On LinkedIn, a Microsoft engineer says that he is working as part of the Video Cognition team "on cool new features for the next Xbox" under NDA [non-disclosure agreement]—something that could be more revealing than it appears to be. (He also contributed to video processing efforts for video content with containing DRM, providing an information stream for SmartGlass content.)
As part of its plans to cut 1,900 jobs, Microsoft has reportedly shut down operations at Bethesda France, letting go roughly 15 people
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?"
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 ☝️
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.
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?
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.
Microsoft's future in the video game space is murky right now, so let's break it all down.
Not anytime soon. But they're on that path.
One thing not mentioned in the article is Microsoft's money bags. If Sega had Microsoft's money, they would have still been around as a hardware manufacturer. Xbox as a platform only survives because of the money bags. They can continue making consoles for the core and port to PC.
The multiplatform strategy is only the result of arrogance and misguided leadership that blew up in their face. They thought gamers would jump on Xbox in droves if they knew that many of their favorite games would be only on Xbox. But that's not happening at all. Sales didn't increase. They decreased. Why? Because the dumb asses thought giving away these expensively made games in a cheap service would also turn the tide.
Gamers on other platforms are willing to buy quality. They don't need to be handed nearly free games in a service that aren't even finished and sometimes average in their development. Gamers buy Nintendo games. They buy Sony games. Microsoft groomed their base to not buy games. Even the quality ones. It has always been their plan to go digital. But most gamers still like single player gaming. Still like physical releases.
Microsoft's problem has always been that they don't produce high quality games at the same output as Nintendo and Sony. Actually, they should be producing quite a lot more because they're worth over 2 TRILLION. How they don't have more is ridiculous and no excuse. Buying publishers to take away from competition only backfired. Because it still takes millions of dollars to continue to make those games from the publishers they snatched. Their only choice was to crawl back to their competitors to help sustain those developers because Nintendo and Sony platforms were the ones buying games.
Am I sorry for Microsoft? Hell no! They deserved last place for putting in the least effort. They deserved the fallout for buying up the industry and didn't make a single blip on the radar against their competitors where they now need those same gamers they took away games from to support them. Part of it may have been to cash in on their competition. But the result is the slow death of their platform. They may go 3rd party. They may keep making hardware. I don't give a shit about them to worry about it. I only give a shit about the destructive nature of their industry moves that only negatively affect gamers. They could sell and drop out of the industry and I wouldn't blink. Probably laugh. But not blink. They deserve whatever comes to them. At least Sega put in the effort when it came to games. They just had poor leadership. Microsoft has poor leadership and barely makes memorable games. That's a killer combination. And not in a good way.
Not sure about that. It's been two decades and I still think about Power Stone, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Seaman and others, but I'm not sure I'll remember Xbox Series X/S games in a few years from now... Maybe I'll remember about the franchises that the Xbox brand spawned, but I don't believe that the Xbox Series lives up to the late Dreamcast or even to the Xbox name itself. I do have great memories about the 360 with Blue Dragon, Gears 2 and Lost Odyssey though
No, Dreamcast was ahead of it's time and most still have very fond memories of it that had one. It also had some good games on it even in it's short lifespan. Xbox has none of these qualities.
If MS wants to compete with my cable provider they are going to have to offer me as many channels and services that they already offer me plus a built in DVR to record tv/movies etc. All this plus a game console near or on par with PS4 would be either VERY expensive or part of a heavily restricting subcription program designed to trap people in long-term contracts.
It seems microsoft wants to compete and get a hold of all "Entertainment" Media. They started off with OS for computers, then Gaming consoles and now T.V. cable channels/movies/music. Whats next Books? Art? Sports? Cars?. In my opinion I think its really a good idea to control the living room entertainment since almost everyone with a home has T.V. and other entertainment stuff. They want it to be centralized in one device, Their Device which if you want to surf channels you can, Watch movies? you can. Listen to music? you can. Play a game? you can. Exercise? you can(Kinect). But they don't need other business opportunities. Even if they only have Windows they are still one of the richest company. But there is no wrong in trying to do other business types. But to me they are just being "Greedy". What can you expect microsoft has one of the largest Investors and stockholders. Well see how long their greediness will get them to.
I think this has been part of MS's direction for a long time. They want to make a box that will actually take the place of two boxes in your living room... your DVR and your Game console. I think this is 100# where all the rumors of always connected are coming from also. It's the DVR functionality that would require always on...not the game functionality.
And this also could be why MS isn't worried about responding right now. They know when they announce they will put to rest all the fears around "gaming". Everyone will be able to exhale and then look at MS's box and offering in a totally different light.
Lovely jubly
I've been watching TV on my PS3 for 5 years now with its built in DVR feature.
I bet MS will come out saying its brand new but the reality is they're playing catch up once again....