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Xbox head Phil Spencer says console tribalism is ‘one of the worst things about our industry’

This guy just oversaw the launch of a new console without a single MGS title to go alongside it, with even developer tools not ready for the next gen either (apparently). What's he been doing for the past 3 years? XB1 output has been poor in that time.
They are supporting multiple platforms and they just changed their development tools. These are issues Sony doesn't have to worry about because they don't operate in those spaces. And your statement is factually incorrect because Gears Tactics launched with the XSX and XSS new modes and features. You might not like the game but that doesn't mean it does not exist.
 

mckmas8808

Banned
They are supporting multiple platforms and they just changed their development tools. These are issues Sony doesn't have to worry about because they don't operate in those spaces. And your statement is factually incorrect because Gears Tactics launched with the XSX and XSS new modes and features. You might not like the game but that doesn't mean it does not exist.

Are you sure they "just" changed their dev tools? And how much different are those tools really?
 

Evilms

Banned
1603447274-jesus-fondu-altieri.png
 
Nah, it's not the worst thing about the industry (there are so many worse things about the industry that has nothing to do with its consumers). That's absolute hyperbole. It's even fun now and then if you're watching by the sidelines and just having fun with memes. The real people who engage seriously in console wars are like clowns and they're really the butt of the joke, albeit they usually don't understand it themselves. Is that tribalism bad sometime? Yeah, definitely. Every console generation we have people who'll come with stupid hyperbole because they're excited for "their console". See PS4 last gen, when "exclusives don't matter" (and "indies matter"), see Xbox SeX now "exclusives don't matter". Neither had the intent of buying the other console, they're just idiots like a lot of sports team fans. That's honestly what it is in the end. "My team" vs "your team".
 
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Romulus

Member
I mean Xbox really had a shot at making a dent at Sony's market share this gen, but it seems now that they will lose by an even worse margin than the XB1's meager attempt. It must be frustrating, and people contradict themselves when that happens. If he had some 50 million hardcore fans constantly engaging with him and hyped the ceiling about exclusives, he'd be singing a different tune. But basically, he just has a box that plays PC games.
 
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NickFire

Member
I mean Xbox really had a shot at making a dent at Sony's market share this gen, but it seems now that they will lose by an even worse margin than the XB1's meager attempt.

I'm not ready to guess how this gen plays out this early, but it will be fascinating to see how the lack of first party games and gamepass plays out. I'm very curious as to how much of a double edge sword gamepass turns out to be in particular. Will the parents of young gamers see the value in it if their kids are still asking to buy games, vbucks, etc.? That is the million dollar question in my mind.
 
"Serial killer denounces murder" would also work as a title.

It's disappointing that the Xbox business is headed by a wolf in sheep's clothing. For a guy who claims to be all about holding hands and skipping in a circle together, he sure does do a lot of things that go directly against that Kumbaya shit. Say what you will about Mattrick, but he never hid behind a veil of hypocrisy. That guy had no problem telling you what he was about from day one.
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
“Toxic brand loyalty is our competition”
Translation:
“Screw all the money you invested in the PS4, invest in the XSX this gen and dont be a toxic brand loyalist”


He should put his money where his mouth is and reveal the plans for a certain publisher's games.
The cant.
Technically they dont own Zenimax yet.
 
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I know a lot of Sony loyalist don't give a shit about Phil, but I think he's a decent guy and is trying to right the ship at Xbox. Sony fanboys also gave Phil shit about the purchase of Bethesda considering he doesn't care for exclusivity himself, but that's just the nature of business. The way he feels about gaming and the needs of Xbox can and are two different things. I may lean Sony but I loved my Xbox and Xbox 360 (all 6 of them thanks to RROD). I want Xbox to succeed so it helps keep everyone else innovating.

In other words, just toss everything to the side and upgrade your PC. I know I will once Nvidia's 4000 series rolls around. Multi-chip modules? 3D stacking? We shall see. Upgraded PC and PS5 in the future for me.
 

BootsLoader

Banned
Microsoft’s biggest competitor isn’t Sony or Nintendo

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Microsoft and Sony are often considered direct rivals in the game space, competing for players through new consoles and exclusive games. Brand loyalty and “console wars” for some players dictates whether they’ll grab a PlayStation or Xbox. Extreme fans have even escalated their affinity for one over the other into harassment. But Microsoft’s real threat isn’t Sony, Nintendo, or any other company, says Microsoft’s head of gaming Phil Spencer. “We’re in the entertainment business. The biggest competitor we have is apathy over the products and services, games that we build,” he says.

Speaking to The Verge, Spencer says he finds toxic brand loyalty to be distasteful and despises the idea that companies like Microsoft “have to see others fail” in order to achieve their goals. “That tribalism in the industry, if there was anything that would ever drive me out of the industry, it’s actually that,” Spencer says. “When a team releases something into the market for … the world to tear it apart on the internet, it’s just such a brave thing for a team to do. I’m never going to vote against any creative team or any product team to do poorly because I have a competitive product. It’s not in me. I don’t actually think it helps us in the long run in the industry.”

Instead, Spencer says it’s more important to focus on how the industry is doing well as a whole. He points to advancements like crossplay — where players can jump into the same games with friends on any console — as ways the company has worked against these tropes of bitter competition.

“But there is a core that just really hates the other consumer product,” Spencer says. “Man, that’s just so off-putting to me ... To me, it’s one of the worst things about our industry.”

You can listen to or read Nilay Patel’s full interview with Phil Spencer here.

But they are competition. If he, suddenly, one day will win a console “war” I’ll see how he talks. Of course Sony is an enemy. They are their direct competition.

Why then he is always blabling about delivering the best experience on the market, the best exclusives, the best console, most powerful shit etc. I don’t get it, he tries to be good or something?
 

Oppoi

Member
But they are competition. If he, suddenly, one day will win a console “war” I’ll see how he talks. Of course Sony is an enemy. They are their direct competition.

Why then he is always blabling about delivering the best experience on the market, the best exclusives, the best console, most powerful shit etc. I don’t get it, he tries to be good or something?

All to create a diversion from their losing battles as they prepare for the even bigger foes that are coming their way. Their strive for monopoly is laughable at this point.
 
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I think he is referring to those nut job fanboys that send death threats to devs and media outlets.
Imagine how many tweets and messages Phil gets from Sony fanboys calling him out as well the Xbox.
I imagine after the Zenimax purchase there were tons of unhinged messages sent to both MS and Bethesda about it.

We probably don't see half of the shit that companies like Sony and MS have to put up with.
 

assurdum

Banned
I think he is referring to those nut job fanboys that send death threats to devs and media outlets.
Imagine how many tweets and messages Phil gets from Sony fanboys calling him out as well the Xbox.
I imagine after the Zenimax purchase there were tons of unhinged messages sent to both MS and Bethesda about it.

We probably don't see half of the shit that companies like Sony and MS have to put up with.
I doubt he talking about the customer. But can you imagine see him to say: "that fucking fanboy not want MS buys more software companies for their exclusive. That's outraging. They ruin the industry, those bastard. Why MS can't choice what game can or can't coming in a different platform" :pie_moneyface:
 
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aries_71

Junior Member
Am I reading too much into his words or is he salty about the reception of the HI reveal?
 
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Barakov

Gold Member
I think Spencer is a good front man but man, he's definitely the one that shouldn't be making big decisions for Xbox. They need someone who is going to go ham for Xbox not someone who is all about "let's be friends" mentality.

Let's be honest. There's only one person can do this:


T7GlUiA.jpg
 
I would like to give Phil "Lie Di-" Spencer and Jim "Lyan" Ryan the benefit of doubt. I believe that they both believe the BS they are selling when they say it. Unfortunately, it tends to mean nothing once the interviews are over. Good liars convince themselves that the lie is true.
Don't equate both of them. Jim sells a good console and good games. He can bullshit and say whatever he likes. At the end he has good product. Actually Playstation will sell wither Jim talked or not. Jim can die tomorrow and Playstation will continue to sell.
 
Whatever the case though, I like the new branding for Xbox. Everywhere and Anywhere. I was a Sony dude until I got a PC and realized fanboy mentality. Sony, is the one that's not forward thinking anymore... and Nintendo... well...
Their interests are not aligned, GamePass is a Trojan mainly horse to get people to use the windows store.

Sony has little interest in making you play their games on PC.
 

Greggy

Member
Thanks for letting us know how you feel Phil. Now could Xbox stop over promising and under delivering? All we’ve heard is “most powerful and you will play Halo day One”. And whats happened is not a single exclusive and probably just as powerful.

In my opinion that should bother you more than the actions of some minion trolls on the internet. As if the behaviour of anonymous douches with a keyboard could ever be controlled. Look at the President, he’s not exactly showing a better example so what do you expect?

I’d like Phil to adress the early power comparisons and the first party output and not to use fanboys as a diversion.
 
I think what Phil is unhappy with is that so many people are so loyal to PlayStation and Xbox can't seem to pull them away no matter what he does. That's what he actually means by tribalism. If the opposite was true, he wouldn't be saying this.

If true then he needs to see that you have to earn that loyalty. If Sony constantly screwed up with their games (for example) many wouldn't buy their systems.
 
This is the true question I'd like Phil to answer. The last 1.5 years of the Xbox One generation was slow and then to start the Series X|S generation slow too (in both games, software tools, and now physical hardware with the APU chip) seems awfully bad. Where was the let down?

I mean there's slow start to a gen and then there's not having a fucking thing ready at launch, or even launch window, or anything of note even after 6 months. Is the 8-hour campaign The Medium the first big title from Xbox game studios for their new consoles??! I mean it's absolutely dire. After that you look ahead to the summer and I can't think of anything major coming, maybe Forza?

Now of course there are other smaller XGS indie titles coming (surely), but that should go without saying. We have indies available on all consoles. It's just Spencer can get away with releasing an expensive 12-tflop console and not have any exclusive to push its power for a great while, and now it seems worse performing 3rd party titles to boot.
 

Keihart

Member
"Oh gawd guys, you are so toxic...why compare our boxes and pick sides, stop being so toxic."
This is just my imagination on what Phil said on the article without reading it.
 
At this point, I am not surprised that certain Americans will deliberately support people who say easily debunk-able lies. I didn't know they existed once upon a time, but now I realize there are literally millions of them.

It would certainly be incorrect to claim that there isn't enough of an audience for these lies to support Xbox for the near term. Good on Phil if he is going to count on the post-truth crowd to buy his console. It differentiates Xbox as a company for anyone who likes to live in a fantasy world. Promise a man that the games are coming in the next E3, and he would follow you forever.
 
At this point, I am not surprised that certain Americans will deliberately support people who say easily debunk-able lies. I didn't know they existed once upon a time, but now I realize there are literally millions of them.

It would certainly be incorrect to claim that there isn't enough of an audience for these lies to support Xbox for the near term. Good on Phil if he is going to count on the post-truth crowd to buy his console. It differentiates Xbox as a company for anyone who likes to live in a fantasy world. Promise a man that the games are coming in the next E3, and he would follow you forever.

We believe in generations.
 

Dabaus

Banned
I think Spencer is a good front man but man, he's definitely the one that shouldn't be making big decisions for Xbox. They need someone who is going to go ham for Xbox not someone who is all about "let's be friends" mentality.

Let's be honest. There's only one person can do this:


T7GlUiA.jpg
Peter Moore era 360 was top tier. Halo 3, Bioshock, mass effect, and modern warfare 4 made 2007 best year of last generation hands down. And I dont even like xbox like that, but that was a great year.
 
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