No more leaks :(
April 2018: PG Acquisition, Obsidian, Undead Labs...
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No more leaks :(
April 2018: PG Acquisition, Obsidian, Undead Labs...
No more leaks :(
April 2018: PG Acquisition, Obsidian, Undead Labs...
Yea seems everything is on lockdown
I really think (and hope) Microsoft will get better about that in the coming years. With more first-party studios and games, they should be able to share the love a bit and get smaller first-party game announcements at things like XO, Gamescom, and maybe even on Inside Xbox.
Agreed. This will get better over time. I remember Zhuge posting stuff about MS planning to release one AAA title every quarter.
for now. I have no doubt we will start hearing stuff once we get closer. Hell even April is a good time to honestly expect rumors.
Playground Games is the only thing that leaked before E3 actually (and even this just in a riddle in April respectively later via the director change a few days before E3).
No more leaks :(
April 2018: PG Acquisition, Obsidian, Undead Labs...
I don't expect any significant stuff to leak this year either. For me personally at least because I won't name drop anymore. Surely doesn't mean other will follow.
I think many of the things Xbox are doing are kinda obvious by now. They can have some great moments at their show - next-gen tease, Halo Infinite, Gears 5, XGS situation, Ninja Theory new game - just to predict a few things I expect to be highlights of the show.
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How in the world would that "guarantee" them being the most powerful console? As I've said, there are only two viable options to launch "the most powerful console": a) launch a couple of years after the launch of your competition, on a new production process and updated CPU/GPU architectures; b) launch at the same time as your competition and hope that they will make some design mistake in their h/w. The most probable scenario for a simultaneous launch is price and performance parity. It should also be mentioned that one console being some 10% faster than the other won't make any difference whatsoever for either multiplatform or exclusive games for such consoles.
Edit: that's assuming that both Sony and MS will still use only AMD tech in their future consoles. If one them will opt for something different, well, then there are other possibilities as well.
In general terms I agree with this.
But let's not forget Sony wants to put part of the PSVR set up inside the PS5, and those components have a price too.
So launching at the same time, at the same price, it's likely MS's will be (at least somewhat) more powerful
Which is what? A USB-C port with VirtualLink alternate mode? It won't cost them anything, and I seriously doubt that Sony will add anything else for PSVR inside the base package for PS5 - or that there's even anything to add.
I think Ms will guarantee the power advantage mostly because of the software and platform they have.
With a device agnostic development platform it "doesn't matter" how many consoles you have active at once, so they just need to make the performance and price adjustments to be sure they have a more powerful box, and likely will provide weaker and cheaper solutions as well.
With a device agnostic development platform it "doesn't matter" how many consoles you have active at once, so they just need to make the performance and price adjustments to be sure they have a more powerful box, and likely will provide weaker and cheaper solutions as well.
I fail to see why having the most powerful console would even matter to most of the people. The One X is the most powerful console right now (by a much bigger margin than I suppose any of them can create in the next generation) and MS is using every opportunity to emphasize this and look where it got them. I really hope that in the next generation we can take a step away from this "hey, the system I own can display x% more pixels so it must be better" BS that is going on right now...
Wait, could you explain that again please? How does UWP ensure that Xbox will have the more powerful console?
It shouldn't matter, really (most of my favourite games are not noted for their graphics), but it evidently does. MS did the X as a statement as much as anything. They didn't think it'd suddenly mean they'd be top dog again, but they did it to show intent.
Xbox One X exists to attract the core gamer. And this is without a doubt successfully happening so.
If you care for power, Xbox has the next-gen system for you. And this system is currently called Anaconda.
If you don't care for power, Xbox has the next-gen system for you. This system is currently called Lockhart.
We just should stop thinking so binary. Just because something isn't for you doesn't mean it isn't for others. Clearly next-gen will offer more options than ever - and this is only a good thing.
It's not a decisive factor, but it's a factor. One of many, and not the most decisive. But if you can secure that advantage, then it's never a bad thing unless it comes at a notable extra cost for the consumer. The "high-low" strategy of having the cheapest box and also having the most powerful box is probably a good idea (i.e. X1S + X1X) but we were 4-5 years into the generation and the battle was long lost before they had that going this time.
Where did it get them? It got them a ton of goodwill and still gets them media attention. It's about strengthening the brand and renewing consumers' confidence in the brand. Where would they be right now without the One X?
Having the most powerful console next gen will help MS position themselves as having the best gaming ecosystem. Even if people get the Lockhart they'll feel more confident buying into that ecosystem because of the Anaconda.
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Because people interpret everything I write as a hint :P
I would love Relic to happen and I think it makes totally sense, but I literally only said it looks cool in the meme format.
MS needs a strategy studio and they will get one strategy studio. That's more of an obvious observation than anything else.
Again, I was replying to someone else. The conversation was talking about how MS won't allow Sony to have a power advantage this time and I was replying the only way to 'guarantee' they have that (the most powerful console) is to launch at the same time and not 6 months before. You are arguing the point I was making.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying choice is a bad thing. I'm totally behind it, if they can produce a powerful and a not-so-powerful-but-still-powerful-enough system, good for them and probably good for us. But when I see the term most powerful I can only see fuel for console wars. Maybe it's the bad experiences talking but in my little ideal world deciding between consoles should be based on the games and services they provide, not on Digital Foundry saying that the games are 12% more 4K on one of them.
I think this E3 is going to be massive for Xbox. With Sony not attending, all eyes will be on them for next gen talk (unless of course Sony has a reveal prior to E3). If Sony does intend to release PS5 in Spring 2020, Xbox will have to prove why people should wait until later to pick up the Xbox later in the year.
I don't think we'll see the hardware or the price, but I do think we will see more than just a preview video like we saw with Scorpio. I'm banking on a full reveal for Halo as well as a couple games launching for the next Xbox. Obviously services will make a large part of the show so they will need to speak on Gamepass and XCloud.
Should be very interesting, I can't wait!
I don't think we'll see the hardware or the price, but I do think we will see more than just a preview video like we saw with Scorpio. I'm banking on a full reveal for Halo as well as a couple games launching for the next Xbox. Obviously services will make a large part of the show so they will need to speak on Gamepass and XCloud.
Should be very interesting, I can't wait!
I understand this approach but I also have some troubles with it.
In reality, and MS should know, the less different kinds of HW out there, the less fragmentation there is and thus making it easier for devs to focus and harness the potential of the powerful hardware that they are also offering.
It feels a bit counter-productive like.. yes, they care about developers and have probably the best tools in the biz and yet.. having several skus, does not really make things better. And it is also a bit sad because if they are releasing a power sku, why limit the potential of it with having a less powerful..."just so that more people can jump in"
Also, yes, by having a cheaper sku makes it easier for people to start playing games but isn´t it also somehow a bit of a punch in the face?
That you for whatever reason cannot play "the best experience" because it is out of your league price-wise?
So my thinking here is to flip this a bit and go with the subscription model (or at least have that option)
release 1 sku and offer it together with Xboxlive/gamepass or whatever for a certain amount a month. Because you anyway have a console 3-5 years or whatever and perhaps it is easier to jump in by paying a monthly fee for the whole "generation" until the next upgrade comes.
This way perhaps more people can "play with the best experience" and making lives for devs a bit easier without having so many HW to think about...
I think this is the way MS should think about it and not introducing more SKUs.
In terms of a roadmap, yes, but in terms of actual sales, it won't do a thing.
Till Next Gen launches, its going to be difficult for Xbox to change status quo. Even after next gen launches, making up on lost mindshare/marketshare espcially in Europe will define if Xbox 2/5 will be a success or a mega success in my opinion.
Maybe xCloud changes everything and I am dumb, who knows.
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oh you missed the launch of the xbox one and ps4 then. articles were having a feast with this. even threads on the old site ... the amount of "it cant even do 1080p" became a base of argument for a lot of things. hearing that all over social media, in gaming/news articles and on gaming forums really embedded it as something important. i mean its why they came out with the X, no?
the people that post on gaming forums is a minority. ps4 did better at launch because it was $100 cheaper.
MS seems to be aiming to have the best of both worlds. Price, power, and games all matter.
and i also said i seen it in articles and social media (facebook,twitter,ig,snapchat you name it).. even with having conversations with friends who are also gamers. many places did not focus on the price but that the system had better performance with games and that it was true "1080p". i guess im the only one that remembers the PlayStation commercials that also touted this too?
AND, could run used games. You know the Xbox reveal damaged Xbox One image too much.
MS knows that. That's why Lockhart is a thing.
There are actually multiple reasons - price, power, non-gaming focus, no transparency on their plans - and this time around they want to make sure they make everything right in every single one of these areas, even if this requires two SKU.
It's baffling to me that people are trying to claim that power doesn't matter. Any advantage a company's product has over the competition is important.
I suppose coming off the back of the original Xbox One launch the team have become emboldened to idea of keeping performance at the forefront of their devices. It's clear the most vocal group of gamers are the ones that would purchase the higher end consoles, and judging by the positive reception of the One X it's a good thing for them.
Meh. Crazy fan boys (some people in this thread included) on Era constantly move the goal posts based on what their favorite system is. Early in the generation, the PS4 crowd was posting every Digitally Foundary video that showed a game running at 1080p on PS4 and 900p on Xbox One. Later in the generation (after the launch of the Xbox One X), the party line became "it's all about the games." You didn't hear that line from Sony fans before E3 2015, because Sony didn't really have games at that time.
The 360/PS3 generation was a bit more balanced in terms of sales, so we didn't have this crazy hivemind on one side, but no matter what happens next-gen, you can expect the conversation to remain the same. It doesn't matter if Gears 5 is a smash-hit critically, the loud majority of Sony fans in ResetEra will be quick to dismiss it.
Because I spent a lot of money on my 4K TV and I'd like to make the most out of it, sue me. Just because power doesn't matter to you doesn't mean it doesn't matter to anyone else. Like, we all remember the 800/900p vs 1080p Witcher 3 debacle right? Or the gta v grass contest? People really have selective memory with this but lucky for y'all my memory's capable of stretching past 2 years so I'll re-inform you guys. I don't throw a fit when Sony says they have the world best selling console... because it is, does that add value to it? I'm sure someone out there (most likely a soccer mom) will be like "Oh well if it's the best selling then my lil jimmy will love it and it makes it easier for me so I don't buy some dumb shit like the WII U because last I remember that was all the rave with wii sports!" They ain't lying lol, neither is Ms. If it was up to you you'd probably destroy the marketing campaign for the X, "Hey you like power? Well you shouldn't, here's the Xbox one X." That sounds fucking stupid 😂.
100$ cheaper and more powerful. That's why Xbox is at 40 million instead of 60+ right now.
It did increased the sales from before X launched. Of course it didn't changed the course of the generation, but it improved things.
Having the most powerful box out of the gate is just covering up to have less negatives against them.
Other than the consistency of their exclusives, launch/early gen messaging remains the biggest reason Sony won this gen. They launched the more powerful console at the cheapest price with the best and most effective marketing. The PS4 felt like a monster before it even launched and it never really looked back. As Vj27 said above, it wasn't until a few years into this gen when people stopped associating the Xbox One with 900p or worse performance and visuals.
Messaging is super important and Microsoft have been actively working on that since Phil took charge. Ending this generation with the most powerful hardware available, the cheapest hardware available (assuming the discless X will be that), the widest range of established services available and the most obvious/understood streaming future, is all important for them to establish. I think they'll look to start next gen hitting all 4 of those same messages if they can.
Messaging is super important and Microsoft have been actively working on that since Phil took charge. Ending this generation with the most powerful hardware available, the cheapest hardware available (assuming the discless X will be that), the widest range of established services available and the most obvious/understood streaming future, is all important for them to establish. I think they'll look to start next gen hitting all 4 of those same messages if they can.
Not exactly uwp. But the thing is that supporting many consoles with a single development platform is a thing for Ms and will only improve come the next consoles.
Their tools, sdks and api will work from anaconda to xbone, unlike on Playstation for instance where the game has to explicitly target ps4 and or pro (and likely to be a break point coming Ps5, meaning that a ps5 game won't run on ps4).
That's where the assurance is they can have as many consoles as they want, and if ror has it right they will even port the Xbox environment to pc, so you literally can have a box as powerful as you want and your money allows it, and they will have a unified platform to develop on all that at once.
And, when you hit that point, you can guarantee a performance advantage, because it "won't matter" for developers how many consoles they support, so if your competitor is close to your performance you can increase the specs adjusting the price accordingly.
Keep in mind that there are multiple reports, and even Phil itself said that they are designing multiple consoles. Probably targeting many performance and price scenarios and coming launch they just need to trim their choices to have both a powerful box and a cheaper box that are all well aligned in performance and price with ps5.
Keep in mind of the quotes. Surely it's not magical and without any work from the developers part to support all that, but Ms is doing a lot of the work to make it happen.
A unified api surface, unified store where a single package (game) is accessible from multiple devices, devkits that allow debugging of all Xbox configurations and so on.
Exactly.
The One X was important to change the tone of the reviews. Only AFTER One X came to the market and many people realized that power it's not that important as many were saying until then. No sarcasm. I think this process did a service for the industry, so judging games by pixel counting became irrelevant, because this is no longer good for judging which platform is better. It was bad before, but only after One X people noticed.
I can imagine the following situation for a person who owns an Xbox One (S or Fat) in 2021:
- Opens the Store. Find a new game and try to buy it.
- Message from the store: "You can't download this game on your current device, but you can stream it. Confirm?"
Yeah, undoubtedly streaming closes the cycle when the client is no longer able to run the game natively.
You guys are talking in circles. What matters in the success of a console? All of the above. Sony didn't win because of power, or exclusive games, or policies, or partners, or deals, or even price. They won because the PERCEPTION of the console was more positive. That's where the first players went, that's where the better previews were, and every single one of those factors played into that.
Does power not matter? I agree. I feel the same about exclusive games, personally. But, to say it doesn't affect impressions and perceptions is to ignore the impact that social media and YouTube (much more so than traditional media now) have and the way those cycles tend to operate.
Every influencer will be forced to have a take when the consoles release because everyone else will. And they'll probably be pushed by their ecosystem to have more extreme to get attention (unless there's the improbable situation where they get pulled to the middle instead). Getting the hardware and lineup right in the first impressions will be critical. But also, Xbox has to be marketing. It should be doing the pre-education with major influencers ASAP. Their rabid communities will support that their favorite influencers are included in the process too.
But yea, Xbox has to come out swinging. Which again, is why I don't think it's impossible that Xbox release the more powerful console first a little early. It's not impossible to have the most powerful console on the market earlier than the competition. Just make it more expensive. That's PC
Does power not matter? I agree. I feel the same about exclusive games, personally. But, to say it doesn't affect impressions and perceptions is to ignore the impact that social media and YouTube (much more so than traditional media now) have and the way those cycles tend to operate.
Every influencer will be forced to have a take when the consoles release because everyone else will. And they'll probably be pushed by their ecosystem to have more extreme to get attention (unless there's the improbable situation where they get pulled to the middle instead). Getting the hardware and lineup right in the first impressions will be critical. But also, Xbox has to be marketing. It should be doing the pre-education with major influencers ASAP. Their rabid communities will support that their favorite influencers are included in the process too.
But yea, Xbox has to come out swinging. Which again, is why I don't think it's impossible that Xbox release the more powerful console first a little early. It's not impossible to have the most powerful console on the market earlier than the competition. Just make it more expensive. That's PC
This really can't be understated. Tech bloggers and enthusiasts can complain about the difference between the number of p's all day long, but at the end of the day, especially at the begining of a generation, a lot of people buying consoles are buying them for the first time or buying them for someone else, and they're usually looking at either games or price. Sometimes they ask the kid at gamestop, and he starts going on about the p's and their eyes glaze over and they go with the cheaper one.
The Xbox 360 was also the 'weaker' console at launch. But it was 100 dollars cheaper. It also was easier to develop for and had a better library in to the gen because of that. But at launch, price is a big factor in success.
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