5 things Microsoft must do to make the 'Project Scorpio' Xbox a success

Not long after Eurogamer confirmed our previous leaks about Scorpio features, several outlets published pieces pouring shade over the next Xbox, primarily in relation to the platform's game lineup.

With Nintendo's modestly specced Switch dominating the airwaves thanks to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and PlayStation enjoying a spate of awesome console exclusives, including Nier: Automata, Nioh, and Horizon Zero Dawn, it begs the question of what the Scorpio lineup will look like at launch, especially since Microsoft kicked off 2017 by canceling Scalebound.

The early years of the console wars were dominated by claims that Xbox wasn't delivering powerful hardware, and now, it seems the narrative is shifting back towards games themselves. Microsoft is fully aware of this fact.

For Project Scorpio, games will be a huge part of the conversation, but there are other bases to cover. Here are some thoughts on what Microsoft needs to truly crush to make the new Xbox a success.

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1. Clarify that 'console generations' are a thing of the past

The first thing Microsoft should consider while positioning Project Scorpio is the fact that "console generations," as we know them, are thoroughly over. We're probably moving into a smartphone-like age of more rapid hardware updates, where the ecosystems you invest in are more important than the hardware you use to enjoy them.

The mass market needs to be aware that all of their investments in the Xbox One and Xbox One S are 100-percent fully compatible with Project Scorpio. This isn't the same as the generational leaps of old, by which you're making some form of compromise when you upgrade in terms of accessories and games.

Microsoft has already done well to make this clear. In spite of all the predictions concerning the Xbox One S's death at the hands of announcing Project Scorpio in parallel last year, the Xbox One S went on to do extremely well, becoming the best-selling console for the second half of 2016. People need to know that they can pick up Project Scorpio later on, and invest in a cheaper Xbox One S today.

2. Emphasize that the Xbox One S and Project Scorpio are family

Shader Model 6 and DX12 improvements will further bridge the gap between the Xbox One's base model and the PlayStation 4.

It's important to make sure that the Xbox One S doesn't get sidelined as we shift towards Project Scorpio, because market share remains important for developer confidence and consumer perception. Microsoft has repeatedly stated that it expects the Xbox One S to be the "mass market" console, while Project Scorpio will be aimed at console core enthusiasts who want to ensure they're getting the best experiences possible. If that is the case, people picking up the Xbox One S need to feel confident that they aren't second class citizens in an ecosystem that comprises the most powerful console ever made.

Additionally, Microsoft needs to emphasize how the Xbox One and Xbox One S will improve in the coming months. The onset of Shader Model 6 paired with DX12 improvements will further bridge the gap between the Xbox One's base model and the PlayStation 4 (PS4), which should hopefully put all arguments about resolution parity firmly behind the console. Fans of multiplatform games need to know if they are investing in the Xbox ecosystem at the ground level, with the view of eventually upgrading to Project Scorpio, they aren't making a mistake by shunning PlayStation.

3. Emphasize that Project Scorpio has benefits on 1080p screens

We exclusively revealed that Project Scorpio would leverage supersampling to deliver higher quality images even on 1080p displays, which Xbox marketing chief Albert Penello confirmed on a recent podcast. Games powered by Scorpio will enjoy greater draw distances, better lighting, texture quality, texture filtering, and superior environment detail owing to Scorpio's beastly horsepower.

Thankfully, even those who aren't ready to go all-in with the 4K ecosystem will enjoy these benefits on Project Scorpio, because the console will output its 4K content in a supersampled, smooth 1080p display.

Project Scorpio — like the PS4 Pro — has the "hidden" cost association of a 4K HDR TV, which don't come cheap. Prices are coming down all the time, but the combined investment is far beyond what most console consumers will be able to muster. It's incredibly important, especially as we move towards the holiday season, that Microsoft shows plainly how Scorpio improves visuals even on "regular" TVs. Parents might be willing to pick up a Scorpio for Christmas, but I'm not sure how many will be willing to bundle it with a 4K set.

4. Price

Not only is nailing the price important but nailing the messaging surrounding the price is too. I've seen some incredibly inflated predictions, putting the console at a ridiculous (and impossible) $700 launch price, with some commentators saying anything higher than $399 will render the console dead in the water.

Meeting the PS4 Pro on price would be a huge, huge statement, but given Scorpio's features and construction that seems unlikely.

I think the days of taking a loss on hardware sales are likely in the past, and given Scorpio's power, advanced cooling techniques, and customized parts, I think a price in the region of $499 could be most likely, as desirable as $399 would be. Meeting the PS4 Pro on price would be a huge, huge statement, but given Scorpio's construction that seems unlikely, especially considering Sony will likely cut the PS4 Pro's price for the holiday season.

If when it emerges Project Scorpio is more expensive than the PS4 Pro, Microsoft needs to work hard to explain what justifies that additional price. For examples, the fact Project Scorpio runs existing Xbox One games better, the fact that it will showcase graphical improvements of 4K games even on 1080p TVs, and the fact it will be quite possibly the best solution for 4K game capture and streaming. Scorpio has a "prosumer" creative edge that the PS4 Pro doesn't match.

5. Games, games, games

Arguably the hardest part of all this, is indeed, those games. Not only will Microsoft struggle to showcase visual advantages over the PS4 Pro without specifically calling Sony out, but consumer faith in trailers simply isn't as high as it used to be. Trailers can be misleading, and games have always looked better in the trailers than in reality.

Furthermore, most people will be watching those trailer videos on 1080p displays, without HDR, making it impossible to see the gains Scorpio will provide.

Project Scorpio running ForzaTech at 4K @ 60 FPS, with room to spare (via [Eurogamer].(http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-forza-motorsport-on-project-scorpio-the-full-story))

Giving the Scorpio reveal to Eurogamer was a smart move from Microsoft, because the outlet has made a name for itself counting the pixels and frames across different versions of consoles. While the gap between Xbox One and PS4 wasn't particularly large in real terms, the numbers Eurogamer's Digital Foundry posted have fuelled the discussion behind performance parity.

Presumably, Eurogamer's Digital Foundry will continue comparing titles across Xbox One and PS4, but will also include PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio down the line. If Microsoft highlights, and essentially weaponizes, these independent side-by-side comparisons, they could prove a useful vehicle for showcasing just how much superior Project Scorpio's multiplatform games will be against Sony's —assuming they actually are. Although Microsoft has made a huge amount of effort to provide developers with the development kit they want, there are no guarantees yet that they will utilize the extra power they have in Project Scorpio. They port their games straight across from PlayStation, foregoing the extra power ⸺ and that could prove to be a problem.

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Even if Microsoft nails the multi-platforms, and they come with obvious visual improvements over the PS4 Pro, as we've seen with the Nintendo Switch and the rise of stylized indie games that quality exclusives can completely supersede the need for photorealistic graphics.

Microsoft has some incredibly compelling exclusives on the way, including Crackdown 3, with its cloud-powered destruction, State of Decay 2, aiming to allow fans to live out their wildest zombie apocalypse survival fantasies, and Sea of Thieves, which takes place in a huge, oceanic connected world. We don't know a great deal about any of these games, but they'll no doubt get their prime time when E3 2017 comes around this June.

Fair or not, I'd argue that Microsoft's willingness to cancel projects over recent years has put a limit on the amount of excitement it can generate for upcoming titles, at least temporarily. Scalebound's reveal trailers made it at least look as though the game was in a playable state, as did Fable Legends' trailer. I'd also throw in that there are wider concerns about Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's cost-cutting culture lately, with the cuts to Nokia, Windows 10 Mobile, and the Kinect investment. It feels as though no studio is safe from the chopping block right now, putting Microsoft in a difficult position when it comes to announcing Scorpio-powered exclusives for this year and beyond.

The shadow of Scalebound will (fairly or not) cast a shadow over future Microsoft exclusives. (Image credit: Xbox)

It at least looks as though State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves, and Crackdown 3 will deliver the goods, but any other exclusive Microsoft announces at E3 2017 will potentially have a huge question mark over it. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer stated that he'd like to announce games closer to completion, rather than far ahead of time as seen with Scalebound, but I'm not sure Microsoft can afford to do that at this year's E3, while the console war commentary shifts over to exclusives.

I think you can expect to see more arching marketing deals like the one Microsoft revealed for Shadow of War, where the game's visual quality on Project Scorpio is showcased as a selling point. Throw in things like Xbox Play Anywhere as a bonus, and investing in the Microsoft ecosystem could look all the more attractive. Many commentators would rather see exclusive titles, however, and there's a real concern that Xbox could struggle to offset that narrative.

Even if I'm personally more than satisfied with Cities: Skylines, Path of Exile, State of Decay 2, and the various other timed third-party and second-party exclusives we're getting in 2017, the messaging on the Xbox ecosystem's future lineup needs to not only be crystal clear, but reliable. If it isn't, Sony, and influencers who favor Sony, will no doubt exploit moving forward.

Closing thoughts on Xbox Project Scorpio

There's always this strange conversation about whether Microsoft will eventually sell off Xbox. The notion is increasingly ridiculous.

Xbox can't allow itself to get complacent, and thankfully, it doesn't look like it will.

Between the construction of Project Scorpio, the acquisition of Beam.pro, Minecraft, and the integration of 3D technologies (and games) powering Windows Mixed Reality, it all paints a picture of a company with gaming at its very core. And I know from speaking to people at Xbox about the future of the company that the Xbox One has always been part of a longer play and a bigger effort to shape the future of Windows, and indeed Microsoft, as a service-driven entity.

The old arguments framed by the console war of ages past are becoming more difficult to shoehorn into today's gaming landscape, as digital sales become increasingly important and the revenue per person and platform engagement forms the true test of success, versus raw market share figures. When services such as PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass become increasingly popular (and if Netflix is any indication, they will, especially as internet speeds increase), it'll be the adopters of today's ecosystems that stick around for the long haul.

Microsoft seems well placed with Xbox Live and Project Scorpio to weather this disruption. However, more than ever, the Xbox division can't allow itself to get complacent, and thankfully, it doesn't look like it will.

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Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

86 Comments

Great write-up Jez! Precise, detailed, almost military in its efficiency, and a good call-to-arms for Microsoft, who have the ability (to a great extent) to shape the narrative on Project Scorpio's release, by the (hopefully) gamer-centric decisions they take. This is where Nadella and co. mustn't allow corporate interests to make them lose the market (esp. Gamers') support, like they did with mobile and other consumer backtracking. Shuttering studios, cancelling stuff (in gaming and otherwise) makes people wary of trusting what Microsoft says. It's also annoying sometimes to see how many tech writers ("influencers" as you called them) are quite fond of bashing Microsoft at every opportunity, like here, instead of talking up the positive effects of Project Scorpio on the industry and the broader vision of how powerful a gaming console can actually become.
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All dat salt, I'm choking.... Too much.. kuch! MS indeed needs to use 3rd party alot, make sure 3rd party games perform better on Xbox Scorpio over PS4 pro so people take notice, and back that uo with a solid 1st party lineup. Cancel games less but look how they can improve/change them if it doesn't meet expectations and if it allows them to do so $ wise. drop nukes at E3 and beyond. Also Make sure on day 1 for a proper trade-in program + exciting deals on launch. Continues worldwide commercials.
The problem with this is that since there is such a large gap between PS4 and XB1, developers are targetting PS4 first and then porting to XB1, so cross-platform games are likely not going to take advantage to any of the features that Scorpio will be bringing to the table - except the built-in optimizations they have made with the on-chip DX12. Maybe MS can do it, but I think it might be cost prohibitive to brive developers to target XB1 first or make the extra effort to take advantage of the new Scorpio capabilities. I hope I am wrong.
While there is a huge gap in consoles, there is actually not much of a gap in software sales. Xbox users are much more engaged on a per console basis. Info has leaked in the past from developers like EA that show they make just as much off the X1 releases as they do with PS4. Reddit shows X1 users also more active on a per console basis. If that is the case of a developer then developing for Scorpio first makes sense. Create the game in its most heavily optimized form and port from there. It appears that the new XDK is something targeted for developers to love and if that is the case then they may adopt it for primary development. The other factor is Play Anywhere. If a game is developed on the Scorpio XDK, how easy is it to make it run on PC? If most development for PC and Xbox One, One S, and Scorpio can all be done on the one box then that gives you a lot more potential customers with less resources needed. Part of MS' strategy needs to be to leverage the over 500 million Windows 10 PCs out there. And I agree with Jez on also pushing Play Anywhere and the advantage of the new X1 controllers that are Bluetooth. Dell sells a pretty good Inspiron gaming laptop for $1K. With Xbox, you can take your games with you. You may be able to STREAM them with PSNow, but you can play them at higher res with Xbox Play Anywhere and sync your saves back to your console. IF MS has made turning a Scorpio game into a PC game pretty easy, there's an advantage to developing for Scorpio primarily. We've already seen a few console to PC ports that went badly (Arkham Knight rings a bell). If MS can minimize those headaches and show Scorpio development will make PC ports MUCH easier than doing it from PS4 (and why wouldn't it with DX12 support on Scorpio?) then they can make an argument from a user standpoint and from a cost savings standpoint. If EA and Activision sell roughly the same amount of units on PS4 and Xbox One then showcasing a development platform that can save you some money during game development cna move the needle in your direction. MS and the publishers also are privy to how many gamers on each platform pay for additional content as well - and I wouldn't be surprised if Xbox One users buy more add on packs. Microsoft should know the argument they NEED to make to get developers using their platform for primary development. I would hope that Scorpio was built with this in mind. If the XDK and the actual console blwo away developers then that also will move the needle.
@ Mr. MacPhisto wow a lot of made up stuff there...
Developers more likely go with the most power console available to create their game first on, and then port it to the lesser. We've seen a switch after the Xbox 360 and ps3 where Xbox 360 was lead platform for 3rd party. With this gen PS4 became lead platform over Xbox one for development simply cause it had more power. U have to look at it as using the more powerful console as lead results in better 3rd party games for all platforms. As far as i know there are already several developers being a huge fan of the Xbox Scorpio which some i believe are showcasing their games soon on it at E3 and beyond. Devs swapping back to Xbox wouldn't surprise me.
No. 6...Don't let the MS mobile employees anywhere near this product.
What mobile employees?
To be fair, one is on maternity leave and the other one is having emotional issues.
I would be depressed as well if my company did everything possible to make my job irrelevant. =P
The name of the console is very important too. People seem to like the name Scorpio, it's certainly less confusing than Xbox One. I guess "Scorpio" sounds cool and appeals to the hip youngsters like myself.
Remember when Edge was called Project Spartan? Some users really liked the name, yet they still changed it. I am not expecting Scorpio's name to stay the same.
They changed it so they could keep a logo similar to the IE logo. They needed to keep a somewhat familiar presence for the average PC user. The gaming community would/has accepted a new name.
Trademarks are always the issue as well, they may exist or a development name may not even be suitable for a trademark.
Im curious if they are going to keep the name "Scorpio" or not. I know it was just a codenae during development, but this console has come to be known as Scorpio. If they change the name they risk losing the PR of all this "Scorpio" news.
It would be nice if they can keep it, call it Xbox One Scorpio.
How about just "XBox Scorpio?"
How about just "XBox Scorpio?"
Its Xbox 10
Look at the number of buttons on the left times the number on the right.
They have done it before with "Cortana"
They can call it Xcorpio
I don't think it will lose it as project natial became kinect and that stuck. I think they just need to call it Xbox seems they will be now being a new one out every 3 or 4 years. Just keep the name as one or the name will follow the controller and become xbox elete
They already have xbox elite
Shut up and take my money.
Good article.
LOL
I think MS is fine and Scorpio will be a hit.
I put my money on $450.
what? 450? And how much money will they make on 1 console / sale? Near to zero? Because for 450 you couldnt afford a PC which has as much power as the Scropio. Forget it. The initial price will be high.... i still think of 599. They will advertise it as a premium product
No profit is made on the hardware in this industry during the first 2-3 years after the launch of any new console.
Soon you will see PC gamer trying to find a way to make a PC that beat Scorpio but without adding the price of a Windows license, Wifi and a controller because the console comes with all that.
Lol
Even if you build a PC with this years Geforce 1070 GTX it still won't beat the Scorpio. The 1070 GTX maxes out at 6TF but has alot less Memory bandwidth than Scorpio at only 250 mb/sec. Meaning Scorpio can handle 4K at higher FPS much better. It would cost over $1000 to build a PC that matches Scorpio. And then optimized games on PC would still make it worse than Scorpio.
Exactly, i have a FX 6300 OC to 4.5 16Gb of Ram and a R9 270 OC and i cant play FH3 at 720p but the Xbox One with its laptop cpu and a smaller gpu can run it at 1080p solid 30fps on a equivalent of high setting on PC 😂😂😂😂
The same can be said about the Xbox One S. Do you really think you can buy a PC for $300 that can play games as well as that console? If there's one, let me know and I'll buy it immediately.
Phil already said they won't make the same pricing mistake as Sony did. As in $599 for the PS3. It will be between $399-$499. MS funded alot of development for AMD over the last 10 years. Quite recently giving them $3 billion for R and D. So expect huge discount for MS on Scorpio hardware. Also to build a PC that matches Scorpio will actually be over $1000. The Geforce GTX 1070 is a 6TF card. But has less Memory bandwidth than Scorpio. And that's key for 4K. Bandwidth. Not TF. The Geforce 1070 Gtx is $420 on its own. And outperforms the Titan X. Only the 1080 GTX beats the Scorpios GPU. But then PC games have terrible optimization. What MS has achieved here is a Masterpiece in design. And it's hardware is punching way way way above it's weight in terms of the equivalent PC in terms of pricing.
Not to mention, moving Direct3D into the silicon, which no modern GPU has done outside scorpio.
Considering a PC would cost 3-4 times as much, people are going to have to get used to paying $700 for a top end console.
That will never happen.
I'm guessing £500+ in the UK, maybe £550 which is okay with me (The Switch was about £280)
Not going to happen. You guys are crazy. It will be between £399-£499. That's maximum.
£399 seems too cheap, the PS3 was about £420 IIRC. Count on whatever the US price is number wise being the same in the UK - If it's $499 I would not be surprised if it's £499 in the UK. £450 is possible IMO, it would then be a little more than the PS4 Pro
Actually number one should be, deliver what you promise. With the original Xbox One dropping features, Creators update dropping features the most important thing that Microsoft must do is not show some glitzy promo video at their official announcement then not deliver those features on launch day. That will be an instant no buy/return for me.
I agree that the name "Scorpio" should be kept. It is already widely recognized. Also, I hope that MS doesn't waste precious resources trying to make this thing a "multimedia device." We want this for gaming. I intend to get at least one, possibly two, on day one.
Why can't it be both? I use my current XBox as my main streaming/TV device and I play games. Why should one suffer because you don't like it? I wish they would just give it more customization options like with Windows 10 multiple desktop. The home screen could adapt based on what my use case is. They could have a gaming focused home sceen and a multimedia based home screen. I wish they would allow me to turn off all of the social garbage because I will never use it but I would never ask them to remove it from the system because I know a lot of people do use it.
Great minds think alike!! Im looking for 2 on day one at $499 price point....
The titles of those articles strongly imply that the authors have an agenda, and thus can't truly be taken seriously. All in all, I think this all an elitist discussion; 99% of console buyers are blissfully unaware of these concerns, reservations and arguments.
Sort of like NBC, CNN, CBS...
Hello, have you noticed the name of website? so they shouldn't be trusted because they have sources in Microsoft, and we should trust some random articles out there with no MS insiders instead? Hahaha
As long as FPS games are being made for the PC, I'll never have a reason to buy a console. They had one shot at getting me to buy a console, and they ruined it for me. Never again.
whoop de doo for you. Not all of us want to game on PC though, like me, and a bazillion other people.
Yes, we know you're still salty about the Kinect gestures that no one used.
The great thing about where this is all headed is that it will soon no longer matter. The games are developed and presented the same on both Windows platforms (Xbox and PC). Cross platform purchases. Cross platform gaming. The only difference now is in the controllers and interface. That will be bridged next... it's already been happening with expanded controller support on "PC" games. All that's missing is either keyboard or specialized multikey controller support. It's an evolution, sure, but there won't be PC master race vs Xbox... instead there will be one gaming platform... Windows.
Personally I wouldn't mind having the social overlay and guide come to PC in the next update - Steam does this but MS could re-use the Xbox One social and Guide overlays on PC eventually to make it truly consistent.
I'm shocked to see those negative headlines. I thought that most people were looking forward to Scorpio.
What? What negative article? Most people looking forward to Scorpio? Do you mean most MS/XB fans?
I'm referring to that screenshot in the article which was referred to as "Mountains of Salt". I was surprised to see the headlines in that screenshot.
Oh sorry, my bad. I thought you were talking of this article (which I think is very well written)
I feel like at some point any windows 10 pc will be "project Scorpio" as long as it has the right components.
Will never have PIX etc optimisations for ONE CPU and ONE GPU
wow, are those moutains of salt just bought directly by sony? that seems crazy.
Edit: Never mind.
I think #1 is one of the most important. People need to understand that this isn't the console wars of the past. You used to have to have a killer starting lineup because those were the only games you could play. Now you can play all of your past games and that will be a much better stop-gap until new titles can be released. I think they should also try to get as many of the current games updated by launch with 4k settings (where appropriate). That way they can show a side by side comparison at launch so people can see the improvements first hand.
For me, the biggest point is the 5th point (Games, games, games).
I don't think communication really matters that much. The people targeted here are hardcore console-only gamers. Hardcore gamers will already know about the first 3 points. I think they already have MS/XB fans locked on. So far the only people excited about this on various forums and comment section are people who are either XB/MS fans or have already been primarly gaming on XB1. I'm yet to see a PC or PS4 gamer who game mostly on PC or PS4 say they want a scorpio. For me, the only way I think MS can get some of these gamers is by making their own exclusives that will make people by their system. Relying too much on 3rd party games or multiplats just won't do IMO.
I agree with your point made in your second paragraph. I have both an X1 and a gaming PC and don't plan on ever buying a console again. Scorpio doesn't appeal to me because I know my PC is capable of doing more, and doing things faster. I realize that not everyone needs the power of a gaming PC, but in my situation of owning both, it feels very redundant. I hardly use the X1 because it just isn't as good. While Scorpio's performance will be better, it still won't match that of my PC, so it will be the same redundant situation all over again.
Xbox 360 owners went to PS4 because it performed slightly better in multiplats, you can expect those same people to buy Scorpio. then those PC people well actually majority of them as only 5% of PC on Steam charts are more than 3TF. This means that all those PC gamers will want to jump on something more powerfull than what they have and still cost a fraction of what new equaly powerfull PC would.
Paragraph one. There is no evidence that these people changed because of the slightly better graphic. Even if there were some who went for it early in the generation when they needed to buy a new console why do they need to buy a new console?
Like I'm yet to see people who were mostly playing on PS4 hyped about scorpio in any forums or news article. Well, why would a PC gamer go to a close restrictive system, where you have to play online, where games are generally more expensive and where you have a lot less freedom for stuff like input device, choice of stores,...
And why would they buy a whole new PC? You know PC gamers just update parts of the PC that actually needs to be updated.
Price = king in this batlle ==> Sony/PS4 pro wins, # units sold. Which does not mean Scorpio will not be a succes (return on investment).
What app or link are you using that's aggregating the headlines in that screenshot.
Just log onto n4g DOT .com Its a screen cap of that site. Fair warning, most everone there is super partisan.
Thanks
Good to know to never go to that site.
Oddly, young males use their cars in attempt to determine who is the dominant male. I see game consoles used exactly the same way. The existing hardware is excellent. Yet the males want to prove that their machine is technically more powerful to prove that they are the dominat male. Pointless. Imature. Foolish. Illogical.
I would say 3 points 1) Games, exclusive games, the IP that everyone like, that is not just xx4, xx5, xx6, or xx7 that comes every year, but something really special (even form Zelda, it's the first open word Zelda ever, not just yet another Zelda). 2) Hardware quality. Don't make it another band 2, or red ring of death. 3) Bug free, easy user experience. Make it as stable and easy to use like a game console, not as unstable and complicated like a PC.
Looking forward to this one and ready to ditch my scorpio-vr box(i5 6600k, 24gb ram ddr4, 500gb samsung evo 850, gtx 1070, htc vive)..if the scorpio ends up supporting the vive, my scorpio-vr pc becomes the permanent resident of the closet minus an htc vive....
Great article Jez. A nice read. Well done.
1. Clarify that 'console generations' are a thing of the past +1000
For consumer and developers sake, it should be...purchasing games on a brand new console results in paying for barebone, often terrible new titles. Also, developers often lose money becuase there are less owners of the new console to purchase their titles. Nintendo with the switch should have no problem with this, for Zelda is an in-house title that also was on the Wii U and will stay at it's price for several years...but look at how much some of the Indie ports are costing consumers on this new system(Switch)!
Also..call it Xbox Scorpio...and not whatever truly horrible name they're probably thinking of, as is the Microsoft way.
I agree, I have a PS4 Pro, but the name sucks compared to it's name during development....simply call it, Scorpio. Nintendo has even been better at names, the Nintendo GameCube sounds much better than calling it the SuperN64 or the N128.
So Microsoft can make such a product with such an advert... I never knew.
I think, they should change to a simple number. Xbox was 1, 360 was 2, One was 3, One S is 4, and Scorpio will be 5. Maybe they should retain a code name, like Android, on which they should stay with celestial bodies. "Xbox 5 Scorpio" is a darn good name.
What I find annoying and that may pass along this generation is that developers in the past did not use the most powerful hardware, but the hardware that was used the most. This can be found in the PS2/Original Xbox generation. Eventhough the original Xbox was literally over 2 times the power of a PS2, most games were developed here and ported to the original Xbox. So, the game would be much smoother with higher frame-rates on the original xbox, but with very little changes in texturing etc. I hope this practice does not make the Scorpio a console where only exclusive titles will get a benefit in game quality touches.
1. keyboard and mouse support
- this would enable pro gamers to take it to the next level and on par with PC gamers for cross platform game play. 2. play anywhere support mandated
- this would greatly enable to the player base of both PC and Xbox gamers under the uniformed 'xbox' title, and give greater support for the Windows Store.
3. xbox 360 backward compatible title play on PC.
- This would bring in a huge amount of gamers to both platforms.
4. windows continuum desktop
- all games and no work makes jack a bit of an idiot. giving xbox gamers a work platform, with point 1. keyboard and mouse support in a Windows app friendly OS keeps the next generation of gamers active on Windows platform for their work and jobs so they can easily and quickly move between platforms, be it Xbox, a PC, or even a Windows mobile with continuum support.
5. Games, just a boat load of games, even PC games from the likes of Blizzard with World of Warcraft on the xbox. Again with keyboard and mouse support it makes it very easy. Keyboard and mouse support, a big issue for long term console gamers who's probably spent many years mastering the control pad, may feel that they're going to get a huge disadvantage vs some keyboard warriors. And that may be true, but that's mainly going to be FPS games and they're already ranked by skill levels. I'd see most pro gamers on consoles going head to head vs PC gamers, and using a keyboard mouse setup. And for those console gamers who only want to play vs other console gamers, I'm sure Microsoft can just add another zone for their profile to live in.
Jez C, how about a list of the best/top/most afforable/etc. HDR/4K devices to connect your Scorpio too? I'll be getting a Epson 5040ub just for this console. I can't have it any other way!
Personally, I'm going to get the Scorpio on day one, then wait about a year for a 4k HDR tv. The price fall on those will be much greater than on the Scorpio itself.
My setup requires a projector and I'm not in the market for a True 4K one as they start at $10K! I've settled on a JVC or Epson sub $3K projector and I'd love for those proces to fall around the time the Scopio is released.

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