Colt’s taste in games meshes with mine. The only real blip was Redfall. He was conned by a testing section that hid the issues on all players. Glad I wasnt stung with the Day 1 purchase, but I can see now what he was getting at with his preview. The game now isn’t as bad as the general reaction. I meant gaming taste and not insider knowledge. My mistake.
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Yeah, honestly it feels like this is not even a Spencer thing anymore. Perhaps I’m wrong, but all the stuff we’ve now read it just doesn’t feel like he is behind this, or really backing it. But it’s probably out of his hands, I mean he answers to Satya directly, right? And you’d think Satya is the big Kahuna and what he says, goes. But I guess even he has people above him? Would that be shareholders? I’m not too well knowledged when it comes to these matters. But it really just doesn’t feel like Spencer is completely behind this, probably maybe against it?
Honestly, it’s hard to say on who to point finger at this time. Will we know? Perhaps not and for a very long time, if not ever. The best we can do is wait.
Question to all.
If Microsoft somehow acquired Steam, do you think Xbox or its gamers would worry about Xbox as a collective platform in any way?
Don’t know the point of the tweet. Even if just HiFi Rush is coming out, people will stop believing in Xbox because the floodgate is already open and no one knows if future games are truly exclusives.
They think we will forget the past few weeks lmao
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I was fine with Hi Fi even but it’s Starfield now. It sounds like MS Gaming and Xbox will try “case by case” and “timed” which inevitably won’t work how they want it to (they would obviously want a magical balance of healthy Xbox hardware and healthy 3rd party), which will just make the case by case criteria expand and timed windows shorten.
MS Gaming should save themselves the headaches and go full multiplat day 1.
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I can only speak for myself, but if a Steam acquisition resulted in my entire Xbox library being accessible in Steam (including third party), then I would be thrilled.
The issue of the current Xbox ecosystem (same issue with PS and Switch btw) is that much of my library is tied to the hardware. If the hardware ceases to exist, my library is likely gone. The licenses being transfer to Steam would solve this for me.
It is absolutely a slap in the face to Xbox fans that is for sure.
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Not just Starfield. Even Gears and Indiana Jones are “considered” going multiplatform.
And like you said. Stop doing this time exclusive bs and go full multiplatform
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The problem with the case-by-case is it leaves every single announcement up for debate. I suppose that Microsoft is banking on people having FOMO and buying Xbox hardware for guaranteed access, similar to PS5 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
This makes no sense first only Zenimax games have launched in Game pass 2 of those launched first on PS5 before Game Pass, secondly all this games also launched on Steam. The sales metric on Steam is trackable.
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I think if Microsoft wants higher returns, then they’re just going to have to tough it for a while. Sony and Nintendo also had rough patches with the PS3, Gamecube, and Wii U but they stayed on course with their games and eventually pushed through. I think MS could get really far with a more mixed approach:
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Don’t release every first party studio gamed on gamepass day 1. A few of the higher revenue titles such as CoD could instead get a discount for gamepass subcribers. They could then release these on gamepass maybe 6 - 12 months later depending on the title.
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Release a limited selection of titles on other platforms. Sony released MLB on xbox and they’re making Bungie’s Marathon multiplat. I think it would make sense for Microsoft to do this with their big online games that generate lots of revenue, but aren’t necessarily big system sellers. They do need to be very clear about this though. Maybe some/most of Acitivsion Blizzard + any GaaS games would be a clear and easy way to do it.
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Acquire more studios that will create third-person games in order to bring more players to the console. These are what Sony and Nintendo owners want to play (Zelda, Mario, Spiderman, Souls/Bloodborne, GoW, Final Fantasy, etc.). Hellblade is coming but it’s a cheaper/smaller game, followed by probably Fable. This is still a pretty barren outlook for AAA third-person titles and Microsoft needs to do more here. Ideally acquire these studios this year so their games don’t get released too late in the next gen cycle.
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Another very difficult way of looking at this situation is the conundrum Microsoft find themselves in regarding the absolutely enormous number of employees they have spread across their gaming divisions.
If the question of going multiplatform became pressing once the sheer size & cost of the entire operation became evident, then there’s a very difficult & almost binary choice to make: downsize the workforce to sustainable levels with the current Xbox consoles + Gamepass + PC plan, or maintain current staff levels via additional profits from multiplatform releases.
But then the issue becomes a balancing act between bad news & negative headlines caused by mass layoffs versus pissing off the Xbox console userbase (& risking the cratering of hardware even further… & the associated Gamepass subs) via going multiplatform.
The only reason multiplatform talk is even on the table is because they want more money. But getting that money from being a third party publisher always existed as an option since day one. So why the sudden change of heart now? It’s got to be IMO related to their operating costs incurred from the acquisitions & not just some executive bonuses attached to game sales (like a recent rumor hinted at with regards to Bethesda).
Yeah. It’s stuff like this that makes you go back to the whole “Xbox console players feel like second rate citizens.” which of course they have denied but I CAN see where people are coming from with that, especially now with this shit. Even though it is not 100% official yet.
- Create an XboxOS (game focused version of Windows, à la SteamOS).
- Ensure it has a BC layer for all generations of Xbox systems (with some sort of performance baselines).
- Make it compatible with Xbox Series consoles
- Work closely with OEMs for licensed hardware (“consoles” and handheld PCs)
- ???
- Profit
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It shouldnt really matter. Before the sale Xbox was 6000 employees and profitable and ABK was 17,000 and profitable. How can 2x profitable businesses become unprofitable by combining? Adding games to game pass day 1 is an investment towards recurring revenue.
It’s possible that now ABK is added to their roster, maybe they are incredibly confident of Game Pass growth and don’t need to keep games exclusive to do that. Though I agree, that sentiment won’t help Xbox owners.
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My slight pushback to this is that the majority of the workforce is already making multiplatform titles (Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, WoW, etc.)
Now if they think the size of XGS + Zenimax is an issue, then I could see the logic.
Wish it was next week just so we know everything already. lol
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