190°

MS: “Xbox is becoming THE Microsoft brand for entertainment”

From now on, all Microsoft entertainment and gaming experiences will carry the Xbox branding even on Windows, says senior director Leonardo Metelli, who has also been talking about how entertainment rather than gaming is now the major growth area on Xbox Live, and how Kinect will drive whole new types of advertising on their home console – including the slightly creepy “Two-Way TV”.

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Carl_Shocker4667d ago

Look no offense MS but when I got my self a PS3 I enjoyed my purchase at the time because it was a games and an entertainment machine, it's what the PS3 was advertised as especialy when they were showing off how you can play Blu rays as it acts like a blu ray player aswell. Overtime that has stuck and Sony established that as much as they could because that was their plan from the start, now they are focusing on games and the core gamer...whats the point of trying to do the same so late into this gen, you should be setting up first party studios and start making exclusive games for your system with new IPs so you can continue with them into next gen without having to rely on Halo, Gears, Fable etc. You also already have estblished studios who don't seem to do anything, take Rare for example who are sitting on Conker, Perfect Dark, Killer Instinct, Banjo, Kameo rights...

Sorry but I didn't buy my 360 so it could be an entertainment system. If I want to browse the web or catch up on a missed tv show I'll use my computer, if I want to watch a blu ray film I'll use my PS3, if I want to watch a TV show I'll use my Sky box and if I want to watch a DVD then I'll use my Xbox/PS3.

Stop trying to turn the gaming industry into something it isn't, if you care that much about these features instead of games and pleasing us gamers with gaming related things instead of things we can already do on other types of systems/media then you should just leave the gaming industry because it's obvious you don't seem to care about it anymore....just the large install base you scared to leave behind.

Young_ART4667d ago

Many people will try and disagree with a majority of what you just said, but only a fool would disagree with them not investing in 1st parties.

Instead they invest large amounts in timed exclusives, rediculous kinect advertising, and "timed exclusive dlc" (like really wtf?? Do people really buy a console for dlc??)

Its funny how at LAUNCH, "ps3 has no games", and ever since sony has consistantly pumped out a variety of aaa exclusives. Yet people will still shine negative light on that somehow....

Yi-Long4667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

...I buy a console TO PLAY GAMES. And in that area, Microsoft has disappointed me these last few years, with their focus on Kinect and old IPs, instead of bringing out lots of new great games.

I absolutely LOVE XBLA, which is pretty much where the best Xbox exclusive stuff is going on these days, but as far as full-prices original retail releases are concerned, Microsoft has been very disappointing to me these last few years, and I doubt I'll pick up their next console, unless it's backwards compatible.

The last three E3 presentations by Microsoft speak for themselfs. They were consistently bad.

I absolutely loved my first Xbox and I also love my 360, because of the games I already have for it, because of the controller, and because of XBLA, but I really feel MS has dropped some balls these last few years by focussing on making the system a Casual Kinect/Mediacenter.

Also, Sony has shown that THEY do keep that focus on original new IPs, and also bring more value-for-money to the table with their PSN-PLUS program. At Sony, it seems they're still focussed on games and gaming first, the rest comes 2nd.

Which is exactly what I want from a console.

Gazondaily4667d ago

Excuse for me not taking your opinion seriously (especially considering your profile pic).

@ Carl_Shocker

"Look no offense MS but when I got my self a PS3 I enjoyed my purchase at the time because it was a games and an entertainment machine"

I'm assuming you bought your PS3 in the later years of the console's release because people were justifying its purchase primarily because of the Blu-Ray player as it really didn't have that many games to really consider it as being a 'games machine'.

"Sorry but I didn't buy my 360 so it could be an entertainment system. "

Yeah but I did. I wanted an entertainment machine and a games console. I use my PS3 and 360 to watch Neflix, Sky, Youtube, movies on my HDD etc.

You're giving the impression that MS has completely relinquished it's link with gamers in favour of being an entertainment machine but there are still plenty of games coming out for the 360.

This generation has been about third party games (most of which run better on the 360) and then we have the few exclusives, which, whilst being criticised for being sequels, are still some of the most seminal titles on the market. The name Halo strikes fear in the heart of its competitors and fanboys because, lets be honest, it is the definition of a killer app (single handedly making the original Xbox a success without which a 360 might not have even existed).

"Stop trying to turn the gaming industry into something it isn't [...senseless rant]"

MS did many things right. It took a pro-active approach to this generation, innovating with many things such as system-based Achievements system, a proper approach to Online gaming and social interaction and even down to design choices (barring of course the dreaded RROD problem).

Whilst I agree that some more exclusives are needed, the few that the 360 has are excellent and critically acclaimed in their respective genres.

So dry your eyes mate and please don't purport to speak for all gamers.

BrutallyBlunt4667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

But that was because back then Sony was more focused on getting bluray into homes. They listened and they got back to what they do best, provide a great gaming platform.

What Microsoft has done is also listen to feedback. They got those 3rd party games this time. They got the GTA and the Tekken and the Resident Evil games that were either favored (with timed exclusives) or neglected on the original XBOX. They also saw the casual market unfold before their eyes and tried (too hard i think) to capture that with Kinect. But what they also realized early on was how many XBOX360 owners were doing other things on their system. That's why Microsoft got Netflix, that's why they got Facebook, that's why they are turning it into a media hub.

People need to think outside of the box. Why is Microsoft spending so much time getting deals done with services like ESPN? Because they see that is the new direction, having an entertainment media hub. Look at handheld gaming devices like Vita, they no longer just play games but the gaming is still central to that device. Gaming is still central to the XBOX360 too. It gets a ton of games every month.

http://www.gamespot.com/rev...

Those are games they reviewed this year. Now compare that list to the PS3:

http://www.gamespot.com/rev...

There's actually MORE games on the XBOX360 that were reviewed. So don't tell me there are no games on the XBOX360 and that it's still not providing gamers with content.

People used to think Microsoft would drop the XBOX360 after a short period of time like the original XBOX, they are now going into it's 8th year. That's right, it came out in 2005 and it's already in the latter part of 2012 with no signs of a new system. People also called it a shooterbox, now they focused on Kinect for a couple of years and say it's gone too casual. They announce new Forza games and new Halo and Gears but now it's about new IP's. I don't think people really know what it is they want other than another PS3.

The big difference between the PS3 and the XBOX360 is about games that people consider hardcore games that are 1st party. That is the area Microsoft needs to work on but when you put that into perspective how many more hardcore titles each year does Sony release in comparison, 3 or 4? So if that is ALL people here on N4G focus on then of course it's going to seem like it's a bigger issue than it is. You also have to realize Sony has been around longer, they have more studios. They also take more risks on new IP's, i get that. What i don't get is how so m,any people want to paint a picture that simply isn't accurate. What this need is to always make sure their preferred system looks better and will argue days on end how they do so much better a job when in reality the differences are actually pretty minor.

mcstorm4667d ago

@LevelHead I agree with what you have said. No matter what anyone else dose Sony fan boys will find something to complain about. They say the 360 is not as powerful as the 360 so games don't look good as good ect as PS3 games yet the PSX and PS2 were the lest powerful over the last 2 gens.

Its the same for Nintendo and Xbox fan boys they will pick out something in the other consoles and keep going on about it.

The way I look at it MS had a massive job to do this Gen and took a massive gamble in the direction they went with the 360 but it paid off and now they are on a equal court to Nintendo and Sony in the Console Business with Established IP's Like Halo Gears Forza Fable and even Kinect.

Nintendo Also took a gamble going in a different gamble with the Wii and again it paid off for them

Sony though the Play Station Name was enough to outsell the Wii and 360 but as the beginning of the gen shown it was not but again credit to Sony they dug deep got the cost of the console down and gave us some amazing game like LBP UC ect and they have now got them self back into the market.

I also hope that next gen the WiiU PS4 and Next xbox all sell close again because having 3 consoles all selling well keeps each of them pushing each other and keeps us all excited about games tech and more.

Having MS Sony and Nintendo all doing well is better for all of us in the end no matter if you own one or all the consoles as competition is what the industry needs.

Jazz41084667d ago

Do you not know that ms has more first party studios then sony now. They have purchased a bunch in the last two years and are working on growing them. So you are very uninformed or a sony fanboy.

nukeitall4667d ago

I didn't purchase a smart phone just to talk on the phone. I use it for far more, and it is rapidly replacing many other devices.

Point being, my Xbox 360 is rapidly replacing other devices that used to provide the same entertainment despite me initially buying it for just games. I bought it just for games, because that was all it offered, not because that was *all I wanted*!

If that is all you do for games, then good for you, but the wast majority of everyone else do not *just consume video games*. To everyone else, the Xbox 360 has provided ample of more value of the years and that is reflected in the substantial increase in usage.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4667d ago
aviator1894667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

"Stop trying to turn the gaming industry into something it isn't"

Look, no offense to you, but do you realize the amount of hours spent watching netflix, hulu, etc. vs. the amount of hours spent on gaming on the Xbox 360, PS3, and the Wii? There are likely a good chunk of people that buy consoles for the simple act of streaming content, not gaming.

Here's an example: http://www.gamespot.com/new...

I'm not advocating that any gaming company should spend the majority of their resources on video entertainment over gaming, I'm just disagreeing with you on your opinion on what the gaming industry is and what it is transforming into.
And I think the lack of more first-party titles from Microsoft recently is probably due to the fact that they have their studios or have contracted other studios to create titles for their upcoming Xbox 720. The same studios that MS have opened up recently with no new games announced are most likely working on the next Xbox. They realize the dwindling sales of the Xbox 360 and are probably escalating their jump into next-gen soon while having a good amount of their studios working for next-gen.

dedicatedtogamers4667d ago

What some people don't like is that this is a fundamental bastardization of what a "console" and what a "PC" is. The Xbox is just trying to be a cheap multimedia PC. They already tried this before with Windows ME, Windows XP, etc. and it failed, so now they're using Xbox to push the same agenda.

In the past, a "console" was defined as "the simplest, fastest, most efficient box that allows you to play games on your TV instead of going to the arcade or installing it on your PC". Nowadays console seems to mean "dumbed-down PC with a few motion-control gimmicks".

This is not a PC vs console rant. I love both. What I want to see is consoles become CONSOLES again, a.k.a boxes that are streamlined to make your gaming experience as awesome as possible. I have other devices for multimedia. I want a console to play games.

BrutallyBlunt4667d ago

"In the past, a "console" was defined as "the simplest, fastest, most efficient box that allows you to play games on your TV instead of going to the arcade or installing it on your PC". Nowadays console seems to mean "dumbed-down PC with a few motion-control gimmicks". "

In some cases it still is, even more so than the PS3. Updates are quicker and smaller to get you into the action quicker, there are no mandatory installs. They also didn't want to support a keyboard and mouse, and purposely didn't offer a web browser in the beginning until they had something like Kinect which makes it different than navigating on the PC.

Microsoft also has Windows so of course they are going to also be PC oriented. They knew there was a market for a PC like experience on a console and there is. Sony also supports PC gaming with titles like DC Online Universe. You look at games like Obliivion and how well they have done on consoles and you start to understand that consoles can now re-create a PC experience on the console now. Gamers are gamers no matter what platform they choose to play them on. Consoles still make things easier. You don't need to go looking for drivers and updates and the games just work, at least for the most part.

We have moved into the direction of devices that do more than just one function. That is what people want. Whether it's a smartphone instead of just a cellphone or a portable device like the Vita that also does more than just play games. The XBOX 360 still functions around gaming. The one key area Microsoft should improve upon is creating new IP's because you still need to have software unique to the hardware if you are also in the business of selling hardware.

It's funny how Steam, a PC company, is trying to cater to console gamers by making it easier to get into. Steam handles updates and driver issues and now they have a new mode that makes it look more console friendly for those who connect their PC's the TV. On the other hand we see companies like Sony and Microsoft offer sport TV services and movie rentals. They also now have the ability to have patches and updates and offer hard drives. Consoles have changed and so has PC gaming and i don't see that as a negative. I see it as giving consumers more choices and making more use of their investments.

Blankman854667d ago

Please just go write your own blog elsewhere. You know what, never mind, this is what the ignore button is for.

Knight_Crawler4667d ago

I was going to write something long to prove your entire comment is a fail but I am too lazy.

Times have chnaged Carl and companies have to move with the times or get left behind - in a perfect world a game console should only play games but people do not want to buy 5 items to meet there entertainment needs.

Browsing the net, watching your fav movie, talking to friends, updating your tweeter, automatic facebook updates, downloading online music will all become a standard next gen and if a console does not have this they will be the next dreamcast.

I understand what your saying but from a business perspective

dedicatedtogamers4667d ago

Then why were the Wii and DS so dang successful? BOTH of those were devices that just played games (with a few paltry multimedia features that no one used) and yet they sold the most during their generation. Why? Uh, maybe because there really is something to the idea of making a dedicated gaming platform instead of yet another do-everything-excel-at-nothing -get-lost-in-the-shuffle-when-t he-next-smartphone-comes-out device

pompombrum4667d ago

The thing is though, TVs are starting to add all those things too. My samsung tv has an app store which allows me to do stuff like netflix, facebook and youtube etc. Eventually and hopefully very soon, these entertainment features will be so standard that they can stop boasting about them.

Knight_Crawler4667d ago

@Dedicat - The Wii launched 6 years ago and alot has changed since then - look how much non gaming features Nintendo have added to the Wii U, we now live in a world where 7 year old kids are walking around with ipads, iPhones and have facebook and twitter accounts.

Nintendo is playing catch up with online gaming and entertainment values on the Wii U and this can break or make the Wii U - if Nintendo does not meet what the MS leaked document showed that the 720 will have then Nintendo will need more than Mario and Zelda to save the Wii U.

I all for gaming but times are hard and if I can get a console that will let me browse the web, watch movies and communicate with my friends via Skype plus play games then that is welcomed in my book.

dedicatedtogamers4667d ago

MS said it themselves: "entertainment rather than gaming is now the major growth area on XBL, and Kinect will be used for new advertising blah blah..."

Say goodbye to those few short years when MS cared about delivering quality games. Y'all should have seen the writing on the wall when MS put advertisements on people's PAID GOLD-SUBSCRIPTION XBL dashboards. But no. People kept defending Microsoft. They kept making excuses.

Well, this is your XBox brand. Enjoy it, idiots.

Gazondaily4667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

How have you got 5 bubbles?

Please provide a source for the quote you used.

Also, please grow up.

pompombrum4667d ago

Lol the sad truth.. it blows my mind how people can stand for the current dashboard on xbox.. it's frigging ugly and was designed with no other intention but to make it easier for them to advertise. At least give gold members a new premium ui that is advert free.

dedicatedtogamers4667d ago

Um, the quote is in the story that we're reading on this thread. It's even in the body of the "preview paragraph".

Try harder.

Gazondaily4667d ago

How about YOU actually read the article properly. Microsoft never said what you quoted. The author of the article made that statement. Let me spoon feed it to you:

"who has also been talking about how entertainment rather than gaming is now the major growth area on Xbox Live, and how Kinect will drive whole new types of advertising on their home console "

So yeah, Microsoft DIDN'T say it themselves. Reading comprehension (and basic reading)- invest some time in it.

"Well, this is your XBox brand. Enjoy it, idiots."

I wonder who feels like the idiot now. Take heed of your own advice and keep trying.

Knight_Crawler4667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

So you think only MS will be using this strategy...Sure Sony is pumping oot exclusives after exclusive and do not care how much they sell but how long can they keep taken a loss before investors say enough is enough - Sony has been in the red for about 4 years now financially and they can not afford to do the same mistakes next gen as the PS2 revenue wont be able to save them.

Trust me as much I hate to say this, ads and chageing for some gaimng features will become a must next gen if gaming company wants to survive...book mark this comment but look forward to Sony chargeing for online and having alot of ads on PSN - also Sony will trying to match or better MS with the all in one entertaiment value that the PS4 and the 720 will offer, so its safe to say that gaming will become not the most important thing next gen for all consoles.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4667d ago
greenpowerz4667d ago

WoW this news sure pissed off the PS3 fanboys. The 720 will be multi media home theater pc-ish entertainment system. I wonder who is going to provide the video hardware for it? Samsung? Seems to be MSFT closest partner in video/tv land.

Somehow expanding what a console is, is bad and opening up this industry by MSFT angers fanboys. What good is investing in a bunch of mostly useless game studios when trying to open up the market by owning the living room/home?

Oh NO!!! HDTV's have web browsers in them and have apps. Now there will be channels to watch because the TV maker left watchers behind LMAO

No one in here cares about PS3 troll! go somewhere else

dedicatedtogamers4667d ago

Why would it piss of "Ps3 fanboys"? If anything, it should be pissing off "360 fanboys" who said years ago "LOLOLOL BLU RAI? WTF I BOUGHT MY SYSTEM FOR GAMEZ DUH!"

Oooops, I forgot. Something is only cool when either Apple or Microsoft attempt it, right? Evil Sony has no good ideas anymore, even though back in 2006 they were spouting this exact same "media hub in your living room" ideology prior to the PS3's launch.

Carl_Shocker4667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

Yeah sure...anyone who voices criticism towards a company is a fanboy of another company I forgot how people work on this site

Anyway no offense greenpowerz but your the biggest Xbox 360 fanboy around here...of course my comment is going to p*** you off.

I love it when people throw the troll word round and yet the only person who is actually trolling is themselfs with their immature comments :)

vega2754667d ago

I hate when people claim the 360 owner said this and that back in 2006 as their excuse to bash MS.

first off: there wasn't that many 360 fanboys since the xbox didn't have that big of a fanbase compared to the ps1/2 on this or any other site for that matter.

second: many sonyfan was bashing 360 owners for supporting MS and claiming they would abandon them within 4 years since that's what they did with the xbox. if you was truly here or any other site you would remember that.

third: sonyfan was claiming sony would crush them as they did with the ps2 and once (insert game) came out. 360 would be last or MS drop out of the console race.

i don't know why your upset. is it because MS is more sucessful with the media hub as oppose to sony's. i mean both companies have wanted to be the center of the living room since last gen. which was a reason why sony spearheaded blu-ray same as they did with dvd with the ps2. so why hate MS for don't what sony has been doing.

ALLWRONG4667d ago

Look at all negative anti MS comments

now look what these same people say here http://n4g.com/news/1084996...

They whine about MS or Nintendo in their own news. Now go to the link I posted and try and make the same kind of comment they do here. Watch and see how fast it gets removed.

The hypocrisy of their post is the fact that Sony does whatever they can to copy MS and Nintendo at every turn.

HD console
streaming media
apps
movie, tv, game and music marketplace
social media

No! Sony doesn't think of themselves at a "brand for entertainment at all. Just ignore Sony pictures Music, games and the fact that Sony used the PS3 to Trojan horse BluRay. ಠ_ಠ

Some of you guys spend up to 8 hours a day here whining. How do you find time to play the games you praise so much?

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4667d ago
ame224667d ago

That's what frightens your users the most Microsoft. You're essentially forgetting about those who brought you all this fame. Gamers receiving their annual fix of Halo/ Gears and Cod, it just won't suffice anymore. The tides will eventually shift, a big chunk of your fanbase will have to move on.

Blankman854667d ago

Seems the fanbase is happy with what Microsoft are giving them. You are ignoring the many XBLA games released each year like the recent Dust and Mark of a Ninja.
Pre-orders for Halo 4 are currently higher than those of Reach and Minecraft is selling at 17k units a week. I'd say they've found their sweet spot and it is working very well for them. Evident in their games department making more profit with just X360 and kinect than SONY's department with PS3, Vita, PSP, PS2 combined this entire generation.
It may not be great for the exclusive seeking gamer (although SONY's recent exclusive sales prove such gamers are a minority) but it is great for business.

Captain Qwark 94667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

thats what so many on this site claim and then you all go out and buy the next halo, cod, and gears while titles like darksiders 2 and sleeping dogs do mediocre sales. people bitch and moan about lack of new ips yet the fresher faces and newer ips sell like shit and then people wonder why they go back to those proven franchises.

360 has been out for years, ms spent the first couple years publishing new titles to try to get some key franchises, to name a few....

lost odyssy
banjo kazooie nuts and bolts
viva pinata
kameo elements of power
too human
blue dragon
ninja blade
crackdown 1 & 2
alan wake

now most of those are pretty damn good games for a first effort and if they sold well enough the sequels likely would have been much better ( with he exception to crackdown ) and yet nobody bought them and then proceed to complain ms doesnt try to cater to the core gamer.

you cant blame anyone but yourselfs here. as much as everyone here seems to think your entitled to everything, gaming is a business and if there is no demand, you will not get what you want. think about it from their perspective, waste millions on new ips only to have them fail time and time again or spend millions on 2-3 ips a year which will almost guarantee you profits.

lastly, lets not forget all the arcade games brought to gamers each year. these days arcade titles provide just as long of an experience as full retail games but at 1/4 of the price and ms has published plenty of those great titles

amaguli4667d ago

Not gonna lie, that Two-Way TV thing sounds pretty creepy.

Anyways, it seems like Microsoft is trying to market the Xbox as an entertainment system that can also play games. Whatever floats their boat. Obviously the approach is working for them as a whole, just at the expense of gamers.

paddystan4667d ago

I bought my Xbox 360 to play games, not to watch movies. It's a gaming machine, not a multimedia machine.

Grenade4667d ago

I agree, but it looks like M$ doesn't.

Mystro214666d ago

some people buy the systems for multimedia dont u see the how many hours people spend on netflix and facebook,twitter etc.

R_aVe_N4667d ago (Edited 4667d ago )

Way to much focus on entertainment not near of enough focus on games there Microsoft. Xbox = Game Machine not entertainment hub. Sony did the same thing at first and it came to bite them in the @ss. Now they focus mainly on games (which as GAME CONSOLE should). Now it is marketed as a Game Machine that just happens to have a really nice entertainment system built in. Do you see the difference?

Show all comments (52)
240°

‘I think Xbox hardware is dead’, says Microsoft gaming veteran

One of the founding members of the Xbox team has questioned Microsoft’s multiplatform gaming strategy, and said they believe the Xbox hardware business is effectively “dead"

Read Full Story >>
videogameschronicle.com
1d 23h ago Replies(3)
Goodguy011d 21h ago

Think that rumor that they'll still make a new console but at a profit at $1000 will be true though. The series consoles will remain their cheap alternative throughout next gen I would say. Keep in mind that game pass and pretty much going 3rd party is their main focus. They want to bring xbox everywhere.

1d 21h ago
GamerRN1d 1h ago

If they don't maintain some kind of console presence, I think they will lose gamepass subscribers and just become a 3rd party publisher who eventually sells everything off

Cacabunga1d ago

Xbox games are releasing on all platforms. Who needs this hardware? PS or PC is all you need

Flewid63822h ago

I've never owned an Xbox in my life and I have GamePass.

thorstein21h ago

The only Xbox I owned was the 360. I have gamepass for my PC.

GamerRN16h ago

Majority of Gamepass users are currently on console...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 16h ago
crazyCoconuts23h ago

Even if they could get it down to $800 for a box that can run with comparable performance to a PS6 (at, say $200 cheaper) the population of people willing to buy such a thing would be so limited.
It would be the worst of both worlds.

1d 19h ago
Futureshark1d 10h ago

A slow, painful and public death too.

Show all comments (66)
300°

Looming Xbox layoffs threaten Microsoft's reputation

Even as the company sets out to overhaul the very definition of Xbox, cuts at its studios risk creating a negative image reminiscent of EA's worst era

Read Full Story >>
gamesindustry.biz
Jingsing4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I appreciate the article but this guy must be living in a delayed universe, The reputation was ruined 10+ years ago and hasn't recovered since. As such people have voted with their wallets and stopped buying Xbox products in large amounts.

YourMommySpoils2d ago

Their reputation was lost way before that. From the moment Microsoft said they entering the console business, we all knew it would be a downgrade.

Bathyj2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

That's not true at all the OG Xbox had drive and they had hunger and they wanted to accomplish something. It was a great console.

they didn't quite reach their goals and they gave up prematurely because they couldn't win. It was halfway through the Xbox 360 when kinect released and that was when they lost their way and we're a rudderless ship ever since

Agent752d ago

In all fairness, Xbox had some great games with online play, Xbox 360 even better. Xbox consoles started to die with the Xbox One. Ditch consoles for the PC and PS.

YourMommySpoils1d 19h ago

@Bathyj hard to compute ay. Xbox was never better than a PC and that's all they ever were. A demo box. Doesn't get more true than that.

4d ago Replies(1)
isarai4d ago

What reputation is this threatening exactly? 😂

Lightning773d ago

Rumors of Turn 10 being either shut down or hit with massive lay offs is on the horizon.

The issue is MS will do something right only to do something very, very wrong. And they do this what seems calculative at this point. Doesn't matter what they do the Investors and leadership want more and more money an endless bottomless pit of purr insatiable greed. A company that acts like it's broke or hurting is what really, really infuriates me. They've surpassed apple again well over 3 trillion who acts like they're a million dollar company is fk stupid. Pivots and changes for no reason and can't do things for more than a year with out a pivot or changing their metrics.

Christopher3d ago

That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest.

1Victor2d ago

@christopher: “ That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest”
The key word big can be ether good or bad 🤷🏿only time can tell

DarXyde2d ago

First Forza being generated entirely via AI?

If any company would do it, it'd be them.

Nacho_Z2d ago

Isn't the point that it's irrelevant how profitable MS is, the suits have decided it's time that the Xbox division started making them money. Hence the layoffs, the pivots.

hennessey862d ago

That wouldn't surprise me, as motorsport has been heading down hill since the great number 4. Where as playground have consistently put out better games. I think the two studios will be merged under playground games banner.

3d ago Replies(2)
Show all comments (63)
660°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
7d ago Replies(1)
7d ago Replies(1)
Obscure_Observer7d ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

7d ago
pwnmaster30007d ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

7d ago
Obscure_Observer7d ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger7d ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30007d ago (Edited 7d ago )

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole6d ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

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Tacoboto7d ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing697d ago (Edited 7d ago )

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif7d ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing697d ago (Edited 7d ago )

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif6d ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

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-Foxtrot7d ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast7d ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts7d ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto7d ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

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Profchaos6d ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo6d ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

TheExecutioner6d ago

Basically you think like kids when it come to choose between candy or chocolate.

Sonic18816d ago (Edited 6d ago )

Are you and Anast the same person?

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