Xb0x 360 in the black for the first time?

[Doc Wattson]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6179772.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=newstop&tag=newstop;title;1

While the first quarter of Microsoft's fiscal year ends just five days after Halo 3's launch, Friar and Grieb said the game will contribute about $170 million in revenue to the company's entertainment and devices division and push it into "slight profitability" for the quarter. If that happens, it would be the first profitable quarter for Microsoft's gaming segment since it launched the original Xbox.

Took awhile but for the first time since the XBox 1.0 came out Microsoft might have a profitable quarter. To bad it took probably the best selling game of all time to get there. Bads news for Microsoft, it will be their last profitable queter for awhile.

-Gary-

[Fred]

eh, they'll probably stay in the black through Christmas... but after? i agree it'll probably tank.

[Doc Wattson]

How would they stay in the black through Chrismas? GTA was pushed back and their big release was already released. Remember, the XBOX has NEVER been in the black, ever. As in never once has it ever made money in any quarter since the first one got released. It took what probably is the best selling game of all time to put them into the black, and that did it barely. They don't have any major bullets left for XMas. Remember the XBox is basically dead in Japan. At TGS this past week Microsoft basically through in the towel for that market by cutting back their ad spending in Japan. The XBox only does well in America. Hell, even the PS3 does better then it in Europe and Australlia.

The weird part is Microsoft never really expected to make money off the XBox.

-Gary-

[ThriKreen]

BioShock, Gears of War, Halo 3, and eventually Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, GTA4?

On its own the game might not help as much, but it's a cumulative effect. Add in XBL as well.

[Doc Wattson]

GTA4 isn't coming out for Xmas, Halo 3/bioshock/Gears came out already. That leaves Mass Effect and Assassins creed. No offense, I am looking forward to Mass Effect, but they don't have the same impact on Sales Halo 3 does.

I forget the exact number but something like 80%-90% of a game sells the first month it is out. Games not released next quarter won't effect that quarter that much.

-Gary-