This is a good article! Definitely enjoyed this game and the branching really did surprise me. Decisions felt weighty - whether in the moment or by realizing later how they would make an unexpected difference. Whether it's a sequel or more Books [that ending..], really hoping to see more from this team!
@Atzenkiller:Console sales are important. I'm just saying they aren't the end all, be all. MS is going to make a ton of money, and next to none of it will come from console sales. And furthermore, hoping on attach rate is a flawed assumption - selling more consoles does not mean making more money. It's about better monetizing the people who are in your ecosystem.
And what ecosystem is that? Well, for PlayStation.. it's PlayStation. But for Microsoft? It's Xbox, it's Win 10 store, it's Android devices, it's iPhones, it's Switch, it's Steam, it's even freaking PlayStation. This year, 3 different Microsoft games have topped the Steam charts. And MS games have made up a significant part of the top 10 for much of the year. And most people using Steam? They paid for a Windows license too.
Why does Game Pass matter more than consoles? Because the people matter more than the devices. Microsoft is making a bet that by investing in the person playing the games, allowing them to take their experience everywhere - even to rival platforms, they create customers that stick with the brand. They're making bets that even if Game Pass doesn't make money at all, that the goodwill and the evangelizers that they create through the service will not only entrench them further in the Xbox ecosystem but will also get them to bring others into the system.
And like you've said yourself in these comments, that's exactly what the aggressive pricing and the pro-consumer moves that MS are doing are designed to do. You're maybe taking exception to my words, but at the end of the day, MS is doing what you say they should - just in a different way than you expect.
@Atzenkiller: Not sure what you're getting at, but millions of people don't have jobs right now due to no fault of their own - they can't get to work or risk going in. On top of the thousands who have this happen on a routine basis for any number of reasons out of their control. Significant numbers of people aren't wasting their money whatsoever - and yet STILL would appreciate saving some money.
@thelostscribe: Yea, that's the question. PS5 is definitely way taller, but Series X is thicker. The PS5's overall volume is def larger, but both are gonna be hard to put into various setups - PS5 with the added challenge of making it blend into the aesthetics of a room haha. I am fortunate enough to just have a desk with some open space :D
@Ice-Cube: Gotcha. $25/mo and $35/mo US for S and X. But no, Canadian prices are not released yet for All Access. But it will be available for Canada through EB games. Yes, pay $25/mo for 24 months and you'll get a Series S to keep and Game Pass Ultimate (200+ games + most EA games now) throughout that whole period. It's a fantastic deal on the US side - it's actually CHEAPER than buying both outright at full price (which is very rare with financing plans). I can't imagine they won't match that in CA.
@sty1e_bender: I mean... yea.. but EA Play only has 87 games total anyway XD. I wouldn't be surprised if this is just MS lowballing it a bit (though, we'll see soon). They still say Game Pass is "over 100 games", but there's almost 300 available on console.
@dmblum1799: You can definitely get a screaming new PC, if you want to spend $1000 to outdo the specs of the Series X (let alone in a comparable form factor). The Nvidia cards don't make this machine irrelevant - it just shows how inaccessible gaming is to the vast majority of people (many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck as it is) who couldn't imagine dropping a significant percent of a monthly wage to get just 1 piece of a fully functioning piece of tech.
Compare that to $25/mo (over 2 years) for 300+ games and the next gen console to play it on? Or $35/mo for the best console ever made? Definitely not for everyone, I don't begrudge anyone their high end rigs... but, you can't say that's not insanely compelling.
@emmanuelguerrero: We don't even know what the manufacturing quota is. Both consoles will likely sell out during launch, which means that comparing launch numbers is kind of meaningless. But, we'll see. I wouldn't expect MS to ever overcome a Sony sales lead - but also, that's not their business model. Their goal is to get people into the ecosystem and then monetize them, and if that's on PC or even on phone? Perfect.
cyrribrae's comments