[OverHeat]

I love my 360 but I have a felling Im no longer the type of consumer that MS is looking for to me this do not look good for nextgen and I dont think they can keep the no 1 spot in the us if they continue down this road next gen

[Santiako]

I think it will make them bigger than ever.

[I-hate-u]

We all know that early adopters are the hardcore who care about the games. Microsoft is not stupid. That is unless they go the Wii way which I doubt

[Conor 419]

Microsoft's strategy is actually more of 'covering all bases' than anything. If they maintain this Kinect momentum and combine it with all of these rumoured new core IP's, the NBox will be a very attractive system given they don't fuck up big on hardware reliability (again) or pricing.

[Penguin]

Microsoft will continue to pursue 3rd party franchises, and I assume exclusive/timed content. And with online/multi becoming a huge part of this gen, and most likely next, Live will be their golden ticket.

I think what may harm them is if Sony gets its act together, and Nintendo can compete in the realm. Especially if rumors of them releasing last is true.

[Sledge Hammer]

If they keep pushing it i think and hope that they will.

[MercuryLS]

I think it will make them bigger than ever.

Same, especially if Kinect 2.0 is precise enough to do some interesting things with gameplay. Xbox is a strong brand a lot of people are heavily invested in their Live accounts and will want to carry that over to next-gen. 3rd party support is fantastic and they have some decent 1st party games. GAF wants lots of exclusives for their consoles, the average gamer is fine if the console has COD, Madden, Assassins Creed, etc. They don't differentiate between 3rd party and 1st party, all they want is a lot of good games to choose from.

I personally hope that Kinect 2.0 is really great. I can imagine playing a game with a controller on my couch and using Kinect at various points in the game to control on screen actions, not shit like shouting out commands or waving my arms around, but I mean using my fingers to manipulate on screen elements. If Kinect 2.0 has that kind of fidelity, it would be amazing for gaming. I haven't given up on the tech, I just think this gen's Kinect is just not where it needs to be yet to really delight the core gamer.

[Ghost]

There's no one going down your road anymore though. Games are mainstream the platform holders have to use that to get more devices into homes.


Ultimately I don't think the Kinect & App strategy has affected Xbox's ability to be a home for core experiences (unlike the WiiMote), MS are pretty comfortable giving both sets of users what they need.

[kittens]

I think it'll work out for them, no matter how much I hate it. They seriously need some more first party IPs, though. I'll buy the Next Box just for Halo, but there aren't many folks out there who love the series that strongly anymore.

[snoopeasystreet]

I bet the next Xbox will start off as a hardcore box in the same way that the 360 did.

[S1kkZ]

nope, their strategy is pretty good. they started this generation and their one and only focus was the hardcore gamer. a few years later, they started to introduce more "casual" stuff and then kinect. but they did it after they won over the hardcore gamer. they built a solid "fundament" and then expanded on it.

if they do this again with the new console, i am fine with it. but if they try to please everyone at launch, they will fail.

[Sho_Nuff82]

I love my 360 but I have a felling Im no longer the type of consumer that MS is looking for to me this do not look good for nextgen and I dont think they can keep the no 1 spot in the us if they continue down this road next gen

MS has been on a hiring spree, with all of their internal developers ramping up for next gen games. We've already got leaks about Lionhead and Rare's new projects. MS is never going to stop making games for core consumers as long as there is an audience there. At the same time, they aren't going to ignore women, children, families, and casuals just because some people are insecure about motion gaming.

[MightyHedgehog]

Microsoft's strategy is actually more of 'covering all bases' than anything.

Right. They still get every super-big third party game released on top of exclusive DLC, timed or not, as well as the best new release list of DD titles outside of Steam with XBLA and XBIG. All that plus big first party stuff continually milked. Kinect is still a smaller part of the XBOX umbrella, though it is high profile as MS does want it to succeed long-term.

[Foliorum Viridum]

MS have really lost me in the last 18 months or so.

They need to win me over with their next gen shit.

[MercuryLS]

MS has been on a hiring spree, with all of their internal developers ramping up for next gen games. We've already got leaks about Lionhead and Rare's new projects. MS is never going to stop making games for core consumers as long as there is an audience there. At the same time, they aren't going to ignore women, children, families, and casuals just because some people are insecure about motion gaming.

I think MS realizes that this late in the gen, that a bunch of core games isn't really going to shift units. I see them getting a bunch of good core content lined up for early next-gen where they can really make a splash.

[OverHeat]

MS has been on a hiring spree, with all of their internal developers ramping up for next gen games. We've already got leaks about Lionhead and Rare's new projects. MS is never going to stop making games for core consumers as long as there is an audience there. At the same time, they aren't going to ignore women, children, families, and casuals just because some people are insecure about motion gaming.

I dont think core gamer are scared of motion gaming its just that it do not work that well for most kind of games.

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

It depends, if the can keep the cod-crowd on their system with the superior online service. Then kinect and "apps" won't be a problem.

[bearcatjosh]

XBLA is the best part of the 360 (IMHO) and consistently has very high quality games with appeal for core gamers. I just don't understand being worried about there not being enough great retail games when XBLA has so much great content.

[Santiako]

nope, their strategy is pretty good. they started this generation and their one and only focus was the hardcore gamer. a few years later, they started to introduce more "casual" stuff and then kinect. but they did it after they won over the hardcore gamer. they built a solid "fundament" and then expanded on it. if they do this again with the new console, i am fine with it. but if they try to please everyone at launch, they will fail.

Yeah, this. The next couple of years they will push 360 as the cheap box for casual gaming and the next Xbox as the hardcore powerful machine.

[Neuromancer]

I think MS realizes that this late in the gen, that a bunch of core games isn't really going to shift units. I see them getting a bunch of good core content lined up for early next-gen where they can really make a splash.

I think you're right. They're just coasting now, they'll ramp up next gen for sure.

[sleepykyo]

I love my 360 but I have a felling Im no longer the type of consumer that MS is looking for to me this do not look good for nextgen and I dont think they can keep the no 1 spot in the us if they continue down this road next gen

Different marketing for different periods. Pretty sure, they'll have the traditional fare (Halo 5, Gears 4, etc) ready for early adopters when they launch their next gen.

[James Sawyer Ford]

If they focus too much on Kinect, and rest on their laurels with the hardcore (including XBL pricing, along with first party software), Sony will likely be in a much stronger position compared to them in the US and UK.

[OldJadedGamer]

Yeah, this. The next couple of years they will push 360 as the cheap box for casual gaming and the next Xbox as the hardcore powerful machine.

Right, their current strategy is for their current machine. IMO they are building up the 360 to do a little of everything so that it will continue to sell after the next system comes out like the PS2.

New systems as pointed out sell to the hardcore first. This is when first party output means the most. They have my sale sight unseen if all my friends move their accounts over. I don't care what system I have, I just want to play with my friends.

[OverHeat]

Different marketing for different periods. Pretty sure, they'll have the traditional fare (Halo 5, Gears 4, etc) ready for early adopters when they launch their next gen.

I love halo but we need more then the same 4 titles over and over( gears halo fable forza)

[lefantome]

In the first couple of year of a gen the console are sold to core gamers.

What are the selling points of a console to hardcore gamers?

-games
-graphics and innovation
-price


In this gen Xbox had done well in the beginning thanks to price and some ip that filled the gap with the exclusive playstation games.

In this gen I don't think we'll see high price console, if a console will cost more than another will be because of its bigger power and/or capabilities.

So the battle for ps4 and 720 will be played on games.

Microsoft has a couple of studios left and their biggest studios are working on old gen consoles. Rare isn't but what is rare now?

Sony has a lot of teams, some working on old gen some not, but we can expect more first party titles from sony in their next gen console lifetime than microsoft.

Yes M$ has kinect. Will kinect keep selling in the future or will follow a dramatic curve similar to the wii?

[Schobeleth]

Third parties carrying their weight now is nice and all but what everyone really fights and argues over is the exclusives, IMO. Exclusives are what showcase hardware power and help push hardware sales, time and time again.

The fact that Microsoft is even falling behind Nintendo in terms of first and second party exclusives is pretty saddening. A lot of my 360 only friends have either gotten a PS3 or switched over because of their lack of exclusives to help reinforce their system choice.

Not everyone can afford every system at launch and some will stick to one or the other but what will make people question their platform of choice is when they abandon the core gamers and try to go after the casuals.

Nintendo burned me and many other fans pretty bad, Microsoft seems to be following suit with Kinect and I can't help but feel worried. Sony seems to be the last bastion for the core gamer these days.

[Kusagari]

They still have Halo and Gears. As long as they have them exclusive, they're fine.

[les papillons sexuels]

I love halo but we need more then the same 4 titles over and over( gears halo fable forza)

why? it works for nintendo.

(mario, zelda, pokemon, mariokart)

[fernoca]

For that, guess we'll need to wait until all consoles are out there; think is too early to say. Microsoft kinda adopted that strategy because of the success of Wii and iOS. It took them a few years to "jump in"; and we don't know what will be the "next big thing" in 3-4 years.

Who knows what might cause them change strategies in a few years, for all we know all consoles might have a tablet-like controller so it might depend on other things rather than who adopts or copies who and what.

[TheOddOne]

I love my 360 but I have a felling Im no longer the type of consumer that MS is looking for to me this do not look good for nextgen and I dont think they can keep the no 1 spot in the us if they continue down this road next gen

The services aspect is not really something new. It’s actually what all console manufactures are actually chasing, some are more aggressive about then others. The thing about Microsoft’s approach is that there do not differentiate themselves from other companies - most, if not all, the services they have brought to the table you can either get without the XBL pay wall or are outright free on other platforms. That is what is going to come back and bite them in the future, if they don’t prove it’s a worthwhile investment.

As far as providing games to play, I would argue that it’s gotten better – but they are not in the same league as the others. There is a lot of doom and gloom about them not stepping up their first party output, with the shaky past people will of course be skeptical. However, there is tons of movement in that area, look at 343 Industries, three new studios in Canada and some in Redmond. If 343 Industries is a benchmark, then expect great things from the other new studios. At least they are avoiding the whole “buy a studio, talent leaves” debacle again and again.

The only part that if really baffling is that XBLA first party publishing is still picking up great titles, but what happened to the retail publishing? The guys who went after Crackdown, Gears of War and Mass Effect. Somebody is going to tell me about the investment in them, but it is still strange that they just vanished. Maybe it’s just not the right climate to introduce new IP’s, very few that have been introduced in the later generation have actually succeeded (can’t actually think of any to be honest) and to this day IP’s from the beginning of this generation are still the top selling games.

Such a weird market now.

[Petrichor]

You're an idiot if you think Microsoft will launch their next console without any exclusive games.

Exclusives are a NECESSITY early in the cycle, not so much towards the end.

[bangai-o]

xbox has all the games. neogaf says it has no games.

[McLovin]

I will sell like crazy, and as long as it keeps getting its halos, gears, and cod early dlc it won't loose any of its fan base. If I learned anything from this gen its that focusing on hard core does not translated into more sales(at least for consoles). Just look at the ps3s 1st party exclusives compared to 360 and it didn't make a difference. Even after all the terrible casual focused E3s nobody cared.

[MercuryLS]

xbox has all the games. neogaf says it has no games.

Few 1st party exclusives = no games according to GAF.

Xbox 360 has just about ever 3rd party game on it including big Japanese games. That's a huge change from last gen. Last gen MS had a lot of 1st party content specifically BECAUSE many 3rd parties were treating it as a redheaded stepchild (giving it late ports or ignoring it all together). This gen MS has closed the gap considerably, there's tons of great content on the system with lots of games coming out for it every month. Do I wish there was more 1st party output from them? Sure, but I'm not going to act like there's nothing on the system worth playing. Maybe it's because I'm mostly into 3rd party games, this is a non issue for me for the most part.

Even with PS3, Sony has lots of 1st party content which is great, but the only franchise of theirs I care about is Uncharted...the rest is meh to me.

[Bgamer90]

Their current strategy is for the 360 only to keep it selling to casuals a couple of years after the new xbox is released.

The strategy for the new next-gen xbox won't be the same... at least during its first few years. I'm pretty sure they will target the new xbox to core gamers during its first few years.

[Petrichor]

I will sell like crazy, and as long as it keeps getting its halos, gears, and cod early dlc it won't loose any of its fan base. If I learned anything from this gen its that focusing on hard core does not translated into more sales(at least for consoles). Just look at the ps3s 1st party exclusives compared to 360 and it didn't make a difference. Even after all the terrible casual focused E3s nobody cared.

PS3's first party exclusives were sorely lacking compared to Microsoft's exclusive lineup from 2005-2008, and that's when it mattered most (pre-call of duty overcentralisation).

[Tyrax]

Xbox already has the AAA core games (in many cases the better version ala Skyrim and Bayonetta) and the best downloadable game library.

How is it possible that expanding the options available on the box make it less valuable?
I'm confused why making the xbox capable of doing more is a bad thing.

[Speedymanic]

MS has been on a hiring spree, with all of their internal developers ramping up for next gen games. We've already got leaks about Lionhead and Rare's new projects. MS is never going to stop making games for core consumers as long as there is an audience there. At the same time, they aren't going to ignore women, children, families, and casuals just because some people are insecure about motion gaming.

I think MS realizes that this late in the gen, that a bunch of core games isn't really going to shift units. I see them getting a bunch of good core content lined up for early next-gen where they can really make a splash.

yes and yes.

MS have considerably more funds than their closest competitor too, expect a few surprise third party timed exclusive next gen and almost certainly expect them to expand on getting devs to work on exclusive (timed) DLC.

[KageMaru]

OP must have missed the threads of their studios working on next Gen games, or the recent investment they made towards games. They are in a better position now than they were at the start of this Gen.

If they keep pushing it i think and hope that they will.

First someone hopes Nintendo fails in another thread and now you hope MS fail in this thread. WTF is wrong with you people?

In the first couple of year of a gen the console are sold to core gamers. What are the selling points of a console to hardcore gamers? -games -graphics and innovation -price In this gen Xbox had done well in the beginning thanks to price and some ip that filled the gap with the exclusive playstation games. In this gen I don't think we'll see high price console, if a console will cost more than another will be because of its bigger power and/or capabilities. So the battle for ps4 and 720 will be played on games. Microsoft has a couple of studios left and their biggest studios are working on old gen consoles. Rare isn't but what is rare now? Sony has a lot of teams, some working on old gen some not, but we can expect more first party titles from sony in their next gen console lifetime than microsoft. Yes M$ has kinect. Will kinect keep selling in the future or will follow a dramatic curve similar to the wii?

Between your assumption that MS has only a couple studios and the use of M$, you clearly only had the intention to spread ignorance in this thread.

For being a forum of "hardcore" gamers, plenty of you are quite clueless.

why? it works for nintendo. (mario, zelda, pokemon, mariokart)

It's highly doubtful that the average Xbox owner is as loyal as the typical Nintendo fan.

Besides it would be disappointing if MS rested on their laurels like that.

[Speedymanic]

Xbox already has the AAA core games (in many cases the better version ala Skyrim and Bayonetta) and the best downloadable game library. How is it possible that expanding the options available on the box make it less valuable? I'm confused why making the xbox capable of doing more is a bad thing.

because those options aren't want they want from the 360/Nbox.

[Kusagari]

xbox has all the games. neogaf says it has no games.

GAF, unlike the mass market, is in love with Sony's first party games so it's not surprising.

[MercuryLS]

GAF, unlike the mass market, is in love with Sony's first party games so it's not surprising.

Pretty much.

[TheOddOne]

GAF, unlike the mass market, is in love with Sony's first party games so it's not surprising.

That is a hyperbole statement in itself. Sony has made great strides to create new franchises this generation, while I am not particularly fond of them outside of Uncharted, it is nothing to laugh at. People just want new stuff, can’t fault them that.

[KageMaru]

GAF, unlike the mass market, is in love with Sony's first party games so it's not surprising.

Sony's, and Nintendo's, titles are great, no reason not to love them. However it's the irrational stupidity from people that obviously prefer these companies that I'll never understand.

[Y2Kev]

That is a hyperbole statement in itself. Sony has made great strides to create new franchises this generation, while I am not particularly fond of them outside of Uncharted, it is nothing to laugh at. People just want new stuff, can’t fault them that.

I know you. You're trying to confuse me. You stop it.

I'm just here to see what Neogaf says. He's a cool dude.

I don't think "apps" are going to be a huge differentiator or selling point for them early in the gen, but they are certainly okay to have. I don't think they're, like, focusing on them or anything.

[Mr. Serious Business]

Why do so many people on NeoGAF think that the secret to market success is appealing to them? It's often the opposite case. Kinect has been very successful and I think Microsoft has done a great job of both appealing to their core base and trying to expand their potential market through a new control scheme.

[Marco1]

I am sure MS knows what they are doing.
They have invested and lost to much in the brand to let it all go now. I see them trying to become the app, core and casual crowd all-in-one.
As much as we would love a core gaming machine, the core gamers cannot carry the brand of a console all on their own.
What amazes me is that as much as I thought my son would love kinect, he hates it. They advertise it with this great representation that he looks very clear on the screen and that the tech is 1:1. If kinect 2 can achieve this then he will be interested, if not I won't even touch it, the problem with this is if nextbos has a strong kinect influence then I won't be buying it.

[Speedymanic]

I know you. You're trying to confuse me. You stop it. I'm just here to see what Neogaf says. He's a cool dude. I don't think "apps" are going to be a huge differentiator or selling point for them early in the gen, but they are certainly okay to have. I don't think they're, like, focusing on them or anything.

I disagree. People, both casual and core gamers, want more from their consoles. They want one box that does everything, just as their smartphone 'does everything'.

People no longer want to be burdened by having numerous boxes under the telly, they want one and one that does everything from letting them game, to stream media, to watch tv to listen to music and to browse FB, Twit, etc.

Just like their phone lets them game, stream media, etc. MS' only problem going into the next gen is what they do with their paywall, if Sony up their game and have a service that rivals XBL, MS will be in serious trouble if they don't evolve the service or add value through more sales, etc.

[cuyahoga]

Nope, it caused Microsoft to realized that they are competing against Apple, not Sony or Nintendo. As long as they continue on that train of thought, they will be successful.

I wouldn't be surprised if they use things like NXE as a springboard for next-generation Smart TV software.

[TheOddOne]

I know you. You're trying to confuse me. You stop it. I'm just here to see what Neogaf says. He's a cool dude. I don't think "apps" are going to be a huge differentiator or selling point for them early in the gen, but they are certainly okay to have. I don't think they're, like, focusing on them or anything.

You know, I tend to be pretty reasonable when you get to know me :)

I think their app push will go in to full force during the last years of the 360. It is a weird thing to say, but you can’t really sell such a console to your average gamer anymore. Like everything, we want something shiny. What is the best way to extend sales? Go after the market that would never even think of buying the console – and Microsoft has nailed it to some extent.

Plus side is that all the partners they are now working with for the apps, will be there for the next console. Same customers come back. I would agree that the beginning of the generation really will lay out the foundation of what new franchises will dominate that generation.