Just what was Microsoft thinking?

[5n0man]

The ps3 wasn't a failure. The console business model in general is no longer viable. It's not blu-rays fault they are making money off of the blu-ray business. It's just that without other monetary streams(DLC, online subscriptions, peripherals, ect) profit margins are too slim. The "hardcore gamer" can't sustain the industry anymore, yet anything that is perceived not to cater to the "harcore gamer" is met with vehement backlash from the game community.


They didn't think they would loos money over the course of the entire generation. Sure they expected to operate at a loss for the first year or so, but they also expected to recoup that money and turn an overall profit which they have not done yet.


M$ had a huge PR failure recently though I'm not sure how much that will effect they're bottom line in the future. And I'm not trying to bash the ps3, I'm just talking about the games industry in general. The ps3 catered to hardcore gamers and have them the options and experiences they asked for, yet they still lost money. It's just not a viable business plan anymore.


Yes they are. Gamers still haven't figured out that by protesting the changes the industry is proposing that they are impeding the progress of the industry. The industry is failing and gamers have just as responsibilty to save it as the suits and devs.



That 30 million number is users without gold accounts. Not users without the Internet. And from a business prospective its not worth it to cater to limited/budget customers at the detriment of moving the industry forward and maximizing profits from paying customers.

While I agree with most of this, I believe it's still largely Sony/Microsoft along with the devs fault that they cant come up with a better business model to maximize profit.

The potential customer loss is too high a cost, market isn't ready for what Microsoft was proposing but they could have compromised, devs could have backed them. You can't tell me it has to be all or nothing with online only, they have better ways and the fact that they did a 180 to me means they didn't care much about changing the industry like they say they did.

shyt, honestly the USA is Microsofts biggest region and we can't even get cap free Internet in most places. Internet here also sucks compared to some places. Lots of places connect to some satellite Internet which is useless for gaming

 

[MeachTheMonster]

While I agree with most of this, I believe it's still largely Sony/Microsoft along with the devs fault that they cant come up with a better business model to maximize profit.

I agree. They all should let go of the "console war" and stand together to offer some new services that would be beneficial to all.

The potential customer loss is too high a cost, market isn't ready for what Microsoft was proposing but they could have compromised, devs could have backed them.

The market may not be ready today but I think it will be well before the end of the next console cycle. And yes these changes would benefits devs the most so they should be on the frontlines selling these concepts to consumers.

You can't tell me it has to be all or nothing with online only, they have better ways and the fact that they did a 180 to me means they didn't care much about changing the industry like they say they did.

I can't think of any other way to ensure devs get paid other than some type of drm. And I dont think M$ was concerned with pushing the industry forward. I think they were concerned with lining their pockets by being at the forefront of the inevitable changes to the industry. They failed at it due to a combination of being a little too early and not having a clear message to sell to consumers. It's baffling to me that they would make these plans and not have some type of clear marketing strategy. Maybe they thought devs would stand with them.

shyt, honestly the USA is Microsofts biggest region and we can't even get cap free Internet in most places. Internet here also sucks compared to some places. Lots of places connect to some satellite Internet which is useless for gaming

They spend millions of dollars on market research every year, I'm sure their conclusions pointed to the fact that the Internet is widespread enough that the requirment wouldn't take too many customers off the table. They are trying to sell the x1 to the iPad crowd. And EVERY single one of them has the Internet.

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

I think it was the right direction, but I think the entire industry would have had to stand together and sell it to the masses. Which is what the OP was about.

If y'all had read it instead of concentrating on what Microsoft got wrong then y'all could see what I'm trying to say.

In that story it was a dev talking about the industry and how that type of plan is needed and would help them, but he also made the journalist promise to keep his name confidential. This goes to show you the state of the industry. Everybody knows there is a problem that needs to be fixed, but nobody wants to stand and make it happen. And gamers just want to keep shouting "give me more for less and it's your fault if you go broke"

you know what...... this is fukking impossible to solve.. period

i was gonna come in here with some, maybe if... type talk, but that won't work...


but i'll explain... what's the goals?? from the business side (devs and consoles).... they want to make more money.. period.. they can say all they want about blah blah blah... at the end of the day, the devs want to sell 5 million and it make huuuuuuuuuge profits everytime.. the consoles want to have a way to get a cut of that by charging online, selling it on their platform, or making some back room deal...


the consumers.... they want cheap games... but better games.. all while having NO restrictions on what they can do with these games






now how in the fukk can that work... cheaper games would mean they have to cost less to make... which would definitely mess up quality.. and once you make a game cheaper to buy online.. what you think best buy, walmart and the rest of the stores gonna do about that.. you just started selling the same exact crack on their block for a cheaper price


keeping the status quo ain't working for the devs.. who have come up with every 2 cent idea to drain every extra penny from our pockets.. it's also not working for the console makers cause they can't do anything new without backlash


and going in an all digital format won't work cause consumers and retailers revolted... they don't like being told they can't sell or play or RENT (which is another huge market nobody mentions). the internet is still a big IF for other countries... and last time i checked, money is money and can be converted to us dollars at any time.. not to mention bandwidth limits, slow internet, and people just not liking to do shyt online (we all know them)





anytime you cut one thing, one of the 3 groups will get pissed off and "take their ball home"


and at the end of it all is competition... oh the devs and ms are teaming up.. lets team up with the consumers and retailers and shyt all over that idea... oh they charging online, lets make ours free... oh their shyt is free, well lets get more apps.. oh they getting apps, lets make a wii... oh they got a wii, lets make a move/kinect... oh they got.......






so we already confirmed that this gen is pretty much dead on that idea.. i don't see ms going BACK to their original idea.. how could they now?? they loved it.. they took it away... then they wait till people buy it and then force it on them after.. you think the uproar was loud now.. wait till people actually spend money on a system then all the rules change a year later


so we looking at another 5-8 years of this status quo... then see what everyone will do by xbox 2 and ps5?? by then all these ideas will be damn near a decade old and we'll be having the same argument over new features that we really don't understand until it's too late

it's really about to be music... a bunch of shytty games (rappers) for the low... then once every year we'll get the same old COD (jay-z album)