360 Takes a Sony Beating: Lesson Learned?

The 360 is getting quite the beating as of the past two fiscal quarters. EA recently came out with its sales statistics, and the 360 was getting spanked by a fat $58 million dollar stack. EA’s sales stats are a microcosm of buyers shifting away from the 360 to the PS3. Though Microsoft has the larger install base and attach rate over Sony, Sony is gaining the momentum that the 360 previously enjoyed.

This steady shift is the reason why analysts and fanboys predict that 2008 will be the year of the PS3. Seeing as how I own a 360, I have a vested interest in seeing it stop bending over and taking it from the sales charts. So what is the 360 doing wrong? I’ll count them out like the whippins’ my momma used to give me.

1) The 360 needs to stop charging for an online multiplayer. Period. I know Microsoft offers a superior and seamless online service… but the PS3 and Wii are free. You get the basic experience for an infinitely better price on those two consoles. No matter how cool Xbox LIVE is, it’s never gonna be as cool as free.

2) Microsoft needs to make the dash cooler. I know that sounds simple, but the blade system, and even the new iTunes-like dash coming out this fall, aren’t as clean, simple, and eye catching as the PS3 dash. Yes, the update is cool, but if you see the two dashes side by side at a Best Buy, the PS3 has a much sleeker interface. Plus, being greeted by a the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra every time you turn on the Sony system is timelessly impressive.

3) The whole Xbox experience seems choppy. The only way I can describe it: the PS3 flows like butter, even while gaming, and the 360 seems choppy and hiccup-ish. The OS needs to be streamlined so it doesn’t seem strained for system resources. (Something tells me this is a Microsoft programming issue more than hardware… perhaps they need 360 SP2.)

4) Microsoft must come out with a Blu-ray add-on for 360. They are supposed to be HD out of the box, but you can no longer get the latest movies in HD quality playing on the 360. I know it supports Sony, but they need to do it for their existing customers.  Eventually, they should incorporate the Blu-ray drive into the Elite system.  Microsoft can’t afford to wait for another system reset with the Xbox 1080, or whatever.

So after 4 solid smacks of my own, maybe those guys over at Microsoft can put together a package that makes the 360 less like the whiny little bitch it was this past quarter, and return to its worthy status as king of the gaming playground.