the-pi-guy
Member
There's a difference between a few people that follow rumors and the masses that buy consoles.
The leak has no where near the impact that an official announcement/conference does.
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Andrew House surprised by timing of Project Scorpio announcement
- Thread starter shinobi602
- Start date
There's a difference between a few people that follow rumors and the masses that buy consoles.
The leak has no where near the impact that an official announcement/conference does.
Dlacy13g
Member
So then which announcement causes more confusion? Neo with "it's coming but you don't know when but you know its more than $350" or Scorpio with "it's coming holiday 2017 but you don't know how much"? I think they equally present a similar point of contention to the consumer if your theory of the average consumer is smart enough to know both are coming.
Pancakes R Us
Member
I think they did so in the capacity they did to make it clear there's something coming against Neo, to avoid XBO becoming an even bigger lost cause against PS4 than it already is.
Personally, I'm grateful for the competition. I hope Microsoft's announced specs give Sony food for thought when it comes to Neo. I'm also hopeful there's a PS4 slim announced at some point this year.
The Baron Count
Member
I don't get it.
Aside from the fact that MS gave a date and talked about their system at their conference, there isn't much difference in what the two of them are doing. Sony have confirmed their new system and the specs we have seen are almost certainly the specs that we are getting. I fail to see where this big difference in strategy is other than a couple minutes of talking at an E3 conference.
Honestly I am glad both of them are talking about the things. They should be as up front as possible right now so nobody goes to buy an old system and feels burnt. It's not really even abnormal to discuss a system pretty far out, it has happened plenty in the past. MS also hasn't exactly kicked into full marketing mode yet, we don't have any clue what the thing looks like and even the specs they gave us are pretty vague. It looked to me like the main thing was if they were going to announce a slim model then they wanted to kind of have a disclaimer so people that maybe wanted to buy one knew that they might want to wait.
I do agree with him about the disappointment of not getting to see these systems when they are confirmed, but that is just me being anxious to see exactly what both of them are doing.
Aside from the fact that MS gave a date and talked about their system at their conference, there isn't much difference in what the two of them are doing. Sony have confirmed their new system and the specs we have seen are almost certainly the specs that we are getting. I fail to see where this big difference in strategy is other than a couple minutes of talking at an E3 conference.
Honestly I am glad both of them are talking about the things. They should be as up front as possible right now so nobody goes to buy an old system and feels burnt. It's not really even abnormal to discuss a system pretty far out, it has happened plenty in the past. MS also hasn't exactly kicked into full marketing mode yet, we don't have any clue what the thing looks like and even the specs they gave us are pretty vague. It looked to me like the main thing was if they were going to announce a slim model then they wanted to kind of have a disclaimer so people that maybe wanted to buy one knew that they might want to wait.
I do agree with him about the disappointment of not getting to see these systems when they are confirmed, but that is just me being anxious to see exactly what both of them are doing.
Bear Force One
Banned
Next month's NPD
will be an epic one.
will be an epic one.
HocusPocus
Member
They announce games years before they come out. I think it is fairly hypocritical of this guy to complain based on their strategy this gen. I believe they would have showed the Neo had they not been considered about the reaction on the spec comparison at E3.
meh not really
The closer you don't announce it to the release date, the more you burn those exact unaware folk that are buying your system. Nobody wants to buy a new console and then hear there's a better one a week later.
I get serious Dreamcast flashbacks from the whole Scorpio thing.
A competitor way behind in the current gen announces and releases a stronger console sooner than normal "cycle" would dictate, while Sony and Playstation are still at peak market strength. In the Dreamcast's case, the strength of Sony's market dominance basically made the DC stillborn (I still have mine though) as the market waited for Sony to move on to their next platform. We'll have to wait and see if this happens with Scorpio or not. In this analogy Neo is more like a standard "slim" release (PS2 Slim), though obviously the release times don't work out, since I'm still sort of on the whole bandwagon that says Neo only has an upgraded APU because it was just as cheap to do that as to make the existing one smaller for a trivial TDP gain.
Given the tone-deaf contradictory information falling from MS's PR this week though, this whole thing doesn't seem very well thought out from how they were going to leverage this announcement moving forward.
A competitor way behind in the current gen announces and releases a stronger console sooner than normal "cycle" would dictate, while Sony and Playstation are still at peak market strength. In the Dreamcast's case, the strength of Sony's market dominance basically made the DC stillborn (I still have mine though) as the market waited for Sony to move on to their next platform. We'll have to wait and see if this happens with Scorpio or not. In this analogy Neo is more like a standard "slim" release (PS2 Slim), though obviously the release times don't work out, since I'm still sort of on the whole bandwagon that says Neo only has an upgraded APU because it was just as cheap to do that as to make the existing one smaller for a trivial TDP gain.
Given the tone-deaf contradictory information falling from MS's PR this week though, this whole thing doesn't seem very well thought out from how they were going to leverage this announcement moving forward.
Freeman
Banned
You don't get it, just like MS doesn't get it. The devil is on the details. Lying into peoples faces is a poor first impression as well.
Xbox One and PS4 are almost like the same console, except they are not. Completely different messages and delivery.
You don't need to buy it day 1.
1-2 months might be too soon (it's fine by me, though would prefer 2 months if given the choice), but 18 months is too long away, I'll stop caring around the 12 month range, especially so if they constantly talk about it. Ideally 6 months is probably the sweet spot, enough time to let everyone know about it, without them losing interest and for them to decide if they are going to save up for one now or not, but Sony probably wants to keep selling PS4s for the rest of the year.
I hate to have to be the guy to teach you this, but here's a tip for life in general.
Try to save money.
Not just when a new toy is announced, but literally every month. Could save you a whole lot of trouble in the future. As a bonus you also get to afford stuff when you want to and you don't have to start saving up for a year to buy a 400$ console.
I apologize for the snark but really your comment has me shaking my head. I get that transparency is good, but if 400$ is going to break you financially you need to re-prioritize.
Bear Force One
Banned
I guess you and I differ on the importance of Xbox one sales dropping off a cliff.
Personally, I'm glad MS is taking this route. I love having things to look forward to, especially with gaming consoles / hardware. Even a tiny amount of (confirmed) info is gold to me.
I can understand why people would not like this approach, but it seems silly top be mad over a company's transparency, even after they've tried to change their past - and frankly unusual - business strategies. It's the same as announcing a game, in my opinion. You'll see games announced YEARS before their release date, without any gameplay at all. What's the difference now? Simply because it's MS, or are people simply inpatient these days?
I can understand why people would not like this approach, but it seems silly top be mad over a company's transparency, even after they've tried to change their past - and frankly unusual - business strategies. It's the same as announcing a game, in my opinion. You'll see games announced YEARS before their release date, without any gameplay at all. What's the difference now? Simply because it's MS, or are people simply inpatient these days?
the idea that Sony drops a new console on us like its a tax bill or something haha
Microsoft hasn't reported Xbox One sales in a while. it's all about MAUs
The Baron Count
Member
I have no idea what the heck you're talking about.
Ultimately why I don't get the fuss over the Scorpio either way.
People are slamming them because their messaging has been all over the place
Cthulhu_Steev
Member
Exactly, xbox fans, you're pretty much all on board regardless while everybody else is laughing at the PR shit show - how is this going to increase their market? They're acting like they haven't changed at all.
No one that doesn't own one is going to NOT buy a PS4 this holiday season just to wait a year for Scorpio.
Freeman
Banned
Meh, most people don't follow conferences, either. The Ven diagram of people who follow conferences and people who follow leaks is probably pretty close to a circle.
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
It's a duty, nay, honor to buy console the day they release.
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
heh isnt this the exact thing Major Nelson tweeted about
lolz
lolz
AyaisMUsikWhore
Member
GeordieMark
Member
The point of announcing early is that MS don't want to lose any more customers to Sony. Having Scorpio on the horizon is a reason to stay with the MS ecosystem, and not defect to PlayStation. Its actually very similar to announcing games well in advance, in that they both have the same aim of keeping customers with the promise of greatness to come.
I don't think it was such a bad idea given the state of the market, and that Scorpio was pretty much know anyway.
Why not? How on earth would you know? If I didn't have them already, there is no way I'd be buying a console this year.
I don't think it was such a bad idea given the state of the market, and that Scorpio was pretty much know anyway.
Why not? How on earth would you know? If I didn't have them already, there is no way I'd be buying a console this year.
From what we have been told, Sony actually have devkits out to developers and have a timeframe for mandatory support for Neo. Microsoft have a wish-list of specs. You would expect Sony to be out in the opening talking about it but it is the opposite with Microsoft talking about a device that does not exist.
Personally I prefer the Sony approach - don't tell me until you have an actual machine with games and a launch time-frame.
This so much. I have been literally asking for MS to put out anther white sku with more storage. They did then quickly undid that with scorpio announcement. Very odd indeed.
MilkyJoe
Member
No one including me?
Anyone else here blowing off Neo for Scorpio? Alan Sugar here thinks he knows how markets work.
I still love that they said they announced it now to give devs a head start.
Um......dev kits have been in devs hands since the beginning of the year Phil......but go ahead and give specs instead of an actual machine for devs to target.
I really am looking forward to seeing how big this machine is given the original size of the Xbox one
everybody is who exactly in this case ?
GeordieMark
Member
Silly thing is Sony pretty much have informally announced Neo. They haven't given much detail, but its hardly a secret that its coming.
MilkyJoe
Member
Apparently little Johnny's mum is scouring the Internet as we speak looking for Phil's 4K gaff.
I hear the BBC is running with it too, lead story too.
RichiRamjag
Member
I don't think this huge gap between hardcore and casual players is all that big. What constitutes a hardcore gamer? I was hardly a hardcore gamer (whatever that is)in my youth, but I still was aware of the upcoming consoles. I don't think is news folks wouldn't know about. Anecdotal, but my buddy who barely games was asking me what I thought of the neo/Scorpio stuff as soon as rumors surfaced.
The information is super easy to obtain nowadays, especially with social media.
MS have also put themselves under a lot of pressure. They have basically given themselves a deadline to get a 6TF machine that will do native 4K gaming to market in 18 months.
They can't afford to miss that mark.
All Sony did was confirm they are working on the Neo and the E3 is not the place to announce the details. Pretty simple.
LyleLanley
Banned
Almost as soon as it was on GAF links to this stuff were on the Facebook trending section. I don't think casual gamers are as in the dark as some people here assume they are.
This is why the MS PR is a shit show so far. If your messaging isn't on point. Stuff like this gets out to the masses.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/no-4k-tv-no-project-scorpio/?utm_m_medium=t&utm_content=buffera08f5&utm_medium=socialm&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/no-4k-tv-no-project-scorpio/?utm_m_medium=t&utm_content=buffera08f5&utm_medium=socialm&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Okami Haundo
Member
Their messaging was extremely clear on two fronts. Current Xbox One owners who want more power are going to have that option next year. Late adopters will know that they're investing in an ecosystem that won't be obsolete as soon as the new hardware comes out.
Marketing messages aren't and can't be designed to appeal to absolutely every person. Microsoft chose the two groups of people that they felt their announcement would impact the most and addressed them directly.
If you fall outside of the two groups the message was intended for it doesn't mean the message failed, it simply wasn't directed at you.
My guess it'll launch Spring 2017. Sony will probably want to focus on PSVR for holiday.
MilkyJoe
Member
Yeah they kind of did exactly the same thing but so understated that it'll have zero fanfare when they finally get up on stage...
errr.. It'll have 10 billion transistors
Haha, oh God, so much this. I will never convince my wife that I need a Scorpio. In fact, just to test the waters I jokingly threw out a "Hey babe, we should look into getting a 4K TV." All you married guys know the look of disdain I received, without even having been there.
Freeman
Banned
Damn, AMD could be real dicks now, if everything wasn't finalized.
AMD: "6TF you say? I'm afraid it wont be cheap."
E3 was the place they announced the details of the PS4. So what difference does it make?
And again, zero chance they didn't originally plan on discussing it to only scrap those plans and throw in the days gone demo. Why else did they show the trailer earlier in the presentation then awkwardly show a demo at the end?