INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Microsoft saved a massive announcement for this year’s The Game Awards: the official name for its next-generation Xbox console, the Xbox
Unfortunately, however, the name fails to tell us anything at all about what the console does.We’d previously been working with the
console’s codename, Xbox Project Scarlett, which now joins the Xbox Scorpio (what you’ll know as the Xbox One S) as examples of
temporary names that actually had a lot more personality than the bland branding they were replaced with.So what’s so bad about Xbox
Series X? And does the name even matter that much? Certainly, we’re still getting a high-powered gaming machine that will see a massive
boost in performance over the current generation of Xbox consoles, with 120Hz frame rates, ray tracing, and a solid state drive
(You can see more on these specs in our Xbox Project Scarlett guide.)But Microsoft’s unwillingness to embrace a distinctive identity for
its new console, perhaps taking inspiration from its enhanced capabilities, or run with the simple and consecutive ‘Xbox Two’ – as
Sony has done with the PlayStation 5 – risks blurring the distinction between console generations
And this could doom the Xbox Series X’s chances of swinging players away from the PlayStation platform, which has proved the clear winner
among the current console generation.The Game Awards 2019 saw the unveiling of the next-gen console's official branding
(Image credit: Game Awards 2019)Nothing to see here!Here’s the problem
The Xbox Series X sounds like a synonym for (or rebranding of) the current-gen Xbox One X, and there will no doubt be plenty of people
struggling to see the difference between the two – especially given that both will be on sale alongside each other for a significant
amount of time."The Xbox Series X sounds like a synonym for (or rebranding of) the current-gen Xbox One X."The closest parallel to this
situation is with the Nintendo Wii U, which saw dismal sales compared to its successful predecessor, 2006’s Nintendo Wii, something that
was widely attributed to its confused messaging
Was it a new console? A tablet controller accessory? Or something else altogether? Many players weren’t quite sure what they were getting,
and that meant relatively few of them felt the need to replace their current Wii console, or choose Nintendo over Xbox or
PlayStation.Nintendo sidestepped this problem with 2017’s Nintendo Switch by naming the device for its distinguishing feature – the
ability to ‘switch’ between handheld and docked play
Even the DS family of handhelds are clear about what differentiates each from the other: the ‘New’ Nintendo 3DS is a new version, the
3DS ‘XL’ has a larger screen, and ‘2DS’ doesn’t have 3D
You know what you’re getting when you buy any of these devices.Nintendo 3DS: you know what you're getting
(Image credit: Nintendo)Much of the strength of Xbox and PlayStation hardware lies in the fact that it’s clear what they do: you don’t
need to make sure that your PC has the necessary specs to run a particular game effectively, as you know that an Xbox One console will be
able to play an Xbox One game
For gamers who don’t pore over detailed hardware specifications, strong communication as to the functionality and hierarchy of each
console is necessary, and the name forms a big part of that.Gunning for the X-factorWhat makes Microsoft’s choice of Xbox Series X so
baffling is that we were explicitly told the name would reflect the new console’s capabilities
Back at XO19, Xbox boss Phil Spencer went on record with Stevivor to say that “Our naming convention has been around what we think the
capabilities are.”Spencer added: “Xbox 360 was about the entertainment experience around the box and the box being in the center of that
Xbox One, if you remember our branding early on, was ‘always on input, all in one’
Those names were really built around the purpose of the box.”“Our naming convention has been around what we think the capabilities
are.”Phil SpencerThe Xbox Series X completely abandons this logic
While the Xbox One X’s name helped to distinguish it from the Xbox One S – and the letter ‘X’ certainly carries connotations of
power, as in X-factor, Xtreme, and so on – Microsoft can’t get away with simply reusing the same shtick in the next console along
The Series X is supposed to be four times as powerful as the One X, and will certainly offer a far superior gaming experience, but that
isn’t being communicated clearly enough.The Xbox One X has already claimed the 'X'
(Image credit: Xbox)Something along the lines of ‘Xbox 120’ (for its 120Hz frame rate) or ‘Xbox Nitro’ (for its speed) would have
made more sense in terms of describing its capabilities
‘Xbox Pro Series’ or ‘Xbox Hero’ would stress the enhanced performance
‘Monolith’, ‘Domino’ or ‘Jet’ would take inspiration from its black slab-like appearance
Even the relatively prosaic ‘Xbox 2.0’, ‘Xbox 2020’ or ‘Xbox Neo’ would have helped to make the console’s place in the Xbox
family clearer.All of those names are the result of a five-minute brainstorming session in the TheIndianSubcontinent office, and Microsoft
certainly had the time, and the marketing budget, to come up with one of those, or think of something better.We just hope the console’s
strengths in terms of raw power and features, and Microsoft’s promise of a stronger lineup of exclusive games for the next-generation
console, will help it to cut through the Xbox Series X’s mixed messaging
Otherwise, Microsoft may have to wait even longer for another shot at taking the crown as maker of the world’s favourite gaming
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