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[Esppiral]

Seems actually quite reasonable. Xbox guys get Xbox stuff, while actual MS guys get probably Windows and Office?

I guess VW employees get a discount only on VWs while Skoda employees only on Skodas... Audi and Seat also only their own brand even though everything is VW-group? While the people assembling at Porsche, Bugatti, Rimac, Bentley and Lambo probably get something more affordable since the average mechanic hardly will be driving one of those.

Wait, someone using its brain! What are you doing here?

 

[Mr Reasonable]

They are taking away something that costs nothing to give so that maybe up to 100k people buy it at a discount.

I imagine there's a chance that they're paying tax on giving the benefit. Much as with lotteries or competition prizes, the winners are liable for tax on the value of the prize. Because they sell it, there's an attached value to the subscription. If you worked for a car dealer who said they'd give you a miniscule salary but a car each week/month/year to do with what you want, it'd be a pretty easy way to avoid tax if employee benefits weren't registered as having value to staff.

I imagine that Xbox staff retaining access is justifiable in tax terms, which is why there's a split.

 

[adamsapple]

So the rest of Microsoft should foot the bill for purchases like ABK, which Xbox wouldn’t be able to afford, but the perks aren’t extended company wide?

All Microsoft employees continue to get employee discounts and relevant dept. gets relevant free things.

Banjo:

 

[Dream-Knife]

Damn MS must be hurting for money.

 

[Banjo64]

All Microsoft employees continue to get employee discounts and relevant dept. gets relevant free things.

Banjo:

You don’t consider it relevant that the rest of Microsoft funded $80b of acquisitions for the Xbox division? Huh. I’d never have guessed that that would be your stance.

 

[Topher]

It's a change that effects everyone but the xbox / gaming division.

And? It is the gaming division that stands to benefit financially from additional subscribers in doing this.

 

[Kenpachii]

If i was working at microsoft i would quit directly. /s

 

[JackMcGunns]

Does Walmart give free subscriptions to all of its employees? does Apple? do their employees get TV+ for working at Apple? Do Amazon employees get free Prime? just asking cause I don’t really know.

 

[Tams]

Does Walmart give free subscriptions to all of its employees? does Apple? do their employees get TV+ for working at Apple? Do Amazon employees get free Prime? just asking cause I don’t really know.

I mean, don't most supermarkets give their staff (and even families) discounts? I've worked at a few and they all did (and for an extra person).

Apple absolutely will if their education discount programme is anything to go by. That and seemingly all Apple employees having the latest Apple stuff.

 

[adamsapple]

And? It is the gaming division that stands to benefit financially from additional subscribers in doing this.

Are you saying the employee-discounted rate these people will get for subscribing, many of them whom may not even be gamers and didn't even use the perk in the first place, are going to make a notable bump for the gaming division?

Ok.

You don’t consider it relevant that the rest of Microsoft funded $80b of acquisitions for the Xbox division? Huh. I’d never have guessed that that would be your stance.

"Rest of microsoft". New talking point just dropped on discord?

They're all still getting their employee discounts.

 

[Banjo64]

"Rest of microsoft". New talking point just dropped on discord?

They're all still getting their employee discounts.

Adam, I beg you not to push this retarded ‘no u’ angle that’s laughably transparent.

 

[Topher]

Are you saying the employee-discounted rate these people will get for subscribing, many of them whom may not even be gamers and didn't even use the perk in the first place, are going to make a notable bump for the gaming division?

Ok.

Oh so Microsoft is being petty for the sake of being petty? That's worse.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

I see some Microsoft employees are still putting in overtime.

 

[Famipan]

Spotify has been doing the same. If you don’t think the service is good enough to purchase, you won’t work on improving it either. Employee discount is good enough. Getting stuff free makes you not understand the value of what you work on.

I have learned to only buy stocks in companies that the board members themselves are invested in.

If the MS employees or PS employees themselves won’t buy their own subscription service for still a reduced price, it shows that it’s not necessary for me to buy their service.

 

[DenchDeckard]

TBH, I think Sony and Nintendo employees should get game pass for free as well.

 

[adamsapple]

Adam, I beg you not to push this retarded ‘no u’ angle that’s laughably transparent.

Oh my bad fam, I forgot it's only ok if you say that to other users

Oh so Microsoft is being petty for the sake of being petty? That's worse.

Petty? We don't know how many people complained about it. And they said they're already looking into it.

TBH, I think Sony and Nintendo employees should get game pass for free as well.

Full screen ads on Switch and PS5 boot-up for the offer sounds like the best course of action.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Step 1: Condition their customers to expect games to be free
Step 2: Condition employees to expect the subscription to be free
. . .
Step 4: Profit?!?!?!

 

[Mr Reasonable]

I mean, don't most supermarkets give their staff (and even families) discounts? I've worked at a few and they all did (and for an extra person).

Apple absolutely will if their education discount programme is anything to go by. That and seemingly all Apple employees having the latest Apple stuff.

Apple and Microsoft both offer employee discounts. Confusingly, because Microsoft own a good amount of Apple stock, Microsoft employees can buy Apple products direct from Apple with a discount too.

 

[DJ12]

The Xbox division WAS the gaming division until they created Microsoft Gaming Division to encompass Xbox Games Studios, Xbox Operations, Cloud, ZeniMax and Activision/Blizzard, cuz at that point Xbox Division was such a large entity it really needed to be "restructured", thus the promotion of Sarah Bond and pseudo promotion of Phil Spencer.

Are you being purposely obtuse or are you just slow.
Killing the Xbox division when its the gaming division as Heisenberg was implying lead to one not even reaching to extrapolate that he means MS was killing their gaming division.....just cuz the Xbox division wasnt called gaming division doesnt mean it wasnt the gaming division, you also have to remember before Xbox division was Xbox division it was called the Microsoft Games division, they only changed it to Xbox Games Studios in 2019.

Look it's called Microsoft gaming, Phil is head of that department. Xbox is a section of it in itself, and hardware one section under xbox.

As I said don't gaslight.

Consoles can die, xbox as an entire brand can die and Microsoft will still be in gaming. Why do you even think they rebranded to Microsoft gaming and made Phil presendent of it in the first place.

You prove yourself wrong in your own post but others are slow.

Get real.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Oh my bad fam, I forgot it's only ok if you say that to other users




Petty? We don't know how many people complained about it. And they said they're already looking into it.



Full screen ads on Switch and PS5 boot-up for the offer sounds like the best course of action.

Daddy MS will be fine, believe me.

 

[Topher]

Petty? We don't know how many people complained about it. And they said they're already looking into it.

Of course this is petty. And why are they looking into it? Because enough people complained. Good news is that if MS reverses course on this then you'll be able to lavish them with praise for "listening to their employees". Be sure to add that talking point reminder to discord.

 

[DJ12]

Does Walmart give free subscriptions to all of its employees? does Apple? do their employees get TV+ for working at Apple? Do Amazon employees get free Prime? just asking cause I don’t really know.

It would only matter if they did offer it then decided to take it away after blowing 70bn of money you worked hard to make the company.

 

[ShakenG]

 

[Kaleinc]

So 90% of pass users were ms employees and got it for free. No wonder all their products are hot trash, playing games all day instead of working lmao.

 

[DaGwaphics]

That $17mo. benefit was far too luxurious.

 

[adamsapple]

So 90% of pass users were ms employees and got it for free. No wonder all their products are hot trash, playing games all day instead of working lmao.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Oh my bad fam, I forgot it's only ok if you say that to other users

2023 is the best gaming year in a long time and this is what you kids are worried about, perks Microsoft employees get.

Can we get a thread about what ply of toilet paper MS stocks in their bathrooms and how that relates to how quickly they’ll be going third party? Someone in discord get the script ready.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

2023 is the best gaming year in a long time and this is what you kids are worried about, perks Microsoft employees get.

Can we get a thread about what ply of toilet paper MS stocks in their bathrooms and how that relates to how quickly they’ll be going third party? Someone in discord get the script ready.

Only if it's the kind Phil uses.

 

[Banjo64]

Oh my bad fam, I forgot it's only ok if you say that to other users

Because we know that’s an official Microsoft strategy as per their own documentation you wally

Also, if anyone can be bothered to find it, I had an Xboi confirm to me within the last week or two that a number of Xbox users do have their own communication channel outside of GAF.

 

[graywolf323]

Does Walmart give free subscriptions to all of its employees? does Apple? do their employees get TV+ for working at Apple? Do Amazon employees get free Prime? just asking cause I don’t really know.

I have a friend that is an Apple employee and yes they do

he also gets 2TB of cloud storage for free, though he has to pay for Apple Music

 

[Heisenberg007]

It's a change that effects everyone but the xbox / gaming division.

And talking about grasping at straws.

This screams that "Xbox GP needs to earn more money." In fact, everything does: worldwide price increase, up to 435% regional price increase, slashed conversion ratio from XBLG to GP, no more 3 months for $3 GPU, no more $1 trials, etc.

And that was/is my point. Microsoft has been tightening the noose around Xbox. It's so evident everywhere.

 

[DForce]

Is this really that bad? Turkey price increase is due to the spiraling inflation, game prices and services have sharply increased for everyone in that country. Its not limited to just Microsoft or Gamepass. Full-screen ads have been on Xbox consoles for months (although I wouldn't be a fan), and benefits for Microsoft employees change all the time, as with most major corporations.

Its honestly a bunch of tiny things that has very little impact.

Sony was heavily criticized for increasing the prices of their console. Everyone was dragging them through the dirt on Social media.

They also got criticized for having the PS Now next to your games on the scroll bar.

The same people who were laughing before are now going, "What's the problem? Advertising isn't a big deal and price increases are happening everywhere."

 

[King Dazzar]

many of them whom may not even be gamers and didn't even use the perk in the first place

If thats the case, why take it away from them? By providing the goodwill offer to employees, its either costing MS nothing at all or they are simply failing to make any additional profit from their employees. hence it comes across as petty penny pinching. Personally I don't really care. But I am curious, why would you choose to fight on this particular hill? Wouldn't you want to see the employees continue to have the bonus perk and retain the positive goodwill optics too?

 

[hououinkyouma00]

I get that it may seem silly to get upset over this but small things that this from your company are nice and when they take them away it's annoying.

Apple for example still gives basically all of their services to all employees for free (iCloud storage/Music/Fitness/etc) and while it's small in the grand scheme of things it's a nice gesture all the same because it ultimately costs them barely anything.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Only if it's the kind Phil uses.

True. 5 page thread, no official discord script if it’s just MS.

14 page thread with a three act script if it’s Papa Phil

 

[Zathalus]

Sony was heavily criticized for increasing the prices of their console. Everyone was dragging them through the dirt on Social media.

They also got criticized for having the PS Now next to your games on the scroll bar.

The same people who were laughing before are now going, "What's the problem? Advertising isn't a big deal and price increases are happening everywhere."

There is a big difference in changing prices almost everywhere and adjusting for inflation in a single country, although even the former can be justified if the dollar is that dominant or if manufacturing costs sore. That being said both Xbox and Sony get criticized for everything they do. Both here and elsewhere.

 

[SmokedMeat]

I work at an international car manufacturer and I don't get cars for free, why do they get games for free just because they work on a gaming company?

A contractor I used to see at work had a personal friend that worked at UbiSoft - and even he could get his hands on free games. He even brought one in for me years ago.

 

[Jigsaah]

How did Phil not know about this?

Maybe its an HR decision, given that HR is in charge of employee benefits. I mean it's hard for me to be too mad about it from a consumer perspective.

However, it would be funny if they start toting PS Premium memberships in protest.

 

[Topher]

I work at an international car manufacturer and I don't get cars for free, why do they get games for free just because they work on a gaming company?

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

So, they give away GP for $1 to everyone for years, and now even employees have to pay.

 

[Shakka43]

I work at an international car manufacturer and I don't get cars for free, why do they get games for free just because they work on a gaming company?

Totally the same thing.

 

[hououinkyouma00]

Does Walmart give free subscriptions to all of its employees? does Apple? do their employees get TV+ for working at Apple? Do Amazon employees get free Prime? just asking cause I don’t really know.

Apple actually does give their services for free to all employees whether it's in corporate or retail stores.

 

[Aguero9320]

Damn MS must be hurting for money.

If only there was some way we could find out how broke they are...

(Jesus Christ )

 

[El Muerto]

Probably cutting down costs so they can pay off their $28.9 billion tax bill from the IRS. I just dont get it though, it's their own service. It's not like they're giving out physical games, just access to a digital game library. It shouldn't cost them anything.

 

[Aguero9320]

Also, every time someone says 'Papa Phil' or 'Daddy Microsoft' I literally cringe... So hard. But not in the way I'm intended to..

For your own self dignity, please listen to yourselves...

 

[Mr.ODST]

Ive just read that it might only be contractors that this is being removed for and not full time employees, this makes sense, games industry HATES contractors.

As someone who has worked with multiple studios and AAA Companies at times as a contractor the difference in benefits between FT and Contractors are massive, its actually good that MS even did this in the first place

 

[Topher]

Ive just read that it might only be contractors that this is being removed for and not full time employees, this makes sense, games industry HATES contractors.

As someone who has worked with multiple studios and AAA Companies at times as a contractor the difference in benefits between FT and Contractors are massive, its actually good that MS even did this in the first place

Where did you read that this was just contractors?

 

[TheBomb]

Building...........Buying

Yeah, I agree. Buying isn’t an achievement.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Does Walmart give free subscriptions to all of its employees? does Apple? do their employees get TV+ for working at Apple? Do Amazon employees get free Prime? just asking cause I don’t really know.

I dont know about Amazon Prime.

But for regular shipment of stuff I dont know it's change, but I know a friend who works at Amazon who said way back the only discount they'd get was something like 10% off (to a max of $100 discount) when ordering stuff. I dont know if it's per year or a one time discount. Or it can be spread across orders or has to be in one shot. That's it.

 

[Mr.ODST]

I dont know about Amazon Prime.

But for regular shipment of stuff I dont know it's change, but I know a friend who works at Amazon who said way back the only discount they'd get was something like 10% off (to a max of $100 discount) when ordering stuff. I dont know if it's per year or a one time discount. Or it can be spread across orders or has to be in one shot. That's it.

There will be a set restriction on how many purchases at 10%