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350°

Microsoft swings for the future with integration, not games

Gamasutra- At the Microsoft presentation at this year's E3, the company showed its hand in its plans to integrate Windows 8 and the Xbox platform -- perhaps even giving glimpses into its future plans, even with its next-generation Xbox platform completely absent.

The conference started out as more of what we've come to expect from the company -- late in its lifespan the Xbox 360 is firmly established as the home of franchises like Halo, and Gears of War, which all made strong showings vociferously approved by the hardcore audience in attendance at USC's Galen Center.

Third party games like the new Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 6 and Splinter Cell: Blacklist made strong -- even bombastic -- showings. It's the end of a generation, and all of the sequels are in full force. Business as usual, right?

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MadMen4764d ago

they are buying time until the next Xbox comes out, this system is purely a hub at this point with a dash of Halo

Blah

DeFFeR4764d ago (Edited 4764d ago )

See, I agree with you, but I don't know if they've dug their hole too deep to get out of for the next console.

I've been a MS guy since 2001 - I've owned all the consoles, but I've played most of my games on MSs consoles.

The lack of new games for the 360, and the apparent direction of trying to replace everything I connect to my television leads me to think they won't ramp it up again for a new console. Games seem to be the second thing on their mind, with "entertainment" being first. Music, sports, video, web-browsing - everything I use a computer for they are featuring the 360 for. Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I'm not switching from using my computer for those things, for my 360 (which they'll probably charge for access to) - it's so easy to just hook my computer up to my stereo system (HDMI), why would I?

I'm anxious to see Sony's conference tonight, to see if they take advantage of the second year of MSs gaming ignorance. Halo and Gears and Forza, while good franchises- it's really all we have. Kinect is not the gaming peripheral we were promised, and the trend towards Wii-ish games is disheartening to those who bought into the hype.

Qrphe4764d ago

The conference had games, many of them, playable on the 360. Multiplats sell better on the 360 and they make sure they get some of the DLC first (or force it to be that way).
Yes, it does not have many exclusives, but truth is, if you're a 360 gamer, you won't be bored.

humbleopinion4764d ago

Actually, the show had 8 exclusives: halo, gears, forza, fable, dance central and the three new XBLA games.
Not sure what's the status on Splinter Cell - can anyone shed some light?

FalconR2894764d ago

What I got from the internet was that it'll be on the ps3 as well. Not sure about the pc but probably.

Cosmo8114764d ago

I don't know about Splinter Cell. The last one was an Xbox-exclusive (although it later came to PC and Mac), maybe it'll be the same. I hope not.

neutralgamer194764d ago

Lol simply trash and they didnt swing anywhere but stumbled.

supremacy4764d ago

well atleast they have that spike tv deal...

Cherchez La Ghost4764d ago

What should MS do?! Oversaturate the market with exclusives?! Fact is you have Halo 4 & Call of Duty about to rule multiplayer at the end of the year. People complain, but the still are making money. Don't forget. We are talking about a software company. So intergrating tech will always be a focus. Exclusives vs. Multiplatforms are somewhat equal. Halo, Madden, GTA, FIFA, Call of Duty franchises are cash cows. As long as the people stay buying, they companies will keep churning milking and getting that cheese.

You gotta give MS some credit. They're making partnerships with some big companies all around the world. Now, it's more about the games. And the only ones who have complaint are the hardcore gamers. Which I see the argument is justifible. Sorry, it's just business.

DeFFeR4764d ago

"Don't forget. We are talking about a software company."

Except for the fact that they are a HARDWARE company relying on third party games, besides the 3 juggernauts in Halo, Gears and Forza. They have RARE - where's Killer Instinct, where's the new Banjo Kazooie type games... where are the NEW IPs?

Halo is fun. Halo COULD occupy my gaming time from year to year, but I also want something ELSE to play.

silvacrest4764d ago

they dont have to oversaturate anything, one or two would have been fine, people still play halo and COD because they are good, but also because there is nothing else

DlocDaBudSmoka4764d ago

360 gamers dont want integration. they want games! period point blank. multiplats are great and all, but what about games u cant g et anywhere else. like halo 4 for instance. MS needs to get their priorities in check. games first then all the other stuff as a bonus.

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250°

AMD CEO Shares Vision Behind Xbox Partnership and Next-Gen Chip Roadmap

AMD CEO Lisa Su talks about the Xbox AMD partnership, next-gen Ryzen + Radeon chips, and AI rendering tech coming to all Xbox devices.

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Obscure_Observer22h ago

AMD is really building hype around their unique partnership with Microsoft to help and build an advanced and seamless Xbox ecosystem across all Xbox consoles and devices.

I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimized chips" though? Seems ambitious.

Next year´s Xbox Showcase already looks promising and exciting. Here´s hoping they deliver.

InUrFoxHole16h ago

They had best show 3yrs in a row. Heading for another

VenomUK9h ago

Obscure_Observer said “I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimised chips" though? Seems ambitious.” To me, I interpret this to mean rather than having a couple of X/S products for launch and a handheld there is a longer term plan to release new products with higher specs at timed intervals. I’m speculating of course, but this could mean a spec bump every year or two, so that even if the PS6 or Steam Deck Home is released a year after ‘Xbox’ Microsoft can release an updated model that has a higher spec.

KwietStorm_BLM4h ago

It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever.

Ganif2h ago

Correct.

"Sony's PlayStation 6 reportedly will feature an AMD semi-custom APU with a Zen 5 CPU and UDNA GPU, capable of 4K 120FPS and 8K 60FPS gaming. The console will include X3D cache and advanced AI upscaling technology."

https://www.tweaktown.com/n...

Fishy Fingers21h ago(Edited 21h ago)

Some odd, deliberate wording, no branding, not 'Xbox consoles, Xbox handhelds' specifically, feels and sounds like they're building towards hardware that anyone can be used or licensed to/by themselves and other manufacturers.

Multiplatform software and hardware 'Xbox/AMD APU'.

Obscure_Observer20h ago

I guess you missed Sarah Bond´s next generation Xbox announcement this week, were she clearly states:

"I´m thrilled to share that we´ve established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including, *our* next generation *Xbox consoles*."

But hey, I don´t think you´re entirely wrong, maybe MS will build their own Xbox consoles while licencing other manufactures to build and sell their own Xbox branded consoles. Who knows

BeHunted16h ago(Edited 16h ago)

I think you watched the wrong video. It's below the description, or you can watch it directly on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/kprpRvsOua...

HyperMoused21h ago

Shares vision....we provide chips for money, this deal will sell many chips, we will make lots of money...good vision

Christopher20h ago

The marketing behind this is so heavy that I worry about the actual outcome. Why are they just not showing us the product, why all this talking in market speak?

Lightning7716h ago

Probably because the next xbox isn't ready to release yet?

The marketing and rumors seem to be heavy out of no where. The rumor was a 27 release but it maybe it could be 26 new console launch instead.

Who knows.

Eonjay4h ago

There PR is alrways super heavy handed. No one is acutally buying an Xbox as is.
Also it is very early to be talking so much about a next gen console.

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210°

Activision Forces Adverts into Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone Loadouts

With the launch of Call of Duty Season 4, Activision quietly put adverts inside loadouts for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, sparking a backlash in the process.

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lukasmain19d ago

Putting Ads in a pay-to-play Premium title? Well done Microsoft. Well done /s This is really scummy.

jjb198119d ago

This game will never change because these sweatlords love buying up all the skins and bundles that become obsolete the following year. They're the ones perpetuating Activision's greed.

VenomUK18d ago

If Microsoft introduces adverts into its other games I hope it can do them without disrupting the immersion of the game world. So for example in the new Fable game it would look out of place if there was a billboard advertising Cadillacs.

A far better way to do it would be to have a wizard conjure a 'dream cloud' in front of your character and then in the cloud you can see the Cadillac car and see the text with price and availability and hear a booming sales voice promoting the car. That would work so well as it wouldn't be a billboard and completely, 100%, fit in with your character's adventuring in Albion. Doesn't that sound so much better?!

crazyCoconuts18d ago

@venom, or how about our of 100 farts in Albion, 1 of them has a Cadillac pop out

VenomUK18d ago

@crazyCoconuts That’s undeniably off-beat - but it could really work!

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410°

Xbox's first-party handheld has been sidelined

Xbox's handheld ambitions continue unabated, but the focus is shifting towards improving Windows 11 for third-party handhelds — for now. The Xbox Series X 'Melrose' successor is safe, with development continuing at full pace.

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shadowT21d ago

Is there really a market for handhelds next to mobile?

Vits21d ago

If they run the same games as the main home console, then yeah, sure.
But if they need specially tailored games just for them? Probably not, unless there isn't a home console for comparison (see Switch).

RaidenBlack20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

I am kinda low-key happy this happened.
Dont want another Series S situation (games to be designed from 4 to 12TF scale and not 10 to 12TF).
Hope PS follows suit as well. Tablet SKU sharing with console for 10th gen, will just continue the cross gen -esque development/design phase/nature.
Want a proper 20+ only TF rasterized next-gen plz (+ frame-gen and the lot).
If anybody wants to continue the cross-gen, the Series S|X, PS5 will remain for that. And Switch 2, if you gotta go even lower in the TF range.

ABizzel121d ago

Yes and No. All of the PC handhelds combined have struggled to sell 7 million units, which would be a flop for any “console”. So the market is extremely niche because of price and target market (the informed hardcore gamer / casuals aren’t picking these up).

These handheld PCs are $500 or more, and offer at best Xbox Series S performance levels, so it’s best for MS specifically to just partner with ASUS, instead of investing millions if not billions.

Sony can make their own with custom AMD hardware due to their partnership, and stronger global brand for hardware. But even then it brings the question, of being a lower resolution PS5, and what does that mean for PS6 cross-gen (likely another generation where the first 3 - 4 years are just upgraded last-gen games).

Kosic20d ago

Imagine a Wii U style console, where the tablet doesn't rely on the console it's self, you download the game on the console under the TV and play in 4k glory, then you can remote play, get some unique game features if using both console and handheld in tandem. Then you can download the games in 720-1080p to play on the go, continue your progress, and continue on the TV when you get back.

Sony could get away with this due to exclusives, and that would be a reason for sales. Look at the portal.

I can picture seeing new hardware having some sort of GPU dock, where the handheld runs 1080p, and the dock has additional hardware to bring in 4k/60 specs.

I do think handheld gaming is going to be a strong future, imagine Nintendo release a new upgraded GPU dock for the Switch 3, every 2 years. More frames, sharper graphics on the same game for an extra £150 for a dock with a built in GPU chip. Console cycles doesn't have to be renewed, just the hardware can be improved by them reselling docks to us again and again with small/yearly upgrades like mobile phones.

GamerRN20d ago

Did you just imply that Sony can make a better stronger handheld than Microsoft? You do realize we are talking about Microsoft, the tech giant, right? If Microsoft can't make one that's cost effective, Sony definitely can't...

Brand and market share means nothing when you are a trillion dollar company

ABizzel119d ago

@GamerRN

It has nothing to do with what company can do it, or what company can spend.

For anyone taking a basic business class there is a term called ROI, and Xbox home consoles are selling at an all time low, meaning their ROI on a handheld is a risk that doesn’t make sense, even if they can afford it. Businesses are there to make money and it doesn’t make sene for MS to invest in a handheld that’s a companion device when their current home consoles they’ve spent 20 years working on are at an all time-low, when they can invest with little risk with what ASUS already has to offer.

This is why Sony can build a better device, because they have less risk involved, meaning they can invest more in their own product, and they already have an exclusive partnership with AMD on creating features and hardware. So in this specific case, YES Sony can built a better handheld, due to custom hardware, customer tools, low level APIs, compared to an off the shelf product running Windows or a Window Xbox kernel =.

TheEroica20d ago

I play steam deck primarily... Don't play consoles or mobile. The deck covers it all.

badz14920d ago

@shadowT

The Switch is a handheld, so will the Switch 2. what are you on about?

Cacabunga20d ago

To run native games offline? Anytime

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CrashMania21d ago

Funny to see the alt already damage controlling and having a meltdown with multiple accounts in the comments already.

Sad for MS if true, a dedicated handheld would go down a lot better than a rog ally 2 with an Xbox sticker on it I think.

crazyCoconuts21d ago

It couldn't have succeeded for a number of reasons. Now they've retreated to the Windows front and trying to keep that relevant for gaming. How long before Windows Central realizes there won't be a real console successor to Series X either?

Lightning7721d ago

Except there is. That project is reportedly full speed ahead.

Outside_ofthe_Box20d ago

@Lighting77

So was the handheld until today...

Lightning7720d ago

@outside obviously not since they sidelined it and they wanna see how the Asus does. Are you saying they're gonna cancel the next console?

crazyCoconuts20d ago

@lightning - I'm admittedly trying to box you in here - Do you think the next Xbox console will have Steam on it?

Outside_ofthe_Box20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

@Lightning

Here we go with having to spell everything out.

If I told you yesterday that Xbox was going to sideline the handheld console what would your response have been? Probably something along the lines of "I doubt that since Phil has been talking about it for some time now"

My point is just because they are "full speed" ahead now does not mean that will not change in future. As we have seen with the handheld. Do you understand what I'm trying to say now?

Lightning7720d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Box me in? No you said the same thing you've always been saying for years now. Those are the rumors to have Steam integration.

What about it

If you told me they were gonna cancel it tomorrow it would nothing more than fanboy talking points. I only wait for credible sources not what someone else says.

Also this is the handheld not a full blown new console. The Asus is yet to release and they're waiting to see how that thing does. Critical thinking is my strong suit you should try it some time if you can. But Ok cool well you hang your hat on that I guess. Main New console is gonna get cancelled even though the handheld is a different marketing device than the main the console itself.

__y2jb20d ago

I think there is a 75% chance there will not be another Xbox. There is zero reason to buy one now. No way it can possibly sell more than 10m units after Xbox went third party.

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BLow21d ago

That's what they do. Goalposts shift like the wind.

I'm really confused on why they are making a "first party" device and also have a Rog Ally with their sticker on it. Make this make sense. How is their own device going to be any different?

Your console doesn't sell and they expect a handheld to?

RaidenBlack20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

The Rog Ally one is gen agnostic ... as you deciphered, it was to be the updated Rog Ally but just with Xbox branding. PC handheld with some Xbox features.
The handheld Xbox is/was supposed to be sharing the same gen/ecosystem with the next-gen (10th gen) Xbox. Think Series S but handheld ... it'll run the Xbox OS or whatever the next Xbox will run.
...
As for anybody wondering/confused why MS is doing another Xbox console ... coz mainly its the 10th gen of home consoles next, which started wayy back in 1972 for the 1st gen. And MS wanna be part in it, in the 10th anniversary gen of consoles. If they gotta bow out, they can't do that at 9th i.e just before 10th. They wanna stick around till the 10th or the X-th gen and check what the fuss happens.

Outside_ofthe_Box20d ago

Curious as to what excuses the spam was saying. Because prior to this news, the Xbox handheld was used as proof that Xbox is still committed to the hardware space. This handheld being scraped is not a good sign...

20d ago
Outside_ofthe_Box20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

@Spam
You can replace scrapped with pushed back if you like. It's not a good sign either way.

20d ago
1Victor20d ago

asq3= obscured: “ What’s your source on the handheld being scrapped? “
Read the article from Microsoft own website and one of your favorite quotations site when it’s something bad about Sony.
Oh BTW good luck with your next SPAM account.

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