Context:
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the future of Xbox. “We think that now we have the ability to do what we always set out to do, which is build great games and deliver them to folks across all platforms, which is Xbox and consoles, PCs, mobile gaming, and cloud gaming”
They are obligated to deliver COD to Nintendo and Sony. I would not read further into it than that and those selective GaaS/MMOs titles like ESO, FO76, OW or existing titles such as Minecraft.
That’s how I see it as well.
Great article from Jez.
I don’t get it. So many places focusing on nothing. Nothing has happened. What has happened is Microsoft acquired the largest Third Party Publisher in ABK with COD to secure their own portfolio and their future in gaming.
That’s precisely why, many people don’t like this notion at all.
That Satya Nadella interview clip was in the context of being a 3rd party publisher for nintendo and sony via ABK. Here’s another interview with him talking about it. Even names drop sony and nintendo.
starts at 21:00
https://twitter.com/aranjasyal/status/1747687610624143785?t=xcg4VGDjDOI-lSm9zjfr8Q&s=19
Just my thoughts!
FUD being pushed by a certain fanbase before a big Xbox show, shock……… not really.
I think this is a really well-written article by Jez. He isn’t raising the alarm about Xbox going third party and fear mongering, but this is obviously still a topic being discussed and I think his article does a good job encapsulating the main arguments against the potential release of some games on other platforms.
Xbox has just acquired ABK, so if they start releasing some of their previously exclusive first party games on other platforms before even seeing the fruits of that acquisition, that makes the move even more of a head scratcher. Obviously, it’s best to wait until something happens before having a fit, but I don’t see any problem with the article like some here seem to.
Did you just try to tell me what to do with my hard earned money? LOL.
Stahp…
It still only has one endpoint, the worst-case scenario of no more Xbox hardware, which makes no sense if you actually think about it.
But that’s not even the argument Jez proposes and it’s kind of disingenuous to boil down several valid points to some end goal worst case scenario. Sure, the worst case scenario is Xbox goes third party and has no exclusives and stops making consoles altogether, but that’s not what is being mentioned.
He talks more about how Xbox is currently in the best position they’ve been in in a long time and how they are able to push for healthy competition with Playstation and Nintendo, which pushes for innovation. If Xbox started porting their exclusive games to other platforms, that reduces competition and, in the process, devalues Xbox hardware and props up competing hardware. All of that would be in favor of increased revenue, which is great for Microsoft and Microsoft shareholders, but doesn’t do anything for Xbox console owners except giving them reasons that disincentivizes them from getting an Xbox console going forward instead of a console with both platforms’ exclusives.
Jez even goes on to bring up Phil Spencer recently mentions their commitment to hardware and how that’s likely indicative of there being no plans to exit the console business. There isn’t anything wrong with speaking up and pushing back if a decent portion of the community is in disagreement with that direction.
That said, I’m not saying you’re wrong and I agree anybody who thinks porting a game or two to other platforms signals the end of Xbox hardware is being hyperbolic and jumping the gun, but not everybody against the porting of games to other platforms is going that far.
I hope I am wrong but I could see a scenario where investors or higher-ups at Microsoft push for the Xbox division to make more money than they actually do (that is goal of every company, right?) and they look at porting previously first-party exclusive games as part of the rumored change of strategy.
I really think this would be a mistake, a mistake of not being patient enough. As Jez mentions in his article and as we all may agree, the acquisitions from the last few years are only seem to be starting to bear fruits now, in the form of upcoming games. Apart from proper marketing, you need a looot of time and great games in the same series/IPs, for gamers and also the general public to associate them with your brand (in this case, Xbox). If you say Super Mario, people think Nintendo. If you say Final Fantasy (even though SE is a 3rd party), people think Sony.
For example, let´s say that when they release, South of Midnight and Avowed are absolute hits (I would love this) and their studios want to make 1 or 2 sequels. If these are great, players will develop particular likings for the IPs and by extension for the brand, Xbox. And this is the most challenging scenario because, how many already known IPs does Xbox have? Countless.
Why do people love FF and Playstation and bind them together? It is because of the memories they have, memories of moments in their lives when they played previous entries and this or the other thing were happening to them personally. They have a personal, intimate connection with the series.
This is matter of doing the sensible thing and caring, nurturing the brand over time, with great games you get to associate with Xbox and that you can only play in its ecosystem.
The potential is definitely here and this is a long-distance race.
The thing is we have no idea if that is actually better for long term revenues. What if all the majority of people interested in playing 1st party are already on Xbox? If all 1st party becomes available on competing platforms and players switch over, you basically give away 30% of your revenues and lose pretty much all accessory revenues and royalties as well in the process.
Obviously not everyone would switch over, but there is definitely an overlap and I have a feeling that releasing everything everywhere (as in other consoles) actually wouldn’t be that much beneficial. I think the extra they’d make in volume sales wouldn’t make up for the loss of people on Xbox.
I think the smartest move is to go for what they’ve been preaching for all along; extend to mobile. And with the move to ARM, that seems like it’s actually happening. That’s where the big money is!
This conversation kills me because every time it’s “what if they stop doing hardware completely” over and over and over and over and over in 500 different ways.
If I remember correctly, the rumor came out a day before or a few days before the announcement of the event. Timing
If you ignore all the other points being brought up, then sure that’s what you’re going to see.
I am not ignoring anything, as a mod I’ve been reading all of it. I stand by what I said.
Agree to disagree then. A large majority of the posts I’ve seen, especially after the initial outrage passed, has been healthy conversation about concerns people have regarding the ramifications the porting of first party games could bring, the majority of which don’t revolve around Xbox exiting the hardware business. Jez’s article addresses several of those as well.