Yes, however this is a VC's take on the games industry as a whole - it's a *really* good read (IMO) - the writer makes some points about the transitions that are happening now (Game Pass, Subs models etc) and how that will continue into next-gen
Yes, however this is a VC's take on the games industry as a whole - it's a *really* good read (IMO) - the writer makes some points about the transitions that are happening now (Game Pass, Subs models etc) and how that will continue into next-gen
One thing's for sure about next-gen; Digital Foundry going to be working overtime.
My current mindset.
Microsoft felt they had the strongest box so they have announced early to allow the longest time for the message to spread, engaging the most possible potential customers. They can drop feed info throughout the year.
If sony dont talk specs in first half 2020 they have the weaker box and are trying to control the spread of this info to avoid the negative spreading to a larger audience. Ultimately causing doubt over ms plan and not letting it be clearly inked they have the weaker box. They will let the system talk with game demos closer to launch.
That's my current thought process lol.
is that why they are very careful and keep saying strongest "Xbox" compared to 1x where they said strongest console ever made?also keep in mind the MS had ads saying "preorder the most console ever , Xbox 1"My current mindset.
Microsoft felt they had the strongest box so they have announced early to allow the longest time for the message to spread, engaging the most possible potential customers. They can drop feed info throughout the year.
If sony dont talk specs in first half 2020 they have the weaker box and are trying to control the spread of this info to avoid the negative spreading to a larger audience. Ultimately causing doubt over ms plan and not letting it be clearly inked they have the weaker box. They will let the system talk with game demos closer to launch.
That's my current thought process lol.
I think that is the wrong approach to take, MS pussyfooting around the weaker hardware of the OG X1 made things worse. Not addressing this issue head on just makes gamers anticipate the info more, and this putting more attention on it.
Whichever is the weaker should tackle head on, talk about how it's still 10x current gen, ssd benefits etc and talk about value and then get straight on to games.
From a business perspective a cheaper weaker machine is going to be an easier sell then a more expensive machine.
is that why they are very careful and keep saying strongest "Xbox" compared to 1x where they said strongest console ever made?also keep in mind the MS had ads saying "preorder the most console ever , Xbox 1"
anyways Sony will reveal the spec after the ps meeting so there will be no more room for speculation.
We have had too many people telling us that they r so close so I feel power wouldn't matter and they both would need to talk about other things to attract new buyers. That's my thought process 😃
Well, technically there will unless Microsoft also officially unveils their specs too before then.anyways Sony will reveal the spec after the ps meeting so there will be no more room for speculation.
My hot-take is that Microsoft has a strategy that is divergent from the traditional "console generations" strategy that Sony has. They have mentioned previously that they are thinking in terms of generation-less, they are now promoting cross-gen titles for their latest hardware etc.
I feel that they have decided that it makes more sense to not compete with Sony head-to-head and instead change the rules of the game.
If Microsoft can make enough strides towards this more PC-centric forward-scaling + back-compatibility model alongside subs/streaming, then they will have a different playing field - one which is more familiar to them and one in which they hold several advantages over the traditional generational mindset of Sony.
I think it's genius from a business perspective and in many ways it's more pro-consumer as new experiences will be available to more consumers on a variety of hardware.
I personally think that Sony have this one chance to adapt (from the success of the PS4) and to take on-board the shifting eco-system (that Microsoft are driving) or they'll basically be irrelevant in 6 years time.
I think Sony know that they could be on the cusp of their last hurrah so the messaging and service offering has to be perfect. Any mis-step and their slide into irrelevance will be all but confirmed.
~*And I'm a huge PlayStation and PlayStation IP fan*~
I think there's enough hints from various industry folks that streaming will take off (and I see it happening faster than people think it will) and as such the dominance of local hardware will wane - which would be an existential threat to PlayStation, but wouldn't bother Microsoft who already have a different mental model of how to operate in a stream/cloud-centric world.
Will be interesting to see if the generations model will survive next go around.
No I meant on Sony part there will be no more speculation.Well, technically there will unless Microsoft also officially unveils their specs too before then.
Well for x1x they said most powerful console made before Sony even reveals the pro. So there is that. But we shall wait and see what happens after the feb meetingYeah good points! So hyped for this year.
They cant say they are the most powerful until Sony officially announce their specs though. So fingers crossed sony do go live in feb. I'm so excited to see these consoles.
I hope ms talking about a silent console will push sony to talk about their noise levels, or push reporters to ask.
Only thing I remember Phil retweeting was the DF video but they weren't confirming 12tf, just discussing the rumours.No I meant on Sony part there will be no more speculation.
And for MS side, even we have some Data sheet from windows central and game spot where Phil retweeted it meaning that they r correct .
Didn't he retweet the GameSpot article? Which had 12 tf in it ?Only thing I remember Phil retweeting was the DF video but they weren't confirming 12tf, just discussing the rumours.
My hot-take is that Microsoft has a strategy that is divergent from the traditional "console generations" strategy that Sony has. They have mentioned previously that they are thinking in terms of generation-less, they are now promoting cross-gen titles for their latest hardware etc.
I feel that they have decided that it makes more sense to not compete with Sony head-to-head and instead change the rules of the game.
If Microsoft can make enough strides towards this more PC-centric forward-scaling + back-compatibility model alongside subs/streaming, then they will have a different playing field - one which is more familiar to them and one in which they hold several advantages over the traditional generational mindset of Sony.
I think it's genius from a business perspective and in many ways it's more pro-consumer as new experiences will be available to more consumers on a variety of hardware.
I personally think that Sony have this one chance to adapt (from the success of the PS4) and to take on-board the shifting eco-system (that Microsoft are driving) or they'll basically be irrelevant in 6 years time.
I think Sony know that they could be on the cusp of their last hurrah so the messaging and service offering has to be perfect. Any mis-step and their slide into irrelevance will be all but confirmed.
~*And I'm a huge PlayStation and PlayStation IP fan*~
I think there's enough hints from various industry folks that streaming will take off (and I see it happening faster than people think it will) and as such the dominance of local hardware will wane - which would be an existential threat to PlayStation, but wouldn't bother Microsoft who already have a different mental model of how to operate in a stream/cloud-centric world.
Will be interesting to see if the generations model will survive next go around.
this is quite the take. Here's an alternative: Microsoft seemingly never had the momentum that Sony had this generation. There's a feeling that even though their putting everything on PC, and even though they have the most affordable box, and the most powerful box, and Gamepass, its next gen when the momentum will actually shift, some sort of new beginning.I personally think that Sony have this one chance to adapt (from the success of the PS4) and to take on-board the shifting eco-system (that Microsoft are driving) or they'll basically be irrelevant in 6 years time.
I think Sony know that they could be on the cusp of their last hurrah so the messaging and service offering has to be perfect. Any mis-step and their slide into irrelevance will be all but confirmed.
Well for x1x they said most powerful console made before Sony even reveals the pro. So there is that
Both of those examples are past the year or 2 period that Booty is talking about. Fall 2021 is the time frame exclusives will likely hit.On cross-gen versions:
I might be misremembering but pretty sure in Jason Schreier's book the chapter on Dragon Age Inquisition mentions that being forced to develop for cross gen consoles contributed to development woes - and then the game barely sold on PS3 and 360 anyway. Shadow of Mordor's nemesis system couldn't be acheived on the last gen consoles but it was released for them anyway... Why bother?
I think in the last transition a lot of publishers were genuinely scared of the 'consoles are dying' narrative which wasn't helped by the WiiU flopping. It led to a really tentative launch in terms of software which wasn't necessary.
There was a strange 'PlayStation is doomed' thing then, too. We saw weird decisions like EA agreeing to put Titanfall on One/360 and not on PS4 and holding back that IP which could have become one of the biggest new ones of the gen.
I think these are missteps and to progress things in the industry we actually need harder generational transitions and for publishers to be bold about dropping last gen.
I disagree. I think that Xbox Series will be the last generation for Microsoft, after it I think their games will be available everywhere (on PC, on PlayStation, on Nintendo consoles, in streaming with xCloud). I also think that Sony will release a PlayStation 6 (and I'm not even sure it will be the last PlayStation).IMO the strategy of both companies won't be hugely different in 6 years.
I agree . We shall see what happensIt's like a fighter training really hard before a fight and saying they are the best, they don't know they are but they can only comment on what they have done.
Theres no doubt ms has aimed and worked hard to try and be the most powerful console(this is evident from the case design and APU size) . So while I'm sure they are confident and proud of there new box, they are not 100% certain they will be the most powerful.
I guess they were more confident in the 1Xs hardware superiority.
Or.I personally think that Sony have this one chance to adapt (from the success of the PS4) and to take on-board the shifting eco-system (that Microsoft are driving) or they'll basically be irrelevant in 6 years time.
I think Sony know that they could be on the cusp of their last hurrah so the messaging and service offering has to be perfect. Any mis-step and their slide into irrelevance will be all but confirmed.
however, microsoft is seemingly hedging bets against the next generation, they are hedging it with Lockhart, they are hedging it with cross gen. They are deliberately making their next console non-essential. PlayStation is seemingly all I on PS5 and making it the enthusiast platform to that Will enable developers to craft next gen experiences, that will excite the enthusiasts and justify New spending. One view is they are leaving people behind, but another is they are leading everyone foreward. If Sony gives people enough reasons to invest in a new platform for the next decade, while MS does not, we might see a repeat of the cyclical momentum of PlayStation like we did this gen.
That's the alternative for sure and what I was thinking until just today.Or.
Microsoft are about to make a huge mistake and have completely misread the market. PC Gamers aren't console gamers and console gamers aren't PC gamers.
Releasing two "next gen" consoles while supporting the last two (or three if you count the One S as a new console) means that developers are going to have to take into account far inferior specs when developing their next gen games.
Imagine how different games would look today if games had to run on 360 as well as Xbox One X.
Or.
Microsoft are about to make a huge mistake and have completely misread the market. PC Gamers aren't console gamers and console gamers aren't PC gamers.
Releasing two "next gen" consoles while supporting the last two (or three if you count the One S as a new console) means that developers are going to have to take into account far inferior specs when developing their next gen games.
Imagine how different games would look today if games had to run on 360 as well as Xbox One X.
Yeah, it runs very poorly but despite that it's has a 97 on MC and won all kinds of GotY awards. Good games are good games.
You don't think money grubbers like EA and Ubisoft aren't going to take advantage of releasing a year or twos worth of games across two generations or more?*First party only
*Only for a year most likely
*May impact like 2 whole games
Far from it, I'm actually worried that something that I take for granted - great Sony first-party games - could be on the way out as a huge shift away from PlayStation's strengths would require big structural/organisational changes.
I am about as anti-Microsoft as you can get, think Halo is overrated trash that ruined FPS for all time (from the glory days of Quake/Unreal tournament), am not really interested in any of Microsoft's IP, lived & worked through the browser-wars and the halloween emails back in the days of FUD and the attacks on free-software movement and GPL
I just think that the opportunity is there for Microsoft to completely reset the landscape and to do it in a fashion that would harm their competition.
You don't think money grubbers like EA and Ubisoft aren't going to take advantage of releasing a year or twos worth of games across two generations or more?
this is quite the take. Here's an alternative: Microsoft seemingly never had the momentum that Sony had this generation. There's a feeling that even though their putting everything on PC, and even though they have the most affordable box, and the most powerful box, and Gamepass, its next gen when the momentum will actually shift, some sort of new beginning.
however, microsoft is seemingly hedging bets against the next generation, they are hedging it with Lockhart, they are hedging it with cross gen. They are deliberately making their next console non-essential. PlayStation is seemingly all I on PS5 and making it the enthusiast platform to that Will enable developers to craft next gen experiences, that will excite the enthusiasts and justify New spending. One view is they are leaving people behind, but another is they are leading everyone foreward. If Sony gives people enough reasons to invest in a new platform for the next decade, while MS does not, we might see a repeat of the cyclical momentum of PlayStation like we did this gen.
Totally agree with this - the "sandwich" as has been described can cut both ways (not to mix metaphors...)This two pronged attack is a double edged sword and can either be a boon or a curse.
They were a year or less after launch of the new gen.Both of those examples are past the year or 2 period that Booty is talking about. Fall 2021 is the time frame exclusives will likely hit.
Or.
Microsoft are about to make a huge mistake and have completely misread the market. PC Gamers aren't console gamers and console gamers aren't PC gamers.
Releasing two "next gen" consoles while supporting the last two (or three if you count the One S as a new console) means that developers are going to have to take into account far inferior specs when developing their next gen games.
Imagine how different games would look today if games had to run on 360 as well as Xbox One X.
Every generation sees someone making market share and someone losing it. I always find it hard to believe that people think that there is absolutely nothing that one or two parties can do to better their standing in the coming generation.I'm going to say I have to disagree. This current generation was the worst possible generation for MS to shit the bed on. With the advent of digital services and ever expanding libraries, it will become extremely hard to pry people from their ecosystems. MS sensing themselves losing their grip to Sony and Nintendo is now leveraging GamePass on different platforms to make up that gap. You say that Sony has one shot to adapt to the current landscape or fade away, but Sony has the upper hand in that they have both the games and platform that a majority of people are on today as well as their own digital streaming platform in PS Now.
Now, obviously PS Now needs some work, but the fact that they already have in place the infrastructure to be able to adapt rapidly, the onus is now on MS to show they can thrive on bread alone so to speak. We know streaming services don't make money. So now MS is going to leverage the future on GamePass and Lockhart whole selling XSX at a premium price? I just don't see how that is sustainable in the long run and I'd be more willing to say it's MS who has to adapt. This two pronged attack is a double edged sword and can either be a boon or a curse.
I disagree. I think that Xbox Series will be the last generation for Microsoft, after it I think their games will be available everywhere (on PC, on PlayStation, on Nintendo consoles, in streaming with xCloud). I also think that Sony will release a PlayStation 6 (and I'm not even sure it will be the last PlayStation).
Every generation sees someone making market share and someone losing it. I always find it hard to believe that people think that there is absolutely nothing that one or two parties can do to better their standing in the coming generation.
It is also really myopic. Do people really think that the likes of Google and the rumored interest in gaming from the likes of Tencent etc is simply looking at the gaming market at the right here and the right now? We live in a connected world where a lot of entertainment is going to go to the cloud. Gaming is the last frontier. All these companies that have the capacity to set up cloud based solutions see that as a destination that they can generate a lot of revenue from in future.
The only people not seeing this are the ones that think that dedicated hardware is the end all be all.
If that's the case Microsoft would have already announced the spec figures in public.My current mindset.
Microsoft felt they had the strongest box so they have announced early to allow the longest time for the message to spread, engaging the most possible potential customers. They can drop feed info throughout the year.
If sony dont talk specs in first half 2020 they have the weaker box and are trying to control the spread of this info to avoid the negative spreading to a larger audience. Ultimately causing doubt over ms plan and not letting it be clearly inked they have the weaker box. They will let the system talk with game demos closer to launch.
That's my current thought process lol.
That would be entirely seperate from MS though. Third parties could (and likely will) release on old and new platforms of their own volition. It's not like everyone suddenly upgrades to the newest consoles so why wouldn't they.You don't think money grubbers like EA and Ubisoft aren't going to take advantage of releasing a year or twos worth of games across two generations or more?
I disagree. I think that Xbox Series will be the last generation for Microsoft, after it I think their games will be available everywhere (on PC, on PlayStation, on Nintendo consoles, in streaming with xCloud). I also think that Sony will release a PlayStation 6 (and I'm not even sure it will be the last PlayStation).
Phil Spencer said:I'll say what we're planning for, We're not planning for Scarlett to be our last console
Phil Spencer said:The thing for us past Scarlett is what is that next inflection point of experience that would actually be meaningful?
With Microsoft going forward/back compatible wonder how this will manifest at retail. Will we get native high asset XSEX games on disc and have to download 50 gig X1 versions, native X1 games and have to download high asset patches for XSEX, both versions on the same disc?
Hate huge downloads like gears 4-5 on pc!
Edit- How would this work if the XSEX can read 100gig blue rays and X1 can only read 50gig?
Because it makes dev more expensive/difficult and the return isn't necessarily there as seen with the move from last gen to this one. May only be worth it for something like Fifa.That would be entirely seperate from MS though. Third parties could (and likely will) release on old and new platforms of their own volition. It's not like everyone suddenly upgrades to the newest consoles so why wouldn't they.
My goodness.You misunderstand. I'm not saying that Sony's strategy is the end all, be all. It obviously isn't if even Sony themselves are trying to leverage digital streaming and downloads with PS Now and will refine it this upcoming generation. What I'm saying is that Sony has the strengths of being able to go for a more traditional approach with digital entwined because they have the strength of their first party studios and worldwide support from customers.
MS doesn't have that luxury. Their first party offerings outside of Halo, Forza, Gears, etc. is middling, which caused them to go on a spending spree for talent. That talent won't bear fruit for several years. Outside of the US and UK, MS doesn't have support of the rest of the world. So now they put themselves into a position where they want to use Lockhart to bring in those who want to use GamePass on a "cheap" next gen system. At the same time, MS wants to support XSX knowing that these games will have to use Lockhart as the base. Like I'm trying to wrap my mind around how MS intends to pull it off because the more we hear about it, the worse it sounds. That's assuming Lockhart even releases of course.
My current mindset.
Microsoft felt they had the strongest box so they have announced early to allow the longest time for the message to spread, engaging the most possible potential customers. They can drop feed info throughout the year.
If sony dont talk specs in first half 2020 they have the weaker box and are trying to control the spread of this info to avoid the negative spreading to a larger audience. Ultimately causing doubt over ms plan and not letting it be clearly inked they have the weaker box. They will let the system talk with game demos closer to launch.
That's my current thought process lol.
X1X high resloution asset not need to download to x1s or og x1, same with XsX
Sony started talking about their console even before Microsoft did. Sony console sales will not drop as fast as Microsoft's, and they will be selling PS4's long after Microsoft has discontinued the XB1.my current thought process:
MS are behind on market share and I'm guessing are being hit by heavier YoY hardware sales drops than Sony. So they have less to lose by dropping XSX concrete info early, whereas Sony may want to eke out a little more from PS4 before being too explicit on PS5.
I do still think two events/streams makes sense. One early (Feb/mar) to outline the tech and show examples of possibilities - starts to get people more excited for it. Basically a mirror of the Feb 2013 event. Then a later event closer to launch with games specifics, third party partner stuff, price and launch windoe. This could be September (post summer) but I think if MS announced price etc at E3, So y won't want to leave them with the only preorderabke real box for months - so my guess would be June and within 1-2 weeks of MS show with invites going out any time the week if E3 to keep PlayStation in mind and likely have PS mentioned in any Xbox press coverage (Dreamcast style spoiler tactics)