In almost any situation where Microsoft does well, Sony would have to mess up (unless they bring the big guns next gen). Look at the 360 era, it was premeditated strategy based upon beating sony to the market with a head start, plus Sony botching their launch and giving Microsoft an eight million console lead. Sony closed the gap and passed them in the end, but you get the picture.

Apple and Google for some reason have their digital content (music, tv shows, movies etc.) almost everywhere. Why Microsoft can't? They are on the same level as Apple and Google. So, the statement that does every company should make their content available in every country is a poor excuse.

And no, it's not normal that people go for Windows Store just for exclusives because it doesn't grow userbase or bring more profits. They could have kept all their content only on Xbox and nothing would have changed at all in this case.

I dont really know if Google and Apple's content is available everywhere. Not sure how crucial it is to be in every market either. Naturally some countries are more important than others.

Edit: Did a quick search, Apple's content is not available everywhere albeit probably more so than MS's content. Furthermore, not all services are available in every country. Pretty much what I expected.

Hmmm, let me explain something... the userbase to Windows Store IS GROWING because more PC gamers ARE ACTUALLY using it even if its just for exclusives. Many Windows 10 gamers arent gonna buy a Xbox. But some will buy Xbox games on Windows. So userbase and profits do go up in the Windows Store by having notable content available to more people. How much? Who knows. But Windows Store has objectively become more relevant since adding Xbox games.

Xbox Live on consoles will be used to foot the bill of running Windows 10.

With Windows 10 S(Microsoft's attempt to only allow store apps to run on it) uptake slowing down, this will greatly diminish the chance that Windows Store will grow.

And once Microsoft stops giving me free Xbox 360 games every month... I'll likely cancel my Xbox live anyway. - You don't get to own the Xbox One games, so I don't really care about them... And I honestly haven't had a game worth playing on Xbox Live since early this year with Halo Wars 2 (Which has a dead multiplayer anyway in Oceania.)
My Xbox One X has essentially been sitting there gathering dust. (Literally. It has a layer of dust on it.)

Hulu and Netflix ARE competitors though. They do obviously have some overlap in users, but they are certainly competitors.

I will never buy a game on Windows Store. It's that simple. It's Steam or nothing.
Microsoft released Halo Wars on Steam, great. I intend to grab a copy during this years sale. Microsoft kept Halo Wars 2 Windows Store exclusive, great. I have forever avoided that purchase, Microsoft lost a sale.

Microsoft has also not added more keys for Fable 3 on Steam, so there is more sales lost there.

Agreed. Killer Instinct is also probably one of the best fighting games of the generation as well, so glad Microsoft resurrected the franchise and treated it so well.
Although, I can't stand the Xbox controller for fighting games, been a recurring theme for the last three console generations.
If we had a controller where the D-Pad and left analogue stick were in swapped positions I might feel differently... Or maybe a more traditional SNES/NES-like controller.
Not an issue on the PC though where I can use my USB SNES controller of course.

Their support sill is crappy.

The AAA games on the Windows Store have non-existent player populations, which means if you buy a game for the multiplayer component it is essentially useless.
It's why Microsoft gave away refunds for Gears of War 4 on the Windows Store.

Cross buy and cross play *is* great though and should be more common, but I wish cross-buy wasn't restricted to digital purchases.

My Xbox One was sitting in my house not being used for eight months because of the exclusives drought earlier in the year. I wasn't using it so I sold it to get more games. I can't say I couldn't relate with you. If Microsoft does something thats worth it for me to get another Xbox, I probably will...but we wont see another Halo trailer until E3. As for Xbox Live...yep...theyve been trying to pair PC up with consoles since 2007, but PC gamers turned them down. They obvious have seen the success of Steam (without steam forcing you to pay for their ecosystem), so they are competing with Windows 10. Regardless, no matter which brand they face they still come up short.

Can you please provide some facts instead of just claiming something without any proof? Because if you think that Microsoft content is available in more countries than the Apple one you are terribly wrong. Also I'd like to see some source about this Windows Store grow because I haven't seen any.

I imagine there is an incentive to keep giving out 360 for years because BC keeps them active. X1X also make them near 4K, maybe 8K in the 9th gen! But I'm wondering if at some point they stop giving 360 games because they run out of content to give away. Then they give OG Xbox games?

My consoles literally have dust on them as well, even the active ones. It doesn't require much to see it on black.

You obviously get the argument I'm making. Netflix and Hulu will have more customer overlap than subscription TV providers and phone carriers. Steam and Windows Store have something similar, users can use both on their same device.

I get you refuse to use Windows Store, but I didn't ask. Just pointing out people will use both and obviously not everybody.

Ideally MS would just remaster the Fable trilogy port it to X1 and PC. The old version on Steam is GFW and that's a mess.

If online components are empty, I don't think that means MS support sucks per se.

However, some of them have cross play with Xbox One. Gears 4 for example lets PC and Xbox players connect for co op modes. Forza 7 and KI are other titles with cross play.

So you can nit pick but I like what MS is doing and its improving. I would simply hope they continue this trend.

I didn't claim that, you misunderstood.

You don't think adding notable content over the past few years has helped Windows Store grow? Are you not willing to use common sense on this one?