CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

I thought it might be nice to sit down and come up with three things that each console manufacturer needs to do in order to make their console successful. I'm going to start with Microsoft's Xbox 360 console. No, I'm not playing favorites, I just picked them out in random order with Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii to follow, one each day. Keep in mind, these are just my random thoughts on the situation, and if you have any comments, please feel free to post them or email me. Don't worry, I can take it.

1. First and foremost, Microsoft has to find a way to hold on to the Xbox 360 owners they’ve gained by getting out of the gate early this generation. You don’t want to see many of your 360 owners moving over to the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii systems come launch. How do you do that? You keep your Xbox 360 owners happy by continuing to release top-notch exclusive titles, one coming to mind being Halo 3. You have to convince your fan base that Xbox 360 is every bit as good as Playstation 3 or Wii, and if you can do that, you’re going to be fine. That, however, might be easier said than done come November.

2. Stick with your strengths. Microsoft knows that they have the best online gaming service in the world at their disposal, not to mention the highly popular Xbox Live Arcade that’s been getting raves from gamers everywhere. We know that both Nintendo and Sony are planning to have online gaming services of their own for their upcoming consoles, but Microsoft has been at it a lot longer and should have the upper hand in this area, at least for the time being. November might be an opportune time to add a nice, big surprise to the online service or Xbox Live Arcade in order to soften the blow of the upcoming PS3 and Wii launches. After all, you can’t have too much of a good thing, now can you?

3. Can you say “Price Drop?” November might also be a great time to drop the price of your Xbox 360 consoles by, let’s say, $50.00. The more price difference you can put between you and Sony’s Playstation 3 the better. Not to mention getting a little bit closer to the much lower price tag of Nintendo’s Wii system. I mean, you’ve got an attractive console and online service, why not make them even MORE attractive by making them a bit more affordable, especially right at Christmas time. It’s going to be little things like this that might make all the difference in the world when parents and gamers start deciding which console to invest in this holiday season.

Coming Tomorrow: - "For Sony Playstation 3 to be successful..."