.

Good points Ethan. I've never thought of it that way. If MS never came into the picture, then Sony would leave no competition. That would be bad. Sony's proprietary disease would consume all. I hate to say it, but you are right. Nintendo isn't the company to take on Sony overall. The DS may be spanking the PSP in Japan, but that's not enough.

Moving on, I cannot believe the number of PC gamer posts on this article. I hate to break it to these people, but PC gaming isn't mainstream. Sure, the PC helped bring many ideas to the table, but it wasn't able to propel them into the mainstream.

Sure, you can play multiplayer games online with the PC. You can talk in forums and do video chat. However, these features are rarely made easy for the general consumer which takes them away from becoming mainstream. It also costs a hell of a lot more with a PC. Consoles alleviate these problems, taking the complications of conflicting programs and over-priced hardware out of the picture.

An important part is how "regular" PCs are becoming at work. I'm sure there are a lot of people that come home, and sure as hell don't want to sit at a computer anymore; they just spend 8 hours at one. Consoles solve that problem. They turn it on, sit back in a couch or lazy chair with a controller and play. It gives separation to a "work feel" and a "home feel". At least, that's how it is for me. I hate sitting upright in a chair with hands on a keyboard and mouse. And then worrying about optimizing settings just so I can play a game. Screw that.

Another commentor mentioned that the question is unfair. It really is. We don't have the Wii remote yet. But besides that, XBox live and the RevWii Remote are completely different aspects of gaming. And the question is being asked to an MS representative. This question should be re-asked to a third part rep.

Here's one last good one:

167. We have two variables, X, and Y. X is a known quantity. Y is an unknown quantity. Which is larger? Posted at 3:03PM on May 4th 2006 by Jonn