Hardcore Gamer: If Microsoft were smart, they’d change their outlook between now and E3 or at least be honest and confess that they’re trying to set-up their consumers. They should speak more about the console itself and give concrete details about how the disc locking and selling of used games will work.
For Xbox’s hugely expanded gaming division, anything that isn’t Call of Duty is now a failure, and that’s a problem
Honestly, If I worked presently for Microsoft's gaming division, I would update my CV and look for work elsewhere...
"Now"?
How about "ever"?
They closed so many of their dev teams during the second half of the Xbox 360 era. Have we forgotten history so quickly?
Dummy fake journalists acting so surprised over these recent closures, when this is something that's been going on for well over a decade now with MS.
"The sudden closure of several video-game studios at Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox division was the result of a widespread cost-cutting initiative that still isn’t finished.
This week, Xbox began offering voluntary severance agreements to producers, quality assurance testers and other staff at ZeniMax, which it purchased in 2020 for $7.5 billion, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. Others across the Xbox organization have been told that more cuts are on the way.
Speaking about the closures more broadly, Booty said that the company’s studios had been spread too thin — like “peanut butter on bread” — and that leaders across the division had felt understaffed. They decided to close these studios to free up resources elsewhere, he said.
Game Pass has not seen the massive growth that Xbox boss Phil Spencer may have been hoping for."
"Speaking about the closures more broadly, Booty said that the company’s studios had been spread too thin — like “peanut butter on bread” — and that leaders across the division had felt understaffed. They decided to close these studios to free up resources elsewhere, he said"
So what you're saying is...you bought all these studios and you guys can't run them.
Jesus.
Reports are suggesting that Game Pass will be getting a price hike soon and that Call of Duty may not be added to the day one offering. I honestly have a hard time believing this but it does beg the question why exactly did GP fail? I think the answer is that it just didn't get the growth that it anticipated. Jim was right but I wish he wasn't because at the end of the day, its gamers, devs and other front-line workers who have to absorb the blow for Spencer and team's miscalculations.
For all the armchair executives who were calling for Sony to release its big-budget AAA games on PS+, the same exact thing would have happened at PlayStation. Game Pass has killed Xbox. Congrats.
Twisted Voxel writes: "We've almost reached the end of the 1st half of 2024, and Xbox has had more studio closures than first party game releases in the year so far."
Hellblade 2, Indiana Jones, Avowed, Towerborne, and Call of Duty are still to be released this year. Marcus Fenix collection to be added to the list with the Xbox showcase, hopefully.
Sony doesn't have to bother fighting the next Microsoft acquisition. The massive layoff by themselves should be enough to get the next big buy blocked.
So if MS hadn't spent $80 billion consolidating the industry just think of all the games and jobs that would have saved.
MS is a drain on gaming and have been nothing but a negative.
"If Microsoft were smart, they’d change their outlook"
The depth of the self delusion is staggering.
It's been four years of the same exact self delusion.
"Next E3 Microsoft is finally going to deliver!"
Consoles and their supporting structure take years to develop and set in motion. What you see right now from Microsoft IS IT.
* Microsoft has shut down almost all of their non-shovelware first party studios. So all this babble about 'showing more games' have to come from somewhere. There simply aren't secret Microsoft first party studios that can magically make these new franchises
* Microsoft has given up on the Asian market so there are no new franchises coming out from developers in that market
* The only possible area for Microsoft is what they've used as a crutch for the past decade - buying Xbox ports of PC games and pass them off as 'exclusives'
* The weak Xbox One hardware was finalized a long time ago and isn't going to change outside of Microsoft canceling launch this year. Nothing is going to change on that front.
They need to provide some clarity, before that.
Usher's gotta dance his ass off at E3 after that reveal..
A little late for that.
I said goodbye the moment they decided to block used games. Let alone the always connected policy.