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Microsoft needs more exclusives throughout the year

Phil Spencer is all talk and no action. He has charisma, but he simply struggles to deliver.

This gen, aside for a handful of exclusives, has been really bad for MS. The fact that they still feel the need to milk halo/gears/forza is hilarious.

If it still makes money then why not?
 
Phil Spencer is all talk and no action. He has charisma, but he simply struggles to deliver.

This gen, aside for a handful of exclusives, has been really bad for MS. The fact that they still feel the need to milk halo/gears/forza is hilarious.
All Phil can do is talk though, it's whether or not we see some pay off in the next 12-18 months at most that will determine if he's all show or was repping for a legitimate plan for Xbox. The months following Xbox One X will be key in showing if console power is really the solution or if they need other means to show significant gains in 1st and 3rd party support/sales.
If it still makes money then why not?
I'm not sure making money is the only goal at this point. "Making money" is any outcome of investment+1, Microsoft as a company still doesn't need Xbox the same way that Sony needs PlayStation. I don't see this gen as being the curtain call for Xbox but the next gen or the one after that? Microsoft needs to make bigger moves than they are now.
 
Yes, exclusives are definitely cool. But the problem is that exclusives are not guarantee to succeed. You can make as much exclusives as you like but if you don't get diehard platform fanboys hyping behind it or has Ubisoft level of marketing genius, it's very hard to succeed unless you make Zelda level of masterpiece. And we all know that level of masterpiece seldom appears.
The thing is, Microsoft has lost most of it's diehard fanboy this generation. I think they are trying to be a gaming company that don't require too many fans to survive. And the way they are doing it is to rely on GAAS, which works really well in the mobile space. And to many's surprise. The plan kind of works, for now.

I think you're being reductive. Fanboys must hype up exclusives for them to sell?
You're having a laugh.

If you make high quality software and market/budget accordingly, your exclusive can sell well and make a profit/assist with differentiating your platform.

Horizon, Bloodborne, UC 1-4, Nier: A, Persona 5, Forza Horizon 3, and the older Halo's, Gears games all sold very well off the strength of their quality and satisfying consumers who are interested in them.

Making exclusives isn't a zero sum game where platform holders infinitely get nothing back if you are not Zelda. Of course some games will turn out to be duds, that's the business.

It's just being extremely risk averse which is what MS seems to sort of do but I don't blame them as this strategy seems to be serving current Xbox fans well enough and the division makes money anyway without larger exclusive investments.
 

Hojaho

Member
Lol at using breath of the wild, an exclusive that should have been out years prior and mario kart 8, which did come out years ago, but given some new life for the switch. Is that really how you want MS to do games? Take their biggest exclusive and delay a whole generation? And Sony just isn't comparable. They have this generation wrapped up. With their sales and install base they can pretty much spend money however they want as far as pumping out new exclusives.

Sony not comparable ?
They went as losers at PS3 launch and yet managed to release outstanding first party games for the whole PS3 lifespan.
XBOX 360 exclusives were already very scarce not to say inexistant in the last years of the console. I guess it was a preface of what was coming next.
 

MilkyJoe

Member
The Xbox also runs on Windows 10, Xbox is W10 and W10 contains Xbox.

Other than that, it doesn't explain your reasoning for them pulling out the console race, which is stupid beyond belief.

It doesn't matter to me whether you want them to or not, I'm not talking about peoples feelings, more so the idea if them selling off/pulling out the race.

The sign that they are pulling out of the console race is that they are about to release a new console.
 

sublimit

Banned
I hope i'm proven wrong (not because i care for MS but more because i don't want Sony to be left without competition) but i'm afraid the days of MS spending huge amounts of money paying for the development of third party exclusive titles and new studios are long since past.

Phil Spencer may have good intentions (although i'm not so sure anymore) but i believe that MS stopped giving him the money that are needed in order to do "big" things in terms of (real) exclusive games.
 
I wasnt complaining about Zelda stuff. They can take their time. But people comparing Crackdown to Zelda like they announced it years ago and even for a other platform doesnt make sense.

Sure. The closest Microsoft equivalent I can think of is probably Ryse, though that's still a bit different.
 

Marceles

Member
This is the one thing making me hesitant about the One X.

Then again, I have the cash to buy it and no self control.

Same, I have an Xbox One waiting to be played since Rise of the Tomb Raider first came out but I also have a beast PC. The only thing that has me sold is potentially better running multiplatform games, I guess. I'll still end up picking one up
 
I've got an Xbox One X pre-order paid for via Gamestop thanks to their B2G1 + trade-in bonus snafu, but I don't know that I'll ever use the thing beyond media playback. They need to make some serious moves over the next year. I easily switched from PS3 to 360 as my main game console for 3rd party, this gen it's all going to depend on if Microsoft can convince my friends to make the jump like they did then. I've got no problem going where they go and playing the "other" console for exclusives. The mid-generation cycle makes this more difficult though.
 
Microsoft don't care.

They'll release some games to make people subscribe into Live but otherwise I don't expect anything from them now. First and last time I'll own an MD console.
 
I think Microsoft has just had a string of bad luck with this generation. I mean they have had a bunch of exclusives, but many of them either undersold or were badly received. We are now heading towards this generation's close, and even if they brought out some killer games, it feels a bit late to make a meaningful difference.
 

c0de

Member
Exclusives are important though. When I buy a PS4, I get great first party and third party content. It's not an either/or thing with Sony this generation.

Of course there are people that disagree and I would never say that this applies to all people, especially on this forum.
 
One issue I see with what people are asking : Most of the games cited here as part of Sony's exclusive line-up don't seem to have anything to do with Sony. Are japanese console games like Yakuza, Persona and Nioh exclusive to PS4 because Sony funded them or because of Japan's market conditions?

If the first is true then people are rightly asking of Microsoft to increase its investment in game development. Not spending as much because of being in second place is no excuse, Sony did a marvelous job last gen proping up its PS3 platform with great exclusive games.

If the second is true, I don't know what could be done about it. There isn't any region where Xbox dominates and receives exclusives games for that reason. The only way Microsoft could increase its exclusive library without spending significantly more money than the market leader is through moneyhatting. If that's what people are asking for then I respectfully disagree.
 

Mooreberg

Member
They have two possible approaches - do what Sony does and do a great job of rounding out the lineup with very different releases (Until Dawn, Bloodborne, Horizon, etc) while letting the huge third party games move hardware during the holidays and increase subscriptions for online service. Or they can try to catch lightning again with an internally developed franchise like Halo, or one that they contract an outside studio to make such as Gears. It is really weird how the company that arguably had two of the first three big online console game franchises (the other being SOCOM through the third game), and owns a streaming platform (Mixer), is almost totally off the map when it comes to mind share in 2017. If they are not going to publish more games, then they need a new, original game that really sticks and drives people to the platform and services the way Halo 2 did. Counting on COD so much left them wide open the minute they no longer had the better selling hardware.
 

TwiztidElf

Member
I just can't see why a consumer looking at Xbox One and PS4 sitting next to each other on the store shelf would pick a X1? With the PS4 you get everything you get with an X1 + all the exclusives.
Microsoft just don't seem to care anymore.
qnuxy3y.jpg
 

c0de

Member
I just can't see why a consumer looking at Xbox One and PS4 sitting next to each other on the store shelf would pick a X1? With the PS4 you get everything you get with an X1 + all the exclusives.
Microsoft just don't seem to care anymore.
qnuxy3y.jpg

Doesn't mean there is no reason. Bc, controller preference, price, bundles, where your friends are, perhaps you even like the exclusives more? And no, not everyone has a gaming PC.
 
I just can't see why a consumer looking at Xbox One and PS4 sitting next to each other on the store shelf would pick a X1? With the PS4 you get everything you get with an X1 + all the exclusives.
Microsoft just don't seem to care anymore.
qnuxy3y.jpg

Still waiting for EA access or something like game pass(don't tell me PSNow) coming to PS4.
Xbox as service, that's what MS doing currently, it's fine if you don't like it, but not like they're doing bad seeing how software revenue for Xbox division goes up.
 
I think Microsoft has just had a string of bad luck with this generation. I mean they have had a bunch of exclusives, but many of them either undersold or were badly received. We are now heading towards this generation's close, and even if they brought out some killer games, it feels a bit late to make a meaningful difference.

They really didn't have a huge number of exclusives this gen though. They invested a decent amount into exclusives with OG Xbox and the early years of 360 were stacked. Then, the Halo/Gears/Forza mantra started up and they put their eggs in fewer baskets... which turned out to be a huge mistake long term, honestly. It was a very clear change of approach.

There were a lot of Japanese exclusives in the first couple of years of the 360 (Ace Combat, Ridge, Lost Planet, Katamari etc) alongside the stuff Microsoft was actually funding. There was a strong impression they were actively pursuing and attempting to appeal to developers and publishers. With the Xbox One it seems like they never really tried.

From a first party perspective, I think they could really use the likes of Bizzare, FASA, Ensemble and Lionhead right now. The gaps resulting from closing these studios is clear.
 

jelly

Member
I think the Xbox One S platform is really nice, hardware and future hardware looks nice, controller is nice, software and features are nice, Xbox Live is nice, 3rd party games are nice but for me a couple of exclusives are nice to disappointing, Forza Horizon, hell yes, Halo, I still love you but disappointment. You can put Ori up there, Sea of Theives looks kinda cool but they are definitely hiding micro transactions or something bad which I don't like but I'll wait and see. I was disappointed Gears came back instead of a new IP. Not sold on Cuphead beyond art style Crackdown, I'm unsure of, doesn't excite me. State of Decay, who knows.

There is games and if you're busy playing RDR and other 3rd party does it matter, well yes. Is there a got to have game on Xbox down the line I want, not really, I could say Halo 6 as I'm a big fan but it's more like hope. There is little excitement and interest with Xbox exclusives for me and that is very sad. Microsoft lost their way with new games and I hope they get back on track. Surprise me.
 

leeh

Member
I just can't see why a consumer looking at Xbox One and PS4 sitting next to each other on the store shelf would pick a X1? With the PS4 you get everything you get with an X1 + all the exclusives.
Microsoft just don't seem to care anymore.
qnuxy3y.jpg
People have opinions you know. Only exclusive I wish I could play on Xbox is HZD, which I had a play of and I love.

Other than that, my main genre is racers so you have to go with Xbox.
 

Roufianos

Member
They were still new to the industry last gen but instead of continuing to invest in new studios they started shutting their existing ones down. They probably thought they could rely on COD forever.
 

MilkyJoe

Member
I just can't see why a consumer looking at Xbox One and PS4 sitting next to each other on the store shelf would pick a X1? With the PS4 you get everything you get with an X1 + all the exclusives.
Microsoft just don't seem to care anymore.
qnuxy3y.jpg

Why do you people think that everyone prefers the PS exclusives? Unless you like 3rd person, it's pretty slim pickings.
 

Fredrik

Member
Yeah I don't get what they're doing. They have a ton of cash too but they clearly don't want to use it for the Xbox division except to make hardware.
Why is Playground not 1st party? Moon Studio? Why haven't we seen any attempt to make multiplats exclusive like Sony has done with No Man's Sky, The Witness, Hellblade?
Xbox One X looks amazing and I'll probably jump in day 1, but I'll probably spend my time replaying old games than playing new releases. Forza 7 releasing before XBX is a huge missed opportunity too to get some positive talk going, it could've been their flagship game to get the reviewers hyping both the game and XBX.
 
Yeah I don't get what they're doing. They have a ton of cash too but they clearly don't want to use it for the Xbox division except to make hardware.
Why is Playground not 1st party? Moon Studio? Why haven't we seen any attempt to make multiplats exclusive like Sony has done with No Man's Sky, The Witness, Hellblade?
Xbox One X looks amazing and I'll probably jump in day 1, but I'll probably spend my time replaying old games than playing new releases. Forza 7 releasing before XBX is a huge missed opportunity too to get some positive talk going, it could've been their flagship game to get the reviewers hyping both the game and XBX.

Ori 2, Cuphead? and the witness is also on Xbox One you know.
 
Is this thread what they call concern trolling?

Isn't concern trolling when someone pretends to care about something they don't really care about in order to subtly deprecate or undermine it?

True. But Sony didnt have any really at the end of last year. They both can do a better job to spread it out.

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
RIGS
The Last Guardian
PlayStation VR Worlds

I think that's more retail releases than MS had at the end of last year.
 

kc44135

Member
What are you talking about, OP? There are tons of games you can play on your Xbox One. I should know, as I'm playing them on my PS4 right now! ;)
 

Fredrik

Member
Ori 2, Cuphead? and the witness is also on Xbox One you know.
Ori 2 is not coming this year. Didn't know The Witness was on XB1 too, don't think it was at the launch, or was it??
Cuphead is already preordered but that's hardly a game that everyone will like. I think they really lack a huge AAA release as an exclusive.
 

Fukuzatsu

Member
Doesn't mean there is no reason. Bc, controller preference, price, bundles, where your friends are, perhaps you even like the exclusives more? And no, not everyone has a gaming PC.

Well try running that through one by one:
BC - Honestly the best tangible benefit of the XO over the PS4.
Exclusives - If you like the Microsoft exclusives just that much more despite there being fewer of them, okay, maybe so.
Controller preference - Even more minor and subjective than the above point about exclusives. You would have to weigh this much higher than normal when the DS4 isn't even considered a 'bad' controller.
Price/Bundles - Is it actually cheaper? And what makes bundles attractive if the exclusives aren't there?
Friends - Now we're just into factors that have nothing to do with the system itself. This is completely reliant on what your friends happen to like.

Just saying, aside from BC and (potentially) better-running third-party games for XOX these aren't great points in Microsoft's favour.
 

DocSeuss

Member
I want Microsoft to dump Midtown Madness, Crimson Skies, all their Flight Simulators, and everything, on the Windows Store and PC. I think they would benefit tremendously from having more multiplats (while I'm sure the beancounters at MS have noted that the cost/benefit of having lots of exclusives isn't that high on an individual basis, I'm sure the aggregate number of exclusives matters), but honestly, all I want is for them to drop the rest of the missing MS retro games.

I need my Motocross Madness, yo.
 

anothertech

Member
Last 2 Xbox generations, we had some crazy huge first party offerings that were new, fresh and became massive ip's. Halo, gears, and then Forza. Amazing experiences that continue to live on, even if it feels milked at this point.

But, where is this gens new massive ip? 3 years in and there's nothing comparable in sight. That's what's so upsetting.

What we want is the next Halo/Gears/Forza that we can add to the mighty trio in some form of first party greatness. Ryse and Quantum didn't hit the mark. Most of the other new first party stuff was much lower production value than the mighty 3. I've not much hope that pirate game will be comparible. I was hopeful for phantom Dust and Scalebound, but those got hosed.

To me, that's the issue this gen.
 

8bitghost

Member
From a third-party standpoint, the situation should improve for Xbox in 2018 because Phil Spencer has signed a fair number of timed exclusivity deals in recent months. There were some promising looking games during the 2017 E3 presentation.
 

Assanova

Member
This is the reason that I don't own an Xbox and why I'm waiting to buy a XOX, if I buy one at all. I'm not paying an extra $500 to play the same games that I can already play on my PS4.
 
From a third-party standpoint, the situation should improve for Xbox in 2018 because Phil Spencer has signed a fair number of timed exclusivity deals in recent months. There were some promising looking games during the 2017 E3 presentation.

Timed exclusivity is not going to ''improve'' anything at all unless they do it for a massive amount of upcoming games.

Also, don't forget about all the llak they will get either way.
 
Ori 2 is not coming this year. Didn't know The Witness was on XB1 too, don't think it was at the launch, or was it??
Cuphead is already preordered but that's hardly a game that everyone will like. I think they really lack a huge AAA release as an exclusive.

Wait wat, you talking about AAA? why you use No Man's Sky, The Witness, Hellblade in your reply then?
 
Why is Playground not 1st party? Moon Studio?

Studio acquisition is always complex. That being said, in terms of the two studios you listed, it doesn't really matter in the short-term because they're still continuing to make games exclusively for Xbox first-party.

Why haven't we seen any attempt to make multiplats exclusive like Sony has done with No Man's Sky, The Witness, Hellblade?

- Titanfall
- Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare
- Peggle 2
- Cuphead
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Dead Rising 4
- relatively large quantity of timed-exclusives, ranging from PUBG to Tacoma.

You were saying...?
 

c0de

Member
Timed exclusivity is not going to ''improve'' anything at all unless they do it for a massive amount of upcoming games.

Also, don't forget about all the llak they will get either way.

You mean like the flak Sony received for their timed exclusivity deals line re7 vr?
 

Sony

Nintendo
I think Microsofts success with the Xbox 360 last gen isn't neccesarily a good thing. The 360 moved a lot of units and it wasn't really a quality product compared to PS3. I can see quite some people that bought a 360 because of its popularity being burned on the lack of built in wifi, how loud it was, storage issues etc. Of course the Xbox 360S took care of most of this issues, but I think it was too late.

I think that sentiment carried over to this Heb where I think "walk in store customers" are a bit more reluctant to go for the Xbox One. That's what of the reasons, I think, that Microsoft is focussing on the Xbox customer this gen, they know they lost the mass market. Investing in quality games might not increase their install base. However, the Xbox One is getting great reviews in terms of its support and quality. This is a solid base to a next gen reveal. I think the sentiment right now is that if Xbox One has more games, it would be preferred over PS4.
 
They've had a really poor exclusive line-up this year, further exacerbated by all the hype and emphasis they've put behind their new hardware.

Is there a comprehensive list of non-timed (as far as we know anyway) exclusives released on the Xbox One so far this year? I can think of Halo Wars 2 and Phantom Dust HD. That can't be it surely.
 
Last 2 Xbox generations, we had some crazy huge first party offerings that were new, fresh and became massive ip's. Halo, gears, and then Forza. Amazing experiences that continue to live on, even if it feels milked at this point.

But, where is this gens new massive ip? 3 years in and there's nothing comparable in sight. That's what's so upsetting.

What we want is the next Halo/Gears/Forza that we can add to the mighty trio in some form of first party greatness. Ryse and Quantum didn't hit the mark. Most of the other new first party stuff was much lower production value than the mighty 3. I've not much hope that pirate game will be comparible. I was hopeful for phantom Dust and Scalebound, but those got hosed.

To me, that's the issue this gen.

How many series become crazy huge and first one was released in this gen?
Yeah, Sony too, actually, 3rd parities too.
 

oti

Banned
I just can't see why a consumer looking at Xbox One and PS4 sitting next to each other on the store shelf would pick a X1? With the PS4 you get everything you get with an X1 + all the exclusives.
Microsoft just don't seem to care anymore.
qnuxy3y.jpg

Not every consumer cares about exclusives like we do and MS is objectively better when it comes to services. Game Pass could be a way bigger bullet point for some consumers than HZD or Uncharted 4.

It's pretty clear who's winning the race though. If MS wanted to be more competitive they'd need more exclusive games. That means spending a ton of money on deals or spending a ton of money on new development studios and new IP, which takes a long time to come into fruition and could be a huge money sink.
 
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