Whisper it, but Xbox One is finding its stride [EUROGAMER]
- Thread starter mocoworm
- Start date
One word "Titanfall". I think people are underestimating how many consoles that game alone will move. Microsoft securing Titanfall exclusivity even for just a year has to be one of the smartest decisions they've ever made. I don't buy consoles to play the 30 or so indies Sony procured, but I would for games like Halo, TLoU and Titanfall. Those are the type of games that move consoles.
Playstation currently IS the dominant console brand world wide. Almost all of 360s sales were in two locations, the us and uk.
The next gen buzzwords amuse me. It's like Gaf has a new vocabulary.
Then by your definition, the Xbox brand has never dominated it.
Other than MS falling on their face at the starting line. They got back up, but it's hard to consider this an equal start.
Problem is too many people considered them completely dead, but they're definitely in the race. At least in the regions they want to compete. I would rather the XBOne be competative instead of this failure talk. If Microsoft does decide to pull the plug on the gaming division after this gen, then at the end of the day we as gamers would definitely NOT win.
Paracelsus
Member
Titanfall is not a KA, the sooner you realize the merrier.
KA?
Killer App I'm guessing.
I think it "could" be a killer app. It depends on reviews and how many maps and features come with the $60 multiplayer only purchase.
digoutyoursoul
Member
Killer app?
dragonelite
Member
Many have seen titan fall and they say it is.
lastflowers
Banned
Kindle-Arthritis
KA= Killer App
And he is right, casuals are not going to spend over $650 ($500+60$+50 plus tax )to play titan fall when they can get it on 360. (XB1+GAME+Gold)
I don't think it's necessary to count "gold" on your dollar total when you're saying those same gamers already own a 360 and pay for gold.
illmatic19
Member
I feel no different about the Xbox One now then I did back during it's May reveal.
Now that I think about you are right, they may already have gold. But it will still be around $600.
Other than it not being truly exclusive...it sure seems like the closest thing to a next
gen killer app to me. It's certainly a reason why I'm getting xb1 this fall. The launch lineup is solid. Titanfall is in the spring and Halo is next fall...that's some heavy hitters for year 1.
gen killer app to me. It's certainly a reason why I'm getting xb1 this fall. The launch lineup is solid. Titanfall is in the spring and Halo is next fall...that's some heavy hitters for year 1.
Unknown One
Member
Or rather the Dominated.
AdlaiSeven
Member
I am not sure I'd ever consider the Xbox to have dominated as the ps2 did, but I do think the ps2 is still the last great hurrah from Sony. The market has expanded. It is no longer a 2 console world with one console getting most of the market share each generation.
I am not sure that even if Sony had no missteps for the PS3, they would have dominated like the PS2 did. But launching at $600 with no ear for consumer feedback to the point where they were saying things like people would buy the ps3 at any price just because it was made by Sony is the poster child for corporate arrogance. Its good to see they've changed their tune a bit for the ps4.
But MS is still nowhere near the dire situation Sony was in with the PS3 as evidenced by the fact they are getting good press now. I don't recall any good press for the ps3 around the launch.
And the fact that MS changed their DRM policy based in poor consumer reaction is a positive in my book. Most companies would not change their stance. Sony sure didn't with the PS3.
MastaKilla
Member
The only thing that has honestly impressed so far has been Titanfall. That looks like it's going to be huge, but even that is available on PC and seems to be only a time exclusive.
IncandescentPrecept
Banned
Dude, PS is the biggest gaming brand worldwide. The countries where Sony does not dominate can be counted on 1 hand.
IncandescentPrecept
Banned
What stance didn't Sony change with the PS3?
Glorified G
Member
What drm stance did Sony have at launch with ps3?
statham
Member
out of all the games announced, Titanfall is as close as you can get to killer app.
Ok but facing Sony like they are now, what is MS doing to increase their marketshare beyond the 77 million 360 owners? By touting American TV features? By having a weaker yet more expensive console?
The XBO will sell really well and won't be a failure. But I don't see a situation where they poach any of the 77 million PS3 owners over to their brand, while I can easily see a case where Sony poaches some 360 owners over to their brand.
PS3 was expensive at first, but that's really all that was wrong with it. There wasn't a laundry list of failures on Sony's side. And it was still the cheapest blu-ray player on the market for those who cared about that technology.
XBO situation isn't "dire", but they're not poised to dominate. They're poised to struggle to maintain their current marketshare.
And to add to that, the 360 sold more than half of all 360s in America. IF the ps4 even manages to be even with the ONE, there is no way the ONE can domiante the PS4 world wide with that price tag.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
From what I've been hearing here (Sweden) the XBO is still hopelessly behind, and while that's a tiny sample of the potential buying population I believe the same to be the case in most of Europe at least. If the PS3 managed to beat the living hell out of the 360 outside the US and UK, with all of its disadvantages (being a lot more expensive, launching 16 months later here in Europe, often having worse multiplats, etc), I don't really know what the XBO is gonna do. It would have to offer a significantly better value on day 1, and that's clearly not happening.
No, the Wii brand has. But that seems to be dead now, or is at least not dominating anymore. Between the Xbox and PlayStation brands, the latter has certainly been significantly stronger worldwide every generation they have both been a part of. Less so this past generation, but the PS3 still managed to beat the 360 against all odds. So, yes, I very much expect PlayStation to once again be the dominant gaming brand going forward.
No, the Wii brand has. But that seems to be dead now, or is at least not dominating anymore. Between the Xbox and PlayStation brands, the latter has certainly been significantly stronger worldwide every generation they have both been a part of. Less so this past generation, but the PS3 still managed to beat the 360 against all odds. So, yes, I very much expect PlayStation to once again be the dominant gaming brand going forward.
AgentP
Thinks mods influence posters politics. Promoted to QAnon Editor.
For dude bros that can't play one of the many MP FPS games out there? Some of us want something other than more grey-brown military shooters. Hell Lego Marvel is more appealing than COD, BF or COD mechs.
There stood general Sony, battered and bruised, gasping for breath, hunched over with hands resting on bent knees. Happy to be alive and glad the battle was over, for now. Possibly a time of peace was looming? It cant be another situation like the Wii, he wondered, it just cant.
Blindsided was he! For he had not seen Titanfall, but it had fallen! The power of the country formerly known as Ward had evolved, respawned and opened fire on Sony and his troops! standard soldiers were now outfitted in jetpacks, boots that stick to walls and some even stomped about in mechanical monstrositys. He pondered as he watched his defence force fail, boots that stick to walls? How hath this happened!
He called on his Indyans, to fight. They had proven strong in small skirmishes, but ultimately fell to the Titans. Even an infamous sucker punch proved ill advised and had bomba'd. Though it did look glorious! Demodded but not denutted the general called out to his fanboys. "Find Kratos!" , and he whispered to colonel Kaz " it might be time. yes, yes i think it is." Sony looked forward and screamed " UNLEASH THE DOGS!!!"
Hardly a one to one comparison. You can't just 'flip a switch' on an entire hardware design months later. You CAN 'flip a switch' on bullshit, unnecessary policies that evidently affect the XBone's functionaly in no way whatsoever. Sony had to live with their bad press and mistakes and try to get their expensive crap to work out in the end, somehow.
MSoft just waited to see whether consumers would swallow their garbage or not. Thankfully many people weren't drinking the cool aid and today's Xbox is infinitely better than E3's machine.
Nah, it still is the dominant brand.
Wii was a fluke, that's much more apparent now. The casual market which flocked to that console have long since moved on to other things. There is no Nintendo brand for home consoles. No one, outside of a minority, really cares about them.
Xbox benefited due to PS3 launching at a ridiculous price and between 12-15 months after it in various regions. Even with that, PS3 has still managed to close the gap, and within a couple years, will ultimately be the best selling console of the last generation.
Neither Nintendo or Microsoft would be able to pull off what Sony did with the PS3 and the turn around the console experienced, and a huge reason for that is the power of the Playstation brand worldwide. Nintendo is already a non-factor with Krillin on his way to an early grave, and Microsoft isn't going to fare very well with the almost deliberate handicaps they're giving themselves.
This will be a repeat of the PS2 generation to a lesser extent. Nintendo will be languishing somewhere where no one cares, and whilst the Xbox One may do respectable numbers, the PS4 will be leading very comfortably worldwide.
I was never convinced to buy a 360. I've never been a fan of Microsoft since long before their entry into the gaming space, but I picked up an Xbox at the end of its generation for some interesting exclusives before turning it into an XBMC device. XBL's paywall and funmoney ecosystem was a huge turn-off for me, and then RROD continued to repel me from the device. I don't regret it, because by the end of last gen, nearly everything I was interested in was on PC or PS3 instead.
I was prepared to be convinced this time, though. I remember thinking before the XB1 reveal that if they can show me that they have a consumer-oriented outlook and proof of better software support I'd give them a chance. After failing to address the elephant in the room about various rumored policies at the time, I was convinced that this is the same Microsoft as ever, and I have no desire to give them my money.
It's good for them that they've turned around their xb1 policies, even if some of the details are vague for now, but I'm not buying.
I have my own concerns about the PS4, like the value of PS+ potentially being diminished now that it's "mandatory" for online play, but I'm more willing to take a chance on that being so happy with the PS+ service already and Sony's first party software support over the second half of last gen.
I'm envious of a couple games like D4 and Sunset Overdrive, Insomniac being one of my favorite developers, but I'd rather go without than support a company which is toxic to more than one of my hobbies.
I was prepared to be convinced this time, though. I remember thinking before the XB1 reveal that if they can show me that they have a consumer-oriented outlook and proof of better software support I'd give them a chance. After failing to address the elephant in the room about various rumored policies at the time, I was convinced that this is the same Microsoft as ever, and I have no desire to give them my money.
It's good for them that they've turned around their xb1 policies, even if some of the details are vague for now, but I'm not buying.
I have my own concerns about the PS4, like the value of PS+ potentially being diminished now that it's "mandatory" for online play, but I'm more willing to take a chance on that being so happy with the PS+ service already and Sony's first party software support over the second half of last gen.
I'm envious of a couple games like D4 and Sunset Overdrive, Insomniac being one of my favorite developers, but I'd rather go without than support a company which is toxic to more than one of my hobbies.
Destiny is going to be much bigger than Titanfall.
AdlaiSeven
Member
I Don't think they will gain markeshare. I just don't think they need to to be a success. The ps3 did not dominate, but I'd still argue it was a successful product.
CassidyIzABeast
Member
Kids to Adults. The OG version of E for Everyone.
There is no hype for destiny. Like at all.
travisbickle
Member
I wouldn't say it is "finding its stride", the race hasn't started yet.
I'd describe it more as the Xbox One has managed to free itself from the cement shoes and refrigerator tied to it's back that it turned up to the race with.
Still, you can't pretend carrying a refrigerator to the race event while wearing cement shoes won't affect your performance in the race.
I'd describe it more as the Xbox One has managed to free itself from the cement shoes and refrigerator tied to it's back that it turned up to the race with.
Still, you can't pretend carrying a refrigerator to the race event while wearing cement shoes won't affect your performance in the race.
Overall sales have them ahead by a small margin, but it's negligible unless you're only measuring success by overall sales or smaller market penetration. The 360 has a much higher attach rate and XBL still has many more subscribers than PS+. The PS3 was costing Sony a tremendous amount of money until the end of 2011. It was one of many reasons why Sony was beginning to fail as a business. A number of poor decisions and a failing Japanese electronics market didn't help any either.
The internet's perception of who will win this generation is pretty naive if you step back and view the companies as a whole. Sony has already come out and said they're spending much much less on the PS4 than they did on the PS3 so they wouldn't discourage investors. The R&D cost for these two consoles is more than likely night and day ($100 million spent on the , and the subsequent money spent on marketing, securing exclusives, and building a solid online experience will likely be huge for Microsoft and rather modest for Sony. We're already seeing this with Sony trying to buy up indie exclusives while funding mainly in house development.
Microsoft on the other hand has likely invested a tremendous amount of money just securing the current announced exclusives, and will likely take the burden of marketing these games as well. Not to mention their effort to subsidize the Azure network for developers that wish to use it. Microsoft is sitting on a huge amount of cash they needs to be reinvested. They're also trying to diversify their business as the PC market falls to the tablet market. Considering they have tens of billions of dollars in cash to spend, they have the tools to monopolize the industry by securing high profile exclusives. Their partnership with the NFL will likely lead to Xbox One ads dominating the NFL ad space the entire season, nudging a huge demographic in Microsoft's direction.
Microsoft's likely strategy at this point is to slowly chip away at any incentive to buy the PS4 over the Xbox One. Ultimately the price difference will be irrelevant if the system has the better exclusive games and features. Gamescom seems to have really swayed the media's perception of the system, though they still seem to be hesitant to give it too much praise. If the media did a 180 on the system then they would look rather ridiculous.
Sony's entire strategy has really been nothing more than trying to one-up Microsoft. They played on DRM paranoia, and it was pretty obvious their original intention was to launch the system at ~$499 and include the camera. The camera would help offset the system cost and would have surely made them a profit. Stripping that from the SKU and selling it at $399 will likely incur a low loss. Their hope was surely that Microsoft would launch above $499. Where they were really smart was to box their pay wall announcement between the price announcement and the DRM announcement. Microsoft got shit from gamers and the gaming media for years over their pay wall, yet they didn't bat an eye when Sony pulled this out of their hat.
Their undercutting tactic was essentially the same tactic they used to destroy the Sega Saturn (Sega didn't help themselves any, however). The difference between then and now is they're facing off against a financial titan. Both companies are going to see hefty losses, but it's much more detrimental to Sony than it will be to Microsoft. Sony Financial, along with Sony's movie and music division, is keeping their electronics division above whatever. While gamer's love to think the Playstation brand is lucrative for Sony, the reality is the PS3 was detrimental to their electronics division.
History has shown gamers are fickle fucks, so the majority will ultimately go where the games go. While I predict Sony will lead the way for the holidays, the hype surrounding Titanfall and the inevitable massive marketing campaign will win them spring.
TL;DR: Money talks, bullshit walks.
Surprisingly, this isn't the most condescending statement I've seen on the internet today, but it's close. More than dude bros play multiplayer shooters. I'm sure the majority of gamers on here purchase at least one of the major FPS franchises once a year. There are plenty of titles on both systems that are more than "grey-brown military shooters". Your subjective view of these games doesn't negate their widespread success. Nor does it take away from the inevitable success of Titanfall. The media has been gushing over this game and it has two of the biggest companies in the industry backing it.
CassidyIzABeast
Member
Destiny might be a dud.
Do most COD players even play the single player?
I mean, it's not KA in my house either, but I'm not Joe GameBro.
Unknown One
Member
The shooter to watch out for is BF4 not Titanfall. Battlefield has gotten a lot bigger. An exclusive for a console won't do much to sway the masses. It has plenty of influence sure. It can't compare to multi platform games like COD or Battlefield. COD is much bigger then Halo is. Titanfall is already at a disadvantage because it's on two consoles.
ThoughtsOfSpeaking
Banned
I can't believe this is a serious post. I don't want to get into a quote war, but damn. So many assumptions and wishful thinking.
First post as well? Goddamn.
T
thepotatoman
Unconfirmed Member
I really doubt one game could completely change things like that. Look at Halo and the original Xbox. Halo was gigantic, but it still lead to the xbox only selling 30 million overall.
And it's really early to say that Titanfall is going to be as big as Halo. Those types of games don't happen very often.
Yes, but look how much microsoft has to do to be on even grounds. The ps4 will remain number one. That price is going to hurt them when it comes to casuals around the world. Titan fall will do fine but it wont make one console dominate the other,especially when its available to 77 million 360 owners when it releases. The PS4 will most likely do even better in Europe this time. If they win NA fine, it wont matter on a world wide basis as the 360 has shown. The ps3 has surpassed it with many disadvantages. The ps4 has most of the advantages this time. So I do not understand how someone can say the XB1 will do better than the ps4. There will be no domination from either side, put PS4 will always be ahead.
Not sure what the launch Xbox One is even going to be at this point.
PS4 first, but if MS can show dedication to gaming on their console over the next year, I'll consider getting one next Xmas. Words are wind and timed 3rd party exclusives don't mean much to me, there's no substance there, only handing publishers money to keep games off of other platforms.
PS4 first, but if MS can show dedication to gaming on their console over the next year, I'll consider getting one next Xmas. Words are wind and timed 3rd party exclusives don't mean much to me, there's no substance there, only handing publishers money to keep games off of other platforms.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
It looks to have killer app written all over it from what I've seen.
I know you do, that is not what was in question. Objectively, its presence and marketing will sell quite a few consoles, but it's not a system seller per se, when you can play it on 360 and PC.
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