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Eurogamer: "Microsoft's final sales pitch for Xbox One X falls flat"

Software is the biggest issue for MS this gen.

Back in 2006 when i saw Gears of War the first time i thought " I have to play this game at all cost " . Almost the same reaction with Halo 3. I don't feel the same about Gears 4 and Halo 5 at all. I don't care about them and if you don't care about the games it's over. The hardware is unattractive without great games.

This right here.
I also remember seeing Gears 1 in boarding school from some other kid and thinking holy fuck I need a system to play this! (Unfortunately couldn't buy one)

That effect is what MS need to generate further interest in the XB1X.

They needed a showpiece to launch together with the new system to help convince people to spend $500 beyond 3rd party games who can only do so much astounding technical work between all the relevant platforms.
 

TBiddy

Member
Also, as some have mentioned, if MS brass was willing to take the hit, $399 would make this thing blow up the ps4 pro, but those hopes were shattered at E3 already.

It's not designed to do that. If it was designed to "blow up" the PS4 Pro, they would've designed it to be priced accordingly.

The XB1X is designed for a niche audience. It's not designed to be a sales monster. That said, it's true that they needed a blockbuster exclusive to really showcase the platform. FM7 isn't gonna cut it, although it's a beautiful game. An exclusive like Horizon would be a good start.
 

Ban Puncher

Member
8VruBcQ.gif
 
For all the bluster of the Xbox One X, and its proud claim to be the world's most powerful console, it seems right now its intentions are surprisingly modest. A boon for the fans, with a little exclusive vertical stand thrown in to boot. Given the hits the brand has taken over the past few years, staying upright might be all that can be asked for right now.

savage
 

_Ryo_

Member
I still don't understand why people thought they were going to suddenly drop a whole bunch of new games at gamescom.

They never said they would.

I didn't. I expected them to demo games that were already announced. And they didn't even fucking do that. The conference was a pile of shit.
 
This is probably the purest example of how much people care about power for third parties vs how much console warriors care about exclusives.

Unless you're a Forza guy there really isn't much to be had on the X in terms of exclusives in the near term.
 

JlNX

Member
I think the writer needs to ask himself the question what was he expecting? did he even know what this was, I assume someone in the press should know. It was your expectations to set, if you set them in a way that was unachievable then thats on you. Do I disagree with the fact that first party needs to be better no, but for this Gamescom event to be a realisation of that or a reason to repeat the same thing yes. I understand it's a writer warping a situation to fit a need for a conversation that will work out well for the outlet in terms of views, but it comes of as the press not even doing any research and ends up reflecting poorly on them. Repeating the same thing over and over again of a conversation that has been going on for the past 6 months isn't doing much, if your going to write an opinion piece then make it something worthwhile that actually tries to bring up a new point of conversation. Maybe an idea, a look at first party over the years, investigative journalism, interviews that actually ask meaningful questions, repeated empty criticism only loses impact upon repeating. Constructive criticism is the only thing I haven't seen from an outlet, and the few times I have it has been useless fanboy dreams, unrealistic or has no form of subjective opinion.
 
Talk about Eurogamer biting the hand that feeds them with exclusive breakdowns of the tech.

Couldn't agree more though. Has nothing on offer.

DF has been churning out multiple tech videos - for the hits I guess.

but the reality is, that the console doesn't really offer anything outside of more juice.
 

Rellik

Member
Other games are also on PC yet, they sell more on consoles. If someone isn't interested in a pc, than those games being on pc means nothing.

I think his point is they're not an exclusive selling point when millions of people can play it elsewhere. If I see a TV advert for some flashy new God of War game, I have no choice but to buy a Sony console to play it. And that leads to... extra sales.
 

jelly

Member
Without even saying anything about the quality of those games (because that remains to be seen, regardless of what our opinions might be based on what we've seen so far), do any of those games make you sit up and think "I really need an Xbox one X for these games"? They are not exactly tour de force showcase games.

Yeah, the must have it title. I think they've only had one that comes close, Forza Horizon 3. You could also put Ori, maybe Cuphead if it's any good but all three are PC too, the latter two not tough specs. Microsoft haven't had the breakthrough title yet this gen. Gears did it for them last gen along with a hyped sequel, Halo 3 and many great XBLA games among others but this gen is so lacking. They have tried but then have they given up?
 

Griss

Member
I thought the XB1X was a good idea but that was because I was sure that given the circumstances that MS would make it more than Xbox One's PS4 Pro equivalent. That it would be some kind of halfway house to a new gen.

But it's not. It's just a 4k Xbox One for $500, and that feels like too little too late at this stage. The PS4 already offers a similar product for less money with the Pro, and unlike the XB1X it has a vastly wider range of exclusives to show off that power - some, like Horizon, which have been spectacularly successful.

If MS was going to be this late and show up with such an underwhelming refresh to the XB1 then I can't help but feel like they should just have skipped it and tried to move straight to a new generation. They can't show up to the next gen a year behind Sony, after all. Maybe they know that Sony aren't anywhere near ready to move to PS5 because of the success of the PS4 but I can't help but think that we'll see PS5 in 2019. Will MS be ready? Could they have been ready in late 2018 if not for the Xbox One X?

Currently it feels like they're falling further and further behind; falling into irrelevancy.
 

MANGOD

Banned
Article is pretty spot on. A rehash of e3 stuff and a bunch of crap trailers. Pretty obvious Microsoft is publishing pubg to get the game out this year or it would have been delayed. Where's the gameplay Phil?!
 

Lucreto

Member
I am surprised as I expected something to push the new hardware.

Sony used Horizon Zero Dawn, Nintendo had Breath of the Wild but Microsoft have nothing that stands out.

I think Sony had the right idea. Cutting down to two conferences, 6 months apart and have little E3 rehash.
 

Duxxy3

Member
Sony and Nintendo also don't have the ability to operate within the PC market like Microsoft does. I still don't see it as a bad thing to offer that option.

Sure they do.

Publish on Steam.

Probably get a lot more sales than what Microsoft gets from their own Windows store.
 
Seems like people and media outlets will never be satisfied on any level with what Microsoft does with the Xbox brand. People are set to comment negatively because it's the cool thing to do, I guess.

I have my order in for two X units and I cant wait to play the 4K enhanced games and new games that are in the pipeline.

Based on the hardware of the X, yeah, it's going to be the best console platform to play all games on....even if people dont agree of the quantity and quality of their exclusives.

Based on Microsoft's own projections, the Xbox brand is going to be just fine and I cant wait to see what they have in store in the near future.

Dont understand why people want or think that the Xbox brand is just going to disappear one day. To their illusion, dont understand why that would even be a good thing. Maybe someone can explain that to me.
 
Damn, that article pulled no punches.

Honestly, as long as Microsoft doesn't make the X their new main thing and focuses on the Xbox brand as a whole, much like what Sony has been doing since the announcement of the Pro, things won't be as grim as they seem. The X will be provided as an enthusiast product for people who prefer the Xbox platform, much like the Pro is to people who prefer Sony's platform.

It's weird how MS seems to be struggling with finding their exclusives. I think they felt too safe when the 360 was selling a lot without having a lot of exclusive games and never planned too far ahead. And now they need those, but they're not delivering many.

Hopefully they will turn it around soon enough.
 
I can't decide whether Microsoft picked the best or worst year to release the Xbox One X. Best because it helps them fill the void that is their first-party line-up, or worst because there aren't any graphic-excelling exclusives to really highlight the power of their new hardware.
 
I have to agree.

The conference was AMAZINGLY disapointing and microsoft hasn't showed me a reason to get this console.

A game console , to me is a package , it need to work , it need power to last several years and i need the assurance that some specific games are coming.

I saw nothing that intrest me to play on the xbonex , it's quite sad.
Microsoft want to be on the PC market and on the console market at the same time and in doing so prevent me to get a xbonex since i already have a device to play those game if i choose to do so.

That's why people were intrested in scalebound for exemple. it could have been an action game with an unique experience or a game like quantum break . As much as it was a disapointment to me. it was still unique.

Microsoft failed to assure me that a steady flow of games exclusives i want to play are there. Yes it's great that you've got a partnership with ubisoft on Creed origins but that game is on PC and PS4 , why should i get an XboneX for it ? The same logic applies to the tomb raider games. Great games , but on a market with so many choices , a timed exclusivity mean so little to me. I can wait and play something else in the meantime

I gave microsoft several tries to give me an answer as to why i should get an XboneX when i already have a PC and a PS4 pro + switch. The answer was not the games.
In contrast , Nintendo is coming with many new games and sequels , they started with a zelda + arms , then splatton , xenoblade 2 is coming , so is mario odissey . games i can't play anywhere else. i have little doubt that more is on the way. Give me a reason to care about your console microsoft . Forza is good , but you need more like it , much more.

Ps : And i still don't understand why you're so eager with minecraft , when it's so PC-centric , Imo and it's not the showcase for the most powerfull console. Let go of minecraft a little and push a Title that blow the competition away on why it's the most powerfull console. If you can't , then change to marketing angle. With crackdown delayed, you need a title like this.
 

I-hate-u

Member
Xbox One is done, no X or S is going to be help it that much.
Sony's comeback this gen is oddly enough MS's biggest boon going into generation 9. Publishers are going to be willing to give them a chance with exclusivity in the event they pull a Sony and dominate the upcoming era
 

le.phat

Member
People who don't have a PC or game on a PC? Like myself?

okay, would you agree to the following description?

"Xbox one X is geared towards gamers not interested in PC gaming, who are willing to pay premium for the premium third party experience"
 

Megatron

Member
I already have an S and a PSPro. I can't think of any reason why I need an X. If it had some killer exclusive lineup coming, maybe, but as it is, I think I'm good.
 

Skronk

Banned
Next year when the X is discounted and there are a bunch of new multi-platform releases coming up this will be a good purchase for people who only have base console.
 

Nameless

Member
X1X will be a great buy for existing Xbox owners heavily invested in that ecosystem and those gamers who don't like PC gaming but want the best possible visuals -- that's about it. I've yet to be able to justify one.
 

Rourkey

Member
I was excited until they said the show was 1.5hrs!

At that point I switched off and kept on top of it by periodically looking at twitter, managed to snag a preorder from Amazon uk no probs
 

Hexa

Member
Time will tell how important X is for Xbox, but regardless this article has some solid burns. lol
 
I'm old enough to remember when lack of power was xbox one's biggest problem with the gaming community. It's too bad that when they solved this issue, exclusive game lineup is now the most important issue for these gamers. I have complete faith that by the time they can bring new games to market, the lineup for next gen will be more important than any end of gen exclusives for these same gamers.
 

Otnopolit

Member
It's kinda hard to watch this train pull into the station, because regardless of what consoles I like better, Microsoft has done a lot for gaming when I was in my teens via the Xbox and Xbox 360. But most importantly, competition is critical for better hardware and software. Don't think for one second that Sony or Nintendo won't adapt in some way that is detrimental to the consumer if there's less competition to keep them on their toes. Xbox X failing would be felt by everybody. And for a company that hasn't had profitable success selling their recent console, it could tank their gaming division.
 

zeexlash

Member
But all those services....

This really was a 'final sales pitch' for me and it failed, though after the Crackdown 3 delay it would have taken them to reveal something really special. I still want an Xbox One X but just can't justify it at the moment, which is very disappointing.
 

Savantcore

Unconfirmed Member
I think the writer needs to ask himself the question what was he expecting? did he even know what this was, I assume someone in the press should know. It was your expectations to set, if you set them in a way that was unachievable then thats on you. Do I disagree with the fact that first party needs to be better no, but for this Gamescom event to be a realisation of that or a reason to repeat the same thing yes. I understand it's a writer warping a situation to fit a need for a conversation that will work out well for the outlet in terms of views, but it comes of as the press not even doing any research and ends up reflecting poorly on them. Repeating the same thing over and over again of a conversation that has been going on for the past 6 months isn't doing much, if your going to write an opinion piece then make it something worthwhile that actually tries to bring up a new point of conversation. Maybe an idea, a look at first party over the years, investigative journalism, interviews that actually ask meaningful questions, repeated empty criticism only loses impact upon repeating. Constructive criticism is the only thing I haven't seen from an outlet, and the few times I have it has been a useless fanboy dreams, unrealistic or has no form of subjective opinion.

Seems like people and media outlets will never be satisfied on any level with what Microsoft does with the Xbox brand. People are set to comment negatively because it's the cool thing to do, I guess.

I have my order in for two X units and I cant wait to play the 4K enhanced games and new games that are in the pipeline.

Based on the hardware of the X, yeah, it's going to be the best console platform to play all games on....even if people dont agree of the quantity and quality of their exclusives.

Based on Microsoft's own projections, the Xbox brand is going to be just fine and I cant wait to see what they have in store in the near future.

Dont understand why people want or think that the Xbox brand is just going to disappear one day. To their illusion, dont understand why that would even be a good thing. Maybe someone can explain that to me.

These responses lmao. Yeah, Eurogamer is just attacking the Xbox because it's 'the cool thing to do'. It's a well-written article that raises plenty of good points and comes to a sensible conclusion. If you disagree, how about engaging in the debate instead of just crying that someone on the internet dares question Microsoft?

Meanwhile preorders are selling out.

aFYT3oo.png
 

Darklor01

Might need to stop sniffing glue
Meanwhile preorders are selling out.

New consoles generally do well cuz shiny objects, new tech etc. That's not a barometer. I've got one pre-ordered and I'm looking forward to playing 3rd party on the system. I want the most powerful consoles to play the games. I have the PS4 Pro and will have this. I'm an extreme minority. I'll enjoy them regardless of how others feel about them. That's all you need to do. Do what you want for yourself and other's opinions be dammed.
 

Jumeira

Banned
Amazing console, but yeah MS need to be held to account for the poor showing of first party. I don't mind PC/Xbox play anywhere, those are still console exclusives, but we need more of them.

Pre-orders will be strong (I think they've sold out Scorpio Addition in a number of large stores), but to be fully satisfied we need the games.
 
It's time for a next gen console from Microsoft.

I really don't think that this idea would be any better than what they've done with the Xbox One X. Starting fresh still wouldn't mean anything without a solid lineup of exclusives, and then they'd have to hope that their Xbox One userbase migrates over.

My hope is that they just plan to keep up with this "generationless" approach and will continue to release consoles every 3-4 years with a shared ecosystem.
 

Rodelero

Member
One of the best platformers ever. One of the best arcade racing series ever. An excellent "sim" series. One of the best 3rd person shooter series ever. A really good RTS game. One of the best fighters ever. One of the best multi-player fps on the market. Etc, etc...

Because you choose to ignore them, or if they don't fall into your preferences...doesn't mean they don't have incredible games.

"Forza is a relic" is like saying "God of War" or "Uncharted" are a relic. They're all awesome console exclusives and I'll be there for all them. If you have a PC, then feel free to not buy an Xbox...but don't skip on the games, they're incredible games.

I agree with your last statement - Forza Motorsport isn't a relic. It's a game at the cutting edge of that genre on pretty much every level. Forza Motorsport 7 feels like a natural extrapolation of what the Gran Turismo series started, and, frankly, Forza Motorsport does Gran Turismo better than Gran Turismo does right now.

Other than your comment on Forza though, I think you're being extremely generous. Forza Horizon is a very impressive game, but it scarcely deserves to be called an arcade racer. It's far closer to Forza Motorsport than it is to Need for Speed. That's not really a knock against it, but it hardly fills the arcade racer void this generation. Gears of War may be part of one of the best third person shooter series, but that's a series that hasn't been at its best for an extremely long time. The same is clearly true of Halo, which you may consider 'one of the best multi-player fps on the market', but the most played charts made clear even Xbox gamers prefer to play almost any other contemporary shooter. Halo Wars 2 is a million miles away from being a really good RTS game. It stands out purely because there are so few modern RTS games, especially on console, not because of its quality. I say that as someone that really liked Halo Wars on the 360, by the way.

Obviously some people really do adore Microsoft's exclusives but they are in the minority. These titles you are bigging up, with the exception of the two Forza franchises, are at best niche and at worst mediocre.
 
Tbh, there's nothing much that MS could do to change things around this gen. The bigger problem is that they aren't making the moves necessary to turn things around next gen.
 
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