That was his point, BEFORE launch the 360 was derided and called "Xbox 1.5". Go back and read the 360 MTV reveal thread. After it launched was a different matter.
No, his point was pretty much, "...but they kinda have
always been the punching bag."
godelsmetric said:
I didn't say it was wall-to-wall hate, I said that they're often a punching bag (in general, not just among gamers) and that they've never had the kind of affection from gamers that Nintendo and Sony have enjoyed, and I'm not sure how any of the things you list suggest otherwise. I mentioned the reaction to the 360 at reveal. And I'm not really sure why you think that people picking 360 versions of multiplatforms because they're superior is supposed to be indicative of people loving Microsoft and not just maximising value for money.
IDK, maybe because they're picking those multiplats on the console they probably had to rebuy/repair 3 or 4 times and then have to pay extra just to get access to any MP? That's some devotion don't you think? Certainly not the Rodney Dangerfield of the gaming world that you tried to paint.
And those were just a few more obvious examples. They've been praised heavily for standardizing things like Achievements, cross-game chat and XBLA game demos. Lots of people somehow consider the 360 controller layout the One True Layout To Rule Them, despite this supposed lack of respect. We could also talk about some of the game franchises that have somehow become positively revered despite this alleged MS stigma: Halo, Forza, Gears of War, Fable etc. Why did anyone bother to give them the time of day, to the tune of tens of millions sold altogether, from such a disrespected developer/publisher?
The reaction to the 360 reveal and the "xbox 1.5" ridicule for the next few months was nothing compared to the withering ridicule Sony faced once "$599" happened. In truth, they're all subjected to the same kind of scrutiny and criticism as befits their transgression. Like every other major player in this industry, their fortunes are tied to What They've Done For Us Lately.
Besides, I'm not sure where all of the threads full of people justifying their XBLG subscriptions are. Generally all I see are threads full of people calling other people idiots for having one.
First, I didn't say anything about "threads full of people". Second, your perception is selective.