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If Microsoft fails next gen, will they exit console hardware and double down on Game Pass?

JLB

Banned
You know, also, on the other hand, Xbox was always near tragedy on all generations. Original Xbox was going to be canned until a random developer raise its hand and point bill gates about sony monopolyzing home entertainment. 360 was about to be cancelled after rrod, but ballmer double down on the product. And X1 release debacle made some people at MS think that selling the division could be a great idea.
So lol, yeah, maybe another similar story is waiting for scarlet.
 

Vawn

Banned
Why do we act like Xbox 360 was the greatest selling console ever? It ended up in third place (out of three) for it's own generation. And who knows how many of those were like me and had to buy multiple consoles because the warranty ended before it got its RROD.
 

TLZ

Banned
I believe so. But also depends what they consider okay to keep selling hardware. Is 40-50 million enough? Imo they are, but I'm not MS.

They may be already planning to take Xbox the way of Windows. Having the Xbox ecosystem available and running on almost every system, instead of manufacturing hardware themselves. But that has its own issues too.
 

Ten_Fold

Member
They don’t have to outsell Sony to make money, sure it’s good for bragging rights but as long as the Xbox makes money, then that’s good enough. I don’t want Sony to basically have that much control over the market. I want them to compete and both still make profit.
 

Pallas

Member
It would be hard for them to replicate the Xbox one launch again after they’ve learned their lesson and no Mattrick to fumble it. Despite the popular theory that Xbox one was a failure, it’s still considered a mile success, it’s just that the PS4 really sold well and did a great job.

Xbox will probably not sell more than next PlayStation under normal circumstances,but I can’t see it not being a success, and if they can capture more users while removing the hardware limitation that may be cost prohibitive for a lot of consumers, they’re setting themselves up nicely for success. They have a nice market share, that they carved up and are seeking to expand with them acquiring studios, hardware redesign, more money to fund and now that Xbox is a relevant brand at the table and not just a side project anymore, it will get more attention from Microsoft.

Final words...

If every company deemed first place or not successful, we’d be in trouble. They help keep Sony in check, and I like to think they forced Nintendo to rethink their strategy when they started to forgone the power game and aimed for innovation/creativity.
 
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Xbox is doomed and "when will MS leave the videogame biz" threads have been popping up like a bad case of herpes every couple months for the past several years. Keep trying guys. Don't let reality based facts stop you now! Lol
 

Mr Hyde

Gold Member
Xbox is doomed and "when will MS leave the videogame biz" threads have been popping up like a bad case of herpes every couple months for the past several years. Keep trying guys. Don't let reality based facts stop you now! Lol

Did you even read the OP? Where did I state that MS will leave the video game biz?
 

CuNi

Member
First, I think this is by far one of the more civilized Xbox threads I have read in the last couple months here on Gaf. Quite amazed..

@Topic: If we take the idea of the Xbox failing and continue it, I'd think that while I could see a possibility for them to phase out the Xbox, I'd think they'd invest more into the Pass, try to push it onto other consoles and maybe hold on to the idea of streaming games to consoles and try that with Smart TV's etc. Though I think that even if Xbox will keep making a loss, they see the value in the brand. I think they will continue to work on the possibility for all games that are on the Xbox One to be compatible with Windows 10. I mean, isn't it already mandatory for games to be a UWP-App on the Xbox One? With time, most games will easily work on both so the Xbox will stop being a game console but be a quit affordable entry PC for games. With "Play Anywhere" purchases, the user could be incentivised to invest into the "Xbox" (Or one could say Microsoft) ecosystem because they would know that if they decide to upgrade to a proper Gaming PC, they'd be able to keep all their already bought games and even enjoy a visual upgrade on the PC at the same time.

What people mostly forget when they compare the Xbox and PlayStation, is that Microsoft has, in contrary to Sony, a whole world spanning OS that they can fuse with their console to create a large incentive for people to invest into. Though of course that would less be towards "true" or already heavily invested gamers like probably all of Gaf, but rather geared towards people that either are children right now and want to play games but can't afford a more expensive PC or Adults that somehow got introduced to gaming or want to try it out without investing a lot to it. And yes, I know you can get a PC dirty cheap today, but don't forget that if you never had a PC you need more than just the PC. You need a Screen and peripherals for it too. So nothing really beats a console to get started or try it out. Especially since it's easier to sell a used console than it is to sell a used PC.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
Did they fail with this gen? I mean, haven't they sold like 40 million consoles?
 
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JLB

Banned
Why do we act like Xbox 360 was the greatest selling console ever? It ended up in third place (out of three) for it's own generation. And who knows how many of those were like me and had to buy multiple consoles because the warranty ended before it got its RROD.

Mainly because went from an irrelevant market share on previous gen, to compete tie to tie to the defacto platform.
 

Stuart360

Member
Why do we act like Xbox 360 was the greatest selling console ever? It ended up in third place (out of three) for it's own generation. And who knows how many of those were like me and had to buy multiple consoles because the warranty ended before it got its RROD.
There is always a flaw in that '360 had tons of RROD and it skews its sales numbers' arguemnt, because the vast majority of multiplatform games sold more on 360 than PS3. So whatever skewing the RROD thing had, it was only small scale overall.
 

Gavon West

Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads
Xbox is doomed and "when will MS leave the videogame biz" threads have been popping up like a bad case of herpes every couple months for the past several years. Keep trying guys. Don't let reality based facts stop you now! Lol
Lol
 

Jayjayhd34

Member
No because a console will always be easiest way to sell things like gamer pass, and they don't' exactly have very good fan base when it comes to windows store, there not abandoning consoles anytime soon.
 

EDMIX

Member
Microsoft has had somewhat of a rough gen. Xbox One didn´t pan out to be the great successor to the mighty 360, and while the system has reached admirable numbers, it still drags behind its main competitor, PS4. But that´s okay. We all have a bad day at work. I mean, Nintendo is just fresh off the boat that recently sailed from the deepest pits of the Wii U-hell. And who can forget Sonys legendary fuck up launch of the PS3? I certainly will not.

To redeem their fumblings with the Xbox One, Microsoft has loaded up their guns, or should I say cannons, in order to blast off some serious fireworks for the next generation of console wars. They have adressed the number one main complaint about their lack of exclusives by acquiring promising studios from left to right. They have corrected the weak stature of the original One, and launched some impressive tech wizardry in Xbox One X. But above all, they have pushed their Game Pass subscription service as the Second Coming of Christ.

Phil Spencer recently told us in a interview that he wants Game Pass to be "on every device". That is a statement that can be interpreted in just about any way you want, so it got me thinking. Is Microsoft cooking up a Plan B from Outerspace if they fail next generation too? Game Pass seems to be a sweet deal. And streaming seems to be the way of the future. If Microsoft doesn´t succeed with Scarlett and comes in second, or third place, in the race about customers, is it really necessary for them to be making hardware? Why not do as Phil Spencer says and put Game Pass on every device instead. Correct me if I´m wrong, but aren´t Microsoft already losing money on each box? Isn´t the revenue coming from software and subscription services like Xbox Gold and Game Pass?

For it to work, competitors needs to give the green light of course, but if Microsoft calls it quits in the console making business, then maybe the likes of say, Sony, wouldn´t mind Game Pass on their system. If that doesn´t work then they have PC. And maybe tablets and phones too in the future, when they are strong enough.

What do you think GAF? What is Microsoft and Phil Spencer cooking up with the "Game Pass on every device" statement? Is it to end console hardware and rule the world with their streaming subscription service?

No.

MS might be selling the least hardware every gen, they are still selling enough to justify its existence. Nintendo on the other had just couldn't continue with 14 million home consoles and made sense to go portable.

I see MS staying in the home console market for a long time. MS might end up putting games on Nintendo and PS systems as their end game seems to be selling the most software at all cost, where Sony and Nintendo don't seem to be about that mindset
 

12Dannu123

Member
No because a console will always be easiest way to sell things like gamer pass, and they don't' exactly have very good fan base when it comes to windows store, there not abandoning consoles anytime soon.

No it isn't, XCloud is by far the easiest to sell things like Game Pass. Being able to carry a whole Xbox Console in the cloud and play it on any device is ambitious and will no doubt impact next gen. But there is no doubt that the Cloud era is coming to the gaming industry and console exclusives are finally doing down the drain.
 
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fermcr

Member
Just because Xbox doesn't sell as much as Nintendo/Sony consoles, doesn't mean it's a failure. Every year Microsoft's gaming division show profits.
Xbox 360 was a success and Xbox One is a success (even without exclusives). What makes you think the next Xbox won't be a success?
 

MC Safety

Member
How is this an anti Xbox-thread? Is it just because you saw the word "fail" in the headline? I´m talking, hypothetically, about MS taking another approach in the gaming industry if their console hardware fails to gain any traction and thus, them betting all their horses on Game Pass which is very successful at the moment. I´m talking about Spencer and his "Game pass on every device"-statement. You guys in the Xbox-camp is always talking about how streaming is the future and Game Pass is the most revolutionary thing that happened to gaming industry in the past 20 years, so what the fuck are you so defensive about?

Game fans are sensitive, and this sort of stuff can easily inspire territoriality.

As to your topic: It's sort of wishful thinking based on a very specific negative outcome that might happen years from now. It's easy to see how people might interpret your what-if in a certain way.

I don't have a horse in the race, but I don't think you invest in all those new studios if you're uncertain about the future.
 

CaptainClaw

Member
Why do we act like Xbox 360 was the greatest selling console ever? It ended up in third place (out of three) for it's own generation. And who knows how many of those were like me and had to buy multiple consoles because the warranty ended before it got its RROD.
I Don't think anyone looks at it like that...Xbox came from being a Console that previously sold less than 30m to the next gen afterwards grabbing a huge part of the market with over 80m console sold as well as their Exclusive franchises dominating and making Billions that Generation
 

ZywyPL

Banned
Being second yet still very profitable = fail?... They actually have the biggest chance to "win" the next generation, they have pretty much all the cards in their deck, as compared to Sony, Nintendo, Google, Amazon etc.

if they are gonna keep the Xbox and PC fusion then i do hope they fail, what made consoles superior was the exclusives and Microsoft denied the xbox one from that

What a dumb, childish point of view. I personally love being able to play SP campaigns maxed out in 4K 60FPS, and then jump into MP with my friends on Xbox. Play Anywhere is one of the best concepts that ever happened on consoles, but you have to be mature enough to appreciate it.
 
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