Final Fantasy XIV possibly coming to Xbox Series S|X. Phil on stage in Japan |UP| Updated rumors.

[AshHunter216]

Okay so here is my problem; remember when I said earlier that Microsoft just seems really good at staying in the news within enthusiasts gaming circles and spaces? This is exactly what I mean. And they have their mascot, Phil Spencer, out there to push it all along.

Sony have, literally, nothing in this regard. For weeks, if not months, it's felt like they are on the back end of being in the media cycle, or having a lead on the narrative. It feels like a lot of PS news we get is either reactionary, or smaller-note in scale. I'm interested in the new games revealed at the China Joy show, but let's be honest: that is dwarfed by Microsoft & Square-Enix coming out and saying they look to bring "even more" games to Xbox (which could very well include more mainline Final Fantasy releases).

It's really about the optics, and one thing Xbox are good at (almost to a fault), is pushing optics. They have an army of astroturfers, shills and influencers who will push the corporate talking points day in and day out, and go after PlayStation as much as possible, while head honchos like Aaron Greenberg and Phil Spencer associate with some of the biggest names doing that very stuff, and put their name & faces out there constantly in the media to act pro-consumer and look like "gamers".

Sony does nothing like that. They're masters at traditional advertising and marketing for their products, but are simply non-existent in this online communications space. I think getting rid of events like PlayStation Experience was a mistake. I think not bringing back PlayStation Home is a mistake. I think not getting something more steadfast going with the enthusiasts community online in terms of communication (with a face that can be attached to it), is a mistake. They need something to gain control of the narrative in these enthusiast circles where Microsoft's astroturfing has taken hold.

And, Sony already have that in prior mascots like Kevin Butler. Just bring that brand back, put a likeable face out there to engage with the community and fans. They can sure as hell do it better than Phil Spencer, and avoid the creepy cult-of-personality people like him and Aaron Greenberg (and more recently, Sarah and Lulu) have formed. Microsoft may have the quantity, but Sony could always have the better quality.

It also just feels like there isn't too much happening with PlayStation ATM when it comes to moves that can cement their position for the future. Cool, you've hit 40 million units, but will that sales trajectory continue? What about PlayStation 6? What happens if Microsoft acquire more 3P developers and publishers Sony have close ties with? What happens if they squeeze themselves into favorable positions with those 3P while Sony gets pushed out? What happens if the live-service/GaaS titles perform worst than conservative estimates account for? What happens to the rest of the 1P output?

Just seems like there's been a lot of Xbox steering the narrative of online discussion the past 18 months and so, and getting gains on the side like becoming the preferred partner of Sega/Atlus, potentially trying to do the same with Square-Enix, buying Zenimax, basically securing ABK, while already owning big IP like Minecraft on top of that, expanding their presence in the backend of gaming, trying to rig regulatory bodies with people who can conveniently make it easier for them to get future acquisitions, etc. And all we're getting on the Sony side of things are live-service/GaaS announcements, reveals for Chinese/South Korea games that are several years away and have no big IP brand association, PC ports, and yet more gaming hardware. And some of these have felt like reactions to various Xbox developments.

When is that actually going to change? I see Spiderman 2; it looks awesome. What's beyond that? What's Sony going to do for PlayStation in the short-to-mid-term, to secure its position 10 years from now, outside of the live-service GaaS plans? Is it really just going to be more timed 3P exclusives, or just exclusives with unproven small 3P Chinese/South Korean/etc. devs (some of whom are exclusively on mobile)? Is that going to be it? Because it kind of feels like that's just going to be all, and that's concerning.

The thing is, one the rare occasions Sony does speak, it tends to command way more attention than anything Microsoft does, so I disagree that MS can astroturf and PR their way into victory. There has to be a level of competency with managing studios.

 

[Deleted member 223]

Do you think microsofts pushing optics has actually helped them with their gaming division?

If yes. How?

If no. Why would sony follow this failed strategy?

I has allowed them, in part, to keep a base in the NA/UK markets significant enough as to deprive Sony of complete control (since X360) to PS2 era market share domination. No insignificant number either. 51 million Xbox Ones, Series prob cap around 40-45 mill lifetime. Set up is for the next-gen.

That is not a failed strategy. MS hardware and project management aka game publishing has been the semi-failed strategies if only looking at the console market. If we look at the revitalization of what was once the dead PC Windows Gaming market...from the PS2 era to now.... then Xbox, serving as the development standards commonality trojan horse, in that regard, has been a resound success (cost debate is separate). Consoles become more like PC's, thus affording PC a larger share of the premium games market. More importantly to MS, Windows stays relevant in Gaming, as both the development incubation platform and as a consumer consumption platform. Every Gaming PC more or less runs on, well you guessed it, Windows (as does Xbox - "tweaked" "barebone shell").

 

[nongkris]

Do you think microsofts pushing optics has actually helped them with their gaming division?

If yes. How?

If no. Why would sony follow this failed strategy?

Exactly, Microsoft's only advantage is their billion dollar warchest they have to wield around. That's the only reason people care about xbox showing up to this event, cuz it lets fanboys specular whether square is an acquisition target. this move does nothing for core gamers PR wise.

 

[Muddasar]

Because the two are separate things. You're assuming Microsoft's mismanagement is tied to their successful PR efforts, as if one can not live without the other.

What happens when Microsoft stops or lessens that mismanagement while having a robust operation for controlling/settling/leading the narrative, and co-oping the press?

Thus, the obvious. Of course an if, but you should always plan for the worst, for the worst is to be surprised and underestimate your rival. The line that divides a fool from justified arrogance is slim, and can switch at any time.

SIE's marketing dept operates like a fossil. That is a problem. Simple as that.

95% of gamers don’t give a shit about PR on Twitter.

Sony marketing focuses on the real world which is why their consoles and games outsell Xbox.

As we speak Sony is currently taking preorders for Spider-Man consoles, Controllers and the covers.

The Covers have already sold out and the consoles/controllers are selling like hotcakes.

Meanwhile Phil Spencer is being worshipped for getting a 13 year old game on Xbox.

One which should have been there Day 1 if it wasn’t for Microsofts own stubbornness regarding servers and cross play.

A game which was been played already by gamers who wanted to play it.

 

[On Demand]

I kinda feel like this is actually supporting a claim that's used against Sony; that games like FF7 and XVI aren't on Xbox because Sony prevents them, not because Square-Enix see little financial incentive to bring those games over.

Suggesting Sony has lockout clauses for games that happen to be made in Japan, years after initial release, just fuels the fire of the batshit insane US senators who were claiming Sony colludes with locking Japanese games off from Xbox. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking that line of argument considering the misguided implications certain other people have tried using it for.



Yes, and he still is. But just have to keep in mind; it's NOT because so much that Sony prevents those games from going to Xbox. It's because Xbox has historically been such an unattractive option, that the devs/pubs of those games usually choose of their own free will to skip Xbox platforms.



I think the concern is, considering sometime last gen people said the same thing about Sega/Atlus, only to see where things are now, we can't in fact say for sure Square-Enix won't end up in that type of situation with Microsoft by the end of this generation.

Never take anything for granted; that goes for Sony, as well. They've seen the same emails and unredacted documents we have. If they take Square-Enix's current support for granted and don't think Microsoft won't cook up a means to eventually sweep in and acquire Square-Enix (and foreclose that content off PlayStation platforms as well, or at the very least prevent Sony from ever working directly with Square-Enix ever again), then they could be in for a very rude awakening.

Sony should be viewing Microsoft as a hostile entity that wants them eliminated from the market, and they'll try doing that by isolating Sony from their closest 3P partners, as @Nhomnhom said earlier. That's an approach they'll take in particular for Japanese devs/pubs, in order to potentially acquire them later. And yes despite what some believe, Microsoft CAN buy Japanese developers and publishers. They'd go through a bit more regulatory review but as long as those companies aren't in protected, critical market sectors like military, medical, biology/scientific research or semiconductors, etc., they can be acquired. Just not through hostile takeovers.

Sony doesn’t force the developers to sign any contract. So obviously they feel it’s worth it because PlayStation platform and sales guarantee it’s worth it.

If Square Enix felt their games can sell on Xbox, they would never agree with all these exclusive deals with Sony.

I couldn’t give 2 shits what those corrupt U.S. senators believe. Their paid to lie and obfuscate the truth for the highest bidder. In MS and Activision’s case, paid to lie to make Sony look like the big bad evil company hurting poor $2 trillion MS. Those people are literally paid by MS corporation.

What they say about anything gaming related is irrelevant.

 

[Remember_Spinal]

Do you think microsofts pushing optics has actually helped them with their gaming division?

If yes. How?

If no. Why would sony follow this failed strategy?

We need console war fodder, our reserves are empty. The quarterly sales reports weren’t enough!

 

[FatKaz]

I has allowed them, in part, to keep a base in the NA/UK markets significant enough as to deprive Sony of complete control (since X360) to PS2 era market share domination. No insignificant number either. 51 million Xbox Ones, Series prob cap around 40-45 mill lifetime. Set up is for the next-gen.

That base was mostly held by previous Xbox owners sticking with their preferred platform/games.

Optics didn't really play a part for the Xbox one, as a matter of fact optics was terrible back then for Xbox, no amount of shills or social media presence really changed that.

 

[Deleted member 223]

I completely disagree. I think since Phil and company came into to town to correct the "perception management" problem they've had considerable success in stopping and lessening the bleeding. Considering that the product offerings are not in the same stratosphere, whether it's the hardware quality (console, controller/OS) or the software (exclusives and partnerships); overcompensating in the media space in the U.S/UK/CAN markets has helped, tremendously -- to keep mediocre product offerings afloat. We are not talking Wii U failures here - what should have in fact occurred, at least for the Series consoles (literally released with no exclusives yet it's 21 million in). While Microsoft has not been able to fool all of the market into believing the PlayStation ecosystem and the Xbox ecosystem are interchangeable, it has fooled a great many, and talk, as they say comes cheap.

 

[On Demand]

Because the two are separate things. You're assuming Microsoft's mismanagement is tied to their successful PR efforts, as if one can not live without the other.

What happens when Microsoft stops or lessens that mismanagement while having a robust operation for controlling/setting/leading the narrative, and co-opting the press?

Thus, the obvious - the pendulum will not swing in Sony's favor. Of course an if, but you should always plan for the worst, as opposed to assume status quo always. For the worst is to be surprised and underestimate your rival. The line that divides a fool from an individual with justified arrogance is slim, and can switch at any time.

SIE's marketing dept operates like a fossil. That is a problem. Simple as that. Gaming project management and content release is a different variable inside the equation. As is say, building the right hardware being another variable.

So you’re worried about what people say online? Then that’s your problem. Narrative and online discussions does not dictate any sales. Games and console platform do. Something that Sony has been delivering. Hence the major differences in perception popularity with PS and XB.

Sony’s marketing has been top class since the generation started. I don’t know what world you are living in.

 

[anonpuffs]

I don't understand how Phil is constantly allowed to fail upwards. I'm not worried about this development, hell go ahead and put FF7R on there. The only thing that'll do is damage Square Enix.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Phil specifically targets Sony close partners (Square, Kojima, Capcom, Sega, Bethesda, Activision, Ninja Theory) to give them Game Pass deals or acquisitions papers. In the long run that makes Sony weaker because people don't buy these games on PS anymore.

Ex: I don't buy Sega games because they give them all on Game Pass anyway.

Soon FF16 or FF7R Rebirth will be on Game Pass and we will all feel like suckers for paying full price for them. Microsoft gets tons of positive PR and Sony gets all the hate for timed-exclusive and pissed off customers. That's exactly what Phil wants.

 

[Deleted member 223]

We all have opinions. To play into absolutes is foolish - it's not a nuanced take. Since I see folks are more interested in winning the "argument", I'll see myself out before I respond in kind to some strawmans and made up stats with the harsh, although fair wording it begs. Believe what you want to believe as they say.

 

[anonpuffs]

Phil specifically targets Sony close partners (Square, Kojima, Capcom, Sega, Bethesda, Activision, Ninja Theory) to give them Game Pass deals or acquisitions papers. In the long run that makes Sony weaker because people don't buy these games on PS anymore.

Ex: I don't buy Sega games because they give them all on Game Pass anyway.

Soon FF16 or FF7R Rebirth will be on Game Pass and we will all feel like suckers for paying full price for them. Microsoft gets tons of positive PR and Sony gets all the hate for timed-exclusive and pissed off customers. That's exactly what Phil wants.

Ff7r is on ps+ though

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Ff7r is on ps+ though

I know but it's just example. Like I'm not buying COD anymore or Diablo. What's next? Square soon? It adds up.

Microsoft is preparing for the killing blow to Sony business. They will be Nintendo by next-gen.

 

[On Demand]

Because some of us look past the next 2 years. None of this will be an issue short term. But will become a major problem by the start of next gen.

As it is now, MS will be able to release 5-6 new AAA games each year, if not more, compared to Sony's, what , 2 or 3? That's just through sheer number of developers and IPs they own. Sure, quality can be discussed but it is subjective. Fallout has a massive fanbase and is one of the biggest WRPGs on the market.

Again, this isn't fear mongering or FUD. This is reacting to a pattern Sony's shown. Even their latest showcase was incredibly mediocre. Sony lacks any communication and their "cooking" plans are incredibly slow to materialize. In an industry that saw 2 major publishers being taken off their consoles in a span of just 3 years, it's worrying.

You guys keep giving MS the benefit of the doubt knowing they’re not good at managing studios or game development. Their fanbase are always looking to this magical future and ignoring how bad Xbox is right now.

Now everybody including PlayStation fans seems to be doing the same thing. We don’t know what games are releasing or how good they will be. Yet people keep bringing up these random number of games like it’s confirmed or something. All just to be concerned for PlayStation.

Meanwhile in the real world right now it’s PlayStation that’s releasing consistent quality games. Not Xbox.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Do you think microsofts pushing optics has actually helped them with their gaming division?

If yes. How?

If no. Why would sony follow this failed strategy?

Xbox would be doing even worse without their PR campaigns to control the narrative. The Series S is an offensively bad product with terrible value yet it took 3 years for people to start to admit that. Casuals would have avoided the Series S like the plague if the reporting and perceptions of it were closer to the reality of what it actually deliver (bad value).

 

[On Demand]

Sony has exclusive contracts with FF16 and FF7 remake. They’re not coming to Xbox.

 

[Swift_Star]

Okay so here is my problem; remember when I said earlier that Microsoft just seems really good at staying in the news within enthusiasts gaming circles and spaces? This is exactly what I mean. And they have their mascot, Phil Spencer, out there to push it all along.

Sony have, literally, nothing in this regard. For weeks, if not months, it's felt like they are on the back end of being in the media cycle, or having a lead on the narrative. It feels like a lot of PS news we get is either reactionary, or smaller-note in scale. I'm interested in the new games revealed at the China Joy show, but let's be honest: that is dwarfed by Microsoft & Square-Enix coming out and saying they look to bring "even more" games to Xbox (which could very well include more mainline Final Fantasy releases).

It's really about the optics, and one thing Xbox are good at (almost to a fault), is pushing optics. They have an army of astroturfers, shills and influencers who will push the corporate talking points day in and day out, and go after PlayStation as much as possible, while head honchos like Aaron Greenberg and Phil Spencer associate with some of the biggest names doing that very stuff, and put their name & faces out there constantly in the media to act pro-consumer and look like "gamers".

Sony does nothing like that. They're masters at traditional advertising and marketing for their products, but are simply non-existent in this online communications space. I think getting rid of events like PlayStation Experience was a mistake. I think not bringing back PlayStation Home is a mistake. I think not getting something more steadfast going with the enthusiasts community online in terms of communication (with a face that can be attached to it), is a mistake. They need something to gain control of the narrative in these enthusiast circles where Microsoft's astroturfing has taken hold.

And, Sony already have that in prior mascots like Kevin Butler. Just bring that brand back, put a likeable face out there to engage with the community and fans. They can sure as hell do it better than Phil Spencer, and avoid the creepy cult-of-personality people like him and Aaron Greenberg (and more recently, Sarah and Lulu) have formed. Microsoft may have the quantity, but Sony could always have the better quality.

It also just feels like there isn't too much happening with PlayStation ATM when it comes to moves that can cement their position for the future. Cool, you've hit 40 million units, but will that sales trajectory continue? What about PlayStation 6? What happens if Microsoft acquire more 3P developers and publishers Sony have close ties with? What happens if they squeeze themselves into favorable positions with those 3P while Sony gets pushed out? What happens if the live-service/GaaS titles perform worst than conservative estimates account for? What happens to the rest of the 1P output?

Just seems like there's been a lot of Xbox steering the narrative of online discussion the past 18 months and so, and getting gains on the side like becoming the preferred partner of Sega/Atlus, potentially trying to do the same with Square-Enix, buying Zenimax, basically securing ABK, while already owning big IP like Minecraft on top of that, expanding their presence in the backend of gaming, trying to rig regulatory bodies with people who can conveniently make it easier for them to get future acquisitions, etc. And all we're getting on the Sony side of things are live-service/GaaS announcements, reveals for Chinese/South Korea games that are several years away and have no big IP brand association, PC ports, and yet more gaming hardware. And some of these have felt like reactions to various Xbox developments.

When is that actually going to change? I see Spiderman 2; it looks awesome. What's beyond that? What's Sony going to do for PlayStation in the short-to-mid-term, to secure its position 10 years from now, outside of the live-service GaaS plans? Is it really just going to be more timed 3P exclusives, or just exclusives with unproven small 3P Chinese/South Korean/etc. devs (some of whom are exclusively on mobile)? Is that going to be it? Because it kind of feels like that's just going to be all, and that's concerning.

Sony has already caught the Zeitgeist with the new spider man game, people…
Nobody is talking about FFXIV on Xbox, nobody is talking about Starfield.
Everyone is talking about spider man 2.

 

[Muddasar]

I know but it's just example. Like I'm not buying COD anymore or Diablo. What's next? Square soon? It adds up.

Microsoft is preparing for the killing blow to Sony business. They will be Nintendo by next-gen.

Nintendo next gen?

The same Nintendo which won’t release a conventional console cause it will get slapped by Playstation again.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Exactly, Microsoft's only advantage is their billion dollar warchest they have to wield around. That's the only reason people care about xbox showing up to this event, cuz it lets fanboys specular whether square is an acquisition target. this move does nothing for core gamers PR wise.

That is a pretty big advantage tho, them outspending Sony out of business is a very good plan, specially if PlayStation gets held back by Sony being too scared to back them up to fight MS.

Sony has already caught the Zeitgeist with the new spider man game, people…
Nobody is talking about FFXIV on Xbox, nobody is talking about Starfield.
Everyone is talking about spider man 2.

Spider-man will probably be on Xbox by nextgen, all it takes is for them to pay Disney and it's another MLB situation again. You are thinking short term, MS already gave up on this gen long ago, they didn't even had a launch line up for it, MS plan is to outlast Sony while crashing the B2P and traditional console market driving as much people and devs as possible to GaaS and Gamepass.