Xbox multi platform discussion

Gaming
911

No company is ever straight with their customers - it’s all workshopped and PR speak.

Do you think Sony was being straight with their fans when Jim Ryan said “we believe in generations” insinuating that unlike Xbox, PlayStation would release games only for PS5 from now on - then released cross-generation games for much longer than Xbox and even back-ported some “PS5 exclusives” like Miles Morales?

Or Nintendo is being straight with fans trying to sell them new Zelda-themed Switches or even just the normal Switch at full price when within the next 6 months according to their financial reports they’re due to launch the Switch 2 which will likely mean the old one is discounted?

I know it’s disappointing sometimes to not know all the plans, but if anything Xbox talks to its fans far more than the other two do and actually tries to explain its actions - and they get crucified quite often for doing so as they’re held to a different standard by the gaming media…

6 Likes
912

I don’t think you can just revert back if you release too many games on other platforms. At that point the damage would be done and most likely be at a point where you lost a good amount of users that won’t look back. It’s a major risk for their console business to bank on a subscription service to keep audience. However, at the end of the day there’s a good portion of gamers outside of twitter, forums and other places that just buy new consoles for sports games, fortnite, cod, etc. So, they would always need a console, but they might pass on xbox for playstation due to friends being on that platform

913

Xbox there’s a long list of not being upfront or honest and straight with its fans. This is a corp that told us how happy it was with Hi-Fi Rush sales and it wanted to grow in Japan, only to shut down the studio.

So yes we can call SONY out but Xbox has told a pack of untruths and also isn’t being straight with fans at all , hence we have topics like this in the forum. You’ll not see any SONY multi-platform discussions on a SONY forum I bet

I don’t agree with your Nintendo point that seems a little below the belt and desperate. Xbox message/PR is all over the shop that’s causing even big-time fans like Klobrille to talk of how he doesn’t recognise the corp anymore. It’s not a good look at all

I’m happy if Xbox stays in the console sector that’s my main issue/concern not even against Xbox titles coming to PlayStation. IMO it will show some PlayStation fans how good Xbox games are and what they’re missing out on and make some buy an Xbox to play the latest versions

I do have 4 close friends who die-hard Xbox fans who are not happy with any Xbox game going to Playsation full stop (and like they point out) while SONY blocks 3d party games coming to Gamepass or does exclusive deals makes developers blame poor Xbox hardware for the non-show like for Black Myth

1 Like
914

Nintendo are the most secretive and poorly behaved of all 3 - I don’t have any particular issue with them as I’ve not been a customer for years, but they’re notorious for poor backwards compatibility, suing the ass off emulators and anyone going anywhere near their IP or games (even for satirical purposes) and charge a lot of money for what is effectively a potato in games console terms.

The reason you won’t see such a thread about multi-platform for Sony is you’ll instead see ones that you would have seen on Xbox a few years ago - “games are going to PC too fast” (Spider Man 2 was announced for PC in less than a year) and “there’s barely any first party games on the horizon” (Ghost of Yotei and Wolverine are their only announced single-player games, plus Marathon and Fairgame$ - Xbox has a ton in the pipeline we know of).

As the third placed console, Xbox has to innovate - they put games on PC before PlayStation did, they did Game Pass before Sony announced the new PS Plus tiers, they charged for online with Xbox Live before Sony did (I know, a bad thing but the extra money did really seem to improve the online services of both), to name but a few things.

It’s possible Sony will follow their lead in time - I know it sucks as a fan of the third-placed console to see Xbox take flak for going first on initiatives and for them to have to take the moral high ground and ignore Sony’s bad behaviour (and they can’t be too evil to PlayStation now as due to the size of Xbox after ABK and the general size of Microsoft, they could be seen as being anti-competitive despite us all knowing Sony is the anti-competitive one).

I did think the Series consoles would start the fight back - instead, the PS5 despite not offering much beyond PS4 remasters has carried on the success of the PS4 because people stick with what they know, so Xbox is having to innovate further, partly by making money off PlayStation users (which they already do with old games and Minecraft anyway) and potentially via a handheld, PC stores on consoles or going early next generation.

There’s a chance some of it will stick - maybe Game Pass will have the edge when we start to move to streaming, maybe going early next generation will capture a load of users as “the best way to play GTA6”, maybe the handheld will win hearts and minds, maybe PS / Switch players will love Xbox games enough to buy an Xbox for Game Pass (or use streaming / PC), or the PC stores option make games more affordable and Xbox consoles more attractive to younger players (who see all the streamers playing on PCs).

We just don’t know, and I can see why they’re having to try new things - the console warrior teen in me would still love Microsoft to spend big and crush PlayStation by buying massive exclusives like EA Sports FC, Madden and making CoD exclusive, but the realist in me knows unfortunately regulators would get involved and if it didn’t bring in a LOT of money in return Microsoft’s shareholders would probably demand Xbox’s head.

So instead it’s try lots of different things, see what sticks - and if any do, I bet Sony will copy them a few years later…

915

like some have said they can’t afford to be clear since this has never been done and it’s new for them as well. They are making it up as they go. Being straight forward resulted in 2013 debacle. There are some positives in going multiplatform. for one they get to control everything about the games, for example they could easily have the games be 30% off on Xbox consoles or for game pass members as an incentive to push their ecosystem. Don’t forget they are aiming to get 3billion plus gamers.

I think they will take their time probably with making games time exclusive. I do agree there a place of nmo return probably if Halo, Gears and Forza are ported. I do recall Phil saying he sees exclusives playing less roles in about 5 years time which might be their timeline. I do however think if they just develop native Xbox apps for this platforms it will solve their multiplatform situation. If you have to download the Xbox app on Playstation or Nintendo like you have to on PC and this handheld gaming devices then no one would complain, and the brand won’t be affected.

1 Like
916

The issue is Playstation and Nintendo won’t allow that app, and most likely won’t allow gamepass unless it works like EA Play. It def matters which game they port because there’s a point of no return if they port certain games. I think it would be hard to get people back if they want to reverse it if they port Fable, Perfect Dark, Forza, Halo, and Gears. I think the last 3 are def the ones that will break people. I think once you port those games you can’t walk back exclusives

917

I see no reason for not allowing the app don’t they have Ubisoft classic. If they want the games then they might have to especially if the app is tailored to their console and they work out a deal to their benefit sure it can be like EA play or Ubisoft Classics. It’s all conjecture at the end. If they are aiming to get 3billion that is definitely outside console and in my opinion, they will have to become a digital platform like Steam to do that. I’m not sure Steam’s brand is hurt affected with games going everywhere. Besides I still think there are things they will continue to test with the multiplaform games like DOOM the dark ages, like if they make it 30 percent of on Xbox does it help the branding and so on. Now this is just my opinion but I don’t think all of this will matter nextgen. For one I think Nextgen will go with premium consoles that are probably 800 and above maybe even over a thousand, in that era I don’t see PS6 selling over 10 million probably won’t even be a PS6. I think Sony will be banking on a handheld like Microsoft. I think a handheld for Xbox is more important than people think. Xbox is struggling with google and Apple thwarting their moves on mobile, I think the handheld is a move to circumvent this and who knows a handheld with Xbox OS, camera, phone capabilities and market for apps like Tiktok, twitter and many more with out the 30% cut like Google and Apple could shift a huge populace that game from Android and take a neat chunk of that market. It certainly would be one Microsoft partners would rush to support with new handheld devices using that OS. Also, I think to some extent it might not be realistic to fully go multiplatform and port games as this would require a lot more time and money. Ubisoft with over 20,000 developers is not able to churn out games that easily.

918

It’s to Nintendo credit their top brass don’t give endless interviews with the press only to double back on them.

SONY was porting their console games to PC long before Xbox did. Many of Sony European titles were ported to PC from Playsation as a legacy of SONY’s buyout of Psygnosis.

It doesn’t come across as trying something new and innovative to me but more Series consoles aren’t good enough and Xbox needs to look to Playsation to help drive sales.

Xbox is better at the Hardware and design level compared to SONY and also now for In-House studios and talent. Xbox is just so-far off SONY for brand image and marketing. Unless Xbox sort out their PR staff and budget I just don’t see how Xbox will grow.

But like you say, we’ll have to wait and see…

920

It has been done before. SONY not only brought their games to PC but also to consoles like Saturn and N64 and SEGA also allowed their titles to come out on the Famicom and PC-Engine consoles way back when. To the point that some say Outrun and AfterBurner on the PC-Eng were better than SEGAs own versions on the Mega Drive LOL.

I also don’t believe Xbox doesn’t have a list that isn’t fully costed and worked out. A top professional corp would have a plan fully fledged out and ready for approval by the shareholders and also to make sure the teams have the resources and development kits to make the planned ports possible

I just wish Xbox was honest with the fans about their roadmap and what titles are on that list. I have no issues with it myself per say, but the PlayStation Indy announcement was bad PR and an open goal by Microsoft. Xbox just makes too many of them.

Xbox should have been clear from the start that Indy was a multiplatform title like with the new Doom and then there’s no backlash.

921

Things are way more expensive now than then. I would think that Xbox has a list, but all this is still new there is no certainties and no way of knowing how it will all turn up. Just look at the Indiana Jones debacle. The PR nightmare has done more damage than good, no one is even talking about it. Out of the 4 games SOT was said to have done a million sales on PS and has now vanished. The multiplatform move has so far imo not yielded any real benefit. I think they’re honest enough with fans, We are consumers not working for them so I don’t get the need why they have to disclose this things, perhaps if you were a shareholder or major investor. Also let’s not kid ourselves coming out publicly with a multiplatform roadmap is very hard to walk back and negative news for Xbox is always blown up. They have to tread carefully, or they will find themselves in 2013 part 2. All that said I maybe wrong but I would like to think the multiplatform move is not so much to cover funding but more strategic for a play to change things in the industry and set a new way or standard. There is a good chance that Xbox platform becoming digital like steam could lead to others following and allow for consoles or hardware that can play all games just from different stores similar to what we get with movies from different publishers all playable on one format be it VHS, DVD or Blu-ray. I think if Xbox migrates all Xbox console content to the the Xbox app and then build their next console like a PC with a store to support all game launchers or stores like Steam, Epic, itch.io and Gog it could open the door for other manufacturers to build their own Xbox like Android has with phones. There is also the thought that their handheld could be more of gaining a foot in the mobile gaming market especially in light of the wall google and Apple has. I do wonder what if their handheld comes with a camera and phone app would it be an incentive for social media. Social media has blown up both apple and android phones could similarly happen with a handheld built more for that. I just wonder because there is no way console gets close to reaching 3 billion.

922

The difference is PlayStation and Nintendo give their fans enough to turn a blind eye to corpo moves they make.

If PlayStation fans didn’t feel like they were all rounding winning getting banger games in their eyes they’d make a lot more noise about the PC gap closing

Where as Xbox hasn’t done that therefore the fanbase/customer feels like they are kicking them when they’re down. They haven’t generated the good will

3 Likes
923

Nintendo yes, PlayStation no.

4 Likes
924

Disagree it may not have been great this gen but they’ve built up enough credit in the bank over ps4 gen & still having hits like Spider-Man God of War etc this gen that their loyalty isn’t tested.

This is what is so disappointing in them moving multiplatform so soon. In my opinion you had to build up the credit again of having the hits in games build the brand up again.

Then begin the move multiplatform.

Instead they didn’t even give people the feeling of having been rewarded for their loyalty. Instead completely disregarded it.

2 Likes
925

What Reward for Loyalty? A honest question, in the end it’s all business, I only reward i see what sony offers is selling a overpriced not so much pro console, gutting ps stars, and etc.

926

This is my point with Xbox PR and how it’s not good enough like Indy showed. I’m not against games coming to PlayStation if that means Xbox still in the console market and make their own console line. I would like Xbox to be more open and honest about what titles are coming

There should be a written rule that games that made the Xbox like Fable, Forza, Gears and Halo should never be on the PlayStation, but anything is game.

927

Whilst I do think internally they know which titles they likely won’t consider porting, they can never reveal that publicly and shouldn’t. For example, if one of those titles struggles to recoup costs on Xbox/PC, maybe a port to PS and Switch 2 could help. Then you’d just get the hardcore fans raging all over the forums again and filing lawsuits over broken promises.

1 Like
928

How are some still running around like the sky is falling? Don’t you ever get tired of feeling terrified all the time about stuff that doesn’t ultimately matter?

3 Likes
929

If Microsoft want to rip the hearts of Xbox fans destroy brand loyalty and community sprit & goodwill then port either Fable, Forza or Gears to PlayStation.

Think Xbox could port most of the rest over and there’ll be no big backlash like to see Halo multiplayer on the PS5 with crossplay but I know the die hard and the faithful would see it like an utter betrayal.

People can make fun of the die-hards, fanboys but the time, money and loyalty they give to a brand shouldn’t be overlooked.

I’m happy just to have Xbox in the console sector I don’t have any time for the two other platform holders. Happy with the Xbox since I moved to the Xbox platform from Dreamcast and stayed with the Xbox brand.

930

I bet no one in that supposed “hardcore group of loyal fans” have spent anywhere near the time or money I have, and it doesn’t give them the entitlement to write over the majority (which they most certainly are not, and no fanatic/console warrior is worth placating). So miss me with another diatribe that is effectively baseless.

3 Likes
931

I’ve had every Xbox console at launch and hundreds of games for each. I’ve probably spent more money than three average “hardcore fans” combined. I couldn’t give less of a shit what systems Xbox puts games out on.

3 Likes