Linkbait

Over the past few days, GigaOM contributer Wagner James Au has been fishing for hits with a couple of sensationalist editorials. With titles like "Is Xbox 360 Doomed" and "Microsoft Moves Xbox 360 Price Point, Deck Chairs on Titanic," they have to be good, right? He's even got a hastily thrown together lolcat macro in the latter article. Lookout guys, he's onto the memes!

A choice quote:

And regardless the 360’s price, the industry is moving away from the system in the area that matters most: exclusive titles and development budgets. Here the Wii has already claimed victory; it has the most exclusives currently in production, while top publishers like Electronic Arts and Activision are shifting their budgets in Nintendo’s direction. (It’s doubtful that the sequel to the 360’s upcoming lead exclusive, Halo 3, will bring in any new customers.)

This is absurd. If you've been only casually following the so-called "console wars," you can probably pick out at least a couple of things wrong with the statements above. Claiming victory based on titles in development? Halo 3 won't bring in any new customers? Please.

I hate to say this, but I expected more from Om Malik. Here's a tip: Fanboy armwaving is not the best way to bring visitors to your blog. You may get a lot of hits, but they probably won't be from the audience you're looking for.

Now, I'm not saying that I know the best way to bring traffic to one's blog. If I knew that, I would have more readers. I just have to call this one as I see it. In this case, it seems that the mainstream media is doing *gasp* a better job with this discussion if this is what the cream of the blogging crop has to offer.

Is anyone up for a thoughtful, rational discussion regarding the direction this console war is heading? Is it possible to do that without all of the hyperbole and FUD?

"IM IN UR INDUSTRY BECOMING IRRELEVANT" indeed.