This is how I see it. At the end of the day it's up to Microsoft to be able to explain to the masses that this is a new generation of hardware. It's not the best name but that's their problem to handle.
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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
- Thread starter Deleted member 58846
- Start date
In isolation I actually love the name. Series X feels like a modern way forward in the same way the PS2 DVD player design was ahead of it's time in a world where consoles were still trying to look like toys.
Series X feels like a naming progression ahead of it's time.
The problem? The One X exists and is already marketed as "the premium powerful console"
This kinda really does have "customer confusion" written all over it. I get that the Series X isn't aimed at the casual consumer, but the casual consumer is arguably more informed than they've ever been. When they walk into a store, there's still going to be like eleventy Xbox console options for them.
Xbox One S
Xbox One SADE
Xbox One X
Xbox Series X
Xbox Series S
Like...come on, it's pretty clear there's a very real problem here. IF Microsoft manage to find a way to clear the channel of Xbox One console prior to November next year, then they should be fine.
OP
OP
Right, I agree fully. I actually think "Series X" is a cool name. It sounds badass. It allows easy iteration where and when needed. It is in line with the brand identity. It's great.
... except, as you said, Xbox One X exists, and that creates issues.
It's the name of the generation of consoles, not the name of the actual console. Yes it's confusing, but the Series nomoclature should identify it a bit more.
All the same I'm sure if they could go back in the past and just stick to 1/2/3/4/5 they would have
All the same I'm sure if they could go back in the past and just stick to 1/2/3/4/5 they would have
They're toys that cost $500. No one spends that kind of money without doing some research or at least knowing what they're buying. Come on now. Hot takes are fun and all, but that one is just bad.
Like I get it era's community can be pretty elitist, but you're all really underestimating the average consumers intelligence. They're not brain dead.
Names=Good
Bad names closely associated with previous hardware=Not good and confusing.
Nintendo had this problem twice with the Wii U and 3DS, not everyone researches gifts for christmas when this thing launches, go to a retailer on December 26th and see the massive lines in the return area. I can't tell you how bad it was the first christmas of the 3DS where massive amounts of 3DS games were returned when people realized the DS wouldn't run them.
Look at the mass confusion here, these people cover video games for a living, it takes them a good 30 seconds of discussion to realize that this is scarlett and not an xbox one x.
Here's Maxamillians reaction, him and his buddies aren't confused because one of them pointed out it was scarlett before the reveal, and their reaction to the name is ".......what".
The name itself is not very good, Xbox series X doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it's made 10x worse by the fact that they've recently launched a system called the Xbox One X, that's going to confuse the shit out of people who don't pay attention to the industry.
They already had a good name, Scarlett sounds better, rolls off the tongue better, and is way less confusing. This is a self inflicted wound, i'm not saying they can't recover from it, the 3DS recovered from a bad name, but again......why sabotage yourself?
Yeah, this.
The name won't be any bigger problem than Xbox One was (of course that console had much bigger problems than its name).
Still, I just don't get why big companies struggle so much with names. It's bizarre.
I agree with this.
Now that I think about it....it's good they went with a totally different form factor.
Actually it has been a problem. I feel bad for retail employees having to explain the difference to confused customers. Ultimately in this situation its the price that matters.
This is funny. I have owned damn near every console in existence starting with the Atari 2600 and culminating with the PS4, Switch and XB1. I also have a gaming rig. I am not a "fan" of any billion dollar corporation. I am a fan of games. You guys are getting your panties in a bunch over a name. I can remember telling Nintendo fan boys they were being ridulous when they said the name Playstation sounded like a Fisher Price toy. And then later when Sony fanboys critcized the name Dreamcast. Then Xbox and Sony fanboys criticizing Gamecube and Wii. Who cares what it's called? If it plays kick ass games I'm there. Console warriors are hilarious.
All these Wii U comparisons are dumb. Nintendo did fuck all to show people why the U was an entirely new console, Microsoft will not have that problem. Let's also not forget the fact that the Wii U was garbage hardware competing with significantly better competition.
We have an E3 coming and a holiday release, anyone still pretending that this will be confusing by this time next year I find suspect.
We have an E3 coming and a holiday release, anyone still pretending that this will be confusing by this time next year I find suspect.
Probably not. If the Xbox One wasn't confusing for people then the Series X won't be either.
Nintendo just sucked at marketing the Wii U and it's target audience didn't know any better.
Nintendo just sucked at marketing the Wii U and it's target audience didn't know any better.
Do people really think that some rando customer is going to suddenly be interested in Xbox because of the new consoles and accidentally buy the several-year-old stuff they avoided purchasing over that aforementioned several year period? If someone wants to buy a console, they're gonna get the one they want, and the people who are so confused that they either get the wrong one or just get angry and grab a competing product (FCKN LOOL) are of such statistical insignificance that I'm not even sure it's worth navel gazing over.
What people think is going to happen:
Customer: Hey! Hey you!
Employee: How may I help you?
Customer: I want the Xbox X or whatever. You got any o' dem?
Employee: Yes I believe we do!
Employee leads customer over to consoles
Customer: So which one is it?
Employee: I....I-I don't r-really know...
Customer: Aw hell, now what'm I gonna do? This is the Wii U all over again!
Employee: I DON'T KNOW, OKAY!? NONE OF THESE ARE PRICE MARKED AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME NAME!
Employee grabs an Amazon Fire Stick and a Switch Pro controller and hastily hands it to the customer before running away
Customer: Guess I'm gonna buy a PlayStation 5 or whatever.
What will actually happen in the worst case scenario:
Customer: Hey! Hey you!
Employee: How may I help you?
Customer: I want the Xbox X or whatever. You got any o' dem?
Employee: Yes I believe we do!
Employee leads customer over to consoles
Customer: So which one is it?
Employee: Uhhh, this is the most expensive one, and it's the one that people are always buying, so it's probably this one. Give me just one second...
Employee (now "Employee 1" asks another employee, "Employee 2," about the consoles)
Employee 1: Hey, 2, we have a customer that wants to know which is the new Xbox. I think it's....this one?
Employee 2: No, 1, that one says "Series X." The one you want is this One right here.
Employee 1: 2, why is this One cheaper?
Employee 2: Because it's The One!
Employee 1: The One that I want?
Employee 2: You are The One I want. Ooh ooh ooh, honey.
Customer grabs a PlayStation 5 and walks out the door without paying.
Point is, customers are ultimately going to walk out the door with the thing they want. Retailers had better hope that said customers pay before they do, though.
What people think is going to happen:
Customer: Hey! Hey you!
Employee: How may I help you?
Customer: I want the Xbox X or whatever. You got any o' dem?
Employee: Yes I believe we do!
Employee leads customer over to consoles
Customer: So which one is it?
Employee: I....I-I don't r-really know...
Customer: Aw hell, now what'm I gonna do? This is the Wii U all over again!
Employee: I DON'T KNOW, OKAY!? NONE OF THESE ARE PRICE MARKED AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME NAME!
Employee grabs an Amazon Fire Stick and a Switch Pro controller and hastily hands it to the customer before running away
Customer: Guess I'm gonna buy a PlayStation 5 or whatever.
What will actually happen in the worst case scenario:
Customer: Hey! Hey you!
Employee: How may I help you?
Customer: I want the Xbox X or whatever. You got any o' dem?
Employee: Yes I believe we do!
Employee leads customer over to consoles
Customer: So which one is it?
Employee: Uhhh, this is the most expensive one, and it's the one that people are always buying, so it's probably this one. Give me just one second...
Employee (now "Employee 1" asks another employee, "Employee 2," about the consoles)
Employee 1: Hey, 2, we have a customer that wants to know which is the new Xbox. I think it's....this one?
Employee 2: No, 1, that one says "Series X." The one you want is this One right here.
Employee 1: 2, why is this One cheaper?
Employee 2: Because it's The One!
Employee 1: The One that I want?
Employee 2: You are The One I want. Ooh ooh ooh, honey.
Customer grabs a PlayStation 5 and walks out the door without paying.
Point is, customers are ultimately going to walk out the door with the thing they want. Retailers had better hope that said customers pay before they do, though.
Not confusing for the gamers, for the people buying consoles as gifts.
Honestly, it was more shock that MS was revealing a new console right then. I don't do this for a living and immediately knew it was the new console.
Yes, I'm positive there will be some confusion between Xbox One X and Xbox Series X, but it won't be near Wii U levels.
Nintendo only showing the Gamepad during the reveal, while flat-out refusing to show that damn console, was a special kind of fuck up. The Xbox has no such problem.
Nintendo only showing the Gamepad during the reveal, while flat-out refusing to show that damn console, was a special kind of fuck up. The Xbox has no such problem.
I absolutely hate the name because it sounds incredibly cheesy, but I don't think it'll be as big a problem as people make it out to be.
"Hey, I'm looking for the Xbox Something X; the new one"
"The Xbox Series X? Here you go."
"Thanks!"
The End.
I always figured one of the greatest reasons the Wii U failed was marketing(Is it a new console? A new Controller? What the hell is it?), which I don't think Microsoft will drop the ball there. Any parents going to Best Buy or Walmart are going to see Xbox Series X advertisements all over the place anyway. Anyone with two working brain cells and a competent store employee helping them will be fine.
"Hey, I'm looking for the Xbox Something X; the new one"
"The Xbox Series X? Here you go."
"Thanks!"
The End.
I always figured one of the greatest reasons the Wii U failed was marketing(Is it a new console? A new Controller? What the hell is it?), which I don't think Microsoft will drop the ball there. Any parents going to Best Buy or Walmart are going to see Xbox Series X advertisements all over the place anyway. Anyone with two working brain cells and a competent store employee helping them will be fine.
Or, potentially, people have a different opinion than you do. I keep seeing statements like this. "People are being ridiculous. It's not confusing at all." ... to you! I can relate to someone saying it doesn't bother them at all and that they like it, so maybe try relating to people who don't agree with you. Personally, I of course am not confused. I'm familiar with the consoles, but when told my dad the names of all the xboxes, he thought the sequence didn't make a lick of sense. From an outside perspective, I think the naming convention for their consoles after 360 have been irrational. The fact that there's an Xbox One X and then the Xbox Series X is absolutely convoluted, and it's sure to throw some people off. I'm not saying they'll crash and burn or that I hate it, but I really don't think it's a good name.
At the end of the day, it likely inconveniences game enthusiasts that talk on message boards more than anyone. hahaha. I'm not looking forward to typing out their console names when doing any sort of comparison between them.
It would've been a nice name if not for the fact that there's already an Xbox model with X in the name. Xbox Scarlet would been distinct, but Xbox's whole thing is being Green, unfortunately.
I think what really stands out is that I've seen people come to the realisation that it's the next gen Xbox, and the name reveal causes them to rethink.
Almost like: 'I thought it was the new Xbox, but it couldn't possibly be, judging by the name'
In the EZA video they first come to the conclusion that it's the new Xbox, then they get confused by the name, and eventually they come to the conclusion that It is the new xbox after all.
Something similar in Minnmax's (former GameInformer staff) video:
They come to the realisation that it's the new Xbox, but because of the name reveal he asks if it is "a redesign".
OP
OP
I'll buy one for cheap, it'll be a good upgrade over my S :3
They'll probably be selling the One X for a couple of years after the series x launch.
For the most part, the Samsung and Apple products have years or numbers attached to them.
Nah the Wii U's name was a problem but that wasn't all. It looked too much like a Wii and the Gamepad made it seem like a peripheral upgrade. Series X drops the "One" and doesn't look anything like pretty much any prior console made.
I wrote this as a joke, but it is totally plausible.
Parents trying to buy the new Xbox for their kids.
Do you guys have Xbox?
-Yeah we have the Xbox One S, One X, and Series X.
Yeah the 4K Xbox one
-Oh the Xbox One X?
Is that the one from this year?
-Oh the Xbox Series X?
Which one is cheaper, I'll take that one.
I bet this exact thing happened with the Wii/Wii U, consumers probably though it was all the same.
Parents trying to buy the new Xbox for their kids.
Do you guys have Xbox?
-Yeah we have the Xbox One S, One X, and Series X.
Yeah the 4K Xbox one
-Oh the Xbox One X?
Is that the one from this year?
-Oh the Xbox Series X?
Which one is cheaper, I'll take that one.
I bet this exact thing happened with the Wii/Wii U, consumers probably though it was all the same.
OP
OP
I mean, his opinion is as good as any of ours, lol.
That said, I agree with the Ed Boon tweet posted above, over time, we'll just get used to this name.
I mean I get it too but we are on the message board are informed and enthusiasts. The normies aren't
I'm on the "nobody bought a WiiU because they didn't want one" side of things. The name was the least of its issues. I love the signature controller but I know most people think it's cumbersome.
1 iPhone
2 iPhone 3G
3 iPhone 3G fast
4 iPhone 4
5 iPhone 4 fast
6 iPhone 5
7 iPhone 5 colourful
8 iPhone 5 fast
9 iPhone 6
10 iPhone 6 Big Boi
11 iPhone 6 fast
12 iPhone 6 fast big boi
13 iPhone you can't afford the top trim model
14 iPhone 7
15 iPhone 7 big boi
16 iPhone 8
17 iPhone 8 big boi
18 iPhone I know it's called the ten but I'm going to call it the X anyway
19 iPhone I didn't know it was called the ten R
20 iPhone Excess
21 iPhone Excess MAXIMUM
22 iPhone 11
23 iPhone 11 Pro
24 iPhone 11 Prolapse
Speak for yourself. I had a 5S until this year, phone hunting was so confusing for me. Made me feel old as hell. In the ended up getting a Galaxy cause I could understand version 10 and each edition was a different size. I still dont understand Apple's iPhone X naming structure and I found the whole thing confusing.
Okay?
His opinion is no more or less important than mine or yours or anybody else's lol
Why share this?
The branding might make better sense if Microsoft are making a lot of different hardware under that 'series' umbrella, not just a high and low end console. Think Xbox Series PC, Xbox Series AR, Xbox Series VR, Xbox Series Racing Wheel, Xbox Series Flightstick, Xbox Series Elite Controller.
It could also make sense they are trying to get to a clearer PlayStation standard naming scheme from now on even if it is a mounthful, a consistent mouthful that goes up in numbers.
I can't think of another reason why they would choose this name.
It could also make sense they are trying to get to a clearer PlayStation standard naming scheme from now on even if it is a mounthful, a consistent mouthful that goes up in numbers.
I can't think of another reason why they would choose this name.
I think the name is extremely stupid and doesn't make sense at all but the biggest problem for me is the X.
What the hell are they going to call their mid season upgrade now? 😅
What the hell are they going to call their mid season upgrade now? 😅
It could prove to be confusing, but they have plenty of time to establish the naming so it becomes entirely natural sounding. Like everyone thought Wii or iPad were absurd initially but we don't give it a moment's thought now. One of the things I think they did right is move the emphasis back to Xbox. "Series X" sounds like it qualifies what tier it belongs to without being an essential part of the brand name, whereas "Xbox One" was clearly a compound name.
I'm fine with it. I would've preferred a more definitive name, but i think we'll adapt and accept it just like other generations. Most people call it Xbox generally anyway(which they're smart to still incorporate). I understand the Wii U assumptions, but this is far from that for a few reasons:
-There isn't a second screen which confused a lot of people assuming it was just an add on to the existing console
-The form factor is drastically different compared to Wii U which was fairly similar to the original in form factor.
-There isn't a second screen which confused a lot of people assuming it was just an add on to the existing console
-The form factor is drastically different compared to Wii U which was fairly similar to the original in form factor.
Because its relevant to the thread????
Also I never said his opinion was waited more or less I just shared a tweet....