Supposively... after EVERYTHING was said and done... yes, licensing, money from games..etc... they lost around $100 Million *According to one of my suppliers.*
He was baffled because Microsoft was calling the Xbox a success... but they still lost $100 million in the entire deal.
I was looking for something to back that up. Suppliers generally know this stuff.... and are pretty decent with their figures
Oh BV, you and your anti-Microsoft propaganda...
First of all, I don't accept this hearsay as fact, even if it was from a "credible supplier." If he doesn't work for Microsoft, or can't show any proof of sales figures, then I don't believe him. I have a hard enough time believing he exists, let alone believing he's been witness to Msoft board meetings that discuss fiscal policy.
Secondly, you're thinking short term. Losing $100 million dollars (if they actually did) and becoming the #2 househould console around the world in one generation is a success. I'd like to see another company jump on the scene the way Microsoft did. They have developed a fan base that is going to stick with them for several generations to come. Every loyal fan of Microsoft is presumably going to pump in thousands of dollars on future Microsoft hardware, software, and the like. You gotta spend money to make money, and Microsoft is looking to make a lot.
The reason why the Xbox was a success was because it totally established Microsoft as a major player in the videogame business. Whether it was a
financial success or not is debatable, but until we get some real data there's no point in argueing over hearsay and conjecture. Unless you guys really want to, in which case my friend Bob that works at EBgames said that Microsoft actually turned a profit of 100 gajillion dollars. In the meantime try to understand that Microsoft's goals for the Xbox could have had nothing to do with money (in the short term, mind you), they may have even projected an even bigger loss when they first made the decision to make a console. It's a success if it met their goals (establishing a fanbase, breaking into the market, appealing to their target audience, minimizing monetary loss, etc.), so obviously if Msoft is saying it was a success, then it did meet their goals, whatever they were.
