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[TonyK]

I feel bad thinking in this way, but the thing is this Christmas bought a Series X to complement my PS5 and, shockingly for me, I ended liking it more than the PS5. But... and here it is the BUT related to this thread, being the third console, the one that people like less (specially here at Spain), a console I don't know anyone that wants to buy one, at least none of my friends, those things are preventing me to enjoy it as I want, and its limited succes and, in my opinion, uncertain future of the brand due to that, makes difficult for me to spend money on it.

I hate to feel in this way, conditioned by market data I should not even be aware of

 

[In Cold Blood]

In the third year of the new console generation when the first two years were supply constrained? No. It's unprecedentedly low.

Reason? Can't be sure unless we take a deep-dive into internal data and apply numerous filters. But my best guess is that Xbox market shrank significantly from 50 million to somewhere around 35-40 million by the end of last gen.

The XBS performance so far was masked by (1) early Xbox adopters and (2) PS5 supply shortage.

Now both those factors are behind us, so we're seeing the real picture of the supply-demand. That's my best guess based on the limited amount of information we have.

The XSX was also supply restrained at the same time as PS5, and infact is now more supply constrained now than the PS5 is. Not everyone wants a Series S.
On top of that, no one is buying a $500 console that they can't find because the can't find a PS5. No one is jumping from the PS5 ecosystem to the xbox one like that. What, you can't find a PS4 to play Ratchet and Spiderman, so you buy a Xbox where you will never play Ratchet or Spiderman?
Nah. This is one of the silliest PS fanboy argument I have heard.

 

[balls of snow]

Ms having their wiiu moment.

 

[In Cold Blood]

I posted a number of places that there is something weird going on with XSX supply. I had someone tell me that MS are.putting all the resources into a Starfield bundle.

 

[Azurro]

All I've tried to do is agree with people in this thread, and answer questions people ask me. Not sure why everyone has to always make it weirdly personal. Just talking about video game companies.

And dildos.

 

[Poltz]

I posted a number of places that there is something weird going on with XSX supply. I had someone tell me that MS are.putting all the resources into a Starfield bundle.

So they have been saving stock since July last year? Doubt.

 

[Banjo64]

You don't think Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, and Goldeneye were absolute classics?

I don’t know where you are getting that from.

 

[H-I-M]

I posted a number of places that there is something weird going on with XSX supply. I had someone tell me that MS are.putting all the resources into a Starfield bundle.

Y'all keep hyping Starfield like it's Jeus coming back, I can't.

What makes y'all sooo sure that it's going to succeed where Halo and Forza failed?

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Sonyland strikes again.

 

[Boss Mog]

As much as Phil Spencer seems like a good guy and the right man for the job, he just hasn't delivered at all ; can't blame it on Mattrick anymore.

 

[spons]

Not surprising considering marketing for Xbox is absolutely, utterly, completely non-existent in mainland Europe. You can't get more mainstream than PlayStation with ads all over the place, in cities small and large, before and after almost every Champions League match. People know Sony, the PlayStation brand, what it means and how it delivers.

Meanwhile while browsing the Xbox interface I see typos, strange phrasing and other nonsense in Dutch I think to myself, why the fuck do I still bother with Xbox? None of my friends and family have one. Nobody gives a shit about the Xbox here. Fuck it.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

I don’t know where you are getting that from.

The N64 had hits from day 1 and bigger hits than Microsoft has really put together in the last 10 years. Even if Microsoft were able to replicate the level of hits that were on N64 on XSX, I don't think it would be enough to turn the tide of momentum.

 

[kyussman]

Not surprising considering marketing for Xbox is absolutely, utterly, completely non-existent in mainland Europe. You can't get more mainstream than PlayStation with ads all over the place, in cities small and large, before and after almost every Champions League match. People know Sony, the PlayStation brand, what it means and how it delivers.

Meanwhile while browsing the Xbox interface I see typos, strange phrasing and other nonsense in Dutch I think to myself, why the fuck do I still bother with Xbox? None of my friends and family have one. Nobody gives a shit about the Xbox here. Fuck it.

Give them a break,they are a US company......Phil Spencer probably couldn't point out the Netherlands on a map,lol.

 

[spons]

Give them a break,they are a US company......Phil Spencer probably couldn't point out the Netherlands on a map,lol.

If you don't give a shit don't sell the device here.

 

[NikuNashi]

I think this is a positive. If gamepass does not bring in the expected hardware buyers and dies prove to be a folly it's good for all in the long-term. MS can get back to releasing full priced quality titles and build up some momentum and we can forget this sorry service idea and stop devaluing games.

 

[Klayzer]

Holly molly meltdown we are having here.

I know your game but for future reference:

The market decides that Sony it's way better than Microsoft. Ms takes more money than Xbox has ever created and tries to buy on the the biggest 3rd party publisher in order to hinder Everyone else beside Xbox to try to compete. Regulators see what it's going on, and not being console warrior as yourself, they see that getting all of that will increase in less power on the consumers, and in the end higher prices.

Now you can continue with your concerned drivel.

I guess these latest numbers really have some of the Xfans super agitated. They might want take a break away for a while.

 

[Klayzer]

I think this is a positive. If gamepass does not bring in the expected hardware buyers and dies prove to be a folly it's good for all in the long-term. MS can get back to releasing full priced quality titles and build up some momentum and we can forget this sorry service idea and stop devaluing games.

I like your thinking.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Doom and gloom for Microsoft. They will probably pack up soon and let someone like apple try and create balance. I think they are the only company with a fanbase dedicated enough to go against Sonys fan base lol.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Doom and gloom for Microsoft. They will probably pack up soon and let someone like apple try and create balance. I think they are the only company with a fanbase dedicated enough to go against Sonys fan base lol.

well, PlayStation is the apple of gaming. so...at least it will be more competitive.

 

[Klayzer]

Bravo. Even Phinocchio Spencer wouldn't have said this better.

All bullet points were included in that Microsoft ad.

 

[DenchDeckard]

well, PlayStation is the apple of gaming. so...at least it will be more competitive.

Exactly.

 

[onQ123]

Sells should be up for Xbox this month because Elden Ring released at the end of last February while Hogwarts release early in February this year so things shouldn't look so bad next time we see numbers

 

[ArcaneNLSC]

I'm hoping the CMA breaks up Xbox Game Studios personally. Make them sell off 343 to the highest bidder. No one should have that much power in one place.

To be fair they'll be lucky if they get 3 "magic" beans as an offer for 343i

 

[Shakka43]

By the time he's done upping the prices the games will come with a free console bundle up.

 

[SHA]

EU is Sonys proprietary earth element, they work together, don't ask for a reason, there's no magic behind it or a ceo lying about stuff, nothing really personal tbh.

 

[demigod]

I'm in support of $100 games and blocking the MS monopoly.

Gaf Gold ban thread meltdown incoming?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Ms having their wiiu moment.

The poor naming convention hasn't helped.

 

[In Cold Blood]

Y'all keep hyping Starfield like it's Jeus coming back, I can't.

What makes y'all sooo sure that it's going to succeed where Halo and Forza failed?

Huh? Where did you get that from what I said?
I said someone told me that MS has put alot of their production resources into a Starfield themed console bundle.
Microsoft is selling everything they are making. Their biggest issue is not being able to supply enough XSXs to market.

 

[In Cold Blood]

So they have been saving stock since July last year? Doubt.

No. They have delivered less XSXs to market than they had been doing previously.

 

[Topher]

No. They have delivered less XSXs to market than they had been doing previously.

Based on?

 

[Mr Moose]

Based on?

Based on a thread he made a few days back.

 

[Topher]

Based on a thread he made a few days back.

lol....so crackpot theories and "trust me bro" analysis? I figured as much.

 

[GHG]

lol....so crackpot theories and "trust me bro" analysis? I figured as much.

In Cold Blood Next week:

 

[Mr Moose]

In Cold Blood Next week:

LMAO, Tim Dog will be missed.

 

[noise36]

Sony discounting the Ragnarok PS5 bundles in Australia so probably a big jump over here as well.

 

[ArcaneNLSC]

Sony discounting the Ragnarok PS5 bundles in Australia so probably a big jump over here as well.

Yeah $80 discount on the God of War Ragnarok bundles at JB HiFi and other chains at the moment

 

[TLZ]

LMAO, Tim Dog will be missed.

No thanks.

 

[demigod]

I'm thinking WIRED after this comment:

Jesus Christ dude, good thing I wasn’t drinking anything.

 

[Brucey]

No console wars, but does this console EVER have any fucking good news?

It's always "wait for next year", game cancelled, sales down 300%, 900p, etc.

They've been in this thing for 20 years now ffs.

OG Xbox and early 360 years. There were reasons to buy those consoles. If you wanted to play certain games you needed to own that hardware. Then in latter 360 years Microsoft decided casuals were the future. Kinect was going to be the solution to normal hardware growth fall off...then xb1 with mando Kinect and last minute change to non mando but still included in the box, tvtvtv etc. That's when the "hardcore" gamer was abandoned. 100s of millions of casuals were going to be the future.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

No console wars, but does this console EVER have any fucking good news?

It's always "wait for next year", game cancelled, sales down 300%, 900p, etc.

They've been in this thing for 20 years now ffs.

The 360 had a lot of positives. That's also when they were the most competitive. Imagine that.

 

[NikuNashi]

The 360 had a lot of positives. That's also when they were the most competitive. Imagine that.

360 was my main console that gen, great machine, however its the last MS console I owned.

 

[demigod]

I feel bad thinking in this way, but the thing is this Christmas bought a Series X to complement my PS5 and, shockingly for me, I ended liking it more than the PS5. But... and here it is the BUT related to this thread, being the third console, the one that people like less (specially here at Spain), a console I don't know anyone that wants to buy one, at least none of my friends, those things are preventing me to enjoy it as I want, and its limited succes and, in my opinion, uncertain future of the brand due to that, makes difficult for me to spend money on it.

I hate to feel in this way, conditioned by market data I should not even be aware of

Your friends are smart.

 

[Brucey]

Phil Spencer should be fired.

Seems like the obvious choice once whatever metrics Nudella were promised by Phil fail to eventuate.

However, perhaps it's out of his hands. Look at this from Jan 2022:

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries...view-with-microsofts-head-of-gaming-ecosystem

Sarah Bond, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for game creator experience and ecosystem at Xbox:

"Q: So the gaming platforms and the Azure platform become mutually reinforcing.

A: It may not seem like it to the outside observer, but there are enormous amounts of synergies between what Microsoft is doing in the cloud and what we are doing in gaming. Because what we’ve really done with Xbox Cloud Gaming—because we’ve put both the Xbox Series X and S into Azure—is to provide the capability to play a game rendered completely from Azure that can be played on any device, regardless of its local compute.

That [capability] takes our platform, which used to be tied to a specific piece of hardware, and it makes it playable anywhere. It dramatically accelerates [the platform’s] reach. It makes it dramatically more valuable for players because you can play anywhere.

And [that capability] makes [our platform] dramatically more valuable for developers because they can build a game that’s playable anywhere. So, it takes that core value proposition, which used to be linked to buying a $500 device, and it has unleashed it to be playable on any device."

They really just don't care about the future of the Xbox physical console. They are all in on a glorious all cloud future. Because that's where the real Microsoft profits come from. The meat and potatoes.

 

[93xfan]

Tbh there is no reason to have a Xbox. Even GP isn’t that big of a deal (at least for me)…. And this comes from a person heavily invested in the Xbox ecosystem. It is very hard to justify one if you can play all third parties + exclusives on Sony’s console without any major difference when it comes to visuals. MS needs ASAP the big hitters out (Starfield, Fable, ID games, etc)

There’s so much BC goodness. Can’t agree.

Plus Halo MCC, Forza H and MS and Gamepass.

Not to mention all future Bethesda/ID/Arkane Studios games.

I’m happy with my purchase and years left of GPU saved up.

 

[BoxFresh123]

 

[sainraja]

MS is the monopoly. Nintendo doesn't count since they apparently aren't part of that market according to regulators. Sony is the victim. I'm just glad they were able to secure FFXVI or else they would be completely crushed this year.

People saying Microsoft could become a monopoly is not the same as people saying they are a monopoly. If a business is making specific moves that have the potential to allow them to monopolize, then that certainly can't be ignored, and you can't fault anyone for pointing that out. No one is considered a monopoly simply because they are successful.

If Sony were in the same position as Xbox, and they were the ones buying multiple publishers that consisted of multiple IP and development studios, then people would be saying the same thing about Sony. Another thing you seem to be forgetting is that Microsoft seems to have a history with it, so it doesn't help them (OS, Browser, Office, etc).

 

[Brucey]

Give them to Bungie and put the great back into Halo again.

But that's why Bungie bought themselves out from Microsoft's control. They didn't want to be a Halo factory for another decade.

 

[Thief1987]

They didn't want to be a Halo factory for another decade.

So they become Destiny factory instead.

 

[vivftp]

For getting that deal closed? Absolutely! Xbox will be fine. It has plenty of high-quality games on the way, and the stock situation for Series X especially will improve. Till then it doesn't exactly hurt to look weaker while your other competitors, particularly your direct console competitor, are surging in all the most relevant markets.

Forgive me, why is it every time I hear this strategy described I think of this scene from Liar Liar?

 

[Brucey]

I posted a number of places that there is something weird going on with XSX supply. I had someone tell me that MS are.putting all the resources into a Starfield bundle.

That could make sense because the Forza bundle is hardly a "must have".