720°

Phil Spencer Is Exactly Who You Think He Is

How the video game industry’s most progressive exec is forging Xbox’s future.

Read Full Story >>
gamespot.com
Spurg1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

He steered Xbox in the right direction. He has been the most progressive person in Xbox history with Gamepass, Backwards compatibility, the addition of 9 Xbox studios, Elite and adaptive controller and the future Xcloud.
Now, all we need from the Xbox game studios are the games.

Jin_Sakai1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

Yea he steered it in the right direction alright. Nearly all their 1st party games flopped and they’re getting dominated in hardware sales.

Killed this generation,
Lionhead, Fable Legends, Project Spark, Scalebound, VR for Xbox One X, Cortana, Kinect, Snap, UWP, Minecraft Super Duper Graphics Pack, the Phantom Dust reboot, and Shangheist by The Coalition.

Let me guess, just wait until E3 and next generation.

Spurg1711d ago

"Nearly all their 1st party games flopped this generation"
What flopped???

"Lionhead, Fable Legends"
A sad one but only gave rise to Playground game's RPG studio.

"Project Spark"
A free to play game....nothing will be missed

"Scalebound"
Platinum shares the blame.

"VR for Xbox One X"
VR isn't there yet and not even PlayStation wants to create a AAA game for the device.

"Cortana"
She died in Halo 4

"Kinect"
That's a positive

"Snap"
I'm inevitable

"UWP"
???

"Minecraft Super Duper Graphics Pack"
The game will still look shit

"the Phantom Dust reboot"
It's remastered and free to play

"Shangheist by The Coalition."
That game is a myth

S2Killinit1711d ago

Went a whole generation with almost nothing to show for it. Imagine if at the start of gen they said this would be xbox this generation, people would have laughed at you. But its not Spencer, he is just a PR mouthpiece. The decisions are coming from above him.

1711d ago
DaDrunkenJester1711d ago

Every company has to end up closing development studios and games at some point. Scalebound was a failure on both sides, and again, that was a deal made before Spencer was in full control... in fact a lot of what you're stating were things and promises made before Spencer was in full control. VR was never even in production for an Xbox. Features, services, and such all go through phases and if they aren't viable they get cut. That's part of business. Super Duper Graphics update wouldn't have worked on all platforms they probably figured why waste the development costs on an update for only 2 platforms. The Phantom Dust reboot is a bummer though and Shangheist was never even a thing, it was a tech demo much like Infiltrator demo for UE4 back in 2013.

IRetrouk1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

@jester, I agree with most of what you said, every game company closes what's not working, Vr was deffo being worked on though, without a shadow of doubt in my head.

https://www.google.com/amp/...

DaDrunkenJester1711d ago

@IR

Okay so they may have had some design concepts in the works, but they put it on hold until better tech was available. It was never formerly announced as a thing and then cancelled though. I'm sure big tech and software companies like this have 100's of different things they conceptualize to see if it's viable.

BLizardXD1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

@ Jin_Sakai

right. as a fellow playstation gamer i will never care about the good games on xbox.

Zeref1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

Tell me exactly which 1st party games flopped besides crackdown 3? State of Decay 2 just reached 5 million players. Sea of thieves last reported 8.4 million players. Halo 5 made more money than any Halo game before. Same with Gears 4. Did Cuphead flop? Ori? Forza? Nope. Even Recore did decent numbers.

Only 2 of the games you mentioned that are cancelled are legit. Fable and Scalebound. Nobody cares about the rest lol, stop it.
Phantom Dust release date was never announced. It isn't cancelled either, they are looking for a developer.
Shangheist was never even an official thing.

Since we're making nitpick lists, i'll help you with a Sony version. Sony killed this generation.
Agent, Deep down, basic security features, streaming to mobile phones, not censoring games, PS Vita, Playstation home, Playstation Eye camera, Ustream, E3 Conference, Gnomageddon, PSX 2018, Evolution studios, Guerilla Cambridge, Sony Online Entertainment.

I can do it too.

King_Noctis1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

You may have forgotten that the Xbox One era started without him. He had just began fixing the platform after the last executive nearly ruined it.

But hey, let blame Phil right?

“VR for Xbox One X, Cortana, Kinect, Snap, UWP”

Beside VR, how are those any feature that the gaming fans want? I mean, Kinect, really? Didn’t you guy sh*t on it everytime? Now that they stop supporting it, you guys sh*t on it as well?

1711d ago
GtPawnSacrifices1711d ago

Minecraft Super Duper Graphics Pack is still in the works. Mojang said.
And Phantom Dust wasn’t killed. It was released a year or so back on X1 for FREE.
https://www.microsoft.com/e...

Kiwi661711d ago

You can wait until e3 if you like but Xbox gamers will be playing games on their xbox console

DarXyde1711d ago

The Xbox ship has sailed for me and I will not be buying their next generation console, but I think it is incredibly glib of you to suggest Microsoft has not made some significant strides under Spencer that largely appeals to their customers: Gamepass, the Games with Gold offerings, backwards compatibility, and new studios are definitely steps in the right direction. Granted, I don't like anything tethered to subscriptions (I don't even have PlayStation Plus anymore) but there is a lot of appeal, especially if you primarily play multiplatform games because xCloud will be something you may wish to take advantage of. Sony has done phenomenally this generation, but let's not pretend Microsoft has been reliably anti-consumer, because they're offering a lot.

froy4021710d ago

Did you just say kinect? That's literally one of the things that killed xbox one in the first place, should of had it aborted before it was even born

AAWELLS091710d ago

Hey honey just take a deep breath and go to the restroom and change your t-pon and when you get done with that come over here and I'll give you a hug(be sure to wash your hands first though). No matter what your current mood is I still think you're a sweetie.

Sieden1710d ago

You do realize the ship set sail with Don Matrick right? Phil was promoted to clean up the mess he left behind.

NarutoFox1710d ago

Ps2 was the king then Sony got cocky with ps3 pissed off gamers and they went to xbox 360 who because the new king. Xbox got cocky with the xbox one pissed off gamers who went to ps4 and they became the new king. Now Sony is doing everything right and not pissing off gamers so they will continue to be king. Just a short history lesson.

XiNatsuDragnel1709d ago

@Zeref

Nii san, most the games were flops, and one more thing Off-topic : I can't forgive u what you done to Mavis.

+ Show (17) more repliesLast reply 1709d ago
leejohnson2221711d ago ShowReplies(1)
Kribwalker1711d ago ShowReplies(4)
King_Noctis1711d ago

I also think that Without Phil, MS wouldn’t have acquired so many studios recently.

THC CELL1711d ago

He did it to keep u all sweet and get his fame

Guy will be tugging his self to sleep at night

And he was buying up studios that was failing.

OB1Biker1710d ago (Edited 1710d ago )

Man, I get it. He s very likeable in his own way. It's cool that a lot of people like Spencer. Isn't there some sort of myth though?
Both ps4 and xbox had incredibly successful launch with a very diverse list of exclusives. The xbox reveal (of which Spencer was completely part of) was already turned around except for the hardware with kinect needed to go (which was done later on,) and double down on games. (And of course a slim revision later on as is normal) E3 2014 an impressive conference (which turned out to be smoke and mirrors in the delivery).
From then on xbox one success went down hill but Spencer 'pushed Nadella to acquire Mojang, the Swedish developer of Minecraft, for $2.5 billion'. (Couldnt that money be better spent on pushing console gaming? On Visceral? Respawn? Idk, Instead of capitalising on Minecraft on all platforms?)
I mean, I can understand people appreciate some things he did but 'turn xbox around'? Or 'saved xbox'?
It's all fine with me though.

Z5011711d ago Show
SyntheticForm1711d ago

I'm buying everyone here a framed poster of Phil Spencer grinning.

THC CELL1711d ago

Make it a target I can shoot my arrows at and we golden lol.

sushimama1710d ago

Cool, I'll use it for toilet paper

rainslacker1710d ago

Cool. I can use some firewood for the winter.

SyntheticForm1710d ago

I love these replies, and if I actually had a framed poster of Phil Spencer, I'm not sure where I'd hang it. Perhaps a position of prominence in my town - just to see the reactions.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1710d ago
Juvia1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

I love how the first pro xbox post always gets like 100 likes while everything else is largely all dislikes.

If you guys are going to inflate likes to try and make Xbox look good you should try to be less obvious about it. We all know what you guys are doing, and it certainly isn't going to make people want to join your side.

No one wants to play for the bad guys.

King_Noctis1711d ago

We are on N4G aren't we? And you do know what platform this place prefer right?

SegaGamer1711d ago

You could say the same thing about Playstation articles. You fanboys are all as bad as each other.

sushimama1710d ago

@sega, yeah but we do it freely and because it's how we feel. When Xbox suddenly gets 200 likes out of nowhere, it's fraudulent fake upvotes. Like how Microsoft PAY people to stream. They PAY people to cheer very loud in the crowd at their press conferences. It's so bloody obvious. Phil and Microsoft are as fake as the day is long. They'll get destroyed next gen.

zodiac9091711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

All the things you listed seems like beating around the bush, rather than what REALLY matters..."Exclusive Games."

Edito1711d ago

You know what I don't like Phil and the Xbox Team but I have to agree that they tried their best and I really hope it pays off in the end... One thing we have to keep in mind that games is a Japanese thing and they know this shit... and Xbox Team gave their best and YES they have some good games to play Halo Gears and Forza are tired franchises but they are still good games I wish I could have Forza Horizon 4 on my PS4, I have it for PC but I don't have a power house PC and I would like to play it on my brand new 77 OLED C9 but I won't buy an Xbox just for that but still the game is wonderful and we don't have anything close to that on PS4 so yeah I don't identify myself with Xbox but it's good to have healthy and good competition for the sake of the healthy of the industry as a whole...

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 1705d ago
XiNatsuDragnel1711d ago

A slick oil salesman as well. as a savior

shuvam091711d ago

And a younger Arnold Schwarzenegger clone with a happy smile...
Honestly though, he's the best thing to have happened to Xbox in recent years...

1711d ago Replies(1)
ApocalypseShadow1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

Flim Flam.

If a car is about to go off a cliff because the driver fell asleep at the wheel and you as a passenger grab the wheel and turn it, that don't make you a hero and great race car driver.

You didn't want to die.

Xbox was about to go off a cliff trying to remove game ownership away from gamers. It only made sense to make a course correction or die as a brand.

But as passenger, Phil was in the same car. So he was along for the ride with DRM2013. He's lied and mislead gamers by not telling them scale bound was canceled until after Christmas sales. He lied and mislead with the power of the cloud with Crackdown 3. Mislead gamers with Hololens at E3. He lied about "high fidelity VR." Was part of the misleading E3 with "world premiere exclusive," "launch exclusive" and just what "exclusive" means when games are going to PC.

He's just going to keep lying and misleading and telling gamers to give them time and wait. This Gen has shown that some gamers aren't willing to wait and made an exodus to PlayStation, Switch and PC. Wasn't Don Matrick that did that above. That was all Phil. Putting your future trust in him is like dancing with rattlesnakes. You're going to get bit.

1711d ago Replies(2)
The Wood1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

His words and actions have definitely come back to bite him on his ass. Listing his infractions won't sway his fans one bit though. Although you've focused on his negatives he has made some strides even if forced to do so like you implied. Alas, to some, dude can do no wrong and so many excuses are made for him like he wasn't present during the rough spell. The fact xbox has performed worst than last gen is lost on some whilst other shift the blame and scapegoat don or whoever else they can name just never ever Phil. He's bulletproof. .

I'll still give him a pass for stabling a sinking brand but I see through his slight of hand excuses via comments about things being 'less impactful' and bet anyone on n4g he won't utter anything like that when speaking about sp projects being developed under Microsoft. Bet you any money.

King_Noctis1711d ago

“implied. Alas, to some, dude can do no wrong and so many excuses are made for him like he wasn't present during the rough spell.“

But it is a real fact that he wasn’t present when Don Mattrick was running the X1 brand to the ground at the start of the gen. That is no excuse. Under his leadership, MS has acquired 8 studios, so what is your explanation for that?

The Wood1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

Did you not read anything apocalypse stated. Are the points too hard to tackle?

Did you not see where I've said it's not all his fault in this same comment section. Your comment makes little sense. Why don't you tackle the points made instead of deflecting. We know he's not solely to blame. I've also stated he has done some good too but it's very ignorant to act like he's not had failings. Jeese. . You're the type I mentioned. He's been in the job for how long now and look where xbox is now? 8 studios. . . Yeah but what about the closures, cancellations, crap output, false promises and slight of hand speak ?. . . .not him right?

King_Noctis1711d ago

Nowhere that did I ever mentioned he is perfect. The crap output and the cancellation is on him, but the closure of studios happen before he took on the job. You can blame the man all you want but the fact is Xbox did an almost 180 after he took over (more focus on games than the “entertaiment” bs”) and I don’t think people can argue with that with a straight face.

rainslacker1710d ago

They did do a 180. They went to having quite a few games lined up, supposedly with more in development, to having almost nothing every year. Buying some studios 3 years in, is not progress. It's a slow and methodical approach to trying to quell the criticisms that exist, and they aren't buying these studios to compete in the way people are talking about, but to build Game Pass and make a service based gaming structure more appealing.

Xbox is changing what it is at a fundamental level, and while it won't be a quick change, nor is MS going to abandon the Xbox console altogether, they certainly are setting themselves up to make the console less relevant, and moving back towards PC. More so, they're taking Xbox in the same direction they're taking all their other software, which is service based, where the actual hardware doesn't matter. That leads to a streaming service, which ironically, gets them where they wanted to go with the original Xbox One reveal.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1710d ago
OB1Biker1711d ago (Edited 1711d ago )

One thing I didn't expect is 'Spencer. He pushed Nadella to acquire Mojang'
I always thought it was a Ms push since it's really all about investment and making more money rather than game development and pushing xbox and gamers interests. But it was actually Spencer's idea
I dont get it.

Show all comments (157)
390°

Former Blizzard President Suggests Players Should Have Option to Tip Developers

Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra recently suggested an interesting concept that has sparked a debate among gamers - the idea of being able to tip developers after completing a game.

LG_Fox_Brazil4d ago

If I had a 100% way to be sure that this money would go to a fund or a reserve dedicated only to the guys who develop the games, be them designers, artists, programmers and so on, I could think about it.

But we all know that this 'tip' would only end up in a publisher's CEO pocket to buy a new yacht, so, no, I ain't tipping anyone anytime soon on this industry

neutralgamer19923d ago

Exactly these companies were raising money for good causes and gamers were donation and come to find out they are keeping a good chunk of be pie

PapaBop3d ago

Yeah tip your developer, 5% proceeds go to developer, 95% to the publisher or whoever. Isn't tipping for staff not making minimum wage? How about they just pay their developers properly and like you know, give them fair bonuses? Too much to ask from Blizzard these days, Kotick saw to that and is now laughing all the way to the bank.

MrDead3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

It's the t**ts at the top looking at ways to cut devs wages and get the players to tip them like waiting staff, and I'll guarantee a percentage is skimmed and kept by Activision Blizzard. This is 100% for shareholder and CEO playouts.

Popsicle3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

I have to agree with this. On the surface tipping devs sounds like a great idea, but in the end it leads to pay cuts and subsidization of pay. Tips then become an expectation or the devs “can’t make a living.” Lastly, especially in the US, tip culture has gotten out of control, and it serves as an excuse not to properly pay employees. Sounds good but doesn’t end well.

drizzom2d ago

@ Popsicle

I think your right on the nose with how much tipping has become rampant. Instead of it being a relationship directly between the customer and the developer or employee, it now has a middle man ingrained in the system. DoorDash is one example. It ends up becoming a metric where the company can measure 'just how much more money you are willing to part with' before raising the price on the main product.

1Victor3d ago

Uh so they’re trying triple dip or more we buy the game that they’re already withholding/cutting content for dlc we was told that season pass would help the developers thrive we felt for it.
Now on top of all that plus their sales bonus they want tips enough is enough whatever happens to you create/built a good game get a bonus for sales milestones you care about your game and community we reward you with more sales not for doing 3/4 of a game then save the other 1/4 for dlc and passes after

raWfodog3d ago

The 'tip' is me buying your game in the first place.

S2Killinit3d ago

Very well said. If it was possible to send the money to either the developer or some organization for the betterment of gaming, sure. But we all know that will not be the case.

Rynxie3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

No, it would go to those on the top. They will still fire developers, have a bunch of microtransactions, raise prices of games and so on.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 2d ago
H94d ago

So they eventually don't pay their workers and depend on our tips to pay them like the case with waiters!

Deeeeznuuuts3d ago

That kind of practice is only normal in the states, as far as I know anyway, what a backwards system

H93d ago

No it's as well in a every country that wants to amercanize

bloop3d ago

Ireland is literally the first stop across the pond and we don't have a tipping culture. The only establishments here that would expect a tip are the tourist haunts that Americans visit. Other than that, you might tip in a restaurant as a sign of gratitude for great service and waiting staff would be paid a full wage anyway.

Rebel_Scum3d ago

Tipping is not customary iin most countries dude. Get a passport lol.

Jin_Sakai4d ago

Is this a joke? How about the big wigs giving up some of their pay for their hard working developers.

MrBaskerville3d ago

Maybe the CEO could earn his money based on tips.

mastershredder4d ago

good god. The devs are not baristas dude. Total 1% ideals. Fing Chadosaurus.

Show all comments (76)
90°

The Reason Sega Lost The 32-Bit War? The 32X, Says Yosuke Okunari

"The company was unable to focus enough on its main hope"

Read Full Story >>
timeextension.com
ApocalypseShadow8d ago

Nope. Going back to the 32X as the reason Sega lost that generation doesn't go back far enough before the Saturn.

Sega executives need to blame themselves as to why Sega lost that generation. Not Saturn. Not 32X. Not Sega CD. Nope. Executives were the reason why. It wasn't the hardware. Those devices were either dropped early or released to soon resulting in a developer backlash the hurt the game catalog. They really shouldn't have been made at all because they should have planned their next move more carefully. It has nothing to do with the devices. Poor leadership decisions and lack of unity within the company are what happened.

Love how blame is always shifted away from what is the truth. Writing a book placing the blame on the 32X isn't the truth.

solideagle8d ago

I am pretty sure there are documentaries (Youtube) around it which highlights these points. I had Sega Mega drive and NES growing up but that's about it. I didn't even know there was a war going on between these companies but I do remember thinking why I can't play Sonic cartridge on Nintendo or Mario on Sega :D

FinalFantasyFanatic7d ago

I had the Genesis and the Saturn, also had the SNES and 64, I never got a Dreamcast for some reason, but I never saw one in the stores either.

60°

Talking Killer Klowns From Outer Space With The Chiodo Brothers

Chris D. Spoke with the Chiodo Brothers at PAX East about Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game and their Career.