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[Zukkoyaki]

A major overhaul isn't something we can expect in the short-term but here are some ideas for what I think is possible in the next 2-3 years.

- Establish a major new studio to revive Fable
- Establish a smaller new studio for super creative little projects
- Have The Coalition revive Shangheist
- Get 343 started on pre-production of a major new IP they can shift to once Halo 6 ships
- Have Turn 10 create a new Forza sub-series. Maybe an arcadey one like Blur

Basically spend the next couple of years setting the stage for an extremely exciting Xbox 4 which has an impressive slate of new first party IPs

 

[brunomartynhak]

I'm not a fan of exclusive games for the sake of exclusivity to justify your purchase in on specific platform. However, exclusive games can push boundaries, set the bar a little higher, innovate a bit more in the AAA and AA field. That's what love about Sony at least.

Wasn't Yoshida that said that most 1st party are not profitable? But they do attract people to the ecosystem.

 

[Duxxy3]

Buy Call of Duty exclusivity.

 

[gamz]

If they continue their cuurent path, with 3 franchise tired exclusives, then they will reach the end sooner than they think. Give me a reason to buy xbox again. 360 was a great era

Nobody can do that. That's just your preference.

 

[hanspampel]

change the product name to Playstation
sell XBox to Apple
release more niche games your audience does not buy and care about
fire all those lying and spinning executives like Spencer, Greenberg and Major Nelson

 

[Bgamer90]

Why would bnyone buy a xbox over a pc these days?

The answer to this question is the same as the answer to the question "Why would anyone play multiplats available on PC on their PS4?".

Anyway, to answer the question of the thread, they are currently preparing for Scorpio. The Xbox One has many great games just from console multiplats alone but I think they should take a look at what they did during the transition from Original Xbox to Xbox 360 and pretty much copy it in terms of game diversity and branding for the Scorpio period.

There's nothing wrong with having quiet periods just as long as that period isn't long on top of that period leading up to a time in which multiple great games are being released. The things some people on this forum are saying about Microsoft is similar to what people said about the PS4 in 2014 and now the PS4's exclusives are doing well thanks to the current games not being rushed out.

 

[wapplew]

Strange thread, Xbox is having a good gen. Can always improve but I'm proud of their 1p games. More 2 do. Diversity is key. Risks are critical.

Nailed it.
You should given a related tag for that.

 

[gogosox82]

I agree with a ton of what you've said. The biggest issue for Microsoft isn't their first party talent, it's their unwillingness to take risks using that talent. Thankfully we saw Rare get an opportunity with Sea of Thieves and it looks promising.

But right now Turn 10 is making Forza in perpetuity, Playground is making Forza Horizon in perpetuity, 343 is making Halo in perpetuity, and Coalition is making Gears in perpetuity. Microsoft gets invested in their IPs so much that they wear out their appeal. They have to play the "safe" option by making another installment in these franchises, when they should try to branch out. I don't see them stopping Halo, but Gears can be put to bed for a few years in favor of something unique.

A comparison I can make is Horizon. Sony could have easily forced Guerilla to make Killzone again, but they allowed them to make a passion project and it started off a killer IP. Sony also could have forced Naughty Dog to make Uncharted 4 instead of The Last of Us, but they allowed them to make a passion project and it was possibly the best game of the generation.

I love my Xbox. It's a great system and a great service. I think when Scorpio comes out there's no question that it's the best (console) platform to play games on in terms of power and features, but we need GAMES to back that up. We need interesting games that aren't just the same thing repeated in sequels every two years.

Agreed with all of this. They really need to take some chances and allow for their studios to take some risks. The Halo rpg idea in op does sound really interesting. I'd definitely be interested to see what 343 could do with an me style rpg. Hell maybe its not even a Halo rpg. Maybe its just an rpg ala what guerilla did with Horizon. They never did an rpg before and look how well it turned out for them.

 

[PuppetMaster]

Strange thread, Xbox is having a good gen. Can always improve but I'm proud of their 1p games. More 2 do. Diversity is key. Risks are critical.

Iunderstoodthatreference.gif

 

[Wedzi]

1. Drop the Xbox One branding.
2. Reevaluate the dashboard. Mike Ybarra tweeted recently about the low usage of pins which is a major function of usability on Xbox. People always complain about the amount of ads on the front. It's time to redo the dash with a games first attitude. The home screen should be sacred territory for the user to customize as they wish.
3. Invest in one new studio to make a new AAA IP (preferably a western RPG). It'll show MS has confidence in gaming and give credence to Xbox caring about investing and taking risks first party wise.
4. Rename 343 and The Coalition, no longer are they factories for their respected franchises. Make them two team studios with the main team working on Halo and Gears and the second team to develop another IP (new or otherwise).
5. Consider what moves you can make to the PR and marketing teams. PlayStation has done a marvelous job with their "for the players" campaign and making PS4 just the cool place to play games. The Xbox brand feels like your older brother who won't shut up about how Halo CE was the greatest and CoD sucks these days. Time for a refresh.
6. Drop the Xbox One branding.

Oh and don't forget about the Fable IP. Like what the hell weren't Fable 2 and 3 pretty successful?

 

[Deepo]

Repeal and replace, until it is done.

 

[alt27]

Nobody can do that. That's just your preference.

Seems to be most peoples preference. Last thing I want to see is Sony on there own in the market getting arrogant and fucking conusmers up. But MS got to step up. A enhanced PS4Pro with no games is not going to change thier fortunes. WIll see what their E3 brings I suppose

 

[HeisenbergWW62]

I agree with a ton of what you've said. The biggest issue for Microsoft isn't their first party talent, it's their unwillingness to take risks using that talent. Thankfully we saw Rare get an opportunity with Sea of Thieves and it looks promising.

But right now Turn 10 is making Forza in perpetuity, Playground is making Forza Horizon in perpetuity, 343 is making Halo in perpetuity, and Coalition is making Gears in perpetuity. Microsoft gets invested in their IPs so much that they wear out their appeal. They have to play the "safe" option by making another installment in these franchises, when they should try to branch out. I don't see them stopping Halo, but Gears can be put to bed for a few years in favor of something unique.

A comparison I can make is Horizon. Sony could have easily forced Guerilla to make Killzone again, but they allowed them to make a passion project and it started off a killer IP. Sony also could have forced Naughty Dog to make Uncharted 4 instead of The Last of Us, but they allowed them to make a passion project and it was possibly the best game of the generation.

I love my Xbox. It's a great system and a great service. I think when Scorpio comes out there's no question that it's the best (console) platform to play games on in terms of power and features, but we need GAMES to back that up. We need interesting games that aren't just the same thing repeated in sequels every two years.

Well said. This has nothing to do with console warz bs, but Sony has 6 internal studios who have either released new IP's in the past few years or have one in the pipeline (including Sucker Punch who hasn't announced their game yet). Also Sony Santa Monica, while their new IP got canned, was allowed to completely rework God of War, one of their tentpole franchises. You've got to let studios take risks and try new things if you want to grow your brand beyond your core fanbase. As someone who isn't interested in Halo or Forza and has a severely waning interest in Gears I can't see myself giving a shit about Scorpio regardless of how powerful it is. Gotta have more diversity

Microsoft has Sea of Thieves which looks good, but aside from that all their new IP's are from external devs. Not that it isn't a good idea to have these exclusive partnerships, but they should just be a compliment to all the internally developed games

 

[Dunkley]

Take some chances.

Agreed, besides Sea of Thieves they are currently playing it very safe.

Why would bnyone buy a xbox over a pc these days?

I got it for UHD.

 

[Hugh Swank]

Why would bnyone buy a xbox over a pc these days?

Just let Sony and Ninendo fight it out . These are the two true console greats

I just built my son a PC. It can run games at 4K/Ultra 60+ FPS. It was a little over $1000 in parts. Same PC purchased already built would've been 2x that price.

Some people like to play multi-player games with a controller and don't wanna get wasted by guys using keyboard & mouse. Also, some people like to play multi-player on a platform where you can't hack & cheat.

 

[Hardvlade]

1. Make sure 3rd party games don't turn into console exclusives on the PS4. (Tales of Berseria, NieR: Automata etc).

2. I'm not a expert on this matter, but I've seen gamers complain about regional support/features. Try to provide better regional support for features.

3. When pushing for 3rd party titles, try to back in a previous entry in the series with the new one. (For example, NieR for 360, if you purchased Automata). First party does a good job with this (Including all 4 Gear of War with Gears 4/UE), but it would be awesome with ever 3rd party as well. (Pack in RDR with RDR2)

4. With the launch of Scorpio, take all your first party titles (at minimum) and patch them to take advantage of the new hardware.

5. Revisit some of the old IPs, Fusion Frenzy, Conker's, Perfect Dark

6. Address the issues with the controllers stick drifting, provide a 1 year limited warranty on all accessories.

7. More single player IPs, (Like Quantum Break, ReCore), not everything got to be a multiplayer experience.

8. Bring OG BC if possible

 

[nbnt]

They should buy third party exclusives. Or invest in big new IPs. Or shake their existing IPs in a big way 'cause another Halo and another Gears ain't gonna make me turn my XBO on again.

 

[gamz]

Seems to be most peoples preference. Last thing I want to see is Sony on there own in the market getting arrogant and fucking conusmers up. But MS got to step up. A enhanced PS4Pro with no games is not going to change thier fortunes. WIll see what their E3 brings I suppose

They've been stepping up all year. Let's not make it seem that it's a barren wasteland of doom. Stop with the hyperbolic posts this entire thread.

 

[MilkyJoe]

If they continue their cuurent path, with 3 franchise tired exclusives, then they will reach the end sooner than they think. Give me a reason to buy xbox again. 360 was a great era

You wouldn't buy an Xbox if it contained the secret to eternal youth, can you hear yourself?

You don't know what they are kicking around behind closed doors, no one does, and what you think constitutes a quality game some might think otherwise..

 

[alt27]

I just built my son a PC. It can run games at 4K/Ultra 60+ FPS. It was a little over $1000 in parts. Same PC purchased already built would've been 2x that price.

Some people like to play multi-player games with a controller and don't wanna get wasted by guys using keyboard & mouse. Also, some people like to play multi-player on a platform where you can't hack & cheat.

I play on console. I was refering to xboxs gaming marketing decsion for all games pc / xbox etc. Sure, play with your friends, but it wil never ever be dominant consloe with this strategy, not by a long shot

 

[Mass Effect]

Most powerful console - True true
Netflix of Gaming subscription - could be big
Console / Windows 10 crossbuy - nobody cares about this
Best Controller (console/pc) - that's... extremely subjective.
A 3rd party app ecosystem on console - is this a big deal? honest question.
Clubs (console/pc) - cool, but everyone has this
LFG (console/pc) - sure
Broadcasting (console/pc) - ??? Are you talking about TV stuff or Twitch broadcasting?

A major overhaul isn't something we can expect in the short-term but here are some ideas for what I think is possible in the next 2-3 years.

- Establish a major new studio to revive Fable - this is actually a great idea, especially with the success of Zelda and Horizon. I'd kill for a big open-world Fable 4.
- Establish a smaller new studio for super creative little projects - I thought Rare does this?
- Have The Coalition revive Shangheist - not happening, but it should, especially with Gears being less popular
- Get 343 started on pre-production of a major new IP they can shift to once Halo 6 ships - also probably not happening, but this should definitely happen. I'd be extremely excited for a new IP from them, far more than any Halo game. They have enough veterans from other studios to make something new and unique.
- Have Turn 10 create a new Forza sub-series. Maybe an arcadey one like Blur - It's called Forza Horizon. Also, Blur is overrated. Also also, Forza Horizon >>>>> Blur

Basically spend the next couple of years setting the stage for an extremely exciting Xbox 4 which has an impressive slate of new first party IPs

.

 

[alt27]

They've been stepping up all year. Let's not make it seem that it's a barren wasteland of doom. Stop with the hyperbolic posts this entire thread.

What games are these you speak off?

 

[Wedzi]

I agree with a ton of what you've said. The biggest issue for Microsoft isn't their first party talent, it's their unwillingness to take risks using that talent. Thankfully we saw Rare get an opportunity with Sea of Thieves and it looks promising.

But right now Turn 10 is making Forza in perpetuity, Playground is making Forza Horizon in perpetuity, 343 is making Halo in perpetuity, and Coalition is making Gears in perpetuity. Microsoft gets invested in their IPs so much that they wear out their appeal. They have to play the "safe" option by making another installment in these franchises, when they should try to branch out. I don't see them stopping Halo, but Gears can be put to bed for a few years in favor of something unique.

A comparison I can make is Horizon. Sony could have easily forced Guerilla to make Killzone again, but they allowed them to make a passion project and it started off a killer IP. Sony also could have forced Naughty Dog to make Uncharted 4 instead of The Last of Us, but they allowed them to make a passion project and it was possibly the best game of the generation.

I love my Xbox. It's a great system and a great service. I think when Scorpio comes out there's no question that it's the best (console) platform to play games on in terms of power and features, but we need GAMES to back that up. We need interesting games that aren't just the same thing repeated in sequels every two years.

Playground is gearing up for a new large open world game. No idea if MS will have any involvement in it. Good be Playground's time to break out.

 

[Bootador83]

In all honesty they're probably going everything right apart from the games, so them.

 

[JaggedSac]

By building a wall.

 

[Warnen]

Pay off gaf trolls

 

[alt27]

You wouldn't buy an Xbox if it contained the secret to eternal youth, can you hear yourself?

You don't know what they are kicking around behind closed doors, no one does, and what you think constitutes a quality game some might think otherwise..

I have bought xbox before

 

[Jack The Nipper]

Crackdown was never that great. Not sure where another helps. See if the new direction helps.

 

[theDeeDubs]

Sadly, Xbox has been losing me lately. I don't like Halo or Forza. What appears to be a severed tie with Remedy and the cancellation of Scalebound has driven me even further towards Sony's camp lately. I really loved a lot of their original output this generation too. ReCore, Sunset Overdrive, and Quantum Break were awesome. They just don't seem to sell what they need to to continue forward. State of Decay 2 and Below are about the only things I'm looking forward to that they have coming out.

 

[Xumbrega]

For the next 0-3 years they should annnounce:


1. Revive the Cyberpunk Fable RPG that was cancelled
2. Fund with Capcom Vancouver a new Lost Planet with survival and RPG's elements, 4 player co-op.
3. 2 or 3 new BIG NEW AAA IP's for the next 2-3 years SP focused.
5. Halo RPG like you said.
6. Give some old Microsoft IP's to some talented studios to reimagine them.
7. Lost Odissey 2 or a new original JRPG by Sakaguchi team.
8. Start building 2 or 3 new studios right NOW and announce it on E3, also make sure they don't turn on one IP factory, or HoloLens bullshit, ffs.
9. Better japonese support.
10. Moon Studios.. give these guys Battletoads, I'm sure they know how to knock the park with this one
11. Viva. Pinata.
12. Ryse 2 and Sunset Overdrive 2
13. Let 343, Turn10 and Coalition do whatever they want.

 

[Bizzquik]

Step 1: Get back to third-party parity with Sony. Its ridiculous how many great Japanese-made games are skipping Xbox. Heck, Microsoft could be heroes if they helped PS4-only games come to PC, too, via the Microsoft Play Anywhere initiative.

Step 2: Prove that Scorpio really is a game-changer and not just a slightly more powerful PS4 Pro. Don't just tell teams to run their games at 4k 30fps; encourage them to develop 1080p 60fps and then speak of the immersive fluidity of having more frames.

Step 3: Microsoft loves tweaking their controllers, so release an alternative first-party symmetrical-stick controller, a la PS4's Dualshock 4. I think the Xbox One Elite controller is the best controller ever made - and I do not like symmetrical-stick controllers - but for a surprising number of players, symmetrical isn't just the best layout - its the only layout they are comfortable using for long play sessions. Show that you can meet PlayStation players halfway by giving them a choice of a controller layout they are familiar with.

Step 4: Double-down on mod support. The terrific reaction to Bethesda's Fallout 4 and Skyrim releases on Xbox One should be a template. What can Phil & Company do to encourage developers to release modding tools? As successful as Play Anywhere has been, have a similar initiative titled something like Mod This that highlights games that give their game-building mechanics to players.

Step 5: Exclusives. Show us that Fable isn't dead. Bring something new to the table besides shooter games and Forza. Don't half-arse this: Paying a third-party developer for timed-exclusivity only reinforces that you have little new to offer currently. Go big, and please don't forget single-player games in the process. (Must everything-Microsoft be multi-player focused?)

 

[MeisterLeder]

But they are already making it very great again. OS Features are awesome and coming in a way faster speed than the competition.
Amazing Hardware is coming too so Xbox wont be in the "worst version of game x" corner anymore.

I sure agree that risking some investemt into a new IP would be great but im happy with the lineup for this year.

Step 3: Microsoft loves tweaking their controllers, so release an alternative first-party symmetrical-stick controller, a la PS4's Dualshock 4. I think the Xbox One Elite controller is the best controller ever made - and I do not like symmetrical-stick controllers - but for a surprising number of players, symmetrical isn't just the best layout - its the only layout they are comfortable using for long play sessions.

LOL this is really isnt needed. The Xbox controller is way superior how it is now. Symmetrical sticks is awful and feels very unnatural.

 

[Mass Effect]

Crackdown was never that great. Not sure where another helps. See if the new direction helps.

If that destruction they've shown off is throughout the whole game, that could be a big deal.

We need something on the level of Red Faction Guerrilla this gen

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

Alternatively: Do whatever they did in the first couple of years of the 360.

Have the competition spontaneously implode in a series of ill-conceived moves?

Or did you mean sell the public shoddy hardware that you know has a 100% failure ratio and spend millions replacing them?

 

[Bedameister]

Sony needs to fail, like they did with the PS3. Other than that they stand no chance, as Xbox is only relevant in America really.

Yeah. The only reason why the Xbox 360 did so well is because Sony (at first) failed with the PS3.

I don't see Microsoft coming back to those levels. Maybe if they invest heavily and take big risks with First-Party-Studios and games but I'm sure they won't do that.

 

[funroll-loops]

If you want to play anything Japanese you need a 3DS or PS4. Most of the niche games from Europe are on the PC. But on the Xbox One you're in the anglo-games ghetto.

 

[QuantumZebra]

Invest in new IPs and not cancel them. Stop converting entire studios into single-IP factory lines.

^^^^^^^^

I love my XB1S (backwards compatibility is sex and Forza Horizon 3 is transcendent) but it is definitely second fiddle to my PS4 Pro and Wii U.

 

[Vol5]

MS need to be less risk averse. Take some leaps of faith. It's always bottom line instead of saying with a few big games, fuck it, if it tanks it's a lesson learnt.

 

[ReBurn]

Drop Xbox One - the platform is tarnished. Start again - new name, new console and secure a fresh bunch of compelling Xbox-only (no PC) exclusives.

How is the platform tarnished?

 

[Crayon]

Give out green baseball caps.

 

[Original Man]

Until they get exclusives that's not forza, gears, halo they're always be behind Sony and nintendo. What good is scorpio if it has no good exclusives?

 

[tapedeck]

Scorpio 7+TF for $399.

 

[Purest 78]

They've been stepping up all year. Let's not make it seem that it's a barren wasteland of doom. Stop with the hyperbolic posts this entire thread.

Stepping up in what way this year?

 

[oti]

Until they get exclusives that's not forza, gears, halo they're always be behind Sony and nintendo. What good is scorpio if it has no good exclusives?

If it's the best option to play the majority of games, and those are 3rd parties, and it adds enough value with their exclusive services like EA Access or Xbox Game Pass, that could be enough for a lot of people.

I'm wondering how hard MS is fighting to get the Call of Duty timed DLC-exclusivity back.

 

[Finaj]

We'll have to wait until E3 to be sure, but I wonder how well funded MS game studios is. It could always be the case that Phil and the rest of the Xbox division wants more first party games and new IP/studios, but MS just isn't willing to take the risks.

Of course, this is just completely baseless speculation.

 

[shark sandwich]

Yeah. The only reason why the Xbox 360 did so well is because Sony (at first) failed with the PS3.

This is revisionist history. OG Xbox had a pretty kickass lineup of games, including tons of exclusives or console exclusives. It even managed to outsell GameCube.

And 360 had an absolute explosion of great games. Including tons of new JRPGs and exclusives from Sega, Rare, Epic, etc. It launched a year ahead of the competition at a reasonable price. It had by far the best online service for several years.

I mean sure it would've done worse if Sony knocked it out of the park with PS3, but there are tons of reasons why 360 was so successful beyond PS3 being a fuck up.

You could just as easily say that the reason X1 isn't the top console today is because MS strayed so far from the formula that made 360 successful.

 

[Shiggy]

Price Scorpio at 150 EUR.

 

[Conduit]

Here's what I would do if I was Phil Spencer:

If you would be a Phil Spencer, then you must have permission from above.

It's nice to wish some things, Phil Spencer or Montresor

 

[CoolNumber9]

First party period!! Need better and more first party content. I switched my 3rd party to PS4 this gen and now my X1 library is weak as hell compared to my PS4 library. I might switch some of that back with Scorpio but I'm not sure. The other things I prefer like the trophy system might still keep me on PS. I think they will need some other reasons than power to get people to switch mid cycle. I think about my Nintendo Switch and how I'm gonna purchase games on it now. I'm loving Zelda on it and can think of numorus games I have on PS4 that I might would actually get on switch instead because of the portability and how nice games look on that screen. I have a Pro and 4k HDR tv so how much better will the games look on Scorpio??? Because there are no other reasons to switch mid cycle. People I play with are mostly on PS now because they switched. It's just really gonna be hard to justify this mid cycle competition. Part of me thinks they may have been smarter to separate it from X1 life cycle. Make it play all the games that are coming out but make it a new gen and get a jump on Sony. But support would die for X1 development and that wouldn't be smart either. They are in a tough spot for sure. I buy all the consoles so I'll get it reguardless but how much I play it and how many games I'll buy will be the thing. I do miss the 360 late PS3 fight. It was good. To me what turned that around for Sony was the exclusive games. It's what made me switch to PS4 for everything non Microsoft published. that and the fact it was a little better looking starting the gen off. Xbox has a lot to prove.

 

[iMax]

Wut? They had Gears, which shook up the industry, and that Naughty Dog tried to copy it's tps mechanics with uncharted.

Far less games tried to copy uncharted and the biggest one that does manage to outdo them spectacularly on the gameplay, and no one but Sony seems to be chasing The Last of Us.

Edit: And you picked the worst time to say their lineup isn't trying to push the industry forward. There was nothing like Scalebound, there's nothing like Sea of Thieves and Crackdown 3 is also doing stuff no one else is. How's that not pushing forward and how often can a publisher say it had 3 games coming out in the same year that was unlike anything else?

They didn't make Gears of War. Granted, they own the IP now but that's still iteration. We want new stuff.

Scalebound didn't look great. Sea of Thieves does look very tantalising and—if executed right—could be quite something. And as for Crackdown 3, if they deliver something even close to what they pitched, that's exactly what they need.