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[Schmick]

No I love innovation, that's why this is a problem.
If Microsoft can manage to destroy its competition by taking huge losses from offering up entire libraries of games, then the entire industry will have to accept whatever crumbs Microsoft is willing to dole out. And then it's bye bye innovation.

how much of a loss exactly?

 

[dolabla]

I stream my Xbox One X to my PC all the time in 1080p and it works great. It's a great option to have.

Definitely can't complain since it's included at no extra charge. I really like this Microsoft.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I kinda wish they didn't do this.

I have no interest in streaming, and I don't want the cost of it as part of a membership I have.

I'd rather they just keep it separate personally. Nothing is "free".

 

[Skyfox]

This is great for gamepass games but console streaming better stay free because you're not using their servers.

 

[Kuranghi]

People regularly play on their TV's in not-gamemode, having 100+ms of input lag and don't really notice it/think its a problem so I don't see latency being a big problem to those people (ie most of the userbase), I think the image quality could put people off but its certainly not as much of a problem on mobile.

So I see this doing pretty well in that (huge) part of the community, myself I have no desire to play games on the go, maybe for travelling I guess but thats an edge case for me. I spend all my time indoors gaming, I don't want to do it outside too lol It'd be better for my wellbeing to actually interact with real life humans.

 

[Schmick]

I kinda wish they didn't do this.

I have no interest in streaming, and I don't want the cost of it as part of a membership I have.

I'd rather they just keep it separate personally. Nothing is "free".

Good job it adds nothing to the fee then.

 

[prinz_valium]

I kinda wish they didn't do this.

I have no interest in streaming, and I don't want the cost of it as part of a membership I have.

I'd rather they just keep it separate personally. Nothing is "free".

You pay the same.
Also you could make that argument for games one does not care about.

 

[Manwithoutfear]

I'm not familiar with xcloud. What is it?

Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) 2024 review: Poised for greatness

Discussing the state of Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[IntentionalPun]

Good job it adds nothing to the fee then.

That's really naive. It adds to MS's costs, which changes the bottom line for them. Potentially significantly.

 

[Andodalf]

They're moving Xcloud to Series X servers in 2021, which could mean that it will then be possible to stream next-gen games at full quality (if you have the bandwidth). Next gen MS handheld? Chances are you already have it in your pocket.

No, when SX was announced they made a big deal about how it can run as 4 XOS at once, which is how it’ll be deployed in Xcloud for a while at least

 

[IntentionalPun]

You pay the same.
Also you could make that argument for games one does not care about.

I mean sure.. I wish GamePass Ultimate had nothing but games tailored to my needs as well.

And?

But it goes beyond that; I think it's gonna be a massive cost for MS with almost no return... I'd say the same thing if MS was spending big money on a bunch of games that we have no evidence of anyone being interested in. I expect plenty of games that don't interest me that do attract other players and thus bring in revenue, benefiting me indirectly. xCloud is a massive investment that I don't think is going to make GamePass any more popular.

 

[Schmick]

That's really naive. It adds to MS's costs, which changes the bottom line for them. Potentially significantly.

I'm not naive but my point still stands.

I am a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber and i am not paying any more than my current monthly subscription for the privilege of having xCloud.

 

[FeldMonster]

I am rather pissed about this. I have literally zero interest in Game Pass, but I really want XCloud to access my library from anywhere. I don't even get the option.

 

[Redlight]

No, when SX was announced they made a big deal about how it can run as 4 XOS at once, which is how it’ll be deployed in Xcloud for a while at least

Well that was a big ol' bucket of ice water.

 

[Nikana]

I am rather pissed about this. I have literally zero interest in Game Pass, but I really want XCloud to access my library from anywhere. I don't even get the option.

They never said that. There's zero reason to think they are locking it down.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I'm not naive but my point still stands.

I am a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber and i am not paying any more than my current monthly subscription for the privilege of having xCloud.

And I am a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber and never claimed my fee was going up because of this.

However the cost of running it, which is massive, is now a part of MS's bottom line. Influencing their other spend on games, and.. the future price of gamepass.

 

[jshackles]

This generation was trash all around for xbox, its not about appeal its about quality, the games this gen had none this is a reflection if their scoring but also their lack of sales in franchises that wont get sequels as well as established pillars like gears and halo doing poorly. They didnt have any bangers this gen or must have games really at all, it was alot of empty promises then switched to services. This is why I am hesitant of them next gen, nintendo and sony are still running in the race, and MS gassed out one lap in.

And here is mine: I had more fun this generation with games like Crackdown 3, Super Lucky's Tale, Ori 1 & 2, Quantum Break, and State of Decay 2 than I had with Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Days Gone.

 

[Manwithoutfear]

They never said that. There's zero reason to think they are locking it down.

im fairly certain in the past they said you could do free xcloud to your local xbox series x.

 

[oagboghi2]

I intend to...when they prove to me that it'll be a sound investment by delivering a slew of excellent console exclusives.

The Xbox won't have any console exclusives

 

[Nikana]

im fairly certain in the past they said you could do free xcloud to your local xbox series x.

You can if you're in the beta right now. Xcloud has always been a out playing your library first.

 

[Schmick]

And I am a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber and never claimed my fee was going up because of this.

However the cost of running it, which is massive, is now a part of MS's bottom line. Influencing their other spend on games, and.. the future price of gamepass.

I think you are being a little naive to think that without xCloud Game Pass wouldn't go up in price in the future.

 

[jshackles]

I am rather pissed about this. I have literally zero interest in Game Pass, but I really want XCloud to access my library from anywhere. I don't even get the option.

Just because they're including it for free with Game Pass Ultimate doesn't mean they won't have a separate subscription service just for XCloud, for people in your situation who don't want the rest.

 

[VAL0R]

Netflix is the Xbox Game Pass of movies.

 

[Woffls]

Stadia are you okay pls respond.

 

[Lestat Phoenix]

If I were Nintendo or SONY I would bring a suit against Microsoft with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and worldwide equivalent agencies, for anti-competitive monopolization.
Microsoft is taking financial losses by undercutting the market with a strategy that can only be financially viable, by leveraging the monopoly they have with Windows.

lol the dumbest thing I have ever read on this site.. Congrats Tiny Tim

 

[M1chl]

Make me just thing that they should keep that "xcloud" name, like "xbox" it works well, it's going to be something like a "Blender" (like mixer) and then it's going to be dead on arrival.

 

[VAL0R]

Phil is the hero Xbox deserves. This deal is nuts.

 

[sonomamashine]

On my way to google game pass, i really don't know what it is since i'm not interested in streaming.
Update : this is good.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I think you are being a little naive to think that without xCloud Game Pass wouldn't go up in price in the future.

Weird since I never said that.

It's okay to just not agree, you don't have to go putting words in my mouth or responding with a bunch of statements that don't contradict me.

 

[VAL0R]

I mean sure.. I wish GamePass Ultimate had nothing but games tailored to my needs as well.

And?

But it goes beyond that; I think it's gonna be a massive cost for MS with almost no return... I'd say the same thing if MS was spending big money on a bunch of games that we have no evidence of anyone being interested in. I expect plenty of games that don't interest me that do attract other players and thus bring in revenue, benefiting me indirectly. xCloud is a massive investment that I don't think is going to make GamePass any more popular.

You don't understand the model. No return? They are aiming to launch this globally. They are hoping millions in Asia, for example, will sign up to XGP so they can play Xcloud games on their phones. This blows up the traditional market. No console? No problem. You can find value in XGP with only a phone, or tablet.

Edit: It's a smart move on two fronts:
1) It opens XGP to billions of more potential users.
2) Allowing console XGP subscribers to freely use Xcloud adds value to the service, therefore increasing its consumer appeal. In other words it makes the service "better" at no additional cost to the user.

 

[IntentionalPun]

You don't understand the model. No return? They are aiming to launch this globally. They are hoping millions in Asia, for example, will sign up to XGP so they can play Xcloud games on their phones. This blows up the traditional market. No console? No problem. You can find value in XGP with only a phone, or tablet.

I fully understand the model.

I do not believe cloud gaming is going to bring in millions of customers.

I have concerns MS has bought too into cloud streaming, as it's how they've sold the future of Xbox to their leadership, and I do not have their confidence that it's going to catch on.

 

[REE Machine]

They had good games this generation they just gimped their hardware for Kinect and tv tv which in turn lost a lot of their install base. Which in turn meant there wasn’t enough support for their exclusives like 360 gen. Sunset, Ryse, killer instinct, quantum break not having tv and being a full game would have been great. Ori, cuphead, sea of thieves are all solid games. Again not having the install base really gimped their first party output.

They havent released a banger since Halo 3, those games were all mediocre and thats just not an opinion thats a fact based on scores and sales. They lacked an install base because they forgot about the thing that sells consoles, quality games. Its interesting how nintendo and sony know that but MS doesnt

And here is mine: I had more fun this generation with games like Crackdown 3, Super Lucky's Tale, Ori 1 & 2, Quantum Break, and State of Decay 2 than I had with Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Days Gone.

Hell, i can have fun driving a jetta but it doesnt compare to driving a Ferrari now does it?

 

[Schmick]

I fully understand the model.

I do not believe cloud gaming is going to bring in millions of customers.

I have concerns MS has bought too into cloud streaming, as it's how they've sold the future of Xbox to their leadership, and I do not have their confidence that it's going to catch on.

I am a PSN for PC subscriber, just from my experience from that gives me confidence that streaming can co-exist quite comfortably with traditional ways of gaming.

 

[the_master]

Sooooooo.
Why would I buy a Series X?

Because xCloud is not working very well?
Or the Series X will be the las MS Console and will die soon cause xCloud can replace it?

 

[NullZ3r0]

Netflix. Of. Gaming.

Satya Nadella loves that sweet, sweet ARR and will just hand Phil the checkbook.

 

[Optimistic Gamer]

That DOES sound like crossplay for a halo... at least in my ears that WANT to hear that.

 

[NullZ3r0]

Video game streaming still has to prove it's quality, it's getting close to being mainstream.

I'm a Stadia subscriber and 95% of the time I forget I'm streaming. It's witchcraft and I kinda understand how this stuff works. This is why Phil says he's not worried about Sony and Nintendo. They can't compete in this space and this space is where there is a huge amount of money on the table.

Google right now has the lead technology-wise. It just doesn't have the games. If Microsoft can match Stadia technology-wise, game is over. I'm calling it. With the GamePass library and instant streaming, MS will be unstoppable. Only Google and Amazon has the infrastructure to do this since you need a POP near each gamer.

Within 2 years Sony will have a deal inked with Amazon, MS or Google to have PS Live running on their infrastructure. Right now Sony's a gen behind giving money to Epic when they should be cozying up to Google to get their content on Stadia.

Selling console hardware is a fool's game. The margins are TERRIBLE and the audience is relatively niche. Selling 100 million $500 boxes is okay, but having 100 million people paying $15/month is the holy grail.

 

[DaGwaphics]

I'm a Stadia subscriber and 95% of the time I forget I'm streaming. It's witchcraft and I kinda understand how this stuff works. This is why Phil says he's not worried about Sony and Nintendo. They can't compete in this space and this space is where there is a huge amount of money on the table.

Google right now has the lead technology-wise. It just doesn't have the games. If Microsoft can match Stadia technology-wise, game is over. I'm calling it. With the GamePass library and instant streaming, MS will be unstoppable. Only Google and Amazon has the infrastructure to do this since you need a POP near each gamer.

Within 2 years Sony will have a deal inked with Amazon, MS or Google to have PS Live running on their infrastructure. Right now Sony's a gen behind giving money to Epic when they should be cozying up to Google to get their content on Stadia.

Selling console hardware is a fool's game. The margins are TERRIBLE and the audience is relatively niche. Selling 100 million $500 boxes is okay, but having 100 million people paying $15/month is the holy grail.

Microsoft has the console as a bit of a safety net, I think that's another advantage they have over Stadia. There is a little bit of fear about buying games on Stadia and then maybe you move or whatever and the experience is no longer what you want it to be. On Xbox, you could always pickup a console and utilize your purchases locally.

 

[-Arcadia-]

GamePass Ultimate was already a great deal. Xbox games. PC games. My mandatory online blackmail money reduced to $5 a month.

This just makes it fantastic. And already having the subscription, and being all set for this is an awesome surprise. I'll surely be trying it out.

 

[Schmick]

I'm a Stadia subscriber and 95% of the time I forget I'm streaming. It's witchcraft and I kinda understand how this stuff works. This is why Phil says he's not worried about Sony and Nintendo. They can't compete in this space and this space is where there is a huge amount of money on the table.

Google right now has the lead technology-wise. It just doesn't have the games. If Microsoft can match Stadia technology-wise, game is over. I'm calling it. With the GamePass library and instant streaming, MS will be unstoppable. Only Google and Amazon has the infrastructure to do this since you need a POP near each gamer.

Within 2 years Sony will have a deal inked with Amazon, MS or Google to have PS Live running on their infrastructure. Right now Sony's a gen behind giving money to Epic when they should be cozying up to Google to get their content on Stadia.

Selling console hardware is a fool's game. The margins are TERRIBLE and the audience is relatively niche. Selling 100 million $500 boxes is okay, but having 100 million people paying $15/month is the holy grail.

PSN for PC is running on MS Azure.

 

[stitch1]

This is such a smart move by M$.

 

[FeldMonster]

They never said that. There's zero reason to think they are locking it down.

It is literally in the article. Did you read it?

"Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be the only way to access xCloud streaming at launch, but it won’t always be limited to Microsoft’s top subscription tier."

There is no time horizon given for other ways to access it.

 

[Nikana]

It is literally in the article. Did you read it?

"Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be the only way to access xCloud streaming at launch, but it won’t always be limited to Microsoft’s top subscription tier."

There is no time horizon given for other ways to access it.

It says right there won't be limited, only at launch. Option is coming.

 

[NullZ3r0]

The only problem is. Number of countries that will support xCloud. I hope it will increase rather fast

Here's where they can reach customer-wise. They just need those Xcloud blades in the datacenter.

 

[DaGwaphics]

It is literally in the article. Did you read it?

"Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be the only way to access xCloud streaming at launch, but it won’t always be limited to Microsoft’s top subscription tier."

There is no time horizon given for other ways to access it.

Just ignore the GP games and think of it as an XCloud subscription.

 

[VincentMatts]

They just updated the gamepass iOS app if anyone uses it. Looks a lot better.

edit: and supports ipad landscape mode now too. Maybe getting ready for xcloud integration? Hmmm

 

[Agent X]

You can also use your Xbox as a streaming server. Basically using the streaming feature that is already there, but from outside your home network.

Basically the equivalent of Sony's Remote Play, then.

I'm rather surprised it took so many years for Microsoft to catch up with this feature.

 

[Manwithoutfear]

Basically the equivalent of Sony's Remote Play, then.

I'm rather surprised it took so many years for Microsoft to catch up with this feature.

it's so much more than remote play though. with remote play you must have a console. now with xcloud you can either do streaming through a console(remote play) or completely independent of owning a console and stream directly from the cloud.

 

[FireFly]

We're missing DanielsM's comments about how this is no different to renting a movie from Blockbuster.

 

[Nikana]

We're missing DanielsM's comments about how this is no different to renting a movie from Blockbuster.