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GI.Biz: Streaming could be key to Xbox reclaiming the lead from Playstation

nightstalker962

nightstalker962

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Oct 25, 2017
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The Diamond Town of the Diamond State
Microsoft has been rightly celebrated for its E3 briefing this year, but it was a demonstration of both its current position of weakness and the unique strength that its great rival Sony cannot realistically match.

"With an install base of 75 million that makes sense for now," says Joost van Dreunen, CEO and co-founder of SuperData Research. "But it does not provide an answer to the question what the future holds. Worse, it is inconsistent with the direction senior management recently revealed - plans to focus on subscription revenue from online gaming and streaming music and video."

Where Microsoft surpassed Sony is in doing both: showing a slate of 50 games (most of them not exclusive, it should be noted) and doubling its first-party studio roster, while also improving Xbox Game Pass and indicating that streaming will be the next step.

"In particular, this last part is promising," van Dreunen says. "Although Microsoft has failed to win the centre of the living room as it originally set out to do, it is setting itself up to become the leader in the digital games market by equally amassing content and focusing on distribution rollout. It is possible that a few years from now Microsoft will be the Netflix of gaming and Sony more like HBO.
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Streaming and subscription services are clearly going to be a big part of gaming in the 2020s and beyond. Xbox's Game Pass is very forward thinking for capturing marketshare imo.

Lots more at https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...-to-xbox-reclaiming-the-lead-from-playstation

Lock if old
 
Liliana

Liliana

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Oct 28, 2017
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The fact that Microsoft Research is working on ways to stream Xbox to any device is crazy, given current issues with internet and data. My friend literally told me yesterday that he imagines playing ESO (his favorite game) streamed from his Xbox to his IPad with an Xbox controller. That's just fucking crazy, but I believe it will be the case in some years.

Edit:

Regret said:
Steam does this, too. That's besides my point. It seems like they're working in something different, the way he described it. I dont know how they will get behind data caps but if they're spending money on R&D regarding it (Microsoft money of all things) who knows what will happen.
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Y2Kev

Y2Kev

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Oct 25, 2017
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Streaming or subscription services? I'm confused. Sony is obviously working on streaming (they actually have a current streaming product).

Ultimately, these far-reaching ideas tainted the view of Sony's more restrained briefing, which contained barely a word about its plans for PlayStation Now. Instead, Sony used its position of strength in the market to focus on a handful of big games - a strategy that left many (both in the room and watching from afar) feeling underwhelmed.
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Sony's briefing didn't actually mention anything! There were like no people! I kinda missed it. Bring back Kaz.
 
Zatoichi

Zatoichi

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Sony are ahead in streaming with PlayStation Now.

These analysts are dumb as fuck.
 
StuBurns

StuBurns

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I don't even know where to begin...

PlayStation Now is four years old.
 
Braaier

Braaier

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Oct 29, 2017
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Wait, Microsoft is looking into a streaming service akin to ps now? First I've heard of it.

Game pass is great. Hope they don't fuck it up by making it a streaming service.
 
ArkhamFantasy

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Oct 25, 2017
13,608
The article is confusing, it seems to be mixing up game pass and game streaming. Sony has been streaming games for years. Ironically, one of the reasons why Game Pass is popular is because its not streaming.
 
sir_crocodile

sir_crocodile

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Oct 25, 2017
23,577
If that is the future it's a chilling vision of things to come

Also what's with that "MS surpassed Sony by expanding their first party studios" hot take? Neither Sony nor Nintendo really have an urgent need to expand their first party studios, MS is coming from a position of playing catch up having gutted their first party studios in the past.
 

Deleted member 9857

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streaming is key for Microsoft to jump ahead of Sony because Sony didn't talk about it at E3 despite the fact Sony has an active streaming service?

I can't wrap my head around this article because I don't understand the logic behind the argument at all
 

Deleted member 35598

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Regret said:
The fact that Microsoft Research is working on ways to stream Xbox to any device is crazy. My friend literally told me yesterday that he imagines playing ESO (his favorite game) streamed from his Xbox to his IPad with an Xbox controller. That's just fucking crazy, but I believe it will be the case in some years.
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I can see that happening next gen already.,
 
The Pet of the Month

The Pet of the Month

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Oct 26, 2017
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I would like to add my thoughts on to this quote in the article:

Microsoft's other great revelation was that it is working on new Xbox hardware, with the clear suggestion that it would be more than one device. In the view of DFC Intelligence CEO David Cole, a new Xbox console is "critical for [Microsoft's] continued relevance in the games industry" - in part because it may not be ready to provide the content necessary to support a streaming service, and in part because better hardware will be necessary to make any AAA streaming service work.
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Local hardware will be just as important as ever in the coming years. In part because I feel that console hardware sets the standard for what games should be built on. It's also advantageous to offer local hardware, something that Google and Alibaba could but aren't necessarily prepared to offer. I can see Apple and Amazon with some hardware offerings but nothing that could quite match the teams at Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Of course if they were willing to try, I wouldn't be against it. The more competitors offering new hardware and games to the market, the better!

Edit: And I forgot to mention that internet speeds are still quite awful for many folks in the U.S. and around the world. It's just not feasible for streaming to take over immediately.

Streaming also needs to be done right. It can't be a small portion of the platform's library—it must offer everything the platform holds as well as providing immediate access to the games the consumer owns digitally with no additional fees whatsoever.

That's where I believe streaming should go. Offering a game on the go encourages playtimes and additional spending, no matter where the player may be.
 
Kerozinn

Kerozinn

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May 11, 2018
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Aslong its not the only option availible im okay with streaming. But playstation now is not why playstation is in the lead. Streaming wont fix xbox major problem.
 
Braaier

Braaier

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Oct 29, 2017
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Ricerocket said:
I know it's a failure. NA has a problem with internet bandwidth caps and there is no magic to latency, it's just there. What makes this version of MS different?
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That's where I'm confused. Maybe I overlooked it completely but I hadn't heard that Ms is working on a streaming service. Are they not just talking about game pass, which isn't streaming?
 
DOT_mjo

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Do people really want to be able to stream their games anywhere? Like yes, the idea is cool but do we really want to be playing GTA 7 on our iPhone 15 screens? The whole purpose of consoles is to set it up on the couch and just relax and get lost in an experience.
 
freakybj

freakybj

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Oct 26, 2017
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Seems logical that Microsoft would leverage their expertise with the Azure cloud for streaming. I was actually hoping we'd have seen some type of streaming service from Microsoft by now similar to PS Now.
 

VirtuaRacer

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Oct 27, 2017
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Sony just need to expand the Remote Play feature they already have, and have had for over a decade, to include non Sony phones. And there's a whole lot more they can do with PS Now to reach a wider audience.



Hoo-doo said:
Doesn't the PS4 have remote-play and a streaming service since, like, forever?
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Yep and you can bet they are going to rework/improve upon the feature when next gen rolls around.
 
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Deleted member 268

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If Microsoft release the next Xbox as a group of devices ranging from standard to premium and massively invest in Xbox Game Pass, then I have a hard time not seeing them win it next gen.
 
Hoo-doo

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Doesn't the PS4 have remote-play and a streaming service since, like, forever?

I've used remote play to play Persona 5 on my macbook plenty of times. It works great.
 
Jiraiya

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DOT_mjo said:
Do people really want to be able to stream their games anywhere? Like yes, the idea is cool but do we really want to be playing GTA 7 on our iPhone 15 screens? The whole purpose of consoles is to set it up on the couch and just relax and get lost in an experience.
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I know I wouldn't take advantage of it. Not the games we get now. I've zero interest in playing games on the go. Especially with how tv tech is taking a leap.
 

Sprat

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Oct 27, 2017
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Regret said:
The fact that Microsoft Research is working on ways to stream Xbox to any device is crazy. My friend literally told me yesterday that he imagines playing ESO (his favorite game) streamed from his Xbox to his IPad with an Xbox controller. That's just fucking crazy, but I believe it will be the case in some years.
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He could do that already if he had a ps4.
 
ShinySunny

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Dec 15, 2017
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LOL what?
I have been streaming stuff since I got the PS3 and Vita with Remote Play like almost a decade ago.
PC+PS4+Tablet as well with the Remote App, like 3yrs ago.
Add in Share Play and PS Now, it is way ahead of its competitions.

WTF are they talking about?
 
StuBurns

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Braaier said:
PS now is a failure. If Microsoft is truly trying streaming their service could easily trump ps now.
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Because streaming is shit. As it will be when MS and Ubi start doing it.

Even if you can eradicate compression artefacts, and you can't, even if you can give everyone in the world 200mbps uncapped connections, and you can't, even if you can provide a service that's 100% up, and you can't, it would still pale compared to local rendering. It's a nifty trick, that requires a colossal infrastructure that provides very little advantages.

Sony will retool Now with local support as their Game Pass rival service, and MS will add the streaming to their Pass service... Neither of them are going to move the needle because of it. However, Sony at least have the advantage of allowing PC players to play PlayStation exclusive software via their service, where as MS's games are on PC anyway.
 
THEVOID

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Braaier said:
That's where I'm confused. Maybe I overlooked it completely but I hadn't heard that Ms is working on a streaming service. Are they not just talking about game pass, which isn't streaming?
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They've been working on streaming for 5 years and continue to try to figure it out. My guess with the new Xbox and XGP their will be a streaming option. It's a matter of time. EA is working on theirs and Amazon and Google will be there.

It'll certainly happen.
 
bsigg

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DOT_mjo said:
Do people really want to be able to stream their games anywhere? Like yes, the idea is cool but do we really want to be playing GTA 7 on our iPhone 15 screens? The whole purpose of consoles is to set it up on the couch and just relax and get lost in an experience.
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Sure consoles are great for those types of experience but more and more people are playing games on their phone and being able to say, hey buy any game on this Xbox app and you can play on your console, PC or we can stream it to your phone so you can play wherever is a huge message.
 
Ayra Sutoraifu

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Regret said:
The fact that Microsoft Research is working on ways to stream Xbox to any device is crazy. My friend literally told me yesterday that he imagines playing ESO (his favorite game) streamed from his Xbox to his IPad with an Xbox controller. That's just fucking crazy, but I believe it will be the case in some years.
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I did this with Yakuza 0 over a year ago on a PS4 and Mac...
 
THEVOID

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StuBurns said:
Because streaming is shit. As it will be when MS and Ubi start doing it.

Even if you can eradicate compression artefacts, and you can't, even if you can give everyone in the world 200mbps uncapped connections, and you can't, even if you can provide a service that's 100% up, and you can't, it would still pale compared to local rendering. It's a nifty trick, that requires a colossal infrastructure that provides very little advantages.

Sony will retool Now with local support as their Game Pass rival service, and MS will add the streaming to their Pass service... Neither of them are going to move the needle because of it. However, Sony at least have the advantage of allowing PC players to play PlayStation exclusive software via their service, where as MS's games are on PC anyway.
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Streaming is a option. As Phil said there's billions of devices or people who only have a phone and would love to play Xbox games warts and all streaming.
 
Spedfrom

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Oct 27, 2017
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So Sony has been ahead of Microsoft in streaming (among other things) and all of a sudden Microsoft is leading the charge with streaming? Reads like PR spin. Paid article?
 
StuBurns

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THEVOID said:
Streaming is a option. As Phil said there's billions of devices or people who only have a phone and would love to play Xbox games warts and all streaming.
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Phil is right that they want to play proper games on their phones, he's wrong if he thinks streaming is the solution.

Look at Fortnite, cell phone doesn't mean shit. And having a lower visual quality game running locally is so massively better than remote rendering it's absurd. Especially when these devices are 5" across and improving substantially every year.
 
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