100°

Don Mattrick: The New Adam Orth

Microsoft is getting its fair share of hate, and even their recent policy change is causing a new wave of disapproval. This goes to show that gamers have a voice and apparently a strong one. Don Mattrick unfortunately has a voice too, and one that no one wants to hear. We know that Microsoft is not a dumb company or they wouldn’t have created such an outrage. So maybe it’s not Microsoft as accompany that infuriates the consumers, maybe it is those they choose to speak for them.

We already saw the backlash behind Adam Orth’s idiotic Twitter escapade and how that ended. When you decide to voice your opinion as an employee of a large company, you give the impression that the company you work for shares your opinion. It was only a matter of time before the higher-ups saw the controversial tweets Orth made, and how they immediately were met with negative attitudes. His [Orth] firing was all but inevitable. Then things got really interesting when the Xbox One was fully in the public...

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gaminrealm.com
Godmars2904383d ago

Still, if it weren't for Orth and leak, how much about MS's policies would we know about now? How many people would have to "deal with" and discover them come the XB1's launch?

KillrateOmega4383d ago

Exactly. It ticked off a lot of people, but it also made a lot of people aware. I never thought I'd say this, but thank you for being a douche, Adam.

nix4383d ago

dealwithit was pretty much MS' answer for a month then the preorder sales figure hit them.

papashango4382d ago

Orth is a yes man to the core. He comes off as out of touch with the gaming populace and when he speaks I don't feel like he's talking to me but to shareholders.

It's blatantly obvious how he rose through the ranks.

Why o why4382d ago (Edited 4382d ago )

Not sure mattrick could tell the difference between Double Dragon and doing a Triple Dragon.

Orth inadvertently became an accidental hero. He's fallen on his sword but he set the snowball in motion.

JoySticksFTW4382d ago

Gamers owe A LOT to Adam Orth.

He unwittingly clued us in on what was to come.

MS was going to hit us with a three-minute internet check-in before Orth-gate made them back-peddle to the 24 hr check-in.

But Orth "left" MS over spilling the beans and costing MS control of their message.

I wonder what will become of Mattrick.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4382d ago
3-4-54382d ago

Guys......stop praising that Orc guy..It's annoying

oof464383d ago

If Microsoft wants to recover in the eyes of the hardcore, reassign Mattrick to Siberia. There, or the mail room.

Dude is damaged goods.

die_fiend4382d ago

Same. Can't imagine he'll be around too much longer. But this article is appallingly written:

'So maybe it’s not Microsoft as accompany that infuriates the consumers'

You really shouldn't be writing articles when your linguistic skills are so appalling

TCompton44382d ago

I made one minor flub which I normally don't do and I'm quite sure it was my Mac's auto-correct that is responsible for that flub.

die_fiend4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

Somehow I doubt that. Have you read your article? It's like it's written by a child.

TCompton44381d ago

I have read my article and besides that one spelling error there was nothing wrong with it. You seem to be the only person that has a problem with my writing. I will not fret though since my degree in formal writing trumps any opinion you have.

Elem1874383d ago

Why oh why did Microsoft choose this guy to reveal this console?? He's not a gamer at heart.... Sony hired Cerny to reveal the ps4 (developed/created Marble Madness) and Nintendo, well the entire company in Kyoto are pretty hardcore gamers from the CEO all the way down to the broom closet clerk.

Don Mattrick is completely a suit, nothing more.if he worked in Hollywood, he would be type casted as a slimy lawyer. I would not feel comfortable buying a video game console from a lawyer.

Are people seriously crazy enough to buy the XBone? Microsoft has only changed direction because of the uproar and the pitiful presale orders, it shows what's in their minds regarding the future direction of console gaming. I wouldn't put it past them to reimplement their DRM at a later date after they build up a large install base.

Sony isnt completely out of the woods. I can't believe they are charging for online play. I refuse to purchase a console that puts multiplayer games behind a pay wall. It's the sole reason I never bought a 360, and it would be hypocritical of me to upgrade to the ps4 at this point. Sony lost me as a long time customer. Looks like I'm going PC/Wii U this gen (besides these two systems is the only way to guarantee 60fps gaming, not a single PS4 exclusive ran above 30fps)

oof464383d ago

How did Mattrick rise to power? What happened to J. Allard and the other gamer centric execs at Microsoft who championed the original Xbox and the 360? All I see are suits, suits, suits.

JoySticksFTW4382d ago

Agreed oof.

I said it before. This Xbox division is not headed by the same guys that sought out core gamers. Most have "left" around MS' change in direction (casual / Kinect push) this generation.

die_fiend4382d ago

Have fun playing your Wii U. I'm sure that will satisfy your craving for console gaming.

At least with PS Plus, they give you games as part of the subscription. I think you will see value in your $60 unlike Microsoft who just nickel and dime to play online

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660°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
1d 13h ago Replies(1)
1d 13h ago Replies(1)
Obscure_Observer1d 12h ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

1d 12h ago
pwnmaster30001d 12h ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

1d 12h ago
Obscure_Observer1d 12h ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

Terry_B1d 12h ago

Yeah..its super annoying.

blacktiger1d 11h ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30001d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h ago )

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole1d 6h ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 1d 6h ago
Tacoboto1d 12h ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing691d 12h ago (Edited 1d 12h ago )

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif1d 10h ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing691d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif1d 9h ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein1d 9h ago (Edited 1d 9h ago )

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1d 9h ago
-Foxtrot1d 11h ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast1d 11h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts1d 11h ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto1d 10h ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1d 10h ago
LoveSpuds1d 8h ago Show
Profchaos1d 8h ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo23h ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

TheExecutioner19h ago

Basically you think like kids when it come to choose between candy or chocolate.

Sonic188119h ago(Edited 19h ago)

Are you and Anast the same person?

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 19h ago
1d 12h ago
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260°

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.

Read Full Story >>
clouddosage.com
Obscure_Observer6d 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.

InUrFoxHole6d ago

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

VenomUK5d 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.

Agent755d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games.

KwietStorm_BLM5d ago

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

Ganif5d 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...

Obscure_Observer5d ago

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

I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released.

Notellin5d ago

You should have just lead this comment with the fact that you have zero understanding of technology in the consoles and instead have a Toms Hardware online forum level of education.

Obscure_Observer2d ago

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

I´d told you were on some bs

https://www.pcgamesn.com/wp...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2d ago
Agent755d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games

Obscure_Observer5d ago

@VenomUK

"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."

Very interesting theory. Still not sure how MS would actually make it work.

KwietStorm_BLM5d ago

"I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released."

How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is.

Obscure_Observer4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

"How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is."

Dude, what I know for certain is that a tech as old as X3D chips which is actually *older* than both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, is hardly the reason behind this new partnership between AMD and MS to build new *custom silicon* for next generation of consoles.

And yes it´s a huge announcement since AMD is working closely with MS to co-develop custom SoC which will allow backwards compatibility across all MS´s next gen devices allowing seamless integration between devices and full backwards compatibility across all generations of Xbox consoles.

I also know is that this announcement don´t have anything to do with Playstation and their strategy with AMD for the PS6, so stop comparing the two pretending that you know what´s going on, because you clearly don´t.

If Sony is working on something remotely similar, that´s remain to be seen.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 2d ago
Fishy Fingers6d ago (Edited 6d 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_Observer6d 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

BeHunted6d ago (Edited 6d 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...

HyperMoused6d ago

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

Christopher6d 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?

Lightning776d 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.

Eonjay5d 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.

Obscure_Observer5d ago

There´s a lot of people interested on Xbox Next and its ability to run games from major stores like Steam.

We know that the PS6 is just around the corner as well, but so far, no news on what it might improve over the PS5 or PS5 Pro.

However, Sony already made public that their priority and actual focus is the PS6. So its not "very early" to talk about next gen when the very console manufactures are talking about it.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5d ago
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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.

25d ago
25d ago
lukasmain25d ago

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

jjb198124d 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.

VenomUK23d 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?!

crazyCoconuts23d ago

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

VenomUK23d ago

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

24d ago
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