As for the hardware, it's better for MS to introduce xbox to us local buyers when the next gen version is made available. Hype is important too for a sucessful product launch (aside from specifications of course)

As for the online experience, it's somewhat unacceptable for most as for the XBL subscription price. Although it's the gold standard in online gaming, it's still pretty limited on other online parts (no internet browser as some may expect, although i can't see why i'd want to do that on my big screen). Plus there are no video services / IPTV for our region (except the upcoming YouTube) that makes a lot can't swallow that kind of price.

So i'd say they can have a better response if:
1. They are going to sell next-gen hardware, as malaysians are such blind spec junkie.
2. Slash the price on Gold, or at least bundle one-year Gold with the launch year purchase.

Btw, i can't see the piracy as the sole issue, as there are other countries in XBL that got rampant piracy issue and yet they are present in the XBL list.
What I can only think is that it has something to do with shitty internet connection, with lots of internet outage. MS knows that people paying for their Gold are expecting to have consistent online experience. And they should really know that as they have previously partnered with lots of ISP in America on Windows 98 (which turns out not so well), not counting all the fiasco of WebTV.

Not necessarily true.

If cost is the sole reason, then how you can you explain the sales of Playstation games? The attach rate (game sales per console) for PS3 is pretty low compared to xbox anywhere in the world (not an exaggeration, there's a lot of market research on that) and that's even counting in a number of xbox that doesn't even play original games to begin with! But still in our region, PS3 can garner sales as they should be in any other place, so there's no problem in cost.

*This attach rate is pretty important for console sales as all of them are actually subsidised, and the company are highly relying on game sales*

About tax, don't tell me in SG got no tax. The RRP in malaysia got jacked up simply as the demand is not that fast. Lots of consoles are sold at old RRP while internationally price cuts are introduced time and again, because of that. Plus shops in malaysia already got stocks of PS3 from other country (e.g: singapore) since they are the first one retailers can grab (it's not like Sony Malaysia sells PS3 here since day 1, fat or slim). BTW the bigger reason is that malaysian retailers aren't competitive enough that they just follow the suggested RRP. Heck, if you're in a more competitive market, you'll hear people say "why buy at RRP?".

But enough of all of that above, all that matters is that malaysians accepted official products wholeheartedly, eventhough at a price premium. This is also true for other devices like iPhone too.

So nope, price comparison is not a problem. If following your logic, in malaysia people will just buy Wii over PS3.



Not necessarily true.

Decades ago, Nintendo and Sega are the console king in our country (heck, even the world). Only in late 90's you hear the word Playstation, prior to that even Sony name's somewhat alien to the gaming world. And yet it sells well after that. Ironically, the biggest proportion of buyer for the first/second gen Playstation in our country are only going for pirated game.

Just say the "free lunch" is just to give the unexposed consumers a taste of the game, then charge for them as it gain traction. Analogous to free demos if you ask me.

And if you're just saying that the console is only restricted to certain demographic nowadays you're totally wrong. If you came at least from 80's you'll see in that time consoles are just for kids (and teens). Nowadays it caters both kids and adults alike. Ask around if you find that hard to believe.



In our country, people aren't paying for legit games just because those are marketed heavily. Take example of older gen PS. Lots of shop were really pushing the modded ones instead the unmodded. And so the disc sales, as the medium is pretty cheap they are more than happy to adopt piracy.

But now after 2 generations suddenly shops are pushing for legit units. The medium is too steep-priced to duplicate, and lots of pirated titles are useless anyway due to active piracy circumvention on the console. And now suddenly people are willing to go legit on their game discs.





So I'd say the reason is not about userbase, reluctancy of consumers to go legit, or console/game cost. It's just that MS is playing the oldest marketing game since, err, crack. Leave the people get a taste first. It's a dejavu of brand awareness method being done on first generation playstation in our country.

Furthermore, it's more likely that the current gen console is showing its age (every 7th gen console does). So by having a launch coinciding with new hardware introduction, it will get them a better start. And yet it's no surprise for them to suddenly introduce them here in near time, since it will get them ready pre-next gen console.

This post has been edited by EatMe: Oct 14 2011, 10:06 PM

But other than gaming, electronic products (like portable media players, cell phones) are just doing mighty-fine price-wise. In fact cell phones got higher tax than other electronic products since they got the kind of radio modules which make them taxable under higher rates. Yet they are not steeply priced here.

So I'd say the lol pricing is just that the retailers are being lousy.

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Not necessarily true.

Sure one can assume calculating from the current xbox's Bill of Material (B.O.M) they will incur much lower cost. Unfortunately, it's by thin margin. And that doesnt include workers, packaging, storage, shipment, etc.

MS still lose money on each console being sold. And that's not even including R&D cost and marketing.

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Like y3vian said, there will become a point where piracy will become too cumbersome (and costly too), and people will eventually embrace genuine products.

As for MS story, gone the days of buying "shop-branded" (or no name) custom-built CPU preloaded with pirated Windows 98. Nowadays people are more comfortable living with their genuine Windows.

As for PS3, it's beginning to be in the same phase. With frequent updates and mandatory updates on newer titles, piracy has become more a pain in the ass. Done the update, all dozens of pirated discs now become useless (with prices of 10 or 20 ringgit per game).

On the xbox, online is no-go if you're advocating piracy. Even piracy becomes more costlier, too. Need to (expensively) reflash the drive that requiring specialised hardware time and again, only to play all your old pirated RM8.00 PlayBox discs that the genuine version now just costs RM30 on the forum or even still fresh in its wrap from online retailer for the same price. And that's not even saying that lots of games are more focused on multiplayer (e.g: as of Medal Of Honor, even the multiplayer version visually looks miles better than its shitty singleplayer).

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As for Wii's adoption, although i won't buy the made-up assumption that it sells better than any other two consoles combined in malaysia, I'd say it's just that the console is more kid-friendly (the heritage of Nintendo) and that's the bigger reason of its success. As a parent (whose the most probably buying those consoles), Marios are more appealing than gore-filled slaughterfest games with visuals only appropriate for more matured audiences. It's not about gimmick or piracy.

Not saying that Wii only appeals for the adolescents. In fact, it most likely appeals to the 20 to 30-ish year players that appreciate nostalgic games, (since they grew up with NES). That's the charms of it.

Btw as to answer those questions, it's not about the motion-sensing or piracy-friendly appeal.

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If the word "piracy" still come up in this discussion, I'll just tell you this. Look at the countries list for XBox Live. And you'll see there are other countries that got rampant piracy, yet they've made it to the oficially supported list.

It's just Microsoft's playing the Windows 98 card.

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This post has been edited by EatMe: Oct 17 2011, 05:53 PM