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

That's interesting. I am guessing they are reducing the number of rays on XSS.

More than likely. I'm starting to think Microsoft should have just provided an XBSX all digital edition, rather than Series S. This coming generation is just starting, and things aren’t going to get any easier for the S.
 
More than likely. I'm starting to think Microsoft should have just provided an XBSX all digital edition, rather than Series S. This coming generation is just starting, and things aren’t going to get any easier for the S.
It'll be fine.
XBO started the generation at 720p too lol.

At least this time it's priced correctly and not $100 over the comp but -100 or -200
 
More than likely. I'm starting to think Microsoft should have just provided an XBSX all digital edition, rather than Series S. This coming generation is just starting, and things aren’t going to get any easier for the S.

I disagree, mainly because of ML and Velocity Architecture.

IMO XSS is going to do what's it's supposed to: 1/3rd the TF for 1/3 to 1/4 the screen resolution.

4K on X will be 1080p on S and 1440p on X will be 800p on S, or they'll sacrifice a few things on S to maintain 1080p.

It's a budget console.
 
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I'm starting to think Microsoft should have just provided an XBXS all digital edition, rather than Series S. This coming generation is just starting, and things aren’t going to get any easier for the S.

Only way that would hit $400 is taking a BOM-loss while being impossible to hit that lower price point of $299. If nothing else, the Series S makes for an interesting attempt to serve that lower market immediately.

I kind of wish both sides aimed for a 2021 product instead of 2019-2020. That would have provided a bit of an uplift in technology and/or lower prices.

But that's all discussion for a different thread...
 
More than likely. I'm starting to think Microsoft should have just provided an XBSX all digital edition, rather than Series S. This coming generation is just starting, and things aren’t going to get any easier for the S.
That's a rough indication, sure.
But how does it perform against different uses and game implementations.

So you would prefer a more expensive or same priced 1X that is of lower spec and performance? Not sure why you would won't that.
 
That's a rough indication, sure.
But how does it perform against different uses and game implementations.

So you would prefer a more expensive or same priced 1X that is of lower spec and performance? Not sure why you would won't that.

Um, I wouldn't mind seeing a $399 XBSX DE... who wouldn't?
 
I disagree, mainly because of ML and Velocity Architecture.

IMO XSS is going to do what's it's supposed to: 1/3rd the TF for 1/3 to 1/4 the screen resolution.

4K on X will be 1080p on S and 1440p on X will be 800p on S, or they'll sacrifice a few things on S to maintain 1080p.

It's a budget console.

I must be missing something here... but those features will still be present in XBSX all digital edition for $399. Similar to the PS5 DE.
 
I wouldn't.

I wouldn't want to see a less spec'd more expensive console than we're getting.

What are you talking about? The only thing that would be missing, would be an optical disc... not the architecture, feature-sets, or performance. Meaning, there would be a standard edition (i.e., XBSX) and a digital edition (i.e., XBSX DE).
 
What are you talking about? The only thing that would be missing, would be an optical disc... not the architecture, feature-sets, or performance. Meaning, there would be a standard edition (i.e., XBSX) and a digital edition (i.e., XBSX DE).

You've got to give a hell of a lot more than a $30 UHD Optical drive in order to hit $299 starting price point.
 
I never mentioned a $299 price point. I stated $399 for an all digital XBSX.

But you said instead of a Series S, so I'm saying a $399 Series X doesn't do enough and has to drop more in order to start at $299 with potential to hit $249 on sales or lower over the years.
 
You've got to give a hell of a lot more than a $30 UHD Optical drive in order to hit $299 starting price point.
I'd have gone for a digital (optical disc-less) Series X because I don't have an Xbox disc library that I do for PS4 but the economics of the two companies are as divergent as their engagement strategy. Sony presumably low-balled the PS5DE RRP because they can be assured that many PS5DE owners will be locked into buying digital-only where Sony take that increased retailer cut. Microsoft are pushing GamePass where this isn't as much of a thing, although there are clearly still a considerable number of Xbox owners not using GamePass.

The cool thing here is both companies can do well offering their own take of supplying games. One doesn't have to lose for the other to win. The only losers are fanboys who hate the other console and screw those guys!
 
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But you said instead of a Series S, so I'm saying a $399 Series X doesn't do enough and has to drop more in order to start at $299 with potential to hit $249 on sales or lower over the years.

I meant in general, not a prior generation equivalent (or replacement). Meaning, Microsoft could have just provided a digital edition XBSX for $399, and it would have sold just as well (possibly better in the long-term) as the series S, but with less technical boundaries.
 
MS is doing their own thing. Their not trying to be Sony. They will bring out a digital-only Series X when they're ready. I think the $299 target device was the better the long-term plan.

If you look at the PS5 most people wanted the uglier console for $100 more just cause it has the 4k Bluray drive. Evidently discs are still a thing. Guess MS still understood that.

Tommy McClain
 
Um, I wouldn't mind seeing a $399 XBSX DE... who wouldn't?
Actually read it as XB1X DE. Sorry.
As we was talking about XSS, a lot cheaper device than that would be.

Thought you was bringing up the 1X/1X DE being better than having XSS thing all over again.
 
None of us have a crystal ball, but MS believes they will get a lot of budget-minded $299 people to jump into next-gen much more quickly than they otherwise would have. Next year on Black Friday it'll likely be $249.

I think one of the motivations for their belief is that they expected more people to care about One X's 4K resolution when it came out and then over time realized that tons of people don't have or care about 4K. In other words, the One S way outsold the One X at the $299 vs. $499 price point. Why wouldn't history repeat itself? At least that's how they see it.

When you add in South Americans, Eastern Europeans etc... that don't have NA/EU disposable incomes the XSS makes even more sense IMO.

Lastly, they're trying to get Sony PS4 users that won't pay $499 or $399 for a PS5/DE. Sony is barely making the DE right now IMO because they're losing their shirts on them, so in a lot of ways that SKU barely exists right now. Also, there's some PS fans that wouldn't pickup up a XSX on the side for cost reasons, but might grab an XSS for certain MS exclusives (23 studios etc...) and then get sucked into a free GP trial and end up in MS's ecosystem.

That's their thinking. We'll see how it all plays out.
 
Haha. I think both consoles are lacking launch titles. Outside of Spiderman what games are there on PS5 other than remakes?

Spiderman is a DLC 8 hour expansion and is cross gen.

I think the new stuff is ratchet and clank and astrobot ?

Demon souls is a remake of a ps3 game although it does look quite good.


Like i said when halo launches early next year and MS's first party stuff starts launching in a good cadence people will forget about what was available at launch
 
Spiderman is a DLC 8 hour expansion and is cross gen.

I think the new stuff is ratchet and clank and astrobot ?

Demon souls is a remake of a ps3 game although it does look quite good.


Like i said when halo launches early next year and MS's first party stuff starts launching in a good cadence people will forget about what was available at launch

I do find it interesting that overall in reviews so far XB is getting called out for not having games while the PS5 gets a pass on this. It's an old narrative that was mostly true in the past but this time around neither console has much to offer, so I don't really get it.
 
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