410°

Losing platform exclusives is no concern for Microsoft

MMGN.com: "Yesterday, EA announced the Mass Effect Trilogy for the Xbox 360, PC and PS3, marking the first time the original Mass Effect, released nearly five years ago in 2007, will be made available for Playstation 3 owners.

While everyone is excited for the compilation, the trilogy’s release arguably further indicates that Microsoft are not only no longer interested in securing or creating new platform exclusives (outside of Kinect or XBLA), but also in keeping existing properties they themselves published from being lost to competitors.

The fact that the original Mass Effect was a Microsoft Studios-published game and is now jumping ship to their primary competitor’s console is just embarrassing. If Microsoft can’t or won’t bother to create new exclusives, then they could theoretically at least make an effort to keep their existing ones that they themselves published from being lost to competitors... right?"

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RmanX10004229d ago (Edited 4229d ago )

Im sorry but Microsoft does need SOME exclusives other than Halo or Gears. Any other exclusive is lost to obscurity. Anyone remember Blinx?

AnotherProGamer4229d ago

man I love Blinx! I would buy a 360 right now for a new blinx game.

darthv724228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

the only "real" exclusives are those made by the 1st party (parent company) or 2nd party (division of the parent company).

3rd party exclusives are there due to contracts relating to financial agreement. AKA: paying for them. That can be in the form of funding the development of the game in exchange for publishing rights.

Or agreements that allow one platform to receive a copy prior to any other platform. AKA: timed release.

The argument of which company does or does not pay for exclusives is pointless. Nintendo cares about their own software ever since the early 90's when a bunch of companies sued them for creative control.

Basically, that meant Nintendo could not retain all rights to the release of a game and prohibit the developers from releasing a version on a competing platform. Since then, Nintendo has always been about their own in house development.

Sony was the same way. Remember, Sony was new to the console market and their only efforts were through the Sony imagesoft software division. So yeah, they paid and paid lots of $$$ to get games and eventually game developers as 1st and 2nd parties.

MS on the other hand has no problem with throwing $$ around to get results. They may have a few 1st/2nd parties but they know that the easiest way to cash in on their game investment is by making deals for content. This is not a new thing yet some people seem to find this offensive.

This is an industry where anything can happen. I mean, I never expected Sega to bow out like they did but...they did. If the developer is a small company then they depend on a larger company to fund the game.

EA has funded many games in the past and then became a sort of 'buy up the little guy' if they felt their product and team was worth the investment. Sony, the same thing.

So I dont know which is more evil in the public eye. A company like MS buying a piece of the pie that is shared with everyone else. Or Sony buying the whole pie and only sharing it with themselves.

If you are the pie maker it probably doesnt matter as you are still getting $$ for the pie. It should matter if you are now obligated to make pies only for one then there would be more pressure on you and if they dont like them. You are let go.

Sad that many smaller developer studios have closed that were once part of a bigger company. They could have had a chance of staying open if their product had gotten in the hands of more people. Oh well...

guitarded774228d ago

@ darthv72

Well said. MS's strategy is making them money, and I don't see them moving away from it anytime soon. I really hope it ends up biting them in the ass so they will make more exclusive core titles, but it won't happen this gen for the reasons you stated.

LOOK_AT_THIS_I4228d ago

If they wanted a huge selling point for next gen they might as well buy off call of duty. I've got about 10 guys on my list who play nothing but cod. They buy other games a d they collect dust or sit wrapped. I'm sure those guys would jump ship if cod was only to hit he Xbox. It might as well with he way they screw the ps3 user base. I'm sure ms would make their money back on hardware sales by dropping even more money to them for sole exclusive rights.

BISHOP-BRASIL4227d ago

@darthv72

Actually a game made by a division of the parent company is still a first party, as the relation parent-division implies, the parent company own everything within the game as the developer studio (and what it makes) is also owned by them.

A second party would be a game made by an unrelated developer company under a contract with the console parent company. Being so that the ownership of assets is either shared or negociated.

Usually this parent company offers funding in exchange for the IP rights of the project the developer presents.

Sometimes the console company already hold the IP or have the project but lacks the developement team to work in it, than a thrid party developer is called to get the game done under a contract, in this case I'm not sure if it's second party or a kind of outsourced first Party.

One easy way to differentiate from third party exclusives, although they may be paid for, no assets of the game are owned by the console company (at least not beyond, maybe, publishing rights) and the game may be made multiplatform if the developer or publisher decides to (again, depending on who is the publisher).

starchild4227d ago

I personally dislike exclusives. I don't believe our industry will mature until we get past all the division.

Imagine if we had to buy 7 different brands of dvd player just to watch all our favorite movies. Insane. Well, this is the reality we live with in gaming.

The PC is my main platform and there are many games I can only play on the PC. But then there are games on the 360 and PS3 and Wii and Vita and PSP and 3DS--whew!--that I also enjoy and can only play on one of those platforms.

I'm sick of having to buy so many systems just to enjoy all my favorite games. I want to play Assassin's Creed Liberation, for example, but I don't want to have to buy a Vita just to play that game and maybe a couple others.

I've basically resigned myself to the fact that I will miss some of the games that might have otherwise been my favorites simply because I don't want to buy every system every generation.

I think that next generation I will stick with my PC and only one other console.

EVILDEAD3604227d ago

The first Mass Effect going Multi over 5 years later is not going to hurt the 360 at all.

The game had it's time, made it's money, built up the fanbase and will still be selling on 360 with the new compilation in November.

But I think it's a good thing for EA and MS to let this finally get to all the consoles. There really isnt a major incentive to hold it back.

I own em' all and still would love to pick it up if it included all the DLC.

But, with it coming on the 6th, the day H4 arrives I honestly doubt too many 360 fans are going to notice.

Evil

pixelsword4227d ago

Well, I don't own any of them, and I really liked the heard mode from ME 3, so I might just buy this for the 360 when it comes out, of if they put it all on one disc, I'll get it for the PS3 because Mass Effect, Dust 514, and the DC Universe Online I'm getting into, that thing will probably be in my PS3 for the entire year of 2013.

DigitalRaptor4227d ago (Edited 4227d ago )

Starchild... It's as though you've only just realised that exclusives exist?

They've been there since the dawn of console gaming and will continue as long as the companies continue to support their own consoles. You don't like them enough to justify? Starfox, Metroid, Kirby, DK, Zelda, Mario, F-Zero for Nintendo. Halo, Gears of War, Forza for Microsoft. Uncharted, LBP, Ratchet, Ico, Sly Cooper, Jak, God of War, Gran Turismo, The Last of Us for Sony. PC is a platform that I love too for its own merits, but you can't get out of the brilliance of a console's exclusives either.

And these kind of games are never going multiplatform as long as they are supporting their investments.

"Imagine if we had to buy 7 different brands of dvd player just to watch all our favorite movies. Insane. Well, this is the reality we live with in gaming."

DVDs are a universal distribution standard for movies. You don't see Warner Bros or LionsGate making their own DVD players because it's not feasible, and if all it's doing is playing a movie, then there's literally no point.

With games consoles and handhelds, they are completely different, especially each generation, with different input types and interface etc, that having one console is not feasible in the slightest. Not to mention that rival companies have their own consoles to make business and adapt to a culture. You just can't shrug off what has been standard for entire generations.

And I don't believe our industry will mature until developers go beyond their comfort zone and create something that is both challenging for them to create and inspiring and new to audiences. This has to happen more often and the mainstream has to promote it if gaming is to mature. I'm sick of seeing Call of Duty at the forefront of mainstream gaming.

Bigpappy4227d ago

This article feeds in to the Narrative that is used heavily here on N4G by the PS3 base. The truth is, Console makers all only have a few successful exclusive IP's. Nintendo has Mario and Zelda. Sony has Kill GT, Uncharted and GOW. M$ has Halo, Gears and Forza. Yes they all have other exclusives, but these are the games that can be call 'system sellers'.

From my experience of over 20 years of gaming, I find that once a systems have established a fanbase, it has to do with innovation with new and better experiences, to keep the base and draw new customers. These can be new top tier IP's, or new feature built in or added to the console. New IP's do not need to be 1st party to be exclusive (Blue Dragon).

M$ will do, next gen, what is did this gen. It will have the first party (Halo, Gears, Forza, Kinect...), but it will also scout and publish promising 2nd and 3rd party games as exclusives. Then it will have exclusive feature added to other hot 3rd party games to differentiate the experience from that of the other consoles. If comparisons in the media and among gamers, show the hot games performing better on one console over the other, that could be big in moving some gamers in either direction.

I assure you MY will have plenty of exclusives, they just wouldn't be 1st party. But they will focus heavily of making the gaming experience on Xbox next, have features that will be exclusive to their console.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 4227d ago
shutUpAndTakeMyMoney4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

"According to the company, owners now spend more time watching TV and listening to music through the console than playing games with it. The average household now use the Xbox for 84 hours per month and the majority now goes to movies and videos, said Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi."
http://www.tomsguide.com/us...

It's a entertainment hub but it can play games also. This is how MS sees xbox. I think games for them is a becoming only a partial interest.

They won't spend money on new Ip's because it cost more money and takes less effort when using a third party. Also they can write infinite checks.

I am so buying a ps4.

Aceman184228d ago

i use my cable for my entertainment purposes that's what its there for. my gaming console is first and foremost a gaming console with the occasional view of netflix, and movies.

stuna14228d ago

But do you really think that that would really be the case if Microsoft funded more 1st party studios with unique fresh ips? I think not! I think most people bought their consoles for gaming, with the media hub aspects being secondary! Don't get me wrong the Halos Gears and Forsas sell consoles and all, but people would be crazy to think that the xbox 360 fanbase doesn't want 1st party exclusive titles only available to their consoles. Also it's not like Microsoft isn't pushing this media hub idea.

killerhog4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

Ms and a lot of people are failing to realize, that the "core" are the ones who buy their newer product on release for a higher price, compared to those who wait for price drops or cheaper products (casual). Ms is abandoning their core and they were the ones who made Xbox what it is now, but now they are left feeling abandoned and questioning their purchase. The core is what kept Sony afloat when the ps3 released, the core is what Nintendo wants to ensnare for those day one Nintendo wiiU purchases. I find what ms is doing quite dumb so close to this generations end and the start of a new one. People who buy consoles buy them for games with everything else being second. That's why I bought my ps3 for games, didn't matter if it played Blu-ray or streamed content. I use my pc to stream/browse the web,, i hook up my iPod to my Logitech stereo etc.. The fact that most people already own a 360 or ps3 as an "entertainment system" means they wont be in a hurry to buy the new product, so it's left to the core to do so.

AngelicIceDiamond4228d ago

@Money Right so its the consumers fault for the lack of exclusives. MS saw this and capitalized on it.

Remember when Sony was pursuing what MS has done now with there console, Sony was the first one who wanted music and movies/TV on there console.

Sony wasn't successful at first so they focused on the games. and while implementing entertainment services at the same time.

Well according to the rumors MS has been making next gen games since 2010. So I suspect that has something to do with the lack of new ip's.

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WeskerChildReborned4228d ago

Agreed, all i see is Forza, Gears, Halo and some Kinect titles, we need more exclusives!

ItsTrue4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

Correction, "need" should become 'want'.

subtenko4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

This is why PlayStation is my preferred console for gaming. I can always count on a more plentiful amount of exclusives and new IPs every year. Plus the developers are just fantastic with devs like Media Molecule, Naughty Dog, etc.

Xbox360 became my secondary console of gaming this gen, but I think next gen it may become third. Only time will tell.

palaeomerus4228d ago

I got rid of my PS3. The exclusives were usually overhyped and turned out to be pretty forgettable and mediocre. Uncharted was good though. The rest...meh. I got tired of God of War by the 3rd one.

Multi-plats were the big thing this gen. It's probably why exclusives have been dwindling except for a few titles. They just don't compete well with the big AAA multiplats.

srcBFMVBMTH4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

@palaeomerus

"The exclusives were usually overhyped and turned out to be pretty forgettable and mediocre."

That's EXACTLY how I felt about most 360 games that came out. lol

When Gears of War was first released however. I REALLY did enjoy it's multiplayer. But other than that. Their catalog was a big giant MEH :/ Especially considering that all they have been pushing out is Kinect shovel ware these days. -___-

Each to his own I guess.
PS4 and Wii U for me next gen.

VsAssassin4227d ago

@palaeomerus,
I'd rather have new IPs every year than only 3 sell-out titles over and over. Some new IPs aren't all that very excellent, but at least risking to launch new IPs bring potential new series. But how about focusing on a few, yearly exclusives and over time they get stale? This is why, in the long run, Sony will still prosper. And it's not like Sony is not earning from thrid party titles; They're just not over-investing on them. They invest on new IPs!

MorbidPorpoise4228d ago

Loved Blinx, do miss Amped (Hated 3), Rallisport, Brute Force, Mech Assault and PGR... Lets not forget Rares back catalogue, as long as they arent kinect only games :P

They have enough franchises, they just need to actually use them in good ways.

srcBFMVBMTH4228d ago

Agreed, Microsoft DO have SOME good IP's, but they don't really use them.

And considering how hard they are pushing for Kinect titles these days and how well Kinect is selling. Those IP's won't really matter to them.

With them wanting the Xbox to be a media hub and all instead of a games' console. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of their launch titles ARE KINECT.

MYSTERIO3604227d ago

Loved Brute force and Mech assault on the first xbox although they weren't advertised at all they were great. I would definitely consider getting back a 360 if those titles became available.

Aceman184228d ago

they've made my decision to not purchase their new console very easy. i generally buy consoles that define them, but when you keep releasing the same 3-4 that i have no interest well i won't have any interest in your console.

I'll just keep my 360 and purchase any old game(s) i didn't play for super cheap.

ceedubya94228d ago

Well, we don't know much about the new console yet, or what new games will be available for it. Now that Microsoft is a power player, we may find that they are willing to take a few more risks with the next console and may fund more exclusive core games.

Knight_Crawler4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

I said this the other day that a inside Nintendo source told me that Alan Wake 2 will be on the Wii U and I got diasrees for saying that.

Alan Wake 1 did not make MS Halo or Gears numbers so they are not intrested in publishing Alan Wake 2 so Nintendo is trying to work out a deal with Remedy.

doogiebear4228d ago

It seems like gaming in general, is of little concern to Microsoft lately. All they care about is barely responsive Kinect games and Aps.

stuna14228d ago

And money! And that is not even a dig at Microsoft.

The truth of the matter is Microsoft is going to go where they think the money is! Case in point the "Casual" market is lucrative as far as there being money to make! It's just not sustainable in the gaming market, perfect example is the WII. It sold boatload, but the game attach ratio was way off.

Guaranteed that if the casual market dried up over-night, we all would see microsoft going in a totally different direction.

SilentNegotiator4228d ago

They'll regret it next-gen. It definitely didn't help Sony that they let so many games slide between the end of 6th and this gen.

aquamala4228d ago

How is mass effect 1 an exclusive when it's also on PC?

RmanX10004228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

And who created the OS that PCs generally run? Microsoft.

UnwanteDreamz4227d ago

That was stupid. OS is software smartguy. Console refers to hardware. Exclusive in this case refers to hardware the software can be played on.

ALLWRONG4227d ago

I don't know why people say the 360 has "no exclusives" when in reality (real world) it has more, in every category.

^^^fact^^^

J_Cob4227d ago

Not hating but you should back up your comment with facts instead of just writing fact.

ALLWRONG4227d ago (Edited 4227d ago )

https://www.google.com/ There you go. Try 360/PS3 Wiki.

I challenge anyone to prove me wrong. I'm going to assume you wont be back after you get the facts.

Are you scared to be wrong?

J_Cob4227d ago (Edited 4227d ago )

LMGTFY.com is your friend. You could also, you know, just link the 360/PS3 wiki pages.

IAmLee4227d ago

i don't even have to comment with some form of witty reply, all I have to do is tell you to look at your username and look at what you wrote. Kinda' ironic don't you think?

4227d ago
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showtimefolks4227d ago

All I now is this we supported MS early on and they were all about core experience just watch E3 from 2006 or 2007 and they keep saying core gaming this and core gaming that and now kinect this and kinect that. I do believe with Nintendo jumping not HD both Sony and ms will loose some fan base like those who only buy one system per gen may pick wiiu before ps4 or xbox720 is even released.

Also many people I know and around gaming sites are kind of pissed at MS for turning their backs on core gamers so whether you want to admit it or not they will loose a lot of people and potential buyers because of that

One thing in gaming community with core gamers which goes without saying is when people make up their mind about someone it stays for a long time. So IMO MS saw wii and casual gamers and forgot abut core gamers and with next gen they will crawl back to us. What's truely sad is Sony stayed with core gamers and either sold neck and neck or outsold xbox360 since than.

I don't think gets this business. They are the WCW of gaming where they want to run their competition out of business while they may hit big for a little bit but in the long run they will loose more often.

I know for me personally it's ps4 and wiiu. I love Sony exclusive content and the fact we will be able to play Nintendo exclusives in HD has me sold already.

I am a 2 system per gen and even than one system collects dustwth job and family it's hard finding time for long gaming hrs.

cedaridge4227d ago

AGREE! Most ppl here our fooling themselves to think Exclusives don't matter to Microsoft. Let the Gears of War series come to ps3, folks on here that say ''Microsoft already Beat Sony" would be utterly SICK if that was to happen. "EXCLUSIVES Don't Matter to Microsoft YEA RIGHT!" LOL psn: cedaridge

otherZinc4227d ago (Edited 4227d ago )

This article is written for the stupid.

SONY has lost GTA & MGS. Mass Effect is great but ME1 is 5 years old & well played. I beat ME1 6 times! Good for the PS3 owners that get an opportunity to experience a most fantastic game instead of a comic.

PS3 owners what exclusives are so great: MAG, SOCOM, PS3 Allstars, Resistance, MotorStorm, LBP Cart, Folklore, Heavenly Sword, Warhawk 2 what, seriously...what? Those titles aren't great! GoWar, Uncharted, GT is it, period. Nothing else moves the needle at the cash register. Killzone tries very hard but that 60+mill SONY spent on that underselling Killzone 2 wasn't worth it to their bottom line!

Also, replay value. After I beat Killzone, Uncharted, Gow on my PS3, its over. Theres online & make believe co-op but it doesnt compare to the 360 replay value & especially co-op.

SONY is throwing a bunch of S*** at the wall hoping something sticks like Halo! SONY doesnt have a Halo or Gears, if they did they'd cut all these projects that combined cant outsell Gears of War 3!

343 Industries is the most expensive exclusive studio to date! Its a money maker with a massive following. M$ invested in a money maker.

Nintendo has Mario, money maker, huge following.

SONY has absolutely nothing to compare to those 2. So, SONY must continue to throw S*** at the wall to create such a Character/Title, right now they have nothing.

Also, what PS3 owner is excited about this holidays line-up of PS3 Titles: LBP Kart, PS3 Allstars, & remake compilations? I'm not. I'd rather have Halo 4 & Forza Horizon.

Keep trying...

Deathdeliverer4227d ago

So what you're saying as a "GAMER" is that you would rather have two or three excellent SELLING games a year, than a list of FUN, and NEW titles that all sell well? No one can be mad at microsofts focus on being a media hub, because people like you help them lose focus on REAL GAMES. I have this issue where I get all consoles because I want to be in ALL the good exclusive stuff. I don't play sales, I play fun games. How can I justify my day one 360 purchase, when I get shit on year after year with less to play exclusively? All that talk about Gears being published by MS$ so it will never be on PS3 has just gone out the window. Thats what happens when the checks stop coming. The 360 has got to be your first and possibly only console. There is NO WAY a gamer that has been around since at least PS1 or Sega Saturn would settle for such a a small list of actual playable fun exclusives. (I've been playing since Atari btw) I guess the same way the quality of music declines with time, so does the quality of gamer if you are anything to go by.

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PirateThom4229d ago

Are we still pretending exclusives don't matter?

Carl_Shocker4229d ago (Edited 4229d ago )

Looks like it even though back shortly after the PS3s launch people were laughing that "Sony had no games"...now that they've done it better then MS those same types of gamers are saying it dosen't matter.

Fact is...it does and thats because it shows a gamer how much the company cares about you as a core gamer and how much their willing to support their console.

Tyrus_914229d ago

Did you guys read the article? My opinion is that exclusives matter and that Microsoft's lack of care for creating new IPs in-house or facilitating new IPs with second or third-party devs, as well as keeping existing ones that they themselves published (such as Mass Effect 1 and Ninja Gaiden II) from jumping ship to their primary competitor, the PS3, is embarrassing and concerning.

CommonSenseGamer4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

"Embarrassing"? Really?

How much more revenue will MS earn from a now 5 year old game by allowing it for sale on another platform? Remember, software is where the REAL money is, not hardware.

I really hope MS and Sony come up with a single console next gen as having to buy multple devices is a pain for consumers and developing for multiple devices is more expensive fo developers.

UnwanteDreamz4227d ago (Edited 4227d ago )

Monopolys are supposed to be a bad thing people. Imagine only being able to buy food or clothes at one place. Without choices consumers get screwed.

Very simple concept. No competition would be the death of gaming. Please rethink your stance and add more common sense, gamer.

EVILDEAD3604227d ago (Edited 4227d ago )

@ Pirate Thom

Are YOU pretending that ANYONE says exclusives don't matter?

Are people pretending they read the article which the title changed to incite flame?

But, lets say you did read it..

Are you pretending the original Mass Effect
DOES matter now that two have already gone multi-plat?

Exclusives matter, which is why the 360 has done as well as it has this gen. Mass Effect has and still will always be on the 360.

Evil

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yesmynameissumo4228d ago

Yes Tom, we are. Now, of course, this is only in regard to Microsoft. Nintendo and Sony are doomed to share a bunk with Hitler in hell if they lose exclusives. Microsoft for some reason is above it by having the same games everyone else does besides Halo, Gears and Forza. I'd say Fable too, but the games simply decline with each release.

HarryMasonHerpderp4228d ago

Guys read the article.

I never thought the PS3 would get the original Mass Effect in a million years.
Seems that Microsoft don't even care anymore.
Maybe they have some big IPs ready for next gen. Maybe not. We will have to wait and see.

LAZL0-Panaflex4228d ago

When cable companies stream there wont be exclusives anymore.....probably consoles neither....ps5 and xbox 4 wii 3....what i meant

DeadlyFire4227d ago

They have one new one I believe. We will have to wait and see if its Kinectable or not. That is my main concern.

Shadonic4229d ago

Well if you think about it there has been a lot of info about xbox exclusive studios creating games for next gen games. Plus theres the free to play games being developed for 360 that i belive are exclusive. Either way this article does have some truths to it. Hopefully they will come around next year. I'm going for the next gen scenerio though, theres a lot pushing towards that scenerio where MS will announce new IP's to go along with Halo 5 and probably they will bring that fortnite game from epic to the next xbox.

4228d ago Replies(2)
Statix4228d ago

Cool, I didn't even know they were bringing Mass Effect 1 to PS3. From a lot of people I've talked to, that is the best game in the Mass Effect series, so I look forward to playing it.

Show all comments (144)
270°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
darthv721d ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle11h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic18819h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio8h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning773h ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga11h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

shinoff218310h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga9h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan5h ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

romulus234h ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv723h ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

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purple10113h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos13h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-3h ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac12h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad12h ago(Edited 12h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple10112h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic10h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead3h ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3h ago
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300°

Microsoft Seemingly Closes Bethesda France

As part of its plans to cut 1,900 jobs, Microsoft has reportedly shut down operations at Bethesda France, letting go roughly 15 people

Read Full Story >>
insider-gaming.com
Hereandthere1d 21h ago

Microsoft should have left them stay 3rd party

GamerRN1d 18h ago

If they are let go, they can be whatever they want. They ARE 3rd party now... 🤦

Barlos1d 16h ago

Yeah, they're also jobless.

GamerRN1d 9h ago

They can form a company if they want, they are just as jobless as if "Microsoft had left them as 3rd party".

peppeaccardo1d 11h ago

"MIcrosoft leaves Bethesda do what they know how to do best" ... close! Oh the irony ....
(Citation from a week old article)

ChasterMies1d 7h ago

I think Microsoft and other game publishers are letting people go because they think ai will replace them. Doesn’t matter how much profit they make. They were always going to be let go.

PassNextquestion1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

Bethesda France was made up of roughly 15 people... they couldn't of being doing much

Bethesda France mainly did publishing and marketing within the region

blacktiger1d 18h ago

that's a shame for you to say that, i'm sure Elite loves hearing what you just said.

Mr Logic1d 4h ago

What a stupid thing to say. The elites give 0 fucks what we say on an obscure website in the comments section.

Crows901d 4h ago

You can always reach out and give them jobs at your company man. Don't wait

blacktiger1h ago

You own nothing snd be happy. I'm sure you heard that

Profchaos1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

Bethesda France focused on publishing and marketing in the region. And 15 people lost their jobs as part of the closure.

I wonder if this is part of Microsoft's strategy to abandoned physical media or possibly gamepass advertising makes their roles redundant you don't need to market a game as hard when the majority of players get the game as part of a sub which already promoted upcoming games

Tacoboto1d 20h ago

It's France too, there's a high likelihood only 1-2 people on the team even had an Xbox.

Profchaos1d 20h ago

Possibly guven all the leaks we know the Xbox brand is really struggling in the region.

Yi-Long1d 17h ago

Well, if your consoles and games are barely found in any stores any more, of course you're gonna struggle finding consumers ...

XiNatsuDragnel1d 19h ago

Tbh Microsoft I think Bethesda being 3rd party same with Activision would probably more competitive than thus scenario imo

Profchaos1d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

I think it would have been better for all parties really especially gamers

TheColbertinator1d 18h ago

The recently purchased Activision French offices might take over all the licensing and marketing for Microsoft in France from now on.

Show all comments (23)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple10113d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref12d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde12d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander197212d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville12d ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff218311d ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos11d ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 11d ago
isarai12d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref12d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan12d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis00711d ago (Edited 11d ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander197212d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

12d ago Replies(3)
Einhander197212d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

12d ago
12d ago
Zeref12d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde12d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander197212d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander197212d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier12d ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto12d ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff218311d ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto11d ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 11d ago
Hofstaderman12d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts12d ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts11d ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic11d ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

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