Will Microsoft’s Bingo-esque Approach to the Xbox Series X Pay Off?

The console wars have become somewhat of a tradition in gaming, with Microsoft and Sony going head-to-head again this year with the releases of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. From a sales standpoint, the launch of these consoles is huge.

Due to the hardware costing so much money, and ensuing games costing a lot, the system that someone picks will more or less dictate how they play games for the next four or more years. So, companies need to make their new console as enticing as possible, primarily by showcasing its launch and ‘coming soon’ games.

Sony recently kicked this part of the campaign into top gear, but Microsoft looks to be taking a different route – one which helped to re-establish the classic game of bingo in the modern gaming space. The big question is, will it work?

Creating a gaming community online

Comparing Microsoft’s strategic plans for the launch of the Xbox Series X to that of bingo certainly seems strange, but the fundamentals behind each approach are very similar. Bingo struggled in its land-based form because the strong sense of community and social gaming that it created began to erode for several socioeconomic reasons. To make its comeback, bingo had to re-establish this sense of community to create an all-encompassing platform for bingo and gaming.

Bingo is still very popular, with the accessibility offered by it becoming an online-based game expanding its potential audience a great deal. The first step was to create bingo online for money with social aspects which were key to the gaming; this was achieved by having multiple flowing rooms with player counts and chat features on the leading online bingo platforms. Then, to ensure that more seasoned online gamers didn’t miss out, the bingo platform also brought in popular and new slot games to offer a complete gaming experience as opposed to just new-age bingo.

For Microsoft, the aim is to create a total Xbox community, inclusive of Xbox One consoles and Xbox Series X consoles with new games spanning both platforms with older games. According to the Xbox head, Phil Spencer, as gaming is all about community and entertainment, locking new experiences to a new console seems counter to gaming.

The new console coming later this year is said to be without any exclusives for a few years, with each new release also available on the Xbox One. Creating community certainly works for bingo, but it seems unlikely to work in console gaming.

Sony will be relentless

Microsoft’s approach will almost certainly help to grow a community around the Xbox family, especially as Xbox One consoles will continue to be available at a lower cost but still be capable of playing the latest games. It should give Xbox Series X sales a bit of longevity, perhaps a second spike when all of their gaming shifts over to the new console. However, it’s tough to see these efforts being enough to usurp Sony’s hardware, especially as they’re already such a trusted console.

The PlayStation 4 console is already the fourth-best selling console of all time, primarily due to the lack of competition posed by the Xbox One. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 effectively went toe-to-toe in sales, but the Xbox One’s lack of must-have games at launch and over the ensuing years let the PS4 steam ahead with only the late release of the Nintendo Switch seemingly posing a challenge.

Now, the PS5 is already emphasizing that it’ll be continuing with its focus on top exclusive games.

Gaming is about community these days, with the social sides making everything from console gaming to online bingo play much more enjoyable for all. However, to even hope to compete with Sony – which Microsoft was doing with ease not long ago – and grow their audience, Microsoft is going to need to offer more than a flowing Xbox community.