Agreed, I very much doubt Microsoft shareholders would consider him bad given how he’s positioned them for cloud, AI and other growth areas and led them to over $3 trillion market cap.
While there have been some big closures like Windows Phone and some layoffs etc., and I might dislike them as I much prefer the more “social democracy” approach of some European countries where companies aren’t purely about profit but also about community good (and are well regulated) - it’s difficult to deny that in the imperfect system we’ve got he’s been great at playing it
Windows Phone was always tricky because the OS was amazing, but didn’t have dev support. I felt if they had dev support they could’ve survived, but without that the platform was dead. It’s a shame too because Windows Phone OS was much better than iOS and Android.
Yeah, I don’t think there’s any Microsoft shareholder that think Satya is a bad CEO. He made a lot of people rich and I doubt they care about the stuff we complain about
Windows Phone was great, but people weren’t interested for the dumbest reasons. (“Android and iPhone have 12,000 camera apps, but WP only has 11,000 camera apps. WP sux!”) If it had user support, it would’ve had dev support. Vicious circle and all that.
Stadia was far and away the best cloud gaming platform. But people shat on it for reasons I can’t even comprehend, while putting every other service on a pedestal, regardless of how mediocre it is. Until Stadia was shut down and then everyone was like “nooooo, Stadia was the best!” (That scenario actually reminds me a bit of the Xbox situation, where self-proclaimed “fans” talk themselves into hating everything and everyone involved, regardless of the actual situation.)
Mixer was objectively better than Twitch. Byeeeee.
Plasma TV’s were fantastic. But no, people buy a new garbage LCD TV every two years until technology finally catches up to plasma 10-15 years later. Never mind the joke that is soundbars.
Music from actual talented artists is obliterated by computer-generated, auto-tuned garbage.
Remember those €10 wired earbuds you used to get with your phone, which sounded surprisingly great? Let’s buy absolute crap for €200 instead! It’s “tRuE wiReLeSs!”
I sometimes feel like I’m from another dimension, stuck here in Opposite World, where nothing makes any sense.
Honestly i think next year is where we most likely see were they stand in regards to the current userbase on a couple of matters. Better cloud integration, more localization for launguages like Korean and Arabic, some new exclusives like Fable and new suprised games (Will not be suprised if its Clockwork Revolution or one of Double Fine’s newest game are on the list), how much games they port overall, and lastly how much prices increase will be done on game pass and their own games if they will find a solution to decrease it for newcomers and those returning(That’s a topic that has been brought in a couple of times and i think the answer relies solely on increase investment on AA and indie games instead of going for the AAA games anytime soon, but that’s just me).
No, Windows Phone was Steve Ballmer’s fault. Satya Nadella just put the sword to a product on life support and still bleeding. Watch this to see how far Windows Mobile fell.
Saw this a while back very informative. To see how the number 1 in phones could totally get booted out.
Looking at it Apple simply took a bet on their ipod and converted the video ipod to an iphone funny thing is Zune from Microsoft was gaining space in the market and they could have simply followed suit by converting that to a phone in some ways I think the idea could still very much work for handheld gaming.
I think if Xbox comes out with a handheld that’s a PC based on the Xbox UI or OS idea that is open to allow third party apps like Xbox and has a camera it could very well capture a new market. Social media is big business today apps like Tiktok, youtube facebook or meta that facilitate communication are missing from Xbox and consoles today and such apps with a camera could draw in a big audience. I think a Xbox handheld could integrate such features and be something special.
Just saw that The Outer Worlds 2 is day one for PS5 as well. I did not expect that. It’s an IP that was on PS platforms as well, so perhaps that’s a reason? But then Hellblade is as well, yet 2 isn’t on PS5 yet. Same with Fable. I wonder why they decided to have this day one.
Next year I think they will announce more games, obviously, but maybe some actual “real” Xbox games, as in, games that have always been 100% associated with Xbox.
Yeah, I can see them keeping the next Gears for Xbox and PC only at first, while older Gears games might come to PS platforms, and so on. For next Xbox launch they’ll have (timed) exclusive stuff.
Leaving the phone market cost Microsoft dear in the end, with Android dominating the OS side of things. Microsoft now need to look for Google’s permission to get Gamepass on Android phones when it could have been Windows powering a lot of smartphones had MS just stuck in there ?
While it is good for the shareholders, buying ABK was the worst move for me as an Xbox console fan in terms of pushing and promoting the Xbox console.
It’s a shame because right now MS is at last delivering on its promise of 4 to 5 AAA titles a year on Gamepass and the console should be selling so much better if they were true exclusives and not possibly of a PlayStation version.
Still, I am grateful for a wonderful console and an amazing lineup of games to play this Christmas on Gamepass and that is what really counts at the end of the day.
This game is a pretty good example of the strategy shift. Apparently the teaser trailer announced it as exclusive, but we now live in a different world for Xbox first party content.
I do have to wonder about that, like their efforts in cloud require the hardware to deliver, but what happens if you constatly alienate it to oblivion by constants ports and hyper focus on pc? Like that’s a genuine cause for concern no? Like i know some will say Game Pass is the answer but i can’t shake the feeling that it’s just not enough, call me paranoid but i just feel like next year their efforts HAVE to be more focused on the current hardware userbase, in order to prepare for the next gen in a more healthy matter. Cause this year was contraversial enough as is.
Also something about the strategy shift is this, i really think its wise to just not annouce this kind stuff on any of geoff keighley events. Now why to i say that, cause it makes casuals think that Xbox is just not worth the effort to actually buy products from and that could lead to some indifference from the most part that can and will backfire.
Another note towards crazilio is i just think this whole strategy shift feels wrong in some way but i just can’t really pin point were i mean by just that, could be about the rumoured steam console and new nintendo switch or the cloud based playstatioin system. Like i wish to remain the dad bit hopeful that leadership know is vital for Xbox to maintain their userbase so i hope that they don’t port the big leagues until Sony does something equally cause that would kill the brand in a way that i just don’t think it would recover no matter the amount of money it could possibly deliver to them nor how good gamepass or cloud gaming turns out.
I can be proven wrong, but next year s gonna make it or break it for me as an Xbox only hardware user to me do be honest. I cannot stress enough that i really hope they do not fumble the bag with their current costumers because in some cases, the customers is always right is, in most cases at least, the correct approach to imagine in the entertainment department.
Sorry if i sounded rude or treated anybody with a degree of annoyance about what i have spoken. These are just some things i wish to look out for as a consumer.
There are too many missing dots and I think we’re all trying earnestly to connect them. The strategy is fine and makes sense in the world we live in today. The dots I think are we just don’t really know the full plan, some think of the hybrid some think it’s just what we’re seeing.
I think one thing they do need is a new branding that defines what they are and are doing. Look at Steam for example the platform is not defined by exclusives but to many it feels like the core of PC gaming. I would hope before the next June showcase they have some kind of new branding that fans can embrace.
As for this strategy I think this is the way forward. The industry is shrinking and needs to expand. I think there needs to be a reset where gaming can become or adopt the movie format for hardware like the VHS to DVD and now to Blu-ray. There needs to be just one hardware that plays everything, and I think that is in my opinion what Xbox is doing.
Ultimately everybody needs to answer a few questions for themselves:
Did you only buy the Series consoles on the promise of future exclusive games? A promise that was made but where strategy has shifted and clearly won‘t shift back to exclusivity.
If you want to move, how much does it bother you to leave behind your existing account, game progress, achievements?
How many games would you want to rebuy elsewhere, how much does it cost?
If you think about staying, does Xbox still give you better value due to Game Pass, BC, Play Anywhere, Quick Resume etc.? And how important is this to you?
Is your alternative Steam or PS, and why?
The one thing I agree about is that Xbox shouldn‘t take their existing user base for granted; I‘ve seen a lot of people move over this past year. I personally am waiting to see what the unified PC-Xbox hybrid rumors are all about, and also want to see if Valve indeed builds more Steam Machines. My fear is that we won‘t know a ton more by the end of 2025 and only will find out in 2026.
I don’t think they are taking their existing userbase for granted I just think they don’t have a message that reaches the base yet. Steam gamers won’t care if Counter Strike 2, Deadlock and Half-life 3 were all released on other platforms, and I think that is something Xbox probably wants for their console to build their community around Xbox the platform and not the console.
I do like your questions, but I think by now most should have answered that and made their decision.
I bought a Series X because I love the Xbox platform and Game Pass. I’m not too bothered by games releasing elsewhere.
I wouldn’t have to leave anything behind. And why would I delete my account? Even if I throw my Xbox in the trash, because having two consoles would result in nuclear meltdown, isn’t the whole point of Xbox’s strategy that you can “play anywhere” - including cloud, without any hardware?
I rarely re-play games to begin with. But even if I wanted to buy something again elsewhere, by that time it’d be on sale for €5. (I actually re-played four games on PS recently - for a grand total of €0.99 via EA Play.)
Does Xbox give me better value? Yes.
Steam or PS are not my alternative. They’re supplements. (It’s not illegal to use more than one platform, you know. No matter what some people seem to believe.)
As for people moving to other platforms, it doesn’t matter how many you may have seen. It’s not a one-way street. And judging by numbers rather than anecdotes, it seems more people are coming than going.
People need to stop worrying about what other people are doing (and ranting and raving about on Twitter) and just enjoy their hobby. Play Xbox games on PlayStation, PlayStation games on Steam, and Sega games on Nintendo. It’s all good.
Your Xbox is just a PC, there is no “hyper focus on PC ports”. It’s just another pillar, now. The Xbox version of Indiana Jones is fantastic, so was Age of Mythology etc. The casuals don’t know any of this. They just buy a console and play it a handful of times a month. Xbox and PlayStation are focused on engagement and both platforms are the healthiest they’ve ever been, that way.
Ultimately we are all here to play games no? The thing is, we’ve been trained to put hardware first because the idea that games (exclusives) are made to sell the hardware so we need the hardware to sell well in order to get more games. While it’s true that games were being made to lock you into hardware, that isn’t really true anymore and I think this is where the disconnect is. A game is potentially bigger than any console now. Halo, Fallout, TLOU, etc… could be the next Star Wars level of franchise.
It’s like when McDonald’s put a toy in a happy meal to get kids to beg their parents to go to McDonald’s. The point of the toy was to sell the food right? But what if the toy itself became a huge thing? You’re going to want to sell the toy in toy stores, Walmart, etc… Make movies, cartoons, etc… At this point you aren’t creating the toy to sell the food, the toy itself is the revenue generator. Disconnecting the toy from the food doesn’t mean you have to stop making the food either. You just have shift how you do business.
