I don’t know, but I feel like 'exclusive' games have been quite rare, not just since the Xbox One, as some say, but since the Xbox 360 Kinect era. Microsoft has been relying mostly on Forza, Gears of War, and Halo. Their message for more than a decade has been, 'Please buy our console and be patient because games are coming.' If they once again abandon their console without delivering, why should gamers trust them that this time it will be different? Why not wait 1-2 years more to get a console from a company that has shown support for its console?
Sony and Nintendo have never, or at least rarely, given up on their consoles like Microsoft. People often think about the price advantage that the PlayStation 4 had to explain its comeback in the US. Still, honestly, I believe a big part of it was also because Sony made a lot of effort to support the PlayStation 3 during the last years of its life and made tremendous work to rebuild its image when Microsoft seemed to somewhat try at the beginning of a new generation, only to then quickly give up. It’s becoming ridiculous.
I think Microsoft may try to launch its console earlier than Sony, but it’s a risky move that may end up diminishing the little trust left in Microsoft. What message would that send to Xbox Series buyers?
I honestly don't see why I would ever buy an Xbox. I have a PC, a Switch, and a PS. Why would I spend money on a console that is likely to be abandoned by Microsoft quickly? If Xbox had kept the momentum of the X360 pre-Kinect, I probably would have bought Xbox consoles, but now Microsoft seems really unreliable. The thing is, if Microsoft wants to launch a new console in 2026, then the Xbox Series is mostly dead already, which is a shame. The numbers are lower than the PS5 but certainly not to the point of justifying such a policy. It feels like sometimes Microsoft is that brainless actor who only knows how to buy stuff but actually doesn't understand gaming or really wants to put in real effort.
Last edited by Cohh - on 22 December 2023
