Opinion - What is an Xbox?
A Brave New World
Microsoft recently revealed a new marketing strategy simply titled “This is an Xbox.” As expected, it led to a variety of feelings among gamers, ranging from supportive to confused to mocking to memes. Considering I have been interested in the trajectory of the industry and Xbox is my main non-Nintendo brand, I wanted to write down my thoughts regarding all of this.
As I’ve been saying for a long time, the golden era of gaming consoles is either transitioning to its end, or we don’t admit it’s over. The video game industry is changing in ways many of us won’t realize by the decade's end. To this day, whenever I bring this topic up, I will get a chunk of people who refuse to admit that the traditional way we think about the industry is dying. I’m even going to call my shot and say it happens again with this article, and that’s okay because different opinions and views are fine. However, it’s becoming harder to deny that many things associated with the industry are either changing or just going away. Hard-stop generations are being replaced by what I call rolling generations. Game consoles, as the way most start their gaming journeys, have been replaced by mobile, with the hybrid handheld Nintendo Switch being the closest alternative. The industry is simply just not going to look the same when we enter the 2030s.
No one has been more accepting of these new models than Microsoft and the Xbox brand. There are several reasons why Microsoft is moving this fast to embrace these new strategies than Sony or Nintendo. One is that Microsoft’s Xbox One was relatively successful, selling over fifty million units despite such a weak exclusives lineup. It was also the worst generation to “lose” because it was the one most gamers got comfortable with a digital ecosystem and purchases. Another reason is that this is just right up their alley. Microsoft is a software company first. They are not Apple, which makes hardware first and then makes software to complement it. Microsoft’s success comes from creating quality operating systems and software that multiple types of hardware can use. So, for Microsoft, Xbox going beyond consoles is not something they see as a problem. It’s in the company’s DNA.
Many gamers want to keep thinking of console generations and have specific named systems tied to those generations. So the idea that Microsoft is telling them that any device that can stream games or has Xbox Game Studios titles is part of the Xbox ecosystem is a strange new world that many refuse to accept. The problem is, much like many things in life, you don’t have a choice. Sure, the hardcore fan may dislike it and threaten a boycott, but what does the larger consumer base think? Consumers care less about gaming consoles as the only way to play video games. If you look at the tech of the pre-smartphone era, we used to have dedicated devices for everything. However, that’s not the case anymore. My iPhone can do 95% of what I need for specific tasks. The only industry that hasn’t gone that way? Video games. Now, later than it probably should’ve been, that’s on the verge of ending.
Microsoft embraces the fact that their Xbox platform, much like Windows, Disney movies, YouTube, or Android, does not require specific hardware to experience them. Larger marketing and world occurrences are already making it possible. The main one is that gaming graphics are hitting a ceiling. I still think we have ways to go with performance and maybe some touching up in textures, particles, and lighting, but we have essentially, for a good while, reached a limit with fidelity. The old-school days of console hardware being made with custom chips are also ending, as Microsoft and Sony’s machines are essentially customized gaming PCs running on similar architecture. Even when you consider the rise of ARM, developers have said porting between X86 and ARM architecture isn’t the headache it once was.
So, when you ask what an Xbox is? Well, Xbox is no longer a console brand. Xbox is an ecosystem and platform like Windows and Android. Xbox is the Disney+ or Apple TV+ icon on your smart devices. Xbox is the platform that delivers Game Pass, Master Chief, Gears of War, Fable, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, EA Play, Ubisoft+, Xbox Game Studios titles, and so many games from a variety of publishing partners. This is Xbox, and it’s everywhere.
Really enjoyed this piece and agree with a lot of it. I think casual gamers are fine with this transition. Even I see the writing on the wall. Consoles themselves don’t mean as much as they used to either. The customer gains some and loses some with this approach. Thanks for the thoughtful commentary.
Great piece, JM.
I completely agree that the days of the console are numbered.
When Stadia came out, I thought that Google was about 10-15 years too early, but that eventually, we would get there. One controller and a streaming network full of games.
Xbox is almost there!
That said, I hope Nintendo keeps bucking the trend, but I wouldn't be surprised if Switch 2 is their last traditional console in the old-school sense.