Timely releases of existing IP. Halo, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, etc, all spend way too long in the oven considering how much studio talent Microsoft has. For example, instead of making Avowed and Outer Worlds, Microsoft should have had Obsidian make the next Elder Scrolls and Fallout games while Bethesda worked on Starfield.

The fact that Microsoft has a studio making Fallout knockoffs while they own the Fallout IP is insane.

Put more effort into having pot sweeteners that get you off competing platforms and onto theirs. As it stands there’s no reason not to buy Microsoft’s games on PlayStation, PC, or Switch where Sony presumably captures 30% of the sale price.

The Xbox Ally hardware is way too late and way too niche. It should have had the operational friendliness of the Nintendo Switch, come out 5 years ago, and been first party hardware instead of a co-branded item.

Doing the opposite of what they have been doing.

So in other words, no one actually knows besides making pithy statements like this.

Why, has what they have been doing, working so well for them?

No, but it doesn't mean the opposite will either. Some solutions are orthogonal and in reality commenters online have no idea what to do in these sorts of business situations and therefore resort to making pithy statements.

I know these other commenters gave you a non-answer but my reply to you further up the thread is hopefully more of a tangible example of the strategy Xbox should be taking.

Some of that is potentially 5-10 years too late, but even with the pessimism around new consoles I think Microsoft could still reset their fortunes with new console hardware and new exclusive games as the anchor.

The next Xbox shouldn't just be a box that's equivalent to a PC or a PS6, it should have something unique, the kind of uniqueness that Nintendo has delivered with every new console. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but when it works, it works.

The next Xbox should launch out of the gate with 1-2 must-have games, completely exclusive. Can't get them on PC, can't get them on PlayStation or Switch, if it’s on GamePass it’s only on Xbox console.

This is more easily justified if the Xbox hardware is truly unique. "Sorry, we can't put this experience on PC or PlayStation, because only Xbox can do XYZ"

What's the opposite of pissing off your customers then? Not pissing off your customers.

Pretty simple, you're reading far too much into it, but thanks, it's a while since someone acknowledged my pithy status.

We should put you at the head of a company as clearly you know so much about it. It's not as if these other people haven't tried the same thing and turns out they make no money instead. These "pretty simple" solutions sound good, don't work, as they say.