Microsoft Made The Xbox One Scorpio Because That Is ‘What Customers Expect’

The Xbox One Scorpio is a concept that could very well rewrite the entire playbook for consoles, shifting the paradigm beyond discrete hardware generations. It’s an interesting notion, allowing an upgrade to existing hardware on the market, all while maintaining compatibility. But what prompted Microsoft to look into something like this in the first place?

[darthv72]

Scorpio and Neo are what I aspire to get when I'm ready. Until then it looks like it will be a slim of each that tides me over. Feels good to finally be jumping into the other 8th gen systems. There are lots of games for me to enjoy as new experiences.

[DopeTech]

Because this generation has been all about Res and FPS.

[2pacalypsenow]

Pretty much

[ApocalypseShadow]

Yeah. It's sad. It's what I've been saying for awhile. Gamers concentrating on graphics and not gameplay. It helps. Everyone likes to look at something nice. But that's not what makes a game.

They feed into the lie that current consoles can't do 1080P/60fps.They can. But_*developers* choose to push the graphics more which lowers the frame rate. Then gamers blah blah blah

*consoles are under powered*
*consoles are falling behind PCs*
*current consoles can't do VR*

Cache this, teraflops that, fps this, 4x the power that, all games had better be this,I can't play 30fps that...

Can't blame a console when the developer CHOOSES to do more on graphics than making sure the game runs at a good speed.blame the developer. I could program(not really.don't know how to program lol)the movie avatar in real time on the latest PC graphics card and watch it chug at low frame rates. That must mean the latest cards are underpowered or dated hardware when it just came out on the market.

It means customers are unsatisfied after getting what they wanted. Better hardware. And when the latest Scorpio and neo come out, they will eventually become dissatisfied because that's where their mindset is. To always be looking for the next thing after the current thing just released.

I'd bet, there are gamers with dozens of games on their hard drive they never played. Or stacks of game discs that are just sitting there collecting dust. Not even unwrapped. That mindset is why Scorpio and neo exists. Besides Microsoft failing at beating Sony currently.

[uth11]

and graphics provides such diminishing returns now. You put the PC/PS4/XB1 versions of the games side by side and you need a magnifying glass to even see the difference anymore. But people care more about what the spec numbers on a piece of paper say than what the hardware actually delivers.

There's been a steady stream of games like Uncharted 4 that still make our jaws drop visually. The current hardware still has surprises left in it. I don't understand the rush to replace them.

[BLow]

The thing is that console developers (majority of them) always will choose graphics over framerate. It's been that way since I been gaming. I don't know why gamers are so surprised by how these consoles are performing.

If your an OG gamer like me then you know the game. Now we have the no patience entitled expect everything for nothing always complaining tough guys typing on keyboard gamers.
And it's only going to get worse as the new systems come out. Everyone on both sides will be moving the goalposts....I might just come here and read the articles and don't even read the comments anymore....

With console you can't just make a game look like Avatar and be 60 fps at $400. Consoles are not PCs were you can just buy a graphics card and throw raw power at games to get to your desired rez and fps....

[Deeke]

We've seen many games that are held back by console hardware. We've also seen many games that flourish with current-gen hardware, however those devs usually have the console-makers helping them optimize the games.

Consoles need better hardware, especially as games get more complex. Xbox One and PS4 are woefully outdated and can't even deliver native 1080p 60FPS--it's always dynamic resolution scaling that can drop down to ridiculous levels and destroy the experience.

PS4 Neo and Scorpio are natural evolutions of this cycle, However I wouldn't even equate the PS4 Neo with athe Scorpio; the Xbox One S is closer to the PS4 Neo.

[glassgannon909]

yep, its been really weird with how everything on consoles has been directly compared to 2000 bucks pc's from the get go.
they were never supposed to comparable to pc's and wont be. whatever neo and scorpio are, theres a good chance theyll be destroyed by anything 1070+skylake onwards , something thatll be a standard gaming pc by then.i dunno why this has turned into a competition when pc's havent got any less complex than they were and the simplicity was the sole reason consoles sold well over it.
companies tbh put far too much stock in what the internet thinks these days than they should.

[nitus10]

My Desktop has an Intel Core i7 6700 Skylake processor with 16GB of DDR4 memory and while that is high-end it is by no means the top-end. There are a few Skylake processors that would make mine look very weak and this year the Kaby Lake successor is supposed to be released.

Will I upgrade? No! I won't since the Desktop which I built fulfills all of my needs for now and possibly a few years from now.

Basically no matter what games rig you get or build and upgrade accordingly someone in the world will or has built a more powerful one and usually within a day or so. Consoles just can't do that since they are designed for performance at a price that is acceptable for the majority of gamers.

[Rude-ro]

Not on a Sony console... It's been about games.
If Microsoft did not spend millions adding where to play the best version, maybe their fan bases may have not cared and would not have jumped ship.
This console is not for the gamers...
It is their "we have nothing left to entice customers to the current console" console.
They are HOPING to that consumers will buy it. I feel the damage is done.
At least the original Xbox had some great games before dropping it after four years.
But everyone needs to look, their software did not move the xbox one, so who is going to but the Scorpio? Make it do 8k it will not matter. Sales are declining of the repetitive yearly releases. Even third party games are not going to help it,
They should have made games instead of a new console.

[Gamist2dot0]

The 360 was a game-centric machine as well until they filled it with bs towards the end of its cycle. I feel that all MS had to do was look at the history of video games to solve the current gen console war: games.

[rainslacker]

@Gamist

I've said it before. The 360 took off not due to the year head start, but to MS bringing some extremely compelling games to it....especially for the time. What they had hadn't really been seen before to the level of quality that those games delivered. If the year head start was all MS had going for it, it wouldn't have sustained itself through the whole generation.

When MS stopped focusing on the huge game support, and most of the compelling games from 3rd party went multi-plat....including some of the ones that helped make 360 popular....they started having people pay less attention. They got their sales from the casuals, but I think they lost of a lot of the hardcore, and when the DRM stuff came up, those hardcore went elsewhere.

They're doing better on not being some monolithic douche bag company now, but outside a couple stand out titles, I'm not seeing them deliver on the compelling game content like they were through more than half of the 360's life span. They rely on titles that were popular back then, and that's fine for offering to the fans, but when it's a major focus of their line up, it's just not going to draw in the new customers....only the current fans.

Not saying MS isn't trying, and maybe they consider that what exclusive content they do offer, 1st/2nd/3rd party included is diverse and compelling enough, but that's not translating to sales, and while I think their initial policies played a part in people's lack of interest in the system, I can't believe it's still a major factor for many considering a console purchase.

When it comes to power, most people aren't buying the PS4 because it's the most powerful. They're buying it because Sony has done a better job of delivering that "we have the best games" message. Regardless of what one thinks of either systems line up, the results speak to themselves, and the majority believe that at least Sony is delivering the best content.

What's funny is that Sony doesn't spend nearly as much time in the press trying to deliver their message, whereas with MS, we seem to have some exec saying how great Xbox is every other day. They do their occasional interviews, put out their press releases, give out a lot of info at trade shows, and do their regular marketing. MS does that too, but their comments to the press and on twitter(or similar venues) is much more common, and it always comes across as some kind of PR. But talk is cheap. Show and deliver, and customers will come. Scorpio isn't going to bring the customers if the games they release on it are what they are releasing now, and no matter how much MS keeps saying, "most powerful console", or "we have the best line up", people are going to see and judge for themselves.

[rainslacker]

I dunno. I've seen a lot of people go on about it, but most of it seemed like fan boy drivel to me. It happens whenever any console has an upper hand or something over the other, even if they're both pretty comparable to one another.

I don't think a new console half way through the generation that's more powerful is what the customer expected. Some may have asked for it, maybe even demanded it, but I'm having a hard time believing there were that many people all uppity that we needed quicker hardware iterations.

It exists now, we'll see how it goes. If it bombs hard for both companies, then this will be the last time we ever see such a thing. If it's successful for one, i expect turn around times to become quicker, and likely the console maker that is behind will move forward faster.

Still not something I'm looking forward to, but maybe it won't turn out so bad. So long as they don't go the full on cell phone model(the example used for the MS exec in this article) and release a new system every year or two, then it probably won't be too bad.

Beyond that, wish MS would stop talking about BC as if they are the most innovative company by doing it almost as if it's a common demand among consumers. Sony only backed out of BC on the PS3 due to the costs involved, and when they saw it didn't make that much difference, they didn't bother with it on the PS4. Acting like they are all altruistic with BC, when it didn't come with the system is just disingenuous at best. Promote it for what it is, but the hyperbole is rather obnoxious.

That being said, the day MS actually does figure out what the consumer wants, or makes a product that the consumer didn't know they wanted until they see it, is the day they won't have to worry so much with the over exaggerated PR statements.

[Artemidorus]

In that case I demand a Microsoft trade in and a heavy discount for my day one console for a new Scropio. Four years and my current console is outdated with that new machine and being branded as a "family"

This should of been provided the day Xbox One came out and i'm nevwr buying anything day one from Microsoft after this.

[cfc83]

It's not outdated. It plays xb1 games, and doesn't have a sell-by-date.

[Artemidorus]

Very true however we all know the original has taken a back seat. Are they going to priories these different looking games.

Back in 2013 i were under the impression my Xbox would last the ten years stated. 2 1/2 years later, a useless camera, an outdated controller, outdated console.

It's been a total con for people who supported at the start and they refuse to recognise that. There is no defending their actions.

[cfc83]

Fair enough art. I have a xb1 myself, and i'm ok with other consoles arriving. I still get what i've paid for. Technology changes, and new technology arrives regularly. As new technoligies release, previous technologies often drop in price. The more the xbox gaming division makes from their projects, the more it becomes easier for them to re-invest in games and ideas that benefit people with the cheapest xb1, who are and will remain the majority.

[Artemidorus]

And what happens in say 2020 or 2021? Going to get the Xbox Supreme with 10tflops at say another 599+?

No thanks i'll skip for the next generation.

[Shineon]

Microsoft and Sony should have released Neo and Scorpio instead x1 and ps4.I knew they were too weak when they were revealed. Its crazy becausr gen 7 should have been enough time for them to make consoles that were powerful like they use to do

[yeahright2]

Price was probably the issue. I think $500 is a line in the sand for most gamers based on PS3's reveal buzz. That and I'm sure Sony was pretty aggressive with their pricing this go around for obvious reasons. The parts they wanted for this gen are probably cheap enough now that they can use them without having console gamers break the bank.

[Benschachar]

That's...what are you even talking about?
Are you unaware that the only reason the Scorpio is even capable of that power at a an acceptable price is because of a new generation of gpus? Are you unaware that the previous gen was a complete fluke that lasted twice as long as every other generation? The typical console lifecycle is only 4 years and this cycle was ridiculously underpowered in order to make Sony and MS profit on each console sold.

[cfc83]

There's not really a next generation for Microsoft i'm guessing.

[rainslacker]

Hey now. They'll give the consumer what they expect....but not if it costs them money. I mean, consumers expected a console generation to last at least 5 years, not come in just shy of 4. But hey, those customers aren't important.

Same could go for Sony, but will reserve judgement until more is known about the console. Hopefully they don't let the BS flow that the customers expected it, because I've never seen a console gamer be happy about a short generation, and to me, fancying up a new generation by saying, "no gamer left behind", or "forward compatibility" just doesn't cut it. All this is is a new generation with some new rules, and this time, they're doing it in a way to price the system at a premium, when it will still be out of date within a year, instead of just waiting it out another year or two, and delivering a better console all around.

That's my rant. Sorry, but PR spin tends to get me worked up. What was said here is that, at least for MS part, they want to start releasing consoles using the cell phone model. I'm sure there are many things they'd like to take from the cell phone model, namely, restrictive DRM and digital sales or overpriced hardware that the early adopters just have to have. Doesn't mean the customer expects that, or that a lot of them want it. Basically he's saying, cell phone customers want that, the console gamer must want that too.

[corroios]

Well it will be funny with the upgrades come out, PC Gaming will be already talking about 8k gaming....

[Artemidorus]

No chance of that, name a list of things available for 8K on today's date?

[corroios]

One year and a half is an eternity by PC standards!

[ClickbaitAF]

8k gaming? Pfff, you wish.

[joeorc]

[It is good to see that the people in charge of steering the future of this industry also agree with me there. ]

Microsoft is in charge in the game console market? And is the one's steering the console industry going forward...?

I'm Sorry , but if you want to think that is true you can think that all you want, but I'm betting Microsoft will not even be the one close to steering the game console industry moving forward..

Their plans have always been Windows OS as their only real drive forward..the Game console market by Microsoft is being seen as just an extension of the Windows OS eco system.

Problem is the Game Console Market as a whole is not based on any one companies Eco system Operating system by itself. There is no single company that will be steering the game console market, because unlike the PC market no one single company has a d@mn near monopoly of the market.

[Inzo]

I disagree, no one expected MS to give up on the Xbox 1 so quickly..............no wait..................ok, they're right, almost everyone expected it.

[rainslacker]

hmmm....interesting interpretation. Despite MS having a penchant for abandoning products too early, or moving on as quickly as possible when new versions come out, I wasn't actually expecting new hardware to come out so soon....from either company. Slim...maybe UHD compatible....sure fine, no biggie as it leaves a base hardware in tact with no potential for split user bases. But not full on new hardware

Guy in the articles said it's expected, because it happens in cell phones. But that's a different market, and quite honestly, the expectations are completely different. If MS or Sony are doing this move because the cell phone market shows it works, and expect that console gamers will be happy constantly upgrading their hardware, they're going to be in for a rude awakening.

It may catch on for the first go around, maybe even the second, but by the third....in I'm going to say 6 years after the first go around releases....maybe 5, people are going to start being damn annoyed that they barely ever saw any software take advantage of the hardware...if any at all. Improved graphics can only go so far, and this whole move is coming at a point where the diminishing returns are going to start being much higher, and the customer themselves isn't going to be able to tell the difference.

This gen started underpowered. But it is what it is. Companies should just forge on, and provide a respectable generation. Waiting another year or two isn't going to hurt anyone, and after seeing UC4, I'm not in any way thinking that we can't see quality games, or need stronger hardware to deliver them.

[zaherdab]

It's what "they come to expect" because it was leaked and has been talked about for a year ... otherwise we'd have no expectations...

[fatsodubmo]

Giving up on the Bone is exactly what Ive expected since...

Stopping support of the 360 2.5 years before the bone and dropping kinect.

Seems as though their just skipping 1080p

[hollabox]

If MS and Sony would have went high end for the time (3-4.5 TFLOPS) there wouldn't be a need for Neo or Scorpio until 2018-19. I somewhat knew this would happen when I first saw the specs. I didn't think they were high enough to sustain this generation like the last. Same with Nintendo, all three releasing new or upgraded consoles because the original lacked horse power, or extremely deficient in areas last gen was not.

[Gamist2dot0]

Right. And everyone was willing to pay $900-$1000 for the consoles in 2013.

[hollabox]

Probably more like $600 or less, keep in mind the mighty 7970 was going for $270 by the fall 2013 at it's cheapest. Make a cut down version of that card with 15-1700 cores, and 256 bit interface to reduce the price. I don't see the 7900 series adding more than $100. While some were sold for less than $300 in the fall of 2013, they cost nowhere near the mark to manufacture.

[Captain_Tom]

Hmmmm. Sales indicate customers expect what the PS4 has to offer - $399 and an abundance of games.

[ScorpiusX]

I have always expect monster systems from MS since the Original Xbox , was okay with 360 but Xbox one has been somewhat of a let down .
Seem that somewhere after Xbox and during the 360 they softened up in many categories, they stopped going hard after games .
They stopped bring features that you didn't know you need it till you tried it .
Hopefully Scorpio is a return to form .

[yomfweeee]

I don't recall any gamers calling for a new console generation after only 4 years.

Real reason: Microsoft was getting demolished this gen.