Is this the Hello MajorNelson thread?
MajorNelson - I used to listen to your podcast (back in like 2006)? The first couple of years of the 360 were like the golden years. Just about every game on the system was better for the 360 than the PS3 so it was a no brainer. It also meant that I bought Xbox Live Gold for three years (even though I played Live maybe about one game a year). But the OS was snappy and colourful, and I really loved Xbox Live Arcade. Microsoft was showing Nintendo and Sony how to do console gaming.
But then the games stopped coming, we got Fable 2 and then 3, GOW 2 and then 3, Forza 2,3,4 and it was just churning out the same games over and over. Yes I understand that new IPs are developed at the start of the console cycle, but the last few years of the 360 were pretty dire in terms of first party content... there was still quite a lot of third party stuff like Elder Scrolls, COD and AC, but nothing besides Halo or Forza was coming out for the xbox.
Then where I think Xbox really lost its way was the development of Kinect and getting into motion gaming. From the outset, its really not what I the hardcore gamer is interested in. How can you think hardcore gamers want to wave their arms in a game, for a party game yes, but how do you do it for games we enjoy like Halo/ElderScrolls/Skyrim/DMC/COD, it just not possible, yet you somehow tried to sell it like it was the second coming of motion controls. And of course people bought it. That's great if you are looking at it from a business perspective, but im quite sure I won't be buying anything with Kinect attached (unless I see some genuinely innovative software and I'm not just buying on potential).
Of course I also think that Xbox Live is grossly overvalued at $50 a month especially when matched with the Playstation Plus offering. Whether the games are effectively rental, thats not really the point, at least they are giving the gamer something of value for the $50. And that it stretches over their portable console and the previous and next gen console is also a great offering. I purchased a Vita based on Plus alone.
I can go on about how Xbox has taken a great number of missteps in the last few years but before this gets too long and waste your time, I just want to give you my thoughts on how I think Microsoft could win me back as a consumer. Also I don't proclaim to tell you anything you didn't know, I'm sure you are way ahead of the people on Neogaf.
1. Getting a variety of games is important. Not everyone wants to play first person shooters or western fantasty games. What about horror, adventure games, strategy games, platform games, 2D games, horizontal/vertical shooters, fighting games list goes on. Get those third parties involved by lowering the red tape - get an ecosystem sorted out like Apple. I see you have removed some of the red tape over Xbox Live Arcade for indie developers and that's great, but lower the bar even more to ensure there's a great variety of games on the system.
2. Make or obtain games for hardcore gamers like Street Fighter or Dark Souls. No I'm not talking about Killer Instinct. I can count on one hand the number of good fighting games created by Western developers. It the hardcore games that create forum posts and feedback and chat and hence free PR for games.
3. If you're going to do TV, make it so its not just about switching back and forth between channels. Give me something compelling that I've never seen before, not just stats for an NFL game, thats cool but that's not really pushing the boundaries, thats a nice to have.
4. Stop promoting Skype on xbox... i can do skype on my smart TV or on the computer. It's just not what this gamer wants to see.
5. Kinect - already said my piece about Kinect but something else I want to say - if it really is just for interactive ads, i will be very disappointed.
6. Xbox Live - if you're going to charge for it, you better add some games to the service. Otherwise it would be a good move to stop charging for it, but Im sure you are enjoying the revenue too much to do otherwise. Surely it can't be too hard to offer some Xbox Live Arcade games for free on Xbox Live or heavily discounted.
7. Your DRM plan was massively flawed, not only in its execution but also in its messaging. To the average gamer, it was Steam, but the weird rules made it sound like Microsoft were scamming them. The family sharing plan seemed bizarre and counter intuitive, but then when Microsoft hit the panic button, suddenly the family sharing plan was the saviour.
All you had to do with your DRM console was say its like Steam and then consumers would have thought, 'ok I like Steam its not that bad, but you first had Adam Orth rile up all the hardcore gamers, and then you hit the panic button and your messaging was horrible.' Coupled with Sony mocking you openly in press conferences to loud ovations, it was a fucking disaster. Hate to be blunt and tell you what you know, but it was cringeworthy.
Obviously you are moving on from that and there's no point crying over spilt milk.
So to summarise, bring back the glory of the first few years of the 360 (without the RROD), compelling new software for hardcore gamers over a range of genres, fun small titles on xbox live arcade, forget about kinect cause its a deadend and put hardcore gamers first.
PS my apologies if I seem harsh.