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[bitbydeath]

They still live on promises of what could be delivered as opposed to what has been delivered. Eg. New studios.

This prospect does not help their position on receiving buy-in for next-gen. They’ll need to deliver a hell of a launch line-up and arrive at least two months earlier than PS5 to try convince they’re worthy, and even then many will be tied with their existing back catalogues to bother shifting.

 

[BadBurger]

I'll say that Microsoft really took a hit this gen. From the word go.

But we have no idea how things will play out next gen. They seem to be going hard with their own in house studios too.

 

[ZywyPL]

Playstation 3 still outsold 360 by the end of the generation or equaled it after an awful start.

But it was Sony who had to go through some serious restructuring, sell many of their hardware divisions, and even sell/close some of their gaming studios, because the PS3 generated over 3 billion dollars loss each year, so much for a "win"...

People misunderstand how the whole console business model works, the hardware sales ALONE do matter on let's say a PC, where every manufacturer has 30-60% profit margins and doesn't give a crap itf their hardware will be used to the fullest potential or not, it can as well never get outside of the box, but they earn their share. Whereas on consoles they never earn on the hardware, even in a long run, because it takes billions of dollars to develop those machines. so they would need to also sell them with 30-60% profit margins (a.k.a.. 700-1000$) for the hardware sales alone to actually matter. MS figured out they can earn on the software without actually selling the consoles, so more power (money) to them, especially if the rumors suggest each next-gen console will be sold at a 100$ loss, so it's more effective for them to sell games on PC and take all of those 60$. They started with Play Anywhere, they have the exact numbers, but it obviously worked out for them, now they're doing xCloud and Game Pass, and it looks like it's working out too, so why shouldn't they continue and follow the strategy that brings them money?

Software wins next gen.

Pretty sure both PS adn XB share the same 3rd party games. Because there are a LOT o folks out there who don't give a crap about 1st party titles at all like the fanboys on the internet do, they just want to play yearly installments from EA/Ubi, that's all, some literally play just one game the entire year until the newest one comes out, be it Fifa or CoD, and those people will get the cheapest media that allows them to play those games, and they really don't care whether a game is in native 4K, upscalled, dynamic, checkerboarded etc. That's why the cheapest console always gets ahead once a new gen starts.

 

[Fitzchiv]

Semantics.

No. You positioned what he said as "not meaning Microsoft automatically wins the next generation" and he clearly articulated his view that they had done enough "not to lose" it, like the current one. That's not semantics, it's you getting snarky at a lime green and black straw man.

 

[Humdinger]

I am amazed by how satisfied and excited the Xbox community is by a bit of flashy advertising and good PR. Xbox have still to release a good game that is original and not just another sequel to Gears.

I inhabited an Xbox forum for many years, so I think I have a pretty good handle on why they maintain enthusiasm, despite all the problems. Many of them just genuinely enjoy the games MS puts out -- the Halo/Gears/Forza stuff; some of them even like the Crackdowns and Sea of Thieves. Another group acknowledge that the H/G/F thing is wearing thin and the first-party output has been weak, but they're optimistic about the new studio acquisitions turning things around and offering fresh blood. And a third group are happy about the changes Phil has made, enthusiastic about the X, pleased with how cheap they can get their games via GamePass, and those things compensate for deficiencies in the first-party catalog.

Those are the main reasons. The only one that is persuasive to me is the new studio acquisitions. I do hope we eventually see some interesting games from The Initiative and Playground.

the thing that confuses me about game pass in the long run is say they have 100+ games but i only want to play 1, 2 or 3 of them and i pay 5$ and complete those games in the month.. i understand it’s a good deal for me but isn’t it a bad deal for xbox? like have they made enough money from me only paying 5$? cause i could get game pass and play through a ton of content and never come back..

They're using the Netflix/Youtube model, which involves lots of monetary investment (i.e., loss) up front, in the initial years, and then eventually turning a profit years later. The idea is to offer a service at such a cheap price that no one can resist, and by doing that you eventually come to dominate the market. You are the only game in town, so to speak. Once that happens, then they can increase prices, monetize better, and turn a profit. That's the plan, anyhow. We'll see how it shakes out.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

They're using the Netflix/Youtube model, which involves lots of monetary investment (i.e., loss) up front, in the initial years, and then eventually turning a profit years later. The idea is to offer a service at such a cheap price that no one can resist, and by doing that you eventually come to dominate the market. You are the only game in town, so to speak. Once that happens, then they can increase prices, monetize better, and turn a profit. That's the plan, anyhow. We'll see how it shakes out.

We have one example in the film industry of how it tuned out; MoviePass. The goal being to have so many customers, that you could force movie theatres to give Moviepass a cut of the ticket profits. Everyone know how that turned out.

 

[Humdinger]

We have one example in the film industry of how it tuned out; MoviePass. The goal being to have so many customers, that you could force movie theatres to give Moviepass a cut of the ticket profits. Everyone know how that turned out.

True, although Netflix and Youtube seem to be doing well in terms of invester interest and support (if not actual profitability) -- which corporations love. I think it's a very long-range plan, and it'll be a very long time before we can really say whether it worked or not ... and by then, things will likely have changed dramatically. So it's still an open question.

Ultimately, it's something the financial/corporate types will care about, but I won't. I care about whether they can manage to put out a game I actually want to play. I'm getting pickier and harder to please as I get older (see avatar), so I'm not holding my breath.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

True, although Netflix and Youtube seem to be doing well in terms of invester interest and support (if not actual profitability) -- which corporations love. I think it's a very long-range plan, and it'll be a very long time before we can really say whether it worked or not ... and by then, things will likely have changed dramatically. So it's still an open question.

Ultimately, it's something the financial/corporate types will care about, but I won't. I care about whether they can manage to put out a game I actually want to play. I'm getting pickier and harder to please as I get older (see avatar), so I'm not holding my breath.

Well in terms of games, Gamepass encourages its games to resemble those from Mobile gaming. Basically lootbox games and timed events that force you to log in every day. Since Gamepass only really benefit from people who stay subbed every month, and spend microtransactions.

Microsoft's dream title for gamepass would be a version of Fate: Grand Order. The litteral most profitable game in 2019. Selling digital game currency for real money, have horrible lootbox odds, and still make money hand over fist because of digital cards containing waifus and husbandos.

A voice actress who worked on the game, even admited during interview that she spent most of the money she earned while working in the game; IN the game; the money the company paid her with litteraly just gets recycled back to the game company.

 

[mckmas8808]

True, although Netflix and Youtube seem to be doing well in terms of invester interest and support (if not actual profitability) -- which corporations love. I think it's a very long-range plan, and it'll be a very long time before we can really say whether it worked or not ... and by then, things will likely have changed dramatically. So it's still an open question.

Ultimately, it's something the financial/corporate types will care about, but I won't. I care about whether they can manage to put out a game I actually want to play. I'm getting pickier and harder to please as I get older (see avatar), so I'm not holding my breath.

You think MS is willing to lose money on something for that long?

 

[diffusionx]

We have one example in the film industry of how it tuned out; MoviePass. The goal being to have so many customers, that you could force movie theatres to give Moviepass a cut of the ticket profits. Everyone know how that turned out.

The issue was that MoviePass didn't own anything. They just paid theatres the cost of the ticket, and were hoping to extort them later. All the theatres had to do was wait them out, which didn't even take that much effort because the theatres were getting paid BY MOVIEPASS.

Netflix owns their content, as does MS.

In general I am highly skeptical of this "pivot to services" plan in general - it seems to be based on hopes and dreams first and foremost. I don't know if it will work, but MS is now a service company. That's not me talking, that is the CEO of Microsoft talking. I honestly do not believe they would not have gone ahead with another Xbox if it involved selling a hardware box and making money off licenses and game sales like it was 1991. The idea of them selling another console this way just doesn't fit into their business (truthfully it never really did), just like selling Windows doesn't anymore. I think they had to have a plan to turn this into a service business just like they have done for Office/Azure.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

The issue was that MoviePass didn't own anything. They just paid theatres the cost of the ticket, and were hoping to extort them later. All the theatres had to do was wait them out, which didn't even take that much effort because the theatres were getting paid BY MOVIEPASS.

Netflix owns their content, as does MS.

In general I am highly skeptical of this "pivot to services" plan in general - it seems to be based on hopes and dreams first and foremost. I don't know if it will work, but MS is now a service company. That's not me talking, that is the CEO of Microsoft talking. I honestly do not believe they would not have gone ahead with another Xbox if it involved selling a hardware box and making money off licenses and game sales like it was 1991. The idea of them selling another console this way just doesn't fit into their plans (truthfully it never really did). I think they had to have a plan to turn this into a service business just like they have done for Office/Azure.

Well designing Scarlet was expensive. MS likely wanted Scarlet to recover at least some of the money spent on it. But I can't help but feel Microsoft isn't pushing as hard with Scarlet as they could be.

 

[diffusionx]

Well designing Scarlet was expensive. MS likely wanted Scarlet to recover at least some of the money spent on it. But I can't help but feel Microsoft isn't pushing as hard with Scarlet as they could be.

Well, it has to hit an overall ROI to justify the investment, like anything else. Obviously none of us have any idea how that looks within MS. I'm not sure what you mean by "push as hard", but MS' strategy is not just "sell this console" like console launches have always been.

Well in terms of games, Gamepass encourages its games to resemble those from Mobile gaming. Basically lootbox games and timed events that force you to log in every day. Since Gamepass only really benefit from people who stay subbed every month, and spend microtransactions.

For better or worse (much worse IMO), this is how the whole industry is going. Zoomers don't want to pay for videogames any more than millenials wanted to pay for music.

 

[sendit]

Agreed. With so many threads declaring an Xbox victory for next gen, there is no way Microsoft can lose.

 

[trikster40]

All I care about is the games I want to play. I’ve been on PS since 1995, but if all the games all of a sudden went to Xbox, I’d be there in a heartbeat. Let’s face it, outside of first party studios, there just really isn’t a thing as 3rd party exclusivity, so what 1st party offerings do you prefer?

And screw all this nonsense about who wins.It’s crazy that gaming is the ONLY market whose consumers care about this crap. I don’t see any threads about how Disney is dominating the movie industry, in your face Warner Bros, or which book publisher has the most books in the top 100. Can we please all grow up and realize that it doesn’t matter if the console you game on is #1 or not?

 

[Swauny Jones]

GamePass is going to win over the masses next gen just for it's convenience alone. Xbox has already won next gen, we just haven't lived it yet.

 

[Old Empire.]

GamePass is going to win over the masses next gen just for it's convenience alone. Xbox has already won next gen, we just haven't lived it yet.

PS now also grants you permission to download games and stream them. Sony already has an app to rival game pass. They just have to adjust the model and release all their first-party games at launch on there. Microsoft has helped Sony by signing an arrangement to operate Azure for PS now. Sony ready to go already it just needs a decision from corporate in Japan..

This service was unavailable in my country and only came available when Sony endorsed this agreement with Microsoft.

 

[Zato]

Their AAA release and first party have little to no pedigree and all to prove, Sony have displayed generation after generation their first party is top quality.

With PS4 backwards compatibility already announced and with digital purchases at 50% plus then Sony has a large number of users already locked into their ecosystem with lots of digital purchases that would be thrown away by moving to Xbox.

Them having the best machine is not a guarantee at all and games sell the system, PS3 proved that even with a harder to develop for machine with an inferior GPU that great games from first party will sell a machine, even a year late and vastly more expensive it still overtook the 360.

Gamepass is a loss leader for MS, they can afford to give away their first party games as no one is beating down the door for them. Nothing to stop Sony providing a similar service to the same.level as MS regarding 3rd party releases with older first party games also.


The previous gennwas a bad one to lose for MS, it began the digital purchase.of games and a large sharer of 100 million people have a lot of games in their PSN library. With backwards compat out the door, all those games will be their to play on PS5 day one.

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

Sony are in full panic mode wondering how they are gonna make their 8.5TF PS5 sound good!

/s

 

[Old Empire.]

Gamepass is a loss leader for MS, they can afford to give away their first party games as no one is beating down the door for them. Nothing to stop Sony providing a similar service to the same.level as MS regarding 3rd party releases with older first party games also.

Sony can any time release its first-party games on PC and PS5 at launch through PS now. They already have a download and stream button for it. I downloaded God of War 4 last night by PS now the full game. I suspect Sony going to offer a similar service to game pass soon including on the PC.

 

[Bryank75]

I inhabited an Xbox forum for many years, so I think I have a pretty good handle on why they maintain enthusiasm, despite all the problems. Many of them just genuinely enjoy the games MS puts out -- the Halo/Gears/Forza stuff; some of them even like the Crackdowns and Sea of Thieves. Another group acknowledge that the H/G/F thing is wearing thin and the first-party output has been weak, but they're optimistic about the new studio acquisitions turning things around and offering fresh blood. And a third group are happy about the changes Phil has made, enthusiastic about the X, pleased with how cheap they can get their games via GamePass, and those things compensate for deficiencies in the first-party catalog.

Those are the main reasons. The only one that is persuasive to me is the new studio acquisitions. I do hope we eventually see some interesting games from The Initiative and Playground.



They're using the Netflix/Youtube model, which involves lots of monetary investment (i.e., loss) up front, in the initial years, and then eventually turning a profit years later. The idea is to offer a service at such a cheap price that no one can resist, and by doing that you eventually come to dominate the market. You are the only game in town, so to speak. Once that happens, then they can increase prices, monetize better, and turn a profit. That's the plan, anyhow. We'll see how it shakes out.

Yeah, of course our communities are made up of all types and if xbox has some games I want in the next couple of years I would be open to getting one. But I suppose I consider PlayStation my home, generally.
I could see why people enjoyed Sea of Thieves... But sometimes listening to attacks on your own platform causes you to overly criticise in return....

I'm really happy that PlayStation and Xbox are providing for us as traditional console gamers!

 

[Humdinger]

And screw all this nonsense about who wins.It’s crazy that gaming is the ONLY market whose consumers care about this crap. I don’t see any threads about how Disney is dominating the movie industry, in your face Warner Bros, or which book publisher has the most books in the top 100. Can we please all grow up and realize that it doesn’t matter if the console you game on is #1 or not?

ha ha, good luck with that. Console wars never die.

They [Sony] just have to adjust the model and release all their first-party games at launch on there.

I really doubt that will happen. They've said it won't. It would be a massive blow to their console sales. MS really took a loss, essentially giving away all their first-party games for a few bucks, just to build subscribers. I don't think Sony would do the same. Their first-party catalog is the goose that lays the golden eggs. It'd be like taking the eggs and selling them for a dollar each.

You think MS is willing to lose money on something for that long?

I don't know. They've got a lot of money, and they're willing to spend hundreds of millions (?) to buy all these studios, where the main motive seems to be to bolster GamePass. So, it seems like they are very committed to it, and they're both willing and able to spend tons of money to support it.

Now, how long they're willing to do it, if it doesn't pay off, I don't know. I'm not expecting any shift in direction throughout next gen, though. I'm confident they'll stick it out at least that long.

 

[Old Empire.]

I really doubt that will happen. They've said it won't. It would be a massive blow to their console sales. MS really took a loss, essentially giving away all their first-party games for a few bucks, just to build subscribers. I don't think Sony would do the same. Their first-party catalog is the goose that lays the golden eggs. It'd be like taking the eggs and selling them for a dollar each.

Do you guess they are squandering money? Gear of War 4 might move 1 to 2 million but say through game pass 6 to 7 million individuals play Gears 4 to just see what it's about and half those individuals keep their subscription for a year than Microsoft then got back the money they invested to make the game.

People forget marketing at retail not always guaranteed and a lot of gamers can't afford the high price of games at retail. But they may pay a monthly fee every month! It money coming in that was not keenly there before.

The last estimate I read they had over 10 million subs. I predict it to go higher when the different console lunch and newer games are added.

Regards Sony I assume they will release their games on PC for download, eventually. They could not do it before because of backend issues on PC. Microsoft hosting their games now on their cloud network, so it looks like they will do a similar thing as Microsoft.

 

[CrisPy2019]

How much you willing to bet on it?

Tbh. Winning is always kinda subjective. Because winning means what exactly? Making more money? Selling more consoles?

IMHO Xbox even tho they lost in terms of sales won the gen easily. I mean I got an Xbox on X for 170 bucks new. And this black Friday a SAD edition for 79 bucks which I'll give to my nephew's on christmas. And I got gamepass 4 years for free.(3activated one waiting till I can activate it.. dumb 3year limit) so they can also play the games without paying.

I don't have to pay for anything else for 4 years and gamepass also works on the series S ones it comes out. I can't even comprehend how much money I saved. It still boggles my mind.

So i find it pretty hard to argue that MS lost at least from my perspective. The X and gamepass was the best deal I got in years.

 

[Filthy Casual]

Tbh. Winning is always kinda subjective. Because winning means what exactly? Making more money? Selling more consoles?

IMHO Xbox even tho they lost in terms of sales won the gen easily. I mean I got an Xbox on X for 170 bucks new. And this black Friday a SAD edition for 79 bucks which I'll give to my nephew's on christmas. And I got gamepass 4 years for free.(3activated one waiting till I can activate it.. dumb 3year limit) so they can also play the games without paying.

I don't have to pay for anything else for 4 years and gamepass also works on the series S ones it comes out. I can't even comprehend how much money I saved. It still boggles my mind.

So i find it pretty hard to argue that MS lost at least from my perspective. The X and gamepass was the best deal I got in years.

 

[GymWolf]

It's too soon to have these hot takes...

 

[kraspkibble]

every day that passes i'm more likely to get an Xbox this generation over a Playstation and i say that as someone who has owned a PS every generation. the sony exclusives aren't as good as they used to be. all i'm excited for is Horizon 2 and even then i'm not terribly excited. i was excited for TLOU2 until all the SJW bullshit. fuck naughty dog.

i'm not ruling out buying a PS5. i will probably get one but i reckon Xbox will be my primary console next gen. this gen i have owned a PS4 from 2013 right up until today. i bought an Xbox but sold it after a while. I have a feeling this gen i will get an Xbox and only buy a PS5 for those 1 or 2 exclusives.

i have always said i will go where the games are. i pledge no loyalty to a corporation. fanboyism is childish and immature. Sony "won" this generation and sometimes i have been called a PS fanboi but honestly...i want both Xbox + PS to do well. if i was a fanboi i'd want Sony to be kept on their toes so that they never settle and get lazy.

fuck MS + Sony. as long as there is competition then everybody wins (unless you're a MS/Sony shareholder and only care about all this because you want to make money).

 

[ZombieTech]

Just my two bits, as I stated in another thread, in my own experience:

I was a Sony/PS fanboy since the original announcement of Playstation, having so heavily followed the SNES CD-Rom development and fiasco.

I've owned every PS console right up to PS4.

I swore after 3+ decades of MS frustrations on PC with Windows, also keeping in mind that OS is responsible for at least 90% of hacks/viruses/malware/exploits/trojans/nukes/etc EVER, along with myriads of reports of red rings and account thefts on 360 -- I swore I'd never own an XBox.

Then in November of 2018, while getting bored and overly frustrated with the excessively clunky limitations of my original PS4 and curious about some first-party XBox franchises, I hesitantly bought my first ever XBox with the Minecraft XBox One S bundle.

Over a year later, I'm way beyond satisfied with my purchase, I'm an admitted Game Pass Ultimate junky, and I'm super stoked to see what MS is coming with in next gen.

If this gen and MS could make a convert out of me, after everything listed above, and bring me to the darkside, think they have a really good shot at persuading the masses.

 

[ZombieTech]

if i was a fanboi i'd want Sony to be kept on their toes so that they never settle and get lazy

After this gen, fanboy or not, they need to be put onto their toes and knocked out of the lazy mode that they've been in.

They've allowed so much SJW nonsense to pour into their first parties (*glares at Detroit: Berate Humans*), their first party devs are so far down the rabbit-hole they're popping out in China (yep, shots fired), and their own Daybreak Studios (even if now independant, most think Sony when thinking Daybreak I'd imagine) seems to be on life-support.

 

[Slings and Arrows]

Buy all consoles and you can't 'lose'

Sony for exclusives and Vr
Microsoft for free games through gamepass
Switch so you have something to talk to your Wife's boyfriend about

 

[DanielsM]

As far as selling plastic, Microsoft doesn't care so... there really is no generations. At this point its about delivering services and to a degree being a normal publisher like they were before Xbox existed.

1. Selling plastic
2.. Rolling out services and expanding services i.e. middleman
3. Traditional large developer/publisher

I am doubtful on #2 working out for them, but come back in 3-5 years. For Microsoft to actually gain in gaming revenue the only path is to go where the customers are or they will have to shrink, imo.

The console warz are over... you can go back to your families now.

 

[ZombieTech]

For me personally, think one of the biggest and most mind-blowing things that Sony could do, to pull me back over for PS5, is bring back PS Home while giving it Move and VR support.

 

[Dory16]

every day that passes i'm more likely to get an Xbox this generation over a Playstation and i say that as someone who has owned a PS every generation. the sony exclusives aren't as good as they used to be. all i'm excited for is Horizon 2 and even then i'm not terribly excited. i was excited for TLOU2 until all the SJW bullshit. fuck naughty dog.

i'm not ruling out buying a PS5. i will probably get one but i reckon Xbox will be my primary console next gen. this gen i have owned a PS4 from 2013 right up until today. i bought an Xbox but sold it after a while. I have a feeling this gen i will get an Xbox and only buy a PS5 for those 1 or 2 exclusives.

i have always said i will go where the games are. i pledge no loyalty to a corporation. fanboyism is childish and immature. Sony "won" this generation and sometimes i have been called a PS fanboi but honestly...i want both Xbox + PS to do well. if i was a fanboi i'd want Sony to be kept on their toes so that they never settle and get lazy.

fuck MS + Sony. as long as there is competition then everybody wins (unless you're a MS/Sony shareholder and only care about all this because you want to make money).

Nintendo has to hope that Kat gets a lesbian lover in Gears 6 then. Because then it will be fuck the Coalition's SJW and Xbox. I want a switch.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

The previous gennwas a bad one to lose for MS, it began the digital purchase.of games and a large sharer of 100 million people have a lot of games in their PSN library. With backwards compat out the door, all those games will be their to play on PS5 day one.

Yet history has proven time and time again that backwards compat means jack shit for the majority of console users. Very few people play a game more than once. The people trampling each other in stores when PS4 came out (was it Germany? Can’t remember) are proof enough that having the latest shining hardware to boast and having the system your friends will play on is more important than any specific game. People who could afford the new toy ditched their PS3s soooooo fast when PS4 came out.

I believe a poll about how many people play a game more than once (if they ever finish it, that is) and how many people keep a digital game on their console’s HDD after being done with it would quickly reveal just how much backwards compat really means in the grand scheme of things. I doubt people are gonna rush to buy a PS5 to replay Uncharted 4. True, whoever missed a PS4 until now could theoretically get a PS5 and a bunch of used PS4 games for peanuts... but those are usually the people who’ll buy the previous-gen console for peanuts, too.

Me, though? Gimme dat backwards compat any day, and MS already have more games than I could ever play, spanning three generations.

The thing is, at this point consoles are all about ecosystems and it’s extremely unlikely a lot of people would jump ship just for a game or two because the most important thing is what your friends play on and what you’ve been more invested with in the 7th and 8th gen. FIFA is on everything (well, Switch is kind of an exception there, LOL) so most of it boils down to what most people have been playing FIFA on so far.

 

[DanielsM]

Yet history has proven time and time again that backwards compat means jack shit for the majority of console users.

I think the difference now is the end of the fulfillment of moore's law going forward and development effort cost to make a significant upgrade in graphics. At this point, we're generally in a resolution/framerate difference, although there will be other tech that comes long to help on the edges i.e. raytracing. Games are not going to look significantly better here on out, so.... it makes upgrading hardware less of thing going forward. (just playing devil's advocate here a little)

So... instead BC provides a way of string out the need to upgrade, for the developers and users.

Baby steps going forward in gaming...

 

[StreetsofBeige]

With the way gaming has become mainstream with tons of users, the pie has gotten much bigger. Even with all the tablet and mobile gaming, it's not like traditional PC and console gaming have disappeared.

More people are playing games, or more people are playing on multiple platforms. Or both. So the pie is getting bigger.

In order for one of the big 3 console makers to have a disaster, it'll have to be a true train wreck like Wii U. And even that sold 13 million units. Not a lot, but even still more than beloved Dreamcast at $199.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

All I care about is the games I want to play. I’ve been on PS since 1995, but if all the games all of a sudden went to Xbox, I’d be there in a heartbeat. Let’s face it, outside of first party studios, there just really isn’t a thing as 3rd party exclusivity, so what 1st party offerings do you prefer?

And screw all this nonsense about who wins.It’s crazy that gaming is the ONLY market whose consumers care about this crap. I don’t see any threads about how Disney is dominating the movie industry, in your face Warner Bros, or which book publisher has the most books in the top 100. Can we please all grow up and realize that it doesn’t matter if the console you game on is #1 or not?

But tons of people are talking about that, quite negatively in fact. And deservedly so; we see what happens when Disney buys up power, it leads to disasters like the new Star Wars films.

 

[trikster40]

But tons of people are talking about that, quite negatively in fact. And deservedly so; we see what happens when Disney buys up power, it leads to disasters like the new Star Wars films.

But no one talks about which studio makes the most money like they have a stake in it. That’s the point I was trying to make.

 

[NahaNago]

I'm honestly more worried about Sony for next gen. They really don't seem prepared for next gen in comparison to Microsoft. I'm mostly talking games when I talk being prepared for next gen. If Microsoft has forza, halo, and that hellblade at launch I can easily see them dominating the conversation at launch. Sony will probably not have a launch lineup anywhere near as strong as that.

 

[ZywyPL]

I'm honestly more worried about Sony for next gen. They really don't seem prepared for next gen in comparison to Microsoft. I'm mostly talking games when I talk being prepared for next gen. If Microsoft has forza, halo, and that hellblade at launch I can easily see them dominating the conversation at launch. Sony will probably not have a launch lineup anywhere near as strong as that.

They will most likely have TLoU2, Ghost of Tsushima, GT7, a game from GG team that made KZ:SF, a game from SMS, a game from ND team that made UC4. At launch or not so far after it. Sony will be more than fine, as oppose to MS newly acquired studios, Sony's devs have been cooking up their games for quite a long time now.

 

[DanielsM]

I'm honestly more worried about Sony for next gen. They really don't seem prepared for next gen in comparison to Microsoft. I'm mostly talking games when I talk being prepared for next gen. If Microsoft has forza, halo, and that hellblade at launch I can easily see them dominating the conversation at launch. Sony will probably not have a launch lineup anywhere near as strong as that.

Probably something like this or similar
2020 - The Last of Us 2 (probably an upgrade to PS5)
2021 - The Last of Us 2 MP (or whatever they call it)
2020 - Ghost of Tsushima (probably with PS5 enhancements)
2020 - Dreams
2020-2021 - PS5 release window game Killzone MP or Socom or similar
2020-2021 - PS5 release window game probably Ratchet and Clank
2020-2021 - Ps5 release window game GT
2020-2021 - Ps5 release window game (remake by Bluepoint, probably Demon Souls??)
2021ish - The MLB Show
2021ish - God of War II
2022ish - HZD II
2022ish - Spider-Man 2
2022ish - Days Gone 2
2023ish - non-ND Uncharted game
2023ish - New Naught Dog Franchise


- Probably various titles being worked on by Japan Studio
- This leaves out their various studios working on VR titles

 

[Yoboman]

Yet history has proven time and time again that backwards compat means jack shit for the majority of console users. Very few people play a game more than once. The people trampling each other in stores when PS4 came out (was it Germany? Can’t remember) are proof enough that having the latest shining hardware to boast and having the system your friends will play on is more important than any specific game. People who could afford the new toy ditched their PS3s soooooo fast when PS4 came out.

I believe a poll about how many people play a game more than once (if they ever finish it, that is) and how many people keep a digital game on their console’s HDD after being done with it would quickly reveal just how much backwards compat really means in the grand scheme of things. I doubt people are gonna rush to buy a PS5 to replay Uncharted 4. True, whoever missed a PS4 until now could theoretically get a PS5 and a bunch of used PS4 games for peanuts... but those are usually the people who’ll buy the previous-gen console for peanuts, too.

Me, though? Gimme dat backwards compat any day, and MS already have more games than I could ever play, spanning three generations.

The thing is, at this point consoles are all about ecosystems and it’s extremely unlikely a lot of people would jump ship just for a game or two because the most important thing is what your friends play on and what you’ve been more invested with in the 7th and 8th gen. FIFA is on everything (well, Switch is kind of an exception there, LOL) so most of it boils down to what most people have been playing FIFA on so far.

Yes backwards compatibility hasn’t mattered a lot in the past

However previous gens haven’t really had the combination of day one BC + fully integrated ecosystems where a ton of your purchases and DLC exist.

People now have to make the choice of leaving behind a lot of their purchases or subbing to two different online services

 

[DForce]

I swear we have received a thread like this every single month for the past 2 years.

 

[DForce]

I'm honestly more worried about Sony for next gen. They really don't seem prepared for next gen in comparison to Microsoft. I'm mostly talking games when I talk being prepared for next gen. If Microsoft has forza, halo, and that hellblade at launch I can easily see them dominating the conversation at launch. Sony will probably not have a launch lineup anywhere near as strong as that.

This has to be a joke.

And Hellblade 2 at launch? That's likely a few years away.

 

[NahaNago]

They will most likely have TLoU2, Ghost of Tsushima, GT7, a game from GG team that made KZ:SF, a game from SMS, a game from ND team that made UC4. At launch or not so far after it. Sony will be more than fine, as oppose to MS newly acquired studios, Sony's devs have been cooking up their games for quite a long time now.

so a port, another port, and I really doubt GT7 will be available at launch. We might get a game from GG but they are supposedly working on horizon sequel, SMS released a game last year so shouldn't the next game not release until 2022 . I seriously doubt were getting anything from ND right after they have launched launched TLou2, we might see a trailer but will have to wait 2 more years for the game to come out.

Probably something like this or similar
2020 - The Last of Us 2 (probably an upgrade to PS5)
2021 - The Last of Us 2 MP (or whatever they call it)
2020 - Ghost of Tsushima (probably with PS5 enhancements)
2020 - Dreams
2020-2021 - PS5 release window game Killzone MP or Socom or similar
2020-2021 - PS5 release window game probably Ratchet and Clank
2020-2021 - Ps5 release window game GT
2020-2021 - Ps5 release window game (remake by Bluepoint, probably Demon Souls??)
2021ish - The MLB Show
2021ish - God of War II
2022ish - HZD II
2022ish - Spider-Man 2
2022ish - Days Gone 2
2023ish - non-ND Uncharted game
2023ish - New Naught Dog Franchise


- Probably various titles being worked on by Japan Studio
- This leaves out their various studios working on VR titles

Your list looks great for 2022 but how about at the launch day of the PS5.

They pretty much have released all of their games in like the last 2 years and with games taking longer to develop they aren't able to release as many first party games a gen. They also aren't getting a whole bunch of third party exclusives like they use to during the ps3 era. I've been of the opinion for a while that they needed more studios due to how much longer it takes to makes games. Look at SMS just releasing one game pretty much this gen, one game for gt (them not releasing that ps3 gt game on ps4 was ridiculous) , we had nearly only one game from Sucker Punch since they released their first game at the launch and one at the very end of the gen.

This has to be a joke.

And Hellblade 2 at launch? That's likely a few years away.

Not a joke, I just have more faith in Microsoft's starting line up. That is all. Granted I'm not really a fan of Microsoft's types of games so I still won't get their console at launch most likely.

 

[Humdinger]

Do you guess they are squandering money? Gear of War 4 might move 1 to 2 million but say through game pass 6 to 7 million individuals play Gears 4 to just see what it's about and half those individuals keep their subscription for a year than Microsoft then got back the money they invested to make the game.

People forget marketing at retail not always guaranteed and a lot of gamers can't afford the high price of games at retail. But they may pay a monthly fee every month! It money coming in that was not keenly there before.

The last estimate I read they had over 10 million subs. I predict it to go higher when the different console lunch and newer games are added.

Regards Sony I assume they will release their games on PC for download, eventually. They could not do it before because of backend issues on PC. Microsoft hosting their games now on their cloud network, so it looks like they will do a similar thing as Microsoft.

Yes, I think MS is losing a lot of money by giving away all their first-party games Day 1. Remember that most people are paying very little for GP subs at this point. Millions of subs don't mean a whole lot of revenue, if people can get GP for a dollar. Compare that to the costs of developing, publishing, and marketing a AAA game. Yeah, they're losing money.

I wouldn't say they're "squandering" it, though. It's an investment. Like I said, we'll see how it plays out.

 

[Gargus]

They lost me, that's all I know. I have had every xbox from the first to xb1s but I won't buy the new one. Playstation and pc will be my go to systems, and my switch I'll get out for the occasional first party game I want to play. But I have no time, money or desire for another xbox.

They only have a tiny handful of exclusive games I want to play and most of those I can play on my pc. So the console is useless to me. In all the years I had the xbox one I have played 4 games on it.

 

[DForce]

Not a joke, I just have more faith in Microsoft's starting line up. That is all. Granted I'm not really a fan of Microsoft's types of games so I still won't get their console at launch most likely.

You said you're more worried about Sony for next generation. They have already made successful new IPs that will sell consoles.

We already know they're working on a TLOU multiplayer title and rumored Killzone muliplayer game.

The only releases day one for MS next gen is Halo and a possible Forza.

We don't know anything about what games will be released on the PS5 until around E3 or the beginning of 2020.

Based on what we know now, Sony has a more impressive lineup that will attract gamers based on how well their games old this generation.

 

[Dory16]

They lost me, that's all I know. I have had every xbox from the first to xb1s but I won't buy the new one. Playstation and pc will be my go to systems, and my switch I'll get out for the occasional first party game I want to play. But I have no time, money or desire for another xbox.

They only have a tiny handful of exclusive games I want to play and most of those I can play on my pc. So the console is useless to me. In all the years I had the xbox one I have played 4 games on it.

Get game pass. There's more there than you will ever have time to play.

 

[Dory16]

You said you're more worried about Sony for next generation. They have already made successful new IPs that will sell consoles.

We already know they're working on a TLOU multiplayer title and rumored Killzone muliplayer game.

The only releases day one for MS next gen is Halo and a possible Forza.

We don't know anything about what games will be released on the PS5 until around E3 or the beginning of 2020.

Based on what we know now, Sony has a more impressive lineup that will attract gamers based on how well their games old this generation.

Halo infinite as a launch game is massive though. Consoles generally don't come out with an automatic system seller. There hasn't be a halo in 5 years and every fan who can afford to will jump in day one.

 

[DForce]

Halo infinite as a launch game is massive though. Consoles generally don't come out with an automatic system seller. There hasn't be a halo in 5 years and every fan who can afford to will jump in day one.

The problem is that Halo Infinite will also be available on Xbox One consoles. I believe a lot of people will hold off purchasing a new Xbox because of Halo.