320°

Microsoft R&D Burns $65 Million In Three Months On Something Unknown

"*dramatic music* What could those engineers at Microsoft be up to? The Q3 results for the company’s financial performance are in, and we have noticed what may have gone unnoticed!" | Techspotlight.net

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techspotlight.net
Masamori Sumimura5352d ago

''Microsoft Acquires Canesta; NUI Coming In Next Windows, Xbox?''

the title of the story right under this one. Might be it.

OneSneakyMofo5352d ago

Oddly enough there will be 65 positive Kinect reviews coming out in the next couple of weeks.

Coincidence?

rroded5352d ago

nvm its ms prob trying to find ways ta brainwash peeps inta buying it.

tween sensations n even the church of oprah aint cutting it lol

BattleAxe5352d ago

$65 Million......oh, thats right, MS is buying Kinectimals 2 exclusivity

Mikeyy5352d ago

@BattleAxe

Lmao, I chuckled.

The sad part is this isnt an exageration of MS behavior.

FanboyPunisher5351d ago

Keep it clean kid, or shove it up your azz.

BubloZX5351d ago

Bubbles for you battleaxe!!!!

blumatt5352d ago

It's probably just them developing the next console, the Xbox 3 or Xbox 720 or whatever they call it.

aliveinboston5352d ago

and look how that turned out!

Two weeks ago I installed 7 professional for a medical practice and they've had regular problems that they never had with XP.

young juice5352d ago (Edited 5352d ago )

best OS EVAAAARRR!!!

Zachmo1825352d ago

Yea lol 7 is awesome. Someone was probably looking up porn aliveinboston and thats what caused the problems.

Here i'll give you a hint your name is in there for a reason.

atlys5352d ago

i had the some odd issues when i first installed 7 pro, but as soon as i got the right drivers it was smoother than butter.

BulletToothtony5352d ago

@young juice

you should really try OS-X

i'm really not trying to be a fanboy at all.. but it's very well worth giving it a try..

young juice5351d ago

ok, ill check it out on my vista laptop. that thing needs a good restart.

aliveinboston5351d ago

@atlys

You're right on bro. Windows 7 has severe driver issues with the Intel and Broadcom network cards being used.

It's a disgusting mess.

My clients are loosing money and their sleep because Microsoft can't put out a decent operating system.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5351d ago
zeddy5352d ago

i wish i had $65 mil to burn.

Boody-Bandit5351d ago

Hell I wish I had 1 million to burn

Mike134nl5351d ago

probably something related to tablets

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 5349d ago
gypsygib5352d ago (Edited 5352d ago )

500 mill on advertising, 65 mill on R & D, that actually explains a lot about MS software and hardware releases.

blumatt5352d ago

So true, man. They had better make the next console RRoD-free or else they may fail before they get off the ground. People won't stand for broken consoles two generations in a row.

gypsygib5352d ago (Edited 5352d ago )

I had 5 broken 360's, 2 RROD'd, 2 broken DVD drives and one just made a weird noise and never turned on again. I only had to buy two in total because 4 of them broke within warranty (dam cheap replacement consoles though). Then I bought a slim. Out of the 5 people I know with 360's, four of them have had a console break on them, 3 of them went over to PS3 afterwards. I always have both main consoles each gen so I've chosen to deal with it.

But next gen, I don't think Xbox will have any games to offer that will entice me to buy the 720 or whatever it's called, they lost all their exclusives. But in 2007, 360 was THA SHIT MAN, it had all the great games. It's kinda sad now what's happened to it.

SiLeNt KNighT5352d ago

it seems so obvious but i can guarantee even with the same failure rate people will still get it... just so they can play halo 5, 6 and 7

by 8 they'll run out of ideas and create an epic cooking game with the main character master chef. it WILL outsell cooking with mama guaranteed!

gypsygib5352d ago (Edited 5352d ago )

@: SiLeNt KNighT

Master Chef

Millah5351d ago (Edited 5351d ago )

I think of this commercial anytime I hear about MS spending half a billion on ads.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5351d ago
DaBadGuy5352d ago

Nuclear Arms.

Uncle Steve is developing the weapons and Uncle Bill is developing the software.

You think Apple is buying EA or Sony? Bull. They're buying North and South Korea and renaming it the Monty Python Land of things that go Ping.

asdlfkj3498as5351d ago

wtf are you talking about dude. I swear to god I just lost brain cells reading that. bubbles!

Neko_Mega5352d ago

I bet they are getting ready, so if Kinect fails. They got a new system to bring out and bring in the money.

360 fanboys might disagree, but it will help them have something to fall back on. Plus they can keep the 360 going like Sony is with the PS2.

shutupandplay5352d ago

New Xbox incoming!

Everybody is pining for new consoles at this point and it looks like MS will lead the charge into next gen.

Imperator5352d ago

Nobody wants a new console yet. This generation, imo, has been the most expensive ever, and I doubt people are ready to jump on another console. The PS3 still isn't anywhere near maxed out and while the 360 was maxed out a long time ago, Kinect should give it extra time (even though it's a piece of crap).

Neko_Mega5352d ago

But if Kinect did fail and Microsoft doesn't rush it. They could make a gaming system come out at a good price.

Or they can just go back to what they do best, PC Gaming.

gypsygib5352d ago

Devs can't afford to spend anymore making games either, so if graphical hardware is improved the jump in graphics won't be that huge because it would cost 60-100 mill a game to utilize. What we'd get is 60 FPS, 1080p and sharper textures but nothing revolutionary.

HappyTrigger5352d ago

I sort of agree. I don't think we'll see a new console until 2013-2015. But I'm going to have to disagree with you on how you said the 360 is "maxed out". With more graphically demanding games coming out like Rage, Crysis 2, and heck, even Gears of War 3, those just go to show that you just need developers to dedicate themselves to make those type of titles that "max out" the potential of the console.

And as you know, Microsoft does not have the studios to do it. As the number of first-party studios MS has is pretty weak. I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

karl5351d ago

new console? no studios will support a new console right now..
they cant bring it but with no games i bet...

and with no first party support its impossible for now.. maybe in a few years when everyone has make their money back

Neko_Mega5351d ago

Developers would most likely be more willing to jump on a new Xbox then stay with the old one.

Mostly because the 360 is an easy system to hack, plus most people private games from it.

So yeah a new system wouldn't hurt, yes it would be slow on getting titles but what system isn't from the start.

Gam3s4lif35351d ago

haha 'private' im pretty sure u mean 'pirate'

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5351d ago
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560°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
7h agoReplies(1)
7h agoReplies(1)
Obscure_Observer7h ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

7h ago
pwnmaster30007h ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

7h ago
Obscure_Observer7h ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger6h ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30005h ago(Edited 5h ago)

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole36m ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 36m ago
Tacoboto6h ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing696h ago(Edited 6h ago)

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif5h ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing695h ago(Edited 4h ago)

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif4h ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3h ago
-Foxtrot6h ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast5h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts5h ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto5h ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5h ago
Profchaos2h ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 36m ago
6h ago
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260°

AMD CEO Shares Vision Behind Xbox Partnership and Next-Gen Chip Roadmap

AMD CEO Lisa Su talks about the Xbox AMD partnership, next-gen Ryzen + Radeon chips, and AI rendering tech coming to all Xbox devices.

Read Full Story >>
clouddosage.com
Obscure_Observer5d ago

AMD is really building hype around their unique partnership with Microsoft to help and build an advanced and seamless Xbox ecosystem across all Xbox consoles and devices.

I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimized chips" though? Seems ambitious.

Next year´s Xbox Showcase already looks promising and exciting. Here´s hoping they deliver.

InUrFoxHole4d ago

They had best show 3yrs in a row. Heading for another

VenomUK4d ago

Obscure_Observer said “I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimised chips" though? Seems ambitious.” To me, I interpret this to mean rather than having a couple of X/S products for launch and a handheld there is a longer term plan to release new products with higher specs at timed intervals. I’m speculating of course, but this could mean a spec bump every year or two, so that even if the PS6 or Steam Deck Home is released a year after ‘Xbox’ Microsoft can release an updated model that has a higher spec.

Agent754d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games.

KwietStorm_BLM4d ago

It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever.

Ganif4d ago

Correct.

"Sony's PlayStation 6 reportedly will feature an AMD semi-custom APU with a Zen 5 CPU and UDNA GPU, capable of 4K 120FPS and 8K 60FPS gaming. The console will include X3D cache and advanced AI upscaling technology."

https://www.tweaktown.com/n...

Obscure_Observer4d ago

"It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever."

I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released.

Notellin4d ago

You should have just lead this comment with the fact that you have zero understanding of technology in the consoles and instead have a Toms Hardware online forum level of education.

Obscure_Observer1d 6h ago

"It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever"

I´d told you were on some bs

https://www.pcgamesn.com/wp...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1d 6h ago
Agent754d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games

Obscure_Observer4d ago

@VenomUK

"I’m speculating of course, but this could mean a spec bump every year or two, so that even if the PS6 or Steam Deck Home is released a year after ‘Xbox’ Microsoft can release an updated model that has a higher spec."

Very interesting theory. Still not sure how MS would actually make it work.

KwietStorm_BLM4d ago

"I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released."

How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is.

Obscure_Observer3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

"How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is."

Dude, what I know for certain is that a tech as old as X3D chips which is actually *older* than both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, is hardly the reason behind this new partnership between AMD and MS to build new *custom silicon* for next generation of consoles.

And yes it´s a huge announcement since AMD is working closely with MS to co-develop custom SoC which will allow backwards compatibility across all MS´s next gen devices allowing seamless integration between devices and full backwards compatibility across all generations of Xbox consoles.

I also know is that this announcement don´t have anything to do with Playstation and their strategy with AMD for the PS6, so stop comparing the two pretending that you know what´s going on, because you clearly don´t.

If Sony is working on something remotely similar, that´s remain to be seen.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 1d 6h ago
Fishy Fingers5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Some odd, deliberate wording, no branding, not 'Xbox consoles, Xbox handhelds' specifically, feels and sounds like they're building towards hardware that anyone can be used or licensed to/by themselves and other manufacturers.

Multiplatform software and hardware 'Xbox/AMD APU'.

Obscure_Observer5d ago

I guess you missed Sarah Bond´s next generation Xbox announcement this week, were she clearly states:

"I´m thrilled to share that we´ve established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including, *our* next generation *Xbox consoles*."

But hey, I don´t think you´re entirely wrong, maybe MS will build their own Xbox consoles while licencing other manufactures to build and sell their own Xbox branded consoles. Who knows

BeHunted4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I think you watched the wrong video. It's below the description, or you can watch it directly on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/kprpRvsOua...

HyperMoused5d ago

Shares vision....we provide chips for money, this deal will sell many chips, we will make lots of money...good vision

Christopher5d ago

The marketing behind this is so heavy that I worry about the actual outcome. Why are they just not showing us the product, why all this talking in market speak?

Lightning774d ago

Probably because the next xbox isn't ready to release yet?

The marketing and rumors seem to be heavy out of no where. The rumor was a 27 release but it maybe it could be 26 new console launch instead.

Who knows.

Eonjay4d ago

There PR is alrways super heavy handed. No one is acutally buying an Xbox as is.
Also it is very early to be talking so much about a next gen console.

Obscure_Observer4d ago

There´s a lot of people interested on Xbox Next and its ability to run games from major stores like Steam.

We know that the PS6 is just around the corner as well, but so far, no news on what it might improve over the PS5 or PS5 Pro.

However, Sony already made public that their priority and actual focus is the PS6. So its not "very early" to talk about next gen when the very console manufactures are talking about it.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4d ago
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210°

Activision Forces Adverts into Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone Loadouts

With the launch of Call of Duty Season 4, Activision quietly put adverts inside loadouts for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, sparking a backlash in the process.

23d ago
23d ago
lukasmain23d ago

Putting Ads in a pay-to-play Premium title? Well done Microsoft. Well done /s This is really scummy.

jjb198123d ago

This game will never change because these sweatlords love buying up all the skins and bundles that become obsolete the following year. They're the ones perpetuating Activision's greed.

VenomUK22d ago

If Microsoft introduces adverts into its other games I hope it can do them without disrupting the immersion of the game world. So for example in the new Fable game it would look out of place if there was a billboard advertising Cadillacs.

A far better way to do it would be to have a wizard conjure a 'dream cloud' in front of your character and then in the cloud you can see the Cadillac car and see the text with price and availability and hear a booming sales voice promoting the car. That would work so well as it wouldn't be a billboard and completely, 100%, fit in with your character's adventuring in Albion. Doesn't that sound so much better?!

crazyCoconuts22d ago

@venom, or how about our of 100 farts in Albion, 1 of them has a Cadillac pop out

VenomUK22d ago

@crazyCoconuts That’s undeniably off-beat - but it could really work!

23d ago
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