Every Way This Is, In Fact, Not ‘the Best Xbox Console Generation’

The Xbox One

Just recently, Phil Spencer got to defending the Xbox One on Twitter. That’s not surprising, seeing as how he’s the head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, and a key player in planning out the console’s success. However, he made a statement that did come across as quite interesting when he said “Xbox is having a good gen, our best yet.”

While executives are known to make grand claims in the name of competition and sales, this one stood out for the community, one that’s noted a few stumbles in the Xbox One’s evolution. It’s hard to believe this generation is the best we’ve seen from Microsoft, and we have a few reasons for why the opposite appears to be much more true. 

The Xbox 360 Is Still the Hero

The Xbox 360 was Microsoft’s second home console and the period in which the company cemented itself as one of the “Big Three” in gaming. For a long time the market was dominated by the likes of Nintendo and Sony, to the point where even SEGA had to leave the console space, becoming a publisher/developer that spread its software across all platforms that would have it. Stepping into that landscape was no small endeavor, especially as the house that Mario built held one of the most celebrated exclusive libraries of all time, and the PlayStation consoles sported tons of third-party studios in their pocket.

Yet, even after the first Xbox got outsold by the PS2 by over 100 million units, Microsoft decided to stay in it for the long haul. The 360 released in 2005 and put the Xbox brand front and center. It was an amazing multimedia machine that could play movies on disc, stream media, play great games, and carry the best online gaming network around (something that is arguably still true). It also featured a strong exclusive lineup throughout its life with the continuation of Halo, the introduction of Forza, Alan Wake, Gears of War, and plenty of other titles. It brute forced its way into the spotlight and never let go.

Yes, the Wii outsold both the 360 and PS3, but everyone remembers last gen for Microsoft’s console, and how great it made being a video gamer. It’s this level of confidence and strength that the Xbox One lacks even to this day.

Sales

The Xbox One isn’t exactly struggling. It has been steadily moving units ever since Phil Spencer took over the reins after a rather troublesome launch. Even with its head start of a full year, the Wii U couldn’t stop the rush of Microsoft’s latest console, which has surpassed it by far and sits at around 26 million units sold. That’s after three years, which means we’re approaching the halfway mark of the generation if the previous console life-cycle is anything to go by. The Xbox 360 lasted for seven years and sold around 85 million units.

Sales don’t necessarily make a console better. Many Nintendo fans will argue that the GameCube is one of the best consoles the company ever made, with its stellar lineup of games that targeted all audiences, even though it was outsold by quite a few competitors, including the PS2 and original Xbox. But while fans can ignore sales, they’re vital figures for the companies behind the hardware. It’s clear that the current Microsoft console isn’t keeping pace with its predecessor, and can’t be considered the best generation monetarily, at least. 

Games

What helped the Xbox 360 stand out in dire times was its library, which managed to impress on two fronts. Firstly, it had strong third-party support that came with a bit of exclusivity. Call of Duty, for example, became an Xbox game to the most passionate fans. Grand Theft Auto also helped the console score big, a huge surprise after the strong run it had on Sony’s previous hardware. Then there were the strong exclusives that received massive praise. Halo 2 and 3, the entire Forza Motorsport series, Alan Wake, and Gears of War. There was always something big and exciting to look forward to.

Fast forward to the Xbox One, and the games have been coming in spurts. Yes, the console gets most of the major third-party games, but the exclusive stream has been suffering a bit of a drought. There are often extended periods of silence before you get an influx of several games at once, one such moment we saw as the end of 2016 brought Forza and Gears not too long after ReCore. 2017 is looking particularly dry after the cancellation of the highly anticipated Scalebound and the relative silence on Crackdown 3. The first major exclusive of the year released today in the form of Halo Wars 2, which we liked quite a bit, but probably isn’t the system seller the platform needs.

At the same time, the competition is releasing new hardware and stellar titles. While it’s true that another console doesn’t have anything to do with the Xbox One’s greatness, it does make it a bit more difficult to see. 

The Console’s Greatest Hope May Be Too Far Off

One bright light that fans are looking forward to is Project Scorpio. It’s an upgraded Xbox One being touted as the most powerful home gaming console ever made. It’s certainly going to turn heads when it comes out. The only problem is that it’s not due until the holiday season, which is at least another nine months off. While this gives Microsoft time to generate hype, something they probably intend to do come June 11, their big bang is still a long time away. In that time, other platforms will be building momentum, and those with steam can seize an even larger slice of the pie come the holidays.

The Scorpio can very well make this the best console generation in Microsoft’s history, but it needs to actually exist first. However, without it, that statement rings far from true.