Feature: Critical Analysis: The Xbox 360 Launch Revisited Subscribe to this RSS feed

If the launch of the Xbox 360 has taught us anything, it's how not to manage launch window games. We examine the first few months of the Xbox 360 and its games and expose the brutal truth of where Microsoft went wrong.

Should Microsoft have held off on the Xbox 360's November 2005 release date?

In May of 2005, Microsoft unveiled plans to release 25-40 Xbox 360 games within the console's "launch window". It's now early April, five months after the release of the Xbox 360 in the US, and by our count Microsoft has barely reached the low end of its quoted launch lineup: just over 30 titles.

Courtesy of Xbox.com

And just when, precisely, does this quoted "launch window" end? At the end of the 2005 holiday season? One fiscal year after launch? We weren't sure ourselves, so we asked a Microsoft representative for clarification on how the company defined the Xbox 360's launch window. The official answer: The Xbox 360 launch window consisted of "the first three months" after release. Essentially, late February.

But by our count, the Xbox 360 had only 21 titles available as of February 22, 2006 -- several games short of the low end of their oft-quoted 25-40 lineup.

We then asked Microsoft if the Xbox Live Arcade games were included in that original tally. Our Microsoft representative hasn't responded as of press time.

The Launch Lineup

Microsoft barely scraped through the launch window with Xbox 360 launch titles, all of which were mediocre at best averaging in the 80 percent range in review scores. So how should the company have managed its launch lineup? By exploring past console's launch day titles, you will see the key is either quantity or quality.

In 2001, Microsoft launched the Xbox with 19 titles, including legendary system-seller Halo.

Sony's Playstation 2 launched with an impressive 29 titles in late 2000. None of these were ground breaking, but the sheer number of titles gave gamers plenty of genres from which to choose. On the other hand, the Nintendo 64 launched in 1996 with just two titles: Pilot Wings 64 and Super Mario 64. Two games don't make for a particularly impressive launch lineup, but Mario was the Nintendo 64's killer app and it moved millions of units.

In comparison, the Xbox 360 launched in November of 2005 with 18 titles. A fair-to-middle lineup, perhaps, but the roster clearly lacked a killer app. Perfect Dark Zero might be good clean fun, but it's hardly a first-class system seller.

Launch day titles don't necessarily make for a successful console, but like the opening song to a movie, they set the pace for establishing the foundation.

Imagine a world where Microsoft chose to release the Xbox 360 in November 2006 -- a delay of one full year. All the same games are in development, so Microsoft is preparing to launch the Xbox 360 with 40 titles, not 18. Megaton hits like Gears of War, Saint's Row, and possibly even Halo 3 are now almost certainly launch titles. And given that developers have had a whole extra year, you might expect to see a smoother, more polished version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The Hardware

Hardware-wise, Xbox 360 shortages would be a non-issue. Microsoft would have had months to build millions of extra systems and save manufacturing costs by bargain hunting for the best component prices. Built-in HD-DVD capabilities also become a distinct possibility, putting the Xbox 360 within striking distance of the PlayStation 3 in terms of hardware bragging rights.

In short, you're talking about a whole different situation. The Xbox 360 would blast out of the gate with the confidence that only comes with a massive, well-rounded launch lineup. And Sony would have to re-think its PlayStation 3 marketing strategy now that it's not necessarily the most powerful console in town. We would love to include Nintendo in this race for hardware dominance, but it's off doing its own thing.

Sure the jump on the competition was profitable and pleased the eager beavers, but if history has proven anything, gamers have nothing but patience. Waiting is really all we can do and waiting on the launch of the Xbox 360 would have held different results. Hopefully this has been a lesson for Microsoft and we patiently await the launch of the Xbox 900 -- killer app and tons of launch titles included please.

Contributing Editor: Sidney Shuman