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Microsoft Business Update Podcast | OT | SEGABOX |

Danknugz

Member
Not sure who you're talking about, tbh.

If you're talking about Xbox, then sure, we've seen people have severe meltdowns for the past two weeks.

On the side of Playstation, I've never seen anyone take any of it serious, tbh.

Not saying there aren't people like that, they're present in all fanbases, but anyone who has been paying attention didn't take Xbox seriously since the second half of the PS3/X360 gen.
I see a lot of concern from playstation fans who clearly have napoleon syndrome from both the series x power and the big acquisitions. Occasionally I see xbox people crying that they can't spend time with a girlfriend simulator in TLOU games.
 

Wulfer

Member
Friday Movie GIF
That's Gold!
 
Super disappointing. Spent the whole time talking about how having more customers benefits them and benefits creators. Spent basically zero time talking about the benefit of being locked into their ecosystem. All they even said is Gamepass, but that's also on PC.

Talked about playing what you own on any screen, but that seems to be only cloud. Talked about multiple entitlements, but I don't really know what that means. Do I own PC copies of these games? No idea. Asked a direct question about concerns regarding digital library ownership, and all he managed to say is that its more reliable and more in depth on PC, but they "respect" it. So nothing.

Spent the whole time talking about things that benefit everyone not on an Xbox while saying Xbox is their core business.

Felt like they held back and carefully parsed their words the entire time. It honestly cleared up nothing. 4 games now, but they obviously can do anything after 1 year. Anything GAAS for sure.

Said Activision shit is coming to GP, but mentioned 1 game.

D -. Basically the only benefit of an Xbox is GP. Basically made the case to just get a PC where GP is cheaper, digital ownership and BC is better, and you get more games that are skipping Xbox.
 
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CamHostage

Member
So it's Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and...? Some other "community driven" game. Halo? Grounded?

Grounded makes sense to me. Expand its player base, add to its income, don't worry about the brand implications so much since it's not a franchise that the Xbox name necessarily banks on.

It's weird though that there's not a pattern to these games being ported yet. It'd make sense if it was just Bethesda games since that's still a "publisher" and it has to justify its bottom line even though it's owned by Microsoft now, but then Sea of Thieves is in there from Rare/Xbox. It'd make sense if it was GAAS or other multiplayer games since the goal of those is always to expand the player base and drive for whales to invest time and money into the product over an extended period of time, but then Hi-Fi and Pentiment aren't that at all. It'd make sense for this to just be small indie'ish games that, like Minecraft and Psychonauts, (although it's weird that MS is claiming Psychonauts as a great experiment in multiplatform when it was always going to be multiplat before the purchase, same with Bethesda's Deathloop and Ghostwire, and Psychonauts could have suffered a PR backlash if they had canned Figged versions even if they could break the contracts,) but Sea of Thieves is a flagship title by a core Xbox developer. All of these games are pretty safe in terms of not diminishing much the clarity of what an Xbox gamer is by putting them on non-Xbox platforms. (The overall effect is souring the fanbase, but the specific titles so far make sense to me as flippable, particularly the Bethesda games... Rare also put Game Boy games on a Nintendo platform even under MS way back when, so I guess there's precedent for that too?) Still, I don't have a feel for what this is as a business directive besides an experiment. What games are for sure Xbox games, what games are Xbox launch games with expansion potential, and what is the direction of the Xbox business if it's not just Xbox? This business briefing gave us little insight into what the gameplan is other than to reassure us that there will still be an Xbox to game on.
 
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Mr Moose

Member
34 million Gamepass users, thats a new high no? They looked kinda nervous, specially Phil at the start.
34 million gamepass subscribers and its still at 25 million according to Gaf 🤣
They moved over Xbox Live Gold to Gamepass.
Xbox Live Gold is becoming Xbox Game Pass Core starting September 14.
 
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Sooo, they managed to talk about the new Xbox and announce 4 games that are going multiplat…and people really believe this wasn’t damage control and a way to redirect people thinking they aren’t going full multi platform?

Okayyy…this whole last two weeks has been damage control and this is just Spence licking your nipple with foreplay to lessen the sting of full blown multiplat. If you think otherwise, you are seriously daft.
 
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Variahunter

Member
I honestly just want the Rare collection from them.
They can't even port the game on PC.
Literally the only interesting game for me, aside from Starfield that I bought (what a mistake...) on Steam, and probably TES VI.
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
I think the latter part of the video where they talk about the NEED to grow or DIE is more pertinent. He says we have to reach more players and thats why we are porting these games. Then Tom Warren says oh its just a bunch of smaller games like Hifi Rush, Grounded and Pertinent. Im sorry but how much growth/revenue are they getting from these games?

In order for them to grow, they will need to port the big boys. Plain and simple. This is just damage control. Start out small like Gears and Quantum Break then release everything day one.

Yep. The higher the budget, the more likely it is that game will go multiplatform. Xbox/Game Pass is hardly growing and therefore not big enough to create modern AAA games. Xbox fans just need to accept games going to other platforms because the alternative is AAA games becoming AA games (which means lay offs and studio closures).
 

Portugeezer

Member
I think the latter part of the video where they talk about the NEED to grow or DIE is more pertinent. He says we have to reach more players and thats why we are porting these games. Then Tom Warren says oh its just a bunch of smaller games like Hifi Rush, Grounded and Pertinent. Im sorry but how much growth/revenue are they getting from these games?

In order for them to grow, they will need to port the big boys. Plain and simple. This is just damage control. Start out small like Gears and Quantum Break then release everything day one.
Seems like they're gonna do on PS5 what Sony does with PC.

Not a bad idea if they really can't compete in the traditional console space.
 

wolffy66

Member
It's probably gonna depend on sales. But if these 4 games start making big money, we're gonna see more obviously.

It's getting difficult to argue against PC. There used to be the argument that you couldn't play or communicate with friends on other platforms when you were on PC. But that has went away now, crossplay and communication options like discord have solved those problems.

Ease of play on your TV is the one and only advantage consoles have and that edge is getting smaller and smaller every day.
 

Killjoy-NL

Member
I see a lot of concern from playstation fans who clearly have napoleon syndrome from both the series x power and the big acquisitions. Occasionally I see xbox people crying that they can't spend time with a girlfriend simulator in TLOU games.
What concern?
What Series X power?

The big acquisitions play a major part in Xbox releasing more and more games on Playstation and Nintendo.
Or did you only focus on the positive spin of "Xbox as a platform", but spaced out at "as a platform"?

I can already guarantee you that I'll be playing Hellblade 2 on PS5.
 
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DJ12

Member
Yup. Sony fans blew this way out of proportion. The only thing of any interest from this that was actually said is there's 34 million gamepass players and ABK games are coming to gamepass starting March 28th.
Yeah, those pesky Sony fans, Parris, Timdog, Colt, Gaz.....

I am pleased for you if you think this is it.

Means there will be more meltdowns in the near future.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
I think the real question is, how do the fans feel about this.

Are Playstation fans happy about what we believe is Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment and Sea of Thieves going to Playstation?

Are Xbox fans salty about the same thing?

Do people feel the world is still on fire?

I think Playstation fans didn't get the confirmation they were looking for today...indicated by the posts that basically say Xbox is lying or hiding their cards. If Xbox said what they wanted to hear they would simply be gloating.

Xbox fans may be satisfied with this response...or they maybe upset I don't really know. Does the people leaving Xbox like Timdog seems presumptuous? I think so...but it's not necessarily because Xbox quelled their fears. It's more because the news wasn't as bad as the rumors have suggested.
 
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bender

What time is it?
I have been saying this would be a PR salad. But the core messages are there for anyone that really wants to listen.

Yep. After the reassuring "only 4 games", everything afterwards was about getting more players and more players isn't possible when targeting one user base. It sounds like MGS games will enjoy a one-year (at least) exclusivity period and continue to be day one on Game Pass.
 

foamdino

Member
Did everyone ignore Sarah saying the next generation Xbox will be the biggest generational jump in the history of consoles?

@HeisenbergFX4
I'm still expecting MS to launch xbox next early ('late 25 or 26) - 2 solid years where they're undoubtedly king of the hill as the "power" crown is so, so important to team green.
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
34 million Gamepass users, thats a new high no? They looked kinda nervous, specially Phil at the start.

That includes Game Pass Core (= Xbox Live Gold). Who knows how many of those Game Pass subscribers only have the cheapest subscription for online play).
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
This small section tells everyone everything they need to understand about what's going on and why. For context, Satya Nadella recently removed Game Pass from his executive bonus KPI.

v3dQSLF.jpg
Its natural for people on bonus to try to skew parameters to what is doing well.

Historically at my company, parent company performance (heavy skewed to US) has been a drag on our Canadian bonus as we have excelled the US metrics almost every year I've been working here.

So what execs did for all of us is cut the parent company performance weighting in half while bumping up Canadian performance skew and our bonus this year is projected to be the biggest ever.
 
I would like to think this will teach an important lesson about buying into rumors from internet "insiders."

But of course it won't, the "Xbox is dead!!" people have now moved to the bargaining phase: "Xbox is still dead...just not yet! MS knows it but they won't admit it!" *slowly shrinking and turning into a corncob*
 
phil just shot himself in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about body language culture (I'm an expert), but playing with your wedding ring and making eye contact with a strong minority female are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in england where you can become successful by being an meek pussy. If you touch your wedding ring in america it means that your platform is going third party, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is the burger public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase xbox games for any system, nor will they purchase any of phil’s bullshit. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but phil has alienated an entire market with this move.

phil, publicly apologize and cancel your marriage or you can kiss your business goodbye.
I wouldn't start criticising England. You allowed Trump to become President.
 
It seems the overreactions got to them and they did some last minute adjustments. Phil vaguely states so in the beginning: unforeseen news.

Whatever that all means. Let’s see how the future develops.

In the documentary “Power On: The Story of Xbox”, they explain the struggle that Bill Gates said Microsoft is a Software company first and foremost and I think that struggle has always been in the DNA of the Xbox. As technology evolves, I can definitely see Xbox doing more and more publishing work.

But as he mentions, they are already one of the largest publishers for Nintendo & Sony, so these news are no-news. Very happy more people will get to experience Hi-Fi Rush since that game feels more at home with the audience of both Sony & Nintendo, since Xbox has always been the serious military shooter console in some eyes.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
It's probably gonna depend on sales. But if these 4 games start making big money, we're gonna see more obviously.

It's getting difficult to argue against PC. There used to be the argument that you couldn't play or communicate with friends on other platforms when you were on PC. But that has went away now, crossplay and communication options like discord have solved those problems.

Ease of play on your TV is the one and only advantage consoles have and that edge is getting smaller and smaller every day.
Yep, Phil also says that in the interview. If they see good return, they will port other games as well.

GdgPROO.jpg
 
I think the real question is, how do the fans feel about this.

Are Playstation fans happy about what we believe is Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment and Sea of Thieves foing to Playstation?

Are Xbox fans salty about the same thing?

Do people feel the world is still on fire?

I think Playstation fans didn't get the confirmation they were looking for today...indicated by the posts that basically say Xbox is lying or hiding their cards. If Xbox said what they wanted to hear they would simply be gloating.

Xbox fans may be satisfied with this response...or they maybe upset I don't really know. Does the people leaving Xbox like Timdog seems presumptuous? I think so...but it's not necessarily because Xbox quelled their fears. It's more because the news wasn't as bad as the rumors have suggested.
numbers is the thing that matters.

is Xbox console going to sell more after this announcement?

Are play station players going to massively buy Xbox games on PS5?
 
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