Xbox's cancerous effect on consoles and monetisation

[Yobo]

After seeing Suicide Squad we have yet another great single player developer and franchise falling to the effects of disgusting game design focused on extracting every dollar from the customer

Devs like Bioware, Rocksteady, Valve, Rockstar, Epic, Bethesda now all more interested in how much money they make than making the best games and more than happy to release unfinished crap.

It's important to remember who is chiefly to blame for the way games have gone. And there are 3 factors that got us here: Introducing monetisation to consoles, introducing patches to consoles and actually putting out the products that set the standard for these practices

If we examine the history of Xbox:

• First ever ingame store - creating a marketplace for DLC and microtransactions - Xbox 360
• First ever microtransactions in a game - Bethesda (now owned by MS) on Xbox 360
• First console game to get patches - Unreal Championship on the original Xbox
• First ever loot box - UEFA Champions League 2005 on Xbox 360

All of these practices which seemed harmless enough at the time put us on the path to where games are now.

Its worth remembering that both Sony and Nintendo were resistant to these practices. Now just imagine a world where Xbox didn't come along, we would probably have some form of online - it would be a lot more along the lines of open standards like PS2 was pursuing. And without the effects of these Monetisation models we would have a totally different landscape for the types of games being made - likely a lot more like Sony or Nintendo's offerings

Now Xbox are doing it again. The biggest Trojan horse yet in Gamepass which seeks to cut the legs off the old form of monetisation (up front purchasing) and have every game be on a subscription rental making revenue from downloadable content, loot boxes, battle passes and microtransactions. Make no mistake, this is the future MS wants and the one we will likely have if they continue acquiring the industry

 

[Remij]

You sound like Blockbuster crying about Netflix.

But you're not wrong.

 

[Lord Mittens]

 

[Old Gamer]

After seeing Suicide Squad we have yet another great single player developer and franchise falling to the effects of disgusting game design focused on extracting every dollar from the customer

Devs like Bioware, Rocksteady, Valve, Rockstar, Epic, Bethesda now all more interested in how much money they make than making the best games and more than happy to release unfinished crap.

It's important to remember who is chiefly to blame for the way games have gone. And there are 3 factors that got us here: Introducing monetisation to consoles, introducing patches to consoles and actually putting out the products that set the standard for these practices

If we examine the history of Xbox:

• First ever ingame store - creating a marketplace for DLC and microtransactions - Xbox 360
• First ever microtransactions in a game - Bethesda (now owned by MS) on Xbox 360
• First console game to get patches - Unreal Championship on the original Xbox
• First ever loot box - UEFA Champions League 2005 on Xbox 360

All of these practices which seemed harmless enough at the time put us on the path to where games are now.

Its worth remembering that both Sony and Nintendo were resistant to these practices. Now just imagine a world where Xbox didn't come along, we would probably have some form of online - it would be a lot more along the lines of open standards like PS2 was pursuing. And without the effects of these Monetisation models we would have a totally different landscape for the types of games being made - likely a lot more like Sony or Nintendo's offerings

Now Xbox are doing it again. The biggest Trojan horse yet in Gamepass which seeks to cut the legs off the old form of monetisation (up front purchasing) and have every game be on a subscription rental making revenue from downloadable content, loot boxes, battle passes and microtransactions. Make no mistake, this is the future MS wants and the one we will likely have if they continue acquiring the industry

Also worth mentioning, even if not the focus of this thread, Xbox Live with its paywall for online multiplayer, started with the OG Xbox, has constituted a precedent for a predatory business model which Sony resisted until the early 2010s, and Nintendo until not much later.

 

[Yobo]

You sound like Blockbuster crying about Netflix.

But you're not wrong.

More like cinemas complaining about Netflix. The movie industry isn't exactly in the healthiest or most creative spot since Netflix came along if you haven't noticed

 

[Remij]

More like cinemas complaining about Netflix. The movie industry isn't exactly in the healthiest or most creative spot since Netflix came along if you haven't noticed

That doesn't make any sense... Cinemas don't have anything to do with physical copies of movies.. Blockbuster literally depended on physical rentals/sales of movies.. and that's exactly the market Netflix disrupted.. and literally put them out of business because they failed to adapt.

 

[Zeroing]

Glad I’m not the only one seeing the patterns… things get even more depressing when you analyze Microsoft as a whole!

It can get much worse, trust me and there’s reasons to be afraid of the future of gaming, but people are being gaslight or bullied into thinking MS is the savior of the gaming industry.

Also interestingly threads on other forums are starting to pop up “If you do not like how the gaming industry is heading, just leave”

Red flags everywhere.

 

[Deleted member 417]

Gaming has become an addition to the weak minded, molly-coddled normies and they are now willing to accept the lowest form and cheapest grade of their drug of choice, cut with poison, just to keep on chasing that sweet dopamine high. This has led to the majority - which is made of up of said drug-chasing normies, controlling the narrative and having the loudest voices online.

This isn't conspiracy theory, merely a remake of what we saw in 06~ with the core vs casual crowd. Now the Really-casual, mobile gamers are the majority and not even once-casual MW2 would be made nowadays without lootboxes and P2w mechanics. Nothing will change while these parasites infect gaming.

A poster on gaf said to an OP "You are the type of person who would be content in doing something else if gaming wasn't an option". It was a brilliant line because he was right. The majority of gamers now would be happy doing something else if gaming was too expensive or not viable or didn't exist. Where as the real gamers would rather game.

We can't even suggest the disgusting idea of creating elitist levels in gaming to lock out the normies, as those normies spend £1500 a year on phones.

 

[Yobo]

That doesn't make any sense... Cinemas don't have anything to do with physical copies of movies.. Blockbuster literally depended on physical rentals/sales of movies.. and that's exactly the market Netflix disrupted.. and literally put them out of business because they failed to adapt.

Its changed the consumption habits of movies. Movies often used to make a lot of money on physical release, so even a riskier venture that didn't pay off in the box office could pay off long term. These days it's one or done opportunity to have success which has led to all major releases being designed around adaptations and sequels

Similarly the way games will be consumed in the future is going to change how they monetised and how they are designed. Even Sony is finally getting on the GAAS train and don't be surprised if Nintendo is there too in a few more years

 

[Yobo]

Elden Ring has sold 20 million since release. An incredible number and all they had to do was make one of the best games of all time and become one of the fastest selling hardcore games of all time. They've likely made some between 1 to 1.4 billion in revenue

Yet the sad fact is Genshin Impact has been making that sort of revenue every year for the past 3 years

 

[Remij]

Its changed the consumption habits of movies. Movies often used to make a lot of money on physical release, so even a riskier venture that didn't pay off in the box office could pay off long term. These days it's one or done opportunity to have success which has led to all major releases being designed around adaptations and sequels

Similarly the way games will be consumed in the future is going to change how they monetised and how they are designed. Even Sony is finally getting on the GAAS train and don't be surprised if Nintendo is there too in a few more years

That all happened MUCH later... after digital took over.

We're still far away from anything like that regarding games.. Games will still mostly be downloaded and played locally from hardware.

GamePass is like Netflix putting Blockbuster out of business... Less dependency on physical sales, more convenience.

The evolution of xCloud will be the gaming equivalent of Netflix changing the consumption habits of movies and how they are delivered/monetized/designed compared to Cinema.

 

[Swift_Star]

Well gamepass failed so

 

[Zeroing]

Well gamepass failed so

According to IGN it has not, have you seem their stupid article? People aren't even trying to cover their bias anymore.

 

[Satoru]

GamePass is like Netflix putting Blockbuster out of business... Less dependency on physical sales, more convenience.

Yet netflix is a failing model and gamepass keeps missing targets, with the added bonus that developers are losing money.

Less money means fewer risks or smaller scope games (or both).

 

[Remij]

Yet netflix is a failing model and gamepass keeps missing targets, with the added bonus that developers are losing money.

Less money means fewer risks or smaller scope games (or both).

The market moves on. Netflix changed the game, and their model is only failing because (and the same will happen with games) the very studios which supply the content which drives subscriptions, will ultimately break off an do their own thing. That's called competition. Netflix failed to ensure that it had enough content which was strong enough to drive and maintain subs. Once the competition came onto the scene it became much harder... yet we know the model was successful because of all the other services that popped up after it.

Ultimately.. the market decides what works and what doesn't. If it moves towards the gamepass model, it's because it will serve the interest of the consumer. If it doesn't, then it will fail. Microsoft has the pockets to push the industry in that direction... but they don't have the content people desire yet.

I think there's room enough for both models to coincide in the gaming industry.

 

[Yobo]

That all happened MUCH later... after digital took over.

We're still far away from anything like that regarding games.. Games will still mostly be downloaded and played locally from hardware.

GamePass is like Netflix putting Blockbuster out of business... Less dependency on physical sales, more convenience.

The evolution of xCloud will be the gaming equivalent of Netflix changing the consumption habits of movies and how they are delivered/monetized/designed compared to Cinema.

Movies take around 3 years to make. Netflix really picked up steam around the start of the 2010s, so yeah we can judge what effect Netflix has had on the last 10 years of movies. There were 3 whole movies in the top 50 box office results in the 2010s that weren't sequels or adaptations

Netflix wasn't the only factor but they are major one. Even Tarantino has put the blame there (as well as Marvel).

For gaming, I haven't said anything about streaming. I don't think streaming will ever be a big factor in gaming. Its the model of monetisation changing the design of games and priorities of the industry

 

[Gediminas]

Can we add also and tv tv tv and ads ads ads on xbox first?

All the shittiest practices came from m$ while they wasn't market leaders, imagine if they get bigger and bigger. The shit they do with gaming? We already being hurt and developers hurting while m$ are small.

Great post @Yobo!

 

[Yobo]

Also not to be completely biased, if this is a vision of Sony's future plans they can fuck right off too

 

[Deleted member 417]

Netflix failed to ensure that it had enough content which was strong enough to drive and maintain subs

Tail wagging the dog. Subscription services like Netflix cannot keep up with content, you are fighting against human psychology and that is a losing battle. If Netflix made 100 shows a month, ignoring how many of those shows would have to be poor, it still wouldn't be enough. People would get used to 100 shows, it would become the gestalt and consumers would be left asking "why do we only get 100 shows a month?!"

When people do move to a new service like Disney+, they believe it all new and much better content, so that buys the service time before the normalisation kicks in again. It is a revolving door.

Remember in the 90s with the jokes made about Sky Tv? "1000 channels and nothing on". That's modern day subscription services.

That's the reason Gamepass is doomed to fail.

 

[Gediminas]

Also not to be completely biased, if this is a vision of Sony's future plans they can fuck right off too

View attachment 669

It is Jimbo vision, not sony.