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Xbox One - A Generational Masterclass

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gofreak

gofreak

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Oct 26, 2017
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dodmaster said:
A masterclass in business turnaround maybe.
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I'd say PS3 still beats it as far as turnarounds go. Sony ended up more or less matching their competitor's market performance, was pumping out a lot of great games throughout the generation, and poured value on the customer in the services space relative to their competitors (starting the whole 'subscribe for games' concept in the process). And did all that by the time a new gen came around. MS ticked maybe one of those boxes in their recovery from the the brand's lowest point, and in that sense the recovery is still incomplete/ongoing.
 
Wireframe

Wireframe

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Oct 28, 2017
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The only thing XBONE has been a masterclass in is how to alienate your fanbase and give your opponents the win at the start of the race. Not even going into the fact that Microsoft have a frankly embarrassing line-up compared to their competitors when it comes to exclusive games. Gamepass has been probably their only saving grace this gen. If the OP was smaller I'd have called this a bait thread.
 
cw_sasuke

cw_sasuke

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Oct 27, 2017
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Kromeo said:
The thread is immediately nonsense when you use "masterclass" in the title
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Pretty much this.

If you can consider the way a first party has ran a generation in master class it would be Sony with the PS4 - MS and Nintendo fucked up quite a bit with One and WiiU ...if it wasnt for Sony to secure the console market things would be far worse nowadays. Even now with Switch and the late Xbox One/Game pass MS and Nintendo profit from the stability the PS4 provided for developers earlier this generation.

Switch or GamePass libaries are as big as they are because the PS4 set the tone for this generation, which resulted in a lot of content to be shared/ported across viable systems.
 
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Dr Pears

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Sep 9, 2018
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It's far from a masterclass. They failed to capitalise on the 360's growth and success. They spent the entire generation trying to fix things and I'd argue they aren't quite there yet. The good thing to look forward to is that they can only get better next gen with all those newly acquired studios as long as they don't fuck things up.

I know this may sound hyperbolic, but personally, buying an Xbox One in 2014 has been a mistake in the long run due to 3 things:
1. It was at that point that Microsoft started putting everything on PC, rendering the Xbox useless for PC owners like me.
2. Games that were released that i was anticipating were (subjectively) disappointing - Halo 5, Gears 4, Recore, etc
3. Other games I was anticipating were getting canceled - Scalebound, Fable
 
Izzard

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Sep 21, 2018
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They bounced back? Insert that Thor/banner meme...

Bouncing back would be what PS did with PS3, and while I think xbox did a hell of a lot to right some wrongs this gen, they came in to it after the great success with 360 showing nothing really new. They had the same old studios producing the same old games, an appalling console, an add on that the masses didn't want, a higher price point, and were unready for the competition. They are still dealing with some of this stuff at the END of this gen.

It's great that you're happy with them, but it's a masterclass in how to fuck up a whole console generation.
 
RestEerie

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Aug 20, 2018
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Reminds me of that thread where someone said BvS is a masterpiece and civil war is regular marvel popcorn drivel.

Good times.
 
Hoo-doo

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It has unequivocally been the biggest trainwreck of an Xbox gen since the brand's inception but then you read this. Their games output this entire generation has been sub-par.

Them launching a good subscription service with mostly third party games being the heavy hitters, does not mean they had a good generation.
 
eso76

eso76

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Dec 8, 2017
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The entire generation was spent trying to recover from Mattrick's humongous fiasco and sowing the seeds for the future.
Phil's strategy and hard work seem to point in the right direction, but we have yet to see the fruits, for the most part.

We'll see. Granted, I think they went out of their way and did absolutely everything they could from the bottom of the pit they fell into.
 
Bradford

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Aug 12, 2018
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This is one hell of a galaxy brain take.

I love my One X but it is hilarious to posit that Xbone comes up anywhere near the top this gen. Microsoft fumbled this generation hard, and while good things have come of it, the metrics speak for themselves.

The Xbone is a great Blu-ray player though, I'll give it that.
 
nelsonroyale

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Oct 28, 2017
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Far from a masterclass, but they sure learned some lessons. I mean they should have, considered how bad their messaging was at the start of this gen. Still, I wondered on entering this thread if this was an MS account under disguise. Not likely, since no offence, but doesn't seem polished enough.

Also, on the first party games front, this was their worst generation. Third Party largely picked up the slack, but it was a weak gen from that perspective.
 
steviestar3

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This is either the most blatant astroturfing I've ever seen or someone desperately in denial about their buyer's remorse.

Xbone is still cool though if you're a hero willing to shell out $400+ for 4K Banjo-Kazooie.
 
Fatmanp

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Oct 27, 2017
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Cheeky Devlin said:
You lost me at Halo 5 being better than Bloodborne to be honest.

Glad you enjoyed your Xbox One though. It has been good to see MS finally emerging from the hole they dug themselves with the launch. Next gen is going to be a far more even fight I feel.
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Not only is Halo 5 not better than Bloodborne, Halo 5 is a bang average game in its own right.
 
TheZynster

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Oct 26, 2017
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Legendary halo series..........Er, maybe back when halo 3 and reach were a thing.

Microsoft won the services department this generation, and that's really about it. This is from someone who uses their X every day. Currently playing kakarot on it. It pretty much is my 3rd party machine because the 1st party offerings this gen outside of forza horizon and ori was a dumpster fire. I didn't even care for gears this gen and gears 5 had the most bloated campaign that got bogged by open areas.


Crackdown - pft to that
Halo 5 - Pft to that
Sea of Thieves - launch was insanely underwhelming
Gears 5 - eh
Scalebound got cancelled and was the most interesting looking title they had outside of the F2P fable game
 
JoJoBae

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I mean if we're talking the definition of masterclass then Sony this generation is it. Hands down.

If we're talking about ability to turn it around and run it back after fucking up, then Nintendo is it. Xbox didn't have to put out a whole second console in the same competitional generation because the one they initially put out was so ill received that it did as badly as the Sega Saturn.
 

Voodoopeople

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Oct 29, 2017
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dodmaster said:
A masterclass in business turnaround maybe. If it weren't for game pass, the value proposition would still suffer due to a lack of original content. The alignment with core Microsoft business strategy is Xbox's saving grace. If there was no way to align with Satya Nadella's vision (or nobody with the vision could think of a way), then Xbox would have been sunk.
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This. The fantastic thing has been the turnaround, not necessarily the absolute quality in itself.

It's actually far more difficult to turnaround an entire business than just keep making good games, so in that sense it is a bigger achievement.
 
EliR

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How much did you get paid to make this topic?
 
OP
OP
Podge293

Podge293

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Oct 25, 2017
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Alright folks no need to shit on my views because they don't align with yours. I thought this was supposed to an open progressive forum that catered for everyone's view.

FYI I've owned and played every console since the SNES. I didn't go in depth on multi platform games because what's the point really you can play them everywhere.

the generational masterclass is in reference to how they've adapted and changed their approach to put them back as a gaming platform. Look back through threads here and on GAF where people were convinced MS were dropping games.

Instead MS have released tools to increase accessibility, decrease barriers (fully embracing cross gen play) and moved towards a better next gen for everyone
 
DrKelpo

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Is OP also the author of that console war article in the official Xbox magazine or whatever that was posted last week?
 
J_ToSaveTheDay

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Oct 25, 2017
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I at least appreciate your enthusiasm, OP. Not even insultingly, either.

I'm of mind that Xbox is now in a much better position than they started out in, Game Pass is an incredible value because it is packed with a ton of great gaming experiences even now and shows an upward mobility in that regard, and they honestly have nowhere to go but further up. But aside from comparatively excellent hardware in the Xbox One X and a truly compelling service, I still sort of expect and demand an exclusives powerhouse and there we definitely do not agree on them doing stellar. I feel like the Forza Horizon games that have come along this generation are the only thing that have struck me as world-class games, and a few other great entries into their exclusives lineup like, yes, Halo 5, but nothing that strikes me quite as "banger" status compared to what Sony and Nintendo regularly put out. They're absolutely poised to really deliver next-gen with their studio acquisitions and general sense of absence of exclusives presence, but that's still a wait-and-see situation for me.

That said, I have nothing but optimism for the future of Xbox, but there is still a gap that needs to be filled in the prestige of their exclusives from my perspective, and I know I'm not alone in that feeling — I even get the sense that Phil Spencer himself is aware that this is an area that needs work and that it is a big priority for the future of the Xbox brand as the coming generation gets into swing. I am still still waiting for that gratification, though.
 
Buff Beefbroth

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I mean, they went from making me quit console gaming entirely with the Xbox One, to bringing me back in with the One X, so they absolutely have done a commendable job at turning things around and offering something genuinely worthwhile.

But in no world or alternate reality is Halo 5 better than Bloodborne.
 
cw_sasuke

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Podge293 said:
Alright folks no need to shit on my views because they don't align with yours. I thought this was supposed to an open progressive forum that catered for everyone's view.

FYI I've owned and played every console since the SNES. I didn't go in depth on multi platform games because what's the point really you can play them everywhere.

the generational masterclass is in reference to how they've adapted and changed their approach to put them back as a gaming platform. Look back through threads here and on GAF where people were convinced MS were dropping games.

Instead MS have released tools to increase accessibility, decrease barriers (fully embracing cross gen play) and moved towards a better next gen for everyone
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I don't think anyone here is gonna argue that MS did quite a turn around and has improved their situation....at least when it comes to perception of the brand and positivity when it comes to the next generation.

But calling it a Master Class when they are selling much less consoles and software than the competition...even after their turn around is a bit weird.

At the end of the day they still have the benefits of getting all big 3rd Party games, so unless the system was a total bombs the industry and the 3 hd system (ps,xbox,PC) was always gonna keep it afloat.
 
Hoo-doo

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Podge293 said:
Alright folks no need to shit on my views because they don't align with yours. I thought this was supposed to an open progressive forum that catered for everyone's view.

FYI I've owned and played every console since the SNES. I didn't go in depth on multi platform games because what's the point really you can play them everywhere.

the generational masterclass is in reference to how they've adapted and changed their approach to put them back as a gaming platform. Look back through threads here and on GAF where people were convinced MS were dropping games.

Instead MS have released tools to increase accessibility, decrease barriers (fully embracing cross gen play) and moved towards a better next gen for everyone
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Yeah, you must be trolling. The things you mention are peripheral to what people buy a console for, and mostly a direct consequence of getting trounced in sales and mindshare. The fact that they launched an inferior product for more money and spent the entire generation releasing crummy exclusives makes it their worst gen to date. I do applaud their accessibility controller initiatives though.

Honestly, there has been zero tangible turnaround either, neither in sales, mindshare or games for the current generation. They've mostly made promises for next-gen.

Calling it a masterclass is laughable. They have everything to prove next-generation after this one was bungled.
 
ContraWars

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Fatmanp said:
The game was broken for the best part of four years.
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I bought it at launch to play co-op with a kid from across the country. It crashed to dashboard in single player for half a year, and the multiplayer wouldn't find people.

Never did get to do that co-op. The kid is older now and doesn't give a shit about Xbox or Halo.
 
Matty H

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Oct 31, 2017
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Xbox One had better games than PS4 until Uncharted 4 released. After that, PS4 had some absolute bangers and even had a great VR library. Ori, Forza Horizon and a year of PUBG exclusivity were my main catalogue highlights for X1.

I thought the pitch for X1 was more interesting in 2013 but it was too early and marketed so poorly it scared off the backwards looking gamer market. The backflips set them back just as much as the bundled Kinect that couldn't deliver on the promise.

In 2020, Xbox is still my preferred platform for multi-plat due to the controller, better performance of the x1x over the PS4 Pro, and cheap access to a lot of brand new games. Back compat is a big win for catching up on early games in a series prior to a new sequel being released.

Looking forward, i'm not sure if X-cloud can replace Switch for those Indie games that just feel right in a portable format. I'm feeling positive about the Series X hardware even though it won't outsell PS5 or Switch. It's more to do with the ecosystem. I just feel Xbox will have a more seamless transition to next gen that will keep the existing player base satisfied but probably won't win over those that choose other console brands for the exclusive games.
 

Deleted member 15227

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Op, let's just agree that Microsoft learned a lot this generation and that hubris is a helluva thing (a failing shared by Sony and Nintendo too).
 

Deleted member 3010

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I didn't buy an Xbox One this gen, however I commend their efforts in regards to BC, it really pulled me close to the edge, so the XSX has a good chance for next gen.

Also, best controller, got one for my PC and it's simply a joy to play with, clicky D-Pad included.
 
Fatmanp

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ContraWars said:
I bought it at launch to play co-op with a kid from across the country. It crashed to dashboard in single player for half a year, and the multiplayer wouldn't find people.

Never did get to do that co-op. The kid is older now and doesn't give a shit about Xbox or Halo.
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Yep. The MCC was one of Microsofts very first steps on its Phil Spencer recovery tour. He removed Kinect, dropped the price but the first real test of brand loyalty was blown to shit with the MCC.
 
Betty

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If I were a new console developer entering the scene the Xbox One would be my template for how not to win a generation.

The other two competitors show how you can win with different strengths.

Hopefully MS does better next gen.
 

Deleted member 51848

Jan 10, 2019
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It's a good example of how leadership can change perception (if not reality). For all the talk, we need to see the games. And they are coming. Apparently. It's just that they've been coming for three years. Next gen is when the rubber really hits the road for Spencer.
 

More Butter

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Xbox platform is awesome these days for a lot of reasons but this thread is just.. it's just... ughh. It's like you are trying to start a stupid gaming pissing contest for fun.
 

More Butter

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Hoo-doo said:
It has unequivocally been the biggest trainwreck of an Xbox gen since the brand's inception but then you read this. Their games output this entire generation has been sub-par.

Them launching a good subscription service with mostly third party games being the heavy hitters, does not mean they had a good generation.
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See what you did op? You threw a softball for folks that take every opportunity to piss on Xbox regardless of the thread.
 
Zombine

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Oct 25, 2017
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My Xbox One? Nah. My Xbox One X? Great console. Love the tail end of the Spencer era. They have done a lot to steer the ship in the right direction since launch, but my love for the brand was almost completely lost by the end of last gen with the 360 and a majority of this gen. Their first party output was really bad, but the 3rd party performance with the X made it my go to for most third party titles.

It's been hit and miss. Ultimately disappointing, but a lot of hope for the future and Gamepass is the true master class here.
 
FuturaBold

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Oct 27, 2017
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If you consider what MS accomplished with the 360 this gen is a disaster. I hated playing Battlefield 4 in 720p on my Xbox One. Also for me, there was nothing memorable about Halo 5. Yes, MS turned things around with the X and I love playing 3rd party games on it. Forza Horizon is MS best game this gen but I would hardly call those achievements a masterclass. It's great if you're satisfied with MS this gen. It was the opposite for me.
 
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