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Could Xbox be Banned from the US?

I know what you are thinking, this isn’t an article about Nintendo. You are right, it isn’t…at least not directly.

In 2010, Motorola sued Microsoft for infringement of 16 patents. I won’t bore you with the details, however Motorola had requested that Microsoft cease using their patented technology and provide compensation for past infringement. Needless to say, Microsoft did not just write a blank check to Motorola, but instead decided to battle it out in court. Of course there is a lot more to the court battle. Microsoft has sued Motorola as well, so it seemed that the case would be tied up in the court system for years, or until one side gave in.

The court battle has been ongoing and it is look like Microsoft might not come out of this one victorious. In fact, it is looking really bad for Microsoft right now. International Trade Commission Judge David Shaw has suggested that the Xbox 360 should stop all imports and all existing consoles already in the US should be banned from further sales. This is a huge roadblock for a console that is posting stellar sales. This does not even take into consideration the fact that we are entering a crucial time of the year for the video game industry with E3 just around the corner.

Of course Microsoft disputed the potential banning of the system, however Judge Shaw had the following response to Microsoft’s dispute:

Essel Pratt

Essel Pratt has spent his life exploring his imagination and dreams. As a Husband and a Father, he doesn't have as much time to write as he would like. However, his mind is always plotting out his next story. Someday he hopes to quit the 9-5 grind and focus on writing full time. Currently, Essel has three published short stories and is working on a handful of novels. Essel focuses his writings on mostly Horror/Sci-Fi, however is known to add a dash of other genres into his writings as well. In his spare time, he can be found playing one of the 40+ video game consoles in his collection, especially his Wii U (NNID: EsselPratt). Click the links below to follow Essel's exploits in the writing world, and be sure to follow his blog at http://esselpratt.blogspot.com/ as well as his articles on Nerdzy.com.

What If..?

It seems that every generation has a series of consoles that battle over gaming dominance. Probably the greatest was Nintendo VS Sega. I actually loved both systems equally, but always leaned a little towards Nintendo.

At times the NES/Sega battle got pretty intense with advertisements such as the one pictured above. At the time it was great seeing them battle it out because new and exciting games were always arriving. When one system released a game, Final Fantasy for example, the other counter attacked with a similar game, such as Phantasy Star. To this day, I have to admit that Phantasy star was a great series (even though I am a Final Fantasy fan), and I love Phantasy Star 3′s unique play over multiple generations.

Sadly, there had to be a winner in the NES/Sega battle. I am glad that NES won, but the constant back and forth between the two kept things exciting. I don’t think anyone actually had a strict devotion to one console back then, we just played for the love of the game.

Today’s console wars seem to be fairly quiet. The big dogs seem to be Sony and Microsoft, but their focus seems to be on the system itself rather than the games. Each has their die hard fans for one reason or another but neither is winning or losing the battle. I think a reason that the battle has not intensified is that too many games are available on multiple systems. back in the day that was almost unheard of! Sure it happened, but rarely. Releasing a game on only one system would force the other systems to answer back with, hopefully, a bigger and better game.

Don’t get me wrong, Nintendo is still a big player in today’s console battlefield, but I think the big boys look at the NOA as the Canada of gaming. Sure they have a defense and are ready to react at a moments notice, but they pose no threat to the more aggressive nations. I would love to see Nintendo get back in the battle, and Microsoft and Sony admit that NOA can be an admirable foe once again.

I had a thought last night while playing Sonic the Hedgehog on my Retron. How great would it be if Sega got back into eh console game and reignited the fire between them and Nintendo? What if they rebuilt their mascot base (minus Sonic, of course) and put the focus back on the games? I am not saying they need to dummy down the system, but make it great as a stand alone system and make the games the reason to buy the system once again? I realize this will probably never happen, but What if…?

Essel Pratt

Cause for concern? Report says Apple is now Japan’s top consumer brand

A report published from the Japanese publication The Nikkei states that Apple, not Nintendo, Sony, or even Microsoft, is officially the top consumer brand in all of Japan. This is the first time that Apple has claimed the top spot in the Land of the Rising Sun with a a score of 90.5 (out of 100) in terms of total brand power. Car manufacture Toyota came in second in a separate survey, yet neither Nintendo or Sony were ever mentioned as to where they ranked in the report.

As odd and slightly off-putting as that seems, does this published report further hint that Apple is slowly becoming more and more of an apparent threat to Japanese video game giants such as Nintendo and Sony? Personally, Apple succeeding in a market such as Japan is both an accomplishment and testament to the late Steve Jobs’ legacy. Devices like the iPhone and iPad continue to sell like hotcakes in various markets outside North America while the 3DS gathers steam, yet this survey conducted through 52,000 people says otherwise.

What do you all think of The Nikkei’s findings? I for one am not a firm believer that consoles or traditional handhelds will not go the way of the dodo, yet Apple is slowly but surely beginning to win the hearts of the Japanese. Discuss!

Photo courtesy of Apple Gazzette.

Harrison Milfeld

Harrison Milfeld is a writer, editor, and freelance journalist from Missouri. Ever since he could walk, Harrison has been an avid fan of the world of Nintendo. For years, he has purchased every one of the company's subsequent products (yes, including the Virtual Boy and eReader). It wasn't until he was a young teen when he bought a PS2 that he began to embrace cross-console relations, a decision he doesn't regret. When he's not gaming, Harrison is looking to break into the magazine journalism industry and realize his dream of becoming a features reporter.

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Posted by Harrison Milfeld 31.03.2012 in All

Posts Tagged With 'Microsoft'

Could Xbox be Banned from the US?

Essel Pratt

What If..?

Essel Pratt

Cause for concern? Report says Apple is now Japan’s top consumer brand

Harrison Milfeld

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