• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

What a multiplatform Microsoft would actually mean!

FeralEcho

Member
While this is not official yet I think we can all agree that something is happening on this front based on all the sudden rumors and leaks and even Phil's messaging on this thing not utterly crushing the rumors which they would've done had it all been bullshit....

-So now let's look to a future where most MS games are indeed multiplatform and see what that would mean for a hardcore Xbox fan or player as I see alot of people responding to all the meltdowns with a "this is childish, it's just a plastic box" or "just get a PC or PS5 bro" which to me seem more childish than the meltdowns fans are having as it fails to understand why this would be a crushing experience to someone.

-Let's see it from the perspective of someone that invested time and money in the ecosystem,say you weren't born yesterday and didn't dedicate your life to a subscription future and have bought over 100 games for the Xbox consoles over the years and buy things regularly in their store.

What does a multiplatform MS mean for them,is it the fact that games now would go to PS that would affect them? No,of course not(maybe for some weirdos),Xbox exclusives have been going to PC for a long time and people were fine with it but them going fully multiplatform brings an air of uncertainty for the future of the ecosystem they've spent thousands of dollars on over the years because it renders future Xbox consoles utterly useless and even more unviable finanncially than right now which would mean there might not be a new Xbox after the next Xbox.

So what do you do knowing that? Do you cut your losses and invest thousands of dollars again just rebuilding your library from scratch on another console or PC? Do you keep investing in this ecosystem knowing that one day soon your library won't amount to shit? It basically leaves the people that have invested tons of money to build their libraries in a limbo unsure of the future they pay for.

-What would you do in their shoes?

I have an insanely huge physical Playstation library and if I heard that from Playstation I'd lose my shit too as this "plastic box" became an investment once you start pouring money into building a library which seems people who go "just buy a PC bro" miss completely. I wonder if these same people would lose their shit if they lost their steam accounts with their entire libraries? "It's just an account bro" ...


-Now as for what this would mean for the Industry?

Well for one,Microsoft would start becoming profitable on their gaming division,a big plus since that's what these companies are in the business for,to the surprise of some.

They would start actually making money on these big tentpole titles that they've been day1 releasing on Gamepass which clearly didn't meet expectations,shocker I know,a 150-200 million budget game not making enough money on a 10-20 dollar service for a 20-30 million install base.

One of the biggest reasons they could be looking at this option is they would have leaway with the FTC in buying even more publishers as now they wouldn't be limiting the audiences which was the main concern during the ABK aquisition.

They would not lose money on r&d and the construction of new Xbox units.

They would expand their audiences with the addition of Playstation's and Nintendo's userbase and revenue.

It's basically an all around win for Microsoft with the only ones losing being it's most loyal fans.

-As for the rest of the industry it would keep consolidating worse than ever before and Sony could for all intents and purposes in time become lenient and less consumer friendly without a direct competitor,for example more expensive Playstation consoles and accessories,more expensive services,fewer game releases,even less risks,though I doubt the quality of the games would go away,their studios are built from the groundup on quality and unless there's a disruption in leadership change and focus that won't change.

At the same time Nintendo could step up more with MS out of the picture but who knows with them, they've always marched at their own pace.

And yeah I know....long ass wall of text...Obligatory
too long didn't read GIF


But for those that did read.Thanks for taking the time to do so.

So what do you all think about this whole thing? This is the biggest shift in the industry since Xbox entered in 2001.

Do you think it'll end up being a good thing or a bad thing in the longrun?

I personally find this as a bad thing for the industry as a whole as it gives Microsoft too much power in buying other publishers,it also destroys their own loyal fanbase' faith and it could turn Sony into something we won't like in time as they will be left unchecked and there won't be anyone to stop them unless someone else steps up. Never forget PS3 2006 and the arrogance that came with that early era until they got humbled and got it turned around into the powerhouse it is nowadays.

Less competition is never a good thing regardless of how poor the competition is doing.
 

Sonik

Member
All this is assuming that Microsoft won't ruin the developers and franchises they have like they did with Halo, Gears and Obsidian or that the developers they bought haven't been deteriorating for more than a decade and are now former shells of what they used to be. Bethesda, Arkane and Blizzard are just depressing now, the news about CoD seem terrible and the only new one they have that doesn't seem to be imploding is id software.
 

FeralEcho

Member
All this is assuming that Microsoft won't ruin the developers and franchises they have like they did with Halo, Gears and Obsidian or that the developers they bought haven't been deteriorating for more than a decade and are now former shells of what they used to be. Bethesda, Arkane and Blizzard are just depressing now, the news about CoD seem terrible and the only new one they have that doesn't seem to be imploding is id software.
Sure,but that won't stop them from buying more publishers which is precisely the issue here.Them going fully multiplatform lets them go nuts on aquisitions as the FTC won't have anything to stop them from purchasing Ubisoft or other big publishers.
 

Sonik

Member
Sure,but that won't stop them from buying more publishers which is precisely the issue here.Them going fully multiplatform lets them go nuts on aquisitions as the FTC won't have anything to stop them from purchasing Ubisoft or other big publishers.


After 20 years the investors seem to no longer tolerate Xbox losing money, I seriously doubt they're gonna waste any more of it on acquisitions
 

Generic

Member
I personally find this as a bad thing for the industry as a whole as it gives Microsoft too much power in buying other publishers,it also destroys their own loyal fanbase' faith and it could turn Sony into something we won't like in time as they will be left unchecked and there won't be anyone to stop them unless someone else steps up. Never forget PS3 2006 and the arrogance that came with that early era until they got humbled and got it turned around into the powerhouse it is nowadays.

Less competition is never a good thing regardless of how poor the competition is doing.
As someone who buys Playstation consoles since 1999, Sony going full 2006 all over again is the thing I worry the most. We already have some examples of Sony's arrogance in the past years (lack of refunds, gatekeeping crossprogression and increasing the price of PS+ without giving their annual Black Friday discount), now imagine what would happen if they feel unbeatable.

There are already rumors of the PS5 Pro being priced at $600.
 
They can do whatever they want as long as they don't give us another Redfall. I think that this move will harm them in the short term, and that unless they find a way to get better fast they will either destroy the market to be more like them, or be hurt long term as well. I saw a message on Resetera that sumarized the move as this: Not only will Xbox games go to Playstation just when the studios that Microsoft buyed since 2018 will have their games ready, but the games will be better on PS5 Pro, will full dualsense integration, and beta tested by Xbox players. It will make their next console a hard sell against a PC, that will have with Steam cheap games and better games if you have a good one. Hard sell against a Nintendo that have some of the best IPs on the planet. And a hard sell against the market leader Sony, because they will be helping Sony with their games. It makes Gamepass a harder proposition because no more console tax to help pay for Gamepass. Time will tell but I hope that next week Xbox remember that the games are what matter. If I can get their games on PS5 and they are happy to take my money, good. If they are forced to do this to pay for the ABK merger, it will get ugly real fast.
 

FeralEcho

Member
After 20 years the investors seem to no longer tolerate Xbox losing money, I seriously doubt they're gonna waste any more of it on acquisitions
If they go full software you can bet your ass they will.They will want all the ROI,them going multiplatform will literally give investors wuat they want as they'll start actually making money on software.
 

FeralEcho

Member
As someone who buys Playstation consoles since 1999, Sony going full 2006 all over again is the thing I worry the most. We already have some examples of Sony's arrogance in the past years (lack of refunds, gatekeeping crossprogression and increasing the price of PS+ without giving their annual Black Friday discount), now imagine what would happen if they feel unbeatable.

There are already rumors of the PS5 Pro being priced at $600.
Exactly,they will be left unchecked.

They would literally be this.
GIF by South Park
 
When you think about, gamepass was such a stupid fucking idea. Like pissing money into a bottomless pit.

What was the endgame - own every developer and basically let Windows/Office subsidise all the games they produce in future!?
 

bitbydeath

Member
As someone who buys Playstation consoles since 1999, Sony going full 2006 all over again is the thing I worry the most. We already have some examples of Sony's arrogance in the past years (lack of refunds, gatekeeping crossprogression and increasing the price of PS+ without giving their annual Black Friday discount), now imagine what would happen if they feel unbeatable.

There are already rumors of the PS5 Pro being priced at $600.
I mean, that would be exciting. What new tech could they introduce? A new physical media that’s more like cartridges? Maybe let’s you hold 4-5 games at once? I’d switch back to physical for that.
 
Last edited:
When you think about, gamepass was such a stupid fucking idea. Like pissing money into a bottomless pit.

What was the endgame - own every developer and basically let Windows/Office subsidise all the games they produce in future!?
How do you figure?

Take someone like me for example...

I hardly use ever use Gamepass but have kept it for day 1 exclusives, multiplat online gaming, and use on PC.

It would be cheaper for me to just buy Starfield or whatever game is being realeased to Gamepass than to let it continue to charge every month. Yet that's exactly what has happened since 2020.

I suspect it happens with a lot of GP subscribers. Probably a very consistent revenue stream...
 

Generic

Member
When you think about, gamepass was such a stupid fucking idea. Like pissing money into a bottomless pit.

What was the endgame - own every developer and basically let Windows/Office subsidise all the games they produce in future!?
I like subscription services, it allows me to play more games for a lower price.
 

WildBoy

Member
When you think about, gamepass was such a stupid fucking idea. Like pissing money into a bottomless pit.

What was the endgame - own every developer and basically let Windows/Office subsidise all the games they produce in future!?
The end game was lowering barrier of entry for games. Something sony did the PS4 generation but is not now. The end game was having the subscriptions pay for the games development. But the issue is MS don't have time to build it which is unfortunate as it's been a great way to play games I loved in the past and games I have yet to discover that I love.
 

Stuart360

Member
All this is assuming that Microsoft won't ruin the developers and franchises they have like they did with Halo, Gears and Obsidian or that the developers they bought haven't been deteriorating for more than a decade and are now former shells of what they used to be. Bethesda, Arkane and Blizzard are just depressing now, the news about CoD seem terrible and the only new one they have that doesn't seem to be imploding is id soft
Not everyone feels like that, or has your unbiased views.
I really liked Halo Infinite, had over 80 hours into it and only stopped because of the lack of content. Gears 4 and 5 are solid game by a different studio, i prefer the orig trilogy but 4 and 5 are solid entries. I dont exactly know what your problem is with Obsidian as they have only released 2 games in Grounded and that medievil game i forget the name, and both reviewed very highly. Bethesda, well some people love or hate Starfield but i thought it was very good, and even if you think its bad, one game doesnt suddenly make a developer shit. Same with Arkane, they have multiple teams making different games, and one of those teams made Redfall, which i havent played but is supposedly shit so fair enough with that one, but again its one bad game from one of multiple teams. Blizzard i'll give you that, but they have been on a downward trend long before MS got them. And COD, dont play it and dont care about it.
 
I like subscription services, it allows me to play more games for a lower price.

Yes, but the end result is all the games designers have to take a pay cut (unlikely) or lots get fired (very likely) to maintain profits, and ultimately xbox dies it seems.

Even worse - if AAA publishers can’t turn a profit on release, they will look to make it up in microtransactions and ‘dlc’ like new game plus.

Sony’s model is better for everyone.
 
Last edited:
Microsoft has no choice but to put their games onto PS5 and the next Nintendo console, whatever it ends up being. There aren't enough XBOX console owners and PC owners purchasing their games to justify NOT expanding into other platforms. The Activision deal was humungous, they won't recoup the costs solely on XBOX.
 

Perrott

Member
As someone who buys Playstation consoles since 1999, Sony going full 2006 all over again is the thing I worry the most. We already have some examples of Sony's arrogance in the past years (lack of refunds, gatekeeping crossprogression and increasing the price of PS+ without giving their annual Black Friday discount), now imagine what would happen if they feel unbeatable.

There are already rumors of the PS5 Pro being priced at $600.
"Going 2006?"

You mean offering a fully backwards compatible hardware with multimedia and connectivity capabilities a generation ahead of the 360 plus internal storage and a free online network starting at just USD$499.99?

The PlayStation 3 was a great fucking deal and Kutaragi/Harrison's Sony a golden era for gaming. Don't try to rewrite history here.
 

stuminus3

Member
“Ecosystem” is a term marketing people use to sell you something that doesn’t yet (and may never) exist.
 

ResurrectedContrarian

Suffers with mild autism
ChatGPT said:
  • Xbox Fans' Concerns: Dedicated Xbox players, having invested heavily in the ecosystem, may feel left behind if Microsoft (MS) games become multiplatform. This shift could devalue their investment and create uncertainty about the future of Xbox consoles.
  • Microsoft's Implications: Adopting a multiplatform strategy could financially benefit Microsoft by widening its audience and increasing profitability on major titles. It might also facilitate acquisitions by easing regulatory concerns and cut costs associated with Xbox hardware development.
  • Industry Impact: The move could lead to further industry consolidation, potentially making Sony more dominant and less consumer-friendly due to reduced competition. It may also alter the market dynamics among major gaming companies.
  • View on Industry Shift: The shift is seen as detrimental to the industry, granting Microsoft too much power, undermining its fanbase's loyalty, and decreasing competition. This could lead to negative outcomes similar to Sony's early PS3 era, highlighting the importance of maintaining competitive balance.
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
"Going 2006?"

You mean offering a fully backwards compatible hardware with multimedia and connectivity capabilities a generation ahead of the 360 plus internal storage and a free online network starting at just USD$499.99?

The PlayStation 3 was a great fucking deal and Kutaragi/Harrison's Sony a golden era for gaming. Don't try to rewrite history here.

People have forgotten how MS nickle and dimed their fans with separately purchasable accessories that were all included on the PS3:

- wifi addon vs wifi builtin
- hdd kit vs user expandable hdd
- play and charge kit vs builtin battery pack in PS3 controller
- dvd drive and optional hd dvd addon vs blu-ray player builtin

The original Xbox 360 didn't even have digital video output (HDMI), it only came with analog video/audio output. And let's not forget about the incredibly loud DVD player. When I played my first ever Xbox 360 game in the DVD drive I was absolutely shocked by how much noise the damn thing made. Games ran from a DVD disc so it sounded like there was a Boeing taking off in my living room.
 

tommib

Gold Member
The horror! How could they! Let me know if you want to start a anti Sony movement.
Because selling consoles at a loss and subscription services that eat up game revenue has been working so great for the competition, right?

This Sony fear mongering is eye rolling. If anything, Sony might be back to investing in smaller, weirder and quirky titles and less on AAAA blockbuster Marvel crap because of a lesser threat from all the titles potentially hijacked with the Great Acquisitation Wars initiated by Microsoft. At this point, Microsoft games coming to Nintendo and Playstation is just potentially beneficial for all.

Personally, can't wait for Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment. Fantastic games that Sony has no interest in producing anymore. The last interesting and fresh new game Sony released this generation was Returnal and I'm afraid we won't see anything like it ever again.
 

Sorcerer

Member
I don't get the thing about being invested in the eco-system to the point one would suffer for it. All console generations end anyway and at some point, you make the descion about staying in your current eco-system, moving to another or being invested in more than one. Even backwards compatibility is a fantasy, unless you are on PC. At some point the console makers give up the ghost to some extent on that.
If Microsoft is going to Switch and Playstation, (already fully invested in PC). Just move to the console of choice.
 
Top Bottom