For the Xbox to tie the PlayStation for a generation, they needed to:
Release a "ticking time bomb" console with a limited shelf life, poorly designed, and riddled with problems because
they had to release it a year early. All of this was supported by Microsoft's "infinite cash flow"
that guaranteed a replacement for a new console once the problem could no longer be hidden.
And yes, Microsoft knew:
A highly accelerated life test (HALT) is a stress testing methodology for enhancing product reliability in which prototypes are stressed to a much higher degree than expected from actual use in order to identify weaknesses in the design or manufacture of the produc
en.wikipedia.org
The purpose of accelerated life testing (ALT test) is to induce field failure in the laboratory at a much faster rate by providing a harsher, but nonetheless representative, environment. In such a test, the product is expected to fail in the lab just as it would have failed in the field—but in much less time.The main objective of an accelerated test is either of the following:
en.wikipedia.org
Not only did Microsoft know, but I guarantee they received authorization from the CEO at the time to go ahead with the Xbox 360 knowing about the high defect rate.
All this to try to match the PlayStation and ultimately end up losing both in hardware sales and in quality and quantity of games.
I don't see how the Xbox guys still consider it a victory...
- They needed Sony to do a bunch of crazy shit (PS3)
- A desperate launch to arrive a year before the competitor on the market and therefore a defective product
It was never about skill, it was always about luck.
The Xbox 360 was never excellence, it was always the norm, the bare minimum; what Sony has always done (not counting the PS3 in the early half of its lifespan).