Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi: We Need To Educate Consumers

[Karloff]

Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi: We Need To Educate Consumers

"This is a big change, consumers don't always love change," says Mehdi.

Audience reaction to the ongoing saga of the Xbox One [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124942-Xbox-One-Limited-To-21-Countries-At-Launch] is pretty much what Microsoft Xbox Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Yusuf Mehdi was expecting, but then this is a big change, and people don't always like change. "There's a lot of education we have to provide to make sure that people understand," says Mehdi. He went on to add that "we're trying to do something pretty big in terms of moving the industry forward for console gaming into the digital world. We believe the digital world is the future, and we believe digital is better."

There's plenty of benefits in cloud connection, Mehdi claims. You'll be able to take your library with you wherever you go, so long as there's a decent connection. You can even digitally loan copies - up to a limit of ten - and there could be other, as yet undefined benefits. "You can imagine the capability to have different licensing models, different ways that people have to access games," says Mehdi. "This all gets unlocked because of digital." As to what those different ways could be or what they might mean for the industry, Mehdi was reluctant to go into details. As for DRM and used games, limits and potentially fees are a necessary evil, Mehdi claims, as Microsoft needs to keep publishers happy as well as consumers. "We do want to support everyone in that system, beginning with the consumer," he said, "but we want publishers to get paid for the great IP they work on."

And the negativity? Well, it may not matter so much to Microsoft. Sure, core gamers complain, but the folks who don't really pay attention and who just want a fancy box will be fine with Microsoft's Xbox One. "In a broader set of community, people don't pay attention to a lot of the details," said Mehdi. "We've seen it in the research, we've seen it in a lot of the data points."

What about the extra $100 you'll be paying for the Xbox One, over the PS4? Again, Mehdi doesn't see a problem with that. The Xbox One will deliver so much increased value over the PS4 that a piddling $100 will be neither here nor there. "Ultimately consumers will decide which is better," Mehdi said. "It's a big market."

Source: Ars Technica [http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/microsoft-defends-the-xbox-ones-licensing-used-game-policies/]


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[Breywood]

That last line cracks me up. Makes me happy to find plenty of value in retrogaming with stuff published over 10 years ago. Consumers need an education? I think Microsoft needs an ass kicking and I hope they get it right in the Xbone and Windows Tablet, err 8.

 

[Anathrax]

"Customers don't like a change."

This is sort of true. I mean if you were a customer, would you like the change from a normal body to a normal body with a halberd shoved down your arse? Education my arse, Microsoft you need the education. If I didn't know better I'd say they'd be insulting customers.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

So basically Microsoft is trying to accomplish what Steam has done, but far worse with big-brother DRM measures,higher prices and a complete lack of understanding on why Steam worked in the first place.

 

[Gordon Freemonty]

What increased value? Are they serious? PS4 looks to be much better console, and $100 cheaper.

 

[Legion]

"There's a lot of education we have to provide to make sure that people understand,"

You might wish to start with your own employees, so that they stop contradicting themselves, leading to unnecessary confusion.

As for DRM and used games, limits and potentially fees are a necessary evil, Mehdi claims, as Microsoft needs to keep publishers happy as well as consumers. "We do want to support everyone in that system, beginning with the consumer," he said, "but we want publishers to get paid for the great IP they work on."

Shouldn't that say developer, not publisher? They are the ones who actually make the damn game. Not many people really care what publishers think, seeing as they cause most of the problems within the industry.

"In a broader set of community, people don't pay attention to a lot of the details," said Mehdi. "We've seen it in the research, we've seen it in a lot of the data points."

Which is what you are relying on of course, because those that do pay attention have pointed out the many flaws.

"Ultimately consumers will decide which is better," Mehdi said. "It's a big market."

That we will. That we will.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Wow, it's like, Microsoft are living in a bubble.

It just boggles my mind how ridiculously anti-consumer this is, and the sad thing is, it probably won't fall flat on it's arse.

It represents everything wrong with blind, uninformed consumerism.

 

[wooty]

Read as "we need to RE-educate consumers". They must really think that just continuously forcing this shit down our throats will make us just accept it. I don'tthink this guy read into the ME3 saga too much. If something as small as that caused months of rage, this one will go on for years.

 

[Sixcess]

"In a broader set of community, people don't pay attention to a lot of the details. We've seen it in the research, we've seen it in a lot of the data points."

I think he's seriously underestimating the power of the internet, and especially social media.

Maybe five years ago the criticisms of the Xbox One would have been limited to obscure specialised gaming sites, but when MS's every blunder is being splashed across Youtube, Facebook and Twitter at lightning speed even casual consumers are going to sit up and take notice.

 

[Jhooud]

We need to educate consumers!

As to what those different ways could be or what they might mean for the industry, Mehdi was reluctant to go into details.

We'll get back to you when we figure out what it is, exactly, we plan on educating you about!

 

[Jamous]

He says both "In a broader set of community, people don't pay attention to a lot of the details," said Mehdi. "We've seen it in the research, we've seen it in a lot of the data points."

and

"The Xbox One will deliver so much increased value over the PS4 that a piddling $100 will be neither here nor there. "Ultimately consumers will decide which is better," Mehdi said. "It's a big market."

The people who don't pay much attention are going to go for the cheaper product that seems to give the same features, and might ask people who are more 'into' games as a thing for advice. On the whole, what does the gaming community's response to the Xbone seem to be? Not so great.

 

[Mr. Q]

You're right, Yusuf. People tend to dislike change. Do you know what people dislike more? A company that acts like total pricks towards their consumers and pretend nothing is wrong with their product or their company when the majority of reality says the opposite.

Keep talking, retards. You're already given yourselves enough rope to hang everyone working at Microsoft, lets go for the population of a small city.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

we're trying to do something pretty big in terms of moving the industry forward for console gaming into the digital world. We believe the digital world is the future, and we believe digital is better.

Someone needs to educate him in the meaning of the word "forward". You are forcing people to connect to your servers once every 24 hours. Everyone who wants to play a game on your console is relying on your servers being up and functioning for no reason at all. That is completely idiotic.

 

[el_kabong]

"As for DRM and used games, limits and potentially fees are a necessary evil..."

Sony begs to differ.

 

[devotedsniper]

Did Microsoft sit around a table deciding what people hated rather than listen?

Your biggest issues are your stupid online checks, used games and that extra $100 for a webcam that no one really wants. Not to mention the fact the only reason you need cloud processing is because you loaded your console with so much junk only half the RAM is available to actual games.

Oh and your nice TV functions? They only work within the US on launch, way to exclude the majority of the world. If anyone needs educating it's you, the internet isn't 100% reliable in most countries (especially yours from what i've heard) yet you keep banging on about how the cloud will change everything...

So far i'm unsure if Microsoft even understand what it takes to use cloud technology effectively in the ways there proposing, the only way which cloud has been effective so far is within the database industry really.

 

[mjharper]

"In a broader set of community, people don't pay attention to a lot of the details. We've seen it in the research, we've seen it in a lot of the data points."

I think he's seriously underestimating the power of the internet, and especially social media.

Maybe five years ago the criticisms of the Xbox One would have been limited to obscure specialised gaming sites, but when MS's every blunder is being splashed across Youtube, Facebook and Twitter at lightning speed even casual consumers are going to sit up and take notice.

I certainly hope so. This attitude of 'most consumers are too dumb to care, so we can get away with anything' that MS seems to have going is sickening.

 

[Gorrath]

We need to educate consumers!

As to what those different ways could be or what they might mean for the industry, Mehdi was reluctant to go into details.

We'll get back to you when we figure out what it is, exactly, we plan on educating you about!

This is exactly it right here. I think Microsoft should educate itself before it decides that the consumers need to be educated. He can't state reasons why this benefits the consumer because it freaking doesn't. Outside of a slightly easier (and more restictive)way to share games, none of these things do anything to benefit the consumer. Required online connections do nothing to help the consumer out. Restricting trade-ins to approved partners does nothing to help the consumer out. Giving publishers more control of how games are bought and sold does nothing to help the consumer out.

It is transparent that even Microsoft can't actually spin these things to be beneficial in any specific way, so they stick to nebulous claims that don't actually mean anything.

 

[Simalacrum]

What about the extra $100 you'll be paying for the Xbox One, over the PS4? Again, Mehdi doesn't see a problem with that. The Xbox One will deliver so much increased value over the PS4 that a piddling $100 will be neither here nor there. "Ultimately consumers will decide which is better," Mehdi said. "It's a big market."

Sounds familiar. I wonder where we heard that line before?

"Obviously, it's a higher-risk strategy?as all new inventions are?but if the PlayStation 3 lives up to its total potential, I don't think anyone will be worried about Nintendo or Xbox's cheaper price." Sony CEO Howard Stringer, in 2006, in defence of the $599 price point of the PlayStation 3. We all remember how well the PS3 sold before the price cut, don't we? ;P