Why Microsoft's Xbox Play Anywhere Doesn't Spell the End for the Xbox One

Microsoft revealed Xbox Play Anwhere during E3 2016, which lets gamers play specific titles on both Xbox One and PC. Is this the end of the Xbox One?

[Jimboms]

Their plan is an obvious ecosystem that encompasses home PC and console gaming, then they can murder sony.

[darthv72]

I wouldn't say murder sony... that part is just fanboyish. i will say that it is a very smart move to embrace the PC side of gaming and try and bring it all full center as one big unified gaming environment.

Cross-buy, cross-play are not exactly new ideas but they are new to MS and that is a good thing.

[slate91]

It is a good thing. And like you said, can be celebrated without bringing sony into this.

[badz149]

Of course Play Anywhere is not gonna kill the Xbone at least for the existing owners. But in terms of selling to new users? I don't think the Xbone is appealing because of its weaker hardware and paid Gold subscription. - not compared to the PS4 but to the PC.

[Benjammin25]

You're delusional if you think Microsoft are going to murder Sony. Their barely a blip on Sony's radar at this point. If anything, Microsoft have just murdered their own console by eliminating any reason to buy one.

[Death]

Sony isn't in the same league as a combined PC/Xbox market. Xbox and Win10 are much bigger than the console market is alone. Analyst are pointing towards PC gaining at a much faster rate than console in the near future. While Sony continues to close their system and move forward with proprietary hardware and software, Microsoft is looking to open their system up. Both are great platforms, but I think Microsofts is more viable for long term success. Sony is thinking too small, but that is a reflection on Sony as a company.

[Yetter]

if you're talking xbox vs playstation maybe. If you're talking MS vs Sony, sony isn't a blip on MS's radar

[xfiles2099]

Yes but how many of those PC gamers you think are going to run out and buy a Xbone. PC gamers game on PC Quite a few play on PS4 as well because they can not play PS4 Exclusives on PC. The PS4 and PC the perfect combo. No reason to own a Xbox of any kind.

[Kribwalker]

That's the point. PC gamers don't have to buy an Xbox. But with MS games they have now gone from an install base of 20 million to an install base of over 300 million. It'll still cost the same amount to develops the games but their ability to make money on them has erupted by more then 15 times.

[P_Bomb]

MS isn't gonna keep developing these expensive consoles if people dont buy them. Xbone didn't sell a lot and the Scorpio isn't going to knock out 30million either if the new plan is console upgrades every 3-4 years for $400+ a pop and games you can play elsewhere.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually pull a Sega and open their software up to PS or Nintendo as well. I keep hearing about install bases and making money off of software as the new focus. Well, there you go.

[BitbyDeath]

Xbox is going through some big changes (that you cannot deny), the move to PC is a transitioning phase and where that transition stops (with or without dedicated hardware) is still unclear.

Scorpio might be a testing ground to keep hardware pending sales OR it could be an open box of once they which spoke.

I'm not trying to scare anyone but changes ARE happening and they ARE going down a different path to Sony and the traditional console model.

[Sharky231]

Scorpio is going to be a beast! It's also gonna have a hefty price tag! Not every gamer is gonna jump on that wagon at first. The price might be why they decided to wait till next year. The parts could be more affordable by then.

[xfiles2099]

They will never murder Sony by releasing the same crap year after year. Plus there will be a lot of people who will decide to just play Xbox on PC. Microsoft has given you no reason to own a Xbone of any kind.Xbox has no Exclusives. Sony gives you a reason to own there console with great Exclusive games you can't play any where else. The more consoles sold the More Software sold simple Mathematics.

[MatrixxGT]

Money is in the software guy. And if these PC and PS4 owners buy MS/Xbox games on PC then that's a sale they would not have gotten otherwise.

Also all Xbox players are not just going to switch to PC. Forget it. I'm not, I'm happy with Xbox and PlayStation. I have no desire for a PC, sure I'm jealous of the better graphics and cheaper games but most PC exclusives are MMOs that I just do not have time to sink into.

This is a win win for everyone except people with only a PS4 and obviously MS games don't appeal to them anyway.

By merging Xbox and PC they just tripled their install base of platforms to sell software on.

[Kribwalker]

Bigger install base equals more sales you say. Well the ability to play Xbox games on PC has just made the install BASE jump to over 300 million.

[xfiles2099]

I love how you guys are now loving the PC when it was trash now you are counting on them as your user base man are you guys fucking retarded. Now it is all about Software sales now not console sales here is a newsflash most PC users hate Xbox and Microsoft most PC users dont play Xbox games Software sales show that.

[Shubhendu_Singh]

Xbox Play Anywhere :

Pros :
+ More Sales for MS Exclusive games*
+ (and everything with crosssaves/crossplay and whatnot)

Cons :
- No PC user will ever buy a XB1

This strategy is well when you KNOW majority PC user was not going to buy your console anyway (because of how things have turned out, look at 3 years of console and game sales. XB1 didn't move much needle in 2016). So MS just said, "Well atleast now we can get exclusive game sales revenue from PC users which we weren't getting because XB1 was not selling that much(which means certain sector of people won't buy MS exclusive games either because simply they can't without XB1)"

If PC users or other users were buying XB1 like hotcakes...MS won't had given two sh*ts about PCgaming. *And even now, WindowsStore will ONLY be used for games which are not available on Steam. If there is a game on Steam, only 0.5%(or even less) of PC users will buy it from WStore. (ofcourse if they fix it and allow non-company approved mods too then maybe something can happen)

it's not all doom and gloom. Far from it. Because as I said, This strategy only works when you're losing. There was NO WAY ON EARTH MS would had allowed exclusive games like Forza, Halo and Gears on PC if XB1 was selling like PS4. It's not a masterstroke...it's "atleast we got this!" strategy.

I know I will be downvoted to hell because people didn't read it or they couldn't understand it. I'm saying very simple things here. If it was such a good idea, what made MS wait so many years. Because it wasn't for X360 era when they were selling really really good. They even pulled back games that came alongside on PC just because to sell X360's.

[xfiles2099]

Well said and most PC users dont play Xbox games so why would they buy them. Also Pirates will eventually figure out how to pirate there games and get them for free.

[iTechHeads]

LOL......
You are joking right?

XB1 exclusive on PC means that XB1 has no exclusives. PC Gamers who also game on console can now sell their Xbox One knowing they can play Gears 4 this holiday on their gaming PC.

If you however are a console gamer, and only have an Xbox One, this doesn't really change much for you, except it makes your console a little less special.

[clintonbowman]

Stop that right now. STOP IT.

[2pacalypsenow]

Ms is going back to the Pre Xbox Days but still keeping a console around, Bring crimson skies back and it will 2000 all over again :) man I miss the early 2000's the 2010's suck

[christocolus]

Wow. Crimson Skies would be great.

[2pacalypsenow]

Midtown Madness too :-b

[Godmars290]

"and it will 2000 all over again"

You mean when they were being outsold 5 to 1?

[Paytaa]

And that didn't stop me from having arguably the best gaming memories on the OG Xbox. Never owned a PS2. Went from Dreamcast right to Xbox naturally.

[MatrixxGT]

The Prius outsold Ferarri 5 to1 too but....

[Foehammer]

Thanks for pointing that out..

MS has really bitten into their fanbase, going from 20% to 50%, no wonder Sony had to sell so many assets to stay afloat.

[2pacalypsenow]

Outsold in what? In 2000 they didn't have a console

[Fin_The_Human]

Crimson Skies!!!

Why can't someone bring back the dog fighting genre :(

[darthv72]

well technically you will be dog fighting in the new battlefield 1. i know that's not quite what you are looking for but hey... it's a start.

[Yetter]

xbox original emulation is gonna come eventually.

[Cy]

There are always going to be people who prefer to game on consoles over PC, just like there are people who would never buy a console. As long as Xbox games are exclusive to Microsoft platforms, Microsoft will be making money and will sell either consoles or Windows 10.

[Godmars290]

Its not going to help hardware sales. Is likely to strengthen or entrench the brand, at least as fr as North America is concerned, but not hardware.

[ITryToGame]

Doubt it won't sell hardware , the masses don't game on PC. Consoles exist for a reason. PC only gamers won't change from this ecosystem, PC and Console gamers get their option with play anywhere and console only gamers will choose consoles.

Gamers win no matter what and I don't see how fanboys are spinning that in a negative way.

[Kribwalker]

2 systems in the top 20 and 3 in the top 100. Not bad. 1 ps4 in at number 50 for comparison sake

Meant to reply to rookie

[Rookie_Monster]

Don't know man, the 2tb XB1 S is currently the best selling videogame item on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bes...

I imagine when the $299 is released, the xbox One will sell even more. Don't underestimate price and the facts that there are more people playing on console than those that have a PC rig to play them. That is and will continue to be the case now and in the future. All MS is doing is making their games as another option on an additional platform that they own.

[Godmars290]

Cause new tech has never been announced, bought up, then resold on Ebay at a marked up price.

That's never happened...

[Rookie_Monster]

@Godmars29015m ago
"Cause new tech has never been announced, bought up, then resold on Ebay at a marked up price."

Yes, true to a certain extend but it only happens to highly sought after tech though. So if that is the case, great job Phil and Team.

For example, people buy newly release iPhones all the time to sell it at higher price because it is highly desire. But I don't ever recall people doing that to a phone like a Sony Experia.

Either way, good news for MS.

[Yetter]

@Godmars290 thats a pretty lame defense. This isn't the wii, its an XB1. consumers already know what it is, they aren't gonna resell for 500$, nobody would pay that

[Yetter]

Wow, didn't expect that.

[SaveFerris]

Most likely Xbox One early adopters upgrading.

[Godmars290]

"nobody would pay that"

New adapters will. They always do. All that has to happen is a shortage from them not being made fast enough early on. Three to six months later is when the numbers begin to matter.

[iceman06]

It's new. That's what happens. Hell, the PSVR sold out of pre-orders in a week. That's not a trend indicating that it will take over gaming. It just means that early adopters are doing their thing. I'm not downplaying what MS has done. I'm must saying that this is the usual upswing for new game tech. It will sell...especially early. What MS needs to do is keep that sales momentum. While offering their games for PC is good business and should get them some revenue, it's not adding momentum to console sales. Which was part of Godmars point. They will sell more games, strengthen the Xbox Live brand, but effectively diminish the "need" (in the business sense) for the console. You might not agree, and that's fine. It's all anecdotal at this point. But, this reasoning is a valid and logical outcome of the strategy.

[DillyDilly]

If Madden & all of the sports games were on PC at least an XBOX would not be needed once all of the exclusives end up on PC

[iTechHeads]

Xbox really isn't needed though, especially now that games like Gears and Halo are on PC.
The PS4 is the only console that a gamer needs these days.

If Microsoft is serious about the "Play Without Boundaries" thing, bring Halo and Gears to PS4.

[Foehammer]

Sony is afraid of EA Access and won't allow gamers the choice

Do you really think they would open up to the MS Store?

[morventhus]

All MS needs to do is put steam on the XBone and we finally will have the steam machine the world wants.....

[pompombrum]

There will always be console only gamers out there and as long as the Xbox looks enticing, people will buy it. I'm more interested seeing the long term effect this strategy will have on third party sales. I mean if you're a hardcore gamer with a decent gaming PC, why would you pick an Xbox One over a PS4 for your console gaming needs?

[Kerppamaister]

Preferences. Thats like asking about music or movies why someone prefers this and not that. And for some people it seems impossible that others like Xbox more than Playstation.

[xfiles2099]

Really people will buy it explain why Microsoft will not reveal there numbers then. Xbox is and has been getting there asses kicked by Sony players voted with there wallets. Microsoft will have sales giving the Xbone away and Sony still wins How many price drops have they had.

[MatrixxGT]

Well if you have a PC you would either buy a PS4 for Sony exclusives...or buy a X1 and be able to play your Xbox/PC titles on the system wherever you want.

I would choose the PS4 route. MS essentially just turned the PC userbase into a potential Xbox userbase on top of the console userbase. Third party not going to give a shit because they aren't going to turn into ps4 exclusives. They aren't going to ignore the Xbox and PC market. Haha, really?

[iceman06]

There wasn't much risk of 3rd parties ignoring Xbox, even without the PC crowd. That's basically why they want to remain 3rd party...to maximize profits. The strategy is aimed at getting extra revenue from the PC base for little more effort and expenditure than putting it on their own store. (which I believe is part 2 of the strategy...get some of that STEAM money) It's a very different approach, but smart. Now, let's see how well it works.

[MCTJim]

Buy once and play anywhere...awesome

[Sweendog007]

I don't understand why people can't see the logical step ms are taking

Xbox live is the platform that connects all devices and let's them talk, just like apple has a various laptops and desktops aimed at Diffrent types of users from basic to pro to experts . Ms are doing the same , basic Xbox to Scorpio to more advance in PCs

It's a great move and what you might find if its successful enough , PC games on steam may see an opportunity to make more users and money by bring games to play anywhere

Like sims or football manager ... That could be a possibility may not happen but the foundation is being laid now for more games and choice , not ports of PC games , but full blown games , HD , 4K , 3D , VR can all be used acroos one system of the developer wants to use it ... Makes sense

[andresegr]

As long as Microsoft, and more importantly the Xbox fans, cope out with the idea that from now on the Xbox consoles wont ever, EVER, EEEEVER touch again the Xbox 360 numbers, everything is fine.

80 million consoles sold will be impossible to achieve.

Nothing to worry tho, Microsoft PR team is more than happy to complement the sales with other important facts, like zombies killed on Dead Rising 4, Miles traveled in Forza Horizon 3 or hours spent playing Halo Wars 2 Multiplayer.

WAIT! Is this 2013?! I had to check my calendar twice, daaamn.

[ShottyatLaw]

Killing tons of zombies in an action game, racing miles in a racing game, and competing for hundreds of hours in an RTS sounds like a much more enjoyable experience than spamming F5 on Vgchartz. But to each their own, I guess.

[andresegr]

Just trying to have healthy discussions with you fellas while im kinda free in the office my friend.

[slate91]

Lol. You seriously think people waste their time worrying about sales numbers like you do? Like shotty said, people are doing what they bought the machine to do.

[BumpFrankie]

You completely miss the point. There's a HELL of a lot more money to be made through software for 200 million Windows 10 devices than there would be for 80 million Xbox Ones. Especially considering console sales makes either none or extremely minimal profit per unit sold.

It's really not a hard concept to understand, but you keep up your delusions kid.

[andresegr]

We both are talking about W10 Store right? LOL

Nobody is using that piece of trash man!

Microsoft is cornered, on the console side they have Sony (which they have never been able to beat, never).

On the other side they have Steam, well...they have it easier with Sony.

hehehe

[BumpFrankie]

@andresegr
It's their exclusives that they are trying to sell. Literally the only ways to play those games are on Xbox or Windows 10 Store. I don't disagree that there needs to be vast improvement to the Windows 10 Store, but the principal is that if a person finds the GAME to be exciting and wants to buy/play it - they can only do it on either the XBO or through the W10S. They cannot get the exact game on a Sony console nor on Steam.

[rlow1]

Like I said on another thread. Their going from console game exclusive to service game exclusive.

[andresegr]

Nobody wants to use W10 store my friend.

Ive never seen ONE person talking positively about the W10 store.

[Yetter]

It needs a lot of work. It would be really nice if I could buy on the windows store but still use steam as the launcher.

[rlow1]

Doesn't change the fact that this is where you'll buy the games MS puts out. Phil did say they would launch some games on steam but not all. Again, any device can download from their service. Games that would have been exclusive to only Xbox1 will now be exclusive to their download service. Hopefully they will improve W10 store.

[Yetter]

So in my situation, I live with my wife and we share things like consoles, PCs and TVs. It makes a ton of sense for me to own an xbox and a PC. I can buy a game once, my saves carry over if I move from PC to console, and the real plus is me and my wife can play multiplayer games together with only one purchase, no splitscreen necessary

[thisgamer503]

It's really not all that hard to understand if you've been part of the PC gaming community for the past decade or so. I have a GPU that is a few years old now. I can still play BRAND NEW games coming out today. On more powerful hardware, there are better effects, resolution, AA, AF, but overall we still play the same game. When I choose to upgrade my CPU/GPU then I can take advantage of all the extra effects. I see Scorpio/Neo giving the same performance boost to games. The same games will release but the more powerful consoles will obviously provide better FPS, resolution(if needed), better effects, AA.

[Xavy]

MS should put there games on Steam if they want to sell there games,

[King_Lothric]

I see Microsoft going full PC again if they keep loosing that bad against Sony in the console market. This strategy will help them transition to PC.