Will Microsoft make a comeback next gen?

[hanselthecaretaker]

This video [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1_gBR5SxTeE] pretty much says it all this gen.

It seems to me they?d need to chance their whole corporate philosophy from the ground up to really redeem themselves in the console space. Yes Sony?s still a giant corporation for sure, but they seem to have turned a bit of a leaf [https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/02/16/playstation-ps3-shawn-layden-what-went-wrong/] and really leaned into game making as being a part of their DNA. They take risks supporting new IPs like Horizon: Zero Dawn and help fund projects like Bloodborne and The Last Guardian, which may have never been made if left to their competitors. Plus their head of the games division is an actual gamer [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ljVnni3vUd8], who apparently even Platinumed Bloodborne.

Time will tell if they?ll stay the course next gen as they?ve been known to revert back to arrogance after long periods of unbridled success. For Microsoft though, perhaps they first have some soul searching to do more than anything. It won?t be enough to simply release the most powerful box; ironically it?s more about what software will be running on it.

 

[Erttheking]

I'm not sure. Microsoft is odd in that there was never a generation in which they were king. Nintendo emerged victorious from the 3th and 4th console generations, dominated the 7th, and is making a massive comeback this generation, Sony came out of nowhere to dominate the 5th and 6th generations and is well on its way to being the overall winner of the 8th generation, but Microsoft? It never had the kind of runaway success seen with the NES, SNES, PS1, PS2, Wii, or PS4. Microsoft's biggest claim was that it was fairly good at racking up silver medals. The Xbox classic outsold the Gamecube and the 360 outsold the PS3 (albeit neither were by huge margins) but it looks like it's on its way to take home the bronze medal this generation considering the Switch is catching up to the Xbox One in sales fast (I checked, both the Wii U and Switch are listed as 8th generation consoles, so Nintendo looks like its set to take both 2nd and last place this generation).

The problem with Microsoft is, well, it doesn't have a lot to offer and that's what it needs to change if it doesn't want the 9th generation to be it being dominated by Sony and Nintendo again. Halo is solid but isn't creating the massive returns of the Halo 3 days anymore, the game goes for Gears of War, and a lot of the exclusives they pumped out recently were, well, kinda crap. Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, Quantum Break, and so on and so forth. Even some of the good exclusives it has like Ori and the Blind Forest and Cuphead are only exclusive if you ignore they have PC ports. There's just not a lot of motivation to get an Xbox One, the only time I've played my Dad's Xbox One was when I was nostalgic for Halo Reach.

Nintendo and Sony just have a lot more to offer, Nintendo offering its usual strong first party line up and letting a flood of quality indie games onto its platform, in addition to the new play on the go quality the Switch has that means it has a niche no one else is filling, and Sony's rock solid line up of exclusives, particularly on the RPG front, blow Microsoft out of the water. And Microsoft just seems to have nothing in its court right now.

Just remember, Microsoft barely etched out a silver medal with the 360 and for some reason, it went utterly fucking crazy with the original Xbox One design. Don't forget that. The usual cycle that Sony and Nintendo went through was "big company has massive success, gets complacent, falls from grace, panics, gets its ass back in gear" as seen with the PS3 to PS4 and Wii U to Switch. Going from success, to flop, to success. Microsoft went from slightly above mid-tier showing to losing its fucking mind with its no used games, always online, TV/Sports box, to a slightly below mid-tier showing. They don't seem like they're good at adapting.

Christ, this came out longer than I thought it would.

 

[Squilookle]

It won't be enough to simply release the most powerful box; ironically it's more about what software will be running on it.

Why is that ironic? It has always been, and -will- always be the case with games being more important than the console's raw power.

 

[meiam]

I think they're just going to cruise on reputation next generation and I doubt there will be one after. They're branching out (I think xbox live can be used on the switch now) and they're not pursuing exclusive very strongly. Crackdown 3 was essentially released to die and I can't think of any big exclusive they have for the next few months.

There big selling point, the kinect, is dead (and so is most motion control and even VR is on it's way out having barely started) and there hasn't been any noise about some new big hook for the next xbox. Honestly I wouldn't even be surprised if there wasn't a next xbox, it just seems like microsoft has kinda given up.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Well, they'll never get the Japanese market, which will always be a massive thorn in their side. From what I remember they went into this generation with the heads of Microsoft maybe looking to actually sell off the Xbox division, which might explain why the Xbone just tried to coast along without putting much effort in. Meanwhile Sony was blasting out exclussives left and right.

I've heard stories about Microsoft not being very adapt at accommodating developers. Apparently Shinji Mikami went in for talks to bring Resident Evil 4 to the original Xbox (before going to Nintendo), but it went so bad he just walked out.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

It won't be enough to simply release the most powerful box; ironically it's more about what software will be running on it.

Why is that ironic? It has always been, and -will- always be the case with games being more important than the console's raw power.

Microsoft a software company, and they have routinely failed to put out even decent software in the gaming industry this gen regardless of touting the most powerful hardware.

 

[Something Amyss]

The problem with Microsoft is, well, it doesn't have a lot to offer and that's what it needs to change if it doesn't want the 9th generation to be it being dominated by Sony and Nintendo again. Halo is solid but isn't creating the massive returns of the Halo 3 days anymore, the game goes for Gears of War, and a lot of the exclusives they pumped out recently were, well, kinda crap. Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, Quantum Break, and so on and so forth. Even some of the good exclusives it has like Ori and the Blind Forest and Cuphead are only exclusive if you ignore they have PC ports. There's just not a lot of motivation to get an Xbox One, the only time I've played my Dad's Xbox One was when I was nostalgic for Halo Reach.

I'd say the biggest problem is that with the Xbone it looked like they were actively trying to fivest from the gaming space, what with their TV and multimedia and games if there's time routine. It was only after they started getting their butts kicked that they started to change things, from their used game policy to their focus.

I can't help but wonder if that's why those games you mentioned, exclusives we'd been waiting for for years, enmded up so mediocre in the first place: they never really seemed to take their exclusives seriously, but seemed to pump them out because they needed something now that their TV fell through.

Why is that ironic? It has always been, and -will- always be the case with games being more important than the console's raw power.

Are you new to the Escapist?

If nothing else,, it's ironic because "gamers" know that what makes a good game is whether or not I can run it at 260 fps on super mega ultra without hanging.

I mean, seriously, when the new console gen came out, "gamers" were losing their heads over how the consoles had "weak" specs they had. And really, who knows better than gamers?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

The real question is do I want them to? The answer: No.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

A more interesting question is whether it'll participate in it outside of windows gaming.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

There big selling point, the kinect, is dead (and so is most motion control and even VR is on it's way out having barely started) and there hasn't been any noise about some new big hook for the next xbox. Honestly I wouldn't even be surprised if there wasn't a next xbox, it just seems like microsoft has kinda given up.

That was the Xbox's biggest problem, they tried to focus way too much on Kinect which barely worked. They don't need some gimmick or ''hook'', Playstation sure doesn't have one unless you count singeplayer games a hook. All they need is good games, that's it, everything else they already got.

They need to focus everything on making good games and if they can do that then they will be alright, it's not impossible.

 

[Squilookle]

I mean, seriously, when the new console gen came out, "gamers" were losing their heads over how the consoles had "weak" specs they had. And really, who knows better than gamers?

Ah OK, I see it now. Amazing that something like that can dictate company-wide policy.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I mean, seriously, when the new console gen came out, "gamers" were losing their heads over how the consoles had "weak" specs they had. And really, who knows better than gamers?

Ah OK, I see it now. Amazing that something like that can dictate company-wide policy.

I think it's mainly a subset of a subset (graphics-caring pc gamers who spend thousands of dollars building PCs with the best specs) that really care all that much about how strong consoles are graphically, since a lot of games which are really popular don't really even have Crysis style graphics and go for stylized looks or cell shading.


You can't really put that on gamers in general. It's the kinds of folks who like to joke (but not really) about "pc master race" that tend to value a system's power over its game library.


I for one am definitely a gamer (my psn yearly summary thingy said I played a bit over 2000 hours of games last year) yet I think graphics plateaud last gen and am happy with 2D sprite games just as much as something like GoW so it's definitely not something gamers in general think.

 

[Elfgore]

Though I know Gears of War and Halo are Xbox flagships, going by what I'm finding for their exclusives. It's all they really got going. I don't know how they don't adapt more. Like one of the first games was Sunset Overdrive. A game dripping with personality and just damn fun to play, but everything else is just meh. Like I can't think of anyone praising their more interesting titles like ReCore or Quantum Break.

I think if they can diversity a bit, they might do better. Sony found their niche in open-world games and long single-player experiences. Microsoft needs to find their niche of video games.

 

[Drathnoxis]

No. I can't remember the last thing Microsoft did that I liked. Windows 7 maybe?

The Xbox classic outsold the Gamecube and the 360 outsold the PS3 (albeit neither were by huge margins) but it looks like it's on its way to take home the bronze medal this generation considering the Switch is catching up to the Xbox One in sales fast (I checked, both the Wii U and Switch are listed as 8th generation consoles, so Nintendo looks like its set to take both 2nd and last place this generation).

And the 360 probably only outsold PS3 because it had a year head start and a lot of people had to re-buy the console after getting the RROD out of warranty.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

PS3 actually eventually caught up and surpassed the 360 but it was losing bad for a LOOOONG while which is what people are thinking of when they reminisce back to the last gen. Though it's only natural since Sony kept supporting it until just this month with new games and ps+ gifts and so on. It was alive for at least 2 years longer than the 360, though I guess that is also a pro for the system.

Xbox was diverse enough initially with games like Otogi from from software and stuff like Jade Empire and ninja gaiden, also stuff like Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon on the 360. I don't know why they stopped their efforts in that area half way through. Another thing was that during the middle and later parts of the last gen it was as though games on the 360 were beta tests for the superior PS3 version which would get released a few months/years later. Tons of stuff like star ocean 4 or tales of vesperia or that one rpg you play as Chopin, they would all live to see "enhanced versions" of themselves released on ps3.

Maybe it was a sideeffect of their temporary exclusivity deals MS was going for those days which let studios further develop games post release for when the exclusive period ran out, in effect making all those xbox games early access versions and allowing smart gamers to just wait and get the definitive version.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I mean, seriously, when the new console gen came out, "gamers" were losing their heads over how the consoles had "weak" specs they had. And really, who knows better than gamers?

Ah OK, I see it now. Amazing that something like that can dictate company-wide policy.

I think it's mainly a subset of a subset (graphics-caring pc gamers who spend thousands of dollars building PCs with the best specs) that really care all that much about how strong consoles are graphically, since a lot of games which are really popular don't really even have Crysis style graphics and go for stylized looks or cell shading.


You can't really put that on gamers in general. It's the kinds of folks who like to joke (but not really) about "pc master race" that tend to value a system's power over its game library.


I for one am definitely a gamer (my psn yearly summary thingy said I played a bit over 2000 hours of games last year) yet I think graphics plateaud last gen and am happy with 2D sprite games just as much as something like GoW so it's definitely not something gamers in general think.

Isn?t it a significant generalization to say that games like God of War or Horizon: Zero Dawn would?ve looked as good on PS3? Severe corners would?ve needed to be cut just to run the game worlds, let alone at nearly the level of detail. For Horizon I remember reading [https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/296493/Making_Horizon_Zero_Dawns_Machines_feel_like_living_creatures.php] it took several people around 18 months to build one machine from concept to working in-game.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I mean, seriously, when the new console gen came out, "gamers" were losing their heads over how the consoles had "weak" specs they had. And really, who knows better than gamers?

Ah OK, I see it now. Amazing that something like that can dictate company-wide policy.

I think it's mainly a subset of a subset (graphics-caring pc gamers who spend thousands of dollars building PCs with the best specs) that really care all that much about how strong consoles are graphically, since a lot of games which are really popular don't really even have Crysis style graphics and go for stylized looks or cell shading.


You can't really put that on gamers in general. It's the kinds of folks who like to joke (but not really) about "pc master race" that tend to value a system's power over its game library.


I for one am definitely a gamer (my psn yearly summary thingy said I played a bit over 2000 hours of games last year) yet I think graphics plateaud last gen and am happy with 2D sprite games just as much as something like GoW so it's definitely not something gamers in general think.

Isn?t it a significant generalization to say that games like God of War or Horizon: Zero Dawn would?ve looked as good on PS3? Severe corners would?ve needed to be cut just to run the game worlds, let alone at nearly the level of detail. For Horizon I remember reading [https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/296493/Making_Horizon_Zero_Dawns_Machines_feel_like_living_creatures.php] it took several people around 18 months to build one machine from concept to working in-game.

Sure, but many of the best looking ps4 games DO look just fine on ps3. These games being Persona 5 and Guilty Gear Xrd.

I remember this one day in a tournament where I was seeing the then latest MK game (MKX)side to side with Xrd Revelator, the former on ps4 and the latter on ps3, and let me tell you, Xrd looked just so, so much better. It wasn't even close. This being due to the style of graphics utilized and not processing power.


So yeah, a game going for Crysis style graphics will look noticeably better on ps4, at the same time, ps4 games can look just as good on ps3 if they go for an aesthetically appealing type of graphics that focuses on artistic beauty instead of photorealism, and I think those games are at the very least equally significant if not more so due to the inherent creativity requires to produce something and not merely to reproduce real life which is the end goal of photorealism.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I mean, seriously, when the new console gen came out, "gamers" were losing their heads over how the consoles had "weak" specs they had. And really, who knows better than gamers?

Ah OK, I see it now. Amazing that something like that can dictate company-wide policy.

I think it's mainly a subset of a subset (graphics-caring pc gamers who spend thousands of dollars building PCs with the best specs) that really care all that much about how strong consoles are graphically, since a lot of games which are really popular don't really even have Crysis style graphics and go for stylized looks or cell shading.


You can't really put that on gamers in general. It's the kinds of folks who like to joke (but not really) about "pc master race" that tend to value a system's power over its game library.


I for one am definitely a gamer (my psn yearly summary thingy said I played a bit over 2000 hours of games last year) yet I think graphics plateaud last gen and am happy with 2D sprite games just as much as something like GoW so it's definitely not something gamers in general think.

Isn?t it a significant generalization to say that games like God of War or Horizon: Zero Dawn would?ve looked as good on PS3? Severe corners would?ve needed to be cut just to run the game worlds, let alone at nearly the level of detail. For Horizon I remember reading [https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/296493/Making_Horizon_Zero_Dawns_Machines_feel_like_living_creatures.php] it took several people around 18 months to build one machine from concept to working in-game.

Sure, but many of the best looking ps4 games DO look just fine on ps3. These games being Persona 5 and Guilty Gear Xrd.

I remember this one day in a tournament where I was seeing the then latest MK game (MKX)side to side with Xrd Revelator, the former on ps4 and the latter on ps3, and let me tell you, Xrd looked just so, so much better. It wasn't even close. This being due to the style of graphics utilized and not processing power.


So yeah, a game going for Crysis style graphics will look noticeably better on ps4, at the same time, ps4 games can look just as good on ps3 if they go for an aesthetically appealing type of graphics that focuses on artistic beauty instead of photorealism, and I think those games are at the very least equally significant if not more so due to the inherent creativity requires to produce something and not merely to reproduce real life which is the end goal of photorealism.

Yeah art style goes a long way but there is also an art style woven into games like God of War and Horizon: Zero Dawn which take the whole to a new level. It?s the tech (texture resolution, shaders, asset complexity, lighting, animation, etc.) combined with art (original concepts and renderings more fully realized) that make it stand out to me as being something only possible this gen.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

I think they will. They've just invested heavily in buying new development studios to provide exclusive games for their platforms, and the new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is said to be much more supportive of the gaming division of MS than Steve Ballmer was. Phil Spencer seems a lot more on the ball and in touch with the gaming market than Don Mattrick was, so I think he can avoid the major missteps that damned the launch of Xbox1.I expect MS to come out all guns blazing in the next gen.

 

[Hades]

Its possible. Its a recurring tradition within the industry that the industry leader grows so arrogant they crash and burn in the next generation while the one that lagged behind puts in more effort so they can rise to the top.

I see arrogant Sony and losing Microsoft reverting to their PS3 and 360 mindset until its time for Microsoft to self destruct again and Sony to learn from their mistake.