All Channels
Popular
190°

Former Xbox Exec Explains Why Microsoft Encouraged The Console War

Peter Moore has revealed how the console wars narrative helped foster a competitive spirit at Xbox.

Read Full Story >>
gamespot.com
MIDGETonSTILTS171379d ago

For money.

And because brand loyalty can help you hold onto a market share without actually having anything new to retain said share of the market.

XbladeTeddy1379d ago

Brand loyalty isn't helping, what's helping them keep market share is Gamepass (yeah I know you either love it or hate it but it's working well for them). They're just trying to do what Valve did with Steam. Games aren't their main focus. A platform for games seems to be their direction now.

MIDGETonSTILTS171379d ago (Edited 1379d ago )

We’re talking about the Xbox 360 era, you dodo bird.

Ie, the lead up to the Xbone’s drought. Brand loyalty 100% kept Xbox afloat between the Halo/Gears era and the Game Pass era.

When they promised for a decade that “the games ARE coming”, were they planning Game Pass at the time, or making promises to break (and relying on blind loyalty to tolerate it)?

Lightning Mr Bubbles1379d ago

That era was insane, might be the reason N4G even exists. I still remember Peter Moore would show off tattoos of each exclusive Xbox would steal from Playstation 3. And the N4G community was on fire, each story would get like 300 comments of fanboys fighting each other.

darthv721379d ago

...and the open zone was like the wild west

Godmars2901379d ago (Edited 1379d ago )

How come that "competitive spirit" never translated into regular production of games? Not even talking quality games just games in general.

There were like 2-3 game droughts during the 360 era alone.

Bathyj1379d ago (Edited 1379d ago )

The Xbox OG was a great console. They were hungry, they wanted to break into the industry. The hardware was great. They kept that drive for a while with 360. It started strong, with good games. But they lost their vision and direction and games took a backseat. And they never recovered and have had lacklustre output ever since.

And I can pinpoint the exact moment it happened. E3 2009. The day Kinect was unveiled. It was literally the time Xbox lost their way. That's a long time to be so bad at something and still in it. They hardly realeased a game after that and we thought the next gen launch would be stacked. It wasn't.

XBOne was their worst console for games releases and again we thought the next launch would be stacked. Again it wasn't.

I swear if it wasn't for their Trillions of dollars there's no way they could still exist in this business. Is that a good thing? Should we cheer for a rich kid whose dad bought their way into a team when they can't perform?

Now they want to turn gaming into a bargain basement bin because they can't compete in quality and they can't compete selling games, so they want to starve their completion out or force them to follow suit. They're buying up everything they can to win their war of attrition.

I'm nearly 50, been gaming over 40 years and I think this could be my last gen. I'm glad this is happening now towards the end of my gaming, not the beginning. If I was starting now gaming wouldn't have been as big a part of my life as my was. Just not into the direction it's taking.

Godmars2901379d ago

They were arrogant.

They may have been hungry, had an apatite, but above all they were arrogant.

Thought that as a major PC company they could easily move into consoles, take the #1 spot from Sony the way they had from Nintendo, then move consoles towards PC. That's where they lost their way; not being focused on consoles in the first place. Kinect, an unfinished add on they intended to make the main system, was just the cherry on top.

FlavorLav011379d ago

Amen. I’ve been saying the same thing to my buds. Feels like I’m aging out of my lifetime favorite hobby. Time to find new things to care about in between the long droughts of high tier titles I remember all 3 major console manufacturers (4 if we’re including Sega) making for us to enjoy. The 3rd party stuff were always the side dishes for me compared to many of the big amazing 1st party IPs we came to know each company for. Sony and Nintendo seem like the only ones truly still running with that torch the best they can.

Lightning771378d ago Show
Bathyj1378d ago

Typical arrogant head in the sand Microsoft fan response. In case you're too dense to notice I didn't always game on only PlayStation. I was on Xbox from the start. I bought all consoles. Not my fault they are an absentee landlord. Can't provide for the platform they made.

The only good thing you guys can talk about now is gamepass and the only good thing you can say about that is that it's cheap, not that it's good. I don't want cheap, I want good. So no need for Xbox. And I'm not alone. Why does that disturb you?

You're right but, when PS6 rolls around I will likely still get it cause at least someone is still doing games the right way and that should be nurtured.

High quality, high frequency. No gamer can deny that. If you do youre just painting yourself green.

Lightning771378d ago (Edited 1378d ago )

"The only good thing you guys can talk about now is gamepass and the only good thing you can say about that is that it's cheap, not that it's good. I don't want cheap, I want good. So no need for Xbox. And I'm not alone. Why does that disturb you?"

No you got it all mixed up. You were the one complaining about what MS is doing and there direction then you said you were going to quit gaming because of it. Sony's following suit to some extent. Did you not say that? You're just complaining, about things just whine. You said Gamepass isn't good and it's bargain bin games. Any rational person can see that's it's not. You don't gotta shill or fanboy out for gamepass to see that it's generally a good service. Unless you call, Naraka Blade: Blade Point: TMNT As Dusk Falls upcoming high on life plus more bargain bin games. Is Guardians Of The Galaxy Bargain bin game? How bout Redfall and Starfield next year those bargain bin games? Wo Long also? It's a Mix of 3rd and 1st party stuff. Everyone likes Stray and it's a 4 in a half hour game. Luckily that's on the premium because 30$ is hefty for that type of experience. is that bargain now? How bout Sifu? You live in a glass house You speak from inexperience and hate. You need to develop self awareness in the stuff you say and stop speaking from angry emotion. Your not making sense.

"You're right but, when PS6 rolls around I will likely still get it cause at least someone is still doing games the right way and that should be nurtured."

Well you just admit it you weren't going anywhere like I said you weren't. See you not doing nothing.

"doing games the right way." well weren't Sony fans kicking and screaming whenever Sony announces they're putting their games on PC? I'm glad you're finally accepting the reality of things, that Sony isn't your best friend, but a buissness, that's like making money.

MIDGETonSTILTS171378d ago

Try a PS5. And if you didn’t have a PS4, then they have a great upgraded back catalogue ;)

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1378d ago
VenomCarnage891378d ago

Because it's easier to smack talk the competition while just pretending you are a legit competitor. That way those who don't know better can pick that side and defend it for 20 years straight, despite still not being given games on a regular basis

Godmars2901378d ago

To their credit MS has bad mouthed Sony or Nintendo. Just kept insisting that they had the best gaming platform while typically having nothing that really lived up to the claim. Even now it seems the best they can do is buy 3rd parties.

Their fans on the other hand, people some idiot marketing person chose to actively whip up, is a whole other thing sadly.

Show all comments (19)
60°

Take-Two CEO Once Again Side Steps Grand Theft Auto 6 Price Point

Strauss Zelnick says price of GTA 6 is being carefully considered and that Rockstar is focused on "making the most spectacular piece of entertainment on Earth."

Kuma12d ago

If GTA 6 abandons everything that made GTA 5 great, it will crash and burn right out of the gate. GTA 5 was funny and not at all PC. My worry is that they will cave to the PC crowd and ruin the vibes.

Eonjay12d ago

They got freaking BBLs twerking on the top of trucks for the gram, the freaking Flordia joker, and dude running down the stree in their undies and you are worried about it being 'too PC'? The internet has runied gamers. It doesn't matter how non-PC they make the game, you will all listen to the grifters telling you not to believe your lying eyes lol.

gigoran812d ago

"Rockstar Games’ co-founder and former VP of Development Jamie King said he envisions GTA 6 as a game that’s “maybe not quite as edgy or quite as funny” as its satirical predecessors."

oh yeah, totally internet grifters spreading rumors...

blacktiger12d ago

That's part of the plan, they destroyed you but they need to destroy the shareholders? Only 1 shre holder is the true elite that don't care

1nsomniac12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

Meh.., if it’s above £55 I ain’t buying it.

Rockstar are genuinely not half the company they used to be. I was a die hard GTA fan I’ve purchased every game and expansion and spin off day 1.

My opinion of GTA6 is that I can take it or leave it. Not bothered. They burnt too many bridges.

DaReapa12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

So they're actually leaving the door open for an L.A. Noire sequel? Nice!

VaNdAl12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

He should just come out and say it already it's getting stupid it's going to be a 100 bucks $200 for the special edition🤡🤡; 29315;🤣♿

Storm2312d ago

I won't be getting this game until I can get it for $70. SHoot, I could wait for it to be even lower. I don't need the game that badly as my backlog is still huge and I am enjoying playing other things.

Show all comments (13)
40°

Talking Aliens: The Video Games With Author Mike Diver

Skewed and Reviewed have posted an interview with Author Mike Diver about his pending book on Aliens video games.

70°

Xbox boss: Memory crisis could impact next-gen hardware pricing

Xbox boss Asha Sharma has discussed how component shortages will impact the company's plans for Project Helix.

Read Full Story >>
gamedeveloper.com
Eonjay13d ago

When does this end? Its killing everyone. Consoles and PC. And for what? AI? The benefits of AI are completely outweighed by the negatives. And the government should have never allowed one company to buy up all the RAM.

Lexreborn214d ago

This kind of proves this is an after thought product, most products like this are in r&d 5 years before they start mass producing. So they typically have the cost of components and things worked out long before assembly starts.

This is an assumption still, but I wouldn’t be surprised if project helix is similar to Scalebound,perfect dark and sod3. They had an idea but no actual execution other than concept stage. Being impacted by the ram shortage likely would also put this device 3-4 years out.

I’m not even sure MS has that endurance with Xbox yet

Fishy Fingers14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

I mean.... what?

We're at a point that Samsung wont even provide their own phone department ram because they can sell it at higher prices to 3rd parties (AI). Its more profitable to sell the ram than make their own devices with it.

You think because R&D starts 5 years ago the 3rd party component manufacturers will honour that price? They'll sell it to whomever is paying the most today, not some gentlemens agreement they made years ago. AI farms will buy more volume at higher prices than any console manufacturer will. It'll be the same for Playstation.

Lexreborn213d ago

Contractual agreements are not the same as “gentlemen” agreements. If you think that they work with their distributors a month before production then their entire business model is trash. They work with companies like nvidia constantly for building the graphics cards they need. They work with companies that build motherboards years in advance. This is what proper business planning does.

They are not buying components on a whim like a consumer. So again, considering the ram isn’t a singular module and is integrated into the motherboard I highly doubt they wouldn’t have a final schematic that they are supposed to be building around.

If they are delaying production another 3 years then it’s obvious again this is an after though project and is just trying to be responsive to their bad execution they had the last 14 years.

It also isn’t far fetched to use their failure to produce first party titles the last 7 years including the highly anticipated games I mentioned all being cancelled. That they would continue to you know… lie

Sitdown14d ago

You don't really know how this works huh?

Profchaos14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Helix is going to be stupidly expensive

Instead of leaning into smarter upscaling techniques they're brute forcing hardware that will cost them dearly and it remains to be seen if it's genuinely going to provide a meaningful differential

I know in the oc.doace people like to brag about not using frame gen or dlss to get to high on a game but for the majority of players they happily use those technologies without a second thought

That's going to be ps6 vs Helix

Eonjay13d ago

Yeah with FSR 5 they should be able to offer a much cheaper version of Helix.

Eonjay13d ago

While this does seem to be the case, I am encouraged by the statement from Microsoft about wanting to provide affordable options. If this means a Series S style Helix, at least there will be something affordable being offered.

XBManiac13d ago

Series S is what has killed Xbox Series so... Will they dare?

blacktiger14d ago

It's called systematic inflationary. Yes we get it Microsoft, keep raising in the name ofall kinds of stuffs

pwnmaster300014d ago

Honestly if there was thing I learned from this generation is that new consoles arnt day one anymore.
I can wait 1-3 years.

DarXyde14d ago

Another important lesson from this generation: while Nintendo showed us that prices don't necessarily need to ever drop, we've now learned that waiting 1-3 years does carry some risk that prices increase. This generation is just bizarre in all the wrong ways.

LucasRuinedChildhood14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

The factors are largely external. Covid and Russia-Ukraine war causing inflation led to the first price increase in 2022.

Then we get Trump's tariffs increasing hardware prices, AI boom causing a RAM crisis, war on Iran causing a worldwide fuel crisis which impacts the cost of everything.

Gaming doesn't exist in a vacuum. The last few years have been a shitshow and lot of it was definitely avoidable.

DarXyde13d ago

LucasRuinedChildhood,

For sure. No disagreement on the external factors doing a lot of this. Where I have to gently push back however is on two fronts:

1. The pandemic definitely caused some issues: asynchronous development was a big issue and really complicated timelines and affected game quality. At the same time, when it comes to price hikes, it's really difficult to know what was genuine necessity and what was taking consumers for a ride. The pandemic brought about "stag-flation" which was increasing prices and stagnant wages, which was a problem caused by supply chain constraints. There was also "Greed-flation", where companies that were slightly affected or had no issues took advantage of the situation and squeezed everyone citing supply chain issues when there were none.

2. It's definitely true that the tariffs, AI boom, and RAM crisis were all things enabled by tech broligarchs throwing money at this caricature of a world leader, one of them being Satya Nadella. I don't think Sony and Nintendo have contributed much to this problem if at all, but Microsoft's Nadella I feel was instrumental in causing every one of those issues. Microsoft as a company contributed to both candidates (though they gave Harris 4x as much if I recall), but Nadella was all in on letting AI run wild. He paid for unregulated AI, and got a war that's not a war (even though Trump called it that at least five times on television) that screwed up helium access. So for me, I feel that one of the players in the gaming industry is a key architect of these issues, and for that reason I struggle a bit to think of it as "external".

Show all comments (28)