It seems like an odd choice to shape the controller this way. I would think Microsoft is trying to give the impression that cloud gaming is serious. This makes it look very un-serious indeed, as if it is meant only for "simpler" games that require less complexity or precision in input, and are played in shorter spurts.
The only thing I can think of is this is designed to be distributed "for free" with all sorts of hardware that is otherwise uninterested in gaming (smart TVs, streaming sticks, etc) as a way to encourage adoption by making sure everyone at least has some form of controller handy.
@MattGPT just as a company will charge a price that reflects what makes them the most money, not what it costs to manufacture - so to should a consumer agree to pay a price that reflects what value they put on the product, not what it costs to manufacture.
It's going to be harder for Sony or anyone else to deliver a $400-500 console than it has been in a long time. But that does not mean the people who think more than that is too much are being unreasonable.
The whole of the business model is based around subsidizing hardware and keeping prices reasonable to reclaim it later with software sales. And the premise of that model has for years hinged on the fact that as time marches on, the cost to manufacture technology goes down. Now suddenly that is no longer true - but should consumers accept that that means significant price increases are inevitable, or is it up to the companies to pivot their model to keep it viable in light of the change?
As pointed out in the video, Apple has managed to keep price flat on at least some of their phones. And in fact they just delivered their most affordable laptop computer yet. So these things are possible to do. Obviously Apple has the benefit of an economy of scale that is unmatched, but in many ways Sony is (or strives to be) the Apple of the gaming industry. So personally I'm going to hold them to living up to that. If they want to launch a very pricy PS6 for enthusiasts, more power to them. But I expect them to deliver a more affordable option as well. Perhaps Microsoft had the right idea after all, what with launching the affordable model at the same time as the more powerful one.
@themightyant I think you're right - if the intent was to continue with the existing strategy then I expect they'd have promoted Sarah Bond. Just by virtue of who they chose to hire, they are communicating intent to pivot. We just don't yet know how.
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Re: Photos of Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming Controller Have Leaked Online Via Brazil
It seems like an odd choice to shape the controller this way. I would think Microsoft is trying to give the impression that cloud gaming is serious. This makes it look very un-serious indeed, as if it is meant only for "simpler" games that require less complexity or precision in input, and are played in shorter spurts.
The only thing I can think of is this is designed to be distributed "for free" with all sorts of hardware that is otherwise uninterested in gaming (smart TVs, streaming sticks, etc) as a way to encourage adoption by making sure everyone at least has some form of controller handy.
Re: How Much Would You Pay For PlayStation 6?
@MattGPT just as a company will charge a price that reflects what makes them the most money, not what it costs to manufacture - so to should a consumer agree to pay a price that reflects what value they put on the product, not what it costs to manufacture.
It's going to be harder for Sony or anyone else to deliver a $400-500 console than it has been in a long time. But that does not mean the people who think more than that is too much are being unreasonable.
The whole of the business model is based around subsidizing hardware and keeping prices reasonable to reclaim it later with software sales. And the premise of that model has for years hinged on the fact that as time marches on, the cost to manufacture technology goes down. Now suddenly that is no longer true - but should consumers accept that that means significant price increases are inevitable, or is it up to the companies to pivot their model to keep it viable in light of the change?
As pointed out in the video, Apple has managed to keep price flat on at least some of their phones. And in fact they just delivered their most affordable laptop computer yet. So these things are possible to do. Obviously Apple has the benefit of an economy of scale that is unmatched, but in many ways Sony is (or strives to be) the Apple of the gaming industry. So personally I'm going to hold them to living up to that. If they want to launch a very pricy PS6 for enthusiasts, more power to them. But I expect them to deliver a more affordable option as well. Perhaps Microsoft had the right idea after all, what with launching the affordable model at the same time as the more powerful one.
Re: Xbox Under New Management - But What Can Actually Change?
@themightyant I think you're right - if the intent was to continue with the existing strategy then I expect they'd have promoted Sarah Bond. Just by virtue of who they chose to hire, they are communicating intent to pivot. We just don't yet know how.