How to sell next-gen consoles, Marketing, Positioning, and Pricing [2020]

[iroboto]

The differentce is, Apple aren't dropping hints about their new hardware - with the phones you know they're coming every autumn but Apple aren't teasing people with this. It's just BLAM! - out of the blue - event in two weeks then at the event, they're available for pre-order next week, for delivering the week after.

That's so the opposite of what's happening here.

Agreed.

I never want to experience another drip feed launch. The E3 method was significantly better experience and fun, and we aren't any more informed through this drip feed.

 

[London Geezer]

Don't forget the pre-order lottery to get to pre-order.

And that! A pre-pre-pre-order with no price or date, to let some of us - not everyone! - know that they can pre-order.

2020 weirdness.

 

[BRiT]

I think everyone is in agreement the answer so far is "Don't do it like 2020 did!" to the question of "How to sell next-gen consoles?".

 

[iroboto]

I think everyone is in agreement the answer so far is "Don't do it like 2020 did!" to the question of "How to sell next-gen consoles?".

not sure if we should blame them, this is a covid year.

If covid is around in 2021, I would suggest changes to the current format.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

And that! A pre-pre-pre-order with no price or date, to let some of us - not everyone! - know that they can pre-order.

You don't have a US PSN account? Oh dear.. I signed up using mine only because I'm curious.

 

[BRiT]

You don't have a US PSN account? Oh dear.. I signed up using mine only because I'm curious.

Hell, even I entered the pre-pre-pre lottery, if for no other reason than to see what the experience is like.

Though they do require a US-based shipping address.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Hell, even I entered the pre-pre-pre lottery, if for no other reason than to see what the experience is like. Though they do require a US-based shipping address.

The British Embassy in Washington know me. Or rather, they hate me.

 

[Jay]

So was there any 'running on xsx' trailers in the end?
I crashed as soon as he said second hour.

 

[iroboto]

So was there any 'running on xsx' trailers in the end?
I crashed as soon as he said second hour.

No pricing
No availability
Minor details
A new console coming soonish
No gameplay on XSX shown, except Minecraft and gears. All else has been PC.

I haven’t quite figured out what this launch is, except that it’s not positive.

 

[Xbat]

No gameplay on XSX shown, except Minecraft and gears. All else has been PC.

This perplexes me. I remember Tim Sweeney getting a lot of stick for praising the PS5 during the Unreal V reveal because it must of been a marketing deal but now that there's been no actual next gen gameplay running on a Series X I don't think they actually had a chance to run it on anything else other than the PlayStation 5 or PC.

Why is none of the gameplay demos not running on a dev kit?

 

[PSman1700]

I haven’t quite figured out what this launch is, except that it’s not positive.

Yes i think this is the worst generation ever coming, both from MS and sony seem meh. That there wont be true next gen graphics.... was to be expected i think. But now we don't see any intresting things on launch either, in special not from MS.

Ratched looks amazing but not the true next gen leap, it didn't strike as 'wow what a leap', yes it was gameplay (rare this days), but as a first time show of real gameplay maybe they should have gone with forbidden west instead.

 

[iroboto]

Yes i think this is the worst generation ever coming, both from MS and sony seem meh. That there wont be true next gen graphics.... was to be expected i think. But now we don't see any intresting things on launch either, in special not from MS.

Ratched looks amazing but not the true next gen leap, it didn't strike as 'wow what a leap', yes it was gameplay (rare this days), but as a first time show of real gameplay maybe they should have gone with forbidden west instead.

Launch titles always suffer largely from transition issues. Compute is very flexible in that it allows us to do complex things without needing the hardware to do it.

I think later in the generation there will be definite wow moments.

 

[iroboto]

This perplexes me. I remember Tim Sweeney getting a lot of stick for praising the PS5 during the Unreal V reveal because it must of been a marketing deal but now that there's been no actual next gen gameplay running on a Series X I don't think they actually had a chance to run it on anything else other than the PlayStation 5 or PC.

Why is none of the gameplay demos not running on a dev kit?

MS may have been very late with devkits, showing up around Covid-19. Locking the devkits to rooms within the studios and everyone is working from home creates some major challenges for studios. So everything is prepped for PC instead.

at least that’s the best I can come up with as the most probable reason.

 

[BoardBonobo]

Maybe MS just have nothing to show? Halo was it and brutally rubbish. They're just banking on game pass.

 

[iroboto]

Maybe MS just have nothing to show? Halo was it and brutally rubbish. They're just banking on game pass.

That’s separate from not using the hardware

 

[eastmen]

That’s separate from not using the hardware

didn't they show gears months ago on the actual hardware along with minecraft ?

 

[iroboto]

didn't they show gears months ago on the actual hardware along with minecraft ?

Yea. That’s all they’ve shown running on the hardware

 

[BRiT]

Or maybe MS would rather be in complete control of their next reveal event instead of relying on a person (Geoff) which has zero ability to show excitement for anything associated with Microsoft. You could easily see it during the opening show with the statements related to Tell Me Why, Age of Empires, and Game Pass even when compared to something that shouldn't garner excitement like the couple of mobile game segments.

 

[zupallinere]

And that! A pre-pre-pre-order with no price or date, to let some of us - not everyone! - know that they can pre-order.

2020 weirdness.

Which is why both Sony and MS can get away with this game of chicken. Since 2020 is unprecedented all sins may be forgiven.

Also building up hype as well as messing with each other's marketing timelines.

It would almost not make sense not to take this opportunity to drive everyone crazy by withholding the most important information if you can get away with it.

Not saying it is defensible as a consumer but as a stockholder a very different set of incentives are at play.

If the common wisdom regarding MS not talking about Lockhart or at least it's pricing until Sony releases their pricing is true why wouldn't Sony use the opportunity to torture their rival a bit ??

The 25th Anniversary of the Playstation is coming up and I wouldn't be shocked if we got a full reveal at that point if only to associate the Playstation brand with a cathartic climactic event.

 

[iroboto]

If the common wisdom regarding MS not talking about Lockhart or at least it's pricing until Sony releases their pricing is true why wouldn't Sony use the opportunity to torture their rival a bit ??

Seems uncharacteristic of a dominant market leader. I'm sure MS would love to drag the launch out to when Halo is ready again.