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Should Microsoft sell off the Xbox brand?

Since Microsoft made the decision to cut the Kinect from the Xbox One you may have heard reports that sales of the console have more than doubled, but this is just a clever marketing spin to paint the Xbox One in a more favorable light.

Despite the Xbox One’s price drop the PS4 outpaced it by 36% in June. Microsoft is trying its hardest to hide the fact that sales for 2014 have been so poor, that they’ve been selling from their surplus inventory and have barely had to manufacture new consoles.

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masterfox3561d ago (Edited 3561d ago )

I don't think the xbox brand is that important, how many franchises are popular besides Halo and Gears ?, and also MS is just killing its own brand slowly with the release of the xbone, seriously that thing isn't future proof one bit.

badboyz093561d ago ShowReplies(14)
Magicite3561d ago

Compared to Nintendo and Playstation, Xbox is irrelevant.

turdburgler10803561d ago

Your comment makes absolutely no sense.

troylazlow3561d ago

remember when the PS3 launched at $600...

yah it had some problems...

remember when multi plats were worse of the PS3...

yah it had some issues...

this isn't the end guys, things can change with the drop of a hat.

you cannot kill a system when it's not even a year old, stop with the doom and gloom. besides where would playstation be without Xbox?

UltraNova3561d ago (Edited 3561d ago )

@^^^

I agree with you but do not for a minute mistake MS's (xbox) significance with Sony's(PS)!

The PS3 made the come-back and won (at least it came 2nd) purely because it offered games games, services and more games. The PS brand is with no equal!

What can MS do to make that kind of a thing? Release Halo and Gears on a yearly basis? Even that wouldn't be enough!

Personally, I cant in my right mind see MS winning over anything at all this gen. Who knows maybe next gen they can do all the right things form the start, but even then Sony is already doing them all and they can only up their game when MS does, negating their efforts.

Its really hard for MS and based on history alone they deserve this and at this point its a shame for their supporters really.

tbone5673560d ago

Sony needs to sell PS more than MS needs to sell Xbox. Just speaking as a business professional.

PX543560d ago

@troylazlow

Look at the 'from launch' sales for both the PS3 and 360 - the PS3 consistently outsold the 360. The annual comparisons are inaccurate because the PS3 was always 1 year behind in sales, but if you look at the since launch sales the PS3 did better than the 360.
year 1 - PS3 70K+ more units sold
year 2 - PS3 1.1M+ more units sold
year 3 - PS3 2.4M+ more units sold
year 4 - PS3 2.1M+ more units sold
year 5 - PS3 3.5M+ more units sold
year 6 - PS3 1.1M+ more units sold
In those 6 years the PS3 sold nearly 10.5M more units than the 360 - there was nothing wrong with it's launch

XB1_PS43560d ago

Holy shit, this thread. The fanboy force is strong in you people.

This is an honest question that I really want to know the answer to.

Why do you feel the need to belittle a product that other people like?

Every time you think of an insult, you should go play your PS4. If you really believe that it's that much better, then playing it would be the biggest insult to Xbox fans there is.

As an owner of both, everyone who says that Xbox is so much worse is just looking at some bullshit numbers. I play it, and I enjoy it. That's all that matters. I play my PS4, and I enjoy that too. That's the point of this. You people take alliances with major corporations like they're your personal friends.

I've got news for you. They act nice to be relatable, so you buy their shit and make them money. You really don't think Sony wouldn't have as much DRM as they could if people wouldn't make an uproar? They would definitely do that. It's good for business. They seemed so Anti-DRM because they're not dumb, they played off of MS's bad card.

UltraNova3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

@XB1_PS4

You might as well be the perfect subject of a capitalistic country...Why? Because you are obviously bothered that people get to call out the shit entities with controlling power are trying to force on the public!
Speaking for myself here I will never accept shit like DRM and shut up about it and when Sony tries something similar I will be the first guy who’ll rip them a new one!

PS: "I've got news for you. They act nice to be relatable, so you buy their shit and make them money. You really don't think Sony wouldn't have as much DRM as they could if people wouldn't make an uproar? They would definitely do that. It's good for business. They seemed so Anti-DRM because they're not dumb, they played off of MS's bad card."

Thank God for you Captain Obvious!

Edit: @tbone567

Ok... Why should a company sell one if not the only money making division of theirs?

Jesus you people are something else... gotta love opinions, especially the professional ones ;-)!

choujij3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

The problem with them selling is I doubt any company would be willing to pay the price they'd want for it. That said, if they did ever strike a deal, then I'd say totally yes. Hopefully the new owner would do away with the greedy practices such as parity clauses, and consistently pump money into creating a greater variety of exclusive games. Ones that don't launch alongside PC or end up over there. And it would have to be a company with a good track record, so gamers could really embrace them, without ever worrying they'll have the carpet pulled from under them and be taken advantage of.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3560d ago
fr0sty3561d ago

I think that the brand needs to live on, just not under Microsoft's control

Gekko363561d ago

@fr0sty - Thank christ you're just a user on a soulless site like this, just some bloke in a pub spouting rubbish.

Microsoft built the xbox brand from the ground up and it's great. It's their's, they didn't buy it they built it.

Sony did the same with Playstation but despite their serious financial problems, nobody is suggesting the same for them.

One of the many reasons I support Xbox is to loosen the death grip the Japanese have on the gaming industry. Competition is great.

Maybe is Amazon, Apple and co did the same as MS, gaming would be even better for the industry.

UltraNova3560d ago

@gekko36

Imagine if xbox got sold to either Amazon or Apple it would be called something like FireBox or iBox/iConsole respectively...

Seriously now, MS should never sell the xbox so lets cut the crap.

mixolydian_id3560d ago

Should sony sell off there money losing assets?

fr0sty3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

Yes, as should any company. Keeping assets that have done nothing but lose money makes no sense. The Xbox brand went 4 billion in the hole with Xbox One and never was able to get enough steam behind it under Microsoft's control to get out of that initial debt.

They have made fumble after fumble with the brand. They took their only chance at real mainstream success and pissed it away by trying to force DRM down everyone's throat, then lying about kinect, etc. Even today they are stubbornly refusing to give in on some key issues, especially regarding indies and paywalls.

Microsoft needs to focus on software, they always fail at hardware. They could pump out some awesome games for Xbox, even as an exclusive developer for the brand, but I don't think they need to be in control of the hardware element of it.

I'd like to see hardware choices being made by companies with hardware expertise. I'd like to see an Nvidia console, IBM console, apple console, consoles from companies that have experience putting out high performance hardware of their own, not companies that have experience making software. These are the people I'd like to see compete with Sony and Nintendo. Microsoft has never proven itself in the hardware space, and their execs are starting to take notice.

If I were MS, I'd sell off Xbox hardware design to another company that is good at that sort of thing, and then I'd work out a deal to be the OS provider for the console. Then I'd still have a foot in the door when it comes to dominance of the digital living room, but I wouldn't be taking risks in a field where my company has never done well before. I'd focus all my effort on making the best living room and gaming OS ever made, having the best network and cloud infrastructure to support it, and I'd also focus a lot of attention on acquiring new studios to make software for that console... a second party studio that also put out PC games.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3560d ago
RosweeSon3561d ago (Edited 3561d ago )

Nope but then what launch games are these people going yay dead rising 3 forza and other boring crap that Microsoft offer for launch, there gonna be talked about as great games in 4/5 years time, no chance there average at best now and the only reason they get mentioned is they are launch titles and there's nothing else out on it, not saying the ps4 launch games were better they probably weren't but killzone came with the console the rest were free to play or free through ps+ and at the end of the day not only will the exclusives be better with Sony this gen in my opinion but all the multiplatform games are gonna be 1080p Standard!! Not worries on that front yet each and every xbox one game will come under scrutiny is it 1080p nope, good luck and have fun with that. Xbox (D)One. ;) not to mention ps4 is already getting the better of the exclusive dlc deals and all around offering a better and cheaper service but hey ho some people like burning their money.

mayberry3561d ago

Killzone is BOSS! Reprts of its demise have been greatly exaggerated.....

Pogmathoin3561d ago

Xbox smashed Sony's PS world domination..... Yes, Xbox is a major flop..... It only shook PS to its core.....

C0MPUT3R3561d ago

Nope. Sony shot themselves in the foot at the start of the PS3.
.
Little by little they have taken back the market.

MysticStrummer3561d ago

"Xbox smashed Sony's PS world domination…"

The Wii did that more than 360 did, Sony themselves helped things along, and 360's numbers were at least a little inflated by RRoD, but go ahead and ignore reality if it makes you happy.

OT - XB isn't a core part of MS's business, they said it themselves, so to answer the title's question… Maybe. Only MS can know what they expect from the XB brand, so only MS can know if it's performing well enough. Even if they spin it off, it probably won't go away.

Saphodravingo3561d ago (Edited 3561d ago )

You couldn't possibly be this stupid. Have you been living under a rock for the last ten years or do you just willfully choose to be an ignoramus? Microsoft has a much better online infrastructure. They're much better at building relationships with third-party publishers of AAA games. And because of this relationshp, their first to lock down timed exclusives, and first to receive DLC. Not to mention Microsoft had more first-party exclusives at or near launch(Ryse, Dead Rising 3, Forza, Killer Instinct, and Titan Fall--with more coming out this year.)

Unlike Sony, who's vast majority of games have been pushed back into next year. Leaving PS4 owners with nothing to play but an ass-ton of indy games, Infamous: Second Son (admittedly pretty, but boring as all get out) and a remaster *cough*CASH-IN!*cough* of a 9 month old game that doesn't deserve nearly as much praise as the fanboys would have you believe. I guess an archaic inventory system, broken AI, constant drops in frame rate, sound bugs, shit camera, iffy controls, and the writers willingness to completely drop or otherwise ingnore their own rules (Wait. So it's imperative to wear a gas mask when sneaking through a derelict building that houses an infected corpse giving off spores. But it's not when handling a Clicker corpse that spews fungus spores in your face when you pry it off the door of an office building? Or during a Bloater attack in a gymnasium? Deeeerp) constitutes as a masterpiece these days. "But what about the story?" cried countless Sony fanboys everywhere. And to them I say: Oh, you mean the story Neil Druckman (poorly) hijacked from Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road'? Read a book.

You people tend to forget that it wasn't that long ago when Microsoft was practically steamrolling the competion, thanks to their willingness to innovate and take risks. One of those risks was investing in the as yet proven indy scene you Sony fanboys naivly lord over the entire gaming community. Clinging to it like a life raft. "Microsoft doesn't give a shit about indies!" Games like Braid, Limbo and Castle Crashers got their start on the Xbox 360. Eventually paving the way for other Indy developers who gave us games like Super Meat Boy, Dishwasher Samurai, 'Splosion Man etc. It was BECAUSE of Microsoft that indy developers were given a platform. And that trend continues today.

Not future proof? The Xbox One was built with the future in mind. I don't know if you've noticed, but the landscape for gaming has changed to be more all inclusive when it comes to delivering entertainment. That means more than just being able to play games. It means embracing current trends like social media, video streaming, mobile integration, etc. Just by establishing partnerships with the likes of the UFC, NFL, NBA, MLB and MLG, as well as the relationships they continue to maintain overseas, Microsoft is ensuring their future.

And before you accuse me of being an "Xbot", or whatever the hell dumb-ass name you nerds concocted, know that I take no side in your made up console war. I'm a gamer. Simple as that. If it looks kick-ass, I'm gonna play it. Regardless of what system it's on. What I won't do is pop up on various threads like the turd that won't flush, just to declare a system I don't like, and have no intention of buying, a flop 8 months into its lifecycle. Now, back under the bridge with you, troll. And take the 58 dingleberries you brought with you.

PX543560d ago

"They're much better at building relationships with third-party publishers of AAA games"

in other words they have much more money to throw at games developers to prevent them from going multi-platform, nothing to do with good relationships building

jnemesh3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

Where to start? Well, lets start with your list of "exclusives". I am not interested in a SINGLE one of the launch games that came out for the XB1. Yes, Sony had a weak launch lineup too...but touting Ryse as a great example? Wow. Thats a reach. Personally, i will add that I thoroughly enjoyed Infamous: Second Son. I thought it was a great game for the money...and I am looking forward to "First Light" this fall as well. Different strokes, man.

So you don't like "The Last of Us"? Ok, fine. But don't call out Sony for a "rehash" when all of the other Xbox fans are saying Halo 1-4 is going to be a huge system seller. You can't have it both ways. If "remasters" suck, they suck for BOTH platforms!

"Future proof"? Don't make me laugh. The Xbox is SEVERELY UNDERPOWERED compared to the PS4. Oh, and Sony is going to make a VR a reality with Morpheus. What's Xbox got? CABLE integration? A bunch of apps like Netflix and Hulu that the PS has as well? (or that you can get with a $35 chromecast!) "Multimedia" is NOT a great reason to plunk down $400-$500 for a console!

Also, I could care less if MS is sponsoring MLG. NFL, NBA and MLB? Not exclusive, but I could care less if they sponsor those BUSINESSES either. It is NOT going to result in better sports GAMES, so who really cares??

Yes, I am accusing you, flat out, of being an "Xbot". Only an Xbot would defend a markedly inferior console like you are in your post. Before you call others "troll", you should look in the mirror, because your post reeks of trolling, whether you acknowledge it or not!

Do you know WHY myself and others here keep calling for MS to get out of the game? Its because they released a DEEPLY flawed, underpowered console, and are still touting it like it's the best option! They are serving up SHIT and calling it steak! THAT is why they get so much hate this gen!

JeffGUNZ3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

@ PX54

Yeah man it's business. How do you think Sony landed the deal with Bungie/Activision? You think they came over their house with freshly baked cupcakes?

Come on. It's ALL about money. MS has the money to give and the money to promote these games, Like COD and Titanfall, which leads to more sales, so ofcourse the developers like MS for that.

@ Jnemesh

Don't compare TLOU remaster to the Halo MC collection. TLOU is about a year old and Halo 2 was on the OG Xbox. Halo 2 was the footing to console online competitive shooters and sparked the revolution of FPS that we have now. The MC collection brings ALL halo games to the Xbox one, which will help sell consoles and will allow people to play all halo games, get access to the miniseries, and beta access for Halo 5. TLOU was an AMAZING game and I'm sure the update looks beautiful, but come on, comparing Halo's collection to TLOU is a stretch.

Also, learn about the specs before you comment. The xbox one is not SEVERELY UNDERPOWERED like you claim. The PS4 has the edge in specs, but to gap you're imaging his not true. Look at Destiny beta ps4 and the video of the X1 running 1080, it looks nearly identifcal. The fact people say they see differences in the shadow of a leaf thirty yards in the background shows the gap isn't as vast as you claim. If it were severely weaker, it would look last gen and completely different. It doesn't man, they are EXTREMELY close. How you can say it's a vast difference, since it's SEVERELY OVERPOWERED, boggles my mind.

Also, maybe Multimedia isn't a good reason for YOU, but for a lot of people it is. The trend now is clear, a lot of people are cutting the chord with cable and living on streaming. I got rid of cable years ago and have been streaming everything. Having my favorites apps on my gaming console is a huge selling point to me.

Stop trolling brother, the two bubbles and your comment history clearly reflect that. I'm glad you like your Playstation, it's a fantastic console, but your hate towards anyone with opposing opinions is startling. I have an X1 only right now, will def get a PS when Uncharted 4 releases (hpoefully a limited edition console!), but I chose X1 knowing it is slightly behind in power, but that doesn't matter to me. I like Gears, Forza, and the community of friends I have established on Live, so why wouldn't I want to continue forward with that? You make it sound like people are walking into stores and picking a console with their eyes closed. People just have different opinions, you shouldn't get so mad about it.

Saphodravingo3560d ago

@PX54-Do you know of a better way to run a business. Because if you do, I'm sure Microsoft would just love to hear it. Part of building and maintaining a business relationship is providing your partners with stability. And part of ensuring that stability is being able to provide the financial backing needed to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. This isn't some new concept invented by Microsoft to push more units, or con you out of your hard earned money. Companies big and small (including Sony and Nintendo) employ this strategy on a regular basis, and have done so for quite some time. Despite what you might think, businesses don't run on unicorn farts and fairy dust.

@jnemesh-Regardless of whether or not you're interested in XB1's library of games, it doesn't change the fact the Microsoft had more first-party exclusives available at launch. Consequently, how is listing 'Ryse' as a launch title considered a "reach", if the game launched with the system? It's a statement of fact.

And I never said "Rehashes suck." I believe the word I used was "Remaster". And I was referring to the PS4's limited library when compaired to the XB1's in terms of variety.

And the XB1 is not as "severely underpowered" as you, and many others have assumed based on secondhand information. It's a system that continues to excel and improve everyday, thanks to Microsofts stance on including the consumer in the ongoing development process. Another way in which Microsoft is ensuring its future.

You use graphical power and the 90's pipe dream known as VR (Yeah. That already happened.)to argue that the PS4 is a more capable machine than the XB1, without fully realizing that eventually, the gap in graphical performance will be less significant, and VR will quietly fade away like the passing fad it is. When you're contending with things like people complaining about headaches, motion sickness, vertigo, and tripping over the coffee table, not only are you sure to fail, but you open yourself up to a lawsuit. And the last thing Sony needs is another lawsuit.

And the business partnerships I mentioned aren't meant to result in a better sports game. They're meant to expand the Xbox brand through advertising and sponsorships. More sponsorships means more money. More money means productivity. And so on, and so forth.

PX543558d ago

@Saphodravingo
They're not throwing money at people to run a business, they're throwing money at them to prevent the opposition from functioning.

Anyway i didn't say that the money was an issue, i was stating that the money has nothing to do with how 'good' their relationship is with them. You said they were better at building a relationship - when plenty of developers have commended Sony their relationships and others have also criticised Microsoft - while still working with them. Money has nothing to do with them being 'better' at building relationships. You throw enough money at something you can make anything happen.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3558d ago
Azzanation3560d ago

Why sell it off? Xbox is Xbox, MS just fund the company. Who better to fund a company then one of the richest in the world? Xbox would be worse if MS wasn't behind the wheel. Imagine PS if Sony sold them off to a rich company like Google or Apple? More funds into there division is a good thing. Don't believe me, just look at the money behind Halo franchise - Games, TV series, Movies, Toys? Wont get that anywhere else.

GordonKnight3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

Microsoft could outright buy Sony. If all of Sony's other departments continue in their downward trend, then someone will buy them. Hopefully, they can split off the PlayStation brand from the rest of Sony before that happens though.

DJStotty3560d ago

forza, fable, project gotham racing, alan wake there's another 4 franchises to add to your list and thats just ip's from the 360 that doesnt include quantum break, sunset overdrive, titanfall and other unnannounces ip's so yeah quite a few are popular

tee_bag2423560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

Future proof is a bad choice of words from an PS4 fanboy. The PS4 is about about 30% more future proof. Both are under 2 Teraflops which nothing to brag about - and in not power to spare.

Honestly PS4 has no games to brag about right now and all you fanboy's seem to being doing is sitting around holding your tiny pricks waiting for promises of AAA games in 2015 and bashing X1 owners when decent games come their way.
I don't own either of these newer consoles..I'm on PC. I'll probably pick up a X1 if Forza 6 is good and maybe a PS4 is GT7 is good.

dcbronco3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

It's amazing that so many people that seem to mill around on this sight all day have so little knowledge about howmoney is actually made in gaming. Anyone that thinks microsoft isn't making money should have their heads examined. And as far as gaming not being important to Microsoft please explain to me why they set aside 1 billion each for gaming and a entertainment studio to support their gaming console. On top of the salaries they spent on bringing heavy hitter talent to the studio.

Then factor in the money to heavily modify the APU in the Xbox One. Designing new chips doesn't come cheap. It's estimated at anywhere from 300,000,000 to 1,000,000,000. Then add 300,000 servers for Live and cloud computer. Whatever the Cloud altimately provides is not relevant, they made the investment.

@badboy

Microsft was clear when they announced the Xbox that they would lose money for the first two or three generations in order to build a foothold in the industry. Guess what, they were wrong. The Xbox 360 has made a ton of money and eclipsed any losses fron the original. If you don't understand how simply use the internet and research how you cut cost in console manufacturing. Then look at the redesigns of the 360. Look at articles that show the console was nearly profitable per unit in 2007. And was in 2008. And became increasing profitable with the slim model. And they have only done one true price drop for 8 years. $399 to $299. Yet you think they are losing money.

So if they make money on each console, plus $10 for each game sold on the console, plus Live fees. Where is it you seem to see them taking a loss?

The truth is they aren't and haven't for years. And Xbox One has had a faster launch than the 360 did. Schools must really suck now.

Plus this commitment to gaming thing is idiotic. The Xbox One is not even a year old and already has introduced 2 AAA brand new IPs. People need to grow up.

TheXgamerLive3560d ago

If you believe that masterfox then you have 1 of 2 things. Either your suffering from Norweigen Monkey Pox or your just an idiot fanboy.

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XiSasukeUchiha3561d ago

MS should spin it off, it can focus on being the PC kings!

XiRockLee3561d ago Show
strangeaeon3561d ago ShowReplies(1)
lfc_4eva3561d ago

Whereas Sony should keep the PS brand because its almost the only thing they've got going for them.

Deadpoolio3561d ago

Well except for of course Sony Pictures, Sony Tv distribution, Sony Music, yeah PlayStation is totally the only thing Sony has going for it.....

You are aware that Microsoft has never made a penny off of the Xbox brand right? Not one penny it's costing them money to keep something that isn't making them money...Their Software is the only thing that brings in money

At least Sony had the common sense to sell off the laptop/computer division after finally realizing it wasn't making them money. BTW hate to break it to you but Sony also makes the best TVs FACT, what hurt them was the pricing

tgunzz3561d ago

@deadpoolio, when crt was standard sony was the best, when flat panels showed up, it was pioneer who made the best (they are kuro elites) that's the facts...

LackTrue4K3561d ago

LOL....XiRockLee used

"WE"

To referred this not the same person.....? hahahahahahah

Goku7813561d ago (Edited 3561d ago )

Its only a matter of time before they hit the reset button. But yes they should drop it like its hot, then do the harlem shake on it.

tgunzz3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

Ms needs to stay firm with what they are doing. They belong in the gaming world along with sony, and nintendo. Seeing comments about how sony screwed up with the ps3, etc, etc (no one suggest selling the brand off), it's core community stuck with it despite being told that the system wasn't about just gaming anymore, and it struggled with multiplats... Ms community should do the same. Multiplat issue is being corrected, more support for 1st party is happenening, new, and diverse ips are in place, they are helping developers learn more about their tech. Other companies are allowed to make mistakes, but ms can't? They are being outsold so they should drop out? Bull!! Keep up the hard work, and great efforts MS, GAMERS ARE SEEING IT!! I do, and love my console more, and more because of those efforts .....

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 3560d ago
Axios23561d ago

Why would MS sell it when it is selling better than the PS1, PS2, PS3, and 360 given the same time on the market?

Did Sony sell off PS after lower initial sales?

CaptainObvious8783561d ago (Edited 3561d ago )

But if the xbone keeps selling the way it is, it's very soon going to slump behind the 360. It could very easily end in last place this generation behind the Wii U.

It can still make a profit in 3rd place, but shareholders want to see large returns on their investment and they definitely don't want their product coming last.

JeffGUNZ3560d ago

In all honesty, why upgrade this past year? Other then hardcore gamers like us, what's the selling point. Most of the best games are cross-platform and GTAV is still a last gen game. Their is no GAMES for any console worht upgrading other then Titanfall. Even that's a stretch as it's a new IP. I think Halo MC edition will move A LOT this next year then Halo 5 will take over.

lifeisgamesok3561d ago

Sony fans see Xbox as the biggest threat and they should

MS is determined to win and Xbox One is one of their best products

Like they've quoted before it's a marathon not a sprint

DigitalRaptor3561d ago (Edited 3561d ago )

The reason Microsoft got into the gaming market was not for the passion of the industry, but to "stop Sony". http://www.develop-online.n...

That's NEVER happening. So why should Microsoft even bother? PlayStation is the stronger global brand, it always will be, and Xbox is not going to win anything. They never have and MS are pretty consistent at that.

Now, let me clarify. Xbone will sell good. It will do well, but it faces the doom and gloom because it's not setting anything on fire. It's doing horribly by Microsoft's own expectations, so much so that they've practically reversed everything the console stood for and their change in direction is still not working well for them. It's selling worse than the Wii U, and doing much worse than PS4 in its home market, and will continue to until perhaps Halo 5 in late 2015, or some other exclusive gives it a temporary sales spike before then.

The only threat I saw from Xbox, is how Microsoft attempted the largest anti-consumer swindle in gaming history and thought that people would be stupid enough to accept it. Luckily, most people were not that stupid, and my biggest fear was that they would be and it would cause a horrible precedent for the industry.

THAT is how harmful Microsoft is as a corporation, and a good example as to why so many people don't like them and don't trust them. Still….. Threat is relative. Microsoft poses no threat. They did last gen, and Sony was fine, and PlayStation 3 was fine. There is absolutely nothing MS can do to stop Sony, unless they buy out the majority of third-party publishers, and no sensible head of department would allow that kind of spend.

DLConspiracy3561d ago

@digitalraptor

Kind of dramatic and long. Don't ya think? Christ, we are not dealing with a vampire plague. Its a video game console. Ya know to play games on with friends.

3561d ago
Dehnus3560d ago

@DigitalRaptor:
RootKits is something I find far worse than a Console with DRM, the latter I don't have to by and the former Sony Tried to push as a new CD standard.

Removing Europe from the Asian Region with DVD's because Asian films started to eb liked more there, this would Threaten Sony's Hollywood studios. So BluRay had Europe in a seperate Region.

Sony's former President referring to Westerners as "Animals!" and the sole reason Japanese can't win Judo any more as Westerners are beasts with no morals and pure strength.

Etc, etc, etc.

So don't give me that crap about MS, all companies have enough dirt on them to throw around for some time.

Nintendo even had Love Hotels for a while, and I really love Nintendo the most these days! But I will not claim they are anything more than a company. Sony also didn't get into gaming for "passion" btw, they wend into gaming as a joined "Revenge!" and "We already spend so much on this add on CD drive" thing.

Which btw, if succeeded would have put most royalties and profits in the hands of Sony, so that is why Nintendo refused.

They aren't a bloody charity you know!

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3560d ago
Spotie3561d ago

Actually, it's already behind the 360; the big launch numbers sustained it for a while, but that's over and done with. Right now, the XB1 is on pace to sell less than its predecessor.

As for outselling the others at the same age, I doubt that seriously. The PS1 and PS2 especially, which sold at pretty high clips. Even moreso with the PS1, which wasn't on the market anywhere near as long as the PS2 and still cracked a hundred million. Hell, I'm pretty sure it took the Wii longer to reach that milestone.

As for your final question, that's so stupid I don't even know how you managed to ask it. How would Sony have sold off the division after the PS2 sold slower- according to you- than the XB1? In the case of the first two Playstations, they set records, probably even at launch.

Additionally, neither of those consoles suffered the early setbacks of the XB1. Hell, even the PS3 wasn't that bad off; its biggest hurdle was the year headstart of the Xbox, and/or the price difference with the Wii.

Finally, the Playstation division was and is profitable. They have not been in a hole since they entered gaming, like Xbox has. It's been one of Sony's most productive, most consistent divisions; the opposite is true for Xbox.

Simply based on importance to their parent company, Xbox would go first. If you wanted, though, you could base it on company philosophy, in which case Xbox would still go first.

Not saying it will, but looking at it logically, Microsoft would leave gaming before Sony or Nintendo.

And lol at multiconsolefanboy down there trying to claim a bunch of baseless nonsense, like a Playstation having the worst failure rate ever. It's like he forgot the 360 had the worst failure rate in electronics history.

Done people and their delusions...

IrishSt0ner3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

"Actually, it's already behind the 360" Didn't read any further than this first lie.

Look at the confirmed sales figures for XBOX ONE... it's currently selling at an average of 20% higher per month than it's predecessor.

So keep on spreading misinformation. Xbox is here to say, just like I used to tell the trolls 10 years ago, wait it's still here LOL

christocolus3561d ago

The console aint going anywhere. If MS actually wanted to sell it off Nadella would be doing it now along with the closure of XES and the layoffs of Nokia staff.

The author picks out certain parts of Nadellas letter but simply fails to see the part where Nadella states his belief&commitment to xbox. XES was closed to better focus on games. The direction under ballmer&mattrick might have taken their focus off course for a while but Nadella&Phil seem to be getting it right back on track. We might actually see an expansion of xbx game studios due to aquisitions&may be mergers.

Its great to have the financial backing of a huge cooperation like MS behind the xbox. very few companies are as persistent as MS.look at their situation in Japan. Other comapnies would have given up there.The original xbox sold about 28mil consoles worlwide but that didn't stop MS from releasing the xbx 360. its barely a year into the consoles lifecycle so who is to say what can happen down the line? Its selling less than the ps4 but that doesn't mean the console is a flop. I bet we are going to see another xbox in another 4 or 5yrs&most likely MS will spend the rest of this generation correcting all the mistakes they've made and hopefully that will result in bigger investments ,bigger&better content, better services and finally a more capable next generation xbox. Its what sony did with the ps3 going into the ps4.

One thing I've learnt with with every generation is that Anything can happen. Look how Nintendos wii turned out last gen or the market share ms gained from sony&then the sudden spike in wiiu sales from last year.. Anything can happen anyone saying the xbx will flop or that MS will sell off the xbox brand is highly mistaken. MS will keep doing all it takes to pull through&hopefully they will.

3561d ago
Dehnus3560d ago (Edited 3560d ago )

BEcause:
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Now, click on my article!

The state of gaming Journalism.

First thing I was thinking when I clicked on the N4G page: Not this shit again.

Plus all the ones below just going on and on about :"The next one should just be very powerful!".

You'd wonder if people still play games or just want to look at a specsheet. If they want that kind of specs, why not spend a bit more on a PC? Games are cheaper, you'll be cheaper in the long run.

jamsam3603561d ago

No and No again. Of course PlayStation fanboys would say yes.

MelvinTheGreat3561d ago

Too blind to see that playstation is in more danger than xbox...

3561d ago
JeffGUNZ3560d ago

I don't think he means sales, I think he means the business financial standing in general. They took a heavy loss overall with the PS3 last gen.

Show all comments (150)
280°

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

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

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
darthv721d 5h ago

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

solideagle16h ago

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

Sonic188113h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio13h ago

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

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

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

MS:

Lightning778h ago

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

Cacabunga15h ago

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

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

darthv722h ago

to you it may seem like the minority... but your bubble is shrinking because more and more are following suit. convenience is a hell of a drug and its also why physical sales only amount to 30% of overall game sales. times are changing, you either get with them or you get left behind.

shinoff218315h ago

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

Cacabunga14h ago

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

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

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

itsmebryan9h ago

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

S2Killinit2h ago

MS is after diminishing consoles as a medium. They want to destroy this market because they couldnt win. MS’s vision is to dissolve console gaming.

romulus238h ago

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

darthv728h ago

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

TheEroica2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

Perfectly reasonable post down voted by insecure corporation friendly folk.... But not gamers. Real gamer want accessibility and ease of acquisition for all.... Company shills are the only ones still telling us that hardware locking people from games is good for us.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 2h ago
purple10118h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos18h ago

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

DOMination-7h ago

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

XBManiac17h ago

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

SimpleDad17h ago(Edited 17h ago)

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

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

purple10116h ago

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

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos16h ago(Edited 16h ago)

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

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

Kornholic15h ago

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

MrDead8h ago

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

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 8h ago
Show all comments (39)
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
Hereandthere2d ago

Microsoft should have left them stay 3rd party

GamerRN1d 23h ago

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

Barlos1d 20h ago

Yeah, they're also jobless.

GamerRN1d 14h ago

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

peppeaccardo1d 15h ago

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

ChasterMies1d 11h 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.

PassNextquestion2d ago (Edited 2d 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 23h ago

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

Mr Logic1d 9h ago

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

Crows901d 9h ago

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

blacktiger6h ago

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

Profchaos2d ago (Edited 2d 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

Tacoboto2d ago

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

Profchaos2d ago

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

Yi-Long1d 21h ago

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

XiNatsuDragnel2d ago

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

Profchaos1d 22h ago (Edited 1d 22h ago )

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

TheColbertinator1d 23h ago

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

Show all comments (23)
280°

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

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

purple10113d ago

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

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

Nice one ☝️

Zeref12d ago

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

DarXyde12d ago

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

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

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

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

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

PhillyDonJawn12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

Einhander197212d ago

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

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

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

MrBaskerville12d ago

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

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

shinoff218312d 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.

Profchaos12d 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 12d ago
isarai13d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref12d ago

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

MrNinosan12d ago

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

mkis00711d ago (Edited 11d ago )

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

Einhander197213d 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.

13d ago Replies(3)
Einhander197212d ago

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

12d ago
12d ago
Zeref12d ago

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

DarXyde12d ago

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

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

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

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

Einhander197212d ago

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

Einhander197212d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

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

BehindTheRows12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

Zeref12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

Chevalier12d ago

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

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

Tacoboto12d ago

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

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

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

shinoff218312d ago

Yay steam

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

Tacoboto12d 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 12d ago
Hofstaderman12d ago

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

crazyCoconuts12d ago

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

Xeofate12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

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

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

crazyCoconuts11d ago

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

FinalFantasyFanatic11d ago

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

Show all comments (43)