Four Mistakes Microsoft Should Correct Next Console Generation

"With more than 70 million units sold around the world and a particularly healthy commercial performance of late, there’s no doubt that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 system has more than held its own this console generation.

"But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement when the console’s successor rolls around. And with the new Xbox due to land at the back-end of next year, a number of shortcomings really should be addressed."

[theDECAY]

I think the difference between Xbox Live and PSN is getting smaller and smaller, so maybe a different revenue idea for Xbox Live. People aren't going to want to pay when they know they can get the same on PSN for free.

[legendof117]

I disagree. The numbers are growing for Xbox Live members.

[PirateThom]

XBox Live also includes Silver. As they sell more consoles, they get more users. Very simple. Microsoft don't give the numbers of Gold users same way Sony won't tell how many multiple region accounts people have or PS+ Subscribers.

[ALLWRONG]

Actually MS does give Live numbers and Gold is growing.

Nice try though

[LAWSON72]

No one is saying they are getting smaller thedecay is saying the gap between the two is getting smaller and smaller

[BitbyDeath]

Live only has around 12 million paid members which isn't very many.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011...

[EVILDEAD360]

Gold has always been around 50% of the overall Xbox Live number. It was quoted in 2010 at 12 million before Slim and Kinect and the 360 had its best holiday ever and certain people are still quoting the number even bought bough MS keep saying that there has been growth every single year.

Either way Xbox live has been far from a mistake. In fact it's been the 360s killer app the entire gen.

Evil

[mewhy32]

I agree with evadus. Xbox live is just getting bigger and bigger. Many many many more apps available on xbox live than psn. Psn also tends to lag more than xbox live for online play. Instead of Xbox live becoming more that PSN .... it's PSN that's becoming more like Xbox live....ie PSN Plus. Sony is pushing plus every chance it gets!!! Now to the article, I agree that Microsoft could do better with the exclusive market but from a business standpoint I can see why they don't. Xbox has a bigger install base and is outselling ps3 without many exclusive titles. Microsoft doesn't need exclusives to help keep Xbox 360 ahead of ps3. It's already ahead and has been since it's launch. As a gamer I would love to see more exclusives, (that's why I have a ps3), from microsoft, but as a student of business I understand why they don't. If you're already beating your competition, then why would you want to spend millions and millions on exclusive software development(like Sony does)? and shrink your profit margins????? Let the third party developers eat the cost. Microsoft gets licensing fees for every game sold (no development cost) and their console is already outselling the competition. More profit. I want more exclusives but I understand why that's not happening.
I agree with the author that I don't want to see microsoft rely on too much on kinect. It's ok for kids but that's about it. As for the Japanese market?? They are very loyal to japanese brands and companies. It's a small market also. Marketing dollars would be better spent in europe and the U.S.

[ravinash]

@ mewhy32

The reason MS should invest more in exclusives is because despite having a year head start to Sony, the PS3 has been slowly eating into MS lead to the point that world wide some reports say it has past xbox 360.
Of cause worldwide it's hard to prove one way or the other, but if MS want to keep the lead it needs to do more that just sit there thinking it doesn't need to do anymore.

Sony has had to cover a lot of ground to get PSN up to the same level as Xbox Live, and there are things they will not be able to fix until the next model Playstation comes out.
But when the next models do come out and people look back at the history of which console created the most exclusives for hard core gamers... which company do you think will come out on top if the online services were about the same but one had on line gaming free?

Other factors like timing and cost will also have an effect, but only time will tell.

[RuleofOne343]

Have paid for XBL now going on almost six years & even with free offering else where am still not interested , besides I like what am offered + friends ,family are all on their. (Let the disagrees for being different or like minded begin.)

[hazardman]

I have xbox live since it came out and just like you I have my friend and family on it. So hard for me to give up, but I hope that when new console comes out that Microsoft will have free online play. Either way I know I'm gonna buy it, but my kids will not be getting one if I still have to pay. I pay for mine in addition to 2 of my daughters and just yesterday my wife asked why are we paying for Internet and xbox live? Damn!!!

[Belking]

but you can't get the same for free. PSn still isn't as unified as xbox live and you still don't have cross game chat with ps3 on psn. There are still things MS does with live that are superior to that of psn. Things like download speed and unification are just a few things that live does better. Yes, sony has closed the gap but Live is still the better service. It will be hard for sony to best MS in this area because this is mostly software and this is something that ms does well. Live being better is only my opinion of course. I'm some will disagree.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

I agree, XBL is for unity and coming together for well, whatever you please. Along with fast DL speed constant updates, beacons among others such as F2P games, soon to be fully realized come next year.

I think the basic right out of the box standard multiplayer should be available free for the average Joe who just wants to game online. While his options to subscribe to be completely up to him.

Other than Live is great, it only improves and gets better. Next gen Live should be nothing short of amazing.

[TekoIie]

One thing I would like is steams level of sales. The amount I save on steam every year trumps that of BOTH PS+ and XBL's sales.

Genuine question! How come XBL and PS+ cant match Steam on this? Not trying to troll or anything just interested :/

[lfclee]

Totally agree why would I want to pay good hard earned money spending it on something that I can get free else where , that was one of the reasons why I quit Xbox and them annoying apps which I really don't need.

[Daoshai]

Because its better? It would actually surprise me if Sony doesn't charge with ps4. That'll be a fun day on n4g

[Godmars290]

But given that MS's main focus has become media in general and not just games, they probably figure that they'll be able to get away with charging for the "Xbox Experience".

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

They should make games. Would be a good idea.

[Dms2012]

Getting the hardware quality locked down out of the gate is my number 1 concern. Although I am pretty sure MS learned its lesson. More exclusives would be nice as well.

[jimbobwahey]

The sad thing is that PSN does everything Xbox Live does and more for free. It has full cross-game voice chat and party systems on the Vita already, for example. A handheld console offering a superior service to Xbox Live for free really makes you reconsider shelling out the stupid yearly fees Microsoft asks for.

[RuleofOne343]

You ever consider that maybe it's not what they offer , but maybe people buy what they prefer or like or feel comfortable with. Lets be honest just cause u like it doesn't mean everyone will like it , imagine if everyone liked the same thing that would be boring as hell.

@jimbobwahey more user as in having more than one free account , cause if that the case that not having more user. that's user having more than one account. So do you switch ISP when they suffer set backs outages seeing as how you pay for that services also or when the power goes out.

[jimbobwahey]

I imagine that's why PSN has way more users than Xbox Live yeah, a lot more people prefer what Sony offers and consider it to be a superior service I guess.

For me personally though, having owned a Xbox 360 since launch, I was really frustrated when the original Modern Warfare launched and Xbox Live went down for about a month. It was really frustrating to pay for a service that didn't even work, while PS3 owners could play the game online for free without any problems.

That was the time I decided to invest in a PS3 :)

[Daoshai]

Ugh fanboys annoy me

[Halochampian]

I dont know if I would say superior. I love the Vita's UI and everything for a handheld but one thing that always bugs me is the 15 minute minimum for message updates. I know its a battery hog and all but I would love it to be closer to instant. I could even handle 5 mins.

I enjoy Xbox Live's interface more but that's not to say PSN's is bad.

[MizTv]

True

[hazardman]

I disagreed only because I don't care about the vita having said features but my ps3 as most of my gaming is done on it. I'm not a handheld type dude!

[KrisButtar]

if the next box is going with the shoveware kinect 2.0, no thanks. i already lost fable which still bugs the hell outta me. hope they dont mess with my halo in the same way

[kneon]

If the next Halo includes the Master Chief dance off then you know they've jumped the shark ;)

[CyborgNinjaGreyFox]

they need to Continue with 360 lol

[JBSleek]

1.)Microsoft made a mistake on charging for online? That makes them billions and people are still willing to pay for it even when three other options are free. I don't define that as a mistake. I could understand if the numbers decreased rapidly and people left but try asking shareholders to stop charging for a rapidly growing service.

2.) Lack of exclusive. Debatable. There comes a Catch-22 in exclusives. Too few makes hardcore fans unhappy. While too many will cannibalize their own market. Yet, a valid argument non the less.

[Hicken]

1. It's a mistake from the standpoint of consumers. You know, which we are? I don't give a damn about the profit MS makes off it; they should be offering the service for free.

2. Debatable only in that they exist, but they haven't been plentiful in recent years. They don't even necessarily need the PS3's level of exclusives in recent years; half that- and variety, not just a bunch of shooters- would go a long way toward enticing the skeptics, like myself. Even if they just brought back more of the IPs they had at the start of this gen- and, hopefully, kept them coming- that'd be enough.

[hazardman]

Ok article some very good points. Xbox live needs to be free and MS does need new exclusives.. one thing I will say is that Ms did well even without exclusives and I never found myself saying oh I wish God of war was on xbox or heavy rain or any other ps3 exclusives. I just went and bought a ps3 to play them. My main gripe with Sony is long installs and updates, besides that everything else is good!

[Belking]

"Xbox live needs to be free and MS does need new exclusives.?

Last time i checked, xbox live is free.

[garos82]

Maybe that's cause your parents are paying for it

[MizTv]

Free access to mp would be a step in the right detection

[Rhythmattic]

^ that.

[AznGaara]

I don't ever see Xbox taking a hold of Japan. They tried this gen with games like Lost Odessy and Blue Dragon and even that couldn't help them.

[hazardman]

Xbox doesn't need to do well in Japan for it ti succeed. It proved that a long time ago. Japanese developers are awesome but its fair to say that the western developers ran the shown this gen and probably the next one aswell.

[RuleofOne343]

They don't need to throw all that cash away like they did this gen or last gen. all they need to do is provide enough content & games for those their that bought the system & stay relevant just incase some tire of the other two or want to try something else .

[Lvl_up_gamer]

lmfao

XBL a mistake? So now a billion dollar revenue making feature is a mistake? LMFAO. So many companies WISH they were making that "mistake".

[Qrphe]

1. charging for online
2. lack of worthwhile exclusives every year
3. heavy emphasis on Kinect

I can only think of 3. They actually tried getting into the Japanese market by getting some Japanese exclusives but it just didn't appeal to them.

[2v1]

xbl is not a mistake is the best invention to take money away from gamers but is ok there is nothing wrong if you like to pay , if you all like to pay so much i really hope Ms dont change a thing on the contrary hope they up the price so you all can keep paying and more.Have a Bless christmas and happy new year.

[Smokingunz]

I agree with belkin, and disagree with decay. Anyway, people have been paying for live for years, and those same people will continue to pay when xbox3 drops.I agree with the article though as far as live go's.it should be free to play online with MS new system. They gotten away with it this gen but things are different now, with all these tablets, pc and phones that are free to play online.

[medman]

I was a die hard ps2 gamer and never really played the original xbox. Sony pissed me off with pricing/lack of games with the ps3 launch this gen while the 360 had Mass Effect and Gears of War which completely convinced me I needed a 360. I bought a ps3 later in the cycle when the price came down and there were more games for the system I wanted. I have dollars to spend, but these companies need to sell me. I'm not thrilled with the advertisements on xbox live gold. When I'm paying money I don't expect to be bombarded with ads. If it were a free service it would be understandable, but it is intrusive and annoying at 50 bucks annually. If Microsoft continues to gouge gamers next gen with these ridiculous subscription fees, I may not buy what they have on offer. If Sony, or Valve, or Apple comes with something strong, that is the way I will go. I don't really have brand loyalty, I like good products that are reliable. The 360 has been anything but reliable this gen, yet microsoft did not suffer much backlash from gamers for it. I guess that's what happens when your pimp hand is strong. I want to see who wows me next gen. That will be the system that gets my initial dollars next gen.

[DevilishSix]

I am an xbl 10 year member and all I got was that stupid avatar helmet, lol. In all serious though, if Sony can get cross game chat into the PS4 and keep online gaming free then MS will lose many subscribers.

Yes Xbox needs more exclusives and I think MS is working on it. They opened up 343 for Halo. They put together that new team in Canada for a AAA next gen franchise. They purchased Twisted Pixel a little over a year ago. They still have Rare, Lionhead, Turn 10, etc. So I think next gen could be better.

The article mentioned where is Xbox's journey, well journey is brilliant and I love it, but to say Xbox did not have quality titles, then they forgot the likes of Mark of the Ninja that was a darn fine game GOTY contender with 90 average review scores so lets not trivalize the industry like the author does to try to make a point.

MS and Sony both have great exclusives with Sony having a few more.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

The over reliance on Kinect is bad. Ive had my 360 since launch and see no reason in getting Kinect it just dosent appeal. As for Japan 360 did have a few exclusive JRPGs but even that wasnt enough.

[OniXRuleZ]

Wait for the Four Mistakes Sony Should Correct Next Console Generation....! Fanboys, sites that want to hype, .... i hate all!!

[AD705]

How about the over reliance on dumb multimedia apps that no one even wants? If I'm gonna do Facebook, Twitter, youtube, web browsing, music, and all that other shot I'd rather just pull out my laptop, kindle, Pc, or even my cellphone to do these things. I really don't see the point of having them on a console. For those who disagree I guarantee that those ppl would rather do these things on other devices than do them on their 360 or other console of choice. There's also the BS of how I can't use things like Netflix, hulu, Bob go you can't even use unless you're a xbl gold member.

[NastyLeftHook0]

RROD, lack of exclusives, charging to play online, lack of bluray, bulky controller, and change the menu layout.

[Daoshai]

Eh? The controller rocks

[NastyLeftHook0]

it feels like your trying to grip a bowling ball.

[AlucardFury]

I just renewed my Gold membership, get mad at me internet!!! I don't mind paying for live, better online play, party chat and I dare to say more competition from its users. I can breeze thru a CoD or BF3 match on PS3 but sometimes I get my ass handed to me on Live. Overall I just prefer Live more. Auto syncing achievements and faster download speeds helps too. I do agree for the most part with the lack of exclusives though.

[Tzuno]

Big Hdd from launch.

[Dfooster]

I like Xbox live but don't like the prices they charge for games on demand. And it bugs me ps3 users get free games and we don't too. I think they should let people play online for free next gen but give perks to gold members. Maybe a free movie once a month to stream or a game that's a couple of years old for free. It would certainly make it more appealing.

I like my Xbox though and I'm 95% sure ill get the next Microsoft machine over the ps4. It just feels like a better machine overall than the playstation. When you pick up an Xbox pad compared to a ps3 pad the difference in build quality is noticeable straight away. Red ring of death aside the Microsoft machine is faultless and for me the clear winner in design terms this gen. The third party games run so much better on it than on ps3.

If Microsoft matches Sony for paid content next gen there's only one winner if this gen is anything to go by in terms of hardware.