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I like the Xbox Series X name, but I feel like this is another Wii U branding disaster in the making

Is the branding for the console going to be confusing?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1,896 63.5%

  • No

    Votes: 1,088 36.5%
  • Total voters
    2,984
Segafreak

Segafreak

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,756
It is a disaster in the making. Let me guess, Series S will be the "lockheart" thing we keep hearing about. So basically, outside the hardcore community, no one will think there's a new set of consoles out. The PS5, Switch? Instantly, to the point. "Xbox Series X? You mean the Xbox One X?" They wanted to kill gens so bad they're gonna burn their fingers soon. It is an awful, awful name. Numbering your hardware work, ask Apple, Samsung, Sony etc. They could've named it Xbox 5 or 10, literally anything that makes it stand out than this. Just like the Wii U they're gonna have difficulties telling people it's a new console and we may not see the effects until well after launch after the early adopters have gone in.
 
ps3ud0

ps3ud0

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,906
Look forward to what they call their mid-gen refresh. How Greenberg keeps his job is beyond me...

ps3ud0 8)
 
Abylim

Abylim

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,023
Australia
I really don't get the iPhone comparisons. They are almost always numbered and the numbers increase according to release. Xbox one X to Xbox Series X doesn't really make sense to me.

iPhone 8 to IPhone X is the most confusing. And that makes more sense.
It would be like if Apple called their iPhone X, iPhone series X after calling their previous one IPhone 8 X.

It's stupid and unnecessary
 
xabbott

xabbott

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,065
Florida
Segafreak said:
It is a disaster in the making. Let me guess, Series S will be the "lockheart" thing we keep hearing about. So basically, outside the hardcore community, no one will think there's a new set of consoles out. The PS5, Switch? Instantly, to the point. "Xbox Series X? You mean the Xbox One X?" They wanted to kill gens so bad they're gonna burn their fingers soon. It is an awful, awful name. Numbering your hardware work, ask Apple, Samsung, Sony etc. They could've named it Xbox 5 or 10, literally anything that makes it stand out than this. Just like the Wii U they're gonna have difficulties telling people it's a new console and we may not see the effects until well after launch after the early adopters have gone in.
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The thing is, especially during year one do they really care? Games, controllers, etc. work on both. Gamepass will work on both and Gamepass is the important part of their entire business model. If they were so worried about confusion over the Xbox name they wouldn't have put it all over the PC gaming stuff too.
 
nStruct

nStruct

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
3,134
Seattle, WA
I think they could have avoided a lot of confusion by naming the new console the "Xbox Series X2". That makes it sound like a successor to Xbox One, a successor the X, and also gets them on-board with the "Series" naming convention.
 
Vinc

Vinc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,387
The One Who Knocks said:
"Customers are smart, they will do research before going into a GameStop, you all are just hyperbolically panicking"
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I thought the Wii U's name was the least of its problems, but the sheer amount of times I've seen people return Wii U games at best buy saying it doesn't seem to work in their Wii has been staggering.
 
jelly

jelly

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
33,841
It's basically calling the console 'Xbox' and forgoing generations kinda.

You buy an 'Xbox' version 'Series X' year '2020'.

It's a bit shit as a brand identity for a platform but I'm guessing they will be quite a few Series something or other and they won't be going to Xbox Infinite, Xbox Ultra in coming generations, they will just be 'Xbox' 'Series Something'.

Considering backwards compatibility, the less wacky names you have to put on the box etc. the better. It will just say 'Series X, X2, C, C2'
 
OP
OP

Deleted member 58846

User requested account closure
Banned
Jul 28, 2019
5,086
Vinc said:
I thought the Wii U's name was the least of its problems, but the sheer amount of times I've seen people return Wii U games at best buy saying it doesn't seem to work in their Wii has been staggering.
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Yes, I know, I've seen people confused about the Wii U to this day.
Series X will obviously not suffer as badly as Wii U, which was a colossal fuck up of cosmic proportions across all fronts, did, but to pretend like this isn't a potential hamstring is the most tone-deaf, self-delusional fanboy response ever.
 
Vinc

Vinc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,387
The One Who Knocks said:
Yes, I know, I've seen people confused about the Wii U to this day.
Series X will obviously not suffer as badly as Wii U, which was a colossal fuck up of cosmic proportions across all fronts, did, but to pretend like this isn't a potential hamstring is the most tone-deaf, self-delusional fanboy response ever.
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Yeah, I agree that it's a fair concern. But I think their messaging will be important to look at, they might make it super simple.
 
Abylim

Abylim

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,023
Australia
Vinc said:
I thought the Wii U's name was the least of its problems, but the sheer amount of times I've seen people return Wii U games at best buy saying it doesn't seem to work in their Wii has been staggering.
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Never happened apparently. Customers are way too smart to confuse the two. Look, one of them has a U in it, the other doesn't!
 
Htown

Htown

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,318
If you think people aren't going to be confused by this, you haven't worked retail before.

The name is terrible.
 
smurfx

smurfx

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,578
think most people will end up just referring to it as the new xbox which isn't ideal for marketing purposes.
 
Cogg

Cogg

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,153
The minute they announce the "series s" the name will make more sense.
 
Abylim

Abylim

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,023
Australia
FWIW I think this Xbox will be successful. I'm sure if the name is confusing Microsoft will go out of its way to market the hell out of it, unlike Nintendo.
 
Tbm24

Tbm24

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,227
The One Who Knocks said:
Yes, I know, I've seen people confused about the Wii U to this day.
Series X will obviously not suffer as badly as Wii U, which was a colossal fuck up of cosmic proportions across all fronts, did, but to pretend like this isn't a potential hamstring is the most tone-deaf, self-delusional fanboy response ever.
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You're completely forgoing any and all actual marketing and branding they are going to do in the lead up to release. It's predicated on what? That the potential consumer base are fucking idiots?
 
Raide

Raide

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
16,596
Htown said:
If you think people aren't going to be confused by this, you haven't worked retail before.

The name is terrible.
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If people go to buy the Series X and just ask for new Xbox, it's the fault of the staff if they don't know what the consumer means. Just blindly giving them the first words they utter usually means they are super bad at their job or they hate their job.
 
OP
OP

Deleted member 58846

User requested account closure
Banned
Jul 28, 2019
5,086
Tbm24 said:
You're completely forgoing any and all actual marketing and branding they are going to do in the lead up to release. It's predicated on what? That the potential consumer base are fucking idiots?
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For the tenth time, I am saying Microsoft can brute force their way through brand confusion with strong marketing, they just made it harder for themselves with a stupid ass name.
 
Maple

Maple

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,721
Segafreak said:
It is a disaster in the making. Let me guess, Series S will be the "lockheart" thing we keep hearing about. So basically, outside the hardcore community, no one will think there's a new set of consoles out. The PS5, Switch? Instantly, to the point. "Xbox Series X? You mean the Xbox One X?" They wanted to kill gens so bad they're gonna burn their fingers soon. It is an awful, awful name. Numbering your hardware work, ask Apple, Samsung, Sony etc. They could've named it Xbox 5 or 10, literally anything that makes it stand out than this. Just like the Wii U they're gonna have difficulties telling people it's a new console and we may not see the effects until well after launch after the early adopters have gone in.
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Agree. But the key is to remember that this isn't just about "Series X". We know there will be a "Series S", and who knows what else. Another problem is that these don't sound like a shared family (PS4, PS4 Pro, Switch, Switch Lite, etc). So will next-gen Xbox games be announced for just "Series X"? Or Series X and Series S? What is the branding going to be on the game cases? Series X+S? Or just one or the other? It's just going to be a frustrating mess.
 
Bitch Pudding

Bitch Pudding

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,202
The name may turn out being a problem, especially if they call Lockhart Series S.

But the real problem might be that MS has no plans to launch Series X exclusive games. Matt Booty from MS suggested that others will follow the same path, but I for one don't think so. I'm sure there will be games only available on PS5, and they'll turn out as the major switching trigger for current gen owners, not playing scaled up current gen games.
 
Wet Jimmy

Wet Jimmy

Member
Nov 11, 2017
809
It'll be fine.

If Wii can sell, so can this.

Visual distinction will aid the uninformed making a buying decision on their own, too, I imagine.
 
sjackso3

sjackso3

Member
Oct 30, 2017
630
Houston
Let's keep it real, is there any name that Microsoft could have come up with that some people on this forum wouldn't find a problem with? From calling the Xbox One "Xbone" to the All digital "SAD," and now the Series X the "XSeX..." even though that last one literally makes no sense. People are going to twist it into whatever fits their narrative.
 
PunishedPrince

PunishedPrince

Member
Nov 17, 2019
1,584
The One Who Knocks said:
For the tenth time, I am saying Microsoft can brute force their way through brand confusion with strong marketing, they just made it harder for themselves with a stupid ass name.
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I think MS is finally trying to establish a consistent naming system. It will be a little painful at first but they will probably just continue with Series X2, X3, X4 etc. At that point it won't be a problem until X10 where we will likely get XXX memes.
 
KartuneDX

KartuneDX

Banned
Jan 12, 2018
2,381
Way too early to call it a brand disaster but Xbox Series X sounds awful regardless. The influence of the "Xbox" name alone is strong enough to carry it but there's absolutely no way people won't mistake the two.
 
Maple

Maple

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,721
Bitch Pudding said:
The name may turn out being a problem, especially if they call Lockhart Series S.

But the real problem might be that MS has no plans to launch Series X exclusive games. Matt Booty from MS suggested that others will follow the same path, but I for one don't think so. I'm sure there will be games only available on PS5, and they'll turn out as the major switching trigger for current gen owners, not playing scaled up current gen games.
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I...really hope this isn't true. What exactly would be the point of the Series X if there are no exclusive games?
 
I KILL PXLS

I KILL PXLS

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,521
I think one thing people here are not totally getting is that Microsoft sees all the Xbox SKUs as one system. They're just all at different power levels. This is why they refer to Series X as "Our most powerful Xbox yet". I guarantee Sony will not be referring to PS5 with this kind of language. They don't really care if you're confused about which one is which initially. They'll all play all the games one way or the other, and you buy the one that fits your price point. Most people interested will know a new, next gen Xbox is out and "the parents" will know which one to get because it will be the most expensive one or the clerk will point them to the newest one.

This isn't like the WiiU because the PS4 and Xbox One aren't the Wii. The Wii was as successful as it was because non-traditional gamers flocked to it in droves. Non-traditional gamers who either didn't care about upgrading their Wii or weren't plugged in enough to know that "WiiU" meant the next Wii. Also side reminder that Nintendo went out of it's way to downplay the actual WiiU system and focused so hard on the tablet aspect that even most plugged in people were confused about whether or not it was just a tablet add on. Xbox does not have that problem. If you own an Xbox, you'll likely know a new one is coming by next holiday and that's all you need to really know because the internet or a store clerk will get you the rest of the way.

EDIT: I should also note, I'm not a big fan of the name only because it doesn't flow well off the tongue.
 
Abylim

Abylim

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,023
Australia
sjackso3 said:
Let's keep it real, is there any name that Microsoft could have come up with that some people on this forum wouldn't find a problem with? From calling the Xbox One "Xbone" to the All digital "SAD," and now the Series X the "XSeX..." even though that last one literally makes no sense. People are going to twist it into whatever fits their narrative.
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Yes these poor downtrodden Xbox fans. They can't win!
 
YaBish

YaBish

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,340
sjackso3 said:
Let's keep it real, is there any name that Microsoft could have come up with that some people on this forum wouldn't find a problem with? From calling the Xbox One "Xbone" to the All digital "SAD," and now the Series X the "XSeX..." even though that last one literally makes no sense. People are going to twist it into whatever fits their narrative.
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I would love if they just called it Xbox 4. I think the narrative that they wouldn't sync up with PS5 and thus would appear weaker isn't true.
 
Servbot24

Servbot24

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
43,063
Axisofweevils said:
I already thought having an Xbox One S and an Xbox One X was pushing it... This makes it even worse... Then again people seem to have no problem keeping track of the various iPad models.
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I don't think most people "keep track" of the iPad models though. They just buy an iPad with the features they want and the name is incidental.
 
DarkMagician

DarkMagician

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,153
1 iPhone
2 iPhone 3G
3 iPhone 3GS
4 iPhone 4
5 iPhone 4S
6 iPhone 5
7 iPhone 5c
8 iPhone 5s
9 iPhone 6
10 iPhone 6 Plus
11 iPhone 6s
12 iPhone 6s Plus
13 iPhone SE
14 iPhone 7
15 iPhone 7 Plus
16 iPhone 8
17 iPhone 8 Plus
18 iPhone X
19 iPhone XR
20 iPhone XS
21 iPhone XS Max
22 iPhone 11
23 iPhone 11 Pro
24 iPhone 11 Pro Max

If people can understand this, they can understand Xbox Series X. Don't get me started on iPad.
 

Allard

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,927
I understand the reason for the name but the first thing I thought of when I saw the video and announcement of both the xbox look and the name was "Microsoft branded PC computer for gamers" along the same lines as a Surface Pro, not necessarily the new console generation. It really is a stupid idea from a marketing standpoint to name something that is supposed to be a different generation, different capabilities and potentially new and different games/experiences then the previous generation something so hard to define as a different generation. And since people have been bringing up badging and stuff for Iphone X, Iphone XR etc, I am not sure I would consider that to be the best representation of their problem, I know a bunch of people who get phones like that but don't follow any trend are honestly intimidated by the lack of clear cut understanding of what the new device is and what it does and which one to get. It was honestly easier when the iterations were clearly number based because it was easier to tell what the most recent versions were, but at least the 'versions' of the generation are generally consistent (until recently).
 
OP
OP

Deleted member 58846

User requested account closure
Banned
Jul 28, 2019
5,086
DarkMagician said:
1 iPhone
2 iPhone 3G
3 iPhone 3GS
4 iPhone 4
5 iPhone 4S
6 iPhone 5
7 iPhone 5c
8 iPhone 5s
9 iPhone 6
10 iPhone 6 Plus
11 iPhone 6s
12 iPhone 6s Plus
13 iPhone SE
14 iPhone 7
15 iPhone 7 Plus
16 iPhone 8
17 iPhone 8 Plus
18 iPhone X
19 iPhone XR
20 iPhone XS
21 iPhone XS Max
22 iPhone 11
23 iPhone 11 Pro
24 iPhone 11 Pro Max

If people can understand this, they can understand Xbox Series X. Don't get me started on iPad.
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That's absolutely not how that works. There is one new iPhone range a year. It goes up +1 or +S. The only exceptions to this were SE and XR.
 
Abylim

Abylim

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,023
Australia
BossLackey said:
This is going to further confuse parents. I just love how Sony marches on with the simple number progression. I truly hope we get to see PlayStation 14.
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I just don't get why the name has to be anything but simple? PS5 works. I get Nintendo naming the switch what they did because that's part of what it is. It switches from portable to console.

But this constant need to name the Xbox something different is odd to me.
Xbox Series X doesn't even sound like a console anymore. And why the X? You just had Xbox One X. You guys don't see how that could be confusing?
 
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