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.

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gamespot.com
MIDGETonSTILTS171054d 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.

XbladeTeddy1054d 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.

MIDGETonSTILTS171054d ago (Edited 1054d 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 Bubbles1054d 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.

darthv721054d ago

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

Godmars2901054d ago (Edited 1054d 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.

Bathyj1054d ago (Edited 1054d 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.

Godmars2901054d 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.

FlavorLav011054d 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.

Lightning771053d ago Show
Bathyj1053d 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.

Lightning771053d ago (Edited 1053d 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.

MIDGETonSTILTS171053d 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 1053d ago
VenomCarnage891053d 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

Godmars2901053d 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.

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220°

Yoshida claims PS believes Xbox is their only competitor, truth is they don’t have one any more

Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida claims PlayStation still believes Xbox is their only true competitor, not Nintendo.

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videogamer.com
3d ago
Terry_B1d 13h ago

True, they have pretty different audiences..and some People just have both at home or a PS and a PC that emulates more or less everything from Nintendo.

Knightofelemia1d 11h ago

Xbox hasn't been a competitor since the XB360. Last generation and this generation Sony has been running circles around Xbox. As for Sony vs Nintendo Sony runs circles yes but I don't really see Nintendo as competition. Nintendo does their own thing and it works.

1d 11h ago Replies(1)
Lightning771d 7h ago

Details are important. Console sales yes. Overall games Xbox seems to be doing fairly well in that department.

LoveSpuds19h ago(Edited 19h ago)

MS were doing so well that they had to start selling their games on their main competitors system which in turn results in around 30% of each sale going to Sony as the platform holder.

I do think tjat MS' fortunes will improve now that they are actually selling games rather than giving them away for pennies on the dollar.

Something that occurs to me is that the more success MS published games have elsewhere, the more stark it will become that selling games is much more profitable than renting them. If that becomes highly noticable, I wonder what the shareholders (who ultimately run the show) will make of a service which has stagnated for years?

crazyCoconuts16h ago

PlayStation doesn't compete with third party games, they compete on consoles. They profit from third party games. If you're not comparing consoles there's no point in comparing.

drivxr1d 11h ago

Console wars are over.

Eventually, everyone else will catch up to this fact.

attilayavuzer1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

I think it's all PS fans have left at this point. Console wars were always a competition for fourth place behind Nintendo, PC and mobile. If Xbox evaporates into a hybrid virtual platform, then PS will be perennially left in last place.

Christopher1d 9h ago

Strange, I recall all those FCC documents and witness testimonies saying the exact opposite... Guess Microsoft doesn't know what it's talking about?

PanicMechanic22h ago(Edited 22h ago)

Great analysis. Just joking.

Pretending like companies give a f about where they “rank” against each other is just super retarded. This isn’t the World Cup.

Tell me, how does “PC” compete against a brand like PlayStation? It just doesn’t make sense at all. What you just said, is complete and utter nonsense

BlaqMagiq114h ago

I don't think PS cares about being in this so-called "last place" you came up with when they're making profits hand over fist.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 14h ago
Destiny10801d 10h ago

microsoft wanted to crush sony into dust and they had the money to do it, but with such weak leadership it was always going to fail

Reaper22_1d 10h ago

Had the money? They still have the money but the industry has changed since xbox 360. Microsoft is the number one publisher in gaming. I'd hardly call that failing.

IRetrouk1d 9h ago (Edited 1d 9h ago )

The industry hasn't changed though, just ms, Microsoft was the no1 publisher for a month in december 2024, the actual no1 for fy2024 was tencent if game sales are all that's being counted.

Profchaos1d 9h ago

Money doesn't mean you'll be successful large corporations have entered and failed before like Nec

Show all comments (23)
70°

Interview: Plants vs. Zombies Composer Talks Charm, Humor, and Musical Mayhem

Game Rant interviews Plants vs. Zombies composer Peter McConnell about honoring the series’ quirky roots, adapting its themes, and now going vinyl.

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gamerant.com
VenomUK2d ago

The score for the first Plants Vs Zombies is such great, iconic music that it has a timeless quality. Not quite the level of Minecraft, but wonderful in its own right.

70°

'A Deluge' Baldur's Gate 3 Karlach Actor Samantha Béart Talks New and Upcoming Video Game Roles

Game Rant speaks with actor Samantha Béart about their new and upcoming video game roles in Tron: Catalyst, Fading Echo, and more.

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gamerant.com