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[gokurho]

Summary by chatGPT
The Windows Central article discusses Xbox's strong finish to 2024, highlighting several key developments:
1. Record-Breaking Game Releases: 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' achieved unprecedented success, setting records for day-one players and significantly boosting Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.
2. Increased Player Engagement: Xbox reported record user engagement on its consoles, indicating a growing and active player base.
3. Strategic Market Expansion: The company experienced substantial growth in the Asian market, achieving its highest number of console players in the region.
4. Diverse Hardware Offerings: Xbox expanded its hardware lineup with new models, including a 1TB Xbox Series S (white), a disc-less 1TB Xbox Series X (white), and a 2TB Xbox Series X "Galaxy Black Special Edition," catering to a broader range of consumer preferences.
These developments have positioned Xbox favorably as it moves into 2025.

Xbox’s big comeback: Closing 2024 with strong momentum and new hope

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, STALKER 2, Indiana Jones, record engagement, and Xbox Game Pass success. Did anyone notice that Xbox is closing out 2024 on a bit of a roll?

www.windowscentral.com

I think Microsoft will be monitoring how Call of Duty Xbox Game Pass players behave in the coming months, because ultimately, if 100% of those players buy a month's worth of Xbox Game Pass, purchase zero microtransactions, and then bounce out of the game — it would perhaps hit the game's bottom line on Xbox's own ecosystem. However, it's unlikely that will be the case.

So far, there's absolutely no reason to think some of the "doom and gloom" apocalyptic Call of Duty Game Pass scenarios will materialize beyond angry social media discourse — indeed, from what my sources tell me, Xbox's ecosystem is currently the lead platform for Call of Duty Black Ops 6 engagement, despite also seeing massive growth on PlayStation and Steam

Further questions over Xbox's strategy don't seem to have disuaded developers from supporting team green, as evidenced by a variety of fresh third-party support throughout the summer and into the fall

I wrote an article decrying Capcom for opting against bringing its classic fighting game collections to Xbox, despite the fact many of them launched on the OG Xbox or Xbox 360. The discourse immediately shifted to questions over whether or not developers were arbitrarily skipping Xbox, due to a perceived lack of engagement or users. After doing some digging, I discovered some of the ports were being held back by technical reasons, a fact Capcom itself confirmed when it revealed that it is bringing their classic games to Xbox.

It feels like Xbox has been working tirelessly to ensure that Xbox customers aren't treated as second class citizens by major third-party publishers, and the work seems to be paying off in droves. Almost soon as I'd penned an article blasting Microsoft for failing to land Genshin Impact — Genshin Impact was announced for Xbox. I wrote previously my frustrations on Square Enix not supporting Xbox with its nostalgic Final Fantasy franchise, and we've seen Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters hit Xbox consoles, and a confirmation that Final Fantasy 16 is on the way for Xbox too.

I would say that Xbox is still regarded as a platform that has weaker exclusive games than its competitors, Nintendo and PlayStation both. That seemingly hasn't stopped the console from enjoying "record" engagement, despite a decrease in new players entering the ecosystem in favor of PC and smart devices. Indeed, PlayStation and Nintendo both reported year over year console hardware sales declines. The traditional console market has hit a saturation point ahead of what will likely be the slow roll-out of a new generation with the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025, with the possibility of an Xbox handheld on the horizon as well.

A lot of the fear and confusion around Xbox's platform has revolved around confidence in its hardware range. While some were certainly more tribalistic in their anger about Xbox putting its games onto PlayStation, there's a cold logic to the idea that if fewer people find the hardware compelling, fewer developers will make games, meaning fewer people will buy hardware — a death spiral, much like Windows Phone endured in the past. So far, however, there's no evidence to suggest any of this is taking place. Xbox console platforms have enjoyed record user engagement, year-over-year increases in transactions for third-party published games, and improved interest from major publishers that previously felt content to sit on PlayStation and other competing platforms. If Xbox wasn't in the game, we most certainly wouldn't be seeing Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy, and Death Stranding come across to the platform.

 

[adamsapple]

The Phil Spencer effect.

 

[ByWatterson]

 

[Oppoi]

Just imagine how well they would be doing if they had bought out the entire industry!

 

[DaleinCalgary]

Just imagine how well they would be doing if they had bought out the entire industry!

Revenue would be up

 

[bitbydeath]

 

[Loomy]

Unless they're going to release a new CoD game every quarter, let's pump the breaks a bit.

 

[Rush2112]

Long story short: It’s doing ok because of CoD

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

please, please, please dont fucking tell me is jez corden.

 

[Raziel]

 

[analog_future]

Not seeing it.

• Hellblade II was a commercial disaster
• Starfield: Shattered Space was a critical and commercial disaster
• Indiana Jones has been met with lukewarm previews
• The new Xbox Series X hardware that just released has been a complete flop

Game Pass subs are doing alright, which is good, and I do think things will eventually look up with all of these games from their acquisitions on the way, but I'd say Xbox today is in the worst spot they've been in since ~2016 right now.

 

[Sanepar]

Gamepass success? where are the numbers? same bullshit as always.

 

[DForce]

"By Jez Corden"

 

[onQ123]

Have fun with the delusion

 

[Bloody Crow of Cainhurst]

At the start of this year, it was foretold that Xbox would be absolutely dominant over Playstation. Yet, all we have so far is Hellblade 2, BOPs 6, and an Indiana Jones trailer. Meanwhile, 4 out of 5 GOTY frontrunners are unplayable on Xbox platforms.

 

[begotten]

Yeah but hows the hardware sales coming along

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

"By Jez Corden"

Well, we know his shitty opinions age like milk. 2-4 weeks for the "momentum" to reveal itself as a snowball going downhill.

 

[ap_puff]

 

[MatrixReloaded101]

Besides COD black ops 6 I am really curious to know what games performed best for them this year.

 

[Kacho]

I agree that Xbox is closing out 2024 strong with Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones as timed console exclusives. But that's not going to change their momentum or fix the problems with their ecosystem.

Game Pass being their primary growth driver continues to be a head scratching strategy since it clearly isn't moving the needle.

 

[reinking]

plenty of cause for optimism​

I cracked the code. It has to be sung to the tune of the avocados from Mexico jingle.

 

[StereoVsn]

Poor Xbox, it doesn’t exist for FT. And they are releasing new model for the Holidays as well.

I am too lazy to edit this but just imagine it’s Phil.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

That's an awful lot of words to not talk about profitability.

 

[BoxFresh123]

Positive stuff from Jez..............must be bad MS news incoming in the next few weeks.

 

[@gkTH]

At the end of 2025: Xbox successfully exits gaming business.

 

[freefornow]

Xbox

 

[azertydu91]

 

[diffusionx]

Indiana Jones doesn't look good, though.

You know I'm right.

 

[Synastry]

Both articles release in the same day.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

A Jez article? Lmao

That guy is the biggest Xbox shill on twitter. He was always going to say this.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Both articles release in the same day.

Yup. All from american sources as well

 

[ProtoByte]

Indiana Jones doesn't look good, though.

You know I'm right.

Nothing in their lineup looks like a 9+ out of 10 game.

 

[ZehDon]

Sure, Call of Duty gave them some nice green up arrows in their reports, but I wouldn't go so far as to say Xbox has a "ton of momentum".

 

[angrod14]

Xbox selling at Ouya levels.

 

[Valonquar]

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Wild propaganda which unfortunately works with a segment that wants to believe it.

CoD did nothing to move the needle on Xbox hardware, so at best you've created more GamePass subscribers on PC. CoD sales are down on both PC and Xbox. So you're trading revenue from premium sales for revenue from subscriptions, and the crossover among existing subscribers is an absolute killer.

Engagement means nothing from long term subscribers who weren't likely to leave in the first place and there is no evidence as of yet of any significant increase in subscribers.

This thread should be locked on the grounds that it is pure propaganda. No offense to the OP.

 

[salva]

 

[Brigandier]

This guy really is the dictionary definition of toxic positivity... Xbox is literally on life support.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

At the start of this year, it was foretold that Xbox would be absolutely dominant over Playstation. Yet, all we have so far is Hellblade 2, BOPs 6, and an Indiana Jones trailer. Meanwhile, 4 out of 5 GOTY frontrunners are unplayable on Xbox platforms.

Just wait for next year bro. It's always next year.

 

[Zacfoldor]

Indiana Jones, hold up….let us not get ahead of ourselves. I saw some jank in those cut scenes that would never fly at naughty dog, let’s see how the rest of the game fares.

 

[Katatonic]

 

[MayauMiao]

 

[ExtendEmbraceExtinguish]

Just imagine how well they would be doing if they had bought out the entire industry!

They just need EA & T2 for now.

 

[Unknown?]

This reminds me of all the talking heads on TV saying the economy is great when we are in a recession.

 

[Bloody Crow of Cainhurst]

The last sentence starts with "Did anyone notice?" lmao, no, nobody else has noticed this

 

[playbignbox]

CoD BO6 was one of MS's few hits this year... I'd say they have a ton of momentum for 2025 if Indiana Jones, Flight Simulator and Stalker 2 are very well received at the end of the year.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

The last sentence starts with "Did anyone notice?" lmao, no, nobody else has noticed this

Microsoft is looking at Q4 sales and they don't look good. They're desperate to jar up some goodwill and get people to buy this holiday season.

 

[Caffeine]

Before everyone shits on Indiana Jones don't forget its the wolfenstein devs but yes I want what Jez is smoking

 

[Topher]

Kind of hilarious that Jez Corden is highlighting a timed exclusive here when I've seen him wag his finger at timed exclusives in the past.

Yup. All from american sources as well

I'm missing the point I think, but Jez Corden is English.

 

[Magic Carpet]

I'm trying to play Spyro Reignited Trilogy, But it's just so oooooold.