• 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.

Phil Spencer: announcement this week

GHG

Member
I have 672 Xbox games. Even if every game is $5 that's over $3000. Tons of those were not $5, they were $70. But yes, I'm counting on cheap games and preservation making it worth the stiff upfront hardware cost.

Keep an eye out for giveaways and join steamgifts. Believe me when I say you will be able to get most games that are >5 years old for under $5 a pop, if not for free if the game has been part of a bundle at some stage.
 

Aaron Olive

Member
Lol the guy who had an interview with Spencer riiiiight before all hell broke loose and didn't manage to do anything beyond soft-ball questions.

He could have been the guy who uncovers the greatest gaming exclusive news of all time, but he decided to opt for cuckholdery.
The Wire GIF

Shit.... if what's happening next week goes full portfolio, this could make their studios excluding ATVB some money, Xbox didn't sell this past Christmas so... no return on investment!

Walmart removing the Xbox section too it's over!

Xbox next week...
1. We're going full digital!


2.
2zFzt20.jpg

This is on Xbox Website right Now!
 
Last edited:

Astray

Member
Shit.... if what's happening next week goes full portfolio, this could make their studios excluding ATVB some money, Xboxes didn't sell this past Christmas so no return on investment!
For Bethesda It's just restoring order, these guys had at least %30-50 of their revenue coming from Playstation and this dude came in and cut that off (which impacts bonuses for people). Pete Hines quit for a reason imo.

For XGS it's probably a god-send because their service-y games are about to flourish, things like Forza Horizon or Sea of Thieves would greatly welcome the influx of players.

For ABK it's basically business as usual, but now with contractor bullshit and workforce getting cut while adding further workloads via deals with Nintendo and all those no-name streaming platforms.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
He says we are listening and hear u on his tweet. All info came from xbox fanboys on X or sites linked to Xbox. And now they will have an event with Geoff next week? Yeah I still think this is a marketing trap.
Then you need to take some marketing classes, because you obviously have no clue what you are talking about. What Xbox is doing right now is literally the DUMBEST thing. Trolling is fun for online keyboard warriors, but when it comes to running a business it's absolutely terrible. These 3rd party rumors are VERY damaging to the Xbox brand and anytime damaging info is out there you squash it quickly. Phil had an opportunity yesterday to do that. He could have come out and flatly denied them, which the rabid fanboys would have eaten up and that would have dropped the temperature drastically. That would have been the smart thing.

What does he do? He tells everyone that "he hears them and will talk about it next week" allowing another week for all this news to go crazy and boil and further damaging a brand that is on life support. He doesn't come remotely close to shutting down any of these rumors/reports. In this case a non-denial is more or less a confirmation.

C'mon man.

The ONLY thing I can lend some credence to is that maybe they are letting everything out of the bag right now, so that when the actual announcement is made that maybe it won't seem as bad. That has a slight possibility, but I don't buy it.

I will also say with the caveat, that Xbox has been so incompetently run these last 10 years by all these morons that they could just be dumbasses.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
You really think that's what they could announce next week?
I don't know if this will be in play for next week or not but everything we have seen points to Xbox wanting an all digital future, their physical sales are way down compared to Playstation

I think the doom and gloom with so many green rats jumping ship and so many blue bloods celebrating is greatly exaggerated

There is a strong possibility Phil mentions their future hardware intentions next week
 

GHG

Member
I don't know if this will be in play for next week or not but everything we have seen points to Xbox wanting an all digital future, their physical sales are way down compared to Playstation

I think the doom and gloom with so many green rats jumping ship and so many blue bloods celebrating is greatly exaggerated

There is a strong possibility Phil mentions their future hardware intentions next week

Yep, think exactly the same as well:

I think they will announce "plans" for new hardware next week in order to keep people invested while they remain in a transitional state.

Think similar to the project scorpio/scarlett reveals, nothing concrete or set in stone but just enough to keep people hanging on.

What I have doubts about though is whether they actually follow through on any hardware they might announce.
 
Last edited:

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Oh look, the usual "search for history, pick a post and make it out of context". What point are you even trying to make to begin with ? Admitting that Series S was a good choice and that Game Pass makes money is possible without being a fan of either. This is simply called being unbiased.
If those were such great choices, why are Xbox suffering today? 🤔
Sorry but I don't care much about the future of Xbox. This is only a video-game console you know...
3009773e0673271d3738b7d4b9cebbb0.gif
 

Mr.Phoenix

Member
Not talking about GHG here, because he usually is very balanced with his posts. But the rest? Oooff. Celebrating like their team won the "game" and calling people sheep etc. etc.

MS bit more that they could chew, not they're going to have to lay down and play with what they have which implies going 3rd party, that's all that is to it. No reason to gloat and act like children as they contributed something for it....
The "gloating" is because people have been saying this would happen for years. People have been having an endless number of conversations with I am guessing people like you (I don't know for certain)... telling them that gamepass was unsustainable and that everything MS was saying in contrary to that fact was a lie and just PR BS that a lot of people here were just gobbling up.

Its not gloating, its vindication. We cannot suddenly start pretending like there were not a shit ton of posters on here that have been heralding how great gamepass is and how Xbox is doing better than ever.
More cherry picking. I picked Game Pass because it was cheap for 3 years, and I have never liked subscriptions overall. All of which can be found in my post history as well. Strangely enough you didn't find these !

And again Series S and Game Pass are perfectly fine, doesn't mean I have a passion for them.
Dude just stop. It takes a big person to admit they were wrong. Just stop.
 
Deleted my credit card from the MS store. Guess I'll probably not be buying any games for the next several months or rest of the year. Have a large backlog. Plan is to set aside $200 a month and get a gaming PC before the end of the year. I've got GP until 2026 so I guess I'll have whatever comes on that coming in new. The real downside is going to be rebuilding my library after that, but I expect that will take a decade. Xbox will stay hooked up for that reason. If I get too bored I might try Gamefly for my PS5 for Dragon's Dogma / Stella Blade, but I'm not buying any more console games that aren't Nintendo 1st party.
You act like your console is going to be forcibly taken away from you. You will be able to play your library in the upcoming weeks; don't worry.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
The "gloating" is because people have been saying this would happen for years. People have been having an endless number of conversations with I am guessing people like you (I don't know for certain)... telling them that gamepass was unsustainable and that everything MS was saying in contrary to that fact was a lie and just PR BS that a lot of people here were just gobbling up.

Its not gloating, its vindication. We cannot suddenly start pretending like there were not a shit ton of posters on here that have been heralding how great gamepass is and how Xbox is doing better than ever.

Dude just stop. It takes a big person to admit they were wrong. Just stop.
Will these same people admit they were wrong when full 3rd party doesn't happen?

I think some are taking victory laps way too soon, I would pull the reigns back a little
 
Will these same people admit they were wrong when full 3rd party doesn't happen?

I think some are taking victory laps way too soon, I would pull the reigns back a little

Full or partial, doesn't change anything...

Once they open up the floodgates to Nintendo and Sony platforms, the end of Xbox hardware will be inevitable.

It's just a question of when
 
Last edited:

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Full or partial, doesn't change anything...

Once they opened up the floodgates to Nintendo and Sony platforms, the end of Xbox hardware will be inevitable.

It's just a question of when
Like people have been saying for YEARS?

Next gen could very well be their last, beats me but there was a sense of calm delivered last night so going to be interested these next couple of weeks

I don't think the green ship is sinking quite as fast as some has hoped
 

DJ12

Member
Will these same people admit they were wrong when full 3rd party doesn't happen?

I think some are taking victory laps way too soon, I would pull the reigns back a little
I think that's asking it to drag on too long.

When the next box fails because its not a Sony or Nintendo device and MS do go full third party, do the people who were apologised to then have to come back an apologise to the people that apologised to them.
 

Hugare

Member
Which is why they won't be back and people need to stop psyching themselves out about it.

@cireza

You aren't disproving what's been said as you continue to lash out at people.
They would also be stupid to order the development of 13 GAAS games from their most prestigious studios known for singleplayer games, and waste 4 years of Naughty Dog's dev time on a GAAS game that will never be released.

Or releasing a portable device that no one asked for (PS Portal). Or wasting R&D on a device that was basicaly sent to die (PSVR 2)

Sony has made a bunch of dumb decisions on the past. So we should be wary.
 
Last edited:

Mr Moose

Member
Interesting, and for me is GTA. They announced it, but no platforms were announced.
Not sure if late and someone else responded but:

Welcome to Leonida​

Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet. Coming 2025 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
 
Like people have been saying for YEARS?

Next gen could very well be their last, beats me but there was a sense of calm delivered last night so going to be interested these next couple of weeks

I don't think the green ship is sinking quite as fast as some has hoped

Well in the last 3 days it has been sinking very fast....

It won't take a lot of time after the official announcement next week
 

ShaiKhulud1989

Gold Member
Will these same people admit they were wrong when full 3rd party doesn't happen?

I think some are taking victory laps way too soon, I would pull the reigns back a little
Oh, but it will happen. Not overnight, but in due course.

Otherwise I can't see a way to recoup almost $100 billions of investments+yearly running cost of XGS (few billions for sure) in the near millenia.
 

Sanepar

Member
Then you need to take some marketing classes, because you obviously have no clue what you are talking about. What Xbox is doing right now is literally the DUMBEST thing. Trolling is fun for online keyboard warriors, but when it comes to running a business it's absolutely terrible. These 3rd party rumors are VERY damaging to the Xbox brand and anytime damaging info is out there you squash it quickly. Phil had an opportunity yesterday to do that. He could have come out and flatly denied them, which the rabid fanboys would have eaten up and that would have dropped the temperature drastically. That would have been the smart thing.

What does he do? He tells everyone that "he hears them and will talk about it next week" allowing another week for all this news to go crazy and boil and further damaging a brand that is on life support. He doesn't come remotely close to shutting down any of these rumors/reports. In this case a non-denial is more or less a confirmation.

C'mon man.

The ONLY thing I can lend some credence to is that maybe they are letting everything out of the bag right now, so that when the actual announcement is made that maybe it won't seem as bad. That has a slight possibility, but I don't buy it.

I will also say with the caveat, that Xbox has been so incompetently run these last 10 years by all these morons that they could just be dumbasses.
I can't see the damage because if they put their games on other consoles they will make a ton of money. Switch and ps combined have 250 mi maus. Xbox at best 30mi(combining pc players who uses xbox store on pc)
And with all this they will have atention from fans of all brands next week on this event.
 
Last edited:

midnightAI

Member
Will these same people admit they were wrong when full 3rd party doesn't happen?

I think some are taking victory laps way too soon, I would pull the reigns back a little
I'd pull them back a lot, I honestly think the messaging will be exactly the same as before, some select titles will be cross platform (now whether you choose to believe the messaging or not is another story).

However that message is perhaps different than what people initial thought, that was we would get COD and maybe some other games that were expected before the acquisitions, if there are a lot more games and included are major first party games like Halo or Gears (however unlikely) then that is a big change in my opinion as that then means nothing is off the table.
 
Last edited:
It's 2024 and Spencer and co are putting the Xbox console out to pasture yet I'm still seeing some of the faithful blame Don Mattrick lmao.

Could you find anyone more useless to give an $80bn war chest to than Phil Spencer?
 
We are seeing this play out in real time.


Timdog is hosting a call on Twitter and it's fucking hilarious at the amount of coping.


This tweet nails it. I actually fear for some of them like...this guy:



You can tell that they are all mentally unstable. Jez is not okay and you can feel the bad vibes all over that tweet. And yes, people love "good guy Phil" and he and his team decided it was a good idea to have some influencers on their payroll, like a cult but that's dangerous. You create a following like this and it will always backfire on you later on.

I remember when everyone was hating on Jim Ryan and Sony for being "quiet" and not having anyone like Phil...but while Phil was throwing shit at the wall and telling everyone what they wanted to hear, Jim and PS studios in general were delivering quality games, content, hardware. They always let their work speak for itself and in the end, when all is said and done that's what matters and that's why people buy these consoles. Not PR talk.

Phil has been ahead of Xbox for over 10 years...over 1 fucking decade. And for a decade he's been using twitter to create this cult of followers. They are the first ones to defend him...but they will also be the first ones to drag him once things go sideways. That's what's happening right now. MS is doing the one thing they depend on: removing their exclusive games from their plastic box and delivering them to their main competitor. These guys won't be doing okay from now on. Their entire engagement is all about that...and they will now lose it.
 
You act like your console is going to be forcibly taken away from you. You will be able to play your library in the upcoming weeks; don't worry.
Im sure it will be available for download. I'm not buying any more games for it though. Just too much instability. With no exclusives the console demand will collapse. Then 3rd party support will collapse. Then GP will collapse. I already am fed up with PS and it will likely just get worse. Really no other choice for me. Just getting a PS6 will be 550+ then add 100 a year for online and youre close to the cost of a PC already. I'm just over it. Xbox will stay hooked up for 10 years as I slowly rebuild.

Looking forward to Starfield on PC. If thats my favorite game last year, thats where all the mods will be. I bought and supported all the consoles for 35 years and its just not worth it anymore. Things will just get worse.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Like people have been saying for YEARS?

Next gen could very well be their last, beats me but there was a sense of calm delivered last night so going to be interested these next couple of weeks

I don't think the green ship is sinking quite as fast as some has hoped
But is that sense of calm because Xbox will continue to operate as it has been or because they now have a path forward to increase their profit?

I'm pretty sure the execs in Xbox would be pretty happy (and calm) after finalizing this new strategy as it gives the division (and Microsoft) more profits.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
You really think that's what they could announce next week?
I don't think even Microsoft knows what they want to do.
I can forsee a few possibilities:
1. Xbox confirms that many games will come to PS5/Switch (if possible), but there will be a delay and Gamepass subscribers will still get their copies Day 1.
2. Xbox only confirms HiFi Rush and Sea of Thieves. All leakers have an egg on their face. Says nothing else.
 

NickFire

Member
Like people have been saying for YEARS?

Next gen could very well be their last, beats me but there was a sense of calm delivered last night so going to be interested these next couple of weeks

I don't think the green ship is sinking quite as fast as some has hoped
What’s your take on the relative silence from MS when their passionate “content creator” fans are suggesting a bunch of their biggest games are going multiplatform? Maybe I’m reading too much into it and they are taking the less is more approach on the PR stuff. Just feels like really weird timing to me to go almost silent. There is definitely a lot of chatter among enthusiasts which is not good for the brand if it becomes an accepted street narrative IMO.
 
Im sure it will be available for download. I'm not buying any more games for it though. Just too much instability. With no exclusives the console demand will collapse. Then 3rd party support will collapse. Then GP will collapse. I already am fed up with PS and it will likely just get worse. Really no other choice for me. Just getting a PS6 will be 550+ then add 100 a year for online and youre close to the cost of a PC already. I'm just over it. Xbox will stay hooked up for 10 years as I slowly rebuild.

Looking forward to Starfield on PC. If thats my favorite game last year, thats where all the mods will be. I bought and supported all the consoles for 35 years and its just not worth it anymore. Things will just get worse.
You don't need to "support" anything; they are just corpos that want your money only. You also don't need to rebuild your library; you already have your Xbox library to play with if you want; you don't need to buy the same games again elsewhere.
 
Last edited:

Mr.Phoenix

Member
Well in the last 3 days it has been sinking very fast....

It won't take a lot of time after the official announcement next week
The official announcement wouldn't be a clear admission of defeat and them saying they are pulling out of the hardware console business. Naaaa, far from it. MS simply lacks that kinda grace.

They will double down, and promise how important consoles are to them and how they have great plans for the future of Xbox. They will downplay how they are bringing games to other platforms, and dress it behind how they have heard the gamers, and that they are basically bringing the stuff that would have come to other platforms anyway. And while at it, introducing that vast audience to some of the older stuff from the xbox library. And how they are pro gamers and doing this for the gamers. How we all win when everyone plays.

Then over the next couple of years, when they are making a killing from releasing their games on Playstation, they just start talking less and less about Xbox hardware. They just start marketing it less. Pushing it less. Then people wait indefinitely for the announcements of new Xbox hardware that never come.

When this whole thing will hit home, will be some 5-6 years from now, when an Xbox studio AAA game is released, that only has a PC and PS6 version.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
But is that sense of calm because Xbox will continue to operate as it has been or because they now have a path forward to increase their profit?

I'm pretty sure the execs in Xbox would be pretty happy (and calm) after finalizing this new strategy as it gives the division (and Microsoft) more profits.
Not sure of their path but I have said here several times in the past Phil reached out to Sony about getting games on PS for years plus I am still very confident they are doubling down on their hardware which (to me) signals not full 3rd party

I am very interested in this talk next week more today than I was yesterday

What’s your take on the relative silence from MS when their passionate “content creator” fans are suggesting a bunch of their biggest games are going multiplatform? Maybe I’m reading too much into it and they are taking the less is more approach on the PR stuff. Just feels like really weird timing to me to go almost silent. There is definitely a lot of chatter among enthusiasts which is not good for the brand if it becomes an accepted street narrative IMO.
Honestly their silence was odd with how long Phil waited to make a statement
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Like people have been saying for YEARS?

Next gen could very well be their last, beats me but there was a sense of calm delivered last night so going to be interested these next couple of weeks

I don't think the green ship is sinking quite as fast as some has hoped
C'mon dude, you know this is different.

The perception of the brand is now that it is dying. Good luck increasing sales/subscribers now that the stench of death of hanging over them.
 
This tweet nails it. I actually fear for some of them like...this guy:



You can tell that they are all mentally unstable. Jez is not okay and you can feel the bad vibes all over that tweet. And yes, people love "good guy Phil" and he and his team decided it was a good idea to have some influencers on their payroll, like a cult but that's dangerous. You create a following like this and it will always backfire on you later on.

I remember when everyone was hating on Jim Ryan and Sony for being "quiet" and not having anyone like Phil...but while Phil was throwing shit at the wall and telling everyone what they wanted to hear, Jim and PS studios in general were delivering quality games, content, hardware. They always let their work speak for itself and in the end, when all is said and done that's what matters and that's why people buy these consoles. Not PR talk.

Phil has been ahead of Xbox for over 10 years...over 1 fucking decade. And for a decade he's been using twitter to create this cult of followers. They are the first ones to defend him...but they will also be the first ones to drag him once things go sideways. That's what's happening right now. MS is doing the one thing they depend on: removing their exclusive games from their plastic box and delivering them to their main competitor. These guys won't be doing okay from now on. Their entire engagement is all about that...and they will now lose it.

😄 Why do too many of these diehard Xbox fans look the same? The video of the guy that had been crying in his car over this looks like Jez Corden and Jeff Grubb.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
C'mon dude, you know this is different.

The perception of the brand is now that it is dying. Good luck increasing sales/subscribers now that the stench of death of hanging over them.
Maybe, we shall see

My perception is far from Xbox is dying as a brand but I also try not to be a console warrior type.
 
The official announcement wouldn't be a clear admission of defeat and them saying they are pulling out of the hardware console business. Naaaa, far from it. MS simply lacks that kinda grace.

I know but I don't expect people to fall for their lies again this time, at least I hope so...

Once they announce a Starfield port to PS5 a few months after release, only an idiot would believe that they care about their hardware at this point
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Speculating about next week's announcement of business strategy - how exactly do they roll this out?

  1. Do they announce their future hardware roadmap? Yes, I think they must to assure fans they aren't leaving altogether, but to what extent? Do they announce a future OEM approach that's more PC-like?

  2. Do they announce everything is third party from here on out, with Xbox hardware having some advantage with GamePass? Or do they trickle it at first to only a handful of select titles? It's weird how the rumor mill has been spinning for all the major releases Xbox has (outside of Forza).

  3. Are they third party day and date, or console exclusive for a window?
So many questions, it almost just makes sense to rip the bandaid off and go full third party and be 100% transparent about their plans. None of this "well, some titles may or may not" nonsense. But going full bore basically signals to consumers that you might as well get a PS5 instead of an Xbox. So can we really expect them to fully relinquish console competitiveness to such a massive degree? Maybe yes, if Microsoft is raising the white flag after so much failed investment.

Whatever MS announces next week, it's going to destroy trust or even kill the brand. I don't think Xbox fan will keep faith in their favorite console when MS announces one or more of the following options ...

... MS 1st party games will go multi-platform on a case by case basis
... a new, more expensive Gamepass tier for day 1 Xbox/PC games
... Future 1st party games will hit Gamepass not on day 1 but a year later
... OEMs are going to produce Xbox clones

Any of these options will create the impression that MS has lost faith in Xbox and that ultimately all of Microsoft's first party games will be released on PS5, so why buy Xbox? There'll be less and less people choosing Xbox, both console and software sales will decline even faster. Third party software publishers won't see the point anymore of supporting Xbox, especially when MS is switching from platform owner to outright competitor.

In my view it's the end of Xbox as a viable console platform. And I think that the economics of Xbox as a cloud platform are even more questionable. I don't see how Microsoft and Sony can turn this into a profitable business considering the enormous operational costs.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Not sure of their path but I have said here several times in the past Phil reached out to Sony about getting games on PS for years plus I am still very confident they are doubling down on their hardware which (to me) signals not full 3rd party
They can double down on their hardware. I'm sure Phil will paint a rosy picture in this event how they remain committed to the Xbox community and hardware, and how Xbox consoles will remain the best way to play Xbox games.

However, I believe that the reality of the market situation will squeeze them out of the hardware business -- even if they do not wish it.

Xbox consoles will become an extremely odd consumer choice once they port their games (even a few of them) to PlayStation. Ultimately, the market share will become so insignificant that it won't be financially viable to continue with the hardware.
 

Elysium44

Banned
I don't think even Microsoft knows what they want to do.
I can forsee a few possibilities:
1. Xbox confirms that many games will come to PS5/Switch (if possible), but there will be a delay and Gamepass subscribers will still get their copies Day 1.
2. Xbox only confirms HiFi Rush and Sea of Thieves. All leakers have an egg on their face. Says nothing else.

The leakers wouldn't have egg on their face in the second scenario, unless Xbox unequivocally denies it and rules out it ever happening, which I don't see them doing.

I expect we'll get vague weasel words like we usually do, and have to try and read between the lines what is really happening. The only way the damage can be limited is if we get absolute clarity. Personally I think the damage is done, it's terminal and it's all over bar the shouting.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
But what will happen to Digital Foundry without their comparison videos?
It's gonna be ps5 vs pc on every comparison and Alyx proudly presenting his chub on.
@TGO Are you making the hype train for Phil Spencer announcement next week?

And who is making making the food & beverages thread for it? 😂

I'll take a ticket.
C'mon dude, you know this is different.

The perception of the brand is now that it is dying. Good luck increasing sales/subscribers now that the stench of death of hanging over them.

There is literally 0 perception to anyone outside of the most invested gamers. You are talking at maximum thousands of people across social media. Not millions of everyday people.

Microsofts golden goose is and has been gamepass for years. Tvs come with gamepass subs now. It's definitely stagnated but we need to see what happens.

One year of poor hardware sales does not mean xbox is dead. And I mean xbox as the overall department. Xbox game studios.
 
Top Bottom