An Xbox user claims to have lost their $40,000 Xbox digital library after receiving a permanent ban for playing in a modded online lobby.
In the aftermath of Microsoft’s price adjustments, the top-line Xbox will cost you $729.99 in the United States. That’s $30 more than the PS5 Pro’s $699.99.
Microsoft last raised their prices in 2023. Should we have blamed the serving POTUS back then too, or its just corporate greed this time too?
I’ll bite.
So, what’s the exact reason they raised the prices now? I’ll give you a hint, it’s the same reason Nintendo postponed Switch 2 pre-orders. I’ll give you another hint, it’s the same thing that forced them to “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”’
Oops… I think I gave it away with using Nintendo’s exact frackin’ quote.
And Microsoft said their increase was because of “market conditions
and rising costs of production. The price hikes are happening globally and come amid concerns about President Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, where many Xbox consoles and accessories are manufactured.”
But look, let’s forget those facts for a moment, and you tell me the reasoning for the price increases.
$80 digital games? Yep all Trump's fault. an old lady fell and broke her hip outside my house the other day and guess whose fault it is? You can connect the dots and figure out a way to blame anyone or anything. But if the economy gets better after all this negotiating in foreign trade comes to an end, do you think MS will suddenly drop their prices on games? HELL NO
No these companies are price gouging and if the tariffs never kick in, they’ll still keep them high.
What’s disgusting about MS move is they’re charging more for a five year old console. At least Sony did a mid gen refresh.
The whole video game industry is turning to shit, too much greed and mass layoffs. I don't have much hope for the future of gaming.
They are charging this to spread the impact out. Given that Xboxs main user base is in the US it's not surprising they have had to increase the cost in the US vs Sony who has not had to alter the US price much as only a percentage of their fan base exists in the US as they are the only console in town next to the switch for most of the world
If the US alone absorbed the price would be far higher it's absolutely a knee jerk reaction globally.
Sony doing a mid gen refresh really doesn't matter as they have also increased the cost of the base model at least in my region the cost has risen from $750 at launch to $829
Switch 2 pricing took the cost into consideration I imagine the cost would have been $100 less had the looming threat of tarrifs and the poor Japanese yen been a factor
But at the end of the day it is what it is and we should just be thankful that we already own the systems we want assuming here you do as most hardcore gamers will have a console if they intended on getting one by now.
It's the next gen systems I'm worried about
I remember the alt account trying to make fun of the Pro last week saying it's the most expensive console in history (it wasn't). And now MS decide to actually have the most expensive one in history that's just a base Xbox model 😂
Same deal with the switch 2 it's sad that people get so emotional over priced of plastic and feel these companies owe them
I don’t think people feel they’re owed anything, but when you have a business model that has been done the same for decades. It’s hard to adjust. Also the fact that gaming has always been affordable to pretty much everyone no matter financial status. But now it’s getting to a point where people are going to get knocked out of a hobby they love and enjoy.
Windows Central: “Embark Studios' ARC Raiders is the extraction shooter I've been waiting for. Here's why it's better than Bungie's upcoming Marathon.”
This is silly. I think both games are amazing. Both games can be very successful at the same time and I hope they are.
I hate articles like this. “My opinion is all that matters. Click my stuff”. Both games will have their audiences. Some ppl like rock. Some ppl like rap. Not everyone is the same.
So we can we can see into the future now? I’m sure ARC is fine, me personally? Far more interested in Marathon. Between known Bungie’s solid gameplay and world building to the aesthetics and concept, I’m all in on Marathon.
I played the Technical Test 2 earlier today and had a blast. I got thrown in an instance, saw a guy walking up some stairs, started shooting at him and watched him run for his life. It was funny until I got killed by some random drones. They're both different games and will have their space. Only the gameplay loop will tell.
Why do gamers/gamejournalist do this? We need to stop with all this doom article game shit.
windowscentral wouldn't have wrote this "piece" if Bungie was still owned by Microsoft.
And yes, I'm implying exactly what anyone reading this comment thinks.
In today's special State of Play presentation, Creative Director Graeme Timmins and Senior Project Producer Anthony Nicholson showed off the deepest ever look at Borderlands 4's explosive, carnage-filled gameplay.
For dedicated Borderlands player, what is the vibe/take on this game? Pre-order worthy?
I was hoping for improved visuals, but it still looks last gen. Looks fun though, hopefully it's more borderlands 2 and less borderlands 3.
I personally think it looks pretty good graphics wise. Probably not the best example of a next gen game, but there's only so much you can do with that art style.
It's just more Borderlands, for me that's a good thing. Looks like they've added to the more free flowing movement from the third game.
I don't know if I'd pre-order, I'll probably just buy it on release day.
600 games and they chose to play CoD.
Details unknowable but this, at the surface, looks bad. Why not ban just that game? Also, they should have limited ability to ban an account but I imagine it's in their policies. Unless the person hack their core infrastructure I don't see the need for them to practically take everything away. This is a big downside to digital, that we leave the power 100% to corporate control as well as to their existence. If they could go bankrupt, they wouldn't bc of this protest from those who "own" digital?
If he owned his games physical he wouldn't have lost them.
For the love of god users have to read the terms , the GCU, digitally you owned a long term license to play with your games but you did not owned them at all, If Microsoft, Sony, Valve etc want to remove them from their library and from your library, they can do it. I saw only GOG who did the digital games right.
Maybe if that guy played it online by spreading his story on X etc, M$ will do something but they are not obliged to do it, we need a law that constrain they big companies to do it like GOG for exemple or an alternative way.