Well they did it....just go ahead and throw the ecosystem away.

[HeyCori]

You are both right, and basically confirm my thoughts that WP is the sacrificial lamb to Xbox. And this is exactly my point, the same thing is keeping MS from releasing Office for the ipad, because once they do that, with all the apps and functionaly, accessories and marketshare it has, would any average user even give a second thought to a Windows 8 tablet? No, because there would be no need.

With WP, its obviously nowhere near the status of Office but the point remains, if you give away all its exclusive features, who will buy it? And the result of that is, the marketshare continues in the single figures, devs dont target the platform (cross platform play with the Xbox), users dont buy it, and it continues in a vicious cycle. So yes, Microsoft wins but I cant see how in any way benefits or contributes to the growth of WP which is needed for it to be considered a major player and subsequently have access to all the apps that are always claimed to be missing.

As sales have shown, the companion app (and Xbox Live in general) is not a worthwhile exclusive feature that is bringing more people to Windows Phone. You may call the companion app a "sacrifice" but "salvaging" a dead application is a more accurate definition. Going back to my previous comparison, Halo sales 360s because it's exclusive to the Xbox. Fruit Ninja doesn't sell smartphones because it's available on every smartphone. Developers aren't support the companion app and gamers aren't supporting the companion app. Microsoft needs to do something to keep it from being a complete waste of their time.

that post made absolutely no sense.

I was trying to be nice but let me spell it out for you: your friends don't matter.

Facts and figures matter, not how badly your small group of buds really want something. And like I said, they're not getting "Xbox Live," they're getting the watered down and useless companion app.

Not so useless, try setting a beacon from your WP. And it has every other feature available on WP, except from achievements.

In terms of what the companion app has done for gaming and for the Xbox... yeah it's fairly useless.

 

[ninjaap]

Almost every pro review that is favouorable to WP ends up with the reviewer saying they cant switch to WP because this or that app is missing. The reverse can also be true, problem in WP's case is it lacks so many other apps already one app wont do it - yet. But the fact remains, this is one less reason for anyone considering a switch to do so.

That's just a nicer way of saying they didn't want to switch in the first place. You serioulsy believe that Words With Friends is holding someone back from buying a WP? App popularity dies down fairly quickly. I don't know anyone who plays WWF regularly now. And most people install Angry Birds, just to say they have Angry Birds. I bet they haven't even touched the game in months. It's their loyalty or fanboyism to the OS that's holding them back, not apps.

I do agree it's one less reason for them to switch, but it's not the deciding factor.

 

[eric12341]

I don't think this will effect the integrity of the upcoming ecosystem. People will see the metro UI and will want it wherever they go, especially considering how light and stable the metro UI is. To sum this up I think the real reason why MS is doing this is to promote the metro UI to a wider variety of users, once they see how good it is they won't have any problem leaving their OS for WP.

 

[theefman]

I assume you live in the US - I do as well. I think we have the wrong viewpoint, as Americans. Microsoft knows they can't win in this country for a long time, so they're competing where they know they can win - developing countries. I think their goal is not to dominate the US, but the globe, and their way of doing that is by getting devices as cheap as possible into the hands of the most people possible. We may not have the lead on apps in the US, but in, I dunno, Italy or North Africa, we might soon.

So far nothing suggests this will be the case. Apps are normally relased for ios and android, WP version awol. Nothing suggests that will change soon anywhere in the world.

Also, its obvious Microsoft is trying to spread a whole design philosophy across their devices, focusing on style, smoothness, and reliability rather than simple app exclusivity. They can't win that battle, so why fight? They're going to get people to switch who like the design of the OS, and they're going to completely dominate the "low end" of the market - people worldwide who are getting smartphones for the first time.

Again, there really is nothing to suggest this will be the case. android dominates the low end, nothing on the WP side competes at the moment.

I think MS is viewing this as a decade-long battle, not a few years. Think about it this way - you're a developer in the US with 150 million iPhone users. But worldwide you only have 300 million users. Microsoft has only 10 million Windows Phone users in the US, but 500 million worldwide. See my point? They're going to still develop for the most users of the OS, and since its EASY to port an app from Windows 8 to Windows Phone and vice-versa, they'll potentially double their exposure cross-platform.

Theoretically yes, but just because its possible to port to and from from WP8 and Windows 8 doesnt mean developers will, especially if the numbers arent there.

So if Microsoft can get some iPhone and Android users to buy Xbox and get into the ecosystem now, by releasing a few apps to them, why wouldn't they? They're still going to win in the end, and Windows Phone will still be the 2nd or 3rd most popular OS on the planet eventually.

They wont get to be 2nd or 3rd the way they're going now. At least not in our lifetime.

Remember, its not JUST SmartPhones where MS competes - its most electronics - and there's probably a WHOLE lot more money in controlling the living room than there is in controlling the mobile world. And since nobody has come up with a good solution to control the TV space yet, MS is focusing on that first. Makes sense from a purely profit/business standpoint.

With the number of mobile users predicted to overtake PC users eventually, I think the living room wont be the main driver of revenue but mobile, and with no real hook to buy into Windows Phone as its functionality is available elsewhere, will WP be a relevant player in this scenario?

In terms of what the companion app has done for gaming and for the Xbox... yeah it's fairly useless.

Does the same apply to Smartglass, which is an updated companion app?

And I think we're getting away from the real point here, its not the companion app in itself, its the removal of functionality exclusive to Windows Phones which ultimately diminishes the appeal of WP. As it stands, it seems the Metro UI is not enough to get people on board in numbers, so when you give people even less reason to switch to it by making its unique features available to everyone else, how it is going to grow? It will apparently never match the speed of hardware advancement in android and will never have the mindshare of ios, so whats left?

Why did most of us here buy WP in the first place? Wasnt it for the features as well as the UI? The UI works for us, but if thats the only selling point and other people arent attracted to it, which it seems is whats actually happening, what sells WP?

 

[HeyCori]

That's just a nicer way of saying they didn't want to switch in the first place. You serioulsy believe that Words With Friends is holding someone back from buying a WP? App popularity dies down fairly quickly. I don't know anyone who plays WWF regularly now. And most people install Angry Birds, just to say they have Angry Birds. I bet they haven't even touched the game in months. It's their loyalty or fanboyism to the OS that's holding them back, not apps.

I do agree it's one less reason for them to switch, but it's not the deciding factor.

Personally, I think so. This is just my opinion, but there's going to come a point where apps and features are interchangeable between platforms. As more "must-haves" make their way to WP, consumers will have fewer reasons to say no to Windows Phone and fewer reasons to say yes. And the same will be true for every platform. Why will anyone need to specifically buy a Windows/Android/iPhone/BB10 for Words with Friends when it's on every platform? Or when turn-by-turn is free on every platform? Or when <insert feature> can be done with any phone? What's going to sell phones in the future is the UI, hardware, marketing/social status, and price. But, that's just my opinion.

 

[HeyCori]

Does the same apply to Smartglass, which is an updated companion app?

Except SmartGlass has more versatility across a wider range of devices and a wider range of Xbox services. And, from what I saw at E3, there's also some backend programming stuff that makes SmartGlass easier for devs to implement into existing Xbox services. It's true, SmartGlass is pretty much an advanced version of the companion app but its versatility has the potential to do things the companion app is incapable of.

And I think we're getting away from the real point here, its not the companion app in itself, its the removal of functionality exclusive to Windows Phones which ultimately diminishes the appeal of WP. As it stands, it seems the Metro UI is not enough to get people on board in numbers, so when you give people even less reason to switch to it by making its unique features available to everyone else, how it is going to grow? It will apparently never match the speed of hardware advancement in android and will never have the mindshare of ios, so whats left?

I think I unknowingly answered this in my reply to Ninjaap.

Why did most of us here buy WP in the first place? Wasnt it for the features as well as the UI? The UI works for us, but if thats the only selling point and other people arent attracted to it, which it seems is whats actually happening, what sells WP?

For me it was how the UI enhanced the features I wanted.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I think everyone is overestimating the popularity of the companion app. I don't own an Xbox and don't have any interest in the Xbox. I am sure I am not the only person who feels this way.

There are a lot of people who like PC gaming but don't give a toss about Xbox or any other game console.

 

[Corepc]

From what I am reading Andriod version is limited, which means that it does not function like the WP7 version or the IOS.

Not sure about IOS if it full or limited article did not state..

Limited Functionality means that only basic's that are needed to get it work are present. If users want the full exprience, they would have to buy a Windows Phone to get the full features and intergration with Xbox Live Features etc..

 

[maycontainuts]

Hey I'm new round here but just wanted to add my opinion on why people actually buy products from companies like apple, or devices using Android OS. The reasons listed above are all pretty valid, eg exclusivity etc, however you have to remember that the majority of consumers that buy apple products probably have no idea about many of the thousands of apps or even what the words quad core or dual core mean let alone what Ghz actually is.

Apples products sell to the average consumer, purely on the vast marketing campaigns that the company organise and Apple's strong branding in the technology market. Think Ferrari but a technology company. Apple's products have rarely ever revolutionised the markets that they are aimed for but instead are just marketed to their audience as 'revolutionary', lets take the Ipod for example.

Its a glorified MP3 player, As is the Iphone a glorified moblie phone. The Ipad, to me is the only product worthy of the praise it has recieved, as it has completely revolutionised the mobile computing market and brought tablet computing to the forefront of tech development.

What I am trying to say is that the majority of consumers dont actually care about apps such as the xbox companion app, purely on the basis of their not knowing of its existence. Instead they just follow the power of advertising like sheep to a shephard, who cares about what OS has the most and best apps, when it comes to selling the most unit you just have to advertise the product better than anyone else

Nuts

 

[Winterfang]

The iPhone is just the best.

 

[eastbayrae]

Meh, xBox Live has so much exposure now it's insane. They have been the #1 selling console for a long time. I don't see that changing. Sony has so much internal strife they don't know which fire to put out first and Nintendo...well it's a toy and not a serious entertainment center like the other two.

On a side note anyone buying a phone/contract for ONE app needs to seriously re-evaluate what they need a phone for.

 

[cckgz4]

The iPhone is just the best.

Please tell me you own the best phone on the market

 

[ilsonfan]

Scumbags? A bit harsh.

 

[Reflexx]

The ecosystem is still building.

Right now, MS is establishing legitimacy as mobile phone application developers. People who use iOS or Android will use MS apps and have positive emotions attached to those apps. It's about branding. If MS wants to win people over, they have to go to where they are and say, "Hey. Here's a sample of what we can do. Don't you think it's awesome?"

Also, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if SmartGlass ended up free on Windows Phone, but had to be bought in iOS and Android.

 

[theefman]

As always when this topic comes up regarding any WP feature made available elsewhere the popular argument is that it's just one app, it's useless anyway, no one is going to switch for it, etc. On it's own probably not, but that's overlooking the reality of the fact that Windows Phone is not selling and it needs any advantage it can get, and features like this along with others are what gives WP its USP, take those away and you reduce those unique features and reasons to buy a WP in the first place. And if people don't have many reasons to buy chances are they won't, and that in the long run doesn't benefit any WP user.

 

[greensea]

it would be really be strange when if they give away office with windows 8 coming.

maybe they're afraid of being irrelevant. lets hope there be more attention and exclusives as wp gain traction.

now just waiting to see how wp8 really shine.

 

[jaj324]

The responses in this thread are entirely too long to read but I would like to comment on the title. Calling the MS brass scumbags because they make business decisions that you don't like is ridiculous. They have access to information that you don't have, they have experience running MS that you don't have, they are looking at the big picture and trying to make a profit, not trying to make you happy. What qualifies you to make better decisions than the execs at MS?

Sent from my PI86100 using Board Express

 

[jalb]

"Scumbags"?


Wow, settle down.

 

[inteller]

I was trying to be nice but let me spell it out for you: your friends don't matter.

Facts and figures matter, not how badly your small group of buds really want something. And like I said, they're not getting "Xbox Live," they're getting the watered down and useless companion app.



.

really, that has to be the most stupid generalization I have ever witnessed. To extrapolate that only my friends out of all of the world, would consider Windows Phone because of XBL don't represent a sample set and just write them off is just ridiculous. You really can't be that naive so stop feigning it.

 

[inteller]

The responses in this thread are entirely too long to read but I would like to comment on the title. Calling the MS brass scumbags because they make business decisions that you don't like is ridiculous. They have access to information that you don't have, they have experience running MS that you don't have, they are looking at the big picture and trying to make a profit, not trying to make you happy. What qualifies you to make better decisions than the execs at MS?

Sent from my PI86100 using Board Express

I'm pretty sure MS brass are not making these decisions....in fact it is difficult to tell that anyone at the top is making decisions that move the company forward on one common purpose.