What is the point of Xbox?

Xbox has repeated the same terrible mistakes for over a decade. The reason is simple: its priorities are back-to-front.

[purple101]

ohhh man, the press really did not like those last closures, their having a field day bashing xbox,

anyway, ive got to nip off to the shops now, i've run out of microwave popcorn.

[Jingsing]

Apparently the last 10 years wasn't enough to get the gaming press to notice but as soon as they touch Bethesda it is full on nuclear war. A lot of people in the gaming press seem to have this irrational hard on for Fallout and Skyrim despite the fact they are low quality poor buggy games.
I've grown tiresome of the unbalanced fandom in the gaming press for fantasy games and their ability to just forgive crap so long as it's a fantasy game RPG game all quality concerns are not an issue for them,

[anast]

Popcorn has been good lately.

[PapaBop]

Clearly this is just a big conspiracy orchestrated by the popcorn industry, Microsoft are just their puppets, every time they open their mouths, I'm forced to stock up on popcorn.

[anast]

xD

[TheEroica]

Yep, Microsoft and Sony are a mess. Neither have a compelling business strategy and they're not making bangers anymore.

[anast]

Which Sony games are you talking about?

[PhillyDonJawn]

You enjoying all the bs Sony and MS been doing? Shame on you

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Xbox is getting rightfully roasted here

[Einhander1972]

The only point to xbox is and always has been to take market share and money from PlayStation and Nintendo, but mostly PlayStation. It's been the goal since sweaty Steve Balmer said it himself.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Yup. To put Sony out of business because they thought they were a threat to their Windows business.

[solideagle]

Genuinely curious: how is Sony (hardware company) threat to Windows (operating system/software company) business?

[isarai]

I mean the motto "xbox, the most optional console ever made" was peaked years ago, people are just now taking a step back from deepthroating Phil to see what we've all been seeing for a long time now.

[Ra3030]

The current Microsoft Xbox motto is .....We're Microsoft Xbox, and we don't care and it shows!

[P_Bomb]

I’ve still got friends that main on XB. For their sake, I hope it sticks around. They’ve put everything into that ecosystem. It’s all or nothing.

I wonder if we’ll ever get back the level of competition seen during the 360/PS3 era?

[NotoriousWhiz]

Seems like Daddy Microsoft is trying to shut it down. Or at least bring costs under control. On the bright side, it seems likely that acquisitions are going to stop.

[Knightofelemia]

Microsoft making mistakes and not sure what to do or how to fix it.

[Sonic1881]

Transitioning to become a third-party publisher in gaming that's the point

[ocelot07]

These days, I can't really find a point of Xbox. I guess the series S is a cheap entry into gaming?

[zero_jp]

I’m honestly baffled as to how Phil Spencer is still in charge at Microsoft games. It doesn’t make any sense. Halo Infinite failed under his watch, Starfield under his watch.

I don’t understand how Xbox hasn’t had one AAA smash hit since the 360 generation. Xbox as a brand needs to be killed off. It’s name has become synonymous with failure.

Microsoft with this next generation in 2028 need a whole new name, they also need excellent first party games with significant content available at launch. Most importantly they need someone other than Phil leading the way.

Otherwise unless they plan on going full third party why even bother? PlayStation has literally given them the answers to the test as has Nintendo and they still can’t manage to release quality games in a timely manner.

[Chocoburger]

The only reason Philly still has his job is because they can't find anyone to replace him with.

Everyone else at the company is just as incompetent or worse than him.

He's had a full decade to turn things around. Xbox has released more limited edition controllers than Xbox One generation games, they've also shut down more studios in 2024 than actually released games. Enough excuses.

[Barlos]

I've asked this question since the very first one.

[S2Killinit]

The point of xbox is a trojan horse to destroy console gaming.

[MrDead]

So MS can buy another industry. They're buying up gaming's biggest IP's for leverage and control, unfortunately it means smaller studios will close... but MS will still make money off the closed studios work

[Charlieboy333]

Unfortunately for them, buying gaming's biggest IP means jack shit if the games based on them are trash e.g. Halo Infinite. That was THE biggest Xbox IP. I am confident they will water down and ruin the IP they have bought as well.

[zaanan]

Well, the hope would be that they stop trying to make Halo like COD now that they own both. Go third party, drop the console (MS is supposed to be a software company after all), and concentrate on making Halo Halo (go hard into the scifi power fantasy) and COD COD (strip away anything scifi and ground the hell out of it). And while they’re at it, add third-person option to both.

Yes, I am aware of who I am speaking about, I am not an idiot ;) but a man can dream, right?

[VariantAEC]

They'll probably just let the hammer fall on Halo since they own CoD.

[anast]

One more time, the point is that they are transitioning to full service provider.

[jwillj2k4]

We need a class action lawsuit for these layoffs.

[notachance]

it’s bad enough to the point that the usual xbox fanboys in this site either speak against them or completely silent

[boing1]

to expand and plunder

[VariantAEC]

It's the Ameri- Microsoft way.

[Rikimaru-00]

o lord. the heat is on. Ninja Theory your game better be really good, cause to me the combat don't look interesting but the graphics look really good. I hope the story is interesting.

[ocelot07]

The game can be a 10/10 or 9/10 it won't save them alone unless people actually buy rather than play it via a rental service.

[Rikimaru-00]

That's so true

[Popsicle]

Exactly and going digital only is not going to help.

[Barlos]

It won't matter. No matter how good it is, it won't sell. HB2 is absolutely not a system seller to begin with, and apart from that, it's on Gamepass day one. People won't buy it, they'll rent it. Especially when you consider it's about 8 hours long, I can't imagine anyone wanting to throw down £50+ on such a short game.

Microsoft are the worst thing that could ever happen to the games industry. I've said it from the very first Xbox.

Ninja Theory is done, just like every studio under Microsoft. The closures or layoffs will come to them all eventually.

[VariantAEC]

NT is as good as closed already. I'd be shocked if they stick around until December of 2025.

[Abear21]

They want you to pay them forever and own nothing. They don’t even want to sell you the console anymore, that costs them money to make it and ship it. They’d really prefer if you just subscribe to Gamepass, like sheep being guided to eat the same dinner as everyone else, click on the same ad, and play the same games you’ve been playing for decades.

[sci4me]

God i hate that you cant buy anything anymore. Every app is subscription these days where you could just buy them a few years back. Same with games if thwy could have there way. Will never support this.

[MetroidFREAK21]

Nothing

[Terry_B]

Making money.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Xbox was the Western answer to Sony.

They originally launched the Xbox years after the PS2, and at 50% higher retail price. That allowed Xbox to be “night/day” more powerful than the competition. THAT is what Xbox WAS known for.

Xbox charged $5/month for Live, and Sony kept their service free, allowing Live to be a much better online gaming space. THAT is what Xbox WAS known for.

Xbox had fewer games than Sony, but there were different games than Sony offered. Sony offered a wide variety of single player games, but Xbox had social games for adults like Halo and Gears that simply didn’t have a counterpart on the PS2. THAT is what Xbox WAS known for.

Xbox needs to get back to their roots, and those aren’t smaller games for all… that’s Sony and Nintendo.

Xbox’s roots are, and ALWAYS will be: violent co-op and competitive shooters. All of the Game Pass pivoting in the world won’t change that.

We’ve been waiting for 10+ years for Xbox to follow up Gears’ Horde mode.

[VariantAEC]

Gears wasn't on the original Xbox...

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Is that your big contribution? Your nitpick medal is in the mail.

[VariantAEC]

I could've ripped apart every single point you made. Medal of Honor was big on PS2 that wasn't a kids game also PS2 had shown that sub-par HW specs did not translate into sup-par visuals with numerous titles blowing the competitions best out of the water. Ratchet and Clank was 60FPS while rivaling SM Sunshine. Only some 3rd party titles really looked atrocious on PS2 one being RE4 on GC and PS2 and the other being Splinter-Cell on Xbox and PS2. Not many comparisons like those exist. The online experience for Xbox Live started in 2005 one year before Xbox 360 launched and PSN was free for nearly 10 years before PSN+. Xbox also charged extra to use YT and Internet Explorer on the console which was literally free everywhere else on Earth, but that only further feeds ideas that MS was trying to nickle and dime eveyone, not make good games. I could go on and on and on about almost every wrong point you put into your nonsense comment about how Xbox was not as bad as they seemed. They were always bad for gaming... always.

[Hugodastrevas]

I seem to remember people saying PlayStation was over with all the studio acquisitions by Microsoft... Now look at the state of affairs, closing studios, firing talented dev teams, Startfield being lambasted online. Xbox get your shit together!

[Elda]

Still no sight of the Mayor & cheerleader of XB.

[franwex]

They are moving towards being a service.

[Inverno]

That fake Phil Phencer quote about buying up the industry and shutting it down so that SONY has less games to release is starting to look like the whole point of Xbox right now.

[VariantAEC]

I think the real trick is that you were convinced that the quote might not have been totally genuine.

[Huey_My_D_Long]

"I thought, yes we can. I said, look, just give us four years, proper finance, give us the chance Mass Effect has, Skyrim has, the games at the time. They're getting four years and a lot of budget. Give us that, and we'll give you something that'll get you your players. Nah, you've had three shots and you've only tripled the money. It's not good enough. Fuck off. That's what I was annoyed about."
This. This right here is absolutely why MS has failed. Probably more so than game pass although its really shit combination together.

[Unknown_Gamer5794]

Some of us have been asking that for at least a good decade now.

[dmonee]

I still have the time magazine with Bill Gates on the front holding an Xbox 360. The original Xbox and the early years of the 360 were the best. Then it seemed like the creative minds were clamped down on. After that, it became a Forza, Halo, Gears of War Machine. Above average sequels and nothing but hope for a future that hasn’t come yet….. These recent events are disappointing to say the least…

[Armyofdarkness]

They are really not going to be missed. Just go third party and brag that you are beating Sony on Sonys system. Up until the 4 games people give a shit about is on there that is.

[HyperMoused]

They have been working very hard to make Xbox irrelevant

[Miacosa]

To become the premier 3rd Party software producer on all platforms that also makes it's own hardware. It will basically follow the same production flow like the rest of Microsoft's businesses. Microsoft makes Windows, Office and all of its other applications run on in-house Surface PCs - Laptops, however, it's software is also made available to all other manufactures of computers and software vendors alike. If MS can work with Apple to release Office etc. they sure can work with Nintendo and PlayStation to get things out. Microsoft has spent too much on acquisitions to make it all work on a limited subscription count and hardware sell through. Going broad will hopefully help to make things profitable but even that is not a guarantee for success these days.

[Asterphoenix]

The buyout of Activision is a double edged sword with COD and they trying to figure out how to recoup the costs. The recession has been a factor as well as management mistakes.

Gamepass has failed to generate the income and they realise they need sales for COD. They put PC release on same date as Xbox which lost incentive people buying an Xbox.

At heart MS hasn't changed they keep opening their mouth everywhere for a long time and it's backfired on them.

[esherwood]

I got one but for the first time since I was a kid I see no reason to buy another one

[Ra3030]

Finally a Media source with the balls to speak out in very negative terms about Microsoft Xbox. Most Media articles are paid for ads for Microsoft Xbox but not this one. IMO Microsoft Xbox is the absolute worst thing to every happen in gaming and they need to remove themselves from it. Microsoft makes nothing I think Steve Jobs once said and they destroy everything they touch. Anyone think Bethesda is better off having Microsoft as its overlord? How bout Activision they gonna be able to stop the slide in Call of Duty game sales and get back to the 25-30 million units the yearly CoD once sold and if they can't will Microsoft just close them down and move on as if they had nothing at all to do with any failure.....ever!

[MEGANE]

So Microsoft just spend almost 80 billion to become Playstation latest addition “Xbox studios”.

[Toecutter00]

Xbox was the house that Halo built. It should have been a no brainer to put every resource toward making that game the best it can possibly be because games sell systems...and game passes. As the Halo shine has faded, so too has Xbox

[Ninver]

People are not getting paid so the narrative is switching up fast.