Microsoft's New Plan for Xbox

Escapist Magazine: Microsoft is promising a whole new Xbox, with multiple new services and consoles in the works. But has Microsoft really learned from past mistakes? Microsoft made the second-biggest Understatement of the Year last week when Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox said, “We’ve not always lived up to our aspiration of keeping gamers at the center of everything we do when it comes to the experience they’ve had on Windows.” I think it would be more accurate to say that they’ve failed at living up to the most basic expectations of consumers, but I guess the other way sounds nicer. I’d prefer it if the company admitted to specific mistakes so we knew what faults they were supposedly trying to improve.

[Razzer]

"(For nitpickers who want to claim that Microsoft doesn’t control PC gaming: I realize that people do sometimes play games on MacOS and Linux, but those platforms have such a tiny market share that they just don’t matter to big publishers when deciding where to release their games. )"

Microsoft does not control PC gaming and not because of the existence of Mac and Linux. Because Windows is an open platform and becasue of the existence of platforms such as Steam, GOG, EFS, Origin, Uplay, etc. where Microsoft receives none of the revenue and dictates nothing to those companies.

"Putting Microsoft first-party titles on Steam makes it seem like Microsoft is conceding. Is the company really going to swallow its pride and pay tribute to Valve? Is the company ready to accept that, despite its best efforts, it will never control the marketplace on PC?"

lol.....way to just contradict the hell out of your previous statement. So somehow MS controls PC gaming but doesn't control the PC gaming marketplace? Come on. If there is one company who can be described as having the most control over PC gaming it is Steam and that is because of its marketplace.

"I seriously doubt that Microsoft is changing plans due to a change of heart. My guess is that the company is changing strategies not because we didn’t like the old strategy, but because the old strategy wasn’t working. This is the equivalent of “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”"

They are adapting. MS is going to Steam for its marketplace for the same reason Sony may be going to MS for Azure. Because someone else does that job better than they do. Phil Spencer admits they have done a poor job with PC. These are good steps in the right direction.

"The company that made Games for Windows Live is once again promising to serve PC gamers. Based on their track record, I’d feel safer if they went back to ignoring us."

Games for Windows Live? Uh.....a lot has changed since then. Time to move on. Regardless, the fact remains whether MS ignores PC gaming or not, PC gamers are 100% free to ignore MS if they choose to.

[UltraNova]

Do you really find the author's apparent scepticism on MS's future promises that strange?

"a lot has changed since then. Time to move on." Yes we should move on if and when MS proves they have changed aka fullfil their promises first.

[Razzer]

Sure, but if you have to yank the carcass of Games for Windows Live out of the grave then you are really reaching to make a point. MS has a long history and a lot of it wasn't very good, but should we trudge up their dealings with Apple in 80s as well? Skepticism is fine, but keep it current and relevant. This article is another level of cynicism. The support for Win32 on Windows 10 store front is a GOOD thing. This guy dumps on it as "symbolic" in importance and then says MS is scaling back on plans to lock-down Windows 10. lol....what? Game Pass is "just another" subscription service and questions the need for it. If it isn't needed then no one will buy it. What is the problem? It is like he is ranting for the sake of ranting.

This guy is all over the place. I'm liking what I'm hearing about MS and Windows 10, but again, whether I buy anything from MS or another market is still completely up to me so I don't see the problem.

[rainslacker]

GFWL. Metro. Now the windows store which isnt exactly lighting up the press, and they barely push it in windows itself. It's not even on the default start menu.

MS isnt likely to.abandon the windows store, but they have history, and MS history is abandoning things which aren't working for them. Going to steams they can sell their games, but it doesn't achieve their goals for windows, which MS cares about a lot more.

For all of MS bravado about gaming on PC, their only real relevance to PC gamers is that's the OS theh have to use, and DirectX. DX is competing hard against OGL right now, as Vulcan is way ahead of MS in this area of new APIs, so for all intents and purposes this is MS trying to leverage its xbox brand to promote the idea they are a big player in the PC gaming space, when their only relevance is that they have a commonly used API, they have their own store front, and they publish some games. If a suitable OS came out that didn't require users play on windows and got the same support, MS would lose it's only tangible reason to have players support them.

MS not only neglected PC gamers for years, they actively held back gaming on PC but locking DX upgrades behind new versions of windows for no good reason. Win10 is supposed to remedy that, but MS does whatever is best for MS, and that seems to change often. Even if ms says the right things now. Even if they do the right things now, it doesn't mean anything the moment their next big idea for how to control the world comes down the pipeline...which for ms can be everytime a new CEO takes over.

[indysurfn]

Microsoft said they learned after the reveals detail showed a hugh cancellations.

Then there is the current situation in China where they are doing all the bad things and MORE. So much for learning.

Oh wait Microsoft said they learned that people don't want all digital either. Five years later they release
a xbox one that is all digital! And has not disc drive! DUH!

[bluefox755]

My problem with MS is that they have a long history of over promising and under delivering, it's a rare occasion that the hype they create ever ends up in more than disappointment.

[UltraNova]

Bingo.

[trooper_]

Pretty much this.

They need walk the walk, not just talk.

[Obscure_Observer]

Microsoft has the most relevant platform on PC. Ask their competitors such Sony and Valve.

[Razzer]

@Obscure_Observer
"Microsoft has the most relevant platform on PC. Ask their competitors such Sony and Valve."

Windows is the most relevant OS on PC. Valve is the most relevant client marketplace on PC and the single most important company in PC gaming. Simply a fact. Sony.....what the hell are you even bringing up Sony for?

@Psychotica
"Well Microsoft certainly has an influence on PC gaming since they control Windows which Steam, Origin and the very games themselves rely on."

No....they don't. Windows is an open platform. Until they close the platform then they hold no sway over those companies.

[NarutoFox]

"Microsoft has the most relevant platform on PC. Ask their competitors such Sony and Valve."

You had to bring up Sony. LMAO

[RememberThe357]

The guy is surely all over the place and he does step on his own claim of MS PC gaming dominance. But the last two pointsyou make don't really hold water for me.

You say MS is adapting, then say that Spencer has admitted they've done a poor job of serving PC gamers. That's basically the same thing the author said, but said nicely. MS realizes they've made mistakes with PC gaming and they need to change their approach. That's more than just adapting to a changing market, they need to capture that market before they start adapting to it's changes.

You then try to shred the guy for bringing up Games for Windows Live which does seem like a good comparison IMO. To me it shows MS moving from a model that tried to monopolize every market they were in to a model that's just trying to survive in the market. It also goes to the last point of this idea that MS could bring all of PC gaming under it's own umbrella and people pushed back dramatically. It wasn't MS "adapting" when they shut down Games for Windows Live, it was consumers saying "fk that!" to their whole idea of the platform. Same thing happened when the Xbox One was announced.

MS has found itself in a "boy who cried wolf" situation. They've told gamers so much and then disappointed so much that it's not hard for people to dismiss anything they have to say.

MS and EA both need to pull a "No Man's Sky" - shut the hell up and get to work.

[Razzer]

@RememberThe357

"You say MS is adapting, then say that Spencer has admitted they've done a poor job of serving PC gamers. That's basically the same thing the author said, but said nicely. MS realizes they've made mistakes with PC gaming and they need to change their approach. That's more than just adapting to a changing market, they need to capture that market before they start adapting to it's changes. "

They can't "capture" the market until they adapt. But I don't want them to "capture" anything. I want them to compete and to compete they have to adapt. By embracing Steam, they are doing just that. That is the adapting I'm talking about.

And I didn't "shred the guy" for bringing up Games for Windows Live. The author was using Games for Windows Live as an example of a reason not to trust MS. He wasn't it referencing to say how much MS has changed. But to that point, I agree with your characterization of what happened there and how consumers reacted.

"MS has found itself in a "boy who cried wolf" situation. They've told gamers so much and then disappointed so much that it's not hard for people to dismiss anything they have to say. "

Now that I absolutely agree with. So many damn promises and they have delivered so damn little. And had that been the author's point then I would have been more sympathetic, but as we both said.....the guy was all over the place and really didn't make a good argument, imo.

[RememberThe357]

I can't argue with your point about adapting, I did a poor job explaining my thought there. It was more about the semantics of the words and how "adapt" in that context inplied, to me, they're already competitive, which is arguable. They are, in fact, adapting but it's less to the changing times than the industry they massively misread. They were never as competitive as they wanted to be and frankly never really posed a threat to Steam.
The authors statement of "if you can't beat them, join them" seems apt in this context. MS has gotten thrashed in the PC field because IMO they were too aggressive in a market that values choice and freedom. So to me the author made a good point. They're finally seeming to understand we want them to be competitive through consistent quality products not sh!tty business practices.

Also, my comment about shredding the guy was hyperbole for sure. You did not, in fact, leave him in tiny pieces.

My defense of his arguments may come down to the fact that he shares his perspective about as vaguely as I do. I did however dislike the tone the author set with the piece, it was a bit too negative for my taste. It's one thing to be sceptical, I think that's healthy, but being that negative as if you can see the future and failure is imminent is just exhausting to read through.

[Psychotica]

Well Microsoft certainly has an influence on PC gaming since they control Windows which Steam, Origin and the very games themselves rely on.

[skiggy34]

He was saying Linux and Mac OS are so small in vs Windows. Most people on pc's are running Steam, GOG etc in MICROSOFT WINDOWS... MS gets paid for every PC that has Windows..... get the point??

[Razzer]

No, he explicitly said Microsoft controls PC gaming.

Another example:
"For the last 18 years there have been four AAA gaming platforms: Xbox, Playstation, PC, and Nintendo’s console line. Microsoft effectively controls half of all gaming platforms. "

lol.....someone need to tell him MS doesn't control Steam.

"MS gets paid for every PC that has Windows..... get the point??"

What does that have to do with controlling PC gaming? Absolutely nothing. MS gets nothing from Steam, GOG, etc. and they dictate nothing regarding those companies. Windows is an open platform and anyone can create and sell any software they want for it without paying Microsoft a dime.

[rainslacker]

Ms hasn't gotten a dine from me for any of my 3 computers which have windows on it. They give the OS away for free. They are doing this to get people onto windows 10 and try to get their MAUs up, because more MAUs means more chance people will.use their services, which means more money. New licenses for windows can cost money, but most of it is through commercial licenses.

So, no, ms isnt benefitting as much as some posit just because they have the dominate market. That's just dumb.

Steam makes 30% of every sale, and is pretty much the go to storefront on windows. When people thing gaming on PC, they aren't thinking windows, they're thinking steam...with a few publisher based storefronts. The only time I've heard it referenced as windows gaming is from MS and xbox fan boys who perpetuate this myth, or when the discussion is about gaming on different PC OSs.

DirectX has some influence, but Vulcan is looking better every day, and already has features which surpass MS.

MS spent a better part of the past 15 years neglecting or using PC gamers to sell windows. Now they want to use games to sell windows. They dont care about the games. None of the current moves is more than leveraging games to appeal to the market which cares about things and spreads the word.

[AK91]

Jesus how much did MS pay this site to write this sh*t?

[Razzer]

Uh.....this article is hardly complimentary of MS.

[UltraNova]

You forgot the s/

[spicelicka]

"I think it would be more accurate to say that they’ve failed at living up to the most basic expectations of consumers"

Yes they paid for the author to write this.....

[CrimsonWing69]

Did you even bother to read the article?

[Psychotica]

Satan, who knows..

[sixthelement]

13 idiots agreed with the stupid comment LOL

[ghostrider32]

This AK91 guy, clearly struggled during popcorn reading sessions in elementary.

[AmUnRa]

So Microsoft is paying this guy to writing a negative piece about Microsoft?
Riiiiiight🙄

[Vasto]

When we play together we all win.

[william_cade]

Xbox is going to suck next gen too. Body products instead of games. What a joke.

[4kgk76]

William_cade@ Xbox? That must be irrelevant console brand Because I never heard of it.

[gangsta_red]

That's funny, MS announces 14(?) First party games to be shown at E3 and all you can bitch about are the promotional, PR marketing body products.

That's the real joke.

[Kaedro]

We talk about the body products because that's the most interest thing they are doing. And even that is wildly disappointing XD

[mark_parch]

MS announced 14 Microsoft game studio games would be at E3
1. halo mcc
2. halo infinite
3. gears pop ( mobile )
4. gears tactics ( pc )
5. gears 5
6. outer worlds ( also on ps4 )
7. wastelands 3 ( also on ps4 )
8. age of empires ( pc )
9. battletoads
10. minecraft ( on everything )
11.ori and the will of the wisps
12. forza horizon 4 lego dlc
13. sea of thieves dlc
14. bleeding edge

could replace something like gears pop with cuphead dlc or state of decay 2 dlc and there's a chance they might show a teaser for fable but certainly don't expect too many new xbox/windows exclusives

[4kgk76]

gangsta_red@ You the red ranger but you bleed green.

[gangsta_red]

@4kgk76

I aint got time to bleed.

[rainslacker]

The body products got more heat than the 14 games announcement. It's probably the first time in a long while I've seen a product from ms rise up so fast. Everything else that comes close is usually some click bait controversial stuff. In the mean time, Sony says some things about a game, or a review for days gone comes along, and it still gets more heat, and quicker.

Ms always talks itself up. Kind of like all the exclusives they showed that one year. If they have 14 1st party games, that's cool. I wasn't aware they had 14 1st party studios, but I guess they're including 2md partt as well. I.mean, no biggie it took to year 6 to get those announcement. I'm sure it'll be relevant for this gen

[gangsta_red]

@rainslacker

"The body products got more heat than the 14 games announcement."

It did, and as you are well aware it was filled with almost all troll comments with folks loosing their minds over a body wash with an Xbox logo slapped on it.

"Sony says some things about a game, or a review for days gone comes along, and it still gets more heat, and quicker."

Not even really sure what you mean or what this has to do with Sony. Especially considering that MS games gets the same amount of heat or any Phil Spencer article and quicker.

"Ms always talks itself up"

I'm also not even sure what that line is supposed to mean. Are they supposed to talk themselves down or not promote themselves? Why is MS held to a different marketing and PR standard than everyone else?

It's amusing how low and petty some will go just to try and complain or argue. It makes no sense to me especially when we're all gamers.

[Obscure_Observer]

@rainslacker

"The body products got more heat than the 14 games announcement."

Of course it did! The same people who used to call Phil Spencer a liar every time he posts a tweet doesn´t had the courage to show up on that article, and you know that! Lol!

"It did, and as you are well aware it was filled with almost all troll comments with folks loosing their minds over a body wash with an Xbox logo slapped on it."

I think Gangsta comment is the perfect response for your statement. :)

[rainslacker]

I'm aware gangsta. Which doesn't really make MS announcement of 14 games look better. It means more people are ready to mock MS, than people are looking forward to their games, or talk about their games. It means that MS doesn't have the mind share of the community. Whether that's right or not is besides my point, because my point was, that MS can't seem to generate much interest in it's brand in the places it matters.

No matter how something heats up, what people talk about in those articles is important. What the actual topic of the article is is important. With Sony, their games generate heat, often without major troll presence, except sometimes in reviews. Even the cross play things didn't gain as much heat, and not as quickly. Not all Sony announcements are big, but when they go big, the way it plays out in the community is much different.

By your reasoning, there are more trolls against MS, than there are actually people interested in MS products or announcements. Although, I'd say not all of them are trolls, and many may actually be people who aren't happy with what MS is doing.

As far as what I mean by MS talking itself up. It's not that I don't expect a company to promote itself, or it's products. It's that Spencer, and other Xbox executives have spent a better part of the last three years saying how they're going to be delivering all this great stuff. How it was all coming. How we should buy an Xbox because they were so good in the market. But, there was nothing behind all that talk. Instead of delivering, they just said how they would deliver. Hope that clears that up.

Anyhow, with the body products thing, to be fair, I'd probably mock Sony if they did this too. Nintendo has some stuff like this, but it's usually aimed at a younger audience. Branding Mario for toothpaste to get them to brush their teeth. Games and hygeine products marketed to adults is just a strange bedfellow to a gaming brand. I'm not going to criticize MS over the body products thing like some did. They just licensed out their brand to the company making the products. If they actively pursued this endevour, I'd probably just shake my head, but the people in the Xbox division aren't the one's who would be doing that kind of stuff outside the marketing department. It doesn't take anything away from whatever else it is they're doing.

I won't bother addressing Obscure, because he is just repeating what you say.

[gangsta_red]

@rainslacker

"It means that MS doesn't have the mind share of the community."

Not true at all and this is a real ignorant statement because there is a lot of excitement to see what MS has in store for E3.

The difference is this site and how Sony fanboy trolls hijack almost any and all good news about Xbox with the same asinine rhetoric.

Xbox says they'll have 14 games from their studios. Instead of the discussion being excitement of what they'll show, it instantly becomes an argument on the term exclusives, sales, and now body wash.

"...last three years saying how they're going to be delivering all this great stuff"

I get it, you want everything to be delivered instantly and right now. MS just acquired studios and in true to life fashion games should be ready to go the next day not the typical four to five years of development that other companies take, for MS it has to be instantaneous.

This is another troll tactic I see a lot of Sony fanboys use.

Every article "MS is all talk and they never deliver" statements. Even though they have dropped Kinect, added BC, made an excellent revision with the Xbox S, created a more powerful mid gen console, created Game Pass, bought seven new studios, supporting PC.

But you know this, people here has said this to you before with those same exact examples. But all that is pushed to the side again just to keep the exaggeration of Phil and co are all talk and haven't delivered and then instead of actually discussing the topic or article it becomes another argument.

This just proves that no matter what MS does there's going to be silly and petty complaints.

Nintendo and Sony have branded items outside of Video Games also. This is nothing new, Nintendo has soaps, Sony has shoes, and other clothing with their logos and ps colors on them. No one cares because we all know it's just marketing and PR, it has nothing to do with video games and rightly so.

MS marketing teams up with some body wash company, slaps their logo on it and sells it in Australia and New Zealand and this site completely looses their shit.

I say a sarcastic "Hell Yeah" and people rush in to call me a virgin and mock me. (The irony of that is hilarious by the way.)

It just goes to show how pathetic some take their fantasy console fanboy wars and how they can't dissociate the two or turn it off. Anything and everything to complain.

You don't like MS and what they have to offer Xbox. Fine, but let's not act like they're promotions and advertising is some how much more different than Sony's and let's not judge the barometer of heat articles get on this site which is notorious for having a toxic Sony fanbase.

[NarutoFox]

"I get it, you want everything to be delivered instantly and right now. MS just acquired studios and in true to life fashion games should be ready to go the next day not the typical four to five years of development that other companies take, for MS it has to be instantaneous."

I think it has to be instantaneous for Microsoft because their exclusives are not that great or on the same level of the competitors. They have a lot to prove and they have to execute next generation. IMO I think that Nintendo and Sony first party exclusives are way better and above Microsoft exclusives. The only game I liked from Microsoft was Ori, Forza, and Cuphead when it was an exclusive. Halo ain't the same anymore. I'm actually looking forward and curious to see what games they announce at E3 though.

[gangsta_red]

@naruto
"I think it has to be instantaneous for Microsoft because their exclusives are not that great or on the same level of the competitors."

That's not how development works though. They just purchased those studios and now those studios need time to work on their games. So expecting MS to suddenly announce a plethora of new games after just a year of acquisitions is unreasonable.

"The only game I liked from Microsoft was Ori, Forza, and Cuphead when it was an exclusive."

Curious, did those games suddenly become bad when they weren't exclusives?

"IMO I think that Nintendo and Sony first party exclusives are way better and above Microsoft exclusives. "

Nothing wrong with that, I also think that Sony and Nintendo have made better games this gen than MS.

[Mithan]

Microsoft doesn't make a difference when it comes to PC games, they just provide an operating system. Whether they focus on it more or not is irrelevant really, provided they don't break the OS with something stupid (likely). Steam, Origin, etc, etc are the main delivery vehicles for games. They have tried with Games for Windows and the new Windows Store, but its all crap and always will be crap.

What matters is how they focus on their Xbox system, which has been terrible in recent years, because of conflicting priorities.

For MS, as their history shows, the Xbox Console is lost in the woods most of the time. It will do ok for a while, then get kicked aside for some other higher priority project in the company that is being run/pushed by some pet President that currently has the focus of their Board and is getting all the funding. Microsft has a history of running like this, in all divisions for over 15 years now.

This is why the Playstation brand is always better. Sony isn't dealing with conflicting priorities, they need to make a console and games and this is what they do. Sony runs into trouble when they decide to be different and make things like the Cell Processor, but that isn't happening with the PS5.

We might get 2 or 3 years of focused attention out of Microsoft for making better games, but that can and will change and the quality level will drop right after. Disagree? Sure go ahead, but history proves me right.

[Kaedro]

Another new plan? How many new plans have there been? No wonder they always introduce new plans, they are all always failing.

[goldwyncq]

Microsoft: I have a plan

Where have we heard that one before?

[Chevalier]

Every E3 like clockwork

[thornh]

I think MS had a good plan with the original Xbox. They did well against Sony but couldn't beat them. So they came up with a new plan instead of just working harder and developing better games. The industry was their's for the taking when Sony introduced PS3, over priced, a year later and much more difficult to develop for. If MS was ever going to have the greatest market share it was then. And, ultimately, Sony still somehow (better games) won that generation. Now, regardless of a new plan or not, it will only be Sony's complete failure, not what MS does or doesn't do, that will win the day for MS.

I think MS will have a really good E3 this year. They are going to show a bunch of new stuff. Hopefully there will be new games that people can get excited about. Sony cannot become complacent and a really good showing by MS will, ultimately, make Sony work that much harder to stay on top. That will be good for everyone.

[rainslacker]

I think MS will be successful, and gave reason to stay in the gaming market. Probably with what they have to offer now, along with any other thing they come up with.

It's the console wars which try to equate it to having to win against the competition. MS may win if Sony screws up, but Sony would have to screw up in a big way, not just the little annoyances. MS screwed up big time at the start of the gen, and now it's mostly little annoyances, but their history is full of such failures and little annoyances and changes to goals or plans, which makes it a very volatile company to support because they just aren't reliable. This goes for more than MS where outside their enterprise ventures, they seem to be all over the place when they come up with something new.

[ThinkThink]

What are the little annoyances that you're seeing from Microsoft right now? Seems to me, they shit the bed at the start of this gen in a big way but I struggle to see any little annoyances currently. They've been making all the right moves as of lately with Gamepass, Free BC, creating and acquiring studios. They are trying to set themselves up for success this next gen and I think they're looking 100 times better than they did at the start of this Gen.

[Obscure_Observer]

@ThinkThink

"What are the little annoyances that you're seeing from Microsoft right now?"

None! All you´ll hear from rainslacker (he´s not the only one btw) is how Microsoft screwed things in the past. He carries this old grudge against Microsoft past mistakes and apparently he just can´t let it go. Lol.

Since Phil Spencer got promoted to VP back at 2017, he´s been trying way too hard to downplay every single thing Xbox with no success. He mighty change some of his arguments after E3 2019, who knows? ;)

[rainslacker]

@Think

Lack of games mostly. A lot of talk about how they are so great, but not actually providing much for the consumer. Same thing it's been for a while now.

They did screw up the start of this gen, and they started to show some hope of being what Xbox was originally about when it started once Spencer took over. He was a ball of fire, but that early fire was on the backs of his predecessors. He's showing signs of doing good again, and he has brought some good things to the table this gen, but the lack of games is what has hurt them most. His constant talking has only made him seem like he wants attention, but there is not enough substance to that talk, and there certainly isn't much delivery on things I care about.

Little annoyances is just a metaphor to represent that there are things to be annoyed about. For Sony, their censorship thing, their lack of addressing some topics going around with transparency and defaulting to "think of the children". Other than that, not much that annoys me about them, nor do most seem annoyed by them.

@Obscure

I'd thank you not to talk for me. I can, and have readily expressed what I don't like about MS.

I haven't downplayed Xbox since Spencer took over. I actually had hope he'd do something good, and brought an Xbox because of it. That annoys me, because he hasn't delivered on any of that hope that he brought.

MS screwed up in the past, and while I'm willing to forgive, they actually have to right the ship AND deliver before I just forget. Spencer hasn't proven he is deserving of trust or faith, and that's why he's lost my respect.

You are right I'm not the only one who says this, but there is a reason that goes beyond others, or me, just being a Sony fan boy. You want to be blind to those criticisms and be happy with what MS is offering, I'm OK with that. But don't tell me what it is I should accept or criticize, and certainly don't go around saying what you think I believe. I'm perfectly capable of expressing myself on my own. Address it or not, but address the argument, not what you think I am.

[NLink0714]

I think this article points a few things out clearly. As (primarily) a console gamer, I largely am platform agnostic. I’ll buy all the consoles if I see them providing me something that I want in gaming. I own a switch. I also own the PS4 pro and the One X. I Had preferences for sure prior, first to the n64 and cube, later to the Xbox and 360 and, at the latter years towards the ps3 especially in 2011 and beyond. Even though I own all 3, I will LARGELY buy on my PS4 and, to a lesser extent, the switch. The one X is a great piece of tech but I just don’t see myself drawn to it as much.

I think my preferences for the current 3 is shaped by what drove me to switch from my younger years. And that reason is simple: Games. Games I want to play. Games I want to play with my friends. And in this space, Sony has proven this to me in spades. Switch has been great. Xbox has floundered. People may argue that exclusives don’t matter because most gamers don’t buy exclusives. But I think they do matter. Exclusives help you invest into the ecosystem. They make owning that platform a joy, help you convince your friends to invest in it, make you want to churn those trophies/achievements and give you a satisfaction that this game was built from the ground up for this system and you are getting s unique experience. And this is where Xbox lost me. I might have the one x but I barely use it. The UI isn’t bad. The elite controller is awesome. But I’m not invested in the system. I’m content with the PS4 pro despite its many flaws. I’m happy with it because all my friends have it, it’s fun to play and I have a lot of awesome unique experiences to look forward to.

I’m glad Xbox is going towards more inclusivity with cross play and multi platform games (Pc is a platform). But I don’t see myself wanting a new Xbox. The one X didn’t convince me to switch. I’m hopeful E3 will change that as I always want strong competition and new innovation. But I feel the same way as many gamers (>50% based on the 40K responses), I’m eagerly waiting the PS5

[Lennoxb63]

"Games I want to play. Games I want to play with my friends. And in this space, Sony has proven this to me in spades."

You could've stopped at "games I want to play' cause Sony aren't really providing many games you can play with your friends. At least not many noteworthy ones. Their strength is in single player games.

[NLink0714]

I agree. I should have said games I want to play and then talk about with friends. But I think you can argue that these are multiplayer experiences. Especially if these SP games are the ones we play at the same time and discuss together over drinks

[THC CELL]

Always same crap different year ms.
Sony and Nintendo always come on top no matter what failed studio u buy up

I'd be worried for Sony's silence this year

[rainslacker]

Yep. Ms is talking about how great they're going to be, while the competition is delivering games, and not talking much. When their competition talks, it tends to be big. People like to know what's coming, but ms forgot to talk about what they have now, and usually disregard what they havent done all gen.

[ThinkThink]

I'm looking forward to Sony's big state of play for E3. Do you think they will keep continuing to go big with these state of plays?

[rainslacker]

I have a feeling that their E3 SoP will be either before or after E3, and probably focus on Death Stranding, and maybe show Dreams and possibly Ghosts. I don't think they'll drop any megatons, as they seem rather calculated and holding back on a lot right now. Sony has too many studios right now without enough games announced to know what they're doing, although it's easy enough to assume what some of them are doing.

[sampsonon]

thank god I'm a playstation gamer.

[oSHINSAo]

A PS Gamer very close to Xbox articles, Shame on you

[sampsonon]

I'm waiting for MS to deliver. if they do i will purchase their next console.
still waiting.

[lazyboyblue]

People in here chatting about platforms, services and corporations like they're people they know. Like you can't be Bob's friend if you like Steve.
@Razzer doesn't want anyone to mention games for Windows live because it might upset his personal friend Phil Spencer who's still a little sensitive.

I love my ps4 but I love my Xbox too. Don't anyone tell Mark Cerney he might cry. The betrayal!

[Sophisticated_Chap]

Poor journalism, if you call it that. Microsoft, and Phil Spencer specifically, has stated in the past that they have let down the PC gaming community. Probably just another website going down the tubes, I'm sure.

[Kaii]

They should've gone balls to the walls 3-4Yrs ago :c
It's hard to be excited for Halo when you've had It fucked over this generation 2 times, and unironically Its been released 2 times.

Halo 3 - Announcement Trailer [ https://www.youtube.com/wat...
That right there hits the spot

[Fist4achin]

It should be very simple: Make games for gamers...

[ludicrous]

So what criteria do you use to determine a person a gamer? And what kind of games/genra do you have in mind? Should we make more fornite and battle royal type of games because obviously they have the most following, which would aligned with your statement? Simple right? Oh, maybe the... Part you have there 🤩

[Fist4achin]

Just asking for more from them is all.

[rataranian]

New plan for xbox: ....Tv. tv? TV. VR Kinekt..tv...new tv...MS Kinect.TV. tee-V, Tea-Vee. tv. Kinekt. tv.

[oSHINSAo]

New Plan on Sony, Leave Gaikai and use Azure

[MasterCornholio]

That won't happen because Sony uses alot of Gaikais streaming tech with PlayStation services like remote play for example. Sony can use Azure servers and they will still use streaming tech developed by Gaikai.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/...

It's not that difficult to look up this information.

[oSHINSAo]

Before you post something against XBOX(US), Remember that Trump could slap his fingers and cut relations with Sony (Japan)

[MasterCornholio]

It's very unlikely that Trump would ban the sale of PlayStation console just so Microsoft can win the US.

That's something only a mentally insane and extremely butthurt Xbot would do.

[jznrpg]

They are getting close to plan X , I think they are plan V or W right now.

[rlow1]

Very nit picky article. Wanting specifics. They admitted they failed on the PC side and that thier focus on games was lost. Companies never come out with the specifics.....if they did what would it change??? The fact is MS blew the chance at the beginning of this Gen to put the screws to Sony and in turn Sony put the screws to them......that said, why focus on a going over and over again on the same crap.......just like all of us, you can't change the past only the future......this weekend will either put the past to rest or validate it......why don't we just wait for Sunday instead of another article lamenting what's been said a million different ways.