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

I could never get into the older era settings. I think most people just wanted more modern warfare.
Definitely. As am older gamer I feel like I've fought WWII in games for longer than the actual war went on - no disrespect to those who fought! :nope:

I couldn't even get into the Original Black Ops. I like all the literal modern warfare technology stuff, iron sights? No thanks. Makes me want to relay Modern Warfare Remastered following my MW2 Remastered. Maybe I will! :yes:
 
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Battlefield 1 and COD WW2 are in that list. I don't think that's the issue at all.

Battlefield V was just a poorly directed and poorly marketed game.
Hmm perhaps. I think following a WW1 game immediately by another in the same sort of era was poor planning imo. After BF1 I was exhausted by it
 
Yup, all three consoles would sell out regardless, but part of getting consoles into homes before Christmas is that this has traditionally been good place for natural social marketing of technology to occur, people spend more time with friends and family and Christmas and new fun products like consoles may get quite a lot of attention by visitors.

Seeing/playing games that you can't play on your console may drive your desire to buy that product where previously you hadn't really thought about it, or had but dismissed it. You can say what you like about Killzone Shadow Fall and Knack gameplay-wise, but they looked the dog's bollocks on PS4 at Christmas 2013. Even if you couldn't buy a console right then and there, it was now on your radar. Had you only been able to see Uncharted 2 at higher res or Fallout 3 not crash so much, maybe you wouldn't be as impressed. Actually, I take that back that second one. :yep2:

Of course in many countries this year, COVID will limit the social viral spread of a whole bunch of products.

So on the ps5 that title would be Demon Souls ? I think thats the only title that can't play on previous gen consoles for sony aside from that astro bot game correct ? Its also a remake.


There are a lot of great BC games on the xbox series s and x that can be played in a way you couldn't last gen. Gears of war 5 looks amazing and gears tactics is another great looking game. Also you can buy games like cyberpunk on both consoles and get features that don't exist on the previous consoles , you can get ass creed and get features that aren't possible on last gen consoles.

Its why I'm saying Microsoft needs to be concerned about big games next year when supply gets above demand.
 
So on the ps5 that title would be Demon Souls ? I think thats the only title that can't play on previous gen consoles for sony aside from that astro bot game correct ? Its also a remake.


There are a lot of great BC games on the xbox series s and x that can be played in a way you couldn't last gen. Gears of war 5 looks amazing and gears tactics is another great looking game. Also you can buy games like cyberpunk on both consoles and get features that don't exist on the previous consoles , you can get ass creed and get features that aren't possible on last gen consoles.

Its why I'm saying Microsoft needs to be concerned about big games next year when supply gets above demand.
Destruction all stars, Godfall and Ratchet and Clank also?its not just the games it’s the USP like 3D sound and DS5 features that are also exclusive....
 
So on the ps5 that title would be Demon Souls ? I think thats the only title that can't play on previous gen consoles for sony aside from that astro bot game correct ? Its also a remake.
Demon Souls and Godfall. I don't know what the the full list of PS5 launch window games are, only what I personally am interesting in.

There are a lot of great BC games on the xbox series s and x that can be played in a way you couldn't last gen.
What Xbox games play differently?

Also you can buy games like cyberpunk on both consoles and get features that don't exist on the previous consoles , you can get ass creed and get features that aren't possible on last gen consoles.
What are those? I'm hugely looking forward to Cyberpunk but have really modest expectations about how much the game will be improved over PS4 and XBO. Comparing games to what was possible last gen, when current generation is about to be superseded, it a very low bar.
 
So are all supplies sold out already through the preorders or will they have inventory at the stores at launch and the rest of the year?
 
Destruction all stars, Godfall and Ratchet and Clank also?its not just the games it’s the USP like 3D sound and DS5 features that are also exclusive....

I forgot about Ratchet and Clank. Godfall is a timed exclusive no ?

Demon Souls and Godfall. I don't know what the the full list of PS5 launch window games are, only what I personally am interesting in.


What Xbox games play differently?


What are those? I'm hugely looking forward to Cyberpunk but have really modest expectations about how much the game will be improved over PS4 and XBO. Comparing games to what was possible last gen, when current generation is about to be superseded, it a very low bar.
All previous gen games will play better on xbox series x through BC , a lot with dynamic resolutions will play at the highest resolutions and framerates possible , games from previous gens will also get HDR features and some games will get enhancement patches like gears 5 which add raytracing and features that were previously only available on the pc

If you want to play cyberpunk on a console the xbox series and ps5 will be the best places to get the game. They will feature and enhancement patch which will enable ray tracing. They will offer better framerates and most likely higher resolutions or a dynamic resolution that drops much less often.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...oyAxKnuqlbZQ1hJ1W3hHVmOtI8PuOPPjNZhMs_j6-tWPQ

Bethesda games don't have to launch on PlayStation for Microsoft's $7.5bn deal to pay off, Xbox boss insists

Was this shared anywhere here before?
Yea everyone knew this , it was just a way to minimize the purchase. There are a lot of big games that will at some point in the future become exclusive to xbox consoles or pc.

So are all supplies sold out already through the preorders or will they have inventory at the stores at launch and the rest of the year?
I think MS is going to do another round of preorders and after preorders more consoles will come out between launch and the end of the year. I dont' think they will have any problems selling the few million that come out . People are paying hundreds more for preorders onlnie
 
Remember that MS managed to nearly tie PS's global sales in the 360/PS3 gen by winning the US 2:1, despite having almost no European and Asian presence.

360 sold +25 Million units in Europe with around 8 of those coming from the UK. That is not "almost no presence", in fact that was a very significant presence. Microsoft had a very nice marketshare over here during that era of consoles and a solid foundation coming into the current gen, but they squandered it back (ironically) to almost the original Xbox level (hence the name One? ;)). They will do better this time, but it's hard for them here...
 
360 sold +25 Million units in Europe with around 8 of those coming from the UK. That is not "almost no presence", in fact that was a very significant presence. Microsoft had a very nice marketshare over here during that era of consoles and a solid foundation coming into the current gen, but they squandered it back (ironically) to almost the original Xbox level (hence the name One? ;)). They will do better this time, but it's hard for them here...
Here I'm. Italian I'm gonna buy a XSX... [emoji16]

Because of Gamepass, because of -I think- better performances (I'm sure the wider RAM bus+VRS+SFS will give out noticable better results on multiplatform titles)...
 
I forgot about Ratchet and Clank. Godfall is a timed exclusive no ?
Godfall is a timed console but what different does that make? I was talking about the Christmas effect if showing off new tech and games and driving up interest in buying new hardware. Godfall appearing on Xbox sometime in the future change nothing. It's not my type of game so I'm not paying much attention to it. Ratchet & Clank is "launch window" game which could be anything. It may be out in time for Christmas but it feels like Christmas is going to be pretty crowded game-wise. I think it makes more sense for Sony to launch this in February or March.

All previous gen games will play better on xbox series x through BC , a lot with dynamic resolutions will play at the highest resolutions and framerates possible , games from previous gens will also get HDR features and some games will get enhancement patches like gears 5 which add raytracing and features that were previously only available on the pc
I thought by "play differently" you were referring to genuine gameplay differences or new modes. So the games will play the same and it's resolution/framerates and load times that are improved - similar to difference between Xbox One/S and One X now.

If you want to play cyberpunk on a console the xbox series and ps5 will be the best places to get the game. They will feature and enhancement patch which will enable ray tracing. They will offer better framerates and most likely higher resolutions or a dynamic resolution that drops much less often.
The patch you're talking about that enables nextgen hardware features like RT, is not coming for a looooooong time. In the investor call earlier this year CDPR hinted at this in 2022. Nextgen consoles are getting a day one patch which should hopefully unlock higher resolutions and frame rates. Witcher 3 on consoles had a banded dynamic resolution, but that's about it. I'm not expecting much more, I'll be happy if the loading times aren't Witcher 3 bad.
 
360 sold +25 Million units in Europe with around 8 of those coming from the UK. That is not "almost no presence", in fact that was a very significant presence. Microsoft had a very nice marketshare over here during that era of consoles and a solid foundation coming into the current gen, but they squandered it back (ironically) to almost the original Xbox level (hence the name One? ;)). They will do better this time, but it's hard for them here...
Sony outsold them more than 4:1 in the EU. I am excluding UK, it's actually a viable market and was this generation too. That's not Japan level bad, sure, but it's not a significant market share. And it required Sony to massively mess up the PS3 for them to get to even that.
 
Sony outsold them more than 4:1 in the EU. I am excluding UK, it's actually a viable market and was this generation too. That's not Japan level bad, sure, but it's not a significant market share.

Sorry, but that's total BS. PS3 sold around 35M units in Europe vs around 25M for the X360. Excluding the 8M from the UK puts the 360 at 17M vs something under 30M for the PS3, as PS3 was reported to reach 5M in UK in 2012. Not very close to a 4:1...
 
MS can win the US and achieve parity in EU this time if they play their cards right. Japan 10:1 Sony:MS might be possible, but it's pretty hopeless there.

They only really care about GamePass though and I think they'll easily get to 50 million subscriptions this gen. 100 million isn't out of the realm of possibility.
 
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Are they offering Game Pass in all markets?

I think the PS brand is pretty entrenched in Europe, with huge sponsorships of UEFA and F1.

They might be able to get high market share in the UK though.

Game Pass including EA would be great for FIFA. But people have been conditioned to buying the PS version of FIFA for years.
 
I'm still trying to see if Game Pass is in more countries that may not be part of xCloud launch, but here's what I have so far.

XCloud launches with Game Pass Ultimate in 22 Countries news from 2020-08-22: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-shows-range-new-project-xcloud-games-and-hardware

The confirmed launch markets are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.​

Xbox All Access in 12 Countries news 2020-09-09: https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/09/xbox-all-access-expands-to-12-countries-this-holiday/

Xbox All Access available in 12 countries this holiday; more to come in 2021​

When Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launch this holiday, in addition to existing availability in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, Xbox All Access will expand to eight new countries, giving more players around the world an opportunity to get everything they need to jump into the next generation of gaming with no upfront cost. The program will come to even more countries and retailers in 2021.​

Xbox All Access will be available in the following countries this holiday:
  • Australia at Telstra
  • Canada at EB Games
  • Denmark at Elgiganten
  • Finland at Gigantti
  • France at FNAC
  • New Zealand at Spark
  • Norway at Elkjøp
  • Poland at Media Expert
  • South Korea at SK Telecom
  • Sweden at Elgiganten
  • UK at GAME and Smyths Toys
  • United States at Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Microsoft Store, and Walmart
 
EA Play is available in all Xbox Game Pass markets. Please visit xbox.com/regions for more information on Xbox Game Pass markets.


TL;DR: Game Pass is available in more markets than just xCloud, with my count putting it at 41 regions. Additional Regions: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
 
360 sold +25 Million units in Europe with around 8 of those coming from the UK. That is not "almost no presence", in fact that was a very significant presence. Microsoft had a very nice marketshare over here during that era of consoles and a solid foundation coming into the current gen, but they squandered it back (ironically) to almost the original Xbox level (hence the name One? ;)). They will do better this time, but it's hard for them here...
It was actually Sony that didnt have any presence at all due to a delayed launched in both territories. The delay was even bigger in Europe. Sony handed them marketshare for a significant period
 
It was actually Sony that didnt have any presence at all due to a delayed launched in both territories. The delay was even bigger in Europe. Sony handed them marketshare for a significant period
Indeed, 16 month head start and an expensive console with very few exclusives and all 3rd part games significantly better on X360....but it still outsold it.
 
Are there going to be lines and midnight launches at stores?

Or are there not going to be any supplies beyond preordered units?

So long queues but with distancing would be good PR for the console companies or no?
 
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