Just read his posts . How they present the hardware will be key. Based on rumors the multiple storefronts on xbox hardware does sound intriguing. PC gaming is getting up their in cost, so having a box that gives you access to Steam, epic game store, and others does sound intriguing. I am just unsure how they’ll present price of hardware because might be harder to subsidize if other storefronts are on hardware
This is the same conversation every single time.
‘We are releasing more games on more platforms’
‘WOE IS IS WHY IS EVERYTHING MULTIPLATFORM WHY WHY WHY’
‘well evidently some things are, some are not. This is likely due to changing industry trends, and the focus is clearly Gamepass etc’
‘BUT WHAT’S NEXT?!’
‘The same cycle of drama over the same news? And games to play?’
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I think if they multi-platform push happened alongside a PC-console hybrid hardware announcement, this all would be taken a lot better by the community.
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Hybrid isn’t ready but growth has stagnated in gaming. As nice as it would be if things lined up, they haven’t, and business won’t wait if they stop making more money than before
If they do it and have success, it’s Sony that really needs to worry - if any regulators finally stop protecting them and do their jobs.
As if Epic can sell direct to Xbox owners, if Sweeney doesn’t turn on PlayStation to do the same thing he’s a hypocrite - as I don’t think Sony’s Epic share should be enough to control him.
Even without him, you’d expect EU regulators to start investigating why these PC-like consoles are still a closed ecosystem given PCs and now even phones aren’t (in the EU at least) with Microsoft proving it can be done.
And unlike Xbox which has a massive publishing operation to make money, PlayStation make most of theirs from the 30% cut so it’d be an existential threat to them.
Of course, only if regulators do their job for the consumer rather than acting like fanboys…
Nintendo I’m leaving out of it as they may argue their weird stuff is more custom, or even if forced they mostly sell their own stuff and have a fanatical user base anyway
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That’s one thing I picked up too, it’s not very clear to me what will entice people to purchase a Xbox console over say a Playstation (which most their friends have). It seems to be mainly a GamePass machine at the moment unless this steam/epic storefront thing becomes a reality.
I agree, it’s ridiculous but unfortunately unless Nintendo & PS both go multiplatform or the console finally goes the way of the dodo and we move to PC/cloud that will always be a reality.
For console it’s always been the differential selling point, the same way someone would sub to Netflix or Disney+ to watch their exclusive shows. If Disney+ content was on Netflix then nobody would sub to it.
I do think this is a large aspect of it and how popular it is. Going forward if all your friends are on PS and you can access all upcoming games there it will likely cement itself even further as the market leader, regardless how good the services and features are on upcoming Xbox consoles.
I do wonder if console sales continue to dwindle what they would to do, keep releasing consoles at a huge loss?
I like the idea of the new PC hybrid so our Xbox libraries/saves will just transition to PC/Cloud and away from console.
Until I know more about the new hardware, I have stopped buying any new games on Xbox and buy them on Steam instead. I only use my Series X for GamePass now.
Unfortunately as a Xbox customer they have still not clearly communicated to me why I should continue buying Xbox hardware if I can access the games elsewhere.
I very much hope this is true, it would give me a reason to continue investing in their ecosystem but they need to come out and tell their customers, not rely on insiders to spread information.
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I don’t understand how buying a PS6 for 500$ plus having to pay PS+ for online on top of buying a game every month or 2 for 80$ (maybe even more soon) makes sense over buying a console for 500$ and then paying GPU for 20$ per month.
To me this actually secures my future purchases to be Xbox only and will in no way every consider a Playstation as the value proposition just isn’t there.
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I usually buy both consoles a gen. So, if Microsoft games will be on PS6. Then paying $500+ for a console and $20/month sub isn’t enticing for me because I would most likely own a PS6.
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I mean if the MS console will have Pc game access, you’ll have many Sony game day 1, most all others on a year delay or less at that point
Guess it makes sense if you buy a lot of Sony first party, which you can also get on PC in the end. To me the dynamics of play anywhere really make a difference and I do see myself jumping from on to the other so overall I find it fits my needs much better. I could see myself dropping Xbox but only if they made all of my previous library available on PC; I’d go PC only at this point.
PS has your purchases locked down to their boxes only, which to me is a lot less futureproof than what MS is doing, so I’d be a lot more scared to give Sony my money over MS in the long term. Like all of my PSP and PS3 digital purchases are now gone forever but not my Xbox digital purchases of yesteryears.
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I think the issue is right now everything is based on speculation. We don’t know if the next xbox is going to allow steam, epic game store, gog, and other storefronts. If that’s the case, then they need to hammer that down early and let people know before they migrate to other platforms. I am still in the camp I have to see it to believe it because it seems like something that has a 50% chance in happening. They need to control the narrative and not allow insiders speculation get control of their message
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That’s a very good point, at least with MS you have play everywhere!
I think Xbox do need to come out and explain what their future plans are, is it to transition to a PC-hybrid?
If people stop buying their traditional consoles will they continue to give us access to our games & saves?
I have a feeling we might get some stuff like gog, humble store, epic game store since epic and MS seem to be on the same pattern of wanting open ecosystems, but I think Steam is the only one up in the air. I could see Gaben being open to having it elsewhere but maybe MS would kind of want to keep it off as it is the main PC storefront and main competitor I guess. You still get most of the big games with EGS anyway plus all those monthly free games add up fast and would mean huge instant libraries.
I think you need to have Steam to be enticing because that’s where most people’s library is.
I think there’s a path for Microsoft, but unsure if it’s feasible. If they can create hardware that has access to multiple PC storefronts. Plus, get devs to optimize games for their hardware by making windows store version of games to allow play anywhere.
Then they might have an enticing product if it’s xbox current library, pc storefronts, and devs optimizing games for windows store.
That is the path they’ll need to differentiate themselves from the competition. They would also need to drop paywall for online play because it wouldn’t make sense in this open ecosystem world they could possibly create. This well then open door for how they want to tier gamepass and whatnot
Microsoft will have to do something extraordinary to get me to buy an Xbox next gen. Honestly can’t believe I am saying this but yeah. In the meantime I am fine with my X and if that is to be the last Xbox I buy so be it.
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I always try to understand other’s persons points of view that may have a completely different opinion than mine but I swear to god I don’t understand how quickly some of us say with such ease that they will jump ship to Playstation next gen, are we talking about the same platform holder that the only noticeable things that they did this gen is raising prices literally on everything they sell trying to milk their fanbase dry? the same Sony that we here are criticizing for more than 4 years now? I can see the argument of going all in on PC but Playstation? really? I just don’t get it. 
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I don’t see myself buying a Playstation again for the foreseeable future. I likely get Switch 2 and go all in on PC if anything.
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I personally don’t understand the PS argument either as it out of all the ecosystems I think it offers the least value.
Unfortunately as the most popular console I think most casuals will still move to PS though as that’s what their friends and the media talk about, or where they previously had both a PS & Xbox they will just buy one console (PS) as they can get all the games in one place.
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That is something i fear Microsoft is not understanding is that IF they just port everything over to rival platforms, then the only worthwhile thing would be gamepass and i just don’t believe that and hardware innovation is enough of a convincing argument for casual players to hope into the ecosystem in itself.
I hope they are aware that Xbox could lose a lot of players if they do not get their stuff together once the next gen hits. Cause if they are willing to port everything then i fear there will be doubts about preservations of folks libraries as hardware dwindles into obscurity just like dear old Satya loves to cancel everything under the sun that makes no ends meat.
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The point is your PC will basically be an Xbox anyway. They don’t care. It’s their services and games.
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