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[The Information] Nadella considered winding down Gaming (Xbox) business in 2021; chose to pursue an acquisition-based strategy instead

Iced Arcade

Member
Goal to grow the gamepass business...He's literally doing ever step possible to not achieve this lol.


That kind of growth they would have to lock everything up as exclusive, have well organized release windows for studios with marketing and sell hardware at loss BUT they are so disconnected from the ground it's almost comedic.
 
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kaizenkko

Member
It's funny that years have pass, but Microsoft keeps doing the same mistakes their have made ten years ago.

Nadella probably projected this grow fully based in date, but date can't tell you the whole story. Microsoft made this mistake with the Xbox One concept, fully based in Netflix being the most used app on Xbox 360. And now made it again. Gamepass 100m subscribers is totally crazy assumption, even considering the high users spending in the covid era.

And if he have consider to close the entire division, I guess the numbers were worst than everyone ever think.
 
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SHA

Member
Just keep Phil's mouth shut, stay away from release windows targeted by the game awards like in December, put your games on PlayStation and Nintendo and everything's gonna be fine.
 

Puscifer

Member
The only reason you'd consider shuttering a division like that is if it loses money.

Interesting the hedgefund managers are already at the disappointment phase with the ABK deal.

Kotick laughed all the way to the bank, again.


He took that goal off his KPIs.
Modern Warfare 2 was one of the best "fuck you" moves I've seen in business.
 

onQ123

Gold Member

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Of course I'm going to quote myself here

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O onQ123 has arrived !




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Wind down the business in 2021 after releasing your (then) next gen console in 2020?
this was the second time, or maybe even the third time (of MS thinking of killing Xbox).

The time frame between the introduction of Game Pass and the current generation was supposed to be the time when Xbox should have improved their first-party output. (narrator voice: They didn't)
 
this was the second time, or maybe even the third time (of MS thinking of killing Xbox).

The time frame between the introduction of Game Pass and the current generation was supposed to be the time when Xbox should have improved their first-party output. (narrator voice: They didn't)
My thing is, by 2021 we hadn't even gotten the first wave of big games yet from all the developers they purchased at the back half of last gen.

I have absolutely no clue what Xbox is doing anywhere.
 
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Jaybe

Member
I don’t even see how Gaming even helps Microsoft anymore when they care much more about AI. I could see them spinning it off and it merging with EA or Take2.
 

reinking

Gold Member
I asked Copilot to write me a song and I made an edit or two... 😜 (all in fun Xbox bros.)

A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that console used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those gamers dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

But January made me shiver
With every acquisition they'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step

I can't remember if I cried
When I read about the billions tied
But something touched me deep inside
The day the Xbox died

So bye-bye, my dear Xbox, goodbye
Drove my Afeela to the levee but the levee was dry
And them gamer boys were drinking whiskey and Prime
Singin' this'll be the day that it died
This'll be the day that it died

Did you write the book of games
And do you have faith in Microsoft's aims
If the console tells you so?
Now do you believe in Forza and Halo?
Can gaming save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to stream on the go?

I started singing bye-bye, my dear Xbox, goodbye
Drove my Afeela to the levee but the levee was dry
And them gamer boys were drinking whiskey and Prime
Singin' this'll be the day that it died
This'll be the day that it died

...
 

laynelane

Member
Although it's not surprising that he thought he could just transform gamers into subscribers, it was and is unrealistic to think it would reach that number. Gaming is a bit different from Windows, Office, etc., after all. The acquisition strategy - ie. consolidation - to drive more subscriptions to Game Pass hasn't really panned out so far either. As well, although expected, it's disappointing that great games is never the dominant goal behind all these grandiose expansion plans.
 

TransTrender

Gold Member
Sooner rather than later the 'XBOX' division will be spun out of the company and saddled with as much garbage as possible to have the largest write-down possible.
From there the pieces will be sold off or shut-down with further write-downs until only portions of Activision and Bethesda are left.
 

Det

Member
Goal to grow the gamepass business...He's literally doing ever step possible to not achieve this lol.


That kind of growth they would have to lock everything up as exclusive, have well organized release windows for studios with marketing and sell hardware at loss BUT they are so disconnected from the ground it's almost comedic.
Basically, they would have to monopolize the entire video game market.
Bankrupting Sony and buying Nintendo, as Phill dreamed.
 
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