Current Events > I can't help but feel Microsoft may actually pull it off this generation

(+) Yeah! (+)

Despite the fact that I chose PlayStation 5 as my console is generation, after playing the series X for the past 2 weeks, it's pretty clear that Microsoft has a better-designed console. I haven't been that certain about console superiority since basically ever. What they have been able to do with vertically integrating their ecosystem across all generations, combined with improved game performance for those older titles, combined with Game Pass as an all-encompassing service, is really impressive.

The fact remains that Sony tends to make much better first party titles, and I suspect I will continue, but this generation does feel different already.


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I think the dual sense controller and VR are going to tilt things heavily in Sony's favor down the line

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Microsoft be like



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I think they can but their whole thing with the attempted Gold subscription rise shows they are still very much a company that can be a big success in one lane while kneecapping themselves in another.

Hopefully their first party studios and acquisitions start delivering the goods soon. That's still overall they're biggest weakness but I think they're making the right steps to fix that.

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I think theyre playing the long run game, but Sony is definitely ahead for now.

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I have Xbox but I can't.imagine Sony will lose this gen. But it depends on which metric you're using to declare win and loss.
PS5 will sell more consoles, but Xbox will make 100s of millions with Gamepass. If Xbox Studios games go day one on Gamepass for no extra cost, people will snap it up.

Sony have to be concerned by Gamepass and they will be looking for ways to counter it.or to get some of the customers away from it.

At the end of this gen, streaming will be a much bigger deal than it is now. Xbox and Microsoft are in a much better position for that than Sony. Interesting times ahead though, especially if Google or Amazon release a service that costs 15 a month to stream any games for no added cost, a true Netflix of games.

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Oddly, I feel like they're no longer in direct competition despite being so similar. MS is content with a very profitable second place that caters to a slightly different market.

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Jiek_Fafn posted...

Oddly, I feel like they're no longer in direct competition despite being so similar. MS is content with a very profitable second place that caters to a slightly different market.

They're all sort of doing their own thing really

Sony: Traditional
Microsoft: Subscription/services
Nintendo: Portable/hybrid
PC: Premium/custom

That's even before getting into the games.

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Sony's already started off stronger this gen.

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Jiek_Fafn posted...

Oddly, I feel like they're no longer in direct competition despite being so similar. MS is content with a very profitable second place that caters to a slightly different market.

It's vertical growth vs horizontal growth.

Sony practices horizontal growth. They focus on first party and exclusive third party titles, putting their eggs into the games basket.

Microsoft practices vertical growth. They don't expand as much in terms of what Sony does, but they expand aggressively in terms of services and tools used by developers. Sony games use Microsoft Azure servers, for example, and I'd be shocked if their design documents were in anything other than Microsoft Office.

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Ah yeah Xbox will likely never outsell Playstation. But it's not really due to the reasons people on boards like here think. It's possible for Xbox to gain the upper hand on the US market which we saw for the 360. But they just aren't relevant enough for most countries around the world. Playstation and Nintendo are just too entrenched.

Stuff like cloud and PC gaming might change where those battle lines are drawn but Xbox as a console is always gonna play second fiddle. Which is okay really. It's still a rather big market.

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Yeah I think it depends on how you define winning. Anyone that thinks XBox will outsell the PS5 is delusional, but that also isn't necessarily the metric that matters now. Microsoft could end up making more profit with the ecosystem approach they are going for.

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Microsoft will as a gaming division undoubtedly win, due to the fact they're trying very hard to piggy-back the XSX on PC as well. In the console race however, I think they'll be second fiddle due to PR blunders like the sub thing again.

Edit: Maybe third if you count the Switch as part of this gen.

Darmik posted...

I think they can but their whole thing with the attempted Gold subscription rise shows they are still very much a company that can be a big success in one lane while kneecapping themselves in another.

Hopefully their first party studios and acquisitions start delivering the goods soon. That's still overall they're biggest weakness but I think they're making the right steps to fix that.

Microsoft's centralized corporate influence keeps hamstringing them and it's practically inevitability

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