Support NeoGAF

[waypoetic]

I kind of wonder if the average consumer will react to this thing the way the internet has, or if football, guns and a huge marketing budget will be enough to make this stuff irrelevant.

- But dude, listen! Does it have Halo?
- No, not really. There's a Halo tv-show..
- Ah maaan, but what about Gears?
- Nope.
- ... Madden?
- Yes, yes you can play Madden on it.
- DUDE AWESOME! I'm getting one.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

People are going to be so disappointed when this thing ultimately succeeds. It's going to succeed on the fact that the Xbox name has grown to be synonymous with gaming in several regions alone. The only things that stands in their way is price point, and/or having their release date undercut by a significant duration.

I'm not sure.

I mean, has there ever been an entertainment device with as much negative PR attached to it that has sold by the bucket-loads?

Sure, it will sell. But I think the metric for success at the top of MS is for this thing to be a runaway success, with sales in excess of 360. I can't see that happening.

 

[lupinko]

Great article.

On a side note Microsoft needed to get rid of Ballmer on day 1, yet somehow 13 years later he's still CEO....

Well he is the last of the Three Amigos left in day to day running of MS.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

Yes but will it follow neogaf and wii u. Neogaf and vita or neogaf and Kinect .

Neogaf was right on the wii u , wrong on vita and wrong on Kinect.


I'm more into the xbox one than the ps4 as a huge pc gamer. A year after the new systems are out my pc will play a majority of the games released for it much better than either of the new systems so its the featuers the pc doesn't have that are interesting to me

Lots of people in GAF expected poor numbers on Vita.

Maybe they were wrong on how bad it would do, if that's what you meant.

 

[Makonero]

Right, in pretty much the same way that.. I don't know, say the "Playstation" name had once grown to be synonymous with gaming in several regions?

I recall people calling all consoles a "Nintendo" at one point too...

 

[ChosenPredator]

That is a pretty good article

 

[spwolf]

it goes hand in hand with Windows 8 decisions - they are doing what they want, and not what customers are telling them to do.

 

[eastmen]

Lots of people in GAF expected poor numbers on Vita.

Maybe they were wrong on how bad it would do, if that's what you meant.

still my point is simple , neogaf isn't the market and neogaf isn't allways correct on future trends.


The xbox one could fail but then again it could be the top selling system. Who really knows. I'm sure at e3 we will see more games and then the choice will be clearer

 

[Zuhzuhzombie!!]

Maybe this will be what finally boots Ballmer from the company.

 

[MikeE21286]

More to the point, it's frankly staggering that Microsoft observed the modern ways people view cable TV and believed, somehow, that it could add to the experience by getting in the way of it.

The existing consumer demand to interrupt TV with Skype calls, and a hand-gesture controlled Internet Explorer, can only be described as fictional.

It's as if Microsoft cannot comprehend that its entire market already has phones and qwerty internet browsers at their thumbs when watching re-runs of Friends. Or whatever's on in the background. It's as though Microsoft has wilfully ignored that Siri and other voice command gimmicks, and QR codes and other camera-based technologies, have flat-lined despite their comprehensive promotion.

Absolutely perfect summation

 

[badcrumble]

What's so weird about it? First of all, cable cutting is not exactly taking off like people expected: http://homes.yahoo.com/news/people-a...154620635.html In reality, there's only 5 million Americans who are considered zero-tv, and that number is only up 2 million over the last 6 years (http://betanews.com/2013/04/08/5-mil...ut-cables-cord). The overwhelming majority of Americans are cable subscribers, so it makes sense to add that to your console's list of features.

Second of all, do you really think cable cutting is going to take off in a significant manner within the Xbox One's lifespan? Especially with the market as fractured as it is today, and in a manner that will hurt Microsoft new venture? With services like HBO Go, Max Go, Showtime Anywhere and Starz Play requiring a premium subscription to use, and the market being fractured between Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and proprietary studio offerings like Warner Archive, the price of admission for a cable alternative is going to be far too costly to be considered a viable alternative.

And finally, I'd understand your point if Microsoft was exclusively catering to people with cable subscriptions, but last time I looked they're still pursuing stuff like Netflix, HBO Go, NFL Sunday Ticket, etc. Fact of the matter is, they're taking a holistic approach to the situation, and covering the entirety of the media spectrum. I honestly don't understand the issue.

HBO Go requires a cable subscription. NFL Sunday Ticket is absurdly expensive if you don't have DirecTV. Bad examples.

 

[Withnail]

That's a problem.

The whole thing seems a little out-of-touch with reality in all honesty. The conclusion at MS seems to be that Cable TV is the future.

?

Ballmer looks like a guy who enjoys cable TV.

Xbone = 'The Ballmer'

 

[deadhorse32]

Remember when Steve Jobs biography hit stores and one of the big story was that he finally "cracked it" (talking about the Apple television).

This feels like a knee jerk reaction to that story.

 

[Waylon Drums]

SEGA doesn't have the money to put all those features into a new console. All it would do was play games.



Damn I wish SEGA would come back.

I actually like Sega being Nintendo's sidekick. They're like the Luigi of game companies.

 

[eot]

It's like a pushy salesman that is trying to sell me a vacuum cleaner for my hardwood floors and won't leave me alone.

You need to vacuum those too

 

[perineumlick]

What's so weird about it? First of all, cable cutting is not exactly taking off like people expected: http://homes.yahoo.com/news/people-a...154620635.html In reality, there's only 5 million Americans who are considered zero-tv, and that number is only up 2 million over the last 6 years (http://betanews.com/2013/04/08/5-mil...ut-cables-cord). The overwhelming majority of Americans are cable subscribers, so it makes sense to add that to your console's list of features.

Second of all, do you really think cable cutting is going to take off in a significant manner within the Xbox One's lifespan? Especially with the market as fractured as it is today, and in a manner that will hurt Microsoft new venture? With services like HBO Go, Max Go, Showtime Anywhere and Starz Play requiring a premium subscription to use, and the market being fractured between Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and proprietary studio offerings like Warner Archive, the price of admission for a cable alternative is going to be far too costly to be considered a viable alternative.

And finally, I'd understand your point if Microsoft was exclusively catering to people with cable subscriptions, but last time I looked they're still pursuing stuff like Netflix, HBO Go, NFL Sunday Ticket, etc. Fact of the matter is, they're taking a holistic approach to the situation, and covering the entirety of the media spectrum. I honestly don't understand the issue.

Unless all that stuff falls under the cost of Xbox Live, what makes MS' vision so viable? Far as I know, you still need a cable subscription to use these services on top of Live, so where's the incentive? Pay extra to say, "Xbox Starz!"?

 

[moniker]

And finally, I'd understand your point if Microsoft was exclusively catering to people with cable subscriptions, but last time I looked they're still pursuing stuff like Netflix, HBO Go, NFL Sunday Ticket, etc. Fact of the matter is, they're taking a holistic approach to the situation, and covering the entirety of the media spectrum. I honestly don't understand the issue.

And all these things will almost certainly be irrelevant outside the US ...

 

[Splash Wave]

As much as I loathe MS' direction, I think everything's going to change once E3 arrives. Something tells me they've thrown a lot of money around to get exclusives we care about, so I'm sure many of us will "submit" eventually.

 

[Duxxy3]

The idea of the system is awful

People are disconnecting from cable at a record pace so the killer app for the new console is... cable?! What kind of backward ass thinking is that?

 

[RoboPlato]

I'm not sure.

I mean, has there ever been an entertainment device with as much negative PR attached to it that has sold by the bucket-loads?

Sure, it will sell. But I think the metric for success at the top of MS is for this thing to be a runaway success, with sales in excess of 360. I can't see that happening.

I agree with this. The console will do well, probably even great, in the US but I do see the gap between Xbox and Playstation lessening in NA and I think the rest of the world will be far less receptive to XBO than the 360.

 

[entremet]

Ballmer is terrible.

 

[Y2Kev]

The next hot feature of the Xbone will be tied into your landline phone.

Duh. How else will it show on your tv who is calling your landline? Then you say Xbox answer and you can talk through your kinect

Why is everyone bashing this

 

[Aguirre]

So does this mean that SEGA can come back? Please.

sega isnt the hero we need right now

 

[specialguy]

I usually defend Xbo-1 But I think these are very legit and cutting criticisms. He's almost made me reevauate my stance on some aspects.

The fact he called out Balmer just made it resonate more. IMO that guy is a disaster that should have been fired so long ago.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

So, the X-Box One is the Homer of gaming?

All it needs now is to be $500+

 

[The Technomancer]

The next hot feature of the Xbone will be tied into your landline phone.

The next hot feature of the Xbone will be that it comes with six months free of AOL

 

[specialguy]

It probably is, heavily, Ballmer's creation.

if so that's where it went wrong, original xbox was Gates creation.

 

[Cidd]

Article is spot on, I don't know wtf MS HQ was thinking when they thought cable tv and sports was the next big thing. WTF?!

 

[Woorloog]

From the article:

Reddit and NeoGAF and Twitter did not understand Wii U and, when the system hit stores, neither did consumers.

What does it mean NeoGAF didn't understand Wii U?

Interesting read otherwise.

 

[PJV3]

It's a lot of money to spend on a TV remote, I will buy a gaming console instead.

 

[Coolwhip]

Good article, sums it up well.

Technology is moving so damn fast these last years and Microsoft is being left behind.

 

[Hypereides]

hope it fails

Microsoft's marketing will ensure it won't.

 

[MikeE21286]

From the article:


What does it mean NeoGAF didn't understand Wii U?

Interestinf read otherwise.

Probably why they (we) should want it or why they need it.

Microsoft's marketing will ensure it won't.

You might be right, but MS marketing isn't saving Windows tablets right now.

 

[FoneBone]

What's so weird about it? First of all, cable cutting is not exactly taking off like people expected: http://homes.yahoo.com/news/people-a...154620635.html In reality, there's only 5 million Americans who are considered zero-tv, and that number is only up 2 million over the last 6 years (http://betanews.com/2013/04/08/5-mil...ut-cables-cord). The overwhelming majority of Americans are cable subscribers, so it makes sense to add that to your console's list of features.

Second of all, do you really think cable cutting is going to take off in a significant manner within the Xbox One's lifespan? Especially with the market as fractured as it is today, and in a manner that will hurt Microsoft new venture? With services like HBO Go, Max Go, Showtime Anywhere and Starz Play requiring a premium subscription to use, and the market being fractured between Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and proprietary studio offerings like Warner Archive, the price of admission for a cable alternative is going to be far too costly to be considered a viable alternative.

And finally, I'd understand your point if Microsoft was exclusively catering to people with cable subscriptions, but last time I looked they're still pursuing stuff like Netflix, HBO Go, NFL Sunday Ticket, etc. Fact of the matter is, they're taking a holistic approach to the situation, and covering the entirety of the media spectrum. I honestly don't understand the issue.

That cord cutting is happening relatively slowly doesn't negate that it's occurring. And it would seem likely to me that it's more prevalent amongst a younger, tech-savvy demographic that would also (one would think) be MS' core audience for Xbox One.

 

[AkuMifune]

Fair or foul, I feel like the PS4 was created by designers to play games. The XBone feels like it was designed by marketing committee to please every licensing deal they have and leverage the shit out of my lifestyle for ad revenue.

It hit me so hard yesterday I retroactively hate my 360 so much right now and am tempted just to throw it away.

 

[The Technomancer]

It hit me so hard yesterday I retroactively hate my 360 so much right now and am tempted just to throw it away.

Whoa now

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I'm constantly surprised at the number of people I have played online that do not realize the Kinect is a live mic and are having arguments or whatever during the game.

My favorite was this couple that I was playing Street Fighter x Tekken against where the guy loudly screams "I ALREADY PUT UP THE FUCKING CAN OF PEAS"

 

[seventynine]

As much as I loathe MS' direction, I think everything's going to change once E3 arrives. Something tells me they've thrown a lot of money around to get exclusives we care about, so I'm sure many of us will "submit" eventually.

Undoubtably, but will they be timed exclusive or not? They cried wolf with that nonsense before and I'm a patient man.

 

[Bedlam]

That does it mean NeoGAF didn't understand Wii U?

It means Neogaf reflected the consumer reaction to the WiiU and was not some out-of-touch vocal minority.

 

[Durante]

it goes hand in hand with Windows 8 decisions - they are doing what they want, and not what customers are telling them to do.

They just want to be Apple so very much.

To think that I used to like MS a lot.

 

[Emitan]

Microsoft's marketing will ensure it won't.

Just like how they saved the Kin.

 

[nib95]

Fair or foul, I feel like the PS4 was created by designers to play games. The XBone feels like it was designed by marketing committee to please every licensing deal they have and leverage the shit out of my lifestyle for ad revenue.

It hit me so hard yesterday I retroactively hate my 360 so much right now and am tempted just to throw it away.

Quite a poignant post. But don't throw it out, it's still a great console lol. At the very least give it to charity or some relative or kid.

 

[specialguy]

People are going to be so disappointed when this thing ultimately succeeds. It's going to succeed on the fact that the Xbox name has grown to be synonymous with gaming in several regions alone. The only things that stands in their way is price point, and/or having their release date undercut by a significant duration.

I personally disagree with the notion of the article. They're heading into uncharted territories, and personally, I think pushing the non-gaming aspects of the console is a smart move considering gaming is to be expected with a games console. You have to set yourself apart, and in terms of expanding marketshare, I don't think doubling down on games is an intelligent way to do that.

I kind of agreed but this very article has made me pause.

I think they have to reasonably keep up with the PS4 visually to succeed. Which I do believe is possible paper specs or no.

Basically like, 4 CU's that probably cost 10 incremental dollars is standing between MS and open water. What an absolute disaster that those 4 CU's aren't in there.

 

[Krisprolls]

Microsoft's marketing will ensure it won't.

Like it did for Zune, Surface, original Xbox, Windows phones, Windows 8...

 

[badcrumble]

That cord cutting is happening relatively slowly doesn't negate that it's occurring. And it would seem likely to me that it's more prevalent amongst a younger, tech-savvy demographic that would also (one would think) be MS' core audience for Xbox One.

Yeah, this, also.

 

[harSon]

HBO Go requires a cable subscription. NFL Sunday Ticket is absurdly expensive if you don't have DirecTV. Bad examples.

I'm personally a cord cutter, and I have both of those services due to my parents having subscriptions. Considering the cord cutting movement is anchored by the younger generation, it's safe to assume that a lot of people are utilizing this same crutch.

Right, in pretty much the same way that.. I don't know, say the "Playstation" name had once grown to be synonymous with gaming in several regions?

It's almost like you didn't read the next sentence.

 

[Brinbe]

All feels pretty similar to the gut level reaction to the Wii U.

 

[kitch9]

Let's not forget here, Sony itself hasn't clarified this issue of what -- if any -- limitations will be placed on the purchasing and selling of pre-owned games. This, to me, is a bigger issue than having to be connected at 24 hour intervals or a lack of live TV functionality.



I agree in principle, but the concern here is that Microsoft seems to have put more stock in the entertainment aspect of this than games. That is the perception. If we were offered a choice between 1) an entertainment system which is also a great games console, or 2) a great games console, most would go for the former.

Sony just have to do the opposite of Microsoft and they will clean up.

 

[gaming_noob]

Last straw for Baldmer. He needs to go.

 

[Fenderputty]

What TV functionality does it even do? I missed the conference and all everyone is talking about is the DRM / Always online mess. At it's surface, it seems like the article hit the nail on the head. It would "get in the way" of standard TV viewing. From what I understand it still needs to be connected to a cable box, so it's not even replacing my device. It's like putting a device in between my wall outlet and my toaster that also toasts bread.