Tuesday, July 2, 2013

How Microsoft Got It All Wrong

So after the recent debacle with Microsoft and their Xbox One platform, I have decided to stay FAR away from the next generation of consoles. Putting hundreds and even thousands of dollars into gaming over the last decade, I've realized that it's going to be a big forward for me as I continue to build a better PC and have something that can edit much more efficiently.

The biggest problem I've had with modern gaming has been the hold corporations like GameStop have over the market and general practices of Electronic Arts. NO consumer WANTED the online pass system; it's detrimental to the entire gaming ecosystem. And yet they were pushed like heroin and we shot them up without as so much of a holler.

Now we're at the point of a primarily digital focused era and some folks just can't adapt. Why should they have to? Gaming was built on the essence of borrowing and free advertising, why take that away from the consumer just to line your pockets?

This leads to another thing; the media, parents, ESRB and the law. Here in Canada we use the ESRB just like the states, but our laws aren't entirely the same; UNLESS it's enforced by an AMERICAN company/corporation. Games like Call of Duty and Halo are primarily console focused franchises with a HUGE cult following. Call of Duty is on all platforms to reach a wider audience, while Halo is just a Microsoft/Xbox exclusive. Oh, and they're rated Mature. After each major, annual release, the majority of the public has said that Activision's "baby" has started to get stale and is no longer fun. Yet it still BLOWS sales records EVERYTIME, with more money then the last release.

So whose buying these? If the adults are getting sick and moving onto better gaming experiences, whose purchasing and promoting these titles? The simple answer is the youth, or more realistically their parents/guardian/older sibling, etc. Laws state that anyone under the age of 17 are NOT allowed to purchase a "M"/Mature rated title. But that doesn't mean kids can't get their older brother/sister or family member to purchase it for them. Often times they'll actually walk into the store with the buyer and be beside them as they purchase it.

In the liquor and tobacco world we call that "bootlegging" and it's a criminal offense. So why is this allowed to happen then? Because laws aren't as regulated in the video game world and most uninformed see gaming as a harmless hobby. I can bet you that these same people have kids of their own whom they are attacked by and bullied into buying the latest Call of Duty release. Something that is often forgotten is gaming is an adult hobby because of the price and time needed to game.

While this is biased to some degree, I've seen it happen in my own life. But before I go off on a tangent, I have to say this much; why are we allowing companies to allow this to happen? The answer is simple; money. Activison know who their target demographic actually is and from a purely business standpoint, they're VERY successful in getting kids "hooked". Ethically though, they could care less as long as they have your dollars.

GameStop is the same way. In school we're told all about customer service and making the customer happy to help build a relationship with them, but then you see this happen and it makes you wonder whose running the show.

Oh and you may be thinking, well there's always Valve's Steam digital platform. While that may be true, most seem to forget that you really don't "own" your games, but rather a license or a code. Personally I adore Steam since it's a very accessible platform to purchase games on. See, Valve knows the faults there and they offer a remedy; SALES, SALES, and more SALES & discounts.

After browsing through the Xbox marketplace, I noticed something; while there may be newer released games, the older ones from a couple years ago are STILL 50-60 dollars.

So after a long while I thought about this whole digital world, online passes and DRM. I came to the conclusion that while we'll be eventually ready for a digital/online platform of gaming, it can't be forced onto us and jammed down our throats.

I understand that everyone needs to make money at the end of the day, but we can't let ourselves be taken advantage of and have our wallets ruined because we're impulsive people. It just needs more regulation and moderation from all parties. I could get on board with a console based system designed by Valve from the massive success of Steam, provided they continue to do what they've done in the last 5-6 years.

New release titles released in both digital and physical mediums at full price for the first week or two and then dropped down to a better discounted price to entice "stragglers".

That's a console world I could get into and until Sony and Microsoft offer a solution as such, I'll stick with my PC.

But I have to admit, Playstation Plus is a pretty awesome idea for building up one's library at a lower cost. Microsoft, do the same thing with Xbox Live Gold and you might be able to repair your reputation immensely.