Microsoft: "We're Going to Try to Win That Core Gamer"

[jnemesh]

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.