560°

Microsoft Announces VR Parnership With Oculus Rift

MP1st - During the pre-e3 showing of Oculus Rift, head of Microsoft's Xbox division and Microsoft Studios, Phil Spencer, took the stage to announce it's partnership with Oculus Rift.

Gunstar753241d ago ShowReplies(1)
psychosmurf1013241d ago

WWWHHHAAATTTT????? How is this getting overlooked. Wouldnt be surprised if it's bs.

blackout3241d ago

Check Phills twitter. This is Crazy.

Genuine-User3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

It's not BS. And it is not what most people think it is.

Oculus Rift will have the ability to "stream Xbox One games" in "virtual cinema".

http://live.arstechnica.com...

Kind of pointless if you ask me.

breakpad3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

meh ...more than expected ..i ve said it a lot of times even before Occulus announce they will support Windows only OS...have a good time Xone users with Occulus Facebook machine spying your lives...they succeed what they wanted one way (Kinect) or another (Occulus VR)

darthv723241d ago

Call it partnership by proxy. And I don't think this will hinder MS's AR project but just be an option for PC users.

zeee3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

It's not as huge as some are trying to make of it. In fact, it is not huge at all!

Rift will be able to stream games in a virtual cinema and Rift will come with Xbox One controller. Now, please, someone tell me. How is this "huge" or am I missing something here?

darthv723241d ago

This makes the OR just another display option. instead of stream playing games on a TV or PC monitor in another room... a person can kick back on the sofa (or toilet) and play xb1 games.

that is how this will be used for now. If OR were to make a unit specifically for the XB1 then we will see VR games made for that one. but this way its like strapping the wiiu gamepad to your face and playing with the controller for off tv play.

christocolus3241d ago

If Windows 10 PC's can stream games directly to Oculus Rift. Then the Xbox One should be able to do same once updated to windows 10 also it means VR games developed for Xbox One would be streamed directly to Oculus as well or am i missing something here?.This announcement wasn't expected at all.There will surely be more info at the Xbox conference,cant wait.

Kayant3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

@darthv72

"a person can kick back on the or toilet and play xb1 games." - Well they better have one long ass cable ;) as OR isn't wireless.

@christocolus

"also it means VR games developed for Xbox One"

"am i missing something here?" - You are. There isn't going to be VR developed XB1 games with this current setup.

http://n4g.com/news/1740700...

darthv723241d ago

@kayant. you left the word "sofa" out of that quote. And who's to say there wont be a wireless version of this at some point?

I'm sure I can rig up some long cables if I need to go to the toilet. Creative minds find a way.

christocolus3241d ago

@Kayant

Your link says nothing about bringing VR games to Xbox One and Technically an Xbox one running Win10 should be able to stream VR Game directly to Oculus just like a Win10 PC and maybe they just aren't ready to discuss that yet since this event is basically focused on PC.

Kayant3241d ago

@darthv72

"you left the word "sofa" out of that quote." - I know because sofa use case is possible if you have your PC close by or hooked into your TV then that works. Latency seems to be something that would not make that possible any time soon no?

@christocolus
"Your link says nothing about bringing VR games to Xbox One" - Well that's kinda of the point you 're the one that said VR developed games am showing you VR games are not going to be developed for XB1 because OR is not an input device for it.

"Technically an Xbox one running Win10 should be able to stream VR Game directly to Oculus just like a Win10 PC" - Again there won't be VR games on XB1 you're streaming traditional games and playing then in a virtual living room on OR.

"maybe they just aren't ready to discuss that yet since this event is basically focused on PC." - Maybe but given a big deal of this partnership is the streaming feature from XB1 to OR I don't see why they would take the opportunity to announce support for OR as an input device on XB1.

rainslacker3241d ago

If I'm understanding it right, does that just mean that OR is just acting as a HMD but doesn't offer the immersion that comes from VR?

ChrisW3241d ago

@Genuine-User,

Virtual cinemas are currently the most popular apps for VR. Whether it be for 2D movies or 3D movies, it has been said to be an incredibly immersive and enjoyable way to enjoy movies privately. With that said, playing video games in a virtual cinema sounds pretty cool!

Mr Pumblechook3241d ago

Maybe this partnership is the reason Mac support was dropped?

I believe the Steam HTC VR will be PC, Mac and Linux compatible.

miyamoto3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

SEE I TOLD YOU GUYS!
M$ is BEHIND FACEBOOK's acquisition of Oculus Rift right from the beginning because they a major stake holder.

See I was right all this time.
MS is so predictable and I will always smell what they are up to.
They wont escape me.

You guys think they are just gonna let PlayStation get away with Project Morpheus.
MS MS MS you momey monster.

donthate3241d ago

The party up feature of Netflix was super popular on the Xbox 360 before it was yanked and never to return, so I think this should be popular too.

Except the need to buy a VR device.

Either way, this is a positive step for both MS and Oculus Rift. Good relations spawns partnerships!

DDOS-DelDaemonicOSes3240d ago

@rainslacker, I really haven't read much about it yet, though the use of the term "streaming" seems to me that they'd be streaming to Windows 10 with an Oculus, and in that case, I would guess that tracking ("full VR") through Windows 10's Oculus interface is possible, rather than only HMD.

I don't get the implication that this doesn't allow for "full VR"... I'd guess every control option available to a PC with Oculus could work with the Xbox One stream.

+ Show (14) more repliesLast reply 3240d ago
SpaceRanger3241d ago

Sounds like it's true from the sources and twitter. Can't wait to see the spin on how VR is NOW the way of the future since it could potentially be on Xbox.

uptownsoul3241d ago

I don't think Xbox fanboys will say VR is the future. But they will have to stop claiming that putting something over your face looks stupid & is garbage.

Kribwalker3241d ago

I still think it looks stupid and personally won't buy it, but it does bridge the Xbox PC gamer gap a little more, PC apps work on Xbox, PC oculus rift works on Xbox, cross platform gaming, streaming Xbox games to PC, Microsoft is really starting to show their One platform plan

kneon3241d ago

Except that this still looks stupid. I can't believe they couldn't design something better looking than that.

The Morpheus has the clear lead as far as the outward design goes, assuming the final design doesn't stray far from what we've seen so far.

LexHazard793241d ago

You mean how people already think its the future because Sony has Morpheus. .it can go either way.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3241d ago
nicksetzer13241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

Damn, MS isn't playing around, this is pretty big news.

I personally don't care much for VR, more interested in hololens, (if it turns out well) but Oculus already has a huge amount of marketing ans support behind it, so this is a big deal.

Jayszen3241d ago

You clearly do not understand that this is not the same as PS4 and Morpheus. All Xbone is doing is streaming the game to the Rift via a PC which is viewed in a virtual screen. Pretty pointless!

nicksetzer13241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

Where did I say this was like morpheus? Also, what difference does it make how the content is delivered to the headset? Not to mention it will be a PC and XB1 compatible device, maybe even windows phone. Morpheus is not, it is PS4 only.

So yea, I agree they are not the same. I don't think it's input method being streaming changes much at all, in fact it might even be preferred since it will be one less wire that is potentially required.

Not sure why you have decided to go on some rant about morpheus regardless.

Christopher3241d ago

Very very smart move by MS. Someone does all the hardware work, they just integrate it.

This is definitely a good competitor to Morpheus.

Kayant3241d ago

In what way???

Morpheus -

- VR games developed for headset

XB1 experience

- Play XB1 games within a virtual environment through the headset.

As in you're not getting a true VR gaming experience as you would will Morpheus, Rift or Vive

MasterCornholio3241d ago

I dont mean to be a prick but how does playing Xbox One games in a virtual theater compete with actual VR?

I mean I hope its a lot more than that.

Christopher3241d ago

Are you guys assuming that VR games can't be developed and streamed from the XBO to the headset? That only non-VR games can be streamed?

gangsta_red3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

"Are you guys assuming that VR games can't be developed and streamed from the XBO to the headset?"

Yea, this is what I'm not understanding. Why couldn't this very thing be done?

I asked that in another thread and I was told the Oculus is not an input device so developers can't develop VR games for the Xbox One.

I guess the Oculus no matter what must go through your PC to operate for now. So even if a game using VR was made for X1 you will still need to operate Oculus through the PC...hell I don't know.

Christopher3241d ago

If that's true, and sounds really weird if it is, then at the least:

A) Windows will be supported out of the box

B) Being able to stream non-VR games is better than having no option at all

But, I see no reason why they wouldn't be able to stream VR-based games from XBO to Oculus. It all has to go through the same program on your PC in the first place and if you can do an online VR game... what's different about doing VR via a stream?

Also, just read this: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/oc...

If you can do a VR stream of an event, you can definitely do it with a game. I call shenanigans on that excuse, gangsta_red.

This is a good move by MS, IMHO.

Kayant3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

From mister Phil Spencer -

"Spencer told VRFocus that Microsoft was working ‘hand-in-hand’ with Oculus VR on this streaming service. The partnership is said to be relatively straight-forward, offering a 2D display of Xbox One videogames in a 3D environment, similar to what’s been seen with other virtual cinema solutions in the past. Furthermore, Spencer confirmed that players will not be able to use Kinect videogames with the service, and only those that utilised the Xbox One controller would work, meaning fans can still enjoy the likes of Halo and Sunset Overdrive in a VR environment if not in actual VR itself."

http://vrfocus.com/archives...

"B) Being able to stream non-VR games is better than having no option at all " - Is it really??? Just look at this - http://n4g.com/news/1740695...

Jayszen3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

There is NO integration - just streaming. This is a poor competitor to Morpheus and it comes off looking like a desperate move.

Christopher3241d ago

***Is it really??? Just look at this - http://n4g.com/news/1740695...

Having the option to do something versus not having any option. Yes, I consider that better than nothing.

JasonKCK3241d ago

Yeah good move but kinda saw this coming.

rainslacker3241d ago

I think they could be developed, but the news here isnt really saying this is how it will be used. At best, it's a start as of right now. Unless MS actually pushes VR, devs aren't likely to bother developing VR experiences on Xbox...particularly if a PC is required to run the Occulus. Just seems rather redundant.

DLConspiracy3241d ago

@Jayszen

"This is a poor competitor to Morpheus and it comes off looking like a desperate move."

What? How is Oculus pulling any desperate move? They were in the lime light far before Morpheus was even annouced. If you are referring to the partnership and the mention of xbox one. It's because of the controller. Not because of console wars. MS was asked to use their controller and MS said ok. We can push xbox one and mostly Windows 10. That's it. This has nothing to do with morpheus or stupid console wars. It's business and cross promoting.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 3241d ago
Kayant3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

"How is this getting overlooked." Because it's stupid maybe?

What is the benefit to streaming XB1 games to a headset then playing said game from a virtual environment in the headset?

Controller is a big win for me though.

DLConspiracy3241d ago

How is the Controller a big win for you? Just curious. Are you a fan of the xbox controller?

Kayant3241d ago

Comment fail :(

I meant it was a big win for them in terms of the partnership.

mark134uk3241d ago

i said they would do this when sony announced theres but all the xbox fans said nope ms has there own they been working on it for years :/

Bennibop3241d ago

Microsoft must feel a bit threatened by Sonys morpheus but this is not the answer it's not even.true vr,

jannytime3241d ago Show
uth113241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

This is just Microsoft trying to pre-empt Morpheus's E3 thunder. This is not a VR solution for XB1, it's game streaming via the Oculus headset, which still needs a PC to power it.

Sheikh Yerbouti3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

So does streaming mean it doesn't detect direction and move the camera?! It is just a second screen? I can't see why they can't do it, tbh.

TheXgamerLive3241d ago

This is good news and its pretty big news, still it's nothing worth you Sony fans all posting negative comments again as usual.
Watch the live demo/presentation first.

Regardless, each platform will have a crazy good E3 even Nintendo is gonna knock one out I feel.

Or is it rub one out. Ahh whatever haha. Enjoy.

psychosmurf1013241d ago

Well it seems that all of this is true and that makes me one happy xbox one owner. Very excited for the future.

showtimefolks3241d ago

Read the article just don't comment based on the title of this article.

OR will have the ability to stream Xbox one games in virtual cinema

Read the article and font make a huge deal out of this, because this is nothing major

showtimefolks3241d ago

Lol that's what I am saying yoo chill out and don't make a huge fuss out of this. That's what my first comment was meant to be

GameForever3241d ago

It's only to stream Xbox One games in 2d without any VR effects, just using it as video screen. Not that exciting to me.

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 3240d ago
Sonital3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

Hmmm, I guess this is a bigger platform play? Why develop your own when you can use someone else's device across your whole ecosystem (Win10).

I'll hope for the best but I'm still not sold!

darthv723241d ago

More like MS owns shares of FB who own OR so think of it as partnership by proxy.

and that is just for VR stuff. MS still has their own AR project that differs from VR.

Sonital3241d ago

Exactly. It's a pretty smart play that you don't own two products that do similar (but very different) things which could confuse Joe Public.

UltraNova3241d ago

@darth

I've been calling this since they day FB bought OR. MS onws 4% of FB shares which means they now own part of OR or at the very least have significant power over their direction.

That said, MS wouldn't risk announcing any peripherals for the foreseeable future, not after the kinect debacle, so they left Sony push console VR so they could analyse peoples reactions while they collaborated with their subsidiary by proxy to bring OR to xb1.

As for this streaming only 'deal' they have announced, its just a step towards MS's market analysis to see if VR will actually be a success and then announce full VR games for the XB1.

As for AR, I genuinely think MS will be pushing this to business and the industry in general first as the potential for adoption in those sector is far greater and more profitable than it could ever be in gaming.

MS's playing their cards pretty well here, I give them that.

One thing's for sure though with MS openly in the VR race, VR has just received a significant push towards mainstream adoption and I truly believe its here (when it arrives) to stay.

Now let hope Sony kills it with morpheus, jump starting VR once and for all.

WhyHate3241d ago (Edited 3241d ago )

Not sold???

I'm not going to say it's a done deal, but M$ and Oculus have just dealt a HUGH blow to all of the other P.C. and console *Sony* V.R. makers out there.... They have just combined their two markets and are able to get the best of both world with this partnership.... Awesome!

This is a partnership so clearly M$ doesn't want Oculus Rift to cannibalize Holo Lens sales being that they both will release around the same time. -Q1 thru Q4 of 2016- But this is clearly a deep partnership, Oculus Rift "will work natively with Windows 10 and will benefit from DirectX 12." And we know that XBOX ONE is being updated to the Windows 10 O.S. and DirectX 12 so come on think about it.

I know it's an educated guess, but it is a really strong educated guess IMO. It's going to be a crowed V.R. market in just two years time, and as a business decision it's a no brainer to fully support V.R. gaming thru Oculus Rift once the Holo Lens has had time to get a strong footing on XBOX ONE as a viable A.R. device.

Once that happens I can see the XBOX ONE game store / app store getting full V.R. games.

One last point Oculus Rift is shipping with an XBOX ONE controller as it's default controller, and not the Oculus Touch controller if that doesn't speak to a deep partnership I'm not sure what does...

We as XBOX players will be getting the best of both worlds. The best, or one of the best A.R. Headset, and the best, or one of the best V.R. headsets on the market in just two to three years time.

kraenk123240d ago

you are delusional if you think the HoloLens will release in 2016. This move was anticipated as MS was lacking in the VR department. I actually speculated this would happen a year ago already.

We all know the X1 is not capable of running VR games itself.

WhyHate3240d ago (Edited 3240d ago )

@kraenk12

Ok, shut this comment section down. We have confirmation from a V.R. / top tier X1 developer... /s

LOL

oSHINSAo3241d ago

Great Phill... why didn't you design the Xbox one... you are doing the best for Gamers

Show all comments (160)
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 4h ago

Microsoft should have left them stay 3rd party

GamerRN1d 1h ago

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

Barlos23h ago

Yeah, they're also jobless.

GamerRN16h ago

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

peppeaccardo18h ago

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

ChasterMies14h 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 4h ago (Edited 1d 3h 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 1h ago

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

Mr Logic12h ago

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

Crows9011h ago

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

Profchaos1d 4h ago (Edited 1d 4h 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 3h ago

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

Profchaos1d 3h ago

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

Yi-Long1d ago

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

XiNatsuDragnel1d 2h ago

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

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

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

TheColbertinator1d 1h 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 (21)
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?"

purple10112d 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 ☝️

Zeref11d 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.

DarXyde11d 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.

PhillyDonJawn11d ago (Edited 11d 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.

Einhander197211d 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.

MrBaskerville11d 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?

Zeref11d 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.

MrNinosan11d ago

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

mkis00710d ago (Edited 10d 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
11d ago
Zeref11d 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.

DarXyde11d 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.

Einhander197211d 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.

Einhander197211d 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.

BehindTheRows11d ago (Edited 11d 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.

Zeref11d ago (Edited 11d 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.

Chevalier11d 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.

Tacoboto11d 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
Hofstaderman11d 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?

crazyCoconuts11d 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.

Xeofate11d ago (Edited 11d 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.

crazyCoconuts10d 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

FinalFantasyFanatic10d 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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370°

Could Xbox Soon Become The Next Dreamcast?

Microsoft's future in the video game space is murky right now, so let's break it all down.

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thegamer.com
ApocalypseShadow24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

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.

Cacabunga24d ago

That would be an insult to Dreamcast.. it had a crazy line up of legendary critically acclaimed games.

Crows9024d ago

I was thinking the same. Dreamcast had incredible games in such a short amount of time. It was truly exceptional.

darthv7223d ago

...and yet all those great games were not enough to sway people from the looming release of the PS2 at the time. Sony just has that kind of brand loyalty.

Cacabunga23d ago

Darth

I do not agree.. Sony had even better games thanks to an unprecedented 3rd party support..
DC had amazing lineup but 90% were arcade games..

88323d ago

@darth:
And Sony showed off "The Emotion Engine" and their real time demos that made everyone think they would miss out on REAL next gen 128bit magic if they jumped in before PS2s polygon pushing monster (and early lack of anti-aliasing with a healthy heap of shimmer + DVD playback) stepped up. PS2 was a fantastic system though with amazing games.

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blacktiger24d ago

That's not true. Just because Microsoft has the money doesn't mean Microsoft can allow xbox to bleed entire Microsoft money. It doesn't work like they. Also SEC will be watching and investor won't allow it. Lot of reasons why Microsoft can not continue even if they wanted to. SEC regulations is expensive.

fr0sty24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

Exactly this... Microsoft is a publicly traded company, mostly owned by their shareholders (Approximately 59.24% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 7.73% is owned by Insiders and 33.03% is owned by Public Companies and Individual Investors.). Their shareholders call the shots on the business decisions, and their shareholders want one thing and one thing only, for their stock price to go up. Losses do not make stock prices go up... so if the division continually posts losses on hardware, but shows profits on software and services (which has been the case with Xbox its entire lifespan, for over 20 years now), the shareholders are going to grow impatient and demand they stop making hardware and focus on the only thing that has ever made them money, software and services.

When Microsoft bought Blizzard and Activision for almost 100 billion, I knew that was the nail in the coffin for Xbox as a console... as the shareholders were going to expect a quick return on that investment, and when it didn't materialize, they were going to be out for blood... out to force Xbox to sell those games on as many consoles as possible, "and while you're at it, sell those first party exclusives that aren't selling well on other consoles as well... hell, just stop making consoles and sell games."

If there is another Xbox console generation, it will definitely be the last, but I doubt there even will be one at this point. I think the Xbox division planning on it just in case, but I don't think the project has been greenlit from Microsoft itself. The rumors that they have not yet even secured the chips needed from the chip fabrication facilities ties into this.

shinoff218324d ago

While I usually agree with you . Alot of what was said can just also be asked before any of that.

How long will the shareholders wait? It doesn't appear long at all

Babadook723d ago

I think I get your point. Like just because MS has money does not mean they are content to throw it away on a dying ecosystem. Xbox has to be profitable or “what’s the point?”

ifinitygamer23d ago

Money bags, yes, but are we ignoring that Xbox actually makes a profit on games and GamePass? Hardware is often a loss leader, and they're probably making profit 4 years into the life cycle, but games and services revenue have been very profitable while other parts of Microsoft's business is struggling. Say what you will about the quality of those games, of course, but this is kind of a reverse Dreamcast situation, where the console was dragging down the company and put it at risk of shuttering entirely. Killing that console saved the business and allowed it to continue to make games on multiple platforms. In this case, the service is very profitable, as are the games, and they're also double-dipping into Multiplatform to extend this further, while their hardware is just sort of what they believe to be the best for gamers and their own titles (whether that is the case or not...)

fr0sty23d ago (Edited 23d ago )

The issue is, they aren't selling enough hardware to make their exclusives profitable, and now that they've bought half the gaming publisher/dev industry, they have no choice but to go third party to make a profit... and that is making their shareholders take a real close look at their hardware division under the microscope... why keep making the hardware if the software is all that is making them money, and they continually, generation after generation come in dead last with hardware sales?

Look at a game like Spiderman 2... if it had been an Xbox exclusive, with the amount it cost to develop, it would have been a huge failure... simply not enough consoles out there to sell it on. They would have been lucky to break even.

ifinitygamer23d ago

@fr0sty agreed completely, which is why they're hedging by releasing other games to multiplatform, plus they have PC to make up for the difference in a lot of ways, which is why their games are not complete money pits. It brings up the question of whether or not those exclusives would drive sales of consoles, though. Let's say Spiderman 2 was an Xbox exclusive, it would certainly have pushed console sales, though who's to say how much is anyone's guess.

fr0sty23d ago

That's why you can't rely on just one exclusive, Sony has always delivered on a wide range of solid exclusives, even this generation (even if they haven't been strong on the first party exclusives, they've made up for it with third party). They don't rely on just one "system seller", they have a portfolio of them.

23d ago
JBlaze22623d ago

ApocalypseShadow To be honest Sony has more of a chance to go 3rd party because like you said Microsoft has money, Sony does not. Sony does not have games, Only games they have come from 3rd party. Sony has been losing money for years and you. Saying Microsoft has been putting the least effort just proves you have no idea what's been going on. All Sony has done is repeat and recycle, never innovating or doing something new. All Sony has is brand loyalty nothing else and it shows.

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LG_Fox_Brazil24d ago

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

isarai24d ago

Nah, sega actually makes good games

Becuzisaid24d ago

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.

Profchaos24d ago

I remember it coming out at the time in a really bad place they hit the market before the PS2 but it was during this transitional time when Sony was promoting the power of the PS2 and so many of the Dreamcast games were awesome but often third parties simply ported the PS1 version increased resolution and performance but rarely fully utilise the capabilities of the console.

I think in the end bad marketing done it in and like the GameCube so many people are fond of it now but at the time it was looked at in the lense of the day and it didn't stack up.

Personally I miss Sega in hardware they took risks that many companies won't

Becuzisaid24d ago

I never owned it, and got the PS2 right when it launched. But there were certain games it had that I was always jealous of that I didn't have access to - Sonic adventure, crazy taxi, power Stone, code Veronica, shenmue, skies of Arcadia. I always thought it was a really cool machine though. I've never heard a bad thing about it though from those that had it.

FinalFantasyFanatic23d ago

I only ever saw one Dreamcast, and that was one my friend owned, pity I never got to play it, I wonder what games he had for it?

It would be nice if some of those games got ported to modern systems.

Profchaos24d ago

Oh man sonic adventure on the Dreamcast made me so jealous as a huge sonic fan on the mega drive who also moved to PlayStation 2 I never got the chance to play it back in the day either. The Dreamcast in Australia where I am was always relegated to the smallest corner of EB Games it was kind of a strong first indicator that things were not going well at the time.

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