Microsoft Consoles and Updates

[one-armed dwarf]

I think they understand the implications but consider the hardware brand in too steep a decline at this point, and the opportunity cost of fixing that too great. 

 

Tho we still need to see what they actually announce next week I guess

[Maryokutai]

The stock problem is self-made though. Microsoft has gone out of their way to make physical games on their platform as unattractive as possible to people who care about that aspect of preservation. Games like Halo Infinite only having a launcher on the disc, every cross-gen game only having the Xbox One version on the disc, Hi-Fi Rush, Psychonauts 2 and Hellblade not even releasing at retail – and there's also the thing about them only using 50GB discs instead of 100GB (which Sony uses), which pushes third-parties towards letting people download the rest of the data instead of licensing a second disc per unit.

 

I honestly can't imagine all that being some oblivious byproduct of publishing management where they're now wondering why their consumer base is mostly buying digital games or going for the Gamepass route. They semi-forced people into that specific direction, so I doubt they're surprised at the current situation. At least I hope so, because otherwise they're pretty daft.

 

@regemond just a tiny detail, but both Sony and MS have had the opposing dev kits for years now, due to Minecraft on Xbox's side and MLB on Sony's side. I don't know why they made that point with CoD at the time, it never would have held up to scrutiny.

[Snaggletooth]

Well if MS content does come to ps then 0 reason to keep the xbox. 

 

I think its a really bizarre decision seeing most of their content is on gamepass, for sure the amount of users is massive but at £13 a month sub £9 on PC I cant see how that makes any money. 

 

Unless they jack up prices in future. 

[shinymcshine]

Wonder if (along with the CoD to NS) it might just be that GamePass Cloud Gaming goes cross platform - so you can access & play via another console (if your connection is good enough) but for the 'premium experience' (and to download & own) then you'll still need a MS console.

 

That'd open up some revenue streams (and minimise any conversion costs), but also keep a performance differential.

[Maf]

I have no idea how sustainable Gamepass is, but in theory it should do well, right? They wouldn’t have continued it for 5 years if it didn’t work. 
 

Unless because it’s Phil’s baby he is fudging the PnL to make it look good lol

 

 But last I heard they had 20 million subscribers, even if you just assume a flat 10$ pm, that’s 200mil per month, that’s 2 billion per year

 

Obviously that’s gross and god knows what the expenses, overheads, etc cost to run something like that. But I would assume that’s profitable. Again they’ve been doing it for years, and still sign big games to it. 
 

If Gamepass ever went to a different platform it would have to be a cut down, Xbox Studios version only. The 3rd parties would never sign a contract that would appear on Switch. They’re more than likely selling a version of the game on that platform

 

Mind about PS that do their own subscription service

 

I think the money issue is hardware and software sales. I don’t know this, but I assume the Gamepass bit is probably fine? 

[one-armed dwarf]

According to this it could have cost something like 12-15m USD per month to get GTAV on gamepass. It was on GP for only 6 months. 

 

https://rockstarintel.com/gta-v-to-leave-game-pass-2023/

 

So even if that's the most expensive deal they ever did, it ain't cheap to keep games on it. Maybe there's something in the player retention and/or growth that's spooking them

[Jimboxy]

36 minutes ago, Snaggletooth said:

Unless they jack up prices in future

this, but they then introduce an ad supported teir at the current price as well if you don't mind an advert interupting your game play every 60 minutes

[DANGERMAN]

I've not had an Xbox for a couple of generations, I've never been a fan of their consoles really (despite owning the first 2), and don't like how they do things. I don't like a lot of their 1st party, which is fine, if I liked that sort of stuff I'd have loved the 360, but PlayStation offered more arty feeling, or Japanese games.

 

I'm not even sure I see the fuss about the controller. The dpad, to me as I know there's plenty here who like it, is shit, and the controller isn't any better than the new PlayStation one 

 

However, I still think it'd be a shame for them to leave the console maker market without a replacement coming in. I don't trust them, I wouldn't want them being the dominant force, but we do need competition for the mainstream 

[HandsomeDead]

The console market might be in for a radical change if it's still around.  Maybe we get more open Steamdeck devices or even the idea of the Steambox gets dusted off again and we do just do end up with under the TV PCs.

[DANGERMAN]

1 hour ago, HandsomeDead said:

The console market might be in for a radical change if it's still around.  Maybe we get more open Steamdeck devices or even the idea of the Steambox gets dusted off again and we do just do end up with under the TV PCs.

When I've been to a couple of arcade places recently, a lot of the arcades are just that. Android or linnux based pcs with some emulator os. It's not inconceivable, although maybe not for high end stuff yet 

[one-armed dwarf]

It's the strategy that makes the most sense imo, and keeps xbox an attractive ecosystem to collect games on

 

But the cost of hardware to deliver that performance is too high right now maybe

 

edit apparently rumoured by a discord leaker who's leaked other things reliably, apparently

[Snaggletooth]

So if MS do pull out the console race that effectively leaves Sony alone. 

 

Would that be enough to push Nintendo to re enter that sector of the market, would a old or new pretender launch? would it be a good time for Apple to enter the console race? 

 

Or would Sony be left alone with no competition, which is never a good thing. 

[Maryokutai]

Microsoft 'opening up' Xbox as basically just an OS with certain hardware specifications that every company can build their own model of, like DVD or Bluray players, sounds like an intriguing idea and would definitely solve some issues, but there's also a lot of problems arising simultaneously (mostly around compatibility) and as long as other companies like Sony and Nintendo are keeping their walled garden approach, I don't really see a future for such a direction anyway.

 

Apple hopping in is an interesting thought. They are technically in a good spot to do so and could reposition Apple Arcade in a more prominent fashion. But it would be a hard fight to scrape away the vacuum left by Xbox, which as of now seems to just automatically be filled by Sony because the target audience overlaps almost 100%.

[shinymcshine]

That sounds like they are just reinventing the 3DO !!!

[Maf]

I’m still hoping it’s a temporary measure.

 

There’s more rumours today about the next gen Xbox in 2026, although I think that’s bullshit because we already saw the leaks due to the FTC case last year, they have some all digital thing coming and they expect the next gen boxes to be 2028. 

 

But regardless there’s more consoles. But you can’t have a traditional console without exclusives, I think today that’s true more than ever because of how expensive everything is. There’s fewer exclusives than before, but I think they’re more important now than before to make the console a must have thing. Which then brings the 3rd party support and the real money 
 

So if they’re still doing consoles, and they have all these studios, maybe this multi-platform thing is temporary. Cutting their losses this gen, get some cash, prepare better the next time around?

 

Or they have some crazy shit planned.
 

I dunno. But I hope it’s temporary 
 

 

[Maryokutai]

I don't know how they would recover from that though. Simply making literally everything, from Minecraft to CoD, exclusive again after those ten-year deals are over? I suppose that would be some 'powerplay' and not entirely improbable, but that would force them to at the very minimum keep up with Sony's first-part efforts over the span of a decade, so that people feel like they're put in front of any easy choice when Xbox pops back up. That's a huge gamble.

 

I wouldn't put much stock in those leaks anymore btw., they're pre-Covid, pre-ABK and pre-PS5 outselling Xbox 3:1.

[one-armed dwarf]

23 hours ago, one-armed dwarf said:

a decision forced down from above onto the gaming division

On this, more rumours

 

[mfnick]

Smart! Have people who aren’t involved in the gaming side & potentially not even know anything about the gaming market make the decision. Like it.

 

I mean that was basically Bobby Kotick and Jim Ryan really & they did ok with it. But still, my point stands. 

[shinymcshine]

TBF it sounds like a decision made from MS Corporate centre as they are likely fed up with the BS from Xbox management who probably kept saying "Oh but the projection of figures for next year look great....."

[Maf]

Makes me wonder if next Phil Spencer is out of a job. It’s all he’s responsibility