When the Xbox One was announced at E3 2013, it looked like the system was going to be proclaimed dead before ever officially hitting the market. Always online DRM, confusing used games policies and a higher price point had many consumers jumping ship before the conference was over.
By the time the Xbox One launched in November of 2013, many of Microsoft’s questionable policies had been scrapped, alleviating the fears of many dedicated fans. There was still a ton of work to do, so Microsoft rolled up its sleeves, brought in a new department head, and began digging.
Over a year and a half later, Microsoft has continued to listen to its customers. Monthly software updates mean minor and major issues are consistently addressed. From patching in updates to let you “record that!” without a Kinect to introducing backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games, the Xbox One has gotten both incrementally and monumentally better since its launch. The monthly updates, alongside the feedback-heavy Microsoft Preview Program, has allowed the creation and improvement of the Xbox One to be a dialogue between consumers and developers.
Similar to Microsoft’s experience in 2013, Nintendo also recently had a bad showing at E3. Their Digital Event at the annual industry exhibition last month was supposed to give fans reason to be excited about 2015, but instead left them confused, angry, and irrationally signing petitions.
Unlike Microsoft, Nintendo isn’t known for listening to what their consumers want, and the frustrations that boiled over after E3 this year are evidence of that. Sales for the Wii U were already dismal, especially in comparison to the success of the Wii. While “just give the consumers what they want” isn’t always a great argument, especially if you consider video games to be a form of art, Nintendo assuredly gave consumers a lot of what they didn’t want at E3 this year.
From obtuse YouTube policies to an incredible Amiibo shortage, Nintendo has sent the message to its fans that the conversation between the publisher and gamers is a monologue, and fans can take things or leave them.
The bizarre lineup of new games at E3 this year, including a non-Metroid Metroid game, an Animal Crossing board game, and a crossover between two similar franchises, Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario, only reaffirmed this point. Fans were clamoring for a Metroid Prime, new Paper Mario, and an Animal Crossing game for the Wii U. Instead, Nintendo used some of these popular IP’s to give fans the opposite of what they’d been dreaming of.
While Nintendo certainly has the ability to produce whatever they want, it’s no coincidence that since the Xbox One launched in November 2013, the Wii U and Xbox One have been on very different trajectories.
Consumers considering purchasing an Xbox One can feel confident knowing that Microsoft strongly values the voices of their customers, and at times have completely turned around core features of the Xbox based off of user feedback. Potential Wii U owners, on the other hand, have to hope that Nintendo sees value in the same franchises they do. Any gamers who were big fans of the Metroid series, for example, are out of luck this generation, without an explanation from Nintendo.
If Nintendo’s next platform, the NX, is going to succeed, they will have to swallow their pride and listen to their fans on occasion, instead of deciding what NX owners want for them. Meanwhile, Microsoft has flexibility on their vision for the Xbox, the Preview Program, and a tireless work ethic to improve their product to thank for the Xbox One’s success this generation.
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