James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
This drop happened before that announcement though.
The results for 2023 were abysmal, the executives saw there was no recovering from that. They then pivoted in 2024 to save the business.
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What damaged the Xbox brand the most over the years?
- Thread starter DoubleClutch
- Start date
This drop happened before that announcement though.
The results for 2023 were abysmal, the executives saw there was no recovering from that. They then pivoted in 2024 to save the business.
BlackTron
Member
They did take steps to recover, I got a Series X too. In hindsight, I just liked the hardware, and I could not suspend my disbelief enough to think that after all their screwups they would keep doing the same shit. They kept doing the same shit...it was honestly way worse than I thought it would be and my expectations weren't crazy. When people own tons of game systems, give a free pass after shitting the bed for a decade, and still sell the system, you simply suck. No one has more money than MS to finance game development, they simply are not good at managing this task.
SeanyQuest
Neo Member
“WhAt DiD XbOx Do WrOnG?”
Doesn’t list Halo. Fucking classic
Doesn’t list Halo. Fucking classic
Soodanim
Gold Member
RROD was bad, but people were already in the system and they (eventually) took responsibility and fixed everyone's faulty consoles. I don't feel like that hurt them too much. Maybe I'm misremembering.
From the poll options, I can't help but think that it was the always online Xbox One that hurt them the most. That turned people away before their new console even got to market, despite MS having their minds changed.
But first post nailed it, it's a compound issue that knocked down customer loyalty, confidence, and ultimately reason to buy over the course of a number of years.
From the poll options, I can't help but think that it was the always online Xbox One that hurt them the most. That turned people away before their new console even got to market, despite MS having their minds changed.
But first post nailed it, it's a compound issue that knocked down customer loyalty, confidence, and ultimately reason to buy over the course of a number of years.
dragonyeuw
Member
The most obvious is they never really recovered from the Xbox One( specifically the 2013 reveal set the tone for the generation), but pivoting at the back end of the 360 era from what worked just to catch the motion control hype train ( that the Wii was losing momentum with by 2010) was where they initially fucked up and it's just snowballed trying to correct course.
nial
Gold Member
I was already comparing the peak of both brands when it comes to first-party sales and why even Xbox at its peak can't compete with PlayStation.
The problem is that you started the discussion with the impression that It was about Xbox 360 vs. PS3, and not just about Xbox's peak vs. PlayStation's worst.
Horseganador
Member
The entire strategy has failed, Spencer's direction, Greenberg's marketing, the GP devaluing the games and their sales, a huge investment, their fans defending Uncle Phil as if he were family for years, etc...
gothmog
Gold Member
I know. 343 slowly sunk one of the biggest franchises in gaming. Imagine Nintendo giving Mario to some inept development team.
clarky
Gold Member
My bad then because I took this as you comparing the 360/Ps3 era.
Never mind lets move along. all good.
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REDRZA MWS
Member
Definitely the weak Xbox one. I mean, the OG Xbox came on the scene with HALO CE packaged in, built in Ethernet port (first console ever) and a full online service on Xbox live. The 360 was one of the best consoles of all time….. how they went from those two console to the VCR looking, well underpowered, dumbass hdmi in for tv, forced Kinect is beyond me. The One X should have been what they launched with.
Efren is G.O.A.T.
Member
It wasn't in the options but when Spencer said in an interview that they aren't going to "out-console" Sony even if they release a 10/10 game sounds like giving up to me.
Yep, everything to do with Xbox One and it's launch. Amplified by Sony making so few mistakes during the same period of time.
nial
Gold Member
It's fine, looking back I could also made myself a bit clearer earlier.
Unknown?
Member
How do you explain the Wii U(and GC) failing then? It(and GC) had great games but the console wasn't desirable. Heck the Switch relied on Wii U ports for awhile.
deriks
4-Time GIF/Meme God
phant0m
Member
Poor 1P output 1000%
The only solidly reliable franchise they’ve had since XB1 launch is Forza Horizon.
2nd culprit is probably the Kinect push with XB1. Core Gamers did not care and MS didn’t really do anything innovative with it.
TBH they should have stuck to their guns on the always online DRM thing but branded it differently. Being able to share digital games with your friends would’ve been a huge differentiator
The only solidly reliable franchise they’ve had since XB1 launch is Forza Horizon.
2nd culprit is probably the Kinect push with XB1. Core Gamers did not care and MS didn’t really do anything innovative with it.
TBH they should have stuck to their guns on the always online DRM thing but branded it differently. Being able to share digital games with your friends would’ve been a huge differentiator
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MLSabre
Member
phant0m
Member
The Xbox brand was fucked long before GP. TBH GP is the only thing still keeping theming relevant in the conversation
bitbydeath
Gold Member
Phil Spencer.
He closed numerous studios and stopped exclusives altogether (aside from Halo, Forza and Gears) during the Xbox One gen.
Don is an easy target but bad launches don’t ruin generations, PS3 shows this.
He closed numerous studios and stopped exclusives altogether (aside from Halo, Forza and Gears) during the Xbox One gen.
Don is an easy target but bad launches don’t ruin generations, PS3 shows this.
Guerilla Munch
Member
all they had to do was make a next generation 360, but instead they gave us the weak ass Bone with the cable tv integration and the Kinect
also the downfall of Halo
also the downfall of Halo
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I'm going to suggest an unpopular one: Marc Whitten.
He was the guy responsible for notions like "Xbox is Channel 1!", and all of the absolute nonsense about connecting your Xbox to your cable box and having it be this all-in-one entertainment destination. A lot of the absolute most moronic things Xbox did around that time were his brainchild. Spencer tried and failed to pick up the pieces, but Whitten's the one who started getting a few too many bright ideas and torpedoed the entire brand. Frankly, Xbox's senior leadership has been dominated by incompetent, empty suits for the majority of the business's existence, so I hardly think their current situation was hard to predict.
He was the guy responsible for notions like "Xbox is Channel 1!", and all of the absolute nonsense about connecting your Xbox to your cable box and having it be this all-in-one entertainment destination. A lot of the absolute most moronic things Xbox did around that time were his brainchild. Spencer tried and failed to pick up the pieces, but Whitten's the one who started getting a few too many bright ideas and torpedoed the entire brand. Frankly, Xbox's senior leadership has been dominated by incompetent, empty suits for the majority of the business's existence, so I hardly think their current situation was hard to predict.
kevboard
Member
the always online DRM/no used games announcement killed the brand. you can't come back from that.
every casual heard that headline, noone heard about Microsoft reversing that decision.
even years after the Xbox One was already out, people still thought the always online DRM and not being able to borrow or sell games was still in place, and I know of at least 1 person who didn't but an Xbox One because he thought that this is how the console works.
whoever drafted that idea at Microsoft was hopefully fired, because whoever it was literally killed the brand, and killed it while it still had huge momentum as well.
every casual heard that headline, noone heard about Microsoft reversing that decision.
even years after the Xbox One was already out, people still thought the always online DRM and not being able to borrow or sell games was still in place, and I know of at least 1 person who didn't but an Xbox One because he thought that this is how the console works.
whoever drafted that idea at Microsoft was hopefully fired, because whoever it was literally killed the brand, and killed it while it still had huge momentum as well.
asdasdasdbb
Member
Kinect 100%. Could have had everything else they had tried... but a more expensive console with worse hardware wasn't going to work.
Second thing is making their games not exclusive.
Third thing is seemingly not understanding that Gamepass encourages them to not make games, but games is what sells the console.
Second thing is making their games not exclusive.
Third thing is seemingly not understanding that Gamepass encourages them to not make games, but games is what sells the console.
Kabelly
Member
Pubicly dunked on after the Xbox One reveal. It's the critical pivot into turning into a joke to people. Sony releasing that "sharing your games with friends" ad really did some damage as well.
Then they just have had no CRITICALLY demanding games for the system for a while and instead of fostering the growth of their studios they poached a bunch of third party studios that did nothing for the brand because now all these games are back to being third party.
Then they just have had no CRITICALLY demanding games for the system for a while and instead of fostering the growth of their studios they poached a bunch of third party studios that did nothing for the brand because now all these games are back to being third party.
Rawbutt Jellybean
Member
Not prioritizing a strong lineup starting late in the 360 gen. Should have been making acquisitions back then.
Varteras
Member
Putting too much on
adamsapple
's shoulders. Man can only carry so much. Respect.
adamsapple
's shoulders. Man can only carry so much. Respect.
MacReady13
Member
Geez, where to start? The Xbone pre launch didn't truly piss me off as I was ALL in on Xbox. I even forgave them for Kinect on 360 AND bundling it with all Xbones. But where it all started to go real bad for me was getting the Xbone and starting it up, it wasn't a TRUE 360 successor. Where was the ease of use on the home screen? Talking to friends? Joining your friends? Where were the arcade game? I mean, the 360 had Bejeweled, Pac Man Champion edition, Hexen, Geometry Wars etc... Where was that on the Xbone? Where were the great exclusive 1st, 2nd and 3rd party games that they excelled at on the 360? It all went missing!
Then we get to the REAL downfall and damage to the brand- Gamepass. It's now all about "content". Needing to buy ABK for almost $70 billion and for what reason? To fill up Gamepass with games?! Madness. And cause of that, they've completely lost focus of their console to promote shit like firesticks and TV's as a way to play Xbox games!!!!!?! But apparently they're just 10 years too early and that is why not many people are all in on gamepass being everywhere... BULLSHIT. Gamepass was there to do 1 thing- ruin Playstation. It failed but they are so far down that hole they have no choice continuing down this shit path where they abandon their consoles over a fucking firestick! Console exclusives are no more cause they need to recoup the losses from gamepass AND make up the losses from the ABK purchase to fuel gamepass! You love to see it, don't you?!
Then we get to the REAL downfall and damage to the brand- Gamepass. It's now all about "content". Needing to buy ABK for almost $70 billion and for what reason? To fill up Gamepass with games?! Madness. And cause of that, they've completely lost focus of their console to promote shit like firesticks and TV's as a way to play Xbox games!!!!!?! But apparently they're just 10 years too early and that is why not many people are all in on gamepass being everywhere... BULLSHIT. Gamepass was there to do 1 thing- ruin Playstation. It failed but they are so far down that hole they have no choice continuing down this shit path where they abandon their consoles over a fucking firestick! Console exclusives are no more cause they need to recoup the losses from gamepass AND make up the losses from the ABK purchase to fuel gamepass! You love to see it, don't you?!
HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
Pretty sure I remember him specifically saying "And no it wont be Indiana Jones" unless I am misremembering
GametimeUK
Member
Coming off the back of a hot generation with the 360 and carrying a load of momentum going into the Xbox One and they decide to try push anti consumer policies onto their customers, insult their intelligence saying they just can't "flip the switch and make the DRM vanish"... and then they just flipped the switch and got rid of DRM.
It just fucked with their public perception at the most critical time possible and I don't think they've ever recovered. It opened up the door for Somy to be perceived as "the good guy".
It just fucked with their public perception at the most critical time possible and I don't think they've ever recovered. It opened up the door for Somy to be perceived as "the good guy".
Topher
Identifies as young
Yeah, at those moment he was talking about what the four games were, but you can't tell me everything that has happened since then wasn't already known. There is no good way to announce to your fanbase that they are porting games to their direct competition except to flat out say it. They are still playing this "case by case" game but if Halo finds its way on to PS5 then they might as well just go full third party and be done with it.
HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
I agree there is no way he did not know at that point Indy was heading to PS
playbignbox
Member
Xbox One reveal.
JackMcGunns
Member
No multi-vote option? The fist 4 all contributed and Kinect is intertwined with the weaker hardware since more than $100 went into the forced Kinect in the box. The price at launch was another, and again Kinect’s fault. It’s not that MS cheaper out either, Xbox One cost more to make than PS4 because of expensive ESRAM embedded in the GPU which took up die space forcing the design to cut CU down to 12.
PatientGamer
Member
All valuable options, but the lack of exclusive content has got to be the biggest failing here.
It's the one constant since 2010. They simply struggle to produce high quality, exclusive content for their hardware outside of Gears, Halo and Forza.
It's the one constant since 2010. They simply struggle to produce high quality, exclusive content for their hardware outside of Gears, Halo and Forza.
Gamer_By_Proxy
Member
Phil easily. You need to be ruthless to have a successful console. Exclusives. Got after it all. Sony and Nintendo isn’t trying to be anyone’s friend.
Skifi28
Member
If I wanted to be harsh, I'd say the fans. Too much defending everything and "wait for next year". Of course you could argue that all brands have such fans, but I always felt xbox had much more of a cult mindset with way too many "infuencers" which was cultivated from the company itself.
TintoConCasera
I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
ToneyJ
Member
Studio mismanagement. By 2011 they were just making Halo/Gears/Forza over and over again and had the most boring lineup of exclusives. And from 2012-2023 they struggled to put out anything good aside from Forza Horizon.
Throw in gamepass devaluing their games and everything being multiplat devaluing the Xbox platform itself, its no surprise they've cratered the brand.
Throw in gamepass devaluing their games and everything being multiplat devaluing the Xbox platform itself, its no surprise they've cratered the brand.
Mister Wolf
Member
One top of that it was a clearly weaker system that they tried to charge more for. They really showed their ass to the gaming world.
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