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MS's Greenberg: Wii Customers May 'Graduate' To Xbox 360

gamasutra.com — Talking to Gamasutra as part of a larger interview to be posted in the near future, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, has been commenting on Microsoft's attempts to attract casual gamers, suggesting that Wii customers are "going to want to graduate to an Xbox 360 experience" over time.

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  • Boktai1000, on 07/06/2008, -7/+15I graduated, then got an equivalent error of the red ring on my 360 and had to go back.
    • kilodelta, on 07/06/2008, -5/+2and what happened 3 to 5 business days later?
  • pauljlucas, on 07/06/2008, -9/+8I feel the xbox has more sophisticated games, and the wii can only get me sucked in for an hour with games like super smash bros and mario kart, then i eventually go back to my 360 or pc.
    • MattSFJ2, on 07/06/2008, -5/+2Metroid Prime and Zelda rock beyond reason.
  • chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -11/+6Wow. Just wow. I guess it's been a popular thing since the late fifth generation to stereotype a Nintendo console as a kid's console. With the crappy titles for the Wii, is there any question why the titles that suit any gamer, like Mario, are the ones that sell? It's because they make up the vast majority (which is still a laughable number) of the quality games.

    Anyway, even beyond that, I don't see why gamers would have to "graduate" to another console. There are several highly anticipated mature/hardcore titles in the works right now, and if those are successful there won't be an excuse like "We aren't competing directly with the Wii." Well, actually, that's not entirely true since the Wii is not HD and they will use that as an excuse just like they did in order to claim they had the best selling console, even with the PS3 catching up. On top of that, Microsoft is interested in appealing to the same casual gamers as Nintendo and using a motion based controller. Does that mean they want to compete with the Wii, or is copying it and still not competing with it acceptable?

    Also, "When asked about Nintendo's de-emphasizing of hardware power with the Wii..." -

    What?? De-emphasizing? This guy must be pretty new to the gaming industry if he thinks Nintendo "de-emphasized" the power of gaming hardware. Hardware power was not emphasized until last generation, and people really became graphics whores. Nintendo made the same incremental jump they have since the move to the SNES. It was Microsoft and Sony that went and did something different, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless you don't care enough about graphics to justify the purchase of a ridiculously expensive console.
  • felman87, on 07/06/2008, -2/+30Am I the only one wondering why there's a golden PSP as the pic?
  • dinostabOMG, on 07/06/2008, -6/+6"I think for us, we don't really see the Wii as a direct competitor, we actually very much complement the Wii experience." Heh. Perhaps because they hardly constitute competition? Is it a shock that a Microsoft wonk would hawk the 360? I'm in no hurry to "graduate."
  • Amentina202, on 07/06/2008, -7/+2Credible, though I suspect the minds at Nintendo are already churning up a (next-generation) answer to the needs of these new-found gamers.
    • chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -6/+2Based on press releases dating back all the way to E3 2006, Nintendo has been working on their next console, or at least had some general plans laid out for it, before the Wii was even launched.
      • estvir, on 07/06/2008, -0/+6Basically every company does operate like that, they don't just think 1 step ahead.
  • bananaspiders, on 07/06/2008, -4/+7As much as the Wii controlers have been hailed as "revolutionary"... I am sorry, but I just can't see myself playing a game like Rainbow Six Vegas with those controlers... they are just not meant for that type of gameplay... and in the end, as much fun as the Wii has given me... I have only truly enjoyed climatic gaming moments on my Xbox360.
    • MattSFJ2, on 07/06/2008, -3/+4Rainbow six is better suited to PC...as is most 1st/3rd person shooters
    • chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1Really? I think shooters have the most to gain with the motion sensing controllers. It really set Metroid Prime 3 apart from the previous two. It's similar to (although does not match) the mouse and keyboard combination, and is much more efficient than dual analog.

      Some genres just don't need it though. Like platformers. Mario Galaxy for example hardly used any motion sensing in the main gameplay aspects. Sure, in some minigames you had to do used it, but the point-at-the-star-bits was pretty tacked on and the spin attack could have easily been done with the push of a button. JRPGs are another example, there really aren't many places where it would have any use at all.
    • alvinrod, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1I say the same thing about the console controllers. They do alright for some games, but I generally prefer the keyboard and mouse for most games, especially shooters. The only thing I've really liked console controllers for is older 2D games. Almost everything else handles better on a PC for me.

      I think the Wii controller really needs another generation or two before it's refined to the same level of polish that modern controllers have been. We've come along way from the original NES controller to the most recent Xbox controller designs. In another 3 generations any controller using motion sensing is probably going to be incredibly accurate and well designed.
  • Wiinii, on 07/06/2008, -6/+5A lot Wii owners will certainly graduate to 360 when it's own motion controller comes out later this year.

    I am sure they will reveal it at E3, as much as Diggers keep ignoring the proof: http://digg.com/gaming_news/Xbox_360_and_PS3_Motio ...
    • AwesomeMonster, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2eh, maybe with the price cut, but most devs won't take advantage of it.
    • chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1Agreed with AwesomeMonster. Too many 360 (and PS3, to my knowledge) fans are not interested in motion controls. It's hard to say whether it's bias against the Wii, or they just don't like the idea, but there is a lot of negativity toward the controller.

      Just based on that, the games that would take the most advantage of it (shooters in particular) will probably not use it, or if they do it will be a secondary, tacked on option.
    • sodade, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1If they come out with a motion controller and a good swordfight simulation game to go along with it, they would dominate the whole ***** world.

      Why is this so hard to ***** do?
  • opnickc, on 07/06/2008, -10/+5I "graduated" a few months ago. . . and sorely regret it.

    The xbox 360 was a waste of money for me. The games are so severely overrated it's disgusting, the system brings a whole new meaning to 'nickel and dime', and so called 'superior' online experience usually amounted to getting cursed out by spoiled 12-year-olds. Huzzah.

    The games are what hit me the most. I mean, I had been playing the Wii, supposedly the worst in terms of game quality, but the 360 had me bored out of my mind! I did enjoy Halo 3, the Orange Box is excellent (though I have the PC version), and I do still play Geometry Wars. Beyond that, I just couldn't find anything that lived up to the hype.

    So, I spent $280 on a machine which I use to play Geometry Wars, a game I could've just bought for the Wii. Add to that the fact that I needed to pay for online ($50/year), wanted a wired controller ($40), needed a hard drive (I thought the included memory card would be fine, but I couldn't even play Halo 3 co-op without a HDD! - I got one used for $60, but they're $100 new), at least one game (Halo 3: $60), a headset ($20), Xbox Live points (for downloadable content and Geometry Wars: $20), and needed wi-fi to get online ($100, though I personally was able to jerry-rig something using old computer parts and a $25 wireless card).

    Total cost: $550-$670. That much money so I can play a bunch of expensive, overrated, and repetitive games while being cursed out by spoiled 12 year olds. Ripoff.

    Oh, and the system's menus are full of ads. Yeah, you pay for online, service so Microsoft can send ads to your console. Feel violated yet?

    In the end, I paid more money than I was expecting to get a system which I don't use half as much as the less expensive Wii. The Wii has better game variety, far better controllers, and, despite what the critics seem to say, better games. The 360 did have better graphics, but they certainly weren't the step up I was expecting. In addition, the Wii's interface and online extras (Wii Shop Channel, Nintendo Channel, Everybody Votes, Forecast, News, Photo, Mii, etc) are head and shoulders above the Xbox.

    I know the cliche is that the Wii collects dust while the 360 gets played, but I can assure you that, at least in my case, the opposite is true.
    • chaosblade77, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2I'd say that's all a matter of preference. The 360 does have more quality games, but whether or not they suit you is another story. Also, Wii is getting more games worth buying now, and if more "hardcore" games like The Conduit, MadWorld, Sadness, and Fatal Frame are successful, the Wii will certainly end up giving the 360 a run for it's money.
    • Mizu, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2Why do people always complain about 12 year olds rapping/swearing/yelling? If I'm playing online without any friends, 80% of the time no one talks...
      • opnickc, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1And the other 20%? If 80% of the time people don't talk, and 20% of the time you get cursed out, what exactly is the point of having the headset?
      • Mizu, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1Umm I never said I get cursed out 20% of the time. The 20% is usually just normal game talk or friends talking to each other.
    • AwesomeMonster, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1You think wii shop channel is better than the xbox live market place... what the hell are you smoking?
  • floejoe, on 07/07/2008, -5/+1That's funny because I "graduated" from X-Box to Wii and would never go back.

    I just discovered the awesomeness that is Zelda and I just ended my 3-day Zelda marathon. Played it for 2 months now, it's so awesome. Of course, Zelda came right after I discovered how awesome Metroid is and how much I love Metroid 3.

    I don't think MS can offer me anything that can be even comparably as enjoyable or as much fun as I have had over past 5 months playing just these two games.
  • EatingPie, on 07/07/2008, -9/+2Isn't it more likely (or at least EQUALLY likely) that they'd graduate to the PS3?

    It already has motion control. It has upcoming features like Home, which are like the Miis with more complexity. And if the Wii is for "kids," as asserted (which I don't believe), the PS3 is closer because it will have games for a wider variety of ages, like Little Big Planet (and the most popular kids games -- Lego Games and Movie Games like Wall-E/Kung-Fu Panda -- are already multi-platform). And it has Blu-ray, which is a "graduation" from DVD.

    The 360, OTOH, is more FPS focused, and let's face it, XBox Live is racial slur central. And, of course, Microsoft basically dissed Wii gamers here, which sort of does the OPPOSITE of attracting gamers to their console.

    -Pie
  • justinx0r, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4I have a Wii and an Xbox 360. I can honestly say I play my 360 significantly more. I like the Wii but I can't sit down and play it for more than an hour. With the 360 I can play Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto for hours each and not get tired of it at all. I like both systems but I definitely get more use out of my Xbox.
    • LeeSoong, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Wii is just more fun,
      XBOX feels like work in comparison,
      and if you're going to go 360 - might as well step up to the PS3.

      Funny how Apple has completely failed every single time it tried to develop a game console - and Wii shows them how it's done.

  • StopPandaTime, on 07/07/2008, -3/+0Honestly! How daft can you get? I can't believe even after the sales, Microsoft and Sony won't take Nintendo seriously.

    I mean, why is it always a console war between just Microsoft and Sony? Does Nintendo's number 1 spot mean that they don't exist?

    I really don't understand people like this.
  • buughost, on 07/07/2008, -4/+2that would be like graduating high school to kindergarden
  • FuckXboxx, on 07/07/2008, -4/+1And Xbox "gamers" may graduate to "not ***** over the people who actually care about gaming because they're too ***** retarded to learn how to put a PC together so they continue to throw dollars at ***** games because they have no taste and it is destroying the gaming industry." or something like that.....

    I doubt that will happen though....the average Xbox gamer is pretty ***** hopeless. Oh look....here's one now http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/brendan13_ph ...
  • stung47000, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Call out the Ninten-dogs! Holy crap, I guy from MS says that he's hoping the Wii fans MAY "graduate" to X360 for their 2nd console and a bunch of Nintendo fans crap their pants in this thread. Chill out already, he's just speculating. Nintendo Corporation already got the sale, what do fanboys have to complain about here?
  • doshindude, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1I have and love my 360 for just two things: Guitar Hero II and Rock Band.
  • smmakira, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Why not just own the console you want to own. I like my Wii and since I have a pretty good PC I will not be divulging in either of the other consoles until they hit below the 250 mark.
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