Support NeoGAF

[ChorizoPicozo]

It's very funny about some here..... That is to say,

- if MS opts for a traditional console it is a mistake and it is dead.
- If MS bet on something different and advance the launch and move away from the generations, it is a mistake and it is dead.
-If MS bet on the strategy of a hybrid console/PC it is a mistake and it is dead.
- And if MS decide to abandon any type of proprietary hardware, it is also a mistake and it is dead because you abandon the possibility of an ecosystem...

it's like watching someone trying to do bench press and fail. Then the guy starts training leg, abs, cardio in order to succeed at bench press

We can all agree that what this means is that what some want is for MS to simply not try anything and simply They opts for dont sell hardware and be EA or TakeTwo

again. the point of consoles is to try to make the most affordable videogame hardware possible.

some people keep saying "but what about competition", "without Xbox, PS will become even more arrogant and will increase prices".... .... my dude. this MS's strategy is giving leeway to Sony to increse prices as well.

Anyway, perhaps it is better to wait and see what the strategic plan is like with the hardware before drawing conclusions.

MS/Xbox's track record

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Some people have blinders on.

Xbox is dying, sure. But you can't rejuvenate without the old dying to make room for the new.

 

[NuclearDiarrhea]

Consoles are dead. Some just don't realize it yet.

People been saying this for the past 20 years. What the fuck is taking so long?

 

[Draugoth]

If they do this, Xbox will be dead as a brand.

The only reason the 360 sold as much as it did was because it had some really banger exclusives.

Xbox is dying and it's Phil Spencer fault. His ultimate goal is to turn Xbox into just Game Pass (basically kill Xbox and turn it into a Netflix for games that can run everywhere)

 

[rhodesianshepard]

So that leak was all real. Looks like xbox as we know it is dead in the home console space competing directly against sony. They've finally thrown in the towel. It's fully sinking in now.

Looking back, I can't help but wonder how different things could be if Microsoft didn't totally fuck it up. The original xbox was a strong starting point and the 360 was setting up xbox to become a powerhouse... until kinect. Then it was just bad decision after bad decision and the rest is history.

It was Microsoft themselves who severely damaged their own brand. I don't know who was running things during the early xbox years. Why did Microsoft change that? The direction drastically changed from 2010 onwards.

They got greedy. Microsoft wanted the Xbox One to be a multi-media device that the masses would use. They left behind their core audience in the process

 

[Pelta88]

from Discord

Needs its own thread.

 

[Topher]

Some people have blinders on.

Misery loves company.

 

[ManaByte]

People been saying this for the past 20 years. What the fuck is taking so long?

And the console market hasn't grown any larger in the last 20 years. The Switch will match the PS2's record, but it'll have taken 8 years of mocking its low power for it to do it.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

And the console market hasn't grown any larger in the last 20 years. The Switch will match the PS2's record, but it'll have taken 8 years of mocking its low power for it to do it.

On this episode of my name is mana the idiot

 

[Moriarty1889]

It just keeps getting weirder and weirder for Xbox it seems.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

MS realizes this is the final true console generation and is adapting. Others are slamming their foot on the gas and speeding towards a cliff.

Sure, the ABK acquisition was a 4D chess master move by Phil and Sarah. They failed on purpose so Nintendo and Sony swallow so much of the market that they will explode like Agent Smith in Matrix. Brilliant stuff.

And the console market hasn't grown any larger in the last 20 years.

But videogames revenue has. And that also has a limit, because the human population on Earth is, you know, also limited.

 

[ByWatterson]

LOL, they're just making a Steambox.

 

[ManaByte]

But videogames revenue has. And that also has a limit, because the human population on Earth is, you know, also limited.

There are 6 billion people on Earth. The most any console has ever sold is 160M.

 

[bitbydeath]

Even Sony cut their sales targets.

Don’t forget that they still broke sales records despite falling short of their target.

PS5 Breaks Sales Record But Still Falls Short Of Target After Crossing 59 Million Units Sold​

PS5 Breaks Sales Record But Still Falls Short Of Target After Crossing 59 Million Units Sold

Sony missed its PS5 console sales target by more than 4 million units.

www.gameinformer.com

 

[Mr Moose]

There are 6 billion people on Earth. The most any console has ever sold is 160M.

8 now. And lots have dog shit internet.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

There are 6 billion people on Earth. The most any console has ever sold is 160M.

With only 120 million MAU steam will probably be dead within the next 5 years

 

[ManaByte]

And lots have dog shit internet.

But they still probably play Candy Crush on their $2 Android phone.

 

[GHG]

MS realizes this is the final true console generation and is adapting. Others are slamming their foot on the gas and speeding towards a cliff.

Just like how everyone else was speeding towards a cliff by still allowing used physical games to be playable on their console with no strings attached right?

Just like how everyone else was speeding towards a cliff by still being focused on selling high quality games right?

Just like how PlayStation were supposed to become "Blockbuster" overnight after the Activision acquisition right?

It's all worked out so well.

 

[Mr Moose]

But they still probably play Candy Crush on their $2 Android phone.

Or this

 

[deriks]

my PC is already a PS5 and Xbox…wonder who this is targeting?

To those who are interested in the Xbox design

Steam has it, Rog has it, fucking Raspberry Pi has it

Xbox is just a brand of gaming of Microsoft. Nothing more. If they win money like this, it's fine

 

[Hudo]

Or this

I actually played this longer than I care to admit.

 

[Astray]

Amazing how people can be adamant that the one company that never showcased any ability to understand or play the market is somehow the one that's definitely correct about it going away.

Fucking hilarious.

 

[xHunter]

Sega ran out of money in a time when the console market was still growing. The console market has plateaued now. Even Sony cut their sales targets. People are not buying a $500 game console when a Big Mac costs that much.

So people dont buy 500$ consoles, but they will buy this 1000$ custom non upgradable PC? And somehow this will outgrow the console market?

 

[yamaci17]

meet the unreal engine traversal stutters, xbox folks

 

[Denton]

If the next Xbox is a GPU-upgradeable living room system with custom gaming-focused version of Windows controllable by gamepad, preinstalled Gamepass app and Steam (perhaps making a deal with Valve to get better revenue split), even more streamlined updates of GPU and windows drivers and precached shaders, and competitive performance and price - I don't see why that should be in any way unsuccessful. It would have huge competitive advantage over Playstation, such as....being a PC, with its ability to run any application and run games across 40 year history.

But of course, hitting price/perf with a PC is more difficult, but I think MS could do it. Valve managed to pretty well with Steam Deck after all.

 

[Topher]

So I'm guessing Sarah Bond's "forward compatibility" team will be focusing on making Xbox One/Series/360 BC games run on this new PC.

 

[ManaByte]

So I'm guessing Sarah Bond's "forward compatibility" team will be focusing on making Xbox One/Series/360 BC games run on this new PC.

They're likely updating the emulator wrapper to run on ARM and including XSX games in it. Since the future is ARM.

 

[UltimaKilo]

What's the point to buy console after this gen?
Pc will be only way to play games

Very little. The younger demographic don't buy consoles and the margins are already so slim on hardware. Moreover, software is becoming prohibitively expensive to make.

What NOBODY here talks about is the genius of Iwata, who saw this coming years ago and adapted.

 

[Darsxx82]

it's like watching someone trying to do bench press and fail. Then the guy starts training leg, abs, cardio in order to succeed at bench press

NO, it is simply to describe the reality that some express here. That is, continual contradictions simply because they don't want to admit that their real desire is for MS not to try anything. That is, whatever option MS decides regarding new hardware, they will run out and point out that it is a mistake.
I guess your reaction is simply that you identify with that description

again. the point of consoles is to try to make the most affordable videogame hardware possible.

A console is just another option for playing games. Games that are 99% the same as what you can play on other platforms. Each person is different and has different preferences. Price is important to make a mainstream product, but certainly not to play in the conditions that some want. For example, I'want 100 times more a Steam Deck or Rog Aly than a Switch.

some people keep saying "but what about competition", "without Xbox, PS will become even more arrogant and will increase prices".... .... my dude. this MS's strategy is giving leeway to Sony to increse prices as well.

May dude, the other option is for SONY to have no competition of any kind or form and can do with the price and hardware what it wants. Among other things, offering crappy hardware because you wouldn't have to worry about the competition doing something better anymore. Whether the option to choose is MS releasing a hybrid XBOX vs PS a traditional console or MS totally abandoning hardware of any kind vs PS traditional console as the only option........ Tell me which one is better for the purposes of what you point out

MS/Xbox's track record

If the strategy is that of a hybrid PC in the form of a console, the situation is totally new and unknown. They certainly won't be subject to the constraints of a traditional console at the cost of ceasing to sell tens of millions.

 

[Topher]

They're likely updating the emulator wrapper to run on ARM and including XSX games in it. Since the future is ARM.

I'm hoping they make that a part of Windows that everyone can utilize rather than limit this emulator only to these Xbox PCs based on the reference design.

 

[Topher]

What's the point to buy console after this gen?
Pc will be only way to play games

PlayStation and Switch will continue on. Only Xbox is abandoning consoles.

Consoles are still a $53 billion market.

Here come the A Adam_802 emojis. You ok pal?

 

[feynoob]

PlayStation and Switch will continue on. Only Xbox is abandoning consoles.

PS will be meaningless too. Only Nintendo would remain.

 

[Topher]

PS will be meaningless too.

How?

 

[diffusionx]

Look man, Sega figured out consoles were going away first. They beat MS by decades. You can't take this clear win, away from Sega.

Edit: Seriously though, it's actually impressive that PS5 outsold PS4 last year (launch aligned) by a few million, given PS5 is more expensive, the whole world already has PS4s that play the crossgen library, and had to budget for $500 big macs too.

Or maybe consoles just magically aren't a thing anymore and no one needs 'em starting the same day MS's plans to go PC became clear lol

Seriously. Nintendo has made more profit based on supporting one console and one console alone than they have in the entire history of the company, but no, because MS couldn't figure out how to make a great system selling game over a decade, the problem is the entire concept of a console.

I'll say the same thing I said a million times, MS is a software company. It's not that surprising they couldn't figure out hardware. I don't think this JezBox will be anything special, either. While there is a lot of talk of these handheld PCs, it needs to be said, the numbers they are moving are not anything special. They are going to transition to being a third party software company, which is what they are good at.

 

[Calverz]

Ah this could be pretty cool actually. Does this mean I could an Xbox with rgb?!

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

PS will be meaningless too. Only Nintendo would remain.

Just wait until Nintendo's growth slows down and they start testing the waters with PC releases

 

[HeWhoWalks]

Does this mean I could an Xbox with rgb?!

Sure. Build a PC with RGB.

 

[begotten]

from Discord

Who actually was this person? And have they said anything since?

 

[bitbydeath]

PlayStation and Switch will continue on. Only Xbox is abandoning consoles.

Consoles are still a $53 billion market.

Interesting, I thought PC was considerably closer to consoles.

 

[Varteras]

It's not that Xbox failed the market. The market failed Xbox. Or whatever is helping people sleep at night.

 

[BlackTron]

On another note, I'm intrigued by this "Windows slant". I actually have interest in a "TV PC" with the ease and snappiness of a console but also the flexibility and options of a PC. Basically, Steam Deck with more power. But it all depends on how they go about it of course. There are a lot of messy details to it.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

All these rumors lately, I think that's exactly how it's gonna end.

Apparently MS is planning to become a big publisher, and do some partnership to sell hardware (compact PCs and handhelds most likely) with their system adapted to work with a controller.

Spoiler

If prices are good though, I'm on board.

 

[feynoob]

How?

Ass of Can Whooping would be the end of PS. The prophecy is imminent.

Just wait until Nintendo's growth slows down and they start testing the waters with PC releases

Don't go to war with the Yakuza. It didn't end very well with Bill Gates.

 

[bitbydeath]

All these rumors lately, I think that's exactly how it's gonna end.

Apparently MS is planning to become a big publisher, and do some partnership to sell hardware (compact PCs and handhelds most likely) with their system adapted to work with a controller.

Spoiler

If prices are good though, I'm on board.

When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then Xbox will return, and not before."

 

[feynoob]

Interesting, I thought PC was considerably closer to consoles.

PC market has a lot of untapped market. If PS and Xbox can really utilize it, they will bring more money.

 

[Moridianae]

I'm very interested to see this endeavor. I don't really know if it'll be a success, considering a version of this was tried in yesteryear with the 3DO.

That said, Microsoft has a lot more resources and a very different era to try this approach, but they'll have to get over the biggest obstacles of all and that's perception.

To me, the instant their flagship titles begin showing up on PlayStation or Switch, the perception is Xbox is dead and that's the reality of it.

The real obstacle will be how can you convince people to go for your, what looks like a pre-built PC over the previous two?

Unless the notion is PlayStation and Nintendo are no longer competitors, but just means to a more profitable end.

If Steam is integrated, that makes a difference with Game Pass also, but it's still a PC. How many differently powered versions will there be?

 

[Calverz]

Sure. Build a PC with RGB.

I have one. I want an Xbox with rgb and equivalent 4090.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Consoles are dead. Some just don't realize it yet.

If by consoles, you mean Xbox, then yes.

 

[Gudji]

LOL, they're just making a Steambox.

EXbox.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

I have one. I want an Xbox with rgb and equivalent 4090.