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Whats Phil Spencer's master plan for this gen?

I think Spencer is banking on the fact that GamePass value will make people overlook actual game value and production. Halo Infinite is a perfect example to this and I can already see the narrative playing out even on this forum. Some people rightfully call it out for looking shitty but the GamePass "pass" is already in effect... others argue but it's on GamePass so this plus other games is a great value. They're banking on this mentality and unfortunately they don't see that this will only work on people that are already xbox fans. I was on the fence this gen about which console to purchase first. After seeing both shows I'm definitely getting PS5 first and will get an xbox way down the line with gamepass to try out all their seemingly mediocre first party offerings. Unless they up the bar significantly this is going to be a repeat massacre of last gen.

edit to add: You can talk about power all you want spencer... but when the games are side by side... xbox first party studios are making your new box look like a last gen console.
 
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Xbox fans until the end of time:

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Explain what i said was wrong other posting an idiotic gif. Are those gamse further in development and MS just likes to show cinematic trailers to purposefully let down their own audience? Either add some intelligence to your remarks or stop wasteing my time with your idiocy.
 
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Andodalf

Banned
Gamepass, with a side of Xcloud. Far more people will play halo infinite than Spider-Man MM. the hope would be that players who don’t transition from XO to SX in its first few years will transition to Xcloud when XO support ends, so even when support ends they keep that larger player base
 

T-Cake

Member
His plan is to keep subscription money flowing.

As long as enough people sign up for gamepass, they can turn a profit while taking an L in overall sales.

And it's the smart thing to do: Nintendo doesn't give a damn about whatever Sony is doing, they found their niche and play to it. Microsoft is doing exactly the same.

I can't wait for Windows to become a pay monthly sub as well.
 

DavidGzz

Member
I think Spencer is banking on the fact that GamePass value will make people overlook actual game value and production. Halo Infinite is a perfect example to this and I can already see the narrative playing out even on this forum. Some people rightfully call it out for looking shitty but the GamePass "pass" is already in effect... others argue but it's on GamePass so this plus other games is a great value. They're banking on this mentality and unfortunately they don't see that this will only work on people that are already xbox fans. I was on the fence this gen about which console to purchase first. After seeing both shows I'm definitely getting PS5 first and will get an xbox way down the line with gamepass to try out all their seemingly mediocre first party offerings. Unless they up the bar significantly this is going to be a repeat massacre of last gen.

edit to add: You can talk about power all you want spencer... but when the games are side by side... xbox first party studios are making your new box look like a last gen console.

If that's true I don't see how you think it will be a massacre. People put up with the dollar menu cause it's cheap. Mcdonalds makes much more money than Red Lobster. I'm not saying XGS will be making videogame junk food, but even if the games are 6-7/10 it will still attract many people over time as the library gets bigger and bigger because the games are cheap. Kind of like how Steam Sales work. You will buy games for $10 even if they are so-so. Now these games are even cheaper than Steam games and there will be a cheaper console to play them on and even if you can't afford a new console you can use your current Xbox, and if you don't have an Xbox at all, you can use Xcloud. Game Pass has 10 million+ subscribers, this will only snowball as the value grows and Xcloud allows access from any device. Will Sony still "win" where console sales are concerned? Probably, but MS will do better than last gen and will make as much if not more money overall. That's their plan.
 

DeaDPo0L84

Member
Xbox is essentially the $1 menu of video game options. It's cheap, it'll keep you full for a little bit but you'll be hungry for something more substantial sooner rather than later, you'll also feel like you have the shits more frequently.
 

icerock

Member
There is no plan of winning this gen, his master-plan revolves around changing gaming industry altogether with Gamepass. That's what he means when he says he has a 'winning plan', they have a leg up on the competition with their sub service which is already growing at a very healthy rate. It's all about retaining the current Xbox user-base and eventually converting them to GS subs, I expect them to push PC space aggressively too, and in time, mobile/TV once xCloud is up and running in US.

So yeah, much like Netflix, they are thinking very long term, the only trouble is, how long will Microsoft be looking to foot the heavy losses before pulling the plug. They aren't exactly the most patient company.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
Plan is easy to see but impossible to discuss on a place like this. Buy studios let them make the games they want in 4-5 years said games are on gamepass. The trolls expect phil to buy studio and said studio to shit out a AAA game in 2 years yep that is happening lol. Studios were purchased in 2018 the games were coming starting in 2022-2023 anyone with a brain knew this.
 
If that's true I don't see how you think it will be a massacre. People put up with the dollar menu cause it's cheap. Mcdonalds makes much more money than Red Lobster. I'm not saying XGS will be making videogame junk food, but even if the games are 6-7/10 it will still attract many people over time as the library gets bigger and bigger because the games are cheap.
I think with technology the dollar menu approach probably won't work as intended because microsoft has been touting their TFLOPS and power as their biggest asset. Now in side-by-sides which are already being done, Sony's PS4 version of TLOU2 is being compared to XSX's Halo Infinite and the PS4 is coming out on top by a large margin. (obviously the xsx is capable of delivering superior graphics than tlou2 but that's not what people are seeing from yesterdays event.) Had they not played the power card the GamePass route might have been seen as a value. Now it's just confusing the narrative. The out of the gate hype sets the precedent for the generation and microsoft waaaaaaaay overhyped this. I have a feeling they'll come out with another halo video which will look significantly better but the damage is done.
 

DavidGzz

Member
I think with technology the dollar menu approach probably won't work as intended because microsoft has been touting their TFLOPS and power as their biggest asset. Now in side-by-sides which are already being done, Sony's PS4 version of TLOU2 is being compared to XSX's Halo Infinite and the PS4 is coming out on top by a large margin. (obviously the xsx is capable of delivering superior graphics than tlou2 but that's not what people are seeing from yesterdays event.) Had they not played the power card the GamePass route might have been seen as a value. Now it's just confusing the narrative. The out of the gate hype sets the precedent for the generation and microsoft waaaaaaaay overhyped this. I have a feeling they'll come out with another halo video which will look significantly better but the damage is done.

You can buy a year of Game Pass and play all of your games on Xcloud without needing to buy a console. Also, if XSS ends up being cheap that is another avenue. Then there are the 50 million consoles already out there where people can access Game Pass. Infinite is a current gen title. It's an open world shooter with cartoonish graphics(compared to TLOU2) so the fact that a cinematic SP game looks better is irrelevant. If graphics sell consoles then explain the Switch, Wii, and PS2. Fun games sell consoles. And no, I am not saying Xbox will do as well as those consoles, I am only saying MS will do much better than this gen and most likely make more money than PlayStation. Not that I'm care as long as there is healthy competition, but that is all MS cares about. The graphics will come and will be here quickly with 3rd party games.
 
You can buy a year of Game Pass and play all of your games on Xcloud without needing to buy a console. Also, if XSS ends up being cheap that is another avenue. Then there are the 50 million consoles already out there where people can access Game Pass. Infinite is a current gen title. It's an open world shooter with cartoonish graphics(compared to TLOU2) so the fact that a cinematic SP game looks better is irrelevant. If graphics sell consoles then explain the Switch, Wii, and PS2. Fun games sell consoles. And no, I am not saying Xbox will do as well as those consoles, I am only saying MS will do much better than this gen and most likely make more money than PlayStation. Not that I'm care as long as there is healthy competition, but that is all MS cares about. The graphics will come and will be here quickly with 3rd party games.

Yeah fair point, I hope they do well, competition is good. I'm a bit bummed because I was strongly considering getting an xbox first this gen but after that presentation their console just looks like a midgen refresh, I think lots of others will feel the same way. Fun games do sell consoles... hopefully MS can bag a few of those this gen, I remember the 360 gen quite fondly when MS was crushing it. I disagree that people chalk up halo to an open world shooter with cartoonish graphics... they were expecting to see the absolute best of MS graphical fidelity and were massively let down. Just go look around the web... MS can't be thrilled about it's reception gamepass hype or not. I think we're in agreement that MS will def do better than last gen and as such I"ll be picking up an xbox once the games start rolling in with a subscription of gamepass to try it out for a year and see how it goes.
 
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Patterson

Member
It’s all about keeping the Game pass library stocked with cheap games and then of course to pound in the message that for $15/month you can have access to this and what a great value it is.

And now instead of $5 month for Gold, they’re now getting everyone to pay $15 without the pressure of putting out quality content that would otherwise have trouble standing on their own.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
It’s all about keeping the Game pass library stocked with cheap games and then of course to pound in the message that for $15/month you can have access to this and what a great value it is.

And now instead of $5 month for Gold, they’re now getting everyone to pay $15 without the pressure of putting out quality content that would otherwise have trouble standing on their own.
Sure because forza the game that dethroned GT is cheap. Im sure those RPGs from obsidian, inexile and playground will be cheap to. Thanks for the concern trolling its appreciated.
 
"Xbox hardware revenue was up 49% year-over-year, with Microsoft attributing the rise to an increase in volume of consoles being sold. In total, for Q4 Microsoft posted $38 billion in revenue, up 13% year-over-year, and $13.4 billion in operating income, up 8% year-over-year."

BUUU BUUU XBOXXX IS DOOOm
 
What they've been doing, grow GP, grow Azure/X Cloud, keep devs happy, keep fans happy, and repeat. This isn't cryptic or all that hard. The shit Microsoft as a whole has been doing as leaders and managers, don't stop, that's the plan. Everything will work itself out when it happens (like covid or maybe moving away from Gold).
 
So yeah, much like Netflix, they are thinking very long term, the only trouble is, how long will Microsoft be looking to foot the heavy losses before pulling the plug. They aren't exactly the most patient company.
Do you have any evidence that MS is taking heavy losses? They aren't the most patient company but they've been making Xboxes for almost 20 years. Do you know something we don't. Are we talking about the same company?
 

Patterson

Member
Sure because forza the game that dethroned GT is cheap. Im sure those RPGs from obsidian, inexile and playground will be cheap to. Thanks for the concern trolling its appreciated.
It will mostly be cheap games. No need to be upset if you find value in it.
 
Gamepass Phil want Xbox to be the Netflix of gaming that probably what he told Satya Nadella to get him to fully commit to Xbox Brand
 

Portugeezer

Member
I get the feeling he is surrounded by a lot of yes-men. Or he is not self aware at all when he makes certain comments.

Probably too late to do anything now, we'll just see how it goes. It could still work out.
 
I have Gamepass. It’s pretty cool but if that’s the only reason he’s keeping his job after all these years of lackluster shit then that’s pretty silly.
Ask Satya Nadella that he the big boss at Microsoft now if he didn't fire Phil than he must be doing something right lol
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Things will turn around. They have a lot of big games in development. This issue is TIME. The games are far too early in development. So the first coulple years of XSX will probably be rough.

People are insane here.

The last 7 years MS said "Just wait, we have games coming" and they had a terrible suite of first party studios with inferior third party support.

Laughing at them was fine then.

Now MS fixes both issues and says "Just wait, we have games coming" and people are laughing...um why?
 

Aion002

Member
images


Keep getting paid to travel for free around the world, while making promisses on twitter. Must be a cool life.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
People are insane here.

The last 7 years MS said "Just wait, we have games coming" and they had a terrible suite of first party studios with inferior third party support.

Laughing at them was fine then.

Now MS fixes both issues and says "Just wait, we have games coming" and people are laughing...um why?
Another concern troll. The studios were bought in 2018. It takes 4-5 years to make a game. Do the math get a calculator app out. The difference is Microsoft had 3 studios and no budget turn 10, 343 and the coalition. They have 15 studios now and several games like avowed have been in development since 2018 do the math. Why is horizon 2 not a launch game? Where is the demo of the sucker punch and naughty dog PS5 games? Oh yeah games take time. You think sony magically makes games like ghosts of tsushima in 2 years lol?
 
Grow Game Pass to a point where both players and developers become dependent on it to some extent, then gradually start gouging both groups.
 
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Gamerguy84

Member
XBOX has a stronghold in America. Its the hometeam and as American as the fourth of July and apple pie.

Were a pretty big market for video games. I really only know one other person with a PS4. I know about 10 people with an XBOX one S.

Sony has a lead here but not by a lot. PS4 is up about 5 million consoles in USA despite all the exclusives they have.

XBOX wont have a hard time selling here.
 
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