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[HeWhoWalks]

That’s not what jimbo was worried about. It’s the top 20 games sold tied to msft with shrinking margins for competitors and cloud aka a way around 30% mtx for Sony.

This would affect Sony’s output for games thus leaving them dependent on 3rd parties as their 1st party releases would be infrequent. The normal way out is increase budget & go first in class, unless it becomes risky. The aid are deals with 3rd parties for exclusive titles until they need growth and start shunning exclusivity.

TLDR: it’s all going to pc; thus tossing a Monkey wrench into a well oiled ps warmachine. Hardware components prices have not dropped (next gen 700 minimum or weaker hardware for mass market), & generations are dead. Jimbo & co now have to evaluate how to navigate strange waters.
Sony should hit 100 million consoles easily but that’s not the problem.

The Jimbo comment was a joke….

 

[xenosys]

Metaphor's sales must have dropped off a cliff after launch day.

Doesn't make the UK top 10, nor the EU/US top 10 on PSN either for October.

 

[LordOcidax]

MS excs probably have a hard on seeing how better COD does on PS than their own fledgling console...and you know what that means

Imagine having a subscription in GP and buying the game

 

[sainraja]

Xbox bundles don't make sense anymore, bundle with cod which you can get on gamepass anyway? Same issue they had with their last Forza bundle.

Good point. Do they want to encourage hardware sales with bundling the game (and since they are getting COD as part of the bundle, will they sign up for Game Pass ) or do they want to encourage sub signs up because the game is available on it?

I suppose, what they should have done is plaster the name COD + Gamepass with their console packaging but I am guessing they can't do that given how they acquired the studio making the game?

EDIT
I also wonder if people in general are just getting tired of subs. I know I am starting to feel this way. There are just too many to subscribe to and I haven't re-subbed to many of the services I was subbed to.

 

[mayham2199]

I also wonder if people in general are just getting tired of subs. I know I am starting to feel this way. There are just too many to subscribe to and I haven't re-subbed to many of the services I was subbed to.

I got tired of it. I like the overall idea but I just realized it doesn't work beyond the initial sign up period (for me at least). My gaming varies way to much and I end up with nothing to play on the sub service and just buying games.

People are tired of sub services though that was revealed in one of Matt's reports about sub services.

 

[Mr Moose]

Imagine having a subscription in GP and buying the game

Imagine owning games instead of renting them. Disgusting.

 

[Woopah]

Metaphor's sales must have dropped off a cliff after launch day.

Doesn't make the UK top 10, nor the EU/US top 10 on PSN either for October.

JRPGs in general are very front loaded.

 

[BigLee74]

So COD got most of its sales on Playstation and no one bought an Xbox for COD which had the same sales decrease as everyone else.

Thats right, because folk are going to lay down £299/450 for a console to spend £15 a month to get a £70 game for ‘free’.

Thats exactly what Microsoft were aiming for with their multi-platform COD release.

Some folk are special.

 

[Kvally]

Good point. Do they want to encourage hardware sales with bundling the game (and since they are getting COD as part of the bundle, will they sign up for Game Pass ) or do they want to encourage sub signs up because the game is available on it?

I suppose, what they should have done is plaster the name COD + Gamepass with their console packaging but I am guessing they can't do that given how they acquired the studio making the game?

EDIT
I also wonder if people in general are just getting tired of subs. I know I am starting to feel this way. There are just too many to subscribe to and I haven't re-subbed to many of the services I was subbed to.

Though I don't know why bundles wouldn't work. Most people on Xbox (and PS) buy their games versus renting via subscriptions.

 

[LordOcidax]

Imagine owning games instead of renting them. Disgusting.

You can buy the game if you want . Options

 

[sainraja]

Though I don't know why bundles wouldn't work. Most people on Xbox (and PS) buy their games versus renting via subscriptions.

I think his point was that, from a marketing perspective, and their current need to push Game Pass subs, bundling COD with the console, would go against that. If you are giving people the game (and you are expecting it to drive subs), then you have essentially eliminated that reason. Now, of-course, if driving hardware sales was their goal, that would make sense and both Sony and MS have done COD bundles in the past for those reasons

One can argue that they should convert people into their ecosystem first and then sell them the sub; and sure, they can do that but COD wouldn't be the driver for that anymore. And of-course, right now, Xbox's main issue hasn't been Game Pass. It's been the highlight and they need content to attract people to the sub. And also their shifting priorities might also be why we don't have a bundle but I think his point is still a valid one.

 

[Kvally]

I think his point was that, from a marketing perspective, and their current need to push Game Pass subs, bundling COD with the console, would go against that. If you are giving people the game (and you are expecting it to drive subs), then you have essentially eliminated that reason. Now, of-course, if driving hardware sales was their goal, that would make sense and both Sony and MS have done COD bundles in the past for those reasons

One can argue that they should convert people into their ecosystem first and then sell them the sub; and sure, they can do that but COD wouldn't be the driver for that anymore. And of-course, right now, Xbox's main issue hasn't been Game Pass. It's been the highlight and they need content to attract people to the sub. And also their shifting priorities might also be why we don't have a bundle but I think his point is still a valid one.

Well, they are delusional if they think they will ever exceed their 10-15% Game Pass content revenue. At least in my opinion. With each release, sure we will see the numbers bump up. But how many will they retain from that bump? And at some point, people just don't want to subscribe anymore. Netflix, Paramount +, Game Pass, PS Plus, HBO Max, Amazon Prime.....on and on. Too many subs out there.

IMO, Xbox needs to focus on the retail sales of games first and foremost. In addition, actually offer some (not all) exclusives to give gamers a reason to be in their ecosystem. Xbox brags about having 500 million players in their ecosystem. Yet Xbox has sold 30 million consoles. They could be at 60 million right now had they kept the same energy they had back in the Xbox 360 days.

I am just ranting I guess.

 

[sainraja]

Well, they are delusional if they think they will ever exceed their 10-15% Game Pass content revenue. At least in my opinion. With each release, sure we will see the numbers bump up. But how many will they retain from that bump? And at some point, people just don't want to subscribe anymore. Netflix, Paramount +, Game Pass, PS Plus, HBO Max, Amazon Prime.....on and on. Too many subs out there.

IMO, Xbox needs to focus on the retail sales of games first and foremost. In addition, actually offer some (not all) exclusives to give gamers a reason to be in their ecosystem. Xbox brags about having 500 million players in their ecosystem. Yet Xbox has sold 30 million consoles. They could be at 60 million right now had they kept the same energy they had back in the Xbox 360 days.

I am just ranting I guess.

Yeah, focusing on sales should still be important if they want to continue selling hardware. I have cut down on subs myself because there are just too many and even apps/services on my computer that could do without a sub, have a sub so, right now I am mostly paying for ones that I am using consistently or my family is.

EDIT
It is hard to say what MS's long term goal is. If MS can work out a deal with Sony and Nintendo and put Game Pass there, then we might get our answer sooner but right now I think they are keeping all options open without picking a specific direction, which is also not helping them, but doesn't seem to be hurting them either.

 

[onQ123]

I wonder what would've happened if COD was exclusive to Xbox, would it have sold many systems, or would PS owners just not have bothered? I can't imagine PS owners who always buy COD each year, avoid it entirely if it wasn't available on PS.

They'd probably all get it on PC instead tbf.

See Halo & Gears of War


Being on Xbox only is a death sentence right now.