This is getting pretty pathetic. Xbox has been having problems for GENERATIONS. The Xbox 360 had a major problem is Red Ring of Death. Everyone I knew that had one we’d be having conversations about how many Xbox’s they’d been through, and everyone had it happen to at least one Xbox 360, and somehow, everyone seemed that was still all okay.
Following the Xbox One reveal, consumers really started to see Microsoft’s business practices. I don’t think everyone understands just what Microsoft has done with contributing, advocating, and evangelism of monotization of games, and practice Sony (as it seems at this point) and in the works of steering in the opposite direction and it seems Capcom, at least once, seemed to agree with. With the PS2 when Sony was King, you paid $39.99 for your game and you got it all and it was quality tested to no end, because there was no software updates. Today, Sony have several times (even in the midst of Games as a Service on the rise) supported that old way of thinking. Legends was free DLC for Ghost of Tsushima. Valhalla was free for God of War Ragnarok, and even RE4 VR was free DLC to PS5 owners of Resident Evil 4 Remake, as it should be. But, instead, we have $100 Digital Deluxe versions of a bunch of lousy digital content that doesn’t merit the cost, it’s content that should be included with the $69.99 price tag that just went up. Paid DLC, microtransactions, and lootboxes and card packs all are the result of Xbox business practices that have taken over, because Xbox had to find a way in to compete with Sony and Nintendo that had hard earned well established relationships with devs and publishers. Xbox was easily convinced, and saw eye to eye with fellow North American publishing company Electronic Arts and Activision as well as Ubisoft that advocated for it.
Now, that Xbox are being seen for who they really are, the sympathy wheel is starting to turn, by the sort that are the diehard Americans. Americans only watch baseball, eat apple pie, and will only buy a Ford, a Chevy, a Dodge, or a Harley Davidson. Suddenly, out of knowhere, because Xbox is choosing to flounder, and has been, now everyone expects it of Sony. Gamers have also tucked Nintendo aside considering them as non-existent in the console wars and leaving them in the shadows, that’s it time to bring them back to the forefront and part of the conversation again as Xbox’s troubles seem to be blamed on Sony, that without Xbox there’s no competition, which is crap. Valve are PlayStation’s competition on PC (which has been that way forever. Gabe Newell has ALWAYS been anti Sony and always advocated for Xbox, regardless of who has the most reliable hardware), and then there’s Nintendo. Like it or not, I don’t, mobile gaming with is crap games for a cheap cash grab, is also a threat to the industry and it’s business practices that nobody cared about until the Wii. Sure, people are playing games, but they’re crap.
This whole pity Xbox because they’re going multi-platform is a reflection of their poor business practices, including Phil Spencer whose just as guilty and was part of the Xbox One reveal and strategy as all others, not what Sony and Nintendo have done right. Xbox’s failures are their own doing by their own choices, Sony has a moment of it, and learned from it, and Jim Ryan was taking them back down that path. Whoever replaces him needs more of the Kaz Harai, Jack Tretton, Andrew House approach where customer service and satisfaction is key, not pockets to pick clean
