E3 2019 General Discussion

[Asura]

Microsoft will blow their presentation. Talk of xCloud and Xbox 4 of any sort is filler for lack of content and at the current time does nothing but harm XBO, with Forza 8 off the cards and rumours that stuff like Fable is being held back for next gen I see this years presentation as more us finding out if Microsoft has written the XBO off, if so they'll focus hard on Gears 5 with little lined up beyond it of that scale.

I think MS's presentation will be okay, but it'll not be about XBO. It's going to be about how they're transitioning Games with Gold to be the "Netflix of Gaming" that everyone is so desperate to be. Like people will lament the lack of exclusives at their show, but that's not the point.

[Neon Ignition]

That's why I'll see it as a stumble, you can't build the Netflix of Gaming without 'original content'. They're undoubtedly trying to fix that but until they clearly show they have the exclusive games to back them up (3rd parties will never, ever get on board in a meaningful way) then any potential for that plan is very shakey, and their plans for XB4 to succeed doomed.

[QualityChimp]

They're rubbish at keeping secrets with these things.
Everyone seems to know what is going to be announced days before, so nothing has any impact.

[Team Andromeda]

I think MS's presentation will be okay, but it'll not be about XBO. It's going to be about how they're transitioning Games with Gold to be the "Netflix of Gaming" that everyone is so desperate to be. Like people will lament the lack of exclusives at their show, but that's not the point.

Gaming is nothing like watching movies or TV, if for nothing more than the amount of times one plays the content during the month. I wouldnt watch the same film for over 20 hours in one week, I would play a game for over 20 hours in a week. It's really not comparable

Also I don't get the talk of 'exclusives', game pass adds plenty of 3rd party games for a monthly charge.

You can get more than 2 months of game pass for less than what it costs to buy just Monster Hunter World in the shops alone . Going forward I can see MS doubling the number of titles on Game Pass.

[Neon Ignition]

Exclusives are key as otherwise it's like Netflix adding regular shows from the 60's through early 00's and nothing new (a situation they're increasingly in risk of). It won't drive success for a model that requires very high subscription levels to offset the costs involved. Third parties aren't going to throw their new releases onto GamePass as time goes on (until they're old and of limited appeal). MS literally has the Netflix problem too whereby if it's successful other games makers will pull their content to attempt to launch similar services as rivals. Game Pass is great currently but there is absolutely no way it'll survive as it currently is in this foetal form and MS will require consistent appealing exclusives to survive in the market they're aiming to create.

[teddymeow]

Couldn't care less this year.

Sony don't have a presser so it's a non-event for me to start with.

I'll watch the Nintendo Direct and get annoyed with the lack of decent stuff.

[Asura]

Gaming is nothing like watching movies or TV, if for nothing more than the amount of times one plays the content during the month. I wouldnt watch the same film for over 20 hours in one week, I would play a game for over 20 hours in a week. It's really not comparable

I agree with you but this is why MS are doing what they're doing, seeking to have their games on PC and their own box, and having Games with Gold, while Google Stadia is coming up, PSNow is out, MS and Sony recently had that announcement they're going to share each others' server bandwidth...

Irrespective of whether it's a good idea, the manufacturers are keen to do it.

[Cassius_Smoke]

It could work. I was completely against buying digital content and now it's pretty much all I buy. If the service is good and offers me stuff I want to play and a price I want to pay I'm OK with it (rhyming).

[Team Andromeda]

I agree with you but this is why MS are doing what they're doing, seeking to have their games on PC and their own box, and having Games with Gold, while Google Stadia is coming up, PSNow is out, MS and Sony recently had that announcement they're going to share each others' server bandwidth...

The market is going digital, but that still doesn't mean one can compare Netflicks to Gamepass. I might watch a brilliantly made film twice in the same week or month (if it's truly exceptional) but I will play an exceptional game multiple times in the same day, never mind week or month. Also to me, its not just about exclusives, it's about the number and the range of content.

I wouldn't buy Gamepass for just 5 or 6 Amazing In-House exclusives a year, even if MS gets its In-House studios to that of SONY. I would just buy the games separately. What's great about Gamepass and what makes it top value, is the range of not just exclusives, but the range and number of 3rd party games, that makes it unbelievable good vaule. My only issue is not enough SNK classic games are on there.

[cutmymilk]

A lot of people would play the same game for a month. Or, the same for 6 months as was the case with Breath of the Wild for me, and 3 months for Red Dead 2. Netflix affords a variety of experiences in that same time frame. Based on that, a gaming on demand service should be cheaper, or at least the same price.

Arcade experiences such as SNK where games are funsize would be add to the value rather than filling it with AAA games.

[Neon Ignition]

The type of gamer who is likely to spend long periods of times playing few or one games are the ones who already do so with the likes of FIFA, Call of Duty, The Division, Destiny, Battlefield etc none of which would ultimately be on GamePass.

A Sunday/Monday trip to CEX is enough to show how quickly most gamers move on to the next game. If they didn't we wouldn't get anywhere near the number of releases we do and every single developer and publisher will be looking to make at least as much money from those games in future as they do now on release, something Game Pass can't deliver on because its model doesn't support it.

It's basically the exact same problem that consoles have and therefore the need for exclusives in the first place. Only, it's worse for MS in GamePass's case as time goes on. Developing and successfully launching and operating a hardware platform is highly prohibitive which is why only 3 companies in the world currently manage to do it to any degree of success. Streaming based gaming services falter to the same issues Netflix faces by removing that barrier.

Will EA put FIFA, Battlefield, Need for Speed etc on GamePass in future? No, they'll launch an extension of Origin Access in the hopes of greater profits for themselves. Ubisoft will do the same with UPlay, Sony with PSNow, Nintendo will be late but have a closed service and any other major publisher and their mother will do the same just as we're seeing now with Netflix dominance being pulled apart at the seams by film studios launching multiple platforms and pulling their content. You'll have mid-smaller companies regularly putting their games on GamePass but they'll very likely be on those other services too.

GamePass will literally need large appeal, big named exclusives to pull in an maintain its sub numbers.

Don't get me wrong, all signs are that Microsoft literally thinks the same. They're first out of the gate, they're leveraging their current content and Xbox brand to launch pad the service, they're being aggressively kind to new and current users with low sub pricing, they're hovering up studios to fortify their production of key titles in the future and they're moving fast to build partnerships with rival companies and to get the service on as many devices as possible. They stand, currently, with one of the best chances of success moving forward but anyone would be absolutely insane to think that GamePass won't (1)become a lot more costly to sub to in future (2)will see major third parties claw over themselves to be on it in the long term (3)won't require constant appealing successful exclusives to maintain itself

They just need to be careful to correctly balance cost to consumer vs content output that maintains the service. This is what Netflix is getting wrong and in the long term the service is getting to the point where it could and may likely implode on itself overnight at some point as it's so woefully unprofitable. Given game budgets and development cycles GamePass is very hard to maintain down the line, as would any gaming service given you'll never get everyone under one roof.

[Team Andromeda]

A lot of people would play the same game for a month. Or, the same for 6 months as was the case with Breath of the Wild for me, and 3 months for Red Dead 2. Netflix affords a variety of experiences in that same time frame. Based on that, a gaming on demand service should be cheaper, or at least the same price.

But again one can't fairly compare the two. Games on average cost doubt that of films, films can also make money from cinema and TV sales and even TV shows can sell their rights to various WW broadcasters.

I would play a great game quite a few times in a week, I would watch a great film or show, maybe once or twice (if its good)For example, I play F1 2018 multiple times in a given week, but for the real sport, I would watch a race once or twice in that week.

Games are different to watching TV

[fishbowlhead]

Couldn't care less this year.

Sony don't have a presser so it's a non-event for me to start with.

I'll watch the Nintendo Direct and get annoyed with the lack of decent stuff.

Pretty much.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Couple of bit of Death Stranding news on reddit (I couldn't find a thread for death stranding).

First is a pre-order screen on PSN that leaked...

https://www.reddit.com/r/PS4/comments/bub18l/screenshot_playstation_store_leaks_death/

Second is some kind of trailer for the trailer looping...

https://www.reddit.com/r/PS4/comments/bu3pif/playstations_twitch_channel_has_a_looping_death/

Rumor is the release date is 8th November.

[Neon Ignition]

Death Stranding is currently my no.1 most unanticipated big release!