If people in the gaming industry really wanted to hide stuff, they're going to have to do better. The one and only Superannuation keeps digging stuff up that just has to be shared with Kotaku readers. Today, we're looking to the future... a very weird future that has Microsoft, EA and Activision making games you probably weren't expecting.
Uncover the spending behind Xbox's Game Pass subscription. Discover how Microsoft invests a billion dollars annually in securing third-party games for the service.
Good.
Now that you´re releasing games and making big money from every gaming platform, you should double that amount and give us even more day one third party games!
You’re delusional beyond belief. Businesses wise it doesn’t make sense and sooner or later they’ll be raising prices again to cover that billion they’re blowing every year.
As someone else said earlier today, they are past the growth stage, it’s been stagnent for last 3 years, they are now in the money making stage, prepare to be goosed for as many dollars as possible for the least amount of content. It may not be bad now, (actually it is) but it will be soon (even worse) this year you got hellblade and starfirld and a load of other games that could be bought in bargain bins for about $5-30 and for that you pay them monthly
To add I honestly don’t know how you put up with the barrage of Xbox negativity (which is deserved). I put it down to:
A) you are being paid
B) you may have a problem thinking clearly
C) prefer rooting for the underdog, that’s a legit thing too. English people do it by default
Yeah Aussies also love an underdog as long as that underdog isn't Xbox as they were too of the game with the 360 then lost their minds
3 straight years of missing Gamepass targets. Some people are just blinded by their own idiocy. Will be interesting to see if COD does anything this fall
He is a troll. Designed to stoke people up on here. We know this.
It’s quite funny.
Yet people still allow the troll to derail an entire topic. I don’t understand how moderation allows it.
I literally just skip the comment. This may be the best comment obscure ever made. I don’t know because I didn’t read it. I have read to many thread derailing post from this person to ever devote any time to reading another.
I wish everyone would ignore the trolls so we can have a genuine discussion. Stop feeding it and it will go away. Even just hitting the disagree button feeds it. Thats what it wants. This is the last post I will ever post about obscure because I am feeding them now.
Legit question to Mods. After such a long history of being a troll, how has this poster not been banned?
Is he though or does he just blindly love Xbox in the same way Sega fans loved the Dreamcast even though it was clearly dead they thought it could be redeemed
Ok yeah he's saracstic and does troll but I enjoy seeing what he comes out with it would be boring here if we never had conflicting opinions
Are you insane? You want them to double the amount when the Xbox is already struggling and losing money 🤔
"Are you insane? You want them to double the amount when the Xbox is already struggling and losing money"
As long we get the games I couldn´t care less about a trillion dollar company losing money. That´s their business to worry about. I only care about the games.
And "struggling and losing money"? Really?
"Microsoft reports Xbox’s revenue is up 61% in Q4 FY24 thanks to Activision"
https://venturebeat.com/gam...
61% more revenue and BO6 is not even out yet.
MS will make a sh!t ton of money with that game alone in all platforms. So 2 Billion yearly invested in their *core* business is nothing!
So yeah, I want them to double the investments on Gamepass. Period.
"So yeah, I want them to double the investments on Gamepass. Period."
That ain't going to happen. Just because you want it 😂
They'll do that, after creating 4 more higher-priced tiers and making the one that currently includes everything only contain games that have been on the market for 4 years.
"Gamepass Ultra to the MAX: Now only $299 per year!"
They are trying to get a return on abk and Bethesda they won't double day one we're lucky we are still getting them now that day one has been removed from base tiers
They want to make money not give it away
Sorry O_O, I tought you where loosing it, but i now come to the conclusion that you realy lost it.
The coping from you is not on a stellarr level....
Homie got 77 dislike and his brain rot will still help him think that he’s right.
I like how they twist cannibalising game sales into "invests".
No lifetime sales with MS, they'll F-up gaming the same as streaming services have done to the movie industry and it's workforce.
Out of interest do you think those 3rd parties signing the deal are unhappy with the severence and have a gun to their head?
Bro probably has a PS+ sub and has library full of Epic launcher free games.
lol
Pretty much. There's a lot of hate on this site for Gamepass, but put games on the different tiers of the PS subscription, and whenever they get that free day one release, it's an entirely different tune. No talk about how this choice is killing devs.
Do we think they're unhappy?
Umm...YES...?
They literally need to be paid up front to put games on the service. It's become a way to gain a foothold on the platform.
Do you think Atlus would launch on Game Pass otherwise?
"Out of interest do you think those 3rd parties signing the deal are unhappy with the severence and have a gun to their head?"
I think you mean severance... and I've noticed you don't know what it means either, MS aren't firing the third-parties they're purchasing from.
"Bro probably has a PS+ sub and has library full of Epic launcher free games."
I'm not a console gamer, but yes I do have Epic with a library full of free games... but guess what Epic rotating free games every week doesn't do. It doesn't destroy lifetime sales and cut workers out of residuals. Then you bring up PS+ a service that also doesn't destroy lifetime sales as their model allows for new releases to earn.
There are pros and cons to everything. Streaming services like Netflix is no different than cable tv except it is on demand. Services like Netflix has made it so that more studios can get a share in the profit where they can reach more consumers worldwide compared to the old days where the masses will only watch a few new titles per month.
The only negative about streaming services is that it no longer makes any sense to sell DVDs and Blu-rays though it can be argued that those persons may have moved on to building digital libraries for the sake of convenience.
The reason Xbox is doing so poorly is because they are not doing enough to be competitive. Their output of AA and AAA exclusive titles are extremely low compared to the competition and they haven't had a game of the year nominee in years.
Releasing their games the same date on PC is also hurting their console and it would have been more strategic for them to delay those releases by a year similar to what Sony does to maximize profits.
Gamepass alone is not to blame for Xbox's current position because it can be argued that if the service didn't exist and they had the same gaming output as they have now, they would be in an even worst spot.
"Streaming services like Netflix is no different than cable tv except it is on demand."
It's nothing like cable. My comment isn't a guess lifetime sale of films has shrunk to a point it's almost gone and so has the revenue it generated, that is money from competing TV networks, cable/satellite and physical media sales.
Lack of revenue transparency with streaming has meant workers job security and pay has massively diminished, earnings from residuals is almost gone for example the writer for Squid Games because of streaming gets no royalties despite series earning $900 million for Netflix, before streaming he would have royalties form lifetime sales.
Or another example Willow the series was pulled and is no longer watchable here's why: “Willow” was one of nearly 50 titles that Disney+ pulled from its streaming library in May. Other titles included the series “The Mysterious Benedict Society” and the feature film “The One and Only Ivan.” Disney CFO Christine McCarthy explained that Disney was expecting to take a write-down in the June quarter of $1.5 billion-$1.8 billion by removing content from its streaming platforms. By writing down the value of the content assets, Disney can remove that from its balance sheet and reduce its tax bill." Also when you pull a show you no longer need to pay residuals to the workers.
Have you also noticed the drop in quality on sfx or thought some older films look so much better then they do now? This is because the industry now relies on cheap labour for sfx outsourcing abroad, more green screen instead of location shooting and a lot less real extras bring life to a scene.
Streaming in gaming is going to be far worse as we've seen with MS consolidating a massive part of the industry to try and make the service sustainable, lifetime sales being cannibalised by gamespass and a work force that has no unions like SAG is already paying the price.
All streaming does is remove income transparency, cuts the workers from the money and sets flat rates and removes consumer ownership... but CEO's and shareholders will still be ok as they benefit from the industry consolidation.
MrDead is absolutely on fire with the post.
Nothing else I have to add other than that.
@MrDead like I said pros and cons. Some of those issues can alleviated with alleviated with regulatory intervention to give more transparency to the industry but unlikely anytime soon with all the lobbying going on.
The issue with the squid game's writer can be attributed to the terms and conditions he agreed to. It happens often in business as no one really knows how popular something will be until you catch that lightning in a bottle. I remember reading about how Nintendo hardly made anything off Pokemon Go dispite Niantic making Billions.
I don't blame streaming services for studios finding was to reduce the cost of making films. That stuff would have happened regardless because of the greed of these corporations. We see that same cost reduction happening in every industry from food to Aerospace.
we know this, we have known this since last year.
this is not new or news.
Today EA hosted its Investors Day, and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson talked about the company's dedication to generative AI.
He's so excited to layoff more employees for FAKE STUPIDITY computer programing to replace them.
Hopefully EA takes a nosedive just like Ubisoft is currently doing. Lack of money is the only thing that can hurt them and possibly change them.
Knowing EA, I think they're more likely to sell their games cheaper or make Access the only way to play their titles than change course. They seem committed to destroying their labour force.
And the sad part here is that the proof of concept is there, where games can be made using AI.
I hate to say it, but those working in the gaming industry might be cooked. And unfortunately, I'm doubting most people will care as long as they get games they want. EA would absolutely dangle Dead Space 4 or a new Burnout in front of us, developed with AI. I wouldn't take it, but I think most fans would.
If AI does a better job then yeah why not? Though, I have massive doubts it will. If developers aren't willing to put effort in their games then they shouldn't be surprised that they're replaceable.
Damn, a new Burnout, don't even bring that up. It hurts just to read those words.
The indie scene is massive theses days, but the big budget scene is mostly trash. I wouldn't mind to see these big publishers suffer or crumble away.
But that can only happen when the casual gamer stops buying yearly roster updates or whatever garbage is marketed to them on TV.
CantThinkOfAUsername,
I disagree. I don't believe the developers are at fault here. I would think those people don't like what EA is doing, but it's EA and they have tremendous power in the industry. Not everyone has the leadership qualities to peel off and form their own company. Add to the fact that falling out of grace with EA might just be an industry kiss of death. These people don't have any power, so I really don't agree with saying they're not willing to put in the effort.
Hopefully, the only people who're going to be replaced by an AI are Andrew Wilson and his top management goons.
Of course it is. EA has been lazy for years. Profiting for investors and themselves without putting in the work. Having AI write code or build graphics for them just makes them even more lazy.
I'd laugh if those same investors built "executive code" and got rid of EA's CEO and board of directors and replaced them with AI.
Today Electronic Arts hosted its Investors Day and its executives shared what's next for the Battlefield franchise.
ohh god, here we go!
This is exactly why the gaming industry is failing. It's now an industry of suits "trying to find the fun".
...I'll help you out a little, If you're trying to find it, then it's not fun and neither are you. move on!
I disagree, tbh. I definitely wouldn't classify Vince Zampella as a soulless suit. It's kind of an acknowledgement that Battlefield fell off which is why they had to bring him in in the first place. He's probably the best shot EA has of making this franchise fun again.
From a software development perspective, what I read in the article of Zampella's approach of being able to easily playtest and iterate from early on in development is a good thing. That's likely a big part of why his COD games and Titanfall were so fun.
Calling Zampella a suit lol! People like Zampella are the half suits if you will, they bridge the gap between art and business. Suits don't care how fun a game is, they only care about profit margins.
It's people like you that's ruining the gaming platform, negativity already before it's even dropped
20 years ago, Bungie used to have the motto "making games we want to play", if the devs are having fun it's a good sign it's going to be an enjoyable experience. If the devs are worried about shareholders, quotas, fitting in with current trends and trying to make a small percentage of the population happy, it's not an encouraging sign.
Honestly, get them to sit down and play Bad Company 2 together.
If they can't see why that had the magic, they shouldn't be game developers.
This is pure speculation on Kotakus part and not good journalism.
we will see soon enough
Okay so the makers of one of the best fps games in history has been further demoted to making mobile based games. Not only that, the makers of one of the most highly regarded pvp orientated mmos could potentially be demoted to making a scrabble game.. whatever next?
I've already waved goodbye to Xbox brand, halo 4 and all, I embrace my vita now.
Will wait for a press release from MS , before some halfass reporting.