Microsoft and the Xbox branding would be on a hide to nothing if left behind. This is all conjecture based on they may make a few indie hits (critical indie hits being the keyword).
As someone who mains their PS (but is fortunate to own all 3 consoles), it’d be sad to see a loss of competition. IMHO, Sony have been rubbish now for years. They both push tech when in competition. Sony have been awful so far… But was Uncle Jim any worse or better than Uncle Phil? (He’s about to be sacrificed, right?) (Spend, spend, spend vs Live Service too late!)
It’s unsettling for Xbox gamers who’ve invested into the ecosystem. Exclusives Are just that, and designed to draw you into the ecosystem. I’ll be called a Peasant (pleb or paisano for certain NA peeps) but I’m a console gamer - what I grew up with and love the simplicity. I’ve work and personal laptops that ain’t that great - but can also run my fave Indie and JRPG games - which I can do via GP but GP is the more economical sense.
It’s all overblown, some insiders get wind on Reddit. More games and more fun to other platforms. (Loved Hi-Fi Rush and wanna see it shine!) Let’s just see… 😉x
Let’s just see, calm it all the eff down and wait for what happens next week, people.
If MS decide to go all digital and multi platform, it just makes for pure business sense. However, we’re still only talking about a few “niche” titles that were known as opposed to everything on a certain Reddit community is saying… Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment would be very easy ROI on other platforms (Switch, seguro).
If Gears were to come to PS…fantastic, one of my Xbox faves, let a wider audience enjoy. Dilutes the brand (more in support to follow) but genuinely… The bubble has burst now re GP. No more excessive reward points, loop-holes etc - gotta start paying now.
If MS were to go the 3rd Party Publisher, would it be a bad thing? They’re chasing the money after all! They’ve (sadly) failed now for 2 gens and have had a sharp shock re the AKTB takeover. Why not sell games (that were largely multi platform before the takeover) in that manner?
After finishing LaD: Gaiden last week and thoroughly enjoying the Infinite Wealth demo (and being sorely tempted to purchase)… Played some more Hi-Fi Rush too…
All about Persona 3 ReLoad for me now though. So much fun so far and a fun and different experience since playing part-way through with P3P remaster last year as FeMC. Lots of QoL features too and believe they’re using a new engine so visuals and new animations really pop.
To all, a good weekend. Happy gaming to all! (Koromaru is bestest boy!)
@Banjo- Again, I get where you’re coming from. Maybe a “downturn” is better than saying a “crash” but it’s happening IMHO. For a company the size of ABK, no sense to carry across support roles (though ABK needed it, the sh*t that happened there 😉) into MS / Xbox Gaming. Devs and artists will have been let go, no doubt. But what have ABK done outside of Diablo 4 this year? And a very poorly received COD (originally a DLC)? Restructuring needed… (I just personally despise Kotick.)
Soo need to play Halo 5 (massive Nathan Fillion fan here). I would recommend P5 Tactica. Story is “meh” but good tactical strategy. Just, a year after starting then GamePass got me distracted, finally completed Hi-Fi Rush last week (adored, Trent Reznor and The Prodigy 😘). Enjoying Planet of Lana atm, Like a Dragon Gaiden and getting myself prepped for Persona 3 ReLoad! Koromaru ftw!
@Banjo- Agree with you a lot in principle. It’s never healthy for one company to a dominant / superior role. I’m fortunate enough to own all the current consoles (total console gamer here, I only own a Series S though 😂 - Don’t hate me!).
COVID was, hopefully, a once in a generational thing. Can’t see why they took so much stock in it - but, imho, it really raised awareness of gaming and it being for family fun and also artistic. Purely anecdotal but friends and family that got interested in gaming during the lockdowns, still interested and slightly playing today.
I think the Crash is already happening, tbh. Companies overreaching, pivots around live service (cough Uncle Jim), mass lay-offs. Won’t be as bad as the Crash of ‘83 (that really only hit the US), it’ll just play out in the biggest market ever.
A question for all… and I’ll shut up and play some more Yakuza before bed…
Are we potentially seeing some form of a modern Crash of ‘83? Albeit with Sky high profits and player engagement at a high? The Crash never hit us in Europe, especially the UK, just a fascinating subject. Just pondering if history will repeat?
Thanks @Banjo- That’s genuinely very insightful and more than anyone else is reporting atm - it’s also as I thought. Completely sucks for everyone involved but let’s not pretend working in the gaming industry isn’t vicarious. I’ll just never figure out why all of the big devs chased COVID figures (Ie player engagement) so hard… But hey, I’m no CEO… 😉
Long time follower, first time commenter… Be gentle peeps…
Wasn’t this inevitable? Any form of M&A results in this. No need for multiple HR and press departments etc. I would agree the numbers seem large (they can’t all have been there protecting against The A* Hole know as Bobby Kotick?) but Is this just a part of everyone scaling back atm? We’re now seeing multiple lay-offs announced daily. ATBK were bought for the access to established IPs on mobile and the PC hardcore (read East Asian markets). Scaling back is perhaps needed but has Microsoft already taken on too much already this Gen?
Shout out to @Themightyant and @Evenstephens for great points I agree with. Happy gaming folks (I’m off back to LAD Gaiden)!
Comments 9
Re: Xbox Fans Urged To Remain Calm As Emotions Run Wild On Social Media
Microsoft and the Xbox branding would be on a hide to nothing if left behind. This is all conjecture based on they may make a few indie hits (critical indie hits being the keyword).
As someone who mains their PS (but is fortunate to own all 3 consoles), it’d be sad to see a loss of competition. IMHO, Sony have been rubbish now for years. They both push tech when in competition. Sony have been awful so far… But was Uncle Jim any worse or better than Uncle Phil? (He’s about to be sacrificed, right?) (Spend, spend, spend vs Live Service too late!)
It’s unsettling for Xbox gamers who’ve invested into the ecosystem. Exclusives Are just that, and designed to draw you into the ecosystem. I’ll be called a Peasant (pleb or paisano for certain NA peeps) but I’m a console gamer - what I grew up with and love the simplicity. I’ve work and personal laptops that ain’t that great - but can also run my fave Indie and JRPG games - which I can do via GP but GP is the more economical sense.
It’s all overblown, some insiders get wind on Reddit. More games and more fun to other platforms. (Loved Hi-Fi Rush and wanna see it shine!) Let’s just see… 😉x
Re: Xbox Fans Urged To Remain Calm As Emotions Run Wild On Social Media
Let’s just see, calm it all the eff down and wait for what happens next week, people.
If MS decide to go all digital and multi platform, it just makes for pure business sense. However, we’re still only talking about a few “niche” titles that were known as opposed to everything on a certain Reddit community is saying… Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment would be very easy ROI on other platforms (Switch, seguro).
If Gears were to come to PS…fantastic, one of my Xbox faves, let a wider audience enjoy. Dilutes the brand (more in support to follow) but genuinely… The bubble has burst now re GP. No more excessive reward points, loop-holes etc - gotta start paying now.
If MS were to go the 3rd Party Publisher, would it be a bad thing? They’re chasing the money after all! They’ve (sadly) failed now for 2 gens and have had a sharp shock re the AKTB takeover. Why not sell games (that were largely multi platform before the takeover) in that manner?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 3-4)
After finishing LaD: Gaiden last week and thoroughly enjoying the Infinite Wealth demo (and being sorely tempted to purchase)… Played some more Hi-Fi Rush too…
All about Persona 3 ReLoad for me now though. So much fun so far and a fun and different experience since playing part-way through with P3P remaster last year as FeMC. Lots of QoL features too and believe they’re using a new engine so visuals and new animations really pop.
To all, a good weekend. Happy gaming to all! (Koromaru is bestest boy!)
Re: Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Jobs Across Xbox, Bethesda And Activision Blizzard Teams
@Banjo- Again, I get where you’re coming from. Maybe a “downturn” is better than saying a “crash” but it’s happening IMHO. For a company the size of ABK, no sense to carry across support roles (though ABK needed it, the sh*t that happened there 😉) into MS / Xbox Gaming. Devs and artists will have been let go, no doubt. But what have ABK done outside of Diablo 4 this year? And a very poorly received COD (originally a DLC)? Restructuring needed… (I just personally despise Kotick.)
Soo need to play Halo 5 (massive Nathan Fillion fan here). I would recommend P5 Tactica. Story is “meh” but good tactical strategy. Just, a year after starting then GamePass got me distracted, finally completed Hi-Fi Rush last week (adored, Trent Reznor and The Prodigy 😘). Enjoying Planet of Lana atm, Like a Dragon Gaiden and getting myself prepped for Persona 3 ReLoad! Koromaru ftw!
Re: Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Jobs Across Xbox, Bethesda And Activision Blizzard Teams
@Banjo- Agree with you a lot in principle. It’s never healthy for one company to a dominant / superior role. I’m fortunate enough to own all the current consoles (total console gamer here, I only own a Series S though 😂 - Don’t hate me!).
COVID was, hopefully, a once in a generational thing. Can’t see why they took so much stock in it - but, imho, it really raised awareness of gaming and it being for family fun and also artistic. Purely anecdotal but friends and family that got interested in gaming during the lockdowns, still interested and slightly playing today.
I think the Crash is already happening, tbh. Companies overreaching, pivots around live service (cough Uncle Jim), mass lay-offs. Won’t be as bad as the Crash of ‘83 (that really only hit the US), it’ll just play out in the biggest market ever.
Anyways Mr, what’re you playing?! 😉
Re: Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Jobs Across Xbox, Bethesda And Activision Blizzard Teams
A question for all… and I’ll shut up and play some more Yakuza before bed…
Are we potentially seeing some form of a modern Crash of ‘83? Albeit with Sky high profits and player engagement at a high? The Crash never hit us in Europe, especially the UK, just a fascinating subject. Just pondering if history will repeat?
Re: Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Jobs Across Xbox, Bethesda And Activision Blizzard Teams
@EvenStephen7 - as I didn’t correctly tag you before. (Sorry, new here re commentary.)
Re: Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Jobs Across Xbox, Bethesda And Activision Blizzard Teams
Thanks @Banjo- That’s genuinely very insightful and more than anyone else is reporting atm - it’s also as I thought. Completely sucks for everyone involved but let’s not pretend working in the gaming industry isn’t vicarious. I’ll just never figure out why all of the big devs chased COVID figures (Ie player engagement) so hard… But hey, I’m no CEO… 😉
Re: Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Jobs Across Xbox, Bethesda And Activision Blizzard Teams
Long time follower, first time commenter… Be gentle peeps…
Wasn’t this inevitable? Any form of M&A results in this. No need for multiple HR and press departments etc. I would agree the numbers seem large (they can’t all have been there protecting against The A* Hole know as Bobby Kotick?) but Is this just a part of everyone scaling back atm? We’re now seeing multiple lay-offs announced daily. ATBK were bought for the access to established IPs on mobile and the PC hardcore (read East Asian markets). Scaling back is perhaps needed but has Microsoft already taken on too much already this Gen?
Shout out to @Themightyant and @Evenstephens for great points I agree with. Happy gaming folks (I’m off back to LAD Gaiden)!