The Best Thing Xbox is Doing Next-Gen is Giving Players Options

By giving players a variety of choices, Microsoft is allowing users to play current and next-gen Xbox games whenever and wherever they want.

[Kiwi66]

Options are always a good thing

[Kiwi66]

Can those who disagree please explain why you think having options is bad or are you too scared to explain yourselves

[dcbronco]

Nope, they can not.

[indysurfn]

Very few people want to see what these options lead too:

The flu shot started out as a option. (mostly forced now).
Enrolling in the Natzi SS Started out as a option. (ended up required)
Getting a Chip in you is now starting out as a option. (gaining sightless fans already)
Linking your email started out as a option. (most require it now)
Allowing Microsoft to share your XBOX LIVE personal info Started out as a OPTION. (required now)

Notice they have two things in common. The have a benefit to attract people and they always start out as OPTIONS.

[abstractel]

I want to shout this from the rooftops every time I hear this argument. More power means more gameplay possibilities NOT just better graphics. If you release lower end consoles alongside a more powerful console, you are hamstringing developers. Maybe that's why the Halo demo was incredibly unimpressive.

High quality local storage + A streaming console with no sacrifice of specs I can get onboard with (even though I won't go streaming until I'm forced to).

[XbladeTeddy]

Yeah options are always good. I just sold my OneX and built a new PC. Don't see the point in owning an Xbox anymore which is good as having it on PC just feels easier and more convenient for me. I can see why Xbox fanboys will be upset though but this is the direction Microsoft are going and you have to accept it.

[dcbronco]

This is the direction everyone is going. Just because Sony hasn't told yet doesn't mean it isn't happening. They like to let the sheep seemingly graze naturally on their own.

[Imortus_san]

You used the opiton to spent 3 times the Xbox One X money to build a PC that runs better then the One X when next year new tech news graphics will render you new PC "old", so you can spent another ton of money in the next years.

[Kingoftherodeo]

That’s totally fine so long as the option is to have games on either pc and console. You like pc i like consoles. Some people like sport cars some like trucks. At the end of the day M$ gets money from console and people buying a pc since their software is on almost majority of them. Even if you don’t buy games directly from them they got you on the hook.

[indysurfn]

The flu shot started out as a option.
Enrolling in the Natzi SS Started out as a option.
Getting a Chip in you is now starting out as a option.
Linking your email started out as a option.

Notice they have two things in common. The have a benefit to attract people and they always start out as OPTIONS.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

So explain how does it relate to Xbox then?

[Cmv38]

I like the direction of the ps5 better. Color me old fashion

[LOGICWINS]

Elaborate.

[Leeroyw]

I'll have a try.
So far, the Xbox situation appears to be heading more into pc territory. Different specs and a broader range of playing and streaming styles. Colour me old school but I like going home to a console. That all my friends have. That plays the same across the board. That has a history of great games, exclusive or not.
For me that is Sony.
They have earned my trust and will likely get my next purchase.

[Cmv38]

A console geared towards the core audience of gamers. Sure it will have its fair shares of bells and whistles, and that's fine. But the aim of the console is for gamers like my self. Everybody else seems to really be embracing streaming....not sure that's the future of gaming that I want.

[LOGICWINS]

@Leeroyw Good points. I'll likely wait until PSVR2 comes out and there's an affordable bundle with both the console and headset.

[DaDrunkenJester]

@Leeroy

The game preference is a valid opinion that not many would argue, but what do you mean heading to more PC territory? If you want old school console then buy their console. Nothing about their options alienates one group of gamers, if anything it is uniting many. Your friends that prefer PC or those streaming on the go can still hop in and play with you while you're on your console. If you don't want pc or streaming, don't use those options.

[Livingthedream]

You have the same options with the next gen Xbox

[RizBiz]

Minus a good track record of quality games, which is arguably most important.

[CBaoth]

with an overemphasis on subscription services and mediocre 1st party content right? With the exception of Forza Horizon, every single MS franchise has seen the worst entry this gen. Doesn't that worry any hardcore Xbox fans?

Halo 5 may be a good MP experience, but the story was awful with recycled bosses. Gears 4 was decent but again story-wise rehashed plot with rehashed enemies felt stale the 4th go-around. It's like Nathan Drake went searching for El Dorado's gold....in 4 straight games. Look at their latest IPS, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, and Sea of Thieves. CD3 was plagued by empty promises from MS execs and built up to be something that technically wasn't feasible in 2019 let alone 2013. SoD2 was essentially a soft reboot of the original. The sad part was the story wasn't even finished as 2 wrapped up as we met the army. Extremely disappointing that technical issues of the 1st game weren't cleaned up either. Sea of Thieves? Let's release a game with light MMO mechanics bereft of content and one enemy type. Gaming is too expensive to spit out 10 budget games a year and hope one of them becomes Stranger Things.

[nucky64]

they shouldn't be focusing on the "whenever" and "whereever" - they should be focusing on making great games. this is what they've struggled with since entering the console business.

[yellowgerbil]

This faceless corporation sure loves us, doesnt it

[DillyDilly]

All companies have pros & cons none is perfect

[dcbronco]

True enough. But sheeple are sheeple. These are mostly the same people that would never pay for online. That can't acknowledge most Sony exclusives lose mobey despite Sony's CEO saying it. That don't buy most of the exclusives they claim to love. That were alright with Sony not bringing EA Access to playstation. That said they'd never go digital.

These really vocal people are the ones Steve Jobs was talking about. They know what they want when we tell them. In this case you just have Sony doing the telling.

[Livingthedream]

Yup, it's part of the norm. PS FANBOYS would never pay to play online, and Sony would never charge them for such a service. They sit here and complain about MS and gamepass when it provides tons of value, yet sit there and defend PS NOW lol. Most of these companies are headed in the same direction, albeit Sony seems to be more sneaky about it, but people are being led there without even knowing it.

[dcbronco]

@Livingthedream

It's really common sense for the most part. Digital is cheaper than physical. You can't resell digital. Smaller developers have a cheaper option to go to with streaming and digital. It's Xbox Arcade for small, midsize and independent larger studios. But a handful of people who refuse to pay more or even pay for additional content feel entitled to the same business model that saw dozens of developers go out of business last generation. They don't have sense enough to not kill what they supposedly love so much. Until AI becomes a bigger part of programming streaming will be the future. And even after AI does streaming will have been established. It'll be the next thing they'll just have to get over.

[indysurfn]

@Dcbronco For arguments sake lets say you correct and company 111 (Sony) is losing money on a few of their AAA games. I would rather have company111 loss money on big budget games than have companyAAA waste my money on a okay game. If a company losses money on some big budget games but sell many more consoles, and therefor get way more license fees from third party then I think they are the smart ones willing to spend money on the eco system. And company111 will give me what I want while making bank doing it.

By the way Microsoft and EA executives are the ones making the argument that they are losing money on single player AAA games.

Also if you sell 3 million games at 59.99 you just make 179 million dollars. Most AAA games sell at LEAST that much TOTAL COST(development, manufacturing, etc) of most big budget games is less than 20 million dollars the biggest ones top out at $60 million. Even when you only sell 3 million as a console holder you just cleared - 119 million.

[dcbronco]

@Indysurn

Let's not just say I'm correct. Because I am correct and there were links to articles where Sony brass stated the fact that 7 of 10 Sony exclusives lose money. And you've been on this sight for some time and probably read the same articles. The problem is some people have an agenda and want to keep the sheep in line so they pretend it didn't happen. Not saying you're one of those people but the articles are on the net. I had always speculated that it was the case knowing how the business works.

I also said when the president of Sony explained their reasoning that I appreciated their reasoning over Microsoft's. You can't argue with either approach. Sony's approach leads to discovering new gameplay styles and advances the art. Microsoft treats it more as a business and, through no fault of their own, have to to a certain extent. No matter what Microsoft does you will have a very vocal group of haters and a far larger group of sheep that will criticize it. These ppl swear they're true gamers but their need to pick a side says they're just dysfunctional clowns that happened to latch onto a particular game company or whatever. I personally believe Microsoft needs to move more towards Sony's approach and just start giving developers a budget and seeing what happens instead of micromanaging profits. Again, I understand given the clowns trying to destroy them for no reason. But they could have gone hard from day one and be better established on exclusives at this point.

As far as your financial statement, you're way of. Most games aren't sold at 59.99, just the major titles. CoD, Battlefield, GTA. Those games might hit 7 or 8 million full price sales. Most games are sold on sale or after price drops. You're underestimating budgets. AAA titles are 30-50 million now with games like Red Dead and GTA hitting 100 million. Ten dollars usually goes to the console manufacturer off the top. A few dollars to a retailer. 20-30% in taxes. Printing physical disc. Shipping them. Packaging. Most of those cost are constant and the average selling price is probably $40 so after it's all said and done developers don't have a lot left over. Which means having a publisher, who gets paid. Or a bank loan with interest. That's why so many developers go out of business.

If sony loses 10 million on a Resistance, they recover it on a Uncharted.

[FGHFGHFGH]

@dcbronco

Do you have a link with proof that 7 out of 10 sony games lose money? I have never seen anything that says that and doing a search i couldn't find anything. I found this from gamespot

https://www.gamespot.com/fo...

If a devceloper goes out of business it's probably because their games werent't that good or they mismanaged their money. It's not the consumers reponsibility to worry about that. We want good products for our money. No one wants to spend money on half ass shit games like crackdown3 or most of the other exclusives games that microsoft 1st party put out so far. And who cares about EA access? That goes to show how weak xbox one was this gen that that was used as a plus for xbox . Maybe you made a mistake and it's 7 out 10 xbox exlusives lose money with only forza, gears, and halo doing well. That sounds more believable.

[rlow1]

I personally think this will be the big change for next gen. I think you will see Sony open up a little more as well, though not completely...... hopefully with all the studios MS bought they'll produce some good and consistent.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

Options are what I'm all about. Dedicated hardware is anti-consumer.

[AnubisG]

How??🤣🤣㊃ 5;

[indysurfn]

Everybody stuck on hardware that Microsoft, or Google owns the operating system to is anti consumer.

[kayoss]

Options to play zero compelling exclusives.

[S2Killinit]

Yup. And soon the option to upgrade to sports package.

[timotim]

I only care about compelling games to play...they don't need to be exclusive to one box for it to count for me.

[Inzo]

"they don't need to be exclusive"

Yes but exclusives do give you more "options"

[timotim]

@Inzo

How so? The games are what matters most. If their are games I get to play on console while at home and PC and mobile while away...isn't that more options for me vs a game that I can only play at home on one box???

[indysurfn]

me either, but Why would I buy that box again?

There are only two reasons I would buy a xbox if all the games are on PC, Android , or Nintendo.

1, I don't want to deal with compatibility problems with games/controllers/processing power etc.
(obviously I would not have this problem if I got xbox games on Nintendo SWITCH).
2, If Microsoft does not make steam and other incompatible like they kept doing with NETSCAPE, then I may
get some games cheaper.

NOTE:

This is what the big nasty fight with steam is about:"universal Windows Platform
(UWP)" if the Government does not step in Microsoft can just make you make your games be compatible
with that! Which they can turn around and charge STEAM if they want their games to run. Well withing a
few seconds publishers/ developers will say why should we pay Microsoft AND steam? They would
financially be forced to switch over to Microsoft. UWP will be a underlying service that all games will have
to run on. We would be STUCK in a virtual MONOPOLY.

[timotim]

@Indy

Yet you come in a thread about OPTIONS haha...if you don't buy their console then your buying their PC OS and their games...this is the options they are providing gamers...thank Microsoft for them...

[Elda]

Options to not play interesting original compelling AAA exclusives.

[timotim]

Why do you say that? You don't think they have been acquiring new studios just to release copy cat AAA games do you? 😋

[Elda]

This E3 2019 the only AAA exclusive shown for next gen for XB was Halo & that is not an original new AAA exclusive.

[timotim]

Has Microsoft fully started talking about next gen yet? While we are in topic, how many has Sony announced so far for next gen? That's what I thought.

[AK91]

I agree BC is the only reason I've been interested in the XB1.

[timotim]

That's the beauty of Microsoft's strategy...they are keeping it about the core gamer while speaking to the broader community as well. They are building a inclusive ecosystem that spans many use cases. They are leveraging their audience that plays games on their platforms and others to their own benefit. Console, PC and mobile (with both casual and AAA games through streaming) that's quite the audience to sell games and services to.

[mogwaii]

Yeah the option to choose a system with better games.

[TargusX]

Super Monkey Balls & Earth Force Defense 5....no options on that :/

[TheHateTheyGive]

Xbxox can spin it any way they want, but they have no choice but t except that they offer nothing exclusive wise and have to forcibly embrace the GAAS because its all the have. #exclusives matter. Will never change.

[Imortus_san]

I don't remember you sayeng the same abou PS Now since 2015 until today, or the same about No man Sky's, GT Sport, Street Fighter 5, all GAAS and on Sony PS4, Beeing selective sure is fun.

[FanboysKiller]

Is xcloud gonna be a console or a pc like stadia?

[FanboysKiller]

I support the idea but if after ms gaining many new consumers from all kinds of demographics didn't help supporting it's biggest exclusive games I don't think there will be more chances for 1st party studios to survive cause it's definitely a huge bet for ms and the xbox team.