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[Griffon]

Op could've asked the question ten years ago and the answer would still be no.

They're only still alive because they had infinite money from daddy MS.

Things might change soon, as they are quickly realizing that Activision is more viable and profitable than anything Xbox.

 

[yurinka]

Can Xbox make a comeback as a brand?​

I think that as an -internally manufactured- console they are dead and they know it.

But as brand I think they can continue as a hardware agnostic platform with the idea of putting their ecosystem/store/game sub in console, PC and mobile.

I think they can let 3rd party manufacturers make "Xbox" labeled home console or portable console shaped PCs that follow some minimum specs and run a Windows that would feature an upcoming 'Xbox mode' that would adapt it to the displays and controls of home and portable consoles.

They could also use it as brand for the MS games being published everywhere, including Sony and MS consoles. Independently of the Xbox brand, I think their acquisitions -particularly ABK- and to switch their strategy to stop making console exclusives and focus completely in full multiplatform would highly benefit their gaming division (which would be soon fighting against Sony and Tencent for the 'top grossing gaming company' title and also would start to be profitable), specially when doing some tweaks like to stop putting their big game day one on -at least the base- GP.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

A couple of issues with that

- Who’s going to make these “Xbox” branded consoles if Microsoft shows no value in the idea to make one themselves?

- isn’t the “Xbox” brand a bit weird without a box?

It’s kind of why I liked the Xcloud branding, it removes the box part as there’s no box.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

They could also use it as brand for the MS games being published everywhere, including Sony and MS consoles. Independently of the Xbox brand,

That is clearly what they are NOT doing. There is a reason Phil is no longer head of Xbox but instead is head of Microsoft gaming. Xbox as a brand is now worthless and keeping it helps no one. Xbox failed and as such putting its name on other products is counter-productive.

Nintendo killed the WiiU and all mentions of it. Microsoft will do the same for Xbox. The Xbox name has negative value.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

This thread got me thinking a bit. MS in theory seems to be comfortable and ready to transition from being a traditional platform holder to a publisher and service for cloud game streaming and other technologies. It comes with a lot of advantages for them as a business, as platform holders have to deal with a lot of challenges that can be a pain in the ass if the market isn't there. Most prominent example is probably the subsidizing of hardware manufacturing costs by selling software etc. With MS, they are in a unique position as they could kinda fall back on Windows PCs as a platform their software runs on (in the sense of powerful local devices, not streaming or low spec alternatives). Sony on the other hand can't - they either put their trust in MS playing fair on Windows (lol) or go with an alternative as in Valve backed Arch distros (not attractive). However, if Sony wants to continue doing this very expensive and risky development of their own hardware platform(s), they cannot rely on the subsidizing strategy any longer as that seems to be at odds with how the market is developing rn. Which means their hardware has to get more expensive (see the Pro). Might we be heading into a future where consoles continue to be around, yet cost almost as much or the same as roughly equivalent PCs?

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Might we be heading into a future where consoles continue to be around, yet cost almost as much or the same as roughly equivalent PCs?

No, because average PCs are not that good for gaming. Console will still be the cheapest option for decent gaming. Gaming PCs prices are MUCH worse than PS5Pro.

Seriously, you console gamers have no idea how much worse it is in the PC upper end, now that the prices are literal rip-off overpriced. The cost of a graphics card is insane.

$699 can't even get you a decent graphics card. You don't need it, but the same argument is made that you don't need the Pro console either.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

No, because average PCs are not that good for gaming. Console will still be the cheapest option for decent gaming. Gaming PCs prices are MUCH worse than PS5Pro.

Seriously, you console gamers have no idea how much worse it is in the PC upper end, now that the prices are literal rip-off overpriced. The cost of a graphics card is insane.

$699 can't even get you a decent graphics card. You don't need it, but the same argument is made that you don't need the Pro console either.

The argument that PC lets you do other things is kinda fading too.

Considering how the roles that PC used to fill in the home back in the 80s/00s is now being fulfilled by iPads.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

No, because average PCs are not that good for gaming. Console will still be the cheapest option for decent gaming. Gaming PCs prices are MUCH worse than PS5Pro.

Seriously, you console gamers have no idea how much worse it is in the PC upper end, now that the prices are literal rip-off overpriced. The cost of a graphics card is insane.

$699 can't even get you a decent graphics card. You don't need it, but the same argument is made that you don't need the Pro console either.

Numbers show very clearly that most PC gamers around the world play on machines that would be considered very "average", to put it mildly. Apparently these people are of a different opinion.

Just FYI, I play mostly on PC, and my machine is worth north of 4k Euros. It's not even the only capable gaming PC in my household, lol. I am one of the 4090 owners on this forum. I think a, say RX 7600 XT is nothing to scoff at. I was not suggesting consoles costing north of 2,000+ USD, but when a Pro console is 700, we're getting into the territory of low to mid end PC gaming. If I was a betting man, I'd say PS6 will be significantly more expensive then most people expect today. And yes, part of it is the rising costs at hardware manufacturers like Nvidia and AMD.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Numbers show very clearly that most PC gamers around the world play on machines that would be considered very "average", to put it mildly. Apparently these people are of a different opinion.

Just FYI, I play mostly on PC, and my machine is worth north of 4k Euros. It's not even the only capable gaming PC in my household, lol. I am one of the 4090 owners on this forum. I think a, say RX 7600 XT is nothing to scoff at. I was not suggesting consoles costing north of 2,000+ USD, but when a Pro console is 700, we're getting into the territory of low to mid end PC gaming. If I was a betting man, I'd say PS6 will be significantly more expensive then most people expect today. And yes, part of it is the rising costs at hardware manufacturers like Nvidia and AMD.

I use an average computer. But someone who games on an average computer is not the target of a Pro console.

The PS5 Pro is priced to offer an upgrade that is still cheaper than getting a gaming PC. The fact is if you are scared off by $699 for a console, PC gaming upgrades would outright kill you.

A PS5 Pro would still offer a better experience for the money spent. It is entirely justified as an optional upgrade.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

I use an average computer. But someone who games on an average computer is not the target of a Pro console.

The PS5 Pro is priced to offer an upgrade that is still cheaper than getting a gaming PC. The fact is if you are scared off by $699 for a console, PC gaming upgrades would outright kill you.

100% agree. So you'd think that if say MS vanishes as a hardware manufacturer, Nintendo continues to remain in their weird niche and Sony remains as the only traditional platform holder, they wouldn't totally take the opportunity to get rid of the financial risks associated with subsidizing their hardware?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

100% agree. So you'd think that if say MS vanishes as a hardware manufacturer, Nintendo continues to remain in their weird niche and Sony remains as the only traditional platform holder, they wouldn't totally take the opportunity to get rid of the financial risks associated with subsidizing their hardware?

Yes

While they don’t directly compete with PC there is an overlap of people who choose between the two.

Subsidised hardware is one advantage.

Physical software sales is the other big one.

Sony and Nintendo won’t go the 3DO route like MS is rumoured to be doing on here.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

100% agree. So you'd think that if say MS vanishes as a hardware manufacturer, Nintendo continues to remain in their weird niche and Sony remains as the only traditional platform holder, they wouldn't totally take the opportunity to get rid of the financial risks associated with subsidizing their hardware?

I expect the final death of Xbox to lead to the appearance of a competitor. Either Amazon or Apple.
And Sony already isn't subsidizing hardware. PlayStation is now selling at a small profit and had been for a few years now. The point is that the real money was always in the software, so as long as the hardware is not sold at a loss there is no reason to put up a barrier for entry. That is why there had not been any price drops.

So yes, what you are afraid of already happened. But it is still cheaper than PC gaming because PC gaming at the high end has gotten ludicrous. PlayStation would still offer more horsepower per dollar just because it is a specialized machine. If only people actually treat the Pro like it is the entirely optional upgrade it always was meant to be.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Their plastic box is done for.

The brand as a service provider and third party publisher should be okay given the massive number of big name franchises they’ve purchased.

 

[ShadowkillXNA]

Nope, they're toast.

 

[The_Observer]

Of course they could with competent people managing it. But nowadays not many companies are like that.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Their plastic box is done for.

The brand as a service provider and third party publisher should be okay given the massive number of big name franchises they’ve purchased.

That’s providing they do a better job of managing them than they have their own franchises this past decade.

 

[ShadowkillXNA]

Agreed. I think msft clearly knows where this industry is headed. If you control a ton of IPs and expand into other ecosystems eventually you will dominate.

 

[ShadowkillXNA]

That would do it. To be honest, COD exclusivity alone would probably do it.

But they won’t, because it’s not about making Xbox the biggest. It’s about making money the biggest.

They have a deal with Sony that requires that COD releases on Playstation with feature parity for the next 10 years, so I have no idea whatsoever why you're even talking about possible exclusivity for Xbox platforms.
But then again you knew that beforehand and posted what you posted anyway.

 

[rkofan87]

Outside of the gamepass diehards, I doubt it.

this.

 

[rkofan87]

Not sure about hardware, but they can become successful as a third party publisher imo.

they more or less have at this point

 

[SmokedMeat]

That’s providing they do a better job of managing them than they have their own franchises this past decade.

That’s why I said should be okay. They bought a treasure trove of huge franchises, but it’s on them if they screw it up.

 

[Zacfoldor]

A brand maybe, but not as a console, no. All streaming machines and irrelevancy from here on out.

The big 3 now are Switch 2, PS5, and Steam/Deck. You will never see an Xbox organically again, it will always be a sad paid for ad when Xbox consoles come up. They are no longer considered hip.

 

[mdkirby]

It’s very difficult, if only because of the way people have built up their digital libraries since the ps4 generation. To have someone switch to them next gen means asking them to abandon that digital library, and with their games going multi platform, I struggle to see how they would have a compelling reason for many people to make that switch.

 

[KormaChameleon]

YES, buy Rockstar at all cost and make GTA6 exclusive 100% to the next Xbox.

Strauss Zelnick:

 

[pasterpl]

PS5 Shipped Almost 5x More Than Xbox Series X and S During Last Quarter, Analyst Reports - IGN

Sony shipped almost five times more PlayStation 5 units than Microsoft shipped Xbox Series X and S consoles during the last financial quarter, according to one analyst.

www.ign.com

It’s all but gone

I’ve tried to get my head around it myself. Can they continue with generational consoles when going third party will result in a minuscule player base?

I’ve even argued in favour of it but I’ve seen enough counter arguments to understand why this won’t be the case.

The remaining years of this generation are going to be a bloodbath for series consoles.

Their next piece of hardware will be a PC with an “Xbox” logo slapped on the front and some backwards compatibility.

So far all lifetime estimates show that it is almond on track with Xbox one - around 30M consoles sold which is about half of Sony sold. In the biggest markets like USA and the UK there are still relevant. Rest of the markets they might as well close the shop as Sony dominates there. I am not mentioning switch because while I consider Nintendo to be competition for Sony and MS, I think about switch as last gen. It would be interesting to see how it will play out Switch 2 apparently is due for release in 2025, then in 2026 rumours say we will see next-Xbox which would make it the best place to play GTA6 (if MS will go with power in their new console) which could significantly shake the market.

 

[BigLee74]

They have a deal with Sony that requires that COD releases on Playstation with feature parity for the next 10 years, so I have no idea whatsoever why you're even talking about possible exclusivity for Xbox platforms.
But then again you knew that beforehand and posted what you posted anyway.

Correct.

Don’t get your panties in a twist. This is all hypothetical. My comment is quite simply COD alone is big enough to turn a user base.

 

[solidus12]

Xbox is still the industry leader according to shills. That’s why it will never make a comeback.

They need to acknowledge that they have a problem first.

 

[ShadowkillXNA]

Correct.

Don’t get your panties in a twist. This is all hypothetical. My comment is quite simply COD alone is big enough to turn a user base.

It's a pointless hypothetical because - the contract exists.
Which again - you knew before you posted.
Don't get your panties in a twist.

 

[BigLee74]

It's a pointless hypothetical because - the contract exists.
Which again - you knew before you posted.
Don't get your panties in a twist.

Fuck me. If this is as good as your arguments/points/retorts get, then don’t bother quoting me. Wading in with your size 12s speaking shite. Waste of my time, mate.

Did you have a pop at the guy I originally responded to when he suggested COD could be made exclusive? Did you bollocks! Do you just fancy me or something?

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

No, it's too late, at least for consoles market.

They had EVERYTHING after the Xbox 360 storm to succeed, I watched the live with so much excitement

And they killed EVERYTHING with the Xbox One: TV, DRM, Always Online, Kinect, Sports and weak hardware.

And we got this gem:

Now, all what we get is this, that's the only comeback that we will ever get.

 

[3liteDragon]

no

 

[RetroGamingUK]

No, it's too late, at least for consoles market.

They had EVERYTHING after the Xbox 360 storm to succeed, I watched the live with so much excitement

And they killed EVERYTHING with the Xbox One: TV, DRM, Always Online, Kinect, Sports and weak hardware.

I remember watching the reveal an just feeling so empty at the end of it.

I’d never encountered a console reveal that left me feeling somewhat depressed like that, or probably even since.

NFL, Jeopardy (or whatever the gameshow was), who outside of America gave a fuck about that, or anything else about that reveal to be fair.



This comment sums it up…

 

[Sorcerer]

I expect the final death of Xbox to lead to the appearance of a competitor. Either Amazon or Apple.
And Sony already isn't subsidizing hardware. PlayStation is now selling at a small profit and had been for a few years now. The point is that the real money was always in the software, so as long as the hardware is not sold at a loss there is no reason to put up a barrier for entry. That is why there had not been any price drops.

So yes, what you are afraid of already happened. But it is still cheaper than PC gaming because PC gaming at the high end has gotten ludicrous. PlayStation would still offer more horsepower per dollar just because it is a specialized machine. If only people actually treat the Pro like it is the entirely optional upgrade it always was meant to be.

I think the death of Xbox is a warning sign to anybody else thinking of filling that space. If Xbox cannot succeed with Microsoft behind it, what can they bring to the table?
The market may be in a more perfect position. Xbox is a console that doesn't offer the IP Nintendo or Sony can. It's just a middling console that has no distinct identity of its own.
Nintendo will be safe on the low end. Sony will occupy the middle. If gamers need more there is always PC. I honestly think there is nothing relevant, anyone can bring to this space. Another machine for third party games, who cares? Sony and Nintendo have it covered. And it might lead to gamers adopting both of those machines to get the best of all worlds on the console side with the third option out of the picture. Complementing each other rather than directly competing.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I think the death of Xbox is a warning sign to anybody else thinking of filling that space. If Xbox cannot succeed with Microsoft behind it, what can they bring to the table?
The market may be in a more perfect position. Xbox is a console that doesn't offer the IP Nintendo or Sony can. It's just a middling console that has no distinct identity of its own.
Nintendo will be safe on the low end. Sony will occupy the middle. If gamers need more there is always PC. I honestly think there is nothing relevant, anyone can bring to this space. Another machine for third party games, who cares? Sony and Nintendo have it covered. And it might lead to gamers adopting both of those machines to get the best of all worlds on the console side with the third option out of the picture. Complementing each other rather than directly competing.

In a way it’s a return to mid 1998 to mid 1999 and where you’d walk into a game shop and you’d have a choice between PlayStation, Nintendo and PC games.

For those not in the know it was a time where Sega had pulled Saturn consoles and games from shelves without Dreamcast being ready to replace them.

 

[DavidGzz]

The only way is if Xbox was bought out by a different company and all of its studios came along with it, being a part of Microsoft forces them to abide by certain rules. So like other have said. Making a console that is very powerful and selling at a loss, have all studios make games exclusive, and voila. 360 gains. But this will never happen.

 

[ShadowkillXNA]

Fuck me. If this is as good as your arguments/points/retorts get, then don’t bother quoting me. ludiveWading in with your size 12s speaking shite. Waste of my time, mate.

Did you have a pop at the guy I originally responded to when he suggested COD could be made exclusive? Did you bollocks! Do you just fancy me or something?

Your post implied that they could make it exclusive but were choosing not to do so when you knew full that they literally can't.
You know, the post that your brain conceived and that your fingers posted.
Words have meaning, believe it or not.
You're on a forum, if you dont want to be replied to and quoted then don't post...mate.

 

[Kumomeme]

they can. there still time to prepare for next gen. the 'formula' are infront of them. both Sony and Nintendo learning hard from their failure. they deliver after each failure. only one didnt, is Xbox. they keep jumping in hole another after another despite there is a signboard. they also need to cast away their greed and impatient. they need to discard the mentality of searching over sudden magical formula to dominate a whole industry in blink of an eye.

but things wont help if they undecided and still dont know what to be. things wont help if they pretend to be trendsetter hipster and didnt want to look at exisitng working traditional way.

most importantly fire phil spencer and sarah bond. they didnt fix or learn a shit. they just keep moving goalpost over and over again. however biggest problem is the fanboys who evangelist them. these people need to stop first.

let the products do the talking. not the executive keep bla bla bla.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

I think the death of Xbox is a warning sign to anybody else thinking of filling that space. If Xbox cannot succeed with Microsoft behind it, what can they bring to the table?

They can bring to the table the offer of NOT being Microsoft.

Xbox failed BECAUSE they have Microsoft behind it. Yes, MS had been pumping money to keep Xbox alive, but Microsoft is also the reason Xbox was dying to begin with. Because Microsoft was never interested in having a console ever since the "taking over the living room" plan became irrelevant.

I really am trying to be as polite as I can, but I still feel a bit annoyed that so many people here are in the camp that "If Microsoft can't succeed, no one can". Where did THAT idea came from? Microsoft failed all the time. What about the Zune? The Windows Phone? The several attempts at a PC gaming store? They all failed! Since when did Sony became some indestructible Juggernaut that can't do wrong?

Microsoft failed because they sucked. Stop worshiping a company that never deserved it. They can get replaced by a smarter company who can spend money more wisely. PlayStation has plenty of flaws and someone else can challenge them, as long as that someone is not Microsoft.

they can. there still time to prepare for next gen. the 'formula' are infront of them. both Sony and Nintendo learning hard from their failure. they deliver after each failure. only one didnt, is Xbox. they keep jumping in hole another after another despite there is a signboard. they also need to cast away their greed and impatient. they need to discard the mentality of searching over sudden magical formula to dominate a whole industry in blink of an eye.

but things wont help if they undecided and still dont know what to be. things wont help if they pretend to be trendsetter hipster and didnt want to look at exisitng working traditional way.

most importantly fire phil spencer and sarah bond. they didnt fix or learn a shit. they just keep moving goalpost over and over again. however biggest problem is the fanboys who evangelist them. these people need to stop first.

let the products do the talking. not the executive keep bla bla bla.

About your first point:
Microsoft just doesn't want to be a traditional console owner earning a nice income, because that is not enough for MS. So they won't do what you ask because they would rather not do it.

About your 2nd point:
Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond can't be fired because there are no replacements in the company. As in they are the only executives INTERESTED in running a console platform. They are all you got. If they are fired, anyone replacing them would immediately shut the whole hardware division down and just kept selling game software.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

They can bring to the table the offer of NOT being Microsoft.

Xbox failed BECAUSE they have Microsoft behind it. Yes, MS had been pumping money to keep Xbox alive, but Microsoft is also the reason Xbox was dying to begin with. Because Microsoft was never interested in having a console ever since the "taking over the living room" plan became irrelevant.

I really am trying to be as polite as I can, but I still feel a bit annoyed that so many people here are in the camp that "If Microsoft can't succeed, no one can". Where did THAT idea came from? Microsoft failed all the time. What about the Zune? The Windows Phone? The several attempts at a PC gaming store? They all failed! Since when did Sony became some indestructible Juggernaut that can't do wrong?

Microsoft failed because they sucked. Stop worshiping a company that never deserved it. They can get replaced by a smarter company who can spend money more wisely. PlayStation has plenty of flaws and someone else can challenge them, as long as that someone is not Microsoft.

Exactly! Same BS when people think graphics can't improve much further or "MS was doomed because they lost the generation where people built up their digital libraries" Both are short sighted mentalities.

 

[Sorcerer]

They can bring to the table the offer of NOT being Microsoft.

Xbox failed BECAUSE they have Microsoft behind it. Yes, MS had been pumping money to keep Xbox alive, but Microsoft is also the reason Xbox was dying to begin with. Because Microsoft was never interested in having a console ever since the "taking over the living room" plan became irrelevant.

I really am trying to be as polite as I can, but I still feel a bit annoyed that so many people here are in the camp that "If Microsoft can't succeed, no one can". Where did THAT idea came from? Microsoft failed all the time. What about the Zune? The Windows Phone? The several attempts at a PC gaming store? They all failed! Since when did Sony became some indestructible Juggernaut that can't do wrong?

Microsoft failed because they sucked. Stop worshiping a company that never deserved it. They can get replaced by a smarter company who can spend money more wisely. PlayStation has plenty of flaws and someone else can challenge them, as long as that someone is not Microsoft.

I have no love for Microsoft. But one could argue that Phil probably had unlimited funds to correct course, and it didn't help. He probably got the smackdown from HQ a while ago. You don't see him much anymore and he looks like he has aged 30 years. I'm just saying all these big companies who would just throw money at the problem look at the situation and probably don't want the headache.

Sony and Nintendo at least have an understanding of the business and can course correct. Xbox is just (or becoming) an irrelevant third wheel at this point.

I doubt Apple would do any better. They fell into gaming despite themselves because of the iPhone. Apparently, they can't even manage Apple Arcade, dev's are frustrated with the platform. They would be Xbox 2 if they entered the console market. It even seems they may go the Proton (Crossover/Game Porting Tool Kit) route and simply let you play Windows games on Mac's. Not particularly creative, but it will sell more Macs.

Amazon would be an ad machine, bothering you every 5 minutes of gameplay. LOL!!!

 

[Azelover]

I think they're tired of losing money, to tell you the truth. And I don't see a way where they can be profitable and competing at the same time..

They're investing on Gamepass ATM, and I don't know if it will ultimately be as successful as they want. So I really don't have an answer.

I really don't think they want to continue in a path where they're not making money. That's the main thing that has changed..

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

It’s very difficult, if only because of the way people have built up their digital libraries since the ps4 generation. To have someone switch to them next gen means asking them to abandon that digital library, and with their games going multi platform, I struggle to see how they would have a compelling reason for many people to make that switch.

This is total BS ...many people own 2 consoles or a PC and a console or 3 consoles...biggest BS excuse ive seen and it gets repeated over and over.

There are so many ways they could win people over to their ecosystem that they have failed to do....they couldve made the Xbox a backwards compat beast- they didn't! They took half measures this gen then shut down their BC program. They couldve made a truly beastly system sold at a loss- they didn't. They have failed with big name exclusives this gen- Halo Infinite sucked. Gears could still be huge. Starfield was a disappointment as was Forza Motorsport and Hellblade 2...so many opportunities missed.

They've done anti gamer shit that has turned a lot of people off as well such as forcing CrossPlay into multiplayer games- most people hate this but it's rarely talked about openly. The whole "day and date with GamePass and PC" may sound good (esp to PC gamers) but has had dire consequences on the Xbox brand. They could've gone the "Pro gamer" route instead of the lip service we saw from Phil all gen. Could've seen how greedy Sony is and have finally done away with the $60-$70/yr fee JUST to be able to play Online Multiplayer- not everyone wants GamePass or PS Plus or Xbox Gold with their "free" monthly games! Some people just want to be able to play the occaisional game of Battlefield or CoD...

Having GamePass around most Xbox owners will be paying the $20/month so why couldn't they finally offered a Free tier to just play online for the small percentage who don't want GP?? Speaking of GP ...part of what makes a subscription service is a large selection of new AND old games, so why wasn't MS focused on updating Xbox One and X360 titles for 4k and 60 fps? You know, something other than the 720p/30fps a lot of these games are stuck at which look like smeared shit on a modern 4k tv?!

So many opportunities ruined by broken promises, greed, and mismanagement. These are the real reasons MS is where they are!

 

[solidus12]

 

[Sorcerer]

I wonder how much history would have changed if Halo had come out as an Apple Exclusive. I think that Apple would have gotten a temporary shot in the arm, but they would have still bungled any hopes of becoming a major player in gaming.

It's more interesting thinking what if Halo was not there to save the OG Xbox?

 

[Sorcerer]

Famous last words...
Damming with faint praise...

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

No, no way.

 

[jroc74]

Agreed. I think msft clearly knows where this industry is headed. If you control a ton of IPs and expand into other ecosystems eventually you will dominate.

Where the industry is headed?

Multi platform games have been a thing for decades.

 

[Dane]

The main problem is that in forums you have this "brand identity" mindset rather than just accept that some companies doesn't care about this and its all selling it as a cost benefit solution.

Look at PC gaming, nobody gives a shit about X or Y CPU/GPU, and fucking its customers will have ramifications the moment these companies stumble. The only reason why people go after Nvidia GPUs is that the gap between them and AMD in power and features is large, but most people hate Nvidia because they have a monopoly where they give the customers the worst prices possible. This happened similarily with Intel in the 10s as AMD floundered with Bulldozer, then the moment Ryzen was out with major multithread power and decent single thread (despite being 15-20% behind Intel on that) and an excellent pricing, it was enough for people to start to move to AMD and keep going to where we are today.

Microsoft is a software company first, the initiatives to lock on software to specific hardwares during Ballmer era was met with a poor reception except for Xbox, and a company who stagnated in market value for years until Azure came in, for them, the way was never creating any hidrance to access their products, and that's what's worked them so well in these last 10 years. And now Microsoft doesn't see a need to force customers to buy a hardware but to create a positive incentive (such as Gamepass) rather than negative (having to spend 300-500 USD to play a software), their PC and consoles initiative have been met with positive reception, killing all of that is building a major grudge and retaliation overnight.

Where the industry is headed?

Multi platform games have been a thing for decades.

IMO its because of the Japanese developers who were most of the time developing for one platform only, while westerns were always on "put on anything that can display an image"

 

[Sorcerer]

edit

 

[BigLee74]

Your post implied that they could make it exclusive but were choosing not to do so when you knew full that they literally can't.
You know, the post that your brain conceived and that your fingers posted.
Words have meaning, believe it or not.
You're on a forum, if you dont want to be replied to and quoted then don't post...mate.

Wow, still here spouting the same rubbish, ignoring questions at the same time. Come back once you’ve stopped crying over the fact that multiple people have casually said COD exclusivity would help Xbox .

Relax your sphincter though Princess. Contracts are 100% solid. Nobody has ever broke free of one in the history of mankind. It’s why I’m still married.