Looking back at this last console generation, isn't it AMAZING how much ground Microsoft gave up!

[AragornsTaxPlan]

This just occurred to me.

Thinking back to 2013, it seemed like Microsoft had the world in the palm of their hands. They had the foresight to introduce their XBOX Live service early in the lifecycle of the original XBOX. During the XBOX 360's run, this paid huge dividends. The 360 maintained a respectful lead over the PS3 in no small part due to the XBOX Live user base. Switching platforms involved not only buying new hardware & software, but it meant leaving a whole community! What a great customer retention strategy!

It's simply amazing to me when I think about how badly the XBOX One launch needed to be botched for Microsoft to lose the edge they had so skillfully developed. There were many problems with the platform as it was at launch, but the main ones that come to mind are:

• Leaning so hard on Kinect integration. This raised the price of their hardware at launch substantially, but amazingly, this was the least of the issues! Sometimes I forget how XBOX One was positioned to be more than just a game console; it was to be the control for your entire entertainment center. I mean I guess that's fine, but when you look at how this functionality was implemented: Kinect was listening. All the time, whether your XBOX One was on or asleep. Every spoken word within "hearing" distance of Kinect was transferred through the Cloud for processing. Nowadays, that's no where near as surprising/alarming as we have Amazon dots and Siri/Google Assist agents on all our phones and they work the same way. But still; this was a game console! No one; absolutely no one was asking for the next XBOX to be voice-activated set-top-box!
  
  
• Going all-in with digital distribution/Always-on DRM. You know how you can walk into Target and buy XBOX One games on disk just like every other console? That was not in the original plan. When the XBOX One was announced, all software was to be purchased and delivered digitally. I feel as if this were announced for a new console today, there would be a lot less backlash. Although there is still a pretty large contingent of folks who swear by physical media, the mere fact that GameStop is close to going out of business is clear indication that people are buying their games digitally more and more every day. Still, back in 2013, this was a bit too "ahead of it's time".
  
  Of course the cherry on top was the fact that you originally would have needed an ever-present Internet connection to play any of your games; whether they were multi-player or not! In my opinion, this is an absurd requirement for a game console even today. To make matters worse, I remember a (now former) Microsoft employee going on a Twitter tirade actually defending the always-on DRM model and talking down to folks who were upset about it. That's nothing short of committing brand damage, IMO.
  
  
• Loot Box Pioneers: As Jim Sterling so articulately explained Microsoft was one of the first (if not the first) AAA publisher to jump on the loot box surprise mechanics bandwagon. Early marquee titles such as Ryse offered chances to win rare gear by spending real money (even though said gear could be obtained in the game free-of-charge... as long as you're willing to give up your day job to grind). While Sony was building a war chest of system sellers that were simply great products, Microsoft was one of the first to get back into the pockets of their customers using full-priced products that those customers already paid for.

And here we are today. Sony is firmly back on top as if the PS3/360 generation never even existed.

 

[Lant_War]

The complete desert that the X360 lineup was towards the end and the XBOXne launch will do that to you

 

[Pryme]

Your OP basically mentions things that most people didn't care about.

the 'always on' stuff didn't show up at launch and most of the furor had died down before then.

The Kinect scaremongering stuff wasn't that big a deal.

Nobody cared about launch games having microtransactions, to be honest.

Xbox One suffered because

1. It was $100 more expensive than the PS4

2. It was weaker than the PS4 by a significant margin, and the massive PR hit for not being a 1080p console was a real thing.

3. Aside the launch lineup, games lineup was relatively poor.

4. The absolutely stupid decision to launch the Xbox in tiers killed their sales permanently in many European countries.

that's pretty much it, tbh.

 

[Fizie]

"Thinking back to 2013, it seemed like Microsoft had the world in the palm of their hands"

Did it though? The final years of the 360 weren't too hot.

Their botched launch came down to the 'always online / DRM' messaging, and everything terrible associated with that (see Don Matrrick). I don't think Loot boxes had much to do with it. ​

 

[Deleted member 57990]

The one thing that absolutely utterly blows my mind is that Xbox is no longer synonymous with Call of Duty. If you'd told me last gen that that would happen, I'd have called you a lying scumbag.

 

[Anthony Hopkins]

It failed when extracting maximum profits became more important then customer satisfaction, I believe there were internal battles at xbox where some people genuinely wanted the best for customers, but they got overshadowed by ppl pushing an arrogant max profit strategy.

It's rather ironic that the max profit strategy is the one where the customer comes first.

 

[InfinityDOK]

"Thinking back to 2013, it seemed like Microsoft had the world in the palm of their hands"

Did it though? The final years of the 360 weren't too hot.

Their botched launch came down to the 'always online / DRM' messaging, and everything terrible associated with that (see Don Matrrick). I don't think Loot boxes had much to do with it.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I see all his points except the lootboxes. Didn't even know Ryse had them tbh.

 

[Gevurztraminer]

I agree, even considering all the blunders Microsoft made with X1, the gap from leading with 360 to lagging behind with X1 is pretty severe. All your points are contributing certainly, but Sony also was agile and played against all the bad press Microsoft gave themselves. Sony's marketing for certain titles was very effective, for instance Monster Hunter World, I genuinely didn't know it was on X1 as well due to the marketing. But I do think the biggest factor was the library, with each year the amount of 'must play' exclusives on PS4 went up, while X1 had very few new IPs and the sequels in established series were just that, more sequels.

But all that lost ground is changing, with the service based model Microsoft is relying on, it's changing a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft gains back a lot of that ground very quickly next gen.

 

[jelly]

Also interesting is a digital library didn't do too much to stop the PS4 getting users over.

I suppose you could say they gained ground brand wise but lost a bit of their US base and what success they had worldwide outside of the UK, not a lot. Sony just had a mare and temporarily lost users. Apparently Xbox is quite popular with kids so it may bare fruit next gen as they ride a positive wave.

 

[Rbk_3]

They lost me when they spec'd it a significant amount below the PS4, but won me back by specing the X above the PS4 Pro.

 

[Bane]

Your OP basically mentions things that most people didn't care about.

Click to shrink...

Exactly. So many people didn't care that MS had to backtrack on the drm stuff and less than a year later introduced a Kinectless system.

 

[horkrux]

When the XBOX One was announced, all software was to be purchased and delivered digitally.

Click to shrink...

Iirc they wanted to turn it into the same shit that it is on PC, delivering games with codes.

Still, the sheer amount of hybris and ignorance on display here was staggering. Sure, they had a lack of funding and support within the company, but they still fucked up as hard as they could. It's fascinating.

 

[Pryme]

Exactly. So many people didn't care that MS had to backtrack on the drm stuff and less than a year later introduced a Kinectless system.

Click to shrink...

Reading is key.

DRM issues didn't make it to launch and the OP doesn't talk about Kinect with respect to cost. Introducing a Kinectless SKU was to drop the costs down to PS4 level.

 

[Bane]

Reading is key.

DRM issues didn't make it to launch and the OP doesn't talk about Kinect with respect to cost. Introducing a Kinectless SKU was to drop the costs down to PS4 level.

Click to shrink...

It didn't mater it didn't make it to launch, the damage had been done and MS lost consumer trust. And yes, the removal was to bring the price down to parity with ps4. That doesn't change the point in the op (not sure how you got they don't mention it) that it had an impact on the system, in fact it's the first sentence on the matter.

 

[sleepnaught]

XB1 having less power, more expensive, and the sharing controversy really hurt their early game. Their poor first party support didn't help in the long run either.

 

[fontguy]

Your OP basically mentions things that most people didn't care about.

the 'always on' stuff didn't show up at launch and most of the furor had died down before then.

Click to shrink...

It didn't show up, but MS spent their entire press cycle telling people over and over that it would be a core part of the system. Same as with the no used games thing. The Xbone launched without any used game restrictions, but they spent a lot of time telling people their new console wouldn't play them. To this day, there are people out there who think you can't play used games on this system.

In fact, they spent more time impressing upon people that this was an always online, no used games system, than they did trying to sell people on whatever benefits their all-digital approach might have.

Spectacularly stupid, really.

 

[Cactuar]

Sony's wave started long before Microsoft did anything in 2013. The PS3 came out a year after the Xbox 360 and ended up outselling it. That means it was closing the gap and outselling the 360 month in and month out way before the PS4 and Xbox One even came out. The PS4's success was a continuation of what was established near the end of the generation. Microsoft's blunders didn't help, but that train was already rolling.

 

[k0decraft]

XB1 having less power, more expensive, and the sharing controversy really hurt their early game. Their poor first party support didn't help either in the long run either.

Click to shrink...

Pretty much.

 

[sredgrin]

Your only point of relevance is the DRM / Used games thing.

Nobody really cared about Kinect "spying." The reason Kinect was cut eventually because people flat out just did not care about the product at all, and it inflated costs.

 

[Deleted member 59519]

They needed to do multiple stupid things and they succeeded

 

[RF Switch]

What is also AMAZING is the turn around Microsoft/Xbox has done since 2013 and how it is now Microsoft in the lead making drastic consumer friendly changes

 

[Pryme]

It didn't mater it didn't make it to launch, the damage had been done and MS lost consumer trust. And yes, the removal was to bring the price down to parity with ps4. That doesn't change the point in the op (not sure how you got they don't mention it) that it had an impact on the system, in fact it's the first sentence on the matter.

Click to shrink...

The 'losing consumer trust' part is impossible to quantify and is most likely overrated. most consumers buying consoles over the holidays weren't aware of that. You forget that the PS4 kept pulling ahead in sales even outside the launch window that typically pulls in the hardcore

The OP dismisses the impact of Kinect on console cost as a relatively minor issue. I do not. That's the difference. Not sure why you can't see that

 

[FusionNY]

Agreed. Not to mention it was 100$ more for a weaker console. It's kind of incredible how out of touch Xbox execs were pre launch.
That said

Loot Box Pioneers: As Jim Sterling so articulately explained Microsoft was one of the first (if not the first) AAA publisher to jump on the loot box surprise mechanics bandwagon. Early marquee titles such as Ryse offered chances to win rare gear by spending real money (even though said gear could be obtained in the game free-of-charge... as long as you're willing to give up your day job to grind). While Sony was building a war chest of system sellers that were simply great products, Microsoft was one of the first to get back into the pockets of their customers using full-priced products that those customers already paid for.

Click to shrink...

This is complete nonsense. Your average consumer did not give a fuck about loot boxes in 2013 and this wasn't a reason for anybody to forgo buying a console. Not to mention TLOU and Killzone ShadowFall both had microtransactions prior to the Xbox One launch.

 

[Remark]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but you sound mad happy Sony on top.

Weirdo shit FR FR.

 

[Raijinto]

Yes, those are some bad things Microsoft did.

 

[Zissou]

Shifts in console leader always seem to be more of a result of the leader fucking up than anything else. N64 sticks with carts and Saturn costs $400, and PS1 wins. Sony announces you need a second job to buy a PS3, yields a ton of ground to Microsoft. Microsoft goes ham with DRM and Kinect, PS4 handily beats it.

 

[Callum_Alexander]

The complete desert that the X360 lineup was towards the end and the XBOXne launch will do that to you

Click to shrink...

People continually overlook this as a large reason the 360 install base looked elsewhere.

 

[Deleted member 36749]

Crazy how theyve come full circle with the value added by gamepass and ea access. Even made big bad Sony hop on board

 

[monmagman]

They certainly picked a bad gen to fuck up given peoples digital catalogues these days.Regardless,they seem to have a very solid fanbase in the US thanks to the 360's success and I think with Gamepass they will do very well next gen on home soil.
Most of the rest of the world,I'm really not sure how they can get back in the game with such strong competition from Sony/Nintendo.

 

[Ondor]

Grabbing the popcorn.

 

[Garrett 2U]

Such a weird thread

 

[nib95]

I think some of the negative mindshare or sentiment may have started from even before the launch of the Xbox One and instead the 360's cycle, mostly in the lack of good quality support towards the end of the gen, the reception to some of Microsoft's previously critically acclaimed darlings in Halo and Gears, coupled with the RRoD fiasco that may have left a lot of people burned on future Microsoft systems. Hell, I had to replace 3 of them personally.

I'd imagine it was a combination of all these things, plus the things you've mentioned, including the price/performance difference in the new system, the growing strength of the competitors first party efforts and so on.

 

[AntiMacro]

Going all-in with digital distribution/Always-on DRM. You know how you can walk into Target and buy XBOX One games on disk just like every other console? That was not in the original plan. When the XBOX One was announced, all software was to be purchased and delivered digitally.

Click to shrink...

Literally none of that is true. You were always going to be able to buy discs.

 

[Splader]

Their tiered release was stupid and it destroyed their overseas market.
I really hope they're ready to release everywhere for this one.

• Going all-in with digital distribution/Always-on DRM. You know how you can walk into Target and buy XBOX One games on disk just like every other console? That was not in the original plan. When the XBOX One was announced, all software was to be purchased and delivered digitally.

Click to shrink...

As the person above me also said, this isn't true. The plan was to still be able to buy disks at retail and getting all the advantage of physical deals etc, but converting the game to digital once you attached it to your account. Quite literally the only thing it affected was reselling the games.

 

[InfinityDOK]

For me it came down to. a: Poor marketing and not having all their pr on the same page. b: After sales on Xbox one didn't reach initial projection, Microsoft pulled funds for games. c: public perception of the product and brand.

But it does look promising now, tons of new studios and talent. Game Pass being a great value. They still need to work on PR in my opinion, as there are people who still believe that Xbox games are coming to PS4 and that isn't happening anytime soon. I am excited for next gen, because it looks like all 3 console makers will be firing on all cylinders and us the consumers will benefit from that.

 

[shiftplusone]

Your OP basically mentions things that most people didn't care about.

the 'always on' stuff didn't show up at launch and most of the furor had died down before then.

Click to shrink...

the rest of your post is pretty on point but I dont think this one holds up. Years after it was out, people(not forum posters and other people who read this bullshit all day) but there was still a percentage of people who thought you had to be connected or couldnt trade games or any of the issues they walked back. The messaging on it didnt penetrate 100%

 

[AntiMacro]

For me it came down to. a: Poor marketing and not having all their pr on the same page. b: After sales on Xbox one didn't reach initial projection, Microsoft pulled funds for games. c: public perception of the product and brand.

Click to shrink...

A lot of it was really poorly communicated and their PR people had different ideas of how it was supposed to work - but it seemed more like it was not understanding the license system than anything.

If you look at their plan for sharing digital games where you could grant a friend the license to a game, but only if they'd been friends with you for 30+ days and you could only lend it to one friend at a time, I'd much rather have that than the current 'share them all, but only to one person and you can only switch a handful of times in a year' gamesharing setup.

 

[Deleted member 679]

microsoft bad

 

[DieH@rd]

Xbox almost gave up on big AAA games for x360 in 2012 and 2013, they were focused too much on Kinect. That gave the oppening to Sony to finish the gen strong on PS3 and start agressive marketing for PS4 hitting all the right talking points against "deluded" opponent who set the sights on larger casual market.

 

[Pirate Bae]

This thread is unlikely to foster good discussion so the decision has been made to lock it.