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ConservagameR on 04 April 2022
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Machiavellian said:
ConservagameR said:

Plenty of people, and most of the media, seemed to think Game Pass was the future of gaming, hook, line, and sinker. So much so they believed or were flat out convinced that PS Plus Pass or whatever it was called, would compete directly with Game Pass. Even after Sony and fewer others made it clear that wasn't going to happen because Game Pass wasn't all that. I do agree that XB pretty much has no choice but to continue this direction. There is little room to maneuver from here on in.

Well if that's the case, then PS and Sony are also a service company. Sony tried already but cancelled their service if I'm correct. PS has been offering a service for over a decade now, while expanding, and also offering everything else they do, like hardware, no different than XB, so if XB is a service company, than so is PS. I'd say as a company, XB is just like Switch. It's a true hybrid. Where as PS is one step behind that with the Vita as a semi hybrid.

Yes but why didn't Phil do more to solve that problem or why didn't Phil remove himself from the problem? Same can be said for crazy Ken. PS was doing great until Ken went Don M with PS3 and let the 360 right through the door. XB didn't even have to knock. They just sat down and ate PS's lunch.

Actually I do not know where you get this plenty of people and the media saying the future is GP.  I am sure MS would love that type of pub but the future of games do have services there.  In what type of compacity well who knows, all the players going to fight for the consumer dollar and there will probably at some point be a weeding out based on who has the best content on a consistent basis to sustain the service.  Services will be like anything else an option just like Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV you name it are all options but people still purchase their movies and TV shows.

Yes, Sony has a service but that does not make then a service company.  Their whole business is not dedicated to creating and sustaining their services. Sony does not create content to put on their service, I believe we established the difference already on this point.  Instead Sony create content to put on their console.  After their games has run their sells on the console, then they put it on their service just like they do with PC games. 

MS on the other hand create games for their service which is the direction I have stated is the difference and direction between Sony and MS. As we have already stated, MS has immediately giving access to all of their games on their service including the PC.  Sony is always looking to protect their sales on their console first.  MS is looking to expand their content on GP first, that is why purchasing a huge company like Activision is within the cards because content is king to gaining subs and consistent content to sustains GP.

We can what if all day long on why this or that, who cares, its the past.  Its evident that Phil had a plan because once Don was removed, he took over and every since then he has been making decisions that has fast tracked him into being not just the head of Xbox but Right now he is the head of gaming for MS which as stated is a totally different direction from where MS was going before Phil took over.  Its also evident he has the ear of CEO Nat and must be feeding him truffles and ice cream because getting MS to commit to 70 Billion to Activision is not a small task if you understand what MS culture use to be like.  For that kind of cash, you can believe that GP is a core business for MS not just another division.  

I'm not sure where you got this idea that I think services are a cancer to gaming and have no place. PS Plus is a service and has been around for well over a decade and is doing so great its expanding. There is a time and place for everything, it just depends on when, where, and for how long.

Then MS or XB is no different. Win 10 was a service, until it wasn't. Windows 11 is a service, or not, or who knows? XB can't be a service because the main difference vs PS is day 1, which isn't the key to what makes a service a service. There are many aspects. Now you could say that you think that XB services are simply better offerings than what PS provides.

If Game Pass and services were so important to the point they were everything, XB wouldn't be selling hardware anymore. If anyone can get Game Pass anywhere, there's no need to complicate things and waste time and resources on hardware. XB would rather use those funds to grow Game Pass, through more games, better games, cheaper monthly pricing, etc.

Phil didn't need a plan beyond a Netflix of gaming perhaps. Nobody did. It was beyond obvious in many ways to many people how XB1 had screwed up, just like with PS3. All Phil had to do was a 180 with most mistakes and many problems would be solved. BC was even something that was being complained about enough by fans of XB1 and PS4, so that was a no brainer for Phil to fill in the lacking gaps of first party. As for if Phil had Game Pass as an ace up his sleeve this whole time, maybe, maybe not. I'd have to believe that prior to Game Pass, if the 180's made had led to a strong enough comeback by themselves, it's likely Game Pass wouldn't have seen the light of day because it wouldn't have been needed.

XB is important enough to keep around for MS for a few reasons, one being the main reason by far. That has been clear to some for quite a while now. The acquisition funds say something, but not near as much as some would think. Just look at what MS put into Mixer and Ninja, all just to drop it when it didn't work out. That's not to say they'll drop XB, because I don't think they would since it's core, but Game Pass on the other hand, that could go if need need be.

Last edited by ConservagameR - on 04 April 2022