130°

Microsoft wants everyone to make games (or apps) for Xbox One (interview)

GamesBeat spoke with Microsoft corporate vice president of Xbox Marc Whitten, who explained that Microsoft worked from the beginning to change how development worked on Xbox One compared to its last console.

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venturebeat.com
NYC_Gamer4352d ago

"When Microsoft does open up the system to everyone, games will still have to go through a certification process"

This should keep garbage from being sold on the market place

dedicatedtogamers4352d ago (Edited 4352d ago )

360 had "open" development for indie games and what did we get? Minecraft clones as far as the eye can see.

There's a massive difference between "supporting indies" and "allowing anyone to publish". People should make a note of the difference before getting their hopes up.

Edit @ below

Okay bud. There's no cause for concern that Jonathan Blow, Team Meat, 17-Bit (Skulls of the Shogun), Retro City Rampage devs, Phil Fish, Limbo devs, and many more have very negative things to say about how Microsoft treats indies, right? Those are just "garbade" devs, right?

IcicleTrepan4352d ago

Sony embracing all of this just means I won't be visiting the indie section of the playstation store on my PS4. It's going to be full of garbage.

XboxFun4352d ago

More FUD from dedicated.

We also got a lot of great titles from Indies also.

Tempura of the Dead
Decay
Cthulhu Saves the World
Lootfest
Breath of Death
Apple Jack

Just to name a very, very few. Keep spreading the hate Dedicated.

dark-hollow4352d ago

Ah, Our daily negative spin courtesy from dedicatedtogamers.

popup4352d ago (Edited 4352d ago )

It would be good if someone concentrated on making an 'Engine' that can be used to aid game development as well.

It's great that everyone's imagination gets sparked by something like this. The Bedroom Progamming community is still alive but needs a kick in the arse too. Even if you get involved as part of a team as an ideas person or a graphic or music designer, you will get a great kick out of this stuff.

It is for the above reasons that amazing titles such as LittleBigPlanet were able to once again ignite flames of creativity from the community at large with some shockingly fantastic ideas and designs.

I fear the full story may be somewhat more diluted than what we have learned so far from MS due to their motivation above all else but I can hope at least...

Will this make me consider an XBoxOne as well as a PS4? Time will tell..

GentlemenRUs4352d ago

The Damage has been done M$, I've locked into PS now.

thrust4352d ago

It's good that all the whiners are moving over to psn.

Live will be a much better place with out them.

Transporter474352d ago (Edited 4352d ago )

Why is it a problem to not want an X1 after they tried to screw you? I don't get that you consider us whiners because we don't like a way the company was treating their consumers but hey since they reverted is all forgiven, how do you explain what their future will be when they revealed it and a week later threw it out the window?

@IcicleTrepan
Okay maybe for you, you didn't mind the 24hr check in, the DRM. But hey that's you for me I don't want to be forced with any of that.

@ceedubya9
Look it's a good thing that they changed but that's not the only thing im referring to, how is it that a multi million company doesn't have a future for their console besides their launch date, here is the problem MS has never kept console support like Sony or Nintendo, I learned from my first xbox then from my 360 give me the list of new IP MS has done to keep their console going besides just letting the 3rd parties do it which most if not all of those are multi console.

IcicleTrepan4352d ago

@transporter47 perhaps because 'they tried to screw you' is not a fact but personal opinion.

ceedubya94352d ago

Transporter, if people want to use that as a factor in their purchasing decisions, then there is nothing wrong with that. For me, personally, I don't see a reason to be upset with them about something that was planned but then changed for console that has yet to release. They changed, and may still be changing the issues that many on the internet had a problem with. Holding on to what they almost did with months left until release seems like wasted energy to me, especially for those that continue to complain about now dead policies for a console that they already decided not to buy. I don't see the point in that when there are plenty of PS4 related articles to enjoy and discuss PS4 news instead.

Fireseed4352d ago

Well their is no problem to not want an X1 , buy what you want and if you're happy, then good. But look at it from someone elses perspective. To me, DRM is a good thing, it's like communism, great in theory... but it's never been done properly. We take the case of Steam, Steam has DRM. BUT Steam treats it's customers so nicely, and their so many benefits to having your games on Steam that I will actively seek out a Steam version, or wait for the Steam version to go on sale if I see it on a DRM free site like GOG.com.

Did Microsoft have a good plan for DRM? No. Biggest problem was the 24 hr check in, it restricted so many from buying an Xbox. But now that they've reversed their policy what do people want? A formal apology from MS? A monument built in the honor of all those who hashtagged and struck down the evil corporation?

No_Limit4352d ago (Edited 4352d ago )

@Transporter,

Please stop with your comical nonsense. MS did not tried to screw anyone. They were trying to go on a new direction with a digital future in mind and if anyone with logic with the things they were intended to accomplish with that vision, you know some kind of internet spot check was necessary in order to allow the family sharing, the trade-in of digital used games, and gifting. They had heard to moan and cry from gamers and then gave the players what they wanted. They heard the moan and cry from Indies, they gave what they wanted. In a sense, they are taking in feedback and that should be seen as a positive but somehow PS fans still can turn any good news into a negative. The sh1t is getting old. I am glad all the whiners aren't getting the system.

Last I checked, most Sony published titles have Online pass, like TLOU, but I have yet seen a MS published game with online pass, but I'll leave it at that.

XabiDaChosenOne4352d ago

"they werent trying to screw anyone over" I swear Xbox fanboys are the worst.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4352d ago
Cmk01214352d ago

MS sorely misses your money ...instead of 5 billion in the first qaurter it couldve been 5 billion plus 1k ..OOOOOOOOOO AHHHHHHHHHHH WOOOOOOOOW haha

corvusmd4352d ago

Then why even waste your time on a MS article? I'm not sure anyone was requesting whining

dark-hollow4352d ago

At this point ms need to go to everones house and offer a lifetime blowjobs for free in order for you to forgive them.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4352d ago
drsfinest724352d ago

This is great like Google play where everything is open source and not like apple where everything must go through them.

Codeman4204352d ago

If this was indeed the vision of MS all along then why are they back tracking to it now. It seems to me the MS has no idea what they want to do with the Xbox.

Cmk01214352d ago

how is it backtracking when they never announced any policies for the system that isnt even out yet. they said they were looking into it. sight some sort of information, link or facts to your statements, wouldnt hurt the credibility

Transporter474352d ago

They do not, their future nobody wanted it, so now they need to make an entire new Vision before the console releases but that vision atm is vacant, i'm not going to buy an X1 until I know what their vision is, for example right now i still think it's TV/Kinect then the last thing it is a gaming console on the PS4 i see hey look we love you gamers you will get games you will play games this is a Gaming Console, that's the difference that i see.

no_more_heroes4352d ago

"for example right now i still think it's TV/Kinect"

What have you seen/not seen to make you still think that?

Because I'm pretty sure they did nothing but show games at E3.

XabiDaChosenOne4352d ago

@nomoreheros The fact that Kinect is required? And mind you that was just one E3 out of many more to come, how forgiving you MS guys are after they tried to take your rights is really revealing.

WeaseL4352d ago

I can see piracy being a major problem on an open system that's why Sony got rid of Linux.

sAVAge_bEaST4352d ago

I wouldn't put it past microsoft, to want Pirating to happen, so they can close the system, and enforce original DRM policies, "See guys we need a closed system"

Show all comments (33)
500°

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
5h agoReplies(1)
5h agoReplies(1)
Obscure_Observer4h 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.

4h ago
pwnmaster30004h ago

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

4h ago
Obscure_Observer4h ago

F* them both!

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

blacktiger3h ago

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

pwnmaster30002h ago(Edited 2h 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.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 2h ago
Tacoboto4h 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.

CrimsonWing694h ago(Edited 4h 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?

Ganif2h 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.

CrimsonWing692h ago(Edited 2h 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.

Ganif1h 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.

thorstein1h ago(Edited 1h ago)

Take the L, Crimson.

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

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1h ago
-Foxtrot3h 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?

anast3h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts3h 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.

Tacoboto2h 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 2h ago
Profchaos0m 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

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 0m ago
4h ago
Show all comments (62)
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_Observer5d 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.

InUrFoxHole4d ago

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

VenomUK4d 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.

Agent754d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games.

KwietStorm_BLM4d ago

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

Ganif4d 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_Observer4d 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.

Notellin4d 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_Observer1d 3h 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 1d 3h ago
Agent754d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games

Obscure_Observer4d 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_BLM3d 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_Observer3d ago (Edited 3d 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 1d 3h ago
Fishy Fingers5d ago (Edited 4d 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_Observer4d 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

BeHunted4d ago (Edited 4d 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...

HyperMoused4d ago

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

Christopher4d 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?

Lightning774d 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.

Eonjay4d 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_Observer4d 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 4d 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.

23d ago
23d ago
lukasmain23d ago

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

jjb198123d 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.

VenomUK22d 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?!

crazyCoconuts22d ago

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

VenomUK22d ago

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

23d ago
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