Forum: Games
Topic: Microsoft's Gaming Problem
started by: Leisher

Posted by Leisher on Jun. 16 2014,07:28
< They honestly have no clue what they're doing. >
Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 16 2014,07:49
They're clueless is many other areas as well.  But this is blatant.  It's like saying, "Text and typing have no place in a web browser search engine."


Posted by Leisher on Jun. 23 2014,19:24
No, but seriously, < they have no clue what the fuck they're doing. >
Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,20:01

(Leisher @ Jun. 23 2014,22:24)
QUOTE
No, but seriously, < they have no clue what the fuck they're doing. >

Microsoft and their Kinnect are reminding me of the obsessive stalker girls who say, "I can make you love me."
Posted by Paul on Jun. 24 2014,21:53

Posted by Leisher on Jul. 07 2014,13:52
< PC Gaming "bigger than ever". >

Steam has 75+ million users, and recently set a new record at 8+ million concurrent users.

How's that X-Box One working out for you Microsoft?

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 07 2014,13:59
Type "xbone" into wikipedia's search.  Yes, it successfully redirects you.
Posted by Leisher on Jul. 08 2014,11:18
< Should MS sell off X-Box? >

Yes. MS is getting their asses kicked from every direction. Dump the stupid X-Box and start pushing the PC, running the Windows OS, as the best gaming device in the world.

Meanwhile, < MS is offering BJs for people who upgrade to X-Box One. >

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 08 2014,11:31
QUOTE
If you've been selected, you can order a (full-priced) console from any retailer and Microsoft will credit your Xbox account with $75 ... That'll cover you for at least one Xbox One game like Destiny, ensuring your game collection gets off to a good start.

Fucking hell.  That'd buy me a minimum of 10 games on steam.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 08 2014,13:29
SO... they were selling a $400 version without kinect, right?  Which brings it down to $325?
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 10 2014,10:17
< Ye gods >.
QUOTE
Nadella underscored the entertainment console's importance to the company.

"The single biggest digital life category, measured in both time and money spent, in a mobile-first world is gaming." he wrote.

"Xbox is one of the most-revered consumer brands, with a growing online community and service, and a raving fan base. Microsoft will continue to vigorously innovate and delight gamers with Xbox..."

I can't believe it.  MS may have found someone worse than Ballmer.

Posted by Leisher on Jul. 10 2014,12:08
I get him saying that because of the damage he could do to their stock if he bashes one of their biggest assets.

However, if he truly believes the X-Box is a great property for the company, he's an idiot.

Posted by Leisher on Jul. 18 2014,13:33
< PC hardware market worth 21.5 billion annually. >

If I was a Microsoft shareholder I'd be asking why MS is so intent upon not letting go of the X-Box, which loses money, and why they ignore the PC, which they currently dominate despite themselves.

Meanwhile, < Nvidia is working on > what MS should be working on.



Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 18 2014,14:01
QUOTE
But Valve's inability to seal the deal may be offset somewhat by a weakness in the Nvidia design: The GeForce Experience system requires a relatively recent GeForce video card, and PCs that lack the requisite hardware won't be able to take advantage of the streaming functionality. Having to purchase a new video card on top of the box, which hasn't yet been priced (or even confirmed), may well drive the total cost beyond practical reach.

Well, looks like I'm ok.  Rest of you are on your own.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 18 2014,15:07
Know what happens when I come across a gaming platform that is either too expensive or too unwieldy to use?  I don't use it and instead fire up League of Legends.
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 18 2014,15:25
I'm almost thinking the PS was Sony's attempt to draw out MS's stupidity.  Sony occasionally fucks up in PS-land because they genuinely never expected it to get this far and because they never thought MS would bet so heavily on a losing hand forever.
Posted by Leisher on Jul. 21 2014,08:15
Because you can't make this shit up, < Microsoft posted a job listing about PC Gaming >, and < PC Gamer shreds it >.

First link is to the ad. Second link is to the article.

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 21 2014,08:19

(Leisher @ Jul. 21 2014,10:15)
QUOTE
Because you can't make this shit up, < Microsoft posted a job listing about PC Gaming >, and < PC Gamer shreds it >.

First link is to the ad. Second link is to the article.

Fifty years from now, someone's going to make a documentary on Microsoft called "Broken Windows: the Story of a One-Trick Digital Pony."
Posted by Leisher on Jul. 21 2014,08:25
QUOTE
"51% of all time spent gaming is on PCs - more than on consoles and mobile devices combined," states the listing. "PC gaming itself is projected to make $25 Billion in 2014, growing 13% year over year.


Have they read their own ad?

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 21 2014,08:45

(Leisher @ Jul. 21 2014,10:25)
QUOTE
QUOTE
"51% of all time spent gaming is on PCs - more than on consoles and mobile devices combined," states the listing. "PC gaming itself is projected to make $25 Billion in 2014, growing 13% year over year.


Have they read their own ad?

QUOTE
"we remain committed to investing in PC gaming in the years ahead, and look forward to sharing more in the future,"

No.

Posted by Leisher on Jul. 29 2014,08:56
< John Romero is smarter than MS's entire gaming division. >
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 29 2014,09:55
QUOTE
Romero said the closed systems and long life cycles of consoles put them at a serious disadvantage when compared to "continually evolving" PCs. "If I want to play a game that's [made] in DOS from the 80s, I can, it's not a problem," he said. "You can't do that on a console."

Funny part is you can apply that same logic swapping out "consoles" and replacing it with "Macs."  But goddamn, is MS that stupid or is Romero just making his requisite once-per-decade contribution to intelligent debate?



Posted by Leisher on Jul. 29 2014,10:27
If I had to guess, I'd bet you money there are people at MS who saw consoles as the present and future of gaming. Who thought, "We can beat the shit out of Nintendo and Sony, AND synergize with PCs!" That's why you saw Shadowrun as one of the first releases. (Shadowrun was the first "big" attempt to connect the console and PC gamer.

They probably also saw a giant opportunity in their Windows Live product across both platforms. Even though it's been completely abandoned for years remnants of it are still around.

The problem is the people who came up with these plans weren't gamers, or if they were, they were console gamers. A better guess would be that their kids were console gamers...

"Dad, I don't know how to work my PC! Why do I have to install things?"

"Leish, I think the controller is far superior to a mouse and keyboard."  :D

"Mom, I want to play on the big screen with my friends!"

So instead of thinking ahead like Valve, MS's execs went X-Box.

Now they're pot committed and trying to keep the company in the X-Box business.

If MS cut bait right now on what non-gaming investors probably think is a big, valuable brand there would be a lot of questions. There would also be a lot of lost jobs and a stock drop as investors realize how much money was wasted.

"No, but seriously, why did you enter the console market while Valve developed Steam? Maybe we should have hired Gabe Newell as the new CEO?"

Plus, revenue would be lost. There are still lots of clueless gamers who pay for X-Box (Windows) Live. The games are still "full price". The licensing fees Microsoft commands for X-Box developed titles would be gone.

To their credit, Apple was jumping into the console war, and it appears that someone over there figured out it'd be a waste. Although, I must admit that I'd laugh my ass off if they suddenly announced a console that didn't have streaming.

And that's where I think the next X-Box is going to go. I think they'll hedge their bets and install streaming from your home PC.

Let's design the next X-Box.

Name - X-Box Future
Marketing one liner - Because the Future is now!
Hardware - No disk drive. 1GB network port. Best proc/RAM/graphics they can get to keep the price around $300.

Features:
-Games played on the console will be DL-only.
-You will be able to stream games from your PC.
-X-Box Live will morph into a multi platform distribution software, ala Steam.  (It'll suck.)

No matter what they do, they're already publicly behind Valve and now nVidia. If they had more gaming savvy shareholders, they'd be answering a lot of hard to answer questions about the X-Box.

Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 29 2014,10:34
I still can't imagine the average XBox user as a gamer in the geeky gamer sense.  I always picture them as frat boy bro types.
Posted by Leisher on Jul. 29 2014,10:35
Because the hits just keep coming, < ESPN is in love with e-sports after the DOTA2 coverage >.

They want more, and Call of Duty appears to be next.

The important bit is the last line from the article:
QUOTE
Interestingly, the source also said that the number-one viewing platform for the PC-exclusive Dota 2 event was the Xbox.


Seriously, how are MS stockholders not all over them about their X-Box strategy?

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 29 2014,10:38
QUOTE
Seriously, how are MS stockholders not all over them about their X-Box strategy?

Because stockholders in MS are like the Cleveland sports fans.  Anything above a cataclysmic failure is seen as progress.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 29 2014,10:41

(TPRJones @ Jul. 29 2014,13:34)
QUOTE
I still can't imagine the average XBox user as a gamer in the geeky gamer sense.  I always picture them as frat boy bro types.

Think: boys ages 7-12. That's my kid and all his friends who pay for Xbox live so they can get the online chat and shit.
Posted by TheCatt on Jul. 29 2014,10:48
Remember when the XBox was introduced.  Microsoft had a firm grasp of home PCs.  But, they couldn't get anything into the living room.  Sure, they tried Windows Media Center Edition, and it was wonderful for the 20 people who used it.  But it was yet another box in the living room, and they were loud, and ugly, etc.  Meanwhile, people were buying tens of millions of things that were not much different, called consoles.  So MS thought it was a way to get into living rooms, and to get a stakehold there for living room computer initiatives.
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 29 2014,10:56
QUOTE
So MS thought it was a way to get into living rooms, and to get a stakehold there for living room computer initiatives.

When are they going to take the first step towards such a device?

Posted by Leisher on Jul. 29 2014,11:03

(GORDON @ Jul. 29 2014,13:41)
QUOTE

(TPRJones @ Jul. 29 2014,13:34)
QUOTE
I still can't imagine the average XBox user as a gamer in the geeky gamer sense.  I always picture them as frat boy bro types.

Think: boys ages 7-12. That's my kid and all his friends who pay for Xbox live so they can get the online chat and shit.

No, I get that. We were ALL console gamers at one point or another. Whether it was the Atari 2600, Collecovision, X-Box, SNES, Dreamcast, Genesis, etc. we played on a console.

Do handheld systems, and thus, smartphones/tablets count?

We've graduated to the PC. Why? Is it because we got stupider, hated our freedom of choice, wanted less control over our hardware, wanted to only communicate with friends via a totally unnecessary service we have to pay for, desired worse controls, and demanded higher prices for our games?

No.

Aren't today's kids learning from our mistakes? Isn't that why a market that supported so many consoles is now struggling to support two?

Isn't that why PC Gaming is going to make more money than all consoles combined this year?

Again, why isn't Microsoft the industry leader? Because:
QUOTE
So MS thought it was a way to get into living rooms, and to get a stakehold there for living room computer initiatives.


However, as TPR points out:
QUOTE
When are they going to take the first step towards such a device?


Exactly.

Instead of securing the place for a device they dominated (and still do, let's be honest), they created a new device that had nothing to do with the original one.

Oh wait, they tried to connect them via Games for Windows Live. Hey PC gamers, you want to pay for what you already get for free, right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

How did that fucking idea even get off the drawing board? I genuinely hope people were fired for that fiasco.

And again, I must point out that while X-Box was comparing dicks with Sony and Nintendo, Valve quietly developed Steam and now dominates digital distribution.  Now they're looking to bring the PC to the living room.

Why didn't Microsoft do this with the original X-Box? Why are they three versions in, and this STILL isn't an apparent goal?

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 29 2014,11:28
QUOTE
Why didn't Microsoft do this with the original X-Box? Why are they three versions in, and this STILL isn't an apparent goal?

They'd rather engage their competitors in a Pyrrhic slugfest of retribution rather than flank them.  Why?  Because like any frustrated, steroid-fueled behemoth that isn't #1, they're looking for a big-ass fight to improve their public standing.



Posted by TheCatt on Jul. 29 2014,11:41

(Leisher @ Jul. 29 2014,14:03)
QUOTE
Aren't today's kids learning from our mistakes? Isn't that why a market that supported so many consoles is now struggling to support two?

Yes, console sales are dying.

*edit* This chart would have showed successive large growth in console sales from generation to generation, if I could have hotlinked it *edit*

I couldn't fine more recent data, unfortunately.


< PC gaming revenue passes consoles, but only due to a generation shift going on in consoles right now. >
And those PC gamers are playing MOBA shit, not real games.



Posted by GORDON on Jul. 29 2014,17:59
"MOBA shit?"
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 29 2014,18:38

(GORDON @ Jul. 29 2014,19:59)
QUOTE
"MOBA shit?"

< Moba shit >.
Posted by GORDON on Jul. 29 2014,19:23
Did you really think I didn't know the meaning of MOBA?
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 29 2014,21:17

(GORDON @ Jul. 29 2014,21:23)
QUOTE
Did you really think I didn't know the meaning of MOBA?

No.
Posted by TheCatt on Jul. 30 2014,04:43
Yes, MOBA shit.  They're trumped up versions of rock, paper, scissors.
Posted by GORDON on Jul. 30 2014,06:38
I see.
Posted by Leisher on Aug. 05 2014,07:16
< Ken Levine is smarter than everyone at Microsoft. >
Posted by Leisher on Aug. 12 2014,08:23
< New Tomb Raider will be X-Box One "Exclusive". >

That article is interesting because it slams the shit out of all the involved parties for a "desperate" tactic.

< Don't turn your X-Box One vertical. > A very well designed system...

Meanwhile, < this clown at Forbes thinks its ok for MS to lose money on the X-Box One. > The poor guy has horse blinders on and completely ignores the fact that MS already dominates the world's #1 gaming platform and the emerging Steam (or streaming) boxes.

Posted by Leisher on Aug. 13 2014,08:23
< Exclusive means something different to game publishers. >

The new Tomb Raider WILL be coming to other platforms.

Posted by Leisher on Sep. 12 2014,11:15
Intel on PC Gamers:
< There are 711 million PC gamers in the world today. > That's 1 out of every 10 people.

Upon hearing this factoid, Microsoft responded with "What's a PC?"

Posted by Leisher on Aug. 06 2015,06:07
< Games for Windows Live was the wrong approach. >

No shit.

Posted by Leisher on Mar. 01 2016,12:18
< Phil Specter discusses Microsoft's PC/X-Box problem. >

I'll grant him that some games are better on PC and vice versa based on graphics/controls. However, they should have invented the Steam box before Valve.

Interesting that he mentions "our biggest titles" coming to PC. One would think a Halo collection would do very well on PC.

Posted by Malcolm on Mar. 01 2016,12:40

(Leisher @ Mar. 01 2016,14:18)
QUOTE
< Phil Specter discusses Microsoft's PC/X-Box problem. >

I'll grant him that some games are better on PC and vice versa based on graphics/controls. However, they should have invented the Steam box before Valve.

Interesting that he mentions "our biggest titles" coming to PC. One would think a Halo collection would do very well on PC.

Phil Spencer?

Posted by Leisher on Mar. 01 2016,12:46
Meh, same difference.
Posted by Malcolm on Mar. 01 2016,13:02

(Leisher @ Mar. 01 2016,14:46)
QUOTE
Meh, same difference.

Has Spencer ever shown up to work coked out of his mind?  Has he ever made a team of programmers write HELLO WORLD a few hundred times in one night at gunpoint?

EDIT: After reading the article, he probably has shown up to work after sniffing some powder.  I don't think he's killed anyone ... yet.



Posted by Malcolm on Mar. 02 2016,12:52
< Ah, PA >.

Posted by Leisher on Mar. 04 2016,11:36
< Epic co-founder blasts Microsoft. >
Posted by Malcolm on Mar. 04 2016,11:39
QUOTE
Any program created with UWP essentially has to be installed through the Windows Store. (Enabling a UWP app to be installed without the store requires making technical changes in a computer's buried registry.)

Eat a dick, Microsoft.

Posted by Leisher on Mar. 07 2016,09:22
< PC Gamer thinks maybe Sweeney is overreacting. >
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