Is Xbox heading in the right direction?

Xbox doing something for the gamers?

So, if you haven't been living under a rock, I think you have an idea of where this post is going. So far this year in the gaming world it has been a roller coaster ride. But there has been what I would dare to say a big factor if not the biggest factor talked about recently and consistently. Outside of the RAM shortage, and the cost of memory all together. There has been one other thing. 

Which I would dare to say that true gamers care about the most. See we have been turning to the complete digital age. Where games are barely being bought physically. Well, that is the reason Sony is moving away from physical disks as soon as 2028 if I'm not wrong. Yet, Nintendo the one company that still loves to make physical copies admitted and show cased otherwise. 

But we have another company that is trying to rise from the ashes from their past mistakes. Microsoft is working on a disk to digital workaround. What does that mean? It means for those that have built their own library of physical games won't lose access to them. Yes, it seems like their next gen console will be digital as well. But they are trying to soften the blow and do something for the first time to gain back players.

Is that all?

Crazy thing is that this isn't the first time Microsoft has cared about backwards compatibility. If we are being honest here. The consoles that have been the most consistent when it comes to this has been the Xbox. Yes, the PS3 was one of if not the best in backwards capabilities. But since then, it seems as if Sony lost all the care for the gamers. And there here just for a quick buck at this point. 

Xbox with this move has opened the flood gates of gaming to the gamers. How? Well simple; most true console gamers more than likely have a physical collection. Nintendo has stated that with their physical sales in this year's first quarter fiscal year was 38.5%. If you ask me personally that isn't a small number. 

Some may say it is, but in a time that games are normally coming out digital only this is a massive number. And to be quite frank, Sony can lie to themselves all they want. The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of people that still enjoy the physical collection and knowing they own what they have... Well own it physically, because we all know there is still a digital aspect to games today. 

Xbox is trying to make sure that they are listening to their consumers. Yes, they are still a business, and they will do what is needed for such. Yet, they understand that this is a way to bring back gamers to their consoles. Sony fumbling the ball with an all-digital future. Along with the fact they people have been losing out to their older games for not being online for too long and losing license. You can see why gamers are going to want to make a switch. 

Will that be all? Or is there more?

Gamers will speak with their pockets, and there is no doubt about that. The fact that Xbox is even considering whether the new Xbox is going to be able to have an option for physical disks is crazy. Just the fact that it is a possible option speaks volumes on the fact that they are listening. But also considering the benefits for the company. 

But the best part of it is what I said earlier. The disk to digital will win players over. Because the reality is that even today. You can buy physical games at a large discount. And no matter what still basically play them. Yes, the multiplayer factor and server factor is a real thing to think about. 

Still, if we're being honest here this is a win for gamers. I recently re-bought an Xbox One S from a pawnshop for $100.00. Which honestly, I could've probably found cheaper. Yet, to me it wasn't the biggest waste. With people starting to sell their old consoles for more even on Facebook marketplace. Also, depending on where you live. I think $100.00 was a fair price along with 6 months of warranty. 

I bought it and immediately started building my physical gaming collection. I was able to get COD Infinite Warfare with COD Modern Warfare Remastered, Farcry Primal, Outriders, and Fallout 4 for literally $25.00 dollars. I miss these days honestly. And I'm happy that Xbox is working a way to get the physical games into digital for the next generation. 

What's the catch?

If we're being honest here, there is no catch. Some may consider this a catch, but I would fall under it's not. Yes, you get to keep the digital version as long as you keep that disk. It basically marks the disk in some way, not physically of course. But to make sure that you still own it. 

If you were to sell the game, then the person that purchases it will now have the right and have that game available to them digitally. Until they decide to do the same if they chose to. Personally, speaking most collectors don't sell their games. And if they do they understand that they won't be able to play that game again unless they purchase it. As it was back in the day when you had no choice but to buy physical games. 

But with all this said, my question to you is simple. Do you think Xbox is going into the right direction with these changes? And do you think Sony will be regretting their decisions? And remember we can agree to disagree respectfully of course.