No doubt about Helix being a very important part of the Xbox ecosystem as the console for Xbox fans and trying to appeal to certain PC players. On PC, I consider Microsoft Store more appealing than Steam because of Play Anywhere and the similar policies between the two (DRM, refunds, generous sales...). GOG is, technically, the best game store on any platform or, at the very least, the most consumer-friendly, but the big publishers are walking away from it. More than I imagined. Epic seems a smaller and worse Steam with occasional freebies and timed exclusives. Xbox being the only one (besides Epic owning Epic) having first-party studios, they could even use that to gain leverage.
Regarding the success of Helix, I think it's obvious that the Xbox ecosystem includes PC now. It does since Xbox One, but now more than ever, and getting third parties on board. Next generation, the Xbox store and the Microsoft store will basically be merged and that's what Xbox will focus on, the store being their "platform", rather than Helix. The console business is still important and profitable, especially when you sell subscriptions, games and there aren't extra costs involved because the OS and software is becoming the same as on PC. That's why Helix don't need to (and won't) outsell PS6.
@ilyn Exactly, not to mention that Series X still is sold out in most European countries because the stock is minimal. I wonder is Asha is going to address that.
Congratulations! Regarding the studio, based on the available information and not knowing for sure, Xbox Studios might be instructed to use the same in-house engine for shooters as logic would recommend, and the creative minds that worked on the Doom trilogy will still be making great games.
Xbox is currently maintaining Id Tech, IW (based on Id Tech) and an Id Tech fork used by Machine Games. It's much more efficient to keep developing one engine and it would allow teams to share knowledge and progress. Halo Campaign Evolved runs on Unreal Engine but was outsourced, which is something Asha will not approve in the future.
I'm getting more excited after reading these previews, because I think that the gameplay of Eternal is better, and they are comparing this expansion with Eternal and describing a gameplay evolution.
@TrollOfWar Another user posted with a source that the total ratio of this generation favours Series X, but during Series X stock shortages it was 75% of Series S.
@McKeownPlayz I'm sure that at least the disc drive is being discussed as we speak, and that it will likely be an optional add-on. The technology will still be top-notch and will play "PC games" because Asha confirmed these two features, which doesn't necessarily mean include third-party storefronts. I think that "top-leading console" it's the right approach, because Series X is a technical success that didn't even need a mid-gen upgrade. Helix won't be cheap, but PS6 won't either, not to mention gaming PCs with equivalent graphical (not raw specs) capabilities. Because of the hardware customisation and optimisation, Helix will be perceived as good value compared to computers and stuff like Steam Machine. Xbox will be playable on other devices and any computer to appeal to casual players, but Helix will be that combination of premium console and accessible PC that Xbox fans and certain PC players will be interested in.
@Millionski Trying to be positive and not knowing for sure, Xbox Studios might be instructed to use the same in-house engine for shooters as logic would recommend, and the creative minds that worked on the Doom trilogy will still be making great games. Xbox is maintaining Id Tech, IW (based on Id Tech) and an Id Tech fork used by Machine Games. Halo Campaign Evolved runs on Unreal Engine but was outsourced, which is something Asha will not approve in the future.
@Millionski Don't blame yourself. We all thought that Xbox and Sony would become multiplatform publishers because that was Phil and Sarah's strategy, and Sony posted job listings with the word "Xbox", and the new CEOs supported the multiplatform strategy beyond PC when they joined Sony. Even people that thought that Sony would not do it failed to predict that Xbox would go back to exclusives. Nobody really knew everything because Xbox and Sony didn't know either.
Asha is looking at this business much more objectively and wisely than the previous management:
1) Nintendo and Sony ("other platforms") have exclusives and are doing fine.
2) Xbox business is at 3% profitability (not counting ABK) because the expenses are massive and we have many studios and as many hits as flops.
3) Let's go back to a leaner Xbox with the games that players want and to a business model that can afford having exclusives and become a differentiated platform. This is a progressive process, it doesn't happen in one day. Mark my words, Halo will also be exclusive.
4) Let's tinker with Game Pass so that not everything depends on it. If we need filler, we can sign third-party deals.
Very complicated topic that is purely based on the business side of things and affects all the big publishers. Player Voice should not be used for this, in my opinion. If you want to support a studio, buy their games at launch, as I do with games that are considered niche. Crying, assuming it's sincere, won't solve anything.
Trust the Developers - Negotiate in good faith with unions and developers, so they can better represent the needs of both developers and gamers.
That's exactly what Phil Spencer did. Some studios are better and more efficient than others, it's that simple. 7 years and $100m for South of Midnight is insane.
Layoffs are a Failure of Leadership.
A failure of the studio's leadership in this case and matching the previous point.
Regarding the general idea, of course, I'd love Microsoft and the rest of the big companies and people in the world to be nice with everybody and that Earth was a better and less polluted planet to live on.
Congratulation, Xbox! It's an absolute miracle that an overrated indie game hasn't taken the crown again, though. Regardless of its score, I think that Gears of War E-Day may be my game of the year.
@datamonkey @Markatron84 Wave Race Blue Storm was my first GC game and I love it. I still play it. The series was championed by Nintendo Software Technology (USA), but Nintendo ordered them to make Mario vs. DK titles after that 🥲. 1080º and F-Zero are other cool Nintendo IPs in limbo, but my favourite will always be Wave Race.
@KayUK No problem in using passwords as long as you activate additional security like two-step sign-in or, the easiest to me, Microsoft Authenticator on your phone. You only need to use it for logging in on a new device, but not on your console after the first setup. I know that having a password is completely safe like this because I checked on https://account.microsoft.com/ (Security, View my sign-in activity), and all the sign-in attempts were made by me, while a friend had dozens of failed attempts every week across the world because his account was not protected until he realised this.
@Mr-Cage The review has a point, though. We should have got the remaster of the remaster of the remaster of The Last of Us instead, which is another beloved PS3 game.
I’m all for ports, remasters, and remakes of old games, but even I’m struggling to rationalise why the first Call of Duty: Black Ops has landed on PS5 in 2026.
@Porridge2215 And to avoid having two accounts using the digital licence at the same time, that licence will likely require an online check like a Game Pass licence.
@Porridge2215 According to the report, you need an Xbox One or Series X console to read the disc code in order to link the licence to your Xbox account and, after that, you will be able to download and play that game on Xbox One, Series X|S or Helix without the disc and using the same account. If you or someone else tries to run the disc with another profile, the licence transfers to that account.
I'm about to beat the Fable trilogy with almost 100% of the collectibles. Only The Traitor's Keep is left. Fable III looks and performs like a remaster on Series X.
@HonestHick @AI-Generation @MinervaX76 It is unknown right now, but I think that Asha will make Xbox have fewer but better games and more exclusives, and that the next-gen console-PC store will be completely revamped and also have exclusive content to stay relevant in the PC space, just in time for the arrival of Helix. Game Pass will have fewer first-party games, but they are redesigning the pricing and tiers and probably signing more third-party deals, that will be significantly cheaper than paying 8 years of development with disappointing results.
Tomb Raider I-VI Remastered: I haven't played them yet.
Tomb Raider Legend: I played this on GC. I liked it back in the day.
Tomb Raider Anniversary: rough but okay reimagining of the first game. This and Legend could feel a bit archaic.
Tomb Raider Underworld: It's better than I expected and plays great on Xbox.
Tomb Raider (2013): Solid action game and like most others, has been enhanced on Xbox.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: It's one of my favourite games, and the best modern Tomb Raider. It has more exploration than the others, decent tombs and wonderful locations. The included DLC is brilliant.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Made by Eidos Montreal instead of Crystal Dynamics, I find this one less focused and cohesive, but it's also a stunning game.
@Ninerguy1608 Yes, each disc has a unique code. According to the report, if you lend the game or sell it, the disc's digital licence will be linked to the next account that uses it, so only the last person (account) that redeems the digital licence will have access to it. The report also says that some old Xbox One and Xbox and Xbox 360 discs can't be supported for technical reasons.
The last title I purchased was Tomb Raider IV-VI that was 70% off for the first time, a couple of weeks ago. I have only played I from these classics, on PC, when I was a kid. Now I have the six of them on Series X. It's funny that I was a "PC gamer" back then because of my Dad. I also played Doom. 😁
I cannot possibly believe this damage control that uses fiction to weave stories and ignorance to the remaining 1600 planned layoffs.
It does not seem that it's me who is shifting goal posts. The 40% percentage would be much higher if you included the Xbox studios as you can see in my previous post, so you are wrong either way when you consider that the "remaining 1600 planned layoffs" are not related to the previous growth of the studios, and also when you consider that these layoffs have nothing to do with this growth because it "does not include any Xbox studio" according to your definition of the Xbox platform, which is the least important detail of the statement. Well, it's important in a sense. The 40% would only get higher including the Xbox studios and those "remaining 1600 layoffs" would make more sense. Moreover, it was not clear if the 1600+1600 included the sold studios or not.
your previous comment corroborated MinervaX76's exact phrasing "Phill increased all of Xbox by 40% despite lacking money flow"
When I quoted that sentence, I erased the name Phil, because Asha didn't mention Phil. Yes, Minerva said "all of Xbox", but If you want to correct somebody else, don't tag me. My point stands. Xbox was bloated, studios included, and that is an essential factor when considering the layoffs that you are referring to.
As @Questionable_Duck said, if it's bad, it's true. If it's good, it's damage control/PR.
Of course, someone told them to say something, but that doesn't mean that he's lying. He's telling the truth and what Windows Central anticipated a bit earlier, that the team is the same size as it was when they made Doom (2016). I'm happy to read official statements in this swamp of toxic rumours. Statements that, interestingly, some websites choose to ignore when overexposing the green drama.
Unfortunately, layoffs happen constantly in this industry, but I'd like to share some facts that explain why Asha would need to downsize or sell some Xbox studios.
Ninja Theory was acquired by Microsoft in 2018 and became a subsidiary of Xbox Game Studios. While about twenty people contributed to Senua's Sacrifice, the studio has since expanded to employ around one hundred workers, with approximately eighty of them working on Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.
November 2024. State of Decay 3 studio says it's bigger than ever with 6 times the amount of developers it had on its first zombie survival game. Undead Labs studio head says the first two games had "really small teams".
This is a 600% increase.
Regarding Id Tech. As I said on the other threads, Id are excellent programmers, so I don't think it makes much sense to have three engines for Xbox shooters when they are based on the same one: Id Tech, IW and the third fork that used Machine Games. Precisely, Machine Games are also superb programmers and so are the three experienced teams that make Call of Duty, regardless of the content quality of each entry.
That is a lie. @Banjo- shared the source, but even he was quick to jump to conclusion, without reading the text properly. Asha wrote: "Our platform teams are 40% larger than they were at the start of this generation" [...] In essence, this does not include any gaming studio Xbox owns.
It is not a lie and I read the statement and additional material properly. Of course, it's not an homogeneous number that we can apply to "any" of the Xbox studios and, obviously, she is referring to the whole division, but most studios have grown significantly during Phil's tenure, and that's an essential fact to consider when talking about staff reductions in 2026, which was exactly my point.
Ninja Theory was acquired by Microsoft in 2018 and became a subsidiary of Xbox Game Studios. While about twenty people contributed to Senua's Sacrifice, the studio has since expanded to employ around one hundred workers, with approximately eighty of them working on Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.
While the cuts have been alarmingly callous, my understanding is that the remaining id Software core team is roughly the same as it was when Doom (2016) shipped.
November 2024. State of Decay 3 studio say it's bigger than ever with 6 times the amount of developers it had on its first zombie survival game. Undead Labs studio head says the first two games had "really small teams".
To mercilessly judge every single thing someone does as if they didn't have a clue, one needs to get the facts straight, at the very least. We'll know everything eventually, but we can't demand to know every single detail about a huge company before it has even happened, assuming the worst possible outcome to be real in the meantime.
@MinervaX76
increased all of Xbox by 40% despite lacking money flow.
It's in Asha's statement that none of them read judging by their posts. Only the negative rumours are considered information.
This is why I said yesterday that I wanted to know the real story. I also said, like other users here, that it makes much more sense to invest in IW or Id Tech than relying on third-party engines that are not even better. Look at the graphics and performance of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Doom The Dark Ages, Call of Duty... If IW is based on Id Tech, I don't know why they need to support several engines and forks, let alone paying another party for theirs. The development of Halo Campaign Evolved was outsourced, so both the game and the engine relied on vendors, which is not what Xbox will be doing from now on.
@AI-Generation I agree, Xbox needs focused studios and high-profile games as much as Nintendo and Sony. The only Xbox studio that seems perfect for these smaller projects is Obsidian, because they consistently have development time and budgets under control.
@EVIL-C The video game industry is unstable since forever. Nintendo is lucky to have suckers as fans (myself included) that buy fully priced ports and games made for old technology. On top of that, Nintendo outsources much of the development since 2017. They are almost an skeleton developer, considering the gigantic size of their business. Sony and Xbox are the opposite and not always enjoy favourable wind. Xbox games like Hellblade II and South of Midnight took ages and were very expensive to develop, and flopped on Game Pass, the Xbox store, PS5 and Switch 2. Moreover, some Xbox Game Studios are bloated and have as many as 14 layers of management. Xbox is operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than the other platforms. Nadella could have killed Xbox like he killed other Microsoft things, but hired Asha to fix it and improve the profitability (3%).
If I were the Xbox CEO and wanted my platform to be differentiated and relevant, it would be as simple as making Forza Horizon 7 an Xbox and Xbox on PC exclusive after the overhaul that is expected for Helix+PC in 2027-28.
Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark are masterpieces because of the level and mission design. The Initiative was a mess for seven years, but it was wrong to kill the project because the IP is unique and it was being worked on by Crystal Dynamics, one of the best developers of the last generation. The trailer looked promising: gadgets, stealth, awesome music...
There is a glimmer of hope now that Asha seems to worry about what people really want to play... and pay for, obviously. I don't know if Id is the best choice, but any pitch involving a beloved IP should be considered from now on.
Some say that they should let studios do whatever they want and be creative. Well, that doesn't always work as we have seen. Moreover, you can be creative when given an IP like this.
EDIT: I would like to know the real number of layoffs at Id and if it's because they are going to use IW engine instead of Id Tech.
Many contradictions lately. Physical video games are not thrown away but kept, given, or sold. Plastic bottles are a more worrying polluting factor. I have tons of old physical games in a room and a reverse osmosis system in the kitchen.
The same people that claimed that physical needed to stay after the rumours about Helix being digital-only now say that physical doesn't matter because Sony decided to kill physical games. The same people that said that the 10-15% of digital sales was misleading because it didn't include indies now are saying that Sony is making the right choice because that 10-15% is trifling.
My stance is that choice is good, but it's not just about removing physical, but how to open the digital market and protect the rights of its consumers. Let's be honest. GOG is the best, but it doesn't have the AAA games. Steam and Xbox are second. Nintendo and Sony are last, by far.
It doesn't mean that Xbox is better than Nintendo and Sony at everything. I have criticised many things about Xbox in the last years, especially, Phil Spencer's hands-off approach, the cancellation of Perfect Dark, the (now ex-) director of Rare, some of the Xbox One Showcases that were all about shooters and the treatment of Rare's and other fan-favourite IPs.
This reminds me of the recent news. The same people that cry about studios being closed say that the ones that are open are going to fail and that Xbox is doomed, or want them dead. The same people that say that it's immoral of Microsoft (or Sony or any other publisher) to sell/downsize/close studios are proud to post that they won't buy Black Flag Resynced, a full-blown remake, until it costs $5. The same people that say that Asha is killing creativity by telling studios what to do now also say that they haven't bought nor played any of their last games because their new IPs are ****.
By this "logic", the only way some people could ever be pleased would be creating their own console, their own OS, their own studios and their own games. Then, the source of frustration would disappear and they could blame the unconditional dissatisfaction on their own contradictions.
They should release two versions of Helix, one with and one without a disc reader. Alternatively, release an external disc drive. Not that many people buy physical, but Asha is smart and this is an easy win for the Xbox and other console users that care, since Sony is killing physical games and Nintendo's consoles lack behind technically and are mostly used for first-party games, not to mention that many third parties release code-in-plastic games on Switch 2.
Although Xbox has the most consumer-friendly digital ownership in the console space with free upgrades and digital refunds, and this decision would not make a huge difference overall, I think it will be very well received across the board. We need to consider that the percentage of physical sales is much higher once you deduct the digital-only games (indies) and that digital buyers appreciate that there is an alternative on the market.
Nevertheless, a small number of people will continue working on it until Fallout is "ready", just in case it could be revived at some point in the future.
That's a wise strategy: don't cancel but postpone the game. I have always said that it was right to close The Initiative after seven years of nothing, but not to kill Perfect Dark. Crystal Dynamics was working on it and the trailer looked promising except, well, the new design of Joanna. Someone should make Perfect Dark 3!
On the one hand, I loved Avowed, but mostly the excellent gameplay, combat and the weapons system. On the other hand, this decision makes total sense. Microsoft has so many brilliant IPs that many fans want to see back, starting with Rare's. Asha should visit Rare next. Their last game was released in 2018. I've always criticised Phil Spencer's hands-off approach to studios, despite liking his personality.
If it was NOT working, the studios that got divested from would had been shut down 4 years ago. They were producing nothing for too long. GP literally financed those titles. It was working, it was those studios that were just eating all the allowance by not just taking too long to deliver anything but also having their end products not be market-viable (at least not considering the resources tossed at them.) [...] Xbox would had been running at a loss instead of the 3% margins it had. The fact that 5 studios were running for nearly 8 years draining high triple A development budgets and not bringing any revenue [even when the few that managed to ship did so] is indeed testament that it worked.
No system, regardless how efficient, can ever subsidize that amount of spending forever.
That's right. Those games didn't perform well on Game Pass, on the Store nor on PS5 or Switch 2. It was the games, not Game Pass. Why many of us were able to predict the four studios that were in trouble before their names were revealed? I only missed Undead Labs because they have a hit in their hands, in my opinion, but also admitted the problems the studio have had. They also need to trim the bloated ABK infrastructure, not meaning closing studios.
@StonyKL Yes. Making the whole division leaner and more efficient makes much easier to cover all the costs of the division and not require Game Pass to be its saviour, which is related to the part quoted above. Anyone that has a business knows that you need to have expenses under control regardless of the income, because it's much easier to spend than to earn.
Game Pass is here to stay, but since the beginning of her tenure, Asha has teased changes beyond the price reduction of Ultimate that is, fortunately, recovering subscribers. I expect these changes to come soon.
I'm sure that Asha is looking at these numbers:
a) First-party games sales on Xbox and PC: if this number is high, it will allow them to keep being generous with Game Pass offerings.
b) Engagement of each first-party game on Game Pass (players and play time): this will be considered when designing tiers and flexibility.
c) Total number of subscribers: this number will determine further price and content reductions, since the opposite strategy did not work.
I think that the most likely outcome is more flexible tiers. She might consider day one exclusions of certain or all first-party games, eliminating or changing Ultimate eventually, but day one is a very powerful marketing tool and it was part of the Xbox Game Showcase very recently.
Not only do we not have, naturally, access to Game Pass numbers, but we have no idea of how the subscribers are distributed across the different tiers.
@Markatron84 Yep. I also wanted to say yesterday that you are right about Nuts & Bolts being fantastic. It's not a traditional platformer and it's not as charming, but once you get Banjo fitter and start building better vehicles, beating the challenges is very addictive and rewarding.
I started playing this series on Xbox One. The first title impressed me and remains one of my favourites. I'm happy I haven't skipped any of them. I bough Black Flag for Wii U before I got the Xbox One and the frame rate was so atrocious that I sold it and got the Xbox One version later. I have played all of them until Origins, but skipped Black Flag because of the remake rumours, so I think I'll play this remake next and then Origins.
Assassin's Creed is a wonderful series. Rayman Legends is one of the best platformers ever. Immortals Fenyx Rising is one of the most enjoyable games I've played. I can't say the same about Breath of the Wild nor Tears of the Kingdom despite being a huge The Legend of Zelda fan since my childhood. Just giving Ubisoft some credit since they get a lot of hate.
@Nakatomi_Uk But I said co-owned. Don't they? Of course anyone can use BD if they pay the licence.
The "Blu-ray Disc founder group" was started on 20 May 2002 by nine electronic companies: Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Thomson, LG Electronics, Hitachi, Sharp, Samsung Electronics and Sony.
Start by remaking the first two games, not touching the dialogues! Nothing would depress me more than a new developer censoring Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. I know that Rare is no longer Rare and even Playtonic is no longer Playtonic, but they could make a dream team. Xbox owns Rare and Vicarious Visions, now Blizzard Albany. They could also hire Playtonic and Gregg Mayles, who left Rare last year. Grant Kirkhope is a freelancer that would be more than happy to work on this IP again. Then, there's Toys for Bob. There are many, many options. I hope that Asha reads these headlines. Has she visited Rare yet? 😉
Comments 8,644
Re: Xbox Project Helix Vs. PS6 - Data Firm Reveals Its Forecasted Sales Figures For Each
No doubt about Helix being a very important part of the Xbox ecosystem as the console for Xbox fans and trying to appeal to certain PC players. On PC, I consider Microsoft Store more appealing than Steam because of Play Anywhere and the similar policies between the two (DRM, refunds, generous sales...). GOG is, technically, the best game store on any platform or, at the very least, the most consumer-friendly, but the big publishers are walking away from it. More than I imagined. Epic seems a smaller and worse Steam with occasional freebies and timed exclusives. Xbox being the only one (besides Epic owning Epic) having first-party studios, they could even use that to gain leverage.
Regarding the success of Helix, I think it's obvious that the Xbox ecosystem includes PC now. It does since Xbox One, but now more than ever, and getting third parties on board. Next generation, the Xbox store and the Microsoft store will basically be merged and that's what Xbox will focus on, the store being their "platform", rather than Helix. The console business is still important and profitable, especially when you sell subscriptions, games and there aren't extra costs involved because the OS and software is becoming the same as on PC. That's why Helix don't need to (and won't) outsell PS6.
@ilyn Exactly, not to mention that Series X still is sold out in most European countries because the stock is minimal. I wonder is Asha is going to address that.
Re: Xbox Has Another Potential GOTY Candidate On Its Hands, Even Though It's Just DLC
Congratulations! Regarding the studio, based on the available information and not knowing for sure, Xbox Studios might be instructed to use the same in-house engine for shooters as logic would recommend, and the creative minds that worked on the Doom trilogy will still be making great games.
Xbox is currently maintaining Id Tech, IW (based on Id Tech) and an Id Tech fork used by Machine Games. It's much more efficient to keep developing one engine and it would allow teams to share knowledge and progress. Halo Campaign Evolved runs on Unreal Engine but was outsourced, which is something Asha will not approve in the future.
I'm getting more excited after reading these previews, because I think that the gameplay of Eternal is better, and they are comparing this expansion with Eternal and describing a gameplay evolution.
Re: Xbox Project Helix Vs. PS6 - Data Firm Reveals Its Forecasted Sales Figures For Each
@TrollOfWar Another user posted with a source that the total ratio of this generation favours Series X, but during Series X stock shortages it was 75% of Series S.
Re: Xbox Project Helix Vs. PS6 - Data Firm Reveals Its Forecasted Sales Figures For Each
@McKeownPlayz I'm sure that at least the disc drive is being discussed as we speak, and that it will likely be an optional add-on. The technology will still be top-notch and will play "PC games" because Asha confirmed these two features, which doesn't necessarily mean include third-party storefronts. I think that "top-leading console" it's the right approach, because Series X is a technical success that didn't even need a mid-gen upgrade. Helix won't be cheap, but PS6 won't either, not to mention gaming PCs with equivalent graphical (not raw specs) capabilities. Because of the hardware customisation and optimisation, Helix will be perceived as good value compared to computers and stuff like Steam Machine. Xbox will be playable on other devices and any computer to appeal to casual players, but Helix will be that combination of premium console and accessible PC that Xbox fans and certain PC players will be interested in.
Re: Fan Demand For Xbox To 'Stop The Cycle Of Layoffs' Trends On Player Voice Portal
@Millionski Trying to be positive and not knowing for sure, Xbox Studios might be instructed to use the same in-house engine for shooters as logic would recommend, and the creative minds that worked on the Doom trilogy will still be making great games. Xbox is maintaining Id Tech, IW (based on Id Tech) and an Id Tech fork used by Machine Games. Halo Campaign Evolved runs on Unreal Engine but was outsourced, which is something Asha will not approve in the future.
Re: The Next Halo Game Has Officially Gone Gold
@Millionski Don't blame yourself. We all thought that Xbox and Sony would become multiplatform publishers because that was Phil and Sarah's strategy, and Sony posted job listings with the word "Xbox", and the new CEOs supported the multiplatform strategy beyond PC when they joined Sony. Even people that thought that Sony would not do it failed to predict that Xbox would go back to exclusives. Nobody really knew everything because Xbox and Sony didn't know either.
Asha is looking at this business much more objectively and wisely than the previous management:
1) Nintendo and Sony ("other platforms") have exclusives and are doing fine.
2) Xbox business is at 3% profitability (not counting ABK) because the expenses are massive and we have many studios and as many hits as flops.
3) Let's go back to a leaner Xbox with the games that players want and to a business model that can afford having exclusives and become a differentiated platform. This is a progressive process, it doesn't happen in one day. Mark my words, Halo will also be exclusive.
4) Let's tinker with Game Pass so that not everything depends on it. If we need filler, we can sign third-party deals.
Re: Fan Demand For Xbox To 'Stop The Cycle Of Layoffs' Trends On Player Voice Portal
Very complicated topic that is purely based on the business side of things and affects all the big publishers. Player Voice should not be used for this, in my opinion. If you want to support a studio, buy their games at launch, as I do with games that are considered niche. Crying, assuming it's sincere, won't solve anything.
That's exactly what Phil Spencer did. Some studios are better and more efficient than others, it's that simple. 7 years and $100m for South of Midnight is insane.
A failure of the studio's leadership in this case and matching the previous point.
Regarding the general idea, of course, I'd love Microsoft and the rest of the big companies and people in the world to be nice with everybody and that Earth was a better and less polluted planet to live on.
Re: The Next Halo Game Has Officially Gone Gold
@Nalverus Well explained. Also, the PC version (Microsoft Store) is Play Anywhere (Xbox + PC).
Re: The Next Halo Game Has Officially Gone Gold
I'm looking forward to this, Gears of War E-Day and Fable. Great times.
Re: Metacritic Unveils Its Top 20 Games For The First Half Of 2026
Congratulation, Xbox! It's an absolute miracle that an overrated indie game hasn't taken the crown again, though. Regardless of its score, I think that Gears of War E-Day may be my game of the year.
Re: Multiple Old Xbox Games Are Suddenly Getting Millions Of Views On Social Media
@datamonkey @Markatron84 Wave Race Blue Storm was my first GC game and I love it. I still play it. The series was championed by Nintendo Software Technology (USA), but Nintendo ordered them to make Mario vs. DK titles after that 🥲. 1080º and F-Zero are other cool Nintendo IPs in limbo, but my favourite will always be Wave Race.
Re: Multiple Old Xbox Games Are Suddenly Getting Millions Of Views On Social Media
No joke, I need my monthly retro fix.
Re: Xbox Fan Supposedly Wins Legal Battle Over Hacked Account & Missing Games
@KayUK No problem in using passwords as long as you activate additional security like two-step sign-in or, the easiest to me, Microsoft Authenticator on your phone. You only need to use it for logging in on a new device, but not on your console after the first setup. I know that having a password is completely safe like this because I checked on https://account.microsoft.com/ (Security, View my sign-in activity), and all the sign-in attempts were made by me, while a friend had dozens of failed attempts every week across the world because his account was not protected until he realised this.
Re: Xbox Seems To Be Making A Fortune On The New Black Ops Ports For PS5
@Mr-Cage The review has a point, though. We should have got the remaster of the remaster of the remaster of The Last of Us instead, which is another beloved PS3 game.
Re: Xbox Seems To Be Making A Fortune On The New Black Ops Ports For PS5
@Mr-Cage Not to mention Push Square rated these ports 4/10 and 5/10.
Re: Xbox Teases Potentially Major Console Update That Will Be 'Worth The Wait'
@Porridge2215 And to avoid having two accounts using the digital licence at the same time, that licence will likely require an online check like a Game Pass licence.
Re: Black Ops 1 & 2 Now Live On PS5, Here's Some Early Footage Compared To Xbox
@FraserG
Indeed. Both ports are topping the charts on the PS store.
Re: Xbox Teases Potentially Major Console Update That Will Be 'Worth The Wait'
@Porridge2215 According to the report, you need an Xbox One or Series X console to read the disc code in order to link the licence to your Xbox account and, after that, you will be able to download and play that game on Xbox One, Series X|S or Helix without the disc and using the same account. If you or someone else tries to run the disc with another profile, the licence transfers to that account.
Re: Five Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In August 2026 So Far
@BIG3 2026 counts as two years of good-quality AAA content.
Re: Five Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In August 2026 So Far
Beast of Reincarnation is a must-check, at the very least. It could be the best surprise in a while.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 11-12)
I'm about to beat the Fable trilogy with almost 100% of the collectibles. Only The Traitor's Keep is left. Fable III looks and performs like a remaster on Series X.
Happy weekend!
Re: Forza Horizon 6 Reportedly Tops The List Of Steam Releases For Gross Revenue In 2026
@HonestHick @AI-Generation @MinervaX76 It is unknown right now, but I think that Asha will make Xbox have fewer but better games and more exclusives, and that the next-gen console-PC store will be completely revamped and also have exclusive content to stay relevant in the PC space, just in time for the arrival of Helix. Game Pass will have fewer first-party games, but they are redesigning the pricing and tiers and probably signing more third-party deals, that will be significantly cheaper than paying 8 years of development with disappointing results.
Re: Xbox Summer Sale 2026 'Teaser' Now Live, 300+ Games Discounted
@Titntin
Tomb Raider I-VI Remastered: I haven't played them yet.
Tomb Raider Legend: I played this on GC. I liked it back in the day.
Tomb Raider Anniversary: rough but okay reimagining of the first game. This and Legend could feel a bit archaic.
Tomb Raider Underworld: It's better than I expected and plays great on Xbox.
Tomb Raider (2013): Solid action game and like most others, has been enhanced on Xbox.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: It's one of my favourite games, and the best modern Tomb Raider. It has more exploration than the others, decent tombs and wonderful locations. The included DLC is brilliant.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Made by Eidos Montreal instead of Crystal Dynamics, I find this one less focused and cohesive, but it's also a stunning game.
Re: Xbox Teases Potentially Major Console Update That Will Be 'Worth The Wait'
@Ninerguy1608 Yes, each disc has a unique code. According to the report, if you lend the game or sell it, the disc's digital licence will be linked to the next account that uses it, so only the last person (account) that redeems the digital licence will have access to it. The report also says that some old Xbox One and Xbox and Xbox 360 discs can't be supported for technical reasons.
Re: Xbox Summer Sale 2026 'Teaser' Now Live, 300+ Games Discounted
The last title I purchased was Tomb Raider IV-VI that was 70% off for the first time, a couple of weeks ago. I have only played I from these classics, on PC, when I was a kid. Now I have the six of them on Series X. It's funny that I was a "PC gamer" back then because of my Dad. I also played Doom. 😁
Re: Xbox Sends Out Brief Statement Regarding 'Inaccurate' id Tech Reports
betterthings wrote:
It does not seem that it's me who is shifting goal posts. The 40% percentage would be much higher if you included the Xbox studios as you can see in my previous post, so you are wrong either way when you consider that the "remaining 1600 planned layoffs" are not related to the previous growth of the studios, and also when you consider that these layoffs have nothing to do with this growth because it "does not include any Xbox studio" according to your definition of the Xbox platform, which is the least important detail of the statement. Well, it's important in a sense. The 40% would only get higher including the Xbox studios and those "remaining 1600 layoffs" would make more sense. Moreover, it was not clear if the 1600+1600 included the sold studios or not.
PureXbox wrote:
betterthings wrote:
When I quoted that sentence, I erased the name Phil, because Asha didn't mention Phil. Yes, Minerva said "all of Xbox", but If you want to correct somebody else, don't tag me. My point stands. Xbox was bloated, studios included, and that is an essential factor when considering the layoffs that you are referring to.
Re: DOOM Developer Addresses Concerned Fans With Message About Xbox Layoffs
As @Questionable_Duck said, if it's bad, it's true. If it's good, it's damage control/PR.
Of course, someone told them to say something, but that doesn't mean that he's lying. He's telling the truth and what Windows Central anticipated a bit earlier, that the team is the same size as it was when they made Doom (2016). I'm happy to read official statements in this swamp of toxic rumours. Statements that, interestingly, some websites choose to ignore when overexposing the green drama.
Unfortunately, layoffs happen constantly in this industry, but I'd like to share some facts that explain why Asha would need to downsize or sell some Xbox studios.
Example 1:
Gamesradar wrote:
This is a 500% increase.
Example 2:
Gamereactor wrote:
This equals +68%.
Example 3:
PureXbox wrote:
This is +20%. Absolutely justified as one of the best developers in the world.
Example 4:
Gamesradar wrote:
This is a 600% increase.
Regarding Id Tech. As I said on the other threads, Id are excellent programmers, so I don't think it makes much sense to have three engines for Xbox shooters when they are based on the same one: Id Tech, IW and the third fork that used Machine Games. Precisely, Machine Games are also superb programmers and so are the three experienced teams that make Call of Duty, regardless of the content quality of each entry.
Re: Xbox Sends Out Brief Statement Regarding 'Inaccurate' id Tech Reports
The "suspects" that only believe negative rumours when half of them are made up or inaccurate are not more intelligent.
betterthings wrote:
It is not a lie and I read the statement and additional material properly. Of course, it's not an homogeneous number that we can apply to "any" of the Xbox studios and, obviously, she is referring to the whole division, but most studios have grown significantly during Phil's tenure, and that's an essential fact to consider when talking about staff reductions in 2026, which was exactly my point.
Example 1:
Gamesradar wrote:
This is a 500% increase.
Example 2 (quoted above):
WindowsCentral wrote:
Example 3:
Gamereactor wrote:
This equals +68%.
Example 4:
PureXbox wrote:
This is +20%.
Example 5:
Gamesradar wrote:
This is a 600% increase.
Re: Xbox Sends Out Brief Statement Regarding 'Inaccurate' id Tech Reports
To mercilessly judge every single thing someone does as if they didn't have a clue, one needs to get the facts straight, at the very least. We'll know everything eventually, but we can't demand to know every single detail about a huge company before it has even happened, assuming the worst possible outcome to be real in the meantime.
@MinervaX76
It's in Asha's statement that none of them read judging by their posts. Only the negative rumours are considered information.
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/07/06/resetting-xbox/
Re: Xbox Sends Out Brief Statement Regarding 'Inaccurate' id Tech Reports
@HonestHick
Yet the world needs more honest and coherent people like you. 😊
Re: Xbox Sends Out Brief Statement Regarding 'Inaccurate' id Tech Reports
This is why I said yesterday that I wanted to know the real story. I also said, like other users here, that it makes much more sense to invest in IW or Id Tech than relying on third-party engines that are not even better. Look at the graphics and performance of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Doom The Dark Ages, Call of Duty... If IW is based on Id Tech, I don't know why they need to support several engines and forks, let alone paying another party for theirs. The development of Halo Campaign Evolved was outsourced, so both the game and the engine relied on vendors, which is not what Xbox will be doing from now on.
Re: Forza Horizon 6 Reportedly Tops The List Of Steam Releases For Gross Revenue In 2026
@AI-Generation I agree, Xbox needs focused studios and high-profile games as much as Nintendo and Sony. The only Xbox studio that seems perfect for these smaller projects is Obsidian, because they consistently have development time and budgets under control.
Re: Forza Horizon 6 Reportedly Tops The List Of Steam Releases For Gross Revenue In 2026
@AI-Generation I'd welcome some AA projects and peculiar ideas, but not when they bleed $100m and 7-8 years of exclusive development.
Re: Xbox Teases Potentially Major Console Update That Will Be 'Worth The Wait'
@EVIL-C The video game industry is unstable since forever. Nintendo is lucky to have suckers as fans (myself included) that buy fully priced ports and games made for old technology. On top of that, Nintendo outsources much of the development since 2017. They are almost an skeleton developer, considering the gigantic size of their business. Sony and Xbox are the opposite and not always enjoy favourable wind. Xbox games like Hellblade II and South of Midnight took ages and were very expensive to develop, and flopped on Game Pass, the Xbox store, PS5 and Switch 2. Moreover, some Xbox Game Studios are bloated and have as many as 14 layers of management. Xbox is operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than the other platforms. Nadella could have killed Xbox like he killed other Microsoft things, but hired Asha to fix it and improve the profitability (3%).
Re: Forza Horizon 6 Reportedly Tops The List Of Steam Releases For Gross Revenue In 2026
If I were the Xbox CEO and wanted my platform to be differentiated and relevant, it would be as simple as making Forza Horizon 7 an Xbox and Xbox on PC exclusive after the overhaul that is expected for Helix+PC in 2027-28.
Re: 30 Games Have Just Been Added To Xbox Play Anywhere
Thanks for the good news! They are really appreciated these days.
Re: Report: id Software Pitched New Perfect Dark Before Xbox Layoffs
Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark are masterpieces because of the level and mission design. The Initiative was a mess for seven years, but it was wrong to kill the project because the IP is unique and it was being worked on by Crystal Dynamics, one of the best developers of the last generation. The trailer looked promising: gadgets, stealth, awesome music...
There is a glimmer of hope now that Asha seems to worry about what people really want to play... and pay for, obviously. I don't know if Id is the best choice, but any pitch involving a beloved IP should be considered from now on.
Some say that they should let studios do whatever they want and be creative. Well, that doesn't always work as we have seen. Moreover, you can be creative when given an IP like this.
EDIT: I would like to know the real number of layoffs at Id and if it's because they are going to use IW engine instead of Id Tech.
Re: Video Game Retailer Urges Xbox To 'Stand Behind Consumer Choice' By Supporting Physical
Many contradictions lately. Physical video games are not thrown away but kept, given, or sold. Plastic bottles are a more worrying polluting factor. I have tons of old physical games in a room and a reverse osmosis system in the kitchen.
The same people that claimed that physical needed to stay after the rumours about Helix being digital-only now say that physical doesn't matter because Sony decided to kill physical games. The same people that said that the 10-15% of digital sales was misleading because it didn't include indies now are saying that Sony is making the right choice because that 10-15% is trifling.
My stance is that choice is good, but it's not just about removing physical, but how to open the digital market and protect the rights of its consumers. Let's be honest. GOG is the best, but it doesn't have the AAA games. Steam and Xbox are second. Nintendo and Sony are last, by far.
It doesn't mean that Xbox is better than Nintendo and Sony at everything. I have criticised many things about Xbox in the last years, especially, Phil Spencer's hands-off approach, the cancellation of Perfect Dark, the (now ex-) director of Rare, some of the Xbox One Showcases that were all about shooters and the treatment of Rare's and other fan-favourite IPs.
This reminds me of the recent news. The same people that cry about studios being closed say that the ones that are open are going to fail and that Xbox is doomed, or want them dead. The same people that say that it's immoral of Microsoft (or Sony or any other publisher) to sell/downsize/close studios are proud to post that they won't buy Black Flag Resynced, a full-blown remake, until it costs $5. The same people that say that Asha is killing creativity by telling studios what to do now also say that they haven't bought nor played any of their last games because their new IPs are ****.
By this "logic", the only way some people could ever be pleased would be creating their own console, their own OS, their own studios and their own games. Then, the source of frustration would disappear and they could blame the unconditional dissatisfaction on their own contradictions.
Re: Video Game Retailer Urges Xbox To 'Stand Behind Consumer Choice' By Supporting Physical
They should release two versions of Helix, one with and one without a disc reader. Alternatively, release an external disc drive. Not that many people buy physical, but Asha is smart and this is an easy win for the Xbox and other console users that care, since Sony is killing physical games and Nintendo's consoles lack behind technically and are mostly used for first-party games, not to mention that many third parties release code-in-plastic games on Switch 2.
Although Xbox has the most consumer-friendly digital ownership in the console space with free upgrades and digital refunds, and this decision would not make a huge difference overall, I think it will be very well received across the board. We need to consider that the percentage of physical sales is much higher once you deduct the digital-only games (indies) and that digital buyers appreciate that there is an alternative on the market.
Re: Report: Xbox Cancels Avowed 2 And Puts Obsidian To Work On New Fallout Game
That's a wise strategy: don't cancel but postpone the game. I have always said that it was right to close The Initiative after seven years of nothing, but not to kill Perfect Dark. Crystal Dynamics was working on it and the trailer looked promising except, well, the new design of Joanna. Someone should make Perfect Dark 3!
Re: Report: Xbox Cancels Avowed 2 And Puts Obsidian To Work On New Fallout Game
On the one hand, I loved Avowed, but mostly the excellent gameplay, combat and the weapons system. On the other hand, this decision makes total sense. Microsoft has so many brilliant IPs that many fans want to see back, starting with Rare's. Asha should visit Rare next. Their last game was released in 2018. I've always criticised Phil Spencer's hands-off approach to studios, despite liking his personality.
Re: 'It's A Franchise We Love' - Toys For Bob Keen To Work With Xbox On Banjo-Kazooie Game
@smoreon They can always put an Aspyr disclaimer. 😁
Imagine films being sterilised before being re-released!
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
@MinervaX76
That's right. Those games didn't perform well on Game Pass, on the Store nor on PS5 or Switch 2. It was the games, not Game Pass. Why many of us were able to predict the four studios that were in trouble before their names were revealed? I only missed Undead Labs because they have a hit in their hands, in my opinion, but also admitted the problems the studio have had. They also need to trim the bloated ABK infrastructure, not meaning closing studios.
@StonyKL Yes. Making the whole division leaner and more efficient makes much easier to cover all the costs of the division and not require Game Pass to be its saviour, which is related to the part quoted above. Anyone that has a business knows that you need to have expenses under control regardless of the income, because it's much easier to spend than to earn.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
Game Pass is here to stay, but since the beginning of her tenure, Asha has teased changes beyond the price reduction of Ultimate that is, fortunately, recovering subscribers. I expect these changes to come soon.
I'm sure that Asha is looking at these numbers:
a) First-party games sales on Xbox and PC: if this number is high, it will allow them to keep being generous with Game Pass offerings.
b) Engagement of each first-party game on Game Pass (players and play time): this will be considered when designing tiers and flexibility.
c) Total number of subscribers: this number will determine further price and content reductions, since the opposite strategy did not work.
I think that the most likely outcome is more flexible tiers. She might consider day one exclusions of certain or all first-party games, eliminating or changing Ultimate eventually, but day one is a very powerful marketing tool and it was part of the Xbox Game Showcase very recently.
Not only do we not have, naturally, access to Game Pass numbers, but we have no idea of how the subscribers are distributed across the different tiers.
Re: Roundup: The First Reviews Have Arrived For AC Black Flag Resynced
@Markatron84 Yep. I also wanted to say yesterday that you are right about Nuts & Bolts being fantastic. It's not a traditional platformer and it's not as charming, but once you get Banjo fitter and start building better vehicles, beating the challenges is very addictive and rewarding.
Re: Roundup: The First Reviews Have Arrived For AC Black Flag Resynced
I started playing this series on Xbox One. The first title impressed me and remains one of my favourites. I'm happy I haven't skipped any of them. I bough Black Flag for Wii U before I got the Xbox One and the frame rate was so atrocious that I sold it and got the Xbox One version later. I have played all of them until Origins, but skipped Black Flag because of the remake rumours, so I think I'll play this remake next and then Origins.
Assassin's Creed is a wonderful series. Rayman Legends is one of the best platformers ever. Immortals Fenyx Rising is one of the most enjoyable games I've played. I can't say the same about Breath of the Wild nor Tears of the Kingdom despite being a huge The Legend of Zelda fan since my childhood. Just giving Ubisoft some credit since they get a lot of hate.
Re: 'It's A Franchise We Love' - Toys For Bob Keen To Work With Xbox On Banjo-Kazooie Game
@Mr-Cage Oh, I love my xboxers. 😁
Re: 'It's A Franchise We Love' - Toys For Bob Keen To Work With Xbox On Banjo-Kazooie Game
@HonestHick Hopefully. ✌️
Re: Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
@Nakatomi_Uk But I said co-owned. Don't they? Of course anyone can use BD if they pay the licence.
Re: 'It's A Franchise We Love' - Toys For Bob Keen To Work With Xbox On Banjo-Kazooie Game
Start by remaking the first two games, not touching the dialogues! Nothing would depress me more than a new developer censoring Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. I know that Rare is no longer Rare and even Playtonic is no longer Playtonic, but they could make a dream team. Xbox owns Rare and Vicarious Visions, now Blizzard Albany. They could also hire Playtonic and Gregg Mayles, who left Rare last year. Grant Kirkhope is a freelancer that would be more than happy to work on this IP again. Then, there's Toys for Bob. There are many, many options. I hope that Asha reads these headlines. Has she visited Rare yet? 😉