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If they put you in Phil Spencer's chair, how would you save Xbox?

ChoosableOne

ChoosableAll
My solution would be to make all Call of Duty games immediately available for free on Game Pass, and release new versions on day one from now on, with some bonuses included. And I would make online play free(for non-subscribers). Microsoft would lose money, but Xbox would be saved:messenger_grinning:

I can't think of any other solution that would work in the near future. What's your solution?
 
Console or company?

Be specific.

If its console, just releasing Starfield with specific content added would be enough. Stuff that will make exploring planets and various star systems more fun.

If its company you are talking about, seek help.
 

NikuNashi

Member
  • Stop rewarding mediocrity, stop hiring or promoting on any other metric than skill / contribution.
  • Cut the BS 'engagement' and start being honest
  • Phase out gamepass, It was a cute idea but completely screwed Xbox business model and trained its bots not to buy games.
  • Push out some cutting edge FPS games that will please the core demographic of dude bros
  • Aim for 90 metacritic games and dont accept less, put in place a proper honest QA / User testing process and hammer it until games are excellent.

 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
My solution would be to make all Call of Duty games immediately available for free on Game Pass, and release new versions on day one from now on, with some bonuses included. And I would make online play free(for non-subscribers). Microsoft would lose money, but Xbox would be saved

So you'd kill Xbox. Microsoft aren't a charity.
 

ChoosableOne

ChoosableAll
So you'd kill Xbox. Microsoft aren't a charity.
At least I'm doing the same job for less money:messenger_sunglasses:. You can always make online services paid again, and remove COD from Game Pass in the future, once you've released those great games you promised.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
My solution would be to make all Call of Duty games immediately available for free on Game Pass, and release new versions on day one from now on, with some bonuses included. And I would make online play free(for non-subscribers). Microsoft would lose money, but Xbox would be saved:messenger_grinning:

I can't think of any other solution that would work in the near future. What's your solution?

Lmfaooooooo

No offence, but that wouldn't save Xbox.

To make Xbox the number one worldwide console, Microsoft should pay third-party publishers whatever they ask for to get all their games on GP day one.

decrease the price of GP to £5 per month and freeze the cost for 10 years.

throw in 6 months of GP with every Xbox sold.

Microsoft would bleed money, but Xbox would be saved 😃
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Tough call, It would have to be a long slow approach. I would 100% make a handheld similar to ROG ALLY. I would work with the windows team to make a Xbox environment work in windows that can play all Xbox software (this would probably be very difficult but worth it)

I would then work on higher end consoles that make a profit for each unit sold, and bring all games to PS5 and PC/Switch where possible 12 months after launch. Gamepass day one.

Also, be harder on the studios - Push for high quality games. I know this is easy to say, but there must be skilled directors out there that can inspire teams.

Gaming seems a tough market right now. Outside of Nintendo and the odd massive lightning in a bottle games like Elden ring, Helldiver II this year. No one knows what the next big thing will be.
 

Shut0wen

Member
Spend more on advertising, make sure games release on a finished state, release a new gen earlier than PS try to pull an xbox 360, they already got some of the best studios out there, don't waste them.
Definitely advertisement, its actually alarming how little xbox spend on advertisement since the xbox 360, its like every since Activision choose sonys ps4 to advertise cod ms just hasnt bothered to advertise at all, i never once seen an advert for halo infinte
 
Tough call, It would have to be a long slow approach. I would 100% make a handheld similar to ROG ALLY. I would work with the windows team to make a Xbox environment work in windows that can play all Xbox software (this would probably be very difficult but worth it)

I would then work on higher end consoles that make a profit for each unit sold, and bring all games to PS5 and PC/Switch where possible 12 months after launch. Gamepass day one.

Also, be harder on the studios - Push for high quality games. I know this is easy to say, but there must be skilled directors out there that can inspire teams.

Gaming seems a tough market right now. Outside of Nintendo and the odd massive lightning in a bottle games like Elden ring, Helldiver II this year. No one knows what the next big thing will be.
The next big thing is FEET. Gen Alpha and Z love em. Look at the Juri fanbase. Sole degenerates love arm pits though....
 

Zheph

Member
Closing Valentines Day GIF by NETFLIX
 

Pelao

Member
New Banjo Kazooie, new Combat Flight Simulator, launch StarCraft: Ghost, launch Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans, kill the Creation engine, put Obsidian in charge of a new Fallout. I don't give a damn if this saves Xbox or not. At least it would make me happy before the inevitable end.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Game Pass won't save Xbox. Great first party games wil save Xbox. Demand quality from your studios. Get your own damn house in order.


Console or company?

Be specific.

If its console, just releasing Starfield with specific content added would be enough. Stuff that will make exploring planets and various star systems more fun.

If its company you are talking about, seek help.

"Xbox"?. Common sense, dude
 
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Bergoglio

Member
1. Remove exclusives from gamepass, sell them only in physical or digital format for $70
2. Advertise every single internal production according with production values, eliminate the possibility of not having a sufficient marketing threshold
3. Immediately stop publishing internal productions on Playstation, leaving only PC and Nintendo
4. Dedicated hardware team that helps third parties release games at high levels of performance and polish, in addition to support for in-house productions that showcase the capabilities of the designed hardware
5. Fight Sony for exclusive or temporal third-party content
6. Investments in studies in ASIA, Japan, Africa
7. Plan a marketing plan that sees Xbox hardware constantly displayed in the city, exhibitions, events, advertising etc, on a monthly basis in major cities, sport event, TV
8. Internal team dedicated to the production quality of their titles from a content and technical point of view. Every studio needs support, and every time
9. Engage fans more about the state of internal games through feedback
10. Abandon metrics such as engagement, community, union, if we all play we all win etc: communities have never been an evaluative measure in the videogame market, they are just smoke and mirrors. The only thing that matters is producing large and small but quality games. Microsoft has a huge responsibility in having produced this aura that the player must necessarily relate to the other. Nobody ever asked for it and the market has always functioned without this variable. This market has the duty to produce quality games, users have nothing to do with it.
11. Completely relaunch Xbox in Europe with the help of all kinds of analysts, consultants and cultural experts from European territories
 

Methos#1975

Member
* Immediately get rid of Gamepass.
* Immediately stop porting exclusives to PC day one and halt PS5 ports

Consoles are absolutely pointless without true exclusives and games that are handed out for free only hurt the devs that make them.

*Fast track remasters/remakes of Fallout 3/NV and Morrowimd
* Start development on Lost Odyseey 2
* Put a boot in Rare's ass
*Restart the BC program and add achievements to Xbox OG games.
*Fire the entire marketing dept and start afresh with people that give a shit
* Kill off the XSS over the next year and phase it out
 
I'd want to set a quality standard for games being released that developers need to work towards. Not just release anything you want because it's clear that the games Xbox are working on just aren't meeting the same standard that Sony or Nintendo have been (Sony more so a few years back).

I'd definitely want to start setting hard deadlines for studios that have been working on games because stuff just sits in development for too long over there. Games like Avowed and Fable have been announced for what seems like forever.

With the above in mind I wouldn't let studios announce games until they are confident that the game can release within a year. People often get hyped because a game is coming only for it to not see the light of day for 2 or 3 years. That kind of thing isn't acceptable to me and at the end of the day, it's important that those who have bought into the ecosystem have something to look forward to getting their hands on a product within a reasonable amount of time. Leaks are leaks but until they are officially confirmed then the company are under no obligation to to talk about them.

Lastly, I'd probably do away with exclusives releasing on game pass day one. It would be a tough pill to swallow and the backlash would be real but ultimately it would mean that games are getting bought day one and that money can go back into the development of more, better games. Game Pass is slowly failing and I don't think it's sustainable long term. I'd be transparent about it though and make it clear to the community that it will be beneficial for the quality of the games moving forward. Game Pass will still hold value even if games don't release there day one.
 

DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
It always comes down to games.
And I'm not talking about one or two big exclusive/console exclusive games, I'm talking about a steady flow of heavy-hitting games.

Microsoft ended the second half of the Xbox One generation poorly and then that continued the first two years of this generation. You can't go more than 5 years without a steady flow of major exclusives while the competition releases hit after hit.

It's not going to take a few years to recover, it might take another generation and it might be too late then.
 

midnightAI

Member
People keep saying get rid of gamepass, but I think that is the only thing keeping them afloat at the moment, its just too late to get rid of it. Was it a mistake in the first place, certainly, but they have made their bed with that one.

Now if you could turn back time and pretend gamepass doesn't exist then that'd a different story, if we could go right back then no gamepass, no pc day one, still purchase act/blizz, bethesda etc. but then make those games exclusive to your console (although less likely those deals would be done). Allow PC peripherals such as VR (why not?), dont do multiple consoles at launch (unless one is a handheld).

Edit: actually, they could keep gamepass but don't put your AAA first party games on there day one, let them make money first then after 12 months or more put them on gamepass.
 
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skit_data

Member
A little too late now but here goes:

Make sure your marketing is consistent and not contradicting itself. Choose a lane and stick with it instead of trying to appease everyone and noone.
 

ChoosableOne

ChoosableAll
People keep saying get rid of gamepass, but I think that is the only thing keeping them afloat at the moment, its just too late to get rid of it. Was it a mistake in the first place, certainly, but they have made their bed with that one.
It's like making your only save in the middle of a boss fight.
 

panda-zebra

Member
According to Spencer xbox is three things: a publisher of games, a platform for publishers to sell their games and a hardware platform.

Which one are we saving, 'cause one of those isn't nearly as worth it as the others and would cost a heck of a lot more to implement for very little return.

There's nothing to dictate that all three pillars need to co-exist in future in order to maximise the potential of their gaming division. That's why there are hints that, going forwards, the way to "save" hardware is to effectively abandon it to brand licensing. Save on R&D, save on loss-leading razor/blades, save on manufacturing woes. Make hardware barely more complicated than licensing peripherals.

There's no saving the xbox of old you know and love because that's already long gone. Their focus is on growing the games industry by reaching more players in more places, not attempting to milk an ever-dwindling userbase.
 

Schmendrick

Member
At this point I don't think you can turn the ship around for Xbox anymore without PlayStation having a second PS3 moment first.

But considering how many studios they bought over the years it would probably be a good start if those actually started producing good games...
 

UltimaKilo

Gold Member
I’m really not qualified. Quickly they’d realize that I lied in my resume and fire me. So I’d probably just try and bullshit my way through and try to get some stock options and collect that check.
 

hinch7

Member
Not sure anything could save the brand at this point. I'd just rebrand for their next console and start afresh with a console/PC hybrid. Have a good store available (perhaps revamp and roll Microsoft Store+Xbox app into one) and have super competitive prices for new ABK games; like CoD, to draw people in. Have multiple SKU's. One high powered a handheld and perhaps a pro model/refresh down the line. Release a new range of PC/console hardware every 4-5 years with the latest AMD tech. People would have access to all games on PC, Microsoft titles and PS GaaS games from the get-go.

That and work on making good quality content, with a good release schedule. Leaving little to no droughts. Keep pumping out games on there and other platforms.
 
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