Thats fine and i dont disagree with it. But thats an argument for releasing more UWP games on the Windows store, not making them Play Anywhere titles.
What MS, Sony, Nintendo should be or are doing next
- Thread starter Nesh
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Thats fine and i dont disagree with it. But thats an argument for releasing more UWP games on the Windows store, not making them Play Anywhere titles.
Silent_Buddha
Legend
The argument being that development would be cheaper than currently exists for making a Xbox and PC title. This assumes that they don't continue to make win32 versions of games, which they likely would in the short term at the very least.
As well, the fact that there is almost nothing to lose. As the percentage of people that play AAA games on both a console and a PC is small. And of the people that do, the percentage that will buy a copy for both Console and PC is very small as well. Meaning the impact of a play anywhere title for a publisher will be vanishingly small.
Currently the incentive isn't there as the UWP version of the game isn't the same as the XBO version of the game which isn't the same as the Steam version of a game. Requiring separate purchase remains a good way to track whether it is economically feasible to make a version for UWP or not. Once the development cost of a UWP game is 0 (as that's presumably what Xbox will run at some point in the future) the necessity for determining whether it is economically feasible to produce a UWP version of a game no longer exists.
At that point, the marketing benefit (X publisher really cares for us gamers!) would, IMO, far outweigh the negligible loss form someone who might have purchased the game on both Console AND PC.
And it isn't like publishers have a vested interest in keeping X console gamer playing games on Y platform. So the ability for a gamer to easily migrate to PC (if they can suddenly afford PC gaming and want to do so) or to console (if they suddenly get tired of maintaining a PC or just can't afford to continue with PC gaming) is irrelevant to them.
Even when I gamed equally on PC and console, I never purchased a game twice. It was either on console or it was on PC. Net impact of something like play anywhere to a publisher? Zero. They would have lost money from someone like Dsoup though.
I believe he's purchased some games twice.Regards,
SB
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The last semi-custom parts that *were* designed just for console only made it 3 (4) years before they had to be replaced with new semi-custom parts to keep console gamers engaged. But going forward parts that are not any more powerful that what can be bought off the shelf are going to be able to satisfy console gamers? I don't think this works.
Given that the sales of both Xbox and Windows Store (even more so with WS) are struggling, there is very little incentive for a publisher to stop making a win32 game. We still dont know if UWP games will ever support full mods and various other benefits of win32. PC gamers are not interested in a dumbed down console experience, they would have bought a console in that case
I agree the people who own both an Xbox and PC is a small market atleast at the moment. But at the same time, making you buy two copies of the same game is free money for a publisher. Yes its beneficial to the consumer and to MS, but third party publishers wont willingly give up the current status quo
That is the current industry standard. If Microsoft can manage to convince the public about the benefits then sure thats great PR. But they have always been terrible at exactly that
And it isn't like publishers have a vested interest in keeping X console gamer playing games on Y platform. So the ability for a gamer to easily migrate to PC (if they can suddenly afford PC gaming and want to do so) or to console (if they suddenly get tired of maintaining a PC or just can't afford to continue with PC gaming) is irrelevant to them.
Even when I gamed equally on PC and console, I never purchased a game twice. It was either on console or it was on PC. Net impact of something like play anywhere to a publisher? Zero. They would have lost money from someone like Dsoup though.
Regards,
SB
Publishers only care about selling their games so yes they are platform agnostic. But if UWP games make the PC version exactly the same as the console version, then many people would still be forced to buy a game twice. Rockstar rarely releases PC versions at the same time, i bought GTA 5 for 360 but i also bought it again for PC because the mods make it a completely different game. Likewise if i buy a game on Scorpio that wont have full mod support then PC UWP game would actually be subpar compared to the Steam version
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Deleted member 11852
Guest
Yes I'm suggesting, or rather predicting, that Scorpio will include an unrestricted Windows 10 mode, i.e. one that isn't restricted to Microsoft's store.
A huge amount of people are still running Windows 7 because, I'd hazard, their hardware is copying just fine and Windows 7 does everything they need. Microsoft's dilemma is that their future app and operating system strategy requires people having Windows 10 and developers will not fully embrace Window 10 features and APIs until the vast majority of PC owners are running it.
Microsoft tried giving away Windows 10 for free but even then many people just weren't interested so having it already on a Microsoft device you buy can only improve the platform adoption. Adding on arbitrary content lock restrictions on it will counter that, like further sour any appetite the user may have for Windows 10 at all. So no restrictions. Scorpio should have a traditional console experience UI for Xbox and a unrestricted Windows 10 mode.
If Windows 10 adoption was where Microsoft wanted it they wouldn't have implemented that stealth update bullshit over the summer. Microsoft took a gamble with some exec giving it the green light knowing the risk. You don't even consider a move that you know will piss off customers if you are happy with the way things already are. If Microsoft genuinely didn't know that would piss people off then they are so stupid that their demise is just a matter of time - and I don't believe that.
Play Anywhere can be viewed as a value-add, though. "Do I buy BF or COD? Oh, BF includes a free PC copy! I'll get that." Also, MS can offer co-marketing opportunities for publishers who offer Play Anywhere titles. It's not as tough of a sell as you might think.
It don't know how you can think that. To me that seems the exact opposite of what they would ever want to do because it is completely counter-productive. They would restrict Windows 10 users to obtaining content through the Windows Store if they could get away with it!
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Deleted member 11852
Guest
You're looking at this from a loss of revenue for Xbox angle. Microsoft may be looking at this from the more important, expanding/preserving the Windows 10 user base angle. Giving people a crippled experience isn't going to convert anybody. Remember Windows ME? Windows 10 is Microsoft's only currently support viable commercial O/S. They have nothing relevant in mobile and that looks unlikely to change. Preserving what is left of the desktop market, in a world where plenty of people do just fine with a phone and/or tablet and aren't replacing a dead desktop/laptop, is certainly more important to Microsoft than Xbox.
So to repeat my initial sentiment. Just because a decision impacts Xbox doesn't necessarily mean it's about Xbox.
Its not that i think its a tough sell. But it doesnt grow the market outside the people who happen to own both an Xbox and PC. I guess this is in the context of the unified app store model being so successfull
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Deleted member 11852
Guest
I'm also dubious about most publisher's likelihood to adopt this but mrcorbo is right in that adopting it could become a selling point over a rival publisher. I recall Sony's CrossPlay/CrossBuy which got very little traction with third parties but that very different to UWP/PlayAnywhere because Sony's option meant devs had to build games for multiple platforms whereas Microsoft's proposition means they don't.
It definitely has a better chance of working for Microsoft than it ever did for Sony.
I think you're mistaken. I don't think Scorpio Is about converting anyone, I think it's about retaining the Xbox faithful and getting in on mainstream VR. Sound familiar?
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It gets people engaged with the Windows Store that might otherwise never touch it. It worked on me.
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Sure but in the PC world, all stores get some form of engagement depending on the game. Thats the difference between console and PC, when you buy a PS4, you are locked into Sonys services, they will make some money off you regardless. But the Windows Store is a much riskier bet, Microsofts Xbox sales are lacking so they want to unifiy software with PC. Will that really grow their ecosystem?
My point is. If i dont own an Xbox then Play Anywhere is pointless to me, i will buy based on price and my friend list, how does Microsoft get me into their ecosystem and keep me there?
Content. Xbox and Play Anywhere is the most viable method for MS to kickstart the process of getting game content on the Windows Store until the level of engagement with the store allows it to be self-sustaining.
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Deleted member 11852
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Silent_Buddha
Legend
And so it starts.
https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/821799720712486913
Capcom will be releasing a Play Anywhere title for XBO and Windows. I suspect they won't be the last.
Regards,
SB
https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/821799720712486913
Capcom will be releasing a Play Anywhere title for XBO and Windows. I suspect they won't be the last.
Regards,
SB
I finally had time to clean-up the discussion.
DRM Discussion is now located here: https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/more-drm-discussions-spinoff.59874/
