Microsoft: Winning Isn't About Winning

It's a simple question: is Microsoft poised to win the console wars? Microsoft Senior Regional Director of entertainment Neil Thompson had something not so simple to say in response:

I don't think it's as binary now as it was with the previous generation. It really depends on your criteria of 'winning'. Some people say it's how many boxes you ship, some say it's the amount of profit you make, some might judge it on how broad your offering is...I think when people look back on this in the future they will see this as a very successful stepping stone in Microsoft's broader entertainment vision.

Winning for Microsoft is really just competing, as their focus is still just to keep another industry giant from becoming the home entertainment PC, the box that hooks to your TV without running Microsoft software (just like it was in the days of Xbox the First). In that sense, Microsoft has secured enough of the market—but more importantly, presence in the market—that they will at minimum cockblock other companies from looking like undisputed entertainment leaders. Well, that's assuming Sony never gets their act together. And they are revving up in a major way and own a lot of their own entertainment properties...

http://kotaku.com/gaming/console-wars/microsot-winning-isnt-about-winning-310224.php

I think most clever market analysts could clearly see Microsoft only ever entered the video game market to keep Sony in check. First they tried to team up with Sega and the Dreamcast, then they spread their own wings. I don't think they really care about nintendo, they just want to block Sony and this generation they're doing a pretty good job of it. The key those wasn't in their action, building the 360 to compete with the PS3 wasn't what did it, it was Sony foolishly building the PS3 to compete with the 360 which resulted in them shooting themselves in their feet.

Exactly I agree Gamer Girl.

They are right of course. Each company has a different definition of winnig this generation.

For MS increasing market share = win
For Nintendoe making profit = win
For Sony Blu-ray winning = win

lol....Saiyar but your right!!!

cockblock?

Anyway it does kind of make sense, but i am sure MS would want a profit too.

The ps3 wasnt built bad, its just that it was released with the wrong strategy. Micro$0ft wants sony out. We all know that, but sony isnt sega that gave up for no reason. They wont back down.

You forget they tried to buy NTSFT not to long ago. Also they had to come in early to make an impact, if MS had released the 360 at the same time as the PS3/Wii they would be dead in the water by now.

It is a wonderful term coming from the Everquest community. I believe it was originally a term referring to a stronger guild blocking the progression of a weaker guild. It is also a commonly used term when describing artifical progression blockers by SOE game design.

 MS enterted the market for 2 reasons, the second being to stake its claim in the home theater market, right now people are buying HD TVs, DVD players, Tivos, digital cable, surround sound and it probably won't be long before some sort of computer system is standardized to opperate all those little pieces. MS would like its share of the profits, in a way you're already seeing this progression as xbox online requires a monthly fee (for online play anyhow), games can be purchased and a small amount of movies and TV shows are available.