You're young, so I'll forgive you for being an idiot... this time.



In the meantime, please check out this site, and stop suggesting I use Windows.



As for the XBOX360, remember, every single console that comes out is initially sold at a loss. This is the way the video game industry works. When you buy one of these systems, the company manufacturing it is losing money.



Why do they do this? They do this on a gamble. The gamble is this: If they can sell enough games, they can make a profit.



See, video game companies make their money from games sold, not consoles sold. The only way they can earn the money back lost from their consoles is by having huge hits and high volume game sales.



But this is a gamble, always remember that. And the vast majority of video game consoles will never sell enough games to be profitable. Most video game consoles are financial failures!



There have been periods in the Xbox's life where it was hemorrhaging Microsoft more $177 million every few months! That's a freaking hell of a lot of money to be losing every few months!



Why are they still doing it? Well, for one thing, if any company can afford to lose that much money, it's Microsoft. In 2002 they had enough liquid cash to buy the airline industry twice. So a measily $177 million every three months is more of an irritation than a catastrophe for them.



But the big reason they stay in the game is for the XBOX360. They knew going into the current generation that they wouldn't beat the PS2 in sales, but what they wanted was to build enough hype that the next gen Xbox could be a stronger seller.



What does all this mean with respect to me playing FFXI on the XBOX360? Well, what it really means is that if I just buy the XBOX360 and one game for it new (all the others used) I ultimately screw Microsoft.



People like Craig may scoff at that, but that's only because they really don't understand the ramifications of doing things like this in the gaming industry.



Let's say that the XBOX360 sold for $250 and that it cost Microsoft $900 to build (that's roughly what the first XBox was when it debuted). If 100,000 people buy it, Microsoft will lose $65 million. If those 100,000 people then buy FFXI they make Squeenix money, and they make a small amount for Microsoft, but nowhere near enough to cover their loses on the hardware.



Long story short: Yes, buying the XBOX360 and then buying all your games for it used does, in fact, screw Microsoft. It allows you to play and enjoy the games while at the same time screwing the company.



If you still want to debate that, then go back and re-read what I just said, because obviously you didn't get it.



Vis Maior's Journeys
http://maior.samhart.net/