A thread about Xbox being Stupid

[BrawlMan]

But then the big question there is what is the audience for people who would knowingly skip PlayStation's games, just to buy an Xbox for Gamepass?

But at the end of the day, Gamepass is really what is keeping Xbox afloat. Gamepass subscriptions alone account for <£250m every month, but as Sony's market share increases, and presumably more and more people make that jump across, these numbers are only going to shrink as time goes on, and likely plummet when the next generation of consoles are released.

Nick points this out in the Unpacked video: Game Pass numbers are dropping and not fully sustainable in the long run. Not all niche titles can bring in big numbers. You can have all the Call of Duty you want, but not even the average Joe and Jane are going to buy GP just to play the one or two games they play for the year and nothing else. At best, they will add an EA or 2K sports game, and that's it.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Theyre claiming windows 10 security support ends next year, but I suspect they will back pedal because the install base of windows 11 is so low ironically despite the fact they try to trick you into upgrading everytime you restart.

I don’t get tricked thankfully because it knows my old ass 7th Gen i7 isn’t officially supported lol.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

I feel like the rise of the XBox series has always been a fluke mainly based on the fact that the XBox 360 released sooner and was cheaper than the PS3. In terms of exclusives it pretty much had Gears of War and fuck all else that didn't at least also release on PC.

Oh even that made it to PC like two or three years later. I recall it looking and playing better than on Xbox too. One of the few GFWL experiences that seemed bearable to boot.

 

[Gordon_4]

Im in IT, yeah everyone skipped 8. Nobody remembers but theres also 8.1 which is literally a distinct OS they put out because no one would adopt 8. I don't recall the exact details, but I wanna say 8 tried to completely revamp the classic windows desktop and hid it behind a confusing icons menu that resembles xbox, the problem was many many apps were not compatible with the new gui, but also it created serious security loopholes. 8.1 allows you to switch back to classic I think.

I went 98, 98se, 2000 pro, xp pro sp1-3, 7 pro, 10 pro. I use 10 pro edu edition because edu had government restrictions against what spamware Microsoft could ship with it. I had vista briefly and man I want to like it, but it several major bugs that literally prevented me from running apps I needed.

Windows 11 is kind of a big shit show, I took one look at the new UI and Said "nope", granted a bunch programers have posted online how to restore the classic shell I just don't need any of the new features. That said last week Microsoft announced they're beta testing ads in toolbar, which you can of course disable "today".

Yeah as a power user I literally just want a static start menu, CLI and a toolbar. I don't want fucking clippy, Cortana, or an AI trying to redirect everything I do.

Theyre claiming windows 10 security support ends next year, but I suspect they will back pedal because the install base of windows 11 is so low ironically despite the fact they try to trick you into upgrading everytime you restart.

Where I worked, we did deploy Windows 8, but that was by virtue of us deploying MS Surface Pro tablets as part of a special program.

8.1 and 8 were different, the biggest difference that I remember was that 8.1 had the start button. That was about it aside from all the things you get by virtue of it being a service pack.

Also as much as everyone loves to dunk on Windows 8 - and they are right to do so - when it was used on the sort of device it was designed for it was actually remarkably intuitive and easy to use. Pleasant even. Take it outside of that specific environment (as I did for 6 months) and it was a total shit-show that would have any sane end user or technical staff member demanding the beginning of the Butlerian Jihad.

 

[Gergar12]

And now Sony wants to transition to more time gaming(live service games) and less single-player games. This is what happens when there is less competition.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

And now Sony wants to transition to more time gaming(live service games) and less single-player games. This is what happens when there is less competition.

They’ve been planning this for the last couple years though, so it’s just coincidental timing that Xbox is shitting the bed at the moment.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

So they're dumping Black Ops 5? 6? on GamePass.

I am genuinely curious if that will do anything. COD is a punching bag around here, but despite all the abuse we spew at it, it's still chugging along somehow. We might find the idea of COD on GamePass idiotic, but who knows, maybe this is exactly the push the average COD player needs to become the loyal GamePass subscriber Microsoft so desperately desires.

 

[CriticalGaming]

So they're dumping Black Ops 5? 6? on GamePass.

I am genuinely curious if that will do anything. COD is a punching bag around here, but despite all the abuse we spew at it, it's still chugging along somehow. We might find the idea of COD on GamePass idiotic, but who knows, maybe this is exactly the push the average COD player needs to become the loyal GamePass subscriber Microsoft so desperately desires.

It's not "chugging along", it's thriving. You have to remember most people who play video games are not avid gamers. The vast majority of people who game on consoles are playing either Call of Duty or a sports game and basically nothing else. You average Joe gamer knows nothing about any of this and maybe they have Gamepass, maybe they don't, but if they see the newest CoD is going to be cheap on Gamepass they'll likely sign up for it.

And if MS only cares about driving the sub number then CoD on Gp is the way to go. The real problem is that it's not really good for the industry as a whole, because it puts the forefront of gaming as business over being actually entertaining.

 

[BrawlMan]

So they're dumping Black Ops 5? 6? on GamePass.

I am genuinely curious if that will do anything. COD is a punching bag around here, but despite all the abuse we spew at it, it's still chugging along somehow. We might find the idea of COD on GamePass idiotic, but who knows, maybe this is exactly the push the average COD player needs to become the loyal GamePass subscriber Microsoft so desperately desires.

It's not really. The?
Problem with Microsoft is at there. Another company searching for infinite growth. Not everyone's going to buy an xbox to get a "Free digital download" for only the one game, they play the entire year. It actually cost more money than just paying for the sixty or seventy dollars. At that point you're buying a console just to rent a game. That's dropping $500 just to rent. Something that you're probably not going to play again or drop after you're finished with it.

 

[BrawlMan]

​

• Short version:
  
  • Microsoft making inconsistent decisions on what counts has success and never hitting their stated milestone since 2021.
  • Game Pass numbers dropping and not being sustainable. Not all niche titles can bring in big numbers. Even with Call of Duty, not even the average Joe and Jane are going to buy GP just to play the one or two games they play for the year and nothing else. At best, they will add an EA or 2K sports game, and that's it.
  • The idea of infinite growth is impossible.
  • Nick has no idea what's going to happen with game pass in the future, but he expects more layoffs at Microsoft, not thinking things through.
  • Nick mentions history repeating itself, as Embracer Group bought all those AA studios, only to shut a majority of them down because of short sighted greed and the Saudi Arabia deal getting axed. Once again, the big gaming industry does not learn.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Oh, XBox.

Well even though I'm sure we all agree that console wars and all that is stupid, my preference has usually been Playstation > XBox because Uncharted was one of the two franchises that sucked me into gaming as an adult after a long hiatus.
The only time I bought an XBox was the Series S for Gamepass for a year or so until I exhausted everything on it and gave it away.

So from my limited perspective I think there is a bit of an irony that one XBox thing this generation that most are now forgetting or crapping on is IMO their most clever idea- a cheap, small, quiet, less-hgh-end device that lets you play like a hundred games for a subscription. Series S + Gamepass is still right now the single best gaming valuie in the business IMO.

But I dunno what to make of Gamepass. If it's true that they hit a limit on new subscriptions and they need growth to make it work, wasn't that inevitable? I mean know many predicted this but also, there was always a limit of new subscriptions anyway. It's just such a shockingly short-sighted and unsurprisingly common method of big business now- truly short-term profiteering. If they couldn't be successful with the # of subscriptions they had, then their definition of success was set up for failure.

Is there an alternate reality where Halo, Redfall, and Starfield were really great? Would it have really mattered?
I think with Halo that one did start off good and they just like stopped updating it? wtf was that? I knew XBox was f'd back then even- what a self-own.
Redfall and Starfield could have been great but the fact that these highly anticipated games, with good devs and studios with great histories, and an audience hungry for these games, and they sucked so hard, just tells us that Microsoft really should gtfo of gaming at this point.

The great irony might be that, if studios and workers and creatives lose faith in working with Microsoft and exclusivity continues to trend away, Sony may someday trip ass-backward into the "we're everywhere" strategy of XBox.

 

[BrawlMan]

Series S + Gamepass is still right now the single best gaming valuie in the business IMO.

Not anymore, or not enough for most people to even care anymore. Considering how much trouble many developers had working on it, and most places don't even bother selling a new Series S anymore. They just cut the middleman and gets straight to big black box.

Is there an alternate reality where Halo, Redfall, and Starfield were really great? Would it have really mattered?

Yes. At least with Halo any way. Starfield would have been the same regardless, of exclusivity or not. The fact PC modders don't even bother modding the game, show how much Bethesda fucked up.

Sony may someday trip ass-backward into the "we're everywhere" strategy of XBox.

Then I'll stick with PC Gaming and Switch, should it come down to that. Good thing I have plenty of other options too.

The great irony might be that, if studios and workers and creatives lose faith in working with Microsoft and exclusivity continues to trend away,

Sony is suffering a similar problem with the large amount studio closures either going over budget or because their live service scam didn't work.

 

[BrawlMan]

Xbox reportedly signs the first game from Rocksteady co-founders’ new studio | VGC

Hundred Star Games is said to be developing a single-player action-adventure game…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Spoiler: Xbox reportedly signs the first game from Rocksteady co-founders' new studio

[h1]Xbox reportedly signs the first game from Rocksteady co-founders' new studio[/h1]
HUNDRED STAR GAMES IS SAID TO BE DEVELOPING A SINGLE-PLAYER ACTION-ADVENTURE GAME
VIDEO GAME NEWS
28TH MAY 2024 / 6:23 PM
Posted by
[h4]Tom Ivan[/h4]

Xbox Game Studios has reportedly signed the next game from Rocksteady co-founders Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker.
That's according to eXputer, which claims that London-based Hundred Star Games is working on a triple-A, single-player action-adventure title powered by Unreal Engine 5.
Microsoft is said to be financing the project, which can initially be expected to be released for Xbox consoles and PC.
While the studio has yet to be officially announced, it emerged in January that Hill and Walker were listed as directors of the company on business information website Endole.
Hundred Star also has a listing on the Great Place to Work website which reads: "Hundred Star Games is a video game start-up based in East London. Our ethos is of creating a small team of only 100 industry veterans and emerging talents, who are committed to crafting cutting-edge gaming experiences that inspire and captivate players worldwide.
"With innovation at our core, we're dedicated to pushing boundaries, embracing diversity, and fostering a vibrant gaming community. Our empowering company culture is unique to the industry which encourages leadership at all levels, accountability, team support, vulnerability, and connection."
Hundred Star Games is currently recruiting through an official website too. It has hired several lead developers and director-level former Rocksteady employees, according to LinkedIn profiles spotted by Polygon.
Hill and Walker, who were formerly both employed at Argonaut Games, founded Batman Arkham studio Rocksteady in 2004.
They confirmed plans to "start a new adventure together in games" when their departure from Rocksteady was announced in 2022.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

It's just such a shockingly short-sighted and unsurprisingly common method of big business now- truly short-term profiteering. If they couldn't be successful with the # of subscriptions they had, then their definition of success was set up for failure.

They should know better, but OTOH in an economic world where shareholders’ hunger knows no bounds there really isn’t any way to satiate it. Not much different than cancer really. It’s no wonder all these rich elitist guys like Musk and Gates worry about a declining birthrate (while ironically also lamenting environmental issues), as it means less people to buy shit and keep this unsustainable house of cards we’ve stacked up from collapsing.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

There's an upcoming XBox showcase event thing, right? I mean they're all doing one, it's that time of year...

Prediction: this will be the most watched one ever, because of the hate-watching. Or maybe the least, for the same reason, I dunno lol. I know I'll be watching.

 

[BrawlMan]

There's an upcoming XBox showcase event thing, right? I mean they're all doing one, it's that time of year...

Prediction: this will be the most watched one ever, because of the hate-watching. Or maybe the least, for the same reason, I dunno lol. I know I'll be watching.

THEY GET NOTHING FROM ME! NOTHING!

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Prediction: this will be the most watched one ever, because of the hate-watching. Or maybe the least, for the same reason, I dunno lol. I know I'll be watching.

I barely have enough time for the things I want to do.

 

[BrawlMan]

Microsoft Reportedly Approves New Game From Hellblade 2 Developer Ninja Theory - IGN

Microsoft has reportedly approved a new game from Hellblade 2 developer Ninja Theory and has no plans to close the studio.

www.ign.com

[H1]Microsoft Reportedly Approves New Game From Hellblade 2 Developer Ninja Theory[/H1]
[H2]Amid studio closure concern.[/H2]

BY WESLEY YIN-POOLE

UPDATED: MAY 21, 2024 6:05 AM

POSTED: MAY 21, 2024 5:54 AM


Microsoft has reportedly approved a new game from Hellblade 2 developer Ninja Theory and has no plans to close the studio.

Windows Central reports that this new game from the Cambridge, UK-based developer is in addition to Project Mara, the already announced upcoming psychological horror game that takes place entirely in a single upscale apartment. There are no plans whatsoever to close the studio any time soon, Windows Central added. IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.
Microsoft today releases Ninja Theory's Hellblade 2 four-and-a-half years after it was announced and six years after Microsoft bought the studio, bringing it into the Xbox Game Studios fold. IGN's Hellblade 2 review returned an 8/10. We said: "Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is another Viking-worthy feast for the senses that meets the high bar set by its predecessor, even if it never really manages to clear it."



Yesterday, a day before launch, Ninja Theory studio head Dom Matthews issued a heartfelt statement to fans, expressing gratitude for their support, along with the development team for working on Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2.
Some have expressed concern for Ninja Theory after Microsoft shocked the video game world by announcing the closure of a number of Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. The cuts come as part of sweeping layoffs announced earlier this year that affect 1,900 staff at Microsoft's gaming business.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has indicated that Microsoft's gaming cuts are the result of a video game market that is failing to grow amid rising development costs, but Spencer and other Xbox executives are also reportedly under pressure to make cuts following the company's $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.


In an email to staff sent by Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft blamed the Bethesda cuts on a "reprioritization of titles and resources." In the email, first reported by IGN, Booty said: "we are making these tough decisions to create capacity to increase investment in other parts of our portfolio and focus on our priority games."
Earlier this month, Xbox president Sarah Bond responded to questions about Microsoft's decision to shut a number of much-loved studios, insisting it was about ensuring the Xbox business remains healthy for the long-term during what she called "this moment of transition."
Microsoft is set to host an Xbox showcase event in June as well as fully unveil the next mainline Call of Duty game, Black Ops 6.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I'm only gonna check afterwards to see if the Xbox Showcase had Silksong in it. And since that's about as likely as Half-Life 3 being in it, I probably won't watch it at all.

 

[CriticalGaming]

Microsoft Reportedly Approves New Game From Hellblade 2 Developer Ninja Theory - IGN

Microsoft has reportedly approved a new game from Hellblade 2 developer Ninja Theory and has no plans to close the studio.

www.ign.com

Close the studio that made a fan beloved hit. Keep open the studio that made dogshit. Yeah okay that makes sense.