Recently, as I am sure many of you are aware, there has been a lot of backlash and controversy regarding Xbox exclusives (Quantum Break, Gears of War, Forza, etc.) being brought to PC. I am going to preface this by saying that although I own a good PC, I prefer to play games on console, and that I am kind of an Xbox fanatic/fanboy. I’m also a realist. The PS4 has better hardware and I do not dislike it in any way, I’ve just always played Xbox. Anyways, on to the discussion.
I think many of the people who have an issue with this are the usual troublemakers of the internet who seem to always start stupid arguments and do not think about things from enough angles. Although I do have concerns regarding the negative PR and Xbox as a brand going further, I agree with Microsoft’s decision. We have to remember, that Microsoft has invested interest in the PC market because of their little OS known as Windows.
A lot of people say this is going to kill Xbox and that there is no reason to own an Xbox now. This is not true and here is why:
- Consoles are still simpler than PCs. You don’t have to worry about having the right specs or anything. You just put the game in and play. And the only place to play these games other than PC is on Xbox.
- Consoles are way cheaper and more simple to purchase than any capable PC.
- Microsoft is not selling most of these games through Steam, but rather the Windows 10 store. Therefore, Microsoft will make more profit as they can take larger portions from a sale. Also, if you are not running Windows 10, you cannot get these games.
It’s not like Microsoft is making the games available to PlayStation, they are simply selling it on another one of their digital stores. As time goes on, Xbox is becoming more of a brand than just a console. Cross-play and cross-buy as well as the ability to gain Gamerscore and other things normally associated with Xbox can now be done on PC through the Windows Store and Xbox App. It’s not like Microsoft is giving up any ground to PlayStation or really even Steam. If you want to play these games, you have to do it on Xbox, whether that be on the console itself on its PC counterpart. Being as Xbox has lagged behind PlayStation, I think once people realize what good can come from this decision, the Xbox brand will regain some of its footing.
What I want to hear from others is:
- Do you like what Microsoft is doing?
- Do you think this was a good marketing decision for Microsoft?
- Any other general opinions on the matter.