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[Adam182]

I don't blame MS for locking down Titanfall, it was a good move. Sony did the same with GTA during the PS2 days. What they need to do is really invest heavily in great teams to make more new IPs in the future, great teams that can give them great games over the long term. MS is a bit too in love with hit IPs, Halo and Gears are great brands but the teams that made them what they are are not working on them anymore. That's a problem. Sony wisely invested and nurtured great teams over the last decade which has lead to building great IPs as well as new hits like TLOU. Investing in great teams pays dividends over the long term, focusing entirely building a few hit IPs (and using unproven devs to milk it) and securing a few big 3rd party titles early in a cycle is a fools errand.

Agreed. MS can do a better job at securing new IP's.

I think also what they need to do is get back to some classic IP's that they own but don't really make use of. Most notably Rare titles. Not saying Rare should develop them though because lets be honest they are a shadow of their former selves. But things like Kameo, Banjo, Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark, etc.

MS actually does have alot of first party games they can make use of. But would be cool to see some new ones as well. Which to some extent we are seeing. I was very pleased with Ryse actually despite some of the negativity it receives.

 

[Eltros]

This is just dumb imo talking about who is winning or losing a gen when we are only 4 months into it and it will last 8-10 years. Look how badly the PS3 sold at first. The Xbox One has a ton of great features and popular titles. The PS4 is selling more now but it is far too early to act like anything is official. The PS4 was the console I bought first this gen but it was not a easy choice since both console offer a lot.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

I see this quite often, Respawn have pretty much said they couldnt have developed it on all platforms at the same time?

Did you complain at MGS4 or Haze being PS3 exclusive?

Going further back, did you complain at MGS, GTA, DMC, FF being exclusive to PS2? (some timed some not) I doubt many (or possibly even any) of those were exclusive out of the goodness of publishers hearts.

Its business, Sony have done it in the past, I don't see why when MS do it its "bullshit"

First of all those franchises being exclusive to PS2 kind of made sense since PS2 was dominating and in absolute terms the other systems were doing poorly.

Secondly, third party exclusives from moneyhats are the worse thing imo. Its okay if your helping them develop the title or even better funding it or if the third party chooses to remain with one platform .

This clearly shows it was moneyhatted by MS.

and theres a thread showing that they were working on at least PS3 SKU.

 

[frozencool]

I kinda feel like the problem with Kinect is that it's not the full voice control experience I want. To get people to buy into Kinect it sets the bar extremely high, if I'm playing 100$ for voice control that

A) Is not on my phone already
B) Is not better at tracking my voice than my phone
C) Is not more powerful than my phone
D) Is not more intuitive than my phone

I'm throwing my money away basically. They've tried their damndest but full voice control just requires so much more than what technology is currently available. Even mobile phones still struggle to make voice control relevant, and while they've found more success the vast majority of mobile phone users still don't use Siri or Google Now on an every day basis simply because fingers are faster to do most controls with. If I want to call my mom, I could either use 3-4 taps that take place over a half second, or I could hold home for 3 seconds, loudly yell to the heavens "SIRI, CALL MOM" and then do that five more times till Siri gets it right.

Kinect needs to be better designed and just more goddamned intuitive. It also needs a better keyword than "Xbox". No one gives commands to objects, no one even gives commands to their pets using their species name ("DOG, FETCH PAPER") and it makes the whole experience much more natural in my life. Voice commands need to also do more than a single thing at once. We give commands to people either because we have multiple orders for them or because the task is out of reach. An example:

A normal conversation:

"Jim would you hand me that coffee and tell Nancy I need that report by Tuesday."

Using Kinect form commands the conversation becomes:

"JIM. FETCH COFFEE. JIM. HAND ME THE COFFEE. JIM. SEND MESSAGE TO NANCY, TITLE: REPORT. FLAG AS HIGH PRIORITY. JIM. MESSAGE AS FOLLOWS: NEED REPORT BY TUESDAY. VERY IMPORTANT. JIM. SEND MESSAGE."

It's a farce of a conversation and whereas Normal Jim would know what to do and not ask questions, Robo-Xbox-Jim would never shut up with the questions. Which coffee would you like me to fetch? Are you sure you want me to hand you the coffee? Which Nancy would you like me to send this message to? Are you sure this is the message you want to send to Nancy?

If you want me to buy into Kinect and show me the future, show me the actual future.

I hope that Microsoft DOES take out the Kinect and uses the next year or two to upgrade and rebrand it. I've heard rumors that their Windows Phone may have a Siri-type assistant voiced by Cortana, if they could also rebrand Kinect as simply "The Cortana System" or something then people would definitely buy into it. Give the system an easily identifiable face, the ability to serve you properly, a bit of personality and courtesy and you have something unique and strong to position.

The Kinect itself could provide some incredibly strong games, but like Touch Screens for mobile phones it needs to be made in a simple and intuitive manner and be something that people are actually optting into of their own free will.

Long Story short, I need to have an actual CONVERSATION with my machine and it needs to sound like this:

"Hi Cortana."

"Hey there!"

"What's the weather like outside today?"

"According to Google Weather it is minus thirteen degrees celsius outside with a seventy percent chance for freezing rain. It sucks."

"Well eff that, boot up Titanfall and see if Thomas is online."

"Logging you in. Bringing up profile. Unfortunately Thomas is unavailable, shall I notify the last five people you formed a team with most recently you are looking for a match?"

"Screw it, just throw me into Attrition and start blasting Queen."

"Looking for available Attrition matches. Match found. Starting Audio Playback for Playlist Queen, current song: 'Another One Bites the Dust'."

"Thanks Cortana, let me know when Thomas gets on."

"Duly noted. Enjoy yourself."

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Okay, I hate MS but... Let's see... Substantially improving their PR and strategy like Sony have after last gen? Ideally anyway.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

This is just dumb imo talking about who is winning or losing a gen when we are only 4 months into it and it will last 8-10 years. Look how badly the PS3 sold at first. The Xbox One has a ton of great features and popular titles. The PS4 is selling more now but it is far too early to act like anything is official. The PS4 was the console I bought first this gen but it was not a easy choice since both console offer a lot.

Look at the PS360 Wii gen. Look at the PS2, XB, Gc gen. Look at the PS1, N64, SS gen.

Now in each one of those how long did it take before it was clear which console was going to lead.

 

[Curufinwe]

This is just dumb imo talking about who is winning or losing a gen when we are only 4 months into it and it will last 8-10 years. Look how badly the PS3 sold at first. The Xbox One has a ton of great features and popular titles. The PS4 is selling more now but it is far too early to act like anything is official. The PS4 was the console I bought first this gen but it was not a easy choice since both console offer a lot.

The PS3 cost $200 more.

The PS4 costs $100 less.

 

[Steverulez]

First of all those franchises being exclusive to PS2 kind of made sense since PS2 was dominating and in absolute terms the other systems were doing poorly.

Secondly, third party exclusives from moneyhats are the worse thing imo. Its okay if your helping them develop the title or even better funding it or if the third party chooses to remain with one platform .

This clearly shows it was moneyhatted by MS.

and theres a thread showing that they were working on at least PS3 SKU.

I didn't say MS didn't money hat it, I said that Respawn pretty much said it was going to exclusive to one side anyway: "always MS exclusive at launch" "focus is good for a startup"

They were going to go exclusive to someone, it just happened to be MS that did the deal instead of Sony originally (for whatever reason, whether money, server support or anything else) and then decided to go all the way. Its on EA that they took a second deal for it to keep it exclusive forever.

 

[Eltros]

Look at the PS360 Wii gen. Look at the PS2, XB, Gc gen. Look at the PS1, N64, SS gen.

Now in each one of those how long did it take before it was clear which console was going to lead.

The PS3 for the longest time was selling like crap. I remember all the jokes about PS3 sales Vs the GBA which was from the gen before. Also judging by graphics you look at some of the first PS3 games compared to the current ones. There was a giant difference between the 360 and PS3 at first with games like Splinter Cell Double Agent.

 

[charsace]

First of all those franchises being exclusive to PS2 kind of made sense since PS2 was dominating and in absolute terms the other systems were doing poorly.

Secondly, third party exclusives from moneyhats are the worse thing imo. Its okay if your helping them develop the title or even better funding it or if the third party chooses to remain with one platform .

This clearly shows it was moneyhatted by MS.

and theres a thread showing that they were working on at least PS3 SKU.

Exclusive franchises don't make sense to gamers if they are not first or 2nd party. Don't make excuses because its Sony.

 

[KillerDark]

Remember PS3 last gen? XB1 could have the same turnaround, who knows. We are barely even into this console generation... nothing is set in stone.

 

[Eltros]

The PS3 cost $200 more.

The PS4 costs $100 less.

And sales for the PS3 really took off as price went down so then the same could happen to the XBO. The XBO is also selling at a far better rate then PS3 was or even 360.

 

[Synth]

A few late responses here (just read the thread from the start)

-What good would establishing a television presence be if it's only available on Xbox? The reason it has worked so well for Netflix is because Netflix is everywhere. Literally EVERYWHERE. MS would need to publish some kind of Xbox Entertainment app across all platforms including mobile, Smart TVs and even PS4/PS3, which I don't see them doing.

-Windows App store is a wasteland of apps, and even worse sales performance. I don't see how merging Xbox into that is benefiting anyone.

-Turning XB1 into a living room hub? That's what they're trying to do now. It's clearly not driving a whole lot of traction.

1) I can see Xbox Entertainment's content being made available to other platforms. You can already get Xbox Music and Xbox Video on iOS and Android, so I don't understand the assumption that video content would never find its way to other devices. The only reason I see why the PS4 wouldn't receive these, is because Sony likely wouldn't allow MS to set up Xbox Music and Xbox Video on Playstation devices due to them competing with Music and Video Unlimited. They're happy to have things like Skype though.

2) The Windows Store is doing terribly, that's true. However, I would imagine it would be doing better if Windows was view as more of an entertainment environment like iOS and Android are, rather than a productivity one. The addition of the Xbox to this ecosystem could make more of the media and gaming apps make sense for porting to the Windows Store, as console gamers may be more likely to try them, rather than ignore the entire marketplace in favour of Steam etc.

3) It's not driving a load of traction because it's both too expensive right now, and half of it doesn't even work correctly. They just need to ensure that all the kinks with the media functionality is good to go by the time they hit $299 or so. They also need to remove the fuckin paywall from non-gaming features though, because that's a great way to ensure nobody other than gamers will buy the machine...

Things are very different for MS, now. They have a new CEO who is "cloud focused" and not married to the success or failure of the Xbox like Balmer was, and there are a LOT of people on the MS board that have been calling for the sell-off of Xbox, Bing, and anything consumer-related to focus on enterprise systems and software... despite that strategy ending horribly for IBM, RIM, and others.

No way did I just read IBM and RIM being compared in their attempts to focus on enterprise... no way...

The Xbox is not theoretically a better multimedia machine. It is.

Nah... I love my Xbox One, but it is either theoretically a better media machine, or potentially a better media machine. They are currently enough failings, and enough areas where the PS4 is superior (pretty much any video app) to make it reasonably preferable for some people.

Microsoft

• Is making money on every unit
• Has/Will have sold more (4.2m) units in 4 months than the PS3 did in 8 months
• Has the highest selling core exclusive in gaming in Halo

This isn't true at all...

 

[Saucycarpdog]

As long as there is money to be made, someone else will always come along to fill the gap.

I'm pretty sure that if any of the big three bowed out no one would come along, because there really isn't any money to be made.

 

[TimFL]

Remember PS3 last gen? XB1 could have the same turnaround, who knows. We are barely even into this console generation... nothing is set in stone.

But it's weaker than the PS4. The turnaround was due to the Cell processor being used for "more visually appealing games" by first party studious (which is another point, superior first party titles being released during the last few years -> MSoft could not keep up). This is not going to happen this time around.
Everyone who thinks otherwise is just delusional.

This time around the XB1 has the more complex architecture AND is underpowered (in comparison to PS4). What turnaround could possibly happen? Secret sauce in the form of a SDK update? By the time MS updates their SDK Sony will have done the same and devs will have figured out better ways for developing titles on PS4. The GPU of the PS4 is good for other things too and devs could possibly offload certain CPU calculations in the near future -> another massive performance boost the X1 wont be able to keep up with.

Wait for tiled resources on the X1, maybe that'll be enough to achieve native 1080p for (most) multiplat titles, thats one of the few things that could keep X1 from completely failing (I consider a console being a failure when it runs games worse than the competition and its only appeal are multimedia features).

 

[Doug Heffernan]

If by even out you mean global sales will equalize you are going to be bitterly disappointed.

lol wut
and tell me why I would be bitterly disappointed?
None of this shit affects me, I don't work for Microsoft or Sony, nor do I own stock.

 

[MattKeil]

One of the big things that will hurt them this entire gen is the fact that their system is significantly underpowered compared to PS4. They can't change that now and people aren't going to forget.

Most people don't care. Power has never won a generation.

 

[Ol No Bones]

Windows Phone will be supported indefinitely because it is tied to the future of Windows. It is of the utmost importance for MS. That is why they are willing to spend billions and buy out the hardware division of Nokia, buy companies like Nortel for patents, etc.

Bing is a strategic maneuver to combat Google. Just like the Xbox originally was a strategic maneuver to protect Windows. Bing is the only way they can really combat Google where it hurts. Google likewise is going after MS with GDocs and Chromebooks.

Xbox is nowhere near as important to MS as Bing or WP. If they aren't losing money Xbox division will stick around. I don't see MS willing to lose money though like they were in the past.

They will probably relent to being second, try to be profitable and make next-gen start early.

I think Xbox is the glue that can tie their unified vision together. There can really be innovation with proper conversational voice control with your television. I love that my Xbox DVR clips can be uploaded to my SkyDrive with playback on my phone and PC almost instantly. With forward thinking they could have the next step in Ai assistance and home automation through Kinect. Its still early but the potential is there.

 

[AmyS]

Spend Billions more on Xbox 4

 

[MikeE21286]

They will abandon home consoles. It's not a growth market and it's hard to make money. I don't think they were very keen on even doing the Xbone.

I think he people got on it were hot on the DRMesque Xbox one and have already left the building otherwise.

 

[N.Domixis]

Most people don't care. Power has never won a generation.

Isn't that because the most powerful is usually the most expensive? This gen the most powerful is 100 cheaper! That's why it is winning and the momentum will just keep building. Microsoft WiLL NOT HAVE the rest of the world to catch up to sony! Unless xbox absolutely fucking dominates the ps4 in the us. It's staying last.

 

[Cybersai]

I think they will kill the Xbox brand and titles like Halo 5 will become PC exclusive.

I don't expect the Xbox brand being long lasting. Also all the casual dudebros who buy Call of Duty and Madden are getting a PS4 instead.

 

[Fehyd]

So, if the xbone continues to sell as it currently is, will MS have to negotiate for lower production? I mean, if they're doing 1.2 million consoles a month, that's a lot of unsold consoles sitting in warehouses.

 

[BrainZEROX]

What's an even grimmer perspective for MS is that the good ol' cost reduction through die shrink is not an ace card in their game because Sony has the same exact card to play because of both consoles' similar AMD architectures...

 

[shandy706]

I think they will kill the Xbox brand and titles like Halo 5 will become PC exclusive.

I don't expect the Xbox brand being long lasting. Also all the casual dudebros who buy Call of Duty and Madden are getting a PS4 instead.

Sweet I'm going to get to play Halo 5 on my PC!!!

I see you have pointed out that the PS4 is also the new dudebro system!

Time for all dudebro haters to buy an Xbox One.

 

[Wotanik]

So, if the xbone continues to sell as it currently is, will MS have to negotiate for lower production? I mean, if they're doing 1.2 million consoles a month, that's a lot of unsold consoles sitting in warehouses.

I think they've already halted most of the production as it seems there's +-500k units sitting in some warehouses and on store shelves. At least it makes most sense.

 

[KillerDark]

But it's weaker than the PS4. The turnaround was due to the Cell processor being used for "more visually appealing games" by first party studious (which is another point, superior first party titles being released during the last few years -> MSoft could not keep up). This is not going to happen this time around.
Everyone who thinks otherwise is just delusional.

This time around the XB1 has the more complex architecture AND is underpowered (in comparison to PS4). What turnaround could possibly happen? Secret sauce in the form of a SDK update? By the time MS updates their SDK Sony will have done the same and devs will have figured out better ways for developing titles on PS4. The GPU of the PS4 is good for other things too and devs could possibly offload certain CPU calculations in the near future -> another massive performance boost the X1 wont be able to keep up with.

Wait for tiled resources on the X1, maybe that'll be enough to achieve native 1080p for (most) multiplat titles, thats one of the few things that could keep X1 from completely failing (I consider a console being a failure when it runs games worse than the competition and its only appeal are multimedia features).

I agree with you but I don't think the average consumer is going to care that much about power. Either way, definitely still too early to proclaim the XB1 has lost.

 

[Adam182]

I agree with you but I don't think the average consumer is going to care that much about power. Either way, definitely still too early to proclaim the XB1 has lost.

agreed.

Also as much as its talked about on this site I don't think many can tell the difference between the two graphically. On here its talked about a massive difference but in reality its really not when it comes to multi platforms. I know many people who don't even know what 720p and 1080p means..... Let alone tell the difference or care. And if I asked many people I know to tell me what Framerates are they would be stumped.

 

[Ol No Bones]

Isn't that because the most powerful is usually the most expensive? This gen the most powerful is 100 cheaper! That's why it is winning and the momentum will just keep building. Microsoft WiLL NOT HAVE the rest of the world to catch up to sony! Unless xbox absolutely fucking dominates the ps4 in the us. It's staying last.

It definitely won't be last.

 

[Amir0x]

I think the longer they wait for the price drop, the harder it will be to be competitive even in the USA. Once people and their family and friends start fast adopting a platform, they get others too as well, and a community forms. That's the nature of social platforms, especially ones that now have streaming options.

Microsoft has to wait and see what Titanfall does. They've put an obscene amount of weight and hopes on that title. IF it fails to significantly change the trajectory, they must start considering a new strategy. If they don't, they won't have any chance of coming close to PS4 this gen

 

[Branduil]

Maybe you should learn a little more about MS as a company these days before making predictions. MS is fighting a battle on many fronts, and losing on virtually all of them. MS is moving more into Enterprise services as Windows becomes more and more obsolete. Azure, Office365, etc ... THIS is the focus for MS. Check out the discounts MS is giving on Office to try and keep their core business in tact.

Google and Amazon are making things VERY hard for MS right now. Also, the entire X-Box division with the Surface, Windows Phone, and of course the Xbox is taking major, major red. Bing, Nokia, Surface are all huge, huge market failures. In gaming, the XB1 is getting completely annihilated by the PS4, and virtually every third party game is better on PS4, and sales reflect it. And this is just a small portion of the picture... the battle for the living room is already lost - not to Sony, but to Google and Apple.

You have to look at the big picture, and history. IBM, HP, and Dell have already made the move to Enterprise services. And MS will do the same. They will shed the non-profit parts of the company like the X-Box division, and become Enterprise focused. THAT is where the profit is.

The rest of it is all lost. The Windows Phone is NOTHING on the Android and IOS. The Surface tablet also will gain no significant marketshare. Bing? Seriously, not going to happen. And the XB1? If Titanfall isn't the end all be all, that will be a HUGE problem for MS. Look at all the "service" money they are losing alone with the loss of LIVE subscriptions - money that comes with market share that MS is losing. And there won't be any "buying" exclusives either - the whole division is in the red and not going to get the funds to do so from the parent company.

This comes from someone who competes with MS on the Enterprise level, and is very aware of how things stand for MS as a company. Once upon a time, I worked for them before I left for much better opportunities. I.E. Why I have so much MS stock...

Yeah it's hard to see why MS would continue with the Xbox brand if their marketshare declines from the 360. Investors were already calling for it to be sold off so they could focus on enterprise, and that was before the XBone was even released. "Conquering the living room" is a dead end at this point, and even if it was going to happen, it would have to happen through Surface and Metro, not Xbox. It's like they built a Trojan horse and sent it to Siberia.

It's very unlikely that MS can pull a PS3 due to the fact America is their only strong market. PS4 selling at parity or even outright beating it here would mean it wins everywhere.

 

[angrygnat]

If this were a football game we'd still be in the first drive. In fact, Sony has only completed a thirty yard pass to the 50. MS hasn't been given a chance to change their game plan. I'd say Sony will end up with the equivalent of a touchdown. Then Titanfall drops and MS gets its turn to drive for a while. Next Christmas is going to be the biggest tell in how this is all going to play out.

 

[Artex]

Did they react to losing last gen? No.

 

[Almighty]

Short term I think they will pull Kinect and drop the price $100 like others have said.

Long term your guess is as good as mine.

I really do think though that when it comes time for the Xbox 4 Microsoft will take a long hard look at if they really want to make another console.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

The PS3 for the longest time was selling like crap. I remember all the jokes about PS3 sales Vs the GBA which was from the gen before. Also judging by graphics you look at some of the first PS3 games compared to the current ones. There was a giant difference between the 360 and PS3 at first with games like Splinter Cell Double Agent.

And sales for the PS3 really took off as price went down so then the same could happen to the XBO. The XBO is also selling at a far better rate then PS3 was or even 360.

Again with this:

The only reason PS3 was able to turnaround is because it made up for the difference the 360 had in US and UK with Japan and EU. MS is loosing EVERYWHERE.

Price drop may optimistically see XB1 achieve parity with PS4 in US or UK though I don't think it will just like the PS3 never really did, but PS4 will still be leading considerably in EU and Japan. Without that US and UK LEAD MS will be lagging considerably behind. Like 20 million.

 

[Imperfected]

I think the longer they wait for the price drop, the harder it will be to be competitive even in the USA. Once people and their family and friends start fast adopting a platform, they get others too as well, and a community forms. That's the nature of social platforms, especially ones that now have streaming options.

Microsoft has to wait and see what Titanfall does. They've put an obscene amount of weight and hopes on that title. IF it fails to significantly change the trajectory, they must start considering a new strategy. If they don't, they won't have any chance of coming close to PS4 this gen

Not to mention that now that there are competing paywalls, there's less incentive to be a dual-adopter. I know a lot of people who owned both or even all three systems last generation who are holding off on the XB1 because they've already become subscribed to PS+ and have no intention of re-subbing to XBLG... which means that TitanFall is effectively a non-entity for them, because it's online-only.

 

[The Flash]

If Killer Instinct proved anything it's that MS needs an internal studio that can reboot old franchises. MS controls a good number of IPs that people want to see again. If MS can get their own Double Helix (who they should have bought anyway) and start rebooting old IPs as well as make new ones, then people will have more incentive to get an Xbox One. This, price drop, Kinectless bundle, and competitive digital offerings might help turn things around. That's just my two cents though.

 

[Biker19]

It's two very different strategies. Sony is obviously playing to hardcore gamers' tastes so it isn't surprising that they would take the lead early.

Microsoft is hoping to promote a paradigm shift that will hit mainstream living rooms; something that might have longer legs if the "play games on a console" paradigm shifts, which it very well might before the end of this gen.

And that's one of the reasons that lead to Microsoft's downfall with Xbox One so far. You're supposed to focus on the hardcore gamers first starting from launch, not by chasing the casual market. The hardcore fanbase are the ones that buys your platform first.

As some posters here have already said, everything MS has been doing lately is a response to the PS4. They are playing catch up now.

It´s very bad for the core gaming market if X1 flops as hard as the Wii U. Competition is needed - just look how well the PS4 turned out after the Xbox360 managed to tie or even win (depending on market) the PS3. The moment Sony does not have a competitor anymore is the moment they will start making less investments in their ecosystem...This industry needs at least a few successful platforms.

I suggest reading these posts from Y2Kev about that here.

 

[BFIB]

Right now, its easy to take jabs at MS. Not that they helped themselves in the matter with their terrible PR.

But if they show up at E3 (if the numbers continue to meet below expectations), announce that they are "refocusing" their efforts towards gamers first, drop Kinect, and announce a price drop, they will be right back in the race.

As someone just said, its a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[maomao]

I don't think they need to worry until 3rd party publishers start to give xbone the wiiU treatment.

You tell me what rate the PS4 must outsell the xbone for 3rd party publishers to do that. 5 to 1 maybe?

 

[Sydle]

I'm pretty sure that if any of the big three bowed out no one would come along, because there really isn't any money to be made.

You're right, which is exactly why Microsoft has been trying so hard to be more than games for a few years now, as well as an effort to expand Xbox to all Windows devices.

They want to be a major digital entertainment store front because they stand to make a lot more money if they get a cut from every digital entertainment transaction you make (film, TV, sports events, games, DLC, music, etc.), selling advertising, and even selling consumer behavior data. They look at Valve, Apple iTunes, DirectTV, and Gamestop thinking how to make that money.

It's why I think they're not anywhere for at least a decade. They will see how it goes in a entertainment market, including core games, that is mostly digital sales before giving up on that potential market.

 

[Adam182]

I don't think they need to worry until 3rd party publishers start to give xbone the wiiU treatment.

You tell me what rate the PS4 must outsell the xbone for 3rd party publishers to do that. 5 to 1 maybe?

That probably will never happen.

Also people should drop this kinect less SKU. I can see a price drop but doesn't need to mean the kinect needs to be tossed away. It's a great piece of tech they are not marketing right

 

[Woo-Fu]

Is beating Sony the only way Microsoft can consider the Xbox One a success? Seems kind of all or nothing. I'd say forget about Sony and continue to strengthen your own platform while striving for profitability.

In other words, don't worry about the fanboys, worry about the shareholders.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I think the longer they wait for the price drop, the harder it will be to be competitive even in the USA. Once people and their family and friends start fast adopting a platform, they get others too as well, and a community forms. That's the nature of social platforms, especially ones that now have streaming options.

Microsoft has to wait and see what Titanfall does. They've put an obscene amount of weight and hopes on that title. IF it fails to significantly change the trajectory, they must start considering a new strategy. If they don't, they won't have any chance of coming close to PS4 this gen

I think a serious problem MS has to contend with up until they drop the kinect and price later this year is the idea that they will drop the price later this year. It is becoming more and more discussed. It will likely permeate to the general public to expect a price drop this year. That's not a good thing

 

[The Flash]

Is beating Sony the only way Microsoft can consider the Xbox One a success? Seems kind of all or nothing. I'd say forget about Sony and continue to strengthen your own platform while striving for profitability.

In other words, don't worry about the fanboys, worry about the shareholders.

And the fans of the system

 

[Wotanik]

As some posters here have already said, everything MS has been doing lately is a response to the PS4. They are playing catch up now.

It´s very bad for the core gaming market if X1 flops as hard as the Wii U. Competition is needed - just look how well the PS4 turned out after the Xbox360 managed to tie or even win (depending on market) the PS3. The moment Sony does not have a competitor anymore is the moment they will start making less investments in their ecosystem...This industry needs at least a few successful platforms.

There's always someone else coming out. Now it's the Steambox, the next one is probably some weird Google Android Box. Sony will not be alone if Xbox dies. Nintendo is still out there and they're probably learning how the western world works. If Sony is left alone and doesn't upgrade their ecosystem, they will die as well. Who would support non-existential progress?

 

[J-Rzez]

I can't believe people are calling this over after a few months. The XB1 is fine, outselling the massively successful 360.

Sony are off to a good start, let's see if it continues when they lose the price advantage. I seriously doubt it.

They still have the known power advantage, and by then, their first-party games will start to hit at a steady rate. It's not just the price difference at play here, like it or not. And it's not like Sony isn't the master of revisions, and by their choice of hardware, allowing themselves to be competitive pricing wise throughout this gen.

 

[maomao]

I don't know how any one can compare xbone to wii U, saying xbone's situation is any where near wii U's is ridiculous. Wii U is in another world by itself. Third party support is the best indicator of a console's health. In that regard, xbone and ps4 is the same, while the Wii U is on life support.

 

[Amir0x]

Is beating Sony the only way Microsoft can consider the Xbox One a success? Seems kind of all or nothing. I'd say forget about Sony and continue to strengthen your own platform while striving for profitability.

In other words, don't worry about the fanboys, worry about the shareholders.

No, but Xbox One must impress the investors for the Xbox brand to continue to be a viable option for them going forward. We've heard countless media reports now about the scrutiny in this division, and what the expectations are. Just because Microsoft could conceivably make a million consoles that fail to set the world on fire doesn't mean they will.

I think it's fair to say that a system performing consistently poorly throughout the gen, especially if the numbers are like January's during the off holiday, will lead to many internal re-evaluations of where they want the Xbox brand to be. And that should concern any fan of the platform. Even though I have massive problems with the Xbox One, I was a huge Xbox 360 fan and don't want to see that happen if they can continue to change course as they have with the 180s (they need to stop bullshitting every other press release though). So yeah, I'd say it doesn't matter necessarily if they are beating Sony, but it does matter the scale at which they are losing to Sony.

 

[SpinningBirdKick]

Right now, its easy to take jabs at MS. Not that they helped themselves in the matter with their terrible PR.

But if they show up at E3 (if the numbers continue to meet below expectations), announce that they are "refocusing" their efforts towards gamers first, drop Kinect, and announce a price drop, they will be right back in the race.

As someone just said, its a marathon, not a sprint.

Even marathons can be lost in the very early stages.

Probably a better guideline to the future outcome of this generation would be to look back at the PS1 versus the Saturn.

The PS1 like the PS4 was cheaper, more powerful and won the hearts and minds of the majority of consumers very early into it's lifecycle.

The Saturn like the Xbone was more expensive and under powered compared to it's rival.

Not even Sega's IP back catalog and incredible arcade conversions to the Saturn were enough to combat the incredible positive word of mouth that the PS1 enjoyed before it's launch.

If anything the sales performance of the Xbone versus the sales of the PS4 is likely to be even worse than the relative sales performance of the Saturn compared to the PS1 . This is because Microsoft doesn't have the depth and breadth of game development talent that Sega enjoyed in it's hey day.

Very much like the Saturn, the Xbone is going to find it increasingly difficult to compete as the generation progresses because the weak hardware will become more apparent and developers/publishers will flock to the more popular platform.