Xbox chief: We want to regain trust more than we want to beat Sony

Spencer says doing right by customers is more important than market share.

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[arkiel]

What a wonderful sentiment.

 

[KGFish]

Were we building a product for us, or were we building a product for gamers?

Wow. Nice introspection. There may be hope for MS after all.

 

[LJ]

I think regaining trust is more realistic than beating Sony. Sony's world wide lead is nearly 2:1. North American sales alone are pretty even, though.

 

[cateye]

The unfortunate thing about how the marketplace reacted to the initial XB1 announcement is how, in retrospect and with hindsight, some of the features Microsoft wanted to introduce would actually have been pretty damn convenient, and an interesting break from how consoles have traditionally worked (especially in regard to handling of physical media).

But the reality is there is almost no more unreasonably change-averse group than gamers (console, PC, or otherwise), and people completely lost their minds. Microsoft should've been smart enough to anticipate this: Their target market didn't want different, even if different was "better" by some metric.

As an XB1 owner, I appreciate that they didn't just throw in the towel and have continued to find ways to innovate and improve the console, while making sure its core gaming functions remain predictable and stable. So I suppose that's the best case scenario.

 

[kylector]

Fascinating that some people still think the XBone won't play used games. It really demonstrates how much they blundered that stage time. I remember everyone loved Sony because their demos were all about the games, and MS was all about media. It's incredible how far-reaching the effect is.

I read the whole thing waiting for him to comment on the stupid name, but unfortunately he did not deliver. I do agree with KGFish above that he's showing a surprising amount of introspection and doing what they can with the hand they have.

 

[Kirtaner]

Golgatha[/url]":22dsxylh]Which is why we tried to originally force Kinect and consumer unfriendly DRM down your throats until we realized you didn't want either adamantly enough that you kept your wallets closed...

The man that spearheaded the Xbox One launch departed shortly after. His PR blunders and poorly delivered interviews nearly sunk the console.

Phil Spencer came in to pick up the pieces.

And he's been doing an incredible job.

 

[samanime]

I actually think this is a really good position to take. At this point, in this current generation, it is highly unlikely that Xbox One will ever overtake the PS4. Looking at it and setting goals from that angle is only going to lead to stupid decisions and failure.

Instead, they're focusing on showing that they realized they screwed up, and are working hard to correct that. While it won't close the gap much between the two, it will set them up in a better position for the next generation.

Also, while market share is important, like he said, Sony doing good doesn't translate directly to Microsoft doing bad. Many gamers have multiple platforms.

(All that said as someone who currently has a PS4 and Wii U... waiting for Xbox One to get some exclusives I care about =p)

 

[wallinbl]

How about not requiring a subscription for basic features?

 

[Kirtaner]

Coriolanus[/url]":2igxvd5k]

kylector[/url]":2igxvd5k]Fascinating that some people still think the XBone won't play used games. It really demonstrates how much they blundered that stage time. I remember everyone loved Sony because their demos were all about the games, and MS was all about media. It's incredible how far-reaching the effect is.

I read the whole thing waiting for him to comment on the stupid name, but unfortunately he did not deliver. I do agree with KGFish above that he's showing a surprising amount of introspection and doing what they can with the hand they have.

Who are these people who still think the XBox One doesn't play used games? Because either they're clueless or they're not really interested in the subject matter.

The same people that think the Wii U is a Wii accessory, no doubt

 

[gruntboyx]

"people with Xbox logo tattoos, "coming to us almost in tears because they felt like the direction we were going with the product didn't include them." "

Wow ... people got Xbox Tattoos?

Then again.. i forgot about the Zune tattoo guy.

 

[samanime]

Coriolanus[/url]":37qp5zyk]

kylector[/url]":37qp5zyk]Fascinating that some people still think the XBone won't play used games. It really demonstrates how much they blundered that stage time. I remember everyone loved Sony because their demos were all about the games, and MS was all about media. It's incredible how far-reaching the effect is.

I read the whole thing waiting for him to comment on the stupid name, but unfortunately he did not deliver. I do agree with KGFish above that he's showing a surprising amount of introspection and doing what they can with the hand they have.

Who are these people who still think the XBox One doesn't play used games? Because either they're clueless or they're not really interested in the subject matter.

The vast majority of people don't "follow" game news (or any kind of tech news for that matter). What usually happens is people may get excited about a new product and check out initial coverage. Then, if it turns them off, they stop caring and don't look at it again. That's what probably happened to many, many potential Xbox One customers. The initial news was "no used-games", so that's the last bit of news they heard.

 

[marsilies]

wallinbl[/url]":2o6i0anj]How about not requiring a subscription for basic features?

Which "basic features" are you talking about? You don't need a subscription for anything on Xbox you don't need a subscription on PS4 for. MS changed online apps like Netflix to not need a subscription. Basically, the only thing you need a subscription for is online multiplayer and their "free games" offering, which is the same as for the PS4.

 

[Sufinsil]

cateye[/url]":2151v0p4]The unfortunate thing about how the marketplace reacted to the initial XB1 announcement is how, in retrospect and with hindsight, some of the features Microsoft wanted to introduce would actually have been pretty damn convenient, and an interesting break from how consoles have traditionally worked (especially in regard to handling of physical media).

But the reality is there is almost no more change-averse group than gamers, and people completely lost their minds. In a sense, Microsoft should've been smart enough to realize this: Their market didn't want different, even if different was "better" by some metric.

But, as an XB1 owner, I appreciate that they didn't just throw in the towel and have continued to find ways to innovate and improve the console, while making sure its core gaming functions remain predictable and stable. So I suppose that's the best case scenario.

They could still have offered the Family Share feature for digital copies of games.

The system would just mirrored PC gaming for the past 2 years with CD Keys, but with the option to trade them off your account. Which might have worked, but its not as dead simple as selling a case and disc.

 

[AlexOfPalaven]

I've been a PS user since the PS2 was launched, and I've never had much use for Xbox (their console exclusives never interested me), but I'm very happy to see this from MS. I have a lot of friends that are die hard Xbox fans and they were furious at the announcements made during that now infamous E3 presser. I really hope they mean it when they say they're trying to win back that trust. I'm no fan of MS and the Xbox, but nobody wins if there's only one major gaming console (can you really count Nintendo anymore?) and no competition to make it better.

 

[dizdizzie]

eric123[/url]":2owxozku]how do you judge you are doing well? compare yourself to competition.

its all circular talk that leads back to the same answer.

It depends what are you trying to achieve. Sure you can sell a lot of phones like Samsung did with S3, but a lot of people didn't buy any new phones from Samsung, because they weren't happy with them. Having happy loyal consumers is important. I think this why Apple can still make a lot of money while Samsung profits declined after some spike.

 

[Golgatha]

Kirtaner[/url]":1jeeleah]

Golgatha[/url]":1jeeleah]Which is why we tried to originally force Kinect and consumer unfriendly DRM down your throats until we realized you didn't want either adamantly enough that you kept your wallets closed...

The man that spearheaded the Xbox One launch departed shortly after. His PR blunders and poorly delivered interviews nearly sunk the console.

Phil Spencer came in to pick up the pieces.

And he's been doing an incredible job.

I agree with you that Phil Spencer has done a good job as a leader. It still doesn't change the fact that Microsoft as a company chose the direction they did in the beginning. They've since largely corrected course, but it certainly wasn't due to a change of heart, it was a reaction to their paying customers demanding things change.

 

[quietnine]

As a PC Gamer, Xbox1 is the first console I've ever bought.

I bought it BECAUSE of Kinect, and BECAUSE it focuses just as much on media as it does on games. Games are great, play them everyday. But coming home with the girlfriend and saying "xbox on, go to netflix" so we can sit down and watch TV, or "xbox play (band/playlist), volume down" when a friend walks in, thats the future for cord cutters.

The large selection of apps from every network is something really great. I fully believe that Cortana on Xbox (and the PC that's also connected to my TV) will make me even more invested in their platform.

They learned their lesson on DRM and Always-on, i hope. I don't understand why resolution differences that eyeballs can't even interpret from the couch have continued to generate so much positive buzz for PS4, but I am really happy with my choice. My system plays games and more.

And from a customer perspective, 2nd place is a great place to be, because every week there is something MS is doing to try to make the platform better to catch up. If they were in 1st, I bet there would be a lot less effort.

 

[marsilies]

eric123[/url]":sxl4cw4f]how do you judge you are doing well? compare yourself to competition..

Or, you know, internal metrics about revenue and profits. You don't have to be doing better than everyone else in order to be doing well.

I mean, say I open a local coffee shop. My one shop dwarfs in comparison to Starbucks. However, if my shop attracts customers and generates sales to pay for rent/labor/materials and still have a nice profit, that coffee shop is doing well. And hey, maybe after a while it does so well I can afford to expand and open a 2nd coffee shop. It's still nothing in comparison to Starbucks, but I'd call it a success.

A company doesn't have to be #1 to be considered successful.

 

[Kirtaner]

Golgatha[/url]":2hh2843j]

Kirtaner[/url]":2hh2843j]

Golgatha[/url]":2hh2843j]Which is why we tried to originally force Kinect and consumer unfriendly DRM down your throats until we realized you didn't want either adamantly enough that you kept your wallets closed...

The man that spearheaded the Xbox One launch departed shortly after. His PR blunders and poorly delivered interviews nearly sunk the console.

Phil Spencer came in to pick up the pieces.

And he's been doing an incredible job.

I agree with you that Phil Spencer has done a good job as a leader. It still doesn't change the fact that Microsoft as a company chose the direction they did in the beginning. They've since largely corrected course, but it certainly wasn't due to a change of heart, it was a reaction to their paying customers demanding things change.

Ballmer-led Microsoft was a fractured company full of divisions that remained mostly independent. Xbox was Xbox.

This has been largely changing during Nadella's tenure, which is a good thing for everybody.

But the Xbox division is still by and large the most independent Microsoft group.

 

[Akemi]

cateye[/url]":3l31a6p1]The unfortunate thing about how the marketplace reacted to the initial XB1 announcement is how, in retrospect and with hindsight, some of the features Microsoft wanted to introduce would actually have been pretty damn convenient, and an interesting break from how consoles have traditionally worked (especially in regard to handling of physical media).

But the reality is there is almost no more change-averse group than gamers, and people completely lost their minds. In a sense, Microsoft should've been smart enough to realize this: Their market didn't want different, even if different was "better" by some metric.

But, as an XB1 owner, I appreciate that they didn't just throw in the towel and have continued to find ways to innovate and improve the console, while making sure its core gaming functions remain predictable and stable. So I suppose that's the best case scenario.

I'm sure the angst had nothing to do with the announcements largely being about the downsides (no more used games - LULZ) while having virtually no positives in the mix, instead of just coming forward with everything as planned. Combine that with the acerbic statements by a certain prior Xbox guy who is soon to be ousted from Zynga (or is he already gone?) basically telling people with limited or no Internet connection that they should just stick with a 360, and screw them losers. And you get where people said, no - screw you Microsoft.

People weren't any more pleased with Sony for the PS3 launch. With bombast like, people will get another job to pay for our product! Really? Seem to recall a lot of PS3's not selling at launch, and the PS3 being a huge money-sink for Sony even after it slightly surpassed the 360 in overall worldwide sales towards the very end of its life. In the North American territories the 360 still leads the PS3 by a gargantuan margin.

So, Spencer has at least one thing correct. The initial perception of a product is hard to shake, and can end up determining final sales regardless of any changes made to initial consumer concerns after the fact.

But Spencer thinks that trust is coming back, in part thanks to new features like Xbox One's backwards-compatibility with the Xbox 360.

I think support for 360 hardware is also a concern. How many racing enthusiasts are pissed at the prospect of having to sump another several hundred bucks on racing wheels due to an internal Microsoft decision about input protocols and licensing? Instead of charging for some hardware compatibility device, Microsoft could generate a lot of goodwill among a large subset of gamers by offering a software update (call it 360 hardware mode) that allows their old and expensive hardware like steering wheels, fight sticks, and flight sticks to work as they did with the 360.

 

[anurodhp]

I used to follow the games industry in detail and then sort of stopped following it as extensively. I only recently realized they dropped the DRM and kinect nonsense. the Xbone was DOA for me because of it.
I can't unhear the video :

TV sports TV TV madden SPORTS kinect TV fantasy football madden sports... DRM. no used games. sports. anybody? tv tv TV tv tv sports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbWgUO-Rqcw

Coriolanus[/url]":1im8w7h2]

kylector[/url]":1im8w7h2]Fascinating that some people still think the XBone won't play used games. It really demonstrates how much they blundered that stage time. I remember everyone loved Sony because their demos were all about the games, and MS was all about media. It's incredible how far-reaching the effect is.

I read the whole thing waiting for him to comment on the stupid name, but unfortunately he did not deliver. I do agree with KGFish above that he's showing a surprising amount of introspection and doing what they can with the hand they have.

Who are these people who still think the XBox One doesn't play used games? Because either they're clueless or they're not really interested in the subject matter.

Tuned in for e3, saw the headlines about "not the console for you" and went back to my 360. I guess just ignoring xbox news in general would do this.

 

[Phanatical]

the problem with this is that lots of times, you don't just loose the customer for a few months or a year, you loose them for the entire console cycle. Many folks can't see the justification for a second console (whether that be parents or whoever). They won't be able to re-capture the trust of many of those folks out there. It won't be until Xbox 4 comes out that they will truly have a chance at recapturing those folks. (hopefully the don't pull the same mistakes when that happens).

 

[bhive01]

Kirtaner[/url]":ve2aa94h]
The same people that think the Wii U is a Wii accessory, no doubt

You're saying it's not?
I recently bought a WiiU and have only bought a few Wii games to catch up on the ones I missed after selling my Wii in 2009. At some point I'll get some WiiU games, but I'm having fun with it.

 

[Wild]

It would help me trust them more I didn't feel like they talked out of both sides of their mouths. Phil talked about focusing on their first-party games instead of buying exclusivity, but Tomb Raider was purchased to hit their platform first.

Then he got on gamers for the "distasteful...discourse around video games" and that it becomes "divisive." But he fails to acknowledge that he is a large part of that problem. Gamers have asked, for years, for their to be cross-platform play between PCs, Playstations, and XBoxes, and Sony seems more than game to play ball. The recent Rocket League release allows cross play with PC and PS4, and the developers said the only reason stopping them on Xbox is Microsoft's no cross-play stance. That sort of policy causes the very "distasteful" conversations that Phil Spencer laments, because when I have a friend that wants to buy a current gen system he has to decide which platform. That means he asks my friend and me, with different consoles, which one he should get. We then have to "pitch" our platform of choice to our friend so that we can play together. He has to choose, which means we have a vested interest in one platform appearing better than the other.

Phil Spencer has done a lot to fix the issues with the Xbox One launch but he still comes across as a bit of a charlatan, saying populist things but not following through with his actions.

 

[zerocommazero]

Sasparilla[/url]":6b9xoppe]I love the verbal intent and hope they actually follow through...but when it comes to Microsoft and making choices that fulfill their paying customers trust as opposed to selling that trust out in exchange for some other (short sighted Microsoft benefit) - Microsoft has a long history of choosing the "Sell'm out and deny we did anything wrong" choice:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/01 ... a_patches/

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/j ... -user-data

When it comes to Microsoft and asking their customers to trust them, it seems like an endless replay of the old Scorpion and the Frog story:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog

I think it comes down to what MS Gaming division wants vs. what MS Corporate demands. Sony went through that with the PS3. Sony corporation's intent to cram Blu-ray in caused their own lack of early adopters in that generation. MS almost had me as a customer this gen until they blew it with the "always online, no physical media, deal with it" fiasco.

 

[JamesHulsmann]

eric123[/url]":gprsqakz]how do you judge you are doing well? compare yourself to competition.

its all circular talk that leads back to the same answer.

So then Apple must be a failure when it comes to phones, laptops and desktops.... oh wait.

 

[Synthetic Frost]

I consider myself a pretty hardcore gamer. I grew up on PC and Nintendo consoles, and I spent a lot of money on Xbox and Xbox 360 games in the later generations. But this gen, I went almost entirely to PC gaming, with the Wii U supplementing any console-based gaming needs I might have. Partly because of the Kinect camera and policy bullshit, and partly because the console simply didn't have any exclusives that appealed to me. As a hardcore gamer, the Wii U is the only console with exclusives that are appealing.

Microsoft's going to have to do a whole lot of getting back to making some GOOD games for me to buy into them again. At the moment, I play my hardcore games on my PC, and my console exclusives on the Wii U. And I'm looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles X. After being burned by every Halo game after Halo 3, and Fable 2 and 3, Microsoft doesn't have an IP I'm interested in.

 

[JamesHulsmann]

Golgatha[/url]":6ae3v2xb]

Kirtaner[/url]":6ae3v2xb]

Golgatha[/url]":6ae3v2xb]Which is why we tried to originally force Kinect and consumer unfriendly DRM down your throats until we realized you didn't want either adamantly enough that you kept your wallets closed...

The man that spearheaded the Xbox One launch departed shortly after. His PR blunders and poorly delivered interviews nearly sunk the console.

Phil Spencer came in to pick up the pieces.

And he's been doing an incredible job.

I agree with you that Phil Spencer has done a good job as a leader. It still doesn't change the fact that Microsoft as a company chose the direction they did in the beginning. They've since largely corrected course, but it certainly wasn't due to a change of heart, it was a reaction to their paying customers demanding things change.

Isn't this how we WANT companies to react to us when we are not happy? You can call it whatever you want.

 

[MisterAlex]

It's easy to say "the score doesn't matter!" when you're the one who's way behind on the scoreboard. :v