260°

Epic Games Store On Xbox Would Benefit Gamers, Phil Spencer Says

The Microsoft Gaming CEO wants consoles to be more like PCs.

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gamespot.com
Petebloodyonion67d ago

This is actually an interesting proposition.
Apple is currently facing some legislation issues for exactly that.

crazyCoconuts67d ago

Read between the lines. The next "Xbox" will be a PC. Of course it'll support the Epic store.

--Onilink--66d ago (Edited 66d ago )

There is no need to read between any lines… he was asked especially if it could happen and he said yes, comparing how its already done on PC, not everything is some sort of double meaning or hint to what they want to do, sometimes its just a straightforward question and a straightforward answer

And given how the EU is basically pushing against basically all sort of walled gardens more and more, I would not be surprised if this is what will eventually happens for all consoles anyway

crazyCoconuts66d ago

There's no logical reason to put an Epic store on an actual Xbox. Epic only has PC games anyway, which the XSX can't run. This is trying to sell the future of them getting out of the console business. Xbox branded stuff that runs on a PC. There's been a lot of signs pointing to this lately

--Onilink--66d ago (Edited 66d ago )

“There's no logical reason to put an Epic store on an actual Xbox. Epic only has PC games anyway, which the XSX can't run.“

Mmm what???

You do understand those storefronts could literally be selling any kind of game version? Its just game files and keys on a server, they dont sell console versions of games because there is no (legal) way to play them on PC…. Not because they can only sell PC games

Epic games (or any other storefront) on Xbox (or any other platform) would simply license with the publishers for whatever games will be in that store and you would download the version for that particular console from their servers….

Its literally just a storefront…

crazyCoconuts66d ago

Dude I don't know how to say this any other way... There is literally no reason to put an Epic storefront on an Xbox console. Every game that can run on the Xbox console is already on the console store and MS has nothing to gain by disintermediatiing their own damn store.
Epic store = PC. That's what he's saying

MrBaskerville65d ago (Edited 65d ago )

And if the current xbox gets Epic store, you will probably only be able to play games allready ported to xbox. Unless they have some magic software that can solve the porting issue.

This would also be kinda cool, because there would be more competetion on digital sales. But I think a lot of people dream of other things when they hear "Epic or Steam on xbox".

blacktiger65d ago

Not that simple buddy. You still need developers permission for any version you sell. Epic games do not own games other than selling specific version which epic games of pc that's all.

fr0sty65d ago

They're just throwing Hail Marys at this point.

Cacabunga65d ago

With his broken logic it would actually benefit PlayStation games even more when you see the gap in sales

SprigganN4G64d ago

Hope so, the final stage to consoles is evolve to PC. Nintendo wont do it they like to mantain all tight in control, Sony well... PlayStaion will be over in a couple of years, no innovation, no games, 35.000M debt.

Market will be:
1. Nintendo
2. PC/Xbox (with Epic, Steam, GamePass, even PlayStation App and other lauchers all in one, thousands of combinations and choices from Xbox to PC, Laptop, Steam Deck, ROG Ally, MSI Claw, etc )
3. Streaming platforms like XCloud, PlayStation Now, GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Apple Arcade those being the biggest.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 64d ago
Christopher65d ago (Edited 65d ago )

It's only interesting to Epic if they can get all the profits. Just look at how they treat iOS/Android. It's interesting to Microsoft solely because they know Sony wouldn't allow it at the level Epic wants and this would be a reason for people to move over to their console/hardware instead of Sony.

But, yeah, you know, Microsoft totally isn't competing with Sony. Totally.

Petebloodyonion65d ago

It's an interesting proposition for the consumer period.

Apple is currently facing justice for monopolistic practices related to the Iphone despite owning about half of the market share of Smartphones.
https://www.nytimes.com/202...
What's the difference between Apple and Sony when Sony controls the majority of the market share in high-end consoles?
What's the difference between Apple's practice of making sure other devices have a harder time with an iPhone
And Sony's practice of paying for exclusivity when looking at the lawsuit " tthe company had violated antitrust laws with practices that were intended to keep customers reliant on their iPhones and less likely to switch to a competing device." ?

What's the difference between the IOS store and the Playstation store?

Christopher65d ago

***What's the difference between the IOS store and the Playstation store? ***

Nothing. And it's not about market share since more money is made on Android devices than iOS. It's about the validity of a closed hardware and software system to remain as such.

theindiearmy65d ago (Edited 65d ago )

The main difference between iOS store and Playstation store is physical/retail games still exist. So publishers and consumers have another option when it comes to offering/buying games on Playstation.

Lightning7767d ago

Since they restricted me from commenting on the last major article I was gonna say Phil wants multiple store fronts on their console. Which would give the console more games, options and different ways to buy and consume.

He talked about a handheld

Expansion and meeting where Gen Z wants to take their games where ever, download somewhere and go and connect with their friends.

"This notion that Xbox can only be this one device that plugs into a television isn’t something we see in the Gen Z research. Because nothing else is like that for them,” he said.

“Some of them will have an iPhone, some will have an Android, but all the games and everything is the same. I can still get to TikTok on both of them, at least for now.

“All of their stuff is available wherever they want. So for Xbox, our brand pivot — as we attract and maintain relevance with a younger audience — is ‘Xbox is a place where I can find the great games I want to.’”

How is plus this any different than what they've been doing? They're targeting Gen not millennial and definitely not Gen X as they're old and are car from the demo. It's Z, instant access, multiple devices, f2p (sadly)

helicoptergirl66d ago (Edited 66d ago )

Sony owns a 1.25 Billion dollar stake in Epic games. First it was 250 million, then after they bought into Epic for another 1 Billion. Not to mention some of their games are sold on that store, as well as Steam. I don't see how any of this will work in regards to Steam and epic on the Xbox. Even just every PC only games will have to be optimized for console.

This all seems like a really tall order. Maybe they make a PC Xbox, but the Steam consoles didn't go well when they released them. Sony are just going to allow their games to be played on an Xbox through Epic? Maybe Sony will allow it if it's true that the majority of Xbox games are indeed going to go to playstation. Then Sony might think, well, Xbox are similar to PC now, they are not our immediate competition anymore. I don't know.

Christopher65d ago (Edited 65d ago )

***Since they restricted me from commenting on the last major article... ***

Last restriction 200d ago for 1 day. Been a lot of chances to discuss this since then. You have an alt account we should talk about?

***Phil wants multiple store fronts on their console. Which would give the console more games, options and different ways to buy and consume. ***

Phil wants to drown platforms with as many games so that the industry can move to subscriptions since platforms will no longer matter. It will also move further away from ownership and competition and let Microsoft utilize their IP power to get more for their games rather than pay platform holders for hosting and providing them, much like they did when signing agreements with UK cloud streaming companies (0% profit for the streaming companies, 100% for Microsoft).

Lightning7765d ago

"Last restriction 200d ago for 1 day. Been a lot of chances to discuss this since then. You have an alt account we should talk about?"

Why the hell would I waste my time on a stupid alt account? I'm sayin the last article I couldn't comment anymore.

I'll Leave the money, profits and what not to the company's. For Xbox users it'll mean more games, deals, discounts and more ways to consume from. Various store fronts.

Christopher65d ago (Edited 65d ago )

Just so you know, words matter.

***Since they restricted me from commenting on the last major article***

Is not the same as

***I'm sayin the last article I couldn't comment anymore. ***

And regarding:

*** I'll Leave the money, profits and what not to the company's. For Xbox users it'll mean more games, deals, discounts and more ways to consume from. Various store fronts. ***

Hey, good on you for being an ill informed consumer who will have to accept the future that the companies decide for you, not the consumers themselves.

Lightning7765d ago

You speak as if MS is the only Platform out there. There's also Sony, there's checks and balances MS moving away from ownership would kill what little they have left already. Especially knowing Sony will do pro consumer moves (like owner ship) MS can't be that dumb to have 0 ownership across everything and subscriptions only games.

Christopher65d ago (Edited 65d ago )

***You speak as if MS is the only Platform out there. There's also Sony, there's checks and balances MS moving away from ownership would kill what little they have left already.***

I spoke about Microsoft's plan to undermine Sony. Literally brought it up in my first comment to you above. Please, read all my stuff, not just part of it.

***Especially knowing Sony will do pro consumer moves (like owner ship) MS can't be that dumb to have 0 ownership across everything and subscriptions only games. ***

Unchecked, Sony would do the exact same thing. Let's not be ignorant here. Everybody needs to compete in the same market, not try and create new markets by undermining the market that exists, leveraging your massive market in cloud services, and throwing money at the situation to get people to move towards the Netflix of games and the new market of video games rather than the hardware market.

And, the big block Microsoft has isn't even Sony, it's Valve. Valve will be the holdout for their goals. Sony will eventually either lose enough market share to not be able to produce hardware, because they are a small company by far compared to Microsoft and gamers go where it's 'cheap and affordable' because they're dumb and are easily led astray by companies selling worse products, or they'll cave in and will allow Microsoft's content and continue to be fighting on hardware but lose out on profits from Microsoft games (and likely as well as companies like Epic or whomever else forces Sony to do what they want).

In the end, this is all profit seeking companies fighting each other, but right now, the lesser of all these evils is the system we have now. The one where publishers rely on hardware but don't dictate it and where hardware manufacturers are actually competing instead of letting one monopolize entirely and decide what is best for consumers.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 65d ago
Einhander197266d ago

More lies, Phil you don't care about gamers.

You want Epic on xbox because no one buys games on your platform so you have nothing to lose, and your long term goal is to force other platforms to accept other stores on their platforms including yours, lowering their own revenue while you subsidize your own xbox business until all your competition can no longer maintain themselves.

I have said from the beginning the FTC is fighting the wrong fight, instead of trying to block Microsoft from buying publishers what they need to do is force Microsoft to split up and divest its hardware and it's cloud business from it's PC software (windows) business.

Countries have laws that prevent people from dumping cheap grain or iron ect. into markets and making it so other companies can't compete, this is exactly what Microsoft is trying to do, flood the market with cheap games and hardware until no one else can compete.

crazyCoconuts66d ago

The government doesn't need to break MS up as long as they keep making the decisions they have been. They're failing just fine on their own

CrimsonWing6966d ago

You get a full steam library on your console and I’ll bite.

CrimsonWing6966d ago (Edited 66d ago )

I don’t know, maybe like that 30% of sales thing marketplaces do? 🤷‍♂️ or whatever Epic is doing do the same with Steam?

CantThinkOfAUsername66d ago

I'd love for that to happen, but looking at it realistically I doubt Valve is willing to split its 30% cut (or 20% if a game sells +1M copies) with Microsoft unless Xbox is generating a significant amount sales. On the other hand, given how cheaper older games are on Steam compared to consoles, I doubt Microsoft are willing to lose their 30% of game sales on their own store either. Anyone betting on the future of Xbox should be concerned with Phil's strategies (or lack thereof).

CBaoth66d ago

MS could've spent of third of what it cost them to acquire Activision and bought Valve for almost 3x their market value and at least have an identity. Would've never worried about royalties going this route. The reason Steambox failed was Valve's stupid decision to open license OEM companies to produce their very own steambox. Same goddamn reason Trip Hawkins failed with the 3DO. MS will never top Sony in the console space but it could've secured a spot for decades to come. Now, apparently the grass is greener in mobile pastures! Have fun with that Phil.

neomahi66d ago

Of course he would, this would get Xbox games tbag publishers wouldn't ever consider Xbox for, but, it would also get him PlayStation games, he wants sore badly, because PlayStation publishes their games to Epic Games store so, he's trying to find work arounds to get games devs don't want to publish on Xbox. Read what Euro game devs are saying about Xbox, they're getting ready to abandon it and Game Pass is showing the truth, it's flopping there too. Euros are smart, they don't want any of it..These are Phil's final attempts to see what he can do to stay relevant in the hardware market, he's desperate here, big time but this is a desperate attempt and a way to try and land games publishers don't trust Xbox with, he's a deceitful one, but it's only going to make publishers more mad because now you're insulting them and trying to pull the wool over them. By their honor they're seeing this and you'd find how honorable they are. This is also showing just how well Game Pass is really doing. (It's not). He wants Steak for the same reason. Microsoft may as well go back to making and selling PCs at this point. Phil, gave it, dude. Ya failed

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190°

Take-Two CEO Doesn’t Think AI Will Reduce Employment or Dev Costs; “Stupidest Thing” He’s Heard

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn't think AI will reduce employment or lower development costs, and calls it "stupidest thing" he's ever heard.

lodossrage8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

They already have AI trained to do coding.......

How he thinks it's stupid is beyond me, Especially since we see it happening in real time.

CS75h ago

Company A has 300 employees and lays of 200 to replace them with AI to release the same quality game.

Company B has 300 employees and keeps all 300 but instead uses AI to release a game with dramatically larger scale, scope, complexity, short dev cycle etc.

Company B would release a dramatically better product by using humans + AI and consumers would buy the better game.

I actually agree with this concept.

Huey_My_D_Long5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

This is key facet. Its how the AI is used. It's actually is impressive as is and really would make an amazing addition to alot of people in their jobs, not just tech. It also has the potential for businesses to use to lay off large amounts of people, as much as they could to save money on labor. I hope too many companies don't go with the latter. But since usually companies are worried about bottom line over people...we will see some try and hopefully fail. But yeah, if its to help workers like in your company B scenario I'm totally down...Just scared Company A may be too enticing to some ceos and businesses.

Darkegg5h ago

Value of AI and value of humans will both be increased with human-AI complex. Each, by themselves, will not be independently better than the other. Whether AI will ever be independent from humans is the fear question of humans, ironically because of our doing. At this stage, most of the doing is because of humans, not because of AI. AI is doing exactly that by our design, until we have failed ourselves with an AI development that went awry. The biggest take is that humans have only ourselves to blame when things become wrong, and we have to decide what is the ultimate goal with AI we want to accomplish. It would take a person with high morals and high ethics to make right of AI. I would not want businessman to decide what AI should do or what capabilities it can have. AI should be in the hands of people with high moral fiber, or those operating on love, kindness, and compassion.

BlackOni4h ago

AI is SUPPOSED to be used as a tool, not a replacement. It's designed to do two important things artists can take advantage of immediately.

- Make the ideation/reference imaging process much quicker and easier (basically using it as a google search)
- Make mundane and time consuming tasks faster and easier so more time is spent on creation.

Unfortunately, what many have done is used it as a way to replace rather than supplement.

Einhander19721h ago(Edited 1h ago)

CS7

In the ideal world yes.

In the real world where companies have shown little desire to innovate and spent every effort to maximize profits the end result will be the same quality games (if were lucky) made by less people and more AI.

Company Real World: Fires 200 people and makes the same game cheaper using AI and the executives get record bonuses.

Edit:

Lets look at history, specifically auto manufacturing.

In the 70's and 80's the auto unions tried to oppose automation of jobs (robots) stating that they would take peoples jobs. And the people in charge who wanted to make more money said the exact same types of things that are being said about AI. But we can look at history and see that countless types of jobs were in fact replaced by automation, that was of course even compounded upon by computers.

The net effect was that the rich got richer less jobs were needed so wages were forced down by competition for the jobs that were left.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 59m ago
Number1TailzFan5h ago

You can already make your own SFX with text prompts now as well, of course it will lower development cost and time

1Victor5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

WARNING WARNING ‼️ SARCASM AHEAD
Sure Strauss and robots didn’t take jobs from car factories.
Edit:Sad thing is he believes it and unfortunately he won’t be replaced for a long time by AI

senorfartcushion4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

He doesn't, he's just lying. These people lay people off so they can get bonuses. If AI takes jobs, their bonus goes bigger and the workforce goes smaller.

porkChop2h ago

Because he sees AI as a tool to aid development. He wants to use AI to help make bigger and better games in the same timeframe. Other CEOs want to replace devs with AI to cut costs and make lifeless games faster for a quick buck. Strauss has the right idea, this is how AI should be used. To extend and expand the capabilities of devs.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 43m ago
jambola8h ago

Ceo says stupid thing
Part 5837384

Zeref6h ago(Edited 6h ago)

I think maybe sometimes we give people in these positions too much credit when it comes to intelligence.

romulus236h ago

As long as it doesn't effect his inflated executive salary or his ridiculous bonuses I'm sure he's fine with it.

RNTody5h ago

Hahaha yeah trust the CEO suit over the actual developers making the games. Good one.

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60°

FanimeCon 2024 | Persona / Shin Megami Tensei Cosplay Gathering

The Persona / Shin Megami Tensei cosplay gathering allowed fans of the acclaimed JRPG series to meet up during FanimeCon 2024.

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8bitdigi.com
130°

Can FSR 3 frame generation deliver the 120fps dream on PS5 and Xbox?

Frame generation technology has arrived on consoles, amplifying frame-rates and potentially transforming experiences.

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eurogamer.net
purple1012d ago

adds between 8.3-15.3 milliseconds of latency on the game they tested, - no thanks

darksky1d 12h ago

Base latency is 130.8ms and frame gen takes that up to 139.1ms. A 7% increase in latency is hardly a deal breaker.

Zenzuu1d 12h ago

That's hardly a deal breaker and not really noticeable. Even the folks at Digital Foundry said so as well.

darthv722d ago

Impressive results... sadly I don't have a 120hz display. I was thinking this technique could increase fps on any game that supports it regardless of the display.

purple1012d ago (Edited 2d ago )

I have a vrr telly in the lounge,

On another point, what if it were the other way around where the developer aims for higher fps, then used something like pssr to make the resolution higher, that might be better?

Any which way, PS5 pro sure looks interesting now, being they have already doubled frame rate, with JUST just this fsr3.0

sagapo1d 10h ago

It’s up to dev’s to implement FSR 3 support tho but most probably will I guess (hope).

Eonjay20h ago

Yes it would increase the framerate but it would add more noticeable latency. The impact of latency goes down the more natural frames produced. So a monitor that can push bast 60 will naturally allow the game to operate much smoother. Add VRR to this and now you have a much more enjoyable experience.

BlackDoomAx1d 12h ago

Can it deliver the 60fps dream?

purple1011d 3h ago (Edited 1d 2h ago )

no, it delivers approx 80fps.

which is why I say why not target 60fps with this new tech and use the upscaling pssr, (Sonys version of Nvidia's DLSS, that seems so popular in the pc realm)

then we have best of both, better believe ps5pro will be doing all the above.

andy851d 11h ago

Now I've extensively tried it I'm not too fussed about 120 fps. Give me a locked 60 and more details and I'm more than happy

anast1d 7h ago (Edited 1d 7h ago )

120 is a bit slow. My eyes can't look at anything less than 260fps.

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