Yep so sadly looks like the one thing that xbox game studios remaining studios all have in common are games shipping in the near future... So I would go on to assume from that picture that these studios also will be absorbed by Bethesda, Activision, etc. once their current games are released?
@Fiendish-Beaver You know what I am worried about as far as the whole sacrificial lamb theory there (which I absolutely agree with your assessment of Sharma's strategy, it is sadly spot on) is less for Gears E Day; I think that the Gears IP can withstand all that and come out the other side intact either way. I worry instead about Clockwork Revolution as it is a brand new IP that for me is far and away the game i am most excited about and have been pining for since its initial announcement however long ago it's been now.
InXile is one of my absolute favorite developers. I have liked or loved every single one of their games put out going back to Wasteland 2 and own every one of them, with double dipping on titles that aren't Play Anywhere in addition. Though this is their first release that isnt isometric crpg style, I am confident it is going to live up to the hype by everything I've seen so far and given the fact they seem to have been given the time and freedom to ensure it comes out right rather than rushed out the door. But it seems now nearly impossible for it to be a console selling platform and ecosystem boosting behemoth, and more likely no matter how good or great even it winds up being I fear it is almost in a lose/lose spot here due to the exclusivity tag slapped on it and all the increasing scrutiny it'll receive due to that. Thats a lot to put on a smallish developer's first foray into the first person cinematic rpg realm and an unfair burden
@Fiendish-Beaver I definitely can see the logic there in the day one first party removal potentially improving the service via boosted 3rd party lineups... However, that fall firmly into the "I'll believe it when I see it" category of things for me. Wasted potential and improper management along with a waywardness from their initially stated goals and promises to the landing zone has been a defining characteristic of the Xbox one and onward eras.
Honestly, I feel like they've sort of lodged themselves firmly between a rock and a hard place here with GamePass and the xbox brand in general, seeing as the brand has become synonymous with the service at this point. Subscription Services will all eventually reach a peak with subscribers and target audience, and no amount of marketing or additions to the service will be capable of pushing that much higher now.
As costs have steadily risen, development cycles lengthening, and all that jazz, since gamepass inception a decade ago (or close to), the profitability of the whole thing has (I would imagine) shrunken considerably and every first party game is expected and needs to both drive Subscription numbers AND sell well, which led to the multi platform approach to subsidize lost xbox platform sales, and they put themselves in a place where the Subscription model simultaneously isn't profitable enough to satisfy shareholder expectations or cover the ballooning dev costs, but is too valuable to eliminate or significantly alter after becoming part of the core identity of the brand itself...
Rarely have i left a comment on these things, but just wanted to say this before returning to scroll the morning news feed..
To all those saying its not a big deal, I'm curious. Would you be fine also with adds being added to your flagship phone home screen also? Because I would be pissed if everytime i slid open the unlock screen i was presented with ads, customised or not, on the way to sending my text or call or opening the desired app.
I dont think xbox ought to be any different. Its a premium device, paid for and owned outright, and so the home screen and adjacent areas should not be forced to endure adds. Within store apps or even gamepass app or whatever, fine that is their call, but i think I just don't think we should be normalizing the former no matter how small an inconvenience it may be, if only for principle and precedents sake
The series x/s gen was already a small step towards bringing consoles into more of a pc format, and normalizing the spec differences to console. And their strategy of releasing all games to different platforms/already release everything to pc anyways means they can open up to 3rd party storefronts and still count on profits from software no matter what
I'm optimistic about next generation xbox, but based solely on hearsay, connected dots, and gut feeling lol.
That said I strongly feel like the next generation will erase the divide between pc and console gaming, and that microsoft will have it running on an optimized version of windows and capable of running pc games plus all of our backlog xbox library. In doing this they'll also open up the console to 3rd party storefronts, steam, gog, epic, etc, which will both give current xbox owners added incentive to upgrade, plus entice new customers into the fold with the allure of best of both worlds.
Oh and if that hypothetical future were to come about for them, I think all current base (self included) would be fine with it, as it takes away worries of losing digital library in that scenario
Not sure if this has been commented or thought by others already, but I feel strongly that Xbox future sees them not completely out of the hardware business, but not existing in that space the way they do now.
Something akin to what Steam is doing with the steam deck and their storefront, but of course coming about the opposite way. Seems like they already are working toward this in pushing game pass everywhere they can get it and the awesome but not oft 3rd party approved play anywhere that gets you pc and console copy of game you buy...
Anyhow, I see in the not so distant future their brand existing as a steam esque store front on pc and possibly on Nintendo or playstation consoles to some extent, and their own consoles produced as mid to high end PC that can function as console on tv connection(a la 'big picture' on steam). They'll no longer be dependent solely on console sales and closed ecosystem, though, so I'd expect a much pricier entry point than console norms(selling at a loss initially).
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Re: Xbox Game Studios Suddenly Looks Very Different In New Fan-Made Infographic
Yep so sadly looks like the one thing that xbox game studios remaining studios all have in common are games shipping in the near future... So I would go on to assume from that picture that these studios also will be absorbed by Bethesda, Activision, etc. once their current games are released?
Re: Roundup: All The Reveals From The Xbox Showcase At Tokyo Game Show 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver You know what I am worried about as far as the whole sacrificial lamb theory there (which I absolutely agree with your assessment of Sharma's strategy, it is sadly spot on) is less for Gears E Day; I think that the Gears IP can withstand all that and come out the other side intact either way. I worry instead about Clockwork Revolution as it is a brand new IP that for me is far and away the game i am most excited about and have been pining for since its initial announcement however long ago it's been now.
InXile is one of my absolute favorite developers. I have liked or loved every single one of their games put out going back to Wasteland 2 and own every one of them, with double dipping on titles that aren't Play Anywhere in addition. Though this is their first release that isnt isometric crpg style, I am confident it is going to live up to the hype by everything I've seen so far and given the fact they seem to have been given the time and freedom to ensure it comes out right rather than rushed out the door. But it seems now nearly impossible for it to be a console selling platform and ecosystem boosting behemoth, and more likely no matter how good or great even it winds up being I fear it is almost in a lose/lose spot here due to the exclusivity tag slapped on it and all the increasing scrutiny it'll receive due to that. Thats a lot to put on a smallish developer's first foray into the first person cinematic rpg realm and an unfair burden
Re: Roundup: All The Reveals From The Xbox Showcase At Tokyo Game Show 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver I definitely can see the logic there in the day one first party removal potentially improving the service via boosted 3rd party lineups... However, that fall firmly into the "I'll believe it when I see it" category of things for me. Wasted potential and improper management along with a waywardness from their initially stated goals and promises to the landing zone has been a defining characteristic of the Xbox one and onward eras.
Honestly, I feel like they've sort of lodged themselves firmly between a rock and a hard place here with GamePass and the xbox brand in general, seeing as the brand has become synonymous with the service at this point. Subscription Services will all eventually reach a peak with subscribers and target audience, and no amount of marketing or additions to the service will be capable of pushing that much higher now.
As costs have steadily risen, development cycles lengthening, and all that jazz, since gamepass inception a decade ago (or close to), the profitability of the whole thing has (I would imagine) shrunken considerably and every first party game is expected and needs to both drive Subscription numbers AND sell well, which led to the multi platform approach to subsidize lost xbox platform sales, and they put themselves in a place where the Subscription model simultaneously isn't profitable enough to satisfy shareholder expectations or cover the ballooning dev costs, but is too valuable to eliminate or significantly alter after becoming part of the core identity of the brand itself...
Re: 'Dear Asha...' - Xbox Fan Desperately Wants New CEO To Remove Irrelevant Ads From Dashboard
Rarely have i left a comment on these things, but just wanted to say this before returning to scroll the morning news feed..
To all those saying its not a big deal, I'm curious. Would you be fine also with adds being added to your flagship phone home screen also? Because I would be pissed if everytime i slid open the unlock screen i was presented with ads, customised or not, on the way to sending my text or call or opening the desired app.
I dont think xbox ought to be any different. Its a premium device, paid for and owned outright, and so the home screen and adjacent areas should not be forced to endure adds. Within store apps or even gamepass app or whatever, fine that is their call, but i think I just don't think we should be normalizing the former no matter how small an inconvenience it may be, if only for principle and precedents sake
Re: Talking Point: Will Microsoft Fully Reveal Its Next-Gen Xbox This Year?
The series x/s gen was already a small step towards bringing consoles into more of a pc format, and normalizing the spec differences to console. And their strategy of releasing all games to different platforms/already release everything to pc anyways means they can open up to 3rd party storefronts and still count on profits from software no matter what
Re: Talking Point: Will Microsoft Fully Reveal Its Next-Gen Xbox This Year?
I'm optimistic about next generation xbox, but based solely on hearsay, connected dots, and gut feeling lol.
That said I strongly feel like the next generation will erase the divide between pc and console gaming, and that microsoft will have it running on an optimized version of windows and capable of running pc games plus all of our backlog xbox library. In doing this they'll also open up the console to 3rd party storefronts, steam, gog, epic, etc, which will both give current xbox owners added incentive to upgrade, plus entice new customers into the fold with the allure of best of both worlds.
Re: Talking Point: Xbox Fans, How Do You Feel About The Future Of The Brand In 2024?
Oh and if that hypothetical future were to come about for them, I think all current base (self included) would be fine with it, as it takes away worries of losing digital library in that scenario
Re: Talking Point: Xbox Fans, How Do You Feel About The Future Of The Brand In 2024?
Not sure if this has been commented or thought by others already, but I feel strongly that Xbox future sees them not completely out of the hardware business, but not existing in that space the way they do now.
Something akin to what Steam is doing with the steam deck and their storefront, but of course coming about the opposite way. Seems like they already are working toward this in pushing game pass everywhere they can get it and the awesome but not oft 3rd party approved play anywhere that gets you pc and console copy of game you buy...
Anyhow, I see in the not so distant future their brand existing as a steam esque store front on pc and possibly on Nintendo or playstation consoles to some extent, and their own consoles produced as mid to high end PC that can function as console on tv connection(a la 'big picture' on steam). They'll no longer be dependent solely on console sales and closed ecosystem, though, so I'd expect a much pricier entry point than console norms(selling at a loss initially).