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WHY MICROSOFT LOST THE BATTLE OF E3 - by Mr Biffo

15/6/2016

26 Comments

 
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Though it's never billed as such, there's no question that E3 is a willy-waving competition.

​Every year at the games industry's annual love-in, there seems to be an overall winner, in terms of format. This year, there can be no doubt that Sony absolutely sponged the floor with Microsoft, while Nintendo - as nice as Zelda: Breath of the Wild might look - may as well not have bothered. One game, however good, will not turn around opinions that the company is drifting along like some sort of doped-up "trolley-sloth".

But Microsoft... man... the biggest definitive announcements it made at the show included the unbosoming of the Xbox One S - basically the machine that the Xbox One should've been when it was first released a few years back; 40% slimmer, without the power brick, no Kinect 2.0, a big ole hard drive, and 4K visuals. Which is fine if you've got a 4K TV, but makes scant difference to the rest of us.

But don't worry about the hardware that's coming out this year, Microsoft seemed to suggest: there'll be another Xbox One next year, that'll be much better, and will boast more oomph, and VR, maybe. It'll probably - possibly - feature a tie-up with Oculus or Vive. As well as featuring - and yes, this is an actual quote from their presentation - "The highest quality pixels that anybody has seen".

Anybody remember the Amiga CD-32 ad where a voice-over gasped "So many colours!"?
Oh, and Microsoft's other big announcement? Cross-compatibility between Xbox One games and Windows 10.

Really?

Oh.

Er... does anyone actually care about that then? Excuse my ignorance, but what's the benefit to anybody? Who starts playing a game on their Xbox, and then decides to carry on playing it on their PC?

Am I missing something? I'm sure somebody will think it's a good idea, but it's hardly a game-changer for the vast majority of Xbox One owners. And nor are the boring new controllers they announced boringly.


I hate to say it - because my trousers were firmly in the Xbox 360 camp in the last generation - but it feels as if Microsoft has lost touch.
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WHAT WERE THE GAMES PLZ?
There were Xbox One games mentioned, of course: Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 10, ReCore, Final Fantasy XV, Dead Rising 4, Tekken 7, Scalebound, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Halo Wars 2.

That's not a bad bunch, but how many of them do you really get excited for?
Scalebound and Sea of Thieves, maybe.

The others are all continuations of existing franchises. There didn't feel like a lot on offer that is going to make people choose the Xbox One over the PlayStation 4. It also didn't help that most of Microsoft's big announcements were leaked in the days before the show, thus stripping them of any impact.

Sony, on the other hand, seem to be doing everything right these days. Not only do they have PlayStation VR dropping in just a few months, but the focus was entirely on games; 50 before the end of the year, in the case of PlayStation VR. That feels like a ridiculous and counterproductive figure, but I suppose we'd all be complaining if it wasn't properly supported.

In terms of regular games, we got God of War 4 - essentially a fresh start for the series - Kojima's bizarre-looking Dead Stranding, Days Gone, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7, Detroit: Become Human, That Last Guardian, and remasters for Crash Bandicoot.

It added up to a solid mix of the old and the new - and there was much to get stimulated by. And that's before you mention Batman, Star Trek and Star Wars VR games. 

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FAIL-OH
I don't want the Xbox One to fail.

I still feel the latent drag of my 360 loyalty - I never, ever, liked the PS3  - but with the system already lagging way behind the PS4, Microsoft's showing at E3 is only going to widen that gap.

​It's astonishing how it got things so right in the last generation, yet has managed to balls up the Xbox One from the off.

​The excessive price, hardware in the form of the Kinect - that anybody could've predicted was going to end up getting dropped like an ugly baby - and assorted other PR blunders, gave the PS4 an advantage that Microsoft has struggled to straddle.

Unfortunately, while far from a disaster, the company's E3 showing still demonstrates that it has failed to learn lessons from many of those blunders, that it has failed to listen to what its customers want, that it is focusing on so many of the wrong things.

​New console hardware isn't a bad idea - but why announce two at the same time? Has the history of the games industry taught them nothing?

Remember when Sega announced the Saturn before the 32X came out? Remember what happened to them? Anyone?

That's right: they've been filed away in the drawer marked "Oh dear".

FROM THE ARCHIVE:
​THE MOST EXCITING NEWS FROM E3 SO FAR - AS ILLUSTRATED BY DONALD TRUMP POOING HIS PANTS
DON'T PANIC: THIS ARTICLE IS NOT ABOUT MIRROR'S EDGE CATALYST - BY MR BIFFO
THOUGHTS ON E3, TRUMP, AND ORLANDO - BY MR BIFFO

26 Comments
Paul Jon Million
15/6/2016 12:07:13 pm

My brother had a Mega CD, 32X and eventually a Saturn too.

Maniac.

Announcing two upcoming xboxes just makes me realise how quickly time passes for me these days, how 'generations' of consoles are rendered obsolete in the blink of an eye, and how the consoles I have now are probs the last ones I will ever own.

Not sure that's what E3 wants to make me feel, really?

PS the controller in that Saturn pic above is still Best Controller Ever when it comes to the 2D fighto games. Just so you know.

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Darren link
15/6/2016 12:32:50 pm

I still feel a lot of goodwill towards the Xbox. The PS3 & 4 have never held my interest - not sure why.

But Microsoft is doing something important in order to make sure the home console remains relevant. It is turning it into a mini-PC. The first step was putting Windows 10 on it, now we are seeing cross-platform access to games, which is curious and got me thinking.

The future will be where there will be many iterations of the Xbox, allowing those who want to upgrade to move onto console to console. Gone will be the idea of "generations" of consoles - it will be one branded box constantly upgrading but still allowing those to run the games at a lower resolution or framerate or what-not - just like PC gamers.

I think the games press have missed on this. It is a brave move because realistically this could be the last generation of consoles for the big three. There are no great leap forwards to be had now in terms of technology - just small improvements and Sony would be wise to follow what Microsoft is doing.

What you saw was a company preserving the idea of a home console and making upgrading foolproof. I bet it won't be long before Microsoft themselves offer an "upgrade" scheme where you can trade in your old Xbox for a discount.

While I am interested in the idea of Scorpio, until I upgrade my TV to 4K it is of little interest to me at the moment.

Meanwhile, Nintendo announces another Zelda game...zzzzz...zzzz

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RichardM
15/6/2016 01:27:29 pm

Have Valve not already gone down this road with Steamboxes? Do they actually exist, even? All this is one step off upgrading the innards of a console, new video cards and stuff. Forget that.

I do sort of like the idea of being able to buy Xbox games and playing them on my PC without actually owning an Xbox, but hmm... Not going to happen with my current rig! I tried playing the demo of the new Doom last night, and it turns out my video card can't do the right version of OpenGL. Yuck.

I miss the old days, the long console lifetimes and the progression from basic games using half the functionality of the machine to masterpieces using all sorts of tricks to squeeze the most out of the architecture. That just doesn't seem to happen any longer.

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Clockwork Fool
15/6/2016 01:28:25 pm

I'm really quite hostile to this whole generation-inside-a-generation nonsense. Both camps are doing it, all this nonsense with Xbox 1.5 and Playstation 4.5.

I don't believe that won't end badly for either. Because either it's not really that different and in which case why buy it? Or it is, and that means developers must target one or the other version of the console which means that one or the other will suffer.

My grumbling shall only intensify, I fear.

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Kelvin Green link
15/6/2016 02:01:01 pm

Me too. They seem to be trying to sell it as an end to the cycle of console generations, but in fact what we're getting are more console generations and more often.

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Clockwork Fool
16/6/2016 02:04:52 am

Or a really big crash.

synthetictruism
15/6/2016 01:32:29 pm

It will be really interesting to see how the PSVR unit goes. One of the biggest issues I've seen with new consoles or hardware is lack of software, but with so much announced could this be one of those peripherals that gets off to an excellent start?

However, quantity is no guarantee of quality. I guess, on top of that, there are other issues surrounding VR - it is expensive for a peripheral, it does make people motion-sick. Is this something that is really aimed at exisiting owners of PS4s or are they also targeting potential new users? I don't own a PS4, and am very unlikely to invest in one because I fancy a bit of VR; with the combined price of the console and headset, I may as well pick up an Oculus for my PC (which is more than capable of running VR, so I wouldnt have to spend anyting more). Virtual Batman and Star Wars isn't quite enough to sway me.

Maybe if Sony release a "retro pack" wich includes all the games from the VR fad of the 90's and a weight-pack to make the headset authentically heavy, I'll change my tune...

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Harry Steele
15/6/2016 01:32:53 pm

I was planning to get a PS4 at the end of the year but now I have to wait until August if I want to get the best version of the console... I think? I dunno? I don't have a 4K TV or the money to dive into VR yet, but in a couple of years I might wonder how I ever lived without them!

I'm confused, which is surely the last thing Sony's marketing team want their potential customers to be?

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Spiney O'Sullivan
15/6/2016 02:39:04 pm

I bought one about two months ago. The best option here is just to take the plunge and hope for a good trade-in deal when the new one is released.

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Fat dave
15/6/2016 08:55:36 pm

If you want one just get one. The neo will be a bit smoother and/or a bit sharper the games should still play the same.

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Sleepydays
15/6/2016 01:46:31 pm

I did feel a slight want for the Xbox One S yesterday - like yourself I was MS last gen and moved onto the PS4 - but it's already passing. I think it's more of a reflexive reaction to new hardware, given I've been locked into buying consoles every few years for most of my life.

I don't know if it's me getting older and having less time/money for games, my total lack of interest in VR or whatever...but I can't see me moving on from my PS4 for quite some time. All the Scorpio/Neo talk has me wondering if I don't just jump off altogether.

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Jareth Smith
15/6/2016 01:56:09 pm

Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the only thing which made me go: "ZOOOMMMGG!!!!" Looking forward to that... big time!

There's still nothing on the PS4 or Xbox One which tempts me to buy them. The majority of games end up on Steam anyway, so I'm always surprised these consoles have sold so well given their lack of exclusives. No offence meant to Sony/Microsoft fans, I'm not a rabid fanboy. I just love video games and I've been disappointed with what they've been doing.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
15/6/2016 04:02:16 pm

I'm looking forward to dusting off my Wii U for that.

This generation has been pretty lacklustre as a whole. The sheer amount of remastered or "definitive edition" games so far is ridiculous.

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Euphemia
15/6/2016 07:25:33 pm

Agreed, and as much as I was against remastered titles a year or so ago, the dearth of quality new-release titles has steered my hand towards them far more than I'd have preferred. Did I really need the PS4 versions of Dark Souls 2 or Uncharted? No. But they filled some pretty big lulls when there was knack all else around.

Ben
15/6/2016 05:39:12 pm

I wholeheartedly agree...every now and then something comes along that gives me a little 'pang' of desire for a PS4 or even rarer, an Xbone, but honestly, this generation has been so utterly underwhelming and the whole trend of consoles edging towards a more 'PC experience' has reached some kind of critical mass that completely turns me off.

Zelda looks phenomenally good though. My Nintendo love seems impervious to all the stupid things they do.

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Col. Asdasd
15/6/2016 07:28:54 pm

Agreed. Here are Microsoft putting us on notice for the next generation, which is a surprise to me, as I was still waiting for a reason to buy into the current one.

I can't actually think of any exclusives that have justified these consoles existences. Bloodborne, maybe? But even that's just another helping of Souls.

All that comes to mind when I think of the ps4 and the bone is sequel after remake after remaster.

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Bruce Flagpole
15/6/2016 02:30:10 pm

Personally, the microsoft 'play anywhere' stuff was the most interesting thing for me. Not because I want to play the same game on PC and XBox, but because I don't have an xbox. If i can now buy 'xbox exclusives' to play on PC, and most importantly play multiplayer with xbox one owners, then I don't even need to buy an xbox. I'll then buy forza 3 and Sea of Thieves, games that would have interested me but wouldn't have made me buy an xbox one.

It's also part of Microsoft's strategy of merging PC and console. Xbox is no longer a standalone custom console, it's a fixed spec PC running 'Windows xbox edition'. And i don't think that's really a bad thing, because all modern consoles are effectively off the shelf PC components. People just need to get their heads around the idea (and Microsoft need to avoid trying to force it) that they have to buy the latest box to keep playing the games. Games released once 'Scorpio' is out will work on your Xbone and run just as well on it as they would have done if scorpio didn't exist, you don't have to buy a scorpio. Then after scorpio there will be another new more powerful box, and maybe at that time MS will say 'games don't need to support the original xbone'...but if that box isn't for another 4 years down the line, then you've still had an 8 year life span for xbone, which is actually a long time for any console. And this third box will still play all your old xbone (and scorpio supporting) games.

I realise that might sound like a fanboy defending MS, that's not my intention, i didn't own (or like) the 360 and don't plan on buying an xbone....and there's every chance MS will go down the path of fleecing customers and pissing everyone off....i'm just saying that the concept of what they're doing could actually be a good idea (or at least, better than waiting a couple more years before releasing a completely new console that doesn't work with the old one at all, like every other console generation update).

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Wicked Eric
15/6/2016 04:01:52 pm

The impression I get is that Microsoft are flailing about like morons.

The only way this Scorpio nonsense works for me is if MS are trying to kickstart the next gen early as a result of them ballsing up the Xbox One so badly.

I don't buy that the Scorpio's USP is 4K. No normal sane person gives a monkeys about 4K.

They're obviously not willing to be thoroughly spanked by Sony for another 3-4 years, so it's in their interest to draw a close on this generation as soon as they can get away with.

Despite how they're trying to spin it right now the Scorpio is not a better version of the Xbox One, it's an absolute powerhouse that blows the Xbox One out of the water. it's a full on new console.

The only reason they are pretending that this isn't an outright replacement box is because they don't want to completely scupper the Bone's already anaemic sales during the intervening 18 months.

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Fat dave
15/6/2016 08:58:54 pm

It's down to when it's coming out and the silicone that AMD have available. Because of the timescale it's going to be more of a worthwhile leap than the short hop to the neo.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
15/6/2016 09:26:41 pm

I only just joined this generation since it's been pretty lacklustre as far as my interests go. If Microsoft are kickstarting a new generation already, I will buy the next Sony machine just out of sheer spite.

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Clockwork Fool
16/6/2016 02:08:15 am

Far as I can tell, Sony are doing exactly the same thing though.

Heard a lot of talk already about the "Playstation 4.5", this Bond-Villain-Edition Xbox talk is newer to me.

colincidence link
15/6/2016 06:12:34 pm

That illustration really doesn't look like 40%. Are they confusing linear dimensions with square and cubic dimensions?

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Spiney O'Sullivan
15/6/2016 08:30:36 pm

It's not lying, it's called "marketing".

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Guppeth
15/6/2016 09:54:59 pm

A marketing mess-up, since it's much more than 40% smaller by volume.

Panda
16/6/2016 07:28:21 am

The console upgrades are a stupid idea for more than one reason.

First, there hasn't been any significant issues with the power capabilities of the existing machines. Sure, a more powerful one might be necessary to incorporate VR but VR is as yet unproven - how many people even talk about the Vive or Ridt and they're literally just months/weeks old? - and nobody is going to want to buy a new console AND a VR headset at the same time.

They should've let the Xbox One run its course for another two years, allowing it to demonstrate its own strengths rather than imply that it hasn't been good enough from the off, when lots of people are still happy with it.

Speaking of 'lots of people' the second reason for it being a stupid idea is that the Xb1 is selling far better than the 360 at this stage in its cycle. They're being beaten by Sony but are completely oblivious to the fact that - sales wise - they're still into a really good thing, the best they've ever been, in fact.

No, the upgrades are solutions to problems that don't really exists. Future proofing your platform and ending the conventional generation cycle is all wel and good but the main thing that should drive that are poor sales, insufficient tech and the requirements of ambitious games that aren't currently possible. None of that is going to be solved by Scorpio because they're either not major issues anyway or they're not goals that MS are trying to achieve (on the evidence of the unremarkable software lineup at E3).

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devwan
16/6/2016 10:38:41 am

" the Xb1 is selling far better than the 360 at this stage in its cycle" - nope, due to being massively front-loaded the xbone has always had a lead over the 360, but at this point it is tailing off just as it reaches the equivalent time in the 360's history where it exploded.

"sales wise - they're still into a really good thing, the best they've ever been, in fact" - wildly incorrect. Sales this year have fallen away massively. The xbones might have had a chance to help pick them up in some markets, but all this talk of Scorpio will, IMO, simply make people sit and wait.

"there hasn't been any significant issues with the power capabilities of the existing machines" - well of course there has. The CPUs are in many regards a step back from the previous generation. Neo is only going to be more of the same, Scorpio seems to have something much beefier in there - but that machine is likely to be out of reach of the average console gamer for some time after release due to price.

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