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Why doesn't Microsoft leave the console market and focus on TRUE next-gen PC gaming?

Have you seen Flight Simulator 2020? That is the only upcoming title that I would describe as "next-gen" (barring Star Citizen, should that ever release). And Flight Simulator will require high end hardware to get the most out of it.

Anyway, Xbox is a brand and a platform - not a console. MS execs aren't dumb, they know where the real money is.
 

pasterpl

Member
You know this how? They've been getting a lot of Sony talent from SSM and Naughty Dog, and investing in tons of 1st party. And at least so far in terms of best graphical showcases of next-gen I'd say they're at least even with Sony, as for me those picks would be:

-Hellblade 2 trailer (XSX): In-engine, strong visuals and fantastic facial animations. Not impossible for final game to reach these visuals

-Project Mara (XSX): Still arguably the best demonstration of RT so far (alongside BMI). In-engine teaser, small scale as confirmed by NT so expecting final game to match visuals seen here if not even better.

-UE5 demo (PS5): In-engine demonstration, no real game based on it though. Fantastic texture quality and fast-scale streaming of assets, great use of software-based RT techniques. Keep in mind there was almost no actual "game" logic happening, though.

-Bright Memory Infinite (XSX): In-engine with some legit gameplay segments in there. Arguably best demonstration of RT along with Project Mara seen so far. Great atmospheric dust and smoke effects to sell rough weather.

-Ratchet & Clank (PS5): Lots of gameplay, tons of particle and object effects, seamless world hopping. One of the standouts of PS5 event.

-HZD2 (PS5): Some possible gameplay, at very least in-engine. High texture quality, nice use of color, great details. The other standout of the PS5 event.

Next gen is not going to play out nearly to the same degree this gen did when it comes to the rather lopsided nature of 1st-party initiatives between MS and Sony after the first couple of years IMHO, and that's a good thing for all gamers.

you forgot Microsoft flight simulator, the most next-gen looking game so far (check out the weather system they have built, it is mental)
 

Denton

Member
Unfortunately lot of people prefer console over PC and as long as those exists, it makes sense to satisfy their demand.
 

pasterpl

Member
I am sure their surface hardware is outsold by likes of dell, hp, ASUs etc. But they are still releasing new models as it is profitable for them.
 
They can barely do consoles, splitting their focus can do them more harm than good.

They are the weakest link in this industry.
They got enough money to run a small country. They can do both as long as they like.

You don't work for multi billion dollar company, you don't know their plan or how things work. You just a regular arm chair analyst of Gaf.
 
im confused if MS leaves the console market are you ok with a monopoly cause I can guarantee every ps system will be $1k+ just like iphones the inflation and deals they will have will be on the level of having your only isp provider be Comcast. But lets say MS leaves the console market and takes it ips with it and just sticks with PC instead of making xboxes they will blow the console market out of the water like PC gaming in the mid 90s PC and arcade machines had the best games by miles look up what ps1 had RE2 while PC was getting games like half life,Rogue squadron and fallout. You cant compare crysis 1 on pc wasn't matched in the console space for years and especially with how gamer's now are graphic whores i see alot of them dropping console altogether if we end up getting results like that on pc again.

MS isnt going to drop xbox because its profitable enough for them as it is I also say the two audiences are nothing alike the games xbox dudes like like gears,forza and halo are games that most sony dudes dont.
 

Kupfer

Member
It's good for either product to have a competitor.
I wish there was another console like in the early days, when Sony, Nintendo and Sega competed against each other.
 

Flintty

Member
When selling out 50 millions of something which seemed like a doomed product, real failure...
This is a really important point. People just want to see a winner and a loser and completely disregard that third place can still be profitable, especially if the market is growing.
 

GTPeter

Neo Member
The only reason doesn't Microsoft leave the console market is for the subscription service, is 1 billion a year revenue.
Also they want a piece of Gaming Consoles Market is about to Reach USD 51.15 Billion By 2027.

They know they can't compete with Nintendo and SONY and they use Marxist marketing to get in the minds of youth for the coming years creating toxic paid community's .
 

MrMiyagi

Banned
Problem with that is that MS wants everybody with a pc to play their games on GP, not just the 3% that currently have a RTX 2070 or better gpu and a fast SSD. Looking at the prices, the next console generation could be halfway over before the bulk of pc gamers have those kind of specs.
 
Microsoft did considered not making another xbox (as per some article). But ended up making one.

Why don't you refer to steam hardware survey and see install base for so called cutting edge pc game that would far exceed what console could do.

Last time I checked GTX 1060 was most popular GPU which is at xbox one x level.

People with 2070-2080 level card are around 5% if I remember correctly. Will that much sales potential be enough? In days when good AAA games can sell 10million copies?
 
This is a really important point. People just want to see a winner and a loser and completely disregard that third place can still be profitable, especially if the market is growing.
Except market share doesn't stabilize. If Playstation become synonymous to Console gaming, then it pushes other competitors away. Microsoft understands that better than anyone, it is the reason Windows is the only real software OS option for commercial purposes.
 

nikolino840

Member
RdmlAti.jpg

This Is Phil Spencer 3 days ago

"I don't think Xbox Series X is our last console. I think we will do more consoles to make that great television play experience work and be delightful,"
 

kraspkibble

Permabanned.
i think xbox has a place. it's obvious they don't really care about selling lots of consoles. yeah it'd be great if they did i'm sure but they don't really care where people play as long as they buy the games, xbox live, game pass, and their upcoming streaming service.

it would make zero sense for Microsoft to go into PC gaming hardware. they are getting money from PC users for windows licenses, games, game pass. they are making money off PC gamers. the Xbox is aimed at people who want a simple cheap hassle free experience of playing Xbox exclusives and staying in the MS ecosystem. and their streaming service would be aimed at people who like playing casually on their phone/tablet and don't want to buy a console. they are coming every part of the gaming market which is smart. Sony is just aiming towards your average gamer and more so recently the PC market but that's still too early to tell what their plans are.

even if MS don't "win" i want them to stick around. they shouldn't just give up because Sony is selling more. i'd hate it if the only option was Playstation because then Sony would get too cocky and we'd be paying more for less. competition is good.
 
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Kokoloko85

Member
I think they should still do console, but Focus on subscription, streaming and focus more on publishing on other platforms too like they did with Ori and MInecraft.

Theres no reason they can have a solid place in gaming and not be PlayStations competition. Just be more friendly with Nintendo and Playstation with publishing. Be a partner not a competitor. Thats just me because I want to play Halo and Jet Set Radio Future lol.

That probably makes no business sense, but why not do well selling on Switch and PlayStation. Maybe not day 1 or anything
 
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turtlepowa

Banned
What do you think how much of "This is for the players" would be left without Microsoft? No, they would replace it with "Take it or leave it". Do you think you would have BC, EA Access or crossplay without MS? Do you think Sony would still spend insane amounts of money to give you 90+ narrative games without any competition?
 

KungFucius

King Snowflake
As a PC couch gamer I am glad MS is putting all of its games on PC. I am glad that they are capturing enough revenue by having a console so they can develop games for both platforms. I wish Sony would do the same. I don't want a stupid $500 box sitting under/next to my PC that only gets turned on for exclusives.
 

deriks

4-Time GIF/Meme God
Both means they have to prioritise the console and not go beyond its limits...I mean after 2/3 years. So they won't outshine Sony this way - that's my point.
They can do both the most powerfull PC and console ever, and could mean shit for competition. It's not a matter of prioritize hardware, it's just about the content. Have you see the numbers of Switch?!

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are the holy trinity of gaming now. And unless some of them (or all) screw this up, they should keep doing what they do.
 

Vroadstar

Member
It‘s called reality. The X is a more powerful system than the Pro.

Cool reality, Sony outshined by a powerful hardware that got stomped dead this gen and the irony is will be outsold if not already by even the least powerful system. Like getting a medal for participation.
 
Cool reality, Sony outshined by a powerful hardware that got stomped dead this gen and the irony is will be outsold if not already by even the least powerful system. Like getting a medal for participation.

Not sure what sales figures have to do with the X being the most powerful console of this generation.
 

near

Gold Member
In an ideal world Nintendo would just make handhelds, while Sony and Microsoft become software publishers for the glorious PC master race allowing Sega to come back and reign supreme in the console space.
 

martino

Member
Cool reality, Sony outshined by a pow
erful hardware that got stomped dead this gen and the irony is will be outsold if not already by even the least powerful system. Like getting a medal for participation.

Sales defining what piece of hardware is the best (power, engineering) ?
An hardware being successful says nothing on that front.
2 unrelated subjects.

In an ideal world Nintendo would just make handhelds, while Sony and Microsoft become software publishers for the glorious PC master race allowing Sega to come back and reign supreme in the console space.

welcome to my fantasy dimension.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
What do you think how much of "This is for the players" would be left without Microsoft? No, they would replace it with "Take it or leave it". Do you think you would have BC, EA Access or crossplay without MS? Do you think Sony would still spend insane amounts of money to give you 90+ narrative games without any competition?
It amazes me how many young people don't understand companies are not their friends and need a threat to do better. How Nintendo treated developers like garbage and over controlled content when they completely dominated. How Sony went right to get a second job attitude when they completely dominated. Those who want only Sony left standing the fantasy is not as great as reality. You think censorship is bad now. Think of a new Sony seal of approval to release a new game.
 

Vroadstar

Member
Not sure what sales figures have to do with the X being the most powerful console of this generation.

So this generation only started when X and pro was released? Is the original X really that much of a turd to you that you completely want to forget about it.

And what exactly did being the most powerful hardware did to brand in terms of games, sales and mindshare? Its deadlast with weak exclusives and probably be outsold by even the least powerful one. So what's the point of the power then? Brownie points for its fans?
 

oldergamer

Member
The only reason doesn't Microsoft leave the console market is for the subscription service, is 1 billion a year revenue.
Also they want a piece of Gaming Consoles Market is about to Reach USD 51.15 Billion By 2027.

They know they can't compete with Nintendo and SONY and they use Marxist marketing to get in the minds of youth for the coming years creating toxic paid community's .
Some of you fanboys are too much.
 
So this generation only started when X and pro was released? Is the original X really that much of a turd to you that you completely want to forget about it.

And what exactly did being the most powerful hardware did to brand in terms of games, sales and mindshare? Its deadlast with weak exclusives and probably be outsold by even the least powerful one. So what's the point of the power then? Brownie points for its fans?

You are missing the point. This is simply a fact about the relative power of Microsoft and Sony’s offering for this generation. This has nothing to do with sales or exclusive games.

No I didn’t forget about the underpowered OG One which was a big mistake and contributed to giving Sony a healthy advantage from the get go.

Having a more powerful console helps hugely with multi platform games, and also bragging rights (advertising/marketing). Sony benefitted from the power advantage early on in the gen. The damage was already done by the time the upgraded consoles came out.

I believe the rationale for the X was to show Microsoft understood consumers and as a prelude for the upcoming generation.
 

ACESHIGH

Banned
The thing is you need to understand the psychology of old school Sony fanboys, folks in their 30s and 40s that are the thought leaders in media outlets, forums and such: they truly want Sony to monopolize the market since Sony already monopolized their mind in their youth.

Good guy Sony is associated in their minds with providing a cheap gaming experience via piracy on the PS1 and PS2 eras. Also their first CD or DVD player. That's how the PlayStation and their IPs got global recognition outside of the core markets. I live in South America and to this day I have never seen an original PS1 or PS2 game. By the time the PS3 got popular globally around 2009/2010, folks were already too attached to the brand to consider jumping to an Xbox, Nintendo or PC gaming. They actually took that second job and bought the PS3 as Kaz intended.

That's why I say that all things considered, MS Xbox one sales are nothing to scuff at.
 
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They have tens of millions of Xbox live accounts, that wont work on PC. Its all about the services and licenses now, its not a conspiracy theory when Microsoft say that, its true. Consoles are not systems anymore where the only sauce of income is sales (at best Microsoft and Sony will be breaking even on XSX and PS5) and game sales. Gaming has moved on, they have so manys ervices and licence fees etc.. They wouldnt keep releasing consoles if they werent making money, big companies dont work like that.

the usual Xbox pr spiel about sales not mattering. It really has done another on people. They only changed the conversation because they were selling poorly.
 

Woo-Fu

Banned
It's easier than ever to produce the same game for console and pc, why on Earth would Microsoft ignore one of those markets after acquiring studios like they have in the past year?
 

Vroadstar

Member
You are missing the point. This is simply a fact about the relative power of Microsoft and Sony’s offering for this generation. This has nothing to do with sales or exclusive games.

No I didn’t forget about the underpowered OG One which was a big mistake and contributed to giving Sony a healthy advantage from the get go.

Having a more powerful console helps hugely with multi platform games, and also bragging rights (advertising/marketing). Sony benefitted from the power advantage early on in the gen. The damage was already done by the time the upgraded consoles came out.

I believe the rationale for the X was to show Microsoft understood consumers and as a prelude for the upcoming generation.

I will agree with you about bragging rights (for fans) but then still did nothing when all said and done. The idea of a powerful X was exactly to gain marketshare and increase sales given as you mentioned Sony benefitted from the power advantage early this gen, Do you really think MS put out the X just so their fans can have bragging rights? Its to counter Sony's advantage and hope it turns things around for them. Didn't even move the needle. Funny thing is they are being destroyed by the Switch (least powerful system). I mean if you are being "outshined" because of power, I think most of these companies prefer to be outshined instead of being outsold.
 

Klayzer

Member
Three words. Xbox-Live-Subs. That's a billion dollar revenue stream that no company in their right mind would give up on. Plus contrary to most, millions of gamers enjoy the Xbox platform and dont want to see it go away, like myself. There's enough money and customers to support three console makers. I don't get why so many want to see the platform dissolve. It brings in money, has a loyal fanbase, pushes the industry forward (both good and bad) and has games people care about.

Microsoft has brought more positives to gaming than people want to give them credit for.

A hard no for me for them to go publisher only.
 

Great Hair

Banned
And remove competition from the console space? Nah. Lots of Sony fans think they want this, but they really don’t.

I personally want them gone. Not because of the Brand, nor the games but because they're the only one pushing, promoting a form of toxic behavior by most of their corporate suits from Aaron, Major to Phil.

They're the only ones pushing for a GAAS future, they're greedy as fuck. Their first party games are full of microtransactions since Halo 4, Horizon 2. All of their upcoming games have multiplayer ..

Their push now for a new "status quo" named streaming - xCloud with the help of Gamepass is what will finally kill off the console for good.

Digital services, streaming services devalues the games, the medium, the art.

Gamepass feels like Valve's steam already. Same can be said about psnow or stadia (should it ever take off ..).

99% garbage, 1% ok to good games.
 

Flintty

Member
I personally want them gone. Not because of the Brand, nor the games but because they're the only one pushing, promoting a form of toxic behavior by most of their corporate suits from Aaron, Major to Phil.

They're the only ones pushing for a GAAS future, they're greedy as fuck. Their first party games are full of microtransactions since Halo 4, Horizon 2. All of their upcoming games have multiplayer ..

Their push now for a new "status quo" named streaming - xCloud with the help of Gamepass is what will finally kill off the console for good.

Digital services, streaming services devalues the games, the medium, the art.

Gamepass feels like Valve's steam already. Same can be said about psnow or stadia (should it ever take off ..).

99% garbage, 1% ok to good games.

All these company’s are in it to make money. MS see where the money is in GAAS and are obliging that demand. If people don’t want it, there will be no money in it. I’m not going to try and change your mind but I won’t agree with everything you wrote. Your list conveniently left out the good things MS are also pushing for the industry, which I’m not going to list as I’m sure you’re aware of these.

Agree with not liking the push for mtx though, I really don’t think Halo needs mtx. Which is why I don’t spend any money there. Yet MS aren’t the only firm pushing the mtx agenda - it’s widespread and you can see why when you look at financial reports of some devs/publishers.
 
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