440°

Gears 5's abysmal Steam debut could indicate about the audience for Xbox exclusives on Steam

Gears 5 is the first Xbox exclusive to be released after this major shift, but it’s not looking great for its Steam debut. Despite landing on Steam’s top-sellers list, Gears 5 only managed a concurrent player count of 10,196 since its release.

The numbers have declined since then, as is standard, but 10,000 remains a very small figure considering the size of the franchise, and the reach of Steam. Before Gears 5, the assumption was that the Steam audience is hungry for these big Xbox exclusives. For reference, 10,000 is not enough to land in Steam’s top 25 most played games.

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Community1686d ago
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Qobb981686d ago
TheOptimist1686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

It's not a great game. It's an average game with pretty graphics and the brand name of Microsoft pushing it over the many 8s, 9s and 10s it has gotten. Same is the case with most other exclusives from other companies.

Not to mention the technical issues.

Genuine-User1686d ago

Disagree. It’s a pretty good game with excellent graphics and frame-rate.

Steam numbers are probably low due to discounted Game Pass subs.

NarutoFox1686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

I agree and not just Gears either I believe Forza is the same reason. I have gamepass on PC. Is it different than the Xbox version? Just curious

Brave_Losers_Unite1686d ago

Is that why there are only 3.7k total viewers for Gears 5 on Twitch. Is that why it has a 7.1 user review score on metacritic? Is that why the user reviews on steam are mixed?

xTonyMontana1686d ago

This not to mention Gears is very unique, there isn't anything to the best of my knowledge quite like it in the shooter genre. You're right about steam numbers too.. a lot of my friends used their free game pass month for it and myself and a few others paid for a month in order to give it a try.

abstractel1686d ago

When you can play it on PC for $1 for a full month (or if you have game pass, just download it), why would you buy the Steam version? I wasn't interested in game pass before this, I'm likely going to cancel it after I played through the SP campaign of Gears 5.

NarutoFox1686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

@Tony @abstractel

Same with my friends lol. I did it to try out Ori and that game is awesome. I actually think its Microsoft best exclusive

_SilverHawk_1686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

Gears 5 is way better than gears 4. If you're a gears of war player you know it's a game relegated to wall bouncing and shotguns. I'm a gears of war player who knows the learning curve is steep and people frown on people playing with Lancers or other ranged weapons. I think it's silly seeing majority of people using a shotgun to shoot at people that are 20metres or more away from them. If you've been playing gears 5 also you'll notice that people like to quit out before a match is over and games are often times unbalanced. Gears 5 is so much better than gears 4 but gears has been rubbish for a while and I think Microsoft waited too long put put proper effort into the quality of gears of war. The quality of the halo games just like the gears games have gone downhill but it seems like the next halo game might be getting a lot of effort put into it so hopefully it's very good like gears 5 or better. The last halo game was average at best

notachance1685d ago

more like because it's the 5th game in the series and we want to play but don't understand what it's even about since there's no access to older games in the series

you 'muricans must realise that XB never had any marketshare worth jacksh*t outside NA/UK, which means the majority of Steam users never even had any nostalgia nor history with Gears (and Halo for that matters) series unlike you guys.
It's an alien title that suddenly appears with the number 5, it's little wonder it doesn't sell as much.

Godmars2901685d ago

@xTonyMontana:
'Unique"?

Dude, its a cover shooter. Was perhaps the arch-type for cover shooters, an exemplary pillar for multiplayer along with Halo and COD, but hardly "unique".

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 1685d ago
conanlifts1686d ago

I think it's an amazing game.

RacerX1685d ago

Clearly, people don't like that you like the game...

CurbStompin1686d ago

Games amazing, most players on game pass. Well if they aren’t retarded.

NarutoFox1686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

I already used up my free trial lol. I'm paying $4.99 Introductory price now which is still a good deal for game pass on PC.

Profchaos1686d ago

I can't say I've encountered tech issues yet

rainslacker1686d ago

I think it indicates that the PC gaming market isnt as invested in the series as xbox gamers are. This was the game they took off PC to push xbox sales back in the 360 days, so pc gamers really have no investment in the series. Or they're playing it on game pass, or the much less likely scenario that they brought it from the windows store

bluefox7551686d ago

From what I've played, it's good, nothing amazing, but above average for sure.

gamer78041686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

Uh no its statistically a great game and some pc players buy it on Microsoft store or with games pass, as well as steam which would decrease steam sales

XxExacutionerxX1686d ago

Your a Sony fanboy that has never played Gears 5 or I bet you don’t even own an Xbox.

King_Noctis1686d ago

“Not to mention the technical issues.”

The technical issue happened before launch and for early access owners. Obviously most of if (if not all) has already been fixed by now.

I guess you need to own the game to know that.

Emme1685d ago

Yeah, because the MS brand helped Sea of Thieves, ReCore, State of Decay and Crackdown. Gears is fantastic, production values, missions, characters, story, handling. A bit shaky start, but its getting better.

Godmars2901685d ago

Its a half decent game which the exclusive-starved Xbox fan camp have lavished mad praise upon. To question such is to invite their wrath.

BenRC011685d ago

Agree. Looks nice plays like a 10yr old game and has zero variety.

iplay1up21685d ago (Edited 1685d ago )

I had the game day one, and your dead WRONG! It is also one of the best looking games this gen! Absolutely in the top ten, actually top 5! It was also available for download day 1 Game Pass, along with Blair Witch the week before Gears Released! You are just a silly fanboy!

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 1685d ago
Vits1686d ago

I feel there is a lot to take into account with this release. First the obvious is that the game is also available on Game Pass PC, where I assume most people actually got theirs from (it's at least were I got mine from). Then there is also the fact that Gears 5 is a direct sequel of a game that is not avaiable on Steam and not only that but Gears 4 is a sequel to a game that is not avaiable at all on PC. So the interest in any game on the franchise would already be lower than what we would see on a Xbox console.

The best scenario to gauge the reception of those sort of games would be a complete new franchise that is starting both on console and on PC.

lovemetal6261686d ago

100% agree, lets see how Halo MCC does though, since this is what i see as the more asked for Xbox exclusive game from PC users.

and its a plus that the PC base will literally be getting the ENTIRE franchise and they are even doing beta testing (flighting) on steam. I think 343 is going about it better than Coalition IMO.

CDbiggen1686d ago

Nailed it. I'd be far more interested if I had actually played any of the others. Only the first has been remastered for PC.

Jon_Targaryen1685d ago

Gears 4 isnt a direct sequel from Gears 3... Its like 20 or 25 years after the events of Gears 3...

Vits1685d ago

As long as they don't make a game that happens between 3 and 4. That makes the last a direct sequel in my books.

But sure call it a sequel that uses previous established plot points, characters and world building if you prefer.

Reefskye1686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

I played it before release with Game Pass Ultimate on PC, cost me £2 for £2 months, I can imagine a lot of people most likely played it that way, as why pay full price for a game unless you really wanted to add it to your collection when you get the full game for 2 months for £2 and download it from the Microsoft store.

mcstorm1686d ago

Your spot on. I don't see microsoft exclusives selling as many as in the past due to game pass but what I do see is microsoft making millions off gamepass. 1 million people sign up to it for £1 that £1 million a month. GP could be a smart move by microsoft in the long run.

rainslacker1686d ago (Edited 1686d ago )

It wouldn't always be one buck a month though, and even if it were 10 a month, considering all the cost to license other games, as well as any sale lost through people using it through game pass, its possible they're losing more overall from the deal.

But, when it comes to investors, a consistent reliable stream of revenue is typically better than a potential higher payout, or loss, every once in a while.

One million a month isnt really much at all in the grand scheme of things. Were talking a franchise or franchises that can pull in .5-1 billion in revenue through regular sales of the game, and more through MT.

On the consumer side of things, you dont have to worry how much profit MS is making, so long as they're meeting their goals to keep it running

SkippyPaccino1686d ago

1 millions a month x 12 months = 12 millions for the year.... I suspect the budget for Gears 5 is hovering around the 90 millions. That's one game that's on Gamepass.

Microsoft won't admit it, but I truly believe that game pass is bleeding money and this gravy train won't last forever.

SegaGamer1686d ago

There is little reason to get it on Steam right now when people can spend £2 and play it on game pass.

slavish01686d ago

10000 on 1 platform that is selling it for 60.00 when its subscription everywhere is amazing. Plus there is crossplay. Spin it how u will but there are a ton of people playing

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90°

The Epic Games Store Has Two More Freebies this Week

It's time to add two more games to your library for free from the Epic Games Store.

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280°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

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darthv721d 6h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle17h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic188114h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio14h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning779h ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga16h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

darthv723h ago

to you it may seem like the minority... but your bubble is shrinking because more and more are following suit. convenience is a hell of a drug and its also why physical sales only amount to 30% of overall game sales. times are changing, you either get with them or you get left behind.

shinoff218316h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga15h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan10h ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

S2Killinit3h ago

MS is after diminishing consoles as a medium. They want to destroy this market because they couldnt win. MS’s vision is to dissolve console gaming.

romulus239h ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv729h ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

TheEroica3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Perfectly reasonable post down voted by insecure corporation friendly folk.... But not gamers. Real gamer want accessibility and ease of acquisition for all.... Company shills are the only ones still telling us that hardware locking people from games is good for us.

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purple10119h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos19h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-8h ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac18h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad18h ago(Edited 18h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple10118h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos17h ago(Edited 17h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic16h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead9h ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

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EGX and MCM Comic Con combine for the UK's biggest pop culture weekend

You'll know of EGX. You'll know of MCM Comic Con. Today the two events have confirmed that they'll be coming together under one roof

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