By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Gaming Discussion - Microsoft: "We're Going to Try to Win That Core Gamer"

Well they got the right idea, better now then never.

All XBox cons have been removed. All it needs is more games and maybe a $50 price drop this holiday. I am certainly a happy camper.



Xbox: Best hardware, Game Pass best value, best BC, more 1st party genres and multiplayer titles. 

 

Around the Network
sales2099 said:
Well they got the right idea, better now then never.

All XBox cons have been removed. All it needs is more games and maybe a $50 price drop this holiday. I am certainly a happy camper.

Not all. The weaker hardware will hurt them for the rest of the generation. 



    

NNID: FrequentFlyer54

Nice idea, problem is that that core gamer they are now trying to win are already flocking to sony's console. It doesn't help that as far as a core gamer console is concerned, the PS4 has the best hardware to handle the task.

The only way they win the core gamer, is if sony somehow suddenly just throws them away. or stops making PS4s.



Intrinsic said:
Nice idea, problem is that that core gamer they are now trying to win are already flocking to sony's console. It doesn't help that as far as a core gamer console is concerned, the PS4 has the best hardware to handle the task.

The only way they win the core gamer, is if sony somehow suddenly just throws them away. or stops making PS4s.

Also many core gamers will never forgive MS for their DRM and always online policies. 



    

NNID: FrequentFlyer54

Phil, it's too late for that now. Sorry, but you missed your opportunity when you tried to "take over the living room". When you DESIGNED your box, you focused on multimedia instead of games, and it shows in the end result. You made a box that is significantly underpowered compared to your competition, and then try to spin it with massive PR efforts to try and fool unsuspecting customers. Don't deny it...just go back and look at all of the press coverage from the last few months. Count the stories where you guys tout "The Power of the Cloud" (TM), DX12, ESRAM, 1080p for the few games that can manage it. You are trying to convince your potential customers that you are just as good. Problem is, you aren't.

The fact is that you shot for 720p (and were even going to call your box the Xbox 720...watch "Real Steel" if you need a reminder)...when the competition was aiming higher.

So now that your sales are in the gutter...and you are even being outsold by the WiiU, you say you want to attract the "core" gamer. What does that mean, exactly? Does it mean you are going to offer better games? How, exactly, are you going to do that in the near term? Good, "AAA" games take a few years to develop...and since you didn't do your work 3 years ago, you are left with a pretty pathetic selection of "exclusive" games this year. "Core" gamers may appreciate "Sunset Overdrive", or a remake of Halos 1-4...but in reality, "Core" gamers are playing other games...games you can't really compete with. Not only did you miss the boat with "AAA" exclusives, but your company's misguided policies actively drove developers to the competition! If games are so important, why is it that you can play EIGHTY EIGHT games on PS4, but only 43 games on your console? Having HALF the library of the competition isn't going to win "Core" gamers over, bub.

I really don't know what the solution to your problems are, Phil. I don't know that you CAN fix the issues you have...without releasing new hardware, anyway. But, what I can tell you is that saying in one breath that you want to attract "Core" gamers, then in the next saying that Kinect has a bright future and that you are SURE people will buy it is not only foolish, it's suicidal! I also saw articles where you guys were touting that Windows apps will run on Xbox! GREAT! Just what I never wanted! You think I want to check my email on my console? Do you want me to run Office? Or maybe be able to run all of those incredibly crappy apps that clutter your Windows Marketplace? Your message, and that of Microsoft, when it comes to Xbox is muddy at best. It's becoming obvious that you guys don't know what the hell you are doing, and it's being reflected in your sales.

On top of all of that, you, and those before you, have squandered the most precious resource and advantage you had...the trust and loyalty of your customers. The ones who stayed loyal and replaced MULTIPLE defective consoles last generation, just to play on your platform! Between the DRM fiasco, the always online requirement, #JustDealWithIt, the REQUIREMENT to use Kinect, attempting to restrict sales of used games....Yes, you pulled a 180 on all of those misguided policies, but the damage was done. Yes, you replaced the hated Mattrick, but again, the damage is done.

Again, I am not sure what you guys can do to "Fix" things...I personally think the best course of action would be to admit defeat early, kill off your underpowered, poorly designed product and start over. Maybe Xbox Two can pull it back out...but Xbox One is now the Xbox Done.



Around the Network

Its not in their hands anymore though. It would take a huge effort from MS, AND a bad screw up from Sony for xbone to win more core gamers worldwide.



We're Going to Try to Win That Core Gamer

Ahahahahah.

Ah.

No thanks, it's too late for that, try again for your next console in 2008/2009.



fps_d0minat0r said:
Its not in their hands anymore though. It would take a huge effort from MS, AND a bad screw up from Sony for xbone to win more core gamers worldwide.


Exactly, mindshare and perception has shifted in the last year world wide. Not impossible, but a tough road ahead.



Which is what frustrates me about the whole M$ marketing campaign. It's literally like either their Xbox marketing arm is run by a bunch of apes or that the higher ups have no marketing knowledge (or are too arrogant to care) at all.

First off, the E3 launch is where the innovator/early adaptors are known to flock and watch. Your die hard fans, your hardcore gamers, your gaming/electronic enthusiasts. The 20% whose opinions can decide the fate of your entire brand (due to the enormous influence they have on the purchasing decision making process of those within their networks). Who are fickle and have long ass memories. It is possibly the WORST place and time to start trying to disseminate policies which has even the slightest chance of being seen as negative. And dropping a cluster bomb of policies which had a high chance of being seen as negative, like they did left me nearly speechless. The fact that it was right before their biggest competitor, which was hungry after the immense marketshare loss it experienced last gen, was going to unveil theirs made it just the worst possible idea ever.

I mean, change management 101 would tell them that gradual introduction of negative policies which you can sugar coat or trojan horse with positive policies make it far easier to get these policies accepted. Drop a frog in a pot of boiling water and it jumps out, let it stay in a pot of water and slowly boil it, then it won't even notice that it's cooked.

The always-on mandatory Kinect should have been their first and only policy announcement in E3 2013. As opinions would be split between their market about the benefits/negatives about this idea (innovation vs privacy) a few months of spin on the benefits of the Kinect feature would have acceptance of the concept a lot easier for their market.

The always-on internet connection would then be slowly assimilated in the guise of "improvements" to the gaming experience. Things like the cloud would be slowly implemented on multiplayer then, when acceptance of the idea is a lot better, later on implemented on single player. Eventually, offline would be almost nonextistent snd resistance would never have even gained ground.

Last would be the DRM implementation. As downloaded games are already account-locked, DRM is already an acceptable fact among those that chose to go discless. The family sharing idea would have opened up more of the more skeptical market to going primarily discless. And using steam-like online sales to attract more of the market to going discless would have been the best way to slowly expland this market base and gradually releasing killer niche indie or A and below apps (not AAA and AA, tho) exclusives that are availabe only via download would have slowly phased out the disc-based medium over the span of several years. Slow integration thru incentivation.

Have they been smart and patient about their plans, things would have gone much smoother and they wouldn't have the enormous problems they are experiencing in the first place.



MoHasanie said:
sales2099 said:
Well they got the right idea, better now then never.

All XBox cons have been removed. All it needs is more games and maybe a $50 price drop this holiday. I am certainly a happy camper.

Not all. The weaker hardware will hurt them for the rest of the generation. 

Meh 360 had that problem with a DVD drive and specs. Turned out just fine.



Xbox: Best hardware, Game Pass best value, best BC, more 1st party genres and multiplayer titles.