Microsoft: Consumers Don't Buy Consoles to Play Games

[IPCharger]

http://www.p4rgaming.com/microsoft-consumers-no-longer-buy-video-game-consoles-to-play-games/

Did I miss something? Because apparently the new head at the Xbox division Julie Larson-Green is saying that consumers no longer buy consoles to play games. Here's a quote from what she said:

The term “video game console” will soon become a misnomer as the “video game” portion becomes obsolete. In the future, when people think about a console, they will think about an all-in-one device much like the Xbox One. I can imagine something similar to the Xbox One being the most common device used to access the internet or watch a movie.

What do you guys think?

EDIT:

Apparently the article is false, (in my defense it looked pretty legit :P) but anyways, it does kind of reflect the attitude of Microsoft with the Xbox One.

[Bleedman0xx]

We already have an AIO system...

 

It's. Called. The. PC! D=<

Also, smart phones...

 

Microsoft, you is ignorant and possibly socially retarded. :\

[Helltech]

I can see this, my friend uses his Xbox more for Netflix than he does to play games anymore. I don't think they are saying that video games will become obsolete, just the fact that it is a video game console solely will be obsolete, which they already are anyway. 

[BgG286]

Well if you think about it, the percentage of people that do buy it for entertainment purposes besides gaming is increasing. However, those people are not the only people buying it, gamers still buy it. I'm 16, most of my friends have either a PS3 or 360, and I can safely say that 90% or more of them use it purely for gaming. So while there are more people buying it as an all-in-one, it's still just a game console for some.

[IPCharger]

I can see this, my friend uses his Xbox more for Netflix than he does to play games anymore. I don't think they are saying that video games will become obsolete, just the fact that it is a video game console solely will be obsolete, which they already are anyway.

But why would label a console with gaming hardware as an All in One entertainment device? Yes, some people might use it only for streaming Netflix and browsing the web but why wouldn't they release a $100-$200 version that only works for that? Even the 360 works fine for that, so there's not even a reason to upgrade if you already have a 360. Hell, you could even build a cheap HTPC that has more features than the Xbox One.

[Helltech]

They aren't saying it's not going to be used for gaming, they are just saying the correct term for it would be "console" instead of "gaming console", which I agree with. Yes you could build a cheap HTPC for that, but look what forum we are on. We are not the general public, and we are not the majority. Look at how much people payed just for blu-ray players when they were released. 

[IPCharger]

...When asked if she realized she was just simply describing a computer, Larson-Green...

Lol I love the guy that made her the interview. He knows what's up.

[IPCharger]

They aren't saying it's not going to be used for gaming, they are just saying the correct term for it would be "console" instead of "gaming console", which I agree with. Yes you could build a cheap HTPC for that, but look what forum we are on. We are not the general public, and we are not the majority. Look at how much people payed just for blu-ray players when they were released. 

It's ok that they also focus on other features but it seems like they are marketing the Xbox One more like an entertainment device with gaming capabilities than a gaming console with entertainment capabilities, and in the end, a large chunk of income comes from the people that actually buy games frequently, not from the people that just use it to see netflix, and if they market this device as a entertainment system, a lot of those users may switch to PS4.

[Bleedman0xx]

“When I ask people what they want from their video game console, they don’t want to know if it can play video games. They want to know if it can run Netflix or if it can play music,” continued Larson-Green

They don't ask "If it can play games" because video game capability is a given! That's what you expect with a new gaming console. Who in their right minds would ask "Will it play games?"

 

“By asking these simple questions, we gain an understanding of what the consumer wants and we need to respond to these demands. The Xbox One can be used to watch television, but can it be used for more?”

Supply and demand is a given, but you don't need to get rid of the core mechanic that makes the product a success to begin with... You build around it, not pile it under a bunch of other crap and forget about it.

 

When asked if she realized she was just simply describing a computer, Larson-Green responded, “They are fundamentally different. You use a mouse and keyboard with a computer. You use a controller with a video game console.”

 

Have fun IMing your friends with a controller! =D

This new executive is obliviously a noob. :/

[Vitalius]

Well, she is partially right and partially wrong.

Hardcore gamers, the guys that pump tons of money into this industry (relative to themselves), buy it for games. Everything else is gravy.

The casuals, who don't pump tons of money into this industry (relative to themselves), buy it for everything, gaming, streaming, etc.

Note that when I say "relative to themselves", I mean on an individual basis. A hardcore gamer is more likely to spend a lot of money on gaming stuff than a casual gamer might.

The problem for hardcore gamers is that the casuals outnumber the hardcore gamers by so much that no amount of tons of money we pump into the industry will compete with the casuals in any way. So they are starting to directly control the market (Wii was the precursor *cough*).

The problem for big companies is that casuals will not re-invest every generation. People who bought a Wii will not buy a Wii-U unless their Wii broke. That's just the nature of being casual. Casuals offer large short term gains in capital, but are very bad investments for long term. Whereas Hardcore gamers are the type to buy a console every generation, usually more than 1, and invest in lots of games as well. So they are a more consistent source of money.

So she's right in that eventually a console won't be mostly for "gaming", but she's wrong in why gamers (the hardcore kind) would buy one. If she said that part, I didn't see that though.

That's just how I understand the industry. I could be wrong, but I don't see casuals buying the really expensive stuff unless they are rich, and then they are the minority of casuals.

Also, she's wrong about "..being the most common device used to access the internet or watch a movie." Firstly, PC, especially if we count Smartphones as PC's. They basically are.

I just think Microsoft is betting on the wrong horse. Casuals won't sustain them and if they somehow do, it will trickle down to being like life support at best.

They don't ask "If it can play games" because video game capability is a given! That's what you expect with a new gaming console. Who in their right minds would ask "Will it play games?"

Supply and demand is a given, but you don't need to get rid of the core mechanic that makes the product a success to begin with... You build around it, not pile it under a bunch of other crap and forget about it.

This new executive is obliviously a noob. :/

This. The first paragraph especially. Who the hell asks "will it play video games?" when it's a Video Game console?

You mean like the PS4 is doing (with all the streaming)? :D

Not just a noob, one who hasn't even gotten past "Press Start to begin". :|

[Anubikai]

why doesnt microsoft just mass produce a gaming pc and call it the xbox:HWSHDI(how wee should have done it). Just slap a 3rd gen i5 in it....a 7950 or 760 whatever really both are good for 1080p gaming with added effects, 7950 bit btter with more vram......give it a 500gb harddrive and 8gb of ddr3 1866mhz ram. they can make the motherboard like they do with the usual console business to minimise costs....this gaming pc would run a xbox client ontop of the actual os, win8/win7 whatever really. Then on the press of the xbox home button on the controller the dashboard would open.....once open windows would go into a hibernate like state where the session is stored ot the hdd and the xbox client os takes full advantage of all the hardware...upon closing the client by the usual long press and selecting shutdown, would be exit in this situation, the windows would awake.....they cna have usb3.0 and whatever their hearts desire. But this would never happen because hey.....that would make it so that they make less money......and making money is more important than making a gaming machine. they could even make more money by giving it options for upgrading....like the option for more ram that only works with this machine that they sell...

I far more enjoy using my xbox controller in my pc than on my xbox.......

-Anubikai

[Helltech]

It's ok that they also focus on other features but it seems like they are marketing the Xbox One more like an entertainment device with gaming capabilities than a gaming console with entertainment capabilities, and in the end, a large chunk of income comes from the people that actually buy games frequently, not from the people that just use it to see netflix, and if they market this device as a entertainment system, a lot of those users may switch to PS4.

They don't really care, that isn't the direction they want to take the Xbox. This is a gateway transition to "their" future of "the living room" as they call it. They want to have it in everyone's home as an entertainment device, not in every 14-26 year old's male den. I know there are exceptions, but that is their thinking. Casual people who only have like 2-3 games for their Wii largely outnumber us hardcore gamers, and Microsoft knows this. 

[Vitalius]

They don't really care, that isn't the direction they want to take the Xbox. This is a gateway transition to "their" future of "the living room" as they call it. They want to have it in everyone's home as an entertainment device, not in every 14-26 year old's male den. I know there are exceptions, but that is their thinking. Casual people who only have like 2-3 games for their Wii largely outnumber us hardcore gamers, and Microsoft knows this. 

Read my post to see where that future will lead them. 

Hint: No where but the grave.

[Helltech]

Read my post to see where that future will lead them. 

Hint: No where but the grave.

 

I never said it would, I'm just saying that's what they want to do. 

[Bleedman0xx]

Hint: No where but the grave.

MS has already been in that grave before. "Windows Media Center" anyone? In ~2005, they tried their hardest to get people to hook up their PCs to their living room for the "ultimate media entertainment experience." ...They failed.

I truly believe that the Xbox was created specifically for MS to creep their way into "owning the living room."

[Vitalius]

MS has already been in that grave before. "Windows Media Center" anyone? In ~2005, they tried their hardest to get people to hook up their PCs to their living room for the "ultimate media entertainment experience." ...They failed.

I truly believe that the Xbox was created specifically for MS to creep their way into "owning the living room."

Ha, exactly.

They'll "own" it... for about 1 generation. The last half of that generation will be hell though. Next gen, I predict either a more video game oriented console from them, or none at all due to failure. You heard it here first.

[qwertywarrior]

so  the future of consoles will be

 

a locked down pc with game exclusives........

 

think about it

[eshbop]

The article's title is a little misleading. Should be more like 'Consumers what game console that doesn't just play games'.

 

so  the future of consoles will be

 

a locked down pc with game exclusives........

 

think about it

That's kinda what they were last generation.

[IPCharger]

so  the future of consoles will be

 

a locked down pc with game exclusives........

 

think about it

You forgot the Kinect :P

[Vitalius]

so  the future of consoles will be

 

a locked down pc with game exclusives........

 

think about it

You described consoles in general. Like, all of them. Ever.

[silencerbob]

Like Linus said a few live streams ago... we have samsung smart tvs with processors capable of simple apps like skype, youtube, etc..
 

Whats to say ( in 8 years time) the next gen on consoles will simply be IN ur TV... clearly Sony already sell TVs and could do something with android.  Laptops are so small and thin these days ..imagine whats possible in another 8 years!  instead of buying a console box.. you just buy a TV with the guts of a laptop inside.  Everything is obtained digitally...honestly.  No more piracy issue. The games will be there of course.. but HTPCs have been a passion of mine for such a LONG time.  I modded my origianl xbox back in the day for 1 pure simple reason... XBMC.  Not for games... dont get me wrong i bought a ton of games for the original xbox, but having a self contained HTPC/gaming box you could take around with you was amazing.  You simply cannot separate me from my HTPC :)  At the same time... M$ look to be turning their backs on what made them great!  XBMC was an opensourced project created by random ppl on the internet out of their own spare time and it was a MILLION times better than anything M$ ever (and still) has attempted.  Just pathetic!

 

After all these years of literally ZERO updates to Windows Media Player or windows Media Centre..they suddenly think NOW is the time?  Sheesh.  We've moved on M$..from your blatent lack of support for HTPC, your blatent head in the sand attitude and blatent ignorance of what the public wants....its too late!
 

Microsoft... just stinks of desperation

[SkilledRebuilds]

Like ^ said.

Future Application - If the new "Xbox1" was cut down in size by a third via optimization and whatever..., it could be used in the "base/foot" of the screen as an AIO much like PC AIO's.

[IPCharger]

Like Linus said a few live streams ago... we have samsung smart tvs with processors capable of simple apps like skype, youtube, etc...

Whats to say ( in 8 years time) the next gen on consoles will simply be "inside" ur TV... clearly Sony already sell TVs and could do something with android. Laptops are so small and thin these days ..imagine whats possible in another 8 years! instead of buying a console box.. you just buy a TV with the guts of a laptop inside. Everything is obtained digitally...honestly.

Microsoft... just stinks of desperation.

This is what I mean. Why would anyone spend $500 on an entertainment device when you can buy something like an Asus Qube for $130.

[Anult]

 

Hey guys... this article is not true.

 

P4RGaming are like the Onion of game journalism. They write parody articles. I can't believe you people took that article seriously.

[silencerbob]

err. fair enuf..pretty obscure if u ask me.. guess theres no april 1 between now and november eh?