HYPE, WHERE ART THOU HYPE?

     2020 started off really well for next gen hype – Xbox and Sony both had momentum and were rolling toward an epic clash of titans this Holiday. But, COVID-19 and other issues happened, throwing a massive wrench in the hype train. Instead of awesome monthly events and news drops, we’ve been forced to consume next gen content via a drip feed, technically keeping hype on life support, but not truly alive and well. Yes, issues going on in the world have truly affected things, but these are billion-dollar companies full of innovators; they should be way more flexible and creative than this. The game of price chicken between Xbox and Sony has also significantly hurt hype and momentum for next gen.

     While Sony hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with hype or momentum for next gen, their position as market leader gives them more benefit of the doubt and a cushion from discourse. Xbox does not have the same luxury. They needed to absolutely nail this heading into next gen. While Xbox has done an incredible job in some areas of their rollout for Series X/S (Backwards Compatibility, Hardware Power, etc.), others have been quite abysmal. If you compare Xbox strategy to naval warfare; Xbox marketing is a Dreadnaught – very slow to react, but incredibly powerful when they do. But fleets need to also have skiffs, frigates, and other vessels to react more nimbly to a changing battlefront.

     With just under two months until November, there is still time to rectify things for fans, but the window is quickly closing. Announcing a price that is aggressively pro- consumer would certainly be a good start. Fans would also like to actually see some significant gameplay from upcoming next gen titles, rather than just simple CGI montages. The loss of Halo Infinite from the launch lineup is a critical blow to Xbox that cannot be overstated, and Xbox Brass must find a way to help shore things up till it arrives. Sony’s launch lineup is nice, but it can be beaten. Aaron said they “have a couple bullets left in the chamber” in regards to big game reveals. NOW is the time to use them.