Phil Spencer: We shouldn't have "sugar-coated" the Xbox One controversy


Recommended Posts

"I look at last summer and that wasn't a highpoint for me, coming out of the announcement of Xbox One and E3, where I thought our messaging around what we believed in was confused," he admitted (via gerrenlaquint). Spencer didn't specify which aspects of the messaging Microsoft had gotten wrong, but the reference is presumably to the console's now-abandoned 24 hour online DRM checks in particular.

 

 

"I learned a ton last summer as leader of our groups about being true to your core vision about what a product is, not being confusing, and frankly, when you're going to say something to a consumer that might put them off, it's better to just be direct and honest, rather than trying to sugar-coat something that might be controversial.
 
"I'd rather deal with the controversy of what we're doing, and have an above-table conversation about that topic, rather than trying to sugar-coat it with some other news. And again, my interactions over the last six months, and I really think the interactions of [Xbox chief marketing and strategy officer Yusuf Mehdi] and [Xbox corporate vice president Marc Whitten] and other members of the leadership team - we're meaning to build on what we learned last summer, and just build on who we are as people."

 

Source: http://www.totalxbox.com/73174/we-shouldnt-have-sugar-coated-the-xbox-one-controversy-admits-phil-spencer/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yet communication to tier 2 release countries is just abysmal. People in the Netherlands have recently found out that Microsoft does not provide support anymore for their imported Xbox One's etc.

I'm a die-hard Xbox fan, but, ###### my life,  sometimes they really screw up.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think it's too late.

 

But they really need to be better prepared the day they'll decide to come back with their online only plan. Honestly outside of the usual fanboys who drink everything MS spoon-feed them with the plan was really not clear to anybody. There was a lot of unanswered questions and we were only weeks away from launch.

 

It was not clear how the game resellers plan would work. We knew resellers would need to apply and use some proprietary hardware or software but how much would it cost them? Not everybody has an EB Games or Gamestop around the corner. At the small village close to my cottage the games are sold/bought by a really small local store. The store owner is not rich (i personally know him) and he doesn't have 1 grand to spend on proprietary hardware or software just to buy and resell used XBox One games.

 

Also the resellers plan raised some serious questions. If we could resell our games to Gamestop and EB Games only it let them control the pricing. EB Games/Gamestop always give me less than what i can get by reselling my games on Kijiji. And this is without the oligopoly the XBox One resellers plan might have created.

 

It was not clear how the 24 hours phone home would work. I simply can'y believe MS really tought it was a good idea. What people with cottage without internet were supposed to do? I bring my 360 to my cottage twice a year in case it is raining and there's no way i can get internet there. It was never clearly explained what would happen to someone without internet for more than a day (and this is unrealistic to expect everyone to have access at all time you got to have a plan B just in case).

 

Even the media thingies are still not really well explained outside of the voice command. MS talked about NFL support but i live in Canada where NFL is not as big as in USA. What is the plan in Canada? What MS will do for Canadian as far as TV is concerned? Are they even trying to do something? RDS/TSN support for hockey games? SE/TMN support with IMDB desc and rating of the movies? Ability to control my Vid?otron PVR like my Harmony can do? Etc, etc etc ...

 

So far to me outside of traditional gaming the XBox One is like a black box. What can it do for me as a canadian for the 100$ more they are asking. I'm still waiting for a clear answer. I give them until next christmas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think it's too late.

So far to me outside of traditional gaming the XBox One is like a black box. What can it do for me as a canadian for the 100$ more they are asking. I'm still waiting for a clear answer. I give them until next christmas.

Your awfully optimistic.

Honestly, I don't see much changing within a year. MS will probably coast along by dropping the price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your awfully optimistic.

Honestly, I don't see much changing within a year. MS will probably coast along by dropping the price.

 

Well if they drop the price to PS4 level then i don't care about what the xbox one can offer outside of gaming (it'll be a bonus). I'll consider only the gaming part (read exclusive games).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Understatement of the year. GabeN said it best...

 

 

One of the things we learned pretty early on is 'Don't ever, ever try to lie to the internet - because they will catch you. They will de-construct your spin. They will remember everything you ever say for eternity.'

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well if they drop the price to PS4 level then i don't care about what the xbox one can offer outside of gaming (it'll be a bonus). I'll consider only the gaming part (read exclusive games).

They will probably have to hit a price below the ps4.

 

 

Understatement of the year. GabeN said it best...

The difference here is that people caught them before they even had a chance to lie :laugh:

The internet works quickly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally don't care too much about what was said. The past is the past.  The final product is really what matters.

 

I was just a bit disappointed with how the console turned out.  The performance just isn't as great as I'd expect for what will probably last us another 8 years or so.  If they struggle to hit 1080p and/or 60Hz now, then there really isn't much room for growth besides the developers figuring out how to optimize things.  On top of that, I really couldn't care less about Kinect.  If they sold a version with it for $100 less, I'd probably considering buying one, but at this point, I don't see it worth the investment.

 

I prefer PC, so yeah these reasons are all pretty petty.  For me, PS4 was always out of the question since I absolutely despise that controller.  My PS3 was nothing more than an oversized and overpriced blu-ray player.  :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The difference here is that people caught them before they even had a chance to lie :laugh:

The internet works quickly.

 

The issues began long before Summer came along. It all started with SuperDaE in July 2012 and only got worse from there. The tipping point where MS showed their hand without actually showing it was Adam Orth and his ridiculous comments. Summer was just the icing on the cake. Spencer is still sugar coating the events it seems :laugh: :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And even so, this only affected the minority of gamers. The majority of gamers don't even know E3 or the Xbox One announcement existed, and didn't even know a 24 hour online check was coming. People need to remember that we are in the minority.

 

Still glad that MS listened to the consumers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The majority of gamers don't even know E3 or the Xbox One announcement existed, and didn't even know a 24 hour online check was coming.

 

It got heavily covered by the news and other media. People know about this stuff. Tired of these "the average gamer blah blah blah..." statements that are nothing but pure BS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The issues began long before Summer came along. It all started with SuperDaE in July 2012 and only got worse from there. The tipping point where MS showed their hand without actually showing it was Adam Orth and his ridiculous comments. Summer was just the icing on the cake. Spencer is still sugar coating the events it seems :laugh: :p

Right, but MS never had a chance to lie about any of it. They never denied the rumors before they officially shared the details. They did try to explain it, but did a poor job of that.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It got heavily covered by the news and other media. People know about this stuff. Tired of these "the average gamer blah blah blah..." statements that are nothing but pure BS.

Hardcore gamers do, yes. Most gamers have no clue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Proof is in the usage, and i love my X1. Love my PS4, too, but X1 is just so goofy and unique, you can't help but sympathize hahahahaha. No, honestly, it's a good machine. I like the pressure on platform holders and companies to deliver soon, fast, better...that's all good. Sometimes it's too sarcastic and mean, but i know the intention is good - we just want to enjoy life, there's enough problems as it is without our pastimes and escapes adding to them.

 

 

Yet communication to tier 2 release countries is just abysmal. People in the Netherlands have recently found out that Microsoft does not provide support anymore for their imported Xbox One's etc.

I'm a die-hard Xbox fan, but, #### my life,  sometimes they really screw up.

 

This! Love X1 and already moved on from the whole launch confusion, but MS are not doing it right with availability. Basically this time around Sony launched everywhere but had poor stock availability, while MS launched almost nowhere but basically told everyone to go ahead and import, no restrictions. They even have a web page that ASKS you to import an X1 regardless of where you are.

 

Even with poor availability, the official way is better. MS should serve markets that have become strong Xbox locations. The Netherlands is a must, no idea why places like that were left to import. I can attest to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan being super strong Xbox bastions, unlike the stereotypical media-created impression that Xbox is nothing in Asia (360 outsold PS3 in all three of those locales). No idea why MS are doing it like this, but it's not something we can't forgive, just advice to them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Proof is in the usage, and i love my X1. Love my PS4, too, but X1 is just so goofy and unique, you can't help but sympathize hahahahaha. No, honestly, it's a good machine. I like the pressure on platform holders and companies to deliver soon, fast, better...that's all good. Sometimes it's too sarcastic and mean, but i know the intention is good - we just want to enjoy life, there's enough problems as it is without our pastimes and escapes adding to them.

 

I love my PS4 as well. But my Xbox One is getting all the use, even after the debacle that was pre-E3. Other than the great games, the BIGGEST thing I am using to my benefit now is the snap feature and the game suspending as well. I am snapping stuff on the side of my game 24x7. From TV for my woman to watch while I game, to friends, to music playing in Internet Explorer. You would hard pressed to find me NOT snapping something, and having games suspended like that is insane. I am watching TV or I am in another game, I get invited to a game, and I just accept invite and the game is already there, no load. Or I just hit the B button while watching TV, and there is the game right where I left it. Hit B again, and there is the other game (or app) right where I left it.

 

For ME (I am only speaking for me), it's awesome and I am glad that Phil has gone through some hoops to get these much needed features back. I am saddened by the loss of DRM that they wanted to do, but hopefully they will bring that back, in an optional format. The social experience on the Xbox One is unparalleled. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like the multitasking/snapping capabilities were made exactly for folks like you! it is nice, love moving between a game and the Blu-ray player or YouTube, really useful for gameplay tips and stuff. But since for me X1 is 90% about the games just hope there can be a way to lessen the impact all this snapping has on performance. Titanfall is an awesome game, but the graphics issues it has go beyond simply being poorly ported from the 360, it's just not using the hardware correctly at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.