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super_etecoon on 21 April 2023
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DroidKnight said:
super_etecoon said:

Hi all, I'm not an XBox gamer, but I am interested in what fans think of the current Microsoft mood. It seems to me the height of XBox fandom was during the middle years of the 360's lifespan. At that point almost everyone that I encountered in real life was playing on their 360 (even more so than people I would encounter that played the Wii). What was the point that the slide in popularity and positivity began to take hold? I certainly have a few theories of my own, but I'd like to hear where true XBox fans side on this issue. And if you don't think there has been a slide, by all means state that and why you don't think there has been one in terms of popular sentiment about the console.

By the way, as a Nintendo fan, I'm more than aware of what it feels like to have your company of choice take a few shots on the nose, and also that tides can change rather quickly in this business. Are you bullish about Microsoft's future in the console space over the next 10 years, particularly with the acquisition of Activision/Blizzard?

I've been gaming for over 40 years and own or have owned pretty much every console.  I've witnessed the ebb and flow of the market for each of the companies and have never really cared about the moods or where the current state of things are.  The last 5 or so years, is probably the closest I've come to gauging moods or trends, but I've been pretty much ignorant of such things.  

If I'm not mistaken, Xbox hardware sales are off to a pretty good start and if they can ever resolve the Series X stock issues, sales should continue to do well for the generation.  Long term it looks like it will be an excellent generation for them as well as the next generation.  

What I've found the most fascinating is how attached the fanbase can become to their chosen hunk of plastic.  While I consider myself more of a fanboy of video games in general I can see where someone that is locked to only being able to own one console, becoming discouraged if a return on that investment isn't being met physically or emotionally.  

I'm not sure what a true Xbox fan is, but I'm a fan of the Xbox community on this site.  

While I certainly agree with this statement, the fact is that consoles are certainly more than hunks of plastic, metal, wires, and chips.  They combine to form an ecosystem of potential and the potential it represents is what many cling to like their lives depend on it.  So I don't exactly disparage anyone for holding steady and true to one console.  These three manufacturers produce quite different vibes and that's why, as someone else said here, I would never want to see any of them bow out of the market.  But when the content we love starts seeing a decline in revenue and therefore investment, it can be a bit breathtaking.  I loved when the Metroidvania genre really started getting a lot of love, and we have Hollow Knight to thank for its popularity.  Likewise, some of our favorite titles are a result of our console of choice performing well enough to see major investment in its development.  Of course, this can also lead to glut and laziness (as we've seen with the sim genre) so sometimes a little adversity is good for both consoles and genres.  I know being up against the ropes has certainly helped Nintendo craft a better, more rounded strategy.