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Xbox Brand More Valuable Than Sony and Nintendo, Says Report
According to a new report, the Xbox brand is stronger than that of Nintendo and Sony. This report might surprise many in the gaming industry, especially considering that Xbox One sales still trail far behind that of its competitors. Despite poor sales, though, Xbox seems to have some big plans up its sleeve, particularly with the next generation of consoles and gaming services.
Microsoft had a particularly strong showing at the 2019 E3 conference, including one of the most talked about moments of the event when Keanu Reeves introduced a new trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 and revealed that he was a character in the game. That event also brought an official announcement from Microsoft about its next console, the Xbox Scarlett, which boasts some notable specs that still has industry insiders and fans talking about it.
Perhaps that's why WPP's Kantar BrandZ ranking, as reported by Financial Times, has listed Xbox above both Nintendo and Sony in its Top 100 global brands list. The ranking is a result of research that combines financial and market data with surveys of millions of people all over the world. Although Xbox comes in at number 87, it is the only strictly gaming brand that appears on the list, although Amazon, Apple, Google and Tencent all have some involvement in the gaming industry. However, Google will soon launch Stadia, a game streaming service that could become, quite literally, a game changer, as well as a significant competitor to Xbox.
Microsoft has other plans for gaming in store, too, including Azure, the company's cloud computing service. Azure has proved so impressive that even Sony has partnered with Microsoft to work on it. Xbox also recently brought its Game Pass subscription service to PC, which offers a wide variety of games at a reasonable price point. It seems that Xbox has come a long way since the botched release of the Xbox One and the controversy surrounding its early plan regarding DRM restrictions.
Worldwide Xbox sales aren't weak, save in Japan where the Nintendo Switch reigns supreme, and it's evident that Microsoft has a lot of big plans moving forward with Xbox Scarlett and the future of gaming. The Xbox brand is now officially recognized as a major player on a global scale, but will that translate to sales for the next generation console and future Xbox gaming products and services? The Xbox Scarlett launches in 2020, and its sales should be a good indicator of just how far Xbox has come and how far it will go.
