Topic: XboxOne ~News/Rumor/Speculation~ Biggest Console Released This Gen!!

[Ymeegod]

The hardcore fanboy in me died today.  2.5 billion could have funded 100's of "new" games or hell even fund MS dead IPs which MS has been collecting over the years.  MS keeps trying to attract the "casual" gamers, first with the Kinect and now Minecraft 2 and I feel like each time MS is forgetting about the "core" gamers who's supporting them all these years.  And they wonder why Xbox One isn't selling . 

[pokepal148]

Minecraft though is starting to get into the market as an education tool of some sort. I don't think it's peaked yet although I don't think that peak is worth 2.5 billion dollars.

Anyways, I suspect MS will allow Minecraft to continue as a multiplatform game with some small perks for people who bought the Xbox/Windows versions. They may even try to bring it to the Wii U as a way to expand into the Nintendo fanbase (which might be a good way to calm the panic over the PlayStation/Android/iOS versions, just to say, 'no we aren't canceling the PS4 version, in fact we're actually working on making the game available on the Wii U as well')

But it's Microsoft so who knows.

[shingi_70]

Best selling PC game of all time. One of the best selling console games. It's the ONLY game that has Nintendo-like evergreen status on not-Nintendo consoles: Xbox (and now PS3) Minecraft is in European and American sales Top 10 chart every single week since it was released.

The thing is there's no evidence yet that Minecraft will remain this big in the future.  Look at how big Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, Wii Fit, Nintendogs, and Angry Birds were last gen, and then look at them now.  A lot of Minecraft's current popularity is because of the same kids and casuals that helped make a lot of these series popular, but as these show, this audience has a low attention span and will move on when something new gets their attention.

Now yes there's a strong core audience to Minecraft that can still help it keep selling millions, but enough to make up 2.5 billion dollars worth?  That's going to big the big question which I don't see happening.  Especially with Microsoft in charge of it now, who has a history of gutting the studio's they buy and making the quality suffer as a result, which will make even the core audience of Minecraft eventually got sick of it as well.

But none of those above games have the Lego factor that Minecraft has. Between Merchandising and the flexibility of it as a eudcation and entertainment platform its pretty Valuable.


Not 2.5 billion worth it too me, but seeing what Nadella says this Acquisition was more about Microsoft as whole, and not just the xbox division.

"If you talk about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education, the best way to introduce anyone to STEM or get their curiosity going on, it's Minecraft ... So I think what this open-world phenomenon will mean to the community at large, for people who builders, is pretty big, and we are very excited about the acquisition, obviously."

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Plus they have to use 90 billion that they have just sitting around offshore.


 

[NWR_insanolord]

No they don't. They can sit on that money as long as they want, and going around spending it on things that'll never make that investment back is a stupid thing to do regardless of how much they have in the bank.

[Ceric]

I mean there is some very interesting things you can do with that type of Cash.  In Microsoft case starting a new business in something totally unrelated to computers like a fast food restaurant chain.  A Pharmaceutical company.  Just in plain diversify.

[Ian Sane]

Years ago I used to play volleyball and there was one player that complained that he always ended up on the losing team.  He never put two-and-two together and realized that he was so inept at volleyball that his presence on the team assured a loss regardless of how good his teammates were.

I feel like this is MS.  They make these acquisitions and partnerships and suddenly these previously talented companies turn to crap under their watch.  Gee, is there a pattern there, perhaps?  I think Minecraft could only generate 2.5 billion in profit if Microsoft is not involved.  Isn't that a curse?  You can't reap the benefits of a successful company because your involvement sabotages it.

I think it all stems from MS not being a videogame company.  Go back and look at their first party track record and it is ridiculously inconsistent compared to Nintendo and Sony (though Sony isn't a videogame company either and took a while to really get it as a first party).  For every Halo or Gears of War there are Blinx's and Too Human's.  It's a total scattershot where they just fire off so many rounds that some titles are bound the hit the target.  They don't understand why Minecraft was successful and if they can maintain that success it will be from dumb luck.  The whole purchase just reaks of "well that Minecraft is a popular title, let's buy that!"

[NWR_insanolord]

Microsoft needs to realize that buying a company that's losing its top creative talent is not a good move. The Stampers sold Rare because they wanted out; Notch sold Mojang because he wanted out. The best thing to come out of the former was enhanced ports of things they'd done with Nintendo, with the rest of their output being largely pretty bad stuff and avatar accessories. I think it's crazy to expect much more than that from Mojang.

[Ceric]

Though in Notch's case seems like he's really be out of anything Minecraft related for a while.

So Microsoft is saying there going to make money off this the first year. Which the interesting part of that is what they really are saying is that in the messed up world of Corporate accounting that they will be making more money from this acquisition then they would if the money just sat in the bank.

That number is not $2.5 Billion dollars but $25 Million dollars.  By buying Minecraft they would make more Profit next year, because that is the only thing Investors care about, and I'm sure there is another accounting trick that will make the 2.5 Billion not hit there profits at all this year.

[lolmonade]

Xbox One price is officially dropping to $350 baseline, $450 w/Kinect. 
 
I'm typically one to wait til the console generation has ended before getting the Microsoft console, but if I can find an Xbox one with the right game included at $350 or less, then I might be willing to take the plunge sooner.

[Ceric]

Wait, the $350 is for the Kinectless one?  So the complete console would be $450.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

now would be a good time for Nintendo to drop the price on Wii U.

[Spak-Spang]

Wow, that is a pretty desperate move for MS, but also a very smart move.  If Microsoft wants to be relevant in this generation it needs to get its console numbers higher. 

It also means Nintendo needs to think about a price drop.  It isn't too late to do a $249.99 with game bundle.  And a $299.99 Smash Bundle with Gamecube adapter and controller included.   

[NWR_insanolord]

Nintendo would be stupid to drop the price right now. I really don't think this MS drop will have that much effect on what I think is going to be a pretty good holiday for Wii U. Maybe in like February, once the holiday and Smash bump have run their course.

[BranDonk Kong]

I bet Nintendo could drop the price to $99.99 and sales would increase maybe 10%.

[Adrock]

It also means Nintendo needs to think about a price drop.  It isn't too late to do a $249.99 with game bundle.  And a $299.99 Smash Bundle with Gamecube adapter and controller included.

Nintendo doesn't need a price drop right now. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the console's strongest holiday title by a fairly large margin. It also has a large enough stable of first party content to entice fence-sitters. If Nintendo wants to be nice, it can throw consumers a bone, but I think it can stay the course this holiday season. Xbox One isn't doing spectacularly; it needs a price drop more than either Wii U or PS4.

I'm still not ready to commit to a non-Wii U console. They offer nothing I'm especially crazy about at the moment, certainly no where near enough to justify buying a new console. I originally envisioned buying a PS4 in 2015, but barring any amazing announcements, I'm fairly sure I'm pushing it back to 2016. The newness of a PS4 Slim redesign may force my hand.

[shingi_70]

Nintendo would be stupid to drop the price right now. I really don't think this MS drop will have that much effect on what I think is going to be a pretty good holiday for Wii U. Maybe in like February, once the holiday and Smash bump have run their course.

It depends the only really commercially viable on the game that would sway people is smash brothers. You have to wonder if that and the bundles are enough. Smash Brothers is awesome but for $50 more you can get a much more support system that comes with two or three games.


I'll probably be buying a Wii U this holiday, but its only because I already own one of the other systems and because its $200 refurbished form Nntendo.

[Ceric]

The only thing I could see Nintendo doing is a Smash WiiU Bundle same price with the Gamecube Adapter and an Amiibo.  Limited Quantities.

[shingi_70]

That reminds me, I wonder how much Nintendo's investment in Amiibo is?

[broodwars]

I already had the Sunset Overdrive Xbone preordered to pick up tomorrow. With this announcement of another price drop, I wonder if I can browbeat my local Best Buy into honoring that price now when it doesn't take effect till 11/2. I already have a $50 coupon on the thing, so if I could pull that off, I'd essentially be getting the thing for $300, which is a satisfactory price for a console with a whopping 4 games I want to play (only 2 of which will actually be out by tomorrow).

[Luigi Dude]

It depends the only really commercially viable on the game that would sway people is smash brothers. You have to wonder if that and the bundles are enough. Smash Brothers is awesome but for $50 more you can get a much more support system that comes with two or three games.

There's nothing on the Xbone that's anything like Smash Bros.  People buying the Wii U for Smash Bros this holiday are doing it because they love playing Smash Bros and want the newest installment.  Plus for many, Smash Bros will end up giving them way more hours of gameplay in the end anyway making just that one game a better value then 2-3 Xbone games anyway.

[Ceric]

I already had the Sunset Overdrive Xbone preordered to pick up tomorrow. With this announcement of another price drop, I wonder if I can browbeat my local Best Buy into honoring that price now when it doesn't take effect till 11/2. I already have a $50 coupon on the thing, so if I could pull that off, I'd essentially be getting the thing for $300, which is a satisfactory price for a console with a whopping 4 games I want to play (only 2 of which will actually be out by tomorrow).

They'll probably make you go back between 9-5 M-F on 11/2 with your luck.

[Ceric]

It depends the only really commercially viable on the game that would sway people is smash brothers. You have to wonder if that and the bundles are enough. Smash Brothers is awesome but for $50 more you can get a much more support system that comes with two or three games.

There's nothing on the Xbone that's anything like Smash Bros.  People buying the Wii U for Smash Bros this holiday are doing it because they love playing Smash Bros and want the newest installment.  Plus for many, Smash Bros will end up giving them way more hours of gameplay in the end anyway making just that one game a better value then 2-3 Xbone games anyway.

What both of these arguments are lacking is Nintendo Stubbornness. In general Nintendo doesn't really do Price drops and has a good amount of exclusives.  You can be pretty confident, 3DS as the exception, that if you buy Nintendo Console Hardware you won't be seeing a price drop are a real better iteration later.

MS not so much.  By now its a good chance you have on in the  PS360 combo and that will get you still the majority of new releases.  That will not be changing anytime soon.  There is still a very good arguments the smart move is to wait till it reaches a critical mass of games for you.

[NWR_insanolord]

Nintendo would be stupid to drop the price right now. I really don't think this MS drop will have that much effect on what I think is going to be a pretty good holiday for Wii U. Maybe in like February, once the holiday and Smash bump have run their course.

It depends the only really commercially viable on the game that would sway people is smash brothers. You have to wonder if that and the bundles are enough. Smash Brothers is awesome but for $50 more you can get a much more support system that comes with two or three games.


I'll probably be buying a Wii U this holiday, but its only because I already own one of the other systems and because its $200 refurbished form Nntendo.

I don't think the Xbox One is really competing with the Wii U at this point. Sony should be more concerned about the price drop than Nintendo should. I doubt a $50 price drop on the Wii U would have that significant of an effect on sales, and it would most likely hurt Nintendo financially quite a bit, depending on what it's currently costing them to produce the system.

[broodwars]

Browbeat successful!

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

It depends the only really commercially viable on the game that would sway people is smash brothers. You have to wonder if that and the bundles are enough. Smash Brothers is awesome but for $50 more you can get a much more support system that comes with two or three games.

There's nothing on the Xbone that's anything like Smash Bros.  People buying the Wii U for Smash Bros this holiday are doing it because they love playing Smash Bros and want the newest installment.  Plus for many, Smash Bros will end up giving them way more hours of gameplay in the end anyway making just that one game a better value then 2-3 Xbone games anyway.

What both of these arguments are lacking is Nintendo Stubbornness. In general Nintendo doesn't really do Price drops and has a good amount of exclusives.  You can be pretty confident, 3DS as the exception, that if you buy Nintendo Console Hardware you won't be seeing a price drop are a real better iteration later.

MS not so much.  By now its a good chance you have on in the  PS360 combo and that will get you still the majority of new releases.  That will not be changing anytime soon.  There is still a very good arguments the smart move is to wait till it reaches a critical mass of games for you.

Since when? They aggressively dropped the price on SNES, N64, and Game Cube all to match their competition, Wii has blinded people into thinking that fluke is how it always was. Nintendo can not sell Wii U's at $300 when Xbox one, a new, more powerful next gen system with a rising library of games is fifty dollars more. You know they are having this discussion in board meetings right now, Smash Bros. is a big seller to Nintendo fans, but that game alone is not going to be the savior of the Wii U its going to be just like Game Cube, a big holiday sales rush and then sales falling off a cliff. By this point in Game Cubes life the price was already down to $99 and they were aggressive with their bundles, because MS was doing these types of aggressive bundles and price drops. Nintendo fans, or a certain segment of them, might not think Microsoft and Nintendo are competing for the same audience but their investors, and the game developers all know better.

Nintendo might hide a price drop in aggressive bundles, at first but there is no way an official one doesn't fallow suit right away.

I am willing to bet money on it, I will GIFT an eshop game of your choice if I am wrong, anyone takes me up on it does the same for me. They WILL drop the price before December first, most likely in a big bundle that is priced the same as the regular set but comes with enough crap to get the core unit down to the hidden new price, then right after the official price drop.

As much as I want Smash Bros. to be the system seller that turns Wii U into the viable machine everyone wants it to be, it won't it will be another Mario Kart, it will have big sales for a few weeks then no new major games for months and it drops off. The games that are coming have Nintendo fan appeal and those guys are all one the fence waiting for that one more game, most who held off this long its Smash, the rest its Zelda, everyone else needs more than five games to play to justify a $300 machine, and right now theres not that many that have mass appeal.

Hate them all you want, Madden, Call of Duty, Fifa, NBA Live, these games have mass appeal, and there are dozens of them out now or coming soon to the other two, there is nothing coming to Wii U outside of Smash and some really quirky Nintendo games that have limited appeal to mostly kids, and die hard Nintendo fans, and people with families. Xbox sucks at that last market Sony does not. Now what could  force Nintendo's hand is if Sony went for the kill and also dropped the price of the PS4, which lets be realistic is not past them doing if they want to get aggressive which they just might especially if they think they can take Japan away from Nintendo.