Project Scorpio: Xbox chief on Microsoft's plans for console domination

In an exclusive interview, head of Xbox Phil Spencer explains the vision behind Project Scorpio and what it adds to the Xbox One generation

[KingKionic]

“When developers come into the labs and port their engines over to Scorpio, we say, ‘Hey, start with your high-end PC settings, and then see what happens’. We’ve been really pleasantly surprised by the results, because you don’t know what’s gonna happen when you start running third-party engines.”

Lol damn bring on E3.

Lets get it.

[Bigpappy]

This is almost crazy. I can believe what M$ is about to drop here. Post E3 looks to set the internet on fire. If M$ could pull off these types of results with relatively low spec hardware, this could be a major shift in the PC industry. This is all about efficiency and core management.

I am almost nervous to see all those 4K games at E3. I have heard about at least 6 third party games @Native 4K so far. This console is exciting to watch unfold.

[TheCommentator]

Scorpio is going to stupefy so many people around here with it's "plain old, underpowered Jag processors" running 3rd party 4k games with no problems at all. Plus, it's so simple to get an XB1 game up to native 4K that it only took one guy 2 days to do it. I wouldn't be surprised to see any game that already has 4K assets on PC get an upgrade since it can't cost more than a few hours worth of dev time to do it.

[Godmars290]

Its still MS asking 3rd parties to do things for their system, not showing what can be done with it like Sony and Nintendo do.

[TheCommentator]

@ Godmars

How is it that MS is asking 3rd parties do do things for their system?
How is having shown Forza 6 not considered showing what can be done already?
Can't you understand that MS is also going to be showing what the system can do at E3?

[Godmars290]

MS is asking 3rd party devs to bring games by saying they'll run as well on Xbox brand consoles. Have been saying that since coming into the console market.

As for showing something at E3 - of course they have to show something - *ITS E3*! The question is will what they show largely be CG or only CG.

And aren't they on Forza 7? Isn't that a racing game? Sony showed off the latest GT but that's also a racing game and not really worth bringing up in regards to showing off a system. When it was shown off on the PS2 back in the day maybe, but even then that was only about GT and not the PS2. How about a Halo title that plays like Uncharted.

An Uncharted-like title set in the Halo Universe? Something like that would certainly get me excited.

Also, what was cloud servers suppose to do for the XB1? In light it doing little more than light duty so far while waiting for CR3 to get a release date, has MS made mention of anything regarding it and the Scorpio? Any other game it was suppose to help make games easier to make?

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

It's not as if the Xone set the bar very high, since Xone games should run fine on a budget PC, so they should have little trouble porting old games to 4K.

[Angeljuice]

If Microsoft want to dominate the console market they need a massive and fundamental change in their attitude, not just a powerful system.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Console domination....Is a overstatement don't get too hyped Phil just plan to be revelant to gamers first.

[Bigpappy]

That wasn't from Phil. He never said that.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Who did because that's way too ignorant

[XanderZane]

Exactly. "The Guardian" just put that shit in their title to get clicks. Phil doesn't mention "console domination" at all in the whole interview. Total click bait BS.

[slate91]

Dont fall victim to the flame bait headlines. #readthearticles2017

[XiNatsuDragnel]

True but headlines that clickbaity shouldn't say that.

@OverSensitiveGeneration.

[EatCrow]

Its not oversensitive generation.
The point is: read before you write.

Thats the opposite stance of this generation actually. Reading Headlines instead of stories and researching.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

It is folks.

[spicelicka]

That is the author's headline to fish out people like you, not from Phil.

"Phil just plan to be revelant to gamers first"

That's also ironically ignorant, considering you're here commenting about him.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Yes talking about him and his plans in order to be successful you need to be revelant

[Angeljuice]

It's not really clickbait as the Guardian is a well respected newspaper, it's more that they aren't that knowledgeable on the subject.
Their key demographic is highly educated middle class people, not gamers at all. This article isn't meant for dedicated gamers.

[JasonKCK]

XiNatsuDragnel proof once again you can't get past the title.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Lol this prove you can't deduce from text, or read context

[vegasgamerdawg]

Because reading the article is hard...

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Interpretation from the lines is difficult as well....

[Shadyceaser]

I don't want anyone to dominate as the one who dominates gets lazy ..... Competition keeps gaming affordable for most ... Look at MS this time around they are trying very hard to claw back market share thanks to Sony giving them a spanking ... 😃

[Godmars290]

Its that domination is a thing earned not given that's the problem. MS came in proclaiming they'd dominate the console market just like they did PC OS, but even Windows position was earned by may of DOS, which ironically was given to them via IBM.

[JasonKCK]

Godmars290 MS bought DOS from Tim Paterson

[Soc5]

I would say they did a good job spanking themselves.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Competition is best, it stops stagnation, look at AMD VS Intel/Nvidia, we went without competition in the CPU/GPU sector for so long and now interesting things are starting to happen.

[tyasia0]

Console domination eh...

https://media3.giphy.com/me...

[stuna1]

Yeah isn't this a repeat of what they said post 2013?

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Yep back at it again

[Fishy Fingers]

It's a repeat of people failing to read more than a headline...

The twitter generation....

[Death]

This is pretty similar to what happened in 2013. People with no time to read an article took misinformation and multiplied it and then went on a rant about terrible things that didn't exist.

Good job.

[morganfell]

"It's a repeat of people failing to read more than a headline... "

Its the failure of supposed gaming sites using hit inducing headlines and some gamers being too smart to give them a click.

[rainslacker]

@Fishy

Yeah, it's the readers fault the author used a headline which in absolutely no way conveys the thing that Phil was trying to say.

Oh hey, that's against N4G rules. Ill go ahead and report since no one else will. What Phil says here is good, but I don't believe this kind of poor clickbait mentality should keep on going. It's too obvious that it only hurts any discourse about the topic more than it would be otherwise.

That being said, it's a shame to report it for this, because it's not a bad interview, and outside some hyperbole, is an interesting read, although not terribly informative technically.

[slate91]

Lets see how many headline-only readers fall victim to this.
Hey look, nX is already in here.

[DragonDDark]

Why do you care? Just ignore them if you're so frustrated by them. lol...

[slate91]

The spread of mis-information should frustrate anyone, and everyone should speak up about it if you want change. In my opinion

[TheCommentator]

Ironic, you asking us to ignore the ignorant. What would that make us if we did that?

[Veneno]

In that case your complaint falls with bad writing. Your disdain for mislead readers is completely unwarranted. You need to guide your complaint to where it is supposed to go.

[slate91]

I see where your coming from. If that is the case, then why not target both the reader and author?
I feel its just as irresponsible to comment on the false headline with a knee-jerk reaction, as it is to write it.

[jznrpg]

This is the authors fault imo, clickbaot title isnt readers or commentors fault

[EatCrow]

Blame falls on both.
Reading is essential to understanding any topic. Except for ignorance. That is clear for all to see.

[trooper_]

You don't create a clickbait title if you dont want complaints. The title should be exactly what the article is about.

That's Jounalism 101.

[rainslacker]

How about instead of reveling in the fact you get a chance to laugh at some of the users, you guys go and report the article, and try to bring a better quality of journalism to the site as a whole?

This isn't even clickbait that skirts around the technicality. It is just an outright false representation of what the interview is about.

Take it to the journalist, not the readers, and who's to blame people nowadays when they don't go to read articles when the articles can't even represent themselves properly?

I mean, why would I care what Spencers plans are for console domination...because whatever his plans are, it won't work and it'll fall flat....so it's mockable either way? But an article that lays out what the vision of Scorpio is, and what they've come to achieve can't be mocked. It's easy to roll your eyes at those who won't read past that headline, because they have no way to criticize the actual content of the article/iinterview, so their arguments are shallow.

[Veneno]

Then I would assume that you have already filed your complaint with the website and the proper watch dog journalistic authorities? Because I'm so sure you are actually activist on this topic and would do more than spew out your disdain on some comment thread with misguided anger. I feel so much safer that you are out there blaming readers for something they didn't do.

[Aenea]

"console domination", ehmm, okay!

[snkiworld]

meh

[corroios]

This title is clickbait. He didnt told that, because he knows that this year they are in the last place selling less then everybody and the scorpio is launched on the end of the year

[King_Lothric]

Console dominance?

I doubt MS will dominate the console market. They have never dominated or won a console generation.

[LordJamar]

read the article mate

[AmUnRa]

Why the 10 downvotes?? You.are telling the true, and some xbox fans can not exept the true.

[XXanderXX]

Sweet domination​

[guyman]

Which has been non-existent from microsoft's side, and will continue to be the case going forward

[XXanderXX]

O cause most think it not happening those are Fans of the brand should stop rooting for it .
Impossible or not am always rooting and supporting .

[talocaca]

Stop Overhyping and cancelling games.

What happened to the power of the cloud? Or Kinect as an integral part of Xbox? Milo?

[LordJamar]

read the god dang article!!!

[SegaGamer]

It just shows how easy people are to manipulate. They can't even be bothered to read the article, just the clickbait headline.

[LP-Eleven]

Or, better yet, why not report the thread to complain about the title's substance? You going to be the "Read Police" for everyone who rightfully finds it outlandish in its current form?

If the article doesn't match the title, that's where the problem begins.

[rainslacker]

Does the article have an answer to all those questions and how it will lead to MS console domination?

The title implies so, but that's not the case.

So why should one read the article?

The author doesn't seem to care what the topic of his article is enough to represent it properly, so why should we read the article to learn something that isn't even the topic of the headline?

I came here to learn what MS plans were for console domination. Sure, I thought it might be some hyperbole made up by the author for that "console domination" part, but "console domination" was in absolutely no way the topic of what was being talked about here. Not directly stated by Spencer, nor by any contextual interpretation by what the term implies.

In other words

"REPORT THE DANG ARTICLE!!!"

[aconnellan]

Far as I'm aware, only 2 high profile games have been cancelled since the X1 came out.

Power of the cloud was supposed to see its biggest showcase in Crackdown 3, which they've said multiple times. After it comes out then we can judge if it effectively uses it or not.

Xbox fans AND PlayStation fans said that they weren't happy with Kinect being such an integral (and expensive) part of the Xbox, so Microsoft listened and took steps to remove it. How is that bad?

And I'm sure you're very concerned about Milo - the tech demo from Peter Moleneux for the Xbox 360. Great argument /s

[AmUnRa]

Listened to the fans and then they removed Kinekt??
Are you living in lala land?
You know thats not the case, they where forced to do it.
Stop lying.

[kayoss]

almost 30 million behind, so how are you going to dominate when you're 30 million behind?

[Armyntt]

They lost. MS isn't competing with Sony anymore. The days of generations are over thank god. I hate fanboys arguing over salez.

[quiddd]

Is HoloLens still a thing?

[Tko1111]

Why are so many Sony fans scared? The damage control is on high alert. I can't wait for Scorpio but the same can be said for god of war. Loyalty to one brand while forsaking the other as a gamer is childish. Start the dislikes

[AmUnRa]

Scared for what? The Scorpio??
Let me tell you, PS fans are NOT scared for the Scorpio,
Why?? Microsoft lost this generation, and no Scorpio can change that.
It is wishful thinking from you Xbox fans, never gonna happen.
In the mean time whe have tons of exclusive games to play.

[Tko1111]

There is no more generations not when pc = Xbox. Love my Sony exclusives but I also love my Xbox and Nintendo as well.

[PaulFiend]

"Domination" LOL.

[bluefox755]

Maybe he should plan on releasing a decent game or 2 first, baby steps Phil.

[Artemidorus]

"Three years ago we were in a position where maybe our hardware wasn’t touted as the best in the market,” says Spencer. “Now I can say, OK, from the Xbox One S to Scorpio, I’m incredibly proud of our hardware lineup relative to anybody else’s.” Xbox One has lagged behind PlayStation 4 in many respects - now we may be about to feel the sting in its tail".

Basically thanks for buying our Day One edtions that were dev/beta kits, we have now provided two consoles.

No mention of games bar saying older games get 4K treatment.

I for one as a three time generation owner am Xbox Done. Phil you are a disgrace.

[Phoenix76]

How can u dominate a market when your already planning to out price your nearest competitors and out price which most people (not the hardcore gamers on this site) from buying your product?

[rando]

without even reading the comments below... let me guess... every "xbox got no games" comment 50+ upvotes. every hopeful or positive xbox comment 20+ downvotes.

[Tankbusta40]

Microsoft did it to themselves, even the games they have that are desirable to play can be played on PC. There is absolutely no reason to own an Xbox anymore.

[URtheWalrus]

Except if you dont have a pc or do not want one.

[subtenko]

So before they were trying to convince people xbox was the most popular console (even tho it obviously wasnt). Not they admit it,lol!

you can plan, and you can actually take action but in this market you gotta be nervous of whatever weapon playstation is crafting to shank you with (metaphorically speaking)

[Skankinruby]

'It is, perhaps, the Samsung Galaxy s8 to Sony's iPhone 7' perfect comparison. I'm an android and playstation guy and specs for all current phones/consoles will be way too similar to jump ship or even get both. Even if scorpio ends up being technically superior it won't be close to enough to choose it over the pro.

[pyroxxx]

Pigs dream of corn.

[peluis]

Reminder: Game development is business ppl not a charity. They have to make money.

[Tankbusta40]

Project Scorpio: Xbox's version of a steam machine with a nice monthly price to pay online!!!

It can't fail!!! Can't wait to see the price tag on this thing

[Segata]

With his stance on single player games,Xbox will never be relevant again.

[Bronxs15]

LOL. This is N4G right now:

http://www.cityofhancock.co...

[jznrpg]

If they would have took thst 2 billion of minecrsft money and made some studios and GAMES out of it or instead of investing money in Scorpio and made GAMES I would be more likely to buy their products. The Xb1s isnt a nad console it lacks games and of it had more than just BC I would get one

[PhoenixUp]

What does Microsoft know about console domination?

[sampson3121]

PARITY is a bitch eh? just ask us ps4 gamers.
you guys will see :) devs aren't stupid enough to piss off a potential 60 million ps4 gamers by making their version of a 3rd party game not as good as the scorpio.

like i said, you will see :)

https://www.gamespot.com/fo...

sony = games games games. they own the 3rd party deals this year so watch PARITY take hold of the conversation.

[starchild]

That really hasn't happened in most cases. The majority of multiplatform games looked best on PC followed by PS4 and then Xbox One, just as you would expect based on their respective hardware capabilities.

[sampson3121]

did you click the link? i can send you more if you would like?
http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

and these were devs that were at least being honest about it.

[jhoward585]

The secret sauce is very heavy in this article.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

i'm somewhat excited for what ms could potentially bring. that being said, this is just pr hype.

[jokerisalive]

Domination of their own Mau's and headshots numbers lmfao! It sure isn't domination of any sort this gen in terms of games. That crazy ass spin just like all the pr hype and bs surrounding the cloud and dx12.

[CrimsonWing69]

Must be a loooooooong long plan then.

[SuperbVillain]

yeah ok sure

[Profchaos]

We gone put a TV in it

[BuildTheWall]

Read the damn article before posting !!!

[snkiworld]

Console domination LOL

[GoodnessGreatness]

Let's all just wait for the obviously better PS5.

[AmUnRa]

I dont have to wait for PS5, the PS4 is delivering excl after excl and they have high scores all over the place. No i'am good with my PS4. No need for the PS5 yet.

[MagicBeanz]

lol, hilarious.

[MorpheusX]

Ive owned the PS4 and the XB1, sold them, been spectating since, However Im starting to get excited about the Scorpio and its specs, can't wait to E3.

I've missed quite a few games so far and with whats coming up for 3rd party plus whatever MS has unannounced , I'm just waiting to Pre-order Scorpio.

I must say, 1st time this Gen Ive been excited. If MS releases Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves this year...man that would be awesome....

[InTheZoneAC]

can't dominate consoles when your most hyped game is crack down 3...and even then you have no exclusives...