Microsoft initially estimated it would sell 23.75 to 3 million Xbox 360 consoles within 90 days of the next-generation video console’s launch in North America. In its second quarter revenue statement, Redmond revealed that it expects to have sold 2.5 million units worldwide within 90 days of launch: not quite up to initial expectations, but not as big a shortfall as some marketwatchers have speculated. The company is standing by its estimates that it will sell between 4.5 and 5.5 million Xbox 360 systems by the end of June, 2006.
Although the market for the Xbox 360 in Japan has been tepid at best, demand for the new video game console has consistently outstripped supply in North America and Europe, partly, Microsoft claims, because of production constraints and component shortages during initial stages of manufacturing. Microsoft’s Home and Entertainment division revenues for the quarter were $1.56 billion, up 13 percent, primarily due to sales of the Xbox 360. However, the division as a whole posted an operating loss of $293 million.
Microsoft’s market position might be more dire if it were facing direct challenges from other next-generation console systems; however, neither Sony’s PlayStation 3 nor Nintendo’s Revolution have made it to market yet, and Microsoft continues to ramp up Xbox 360 production, trying to minimize untapped Xbox 360 demand when those competing systems finally ship. In the meantime, the Xbox 360 continues to await its first “must-have” game; one likely candidate is the next installment of Microsoft’s own Halo franchise, currently expected at the end of 2006 or in the first parts of 2007.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.