(Business Perspective) Does MS really need Xbox Hardware?

[JRPGfan]

Pemalite said:

Azzanation said:

If you are an Xbox fan, I understand you aren't happy if Xbox walks, but i am just saying the obvious.

I don't care if Xbox walks. I own Sony and Nintendo consoles as well, but primarily I am a PC gamer.

I do care about bringing my physical library forwards.
If Microsoft cans support for physical games or cans making a successor console, then my wallet will vote in kind.

Azzanation said:

The market is not big enough to sustain all 3 companies

The console market has sustained 3 companies just fine since Microsoft entered the market decades ago.
Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony were all profitable during the 8th gen... 7th gen all 3 console manufacturers had healthy console sales with a relatively competitive split in marketshare.


The Console Market is trending towards 25~ billion in sales and PC market is trending towards 30~ billion.
https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/consumer-electronics/gaming-equipment/game-consoles/worldwide#revenue

Which means it is big enough to sustain all 3.

You keep propagating this lie, but we all know it is false.

The reason why the Xbox Series is imploding is because:

1) No GREAT exclusives.
2) Higher pricing.
3) Shit naming. - Xbox Series? Common. WiiU was a better name.
4) Removal of physical games from game stores which also impacts brand awareness.

5) Lack of focus on markets outsides of the US. (sub/dub and quality of translations, marketing, support (if theres hardware/user issues)

6) Day and Date games, to PC (it has to have cost them atleast a few console sales)

7) Gamepass has conditioned users to wait for games to come to gamepass, and not buy them.
      (total gamepass subs, then limits how many games the system can then have and be successfull there)

8) Buying massive publishers like EA/Activision, where they make alot of their money on other platforms (not xbox). 
    You dont spend $80-100 bn, only to see these bussiness shrink, and their profits collapse. So this basically forces them to go 3rd party.

(Im assumeing by imploding, you mean them perphaps transitioning to be less dependent on the xbox console, and going 3rd party with games)
The consoles (and gamepass) just arnt selling enough, to support them as they are now (with all these dev studios/publishers).

----------

On a side note.
Yes Steam and PC gameing, are competition for Sony, as are Nintendo.
If Sony goes nuts, or greedy, it will push people away as well.

The world isnt ending, if xbox leaves hardware... which it probably wont anytime soon.
Next gen, it might just be a PC with a console OS, sold from 3rd party sellers.