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[Mibu no ookami]

Microsoft is a big company. They're not financially on the ropes like Sega in 2001, or Atari and 3DO in 1996. They can tough it out for a good while longer.

If they want to bow out of the hardware biz, then that is totally their choice. Nobody's twisting their arm.

At the same time, if they want to remain a hardware manufacturer, then they need to compete on a higher level. If their market share continues to dwindle, and they fail to bring compelling products to market, then for all intents and purposes they might as well not be there at all.

Microsoft is about to be the largest company in the world due to Apple's antitrust issues.

That doesn't mean they haven't abandoned product lines before. Just because they're a massive company doesn't mean they'll keep throwing away good money after bad.

Look at the next 2 years, do you see any increase in market share on the horizon for Microsoft? It's straight decline for the next 2 years.

What does that mean for the next 5-10 years? It means people locked in on PlayStation. The greatest determinator of whether someone would buy the PS6 or the NextBox would be whether they buy a PS5 or not.

They made a big bet on GamePass and Day 1 PC that is certainly not paying off. They're going to have to adjust their market strategy to the reality that GamePass isn't growing and that Xbox is dying as a platform.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Sony and nintendo become the outliers in the industry with games locked to specific hardware, honestly that shit belongs in the early 2000s, guarantee Sony will look at doing something similar (PC) with a launcher.

no, then there is no point in buying the other consoles.

 

[T-0800]

Any of you excited about the idea of ms leaving the console space need to give your head a shake. Welcome to a world of $120 controllers, $120 games, and more expensive console hardware from Sony. A world where they spend less on software development.
Competition is good, not bad. Hopefully this is nothing more than secondary titles.

MS aren't competition. PC, mobile and Nintendo are.

 

[Neolombax]

While my first thought was yay more games on PS, I'd hate to think what would happen if PS only had competition from Nintendo, which seems to be completely happy doing its own thing with its underpowered hardware comparatively and being extremely successful. Console gaming needs healthy competition, not market domination.

 

[@gkTH]

Any of you excited about the idea of ms leaving the console space need to give your head a shake. Welcome to a world of $120 controllers, $120 games, and more expensive console hardware from Sony. A world where they spend less on software development.
Competition is good, not bad. Hopefully this is nothing more than secondary titles.

Ah Yes!
Looking forward to even more acquisition(s) by Microsoft to build up the competition!

 

[bitbydeath]

PC gaming had expansion packs. All of that stuff you brought up started in tandem with consoles.
The console base accepted paid online and paid cloud saves. Plus we already know the most played games are digital GaaS.

Once the console makers choose to go all streaming - you’ll have no choice but to fall in line.
No one company can decide that for PC.

It happened to physical copies, PC lost that fight long ago. If any go only streaming next it will be PC, (aside from Xbox which already has that on the plans)

 

[rodrigolfp]

It happened to physical copies, PC lost that fight long ago. If any go only streaming next it will be PC, (aside from Xbox which already has that on the plans)

Physical copies never mattered on PC so there was not even any fight. PCs can't go away because there other uses for them including developing games.

 

[Punished Miku]

Any of you excited about the idea of ms leaving the console space need to give your head a shake. Welcome to a world of $120 controllers, $120 games, and more expensive console hardware from Sony. A world where they spend less on software development.
Competition is good, not bad. Hopefully this is nothing more than secondary titles.

You're 100% wasting your time engaging with the Avengers in this thread. These are the guys that posted all day long for a full year about the perils of the Microsoft monopoly, because competition is so essential. The word "monopoly" has not been used 1 time in this thread. Hypocrites and liars, all of them. You can make a point they have previously argued for literally a full year and they will just laugh at you. You would learn more about what's happening by talking to a brick wall. Just wait for more info and announcements. Its probably more nuanced than the people here think. Or you can just beat your head against the wall talking to proven liars who cant hold a consistent position for even 3 months.

 

[Portugeezer]

Doubtful. If true, I don't believe this will include their big franchises, or it will be very old games (360 era and older).

So you release Gears trilogy as multiplatform, but Gears 6 remains Gamepass/Xbox exclusive, as MS need to have modern exclusive games to entice people onto Gamepass.

 

[Syphon Filter]

It happened to physical copies, PC lost that fight long ago. If any go only streaming next it will be PC, (aside from Xbox which already has that on the plans)

PC is an open platform so it doesn't make sense saying that it will go streaming. you have multiple options on PC and not one company or thing controls it due to its open nature.

 

[Kumomeme]

another situation where microsoft said different things while phil spencer also said different things?

 

[sendit]

Consumers?
MS (or any other company) doesn't care about consumers.

This is about the amount of time it will take for Zenimax and ATK to pay back the 80bn if they don't start releasing games on every possible platform.

After the drop in sales and Xbox hardware reaching near global irrelevance I guess Spencer got a spanking and was ordered to start doing multiplatform games.

Less competition equals bad for consumers. Pretty hard to argue against that.

 

[iHaunter]

I'll only play if on PS+. Nothing is worth buying from their >70 MC catalogue. Unless it's old games.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

As much as Microsoft has been horrible for the past decade of Xbox under Phil. This would be a bad thing for consumers, and pushing price per performance limits with every generation.

Not if another company took over or another company who understands gaming more made a console.

 

[Pelta88]

Watching people evangelize the collapse is the most interesting thing about this.

 

[adamsapple]

Since we're all listening to Jizz in this thread, here's another pearl of wisdom

Watching people evangelize the collapse is the most interesting thing about this.

"Collapse"

 

[THE DUCK]

They might as well now they haven't kept sony in check for almost 2 generations.

Of course they have, you really think game hardware and software prices would have been the same with no xbox one or series x?

 

[THE DUCK]

MS aren't competition. PC, mobile and Nintendo are.

Of course they are, they sold hundreds of millions of dollars of hardware and software. Don't be silly. A lot of dillusion going on here at gaf today.

 

[Orbital2060]

Its funny because Ybarra said a few times Spencers end goal was Game Pass everywhere and approached Sony more than once with the idea.

Spencer wanted the latest Halo's MP on all platforms as well so none of this is really news to me anyhow

Makes perfect sense to do both now; proprietary hardware + 3p publishing on as many platforms as possible.

 

[twilo99]

Makes perfect sense to do both now; proprietary hardware + 3p publishing on as many platforms as possible.

Is there a reason not to do that?

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Any of you excited about the idea of ms leaving the console space need to give your head a shake. Welcome to a world of $120 controllers, $120 games, and more expensive console hardware from Sony. A world where they spend less on software development.
Competition is good, not bad. Hopefully this is nothing more than secondary titles.

Ms is the least important player in the console market. You either lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way. They're failing to grow the platform after 20 years and countless billions. We'll be just fine with Sony, Nintendo,PC.

Was so much better when it was Nintendo,Sega and Sony...

 

[ulantan]

Of course they have, you really think game hardware and software prices would have been the same with no xbox one or series x?

...they went up games are 70 dollars now. Game pass and ps plus went up last year.

 

[Fabieter]

PC gaming had expansion packs. All of that stuff you brought up started in tandem with consoles.
The console base accepted paid online and paid cloud saves. Plus we already know the most played games are digital GaaS.

Once the console makers choose to go all streaming - you’ll have no choice but to fall in line.
No one company can decide that for PC.

Pubs supported steam step by step and you couldn't get games anywhere else. As soon as they push eexclusive streaming games on pc and make it affordable to do so on a good enough quality people will take the offer like they did on steam. Most people tried to resist steam at first but absolutely loved it in the end. Exclusive mp streamed games will also kill cheating for good which is a plus tho.

 

[anothertech]

Does this mean Xbox lost?

I mean, that's the take we all had when sega went third party right?

It's weird, I can see the reasoning behind it as a 7 billion investment has made the higher ups realize they need to make some money back on the investment and making games exclusive to the lowest common denominator is a detriment to that. But honestly, I fear having no competitors in the console space will fuck us all over.

MS needs to get it's shit together and give us some fucking competition.

 

[Fabieter]

Since we're all listening to Jizz in this thread, here's another pearl of wisdom







"Collapse"

So it likely the sony to pc port strategy which is delayed and not all games after all. I actually think every console maker should do that. Release exclusive games after some years on competion platforms.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Since we're all listening to Jizz in this thread, here's another pearl of wisdom

Jizz's mind:

 

[Celcius]

Imagine Gears 1-3 at 4K 60 fps on PS5
I neeeeeeed

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Since we're all listening to Jizz in this thread, here's another pearl of wisdom

"Some" games makes sense as I said earlier Phil wanted Halo Infinite's MP on PS but not the campaign

 

[adamsapple]

"Some" games makes sense as I said earlier Phil wanted Halo Infinite's MP on PS but not the campaign

Of course, they said case by case basis around 4 years or so ago. Hi-Fi Rush is just a case, even the original breaker of the rumor is saying that. *

* If true at all, we have yet to get this news officially.

 

[THE DUCK]

...they went up games are 70 dollars now. Game pass and ps plus went up last year.

You wouldn't even have ps plus games included if it wasn't for gamepass. Basic online gaming on PlayStation would be $99 a year at least.
And your games would be $90.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

You wouldn't even have ps plus games included if it wasn't for gamepass. Basic online gaming on PlayStation would be $99 a year at least.
And your games would be $90.

so, what is your point?

 

[Dane]

They get billions from royalties, but at what cost.

The writing is on the wall for the xbox hardware brand, and they know it. They are struggling to sell units after just a very short period of time, meanwhile Sony is selling 20+ million units a year.

They might think that they can have their cake and eat it too, but the reality is as soon as real 1st party games release for PS5, it'll be over. Even if they start off with the switch it'll signal to core users that they're going 3rd party.

I'm convinced that they're trying to go through as much inventory as they can before they need to start announcing games for PS5/Switch and that is why they didn't announce certain games as Xbox exclusive, because they don't want people to say they went back on their word on those titles.

That Blade game for example, the costs associated with the licensing probably prohibited it being Xbox exclusive based on what we saw from Insomniac. Why didn't they flat out deny that it would be multiplatform? Because they probably can't.

Unlike when Sega discontinued to the dreamcast, I expect the death of Xbox will be death by a thousand cuts.

With a 45-50 million userbase that's regarded as a good install base, lower than that is Nintendo 64 at 33 million which is regarded as a somewhat successful console in the end.

They get billions of royalties that will never be recovered by going third party, that's from software sales alone, if you count subscriptions and stuff sold thanks to gamepass, its even more money left at the table, because no way Sony and Nintendo will allow Gamepass in their ecosystems.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

another situation where microsoft said different things while phil spencer also said different things?

EVERYTHING that Microsoft says publicly is a bald-faced lie.

Once you understand this, then everything MS says publicly suddenly starts making sense.

 

[bender]

You wouldn't even have ps plus games included if it wasn't for gamepass. Basic online gaming on PlayStation would be $99 a year at least.
And your games would be $90.

 

[bitbydeath]

Physical copies never mattered on PC so there was not even any fight. PCs can't go away because there other uses for them including developing games.

They did when I was a PC gamer.

 

[reinking]

Any of you excited about the idea of ms leaving the console space need to give your head a shake. Welcome to a world of $120 controllers, $120 games, and more expensive console hardware from Sony. A world where they spend less on software development.
Competition is good, not bad. Hopefully this is nothing more than secondary titles.

Classic fearmongering. I will not argue against competition being a good thing, it is. However, Nintendo is still there and Sony is well aware that there is a ceiling on the price point to reach mass market sales. They will still want those mass market console sales. Both Sony and Nintendo have been in the market longer than MS and both were innovative before MS entered it. That being said, I am not proclaiming MS is stepping out of the console market. I have stated before that I believe they still need the Xbox console for brand recognition and Game Pass for at least one more generation.

 

[bitbydeath]

PC is an open platform so it doesn't make sense saying that it will go streaming. you have multiple options on PC and not one company or thing controls it due to its open nature.

Then why did physical games disappear?
With multiple options they should have survived right? PC is more reliant than ever on a single service since most PC gamers use Steam as their primary gaming platform.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

I don’t care much about Xbox ports to Switch. But while we’re talking about Xbox ports… Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon ported to Steam so I could play them on Steam Deck would be freakin awesome.

The audience for those games as old BC titles on a closed Xbox ecosystem means no new playerbases will ever have the chance to play them. Lost Odyssey in particular has always deserved far more attention.

 

[THE DUCK]

so, what is your point?

Never mind, it's too complicated guess.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Then why did physical games disappear?
With multiple options they should have survived right?

Physical PC games? How? When was the last time anyone bought a gaming laptop or PC with an optical drive

 

[ulantan]

You wouldn't even have ps plus games included if it wasn't for gamepass. Basic online gaming on PlayStation would be $99 a year at least.
And your games would be $90.

Without Microsoft there would probably never have been paid online to begin with. Also playstation could raise prices right now and nothing would change Microsofts product has been that weak for so long. They aren't holding sony anywhere, And if the only value xbox as a brand has to the industry is to benefit its competitors then its existence needs to be scrutinized.

 

[THE DUCK]

Deep counter, mature too.

 

[bitbydeath]

Physical PC games? How? When was the last time anyone bought a gaming laptop or PC with an optical drive

After Steam killed physical games.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

EVERYTHING that Microsoft says publicly is a bald-faced lie.

Once you understand this, then everything MS says publicly suddenly starts making sense.

Oh, brother

 

[Syphon Filter]

Then why did physical games disappear?
With multiple options they should have survived right? PC is more reliant than ever on a single service since most PC gamers use Steam as their primary gaming platform.

just because most use steam doesnt mean there arent options though. that is my point.

 

[bender]

Deep counter, mature too.

Talking out of your ass doesn't necessitate a deep counter.

 

[THE DUCK]

Classic fearmongering. I will not argue against competition being a good thing, it is. However, Nintendo is still there and Sony is well aware that there is a ceiling on the price point to reach mass market sales. They will still want those mass market console sales. Both Sony and Nintendo have been in the market longer than MS and both were innovative before MS entered it. That being said, I am not proclaiming MS is stepping out of the console market. I have stated before that I believe they still need the Xbox console for brand recognition and Game Pass for at least one more generation.

It's not fearmongering at all, things would be different, and not likely in a good way. Love or hate MS, but they have been the one pressuring sony in the home console market for the last 20 years. Without them going forward sony will innovate less and increase pricing whenever possible.

I agree that ms needs consoles still so this is an unlikely move, it just blows my mind that people seem to think that a world with no ms know the console space somehow makes things magically better for gamers overall when it's likely the opposite.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

With a 45-50 million userbase that's regarded as a good install base, lower than that is Nintendo 64 at 33 million which is regarded as a somewhat successful console in the end.

They get billions of royalties that will never be recovered by going third party, that's from software sales alone, if you count subscriptions and stuff sold thanks to gamepass, its even more money left at the table, because no way Sony and Nintendo will allow Gamepass in their ecosystems.

Where are you getting 45-50 million for XBS? You're assuming that with a massive 25% reduction in userbase that the floor for the XBS is 45 million. Let me tell you... it's lower.

And I wouldn't compare the N64 and the XBS. We're talking about two completely different time periods. Gaming is much larger now and the N64 wasn't seen as that much of a success, but relative to the market and during the first couple years, it was significantly more successful than the XBS.

I'm going to throw this out there, with GamePass shuttering a lot of B2P sales, the royalties on XBS probably aren't that great and probably not worth the opportunity costs of focusing solely on software publishing and hardware agnostic platform. They won't get gamepass on those systems, but they can get their software on it and they can stop spending a multitude of dollars on failed exclusivity deals which we've already seen them shy away from.

The reality is the next Xbox will probably only sell 10-25 million units because the XBS is probably going to fall to 35 million units. There is zero chance that a device in decline at roughly 25 million is going to double its user base. It's already passed its peak. The only question now is how fast do sales shrivel up.

 

[THE DUCK]

Talking out of your ass doesn't necessitate a deep counter.

Sure, whatever you say, it must be right.

 

[bitbydeath]

just because most use steam doesnt mean there arent options though. that is my point.

All it took was for steam to destroy physical games, if they see money in it they could destroy digital games too.