280°

Xbox Scorpio & Xbox One Cloud Are The Future Of Microsoft’s Console Strategy

With rumors abound that both Sony, and Microsoft will announce upgraded consoles at some point soon, E3 2016 being the likely place. What has continued to be lost is Microsoft's cloud technology. After last years stunning Crackdown 3 showcase, they have gone silent on the title. If indeed Xbox Scorpio is set to release then where does that leave the Xbox One? With a permanent price drop to $299 the Xbox One will be the first console in 10 years price dropping to aim at the mainstream audience of casual gamers. Once at $199 it becomes a great entry console of choice. Cloud tech will emerge as a bridge keeping the platform future proof at a mainstream price. Microsoft can now innovate to a wider audience without sacrificing its base, as Xbox Scorpio becomes their premium platform similar to the premium controller Xbox Elite. Cloud Technology in the form of Crackdown 3 this Summer is a critical title that gives Microsoft a way to hone in on for the future of their console strategy across their platforms.

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thekingslayer.com
DopeTech3309d ago

I think the future of XBOX is very bright, IF done right as they promised.

Foehammer3309d ago

Yes, MS has put a ginormous amount of $$ over many years into the Azure network, it will serve both Windows Office and gaming very well.

Great to have the backing of the one of the top 3 largest companies on earth.

TheBrit3309d ago

Urm Azure does a little more than serve Microsoft Office and games....

TheCommentator3309d ago

Indeed. They're laying cable from the US to Europe because the ISP's are not keeping up with MS' needs for growth.

3309d ago
ShottyatLaw3309d ago

@Bruce

I think he's referring to top 3 in market cap.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3309d ago
gangsta_red3309d ago

MS seems to be pushing gaming in a very innovative direction and that is exactly what I want to see.

I really hope Crackdown works as advertised and if it does I want to see more games from MS utilize this. Having a Gears game where you actually make your own cover or can destroy cover after a long period of gun fire is just an example of what I would like to see in future games with this tech.

RosweeSon3309d ago

Forget the clouds get grunt. Technical under the hood not floating physics and particles in the air.

poppinslops3309d ago (Edited 3309d ago )

6tf is plenty... besides, even the world's most powerful PC wouldn't be able to run Crackdown without cloud-processing.

edit - You disagree? Name 1 game that can do what Crackdown does...

3309d ago
poppinslops3309d ago

That's not an answer... then again, my question was rhetorical.

You know I'm right.

ShottyatLaw3309d ago

I don't understand the fanboy salt over Crackdown and the cloud. I don't care if it's on a device you obviously don't like -- cool tech is cool tech. Fully destructible MP arenas is cool tech.

poppinslops3309d ago

Sony lacks the infrastructure required for this level of cloud-processing... even the most ardent PS fanatics know it'd take 'em years just to set it up (assuming they could even afford such an undertaking).

They don't have a problem with the tech - who would? 100% destruction has been a 'holy grail' gameplay mechanic for years... they're just super jelly.

RosweeSon3309d ago

You've seen what crackdown does? Damn when did that release without any fanfare whatsoever it's not even out yet let's see how it actually runs first. When's it's lagging out like mad and slow down central. You can't beat sheer power under the hood. Not that the power wins all.

poppinslops3309d ago

Actually, you can beat power under the hood - this is precicely what Reagent are doing with cloud-processing... your 'lag' excuse could be applied to any online game.

illtownNJONE3309d ago

crackdown 3 had 3 titans running at 0fps

Goldby3308d ago (Edited 3308d ago )

@poppinslops

not to discount your posts, but Bruce does have a point.

What we have seen so far is controlled environments. where there isn't any hiccups or anything that may interfere. its the same with most games like that, Division looked superb before launch (no graphics but stability), same with Unity.

When its in a controlled environment there are next to no variables, but the second you have people with less than stable internet connections, or people who just cant afford the high interent speeds, the game they see will take a hit, and depending how they set up the MP, it may affect other players as well.

Cloud tech is great, and really is the future of gaming and a whole bunch of other stuff. the problem is that out infrastructure isn't prepared for this. in my area alone, im paying for 35mbs downloads but becuase i live in a condominium i'm seeing closer to 10 mb a second. not 10 would probably be enough, but if i wasn't able to afford the 35 i would probably be seeing 1 mb/s and that wouldn';t be enough.

Also sony has Gaikai, which is a cloud streaming company as well. yes it may not be at the same level that MS has, but to say they dont have the infrastucture or the means of affording it. every single day Playstation is making alot of money. they are no longer tied to Sony's other products and have been profitable since day one.

it'll happen with Sony eventually, but it will all depend on the country's push for better internet infrasturcture before we can actually see the real benefits of cloud processing.

poppinslops3308d ago

I stopped reading after "Bruce has a point".

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 3308d ago
Bobafret3309d ago

That literally made my head hurt.

3309d ago Replies(2)
Immorals3309d ago

Xbox one for online cloud compute, Scorpio with the power to do it offline?

mozzie3309d ago

I am an xbox fan but why would they innovate in Cloud gaming and then release a new console which will go back and do it offline? that wouldn't make any sense at all. besides they told us that depending on how big the detonations and destructions in crackdown are it could use up to twenty Servers from azure. no idea how much power each of These "Servers" Sport but still. i don't think that the scorpio is real let alone will be able to do what azure does for CD3..

Immorals3309d ago

I'm not saying they wouldn't use it on Scorpio, that'd be stupid, just Scorpio could have the level of destruction on the Xbox one version offline

mark_parch3308d ago

imagine what they could do with the scorpio and then the cloud on top of that. basically your looking at crackdown destruction with graphics better than uncharted 4

3309d ago Replies(1)
Zeref3308d ago

The most powerful PC couldn't handle Crackdown 3 without Cloud Compute. An Xbox Scorpio still wouldn't be able to do it.

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40°

Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition announced for Nintendo Switch 2

We have another announcement from the Little Nightmares universe as Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition was just announced for Nintendo Switch 2. It launches on October 10, 2025. According to today’s announcement, Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition will run at 4K and 60 frames per second.

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nintendoeverything.com
Terry_B8h ago

..announced for every System including the Switch 2.

40°

Rematch is "chasing credibility" but not realism like rival EA FC

Pocket Tactics sits down with Rematch’s creative director, Pierre Tarno, to discuss why Sloclap moved away from Sifu to chase something new.

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pockettactics.com
650°

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

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theverge.com
21h agoReplies(1)
21h agoReplies(1)
Obscure_Observer20h 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.

20h ago
pwnmaster300020h ago

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

20h ago
Obscure_Observer20h ago

F* them both!

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

blacktiger19h ago

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

pwnmaster300018h ago(Edited 18h 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.

InUrFoxHole13h 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 13h ago
Tacoboto20h 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.

CrimsonWing6920h ago(Edited 20h 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?

Ganif18h 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.

CrimsonWing6918h ago(Edited 18h 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.

Ganif17h 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.

thorstein17h ago(Edited 17h ago)

Take the L, Crimson.

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

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 17h ago
-Foxtrot19h 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?

anast19h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts19h 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.

Tacoboto18h 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 18h ago
Profchaos16h 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

Angyobangyo7h 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.

TheExecutioner3h ago

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

Sonic18812h ago(Edited 2h ago)

Are you and Anast the same person?

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 2h ago
20h ago
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