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

You don't consider 10 million monthly subscribers to Game Pass as significant?

 

As a means to sell consoles, no. As already mentioned, MS has been practically giving those away so 10 million isn't a particularly revealing datum on the value consumers place in the service. A hardware sub payment plan for a $500 console plus GPU paying off over 24 months will be what, $35 a month? Early adopters likely want their console 'owned' up front, and have likely been saving for it before hand, while I don't think cost-sensitive customers wanting all the games included in the price are going to want $35 additional expense every month.

 

Umm. LOL I think Microsoft has enough internal data to make their own informed decisions. We personally need more data to say it's "against the notion".

I get it you're against it, but come on.

BTW, the 360 program must have had some interesting numbers for them to do it a 2nd time, no?

Food for thought.

Tommy McClain

 

No we don't. The theory on the table is that MS will launch the console with a sub-based package expecting to shift a lot of boxes (as I understand it). That's the theory that needs evidence to prove it.

I'm not against it. How can you say that when I've acknowledged anything can happen? I'm arguing that there isn't a good argument for the idea of MS backing this move from launch, not that it isn't a good idea.

At the end of the console's life cycle again. And the data for 360 may have been terrible, but the cost of impleneting this is minimal at the end of a generation so no reason not to. That's very different to basing your launch sales strategy and pricing on a sub-based option though.

 

Microsoft: "With 12TF games will be barely better than current generation, but you know, anyway higher framerate, a little higher resolution..."
Sony: "Look at this generational leap"
This is ho to sell a next generation console.

 

I did get that same feeling but I’m sure we’ll hear from both in the coming weeks about UE5.

DF agree with this as well.

 

Of course, and SX will do better in anything except streaming limited scenarios (I think), but the actual result is that Microsoft had to publicly excuse for the last stream, all the outlet pointed out how cringe it was and how little sense make to buy a new console because the differences are so little, anyone depressed and deluded and then bam! Take this nextgen and be happy! We heard that you like nextgen, so we put a nextgen on your nextgen.
I don't know ho microsoft can be so much bad at pr, again!

 

When/where did Microsoft say this? Was this in the event last week that I've not caught yet?

 

It's what they communicated, and what was written in the articles following the stream

 

Ah, ok. Thanks. The stream is on my watch list. I was most interested in seeing the Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay but I saw the coverage that suggested Ubisoft didn't show any so the stream dropped down my watch list.

 

This is the downside of ms strategy.
It's all well and good saying don't worry everything will play on current consoles, people will say very consumer friendly.
Then Sony says well this isn't possible on current gen and what we are pushing forward and aiming to.

I don't think current gen owners would think dam Sony why you leaving us out.

It doesn't matter if its a full game or just a tech demo it's showing what can only be done on next gen and wowing most people.
Instead of MS talking about it like another mid gen upgrade.

Not saying ms won't show next gen exclusives, but that doesn't seem to be their current strategy.

I'm just going by reaction here as I've not watched it yet.

 

It is amazing tech demo, just like all the previous Unreal Engine tech demos ... However this one is different in that it likely has the best chance of what they showed off to actually make it inside of games.

This may be the reason why MS is targeting their Series X exclusives for later 2021. Nearly all their first party developers use Unreal Engine and UE5 won't hit until middle to late 2021.

 

That means their next-gen marketing is going to look decidedly current-gen if they are waiting until 2021/2022 to produce next-gen titles with next-gen engines. If Sony have just a couple of next-gen titles from in-house engines for launch, they'll have a way better image as a next-gen machine than MS if MS don't put out some 'visualisations'. Having the more powerful machine won't do MS any favours if they have the software to showcase it.

 

How to sell a next-gen console?
It's like this:

<< Unreal Engine 5 2021 Trailer >>

With this, all of a sudden Epic showed the world why people should buy a PS5.
What Microsoft couldn't achieve with last week's stream for the Series X in 40 minutes, Epic did it for Sony in 9 minutes.

Also, "running on a PS5" shows a completely different level of platform maturity than the "we're planning to make it look like this" messages we saw in SeriesX' stream.

 

slooooooooooow!

 

It’s clear that this is a big win for Sony - just look at any social media but especially Twitter.
And yet, they’re still completely silent! Incredible.

 

I personally agree with your whole post and I like that whenever raised, Mark Cerny has re-iterated that Sony believe in traditional console generations. But whether Microsoft's different approach is actually a downside, won't be known for a few years. Who knows which paradigm, and marketing spin, will win-out.

 

Timezones? Sony execs are asleep?

 

This reminds me of the 1X, most powerful console. But 1P especially looked a lot better in most people's eyes on PS4 /Pro and 3P usually close enough.
You can say it's all artistic and design decisions all you want, doesn't change what people see.

 

I hope so, they'd only say something stupid.