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[kruis]

Agreed. I dont think the sub-services are going anywhere though. The subs service is the platform holder equivalent of a rental service or a used game market. At least for sony. Its even possible that sometime in the future MS stops putting games on gamepass day 1.

The only issue with sub-services is how MS decided to go about doing it. For gamepass to do well, then you need a LOT of subscribers. Things like PS+ extra/premium can do just fine with the ~15M subs they had at as at March 2023 (they had around 33M PS+ essential subs). Because that PS+ extra and premium is really just a glorified game rental service and for end-of-life type games. Basically, games that wouldn't necessarily be doing more than 500k sales a year.

That's not exactly true. Sony put one year old 1st party games like Horizon Forbidden West on PS+ Extra and immediately HFW sales dropped. HZD was a steady seller for years on the PS4, but sales of its successor have plateaud prematurely. I wonder if the Sony execs are really happy about gaining PS+ sales at the expense of software sales. My guess is that Sony knows PS+ Extra/Premium is a bad idea, but they have to have a game sub service in order to compete with another even worse idea: Xbox Game Pass.

 

[XXL]

Forget the rumors, lets look at the FACTS of what we know.

- The trailer for Blade (which is their farthest out game announcement, most likely 2026) doesn't even mention Xbox, Microsoft or GamePass at all.



That is not normal.

The only place an Xbox logo even appears, is their template for videos they post on YT, etc.

- This leak... which over half of it has been confirmed. This was posted before the last Xbox Event.

- There is a job listing for the next Halo to be developed for ALL platforms

Next Halo Title Might Get Released On All Platforms, suggests new job listing and rumors

A newly found job listing and recent ongoing rumors suggest that the next Halo title might get released on all platforms.

gamevro.com

- Multiple Microsoft execs have mentioned wanting their software on every platform. I'm not going to post them all, but it's been said numerous times.

- Xbox has not put any ABK games on GamePass to this day, but put 20+ Bethesda Games on GamePass a few days after acquiring them.

ABK Gamepass

No Activision Blizzard Games On Xbox Game Pass Until 2024, Phil Spencer Confirms

You won't play Modern Warfare 3 on Game Pass this year.

www.gamespot.com

Bethesda GamePass

20 Bethesda games will be available on Xbox Game Pass Friday

Doom, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls, and more.

www.theverge.com

- Hifi Rush was data mined and is showing PS5/Nintendo content.

It looks like Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

After rumors of Xbox console exclusive Hi-Fi Rush coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, data miners might have just found a smoking gun. T-shirt files included in the game’s latest update include a “I’m here baby!” in PlayStation blue, a “Rock out! Anywhere” in Nintendo Switch red, and “Shadow...

www.theverge.com

- Rumors start flooding out of basically every Xbox game (except Redfall, lol) is coming to PS5. Xbox doesn't even deny or address any of them and then schedules a "business update event" that we don't even have a date for when its taking place.

I don't know what's going to happen....but dont be surprised if it's very extreme. All the facts are pointing in that direction.

 

[FunkMiller]

Forget the rumors, let look at the FACTS of what we know.

- The trailer for Blade (which is their farthest out game announcement, most likely 2026) doesn't even mention Xbox, Microsoft or GamePass at all.



That is not normal.

The only place an Xbox logo even appears, is their template for videos they post on YT, etc.

- This leak... which over half of it has been confirmed, this was posted before the last Xbox Event.

- There is a job listing for the next Halo to be developed for ALL platforms

Next Halo Title Might Get Released On All Platforms, suggests new job listing and rumors

A newly found job listing and recent ongoing rumors suggest that the next Halo title might get released on all platforms.

gamevro.com

- Multiple Microsoft execs have mentioned wanting their software on every platform. I'm not going to post them all, but it's been said numerous times.

- Xbox has not put any ABK games on GamePass to this day, but put 20+ Bethesda Games on GamePass a few days after acquiring them.

ABK Gamepass

No Activision Blizzard Games On Xbox Game Pass Until 2024, Phil Spencer Confirms

You won't play Modern Warfare 3 on Game Pass this year.

www.gamespot.com

Bethesda GamePass

20 Bethesda games will be available on Xbox Game Pass Friday

Doom, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls, and more.

www.theverge.com

- Hifi Rush was data mined and is showing PS5/Nintendo content.

It looks like Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

After rumors of Xbox console exclusive Hi-Fi Rush coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, data miners might have just found a smoking gun. T-shirt files included in the game’s latest update include a “I’m here baby!” in PlayStation blue, a “Rock out! Anywhere” in Nintendo Switch red, and “Shadow...

www.theverge.com

- Rumors start flooding out of basically every Xbox game (except Redfall, lol) is coming to PS5. Xbox doesn't even deny or address any of them and then schedules a "business update event" that we don't even have a date for when its taking place.

I don't know what's going to happen....but dont be surprised if it's very extreme. All the facts are pointing in that direction.

Nice sum up.

There‘s a lot of smoke.

There’s probably a fire.

 

[Astray]

- The trailer for Blade (which is their farthest out game announcement, most likely 2026) doesn't even mention Xbox, Microsoft or GamePass at all.

It's interesting that Blade is really the 1st ever actual sign of any kind of change of strategy (aside from leaks from posters), especially considering how much arguing happened on here about that trailer.

Incidentally, it's also the Microsoft game I am looking forward to.

 

[PleazureDome]

Today on CNBC they're talking Disney & Epic Games plus Microsoft "Console Wars", future of Xbox, etc. (Skip to 3:56 if you just want to hear about Xbox).

 

[Badlucktroll]

As the sun sets on Xbox and we eagerly await next week's news, we must now reflect

 

[dead monkey uk]

Since all these rumours started coming out, I always thought this was the most likely change.

But with an outside chance certain games ie CoD not coming to Game Pass day 1.

 

[Ashamam]

He is mostly right, except as I've stated earlier it won't be 6 months. I think it will be 1 month. You leave too much potential revenue on the table if you shift out of the release window buzz. 30 days still gives MS a real pull on Xbox, but media can still be talking about the title.

 

[balls of snow]

shit is more fucked up than we thought. phil is going down

Agree with Cog on this one (34 minutes in). Its an internal fight happening in real time between those who want to see xbox continue as a brand and those who wants that multiplatform money. Its so volatile and its going back and forth that Im not surprise if there is some sorth of compromise and walk back from what we initial thought at the eleventh hour.
Moving forward timed exclusive on xbox for 6-12 months before coming to ps5 is my bet. Legacy titles drip feed throughout the years. Reiterate xbox hardware will still be a pillar of microsoft.

 

[Fredrik]

What have we been talking about all week (outside of the hyperbolic assumptions that they are leaving hardware)? There are plenty of leaks and rumors of more than just a HiFi Rush/Sea of Thieves scenario. Could it be nothing? Sure. If that's the case, why stay silent? Why not just say that?

Yeah it’s happening and it’ll be an event that we’ll talk about for years. There will be books written about this. And once The Elder Scrolls VI and Gears 6 and next Halo gets announced for PS6 people will understand the significance.
The irony of it all is that this move will boost Microsoft’s game sales and take away lots of negativity around the releases but it’ll also almost halt their hardware sales completely and the brand will die. Maybe the hw sales is already halted though so they see nothing getting worse with it. But I don’t think they’ve thought about how Gamepass subscriptions will be affected without a box pulling in new people by default and how badly the community would take it.

Personally I would recommend everyone to just invest in a PC and sit at the sideline watching the trainwreck happen. Whatever happens it seems like PC will be the best place to play Microsoft’s games (well Sony’s too but then you have to deal with delays), it has been that way for awhile now and I see nothing changing that anytime soon.

 

[Bernardougf]

The PS6 will not be $1300...

It will not be.. BUT if this shit came with a top end amd gpu and top ryzen cpu i would buy this SKU in a heartbeat... can you imagine what sony can do with a machine like that ??? Fuck

 

[Bernardougf]

I don't think MS is going the way people fear

I still believe they have at least one more generation in them but if the new approach fails all bets are off

Maybe I am reading too much into it but I don't think they waited a week to have a meeting just to say they are going 3rd party

But MS better be very clear and concise with their wording on their future

There better not be any of this case by case wording

Brother... you have been close with this company for some time now... no matter what happens next week.. you KNOW.. being very clear NEVER was xbox/ms model of communication... so fat chance they start now my boy... would be fucking great.. but nah .

 

[Bernardougf]

The problem is that most of the thread is not interesting speculation but rather the usual console war and hyperbole bullshit. I am just astonished that no ban-wave has happened yet

If it makes you feel better I got a warning from the mods ... and I dont even know why ... but was probably deserved.. and worth it lol

 

[Topher]

Brother... you have been close with this company for some time now... no matter what happens next week.. you KNOW.. being very clear NEVER was xbox/ms model of communication... so fat chance they start now my boy... would be fucking great.. but nah .

I think MS will be extremely clever with their wording and leave a lot of questions unanswered. No way Microsoft just spills their guts gives everyone the straight answers they have been waiting for about the future of Xbox. I expect full on smoke and mirriors.

Microsoft......prove me wrong.

 

[Bernardougf]

I think MS will be extremely clever with their wording and leave a lot of questions unanswered. No way Microsoft just spills their guts gives everyone the straight answers they have been waiting for about the future of Xbox. I expect full on smoke and mirriors.

Microsoft......prove me wrong.

I can guarantee that you will not hear the words "remain exclusive to xbox" tied to a game in this presentation....there will be ZERO reassurance that xbox games will remain exclusive to xbox in the consoles ... there will be a lot of clever wording and misleading vague marketing.

Mark me and serve me the crow later Ill happily eat it and assume I was wrong

Or this is the worst marketing campaign ever and they are preparing a Gotcha!! moment.for their hardcore fans... if this is the case Ill eat the crow... but it will be the single stupidest marketing ill ever have imagined

 

[SenkiDala]

Forget the rumors, lets look at the FACTS of what we know.

- The trailer for Blade (which is their farthest out game announcement, most likely 2026) doesn't even mention Xbox, Microsoft or GamePass at all.



That is not normal.

The only place an Xbox logo even appears, is their template for videos they post on YT, etc.

- This leak... which over half of it has been confirmed. This was posted before the last Xbox Event.

- There is a job listing for the next Halo to be developed for ALL platforms

Next Halo Title Might Get Released On All Platforms, suggests new job listing and rumors

A newly found job listing and recent ongoing rumors suggest that the next Halo title might get released on all platforms.

gamevro.com

- Multiple Microsoft execs have mentioned wanting their software on every platform. I'm not going to post them all, but it's been said numerous times.

- Xbox has not put any ABK games on GamePass to this day, but put 20+ Bethesda Games on GamePass a few days after acquiring them.

ABK Gamepass

No Activision Blizzard Games On Xbox Game Pass Until 2024, Phil Spencer Confirms

You won't play Modern Warfare 3 on Game Pass this year.

www.gamespot.com

Bethesda GamePass

20 Bethesda games will be available on Xbox Game Pass Friday

Doom, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls, and more.

www.theverge.com

- Hifi Rush was data mined and is showing PS5/Nintendo content.

It looks like Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

After rumors of Xbox console exclusive Hi-Fi Rush coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, data miners might have just found a smoking gun. T-shirt files included in the game’s latest update include a “I’m here baby!” in PlayStation blue, a “Rock out! Anywhere” in Nintendo Switch red, and “Shadow...

www.theverge.com

- Rumors start flooding out of basically every Xbox game (except Redfall, lol) is coming to PS5. Xbox doesn't even deny or address any of them and then schedules a "business update event" that we don't even have a date for when its taking place.

I don't know what's going to happen....but dont be surprised if it's very extreme. All the facts are pointing in that direction.

I'm honestly not against all that, and I think it's the only thing they can do.

We've seen exclusives becoming more and more rare, Sony themselves bringing their games to PC (when a few years ago we would think it's impossible), Final Fantasy going Multiplatform, same for Persona and many Atlus games, games for most Square Enix RPGs...

In 202X releasing just your games on 1 console or 1 console + PC is not enough, it doesn't bring enough money.

Honestly I'd even like Sony bringing some (or all whatever) of their games on Xbox machines. Then people would chose their consoles only for their specs, more powerful or design, or controller etc.

And that wouldn't remove that oddity in gaming : why in music you could play any disc, CD, mp3, whatever, on any device of any brand, same goes for VHS, DVD, BR, etc but consoles locked some games to some consoles? Sure there are the hardware specifications but it stopped to be a valid excuse on the PS3/360 era when most games started to look kinda the same on both systems. On PS1/Saturn/N64 era (and all previous eras too) the hardware was so different that it took HUGE amount of work to adapt some exclusives to another hardware. RE2 on N64 is a good exemple, FFVII (or all games with CGI) being quite impossible to bring on N64, the way the Saturn dealt with transparencies in games, etc. We also all remember Splinter Cell on Xbox and the PS2 version (lol).

But this is all over. Since 360/PS3 consoles never stopped (at least for the non nintendo consoles) to be have quite the same specs. Even between the Series S and Series X it's most of the times just a matter of gaming being on high or middle, at 1080p or 1440p, with or without RT, etc.

Do you see any PS5 games that would be hard to port on Series ? Or same for Series games to PS5 ? No, everything would be fine.

 

[Stooky]

Yeah it’s happening and it’ll be an event that we’ll talk about for years. There will be books written about this. And once The Elder Scrolls VI and Gears 6 and next Halo gets announced for PS6 people will understand the significance.
The irony of it all is that this move will boost Microsoft’s game sales and take away lots of negativity around the releases but it’ll also almost halt their hardware sales completely and the brand will die. Maybe the hw sales is already halted though so they see nothing getting worse with it. But I don’t think they’ve thought about how Gamepass subscriptions will be affected without a box pulling in new people by default and how badly the community would take it.

Personally I would recommend everyone to just invest in a PC and sit at the sideline watching the trainwreck happen. Whatever happens it seems like PC will be the best place to play Microsoft’s games (well Sony’s too but then you have to deal with delays), it has been that way for awhile now and I see nothing changing that anytime soon.

I'm betting on PS5 release on launch date. The potential to get the most money is on a launch release. There will always be an xbox, but not how it exsited in the past. More like a microsoft box. Microsofts focus will be on selling games. imo the console war is dead. Going forward consoles will be more like selling TVs, sony LG Samsung, all of them have a little secret sauce but they work and all look great . Giving everyone the option of how and where they want to play their games. Its a different strategy from nintendo and sony. I think it could really work for microsoft. this is a lane they could stay in and own.

 

[Fredrik]

I think it could really work for microsoft. this is a lane they could stay in and own.

I don’t. But I guess I’m mr negative on this. If people think quality is mid now then imagine how things will be when the real push for quality will go away when games don’t need to sell boxes or subscriptions. Expect a Ubi and EA treatment on every IP you love, and closed studios that are considered too slow.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I don’t. But I guess I’m mr negative on this. If people think quality is mid now then imagine how things will be when the real push for quality will go away when games don’t need to sell boxes or subscriptions. Expect a Ubi and EA treatment on every IP you love, and closed studios that are considered too slow.

Given that Microsoft Game Studios is worse than Ubi or EA, that’s an improvement

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Yeah it’s happening and it’ll be an event that we’ll talk about for years. There will be books written about this. And once The Elder Scrolls VI and Gears 6 and next Halo gets announced for PS6 people will understand the significance.
The irony of it all is that this move will boost Microsoft’s game sales and take away lots of negativity around the releases but it’ll also almost halt their hardware sales completely and the brand will die. Maybe the hw sales is already halted though so they see nothing getting worse with it. But I don’t think they’ve thought about how Gamepass subscriptions will be affected without a box pulling in new people by default and how badly the community would take it.

Personally I would recommend everyone to just invest in a PC and sit at the sideline watching the trainwreck happen. Whatever happens it seems like PC will be the best place to play Microsoft’s games (well Sony’s too but then you have to deal with delays), it has been that way for awhile now and I see nothing changing that anytime soon.

The Xbox brand may or may not die, depending on Microsoft's messaging. But certainly first party hardware is not long for this world. PC is already the best place to play Microsoft's games, and you do get access to Sony's (with a large delay). If you don't want to wait for big Japanese games and Sony's first party offerings, you get a Playstation. Both companies don't want to lose out on part of the market. For those who already have built a library on a platform, nothing is going to sway them. For new gamers, it's going to come down to who can provide a more compelling platform with variety, timing, and form factor. I think this is Microsoft's real strategy, they aren't trying to woo people who already have a full digital library on Playstation.

 

[Humdinger]

shit is more fucked up than we thought. phil is going down

Pretty good discussion, actually.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Thread continues to deliver. One day closer to The Philvelation.

 

[Codeblew]

$600 like the PS3 was in 2006-2007 LOL

What is inflation for $900 Alex?

 

[Stooky]

I don’t. But I guess I’m mr negative on this. If people think quality is mid now then imagine how things will be when the real push for quality will go away when games don’t need to sell boxes or subscriptions. Expect a Ubi and EA treatment on every IP you love, and closed studios that are considered too slow.

i don't like it with but games at quantity don't have too be amazing just good and fun, and at the right price.

 

[peish]

I phil sorry for phil, i find him an honest gamer trying do his best for this industry, proof of pudding in how he turned around xbox one ship

I think its this niceness, wokeness even, that people around him are taking advantage and not delivering on their promises or leaking stories

It’s sad that these days, companies have “wait for it” events are usually hype beasts, announcing weeks before, with catchy theme names.

Phil having to organise this ad hoc event to damage control looks bad on his cv, he wont be around next year

 

[Codeblew]

MS is not going to announce a next gen Xbox two years ahead of time. That's going to kill current Xbox Series S/X hardware sales.

Can their sales get any deader than they already are?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Brother... you have been close with this company for some time now... no matter what happens next week.. you KNOW.. being very clear NEVER was xbox/ms model of communication... so fat chance they start now my boy... would be fucking great.. but nah .

I think if their message is not very concise on what their plan is the zealots will turn on them even harder

 

[SlicedBread3]

And that wouldn't remove that oddity in gaming : why in music you could play any disc, CD, mp3, whatever, on any device of any brand, same goes for VHS, DVD, BR, etc but consoles locked some games to some consoles? Sure there are the hardware specifications but it stopped to be a valid excuse on the PS3/360 era when most games started to look kinda the same on both systems. On PS1/Saturn/N64 era (and all previous eras too) the hardware was so different that it took HUGE amount of work to adapt some exclusives to another hardware. RE2 on N64 is a good exemple, FFVII (or all games with CGI) being quite impossible to bring on N64, the way the Saturn dealt with transparencies in games, etc. We also all remember Splinter Cell on Xbox and the PS2 version (lol).

That's not the oddity in gaming. Comparing a Playstation and an Xbox is not like comparing two different brands of DVD player. They are different formats using different APIs as well as specs. A much better equivalency is thinking about it like HD DVD Vs Blu Ray. (If the Xbox OEM rumour is true, that would be a better example of console version of different DVD players).

The oddity is that unlike format wars in other media, where a winner is normally decided quickly and becomes the standard for everyone to focus on. We have multiple going head to head for a long period of time with the loser refusing to die off.

Hence the reason for exclusives. It's not because they can only be run on that one console. It's to try and bring consumers over to their system so they can become that one standardised format (In order to lead to that future you're imagining).

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I think if their message is not very concise on what their plan is the zealots will turn on them even harder

Can’t get anymore concise than

“We going third party on everything, bitches”

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I think if their message is not very concise on what their plan is the zealots will turn on them even harder

you know what could be even more pathetic?

that the messaging is good enough for some of those people to keep the "console war" energy going.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Wonder if another acquisition announcement is possible.

 

[Barakov]

Agree with Cog on this one (34 minutes in). Its an internal fight happening in real time between those who want to see xbox continue as a brand and those who wants that multiplatform money. Its so volatile and its going back and forth that Im not surprise if there is some sorth of compromise and walk back from what we initial thought at the eleventh hour.
Moving forward timed exclusive on xbox for 6-12 months before coming to ps5 is my bet. Legacy titles drip feed throughout the years. Reiterate xbox hardware will still be a pillar of microsoft.

Definitely sounds like a very Microsoft thing going on right now.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Nice sum up.

There‘s a lot of smoke.

There’s probably a fire.

There is certainly fire.

The question is how widespread it is at this point.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

No more physical releases for XGS games, only Gamepass.

All ABK IP multiplatform.

Select AAA XGS titles multiplatform after 30/60/90 day windows of exclusivity.

Xbox retains majority of XGS exclusives.

Redfall leaving Gamepass.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

I phil sorry for phil, i find him an honest gamer trying do his best for this industry, proof of pudding in how he turned around xbox one ship

Really?

Just one quick example:

He was bragging about how consumer-friendly they are by allowing cross-platform gaming, while FFXIV still hasn't been released for Xbox because of their cross-platform policies.
And to make it worse, they manage to somehow force a GP-requirement on top of the sub fee to even play FFXIV.

It's stuff like this, on top of all the other issues, that pushes people away from Xbox.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

shit is more fucked up than we thought. phil is going down

Mattyp comes across as pretty petty and naive in this, imo.

Timestamp around 30 mins


Yeah, I get it, Microsoft's messaging has been AWFUL and all over the place. I think the problem is that Phil really doesn't know what he's doing. He inherited a mess, and he's been experimenting the last decade or so trying to remain competitive. And he's had to flip flop so many times because of his own strategic failures not panning out. Yeah, it's bad. But, on the same token, Xbox enthusiasts have become entitled to Microsoft's "daddy warbucks" coffers. Phil made a commitment to the gaming industry and probably did have many "come to jesus" moments with senior leadership. Xbox was on the chopping block. He was able to negotiate with his political capital to allow Microsoft to continue investing untold billions into the project. And let's not pretend like Xbox has been profitable or making money. They haven't been. There's a reason this is all obfuscated in their financial statements. Xbox, gamepass, all of it is a HUGE MONEY PIT.

So to continue failing, Phil has to continuously explain to the CEO and CFO why they should continue bleeding money when they aren't growing. Buying Bethesda, releasing Starfield which didn't move the needle, firesale prices not moving the needle, the experiment is now done. The idea that Microsoft can compete on exclusives and grow their marketshare is false - it's failing worse than the Xbox One right now. Gamers are, instead of buying an Xbox, simply ignoring Bethesda. And Microsoft senior leadership realizes this. And that's a CATASTROPHIC outcome for their $7B acquisition of Bethesda.

The issue is not commitment to the brand, it's an existential crisis of complete relevance to the $80B+ worth of studios they just acquired. They present huge operating costs, and the truth is that if you're not on Playstation (or Switch, where applicable), you're doomed. Period. At this point the market has spoken and quite frankly Microsoft's exclusives, while good, are simply not capable of being that multiple GOTY quality each and every year to get somebody who's indifferent to buy their ecosystem just to play a mid-Starfield game.

The fact that Matty thinks the gaming industry is going to be WORSE by having Microsoft go third party just isn't based on anything other than a fanboy fictitious narrative. People's jobs, employment, growth and persistence in this industry depend on them being successful. And they cannot be successful as Xbox exclusives at this point. If you want BETTER MICROSOFT GAMES, you would want their studios to thrive and not be on the chopping block. That's not "hand waiving" away the concerns of those that only own an Xbox console and their fate - they will still get Xbox games, maybe even better quality ones by being a third party instead. And that's what SHOULD matter to them more than anything else.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Found a funny on Reset about these rumors before heading to bed. They mad-mad about this, probably upset the rumors started here and not on their purple forum

Never mind all the official signs all but verifying some aspects of the rumors, others who have corroborated them, or Phil Spencer's own tweet coming out and indirectly referring to the rumors without even debunking them when he's debunked many other rumors about Xbox almost immediately.

Nah, we gotta question the source because they're not from our forum. A special type of copium.

Welp, anyway. 'nite

Agree with Cog on this one (34 minutes in). Its an internal fight happening in real time between those who want to see xbox continue as a brand and those who wants that multiplatform money. Its so volatile and its going back and forth that Im not surprise if there is some sorth of compromise and walk back from what we initial thought at the eleventh hour.
Moving forward timed exclusive on xbox for 6-12 months before coming to ps5 is my bet. Legacy titles drip feed throughout the years. Reiterate xbox hardware will still be a pillar of microsoft.

There is no 'internal fight' or civil war. Everything's already been decided. You don't have a 'business update' on a whim; you do that after higher-ups have decided things weeks or even months in advance. Whatever battle there's happening on the inside (if any), it's over. It's been over.

This isn't some SEGA of America/SEGA of Japan infighting nonsense. Phil and Microsoft Gaming got stripped of their autonomy and now have to comply with whatever their superiors have deemed fit for the gaming brand going forward.

What that actually is, we'll see (or start to see) next week. But there's a 100% chance at least some of these rumors are true, given more recent circumstantial evidence. IMO they're 100% true, but we probably won't hear confirmation on most of it in a few days and certain parts would take a long time to implement, probably.

I phil sorry for phil, i find him an honest gamer trying do his best for this industry, proof of pudding in how he turned around xbox one ship

I think its this niceness, wokeness even, that people around him are taking advantage and not delivering on their promises or leaking stories

It’s sad that these days, companies have “wait for it” events are usually hype beasts, announcing weeks before, with catchy theme names.

Phil having to organise this ad hoc event to damage control looks bad on his cv, he wont be around next year

You're giving him too much credit.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

There is no 'internal fight' or civil war. Everything's already been decided. You don't have a 'business update' on a whim; you do that after higher-ups have decided things weeks or even months in advance. Whatever battle there's happening on the inside (if any), it's over. It's been over.

This isn't some SEGA of America/SEGA of Japan infighting nonsense. Phil and Microsoft Gaming got stripped of their autonomy and now have to comply with whatever their superiors have deemed fit for the gaming brand going forward.

What that actually is, we'll see (or start to see) next week. But there's a 100% chance at least some of these rumors are true, given more recent circumstantial evidence. IMO they're 100% true, but we probably won't hear confirmation on most of it in a few days and certain parts would take a long time to implement, probably.

Yup.

This decision likely came immediately after the holidays as they were finalizing their financial results for the quarter. It also coincided with the decision for layoffs. The messaging of "sustainable growth" of the layoffs speaks volumes and tells us all we need to know. The price cuts did jack shit and Xbox is trending worse than Xbox One and that is with a marquee AAA exclusive in Starfield. Again - Phil was granted a VERY LONG LEASH and the experiment has proven to be a total flop.

That's why you are already seeing signs of Playstation ports in their own games like Hi-Fi Rush - the decision has been made. And I do not think Phil had much clout to go against not only top brass at Microsoft (Nadella, Hood), but also HIS VERY OWN STUDIOS (Bethesda). All for what? To win a fanboy war? We know Phil cared deeply about that but it's a pipe dream now.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Also - another prediction.

To coincide with the announcement of multiplatform, they will also announce a LOT of Activision games getting added to GamePass - to lessen the "sting" and make current Xbox fans happy.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Yup.

This decision likely came immediately after the holidays as they were finalizing their financial results for the quarter. It also coincided with the decision for layoffs. The messaging of "sustainable growth" of the layoffs speaks volumes and tells us all we need to know. The price cuts did jack shit and Xbox is trending worse than Xbox One and that is with a marquee AAA exclusive in Starfield. Again - Phil was granted a VERY LONG LEASH and the experiment has proven to be a total flop.

That's why you are already seeing signs of Playstation ports in their own games like Hi-Fi Rush - the decision has been made. And I do not think Phil had much clout to go against not only top brass at Microsoft (Nadella, Hood), but also HIS VERY OWN STUDIOS (Bethesda). All for what? To win a fanboy war? We know Phil cared deeply about that but it's a pipe dream now.

The layoffs were on the cards from the second the ink dried, I believe.

If you look at big purchases, atricion comes in at around 8 percent of employees on a good day and up to 30 percent can be the norm. Guess what 1900 ABK employees is...around 8 percent of their work force. I don't understand why, it sucks but it seems like it is generally in line with what can be expected.

But, I agree this feels like a conversation that may have been floated but really kicked into gear after a terrible q4 2023 result. Dropping the price, poor results for starfield and forza.

My hope, is that after the dust settles everyone walks away from this happy. Games goto PS and switch, Microsoft starts making considerable profits that allow them to continue with their gamepass and xbox plans. The Big main goal, is that everyone starts to get some really high quality games. Fingers crossed, anyway.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Also - another prediction.

To coincide with the announcement of multiplatform, they will also announce a LOT of Activision games getting added to GamePass - to lessen the "sting" and make current Xbox fans happy.

But not COD or Diablo.
Probably old stuff nobody cares about any longer.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

But not COD or Diablo.
Probably old stuff nobody cares about any longer.

Probably not. But I suspect anything that released in 2022 or earlier may be fair game

That would still be rather exciting news for Xbox owners

 

[Hohenheim]

Personally I would recommend everyone to just invest in a PC and sit at the sideline watching the trainwreck happen. Whatever happens it seems like PC will be the best place to play Microsoft’s games (well Sony’s too but then you have to deal with delays), it has been that way for awhile now and I see nothing changing that anytime so soon.

Agree.
A good gaming PC makes more sense than ever, as the main place to get access to almost everything, in the best possible way, with the most freedom.
I mean.. the "high end" consoles struggles to offer stable 60fps in lower resolutions in many games..

Except I wouldn't call this a "trainwreck". It's just more business strategies from a multi million dollar company to make even more millions.
The whole thing feels so extreme because of the echo chambers with the "insiders" and the weidly attached "console warriors".

 

[drganon]

Found a funny on Reset about these rumors before heading to bed. They mad-mad about this, probably upset the rumors started here and not on their purple forum

Never mind all the official signs all but verifying some aspects of the rumors, others who have corroborated them, or Phil Spencer's own tweet coming out and indirectly referring to the rumors without even debunking them when he's debunked many other rumors about Xbox almost immediately.

Nah, we gotta question the source because they're not from our forum. A special type of copium.

Welp, anyway. 'nite



There is no 'internal fight' or civil war. Everything's already been decided. You don't have a 'business update' on a whim; you do that after higher-ups have decided things weeks or even months in advance. Whatever battle there's happening on the inside (if any), it's over. It's been over.

This isn't some SEGA of America/SEGA of Japan infighting nonsense. Phil and Microsoft Gaming got stripped of their autonomy and now have to comply with whatever their superiors have deemed fit for the gaming brand going forward.

What that actually is, we'll see (or start to see) next week. But there's a 100% chance at least some of these rumors are true, given more recent circumstantial evidence. IMO they're 100% true, but we probably won't hear confirmation on most of it in a few days and certain parts would take a long time to implement, probably.



You're giving him too much credit.

Regardless of what is revealed, resetera still sucks.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Agree.
A good gaming PC makes more sense than ever, as the main place to get access to almost everything, in the best possible way, with the most freedom.
I mean.. the "high end" consoles struggles to offer stable 60fps in lower resolutions in many games..

Except I wouldn't call this a "trainwreck". It's just more business strategies from a multi million dollar company to make even more millions.
The whole thing feels so extreme because of the echo chambers with the "insiders" and the weidly attached "console warriors".

I mean, I get that I have a beast of a pc, but when there's those complaining how bad helldivers 2 looks to hit 60fps on ps5 and I'm running ultra settings at between 160 to 180fps...PC is the best investment and I'll be playing well into next gen on this rig, and probably exceeding it. Sure, I'll upgrade my gpu, but that's it.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I'm super late to the party on this. I guess I'm kinda in disbelief that it's gotten to this point with Xbox. Admittedly, I've always been PS/Nintendo, but is the writing really on the wall for MS?

- This doesn't seem to be like a Sega situation where the Saturn and Dreamcaat were clear failures, at least to an outsider. Anecdotally all of my coworkers own boxes, none of them PS5s (a fact they give me shit for since I don't play with them). Is the new Xbox really doing that poor?
- Why give up in general. They just bought the largest publisher. They can force people to come to them with their ownership of CoD and whatnot. Is it a lack of confidence? Why buy Activision at all in that case.

The way this is playing out, it's almost like Activision itself is forcing MS to go third party or something. How did it come to this.

 

[Panajev2001a]

I mean, I get that I have a beast of a pc, but when there's those complaining how bad helldivers 2 looks to hit 60fps on ps5 and I'm running ultra settings at between 160 to 180fps...PC is the best investment and I'll be playing well into next gen on this rig, and probably exceeding it. Sure, I'll upgrade my gpu, but that's it.

“Same PC… Sure I will upgrade (keep upgrading) the GPU (… and likely other things” … talking to PC owners is like a ship of Theseus logical exercise … .

 

[Panajev2001a]

I mean.. the "high end" consoles struggles to offer stable 60fps in lower resolutions in many games..

One the other side for many, they bought a console in 2020 and the entire system cost them $399-499…

 

[peish]

Really?

Just one quick example:

He was bragging about how consumer-friendly they are by allowing cross-platform gaming, while FFXIV still hasn't been released for Xbox because of their cross-platform policies.
And to make it worse, they manage to somehow force a GP-requirement on top of the sub fee to even play FFXIV.

It's stuff like this, on top of all the other issues, that pushes people away from Xbox.

Doesnt matter now does it. Optics for emergency events such as this makes stakeholders unhappy

Phil will retire soon, then we will see how a world with out Phils plays out. Its speover, dark clouds are coming for xbox and gaming fanboys alike

 

[Kenneth Haight]

I phil sorry for phil, i find him an honest gamer trying do his best for this industry,