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Microsoft's cunning plan to save the Xbox from Apple

Bl@de said:
How do the Apple TV and Xbox/PS4 even compete with each other? Totally different markets/games. But yeah, it's all over. Apple has won. Tomorrow everyone will burn Bloodborne and play Clash of Clans. Because both are games so it's the same.
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Yeah, if anything, an AppleTV would be going after the Wii audience.. Although, we've been told that that audience doesnt care for "Living room experiences" anymore. Instead, they watch, read, and play from their mobile devices, so it'll be interesting to see if Apple can convince them to come back
 
So according to this article:

New Apple TV = Winnar
PS4 - X1 style gaming transitions to PC
X1 with Windows 10 = Survivar
PS4 and Sony gaming = dead

This sounds like a sad horrible future.
 
Deku Tree said:
So according to this article:

New Apple TV = Winnar
PS4 - X1 style gaming transitions to PC
X1 with Windows 10 = Survivar
PS4 and Sony gaming = dead

This sounds like a sad horrible future.
Click to expand...

And in the future there is no Nintendo. Not even a trace of its memory remains. What's a Nintendo?
 
Hari Seldon said:
Lol I doubt Blizzard would go for this but it would be fantastic for hte lols. Could you imagine the misplays if you were trying to play hearthstone with waggle? Like you go to Lay on Hands yourself and you hit your 3/1 Knife Juggler lolololol.
Click to expand...

Apple TV adds an extra layer of RNG into Hearthstone. It's a feature! lol
 
Mahonay said:
This is a good point. Apple has gone out of it's way many times over the years to tell us just how little they care about core gaming, and how it's pretty much for chumps. It would take a huge change in philosophy for them to present a legit contending product.
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I don't know about the 'chumps' part, more it's just not part of their business. They still highlight gaming on the mobile side and support it in the App Store, and I'd imagine any AppleTV improvements are just going to be an extension of that.

All these articles seem to be taking that and running with it into this 'omg Apple console' narrative, but I don't think it holds much weight.
 
Newsflash for dumb-ass analysts:

Smartphone = Sexy.

Tablet = Sexy.

Set-top-Box = Not sexy.
 
Best_83ca97_1192759.jpg
 
Apple TV is going to take over cuz of casuals huh. That's similar to saying TV is going to kill movies or vice versa. Different audiences for different types of games. This would happen only if apple somehow targeted console developers for console like games and got those on Apple TV as well, which could happen but that's a stretch.

One thing is certain though. App style digital downloads are probably more profitable and less risky than traditional console development. I can't wait actually for Apple to show a console like store that doesn't suck ass and has cross platform value. A store that doesn't have to bend to the will of GameStop and game retailers
 
Vyer said:
I don't know about the 'chumps' part, more it's just not part of their business. They still highlight gaming on the mobile side and support it in the App Store, and I'd imagine any AppleTV improvements are just going to be an extension of that.

All these articles seem to be taking that and running with it into this 'omg Apple console' narrative, but I don't think it holds much weight.
Click to expand...
Hmm, I dug around quickly, and yeah, I did not find that "lol gaming" quote I thought I would find from Jobs. I guess it might be one of those cases of a lore being spun into a fact in your mind after a long enough time.

And I agree with your second point.
 
Mahonay said:
This is a good point. Apple has gone out of it's way many times over the years to tell us just how little they care about core gaming, and how it's pretty much for chumps. It would take a huge change in philosophy for them to present a legit contending product.
Click to expand...

I think the real concern (which is not addressed by the article here, to be clear) is that the consoles get boxed in to a very particular demographic:

1) 16-35 year old males
2) Who prefer not playing games on PC

In the meantime, the other devices -- be they tablets, smart phones, casual PC software, or this new Apple device -- slowly gobble up everything else. Children, young adults, women, the elderly, and so forth.

The threat, then, wouldn't be that anyone else comes and steals that 16-35 male demographic from consoles, but that the consoles collapse under their own weight. It can be really hard to sustain a business when you're boxed in like that, particularly when the specific audience you've chosen has the highest demands on production costs.

Please note that I'm not saying this will happen, just that this is the real threat. Again, this is not the assertion of the article in the OP, though.
 
ZOONAMI said:
Those of you acting like it hasn't been MS's plan all along to make xbox a full blown windows living room pc, are fools.

The OS just hasn't been slick enough for it to work, but it's very close. Using my 4k gaming pc on my 65" is actually enjoyable, which simply has not been the case with every previous version of windows.

All they have to do is bundle or market an official xbox cheap keyboard and touchpad combo (they sell a very good one already for around $25), and they're set.
Click to expand...
Do you have a source on this? The Xbox was created to go up against the other video game consoles. If they wanted to do what you're saying why didn't they just release an actual PC with the form factor of an Xbox years ago?
 
If Apple is having a go at Sony and MS, then they would be getting AAA third party experiences on the platform, which they aren't pursuing. Your Xbone and PS4 will be ok.
 
Opiate said:
I think the real concern (which is not addressed by the article here, to be clear) is that the consoles get boxed in to a very particular demographic:

1) 16-35 year old males
2) Who prefer not playing games on PC

In the meantime, the other devices -- be they tablets, smart phones, casual PC software, or this new Apple device -- slowly gobble up everything else.

The threat, then, wouldn't be that anyone else comes and steals that 16-35 male demographic from consoles, but that the consoles collapse under their own weight. It can be really hard to sustain a business when you're boxed in like that, particularly when the specific audience you've chosen has the highest demands on production costs.

Please note that I'm not saying this will happen, just that this is the real threat. Not that Apple will steal the PS/Xbox audience, but just that the PS/Xbox audience will be boxed in on all sides by thriving competitors, and will suffer for it. Again, this is not the assertion of the article in the OP, though.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, it's always been a threat. A large portion of us were terrified when mobile games were gobbling up devs from the core gaming industry while AAA studios shuttered their doors, I think with the implicit knowledge that our ecosystem could easily have the floor taken out from underneath it if the right thing comes along.
 
lighthouse777 said:
Microsoft's cunning plan

In the next few months, Microsoft is planning on releasing Windows 10 as a downloadable update to every single one of the 15 million Xbox One consoles it's sold.
Click to expand...
Wonder where they got this figure from. Hopefully not from Chartz. Also, I can't tell if the author is serious or just straight up trolling.
 
Opiate said:
I think the real concern (which is not addressed by the article here, to be clear) is that the consoles get boxed in to a very particular demographic:

1) 16-35 year old males
2) Who prefer not playing games on PC

In the meantime, the other devices -- be they tablets, smart phones, casual PC software, or this new Apple device -- slowly gobble up everything else.

The threat, then, wouldn't be that anyone else comes and steals that 16-35 male demographic from consoles, but that the consoles collapse under their own weight. It can be really hard to sustain a business when you're boxed in like that, particularly when the specific audience you've chosen has the highest demands on production costs.

Please note that I'm not saying this will happen, just that this is the real threat. Not that Apple will steal the PS/Xbox audience, but just that the PS/Xbox audience will be boxed in on all sides by thriving competitors, and will suffer for it. Again, this is not the assertion of the article in the OP, though.
Click to expand...

We're already seeing that to some degree as more and more development houses either collapse or simply go full-on mobile development.
 
Queen of Hunting said:
your xbox will play any pc game. but your pc wont play every xbox game which also uses windows 10. yup make sense LOL
Click to expand...

I think you're looking at it the wrong way. Games made for Windows OS are just that, games made for Windows OS, and the Xbox One will actually be using windows 10 soon. Anybody knows that a lot of windows 10 pcs will be able to easily install and run windows games, even if that pc isn't necessarily strong enough to run that game at an acceptable or playable level.

Games made for Xbox One won't automatically just run on Windows 10 PCs because Xbox One titles aren't designed to work that way. It wasn't Microsoft's intent. I mean, try popping an Xbox One disc inside your PC and see how it works. It won't at all. And the same will even be true for just putting a PC title inside your Xbox One's Blu ray drive. But with Windows 10 running on Xbox One, Microsoft could very easily change that at their own discretion. Don't say it isn't possible, because it is. If the Xbox One runs Windows 10, it will mean it can also possibly run pc titles, if Microsoft allows it. Hell, it wouldn't even take Windows 10 for Microsoft to pull such a thing off. The Xbox One is already running a version of Windows as it is.

They have all the necessary expertise and knowledge they require of both the operating system, and the Xbox One that they themselves built. So, presumably, they could very easily allow for your typical Windows PC title to be installed and ran on an Xbox One while simultaneously preventing the reverse from working on your average Windows 10 PC. They actually can pull that off, so it makes a lot more sense than you think.

The big question is whether there is even a desire on Microsoft's part to do that right now. It's something they could consider in the future with a newer Xbox, but would they do so now with the current Xbox? I don't know. Xbox Owners would obviously just be subject to all the same technical restraints as any other PC that doesn't have the hardware muscle to run a game at a specific level of quality, but that doesn't seem to stop many pc gamers from trying anyway, so perhaps Microsoft could go as far as to open up that possibility in the future. Again, it's far from impossible.

Basically, Xbox games would continue to be built in a way where they cannot be ran on a Windows 10 PC. However, if you have an Xbox, Microsoft could actually make it so that both regular Xbox One titles, as well as Windows PC titles, run on that system. Microsoft would simply need to engineer in a way for the Xbox One to actually understand and accept such an install. The foundations for installing a windows PC title and running it already exist in Microsoft's codebase. They can find a way to work that into Xbox, but with clear separation from the running of Xbox titles. If Microsoft can pull off Xbox 360 backwards compatibility on the Xbox One, they can for damn sure pull off the running of pc titles.

And there would be nothing legally preventing Microsoft from doing such a thing. Just because consoles have always worked a specific way does not mean that Microsoft can't just as easily change that at their whim. They taught Xbox One to understand and have full control over our cable/satellite boxes in order to watch television on the system, with all the appropriate systems and interfaces still working as they should. They can teach it to play pc games also while still maintaining the existing functionality of the box.
 
Opiate said:
I think the real concern (which is not addressed by the article here, to be clear) is that the consoles get boxed in to a very particular demographic:

1) 16-35 year old males
2) Who prefer not playing games on PC

In the meantime, the other devices -- be they tablets, smart phones, casual PC software, or this new Apple device -- slowly gobble up everything else.

The threat, then, wouldn't be that anyone else comes and steals that 16-35 male demographic from consoles, but that the consoles collapse under their own weight. It can be really hard to sustain a business when you're boxed in like that, particularly when the specific audience you've chosen has the highest demands on production costs.

Please note that I'm not saying this will happen, just that this is the real threat. Not that Apple will steal the PS/Xbox audience, but just that the PS/Xbox audience will be boxed in on all sides by thriving competitors, and will suffer for it. Again, this is not the assertion of the article in the OP, though.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think it's all possible. However I think if this becomes the case, and we do see increasing demand and success of these more casual games and gamers, MS and Sony will do as they did with the Wii, and try and hop on board and compete similar to in previous years. The big difference here though is that if this is the case, the Apple TV is offering far more in terms of entertainment offerings than the consoles at a more affordable price. The "hardcore" such as GAF will likely stay with their consoles or even have such a device as an additional thing, but over time this could have a strong effect on what future consoles look like

Hypothetically of course assuming the Apple TV is all things good and people want that
 
Neuromancer said:
Do you have a source on this? The Xbox was created to go up against the other video game consoles. If they wanted to do what you're saying why didn't they just release an actual PC with the form factor of an Xbox years ago?
Click to expand...

Just that logically it makes sense to sell a cheap living room pc to the masses to get your whole ecosystem out there, front and center in people's living rooms. It hasn't happened until now because the Windows OS was too cumbersome and not intuitive enough for couch operation, they finally have proper dpi scaling and a slick, easy interface that will work in the living room.

My guess would be that there will be an "Xbox mode" for media and xbox games, and a "windows mode" for productivity and pc games. You can set it to boot into either mode, and switch between windows desktop and xbox interface seamlessly. Why do you all think this is so unlikely. It seems obvious that it will happen, to me, analysts, and others in the thread. If it doesn't happen with this xbox, it will with the next one.
 
Found this article:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-windows-10-is-helping-microsoft-save-the-xbox-one/

Noticed this

It’s no secret the Xbox One’s launch didn’t go well. Current figures show that the PlayStation 4 has outsold its competitor from Microsoft by over 20 million units. Xbox is still paying for its disastrous 2013 press conference and its slightly inferior hardware, which often forces cross-platform games to play at a lower resolution on the Xbox One than on the PlayStation 4.
Click to expand...
The bolded part which sounded ridiculous and obviously not true, was linking to this article:
http://www.ibtimes.com/ps4-vs-xbox-one-sony-sells-more-202-million-consoles-worldwide-1835732
PS4 vs. Xbox One: Sony Sells More Than 20.2 Million Consoles Worldwide
Click to expand...

Looool how can people get away with writing such garbage???
 
So..my Xbox One will become a gaming PC!?

I guess it is possible to allow the XB1 to run Windows 10, hook it up with a mouse/keyboard, and let it run PC titles.

but what's the point? It lags behind PS4 and both consoles are years behind any high end PC today. It might be able to run older PC games but consoles will forever be in the shadow of PC gaming in terms of performance.
 
Opiate said:
I think the real concern (which is not addressed by the article here, to be clear) is that the consoles get boxed in to a very particular demographic:

1) 16-35 year old males
2) Who prefer not playing games on PC

In the meantime, the other devices -- be they tablets, smart phones, casual PC software, or this new Apple device -- slowly gobble up everything else. Children, young adults, women, the elderly, and so forth.

The threat, then, wouldn't be that anyone else comes and steals that 16-35 male demographic from consoles, but that the consoles collapse under their own weight. It can be really hard to sustain a business when you're boxed in like that, particularly when the specific audience you've chosen has the highest demands on production costs.

Please note that I'm not saying this will happen, just that this is the real threat. Again, this is not the assertion of the article in the OP, though.
Click to expand...

I think we are seeing consoles getting pressure from both ends. Mobile, Tablet, Apple TV taking away casual gamers and PC Gaming (and soon things like Steam Machines) taking away hardcore gamers at the top end. Eventually consoles will just get squeezed out of the equation.
 
blly155 said:
So..my Xbox One will become a gaming PC!?

I guess it is possible to allow the XB1 to run Windows 10, hook it up with a mouse/keyboard, and let it run PC titles.

but what's the point? It lags behind PS4 and both consoles are years behind any high end PC today. It might be able to run older PC games but consoles will forever be in the shadow of PC gaming in terms of performance.
Click to expand...

I don't know, maybe running a shit ton of windows applications that aren't available on xbox? And pc games are a hell of a lot more scalable than you think. Modern pc exclusive titles would run fine on an xbox one.
 
Opiate said:
I think the real concern (which is not addressed by the article here, to be clear) is that the consoles get boxed in to a very particular demographic:

1) 16-35 year old males
2) Who prefer not playing games on PC

In the meantime, the other devices -- be they tablets, smart phones, casual PC software, or this new Apple device -- slowly gobble up everything else. Children, young adults, women, the elderly, and so forth.

The threat, then, wouldn't be that anyone else comes and steals that 16-35 male demographic from consoles, but that the consoles collapse under their own weight. It can be really hard to sustain a business when you're boxed in like that, particularly when the specific audience you've chosen has the highest demands on production costs.

Please note that I'm not saying this will happen, just that this is the real threat. Again, this is not the assertion of the article in the OP, though.
Click to expand...

This makes a lot of sense. Reading the reaction replies to this thread makes me sad and REALLY makes me wish that there was a strong podcast about the BUSINESS of the gaming industry. Most people don't consider a larger picture or analyze a situation from a perspective outside of their own gamer-centric view, and simply react as if they're personally attacked.

The article was a little clumsy with the facts and fanciful with its speculation, but it definitely warrants a more interesting conversation. Sadly, I just don't think most core gamers even WANT a meaty podcast about the business, finance, and statistics of this industry. Core games. Mobile games. Casual games. Demographic breakdown. Development costs. All of that.
 
I actually posted this because I saw some tech dude on tv this morning going nuts about the possibility of what the new apple tv can do.. you can TALK to it and it will change your channels etc etc

I just shook my head
 
ShinUltramanJ said:
Seeing that article was put out at the time of the launch, sales from my understanding have nosedived since.

Sure it made them money off the diehards and scalpers, but what's the long term future really look like for this device?
Click to expand...

For that 1st gen watch - there is no future really, but it has definitely been hugely profitable for them and a nice enough starting point for them to continue from. I doubt smart watches will stop being a thing for mobile companies
 
I know this has been discussed to death before, but Xbox consoles also being able to play Xbox games, as well as PC games, but without Xbox games working on PC also, would be pretty damn incredible. This is something Microsoft can easily make a reality if they so choose to pursue it.
 
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