INEEDNAWZZZ
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- Lincoln
- EGGSBAWCKS
- DigitalLuke64DD
There’s actually a lot of similarities with Sega, almost chillingly so. Both had a powerful first console that got trounced by their main rival, but still did decently to build up a following from and serve as a learning experience (Master System = OG Xbox).
Both released their follow up consoles earlier than the competition with a lot of impressive titles to gain a big market share (Mega Drive = 360), before releasing questionable add-ons later in their system’s lives which soured some of the hardcore fans (CD and 32X = Kinect). This, coupled with stagnation in their game line-ups allowed their rivals to catch up at the very end (SNES = PS3).
Both then followed up with an overpriced, somewhat misguided product that their main rival mocked mercilessly at their respective E3 showing (Saturn = Xbone), which set the tone for the rest of the generation and left them playing catch up.
And then, both tried to course correct by making a solid bit of hardware, with all the pieces in place to gain some goodwill back and had a fairly strong launch… but most people just decided to wait for a PlayStation instead (Dreamcast = Series X/S). Given their similarities up to this point, one can only assume Microsoft’s money men might have realised the same thing Sega’s did back in the early 2000s.
I don’t think they’re gonna announce going fully third-party - that’d be an unmitigated PR disaster - but I can definitely see it happening by the next generation, or their next system not being a system at all, and rather a streaming device of sorts.
Both released their follow up consoles earlier than the competition with a lot of impressive titles to gain a big market share (Mega Drive = 360), before releasing questionable add-ons later in their system’s lives which soured some of the hardcore fans (CD and 32X = Kinect). This, coupled with stagnation in their game line-ups allowed their rivals to catch up at the very end (SNES = PS3).
Both then followed up with an overpriced, somewhat misguided product that their main rival mocked mercilessly at their respective E3 showing (Saturn = Xbone), which set the tone for the rest of the generation and left them playing catch up.
And then, both tried to course correct by making a solid bit of hardware, with all the pieces in place to gain some goodwill back and had a fairly strong launch… but most people just decided to wait for a PlayStation instead (Dreamcast = Series X/S). Given their similarities up to this point, one can only assume Microsoft’s money men might have realised the same thing Sega’s did back in the early 2000s.
I don’t think they’re gonna announce going fully third-party - that’d be an unmitigated PR disaster - but I can definitely see it happening by the next generation, or their next system not being a system at all, and rather a streaming device of sorts.
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