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Michael Pachter: Microsoft is preparing for life after the Xbox

Enjoying your new console? Well, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter thinks it’ll soon be obsolete, and he thinks that Xbox maker Microsoft knows it.

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ColManischewitz3507d ago

Still think many of us will play on consoles or console-like boxes for years.

XB1_PS43507d ago

Pachter is the king of talking out of his ass.

fr0sty3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

Actually, he isn't alone. I watched industry analysts go on and on the other day about how this was the first sign of Xbox being spun off. When you think about it, since Minecraft isn't going exclusive, that now makes MS a third party software developer. I think that is what they should go for. They never get hardware right, but they do good at software. If I were CEO, and I think Nadella agrees with me here, I'd cut away all of the money hole hardware divisions (Xbox loses billions), and go into being a videogame software publisher. I'd start buying up studios and making console, PC, and phone games to go along with my windows OS. Then I'd start trying to partner with those who do get hardware right to get my OS on their system/console, such as offering Nintendo a online/cloud solution that is ready to go out of the box so they could compete with Sony better.

UltimateMaster3507d ago

“I think consoles are going away, because you used to need a console because you could not connect a microprocessor to your TV screen,” Pachter said. “Now, if you have a Chromecast stick or a Roku box, you can. So why do we buy consoles? I mean, your phone will be powerful enough to power any game in two more generations. And, so, why buy a console? I think Microsoft actually knows that.”

IMO, I think Roku box and Chromecast will eventually go away with the arrival of Smart TVs with built-in apps. Why buy something to waste an HDMI when you could get it from your TV.

And Roku box and Chromecast are getting replaced by consoles. (Mainly the PS3 and Xbox One)
Because 1- you have physical disc support, 2- it plays games 3- You don't need to buy another device for it. 4- Higher Internal Memory that can manage your Data.

IMO, those Media Players are the first ones to go away for all the above reasons.

Consoles were the best for those without a Smart TV, but with the arrival of newer TVs with 3D and 4k, Smart TVs are a standard and anyone who buys a new TV will likely get them built-in, which is probably the reason why the PS4 didn't went all-out as a media player.

UltimateMaster3507d ago

Xbox spin-off.
My concern is; who gets Microsoft Game Studios?
Xbox or Microsoft.

If it's Xbox, then the console will be fine.
But if it's Microsoft, then who will make exclusive games for the console?

Will Microsoft be a Third-Party company and release their games on all platform and maximize their revenue?

What about the Xbox One? Yeah, money-wise being a third-party publisher makes sense, just ask Sega.

I think they should give them to Xbox, focus on Windows and software and leave gaming and the studios to Xbox. But, you know, that's IMO.

XBLSkull3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

Probably talking about a new brand for when Sony sells off the PlayStation brand to avoid bankruptcy. Some people are so hateful towards Xbox they wouldn't buy the new mega gaming system if it had Xbox in the title.

Could also mean we may not see next gen consoles at all, this may indeed be the last iteration of the gaming console as we know it. Possibly cloud computing like we see in PSNow is going to be the standard and they already realize it.

donthate3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

The question is, will we have a box after this console generation?

MS has been making moves on all fronts to be everywhere. Look at MS Office!

Maybe "next generation", Xbox will not just be a console, but an all around gaming platform everywhere. It will be Xbox on your Android, on your iPhone, on your iPad, and on your Playstation.

700p3507d ago

Yeah pachter is pretty much always wrong. OR he says the obvious.

SilentNegotiator3507d ago

Well...who else could contend for king of talking out of HIS ass? o.O

lol

monkeyDzoro3507d ago

@fr0sty

Interesting. But why would you go with Nintendo who will struggle to gather the attention your games need, when you can get a better exposition from Sony side ?

Gazondaily3507d ago

"Pachter is the king of talking out of his ass."

Er no he isn't.

This guy is:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Mr Pumblechook3507d ago

Although Pachter does get it wrong most times I do absolutely agree that this move by Microsoft is one where they are thinking about their long term future. A future where they are purely software developers again.

Windows OS and Office are their core business and is what generates their profits. But with Surface and Windows Phone and even Xbox these are beneficial because to MS because they maintain the Windows customer base however they have yet to generate net profit. So a company like Microsoft or Google or Facebook is always trying to stay ahead of the curve so they can continue to survive whichever way the market goes. I don't see home consoles in a rush to disappear but who knows?

At the start of last-gen there were no smartphones no tablets. Now you have pockets size iPads that can run some pretty powerful games. Game streaming now seems like it might be a viable product. Maybe these are the future, maybe they are dead-ends. But Microsoft has to plan for all eventualities. And if (hypothetically speaking) Xbox was to be no more, Microsoft would have still have some killer games like Halo and Minecraft to share with the world.

Perjoss3506d ago

Go home Pachter, you're drunk

user55757083506d ago

@Ultimatemaster

chromecast came out after smart TV, ps3 and 360 and their doing well because why upgrade to a smart tv when you can get chromecast for $35 and have access to all the apps you would need. smart TV or a game console will cost you $200+

until we reach a point where every tv made and sold is a smart tv, and smart tv is the standard in the majority of households products like chromecast and roku won't be going anywhere

ApoK3506d ago

Come on, Peter Molyneux clearly takes that title

fr0sty3506d ago

lol@XBL, the trolling is just getting desperate now. Sony selling off one of their most profitable divisions to avoid bankruptcy? Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater...

+ Show (11) more repliesLast reply 3506d ago
SamPao3507d ago

Yeah but eventualy streaming/digital will come out on top.
It happend with music and its happening with film. I don't see how it's not gonna happen with games.
And the transition will not take dacades. It will only take years.

fr0sty3507d ago

All but one of my PS4 games are digital. I like the convenience and lack of clutter from game boxes.

Cupid_Viper_33507d ago

@Ultr

Music and movies aren't that big when it comes to file size. Games on the other hand are huge, thousand times larger than an Mp3 music file, and some 20-50 times that of most movies. Not to mention that they take longer to complete as well, where a movie goes for 2 hours.

Just imagine 10 million people streaming COD on release day, for 5-10 hours straight. The infrastructure simply isn't there yet.

AndrewLB3507d ago

Microsoft is already testing a service that will allow people to play Xbox games directly via their PC's web browser.

http://www.theguardian.com/...

Pretty crazy if you ask me, but considering how fast internet speeds are getting these days, i think it will work.

My current connection from Time Warner is 200/20. And it doesn't slow down during the evening hours either.

http://www.speedtest.net/my...

UnwanteDreamz3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

You can still buy music and videos on physical diac so no. Digital will increase in popularity.

orakle443506d ago

@Cupid_Viper

Video games are not 20-50 times the size of most movies, a blu-ray quality movie is over 5gb, video games are not 100gb, never mind 250gb.

It's already starting with digital downloads, look at things like Steam, Origin, PS store and Microsofts version they are taking off like wildfire, and as the internet gets better for more people, which it exponentially gets better, it's only going to grow more. Where I live my internet connection is 50mb up and 50mb down, so it just makes sense for me to download games, its just easier.

And for your example of 10 million people streaming COD on release day doesn't really apply because you have Destiny that was one of the largest digitally downloaded games, and with features like downloading them early it makes it easier, and there wasn't any problems.

DeadIIIRed3506d ago

If the TWC-Comcast merger happens, it will be a long time until internet speeds match consumer demands for mass digital content. Not to mention the whole internet fast lane bull that would drive cost of content up.

If those two things happen, we (at least in the US) will be buying physical copies for a few decades still.

fr0sty3506d ago

@Andrew, it isn't all that crazy, Sony does the same thing with PSNow already. However, net speeds still aren't quite up to par. Bandwidth is great, but pings haven't improved as much over the last decade, and that is what really counts when gaming in the cloud like that. How fast your button presses can get back to the server, and how fast that server can get the in-game response to that button press back to you. Most internet connections these days put all their focus in how much data they can send at once, not how fast that data can get to where it is going.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 3506d ago
ABizzel13507d ago

Patcher is so full of it.

But like I've been saying for the longest, it makes no sense for MS to go head to head with Sony in the console race, because they almost always on the losing side (the 360 lost in overall sales, but it was a win for MS and marketing share. However, the XBO ruined that).

Go to a lane that you can dominate, and for MS that's PC gaming. The Xbox brand with still be around, because it's too popular, and by far one of MS biggest pop-culture product, and so instead of a traditional console MS, can build a PConsole like a Steam Machine with complete off the shelf parts (saving millions on R&D, design, and console manufacturing) and simply get a solid CPU + GPU combo preloaded with an Xbox OS, running Windows in the background.

Not only does that sell a PConsole it also sells a Windows computer which is the ultimate goal. It can also be the specs for which the majority of PC games are to be scaled from, considering it will be a standardized hardware, at a reasonable price, and have enough sales to justify it as the target platform.

This is how you create a space you can dominate, and Nintendo needs to do the same thing, but making a Handheld-console hybrid since that's where most of their gaming audience is.

Neonridr3507d ago

and just leave Sony to have a monopoly on home console gaming? I am sure that will generate tons of creativity and competitive pricing right? With only one maker on the market? ...

I'll take it the way it is currently thanks. Competition drives Creativity.

BitbyDeath3507d ago

I'd agree with you if MS was good for the industry but most of what they have accomplished only hurt the gaming industry more than anything.

Paying for online is still one of the worst things they have done, and they almost got away with DRM on physical discs and making people pay to watch movies in their own living room on a per person basis.

MS only look out for number one and I agree we need healthy competition but they aren't it.

r2oB3507d ago

@ Neonridr

What does Sony being the only console have to do with developers creativity? Games will still be competing for our money. They will still have to make good games so people will buy their games versus the competition. The PS2 pretty much had a monopoly on gaming and that didn't stop developers from making a variety of awesome games. Some of my favorite games are from the PS1/PS2 era where Sony utterly dominated.

DC7773507d ago

Well nobody wants to make hardware anymore. Most U.S. companies have gotten out of it.

ABizzel13507d ago

@Neonridr

What part of PConsole doesn't have console in it?

It's not in anyway a monopoly, because Nintendo and MS are still there, it just puts 3 very different and diverse gaming platforms into the market for each to succeed, and allows first party developer to focus their entire might on one platform (nothing new to Xbox) which would benefit Nintendo and Sony greatly.

What part of this current generation is a competition? It's nearly a monopoly for Sony as it is. Look at the handhelds how is that a competition? It's a basically a monopoly and what lack creativity, high pricing, or lack of quality has the 3DS suffered? None.

The only people worried about competition and creativity are those without any kind of vision. If MS pushes the PC market, that means its PConsole gets those same PC games which instantly opens up their platform to a library of games and potential gamers that they never had. If it runs on PC it runs on their PConsole, no need to do any kind of coding, because getting a locked and consistent framerate. That alone dispels any stupidity of fear in lack of competition and creativity.

Competition drives many markets hard, but it's not the same for technology, because if you aren't moving forward with or without competition then you're inviting a competitor to take you place. Technology moves forwards regardless, and innovation and creativity are going to happen due to the sheer number of people involved in gaming even outside of making consoles / games. Oculus is an example of that, it got to where it was on crowd funding alone, and now it's a multi-million dollar investment.

starchild3506d ago (Edited 3506d ago )

@ABizzel1

Totally agree with you. I've had the same idea for years. Microsoft has a vested interest in Windows PC gaming and they also have a fairly successful console brand in Xbox. They should work to combine those two things instead of having their attention and resources split between the two.

If they built a standardized Xbox-branded Windows PC they could kill two birds with one stone. This would provide a standardized target for developers to shoot for, while custom built PCs could still scale up or down from there. Since this Xbox-branded device would literally be a PC it would have a large library of PC games to draw from. And PC gaming would benefit, of course, because all the first party exclusives would come to the platform. Custom-built PCs and the Xbox-branded PC would all play the same games.

The combined strength of the Xbox platform and the PC platform could much more easily take on Sony and their Playstation brand. This would actually strengthen the competition between them while also allowing each platform to be more distinct. Overall I think this would be a good thing for gaming.

ABizzel13506d ago

@Starchild

OMG, someone who understands. If these people get out of their bubble, and think logically it simply makes so much sense. THe thing is most of the people on n4g are ignorant when it come to PC gaming, so they don't understand all the benefits this has for MS and the Xbox brand. Literally thousands of games will be open to the platform if it's a PConsole.

The thing I don't see happening is MS using Steam, but even then they can just move XBL over to PC, and have their own service power the Xbox PConsole, and still have success, and still be able to optimize PC and it's own PConsole.

When I say PC console most people think of this which is just too much for the technologically challenged
http://images.bit-tech.net/...

But in reality it's more like this, and exactly the same as your current plug and play console, just using off the shelf PC parts.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www....

The only real problem I see is that it might force MS to go with Intel and NVIDIA since together they own the vast majority of PC market share. This means that in comparison to a PS5 that goes with AMD, there's a good chance the PS5 could be more powerful again at the same price.

Choosing between Intel + NVIDIA, vs. AMD is going to be the toughest choice for MS, and unfortunately I think the choice should be Intel + NVIDIA. However, I think both manufactures would be willing to make a deal with MS since NVIDIA is trying to change the way PCs are built with it's NVIDIA Link, Unified Memory, and Stacked RAM and a PConsole that will be owned by millions is the best way to ship that and hope for a worldwide change. Intel is less of a major need, but I doubt NVIDIA would want to allow MS to use an AMD CPU with their stuff.

I see these consoles coming in 2020 (2018 Nintendo), and if they stick to my plan then specs should look something like this.

XB PConsole
CPU: I7 4790k (should still be more than enough, and cheap by then)
GPU: NVIDIA Volta 1st gen hybrid GPU 10 TFLOPS (custom 2018 GPU)
RAM: 32GB (16GB DDR4, 8GB - 16GB GDDR6 / eDRAM)
SSD: 500GB
$500 2020

Their PConsole will always have a 6 year lifecycle (aka 2 - 3 PC hardware generations), and they can drop the price $100 every 2 years.

2020: $500
2022: $400
2024: $300
2026: $200 / new PConsole $500

It just makes sense.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 3506d ago
mark3214uk3507d ago

just because the ps4 is outselling it, it is still selling good so i cant see them getting rid of it unless there spending to much on advertising to sell the console than there making profit

ssj273507d ago

Halo - gears of war - forza on the PS5 whattttt lol

D-riders3507d ago

yeah I don't see console going away anytime soon because im already ready for a new Nintendo, and will be ready for ps5

UltraNova3507d ago

I've been ready for a new Nintendo console since the N64...I haven't seen one yet, you know a console that rivals other consoles out there at stuff that matters. It's a real shame we get to miss so many good games just because big N is stubborn. (Not to say I wont get a wii u eventually but it would be out of necessity not because I want to. Damn you Metroid, Mario and Zelda!)

Common N, make the next N64 already and I'll be the first to buy it!

andibandit3507d ago

But what defines console gaming?...as long as i can come home, sit on the couch and do some gaming with a gamepad on the big screen, I dont really care what type of hardware is underneath.

Eddie201013507d ago

What he does borders on market manipulation, just barely staying above the law.

I really don't understand the need for a market analyst on enthusiast game sites.

Evilsnuggle3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

Ever one can see that Microsoft wants out of the console business. Ever one but blind fanboys. How many articles have you read that said Microsoft wants out.

The ex CEO from Nokia said he would sell xbox brand. Microsoft put him in charge of xbox. Microsoft has lost 3 billion on the Xbox. Microsoft can see that there is only a slim chance of x1 out selling PS4.

Microsoft has been in the console business for 10 year and have never made a profit. Sony and Nintendo aren't going any where why ? Because both Sony and Nintendo have made money on consoles . Sony has made large profit on PS1 PS2 PS4 all but PS3 money . Nintendo make money on all There consoles and may make a profit on Wiiu.

X1 will be Microsoft last console . Microsoft might make a cloud games service

There will still be home game consoles. Just not one from Microsoft

http://www.neowin.net/news/...

Funantic13507d ago

Pachter said that consoles will disappear. Uhh that includes Playstation too. He might be right. There just might be new ways of playing games in the future.

revben3506d ago

What are talking about, xbox devision has been profitable from 2008. Please refer to sec filing of microsoft for the truth.

lfc_4eva3507d ago

@ColManischewitz

Yes but the question really is, how many years?

He is right that mobile devices and small android type set-top boxes will deliver amazing results in the coming years (some quite good looking stuff right now).

I think the biggest threat to Sony, MS and Ninty in the console arena is going to come from either Google or Apple. Apple can easily put together a gaming 'standard' , Iplay lets say for the sake of argument. It would sell like hotcakes.
If Google could create something similar from the ocean of android versions out there, I really feel they'd have a killer console on their hands.

bunfighterii3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

I don't think we should confuse the disappearance of a physical box meaning console style gaming will disappear, but the delivery format of games might move from a box you plug into your tv to a portable device that can be used anywhere or as a streaming service like PS Now. He's right in the sense that a console is essentially extra hardware you currently need to play these style games, whereas over time these capabilities might be built straight into phones, tvs etc.

I just dont want a future where physical media disappears - if the only way to play games was through xbox live, psn and steam, there'd be no price competition for big games and we'd all pay more.

Mystogan3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

i'll give consoles another 10 years. after that Playstation and Xbox will probably be a service delivered through maybe a chromecast or apple TV like device.

Jaqen_Hghar3507d ago

maybe not an exbox after this gen though

Kidmyst3506d ago

Read this and thought, So Sony will have a PS5 but will there be then no Xbox two? I don't believe 90% what Pachter says anyways and years ago I remember article after article of "PC's are dead, PC gaming is dead" but it's still very alive and well. If we gamers support it, there is no reason for it to go away, case in point the success of the PS4.

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 3506d ago
Naga3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

Right, because Microsoft only does Xbox. So anything that they do that isn't Xbox is clearly a case of them preparing for life after Xbox.

I mean, it's not like they're a multi-billion dollar software giant with hundreds of products in dozens of markets, capable of making bold acquisitions for other reasons. Certainly not.

hello123507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

In someways i think hes right, but this gen the x box 1 will be around till it its obsolete. Microsoft is experimenting playing games on the cloud with no lag but its not there yet. It be similar to what Sony has but with virtually no lag and more smooth. Games been played with your browser is another thing Microsoft is looking at doing.

To be honest i'd be happy if they switched to PC and moved whatever games they have on there. People are just not going to pay the extra to get better graphics on console. 400 to 500
dollars is not going to get you an amazing gaming console.

Gamedev@ Its a project Microsoft has been working on for a while to reduce lag.

http://www.theverge.com/201...

GameDev13507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

"It be similar to what Sony has but with virtually no lag and more smooth."

Nearly impossible based on the variation of modems people have

Plus Gaikai has already achieved that with very little latency on a large scale even before Sony acquired them

Edit: @KNWS, yes but how long will that one take before we see the fruit of its labors? if we do. When there are already options that allow for little latency when gaming

bunfighterii3507d ago

Yeah its all dependent of a user's connection and environment which is outside of a dev's control. The idea of a console is hardware consistency. Connection inconsistency is as good as hardware inconsistency for cloud gaming.

Kemo_Spear3507d ago

"but this gen the x box 1 will be around till it its obsolete"
It was obsolete before it came out.
I keed Ikeed
just jokes folks

MrSec843507d ago

Delorean doesn't reduce lag, it attempts to mask it by rendering a bunch of different potential outcomes you may take within a game, then sending them to your hardware before you make your next move in a game.
It's like predictive text, it's never going to be 100% right all of the time and could likely end up making mistakes causing stuttering and likely causing more glitches within games.

There's also the issue of even more processing hardware being needed to render the extra potential patterns you'll take in the game, on-top of the extra power needed to do even more technically within a scene.

Actually reducing lag is impossible without putting the hosting server closer to the gamer.

The best option for the cloud is to just use it to render none latency sensitive tasks, with your hardware rendering things that need to be handled quickly.

kneon3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

It's also going to use up a lot of bandwidth. From the explanation I read they will send multiple versions of each frame and then the client side can pick the right one to display.

In practice I doubt this approach will really help much. Especially in multi-player where they have to guess what each player in the frame might do, thats a lot of possibilities and therefore a lot of data to send.

D-riders3507d ago

knws , do you even know what you just said. you said that ms is looking to do what sony is but without lag????? isn't that what sony is trying to do???

Eonjay3507d ago

PSN works damn near flawless with a good connection so if Sony can do it, Microsoft can do a streaming platform as well. PlayStation Now is cloud streaming. The idea of enhancing local hardware is nonsense, but if you stream everything from a better piece of hardware, its possible. This is the real always online platform.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3507d ago
SpiralTear3507d ago

He said consoles would be obsolete next generation...like...two generations ago.

Naga3507d ago

Michael Pachter is clearly a super genius.

Nodoze3507d ago

We'll say what you will about him, he makes 6 figures to play and discuss video games. I'd say that is pretty smart.

Geoff9003507d ago

@Nodoze He analyzes the best stock options for investors, but frankly you don't have to be good at it aslong as you get some successes.

breakpad3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

Console will never be obsolete ..they maybe integrate more with mobile or PC and the net but obsolete will never disapear...Pachter only causing damage to MS by forseeing Xbone and consoles disappearance

DragoonsScaleLegends3507d ago

As soon as consoles are no longer made I will no longer buy new games simple as that. Classics can keep me entertained for life.

SamPao3507d ago

Why is that? Great games will still be made. Did you stop listening to music once they went digital only?

DragoonsScaleLegends3507d ago

They are completely different and not comparable mediums. Music benefited by getting higher quality music and more options for listening. Games only releasing on PC or Mobile will kill the magic and companies will definitely not invest as much as they currently are which means indies only. With less games there is a less chance of there being something special. Also how is digital music the same as there being a huge drop in the amount of good games being made and less choice in what to play games on.

SamPao3507d ago

you are just talking hypothetical.
There is no stopping the unevitable change that started with the Age of the Internet

BattleTorn3507d ago (Edited 3507d ago )

"There is no stopping the unevitable change that started with the Age of the Internet"

You say that as if we stream all of our music....

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3507d ago
Joe9133507d ago

I agree tried pc gaming never liked it just seemed like when a game came out I really wanted I needed to get a new graphics card that cost almost if not as much as my console anyway so I do not see a point but that is just me I rather have a dedicated machine for playing games.

starchild3506d ago

That's completely untrue. In fact, I'm playing "next gen" games on a PC that was mostly built last generation. All I upgraded was the graphics card.

And if a graphics card outperforms the consoles right now it will continue to do so throughout the generation. The hardware doesn't suddenly get slower. If a graphics card today can't max out games years from now it is only because those games are pushing entirely new levels of graphics that the consoles themselves won't be capable of.

For example, the 8800 GTX was able to play the same games as the consoles the entire generation, and at higher settings. It can even play graphical standouts like Crysis 2, The Witcher 2 and Tomb Raider. Not at max settings necessarily, but then again the 360 and PS3 can't play those games at anywhere close to max settings anyway.

I have no problem with you preferring a console for your gaming. I like console gaming too. But, come on, don't come up with BS reasons to make excuses for why you do.

Show all comments (114)
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?"

purple1019d 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 ☝️

Zeref8d 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.

DarXyde8d 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.

PhillyDonJawn8d ago (Edited 8d 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.

Einhander19728d 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.

MrBaskerville8d 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.

shinoff21838d 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.

Profchaos8d 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 8d ago
isarai9d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref8d 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.

MrNinosan8d ago

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

mkis0077d ago (Edited 7d ago )

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

Einhander19729d 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.

9d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19729d ago

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

9d ago
9d ago
Zeref8d 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.

DarXyde8d 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.

Einhander19728d 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.

Einhander19728d 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.

BehindTheRows8d ago (Edited 8d 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.

Zeref8d ago (Edited 8d 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.

Chevalier8d 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.

Tacoboto8d 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.

shinoff21838d ago

Yay steam

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

Tacoboto8d 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 8d ago
Hofstaderman8d 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?

crazyCoconuts8d 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.

Xeofate8d ago (Edited 8d 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.

crazyCoconuts7d 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

FinalFantasyFanatic8d 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.

Read Full Story >>
thegamer.com
ApocalypseShadow21d ago (Edited 21d 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.

Cacabunga21d ago

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

Crows9021d ago

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

darthv7220d 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.

Cacabunga20d 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..

88320d 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.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 20d ago
blacktiger21d 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.

fr0sty21d ago (Edited 21d 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.

shinoff218321d 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

Babadook720d 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?”

ifinitygamer20d 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...)

fr0sty20d ago (Edited 20d 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.

ifinitygamer20d 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.

fr0sty20d 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.

20d ago
JBlaze22620d 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.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 20d ago
LG_Fox_Brazil21d 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

isarai21d ago

Nah, sega actually makes good games

Becuzisaid21d 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.

Profchaos21d 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

Becuzisaid21d 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.

FinalFantasyFanatic20d 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.

Profchaos21d 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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80°

Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox and weekly streaks to be killed off soon

Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox will be discontinued in April and has confirmed that weekly streaks will also be coming to an end.

Read Full Story >>
trueachievements.com