Xbox games availability - Should we be worried?
I am starting to notice a very worrying trend across South African retail stores.
Less and less stores are carrying Xbox 360 games on their shelves.
Over the last month, I've walked through a few stores and with a shock found out that they do not stock Xbox 360 games at all.
These include the following stores:
I also see other stores like Incredible Connection and CNA dropping their supply of Xbox 360 games. Where once the games occupied three or four racks, they now occupy one.
Is this something we should be worried about? To be honest, it's not like I've made an in-depth study regarding this but when I do frequent the stores in question, the Xbox 360 stocks always seem low. Maybe I'm wrong and it is only a supply problem in my local region?
The next question that begs to be asked: "What is going on?"
Is this a supply problem and if yes, should it be Microsoft being blamed or some local distributor? Is this a PR problem and should Microsoft be blamed? Should the high prices and failing economy be blamed?
Whatever the reason, I am still worried. The Xbox 360 is supposed to have a 10-year life cycle according to Microsoft's own Shane Kim. This is a statement that I could well believe if you look at the progress that Microsoft is making with the Xbox 360. Just look at videos of the Microsoft Project Natal concept and you start to envision a console that was well designed from the beginning, allowing itself to evolve during its life cycle. Even recently, Microsoft decided to do a User Interface Refresh, and the NXE interface was born. It's amazing how something as simple as a different interface can make the entire system feel new again. Microsoft is also planning integration with the famous Twitter and Facebook online services, right from your Xbox console.
Could the retailers be shooting themselves in the foot? Once Natal kicks off, will they hurriedly be restocking their shelves with Xbox consoles, games and peripherals again? Are they that fickle?
Or is something else at play here? Could it be that Microsoft is shunning the South African market with regards to Xbox support? I know it's a funny statement to make, but hear me out.
South Africa is one of a few countries that still do not have support for online Xbox LIVE service. Yes, you can use LIVE from South Africa, but using an American or European address. Even then when using a credit card there's a chance that MS picks up you are using a South African card and that card becomes useless on LIVE. So there's also a chance that all the content you bought might be lost when you can't recover your Xbox LIVE Gamertag.
There have been numerous petitions and discussions regarding Xbox LIVE in South Africa. It still looks like we will not get it any time soon.
On top of all of this you have to pay for a Xbox LIVE Gold subscription to play games against someone else on the LIVE network. With the PS3 you don't pay anything to use the PSN network.
At the end of the day I suspect that Xbox will receive a short resurgence with Natal and people will be happy again for six months, etc, but I just don't believe that the system will ever be fully supported in South Africa. Fully supported means having the LIVE service local in South Africa as well.
Is this the time to be looking at a Playstation 3? They have become somewhat cheaper and I suspect we will see the effects of that price drop in South Africa soon, probably just in time for Christmas.
Interesting. What exactly do
Interesting. What exactly do you mean with limited supply? I find that there are quite a few retailers on our side that have a decent-sized stock of Xbox games. The only problem with their stock is that it is an almost endless amount of rubbish games (in my opinion).
Frankly, I'm not interested in the 500 copies of the latest Need for Speed, Quake, Dead or Alive title, or those obscure games that you've probably never heard about. I'm looking for those innovative, quality, fun titles that won't bore me to death 10% into the game (okay, maybe I've got high expectations), the ones that you just don't seem to find on the shelves or only in limited supply.
To be honest, I'm also not that keen on spending R600+ on a game that will take 10 hours or less to complete, is repetitive, and I have no online connection to keep it fresh. I'll wait until it hits the second-hand market or I can find it for much cheaper online. The retailers are probably also losing out to the online "stores" as the latter have fewer overheads and can afford to have way lower prices.
Or maybe it's simply a case of everybody grabbing the new titles as soon as they hit the shelves, in an attempt to escape from the dreary reality that is South Africa?
No, I mean limited
The supply is literally drying up. This is why I was wondering whether or not there was a problem in this region only, so I might be right on that point.
Yes I agree, the games that are available is usually reserved for the "drivel" bin.
Earlier today though, I found myself at two pre-played shops and they seem to be doing better with Xbox games availability... then again, is that a good thing or not?
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