Honestly, it feels like they might want to go the OS OEM route like they do with Windows, basically creating a universal Xbox OS to license to anyone who wants to make a gaming device that can run it. I don’t know if that would work, but I can see Satya going for it. In that Scenario, MS would still make their own premium box for the hardcore like they do with their surface tablets/laptops.
Essentially, save on hardware costs while still making all the software revenue.
All of these scenarios are… boring af.
I’ll miss the Xbox community, it was special.
No, there are no EA or Take2 fan bases like that. Or Embracer, lol.
I somewhat agree with you to some extent with the core franchises, I’m just not sure how MS will play it out. Would the consider a Gears Collection to be something that won’t affect console sales or is it too much of a core pillar and so needs to stay exclusive.
I do agree that only GAAS should go multiplatform, but since they’ve done Pentiment and HFR it’s hard to know what they’ll do. I know they’ve mentionned trying to pull in new players with the initial 4 games release, so maybe giving them a taste of what Xbox is all about with some more older titles in a Core franchise is something they are exploring.
There is so much at play here and we don’t have all of the details, so it’s hard to know what’s the end goal. Like, is MS really going for a 2026 release and so are doing this right now in order to maximize console sales that year? Or is it really the start of a major new strategy and a shift to become a ‘‘3rd part publisher’’ as some seem to think?
I personally doubt becoming 3rd party is even on the table to be honest, MS knows it’s a bad idea and they still regret pulling out of the mobile market so I doubt this is even remotely in the cards right now. They’re just in a difficult position right now of trying to bring monetary growth to the division while being the underdog in terms of console sales and trying to pivot towards what’s next, even though nobody really knows what will happen in a few years but I’m guessing MS must have an idea of where it’s all headed with market research and are executing on a plan they believe will best position them in the future while keeping good on their promise of game libraries following their users who’ve been there since day 1.
I somehow highly doubt MS is on a self destructing pattern right now.
Talking about AI and Cloud let’s not forget that it was Nadella who killed it’s Windows Phone hardware and software division. Only to years later go on record and say that was a mistake and they shouldn’t have done that.
Why does he regret it? Because they would have had their own platform from which to push their mighty AI and Cloud initiatives. Not to mention help launch their mobile store that they’re now desperately trying to do. Now they’re at the mercy of Apple/Google/Android/Samsung. All of those mobile giants will push their own AI initiatives unto their mobile devices. Apple still won’t allow XCloud on iPhones for crying out loud. They really screwed the pooch here.
Now they’re screwing over the only real popular consumer facing product they have left. Honestly it’s really maddening. They need to figure this out ASAP.
Fo sho!
Let’s at least have one more console generation for Xbox please, and after that, we’ll see what happens then. Goddamn!
We will, don’t worry
There will be more generations to come. Am not far back like some of the others are being these last few days.
See? There are others that want to be part of the community still and will continue to be, relax.
Yeah, I feel good about that chance as well.
They will and I’ll be there day one like I always have. 
I just hope they balance out what they’re currently trying to do and stop giving people reasons to NOT buy their hardware. They need to throw people a couple carrots to draw them in.
Basically that gif, it’s like that for me. 
I do NOT want PS to be the only (truly powerful) console that exists. I get Nintendo systems only for their games.
Back then I was a big WCW fan. Monday night wars were insane and wrestling was at its all time peak. But then WCW started fucking up and eventually WWE bought them. I was fucking sad.
I didn’t all of a sudden become a WWE fan. Wrestling was just not the same anymore. In fact, wrestling experienced a massive contraction as most WCW fans just stopped watching wrestling all together.
I can honestly see a similar scenario happening with this industry. People (specially PlayStation fans) wishing for Xbox’s hardware demise have no idea what they’re actually wishing for. If you truly care about the games industry that’s the last thing people should be wishing for.
Who knows, I don’t think Xbox has any idea what they’re doing anymore.
Presumably there’s a big chunk of PC GamePass users? They would still subscribe if there’s no Xbox hardware. Assuming the ‘cloud’ takes off there’s also Mobile & TV.
Then if they go third party they can likely launch GamePass on multiple platforms as they are no longer considered a rival, therefore they potentially could get more subscribers than now.
Plus they can still sale games on Windows store without the 30% cut.
They plan to have hardware, that hasn’t changed. We’ll see what their full strategy is eventually but they’re not planning to NOT have their own store/hardware.
I know, I was responding to their scenario where they hypothetically did leave hardware.
Xbox won’t drop hardware because it would be ceding the platform narrative to Playstation. Put it this way: if this happens then you would be developing your games using a Playstation architecture- so Sony would be calling the shots on how you develop your games. You will only be playing games using Playstation accessories.
Windows is still the platform that the vast majority of games is played on, so Microsoft already has an advantage. Xbox controllers are the preferred controller of use for most players. So for Playstation games to appear on PC’s they need to adopt the Windows gaming standards.
It’;s good that Microsft technicians are talking to Intel, AMD, Qualcom, etc., because they know what, where and when the advances in computing technology are going. It helps them develop the coming gaming technology, and the software that will go to controlling item.
I agree which is why the rest of my post says this:
I also highly doubt they go that route. If anything, I expect them to make some killer hardware that hits a lot of the right notes to make it a great place to play games.
The games and hardware experience isn’t going anywhere, and that’s what the community is built around. If it’s about the current news, well, Xbox has been laying people off and closing studios since they entered the industry (along with Sony and Nintendo). So it’s just more of same, ultimately.
Edit: And Square Enix has a very strong fanbase despite being multiplatform.
Communities are about games. Gamepass has more people playing the same games than ever before!
I’m confused…it’s a real shame Xbox shut down Tango and Arkane Austin, but how does this relate to the possibility that Microsoft might leave the hardware market?