If you Prefer to game on PC, you don’t need an Xbox console – why spend money on hardware to play Xbox games when they already have Hardware to play those games.
Cloud gaming just isn’t at the quality where it is ready to be pushed out to the masses in my opinion.
So Microsoft Gaming = Xbox.
Sum that to Xbox Cloud Gaming and you have xbox live everywhere.
The Xbox PC app has certainly improved but still far behind, and battle net hasn’t been integrated much at all.
As with the ports, Sony will do the same. As long as there is a market for consoles, Xboxes and PSs will exist, but games from Microsoft and Sony are already accessible elsewhere. In this regard, Microsoft is simply ahead of the competition, which raises questions, particularly on specialized gaming websites that are frequented by traditional gamers—less than 1% of console gamers.
Even though Steam Deck has no advantages over other devices, 10% of the enormous Steam user base still uses it. Restrictive consoles are not the way of the future, with the possible exception of Nintendo, if they are as fortunate as the Switch, which I doubt.
When this ad first appeared, I said I believed it was bolstering the “Xbox” brand, which is Microsoft’s “Brand” for all of their gaming products, not “just” the console. This serves as a reminder that Xbox is pervasive and that everything is (or could be) “Xbox.”.
The brand is being reinforced by the fact that “everything” is XBOX. Even though they “choose” to release some games later on the PS, Microsoft still releases games “exclusively” on their own console if you “want” to play games on it. Some might also be available on PS on Day 1, but you can’t play them “free” on Game Pass or stream them to any device, etc. You will also receive the PC version because it won’t be marketed as “Play Anywhere.”.
Xbox is more than just a console; it may be your go-to piece of gaming gear, but you have more options for playing Xbox games if you also use PCs (including handhelds like the RoG Ally), smartphones, tablets, and other devices. You don’t need an Xbox console if you prefer to play video games on your computer. Xbox gamers already have the necessary hardware, so there’s no need to spend money on it.
Xbox hardware is still the only console hardware that offers certain games and Game Pass, but it has been more of a consumer choice and is not “necessary.”. Even though Indiana Jones may be released on the PlayStation, it can only be played on the Xbox this Christmas, and purchasing a console is far less expensive than purchasing an equivalent spec piece.
While streaming isn’t “great,” it might be sufficient for gamers who prefer mobile or tablet devices and may not be able to afford consoles. Even if they did not purchase or upgrade to a Series S/X, they are still a part of the Xbox ecosystem because they are using “virtual” Xbox hardware in the Cloud.
They’re clever advertisements. The product is the issue. While having cloud-based access to GamePass across all of my devices is fantastic in theory, in reality, every game I’ve tried is a lag-ridden, unplayable mess. Yes, not everyone will experience this, but I’ve read enough comments from people who have gone through similar things as me to know that it’s still a common problem.
How many series X/S units have been sold so far—more than 28 million?—and how many of those units could be converted to cloud gaming at this time to get the same experience, given that the most popular games require a strong connection.
In my opinion, XBOX is respectable due to reward points and gamepass. It has cost me around £95 over the last three years, and I have earned a few hundred pounds through rewards. I only went with Xbox for that reason, and I will never pay the full price for GamePass. I’m gone as soon as they squeeze those dry.
If things continue this way, nobody will purchase the next Xbox console. If the company treats you like you are unimportant, then don’t bother as a customer and go elsewhere.
Anyone who believes Sony won’t follow Xbox’s lead will be taken aback in the future.
Sony is imitating every move made by Xbox in the direction of multiplatform. Play Anywhere, which initially brought games to PCs in 2016, followed by cloud gaming (which Sony already has) and, at last, games on competing consoles (MLB on Xbox, Horizon Lego on Switch).
In that regard, Sony is moving far more slowly than Xbox, but it is obvious that they will eventually catch up.
I also don’t mind using the name “Xbox” in this strategy. Xbox is a game brand owned by Microsoft. Thus, Xbox = Microsoft Gaming.
Among the big three, Xbox has the largest user base due to its expansion and widespread presence.
With that in mind, you need an Xbox Live account in order to play Sea of Thieves on the PS5. Xbox Live account or Switch version of Minecraft? Computer? Xbox Live profile. When you add Xbox Cloud Gaming to that, Xbox Live is available everywhere.
Currently, Xbox has users on PCs, rival consoles, and their own consoles. Thus, Xbox users may even be represented by PS5 sales.
Today, they are everywhere.
Simplifying the brand is essential. It used to be a nightmare to browse PC and Xbox games on a computer, and websites would frequently reroute users to the incorrect versions. This is what I complained about.
Unlike Microsoft, which is most likely associated with Office, Xbox is completely associated with gaming, so they should stick to their brand. Their entire gaming business is best served by Xbox.
However, Microsoft’s decision to name its Surface devices more prestigious than its consoles is regrettable. The next generation console would be better known as the Xbox 6. Windows allowed them to skip numbers so they could try again. Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Series S, and Series X do not use logical numeration, in contrast to Windows and Surface.
I believe that the online console gaming community is unaware of how insulated we truly are, but Sony has seen a rise in sales from 100 million units of the original Playstation to 120 million units of the PS4, with the PS2 reaching a peak of 150 to 160 million units. Well, there’s an issue. Just to remind you, Playstation recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.
The expansion of consoles to new gamers has been extremely difficult. If they want high-end games these days, new players start playing on their PC or mobile device. Consoles were supposed to be the easily accessible entry point into gaming, but they haven’t done that very well. Instead, excluding cloud, they are the smallest market; this is particularly true if you take into account the unique platforms.
It makes sense for Xbox to try to reach new players and expand their gaming ecosystem to more platforms in light of this knowledge. This has never struck me as a campaign advocating for console abandonment. The fact that the best-selling console to date is selling less than 160 million copies per year struck me as a simple realization (assuming every single hardware sale is a new person). In the meantime, there are more than 3 billion gamers on mobile devices, and over a billion PC gamers, with many more PC users having internet access. There aren’t many people who want to start playing video games for the first time who want to do so through consoles, and the vast majority of current gamers will never purchase a console.
It wouldn’t hurt to launch a campaign to convince those who had no intention of purchasing a console that the Xbox is more than just a box. In actuality, it’s a great one for Xbox since it offers the concept of bringing its gaming ecosystem to previously untapped markets. I find the amount of complaints from people who obviously already own an Xbox to be absurd. I think perspective is a good word because I don’t think many people are thinking outside of their own head. For example, did they really want Xbox to do an advertisement aimed at them purchasing another current generation Xbox?
Having said all of that, I think this marketing campaign is absurdly early. I appreciate it as a marketing campaign. They have been promoting their new “playing your games everywhere” strategy for years, but this is the first time they are putting it into practice. This campaign isn’t really anything new. Their approach has long been apparent. However, this is the first significant splash of it that we have seen. However, what do we splash onto? The Xbox Mobile Store is on hold indefinitely, as are native cloud gaming and in-app game purchases, and Xbox is dependent on the court’s ruling regarding Google and Apple. The battle net hasn’t been incorporated very much, and while the Xbox PC app has improved, it still lags far behind. No play anywhere cross-buy or cloud saves. Even with good internet, the cloud experience is still not up to par. To even use it, you would have to purchase Ultimate, which includes everything else and treats cloud as a bonus perk, as it is still in beta. No increased bit rate, and Bethesda is still awaiting the implementation of Orion technology, if it exists. Cloud-based game ownership is also relatively new, with very few games available. The question is, what exactly are they selling? A poor quality gaming launcher that comes predownloaded on Windows 11? A cloud experience that requires a lot of work and costs $20 a month to officially “try”? It honestly feels like this should have been delayed by a year. Again, I commend it as a marketing tactic. This is their first serious attempt at reaching the 3 billion+ gamers who rarely use a console, as they have stated. Both timing and execution are appalling. There is currently nothing that they are truly promising.
I agree with you, @WildConcept6, but I would like to add a few points regarding the marketing campaign, the cost of playing Xbox Cloud, and the mobile stores.
Like PCs in the past, Google and Apple are subject to legal regulations regarding user choices, but the mobile stores are not yet ready. Compared to the ABK trial, Microsoft has a bigger win. That is what they are awaiting.
Since Xbox One, Microsoft has not been afraid to lead the multiplatform plans market, but this also means they anticipate market changes, which is advantageous if your plans are as long-term as theirs. Sony is grudgingly following suit, albeit slowly and with numerous additional restrictions, such as the inability to cross-purchase or cross-save. Their long-term goals would benefit from Microsoft’s lead and full support, in addition to their extensive cloud infrastructure, which Sony does not have.
They’re planning new tiers, but it doesn’t make sense to pay for Game Pass Ultimate just for Cloud. That makes the campaign premature, but as you mentioned, it begins to market the brand to everyone without an Xbox. To make every device potentially an Xbox, Xbox needs a low-cost Cloud tier.
They’re also ahead of the curve for most people in terms of steaming quality, but those who are concerned about quality or don’t have a great connection are already PC or console users. Those who exclusively play mobile games might try more of them.
