Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

2015 Could Be the Year of Xbox

2015 Could Be the Year of Xbox

Microsoft looks to prove it truly ain’t over ‘till it’s over!

There are only a few weeks left to burn off of 2014 before we say goodbye to a tumultuous year in video games. We’ve seen a lot go down in the last 12 months for sure. Sony has rolled out several new services that look to revolutionize how we interface with our media, while Xbox has desperately tried anything and everything imaginable to find their footing in the marketplace. Needless to say, they’ve taken a very public ass whoopin’ in the press and at retailers.

But that was then and this is now. It’s like a scene from a Rocky movie (take your pick as to which sequel). Stallone is getting the living shit kicked out of him, but through sheer force of will, somehow just keeps on swinging. That perfectly encapsulated Microsoft’s position here in the late stages. Many had completely written them off, seriously questioning whether they even had a future in the console race moving forward (this journalist especially). Then slowly but surely, the tide began to turn and the company ruggedly pulled themselves up by the ring ropes. First it was their decision to drop the Kinect in order to complete more directly with the PlayStation 4’s price point, followed by the additional price cuts and bundles rolled-out during the holiday season. By the time Black Friday came and went, Microsoft had won the day. They quickly went from zero to hero over the course of just one month, with official sales data now confirming the Xbox One has outsold the PS4 by a significant margin in both the U.K. and here in the States. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hark the herald angels sing.

I’m all for giving the devil his due, as if anyone deserves to take a victory lap after such a bumpy start it’s the folks at Microsoft. And believe you me, they wasted no time in doing so. After the final numbers were posted, Mike Nichols (Marketing Vice President) released the following statement hyping the One’s current glory in the hot sun. “…we are amazed by the excitement Xbox fans have shown to start off this holiday. November set a new record for sales of Xbox One, and Xbox One was the best-selling system in the US and UK. Response to the holiday lineup of games on Xbox One was incredible, with Xbox One fans buying more games in November in the U.S. than any other gen eight platform and enjoying over 357 million hours of gameplay globally. In fact, more fans logged into Xbox Live across Xbox One and Xbox 360, and enjoyed more entertainment, than any other month in the history of Xbox. We love to see the excitement from our fans and are grateful for their passion, support and contributions to the Xbox community.” Says Nichols.

2015 Could Be the Year of Xbox

Of course one very important question has been left hanging in the air, which is where does Microsoft take their next-gen venture from here? Sony certainly has a clear path in front of them, with speculation the industry landscape could return to business as usual after the Christmas insanity concludes. The Xbox One has a huge head of steam built up, which is vital they now capitalize on. This newfound second wind has allowed Microsoft not just to catch up, but to inch ahead by a nose.

My suggestion? Kiss that extra $50 bucks goodbye and leave the hardware hovering in the $349.99 range moving forward. It’s likely too early for Sony to match such a reduction, which could provide a much needed edge in 2015.

To top