Xbox One is dead. Don't believe me? Just ask Ernest "Nex" Cavalli. Microsoft has irredeemably soiled their reputation, forever vanquishing them to obscurity and ensuring that Sony wins this generation and all generations ever. And a few months ago, I might've shared that view. But anger often leads to hyperbole, and in all our anguish, we might've exaggerated the impact of the Xbox One's disastrous reveal. Sure, hundreds of thousands of people have sworn off the Xbox One, but they will still survive, and for several reasons.
For one thing, garnering hatred and making terrible decisions by no means makes people stop buying your product en masse. You may think I'm joking, but historically some of the most dickish game companies have maintained good sales. Ask EA or Ubisoft if you don't believe me. As long as they put out a good that accomplishes a service, their bottom line is still safe.
Second, for every person on the internet who made a blood pact to never forget Microsoft's betrayal (guilty), there are five who never even heard of all the hullabaloo. People who just want a machine for their next Call of Duty, Halo, and Fifa (or nondenominational sports sim, as we may now have to call it, but that's another story), or some mother who knows that her child likes videogames and not much else - all that they know about the machine is the price tag. A price drop is all that stands between them and their money flying into Microsoft's bank account, and if Microsoft is truly serious about trying to rebuild their reputation, that price will drop. Maybe people will be backed up out the door come the PS4's release date, but two weeks later, when Joe Blow walks into Kmart and discovers that the PS4 is sold out through April, all the rage in the internet can't change what he'll do.
Third, there are new gamers every day. As I speak, a young boy enters Gamestop for the first time in his life, having saved up his allowance enough for his first console. And these new gamers are likely to look at the Xbox and say, 'What's all the yelling about?' Microsoft didn't really do much wrong - at least, nothing permanent - and if they haven't been following the forums, they will never know about the orgasm of hatred that the Xbox One's release brought. What is to stop them from buying an Xbox One?
Finally - and this may be the most crucial - Sony is going to slip up. Right now we may be praising them as the saviors of the industry, but just wait. In a few months, they'll do something to alienate us all. Maybe the PS4 will be poorly made, so that it damages your games irreparably. Maybe they'll create a 'cloud gaming experience' that wipes your save file after a few months. Hell, before the Xbox One catastrophe, Sony was planning on doing some of the exact same things Microsoft did, but managed to dodge that bullet when they saw the horrendous reaction Microsoft got. The point is, no company is perfect, and eventually people will say, 'Well, I guess this is how all companies are' (since Nintendo has apparently slipped their mind), and the market will redistribute more evenly.
So no, Microsoft is not dead. They may have taken an arrow to the knee, but a small arrow, and one that will soon heal. So as much as you may like the thought, as much as it would benefit the industry, they will not go away.
P.S. Perhaps some of you out there are currently enjoying the wonders of PC gaming. Good, we're all happy for you. Perhaps you feel obligated to bring up the many benefits of this form of media. That is your choice. However, we're talking about consoles. You bringing up PC gaming would be no more relevant than if I brought up kiwis, or the Spanish flu. And if you take issue to this stance, I request that you place your complaints as an addendum to a post that is relevant to this post. Thank you.
For one thing, garnering hatred and making terrible decisions by no means makes people stop buying your product en masse. You may think I'm joking, but historically some of the most dickish game companies have maintained good sales. Ask EA or Ubisoft if you don't believe me. As long as they put out a good that accomplishes a service, their bottom line is still safe.
Second, for every person on the internet who made a blood pact to never forget Microsoft's betrayal (guilty), there are five who never even heard of all the hullabaloo. People who just want a machine for their next Call of Duty, Halo, and Fifa (or nondenominational sports sim, as we may now have to call it, but that's another story), or some mother who knows that her child likes videogames and not much else - all that they know about the machine is the price tag. A price drop is all that stands between them and their money flying into Microsoft's bank account, and if Microsoft is truly serious about trying to rebuild their reputation, that price will drop. Maybe people will be backed up out the door come the PS4's release date, but two weeks later, when Joe Blow walks into Kmart and discovers that the PS4 is sold out through April, all the rage in the internet can't change what he'll do.
Third, there are new gamers every day. As I speak, a young boy enters Gamestop for the first time in his life, having saved up his allowance enough for his first console. And these new gamers are likely to look at the Xbox and say, 'What's all the yelling about?' Microsoft didn't really do much wrong - at least, nothing permanent - and if they haven't been following the forums, they will never know about the orgasm of hatred that the Xbox One's release brought. What is to stop them from buying an Xbox One?
Finally - and this may be the most crucial - Sony is going to slip up. Right now we may be praising them as the saviors of the industry, but just wait. In a few months, they'll do something to alienate us all. Maybe the PS4 will be poorly made, so that it damages your games irreparably. Maybe they'll create a 'cloud gaming experience' that wipes your save file after a few months. Hell, before the Xbox One catastrophe, Sony was planning on doing some of the exact same things Microsoft did, but managed to dodge that bullet when they saw the horrendous reaction Microsoft got. The point is, no company is perfect, and eventually people will say, 'Well, I guess this is how all companies are' (since Nintendo has apparently slipped their mind), and the market will redistribute more evenly.
So no, Microsoft is not dead. They may have taken an arrow to the knee, but a small arrow, and one that will soon heal. So as much as you may like the thought, as much as it would benefit the industry, they will not go away.
P.S. Perhaps some of you out there are currently enjoying the wonders of PC gaming. Good, we're all happy for you. Perhaps you feel obligated to bring up the many benefits of this form of media. That is your choice. However, we're talking about consoles. You bringing up PC gaming would be no more relevant than if I brought up kiwis, or the Spanish flu. And if you take issue to this stance, I request that you place your complaints as an addendum to a post that is relevant to this post. Thank you.
And even that is likely understating it.
