TBiddy
Member
I agree. It's getting a bit sad. Especially considering that if you have a full-time job as an adult, buying a few new consoles at launch is not a big deal.
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Eurogamer: "Microsoft's final sales pitch for Xbox One X falls flat"
- Thread starter Neuromancer
- Start date
I agree. It's getting a bit sad. Especially considering that if you have a full-time job as an adult, buying a few new consoles at launch is not a big deal.
I mean, it's an undeniably great feature, but one that affects their current business model. They are more interested in MAUs, but to increase that metric they need to sell hardware and XPA seems counterproductive for that.
Ban Puncher
Member
JamesHolden
Banned
Because Sony has marketing deals with many of the 3rd party MP games I'm buying the Xbox One X to play?
IncognitoPanda
Member
This!!! It's a very pro-consumer move. Let MS worry about their financials. Plus, they make their money from software, not hardware, anyways.
ThisIsMyDogKyle
Banned
I'm getting those on PC.
MilkyJoe
Member
I'm pretty sure they have a business model that more business savvy minds than your own, can understand.
Agreed. I held out from purchasing it...i mean, it truly has no games that appeal to me. Gears and Halo I already beat and both were subpar empties. No RPGs (exclusives), no appealing franchises to me aside from those two I mentioned, etc.
The switch has also lowered my standards a bit. Before, 4k and hdr was all I asked, but now I'd probably get something like Kingdom Hearts on the Switch just for the ease of playing anywhere. I have my Pro, and my trusty Gtx 970, but nothing beats that convenience that fits my lifestyle perfectly. So, for games like Assassins Creed or Shadow of Mordor , playing at a 1440p or checkerboard 4k is more than enough for me. I just wish they had something like Halo 6 for launch, or even Halo 3 at full blown 4k. I'd have bought an X then. Anyway, will wait a bit and see what else pops up. I may even buy it by launch since I am a sucker for new hardware.
The switch has also lowered my standards a bit. Before, 4k and hdr was all I asked, but now I'd probably get something like Kingdom Hearts on the Switch just for the ease of playing anywhere. I have my Pro, and my trusty Gtx 970, but nothing beats that convenience that fits my lifestyle perfectly. So, for games like Assassins Creed or Shadow of Mordor , playing at a 1440p or checkerboard 4k is more than enough for me. I just wish they had something like Halo 6 for launch, or even Halo 3 at full blown 4k. I'd have bought an X then. Anyway, will wait a bit and see what else pops up. I may even buy it by launch since I am a sucker for new hardware.
Mass Effect
Member
Ah I see now. My bad.
But yeah, Microsoft exclusives have been struggling in general this generation, and most of their new IPs haven't made big splashes. The only exception I can think of is Ori.
LukasTaves
Member
The article raises a few good points, but I disagree with the conclusion. The xbonex is for those that want a more powerful xbox and the most powerful console right now, that have been the sales pitch since the reveal last year and I don't see how it falls flat. They are even capitalizing on that pitch by charging a premium $500.
They can increase that metric by getting people who already have hardware (PCs), rather than sell them new hardware to increase MAU. XPA is way more effective for MAU than selling hardware.
LordOfChaos
Member
Was anyone actually thinking this would turn things around for the XBO?
It seems like Microsofts kneejerk reaction to having the less powerful console in 2013, and going for a more powerful at all costs mindset. But that wasn't the sole reason for the sales discrepancy. Sony funding indies and first party games at a greater rate than Microsoft is still it, while Microsoft keeps killing studios.
They're still fighting 2013s battle, but other decisions have made that a bit moot now. It's also launching much later and more expensive than the Pro, unlike 2013 where they launched near the same time.
It seems like Microsofts kneejerk reaction to having the less powerful console in 2013, and going for a more powerful at all costs mindset. But that wasn't the sole reason for the sales discrepancy. Sony funding indies and first party games at a greater rate than Microsoft is still it, while Microsoft keeps killing studios.
They're still fighting 2013s battle, but other decisions have made that a bit moot now. It's also launching much later and more expensive than the Pro, unlike 2013 where they launched near the same time.
Kenzodielocke
Banned
It wont fall behind switch
Between E3 and Gamescom my order is solidified. I understand it and am hyped as fuck.
Now, non gaf people this will be a harder sell.
Why did they show kid games and the like? Doesnt take a genius guys. They need to branch out to younger crowd and less informed. Kids are that
Bits N Pieces
Member
Who will buy an X?
People who don't own a console yet this gen.
Xbox One owners looking to upgrade.
Current PS4 owners thinking about getting a Pro.
People who have invested in a new 4K TV.
People who like to play the best games on the best hardware.
All of these are niche segments though and the XB1S is going to be the main factor for shifting units for the next few years. I don't think this is rocket surgery though and us a great way for EG to generate some much needed clicks.
Article will go down a treat on here as well, lol.
People who don't own a console yet this gen.
Xbox One owners looking to upgrade.
Current PS4 owners thinking about getting a Pro.
People who have invested in a new 4K TV.
People who like to play the best games on the best hardware.
All of these are niche segments though and the XB1S is going to be the main factor for shifting units for the next few years. I don't think this is rocket surgery though and us a great way for EG to generate some much needed clicks.
Article will go down a treat on here as well, lol.
Savantcore
Unconfirmed Member
That's fine. Doesn't mean that Eurogamer doesn't 'understand you'.
Welp, they should stay the course then.
MilkyJoe
Member
Apparently your local council brings new PCs like they do with recycling bins, or so it would seem.
LukasTaves
Member
On the contrary, when XPA opens their platform to a larger userbase than any console would ever had.
Example: I'm currently playing gigantic with some real life friends that have never bought a console after the PS2, and now we are able to play together without me having to get the pc version of the games we would like to play together.
Too bad it's just a few games now, but it's exciting if this takes off.
Jaguar Victory
Member
Hahaha, what alarmist tripe. Whatever. Preordered, can't wait.
I'd add it's also for people previously or still lightly interested in PC gaming but for me I'm at the age where potentially tinkering with things before I get to play is the last thing I want to be doing with my gaming time. I'm going to guess I'm not the only one.
Let me turn this thing on enjoy my time and switch it off when I'm done.
Yeah, OG Xbox had a profile. But let's not fool ourselves - you could get all the games mentioned back then for the price of one big 3rd party exclusive today (with inflation).
And on a side note, especially the SEGA we once knew took another dagger to the chest as a result of releasing their games exclusively on a console with a 25m user base.
RichiRamjag
Member
Of course not, because there are a good bit of other exclusive offerings continually releasing. You're bound to find something you like while still having the major third party games to fall back on. This is a disingenuous comparison. I've really come to dig my one S these past six or so months, but exclusives are indeed an issue and I'm sorry, but sea of thieves just isn't a fun or interesting game imo.
I'd like to see MS get some yakuza or shenmue or something personally. My original reason for falling in love with the og Xbox was because of games like shenmue II and morrowind. Basically games, I couldn't play on another console at the time.
What can they do? They can't lie to their readers. I appreciate their candor, and this makes me trust them a lot more than I did already.
MS can turn this hype train around real fast, by diverting a few million from its ad campaign, throw it at Bluehole to hire a crack squad of devs to port over the most updated version of PUBG, in time for launch.
No ones seems to care about Crackdown, or Sea of Thieves, at least not right now...PUBG is it, its a huge all consuming monster and it fits is so perfectly to the xbox core demographic.
'PUBG Available Day One - Play it on consoles now, only on XBX' - Its a $30 game too, so just make a bulk agreement with Bluehole, and buy a 500K licenses, and pack it in free to the Battleground Edition XBX.
No ones seems to care about Crackdown, or Sea of Thieves, at least not right now...PUBG is it, its a huge all consuming monster and it fits is so perfectly to the xbox core demographic.
'PUBG Available Day One - Play it on consoles now, only on XBX' - Its a $30 game too, so just make a bulk agreement with Bluehole, and buy a 500K licenses, and pack it in free to the Battleground Edition XBX.
DAREALGUMMY
Member
You're talking about two games that came out early in the year with WAY more exclusives that released later on and on the way that we know about.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Well yeah, not this year.
All I was really hoping for was footage shown of games running on Xbox One X vs their Xbox One S counter parts. Like what does Halo 5 look like? When can you expect patches for these games? At launch or later? What performance benefits does Xbox One X give 1080p gamers? Just super sampling? Major Nelson's list is cool but it litterally just a yes they'll be improvements but no specificities.
Something doesn't feel right. What's the launch support for the console going to be? What about Overwatch, Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty, GTA V? These are the most played games on XB1 are they getting patches?
Something doesn't feel right. What's the launch support for the console going to be? What about Overwatch, Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty, GTA V? These are the most played games on XB1 are they getting patches?
ScaryShark
Banned
Final pitch before pre-orders*.
Nothing MS could have reasonably said or done, that they wouldn't already have done at E3, was going to ever change the tone of this article. The outline for this thing was probably penned on Friday.
Nothing MS could have reasonably said or done, that they wouldn't already have done at E3, was going to ever change the tone of this article. The outline for this thing was probably penned on Friday.
Maximilian Kolbe
Member
Pretty sure MS will be freaking happy if One X end up getting WiiU sales numbers.
Would you also agree with the statement that this target audience is incredibly narrow, making this console a niche product ? And that it's hard to imagine how this could possibly help Microsoft's business challenges for the Xbox brand?
You really think that's their image right now?
Yeah, I'm sure the amount of people who ditched their PC for a tablet is significant.
Come on.
If this was Gears of War or Halo this would be another story. But it's Ori and Cuphead. Both games are on Steam, neither of those games need a 1080ti card or something.
TheHellsLord
Member
Curious how many people mention that Microsoft hasn't anounced much to launch together with the One X but seem to forget that Microsoft actually had plans for more exclusive Games to release at the end of 2017 until those fell through:
- Scalebound - canceled but planned for that timeframe while the One X was in development
- Crackdown 3 - release postponed shortly before Gamescom
That they planned to do so of course doesn't help with the perception but it explains how things ended up the way they did. During E3 people wondered why there wasn't more on Crackdown and Phil Spencer said that you have to show stuff when it's ready to be shown. Likely they planned to show Crackdown at Gamescom but it wasn't ready so that got cut out and replaced with other stuff.
Unfortunate but postponing the One X over that would not really help the situation. Lets hope their 2018 plans don't fall apart too.
- Scalebound - canceled but planned for that timeframe while the One X was in development
- Crackdown 3 - release postponed shortly before Gamescom
That they planned to do so of course doesn't help with the perception but it explains how things ended up the way they did. During E3 people wondered why there wasn't more on Crackdown and Phil Spencer said that you have to show stuff when it's ready to be shown. Likely they planned to show Crackdown at Gamescom but it wasn't ready so that got cut out and replaced with other stuff.
Unfortunate but postponing the One X over that would not really help the situation. Lets hope their 2018 plans don't fall apart too.
I was surprised to see them re-using trailers from E3. It made a lot of the event just feel like a waste of time. I went back and checked; several weren't even re-cuts. These were just replays of old trailers eating up what SHOULD have been incredibly valuable stage time.
Just being practical about it, they should have also had more progress to report on BC enhancements on 1X and original Xbox titles. It would have been a better use of the time than, for example, a trailer for State of Decay 2 (which I'm very interested in) that was rehash combined with what looked like some 10 fps footage. I'm excited for Forza 7, and I understand they're in the last stretch for development, but if you can't give new footage for it's trailer, don't show it.
Just being practical about it, they should have also had more progress to report on BC enhancements on 1X and original Xbox titles. It would have been a better use of the time than, for example, a trailer for State of Decay 2 (which I'm very interested in) that was rehash combined with what looked like some 10 fps footage. I'm excited for Forza 7, and I understand they're in the last stretch for development, but if you can't give new footage for it's trailer, don't show it.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Savantcore
Unconfirmed Member
I've always thought that this approach would severely jeopardise their longer-term success, though. Yeah, you lock in your die-hard fans this Christmas with a slick new Xbox, but when Sony roll out the PS5 in 2019/2020, you can't ask your fans to buy ANOTHER console so soon.
All of a sudden there's an even shinier new box not hamstrung by compatibility with last-gen and you lose customers in even bigger numbers. Unless MS renege their 'won't leave the X1 behind' promise, which is probably the most sensible thing.
LiquidSolid
Member
Why do you think PS4 sales are significantly up YoY, while Xbox sales are significantly down then? Even for the people who are only interested in multiplats, the sheer number of exclusives coming to one system and the lack of them on another creates a perception that sticks.
As far as Microsoft's Gamescom show goes, I didn't expect a big new exclusive to be announced but I did expect a specific focus on games and new footage of their current lineup. What I got instead was a shitload of talking, including some cringeworthy marketing speak and sales pitches, a ton of old E3 trailers/footage and a tiny amount of anything new.
Not really. If they were doing it for the consumer, they'd be adding their games to popular platforms like Steam or GOG on day one, not trying to prop up Microsoft's own Windows 10 Store walled garden.