-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
The Verge: Almost every single Xbox executive we profiled last year has left MS
- Thread starter chadskin
- Start date
7DollarHagane
Banned
Well people move on to do new things. It is weird to say that about people who were there just a year ago, but im sure a lot of those people were there all through the 360's life.
While they certainly are in a catch up position they aren't out.
While they certainly are in a catch up position they aren't out.
They wanted to be the iPad of the living room and yet Kinect was not even 5% as good as Siri when it comes to voice commands. I'm not even saying Siri is good.
I still don't understand how Kinect's voice commands were so damn limited (not much more useful than the PS4 voice commands) when Google Now and Siri had been in existence for so long already. I mean why did you even have to memorize certain phrases? People should have just been able to say whatever the hell they wanted to it and at worst it should have just tried to do a Bing search or something.
LowerLevel
Member
Conquering the living room via set top box has been Microsoft's plan for over 14 years. I used to have an issue of Business 2.0 from the summer of 2000 where the entire strategy was laid out, and it's all come to pass. Unfortunately, planning your technology strategy so far ahead of time can bite you... because technology changes so quickly. They couldn't predict the wholesale rejection of a multi-functional TV box back then, it would have seemed crazy.
He is a sleazy car salesman but I would miss him. He's such a ridiculous wanker, he brings great joy and laughter.
Yes Steam is what MS gaming side probably wish they would have been. but they got caught up with the fear of the TV being the center of the home & being the gateway to the internet that they let that opportunity slip right past them. Right now I think the new plan is to make Windows 10 more like Android & get it into TV's ,Consoles , Cable Boxes ,Phones & Tablets.
Yoda
Member
At the onset of the 360, Xbox was thought of as being pivotal in the future of Microsoft. Loads of people through the living room was a new paradigm shift in tech. It turns out that wasn't the case and the Xbox ceased to be the beginning of a new market and instead just iterated on the already existing console market. They replaced Sega as a primary competitor in hardware and introduced online gaming to consoles. Unfortunately for them their insanely high margins from LIVE memberships were siphoned off from the RRoD fiasco. Xbox One clearly had been developed as less of a game's device and more of a home entertainment hub. It's reveal clearly showed where Microsoft's intentions of the division were and they weren't content simply selling video games. This exploded in their face and to this date they've lost the majority market-share in a territory they destroyed their primary competitor in last generation. The Xbox will be here for this entire gen and will not receive less support from Microsoft but it will not open a new market; thus those in charge of the division have a ceiling of how high they can rise in the ranks of the company because their part of the company simply cannot succeed as well as others.
I'm sorry to say this, because Larry was one of the first company-sponsored podcasts in the industry and a good listen in those early years, but he's kind of become the Dorito Pope of Microsoft lately. He walks the company line really hard now, and it didn't sit well with me the way he dismissed the public-at-large's opinions of the XBO launch and early policies. Especially his documented run-ins with blogs and online personalities.
I'm not saying he needs to go, per se, but MS needs to get him out of the spotlight and hire some younger and more well-known gamers to take his place with the public. I know he does a lot more than just the podcast, so let him do all that stuff and stop being the console's spokesperson.
This, honestly, is what scared me away from the XBO right now. The reversal of vision is so sharp I wouldn't put it past MS to unveil a plan to distance itself away from the XBO at CES next month. Even if it may only be the roots of that plan. Phil has hinted there's big things in store for Xbox and Windows 10 in a couple of weeks, and I don't want to be one who recently invested $350+ on a console with a near-term shelf life.
GreyOcelot
Member
definitely. but if they want to succeed they need to abandon the walled garden approach they've taken with xbox thus far. it's funny though because both sony and MS are headed in the same exact direction, both are showing signs of preparing for a hardware-less world in the future, but both are taking very different approaches to it
Gamezone
Gold Member
Major Nelson usually looks fake and bored. I think they need to replace him with someone far younger.
Castef
Banned
Gamezone
Gold Member
Angry Joe did nothing wrong. He was pretty much the only guy who asked them the hard question they should have been asked.
Who wouldn't want to be the Netflix of Software?
LMAO, really now?
Ah I see he got banned. The staff reorganization makes a lot of sense especially with new leadership in charge. Personally I really like the new direction and hope it takes on a lot of the previous visions aims at some point, a lot of ideas were great just poorly implemented.
You don't need to meet someone to know they're a cock. And Major Nelson comes across as a complete cock.
diffusionx
Gold Member
I really feel like Xbox One will be Microsoft's last console. The idea of a single box sitting under everyone's TV and controlling everything just makes no sense, the world doesn't work like that and MS made a huge mistake to pursue it.
Satya Nadella has said he wants to move the company towards mobile and cloud, and now they have a massive division focusing on games for a single console while the rest of the company is trying to move towards mobile, cloud, services, and portability. It just doesn't line up.
As for Hyrb, who cares. He's a PR guy. The White House press secretary sounds like a huge tool who doesn't believe their own BS more often than not, but that's literally what they are paid to do.
Satya Nadella has said he wants to move the company towards mobile and cloud, and now they have a massive division focusing on games for a single console while the rest of the company is trying to move towards mobile, cloud, services, and portability. It just doesn't line up.
As for Hyrb, who cares. He's a PR guy. The White House press secretary sounds like a huge tool who doesn't believe their own BS more often than not, but that's literally what they are paid to do.
Chittagong
Gold Member
IT'S TIME
Microsoft really needs to hire you man. You give it your all every day. I commend your dedication.
Although I ended up getting an Xbox One this holiday, I like having all consoles in a generation, as long as Yusuf Mehdi is there I can't respect the Xbox platform team. From his on stage appearances and interviews the guy is terrible for the brand and gaming in general.
Edit: For the people wanting Larry Hryb out he is harmless. Guy is just a PR mouthpiece and has little to no impact on Xbox as a platform.
Edit: For the people wanting Larry Hryb out he is harmless. Guy is just a PR mouthpiece and has little to no impact on Xbox as a platform.
ThoughtsOfSpeaking
Banned
Good thing for the Xbox one, but im not convinced its a good thing for the Xbox brand as we know it. Like it or not, these people came to these decisions about the console for a reason.
I know microsoft has a new boss, but im sure there are plenty within Microsoft who wanted them out of hardware and the previous Xbox vision was a way to placate them.
The current strategy of pissing billions down the drain for marketshare isnt doing spencer any favours in the long run.
I know microsoft has a new boss, but im sure there are plenty within Microsoft who wanted them out of hardware and the previous Xbox vision was a way to placate them.
The current strategy of pissing billions down the drain for marketshare isnt doing spencer any favours in the long run.
I swear he must have a Google Alert set for anything XBO related on GAF.
diffusionx
Gold Member
There has been pressure from inside and outside MS (shareholders) to divest of Xbox for a long time. Even the Xbox 360, a big hit by all accounts, was always a very small part of MS' offerings. Compare it to PlayStation, which was dominating Sony within a very short amount of time.
Maybe so but if you're Microsoft & you see Sony sell 100 Million PlayStation consoles & you can see clear as day that they are pushing a Trojan horse into the homes of millions & soon that PlayStation will be all people need to hop online & do the things that they used to do with PC's you have to try and stop it the best way you can.
The only problem is while MS & Sony was fighting for the living room Google & Apple took over the world.
What MS feared that PS would do Phones & Tablets did.
I think my Xbox does do a great job as a hub device and is shaping up as a games console. But is there going to be some kind of new vision for it once Windows 10 releases, as some have suggested?
I don't think there is enough differentiation as a product as it now stands. Especially if Sony adds Morpheus and Playstation Now and Vue come into fruition. There was talk about the cloud bringing new innovations into gaming. But that is yet to be seen.
I don't think there is enough differentiation as a product as it now stands. Especially if Sony adds Morpheus and Playstation Now and Vue come into fruition. There was talk about the cloud bringing new innovations into gaming. But that is yet to be seen.
While I can't speak to the future, I will say that Sonos makes pretty good products. That crew hasn't done anything wrong by the product thus far.
NullPointer
Member
Glad for the 180s, the refocus on what should have mattered all along, and the cleaning house.
Got zero problems with Major Nelson though. He made some mistakes but so does everybody and I never thought they amounted to all that much. His misfortunes have made for some great GIFS tho
Got zero problems with Major Nelson though. He made some mistakes but so does everybody and I never thought they amounted to all that much. His misfortunes have made for some great GIFS tho
Spencer flicked xboats GPS switch to get it back on track and its working.
They did the same thing with the windows team and people are excited for windows 10.
Changes have to be made when you recourse a company. It seems to be working out well for Microsoft so far so there's no reason to panic.
They did the same thing with the windows team and people are excited for windows 10.
Changes have to be made when you recourse a company. It seems to be working out well for Microsoft so far so there's no reason to panic.
Nadella also commented that gaming is the largest revenue source in the mobile industry and said he wants to move Xbox towards mobile. He later specified when he says mobile he means your gaming experience goes with you across screens, regardless of device or OS.
I think it could be their last proprietary game console and the next TV device will be more Roku or Apple TV-like, with everything powered by Azure.
RespectThySole
Member
Glad for the 180s, the refocus on what should have mattered all along, and the cleaning house.
Got zero problems with Major Nelson though. He made some mistakes but so does everybody and I never thought they amounted to all that much. His misfortunes have made for some great GIFS tho
I agree with this, but it wouldn't hurt to get a younger face in his position either.
---
These videos lol
soul creator
Member
One thing I'd also add is that the whole "every game is a digital game regardless of where you get it from" thing originally proposed supports the idea of Xbox becoming more of a cross-platform/multi-device thing. It was probably one of the inspirations for adopting that model.
If Windows 10 or Xbox Two or whatever ends up including some game streaming/cross buy/buy once play everywhere/etc. type of thing, pretty much everyone who has a physical game library will be left out of that. Of course, for the sake of selling more Xboxes now, it was obviously the right call to stick with the status quo, but I could easily see them thinking that was a valid reason for initially pushing for every game purchase to be tied to an account.
Blitzblotz
Banned
It's like they came in, took a dump on the floor and left.
As a hardcore gamer that will be buying new hardware in 2015.
Someone tell me why, the decline of a living room command centre XBOX 1 w/ kinect is good for x1 prospects.
I mean the hybrid solution was the way MS saw the living room, and why the investment was worth it.
Why won't MS look at ways to step back from the Xbox product line?
Are they happy at the prospect of having to buy AAA games on a regular basis to get mindshare and games on their console?
I love the idea of MS splashing cash to get niche/cult AAA games as part of some barn storming rebrand with Spencer at the head. But surely were 10x more likely to see MS diversify away from Xbox and perhaps launch first party games on Windows as well?
Someone tell me why, the decline of a living room command centre XBOX 1 w/ kinect is good for x1 prospects.
I mean the hybrid solution was the way MS saw the living room, and why the investment was worth it.
Why won't MS look at ways to step back from the Xbox product line?
Are they happy at the prospect of having to buy AAA games on a regular basis to get mindshare and games on their console?
I love the idea of MS splashing cash to get niche/cult AAA games as part of some barn storming rebrand with Spencer at the head. But surely were 10x more likely to see MS diversify away from Xbox and perhaps launch first party games on Windows as well?
SerTapTap
Member
Because if they hadn't 180'd so hard there sales would have never recovered and without killing the Kinect the price drop, which is the singular thing that let them beat PS4 even for a month in the US, would not have been possible. An all-purpose non-selling Xbox One would have been dire for game support, and the PS4 is already getting more games despite a reasonably healthy Xbox One.
disastermouse
Banned
You really believe that? No doubt the Major sets off my bullshit detector, but that doesn't mean Larry himself is an awful person. He appears less than genuine because his position has demanded that he be less than genuine. He's paid to be enthusiastic about Xbox and obviously that was pretty difficult near the Xbox One's launch.
Haha...
That's really short sighted thinking though.
How do I know MS aren't pushing til holiday 2015 and then things are winding down for the brand....permanently.
Why do MS care about thus box now?
20 million live subscribers and then coast it in.
Sonos, no. However, I'm still "stuck" with a previous product from their current leadership. So, yea, I won't be buying any Sonos products any time soon. Plenty of options available anyway.
Fox Mulder
Member
Good.
They killed two generations of momentum and almost killed the brand for me.
It's been quite a turn around since launch.
They killed two generations of momentum and almost killed the brand for me.
It's been quite a turn around since launch.
SniperHunter
Banned
sounds good for xbox 2
Neuromancer
Member
This post came out of left field, lol.
GreyOcelot
Member
it's still a strong brand. the product and messaging of said product was the issue. it's easily the strongest thing they have going with younger demos. other than xbox, their entire business is enterprise and older adults buying pcs