290°

What a potential post-Xbox future could mean for Sony and Nintendo

"All signs point to the hardware becoming less and less important to Microsoft."

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arstechnica.com
Neonridr52d ago

Less innovation and competition. People act like if MS went away life would be better but it would just mean you have one less choice as to where to spend your money. If Sony became the defacto home console provider and Nintendo the handheld, then these companies could limit what you get and you would ultimately have very little choice but to support them if you want to play games.

Outside_ofthe_Box52d ago (Edited 52d ago )

Can make the same argument for buying up publishers which many supported ironically, but wouldn't support this.

Neonridr52d ago

moot point if MS keeps releasing games on other platforms though. There's a difference between Sony or MS buying a studio and a company not releasing hardware period.

Outside_ofthe_Box52d ago (Edited 52d ago )

***"moot point if MS keeps releasing games on other platforms though."***

Consolidation is never good. The first words of your post "less innovation and competition" applies regardless of whether the games release on other platforms.

***"There's a difference between Sony or MS buying a studio and a company not releasing hardware period."***

I'm not going to pretend that removing a publisher off the market is the same as removing a hardware manufacturer like people do with studios and publishers. My only point is the same argument applies and people were rooting for it, but are using the same arguments for against hardware. Difference is one is buying it out while the other is the result of competition.

S2Killinit51d ago

@Neonridr
Not a moot point, MS’s exit is actually very related to their merger/consolidations. It is what is paving their path out of the console space. How can it be moot?

Cacabunga51d ago

Xbox has been irrelevant and unable to compete since Xbox one released.. Sony and Nintendo, especially Sony will have to prove they still are on top of the game by releasing some home made games

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 51d ago
MrDead52d ago

Microsoft game studios, Activision Blizzard and Bethesda have merged and are no longer competing thanks to MS what do you think that does to innovation in the industry? MS going would be a good very good thing as the risk of more competing publishers being merged will be less likely.

crazyCoconuts51d ago

This is the textbook business answer and almost certainly the right one.
I do think Sony will look to woo more PC and portable gamers over after Xbox is gone, because they have to get growth from somewhere and that's all that's left

-Foxtrot51d ago

Not defending this as the situation could go either way but before Microsoft during the 5th Generation Sony was pretty much head to head with Nintendo. The PS1 vs the N64 because the Sega Saturn wasn't even a thought in most peoples minds.

With the games each system had and the audiences they were going for, they did alright before Microsoft.

Like I said this could go either way so you can't 100% say what will happen but hypothetically what if Sony becomes the market leader if Xbox went away, couldn't you say in this scenario that Sony would feel like they were in a position to take more risks because they don't have to worry about someone high tailing them waiting for them to slip up.

All we could do is monitor Sony / Nintendo and call them out if things start to slip.

Rude-ro51d ago

Your point has validity in life…
But in this case, Microsoft brought more marketing, good and viral attack marketing, than anything else related to gaming.
They went over a decade not making a single new AAA ip.
What “competition” are they bringing to push competitors?
I mean, you say “less innovation” yet Sony had to dumb down their console engineering to play ball with Microsoft and their strangle hold on computing,
Sony, for worse, had to compete against the perception of Microsoft through their marketing dominance.
They forced Sony into third party deals because Microsoft was monopolizing the market through third party games.

What, exactly, is Microsoft bringing to the table?
Basic x86 architecture?
Catch phrases?
Generic games?
Subscriptions?
False marketing?
Corrupt marketing tactics?
Faulty hardware?

I can see Sony not having to spend millions to combat Microsoft’s false image of being a gaming company and put more money into developing games.

Barlos51d ago (Edited 51d ago )

Tbh Xbox has never really been a choice for me. In its 20+ years of being a thing, I've never once seen the appeal in the Xbox brand, and therefore have never owned a single Xbox console.

In any event, Xbox as a brand isn't really going anywhere. They may stop making hardware but the games will be available on more formats than ever.

Profchaos50d ago

I think most people have liked the three console model honestly it was Microsoft's more recent actions on raining to improve their game output and instead buy the industry that has caused many people to dislike them

Cockney50d ago (Edited 50d ago )

@neonrider Your whole take relies on the fact that you think the space left by Microsoft when they pull xbox out won't be filled by a new company? There's a lot of money to be made in videogames, its never been a one horse race ( yes I realise I'm ignoring Nintendo but its not out of spite, I think they have their handheld/less powerful market to contend with and thats heating up nicely with the introduction of these premium pc handhelds ) I know valve have semi-tried before with the steamdeck but I'm not sure how much weight they put behind that, with a hole the size xbox will be leaving i don't think there's ever been a better time to try again

Crows9050d ago

No. PC exists.

No limitations if Xbox left. Since Xbox came on we've got a lot of crappy things and they haven't innovated anywhere that matters much.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 50d ago
Lightning7752d ago

Would be a very boring and even more expensive hobby.

No thanks.

S2Killinit51d ago (Edited 51d ago )

Diehard to the end I see.

I would argue that hopefully someone better would enter the market in their place. Someone with roots in entertainment. Not Amazon, Apple, or another company similar to Microsoft.

darthv7251d ago

...and yet MS has roots that go pretty deep when it comes to gaming. Ever hear of the MSX line of computers?

S2Killinit51d ago

Is it really that deep if you have to ask me if I heard about it?

Lightning7751d ago

Diehard what till the end? Die hard pro gamer then yes.

I see you still have your fanboy goggles on. Lay offs have been rampant and none stop and it's early in the year. Who can step in? Nobody can step in.

As far as I'm concerned MS actually let Toys For Bob go and be independent. Something I never saw comin for any company. Letting a company be independent is a pro industry move in my book.

Barlos51d ago

@Darth tentacles, not roots.

Crows9050d ago

Steam could probably do that as long as MS keeps games off competitors.

porkChop50d ago

"Someone with roots in entertainment. Not Amazon, Apple, or another company similar to Microsoft."

LOL. Such as? Do you understand how expensive it is to R&D and actually produce consoles? The profit margins are razor thin. You need to make money by publishing software. None of the 3rd party publishers can afford to become a console manufacturer.

And before you say Valve you need to realize that the Steam Deck has only sold 3 or 4 million units over the last 2 years. The market for a PC-like console is far smaller than people think. So if Valve, with all of Steam behind it, can't fill that space then who will? Who is this mythical company you're talking about?

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Abnor_Mal51d ago

I was a video that suggested that Steam could potentially get into the console market if Xbox ceases to exist. They already had the Steam Machine(?), and they have the Steam Deck for the portable market. I’m not in the pc space at all so I wouldn’t know if that would be a realistic statement.

NotoriousWhiz51d ago

Honestly, an affordable powerhouse steam machine with SteamOS could be the perfect replacement for Xbox.

porkChop50d ago

It's not realistic. The Steam Deck has been on sale for 2 years and has only pushed an estimated 3 or 4 million units. The number is so low that Valve only says they've sold "multiple millions". A console would likely do worse because it doesn't have the freedom and customizability that people love about PC gaming rigs. Whereas a handheld offers freedom and playability that PC gamers wouldn't have otherwise, a console offers a worse version of the experience they already have. It's not feasible. This is why the Steam Machines failed.

Knightofelemia51d ago (Edited 51d ago )

No Xbox future I am going to guess Microsoft will go down the path Sega choose and be a publisher/game developer with their in house studios. Or sell off their in house studios and just go back to making os for PC's. I highly doubt the second part. Microsoft like any company wants to make money. So if Microsoft did say pull the plug on Xbox I see them going down the path Sega went. And utilize Xbox as a brand and not just as a console. I can see the name of XBox being mainly a brand after that. And maybe with the game you see published by or developed by Xbox studios.

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110°

Outriders Dev's Next Game Has Been Canceled After Publishing Agreement With Take-Two Fell Through

Outriders developer People Can Fly's next game has been canceled after its publishing agreement with Take-Two Interactive fell through.

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twistedvoxel.com
Tacoboto1d 17h ago

"the capital group of PCF Group S.A."

If you're getting funding from a group that needs two different ways of Acronyming itself, things will not go the way you want them to.

banger881d 12h ago

If it was more online-only crap then good riddance.

jjb198122h ago

Outriders was crap. They slapped that game together and threw in a loot system to get players' attention. This game was absolutely jank and the always online nonsense made it stutter like crazy. People Can't Optimize.

thorstein21h ago

I liked Outriders but I could see where the artistic vision was compromised. The way the industry is now, it wouldn't surprise me that upper management would scrap something that didn't pull in money via gaas, mts, or other means.

290°

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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theverge.com
darthv721d 15h 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.

solideagle1d 2h ago

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

Sonic188123h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio23h 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:

Lightning7718h ago

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

Cacabunga1d 1h 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.

darthv7211h 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.

neutralgamer19926h ago

Darth

30% physical sales: yet Phil and xbox division are in a rush go give up on that 30%. they don't have any right to give up any piece of the pie since the control such a little of the pie to begin with

also, the market is clearly speaking that the model Xbox is pushing isn't working right now the keyword being right now. you are right about freedom to play anywhere so i hope they put their games on steam

shinoff21831d 1h 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.

Cacabunga23h 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

itsmebryan19h 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

S2Killinit12h 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.

romulus2318h ago

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

darthv7218h 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.

TheEroica12h ago(Edited 12h 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.

Chevalier7h ago

@Darth

You should stop parroting metrics like an idiot without context.

"Xbox content and services revenue grew 62% in Q3 from a year earlier, “driven by 61 points of net impact” from the purchase of the third-party video game giant, Microsoft said."

61 of the 62% was from their merger so net increase is ONLY 1%

https://www.mesaonline.org/...

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 6h ago
purple1011d 4h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos1d 4h ago

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

DOMination-17h 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.

XBManiac1d 3h ago

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

SimpleDad1d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h 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.

purple1011d 2h ago

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

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos1d 2h ago (Edited 1d 2h 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

Kornholic1d 1h ago

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

MrDead18h 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.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 18h ago
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90°

An Update on This Year’s BlizzCon and Blizzard’s 2024 Live Events

Blizzard writes: "After careful consideration over the last year, we at Blizzard have made the decision not to hold BlizzCon in 2024. This decision was not made lightly as BlizzCon remains a very special event for all of us, and we know many of you look forward to it. While we’re approaching this year differently and as we have explored different event formats in the past, rest assured that we are just as excited as ever to bring BlizzCon back in future years."

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blizzcon.com
PRIMORDUS1d 12h ago

How about you not hold Blizzcon anymore period. You fucking POS company. I really hope Blizzard would just die.