As a fan of almost all things Microsoft it is so frustrating to go through a day like July 23rd and watch them make the same mistakes again and again from a marketing standpoint.
The first mistake is that they spent an hour pounding value value value (TV, TV, TV??) to gaming enthusiasts. The folks who are most likely to run out on launch day and pay full price for a console that will be $100 cheaper a year later. Those folks know about Game Pass and likely have it already. Microsoft didn't gain anything from enthusiasts (us) watching yesterday. Their marketing strategy is outdated with the creation of their service. The only way they get folks like us excited I hate to say it is from serious mic drop moments. Which leads me to the next error.
The second was a completely unforced error. They tried to create a mic drop moment with what might be the single worst kept secret in the gaming industry with Playground Games creating the new Fable. For me 'mic drops' are major surprises and major announcements. Not confirmations of badly kept secrets. Then when they did try to create a mic drop moment they did it with a CGI tease and a logo. That only works with a massive desire for something from the audience, but ZERO leaks or rumors that it exists. Had they done the show and ended with "Every single game 1st and 3rd party you saw today will be available on Game Pass day 1" that would have been better marketing for Game Pass than what they did now that I think about it.
Lastly, literally any amount of Gameplay--and that Fable announcement is received entirely different. Which is their third mistake they made yesterday and it was a repeat of one they've made before back in May. They have got to show gameplay if they want enthusiasts to give a shit about the games they are showing. They should know that by now, but for some reason they are content with showing CGI trailer after CGI trailer or using in engine sequences to show these games off. Halo stole the show because #1 it is Halo, but #2 because it had gameplay love it or hate it. No one currently seems to care about State of Decay 3, Forza Motorsports, Fable and Avowed beyond thinking "Those look cool" because lack of gameplay to most of us means the game is a long ways off.
All the worst aspects of the show yesterday were the result of them making the same mistakes they have made before. The first one probably being the most egregious since they "lost" the generation before it ever even started with TV, TV, TV. I still love Xbox and most of their games, but man they are frustrating when they consistently make the same mistakes over and over again.
The first mistake is that they spent an hour pounding value value value (TV, TV, TV??) to gaming enthusiasts. The folks who are most likely to run out on launch day and pay full price for a console that will be $100 cheaper a year later. Those folks know about Game Pass and likely have it already. Microsoft didn't gain anything from enthusiasts (us) watching yesterday. Their marketing strategy is outdated with the creation of their service. The only way they get folks like us excited I hate to say it is from serious mic drop moments. Which leads me to the next error.
The second was a completely unforced error. They tried to create a mic drop moment with what might be the single worst kept secret in the gaming industry with Playground Games creating the new Fable. For me 'mic drops' are major surprises and major announcements. Not confirmations of badly kept secrets. Then when they did try to create a mic drop moment they did it with a CGI tease and a logo. That only works with a massive desire for something from the audience, but ZERO leaks or rumors that it exists. Had they done the show and ended with "Every single game 1st and 3rd party you saw today will be available on Game Pass day 1" that would have been better marketing for Game Pass than what they did now that I think about it.
Lastly, literally any amount of Gameplay--and that Fable announcement is received entirely different. Which is their third mistake they made yesterday and it was a repeat of one they've made before back in May. They have got to show gameplay if they want enthusiasts to give a shit about the games they are showing. They should know that by now, but for some reason they are content with showing CGI trailer after CGI trailer or using in engine sequences to show these games off. Halo stole the show because #1 it is Halo, but #2 because it had gameplay love it or hate it. No one currently seems to care about State of Decay 3, Forza Motorsports, Fable and Avowed beyond thinking "Those look cool" because lack of gameplay to most of us means the game is a long ways off.
All the worst aspects of the show yesterday were the result of them making the same mistakes they have made before. The first one probably being the most egregious since they "lost" the generation before it ever even started with TV, TV, TV. I still love Xbox and most of their games, but man they are frustrating when they consistently make the same mistakes over and over again.
