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

[Shifty Geezer]

If you want to believe that the X will win this generation simply because it is “more powerful”, I think your expectations are misplaced

To be fair on RobertR1, he said in the US, and I think it very plausible that XBSX will sell most there. I don't agree that they'll buy the most powerful, full stop, but it possibly is a more significant factor in the US than other cultures. In contrast, I don't think Japan could care less about power and only cares about experiences. I think OXB's success in the US was in significant part to power, coupled with the online focus.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Ita funny how power is so important to those who bought the more powerful console last gen except now they say it doesnt matter for nextgen.

People are funny in their justifications.

That's a fair comment for folks who justified buying PS4 over Xbox One did so because because it was more powerful - that's pure hypocrisy. My position on this has been clear for years, it's the first party exclusives that determine which console I generally buy - or buy first. 99% of games end up on both, so it's the differentiators.

As I've said in the linked posts, if Sony's first/second party studios broke up and reformed as Xbox first/second-party studios, that's where I'd be. Being a European, I had to wait until March 2007 to get a PS3 and I bought that heavy, expensive bastard console knowing that it was a technical mess compared to 360. 18 months late, almost twice as expensive but.. Sony first party studios. PS2's first/second party exclusives were amazing.

Some gamers are just about the games, not about the plastic box that plays them. I don't mean to zero in on Rangers, he is a poster who has consistently long held the believe that performance is very important, whereas I've been the polarised opposite - as dubious about this as he is certain. But you know, somebody who knowingly buys the less powerful console being the banner holder for performance is hard to swallow.

 

[PSman1700]

99% of games end up on both, so it's the differentiators.

True, it depends then on how much you value those very few games, if it's worth it to have the 'inferior' version of those 99% of other games.

 

[Barrabas]

To be fair on RobertR1, he said in the US, and I think it very plausible that XBSX will sell most there. I don't agree that they'll buy the most powerful, full stop, but it possibly is a more significant factor in the US than other cultures. In contrast, I don't think Japan could care less about power and only cares about experiences. I think OXB's success in the US was in significant part to power, coupled with the online focus.

The fact that MS is a US company and Sony is a Japan company I think also play a role which brand sells the most in their respective countrys.

 

[Nesh]

It is highly likely MS will try to sandwich the PS5, offering a premium console at a good price probably a bit higher than the PS5 and a lower priced console for the casuals, in an effort to get both the hardcore and the casuals into the bandwagon.
You will say that they have done it with the One already. Not necessarily. The X was priced significantly higher than PS4/One S and came in lower supplies. It also came late after the PS4 has won the war with the vanilla version.
Launching simultaneously the cheaper and premium console, if the premium is just $50 more expensive than the PS5, while the Series S is €100 cheaper, they would hit the hot spot

 

[eastmen]

Are you suggesting one console will be 30 and the other 60? Or 60 and 90?

I would say most of the difference has been inline with the specs, apart from the times when 1X has worse framerate, or no differences at all.
There has been a fair few examples, of both those situations.

And yet as someone who plans to buy xbox not ps, I've said I would give up some power for ssd speed.
So I'm not too sure what to make of this post apart from that's just your view.

I think you can market speed just as well as power as long as everything is in the same ballpark.
Apart from people who watch DF, I suspect speed will be easier to demonstrate, don't need framegraphs, pixel counting, in depth analysis of feature differences.

I think both are good bullet points, but won't be enough in itself to sell beyond people who was interested in that platform anyway.

1) I am suggesting its a possibility with the relative power difference. I think you should watch DF more often , the majority of the time the XOX is a higher resolution and when it is the same resolution it runs faster.

2) Based on what ? Your willing to give up power for ssd speed but how does that equate into the actual game play. We haven't seen any examples of a next gen game running on both platforms . Seems quite odd that your willing to give something up for faster speed.

3) You think people would care about a few seconds ? It could be the biggest backfire ever with sony going out there and saying here buy our console look at how much faster it loads , two seconds later its done. Vs everyone else monitor makers , computer makers , tv makers , video card makers , microsoft and so on going out there and saying hey you'll get better frame rates and better frame rates help you be a better player in game. Which is a continuation of the majority of marketing that is already happening around high frame rate monitors , gysnc , free sycn and so on.

 

[eastmen]

It is highly likely MS will try to sandwich the PS5, offering a premium console at a good price probably a bit higher than the PS5 and a lower priced console for the casuals, in an effort to get both the hardcore and the casuals into the bandwagon.
You will say that they have done it with the One already. Not necessarily. The X was priced significantly higher than PS4/One S and came in lower supplies. It also came late after the PS4 has won the war with the vanilla version.
Launching simultaneously the cheaper and premium console, if the premium is just $50 more expensive than the PS5, while the Series S is €100 cheaper, they would hit the hot spot

I don't think it will be a sandwich. I think MS has a price they want to reach and if its lower than sony's they will stay there even if sony launches more expensive. If its more expensive than sony I think they will move to meet it based of MS's comments. I think the second system will be there for those without the money to transition. Those who may want halo or another title and play it at it with its new graphical features and don't need a $400-$500 system and instead of them going to a dead platform like the xbox one or x they will move onto the new hardware that way.

It will be even more interesting if both of the xboxs are cheaper

 

[goonergaz]

Ita funny how power is so important to those who bought the more powerful console last gen except now they say it doesnt matter for nextgen.

People are funny in their justifications.

In reality it isn't about console A vs B, it's about having the best version of Brand A and Brand B as a choice. Outside of financial concerns, it's not like someone is going to opt for a PS4 instead of a PS5.

Maybe it’s just me, but I buy a console for exclusives mainly, power is nice but the only console I bought day one for every release is PlayStation.

Each gen (next included because it’ll be even smaller) each console has performed ‘close enough’ that any power gap doesn’t really matter enough to make it worth switching sides...as an example, my daughter just mentioned that she heard XSX was more powerful than PS5 so I asked which console we should get and she said "PS5 - the games are better".

That's a fair comment for folks who justified buying PS4 over Xbox One did so because because it was more powerful - that's pure hypocrisy. My position on this has been clear for years, it's the first party exclusives that determine which console I generally buy - or buy first. 99% of games end up on both, so it's the differentiators.

As I've said in the linked posts, if Sony's first/second party studios broke up and reformed as Xbox first/second-party studios, that's where I'd be. Being a European, I had to wait until March 2007 to get a PS3 and I bought that heavy, expensive bastard console knowing that it was a technical mess compared to 360. 18 months late, almost twice as expensive but.. Sony first party studios. PS2's first/second party exclusives were amazing.

Some gamers are just about the games, not about the plastic box that plays them. I don't mean to zero in on Rangers, he is a poster who has consistently long held the believe that performance is very important, whereas I've been the polarised opposite - as dubious about this as he is certain. But you know, somebody who knowingly buys the less powerful console being the banner holder for performance is hard to swallow.

Couldn't agree more. What's funny is those who had the hard-on for the X360 in all those face offs have come back out from under their rock because XSX is 'back on top' when I really couldn't care (enough to sway my purchase anyway). TBH I pray that XSX releases at the same price so we can finally put that power arguement to bed.

 

[AzBat]

I pray that XSX releases at the same price so we can finally put that power arguement to bed.

You mean release at lower price than PS5. Can't put the price argument to bed if they are the same price.

Tommy McClain

 

[PSman1700]

"PS5 - the games are better".

That's an assumption, though. So far we have hellblade, godfall, quantum error, infinite, some more? But even for this gen, it depends what you're into, if you like 3rd person games then yea.

TBH I pray that XSX releases at the same price so we can finally put that power arguement to bed.

Even if it's priced higher, or lower, what has that to do with a power difference?

 

[iroboto]

You mean release at lower price than PS5. Can't put the price argument to bed if they are the same price.

Tommy McClain

lol. And not just a little cheaper.

$100 dollars cheaper.

goodness. looking back omg. haha.

Sort of surprised they even managed to stay alive to be honest. Perhaps I've been too harsh on MS, Halo, Gears and Forza can really carry the console lol

 

[goonergaz]

You mean release at lower price than PS5. Can't put the price argument to bed if they are the same price.

Tommy McClain

Maybe I’m being a bit slow, but if it’s cheaper and sells more then it could be price or power?

 

[AzBat]

Maybe I’m being a bit slow, but if it’s cheaper and sells more then it could be price or power?

The argument on the other side is that price matters above anything else. If the XBSX releases at a lower price & is more powerful & if PS5 still sells better then the price argument is null. The goal post will move again & it will be games mean more than price. LOL

Tommy McClain

 

[iroboto]

Maybe I’m being a bit slow, but if it’s cheaper and sells more then it could be price or power?

I mean, if you're looking for the equivalency of how this generation launched is what Azbat is trying to say. If both launch at the same price, it's a function of just power and games. I would have a strong inkling that games will win out. No doubt in my mind.

If (XBSX) is both more powerful and cheaper, and PS5 still wins, games is clearly the most important. Let us never have this debate again on exclusives.

I think it would be a hurting time though.

 

[PSman1700]

If (XBSX) is both more powerful and cheaper, and PS5 still wins, games is clearly the most important. Let us never have this debate again on exclusives.

And that's where MS needed to improve upon, which they, so far, seem to be doing.

 

[chris1515]

Power is ok but games or price are much more important and if performance is very important nothing can beat the PC. If last Ampere rumor are true the 3080Ti(28,55 Tflops) is a fucking monster and it will much more powerful than console. It will amped down the console by a lot more than I was thinking, I was thinking 3080 Ti would be 21/22 Tflops max...

 

[BRiT]

Right, but the 3080 TI alone looks to be around the cost of 2x to 3x the next-gen consoles, based on pure guesses on price.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Those who may want halo or another title and play it at it with its new graphical features and don't need a $400-$500 system and instead of them going to a dead platform like the xbox one or x...

MS has been very vocal about these not being dead platforms.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The argument on the other side is that price matters above anything else. If the XBSX releases at a lower price & is more powerful & if PS5 still sells better then the price argument is null. The goal post will move again & it will be games mean more than price. LOL

Well clearly, but it won't be moving goalposts. there are several factors that influence purchasing choice, all of different weightings but none being the one-and-only decision making factor except in some particular cases. Some people will buy the most powerful console no matter what, but they are few and far between. Some will buy the cheaper console. Some will buy based on exclusives and not care about price or performance (Nintendo enthusiasts fall very much into this category). Most folk will balance up the options, alongside existing library, friends' platform, past experience on a platform, etc.

If XBSX is cheaper than PS5 and is more powerful than PS5 and yet PS5 still outsells XBSX, then of course the library is going to be more important to consumers than price and performance, otherwise those consumers would be buying the cheaper, more powerful console. Would other explanation could there possibly be?

 

[eastmen]

MS has been very vocal about these not being dead platforms.

once a new platform comes out they are dead platforms. They will get content for only 2 years from ms.

Ms will want to move their nearly 90m active monthly xbox live users over to the new systems as soon as possible