[HN Gopher] MSFT exec admits console wars are over: 'We lost the...
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       MSFT exec admits console wars are over: 'We lost the worst
       generation to lose'
        
       Author : foruhar
       Score  : 15 points
       Date   : 2023-05-06 22:22 UTC (38 minutes ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (fortune.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (fortune.com)
        
       | rektide wrote:
       | Kind of the end of history. There's just so much longer periods
       | for consoles. You're stuck with what you ship for a long time,
       | the memories keep enduring, the next thing isn't right over the
       | hill.
        
       | Zhyl wrote:
       | If this is sincere then it's a heartbreaking moment of reflection
       | and clarity for Microsoft - albeit with the success of game pass
       | I don't think they're going to be too sad about the relative poor
       | performance of XBone and Series X.
       | 
       | If it's a cynical play to appear vulnerable so that they're in a
       | better position to appeal the UK CMA decision then I think
       | they're going to have to come up with more than the "poor little
       | us" story when they still have $69bn knocking around for the
       | acquisition.
       | 
       | The console wars will be over when Microsoft ditches the XBox and
       | uses the PC as their platform. I don't see that happening for the
       | next generation.
        
       | SalimoS wrote:
       | That's bs, you can't say console war is over because we lost but
       | still have the most anticipated game (for Bethesda fans at least)
       | exclusive in the console market
       | 
       | I would believe them when I see Forza, Halo and other xbox games
       | on PlayStation
        
         | manojlds wrote:
         | Most expected games inorder
         | 
         | 1. TotK 2. Spiderman 2 3. Starfield
         | 
         | And each is exclusive and only Starfield comes on PC. What are
         | you talking about?
        
         | Waterluvian wrote:
         | The PS4 outsold Xbox One so badly that Microsoft stopped
         | sharing the numbers.
         | 
         | The best we can tell right now[1], PS5 has outsold One S/X by
         | about the same 2:1 ratio, and the Xbox didn't spend a year
         | struggling to stay in stock.
         | 
         | From a fan's perspective, I can certainly see why a "console
         | war" might be measured by how many good titles they have. But
         | these businesses are generally interested in making money.
         | 
         | [1] https://www.ign.com/articles/best-selling-video-game-
         | console...
        
       | est wrote:
       | While big corps spend money on consoles in an attempt to dominate
       | the living room, I have noticed an increasing number of shopping
       | malls offering pay-as-you-go console booths and VR arcades. Are
       | business-oriented consoles becoming a thing?
        
       | GalenErso wrote:
       | - Confusing naming conventions. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox
       | Series X. Compare to Sony's Playstations 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Names
       | matter enormously. There's a reason why FAANG and FAANG-tier tech
       | firms all have very simple names. While that may be far from the
       | only reason why these companies are so successful, it matters
       | more than one thinks.
       | 
       | - Lack of AAA exclusives. Halo is the main one, but Sony has God
       | of War, Ghost of Tsushima, all the Spider Men, The Last of Us,
       | Forza, and others.
       | 
       | - Price. The PS4 was cheaper than the Xbox One by $100, and this
       | mattered to parents who could afford to gift their children a
       | $400-$500 console, but not a $1,500+ gaming PC. This matters less
       | in the North American market, where people have more disposable
       | income, but East Asian and European markets are safely in Sony's
       | pocket.
       | 
       | - Controllers? There is a meme that Xbox controllers are designed
       | for large, "American" hands. Regardless of the truth, memes and
       | perceptions shape decisions.
       | 
       | - Sony has the Japanese market locked up. Xbox is the dominant
       | console in the US, but its dominance is weak: 53.3% vs. 46.65%
       | for the Playstation.[1] Which begs the question: why hasn't
       | Microsoft crushed the competition in its prime domestic market,
       | but Sony crushed theirs in Japan?
       | 
       | [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044948/market-share-
       | of-...
        
         | mtreis86 wrote:
         | * * *
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2023-05-06 23:01 UTC)