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[wapplew]

That in itself raises an interesting question as to how long this status quo can be maintained? If this is all MS will do for the foreseeable future, then what is their overall objective for Xbox?

Overall objective always about building a profitable video game ecosystem, like Apple, Google or Valve.

 

[AnthonypUK]

I'm saying it sold more than most anyone thought it would going by previous JP releases on the platform. I'm not saying it sold well just that it sold well enough to show there might be a profitable audience for JP titles on XB1 in US and U.K. which is hopefully enough to get some development going along with some added monetary incentive from MS.

Using UK figures since thats the only split we have.

The last mainline Final Fantasy (13) in the UK was 54 per cent on PS3 and 46 on the 360, how is it now being 80 - 20% better then expected?

Yes that is much better than most thought it'd be given the performance of other JP developed games on the platform not the least of which was FF Type 0.

The type zero split was PS4 (78%) XBO (22%) so its the same? i would have expected a mainline Final fantasy to do better with the casual Xbox fans this reducing the split, so it being the same as the more niche type zero is pretty terrible.

 

[Theonik]

Maybe, just maybe, they should have not shuttered their studios and/or made more.
No-one's going to buy a Scorpio that hasn't bought an Xbone for Forza 7 and Halo 6

 

[Salty Hippo]

hey guys whats going on in this thread

 

[MarveI]

It's crazy how things have changed so drastically and so suddenly.
With last gen, 360, xbox was on top of their game. So many great exclusives, 1p,3p such a diverse lineup. They had it all. And they were some of the best games ever.

Now...it's like night and day. Surreal.

 

[Charles Brandon]

Overall objective always about building a profitable video game ecosystem, like Apple, Google or Valve.

Market share is a big part of that though. At the moment they are making steady profits with a decent chunk of users but a lot of those users are a result of their success in the previous generation. They need to get some momentum and market back with Scorpio otherwise they are really going to struggle when Sony brings out their next console. Assuming Sony don't fuck that up of course.

 

[Labombadog]

The more he talk the more I lose faith in him. I used to believe in him when he took over, but now I regret buying an xbox one.

Same. All kinds of regrets.

 

[Thorrgal]

Phil would do amazingly in politics.

He is already doing amazing in politics

 

[twobear]

That in itself raises an interesting question as to how long this status quo can be maintained? If this is all MS will do for the foreseeable future, then what is their overall objective for Xbox?

As Ive said before I think their strategy is to make a small profit from being a distant second place, which is to say no huge investments or risky and expensive gambles. So pretty much what they've been doing for the last two years; refine and improve the core Xbone experience with new features, continue making their core franchises, release a couple of low budget new IPs a year. Then they'll assess next generation whether they want to try again (hopefully having learned a lot of lessons from this one) or bow out.

 

[Daffy Duck]

It's crazy how things have changed so drastically and so suddenly.
With last gen, 360, xbox was on top of their game. So many great exclusives, 1p,3p such a diverse lineup. They had it all. And they were some of the best games ever.

Now...it's like night and day. Surreal.

That third console curse hits hard.

 

[Breakage]

Why limit it to the Xbox One ? The whole purpose of their Platform unification is to get rid of the focus on a specific console iteration. "Xbox family" overlaps 360 (through BC), Xbox One/OneS, PC and soon Scorpio. There never was a "Xbox One Family", since there's only one Xbox One.

From Project Scorpio's official video: "These two systems [Scorpio and Xbox One] are part of the same family. The games will work on both, accessories will work on both."

The phrase "Xbox One family" is also used in the same segment of the video.

Scorpio is just a uprated Xbox One if Microsoft are to be believed. It is (supposedly​ still just an Xbox One. Yet the way Spencer talks about it suggests it is a new platform.

 

[Hugh Swank]

GameStop CEO seems to have some inside information on games coming that will make Scorpio attractive to consumers.


http://wccftech.com/gamestop-impressed-xbox-scorpio-powerful/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

"GameStop has expressed to be impressed by Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Scorpio, and the retailer believes that the console will have some great titles that will help drive sales."

"When asked about why the retailer appears to be rather optimistic about the Scorpio, it’s exclusive line-up, and the difference with the PS4 Pro, the Chief Operating Officer replied that the Scorpio is a really powerful console made for 4K gaming. Bartel believes that the enhanced Xbox One console will have some significant great games made for it."

"Unfortunately we can’t talk about a lot other than what’s known”, he said. The Scorpio is “a very powerful system that’s really made for 4K”, he added. “We see it [as] a very gaming centric, very, very powerful unit and so we do believe that there will be some great games that are made for this.”

 

[Trago]

I hope they establish new first party studios. And if not, then let their top teams develop new IPs.

Maybe they'll surprise us this E3.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

Believe it when I see it.
Company is far too inconsistent.

 

[CalamityPixel]

Just announce Grabbed by the Ghoulies 2 already for fucks sake

 

[Guymelef]

GameStop CEO seems to have some inside information on games coming that will make Scorpio attractive to consumers.


http://wccftech.com/gamestop-impressed-xbox-scorpio-powerful/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

"GameStop has expressed to be impressed by Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Scorpio, and the retailer believes that the console will have some great titles that will help drive sales."

"When asked about why the retailer appears to be rather optimistic about the Scorpio, it’s exclusive line-up, and the difference with the PS4 Pro, the Chief Operating Officer replied that the Scorpio is a really powerful console made for 4K gaming. Bartel believes that the enhanced Xbox One console will have some significant great games made for it."

"Unfortunately we can’t talk about a lot other than what’s known”, he said. The Scorpio is “a very powerful system that’s really made for 4K”, he added. “We see it [as] a very gaming centric, very, very powerful unit and so we do believe that there will be some great games that are made for this.”

GmaeStop CEO would sound excited even with Ouya 2.

 

[stargateheaven]

They'll show off new games when they show scorpio off. It makes sense.

Else its gonna be "Hey guys!! Look at the new scorpio running... halo 5.. and.. GOW.."

 

[Trago]

GmaeStop CEO would sound excited even with Ouya 2.

That doesn't mean there isn't new stuff being developed.

 

[Dark Cloud]

GameStop CEO seems to have some inside information on games coming that will make Scorpio attractive to consumers.


http://wccftech.com/gamestop-impressed-xbox-scorpio-powerful/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

"GameStop has expressed to be impressed by Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Scorpio, and the retailer believes that the console will have some great titles that will help drive sales."

"When asked about why the retailer appears to be rather optimistic about the Scorpio, it’s exclusive line-up, and the difference with the PS4 Pro, the Chief Operating Officer replied that the Scorpio is a really powerful console made for 4K gaming. Bartel believes that the enhanced Xbox One console will have some significant great games made for it."

"Unfortunately we can’t talk about a lot other than what’s known”, he said. The Scorpio is “a very powerful system that’s really made for 4K”, he added. “We see it [as] a very gaming centric, very, very powerful unit and so we do believe that there will be some great games that are made for this.”

We know it's going to be powerful. They're not saying anything new and it's their job to promote this because it's good for their business.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

They'll show off new games when they show scorpio off. It makes sense.

Else its gonna be "Hey guys!! Look at the new scorpio running... halo 5.. and.. GOW.."

It'll be interesting to see what brand new stuff they have to show at E3. Hopefully they'll have some brand new IPs in the works designed to showcase the new hardware.

 

[Final Verdict]

I would love to believe they have a few nice surprises at E3 but I expect for this it will be the focus on Crackdown, Stare of Decay 2 and Sea of Thieves. So nothing exactly brand new there. Really don't believe this focus on first party means lots of new announcements but again, please prove me wrong.

And if not, let's hope Phil does all he can to indeed bring new IP to the console. Some much needed new names.

I hope you are right. I don't want them showing everything they have for the next three years out. We should get the inevitable Halo 6 teaser, but I hoe they keep it as close to the chest as they can.

Also, they have had new iP this cycle (Ryse, sunset overdrive, quantum break, project spark, recore) the problem is that almost nothing has actually been successful outside of titanfall, and maybe Ori and the blind forest (I'm talking relative success)

So I think the issue is that they need to put more confidence in some of these new IP s, give the developer the proper timeframe and resources, and hope for the best.

Because most of the exclusives I have played have simply felt half baked despite often having some great Ideas behind them.

 

[Ricky_R]

That's great to hear, but we've been hearing a lot from him without much results. Speaking strictly from a first party content standpoint.

He's been delivering on features and services.

 

[Alx]

Scorpio is just a uprated Xbox One if Microsoft are to be believed. It is (supposedly​ still just an Xbox One. Yet the way Spencer talks about it suggests it is a new platform.

And I'll ask you again, what exactly in those few words makes you believe it's a new platform, in the sense of previous generations ?
Your quote from the trailer doesn't contradict the "Xbox family" strategy, it actually confirms it. Scorpio is a new Xbox iteration, but with full cross compatibility with the current model. People usually compare it with smartphone iterations, where iPhone 7 is a new and more powerful model, but still runs the same apps as iPhone6, and will be able to run the same apps as iPhone8. Theyre all part of the "iPhone family". (except that with MS, such compatibility can also extend to PC, phones, hololens etc)

 

[Leflus]

As Ive said before I think their strategy is to make a small profit from being a distant second place, which is to say no huge investments or risky and expensive gambles. So pretty much what they've been doing for the last two years; refine and improve the core Xbone experience with new features, continue making their core franchises, release a couple of low budget new IPs a year. Then they'll assess next generation whether they want to try again (hopefully having learned a lot of lessons from this one) or bow out.

Yeah. I'm close to feeling like this as well.

This year's E3 will be the final test to see if last year's E3 was just a fluke or if it is what we can expect from MS going forward.
I thought that they had great to fantastic E3s from 2013 to 2015. 2016 was the first one in a while that disappointed me.

They'll show off new games when they show scorpio off. It makes sense.

Else its gonna be "Hey guys!! Look at the new scorpio running... halo 5.. and.. GOW.."

Of course they'll show off new games. The question is if those games are games we 100% expect or if they'll surprise us in a big way.

 

[Chamber]

"Xbox's Phil Spencer says A Thing |OT|"

Seriously.

For real, he isn't saying anything in these tweets yet they always get a thread. About as useless as comments from the GameStop CEO.

It IS going to be like the PS4 Pro. It's just that the Microsoft PR has been somewhat vague at times leading to the core audience running away with the idea that it could NOT be like the PS4 Pro.

But it is -- full stop.

I actually think they've been pretty clear on this being Xbox One Pro. Some people just have their head in the clouds.

 

[Hugh Swank]

GmaeStop CEO would sound excited even with Ouya 2.

Yeah, that would be a smart move on GameStop's CEO's part. Mislead investors on the potential financial value of a new product during a conference call.

 

[daTRUballin]

I'm sure they have a prototype team in one of their barns, but I really doubt they're working on multiple games at the same time.

Rare is a medium-sized studio by modern standards, and Sea of Thieves is an ambitious project.

Wasn't there a rumor last year that originated from the Inner Circle Podcast that Rare are working on two new games in addition to SoT? That podcast could actually be considered a bit reliable since they've interviewed various major Xbox executives before like Spencer and Ken Lobb, so they do have some contacts within Microsoft. If I'm remembering right, they claimed that they've talked to someone from Microsoft (or from Rare, I don't quite remember) at E3, and that's where their source for the rumor comes from. But in the end, they're still just an Xbox fan group, so who knows how reliable they actually are.

 

[Falchion]

I have hope for this E3. Believe!

 

[Kouichi]

With Microsoft, all I really care about is Rare. Sea of Thieves has been my most anticipated title since it was announced, and I expect whatever comes next will be just as appealing. I also have no plans to ever buy an Xbox, so it's great that they seem to be doing Windows 10 development as well.

Still sad that I can't play Rare Replay though.

 

[m23]

I actually think they've been pretty clear on this being Xbox One Pro. Some people just have their head in the clouds.

I agree.

Pretty much echoing what everyone else is saying, Spencer needs to start showing rather than just talking. They've pretty much abandoned all their new IP this gen.

 

[LordBaztion]

I hope those JRPGs he's referring to are not just XV-2 and KH3

 

[eerik9000]

GG take 5 years to make Horizon, Spencer just took over Xbox around 3 years, they are rebuilding, we will see result very soon IMO.

He was the general manager of Microsoft Game Studios from June 2008 and a corporate vice president from 2009. "But Phil just took over" is a poor excuse when it comes to first party studios and games.

 

[brawly]

I can't wait for E3.

 

[RowdyReverb]

Scorpio is just a uprated Xbox One if Microsoft are to be believed. It is (supposedly​ still just an Xbox One. Yet the way Spencer talks about it suggests it is a new platform.

It can't be both?

 

[gaming_noob]

He was the general manager of Microsoft Game Studios from June 2008 and a corporate vice president from 2009. "But Phil just took over" is a poor excuse when it comes to first party studios and games.

Spencer said they started planning for Scorpio in 2014. There is a possibility that some projects were also planned around that time to take advantage of the power. ~3 year dev time by the time Scorpio hits.

 

[Dark Cloud]

I hope those JRPGs he's referring to are not just XV-2 and KH3

There's a XV-2 coming? I feel like I heard about it, but not sure.

 

[13ruce]

They really need to step up their first party game it's pretty bad now.

 

[Leflus]

Wasn't there a rumor last year that originated from the Inner Circle Podcast that Rare are working on two new games in addition to SoT? That podcast could actually be considered a bit reliable since they've interviewed various major Xbox executives before like Spencer and Ken Lobb, so they do have some contacts within Microsoft. If I'm remembering right, they claimed that they've talked to someone from Microsoft (or from Rare, I don't quite remember) at E3, and that's where their source for the rumor comes from. But in the end, they're still just an Xbox fan group, so who knows how reliable they actually are.

There have been multiple rumours about Rare. They rarely seldomly pan out.

For now, I'm just glad they're back to working on controller-based games.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

I feel like we don't talk about this topic enough.

He happened to reply to one of my tweets in that thread hinting that X events or events between Gamescom and E3 will be a thing

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

As an Xbox fan and most likely day one Scorpio owner, hard to believe this is true when nearly all your studios are tied to single franchises.

 

[Markoman]

I think that the MS-Japanese games situation is the same thing as the Nintendo-Western AAA games situation.
Nintendo console owners only buy Nintendo games and Xbox owners only buy western AAA Co-op/MP focussed games + something like Witcher 3. By now I assume that even MGSV has sold better on PC than on X1. Xbox folks just don't buy Japanese games, so unless Phil pays for the ports only to make Xbox-Gaf happy, nothing is going to change on that front. I see KH3 still coming for Xbox, but the smaller titles...no way. People forget that 360 wasn't getting every Japanese game last gen either. OG Xbox had lot of Japanese exclusives, 360 had some, X1 has almost none. I think sales numbers -Japanese titles on Xbox- collected in 15 years simply support this trend.

 

[Pie and Beans]

"Giving games more time to breathe on stage" is setting up a very sparse E3 with fuck all to show by my interpretation. Might be a hard one to watch this year.

 

[New002]

"I want to give our games more time on stage at E3, I sometimes feel like we rush telling the story of our games at E3," he said.

The cynic in me interprets this is as we won't have much to talk about from a software standpoint so let's stretch what we do have. Hope to be wrong of course.

 

[Apathy]

Man the board has really turned on Spencer. I remember when he first took over if he had said something like this the first page would be filled with praise. I guess if you do talk to much without actual results really tarnishes your credibility.

I'll give him and the xbox division until e3. They actually need to wow everyone there. If they fuck that one up, that has to be the end.

 

[m23]

"Giving games more time to breathe on stage" is setting up a very sparse E3 with fuck all to show by my interpretation. Might be a hard one to watch this year.

Yeah I don't know what he's talking about. For the most part, their pacing for the show is pretty good. Usually it slows down about three quarters in but other than that I think they do a good job in terms of timing.

 

[HeisenbergWW62]

If giving their games more time on stage means less talking and filled and no Minecraft demo I support that. Even if it means they don't have many games to show

 

[Markoman]

"Giving games more time to breathe on stage" is setting up a very sparse E3 with fuck all to show by my interpretation. Might be a hard one to watch this year.

Does anyone accept bets?
Here's a safe one: Another 10-15 minutes co-op presentation of SoT with carefully hand-selected young hipsters screaming throughout the demo.

 

[Chobel]

I feel like we don't talk about this topic enough.

He happened to reply to one of my tweets in that thread hinting that X events or events between Gamescom and E3 will be a thing

Link(s)?

 

[Bluenoser]

Man the board has really turned on Spencer. I remember when he first took over if he had said something like this the first page would be filled with praise. I guess if you do talk to much without actual results really tarnishes your credibility.

I'll give him and the xbox division until e3. They actually need to wow everyone there. If they fuck that one up, that has to be the end.

Of course, he was saying all the right things, but he never followed through on any of it. At this point, people have heard enough talk.

 

[funkystudent]

I look forward to Halo, Forza and Gears of War related announcements soon.