Xbox Live Coming To Nintendo Switch, iOS, And Android, Microsoft Confirms

[0078265317]

https://www.gamespot.com/amp-articles/xbox-live-coming-to-nintendo-switch-ios-and-androi/1100-6464772/

 

The question is why switch. I can see iphone and android. But nintendo is the competitor. Why would they even allow that.

[Flojomojo]

Because Microsoft, who knows that services, not boxes, are the future, paid them off.

[Gamemoose]

Hey...they probably have the best online console network out there, at least IMO based on my 360 experience. Nintendo hasn't really shown they "get" how online multiplayer works. At least with Xbox Live, they would at minimum have a solid platform for gaming and communication.

 

That is, IF they use in game voice chat.

[power]

Because Microsoft, who knows that services, not boxes, are the future, paid them off.

 

Nintendo are too stupid to see what Microsoft are really up to.

[godslabrat]

Does this mean Xbox games playable on the switch?

[+wongojack]

Win/Win

 

A system of logins, accounts and cross platform communication for Nintendo

Access to a bunch of new customers for Microsoft and XBox live

 

Sure it would be better for Nintendo to have their own, but that would mean they'd have to invest in and secure their own platform.

 

And yes, I would think this would mean that some games would move from one platform to the other and vice versa, but there are already a bunch of crossover digital titles available on both.

[0078265317]

But they already have switch online.

[spacecadet]

This... doesn't make any damn sense. It's just going to confuse the crap out of people.

 

It'd be like T-Mobile saying they're going to bring T-Mobile Hotspot to AT&T phones. What the hell does that even mean??

 

If I'm a gamer and I have to read an article to figure out what the hell MS is actually doing, then they're doing it wrong.

[Punisher5.0]

Crazy world we live in these days

[Flojomojo]

Does this mean Xbox games playable on the switch?

No, it's just another login-tracker-achievements-friends type thing that won't be supported outside a small number of Microsoft-owned games. Minecraft already uses it cross platform.

 

It's only newsworthy because it appears to be a man-bites-dog curiosity, but it's been on mobile for a while now. Just like Google Play Games is ostensibly available on iOS devices, whether or not anyone ever uses it. Or Facebook on PlayStation 4.

[power]

No, it's just another login-tracker-achievements-friends type thing that won't be supported outside a small number of Microsoft-owned games. Minecraft already uses it cross platform.

 

It's only newsworthy because it appears to be a man-bites-dog curiosity, but it's been on mobile for a while now. Just like Google Play Games is ostensibly available on iOS devices, whether or not anyone ever uses it. Or Facebook on PlayStation 4.

 

only a matter of time before MS try and put XCloud on everything.

[Tanooki]

Eh it's a win, and to MS it's probably also sticking it into Sony's craw because they are their only direct competitor and they cut them out of the service. To have people wanting to get portable lite versions of console games on Switch, then you have your xbox account that can bind games between systems in a multitude of ways from play and beyond would be a wise choice as it would benefit both parties. MS has known that games and software count more than hardware, always have, even in their PC only days. The xbox line is just a PC anyway, and their IP have been hitting the PC mostly too from even day one this gen with Titanfall. It would make more sense to unify with the king in portable gaming, and to cut Sony out on the console only side of things with an united front of sorts.

 

Perhaps this thaw will allow the long standing butthurt of having Rare classic games NOT on Nintendo hardware go away. That could open some real benefit up even if it just meant virtual console type stuff or a late portable port of rare action replay.

[phoenixdownita]

Win(dows)/Win(dows)

.....

fixed it for ya

[Shawn]

Microsoft and Nintendo have been playing nice as of late cause they know even together they are barely making a scratch in Sony's current dominance of the home console market. Combined Switch and Xbox sales combined are not even half that of what the PS4 has done.

[Flojomojo]

^^^ yes, I think this is definitely a "if you can't beat them, join them" strategy. Microsoft under Satya Nadella seems far more collaborative and way less about pure, pig-headed "Windows Everywhere" brute force dominance than Steve Ballmer's old Microsoft. I like their work with Office, where stuff works well on iOS, Android, Mac, and web, without holding back too many features that only work on the Windows client. It's as if they realized they don't need to grasp the whole market by the throat to make money in it.

 

I agree that they'll probably cut a deal with Nintendo to get the xcloud client on Switch, which isn't any different than Hulu requiring a subscription. All the controls are there, except perhaps a voice input.

[Tanooki]

Yeah that's good point. MS has been far less obnoxious, offensive and slimy than they were with the sweating hollering stage monkey that Ballmer was. It was all about being loud, in charge, in your face, and their way or screw you basically. This new guy seems more about actually wanting to grow the business by having things just work on many platforms so it draws people in instead of making them force a hard choice between this or that when it comes to the OS, office suites, and other tools. So it kind of fits to put xbox live services as a tool out there for Switch. You get all the benefit of what they offer, likely at a reduced rate since it's not on their hardware to entice people, and then various formats can co-op together for chat, play, media, whatever. If you bring that power of Windows, their XBL format, and Nintendo into one big fuzzy tent on the Switch it would be a boost, just as it was for them to mish-mosh their console and pc game market into one or like how WIndows 10 is like phone, pc, tablet and more. When there's no or minimal barrier to jump around, more will jump on board.

 

I think the dominance of PS4 is being over stated. PS4 seems to be roughly 2:1 against XB1, and 3:1 against the Switch but the Switch is just 2 years old about now and Nintendo is a third of the way there.

The XB1 (vgchartz cited) has moved 43.15M units, and Switch 32.27M units, and Sony at 91.97M. Combined Nintendo and MS have 75.42M units moved and the Switches alone are selling fast still 2 years in. Sony isn't exactly dominating, that's called a head start after the big bungles both MS did early on and Nintendo entering late with the WiiU pos going down in flames. And this is coming from someone who has owned all the Sony hardware and won't buy a MS console, ever.

[godslabrat]

I can't think of anyone who loses in this scenario except Sony... and as you've all so elequently noted, they can take the hit. It will make it easier (and probably cheaper) for me to keep a toe in modern gaming.

[+wongojack]

What is X-Cloud?

[power]

What is X-Cloud?

 

a convenient way to turn any manufacturers device into a portal for Microsoft subscriptions.

 

Nintendo is really gonna sell a lot of digital games if they allow this on Switch. Attach rate has always been the most important metric for games consoles since the beginning of time - with xcloud Nintendo's attach rate would be zero, unless they decide to publish on the Microsoft platform. This is just another step along the road of subscription everything and sucking up all the content for themselves. Nintendo are either blind or ready to capitulate and only sell software, however they are a strong hw maker having always made money off platforms. Will be interesting to see if they mis judge this and Microsoft swallow up the entire gaming market - it is after all their goal, not to just have lots of money but all of the money.

 

Edited February 6, 2019 by power

[0078265317]

What is X-Cloud?

I am guessing its kind of like icloud except for x-box.

[Flojomojo]

What is X-Cloud?

PlayStation Now but for Xbox stuff.

[Cobra Kai]

This is just weird. Are we looking at a future without competing consoles? What's the point of different platforms when everything is available on everything? "One system to rule them all" I mean why not?

 

Before you know it there will only be one video game everyone plays too, called Oasis.

[Agamon]

This is just weird. Are we looking at a future without competing consoles? What's the point of different platforms when everything is available on everything? "One system to rule them all" I mean why not?

 

Before you know it there will only be one video game everyone plays too, called Oasis.

 

Have you seen the dumpster fire over Metro Exodus dumping Steam for Epic? Even on the the same physical platform, there will be digital platform warriors that fight for...reasons, I guess.

[Flojomojo]

I guarantee you that not everything will be available on everything.

 

I would put even odds on Microsoft quietly abandoning this effort within 18 months.

 

and I think the one game that everyone is playing is called Fortnite. It's a building game too ... but it's clear that the engine could be used for SecondLife type nerdery.

[Cobra Kai]

I guarantee you that not everything will be available on everything.

 

I would put even odds on Microsoft quietly abandoning this effort within 18 months.

 

and I think the one game that everyone is playing is called Fortnite. It's a building game too ... but it's clear that the engine could be used for SecondLife type nerdery.

 

Here's the thing. Once again, this is not consumer friendly, despite its surface appearance of offering options to Nintendo owners. There is this constant focus, by all the major players, to zoom in on what they perceive as their missed market opportunities. Instead of bringing a better experience to the people who actually bought into their product, in this case the Xbox one, valuable resources and considerable time is wasted obsessing about those darn people who didn't purchase the x1, and those users suffer because of it. I still have a shitty dashboard to deal with, but hey at least switch owners get some Xbox apps!

 

There is never a satisfaction obtained, no matter how many customers you do have, it's those customers you don't have that are the most important. Really, how many millions of consoles was listed above? Microsoft can have that large of a user base and feel angst because Sony sold more this time? You can't make any guarantees about a future conglomeration of game console manufacturers. I see the industry not far away from that. None of them can stand the fact that company A sells more than company B. And they hate you for it.