Schell: Microsoft should have held its nerve on Xbox One

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Microsoft's submissiveness in the face of public outcry over Xbox One policies was a mistake, according to a prominent and respected games developer.

Jesse Schell, games designer and professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, believes a firm nerve is necessary in order to reinvent established businesses.

"Your customers want you to stay the same, even if it drives you into the ground," Schell told GamesIndustry International.

"The reality is that companies can't do what the customers want," he said, in reference to Microsoft's extraordinary volte-face on Xbox One's pre-owned and always-online policies.

"Basically, Microsoft said 'we're going to be Steam. You like Steam, don't you?' They said, 'we're gonna do this new thing', and the customers said no we don't want that, we hate that, even though it's what they really want and what they will ultimately buy."

"So now Microsoft has had to say they won't do all that stuff, but someone will. That's how it always goes. This is the lesson of the innovator's dilemma. Why is it that big companies fail when the technology changes? It happens in every industry, so what's the pattern? What are they all doing wrong?

"Everyone says, 'Oh, it's because they're stupid. Big companies are stupid.' They can't be stupid. How did they get that big and stay that big if they're stupid? Microsoft isn't stupid.

"There's one mistake that they all make, and that mistake is listening to their customers.

"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.' When you want to do something really different - the solution to the innovator's dilemma - you can't take your big brand and say it's going to be completely different."

Xbox One pre-orders are said to be roughly double that of the Xbox 360 at launch, according to Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot. The same is said for Sony's PS4, a demand that has led to PlayStation Europe capping its guaranteed launch day pre-orders.

Nevertheless, Schell believes the growing and diversifying competition to games consoles will have a noticeable effect on their market share.

"E3 convinced me that they are going to be struggling," he said.

"I haven't seen anything that made me think, yeah, you're gonna get that market share back. I'm convinced that all [of the consoles] are going to have a gradually eroding market share over the coming years. Because tablets are going to be eating their lunch more and more, and other platforms are going to start to take off and catch fire."

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Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/422580/schell-microsoft-should-have-held-its-nerve-on-xbox-one/

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"Schell: Microsoft should have held its nerve on Xbox One" :: Login/Create an Account :: 99 comments

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LWRPosted:

ima420r "There's one mistake that they all make, and that mistake is listening to their customers."

This is one of the dumbest things I have ever read. I really hope no one takes this drivel seriously.


I know, if a company isn't willing to listen to it's customers than who's going to buy it.

They've changed the Xbox One so much due to people complaining p!

ima420rPosted:

"There's one mistake that they all make, and that mistake is listening to their customers."

This is one of the dumbest things I have ever read. I really hope no one takes this drivel seriously.

DMNDSPosted:

Toll
Purity That would suck to have preordered it then it changed for the bad ):


I would get so mad! I would go get my money back and preorder PS4. But I don't know what I am doing yet, I am waiting.


LOL Yea me to but its highly unlikely

DMNDSPosted:

var
--Eminem-- Why do people always say "my internet connection goes down every once in a while"? Everybody's does. But I haven't yet to have a time where it is down for more than 4 hours, therefore still being able to play the Xbox the whole time.

People with cottages? You're up north or at your cottage for a reason! To do something other than play video games! I spend all my time at home gaming but I have NEVER brought a video game console up north with me because that isn't the point of going up north.

Long story short, the gaming community is a group of stubborn people that cry when they don't get exactly what they want. Microsoft shouldn't have had to revoke their new, innovative policies because of some brats making a big deal out of nothing.


Even if it was longer than 24hrs you can play it when it comes back up...


Yea you can wait till after to play

IlIuminatiPosted:

--Eminem-- Why do people always say "my internet connection goes down every once in a while"? Everybody's does. But I haven't yet to have a time where it is down for more than 4 hours, therefore still being able to play the Xbox the whole time.

People with cottages? You're up north or at your cottage for a reason! To do something other than play video games! I spend all my time at home gaming but I have NEVER brought a video game console up north with me because that isn't the point of going up north.

Long story short, the gaming community is a group of stubborn people that cry when they don't get exactly what they want. Microsoft shouldn't have had to revoke their new, innovative policies because of some brats making a big deal out of nothing.


Even if it was longer than 24hrs you can play it when it comes back up...

TollPosted:

Purity That would suck to have preordered it then it changed for the bad ):


I would get so mad! I would go get my money back and preorder PS4. But I don't know what I am doing yet, I am waiting.

xxxvrEverPosted:

That would suck to have preordered it then it changed for the bad ):

SwiftPosted:

And struggling they have.

RegistryPosted:

Yeah I think the same thing too...

--Eminem--Posted:

Why do people always say "my internet connection goes down every once in a while"? Everybody's does. But I haven't yet to have a time where it is down for more than 4 hours, therefore still being able to play the Xbox the whole time.

People with cottages? You're up north or at your cottage for a reason! To do something other than play video games! I spend all my time at home gaming but I have NEVER brought a video game console up north with me because that isn't the point of going up north.

Long story short, the gaming community is a group of stubborn people that cry when they don't get exactly what they want. Microsoft shouldn't have had to revoke their new, innovative policies because of some brats making a big deal out of nothing.


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