Microsoft has a problem with Xbox that it can't buy its way out of..

[SnatcherHunter]

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-future-of-the-xbox-one-2018-2


I just found this article.

I honestly don't agree with it. I can counter argue must points. It seems most recent articles are always negative when it comes to MS or Xbox.

Yet, I slowly see how MS is turning the Xbox brand once again to a profitable position.

No matter what they do, they are harshly criticized.

Thoughts?

 

[GamerDude]

I stopped at "an estimated 30 to 50 million Xbox One consoles have been sold". What kind of ridiculous range is that?

 

[Ricky_R]

Lol at that sales range.

 

[AmFreak]

I stopped at "an estimated 30 to 50 million Xbox One consoles have been sold". What kind of ridiculous range is that?

Click to shrink...

Ask Ms ...

 

[Caiusto]

People tends to miss judge all of MS actions when it comes to Xbox. I lost the count of how many times the end of Xbox was decreed.

 

[GamerDude]

Ask Ms ...

Click to shrink...

MS provided the range of 30 to 50 million?

I'm pretty estimates are around 35 million?

 

[THEVOID]

"Microsoft has a problem with Xbox that it can't buy its way out of"

Then it lists ways they can buy it's way out of it? Okay...

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Lol at that sales range.

Click to shrink...

I assume it's at around 40 by now.

I remember it was at like 30 for a looooong time. If you believed everything you ever read on forums, you'd think it hit 30 million and then never sold a console since.

 

[DarkFlame92]

I stopped at "an estimated 30 to 50 million Xbox One consoles have been sold". What kind of ridiculous range is that?

Click to shrink...

Exactly lol.

In general though,as a PC and PS4 owner I can't see how MS can convince me to buy their product.They have a weak first party lineup in my opinion and nothing that truly stands out to tempt me in buying XB1.It's more likely that I buy a Switch,than a Xbox tbh

 

[Becks']

Microsoft f'ed up with E3 2013 and I'll take them a long time to come back just with Sony and PS3

 

[StuBurns]

I think they're pretty much fucked. Their first party is weak, The XBOX just came out, and for five hundred dollars. Sony is going to release a PS5 for four hundred dollars which is massively better holiday '20, and MS can't ship a next-gen system any where near that soon without burning the X owners.

Valve would never sell to anyone, let alone MS. MS buying EA makes no sense to me, as all the Sports licenses require multiplatform releases.

They're going to get slaughtered.

 

[tomofthepops]

A point that i don't see brought up often is since the ps5 and nextbox will 95% be likely to be forward compatible, digital game purchases matter a whole lot more than they did last gen. Your gonna have a harder time convincing people with massive library's to move to a different console where as that wasn't really a major thing last time around. Microsoft fucked up at the worst point it possibly could.

 

[Bgamer90]

I stopped at "an estimated 30 to 50 million Xbox One consoles have been sold". What kind of ridiculous range is that?

Click to shrink...

This + the typical January "doom and gloom" after busy Holiday season + saying you can't play Switch games anywhere else even though a great portion of Switch games are on consoles that were released after 2011 (therefore showing the Switch's success has heavily been about its design instead of just games only).

This gen is in a very good spot right now. I really don't understand the point of these articles in 2018. The gen has pretty much been determined sales wise and all three consoles have built up unique features that make them appealing for different people.

 

[2Blackcats]

Basically just a retread of the recent polygon article.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

They're lumped with the negativity for the rest of this gen. It's just how it is. They could release 73 brand new IPs over the next 2 years and there'd be articles about how those aren't for that journalist or how they're nto going to sell or something like that.

Microsoft needs next gen to start as soon as possible basically so they can start again and at least this time start on the front foot having hopefully learned lessons from 2013 as well as having BC/Game Pass/Play Anywhere there from day one.

 

[THEVOID]

I think they're pretty much fucked. Their first party is weak, The XBOX just came out, and for five hundred dollars. Sony is going to release a PS5 for four hundred dollars which is massively better holiday '20, and MS can't ship a next-gen system any where near that soon without burning the X owners.

Valve would never sell to anyone, let alone MS. MS buying EA makes no sense to me, as all the Sports licenses require multiplatform releases.

They're going to get slaughtered.

Click to shrink...

And? Don't get your point here?

Also, gotta link on the PS5 coming 2020 and price?

 

[ghostcrew]

I think they're pretty much fucked. Their first party is weak, The XBOX just came out, and for five hundred dollars. Sony is going to release a PS5 for four hundred dollars which is massively better holiday '20, and MS can't ship a next-gen system any where near that soon without burning the X owners.

Click to shrink...

Are they?

 

[StuBurns]

And? Don't get your point here?

Click to shrink...

Well, owning EA as you would own any company makes some sense, but they don't get EAs games as exclusives just because they buy them. I don't see how it benefits them as a platform holder to own EA. The obvious thing would be you can get exclusive stuff for their non-sports games, exclusive betas for all Battlefields is something, but it's not something that would move the needle.

 

[Deleted member 35204]

Dude the image problem is the easiest thing to resolve with money

 

[Luchashaq]

E3 2013 is an anchor they never have fully removed and it can't be until a brand new non halfstep console is released.

 

[THEVOID]

Well, owning EA as you would own any company makes some sense, but they don't get EAs games as exclusives just because they buy them. I don't see how it benefits them as a platform holder to own EA. The obvious thing would be you can get exclusive stuff for their non-sports games, exclusive betas for all Battlefields is something, but it's not something that would move the needle.

Click to shrink...

Is Minecraft exclusive? And does It print money? That's your answer...

Also, it would benefit XGP. Would you rather be on the system that cost 60 dollars to own the game or 10 bucks a month?



It's all silly to even talk about. It ain't happening.

 

[Bgamer90]

They're lumped with the negativity for the rest of this gen. It's just how it is. They could release 73 brand new IPs over the next 2 years and there'd be articles about how those aren't for that journalist or how they're nto going to sell or something like that.

Click to shrink...

What's more surprising to me is how people think new IPs will instantly cause Xbox to gain the 35-40 million or so sales that its behind vs. the PS4. This gen is set. It's not 2014/2015. They simply need to build for the future at this point and focus on what's already being made for the Xbox One.

Microsoft needs next gen to start as soon as possible basically so they can start again and at least this time start on the front foot having hopefully learned lessons from 2013 as well as having BC/Game Pass/Play Anywhere there from day one.

Click to shrink...

I agree that they should try to release before the PS5 if they can. People are saying Xbox One X owners will be burnt but I can't see next gen starting before Fall 2020 and three years with a console model for people that are more prone to make a jump to new hardware as soon as it releases anyway is a good amount of time — One year less than the original Xbox's complete lifespan.

Xbox will be fine as long as they continue on building digital features/services that aren't on the competition and continue on tying it with solid third party game support for a price that isn't ridiculous.

 

[Figgles]

I agree with the article. I regret buying an xbox one. Everything available on the one is available elsewhere. The PS4 has so many exclusives I wish I could play.

 

[SephLuis]

They're lumped with the negativity for the rest of this gen. It's just how it is. They could release 73 brand new IPs over the next 2 years and there'd be articles about how those aren't for that journalist or how they're nto going to sell or something like that.

Microsoft needs next gen to start as soon as possible basically so they can start again and at least this time start on the front foot having hopefully learned lessons from 2013 as well as having BC/Game Pass/Play Anywhere there from day one.

Click to shrink...

I disagree in the point "that's just how it is" because Sony managed to overturn the same negativity in the PS3 era.

Going by their recent efforts, Microsoft is repositioning themselves as provider of games for both console/PC enviroments.
They are developing BC for the One and I believe I read somewhere they also pretend to extend this to PC.
Their first party releases are also hitting both One and PC.

For a PC owner it makes them less attractive to sell hardware, but I think MS wants to tie the users to their Xbox Live enviroment rather than an specific piece of hardware.

 

[FrostyLemon]

Well I'll always be grateful for Ori and the Blind Forest. Can't think of a metroidvania better than that on PS4 or Switch.

 

[will0wis]

Weird article. The possibilities they list are really outlandish.

I think they're pretty much fucked. Their first party is weak, The XBOX just came out, and for five hundred dollars. Sony is going to release a PS5 for four hundred dollars which is massively better holiday '20, and MS can't ship a next-gen system any where near that soon without burning the X owners.

Valve would never sell to anyone, let alone MS. MS buying EA makes no sense to me, as all the Sports licenses require multiplatform releases.

They're going to get slaughtered.

Click to shrink...

Is this sarcasm? Because if not, that's... quite a lot of assumptions. I don't think MS would buy EA to have them only make exclusive games, that would be very stupid. If they ever do it, I believe it would be to strenghten their position in the industry and their profits from publishing for all platforms while having maybe a studio or two making exclusives for them.

 

[Ricky_R]

I assume it's at around 40 by now.

I remember it was at like 30 for a looooong time. If you believed everything you ever read on forums, you'd think it hit 30 million and then never sold a console since.

Click to shrink...

30-40 would probably be more accurate.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

A point that i don't see brought up often is since the ps5 and nextbox will 95% be likely to be forward compatible, digital game purchases matter a whole lot more than they did last gen. Your gonna have a harder time convincing people with massive library's to move to a different console where as that wasn't really a major thing last time around. Microsoft fucked up at the worst point it possibly could.

Click to shrink...

But who gives a damn about BC games, people only care about moving only forward or remasters amirite? lol

 

[Speevy]

I think no one's been able to accurately predict market leadership since Sony released that picture about the Grand Canyon and Silicon Valley.

People were predicting Sony and Nintendo's doom within the last several years and that never happened. MS will be fine.

 

[jroc74]

I saw this too, I just assumed 50 million was legit.

If it's really at 35 million, damn. I see why articles and posts like this pop up.

 

[Startropper]

They've fixed their hardware, now with sleek and powerful offerings.

Dashboard is now in a good spot.

They offer the best value for games with gamepass.


Now they can focus on their exclusive offerings.

SOT looks to make a big splash, the closed beta showed huge interest.

SOD2 and CD3 are coming up soon. We'll see what else they have for E3.


Not amazing but I'd say xbox is in a decent spot.

 

[gordofredito]

I stopped at "an estimated 30 to 50 million Xbox One consoles have been sold". What kind of ridiculous range is that?

Click to shrink...

"I think I got something between 70-95 in the test, with a small margin of error"

 

[Deleted member 437]

Xbox has been roughly half of ps4. So if ps4 hits 80 mil, I can see Xbox being at about 40 mil.

 

[StuBurns]

Is this sarcasm? Because if not, that's... quite a lot of assumptions. I don't think MS would buy EA to have them only make exclusive games, that would be very stupid. If they ever do it, I believe it would be to strenghten their position in the industry and their profits from publishing for all platforms while having maybe a studio or two making exclusives for them.

Click to shrink...

They're already orders of magnitude bigger than Sony or Nintendo, and it's never been a meaningful element of their gaming division. It means MS pockets 22 instead of 21 billion dollars, it means nothing to Xbox's market performance. It doesn't help Xbox unless they compromise how EA's run, and that only hurts their market performance.

I've been thinking about MS's 'beyond generations' concept, and I do think that's what they mean. Not that there won't be an Xbox Two, but that they're going to treat their platforms agnostically, Halo goes to PC, and XBO, and XBT, they're all equal. Take the focus away from the box entirely. Make Xbox just a service that comes with an optional box, a bit like Valve's SteamMachines, just not a complete bomb.

 

[KORNdog]

I'd imagine it would take years and years for MS to see a return on the high costs of buying EA. Just doesn't seem like a viable means to turn things around.

Going "streaming" only I can see, or at least stepping away from the traditional 'box' console format. That's what game pass is essentially, and I imagine that's where they see their future. Xbox as a service. Games as a service. Why do they even need a 'platform' really?. They already have no console exclusives anymore because everything is on PC. Hell, I can even see a future where Xbox is just a service akin to Netflix that you stick it on whatever device you fancy.

 

[DarthWalden]

Give them time, these perception issues don't go change overnight. As far as I can tell it's already changed massively since the xb1 launched. Xbox was toxic at the start of the gen.

 

[SnatcherHunter]

One of the biggest complains is how Xbox has no exclusives because the games are also in PC.

This is however, the new directive by MS. By building a connected eco system will expand its user base and longevity of many GAAS games.

Many don't seem to understand this and rather Xbox just do Xbox games like before. MS themselves have done the research and they know that those gaming on PC won't affect the Xbox sales. Maybe a few here and there??

I personally I have a great PC and I still choose to game on my Xbox.

 

[BioDigital Jazzman]

I'd imagine it would take years and years for MS to see a return on the high costs of buying EA. Just doesn't seem like a viable means to turn things around.

Going "streaming" only I can see, or at least stepping away from the traditional 'box' console format. That's what game pass is essentially, and I imagine that's where they see their future. Xbox as a service. Games as a service. Why do they even need a 'platform' really?. They already have no console exclusives anymore because everything is on PC. Hell, I can even see a future where Xbox is just a service akin to Netflix that you stick it on whatever device you fancy.

Click to shrink...

Well the benefits of the platform is you get tens of millions of people subscribing to play online, and also a hefty portion of digital transactions, of which there are a lot of these days. They aren't going to give up that, so they'll always have a box also you're assuming that every person wants to play on a pc. That's hardly the case. Many of their games are still exclusive to people not wanting to pc game

 

[Deleted member 26104]

Well, owning EA as you would own any company makes some sense, but they don't get EAs games as exclusives just because they buy them. I don't see how it benefits them as a platform holder to own EA. The obvious thing would be you can get exclusive stuff for their non-sports games, exclusive betas for all Battlefields is something, but it's not something that would move the needle.

Click to shrink...

You don't see billions of dollars worth of revenue and profit a year as a benefit? You don't see owning a bunch of franchises and development studios as a benefit? You don't see having Xbox advertising for all EA games as a benefit? Nothing would be stopping them from making EA games exclusive to Xbox either.

Buying EA makes so much sense that it's crazy that some people can't see it.

E3 2013 is an anchor they never have fully removed and it can't be until a brand new non halfstep console is released.

Click to shrink...

Microsoft f'ed up with E3 2013 and I'll take them a long time to come back just with Sony and PS3

Click to shrink...

The funny thing is that E3 2013 was freaking awesome for MS. It was literally all games, most of which were exclusive. That's what people want, isn't it? What you're thinking about was the XB1 reveal a few weeks earlier at a separate event, which is a whole other problem - people are still angry at them for things they didn't do, weren't going to do, and that they're remembering wrong.

 

[etta]

I assume it's at around 40 by now.

I remember it was at like 30 for a looooong time. If you believed everything you ever read on forums, you'd think it hit 30 million and then never sold a console since.

Click to shrink...

It was at 35 million when PS4 was at 55 million. But PS4 is at 80 million now so Xbox must be at 36.5.

 

[Sangetsu-II]

I think XB1 is at a safe 37M if PS4 is at 73M+

 

[CalamityPixel]

This reminds me that I need to make that Xbox is doomed clock gif.

 

[StuBurns]

You don't see billions of dollars worth of revenue and profit a year as a benefit? You don't see owning a bunch of franchises and development studios as a benefit? You don't see having Xbox advertising for all EA games as a benefit? Nothing would be stopping them from making EA games exclusive to Xbox either.

Buying EA makes so much sense that it's crazy that some people can't see it.

Click to shrink...

It's not billions though, it was 1.2 billion in profit last year, and that's including the PlayStation stuff, and given it's way bigger than Xbox, you're going to seriously dent that if you made stuff exclusive, and no, they can't make the sports games exclusive.

So is MS making an extra billion dollars a big deal? No, it's not. They already make colossally more than Sony and Nintendo, and it doesn't seem to make any difference within the gaming division.

 

[AmFreak]

It was at 35 million when PS4 was at 55 million. But PS4 is at 80 million now so Xbox must be at 36.5.

Click to shrink...

Source?

 

[BioDigital Jazzman]

Source?

Click to shrink...

They're being sarcastic. People have been saying the Xbox has been at 35 million for like almost 2 years now

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

I think they're pretty much fucked. Their first party is weak, The XBOX just came out, and for five hundred dollars. Sony is going to release a PS5 for four hundred dollars which is massively better holiday '20, and MS can't ship a next-gen system any where near that soon without burning the X owners.

Valve would never sell to anyone, let alone MS. MS buying EA makes no sense to me, as all the Sports licenses require multiplatform releases.

They're going to get slaughtered.

Click to shrink...

huh?

The X is an upgrade. Like the Pro. I don't see how Microsoft would be "burning" One X owners after 3 years and Sony somehow not burning Pro owners after 4? Does the extra year really make that much of a difference? I'd think not given that...you know, the One X is an Xbox One. Which by 2020 will be a 7 year old console.

Xbox 5 will 100% be out by 2020. You can bank on that. The onyl question is, will Sony get the PS5 out by 2019 or will they keep the PS4 money train going for an extra year.

 

[Sangetsu-II]

They're being sarcastic. People have been saying the Xbox has been at 35 million for like almost 2 years now

Click to shrink...

Last I saw people were saying 30 million 2 years ago which lines up with 35-40 million right now.

 

[astroglide]

Iv said that for a long time. They seemto get shat on a lot. Even if they do something good like game pass you see tons of articles about it being a bad thing. Tbe X which is a fantastic console people still find ways to critize yet nintendo can make numerous blunders with there systems like the phone to to chat ad online being not that good but people don't seem to care. Haveing playground do fable is a fantastic choice but of corse people jump down on them for that as well. Haveing systems that are powerful work well for microsoft. First with the OG and with the X. This leads me to believe that next gen they will have the more powerful console of the 2 and they will continue to build there porfolio of games there fans like and still make money. I think if this valve or ea deal is true its going to be a good deal for them but online communities will still tear into them even if they gave us half life 3. Just my observation and opinion. All 3 console have there ups and downs and I can understand people buying anyone of them. I just bought them all but I think next gen I mite just end up going one console due to work and family lfe. Xbox works great for me with the play anywhere great graphics, xbox live and I love the games they put out, however if someone only went with nintendo because they like mario and zelda or sony because they like horizion and uncharted I totally understand.

 

[Deleted member 26104]

I disagree in the point "that's just how it is" because Sony managed to overturn the same negativity in the PS3 era.

Click to shrink...

The mythical PS3 "turnaround" is so vastly overblown. It basically never even happened. From Day 1, even at USD$599, the PS3 outsold the 360. Day 1. It wasn't the slim, it wasn't the new logo, it wasn't the exclusives, it was simply brand name. MS got people hooked before the PS3 released, especially in America, and that is the only reason why the PS3 didn't overtake it in a few years - the USA stronghold. People loved online play and unified friends lists etc, and Sony barely offered any of that.

There is no "turning around" this generation. The XB1 wouldn't overtake the PS4 even if sony stopped producing PS4s today. This generation is "lost" in terms of sales and mindshare/marketshare. What MS need to do, as a few others have said, is gear up for next gen and come out firing. They need to release before the next playstation, need full BC (which is all but guaranteed), need to moneyhat some big 3rd party exclusive marketing and exclusives, and need to be the same price or cheaper than the PS5. That's the absolute bare minimum they need before they can hope to match the PS5 purely because of brand name and loyalty.

It's not billions though, it was 1.2 billion in profit last year, and that's including the PlayStation stuff, and given it's way bigger than Xbox, you're going to seriously dent that if you made stuff exclusive, and no, they can't make the sports games exclusive.

So is MS making an extra billion dollars a big deal? No, it's not. They already make colossally more than Sony and Nintendo, and it doesn't seem to make any difference within the gaming division.

Click to shrink...

Can people please stop this "all sports games need to be on playstation" rubbish? It's simply not true. "not on playstation" != exclusive. MS could release them on PC, Xbox, Switch, Mobile, 3DS, PS4, but just not PS5. FIFA/NFL/etc don't care as long as the money keeps coming in, which it would.

MS making an extra billion dollars in profit in a division that doesn't generally even turn a billion dollars profit would be massive for the division. Yes they make far more money than the others, but to scoff at an extra billion dollars profit is ridiculous. MS want a bigger slice of the gaming pie, that much is absolutely known with Nadella himself outright saying as much, and buying EA would be a massive piece of that pie.

 

[cakely]

Not a great article. 30-50 million units?