Hm is not a little bit strange that the sales of Xboxes have fallen recently? Given MS acquisition of Acovison/Billzerad should not the sale of Xboxes have been rising instead becuse more pepole should want to have the console right?
Microsoft makes a lot of hardware, most of it high-end. They will be making consoles as long as there is a console market. There is absolutely zero reason for Microsoft to stop making consoles. PS5 has sold exactly 1.99x (twice) times more than Series S|X, but it doesn't really matter, because the only important income these days is software sales and subscribers and now Microsoft is ahead in that regard. That's why Sony is struggling with PS5, in spite of the higher hardware sales.
The Xbox business includes console, computers and mobile devices, so Microsoft has all the important markets covered, plus smart TVs. The console market is the smallest of the three, but not for Microsoft but for the gaming world. Publishing Xbox games for other consoles like Switch and PS5 is striking, but at the end of the day is just another additional income and probably some kind of marketing. PC games crush console games in sales, but PC has made Xbox stronger. If PC doesn't kill but makes Xbox stronger, the same happens when Xbox has some games available on the other consoles. There are some vocal players that jump from console to console each generation or have them all depending on their mood and/or the news, but that's almost anecdotical.
The console market is not growing. The last time that somebody broke the mould was Nintendo with Nintendo DS and Wii, that sold 255.65m together at the same time, 1.8x more than Nintendo Switch, Nintendo's first console to merge the home and handheld userbase. Nintendo is the only company that depends on the success of their hardware, because they earn money with their overpriced consoles and accessories and because most of its software output is cheap to make, especially when they are full-priced ports. For Microsoft and Sony, it's a completely different story.
In any case, this is the best time to be an Xbox console owner, because of Game Pass, large amount of Xbox studios, enhanced backwards compatibility, cross-buy, cross-play, Microsoft Rewards, flexibility, digital rights (best outside PC) and because basically every relevant publisher supports Xbox now, including Square Enix, because Sony's userbase and money is no longer enough. Xbox is expanding, not dying.
Ngl, it's very hard to be an Xbox fan right now. I thought this was going to be their year and since what, February, it's been nothing but negative press. Yeesh. Tough times.
@NintendoByNature yeah... I will stick with Xbox for the current gen as I have lots of things to play from the library I amassed so far (both physically and digitally) but I am not so sure I will keep GP for long if it is not their priority anymore and I feel something would need to change A LOT for me to buy the next one. As I see it Xbox as a brand is imploding and it won't return from it as a platform (and I thought they would get closer to playstation this gen...)
@oliverp The Problem with the Console is that it is NOT required at all to play Microsoft's First Party games - inc those Bethesda and ABK games they have now acquired. In fact you don't even need to upgrade from your XB1 S/X consoles either.
The 'entry' level isn't the Series S (despite all the conversation about how it can't compete with PS5/XSX), its actually their Game Pass Cloud that enables gamers to play on 'Hardware' they own - not just 'mobile' phones - but last gen Xbox, New Samsung TV's, Laptops etc. Instead of having to pay out hundreds for Hardware, they could use Game Pass and still play these games.
Obviously, the Series S is the 'entry' point for next gen games running locally on 'Hardware' with Series X for the Premium experience to match PS5, but if you own a Gaming Laptop/PC that's at least as capable as a Series S, you don't need to buy the Console. All the games will be available to play on your existing PC hardware so why spend money just to play on Console - especially as Console means paying for Online access too.
The point is that for the Gamer, they have many choices on where to play these games and they may already have options at least as good as a Series S, some even better than Series X with DLSS enabled GPU's. With Sony, if you want to play God of War or Spider-Man, you only have 1 choice, PS5 (until they release on PC years later). You have 'no' choice but with MS, if you have a gaming PC, you have access to Xbox games day and date. Therefore it doesn't make sense to buy the Console when they can get Game Pass on PC for example and play Starfield, Black Ops etc. Instead of buying a Series S, maybe someone opts to buy a Handheld PC like a RoG Ally or Lenovo Go to play games.
Consoles are for those people that 'prefer' that type of System, a locked box but simple 'Plug and Play' where the Devs should have optimised for the 'fixed' spec of that Console. Although more 'limited' on games versus PC, its the ease, the convenience and/or price that suits. However, you may also have 'hardware' that will also let you play these games saving you the 'need' to buy the Console to play those games.
PC gamers are much more likely to buy a PS5 or Switch because they can play Xbox on their PC. Even Steam Deck can play Xbox games...
It was very nice chatting with the usual ones on the chat today. I hope that you enjoyed the show as much as I did! No new controller nor Banjo-Kazooie, though.
@Pastellioli Likewise. Because of the backlog, I'm not too concerned about the release dates, but we'll get more specific release dates soon, hopefully.
It was fantastic watching Perfect Dark for the first time and the rest of the trailers, with no filler and just a few indie trailers at the end. Nothing against small games because some are excellent, but the majority of the show was a solid show of AAA Xbox games in the pipeline:
Call of Duty Black Ops 6
Doom Dark Ages
State of Decay 3
Perfect Dark
Fable
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Avowed
Gears of War E-Day
It's worth mentioning that there are six Series models, as if it was a Surface lineup. This is what I predicted Xbox consoles will become and this is how the Xbox hardware makes sense: many choices that are just another way to sell Xbox subscriptions and software along PC.
@Pastellioli Two prototypes were leaked, the 1TB All-Digital Xbox Series X (white) and the cylindrical 2TB All-Digital Xbox Series X (black), but they replaced the cylindrical model with the 2TB Special Edition Xbox Series X (Galaxy Black). Confusing, that's why I write the full names LOL.
Rare helped in the development of Killer Instinct 3 and Battletoads (2020), so it wouldn't surprise anyone that they have at least provided original ideas for the Perfect Dark series and that would be great, indeed! 😊
@Pastellioli The white model was photographed and the black model was part of Microsoft's slides. The difference is the shape and the storage. They manufactured the white model because there are photos and we have seen it, but the cylindrical model was probably never manufactured. It looks sleek, yep.
@Pastellioli Perfect Dark was the first trailer that I replayed today. I was a bit worried about this project, but I have to say that I'm thrilled now! I was more excited about Fable until yesterday.
To be honest, I'm looking forward to the rest of this year and feel more 'reassured' 2025 will be a cracker. Perfect Dark and Doom both look interesting and very different FPS games - liked PD's game-play too - very secret agent and mobile too. Doom looks like crazy slaying mayhem and fun...
I'm glad they are going back and putting the War back into Gears of War with E-Day - but I do think they ought to make a DLC add-on for Gears 5 to conclude that in the 'near' future at the very least. I know it could be 'difficult' to start '6' after 5, but they could do a 'Light' and 'Dark' conclusion based on that end for example, conclude that Storyline and enable them to 'move on' as this 'new' Coalition. Gears 5 will be on Game Pass for years so new 'Gears' fans too will want a satisfactory end...
I've been burnt too many times to be 'excited' for something you expect to be 'ready' on the day you expect only for 'delays' and/or unfinished cash grabs that I can't get excited for 2025+ games yet, but they were making me feel more a lot more confident in the value I'll get from Game Pass in the next 18months+. Many games I'll likely be excited for closer to launch, but with Indy, BO6, Avowed, Stalker 2 etc coming in the next half a year to be 'excited' for, plenty of time for the others in 2025 LOL...
Whether I play on Console or PC, it looks like I'll have something to play for 'free' and on Day 1 too. BO6, Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones are probably the 'most' excited for at the moment. I enjoy the campaign & round based Zombies and not paying £70 for it is a reason to be excited. Avowed looks interesting too and FS24 looks more interesting than just 'flying' a plane but not sure its my thing.
I'm not a SoD player, but I also thought SoD3 looked pretty interesting but Fable is looking incredible and I think really capturing the 'snarky Brit humour' of the Originals too so far. Atomfall caught my eye too - another very 'British' setting/game. South of Midnight left me conflicted, the cut scene animation stutter style is off putting, but the game-play looked far more fluid and quite interesting.
Plenty of games coming up in the next few months to be excited for and plenty that I'll want to know more about. The next 18m is looking rather Good - and this is 'just' MS games coming to Xbox/Game Pass to keep me Subscribed for and playing on their platform.
A pessimist is just an optimist with experience!
Why can't life be like gaming? Why can't I restart from an earlier checkpoint??
Feel free to add me but please send a message so I know where you know me from...
@Pastellioli All very good choices. The Xbox version of Perfect Dark is a massive technical improvement, much more enjoyable on Xbox than on N64. I know because I beat the game on both. The final boss on N64 is almost impossible because of the frame rate! I also liked Perfect Dark Zero. Of course, I love the game that started it all, Goldeneye 007. I beat the N64 version and the Xbox 360 remake on Series X in developer mode.
@Yousef- Yep, Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark are challenging of course, especially the harder difficulty modes, but the missions are not long and they have a variety of objectives. Modern shooters, some of them I like, but not many are at that level of level design and quality.
@Yousef- I loved the way PD and Goldeneye tackled difficulty. Instead of just making enemies more Bullet Sponges and/or you becoming far more delicate and fragile, they added more objectives you had to complete. Instead of just opening a gate for example, you may have to turn off Alarms, hack some system, turn the power on etc to be able to open the gate.
Modern game design would just make the enemies tougher or more numerous, reduce your health to the point that any damage means death, but the 'objective' remain the same regardless. Also, you did get rewarded for beating missions on the highest difficulty with unlockable cheat Codes, Characters and a couple of new maps too. Now that 'content' is sold rather than rewarded...
A pessimist is just an optimist with experience!
Why can't life be like gaming? Why can't I restart from an earlier checkpoint??
Feel free to add me but please send a message so I know where you know me from...
@Pastellioli I played PD on the N64 and LOVED it. Spent so many hours playing that and Goldeneye with Family and Friends.
When I go back and play basically the same game today, they really don't work for me. Controls can be clunky and aiming difficult when it was so Easy to me on N64. I had been playing Goldeneye since it released so that helped.But going from Modern Day Shooters to really old games, its not the best experience.
I've come to the conclusion that its better to keep the memories of playing because I've become too accustomed to 'modern' day controls and graphics. There was a time I was stunned by Goldeneye and how they really looked like there Human actors. Now it looks AWFUL compared to Hellblade 2 for example.
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