1020°

Sony's PlayStation 4 is crushing Nintendo and Microsoft — now execs explain the master plan

Sony's Shawn Layden and Jim Ryan explain the master plan for the PlayStation 4, which has now sold 60 million consoles.

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businessinsider.com
DeadSilence2931d ago

Nintendo actually is doing pretty great.

naruga2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

Sony respected consumers and they showed respect back. Not only with their juggernaught PS4 but even back then with their unfairly misjudged PS3, they were hitting the market with exclusive quality and quantity ..

only PSVR was a mistake imo ....could spend all that budget (including the R&D) to develop new 1st party IP and ensure third party exclusives or even buy whole IPs that were born and being classical trademarks of Playstation (Crash , Resident Evil,FF VII total exclusivity ect ect)

MoonConquistador2931d ago

Have you even tried PSVR?

Nobody who's ever tried it has came back and wished the R&D money was spent on a new Spyro exclusive.

It has its flaws and issues, but it's another example of Sony pushing gaming forward and a damn fine piece of kit.

GtR35olution2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

"ultimately, it's all about the games, and Ryan thinks Sony has the edge. The "vast majority" of Xbox One games are also available for PlayStation 4, notes Ryan — and PlayStation 4-exclusive blockbusters like "Horizon Zero Dawn" and the forthcoming "Uncharted: The Lost Legacy" tip the scales. "

Seems like something fell on the floor, Sony dropped some knowledge . More Video games sells more video game consoles and Sony PlayStation has a lot more video games to sell with a lot more announced more than the competition. The playstation will continue to sell a lot more consoles because they have a lot more games on the horizon.

OB1Biker2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

It's the same BS as people were going about indie games. The fact they exist doesn't mean less traditional AAA games. More choice doesn't mean less games. It's the opposite.
VR games or VR option are in addition to traditional games. They don't replace them. Just look at say Insomiac games. They simply get more and more done. Not the opposite.

LamerTamer2931d ago

PSVR is crap. It is too low res and the lenses are blurry at the edges. All it is is a headache inducer. If the image quality on a TV or camera was the same quality of PSVR it would be returned as defective.

AnubisG2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

@MoonConquistador,

I tried PSVR on multiple occasions and it made me violently sick each time. So why did I try it multiple times? Because I wanted to see if it was only a particular game or the whole experience. But I got sick no matter what game I played. No, it's not really notion sickness, I'm 100% fine on boats and roller coasters. However with the PSVR I got major eyepain and nausea and a general feeling of being sick. Headaces too. So, after that experience, I do wish they would have spent that R&D on new IPs or more remakes like the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy. VR is a fad, just like 3D was. Stuff like this will be mainstream when you will not have to wear anything in order to experience the stuff. I think the future will be hollograms not VR. At least not in it's current form. If you enjoy it, awesome! Enjoy it. I certainly don't and as I said I tried it many times. Also, I'm not alone. I got two friends with similar experiences so for you to say nobody who tried PSVR said that sony should have spent the R&D money on remakes instead is just false.

wheresmymonkey2931d ago

Sony didn't respect consumers at all. They just played a bloody good PR game and responded well to MS and Nintendos complete mishandling of their own respective consoles.

Sony should have got roasted alive when they revealed the PS4. They were making gamers pay for online and it was the first console they released to not have straight out the box BC.

The only reason they didn't was because MS had completely cocked up the Xbone reveal by focusing on TV and other pointless services and decided to chuck in some rather onerous DRM which would tie discs to one console. Something which if you look at how the PS4 actually runs games, could have been in the offing for the system and then hasitly scrapped after MS got crucified over it,

Basically they pulled the same trick that they did with the PS1. Use theri position as the last person doing their press conference to completely undermine the competition and come out smelling of roses.

Smokingunz2931d ago Show
AnubisG2931d ago

@Moon,

I'm sorry to hurt your feelings guy.😄

What was it that I said that you think is wrong?

Plus, with motion sickness, you don't get eye pain. At least not as far as I know. But I guess Dr. Moon knows better and also tells me what I experienced is not what I think it was. Along with people who disagreed.

As I said before, if you enjoy VR, great! Go for it and enjoy it. No one is stopping you. You think it's the future of gaming? I don't. We will see which way gaming will go but the same arguments have been made for 3D during the PS3 era.

Either you will be right and gaming will head to a VR future or I will be right and it wont. But again, I believe that some sort of advanced hollogram technology will be in the future of gaming. We will see.

Pull my head out of my ass huh? 😄 You are such a nice guy.

AnubisG2931d ago

@MoonConquistador,

Oh and I'm not the first. Maybe you just haven't heard about these issues or just ignored them;

http://n4g.com/news/1965114...

Plus, google PSVR eye strain. You will be amazed by the information you did not know about. So sorry to dissapoint you, but I'm not the first. Sad face?😔

donthate2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

lmao! Sony respected consumers?

PS3 price? Get a second job?
No cross play?
Almost no mods?
EA Access is bad value for consumers, but hey, here is PS Now!

Now we are getting comments like this:

"Ryan says it's too early to really gauge the Nintendo Switch's success, but that "there's room in the market." When it comes to Microsoft, however, Ryan is a little more skeptical."

"Still, when it comes to the burgeoning market for super-powerful game consoles, Ryan says Sony is "building a strong position" with its early sales. So while Sony welcomes the competition and looks forward to hearing more about Project Scorpio at E3 with the rest of the world, it's not exactly keeping the PlayStation team up at night.

"We won't be frightened of what they do," says Ryan."

Sony is more concerned about Nintendo, than MS. Switch doesn't really compete with Playstation 4. The hubris is catching up to Sony again. Sony can't seem to shake that bad habit!

Nodoze2931d ago

PSVR was one of the few technologies that made me go WOW. I was totally not interested until a buddy brought his over. After trying it out, I bought it the next day. The library is growing. Highly recommended.

Arkham VR is mind blowing.

Fearmonkey2931d ago

PSVR is amazing, certainly not a mistake, its one o the best reasons to own a PS4.

jasonpugh2931d ago

VR altogether is short lived. It won't be mainstream for a very long time. Those who invested early I'm sorry but you probably also had The Nintendo power glove.

ShadowWolf7122931d ago

...they can't buy back IPs that the owners don't want to sell. Nor all they gonna shell out tens of MILLIONS just to make a remake of an old game exclusive.

Exvalos2930d ago

Don't bandwagon off the haters who can't afford vr, it's amazing tech and farpoint has now shown what's possible for future fps games. Psvr is the future of gaming

curtis922930d ago

@moon, you mean like PS Move, PS Camera and 3DTVs? it's another attempt to turn novelty into something sustainable. Hell even Kinect was successful for a bit... doesn't matter though. The shallow nature of it will always lose out in the end.

+ Show (14) more repliesLast reply 2930d ago
drunkenspy0072931d ago

They are, but as soon as the Zelda experience everyone is enjoying runs out, what then?

Eldyraen2931d ago

Mk8D just released and Arms/Splatoon 2 come out this summer. (One in but a couple weeks time). That's a great start for the first 6 months of any console (if those are good even better as first 6m to a year is usually light right after launch).

Plus how more switch owners only own the switch? My Switch is a compliment to others and is a damn fine one at that. I know I'm not alone in that and the "what else are you going to play" affects every new platform as not everyone is interested in every new game anyways. Zelda is by far one of the best launch games ever made and is a bigger reason to buy a new console day 1 than any game on PS4/One at launch. I bought both of those too, with Killzone, Knack, Ryse, etc... enjoyed them but none are on par with Zelda--appetizers basically where as Zelda is a main course. I played Killzone online a lot solely as what else was there? CoD: Ghosts? Don't make me laugh. Killzone was fun but campy half of the time with turrets and skills spamming as teammates played everything like TDM (and poorly).

I just finished playing a Horizon, still haven't beat zelda and I have over 200H in it (at hyrule castle now, may go back and hunt for last 8 shrines first). Koroks are repetitive but i enjoy looking for them (found 650+ on my own so far). Only did Divine Beasts last week (and wish there were more dungeons like them now).

2931d ago
DashMad2930d ago

eh Pokemon and animal crosing for WW and MH for Japan market ??

modelgod2930d ago

Don't argue with these fools. I'm xbox through and through but Sony has killer software, and Nintendo is a gimmick. I agree with you, once Zelda dies down, it's a wrap! !

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2930d ago
jznrpg2931d ago

They are doing good at launch selling consoles but lack games at the moment. Still a lot of questions with how successful Switch will be on the long run

Eldyraen2931d ago

True, but every new platform lacks games. Most have a bigger variety to choose from but rarely any are what you'd call quality on par with Zelda. I played it more than any 2-3 launch games on either One or PS4 (exception being Killzone online maybe, as online at launch didn't have many options so it filled most time just because what else was there?).

_-EDMIX-_2931d ago

@eld-Sony and Microsoft lacked Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty Battlefield, Need for Speed etc at launch?

You sure about that? Only Nintendo Platforms are releasing with such a lack of games because they don't have the same third-party support

so please stop trying to put Nintendo in some category as if every platform deals with such a situation because last time I remember the majority of the games that launched with PlayStation and Xbox this generation are also receiving sequels that are not coming to the switch at the moment

so no.

You could hold Zelda to a pedestal ,that's nice, nothing is wrong with that I think it's a great game but at the end of the day no single one title is going to move any system for five years...

The two systems that you're saying didn't have any options around launch are also the two systems that have intellectual properties that move 20 to 15 million units almost every single year so please put the bed that stupidity.

It's literally laughable to hear somebody desperately try to pretend that a series of intellectual properties are not that big a deal nevermind that they essentially determine the victory of a platform by their absence.

I mean you're seriously talking about a set of games that are not coming to the switch that combined units sold are in the ballpark of 100 million

Sure bud.

You could scuff at Destiny Call of Duty Battlefield the division shadow of War Grand Theft Auto Red Dead Redemption what have you, but at the end of the day you cannot ignore that all those games combined have a ridiculous install base of consumers, literally you are talking about the vast majority of hardcore Gaming....

That is the install base of Gamers that is essentially completely irrelevant to Nintendo platforms.

So if in your personal opinion that Zelda overtakes all of those games that's completely nice but make sure you're making clear that is your personal opinion to be honest it's completely irrelevant to anything that's being stated.

Regardless of how good Zelda is or how much you're in love with the game that's not really relevant or even a realistic measurement in terms of how it's going to do in the future with the lack of games I'm sorry but Zelda's not going to move 100 million units buddy.

Your personal Love of the Game is not going to counter his point.

Uken122930d ago

All systems still lack games people! PS4 has been out for 4 years and is reaching the end of it's cycle in a few years. Given all that time, the system barely has any games. Garbage Indies and yearly rereleases do not count.

QUIMICOMORTAL2931d ago

yeah, and it has just 5% of the ps4 sales...hence the title!

LordJamar2931d ago

so is xbox but so much media hate you can never find good news

subtenko2931d ago

But overall when you look at everything together, Sony is dominating both (Overall)

2931d ago
DarkZane2931d ago

Not if you compare the Switch to the PS4 and Xbox One. Both of them had stronger launches than the Switch.

hiawa232931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

Well, the Switch is doing well, but they started this gen with the Wiiu

Thomaticus2931d ago

Lets talk about Nintendo in another article. Lets focus on Sony for right now.

Orionsangel2930d ago

People forget that the Wii U was made to go up against current gen systems. It flopped and Nintendo had to start over and release their followup system earlier than expected. So the Switch is very late in terms of catching up to the PS4's huge head start.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 2930d ago
EddieNX 2931d ago

Its crushing XB1 and the Wiiu, not the 3ds or Switch

Rimeskeem2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

The Switch hasn't been out long enough and the 3ds is a handheld.

EddieNX 2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

so then how is the ps4 crushing Nintendo as the article claims? Its crushing the XB1, its direct competition.

_-EDMIX-_2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

To be fair there both Portables

@edd-Sony is crushing Nintendo by sheer virtue of Nintendo even leaving the Home console Market to go exclusively portable in the first place they literally drove them out of the market.

That means no more Nintendo consoles that were only exclusively made to run off of the television those days are over and it looks like they're only into portable gaming right now.

Sony basically shove them out of the market, if you don't have enough marketshare, it's basically like not having enough poker chips

you cannot play the game...

EddieNX 2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

All you forget the VITA WAS CRUSHED OUT THE MARKET JUST LIKE THE WIIU. 3DS an PS4 are roughly the same and so are WIIU and VITA. I'd call that a draw, nobodys been crushed except XB1 by PS4. And now Switch is FAR from being crushed.

badz1492931d ago

@EddieNX

"so then how is the ps4 crushing Nintendo as the article claims?"

but you just said previously;

"Its crushing XB1 and the Wiiu..."

I get it that the Wii U was an embarrassment to Nintendo but no need to disowned it like THAT.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2931d ago
AspiringProGenji2931d ago

Lol Switch hasn't even got 10m sales so that is still right, although not directly crushing it since it not competing againts it

2pacalypsenow2931d ago

The Switch and the 3Ds are portable consoles, they aren't competing with the Xbox 1 and PlayStation 4.

EddieNX 2931d ago

Thank you for proving my point. PS4 is crushing the XB1 , not Nintendo

Araragifeels 2931d ago

Switch is hybrid so it count as a console but I can't put say Switch is competing with PS4 directly since I see a different market and Switch doesn't even have a year.

2931d ago
EddieNX 2931d ago

If all Nintendo has is Switch, 3DS, Mobile then it cant be compared to pure home consoles like PS4, XB1.

_-EDMIX-_2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

Absolutely agreed.

Sony is crushing Nintendo by the fact that they've just shoved them out of the console Market in the first place

Nintendo is only making Portables now as something I've predicted a long time ago would probably happen with their loss of market share.

The PlayStation 4 is crushing the Xbox one as it's currently happening but clearly Sony absolutely crushed Nintendo in terms of past tense because the Wii U looks like it's the last Nintendo Home console.

You can't really beat something that's already dead Nintendo's already conceded and now they're only focusing on Portables they just don't have enough market share to exist in that market anymore.

@ara-I mean sure if you want to be as desperate in as Petty as to stretch an exaggerated any term to make yourself feel better at the end of the day in layman's terms in clear perfect English this is a portable device.

It is not a device made exclusively as a set-top device to only run off of the television.

I mean by your logic nothing is really a Home console if simply outing to the television from a damn cord now constitutes as a Home console sure cell phones are home consoles now so are iPads /s

I mean by that logic the PSP the 3DS and the DS , PSV are all home consoles now... All of those devices can out to the television, officially and unofficially through Hacks

At the end of the day regardless of its accessories to out to the television this is a portable device and its Market is completely different.

Outing to the television doesn't suddenly negate its portability.

King Nezz2931d ago

You babies always say the same crap. The Switch isn't a console, blah, blah, blah. And when Xbox has an exclusive that also comes to PC, you'll say it's not an exclusive because it's on the PC. Shut up and grow up. Sony could give 2 shits about you. They just make great games not for you, but for your cash. So don't act like "Sony is for the gamers and they care about our needs".

IGiveHugs2NakedWomen2930d ago

In terms of annual profits, PlayStation is crushing Nintendo and Xbox.... COMBINED.

Uken122930d ago

_Edmix_

Sony didn't push them out of the console mix. The Wii was it's own thing and so was the Wii U. 3rd parties pushed them out, probably because of business and politics. Gamecube was a beast, it lost to Sony because they buy the exclusive rights to 3rd party games to sell their system. A tactic frowned upon by Sony fanboys when other companies do it.

Also PC has a hand in this, the second biggest gaming market next to portable and phones.
Just because a product sells the most doesn't actually mean it is the best product. Wii for example. "Nintendo crushed Sony". That's how stupid this sounds. If the console cycle was 5 years instead of 7-8, Sony would have lost by a huge margin.

The point is the content that is released is what matters. Nintendo is crushing it when it comes to first party and always will. Wii U has more high rated games than PS4. What matters when it comes to gaming is the games. As a consumer to say the least. Just because the Box I own sold 60 mil units doesn't make it good.

My overarching point is this, just enjoy the games that you are able to and quit comparing dick sizes.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 2930d ago
gbsrnctaln2931d ago

They crushed nintendo right out of the console space....to the point where they were totally eliminated.

_-EDMIX-_2931d ago

Pretty much.

I had a feeling such a thing would happen and I even predicted it on this very website that Nintendo would possibly go portable only and would simply out to the television as to give some of their console fans Comfort , but with 14 million units sold it's not going to matter that much about how their console fans feel , it's a smart decision to go exclusively portable in simply just have an accessory I wouldn't be surprised if in the future they completely get rid of the dock in just sell it without the accessory.

They are portable only now and have permanently left the Home console Market I think it's kind of funny that their own fan base doesn't see this or does it want to admit what's happening.

Suddenly goalposts are being moved in now everything is a Home console 😂😂😂

I always believed that the ability to out to the television in regards to the accessory was simply a peace offering and to soften the blow to their console install base that they're no longer making home consoles and moving permanently into the portable Market.

The accessory was simply to show face.

Realplaya2931d ago

The switch is a console. Does it plug to a tv via some sort of chord? Does it have a wireless controller?

2pacalypsenow2930d ago (Edited 2930d ago )

@Realplaya

It's a portable "Console".

The Vita can also be played on a TV (with a Vita TV) and also use a dualshock 4 when in Remote Play, hell some games perform worse when they are docked.

LordJamar2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

its crushing switch i dont know why nintendo fanbyos keep saying its not competing YES IT IS thats stupid to think otherwise stop giveing nintendo free passes

KwietStorm_BLM2931d ago

I thought it said crushing Microsoft and Nintendo, but whatever. Everybody crushed Nintendo. That's why the Wii U ended up where it did, and forced Nintendo's hand with the Switch.

_-EDMIX-_2931d ago

Pretty much

the beating that they took with the Wii U pretty much made them lose in extreme amount of market share in the Home console market so much so that they had to just exit that market and go portable only.

Regardless of what anybody wants to call the switch at the end of the day it is a portable.

Nintendo basically only makes portable devices now because Sony forcing their hand. But at the same time Nintendo is just as much in terms of fault for even creating such an underpowered device with very little third party assistance.

They are correct to go portable only.

If someone wants to keep desperately trying to pretend that it's now a hybrid simply because you could play it off of the television sure but at the end of the day this company basically no longer makes set-top-boxes exclusively designed to run off of the TV.

Sony very much owns that market and moved them out of it.

Nintendo's arrogance knows no bounds and I always find it ironic that the company they betrayed all those years ago would be the one that would come back in basically dominate them so much that they're forced to go portable only...

rainslacker2931d ago

Switch is doing well, so it's growing, but it's hard to gauge the success of a console within the first 6 months or so, because demand for a new console typically is pretty high. But on pure numbers, I'd say Sony is "crushing" in terms of sales, but Nintendo isn't in a bad situation right now.

Plus, Nintendo also knows that software is important, although they seem to think that it's just their own software which makes the biggest difference. Luckily, the Switch looks like it might get better support than the WiiU, but for the long term, it's not going to get a lot of the same software like the PS4 and X1 share. While this isn't likely a big problem, as it's Nintendo's portable system despite what they say, and the NS will get it's own exclusive content that won't be seen elsewhere if the 3DS is any indication. But, overall, Nintendo has pretty much given up on the home console market, and the Switch is just a way to capitalize on whatever is left of their fan base in that market. Nintendo knows where their success lies, and it's in handhelds. NS was a good idea in theory, because it allows them to stay competative in the home console market.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 2930d ago
AspiringProGenji2931d ago (Edited 2931d ago )

Keep classy and delivering, Senpai!
You got my support.

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70°

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 devs praise games like Space Marine 2 for "lowering the barrier"

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 developers discuss the huge success of Space Marine 2 and its effect on the series as a whole.

Read Full Story >>
videogamer.com
Jingsing1d 21h ago

How about an official level editor for Boltgun?

220°

Phil Spencer Teases 2026 As A "Really Special Year" For Xbox

2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and Phil Spencer has teased it as a "really special year" for the games division.

Read Full Story >>
twistedvoxel.com
TheEroica2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

You got downvotes by pathetic gamers for feeling hopeful about good games coming out next year. Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy? It is pretty neat to see people's world view blow up in front of them as they realize Microsoft has put themselves in a driver's seat that Sony hasn't been able to touch all generation.... What's even more pathetic is the same people downvoting you are the same people wishlisting Microsoft games on their ps5s 😂

P_Bomb2d ago

“Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy?”

My dude your post history shits on EVERYTHING. You never have a good thing to say about anything lol! 🤣

PanicMechanic2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

“Getting ready for those GaaS reveals! Sony is a shadow of themselves this gen.”

You literally said this a couple of days ago. Start applying the clown make up, you hypocritical jester

derek2d ago

Yep we'll see, they have alot releasing next year.

RaidenBlack2d ago

NGL, next year might be one of the best years in gaming ... starting off with RE9 and GTA VI ...
and then all the good games that's been cooking
Pragmata, Sands of Time, Saros, Gears E-Day, 007 First Light, Blood of Dawnwalker,
Mortal Shell II, Onimusha, Marvel1943: Rise of Hydra
current-gen only Infinity Ward's CoD, Duskbloods
+ My guess: Wolverine, Exodus, Mudang, Crimson Desert, Clockwork etc ...
~ seems like it might get too stacked

1Victor2d ago

@rokos:”Hopefully “
I downvoted you not for been hopeful but because I have seen the same “NEXT YEAR WILL BE SPECIAL “ comment for the last 10+ and hasn’t seen anything special from Microsoft.
I hope next year will be the one that everyone been waiting for since the last 3 years of the Xbox 360, it have to be after over $80 billions spent on acquisitions.

Lightning772d ago

So the new excuse is they don't count because it's from the ABK now huh. I guess all those 3rd party games count even less because they don't own them. According to your always crappy logic.

InUrFoxHole1d 20h ago

Lol. You haven't seen anything special? Do you even game?

OtterX2d ago

Always with the "next year..."! 😂

neutralgamer19922d ago

I don't know they have delivered this year and even last year. And they have a lot more content in the pipeline right now than anyone else. We can't just keep hating on MS

Indiana Jones
South of midnight
Avowed
Flight simulator
Hell Blade 2
Minecraft update
Gears of war reloaded
Indian Jones:expansion
Gears E day
Clockwork revolution
Fable
Doom the dark ages
The outer worlds 2
Grounded 2
Call of duty

OtterX2d ago

How many of those titles were just buyouts of companies that were going about making their games anyways? *Throws cash - "Oh look what we made!"

dveio2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

This list, that's been posted again, and again, and again in every single topic like this, contains almost nothing, literally almost nothing from Microsoft's own creational thoughtprocess.

It's a bunch of former 3rd party IPs.

Now even slowly returning to Playstation in some cases like Indiana, Hellblade, probably Starfield soon too, after they were made exclusively to Xbox on purpose.

Due to Microsoft's lack for own IP material except Halo & Forza. Which, the lack of, was the sole reason for all of it to happen in the first place anyway. Please don't pretend it wasn't.

And just look at all the games that come from Obsidian alone.

You really think Obsidian wasn't already working on Avowed and South of Midnight even without Microsoft buying Zenimax?

Microsoft delivered nothing but cheques.

OtterX2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

@dveio THIS. Lol, this dude thinks Call of Duty wouldn't exist without Microsoft! smh 😂

neutralgamer19922d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Common narrative I see often — that Microsoft shouldn’t get credit for the games its studios release because they “just bought them.” But this viewpoint ignores key context and sets a double standard that other platform holders aren’t held to

No one is saying these games wouldn't exist at all without Microsoft. But let’s not pretend that having a trillion-dollar company backing a studio doesn’t make a massive difference. Obsidian never had AAA funding before the Xbox acquisition. Pillars of Eternity was crowdfunded, and their resources were always stretched thin. Now they’re working on Avowed, with proper support behind it.

Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was made by around 20 people, using borrowed equipment and doing mocap in a boardroom. It was a passion project held together by tape and willpower. Today, Hellblade II exists because they were given resources, time, and freedom — something many developers don’t get unless they’re owned by a company that believes in their vision.

ZeniMax (Bethesda’s parent company) was in real financial trouble before the Microsoft acquisition. Reports and insider accounts have pointed out how much they needed a cash infusion. And while some people want to write off Xbox’s ownership of Bethesda titles, they forget the alternative could have meant layoffs or even closures.

The same goes for Activision Blizzard. Would you really prefer the company to stay under Bobby Kotick, after all the documented workplace misconduct and toxic leadership issues? Say what you want about Microsoft, but their acquisition brought accountability and change to a company that desperately needed it.

At the same time, Xbox gets hated on for doing what every major company does. Sony bought Housemarque, Bluepoint, Insomniac — but no one says Spider-Man 2 “doesn’t count” because of that. Why does Xbox get treated differently for acquiring struggling or undervalued developers and giving them a chance to thrive?

And the idea that Xbox locks games away is outdated. They're pushing cross-platform releases, cloud gaming, Game Pass, and backward compatibility more than any other platform holder. They're not forcing all studios into live service. If anything, their upcoming lineup is less GAAS-heavy and more focused on narrative and creativity — Avowed, South of Midnight, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Perfect Dark, Towerborne, and others show real variety.

Whether people like it or not, Xbox is now the biggest publisher in the industry and owns the most gaming IPs. But what matters more is how they treat their studios. Most of these teams were previously stuck making AA games with limited scope — now they’re getting the tools and support to aim higher.

So when people say “Microsoft didn’t make those games,” they’re missing the point. It’s not about who started the studio — it’s about who enabled them to do their best work. You don’t have to love Xbox to admit they’ve helped a lot of developers and are taking a player-first approach.

Instead of writing off everything they do, maybe try recognizing the good they’re doing for both devs and gamers. At the end of the day, we should want more studios to succeed — no matter who owns them

BeHunted2d ago

I'm surprised Clockwork Revolution (BioShock meets Dishonored) isn't getting more media attention. The game looks interesting and reminds me of the old RPG games.

anast2d ago

The only good game on that list is Flight sim. The rest are either average or will be average. It's not a good look for MS.

TheEroica2d ago

My god.... Look how many comments are upset about microsoft's successes... 😂 This may be my new favorite thread. Not one gamer saying thanks for all the goodness coming their way, just bitter anger and downvoting the very games they themselves will purchase throughout 2026.... Sony really worked you guys over this generation.... Condolences.

DivineHand1252d ago

@neutralgamer1992 You said what needed to be said.

I have heard for years from older gamers that fanboys are the biggest issue with any fanbase. They will defend or gloss over negative news as long as the correct logo is on the box and they bash the competing platform no matter how much good they are trying to bring.

Right now their advocacy for PlayStation is elevating that platform so high that Sony no longer believes they need to do anything to satisfy their loyal fanbase like they did in the PS4 days.

I just hope most of them will eventually start advocating for themselves and encourage others to do the same. No one should blindly support one platform because these companies do not care about anything other than profit.

neutralgamer19922d ago

Hunted

And first proper game done by the studio with proper AAA budget and saying it will be released when ready

Anast

I believe we went through this before that you are objectively wrong. Meta critic, user reviews, game sales. In Playstation top 10 best selling games were 5 from Microsoft studios

Otter

No this dude is saying so many other studios wouldn't be thriving without MS money and people would be getting abused physically and mentally with Bobby kotick and his side kicks

Also maybe look up how the original founder of Bethesda and zenimax was kicked out of his own company by his best friend lawyer. So that was always a shady place and had been struggling financially before MS paid a premium of almost 7 billion

Eroica

I use to be a die hard Playstation fan and now I only have a Pc. I see how these fans are so toxic. They just can't handle any positive news regarding Xbox. When the best selling games on playstation are Xbox titles. Look at Forza horizon being best seller and that's years old game by MS. I guess ms don't deserve credit for that success too since they are the only company in gaming making acquisitions

Forget the fact Sony paid 3.6 billion for bungie and MS 6.9 for zenimax. Which investment has turned out better

Destiny and marathon with a lot of controversy

While zenimax output is nothing short of amazing compared to what bungie has released

crazyCoconuts2d ago

Yeah it's tricky. "Xbox" has morphed to mean different things to different people.
Console, now Windows, GamePass, and the cross platform games. There's a mix of attitudes towards all those things individually, and maybe an overarching attitude towards MS. But can't argue that the game companies MS recently bought continue to flourish, and GamePass PC has been a great value over the last year.

InUrFoxHole1d 20h ago

@OtterX
You're the dude mad at your exes new guy. She's with someone else... get over it.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 1d 20h ago
Lightning772d ago (Edited 2d ago )

They've had good output so far. So waiting for those games shouldn't be a problem.

Who cares if they're buy outs of companies or whatever excuse you want to make. They're games that are being distributed to other console. Play the games and enjoy it instead of fanboying or complaining.

ocelot072d ago

They going to be a he best and biggest publisher on Xbox, Playstation and PC next year. They not really said anything about Switch 2 though spite claiming to be big supporters.

quenomamen2d ago

If you call making one last Xbox before going full Sega, as Great. Then yea.

TheEroica2d ago

Doesn't feel like you're paying attention to what's happening.

RhinoGamer882d ago

It will be, his net work will hit 50 million and he plans to buy a new mansion in Cape Cod. Thanks everyone! #failup

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