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With the next Xbox, Microsoft has a 4-part strategy to end the console wars once and for all. Here's how it plans to do it.

Gavon West

Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads
I'm asking a legitimate question. If they really don't care why waste the money on consoles? I'm a customer of what I like. And I play and buy games from both companies but it is a question worth asking imo. There's nothing wrong with gamers experiencing games across multiple platforms I question the end game of where they see this going.

If you call yourself a gamn enthusiast you should know the answer to that. Software and services make more money than hardware. The more entry points they offer to consumers -their way - with console gamin being one of them, the more money they make.

Thats why GP and all the dev houses theyve purchased, PC, and why they are now allowing Steam access to their 1st party games and Xcloud are such a boon for the Xbox platform. With GP and your current backlog of games, you get to access your games wherever and whenever you want.

They know some gamers enjoy console gaming on the couch. So they offer that kind of experience to that kind if gamer. But selling consoles isnt the be all end all for Microsoft the way it is with Sony. Again, Xbox Series X is just an entry point for that type of gamer.
 

Texas Pride

Banned
If you call yourself a gamn enthusiast you should know the answer to that. Software and services make more money than hardware. The more entry points they offer to consumers -their way - with console gamin being one of them, the more money they make.

Thats why GP and all the dev houses theyve purchased, PC, and why they are now allowing Steam access to their 1st party games and Xcloud are such a boon for the Xbox platform. With GP and your current backlog of games, you get to access your games wherever and whenever you want.

They know some gamers enjoy console gaming on the couch. So they offer that kind of experience to that kind if gamer. But selling consoles isnt the be all end all for Microsoft the way it is with Sony. Again, Xbox Series X is just an entry point for that type of gamer.



That's exactly my point actually. The return on hardware doesn't seem worth it for them in the end. Giving players options is nice but long term if their goal is just an app with their services & games on it we play on our phones or other devices I'd like to know sooner than later personally. Game ownership if that's their endgame is an issue under that scenario and that's important.
 

sunnysideup

Banned
Ah well i guess we can declare xbox as officially dead.

They failed 3 times in a row. No one is going to buy the next xbox. And they know it. Good luck at selling gamepass i guess.
 

gifgaf

Member
The fuck are you even talking about. What you said is factually, patently irrevocably wrong. Microsoft doesn't care where you play their games. If they did, they wouldn't put their games on PC. The home console is just another entry point to get gamers in their ecosystem. They simply give the options. Where the fuck you even came up with the 1976 Twilight Zone episode is legit baffling.
I agree with you, but even though I own a powerhouse PC and already play all cross platform games on PC, I will be sad to see the end of buying consoles if all exclusives go down this route.
 
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if they dont care if u buy the console and if this was there galaxy brain strategy then why not be a software/services publisher to begin with? how about making some games that are versatile and appeal to multiple markets before trying to root kit all devices.

Because the console is their number 1 vehicle to push those games and services. Google have most of their apps available on iPhone but still have Pixel phones and their own OS for instance.
 
It really doesn't....I bet you are one of those people "concerned" with grandma and grandpa not knowing which Xbox to buy for Junior this Fall as well
You forgot to add in Soccer mom's too. And it's true on what you said, that the causal consumer lack the knowledge on the next console and lack the will to research, yet are pros at knowing the next Iphone
 

DrAspirino

Banned
First it was we don't care if you buy an Xbox as long as you buy the games. Then it was we don't care if you buy the Xbox or the games as long as you subscribe to Gamespass. They're running out of ways to shift the narrative which is the demand for their gaming products isn't where they want it to be and so they'll say anything to keep trying to sell their future hardware and services.
Man... you've really been out of touch with tech news since...I don't know... 2014? Microsoft's entire bussiness strategy since Satya Nadella assumed as CEO is all about cloud and services. EVERYTHING Microsoft is now cloud based or relying heavily in services (Windows 10, Office 365, Azure, etc) and it's only logical that their Xbox division goes the same way. That's why they created GamePass and that's why they're pushing it hard.

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they released Windows 10 S for free so they get the money from the telemetry and Microsoft Store software purchases (or Office 365 and GamePass subscriptions).
 

DrAspirino

Banned
If they truly didn't care where you played their games they'd stop making Xboxes and just go full service based. So no I think they do still care what and where you're playing.
There is something called "transition period", where they slowly make the customer turn into subscription model. It first happened with Windows 10 (from which there are several iterations now) , and then it happened with Office 2019 (which is just a cumulative update including all the updates Office 365 subscribers received). Now it's time for their Xbox division and I dare say (and you can quote me on this in the future) this is the last Xbox console they release with a "new" name. From now on, they'll only call it "Xbox" and they'll release updates to the console like they've been doing with Office.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
As I've been saying for awhile its GamePass or bust. XCloud is just going to get folded in as an aspect of GamePass.

As per usual its a highly ambitious gambit to "own" the market, unfortunately its going to fail in my opinion because their IP pool is too shallow, their marketing is an unfocused mess, and they are trying to win a war on all fronts simultaneously.
 

xrnzaaas

Member
They already lost me at number 1... why buy a game from Microsoft when you can play thanks to a subscription? Plus with so many deals and trials you don't even have to pay full price for the sub. What Microsoft is doing would be an interesting initiative from a company that doesn't sell any hardware or software (outside of the sub). At this point I see no reason in buying a new Xbox nor its first party games.
 
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its very clear that the future is streaming so if the strategy is to build a strong streaming infrastructure and use the console to carry a userbase up until the point of full streaming then its a smart strategy. Sony would be wise to do the same. The worst thing Sony could do is to remain solely dedicated to the console and allow MS to build a dominating streaming platform
 

lock2k

Banned
If they didn't really care about selling consoles, they would just release gamepass for Switch and Playstation at this point. Of course they care about selling consoles.
 

Mochilador

Member
Ah well i guess we can declare xbox as officially dead.

They failed 3 times in a row. No one is going to buy the next xbox. And they know it. Good luck at selling gamepass i guess.
I love these commentaries. We've been hearing them for years.
MS just acquired like 8 studios, announced a new console, announced new games, is participating in big events, is investing in good services. But guess what? They are dying. :messenger_sunglasses:
 
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Im going to be brutally honest here

This what makes me different from your notorious fanboy as i have no allegiance whatsoever to these companies...

Once a gaming company put their game on PC..its game over for them to get their system on my living room....

If Xbox and Ps are heading into this direction...well...allow me to say my farewell goodbye...

Nintendo will be the real winner from now on
See, it's the exact opposite for me.

If you're telling me I can hop on my PC and play with my PC friends and my saved games all carry over, my trophy/achievement progress all carries over, friends list all carries over. Then I can turn around, hop on my couch and the same thing applies. I buy the game once and I can play it on my PC with my friends at 60 fps and then go to my couch later by myself and don't have to buy the game again, don't have to start it all over. See that wins for me. The closer either company gets to that, the better I'd look at their system.
 

GeorgPrime

Banned

Here's how Microsoft plans to do it:

1. Microsoft doesn't mind if you don't buy its new Xbox console, as long as you buy the game.


Do you want to play games on an Xbox? A PC? Your phone? Microsoft wants to reach you there — ideally across all three.

To that end, Xbox has major initiatives across all three platforms: a new game console (Xbox Series X), a cloud gaming service (Project xCloud), and a Netflix-like gaming service (Game Pass).

2. The new Xbox is just the latest box, not a whole new ecosystem.

The next Xbox console will play Xbox One games. It will also play all the original Xbox and Xbox 360 games that already work on the Xbox One. It will also work with all the current Xbox One accessories, from gamepads to fight sticks.

3. Going forward, it's just "Xbox."

The Xbox Series X is part of the fourth generation of Xbox consoles from Microsoft, following the original Xbox, the Xbox 360, and the Xbox One generations. It's a real murderer's row of bizarre names.

The Series X, however, isn't a whole new line of Xbox consoles — it's just the name of the latest in the Xbox console brand.


4. With Game Pass, Microsoft could win the race to create the first major "Netflix of gaming" service.

For a monthly fee, Netflix offers subscribers an instant library of content. Some of that content is produced by Netflix, and some isn't. You don't need to download any of the content — it just streams to your device.

Thus far, no company has had success with a comparable service for gaming. There are a few services that offer streamed video games, like Google Stadia and PlayStation Now, but neither has really taken off.

Check the link for more.

And on top of that will turn the Switch into an 3rd party xbox handheld
 

JaffeLion

Banned
See, it's the exact opposite for me.

If you're telling me I can hop on my PC and play with my PC friends and my saved games all carry over, my trophy/achievement progress all carries over, friends list all carries over. Then I can turn around, hop on my couch and the same thing applies. I buy the game once and I can play it on my PC with my friends at 60 fps and then go to my couch later by myself and don't have to buy the game again, don't have to start it all over. See that wins for me. The closer either company gets to that, the better I'd look at their system.

thats exactly how it works on xbox, you even need to buy gamepass only once and then can play games on xbox AND pc.
 
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Deleted member 471617

Unconfirmed Member
This direction is perfect for Microsoft and while I don't believe that Sony should follow it completely, I believe that they will. My only complaint is the name. They should have called it XBOX 5 and then have SERIES X / SERIES S as a sub name. Other than that, they're already on pace to give me the same amount of console exclusives that they gave me for the entire duration of Xbox One and Xbox Series X isn't out for another 10 months.

Super hyped. Day One baby!!!
 
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