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[Negotiator101]

So, another move indicating that MS might indeed quit selling consoles, or at most release their own Ouya.

No, sounds they will go with digital only consoles going forward, not really rocket science to work that out.

 

[Negotiator101]

They have been trying to kill physical since the Xbox one reveal days. They hate the physical format for some reason.

That's not hard to work our given the Gamepass push and the fact physical is selling less and less every year. Its also cheaper to not have a physical version (Alan Wake 2 for instance).

 

[Dr. Suchong]

Xbox killing it!

 

[bitbydeath]

No, sounds they will go with digital only consoles going forward, not really rocket science to work that out.

*streaming only

 

[Killjoy-NL]

No, sounds they will go with digital only consoles going forward, not really rocket science to work that out.

It also isn't really rocket science to figure out that this is just another piece amongst dozens of other pieces indicating an exit for MS as platform-holder.

 

[Topher]

Apparently, the entire "physical retail department" consisted of just one guy.....

 

[Negotiator101]

*streaming only

Not the next generation, after that you may be right.

 

[Rob_27]

I think they need new leadership. This won't end well for them.

 

[NickFire]

Is this really surprising?

The timing is surprising. The move closer towards all digital is not at all surprising. Just doing it mid generation after selling people the Series X for 3 years is the surprising part for me.

 

[bitbydeath]

Not the next generation, after that you may be right.

No, that’s their next console, it was already leaked.

 

[Little Chicken]

This is wonderful news for the environment, which is already cluttered with enough plastic and oil-based crap as it is.

Well done Microsoft!

 

[Luigi Mario]

I think Xbox deliberately poisoned the appeal of Blu-ray games with ‘Smart Delivery’ – not delivering Series X version on the disc so you end up needing to download the game anyway.

This is true.
In the last few years, their physical releases for games like Halo or Starfield didn't even come with the full game on disc. You were almost always required to download a huge update when initially installing the game.

 

[StereoVsn]

And Activision actually had a pretty good internal support people. What a great move from MS and Phil! The acquisition keeps getting better and better.

I am not surprised about digital but they are basically dropping all the XSX owner support halfway through the generation. This is pathetic.

 

[Fabieter]

There wasn't really any "they" making decisions for the entirety of the PC platform. PC is completely open so publishers can do what they want. Piracy was a factor and so PC game publishers were constantly seeking better ways of fighting it. Eventually Steam became the default solution to many issues in the PC gaming space. There was no outrage because there was no one company making all the decisions. The market simply moved in that direction on its own.

That's not true. There was alot of pushback against steam the first few years but it all went down at one point. I convinced alot of my friends to join steam myself which absolutely hated that they were forced to use it. It wasn't 100% natural. Most people were convinced with the race to the bottom pricing.

 

[havoc00]

Digital is the future Phil is a visionary cut the fat!

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

Activate quote 2.

They missed a panel:

 

[StereoVsn]

I wonder how many of you crying even own a Xbox Series X?

I own XSX, had Xbox One X, X360, and OG Xbox. I hate current Xbox management with the power of 1,000 suns.

 

[Shut0wen]

Its sad news but if the xsx sales are true then fuck this is smart as, 70% cut without the middle man making a cut and no VAT, cex might finally not smell like piss at this rate plus we have had 2 huge games (alan wake 2 and bladurs gate 3) have digital only releases, were fucking doomed and the only physical releases are gunna be switch games and ps5 exclusives, but people saying ms is dropping out of the console market is stupidity, dropping out and become a third party for 2 systems is just shitty business , sure the xbox has sold jack shit but the money they make off digital sales and gamepass and online must be viable, plus ms cant even rely on gamepass coming to nintendo or sony consoles

 

[pasterpl]

Some pretty big cuts in there

All expected.

 

[Shut0wen]

Not the next generation, after that you may be right.

i can see ms releasing some hybrid console that streams 50% or something because streaming is still no where near perfect and ms no its suicide if its not

 

[StereoVsn]

That's not true. There was alot of pushback against steam the first few years but it all went down at one point. I convinced alot of my friends to join steam myself which absolutely hated that they were forced to use it. It wasn't 100% natural. Most people were convinced with the race to the bottom pricing.

Steam allows publishers and developers to sell Steam keys outside the platform. That’s why there are a ton of 3rd party stores and competition.

We can also (other then Denuvo and sometimes even with that) crack and backup our games if needed and some games are DRM free on GoG and Steam.

That’s the difference to console platforms and why in general digital on PC is a lot more palatable. But I do miss cool boxes and great manuals from the ‘90s and 2000s.

 

[reinking]

I wonder how many of you crying even own a Xbox Series X?

I have one and I have had Xbox consoles since they hit the market. I also play XB games on PC. Frankly, Phil can suck my sock. He is ruining the Xbox gaming division by forcing a vision that most gamers do not care for. It is apparent by Xbox's failure to gain a foothold this generation. Fortunately, his attempt to bring the entire market down with him has failed so far.

 

[Topher]

That's not true. There was alot of pushback against steam the first few years but it all went down at one point. I convinced alot of my friends to join steam myself which absolutely hated that they were forced to use it. It wasn't 100% natural. Most people were convinced with the race to the bottom pricing.

Think you misunderstood. My point was that there was no one company calling all the shots here. Valve had no power to dictate to other publishers that they must use their service in order to sell games on PC. So the industry did, in fact, move in that direction on its own.

 

[Hero_Select]

wow i just woke up to all of this news... wtf Microsoft.. why..

 

[Topher]

I wonder how many of you crying even own a Xbox Series X?

We cry for our friends in their time of need.

 

[Moriarty1889]

Xbox dying a slow painful death. Pitiful.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

I guess they got aXxed.

 

[Negotiator101]

No, that’s their next console, it was already leaked.

I'm talking about their next-gen console you know probably 2027/28. I'm not sure that FTC leak with come to anything.

 

[FrankWza]

This is pathetic.

 

[xHunter]

So the next CoD will be digital only on all platforrms?

 

[Negotiator101]

So the next CoD will be digital only on all platforrms?

No, they're doing more outsourcing probably cheaper I'd imagine.

 

[xrnzaaas]

With this, the "Adorably Digital" $500 Series X and Hellblade 2 not having a physical release, the NextBox will not support physical media at all. If you have Backward Compatible 360 and Xbox games, it might be good to start off-loading them.

Or buy a second Series X in case the current one breaks down.

 

[Fbh]

This is 100% not true with Nintendo and Microsoft. Both of them sell digital codes in other retailers that you can get discounted.

True, I guess I was mostly thinking about Sony as I mainly play on Ps5.
That said are those negotiated with retailers as regular games though? or the same as pre paid currency card where they make almost no money and have no incentive to ever put them on sale?

If I look at a place like best buy the price of the digital codes is a joke:

You can't buy digital Nintendo games at retail in Europe either

 

[Mexen]

It really is going to be an X Box indeed

 

[RiccochetJ]

Well that's certainly a choice. I've been digital for nearly a decade, but I know there's a significant percentage that are still physical. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[balls of snow]

Things are DIRE. Man I went digital sure but still would like the option to buy secondhand discs every once in a while.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

I actually remember people weren't really thrilled about Steam at first.

i still dont like steam.

i hate "digital only", but i could be ok with "digital first".
let me buy the digital game with the option to be sent the physical copy for an extra fee.
needs to come with a box (with box art) and the full-game on-disc.

 

[mitch1971]

We have a product for people who can't get a console...

 

[T-0800]

I've bought about 7 PS5 games so far and they have all been physical versions. As if I needed another reason to never buy an xbox again.

 

[Deerock71]

ERROR! She produced physical here.

 

[twilo99]

Digital is the future Phil is a visionary cut the fat!

You understand him so well

 

[Crayon]

Soooooo what's the plan when they lose almost all retail presence?

 

[Gambit2483]

Oh boy, its happening. Next step: a dozen different Gamepass tiers and making the most wanted games only available digital via "Gamepass+ Ultimate Prime Emperor" for the fair price of 150$ per month.

They have to make games people actually want to play first...

Jus sayin'

 

[Shin-Ra]

I think ‘value-destructive’ was the term Bobby used.

 

[Killer8]

RIP retail mindshare.

 

[havoc00]

You understand him so well

He’s a man with a plan!

 

[CoreyFlawless]

I mean. Don’t blame them.
Pretty sure, ppl that buying there consoles. Are 90% digital and Xbox game pass.

 

[SHA]

The downside of physical jobs, it's physics, Neil Degrasse Tyson should give his opinion piece about physical media.

 

[NEbeast]

Remember how the xbox fanboys said buying ABK was a good thing! All you have done is give MS more power to push this digital only future, and fuck knows what else. Why would an enterprise like MS, who love being consumer friendly, do stuff that is bad for the consumer? /s

 

[Gaelyon]