Now however, it looks like that won’t be the case, and the reason for the turn-around is also the story of the console’s 2008—a series of strong management decisions and wise market reads that could give the business the strength to power through the entirety of the generation.
Edge will also be covering Sony, Nintendo and the PC's past 12 months in the days to come.
HD-DVD Dies, 360 Player Goes With It
February 25
Our Original Coverage
When HD-DVD threw in the towel at the beginning of the year, it marked the end of the bitter high-definition format war. Microsoft, which had been touting a value-priced HD-DVD addition to the 360 at the time, found itself on the losing side. It quickly discontinued the add-on and liquidated inventory, in the process losing one of its primary counter-attacks against the built-in Blu-Ray capabilities of the PS3. The long-term fallout of this event was felt throughout the year—partially in the recurrence of baseless Blu-Ray 360 rumors, but also in Microsoft’s redoubled efforts to the digital distribution of video to the console. The apex of this was New Xbox Experience’s streaming Netflix capability.
Sony, MS, Duke it Out for GTA Supremacy
May 15
Our Original Coverage
A defining battle in the console war, this was watched intently by industry analysts. Some predictions said that the release of Grand Theft Auto IV would spike PS3 sales, with the result being a net “win” for Sony. What actually happened wasn’t so dramatic; PS3 sales did jump a little bit, by just over 20k consoles in May. And Xbox sales did remain largely flat throughout the period, leading MS into a summer where it was losing, YTD sales-wise, to Sony. But a massive majority of GTA IV copies were sold on 360, and perhaps being outsold by this slight margin was enough to kick Microsoft into high gear—it wasn’t so long after this that MS made significant E3 announcements that took some of the wind out of Sony’s sails.
Shane Kim Gets Promoted
June 12
Our Original Coverage
When Shane Kim left his position as head of Microsoft Games Studios to take on the more all-encompassing role of corporate VP of the entire Interactive Entertainment Business division, it was more than an important personal milestone for Kim. It was also a statement of success from Microsoft Games Studios itself, that under Kim the first-party publisher had met its goals and was in a position to weather a change in leadership. Kim now directs Microsoft’s entire gaming business, with former MGS Europe head Phil Spencer taking Kim’s old job.