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[W.S.]

Thanks for replying with the list. My reservations are about the staple games - how much marketing muscle do they really put behind those. I think the post that details the fact that they bought timed exclusivity for TR ate into their budget is on point. I think some of the posts (mine really) is that Microsoft just doesn't pass up these marketing deals. Msft always went after those big partnerships but now they're focused on first parties seems - it seems like something else is in play here. These are where the counter arguments are coming from.

I've been surprised with some of the 3rd party marketing choices Microsoft's taken compared to Sony's bigger bets. MS had Unity & Witcher 3 and then newer IP's with The Division and Evolve. Evolve sputtered out community wise and sales wise (according to NPD's) most of the other titles seemed to do better on the PS4 so it's almost as if they had to work with the leftovers that Sony didn't pick up.

Halo tends to get massive marketing every time it comes out followed by probably Gears but then Forza and Fable although I personally never noticed a great deal of marketing for Fable. I wouldn't be surprised if the Tomb Raider exclusivity was indeed eating into their marketing budget but it looks more like Activision pursued Sony and Sony was glad to oblige.

Microsoft just has to make due with what they've got so the alternative of marketing their exclusives isn't necessarily just a PR thing it's what they pretty much HAVE to do.

 

[Elandyll]

ROTTR sure is a first party game. I bet even with all the first party releases Sony has next year they will still get the big third party game marketing deals.

It kinda sounds to me that beside bringing back some of their own IPs (like Crackdown and, unfortunately for fans on hold, Phantom Dust), it sounds like MS has a different approach to third party this time around, which is to secure privileged access (including a window of opportunity this time around) to some huge IPs during the Holidays. I can't even imagine the cost of the unlimited keys of ACU+ Black Flag, but I imagine that RotR + the likely Tomb Raider remaster to be included in a new bundle at $349 or even $299 this fall will be even more costly.

 

[vin-buc]

This is where MSFT is being disingenuous in their PR (of course I don't expect them to say the real reason a lot of us speculate with common sense), but you can focus on first and third party at the same time. Sony does it. One budget does not effect the other.

Nintendo doesn't do it, and look at the third party mess they are in. I don't think MSFT is shifting gears to wanting to be a "second system" like Nintendo. They are just not offered the deals like they once were. It really is that simple. Marketshare, just like it was with the PS2.

I know the answer and it has to do with sales. I wanted to respond courteously to W.S. since he/she responded to me in a nice manner.

 

[BokehKing]

It seems obvious to me, Activision wanted to do business with Sony rather than Microsoft, because of the growth of the PS4.

Activision is also trying to grow the pro scene which has already been installed on Microsoft, so now they can attempt to install it on the Sony side. Obviously there are a ton of players that are upset but all of the big name pro players have already been sent PS4's so all the "important" players will be on the PS4. (most of em wanted the change anyway).

Lank?

 

[vin-buc]

I think what the CoD community is waiting on is the eSports decision - they haven't announced that they're changing platforms for pro/competitive but everything points to PS4's.

It's going to make waves and give more publicity to the CoD switch to PS4. Youtubers will have to follow and so will the fans.

Enormous. Paradigm shift in the console space.

 

[vin-buc]

Lank?

I'd like to see the link to this as well.

 

[W.S.]

This is where MSFT is being disingenuous in their PR (of course I don't expect them to say the real reason a lot of us speculate with common sense), but you can focus on first and third party at the same time. Sony does it. One budget does not effect the other.

Nintendo doesn't do it, and look at the third party mess they are in. I don't think MSFT is shifting gears to wanting to be a "second system" like Nintendo. They are just not offered the deals like they once were. It really is that simple. Marketshare, just like it was with the PS2.

Sony snapped up big marketing deals leading up to the holiday season (Batman, CoD, Star Wars) which doesn't leave a whole lot for MS to co-market along their exclusives so I don't really see it as being disingenuous it's just what it is.

EDIT: Actually don't they have Madden, FIFA, Fallout 4, and Rainbow Six? That's a pretty decent amount of stuff to market alongside the exclusives.

 

[BabyFaceKillah]

Nvm.

 

[Mine01]

It really makes me feel weird when people are more excited for marketing deals that games, but we'll I guess I shouldn't be reading marketing threads.

Spoiler

I got a ps4 and an xbone, just in case.

 

[vin-buc]

It really makes me feel weird when people are more excited for marketing deals that games, but we'll I guess I shouldn't be reading marketing threads.

Spoiler

I got a ps4 and an xbone, just in case.

I think CoD is a different situation because of the history and association with Xbox - for 6 years now. That coupled with the fact that it's the years biggest seller has weight.

 

[soxxx]

Lank?

There were tweets awhile ago stating from MLG or someone that works mlg that they purchased 400 PS4s. Some players also tweeted pictures thanking activision for PS4's.

If I can find the tweets ill link em up.

Here: @3:26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwdpR5WsqEw

 

[Abdiel]

There were tweets awhile ago stating from MLG or someone that works mlg that they purchased 400 PS4s. Some players also tweeted pictures thanking activision for PS4's.

If I can find the tweets ill link em up.

Here: @3:26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwdpR5WsqEw

Huh. That's really interesting, actually. What better way to advertise their deal and the change than to simply... make the change. Not forcing the pros and the icons to pay to transfer, it's like them endorsing their own product?

I mean. It makes excellent business sense. Creates an instant new base of interest and demonstration, washes away concerns about cost of investment for those pros.

I wonder if they provided Plus subscriptions too, hah.

 

[vin-buc]

Huh. That's really interesting, actually. What better way to advertise their deal and the change than to simply... make the change. Not forcing the pros and the icons to pay to transfer, it's like them endorsing their own product?

I mean. It makes excellent business sense. Creates an instant new base of interest and demonstration, washes away concerns about cost of investment for those pros.

I wonder if they provided Plus subscriptions too, hah.

Killer Keemstar isn't huge but at 216k views he openly says at around the 1:50 mark:

"Everyone knows that the xbox one is a fail and if you don't believe that than you're a fail at logic"

I lol'd.

It would be kinda nuts if sony developed a new controller to mimic the xbox controller layout. HORI makes one and at face value it looks pretty good but it's missing features.

The irony is that Microsoft is selling the elite controller. That timing though.

 

[soxxx]

Huh. That's really interesting, actually. What better way to advertise their deal and the change than to simply... make the change. Not forcing the pros and the icons to pay to transfer, it's like them endorsing their own product?

I mean. It makes excellent business sense. Creates an instant new base of interest and demonstration, washes away concerns about cost of investment for those pros.

I wonder if they provided Plus subscriptions too, hah.

Of course they did, these companies suck up to the pro players hardcore. I am sure SCUF sent them controllers, etc.

They get headsets, controllers, seats all for advertisement purposes. Most of them had PS4's though already, and most seemed happy it is going to PS4. The big question though is will SONY host the Million dollar tournament that XBOX has had the last three years. Perhaps SONY will make the prize pool even larger......

And just to add, the pro players are making more than enough money to purchase systems, its actually reached the point where teams have actual owners who pay for the players airfare to fly to the events, etc, and pay salary, so if anything the team owners would hook them up with PS4's but apparently activision already did it for them. The move to PS4 will be big because there is an entire generation of kids who want to be pro players. I run into them all day long on the CoD servers, mostly age ranges from like 13- 18......so they will have to own a PS4 now.

 

[GnawtyDog]

FGC in the bag once SFV ships. And they tried harder w/ USFIV, too bad for the botched launch...
Shooter crowd in the bag leaving almost absolutely nothing to the competition (Destiny, COD, Star Wars Battlefront). Not only did they get COD (if that was the sole one), but they got the other big ones too...

Sony is learning. Going after MS's tit.

 

[Intrigue]

This is where MSFT is being disingenuous in their PR (of course I don't expect them to say the real reason a lot of us speculate with common sense), but you can focus on first and third party at the same time. Sony does it. One budget does not effect the other.

Nintendo doesn't do it, and look at the third party mess they are in. I don't think MSFT is shifting gears to wanting to be a "second system" like Nintendo. They are just not offered the deals like they once were. It really is that simple. Marketshare, just like it was with the PS2.

You are upsetting the force with your logic.

 

[Percy]

I can remember pre-E3 being adamant that there was no fucking way Sony got the marketing for CoD off MS and was sure at most CoD was going platform agnostic with marketing. Guess I was wrong there.

I still can't believe this is an actual thing. I mean... obviously there was no way Sony could outbid MS for this deal, and the CoD marketing was always extremely important to MS, so the only way to read this happening is as Activision giving a huge middle finger to MS over the Xbox One's relative unpopularity.

Sony have well and truly cuckolded MS on the marketing front this gen.

 

[John Bender]

I can remember pre-E3 being adamant that there was no fucking way Sony got the marketing for CoD off MS and was sure at most CoD was going platform agnostic with marketing. Guess I was wrong there.

I still can't believe this is an actual thing. I mean... obviously there was no way Sony could outbid MS for this deal, and the CoD marketing was always extremely important to MS, so the only way to read this happening is as Activision giving a huge middle finger to MS over the Xbox One's relative unpopularity.

Sony have well and truly cuckolded MS on the marketing front this gen.

Just like the "No way is the PS4 more powerful than the Xbox One. Microsoft has more money" posts before this gen started?
This stuff is always nonsense.

 

[driver116]

I can remember pre-E3 being adamant that there was no fucking way Sony got the marketing for CoD off MS and was sure at most CoD was going platform agnostic with marketing. Guess I was wrong there.

I still can't believe this is an actual thing. I mean... obviously there was no way Sony could outbid MS for this deal, and the CoD marketing was always extremely important to MS, so the only way to read this happening is as Activision giving a huge middle finger to MS over the Xbox One's relative unpopularity.

Sony have well and truly cuckolded MS on the marketing front this gen.

It's the age old 'Microsoft has deeeep pockets' logic. But just watch the IGN Xbox Bosses Podcast, at one point Phil mentions how colleagues in different departments where slamming him saying how Xbox is sinking their share prices. Point in question, Xbox has a budget to stick to, more so than ever.

 

[Mononoke]

It's not a matter of "letting it happen", it's a clear shift in priority from MS towards a stronger first party output, something that was lacking in comparison to Sony last gen.

I agree that MS seems to be shifting priority.

I don't agree that Sony is shifting away from this either though. They have just been slower. I think Sony is able to score all these marketing deals because the success of the PS4 (I think that opportunity was shut off from them last gen, as these companies go with the leading platform) + sticking to their investments in unique IPs. I don't agree with this perception that Sony has switched spots with MS in their strategies, and has stopped investing in unique IP and are just relying on marketing deals with multiplats. I think Sony is doing it all.

As someone that owns every system this Gen, I honestly still prefer all the unique titles Sony has announced to MS. MS has done a better job getting their unique titles out quicker. But I still prefer what I've seen from Sony. So I don't agree with the narrative that Sony is basically MS now. This seems like what they did last gen, they are just now leading in sales by a substantial amount, and can now get exclusive marketing deals with multiplats that MS had last gen.

 

[Percy]

Just like the "No way is the PS4 more powerful than the Xbox One. Microsoft has more money" posts before this gen started?
This stuff is always nonsense.

Now John, don't go getting defensive on me now... You know I'm no proponent of the 'bottomless warchest' mentality, but the reality of it is that MS are still in a much stronger financial position than Sony, and while that may not directly translate to a huge budget for the Xbox division necessarily, I still don't believe there's any way MS would have let their gaming sector's single most important marketing partnership of the last decade (Or ever, perhaps) go if they had any say in the matter.

It's the age old 'Microsoft has deeeep pockets' logic. But just watch the IGN Xbox Bosses Podcast, at one point Phil mentions how colleagues in different departments where slamming him saying how Xbox is sinking their share prices. Point in question, Xbox has a budget to stick to, more so than ever.

That's interesting... I hadn't heard about that one yet. I'll give it a listen later.