If Microsoft want to compete at all I agree they need a price advantage of $100 which is probably asking too much. With Halo gone it's going to be hard for them to generate excitement. On top of that with it not looking too great at the show, I feel they are in trouble as people seemed to be genuinely giving the Series X a chance ahead of that disappointing show.
so true.
I wouldn't say the current situation for the Xbox is 2013-level bad. But, I think it's safe to say they are in a weaker position now, hype, excitement, and relevance wise for the new console, than they were at the start of the year or late last year.
Which is actually disappointing, because up until a few months ago, MS/Xbox seemed to be hitting all the right notes. Starting with the surprise Series X (and Hellblade 2) reveal last year, and then all the frequent updates revealing information about the console, BC, and their vision for next-gen. They talked loudly and talked a lot, and everything they said seemed so transparent and consumer friendly. It was like, lookout Sony, Xbox is back, they've learned their lesson, and this time they're serious and not playing around.
And then, however, it came time to start "showing" the goods and that's when things started falling apart. First, with the initial May "gameplay" show. Then the July event with the underwhelming Halo showcase. And now with the Halo delay news itself. It has been a series of fumbles, missteps, and disappointing news coming out of camp Xbox. And that adds to the uphill battle Xbox was already facing.
So now, I feel they could well be in a very vulnerable position. Unless MS wows with the price or some surprise launch title announcements, Sony could come in with potentially another knockout blow if their next event is strong. All it takes is a competitive price for the PS5 that will be hard for MS to beat and the reveal of a solid launch lineup. Think Miles plus Ratchet and/or Gran Turismo with Godfall, a smaller title like Kena, and perhaps a few more surprises of their own. IMO, it will be very hard for MS to counter that, especially without Halo.