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What is Microsofts gaming strategy?

SkylineRKR

Member
His beliefs are fucking wrong or its because MS always operated from within a vacuum.

But you shouldn't matter about ecosystems of others. Do you think Samsung is going to say, hey, this Galaxy, we don't expect to lure in iOS users but here you are. Do you think people only have a netflix sub running, and no Max or Disney+ on top?

No.

If you deliver a killer product with good software, people will jump ship regardless of library. Or they will buy your system regardless of what else they have under their TV. Its about buying your product, not selling others. A lot of ancient software on ecosystems usually isn't even being booted up anymore. People will move on. Everyone bought the PS4 despite their PS3 software not working at all. Ok, this is before the PS4 generation when everything was indeed shifting towards digital full stop, but even so, it doesn't matter. You want to play the most compelling software and you move on despite what you had. I think most consumers, the average joe, doesn't have a trillion of games stored anyway. And there is people who only buy physical still.
 

Kumomeme

Member
saying what people want to hear, despite it knowing might be wrong or not benefit them as long it 'opposed' what the others competitor been doing or saying and would quietly back track of their words later.

creating narrative that their competitor is evil and they is the only nicest guy around that care for people, while playing victim.

talk and talk despite has nothing to show.

atleast thats what phil spencer being doing all these time.
 
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Cyberpunkd

Gold Member
He is of the belief that the XO/PS4 generation was such that it made alot of people cement themselves into one ecosystem or the other due to the investments made in gaming libraries, and the continued efforts for back compatibility.
He is also of the belief that just making good exclusive games isn't going to be enough to convince people to switch ecosystems.
I think he is honest in his beliefs.
He can be honest, but he is wrong. People buy consoles to play bigger, better, larget games they couldn't during the previous generation, it's simple as that. Many, many had their PS+ subscriptions lapsed, did they kill themselves over not having access to their library of titles? No.
 
To ultimately turn Xbox into a service, no hardware. As ridiculous as it sounds now, I actually think they would put gamepass on the PS6/7 when they stop making hardware.
 

aries_71

Junior Member
To ultimately turn Xbox into a service, no hardware. As ridiculous as it sounds now, I actually think they would put gamepass on the PS6/7 when they stop making hardware.
There’s a lot of third party titles in Gamepass that Sony would rather sell for a 30% cut. So, no, it’s not happening, at least with the Gamepass we know today. Maybe a gimped one with only MS first party available, but then that’s called Ubisoft+ and few are interested in it.
 

Ev1L AuRoN

Member
Eventually, Microsoft will need to be profitable, the subscription model can very well be the future, but I don't see it being enough to fund the type of games that moves hardware, in the future that Microsoft envision. What I see is the end of the AAA model. I dread a future where we just play at the cloud with our subscription plan. That means no ownership, no gaming preservation from the community and less agency from players.
 

Sorcerer

Member
Who Knows Idk GIF

It changes all the fucking time.

That is part of the problem.

Are they in competition with PS5 or Tech companies? Who knows.

Is making great games important to them? Who knows.

Do they like timed 3rd party exclusives? Who knows.

Do they care about selling consoles? Who knows.

Are Xbox consoles all about raw power? Who knows.

Asking people to explain Xbox's strategy is like asking people at a protest what the goal of the protest is.
Do they like painting controllers? I think so. Microsoft should open an arts and crafts division. Microsoft should have Saturday morning get togethers with Gamepass subscribers, where they meet up with Phil to paint and customize their controllers.
 
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simpatico

Member
They're a near perfect case study of the downside of management by committee. It's completely lacking a singular, clear vision.
 

zomboden

Banned
Do they like painting controllers? I think so. Microsoft should open an arts and crafts division. Microsoft should have Saturday morning get together with Gamepass subscribers, where they meet up with Phil to paint and customize their controllers.
Sounds like fun. I would attend. Hand out gift baskets with Xbox controllers, controller hoodies, actual hoodies, posters, game pass cards.
 

Sorcerer

Member
Sounds like fun. I would attend. Hand out gift baskets with Xbox controllers, controller hoodies, actual hoodies, posters, game pass cards.
You can present your finished controller to Phil for evaluation. He will tell you your controller design is an 11/10, but Sony fans are not going to sell their Dualsenses.
 
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yurinka

Member
I think their strategy is:
  • To continue their slow transition from being an Xbox only 1st party publisher to a full multiplatform 3rd party publisher.
  • To continue their slow transition to having Windows as their main platform instead of Xbox.
  • After realizing they can't compete on selling consoles or games for consoles, pc or in mobile, they tried to compete in game subs with Sony trying to become the Netflix of gaming and to focus on games renting in a gamesubs instead of selling games.
  • They realized that some of their main IPs became outdated and aren't pretty successful with new ones, and both Sony and Nintendo have a ton more currently huge IPs than them, so moved to buy successful 3rd multiplatform IPs to make them 1st party.
  • Sony had a ton of 1st party popular teams more than them and realized that aren't good at building new teams, so acquired many popular 3rd party games.
  • They know Sony has twice the userbase and a way larger library of great exclusives from many generations, so knew that trying to fight them in game subs would be too hard: so they desperately try to get attention by putting all their games and some moneyhatted 3rd party stuff more day one on their game subs.
  • They know that their current day one on GP strategy is a financial suicide but they -wrongly- hoped that it would make them become the Netflix of videogame. I that strategy would succeed, the other platform holders wouldn't be able to repeat the day one on the sub because they can't afford these massive loses, so they wouldn't be able to compete and would die. If they'd become a monopoly -or almost- in game subs, which would dominate the market they also would be able to decide which puslisher lives or dies.
  • They focused on quantity of games released on GP day one, not in the quantity or quality of their exclusives, or in keeping a consistent calendar of quality 1st party and exclusives releases across the year and all years.
  • Executives more worried about PR, being in interviews and private Sting concerts than on making sure that they release a good stream of quality products and that their business becomes a profitable one.
To ultimately turn Xbox into a service, no hardware. As ridiculous as it sounds now, I actually think they would put gamepass on the PS6/7 when they stop making hardware.
They would like to do it, but Sony won't allow it if it includes 3rd party games, if Xbox hardware still exists and if MS continues not wanting to pay Sony their 30% from all money made in their console.
 
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Riky

$MSFT
The strategy seems sound, have the most powerful and the cheapest hardware, have so much first party content that Gamepass becomes irresistible to gamers.
They just need to deliver that content so next month's showcase better be good.
 
Their agenda is to have more lgbt main characters than Sony.

The two companies obviously ascribe to the notion that divine providence falls upon they who can best represent marginalized demographics.

I think maybe they try and make good games sometimes but that's just an afterthought, really.
 
He can be honest, but he is wrong. People buy consoles to play bigger, better, larget games they couldn't during the previous generation, it's simple as that. Many, many had their PS+ subscriptions lapsed, did they kill themselves over not having access to their library of titles? No.
I agree. I think they are underestimating games as a selling feature.
Look at the PS3. It was a shit console.
It came out a year later, more expensive, no games, wasn't performing as good as 360, it had bad publicity, it was losing in sales and wasn't looking good.
Sony kept pushing it, and it was the games put out by their first parties such as Killzone 2 and 3, Uncharted, TLOU, GOW etc, that eventually persuaded people that they needed to buy one.
 
Xbox + GP (full price) isnt really that much cheaper. Assuming you want to be cheap as possible, so using some time to archieve it:

yes. you can get used XSS for 100€ or less, or new one but it is not same experience as ps5/sxs. On XSS you cant buy used games -> you will lose potential savings -> xss is no good.

On PS5 (or SXS) you can buy used physical games, you mentioned ps4 games too. Majority of used ps4 games are like 5-20€, and PS5 games can be 10-30€ range. Xbox games are usually cheaper as they have low demand.

Gamepass ultimate is like 15-20€/month full price -> you can basically buy 1-4 used physical games/month and then resell them with +-0€ with tiny profit or loss.

Playstation ecosystem is easier to do "buy. play. sell" kind of gaming as they have higher demand so it is easy to sell and buy used games. On my country there isnt even new xbox games available on many big retailers or there is like 5 different games.

I have ps5 and sxs. i have bought 1 game for xbox as I got 3 years of GPU for 91€ total, which is of course great deal, but I would never pay ridiculous 16-20€/month for gamepass as I usually just play 1-2 games.

On long run game pass is expensive, 3 years = 12x3x16 = 576€ and you own zero games vs. buying used games that have at least some value.
I agree about the used games, but just do the maths.
Without doubt there was be 10 or so games a year that people would love to play on GP. 70 x 10 = 700.
GPU = 15 x 12 = 180.
Then as a bonus you have the 300 or 400 backlog of games to play if you want.
 

twilo99

Gold Member
To ultimately turn Xbox into a service, no hardware. As ridiculous as it sounds now, I actually think they would put gamepass on the PS6/7 when they stop making hardware.

If the PS5 had a proper web browser it would be on there today…
 

Dlacy13g

Member
Trying to read the original post but for now I want to just address one point OP I don't think understood/stated properly. When Phil talked about "making good games alone is not going to get somebody to sell their PS5 and jump ecosystem" He's not wrong.

Because he understands that even though the xbox might be making great games Sony still is making great games as well. To get someday to completely switch an ecosystem is a major lift now with digital libraries being as entrenched as they are. So that leaves you really with 2 options and this is what I believe Phil is speaking to. Go beyond just creating good games and create Additional compelling reasons to get them to switch or more likely create an advantageous situation that makes them want to buy into your ecosystem as well. You're not likely getting them to abandon their previous ecosystem but possibly buy into yours in addition to their current one.
 
🏃🏻🥅🏃🏻

just showing your inability to engage in a convesation. but if you wanna play that dumb game:

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MS/Xbox is in this position due to years of complete incompetence to deliver High Quality Games.
We happy few was released before MS bought compulsion. The only two games released by MS first party were Sea Of Thieves and Minecraft.
SOT is an absolute success. Massive game played by millions. If SOT was reviewed again now, it would be a very different score. This is how alot of GAAS games release. Do you remember what fortnite was like when it first came out?
Sony would kill for a game like SOT.

Minecraft is minecraft. RTS are RTS. If you want to include it, knock yourself out.

If you want to include shit third party exclusives then buckle down, there a shit ton of rubbish third party games that are exclusive to PS5. Want to go there?

Let's stick to MS first party who released games when MS owned them.
It's fun to shit on Xbox, I get that. It's a troll that's OK with the mods here as well.
But the numbers add up.
MS generally releases well reviewed games.
How far do you want to go back? That's a pretty useless thing to do.
Let's go back to the last 10 games, and let's see what's in the pipeline for the next couple of years. We can even compare what that looks like for PS5.
Xbox this year has released HiFi Rush. Banger.
Redfall. Dud.
Later this year we have Starfield, which could be the biggest RPG ever released. Bethesda are RPG legends. They have released some of the best RPGs ever.
Fallout 76 was a stupid online game, and even that is now a pretty good game that is still played by alot of people.

Then we have Forza MS. All new engine, all new game. Turn 10 know what they are doing, and like Forza Horizon and GT, they always hit a certain point. It will be a mid 80s Meta, and could go higher. Forza is the predominant racing franchise bar none.

There's pretty good hints that Hellblade 2 could well drop as well. Let's say it's just a prettier Hellblade 1. Again, mid 80s at least.

What's PS got this year? Spiderman 2. Now Insomniac don't miss, and it will be a banger I am sure. I guessing it will be around Spiderman 1 and miles metas, so mid 80s.

So 2022 has Xbox - Hifi Rush, Redfall, Starfield, Forza MS and possibly Hellblade 2 vs just Spider-Man 2 on PS5.
Easy win by MS. Not even close.

After that Xbox has Indiana Jones, Avowed, Outer Worlds 2, State of Decay 3, Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Contraband, Project Midnight, Project Cobalt, Gears 6, ids new game, Wolfenstien 3, Zenimax Onlines new game as starters.
That's not to say the PS5 doesn't have great games coming out, of course it does, but that's a very good pipeline of games coming out, and more unknown as well.

Things have changed. Xbox has games now.
 
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wolffy66

Member
It's pretty clear that their goal is gamepass subs. What i love a out gamepass is the sheer diversity of games available. I play more competitive multiplayer games mostly and single player games are probably my least played genre. But they are missing the boat there quite badly and it's seriously hurting them right now.

They need at least 2 big single player titles yearly in addition to gamepass filler, for lack of a better word. They have a lot hanging on Starfield.
 

Wulfer

Member
🏃🏻🥅🏃🏻

just showing your inability to engage in a convesation. but if you wanna play that dumb game:

itQjKDn.png
RDwKp5z.png
tDPt0Ij.png
n2xIcPO.png
Fsi8n1t.png
8eFfjP6.png
17YMsp6.png
9TzpYeX.png
T4xKxpK.png


MS/Xbox is in this position due to years of complete incompetence to deliver High Quality Games.
Your reaching by posting Sea of Thieves aren't we??? You know that game is better than a 69!
 
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