The folks at Microsoft have innovated a new stratagem to attract customers. First, at E3, they announced they were lowering the price of their console by $50. They’ve introduced some new exclusive games, like their flagship general audiences game: Lips to appeal to wider audiences. And now, like the Wii, they’re bringing avatars to the next level.

Besides introducing its “new” strategy, Microsoft unveiled a series of services and games that are intended to lure the casual gamers to buy the Xbox 360 (click to read full article from which this quote was taken.)

Now, I still haven’t bought one of these flame ridden bricks due to their record of blinking out on their current customers. I’m told that they’ve solved some of these issues in their higher end 360s and that their reputation as the most-returned-console may eventually change. I don’t dispute they have some of the best games on their console–like BioShock.

I didn’t buy an original Xbox either. Partly because I was happy with my PS2 and it’s backwards compatibility–and partly because there was nothing truly innovative in the Xbox console. Microsoft’s strategy is not unlike the Japanese strategy in days past of adopting already invented technology and making it better. However, in recent years, the big M has adopted many technologies only to turn out sub-standard products like the ZUNE. Now, before anyone reading this jumps down my throat about MS having a replacement policy, I’d like to acknowledge that I’m impressed they at least had the foresight to extend their warranties on the 360 before they got themselves into trouble. And in most cases, Xbox 360 users are happy to return it for a new unit.

None of this changes the fact that Microsoft is attempting to spin their new services that are “General Audiences Friendly” as “new” in the first place. It’s more likely that the 360 is to the Wii as Microsoft’s Search Engine is to Google and someone over their at MS is really pissed off about it. This is just Microsoft making a sad attempt to take some of that business. I wouldn’t put it past them to have offered to buy the Wii and/or Nintendo all together at some point.

All that said… I might buy a 360 if it drops another $50-$100 dollars just so I can play games like BioShock on it’s intended platform. That and apparently the downloadable port of the original arcade game Tron is pretty nifty.

Just my two cents,

-Madaracs