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SvennoJ on 02 March 2016
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DirtyP2002 said:
Mr Puggsly said:

Exactly, I was saying something similar.

A beefed up X1 is fine with me as long as software is compatiable with both old and new models. In the same way as PC can work fine on older specs or iPhone games between a generation.

 

Some other pro arguments:

- Developers would have a HUGE audience to sell their games to (PC and various consoles combined).
- No more ports sold as remasters.
- HUGE library of games, probably the biggest you will ever find
- 100% indy friendly
- Marketing costs will not be 100% with Microsoft to promote the hardware.
- The possibility to play the games at absolute ultra maximum settings.

- They already have that advantage, yet now they'll need to optimize / adjust the game for even more configurations. On PC it was always the user's responisbility to meet minimum or recommended specs. With being forward/backward compatible consumers will expect the games to be adjusted to each configuration.
- Less income for publishers, less reason to add extras to make a game interesting again.
- True, yet that will also put pressure on prices, lower margins on new games. (just wait for the 'steam' sale)
- Depends on entry fees for publishing on the win 10 store.
- Subsidized hardware will also be a thing of the past.
- At the cost of a split userbase in competitive online games or needing some kind of equalizer.

Hardware upgrades sounds like a good idea yet making an box that you can upgrade is a lot more expensive than one with a tailor made motherboard with everything on it. Plus you introduce extra bottlenecks and weak points where the replaceable parts have to connect. It's not going to be a roomy pc tower where you can easily plug in a new gpu.

Building and stocking several tailor made boxes is not cheap either. Subsidizing different hardware models that cost extra to make means lower margins on each model. Plus people expect the price of older models to drop faster. Instead of a revised slim version with a few tweaks for less you now get a better version for the launch price and can buy the old version for a bit less. It will make the whole thing less attractive for people jumping in mid cycle. Waiting for the slightly improved sleek slim model now becomes, do I pay launch price for the beefed up model or buy a second hand chewed up old one.

And yep, plenty of second hand models entering the market as soon as the hardcore follows the upgrade cycle. Another thing that will keep these upgrades costly as margins on the older models will shrink faster. It'll become like buying the latest iPad every year or two. Converting to Apple's business model while trying to take on Steam with an audience that is mostly interested in buying a console that ensures 6 years or more of games getting the most out of it. Whatever can go wrong :)