Quote:
Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan
But at some point, they seem to be just giving Sony more fuel. So they're going to take another step towards making their system identical to the PS4 after Sony took that stance from the start and this is a good thing? They seem to be setting themselves up to create a simplified motto of "We're everything the PS4 is except we have a camera and a $100 higher price point!". They need to find a way to distinguish themselves from the PS4 rather than create the exact same console.
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Slipping back into blind fanboyism there, MBBF. Here's the thing: self-publication isn't new for the Xbox division. They've gotten away from what they used to be, and it's allowed Sony to carve out a niche space there, but "Xbox Indie Games" used to be a more open space for indie developers. Microsoft getting back to that origin, if they do, isn't "copying Sony" so much as "learning from their own mistakes."
Secondly, differentiation isn't, for the mass market, that big a deal. Look at Xbox 360/PS3. If Microsoft weren't so completely persona non grata in Japan, they'd still be ahead of Sony in terms of worldwide sales. Look at Sony's positive differentiators on PS3: free multiplayer, higher-resolution graphics because of the capacity of the Blu-ray disc, the ability to watch Blu-ray movies, easy hard drive upgrades without having to purchase an overpriced proprietary format so the hardware manufacturer gets their cut, a non-proprietary Bluetooth standard that allowed third-party manufacturers to offer wireless controller options, and that's off the top of my head.
And it took, practically speaking, a no-show by Microsoft in Japan for Sony to trump their competitor. The high price at launch and relative dearth of quality software did more damage to the brand than the positive differentiators could overcome.
Basically, it's not going to matter to consumers whether Xbox One is a PS4 in green clothing (or a PS4 with a mandatory camera). The price is going to matter, and the relative libraries are going to matter.
Nobody's going to walk into Best Buy to buy one or the other and go "Well, Xbox One was going to do all these crazy things, but now it's going to be more like a PS4, so I'll just get a PS4." If they're invested in the Xbox brand, either because of their Gamerscore, or because the franchises they want to play are on the platform, because that's what the kids are asking for, or whatever, they're going to look at the price. And if the price doesn't meet with significant objections, they're going to look at the software available.
Finally, there are exactly zero obstacles preventing Microsoft from doing everything they just 180'd on, but doing it for digital purchases and leaving physical purchases alone. If they're really concerned about differentiation, that's their nuclear option.