EightBitBlood@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Slapping the Xbox name onto the ass-end of an overpriced and confusingly named steam deck clone is definitley the funniest way to kill the Xbox brand.
I mean Nokia had the NGage which was designed to look like goat-c, so the bar IS high.
EvilBit@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Actually I think this is the only way to save Xbox, at least as a very first baby step. I’d bet you dollars to donuts that in ten years, there will be no functional distinction between Xbox and Windows gaming, and Xbox games will be running on PCs.
EightBitBlood@lemmy.world 1 day ago
So in ten years Xbox won’t exist as a brand at all? I agree. No need to take the bet.
I think what you’re describing is exactly what Microsoft is doing. Except I think it’s incredibly short sighted from a business, consumer, and brand perspective.
IMO, It’s basically the brand equivalent of seppuku.
With no functional distinction between Xbox and Windows, you just get the entirety of the Xbox ecosystem silently competing with all of Steam. But even worse: it’s now just the word Xbox on Windows. And everyone really hates Windows at the moment. It’s bleeding OS marketshare to Linux like nothing I’ve ever seen.
So they want to put the entirety of Xbox recognition on a Platform (PC) that their console users won’t be familiar with, and the OS they’re integrating it with is actively losing users. Mostly to Linux. Which Steam has an entire OS built on top of that anyone can use for their games for free.
So the consumer choice for PC users will be between:
Steam OS based on Linux for free. Runs all steam games and has a desktop mode for all other apps.
Windows 11 for $hundreds, smaller pool of games + worse performance.
I don’t think people are going to choose option 2 just because the word Xbox is in it somehow. Some might, but this is just HBO becoming MAX all over again, but without the escape plan of returning to HBO.
Destroying a console AND brand just to compete with Steam with an inferior product is incredibly dumb, and incredibly Microsoft.
EvilBit@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I don’t think they’ll scuttle the brand, I think they’ll make Xbox a standard for compatibility backed up by custom hardware targets. Like the generation after next might be System X and System S, but you could have a custom PC build that certifies as “exceeds System S” and thus any app can reliably run at that level of quality as a guaranteed minimum. You could still buy an Xbox, but it would be more like a Steam Machine. And a handheld would simply be “any System S certified handheld, including the Xbox first party device”.
EightBitBlood@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I agree this is clever, and a decent shot at evolving what an “Xbox” is. I just think it’s spreading the brand thin when it’s already been stretched far. While it would be very convenient and cool to have a certified Xbox machine, outside of CoD or Overwatch, there’s not much software that makes the Xbox brand as a recognizable game service valuable.
Basically, If all Microsoft has to offer on our Xbox PC’s are CoD and Overwatch, then that is what the name “Xbox” will be worth. I would not say either of those games have a bright future, let alone one that’s uniquely identifiable as “Xbox.”
So while I agree that Microsoft is making sure everything can be an Xbox, I disagree that will increase its brand value. I think, if anything, it will just further dilute the value of Xbox as a service or name that people relate to for games. If the only games offered are ones that have shrinking crowds, then what else is growing them that Xbox offers?
Imo, more entry points into having an Xbox doesn’t mean there’s more of a reason to enter.
defuse959@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 hours ago
They’ve already stated that intent last November. Everything is an Xbox
EvilBit@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
That’sa marketing campaign, not a strategy. To be clear, I’m saying native Xbox games will run on Windows and vice verse, which is a lot more than a marketing campaign based on what devices can stream cloud games.
defuse959@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 hours ago
It will parallel the push to Windows365 in the enterprise space. Thinking in terms of hardware only misses the internal goal at Microsoft of locking everyone in to Azure hosted services where they have unlimited access to your data for CoPilot training.
THAT is their strategy. TPM requirements, kernel locking and secure boot are baby steps to the end goal. It’s not about Xbox, it’s about training data for their GenAI platforms.