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[RGB'D]

Some people are still failing to accept reality.
Xbox as a console brand is done.
There is nothing that can be done to reverse the outcome because they would need to undo years of strategic business decisions that have led to this situation and at this point the brand reputation is in shatters.
They won't give up on releasing everything on PC day one, they aren't in a position to drop support of Series hardware in 2026, they aren't in a position where they can convince third party publishers to leave behind far more successful platforms.
It's pretty much as you said.

Some people are still in the denial phase, Microsoft wants to be a world leading third party publisher at this point, they don't give a fuck about Xbox as a dedicated platform.
Their future hardware will be an optional gateway to their games catering to a really specific target audience.

I mean consoles are creeping closer and closer to an end the install base is shrinking and the new generations (who are becoming the targeted consumers) have little interest in consoles

 

[lh032]

I mean consoles are creeping closer and closer to an end the install base is shrinking and the new generations (who are becoming the targeted consumers) have little interest in consoles

fyi in some countries console industry is climbing and PC gaming is actually dropping

enough with the "console gaming is dying" crap.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

How? Exclusivity? That’s the only thing that could pull people in now. They need service exclusives just like Netflix, HBO etc. Xbox Originals that can only be played through the sub.

But to solve the issue of Xbox owners not buying games they need to add perks to game purchases.

When and why do people buy Bluray movies today?
1. When they aren’t available on Netflix or other services.
2. When they want to best possible picture and sound quality.

Will be curious what comes of it as I bet we see some changes to Gamepass announced in June

I wonder if the next COD will be on there day one in hopes to boost subs (I think it is on there day one and we see that in June as well)

 

[adamsapple]

Will be curious what comes of it as I bet we see some changes to Gamepass announced in June

I wonder if the next COD will be on there day one in hopes to boost subs (I think it is on there day one and we see that in June as well)

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Sony's marketing agreement with the franchise supposed to last till the 2024 entry? If that is the case then I don't think this years entry launches on GP day 1.

 

[Fredrik]

If the game isn't a "Day One" release on Xbox Game Pass, then don't expect to see it there for at least six months.

Yeah that’s a good idea!
I just know how I act myself. If a game isn’t on Gamepass I wait, or buy on Steam. They even forked up the perk of having save and license syncing between Xbox and PC by not having it on everything and having worse versions on Gamepass/Microsoft Store than on Steam. So there is no pull. Even their own Starfield is updated first with beta access on Steam, then they update their own version later. So dumb. 300 hours played and I never even started the PC or Xbox Gamepass version. No mods or restricted and updated later.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Sony's marketing agreement with the franchise supposed to last till the 2024 entry? If that is the case then I don't think this years entry launches on GP day 1.

I don't know honestly

 

[Skifi28]

I mean consoles are creeping closer and closer to an end the install base is shrinking and the new generations (who are becoming the targeted consumers) have little interest in consoles

Odd, I see consoles doing better than ever (other than xbox).

 

[King Dazzar]

I mean consoles are creeping closer and closer to an end the install base is shrinking and the new generations (who are becoming the targeted consumers) have little interest in consoles

Some consoles, maybe. Mean while others seem to be doing exceptionally well.

 

[Fredrik]

So XBox Game Studios doesn't exist? Xbox Game Studios Publishing doesn't exist? (It's the Microsoft Game Studios name which is no more)

Huh? Had no idea, sorry about that then. Then I guess Xbox could possibly survive as a brand if they go 3rd party, unless they change the name again that is. Needs a hyped revival to pull in good PR at this point though, things has been sour for awhile now.

 

[Jetpac]

and yet I got a warning for console baiting when I posted a link that said Microsoft was full speed ahead in their next gen console

 

[midnightAI]

Huh? Had no idea, sorry about that then. Then I guess Xbox could possibly survive as a brand if they go 3rd party, unless they change the name again that is. Needs a hyped revival to pull in good PR at this point though, things has been sour for awhile now.

No problem, it's confusing because they have Microsoft Gaming which is the parent company to Xbox Game Studios (previously Microsoft Studios, previously Microsoft Game Studios, previously Microsoft Games) and their newly acquired publishers Actiblizz, Bethesda etc.

So yeh, they could rebrand again if that was to happen (I don't think it will, not yet at least, maybe one more chance at a hardware generation)

 

[Fredrik]

You do that and you immediately lose a huge chunk of GamePass subscribers, as a result they're in a catch 22.

I think they already lost a big chunk of subscribers when the cheap stacking deals ran out and when they increased the prices and got people to invest in PCs instead. And they’ll lose more subscribers when the platform dies…

 

[Elios83]

I mean consoles are creeping closer and closer to an end the install base is shrinking and the new generations (who are becoming the targeted consumers) have little interest in consoles

Emm no this is just a total bullshit that some people in the "if Microsoft has failed everyone must sink as well" camp are desperately trying to promote.

Sony is having record sales and revenues, Nintendo will get mega sales when they release the Switch 2.
Microsoft has completely failed because their incompetent leadership took wrong business decisions and tried to force *twice* on consumers a future that failed to materialize.
They tried with the Xbox One forcing the Kinect DRM based TV TV TV bullshit and they tried to disrupt the market again with Gamepass thinking that people would quickly stop to buy games like they stopped buying music CDs and they would rule this new market, but they misread the gaming market again.

There is definetly room for a future where consoles, mobile and PC will all be successfull.

 

[Fredrik]

Will be curious what comes of it as I bet we see some changes to Gamepass announced in June

I wonder if the next COD will be on there day one in hopes to boost subs (I think it is on there day one and we see that in June as well)

CoD will be played better on PS5 Pro from now on, plus everything else, so yet another nail in the coffin tbh

Maybe they can pull in some people through cheaper access but I think the platform is too small now for an online game to pull in people from Playstation. This is outside of my area of interest though, haven’t played CoD since the one that was there near the 360 launch.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

CoD will be played better on PS5 Pro from now on, plus everything else, so yet another nail in the coffin tbh

Maybe they can pull in some people through cheaper access but I think the platform is too small now for an online game to pull in people from Playstation. This is outside of my area of interest though, haven’t played CoD since the one that was there near the 360 launch.

I can't wait to see it on the Pro running near 4k at 120 fps

 

[Fredrik]

No problem, it's confusing because they have Microsoft Gaming which is the parent company to Xbox Game Studios (previously Microsoft Studios, previously Microsoft Game Studios, previously Microsoft Games) and their newly acquired publishers Actiblizz, Bethesda etc.

So yeh, they could rebrand again if that was to happen (I don't think it will, not yet at least, maybe one more chance at a hardware generation)

Yeah we know they’ll do another hardware generation, they’ve already started hyping it. But I wonder what the brand will look like after 2 years of Sony stomping on their head with better PS5 Pro versions on every big game and then hyping up PS6 when Xbox Series 2 comes out.
- Xbox Series 2 is more like Xbox Series 1.5. Next generation starts when we say it starts.

 

[reinking]

Interesting video, it’s like reading a forum discussion, just without console warriors trying to trigger people. But I like that DF do this since it might wake up MS. Because as it is the platform is dying. I said awhile back that 2026 is too late for a new generation console and I stand by that, in 2026 Xbox as a console will be dead, that’s just how it is. If it can be resurrected depends on how the next console is.

And regarding game purchases, I for one has bought in total 1 game on Xbox this generation. Indie or AAA doesn’t matter. I play through Gamepass, if a game isn’t there I buy on PC. And now that I don’t have a Gamepass sub I have outright moved over to PC and Steam instead.


How can this be fixed?

3 steps is needed…

1. Exclusives
Real console exclusives.
It’s annoying as hell if you want to play elsewhere but it does work if you want people to buy games. Look at Sony’s numbers.

2. Delayed Gamepass release
Doesn’t have to be years, a couple months is enough. Even 1 month can be enough if combined with the point below.

3. Lower price day 1 and include bonus content
Instead of selling an expensive premium edition 5 days earlier, lower the price during 1 month and include bonus content. That way you catch both those who’re looking for a cheap entry point and those who like bonus content.

I do not disagree with what you are saying but does MS want to save the console? You can't go around telling everyone how your console is not important and that Xbox is "every screen" and then expect consumer support for the console. Mixed messaging has been a problem for a loooooong time with Xbox and it got way worse this generation. They followed up their "most powerful console" announcement with the weakest. They have preached Game Pass and engagement instead of making sales important. It has been a cluster pluck (how you like that one Little Chicken ) since the start of this generation and only got worse. Now we have Xbox titles hitting the PlayStation 5. Talk about weakening the (console) brand. I understand that some of these changes have come from necessity but damn, it sometimes looks like Phil& Co are purposely trying to kill the Xbox console. Congratulations to them, I guess.

 

[midnightAI]

Yeah we know they’ll do another hardware generation, they’ve already started hyping it. But I wonder what the brand will look like after 2 years of Sony stomping on their head with better PS5 Pro versions on every big game and then hyping up PS6 when Xbox Series 2 comes out.
- Xbox Series 2 is more like Xbox Series 1.5. Next generation starts when we say it starts.

I honestly don't think they can take on Sony head on, personally I think their best option is a hybrid like Nintendo but utilise cloud gaming more (still have a powerful standalone device though), possibly cut down os in handheld mode, full Windows in docked mode (have more ram + storage (upgradable) in the dock so you can use it as a full PC when docked.

I posted previously wondering if it's even possible to have additional GPU power in the dock, so does SLI like dual GPU when docked.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

 

[analog_future]

fyi in some countries console industry is climbing and PC gaming is actually dropping

enough with the "console gaming is dying" crap.

It's not dying, but it's certainly plateauing, and the trends among younger generations are concerning.

 

[Fredrik]

Sky is not falling on the platform.

It has already sold 25 million+. Mainly cause Series X was much better value. Now entry level PCs offer better value so they are overtaking it in sales. Nothing surprising here.

WiiU had exclusives, no PC presence to sell their software to. This is nowhere that level.

In fact, their consoles are solid and offering healthy sales despite competition from pc.

WiiU had some third party exclusives from the start but it was ignored quite soon. Was okay because of Nintendo’s games though.
Xbox Series X is possibly in a better state as a platform, definitely not ignored yet. But Switch launched 4.5 years after WiiU and had a long period of hype. That’s as if the next Xbox would launch early 2025 with rumours circulating right now about how good it is and how it looks etc. But there is nothing. Imagine waiting 2 more years, and that is if it’s not delayed. What games will be there? Has all the big games still not fully unveiled on Series X been moved over to the next console? Gears 6? Doom? Perfect Dark? State of Decay 3? Elder Scrolls VI?

 

[vaibhavpisal]

WiiU had some third party exclusives from the start but it was ignored quite soon. Was okay because of Nintendo’s games though.
Xbox Series X is possibly in a better state as a platform, definitely not ignored yet. But Switch launched 4.5 years after WiiU and had a long period of hype. That’s as if the next Xbox would launch early 2025 with rumours circulating right now about how good it is and how it looks etc. But there is nothing. Imagine waiting 2 more years, and that is if it’s not delayed. What games will be there? Has all the big games still not fully unveiled on Series X been moved over to the next console? Gears 6? Doom? Perfect Dark? State of Decay 3? Elder Scrolls VI?

Next xbox will sell more as a high value preposition, just like Series X.

Imagine a RTX 4080 equivalent box with next gen ray tracing/upscaling/frame gen tech (hypothetical) for $499. It will end up selling good 30-40 million before pcs will catch up in value. All those sales are valuable cause that’s early adapter hardcore fanbase.

Games wont do the talking. Its how Xbox rolls. Minimal hype.

 

[GHG]

It's not dying, but it's certainly plateauing, and the trends among younger generations are concerning.

Where?

It's growing in many places outside of the US.

The market in Europe is influenced by a diverse range of consumer preferences across different countries. While traditional console gaming remains popular in Western European nations, Eastern Europe shows a growing interest in online and mobile gaming. The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing a surge in gaming console demand, driven by a burgeoning middle class and increasing disposable incomes. Countries like China, Japan, and South Korea have emerged as major contributors to the growth of the market.

Gaming Console Market to Surpass USD 34.09 Billion by 2030 owing to Rise of Cloud Gaming and Global Gaming Demographics | Research by SNS Insider

According to SNS Insider’s research, technological advancements, coupled with the continuous creation of compelling gaming content, ensures a bright and...

www.globenewswire.com

 

[analog_future]

Where?

It's growing in many places outside of the US.

Gaming Console Market to Surpass USD 34.09 Billion by 2030 owing to Rise of Cloud Gaming and Global Gaming Demographics | Research by SNS Insider

According to SNS Insider’s research, technological advancements, coupled with the continuous creation of compelling gaming content, ensures a bright and...

www.globenewswire.com

Worldwide:

Console sales peaked in 2008 as market shifts towards older gamers suggests data

Console growth has been stagnant for a long time while the casual/mobile market continues to grow.

Anecdotally, as a parent, I'm seeing this as well. None of my kids classmates play on console. It's all on tablets & phones nowadays for kids younger than like 15.

 

[bender]

On a serious note, Richard's take on Indie games was odd as it seemed he equated them to small, undemanding endeavors. While that might cover some of the Indie scene, development has progressed far beyond Cave Story. Getting your game up and running on two SKUs might not be a trivial task and that might be a pretty big ask for smaller teams, especially when that platform is most likely going to produce the least amount of sales.

 

[Generic]

John Linneman made an interesting point: there are indie games that have sold only a couple of dozen of copies on Xbox. That’s bad. But how many copies were sold on other platforms? Can’t have been that many either.

Not sure if this still is the case, but a few years ago some indie devs were complaining about low sales on Playstation consoles and tougher Sony's restrictions.




Althought maybe this changed:

Shuhei Yoshida Wants to Change the Way Indie Developers Perceive PlayStation

Hearts and minds

www.pushsquare.com

 

[bender]

Not sure if this still is the case, but a few years ago some indie devs were complaining about low sales on Playstation consoles and tougher Sony's restrictions.




Althought maybe this changed:

Shuhei Yoshida Wants to Change the Way Indie Developers Perceive PlayStation

Hearts and minds

www.pushsquare.com

My guess is that Xbox's place on the pie chart is bolstered by Game Pass. It will be curious to see how that looks in the coming years now that the "gold rush" is over.

 

[StereoVsn]

Why would publishers consider dropping Xbox support? Considering PC dev typically utilises DX12 then porting is a breeze. There have been numerous stories of PC developers getting the Xbox version of a game in a playable state easily in a matter of days. In fact, thats actually the problem... Xbox support is so easy to implement that it is often an afterthought. That likely explains why multiple Xbox Series only technologies haven't been implemented i.e. SFS, DirectML etc.

Its going to depend on projected sales and opportunity cost. If those devs could be making something that would bring more money, the port won't happen. Another big question is how much are people actually buying on Xbox vs just playing through GamePass. We have seen outsized PS to Xbox 3rd party game sales ratios as compared to hardware sales, so that's another thing to take into account.

That said, for most larger studios I don't see why they would abandon Xbox as a platform, at least in the short term. There are tens of millions of units sold, if the studio has a few devs who can do a port or they can contract an outside studio, it should be a straightforward and decently profitable process. The bigger question is going to be around smaller publishers, especially Japanese ones.

 

[Three]

Not sure if this still is the case, but a few years ago some indie devs were complaining about low sales on Playstation consoles and tougher Sony's restrictions.




Althought maybe this changed:

Shuhei Yoshida Wants to Change the Way Indie Developers Perceive PlayStation

Hearts and minds

www.pushsquare.com

It depends entirely on which indie game you look at, its audience, its partnerships, coverage at shows or featured spots in the store. Look at Gabe in the same graph. Nobody would believe Steam is restrictive to indie sales yet their sales are almost the same as PS there.

 

[Fredrik]

I do not disagree with what you are saying but does MS want to save the console? You can't go around telling everyone how your console is not important and that Xbox is "every screen" and then expect consumer support for the console. Mixed messaging has been a problem for a loooooong time with Xbox and it got way worse this generation.

Yeah this I agree on. They’re terrible in general at communicating their plans. And they seemingly change plans all the time. It’s as if they’re trying things to see how the community reacts, then we get the ”we hear you” nonsense and change direction. Maybe that’s why they’re so slow, they just talk, can’t get things done. Machine learning in Xbox Series. Tools. Direct X whatever for faster SSD loading. Exclusives. Big first party titles. Xbox Cloud. Stadia launched and died and PS Now was behind and is now ahead and Xbox Cloud is still in beta.

 

[GHG]

Worldwide:

Console sales peaked in 2008 as market shifts towards older gamers suggests data

Console growth has been stagnant for a long time while the casual/mobile market continues to grow.

Anecdotally, as a parent, I'm seeing this as well. None of my kids classmates play on console. It's all on tablets & phones nowadays for kids younger than like 15.

Explain this then:

Gaming Console Market Rebounded in 2023 as Supply Issues Subsided; Sony Took Top Spot From Nintendo

In 2023, the gaming console market saw a 10% YoY growth driven by supply chain enhancements, rising consumer demand, and new releases from Nintendo and Sony.

www.counterpointresearch.com

I'd also be interested to see the source of the chart you posted along with the underlying data.

Reminder: NPD is the US only, which I already alluded to.

 

[Darsxx82]

The most curious thing that reality dictates is that never in history (not even in the times of X360) have so many games of all types and origins reached the catalog of an XBOX console.
We have heard similar statements and rumors in every generation and here we are seeing that exclusives (without exclusivity payment involved) are becoming increasingly rare and the trend is to launch games on the maximum number of platforms and stores possible.

My feeling is that XSeries already has a competent and sufficient user base to make it a viable platform for the vast majority of editors the rest of this gen.
For the little ones and Indi? MS is already there encouraging versions for its console via ID@XBOX, cloud, PC Store and Gamepass. Add agreements like Sega, SE and the recent one with NetEase and the XSeries user can rest assured that their console is not going to be a Dreamcast , Saturn, or Gamecube on duty. Less so in a period where all platforms coincide in architecture and development base Dx12.
Perhaps the concern could be in how much attention the ports to XSeries vs PS5 receive, but in general the Studios usually meet certain minimums even if more patches than normal are required.


The next nextGen XBOX console?? Well, first I would wait to know what type of product it is and its bases.

If it is a continuation or traditional console bet, then the degree of support will depend on how much it sells in its first years and whether it manages to gather a decent user base.
If, for example, it is the Console/PC hybrid + Handlead where perhaps the games can be from various stores and compatible with PC games.... Well, the support will be easier and not so linked to sales or the user base.


PS. By the way, this clip is an excerpt from the same video from weeks ago and which was already discussed....

 

[Fredrik]

Next xbox will sell more as a high value preposition, just like Series X.

Imagine a RTX 4080 equivalent box with next gen ray tracing/upscaling/frame gen tech (hypothetical) for $499. It will end up selling good 30-40 million before pcs will catch up in value. All those sales are valuable cause that’s early adapter hardcore fanbase.

Games wont do the talking. Its how Xbox rolls. Minimal hype.

Can’t take this seriously. Sorry. The only way we’ll get that type of box is if they go the PC route as I said before; Xbox branded prebuilt PC booting into Xbox UI/launcher running through Windows. Then they could sell different powered versions, with a 4080 equivalent box going for $1000…
The upside there is being able to run Steam games. Playstation games on ”Xbox”.

But i already have that box, so
I currently have a 4080 Super + 7800X3D PC in the living room acting as both my Xbox and Playstation. I don’t think they’ll be able to pull me in again unless they stop doing PC versions. There is no downside to the PC route for me, just the cost but it’s already payed off so they would need some exclusive super cool feature to get me interested.

 

[lh032]

Worldwide:

Console sales peaked in 2008 as market shifts towards older gamers suggests data

Console growth has been stagnant for a long time while the casual/mobile market continues to grow.

Anecdotally, as a parent, I'm seeing this as well. None of my kids classmates play on console. It's all on tablets & phones nowadays for kids younger than like 15.

the statistic on top doesnt make much sense to me , you are telling me PC revenue has been better than console since the 1980? lol what? I dont really understand the table.

if im not mistaken, console is still growing in certain coutries like germany, finland and many more countries.

Besides, if you want to talk about mobile gaming, logically every other platform is/ or will be "declining" sooner or later.

 

[Little Chicken]

I do not disagree with what you are saying but does MS want to save the console? You can't go around telling everyone how your console is not important and that Xbox is "every screen" and then expect consumer support for the console. Mixed messaging has been a problem for a loooooong time with Xbox and it got way worse this generation. They followed up their "most powerful console" announcement with the weakest. They have preached Game Pass and engagement instead of making sales important. It has been a cluster pluck (how you like that one Little Chicken ) since the start of this generation and only got worse. Now we have Xbox titles hitting the PlayStation 5. Talk about weakening the (console) brand. I understand that some of these changes have come from necessity but damn, it sometimes looks like Phil& Co are purposely trying to kill the Xbox console. Congratulations to them, I guess.

Phil Spencer's Xbox has you a bit under the collar huh

The way PS5 owners are eating up Xbox games just goes to show that the demand for Xbox is there, it's just locked behind brand loyalty and corporate creampies.

When big games like Doom, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, etc start dropping, will Playstation owners risk waiting a year or two while everyone else is having fun?

 

[reinking]

Phil Spencer's Xbox has you a bit under the collar huh

The way PS5 owners are eating up Xbox games just goes to show that the demand for Xbox is there, it's just locked behind brand loyalty and corporate creampies.

When big games like Doom, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, etc start dropping, will Playstation owners risk waiting a year or two while everyone else is having fun?

They are waiting now unless they are playing on that other "Xbox platform" aka Windows. What makes you think they are suddenly going to run out and buy an Xbox console because those titles hit PlayStation?


If there is an Xbox console around....

 

[Little Chicken]

They are waiting now unless they are playing on that other "Xbox platform" aka Windows. What makes you think they are suddenly going to run out and buy an Xbox console because those titles hit PlayStation?


If there is an Xbox console around....

 

[Fabieter]

Interesting video, it’s like reading a forum discussion, just without console warriors trying to trigger people. But I like that DF do this since it might wake up MS. Because as it is the platform is dying. I said awhile back that 2026 is too late for a new generation console and I stand by that, in 2026 Xbox as a console will be dead, that’s just how it is. If it can be resurrected depends on how the next console is.

And regarding game purchases, I for one has bought in total 1 game on Xbox this generation. Indie or AAA doesn’t matter. I play through Gamepass, if a game isn’t there I buy on PC. And now that I don’t have a Gamepass sub I have outright moved over to PC and Steam instead.


How can this be fixed?

3 steps is needed…

1. Exclusives
Real console exclusives.
It’s annoying as hell if you want to play elsewhere but it does work if you want people to buy games. Look at Sony’s numbers.

2. Delayed Gamepass release
Doesn’t have to be years, a couple months is enough. Even 1 month can be enough if combined with the point below.

3. Lower price day 1 and include bonus content
Instead of selling an expensive premium edition 5 days earlier, lower the price during 1 month and include bonus content. That way you catch both those who’re looking for a cheap entry point and those who like bonus content.

I would lose any remaining trust if they start a new gen after six gen let alone even earlier. This gen was the time they should have turned stuff around.

 

[Zathalus]

the statistic on top doesnt make much sense to me , you are telling me PC revenue has been better than console since the 1980? lol what? I dont really understand the table.

if im not mistaken, console is still growing in certain coutries like germany, finland and many more countries.

Besides, if you want to talk about mobile gaming, logically every other platform is/ or will be "declining" sooner or later.

PC gaming was very popular in the 80s/90s, it is only the 2000s where PC had major issues and console were massively more popular.

 

[Don Carlo]

Not gonna happen. Nada.

 

[Gambit2483]

I would lose any remaining trust if they start a new gen after six gen let alone even earlier. This gen was the time they should have turned stuff around.

Well, they kinda screwed themselves out of a mid-gen refresh immediately by launching with the series S. At this point they can only do an entirely new gen launch. I wouldn't be surprised if they announced a new console for (late) 2025..

 

[Roronoa Zoro]

This is definitely an element or a factor, but I think it's actually not true.

People generally buy PlayStation because of an ecosystem: The controller, PSN, their game library.

There isn't much Microsoft can do at this point to turn the tide on that.

• Would be difficult to replicate the PS controller without alienating core Xbox fans.
• You can't replicate PSN: Trophies, game saves, friends lists
• You can't import a game library

Even the part you mentioned about exclusives is difficult to impossible to replicate. Sony has spent decades building its 1st party studios, to the point where they've attempted the ability for these studios to be able to work on more than one project at a time and even that has seen struggles.

Microsoft can't put nearly as much into studios and projects because the returns aren't there and GamePass destroys that calculus as well. This is something Jim Ryan warned about but was largely mocked about.

If Microsoft were to put 200 million into a game, there is almost no way they get a return out of that game with the game being on GamePass. Especially if it is a single-player non-GaaS game. So that boat has sailed. This is particularly troublesome for original IP.

In the last generation Sony came out with Ghost of Tsushima, Bloodborne, Day's Gone, and you can even give them the nod for Detroit Become Human. Add Spider-Man to that list and it just gets a bit ridiculous.

Microsoft hasn't had a single success in this arena at even the level of Bloodborne or Detroit Become Human. They also rebooted God of War. Even if Microsoft partnered with Quantic Dream, their games wouldn't sell nearly as well without the backing of Sony.

Microsoft generally hasn't come out with a worthwhile single player franchise since Gears of War on the 360 and that was made by Epic. The franchise launched in 2006... That's nearly 20 years without a flagship IP.

DF continues to push the console war and reject the notion that it is over. You can see how sad puppy John Linneman is here. GamePass and PC GamePass destroyed Xbox.

They had so many awesome new IP last gen you forgot Horizon lol

 

[Fabieter]

Well, they kinda screwed themselves out of a mid-gen refresh immediately by launching with the series S. At this point they can only do an entirely new gen launch. I wouldn't be surprised if they announced a new console for (late) 2025..

They have to support the series consoles for at least two years which put the new console into the ps6 launch territory.

 

[NickFire]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Sony's marketing agreement with the franchise supposed to last till the 2024 entry? If that is the case then I don't think this years entry launches on GP day 1.

I thought there was a number of games between two dates. Could be way off base. But have kind of assumed they called this year‘s expansion MW3 so that they would finish the marketing deal and be able to go day 1 starting with next one in November.

 

[Gambit2483]

They have to support the series consoles for at least two years which put the new console into the ps6 launch territory.

Do they though? If hardware sales (and 3rd party support) fall off a cliff in 2024 they may be forced to pull a Wii U.

I agree that they  should support Series for another 2 years but the market may dictate otherwise. I always said 2024 will be a make or break year for Xbox...

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Worldwide:

Console sales peaked in 2008 as market shifts towards older gamers suggests data




Console growth has been stagnant for a long time while the casual/mobile market continues to grow.

Anecdotally, as a parent, I'm seeing this as well. None of my kids classmates play on console. It's all on tablets & phones nowadays for kids younger than like 15.

so?

 

[Unknown?]

Hope not, my dumb ass bought another year of GP Ultimate

Enjoy the one 1st party game!

 

[Fabieter]

Do they though? If hardware sales (and 3rd party support) fall off a cliff in 2024 they may be forced to pull a Wii U.

I agree that they  should support Series for another 2 years but the market may dictate otherwise. I always said 2024 will be a make or break year for Xbox...

Wiiu wasn't exactly the same since switch was also the successor to the 3ds which was also six years old but the support for thar machine was really good.

 

[Fredrik]

Do they though? If hardware sales (and 3rd party support) fall off a cliff in 2024 they may be forced to pull a Wii U.

I agree that they  should support Series for another 2 years but the market may dictate otherwise. I always said 2024 will be a make or break year for Xbox...

Why would anyone want 2 more years of low dynamic res to get 60fps? …if that is even an option. It’s an awful generation. The only thing good is that games are coming to PC now so you can sort out the issues coming from too weak hardware for what the devs want to do. MS has given up on 60fps, Starfield is 30fps, Hellblade 2 is 30fps, I guarantee that Fable is 30fps too, Awowed is probably 30, Indy could possibly be 60 but 30 could happen there too. New hardware is needed, not in 2 years, now.

 

[SHA]

This man has history, look at the scratch on his face, he can't pass ethics standard in my book.

 

[Generic]

Microsoft generally hasn't come out with a worthwhile single player franchise since Gears of War on the 360 and that was made by Epic.

I lived enough to see Gears of War being called a "single player franchise" lol

Also, why are singleplayers franchises much more important than multiplayer franchises? As far as I know, most people prefer multplayer games.