Absolutely, @ilyn. I think Sharma's end goal will not be popular with an awful lot of the Xbox community, because I think she wants it to be more like PlayStation with pretty much all the content produced being AAA system seller games. There won't be any room for A games, and little room for AA games.
When it comes to Clockwork Revolution, I think the thought process is that the game is all but finished, and that too much money has already been invested in it to not see it over the finish line. Once the game is out, success or not, I think the studio will be disposed of.
I like inXile, and I have been played their games for a very long time. I even kick-started Wasteland 2 whilst they were independent.
When Sharma said that she wanted to focus on the core games for Xbox, I think she meant it, and it does mean that there will be a lot of casualties along the way, many of which will be deeply unpopular. I can see the sense in what Sharma is thinking from the perspective of saving Xbox, but I don't think ridding Xbox of these smaller games being developed helps Game Pass, and it maybe that the service is becoming far less of a focus than it once was...
You got me thinking about a 4K blu-ray player that I could get for $15, @fatpunkslim, and I'm blowed if I can find one for anything close to that. The cheapest I can find on Amazon is £92, which is $123, which is obviously a lot more than $15.
Obviously I'm sure that Microsoft could source a 4K player for much less than I could, but even so $15 does seem a stretch...
Agreed, @Fishmasterflex96. I think this is potentially one of the most short-sighted decisions going. I think it could also speak loudly of Sharma's lack of game development knowledge. It would seem that she has taken sought out the easiest people to sack, rather than the most prudent. Why you would sack some of your most talented talent is beyond me...
I have a horrible feeling that inXile will be on the chopping block following the release of Clockwork Revolution, @Tonmoy. Sharma still needs to find 1600 redundancies, and the best time to find them will be when a studio has finished the game they are making. inXile are probably so far into development right now that they are safe, but once the game releases, they could well be in trouble...
If you look at when Microsoft tend to make the big adjustments to Game Pass, it tends to be at the end of the second quarter (or thereabouts), @Millionski. So I think if they do intend to make any significant changes, we should learn of them within the next few months.
I think the metrics surrounding E-Day will be the deciding factor for Game Pass as it is the only big AAA tentpole title that Sharma can use in her decision making. She could also use Fable because with it releasing on PlayStation she will be able to see how it does in terms of sales there, and then be able to compare that to sales on Xbox and Steam. So it might be that in terms of Game Pass E-Day holds greater significance in her decision making, and Fable will potentially be the deciding factor when it comes to future exclusivity.
I do think that something has to change when it comes to first-party titles on Game Pass, and as much as we know people won't like it, surely the future success of Xbox is more important for us in the long-run.
If you consider where Xbox can make money, then it really boils down to just two places; game sales, which would include DLC and microtransactions, and Game Pass. I've seen people talking about how Game Pass is profitable and is the only thing keeping Xbox afloat, but surely it is actually the case that Game Pass is the reason why too few games (first-party and third-party) sell on the platform, which would mean that the things people say is propping up Xbox is also the thing that is causing the harm in the first place.
Microsoft don't have a great deal of control over our spending habits when it comes to third-party games, but they can exert more control over first-party games, thus one way they can coerce people into buying first-party games would be to no longer put them on Game Pass day one.
It is a step that I would take, and I think it is where we will end up. The question is a case of when, not if, but I think it will happen within the next 12 months, and is probably going to be part of the big reset. I think if Sharma has probably already made the decision (but will use E-Day to confirm it is the right course of action), and will make the changes late this year or early next...
It did come out that it was coders that were made redundant, @Millionski , but even if ID move to a new engine (which is completely unnecessary, in my opinion) they will still need people to use the new engine.
I'm not that technically minded, but unless all 136 people that were sacked were making and maintaining the engine, and only the engine, then surely there absence will be noticed when making the next game. Just switching to a new engine doesn't magically make a game. People still need to use the engine to develop the game, and if there are fewer people, then the game will either have to be smaller in scale, or will take longer to make...
It was quite possibly under consideration, @Millionski, and that may have been where the rumours stemmed from. Consideration was possibly given to closing the studio, and that leaked out, where upon Sharma decided to go with cuts rather than closure. At the time the rumour surfaced, discussions regarding closing the studio may still have been ongoing. I doubt anyone just made it up, with all that has proven to be true, there was probably some truth to that rumour too.
What I would say, though, is that with the state they have left the studio in, it is questionable what they are capable of doing next. Are there enough of them left to actually make a game, or are they now relegated to some kind of support studio?
Honestly, from a consumer perspective, having ID spun off like the other studios may well have been the best result. What Sharma has done here has quite possibly all but killed off the studio.
It's also worth bearing in mind that a further 1600 jobs will be lost over the coming 12 months, and that in itself could lead to studio closures and / or game cancellations. I mean, these cuts have already decimated ID, so we just have to hope it does not fall victim to further cuts...
It is the right move indeed, have to say, we've seen people in just the past few days saying that the cancellation was fake news, when all it was an unconfirmed rumour.
Anyway, hopefully they can get a game out in the not too distant future because Fallout is one of my favourite franchises...
That is my thinking too, @Fishmasterflex96. Obviously, we got a lot of extra DLC for the previous game, and I was hoping that we would see the same for Dark Ages. However, all the redundancies has me thinking that this expansion is all we will be getting, which is an absolute crime, in my opinion.
I think it fair to say that Sharma has sacked the low hanging fruit. She has picked on a studio that has just released its content. They're an easy target because they have nothing in the pipeline right now, and thus a smaller team can get things going. Problem is, you cut the team in half, then it will take them twice as long to produce their next game (or it will be a lot smaller, and a lot less significant). To think they have done this to one of Xbox's most successful studios is simply baffling...
This game has been on my radar since I saw the first trailer. I will be pre-ordering this game, and hoping they might even indulge in a decent Collector's Edition...
Is this the only planned DLC for Dark Ages, @HelloCraigo? I'm just wondering whether there are plans for more, and how that will be impacted following the job loses. I'm guessing that there is nothing more to come, but hoping that I am wrong...
I bought the Collectors Edition of this game, which came with all the DLC, thus I am looking forward to playing this once I finish my latest run of Mass Effect Legendary Edition (I am currently on shore leave prior to hitting the final part of the third game, so I should be finished in the next day or two). Only thing is, I was going to play Lego Batman next, but now I'm not sure which to play first... 🤪
Okay, @themightyant, I get that my 5 subscribers comment is flawed, but an awful lot of us have stacked Game Pass. I stacked mine 2 years ago for 3 years using the EA conversion trick. So, not only does that mean that Microsoft received less money from me than they would have wished, but also it means if I were to play E-Day* on Game Pass Microsoft will receive absolutely nothing from me, and there are many, many, many of us in exactly the same position.
A lot of people seem to think that the majority of us pay in full each month, but I'm not so sure that is the case; firstly, we often see people stating that they have their subscriptions stacked, but also we know that some laws around the World (particularly in the EU) prohibit any price increase in Game Pass, thus the price they began their subscription at may have been several years ago, and they are paying a lot less than they would be if they were paying full price each month. We also know a lot of people dropped of Ultimate, and went to Premium instead (or cancelled completely), and many of those will sign up for just a month in order to play something like E-Day. Yes, I'm sure some will sign on for longer, but many will just want to hit the campaign and move off the service once more, which of course, affords Microsoft far less than someone outright buying the game.
*Just for the record, I have bought the Collector's Edition of E-Day, so I won't be playing it via Game Pass...
When are Microsoft clear about anything at all, @themightyant? When...?
They obfuscate all the time, not being quite clear in what they say, and cherry-picking the bits they want to highlight whilst never commenting on the bits they don't want us to know.
So, whilst Microsoft have not ever said Game Pass is in trouble (until maybe recently) can you explain why Microsoft suddenly pivoted away from exclusivity, and to putting their first-party games on PlayStation? Why would they do that if putting their first-party content on Game Pass day one was working for them? Why would they do that when those same games are the ones they are relying on to bring in the new subscribers, and to bring people into the Xbox ecosystem?
Just because Microsoft have not admitted there are problems with Game Pass, it does not mean that there are none. We never fully understand the problems behind the scenes (primarily because Microsoft never tell us), and only find out that they exist when Microsoft suddenly take action like we have seen in the past couple of days. Microsoft haven't told us that Double Fine's recent games failed, yet they have offloaded the studio without explanation. We have to make our own assumptions as to why they have taken this step, and the only logical one is that their recent games were financial failures. We make those assumptions because Microsoft do not tell us. We have to read between the lines, and just as with why Microsoft decided to put their first-party exclusives on PlayStation, we have to try and work out why they are doing it because Microsoft never explain.
I seem to recall having read somewhere that Game Pass had razor-thin profits if first-party games were not included in the calculations, but that was not the case once they were included. And those razor-thin profits were before there was an exodus of millions of subscribers following last years 50% price hike. Whether that exodus amounted to the 14% reduction in subscribers that Game Pass has seen since 2024, I could not tell you, but we do know that the service has not been on par with past years in recent times, and also that fewer subscribers does mean less revenue, and this could easily explain the drastic action that Sharma has taken in recent days.
Obviously we know nothing for sure, but we can all see what is publicly visible, and try to find some meaning in what we can see. Sometimes we will be getting it wrong, no doubt, but honestly, when there is so much smoke, it does stand to reason there is probably a fire somewhere...
Oddly enough, @Coletrain, I was writing my long comment at #9 whilst you wrote your comment at #6.
I totally agree, I don't think putting first-party titles on Game Pass is working for Xbox, and this will change within the next 6 months (so 2 quarters time), and that E-Day is going to be the game they base their decision on...
I've argued this consistently, @Coletrain. Xbox cease putting their big AAA tentpole titles on Game Pass until a year after release, and should scrap Ultimate making Premium the de facto top tier.
The only reason Spencer was forced into putting Xbox games on PlayStation was because they were not generating sufficient revenue in terms of sales and subscription numbers.
The problem now is that none of that will have changed, and making games exclusive again won't stop people playing them as cheaply as possible, which means Game Pass. It takes something like 5 new subscriptions to equate to one sale of a AAA game. So if 5 million people join Game Pass to play E-Day, for example, then that would equate to a million copies of the game being sold, which would be great, except it is highly unlikely that 5 million people will join Game Pass to play the game. It may well be played by 5 million people, but the vast majority of those will be people who have stacked Game Pass, meaning the game does not generate any additional revenue from those people.
I honestly believe that Sharma is using E-Day as a test case to see how the game sells on Xbox (so excluding Steam sales, although she may well compare the two), and also she will want to see how Game Pass fares too. If things are not particularly favourable, I can foresee her using it as the reason to remove first-party games from day one Game Pass releases, and maybe even reverse the decision regarding exclusives, although I think before she does that she will want to see how releasing a big first-party title on Xbox (but not Game Pass) pans out. If it does sufficiently well, then she may continue down the exclusive path. If not, then she will have to row back on that commitment.
For me, not releasing E-Day (which is a Live Service game) on PlayStation makes no sense at all, until you consider that it is the first big AAA game releasing this year (and also one that had not been promised to PlayStation) that could be used to see how the game performs as an exclusive under current conditions.
It will be interesting to see how things pan out...
I think it would also be interesting to know a breakdown of subscribers on each tier. Is it still top heavy, like (I believe) it used to be with most people on Ultimate, or has Premium now become the most popular tier? It would also be interesting to know how many people just have Essential, and how many of them would keep that service if online play were to be made free (as some have suggested once Helix arrives, although I find it doubtful that it will be made free for consoles, but that remains to be seen).
Personally I have had Ultimate since day one, but the truth is I very rarely play a game on it, choosing instead to buy all my games including first-party games because I prefer to own the best version of any game I buy whereas Game Pass only receives the basic version of the game.
Once my subscription comes to an end in June next year, I will probably just take Essential until Helix comes out, at which point, assuming online is made free, I will leave the service completely. I see no point in paying for something that I do not need, and currently I only need it to play Gears 5 with my mates.
As for what Sharma does with Game Pass, I can foresee her ending the big AAA first-party games going on the service upon release. I think E-Day will be used as a test case for releasing games on Game Pass, and also whether games actually will need to be sold on PlayStation to cover development costs. If E-Day fails to sell well on Xbox (so not Steam), and / or fails to bring in a decent bump in Game Pass subscriptions, then I can see Xbox being forced into another U-turn on the idea of exclusives...
I am retired, @Llamageddon, and I do not have enough time to play all the interesting games that exist. I buy many, many interesting games, many of which I don't end up playing. There are simply too many good games out there...
I said as much yesterday, @CallMeDuraSouka. Probabilities are that this time next year we will see further cuts and studio closures (or disposals), although we could also see the same at the end of any quarter too.
I highly doubt this is the last of the troubling news that we will se coming from Xbox over the next few months, and I think anyone who thinks this is it, will likely be very disappointed. Honestly, this is probably just phase one...
It's difficult to fathom how Sharma can expect one in eight people that populate Earth, to play an Xbox/Microsoft game. It really is difficult to comprehend, unless she means one person playing on multiple devices (PC, console and mobile) being counted 3 times, rather than as just one person.
I mean, when I play Jewel on my mobile each day, and a game on my PC each day, and then a game on my Xbox each day (in order to obtain my Microsoft points), does she count me as 3 interactions, or just one individual? If you count me 3 times, then I guess the target is achievable, if you only count me just once, then I hope she does not have a bonus attached to it, as it is never likely to pay out...
Thank you, @MinervaX76. It would be good to get a little more clarity on exactly what is going on at ID. We will probably find out at some point, I guess...
Exactly that, @CallMeDuraSouka. I have said it many times now, but Sharma has a background in PR, she knows how to get the community onside. She spent a couple of months making us feel good about Xbox, and hopeful for the future (whilst giving us very little, truth be told), and now she is undertaking moves that are going down pretty badly within the gaming community. The one thing you can say about her is that she knows what she is doing when it comes to PR, and she is clearly good at it...
No, @MinervaX76, my comment would not have included you. Just those that seem to parrot the corporate line that Xbox pushes out, and who are seemingly incapable of reading between the lines to see what is really going on.
There are many that are capable of independent thinking on here, and who can see what is truly going on with Xbox. Unfortunately, I have often found that when I am critical of Xbox in any way, people accuse me of being a Sony fanboy, which could not be further from the truth as I have been with Xbox since the very start, and my criticism of Xbox is borne out of sadness with the way things have turned out.
Honestly, anyone that cannot see the peril that Xbox is in right is deluding themselves...
You are absolutely right, @themightyant. I worded that badly. It's not so many, as you correctly pointed out, but there are a handful that defend every decision as if it were the best thing ever. A bit Trumpian, if you get my drift! 😉
As for everything else you said, again, spot on. When Xbox went multiplatform, people said it was the best decision, and that Sony would be doing it. That obviously didn't work, and then Xbox announce that they are returning to exclusives, and those same people just flip flop on what they said previously.
Ultimately, some people just seem to be completely incapable of seeing that all these decisions that we have seen this generation, including the ones made in the past couple of days, are not made because Xbox is being successful. They are made because Xbox has been, and is, failing in several areas. If things were going swimmingly, we would not see all these painful decisions being made at all...
Exactly, @Ooccoo_Jr! So many people seem to think this reorganisation of Xbox will be a good thing, when in fact these cuts will hurt it. Too many people are too willing to just swallow all the PR, without actually thinking for themselves...
Have to say that this saddens me. Now I get that some are suggesting that a new engine may be incoming, but the studio will still be considerably smaller after this, and therefore their work output will be considerably slower.
Also, unless all those remaining are capable of coding using the new engine, then won't they need to employ people that can use the new engine? Surely the more cost effective thing to have done would be to retrain the coders into using the alternative engine. If ID are going to employ new coders already familiar with the alternative engine, then surely those new people will have to brought up to speed with the company itself. I mean, I get that some are saying that these are only coders, but who is going to do the coding now they are gone?
Thus, not only does this sadden me, but I fail to see the benefits that this will bring Xbox right now. ID is one of the few studios that put out consistently good games at a reasonable cadence. This move can only harm them.
To me, this smacks of Sharma desperately seeking somewhere to make cuts (probably having been directed to do so from above), and choosing to hit on a company that has not long put out a game, and whose next game is probably a way off (even further off now). Savings had to be made, and made they will be, even if Xbox has to cut off its own nose to spite its face.
Hey, @FraserG. Could you please tell me whether the 3200 job loses include those that are within the studios that Microsoft are offloading, or whether these 3200 jobs are as well as those studios? I know you use the term 'in addition', but I wasn't sure whether that was just a way of transitioning to what you had to say next.
I absolutely do think that Sharma found ways to prevent the negative PR being limited when letting these studios go, @NishimaruX. Sharma has a background in PR, it is why we keep having these small, but positive, changes on Xbox (like colours, and hours instead of days etc.), which are really minor, but still provide positive PR for Xbox.
Sharma would have known that simply closing the studios would have generated far more wrath from the gaming community (not just the Xbox community), than selling or spinning them off.
When it comes to PR, Sharma is showing us she knows what she is doing.
As for the continued success, or otherwise, of the studios concerned, I think it comes down to whether they can adapt and speed up their content. In the case of Ninja for example, if they take an age to make another walking simulator, they don't stand a chance.
When it comes to Double Fine, if they make something like Psychonauts 3, and do it in a timely manner, then they may find success. However, if they try to keep something like Kiln going, then I don't hold out much hope for their survival...
I do have a USB extension lead on my Series X, @CobaltW0lf. I have two external hard-drives on it. I used to have the dongle on there too. I did try to attach a third hard drive on it, but for some reason, my Series X would not find it. I don't know whether there is a limit on how many you can have or why it would not work...
It's crazy to think that it has been downloaded that many times, @Questionable_Duck, but I do know that I downloaded the game at least 3 times because I needed to do so each time that I changed my mobile phone, and I'm sure I would not be alone in that. It is a very successful game, of that there is no doubt...
I absolutely agree that Microsoft have done right by the studios in the manner in which they are disposing of them, @MinervaX76, but I think only a fool would believe that this is the last of things. High probabilities are that at least one more studio will be let go this year, and there will probably be another cull this time next year if results don't fall favourably following this particular restructuring...
I only have my headset dongle plugged into my PS5, but I have a headset dongle, and a USB extension lead plugged into my Xbox (which then enables me to have 2 more external hard drives attached because I have over 1600 digital games, and I like to have most of them installed), @Lanmanna.
I get that I may do things differently, but I think other than the issue with the lack of USB ports (and remember, one will quite possibly be required for the mouse and keyboard dongle), my other concern is that I do not want an extra item in my cabinet. As it is I have a PS5, Series X, Switch and Sky all in my cabinet. They do at least look neat and tidy, but they also occupy all the space, so if Helix has a disc drive, I would want it either integral (my preferred option) or I would want to capability to attach it (much like the PS5).
Honestly though, for me, as I only need it for playing my blu-ray collection, if it is external, I may as well buy a decent blu-ray player as that would likely perform far better anyway. So if I am forced to have yet another box under my television, that is what I would do (albeit, that's not my preferred option)...
Most of my 360 games are sealed too, @Kingleo31. I have over 250 individual games, but I also have a lot of duplicate games, many of which are sealed. I would estimate that I have something of the order of 150 sealed 360 games, and probably 350 games in total (with 100 of them being duplicates). When my children were younger, they each had an Xbox, so I used to buy 3 of each game but I didn't always end up giving them to the kids because they wanted something else instead, so I just ended up keeping them. Most of them are probably worth only pennies, but I imagine that some of them might hold more value. Can't bring myself to selling them off though. Silly really...
Wait! Are you saying that 1 in 16 people in the entire World play Candy Crush, @Questionable_Duck? 6.25% of the entire World's population?
That seems like a huge stretch to me.
I can understand that the game is played 500 million times in a month, if we take that to mean in total, so someone playing it every day of the month would count as 30 times. If that is what that means then I find it believable, but the idea of 500 individual players I struggle to believe. And the idea that (even if that is individual gamers) could be grown to 1 in 8 of the Worlds population I find absolutely staggering. Honestly, the only way I could see them achieving that kind of number would if Microsoft paid people to play the game. I mean, if they paid people by the minute played then I could see them seeing some substantial growth, but even then, it would have to be worth people's time. A couple of pence, and people wouldn't be bothered, a couple of quid, and (for a reasonable time investment) and people might be tempted, but even then I struggle to comprehend the idea of a billion individual gamers playing Xbox games each month. It is a staggering target.
I mean, it's great to set demanding, yet obtainable targets, but another thing altogether to set unrealistic targets, particularly when you consider that failure to hit those targets brings with it repercussions, which as we have seen today, can be a bitter pill to swallow...
You are absolutely right, @themightyant. Changing the engines should be a priority, and it should not be underestimated how challenging it is for Bethesda to hire in temporary staff, and then train them up on their existing engine, when these staff know Unreal inside out and could basically be put straight to work if that was the engine that Bethesda were to use. Instead it takes time and money to train staff that won't even remain with the company. It is a total waste...
The way this statement has been worded, you could be forgiven it's business as usual for Bethesda, but the truth is things need to change.
15 years for Elder Scrolls, and 10 years for Fallout is unacceptable. These are tentpole titles that should be coming out every 5 years or so, and that's both of them, not alternated. And that's new games, not remasters. Basically every 3 years we should be getting a new game in the franchises; Fallout now, Elder Scrolls 3 years later, and then another Fallout 3 years after that, and so on.
I think Doom gets it about right, and if Bethesda cannot make the other games themselves in a timely manner then either they should grow so as to enable them to do so, or the games should be handed to another studio to get the games out (be that a new studio, or an existing one).
It is simply unacceptable that Microsoft did not have the presence of mind, and the planning capabilities, to ensure that we had a brand new Fallout game to coincide with the television series, and if some radical changes need to be made to ensure Xbox can capitalise on these franchises then those changes should be urgently made.
Ultimately, I hope that my original sentence about it being business as usual is hugely wide of the mark...
I know some people are attempting to clutch at the positive straws when it comes to some of the studios not being sold off, or games being cancelled, but the truth is that we do not know what was being discussed behind closed doors. Some of the games or studios could well have been under consideration for cancellation or closure, and they have been put on notice now that they need to get their act together. Or, they may not, and none of this may have been true. I'm not in a position to say where the truth lies, but the fact that the axe has not fallen right now, does not mean it will not fall at all. Indeed, we were hearing rumours of problems at these studios long before this final decision was announced. After all, it is highly unlikely that Sharma woke up this morning and just decided to rid Xbox of a number of studios. These decisions are months in the making, and it stands to reason that not just can plans change, but also that sometimes things will leak out which later prove to be right, or, if the decision changes, prove to be incorrect. Honestly, I would still hold a level of concern for any game or studio that has been rumoured in recent months, because if these steps that Sharma has taken do not result in the desired conclusion, then she will undoubtedly return to the chopping board at a later point. The end of the financial quarter, or, in particular, the end of the financial year are the crunch points when we will know more...
Some of the information that has been confirmed today, you had previously said was fake news, @fatpunkslim. It was not fake news. It was, however, an unconfirmed rumour. People are mixing up rumours with fake news.
Now, when it comes to Senua, I have not read anywhere about it being cancelled, but it is kind of semantics anyway when it is no longer an Xbox owned game. Xbox may not have cancelled it, but it is no longer being developed by an Xbox studio. Also, there is no guarentee that the game will not be cancelled in the future. Whomever buys the studio, may not wish them to make the game. Personally, I hope it releases as a more action orientated game, but it is almost without question that whomever it is that buys Ninja will not want another game like Hellblade 2 because despite it being a fantastic looking game, it did not sell well, and another game in the same vein would sell even worse...
Nothing of my comment suggests my judgement to be clouded, @fatpunkslim. What is the point of having an external disc drive? Helix will come with a limited number of USB ports, so why would you want to use one to link up an external disc drive? Would it not be better to either have it already fitted, or one that is attached in a manner similar to the PS5? Like it or not, the way Sony have approached this issue is absolutely ideal. I can see no better way other than having it fitted as standard. It's got nothing to do with wanting to be right, but I don't see the point in having something that sits beside Helix taking up unnecessary room.
Every one of my USB ports on my Series X is in use; I have my headphones dongle, plus external hard drives attached. There are no spare ports at all. If one was taken up with a disc drive, something else would have to give, and even if I were to forgo something else then I would have to sit the disc drive on my carpet because there is no further room in my cabinet. Having a standalone disc drive is a very poor substitute for doing it right...
Basically nothing, @fatpunkslim, that is therefore, not nothing.
For Helix to be designed to be capable of having a disc drive added later will cost Microsoft money, the costs of which they will want to pass on to the consumer.
Adding a disc drive from the outset will cost Microsoft money, the costs of which they will want to pass on to the consumer.
It matters not whether it is £5 or £50, it is still an additional cost on top of what is likely to be a very expensive device already.
I get that it is not going to be much (when compared to the asking price for Helix), but it is still going to cost, and if you have no interest in the disc drive, then why should you pay for something that is of no interest to you, no matter how little it might be?
I mean, to me it makes no difference; I will be getting Helix, and I would rather it have an integrated disc drive, if that means everyone else pays for something they do not want but has no option but to have, that will keep the costs down for me as an individual, so why should I care really? However, I do care, because I remember being very annoyed at having Kinect bundled in with the Xbox One but still having to pay for it (I never once took mine out of the box!), so I know that there will be many people annoyed that they are paying for something that they have no desire to own...
I buy all my games digitally these days, and have done so since the start of the Xbox One era. I have over 1600 digital games in my Xbox library. I also have over 250 Xbox 360 games on disc, and whilst I own a Series X, I have never attempted to play one of my 360 discs in it (and indeed, I am uncertain whether they would work anyway).
From a cost perspective, I can definitely see the benefits of not including a disc drive with Helix. After all, the disc drive would only add further costs to what is already likely to be an expensive device. In fact, just designing Helix so that you can add an optional disc drive would add additional costs to the device, which would be borne by everyone who purchases a Helix, whether or not they then buy a disc drive too.
What I will say though, is that whilst I buy all my games digitally, I do like to buy all my films and TV series on blu-ray, and I use my Series X to play those, and as I have over 2000 films on disc, I would personally much prefer to have access to a disc drive (preferably pre-installed, but as an optional extra at the very least).
Helix not having a disc drive nor access to one, would not be a deal breaker to me, as I could always buy a dedicated blu-ray player, but I do worry about the added costs for everyone that including a disc drive as standard would add to the cost of Helix, particularly so for those that have no interest in physical media of any kind, and it could then be seen as an unnecessary additional cost much like Kinect was for many with the Xbox One (though probably not costing quite as much). The truth is that for the vast, vast majority, the inclusion of a disc drive would be an unwanted additional cost...
Would have been interesting to have a 'NONE OF THE ABOVE', option, @FraserG. I always just end up pressing 'RESULTS' just to see how the vote went, but I imagine I'm not alone in not being interested in what was on offer...
Personally, I think it was yet another weak month for Game Pass in 2026.
Despite having Ultimate, I am still yet to play a single game on the service this year. Nothing has had me wanting to try anything, and any first-party titles that have released, I have bought.
Maybe soon there will be something that will interest me, but honestly, if it were not for needing to have Game Pass in order to play online, I would not have it at all. It is a complete waste of money for me, though I know that some get a lot of satisfaction from it...
"Have some backbone people. If you don't give your consent...
Arguably, @smbruno44212, the people have already given their consent. Only 15% of people buy their games physically on PlayStation, and that number is decreasing each year, and it is already lower than that on Xbox.
It needs to be remembered that Microsoft and Sony are businesses; they exist to make money, and they make far more money through digital sales than they do physical. They will always head in the direction of the money, and that is not physical.
So, the only people you say should hold the line are those that are the remaining few that still buy their games physical, but as each year passes, they become fewer and fewer. It is absolutely inevitable that physical will die out for consoles, just as it has for PCs, and then when you factor in that Helix is a PC, there is very little chance of Microsoft catering to physical games next generation...
I still have around 250 games for my 360 (many of them still sealed too), but probably only around 10 for my Xbox One.
The only Series X games I have in physical form are for my Collector's Edtions, but that is because from basically the start of the Xbox One era I have bought all my games digitally meaning I have amassed over 1600 digital games for my Xbox...
Agreed, @Weebleman. This is going to be horrendous.
I read somewhere that all the details should be known by the 6th of July (it may have been the 5th, but my memory fails me!). So we probably have another week of rumours before we finally get all the facts.
I think whatever the truth, it's going to be bleak, though I'm sure some won't quite see it that way...
Look, I get it, you want facts and not rumours, @fatpunkslim, that's fair enough, but if you look at gaming generally, most of what is reported starts out as a rumour and is then confirmed at a later point. Some times soon after the rumour, some times much later.
As an example; it was rumoured that they were remaking Halo, and then it was confirmed, and just like it is rumoured that they are working on a Fallout remaster, but it has not yet been confirmed.
Both started out as rumours, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with these sites reporting it. Just because it is a rumour, does not mean we should not hear about it on here. Heck, if we didn't get to read rumours, this website would die a sudden death because people want to read these kind of things, and if they didn't report them then other websites would, and they would get all the traffic. Pure Xbox needs the traffic, and if they ignore the rumours then people would look to elsewhere for the information.
Now, I get that this is not a pleasing rumour, but if you think back to when Perfect Dark was cancelled, that it had been cancelled started out as a rumour. It was reported as such on this very website before then being confirmed. It wasn't fake news. It wasn't lies, and arguably, it wasn't even a rumour because it turned out to be true, so not really a rumour, but a leak.
Honestly, I love the Blade movies, and would be first in line to buy a Blade game, so I do not want this to be confirmed. I also happen to love Prey in particular, and have played it several times, so I would dearly love it if the rumour were untrue.
All I can say is that there is no point in shouting about it being false or unproven because it matters not what any of say or think because we are not involved in the decisions that either save or kill off the game. However, Pure Xbox would look pretty inept if they did not report rumours that then proved to be true, particularly so if the rumours are being widely reported elsewhere. We may not like the rumours, but we should still be kept in the loop on sites such as this.
As an example of rumours being reported, then turning out to be true:
The point being, that just because it starts out as a rumour, does not mean that it is not true, just not yet confirmed, and when these kind of rumours begin to circulate, they do tend to be proven true at a later point...
Comments 5,492
Re: Report: Xbox Cancels Avowed 2 And Puts Obsidian To Work On New Fallout Game
Absolutely, @ilyn. I think Sharma's end goal will not be popular with an awful lot of the Xbox community, because I think she wants it to be more like PlayStation with pretty much all the content produced being AAA system seller games. There won't be any room for A games, and little room for AA games.
When it comes to Clockwork Revolution, I think the thought process is that the game is all but finished, and that too much money has already been invested in it to not see it over the finish line. Once the game is out, success or not, I think the studio will be disposed of.
I like inXile, and I have been played their games for a very long time. I even kick-started Wasteland 2 whilst they were independent.
When Sharma said that she wanted to focus on the core games for Xbox, I think she meant it, and it does mean that there will be a lot of casualties along the way, many of which will be deeply unpopular. I can see the sense in what Sharma is thinking from the perspective of saving Xbox, but I don't think ridding Xbox of these smaller games being developed helps Game Pass, and it maybe that the service is becoming far less of a focus than it once was...
Re: Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
You got me thinking about a 4K blu-ray player that I could get for $15, @fatpunkslim, and I'm blowed if I can find one for anything close to that. The cheapest I can find on Amazon is £92, which is $123, which is obviously a lot more than $15.
Obviously I'm sure that Microsoft could source a 4K player for much less than I could, but even so $15 does seem a stretch...
Re: Here's What DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
Agreed, @Fishmasterflex96. I think this is potentially one of the most short-sighted decisions going. I think it could also speak loudly of Sharma's lack of game development knowledge. It would seem that she has taken sought out the easiest people to sack, rather than the most prudent. Why you would sack some of your most talented talent is beyond me...
Re: Report: Xbox Cancels Avowed 2 And Puts Obsidian To Work On New Fallout Game
I have a horrible feeling that inXile will be on the chopping block following the release of Clockwork Revolution, @Tonmoy. Sharma still needs to find 1600 redundancies, and the best time to find them will be when a studio has finished the game they are making. inXile are probably so far into development right now that they are safe, but once the game releases, they could well be in trouble...
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
If you look at when Microsoft tend to make the big adjustments to Game Pass, it tends to be at the end of the second quarter (or thereabouts), @Millionski. So I think if they do intend to make any significant changes, we should learn of them within the next few months.
I think the metrics surrounding E-Day will be the deciding factor for Game Pass as it is the only big AAA tentpole title that Sharma can use in her decision making. She could also use Fable because with it releasing on PlayStation she will be able to see how it does in terms of sales there, and then be able to compare that to sales on Xbox and Steam. So it might be that in terms of Game Pass E-Day holds greater significance in her decision making, and Fable will potentially be the deciding factor when it comes to future exclusivity.
I do think that something has to change when it comes to first-party titles on Game Pass, and as much as we know people won't like it, surely the future success of Xbox is more important for us in the long-run.
If you consider where Xbox can make money, then it really boils down to just two places; game sales, which would include DLC and microtransactions, and Game Pass. I've seen people talking about how Game Pass is profitable and is the only thing keeping Xbox afloat, but surely it is actually the case that Game Pass is the reason why too few games (first-party and third-party) sell on the platform, which would mean that the things people say is propping up Xbox is also the thing that is causing the harm in the first place.
Microsoft don't have a great deal of control over our spending habits when it comes to third-party games, but they can exert more control over first-party games, thus one way they can coerce people into buying first-party games would be to no longer put them on Game Pass day one.
It is a step that I would take, and I think it is where we will end up. The question is a case of when, not if, but I think it will happen within the next 12 months, and is probably going to be part of the big reset. I think if Sharma has probably already made the decision (but will use E-Day to confirm it is the right course of action), and will make the changes late this year or early next...
Re: Here's What DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
It did come out that it was coders that were made redundant, @Millionski , but even if ID move to a new engine (which is completely unnecessary, in my opinion) they will still need people to use the new engine.
I'm not that technically minded, but unless all 136 people that were sacked were making and maintaining the engine, and only the engine, then surely there absence will be noticed when making the next game. Just switching to a new engine doesn't magically make a game. People still need to use the engine to develop the game, and if there are fewer people, then the game will either have to be smaller in scale, or will take longer to make...
Re: Report: Xbox Cancels Avowed 2 And Puts Obsidian To Work On New Fallout Game
It was quite possibly under consideration, @Millionski, and that may have been where the rumours stemmed from. Consideration was possibly given to closing the studio, and that leaked out, where upon Sharma decided to go with cuts rather than closure. At the time the rumour surfaced, discussions regarding closing the studio may still have been ongoing. I doubt anyone just made it up, with all that has proven to be true, there was probably some truth to that rumour too.
What I would say, though, is that with the state they have left the studio in, it is questionable what they are capable of doing next. Are there enough of them left to actually make a game, or are they now relegated to some kind of support studio?
Honestly, from a consumer perspective, having ID spun off like the other studios may well have been the best result. What Sharma has done here has quite possibly all but killed off the studio.
It's also worth bearing in mind that a further 1600 jobs will be lost over the coming 12 months, and that in itself could lead to studio closures and / or game cancellations. I mean, these cuts have already decimated ID, so we just have to hope it does not fall victim to further cuts...
Re: Report: Xbox Cancels Avowed 2 And Puts Obsidian To Work On New Fallout Game
It is the right move indeed, have to say, we've seen people in just the past few days saying that the cancellation was fake news, when all it was an unconfirmed rumour.
Anyway, hopefully they can get a game out in the not too distant future because Fallout is one of my favourite franchises...
Re: Here's What DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
That is my thinking too, @Fishmasterflex96. Obviously, we got a lot of extra DLC for the previous game, and I was hoping that we would see the same for Dark Ages. However, all the redundancies has me thinking that this expansion is all we will be getting, which is an absolute crime, in my opinion.
I think it fair to say that Sharma has sacked the low hanging fruit. She has picked on a studio that has just released its content. They're an easy target because they have nothing in the pipeline right now, and thus a smaller team can get things going. Problem is, you cut the team in half, then it will take them twice as long to produce their next game (or it will be a lot smaller, and a lot less significant). To think they have done this to one of Xbox's most successful studios is simply baffling...
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Previews Are Saying About The Blood Of Dawnwalker
This game has been on my radar since I saw the first trailer. I will be pre-ordering this game, and hoping they might even indulge in a decent Collector's Edition...
Re: Here's What DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
Is this the only planned DLC for Dark Ages, @HelloCraigo? I'm just wondering whether there are plans for more, and how that will be impacted following the job loses. I'm guessing that there is nothing more to come, but hoping that I am wrong...
Re: Here's What DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
I bought the Collectors Edition of this game, which came with all the DLC, thus I am looking forward to playing this once I finish my latest run of Mass Effect Legendary Edition (I am currently on shore leave prior to hitting the final part of the third game, so I should be finished in the next day or two). Only thing is, I was going to play Lego Batman next, but now I'm not sure which to play first... 🤪
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
Okay, @themightyant, I get that my 5 subscribers comment is flawed, but an awful lot of us have stacked Game Pass. I stacked mine 2 years ago for 3 years using the EA conversion trick. So, not only does that mean that Microsoft received less money from me than they would have wished, but also it means if I were to play E-Day* on Game Pass Microsoft will receive absolutely nothing from me, and there are many, many, many of us in exactly the same position.
A lot of people seem to think that the majority of us pay in full each month, but I'm not so sure that is the case; firstly, we often see people stating that they have their subscriptions stacked, but also we know that some laws around the World (particularly in the EU) prohibit any price increase in Game Pass, thus the price they began their subscription at may have been several years ago, and they are paying a lot less than they would be if they were paying full price each month. We also know a lot of people dropped of Ultimate, and went to Premium instead (or cancelled completely), and many of those will sign up for just a month in order to play something like E-Day. Yes, I'm sure some will sign on for longer, but many will just want to hit the campaign and move off the service once more, which of course, affords Microsoft far less than someone outright buying the game.
*Just for the record, I have bought the Collector's Edition of E-Day, so I won't be playing it via Game Pass...
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
When are Microsoft clear about anything at all, @themightyant? When...?
They obfuscate all the time, not being quite clear in what they say, and cherry-picking the bits they want to highlight whilst never commenting on the bits they don't want us to know.
So, whilst Microsoft have not ever said Game Pass is in trouble (until maybe recently) can you explain why Microsoft suddenly pivoted away from exclusivity, and to putting their first-party games on PlayStation? Why would they do that if putting their first-party content on Game Pass day one was working for them? Why would they do that when those same games are the ones they are relying on to bring in the new subscribers, and to bring people into the Xbox ecosystem?
Just because Microsoft have not admitted there are problems with Game Pass, it does not mean that there are none. We never fully understand the problems behind the scenes (primarily because Microsoft never tell us), and only find out that they exist when Microsoft suddenly take action like we have seen in the past couple of days. Microsoft haven't told us that Double Fine's recent games failed, yet they have offloaded the studio without explanation. We have to make our own assumptions as to why they have taken this step, and the only logical one is that their recent games were financial failures. We make those assumptions because Microsoft do not tell us. We have to read between the lines, and just as with why Microsoft decided to put their first-party exclusives on PlayStation, we have to try and work out why they are doing it because Microsoft never explain.
I seem to recall having read somewhere that Game Pass had razor-thin profits if first-party games were not included in the calculations, but that was not the case once they were included. And those razor-thin profits were before there was an exodus of millions of subscribers following last years 50% price hike. Whether that exodus amounted to the 14% reduction in subscribers that Game Pass has seen since 2024, I could not tell you, but we do know that the service has not been on par with past years in recent times, and also that fewer subscribers does mean less revenue, and this could easily explain the drastic action that Sharma has taken in recent days.
Obviously we know nothing for sure, but we can all see what is publicly visible, and try to find some meaning in what we can see. Sometimes we will be getting it wrong, no doubt, but honestly, when there is so much smoke, it does stand to reason there is probably a fire somewhere...
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
Oddly enough, @Coletrain, I was writing my long comment at #9 whilst you wrote your comment at #6.
I totally agree, I don't think putting first-party titles on Game Pass is working for Xbox, and this will change within the next 6 months (so 2 quarters time), and that E-Day is going to be the game they base their decision on...
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
I've argued this consistently, @Coletrain. Xbox cease putting their big AAA tentpole titles on Game Pass until a year after release, and should scrap Ultimate making Premium the de facto top tier.
The only reason Spencer was forced into putting Xbox games on PlayStation was because they were not generating sufficient revenue in terms of sales and subscription numbers.
The problem now is that none of that will have changed, and making games exclusive again won't stop people playing them as cheaply as possible, which means Game Pass. It takes something like 5 new subscriptions to equate to one sale of a AAA game. So if 5 million people join Game Pass to play E-Day, for example, then that would equate to a million copies of the game being sold, which would be great, except it is highly unlikely that 5 million people will join Game Pass to play the game. It may well be played by 5 million people, but the vast majority of those will be people who have stacked Game Pass, meaning the game does not generate any additional revenue from those people.
I honestly believe that Sharma is using E-Day as a test case to see how the game sells on Xbox (so excluding Steam sales, although she may well compare the two), and also she will want to see how Game Pass fares too. If things are not particularly favourable, I can foresee her using it as the reason to remove first-party games from day one Game Pass releases, and maybe even reverse the decision regarding exclusives, although I think before she does that she will want to see how releasing a big first-party title on Xbox (but not Game Pass) pans out. If it does sufficiently well, then she may continue down the exclusive path. If not, then she will have to row back on that commitment.
For me, not releasing E-Day (which is a Live Service game) on PlayStation makes no sense at all, until you consider that it is the first big AAA game releasing this year (and also one that had not been promised to PlayStation) that could be used to see how the game performs as an exclusive under current conditions.
It will be interesting to see how things pan out...
Re: Xbox Game Pass Reportedly Drops To 30M Subscribers, But Has 'Started To Grow Again'
I think it would also be interesting to know a breakdown of subscribers on each tier. Is it still top heavy, like (I believe) it used to be with most people on Ultimate, or has Premium now become the most popular tier? It would also be interesting to know how many people just have Essential, and how many of them would keep that service if online play were to be made free (as some have suggested once Helix arrives, although I find it doubtful that it will be made free for consoles, but that remains to be seen).
Personally I have had Ultimate since day one, but the truth is I very rarely play a game on it, choosing instead to buy all my games including first-party games because I prefer to own the best version of any game I buy whereas Game Pass only receives the basic version of the game.
Once my subscription comes to an end in June next year, I will probably just take Essential until Helix comes out, at which point, assuming online is made free, I will leave the service completely. I see no point in paying for something that I do not need, and currently I only need it to play Gears 5 with my mates.
As for what Sharma does with Game Pass, I can foresee her ending the big AAA first-party games going on the service upon release. I think E-Day will be used as a test case for releasing games on Game Pass, and also whether games actually will need to be sold on PlayStation to cover development costs. If E-Day fails to sell well on Xbox (so not Steam), and / or fails to bring in a decent bump in Game Pass subscriptions, then I can see Xbox being forced into another U-turn on the idea of exclusives...
Re: Report: Bethesda Faces 'Significant Overhaul' At Xbox, Will Focus On Key Franchises
I am retired, @Llamageddon, and I do not have enough time to play all the interesting games that exist. I buy many, many interesting games, many of which I don't end up playing. There are simply too many good games out there...
Re: Xbox Fan Claims To Know The Start Date & 'Initial' Games For Summer Sale 2026
Cronos: New Dawn is a fantastic game. My Game of the Year from last year. Highly recommend it...
Re: Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches
I said as much yesterday, @CallMeDuraSouka. Probabilities are that this time next year we will see further cuts and studio closures (or disposals), although we could also see the same at the end of any quarter too.
I highly doubt this is the last of the troubling news that we will se coming from Xbox over the next few months, and I think anyone who thinks this is it, will likely be very disappointed. Honestly, this is probably just phase one...
Re: Xbox CEO Sets Ambitious Goal Of Reaching 'More Than A Billion People Each Day'
It's difficult to fathom how Sharma can expect one in eight people that populate Earth, to play an Xbox/Microsoft game. It really is difficult to comprehend, unless she means one person playing on multiple devices (PC, console and mobile) being counted 3 times, rather than as just one person.
I mean, when I play Jewel on my mobile each day, and a game on my PC each day, and then a game on my Xbox each day (in order to obtain my Microsoft points), does she count me as 3 interactions, or just one individual? If you count me 3 times, then I guess the target is achievable, if you only count me just once, then I hope she does not have a bonus attached to it, as it is never likely to pay out...
Re: Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches
Thank you, @MinervaX76. It would be good to get a little more clarity on exactly what is going on at ID. We will probably find out at some point, I guess...
Re: Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches
Exactly that, @CallMeDuraSouka. I have said it many times now, but Sharma has a background in PR, she knows how to get the community onside. She spent a couple of months making us feel good about Xbox, and hopeful for the future (whilst giving us very little, truth be told), and now she is undertaking moves that are going down pretty badly within the gaming community. The one thing you can say about her is that she knows what she is doing when it comes to PR, and she is clearly good at it...
Re: Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches
No, @MinervaX76, my comment would not have included you. Just those that seem to parrot the corporate line that Xbox pushes out, and who are seemingly incapable of reading between the lines to see what is really going on.
There are many that are capable of independent thinking on here, and who can see what is truly going on with Xbox. Unfortunately, I have often found that when I am critical of Xbox in any way, people accuse me of being a Sony fanboy, which could not be further from the truth as I have been with Xbox since the very start, and my criticism of Xbox is borne out of sadness with the way things have turned out.
Honestly, anyone that cannot see the peril that Xbox is in right is deluding themselves...
Re: Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches
You are absolutely right, @themightyant. I worded that badly. It's not so many, as you correctly pointed out, but there are a handful that defend every decision as if it were the best thing ever. A bit Trumpian, if you get my drift! 😉
As for everything else you said, again, spot on. When Xbox went multiplatform, people said it was the best decision, and that Sony would be doing it. That obviously didn't work, and then Xbox announce that they are returning to exclusives, and those same people just flip flop on what they said previously.
Ultimately, some people just seem to be completely incapable of seeing that all these decisions that we have seen this generation, including the ones made in the past couple of days, are not made because Xbox is being successful. They are made because Xbox has been, and is, failing in several areas. If things were going swimmingly, we would not see all these painful decisions being made at all...
Re: Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches
Exactly, @Ooccoo_Jr! So many people seem to think this reorganisation of Xbox will be a good thing, when in fact these cuts will hurt it. Too many people are too willing to just swallow all the PR, without actually thinking for themselves...
Re: Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches
Have to say that this saddens me. Now I get that some are suggesting that a new engine may be incoming, but the studio will still be considerably smaller after this, and therefore their work output will be considerably slower.
Also, unless all those remaining are capable of coding using the new engine, then won't they need to employ people that can use the new engine? Surely the more cost effective thing to have done would be to retrain the coders into using the alternative engine. If ID are going to employ new coders already familiar with the alternative engine, then surely those new people will have to brought up to speed with the company itself. I mean, I get that some are saying that these are only coders, but who is going to do the coding now they are gone?
Thus, not only does this sadden me, but I fail to see the benefits that this will bring Xbox right now. ID is one of the few studios that put out consistently good games at a reasonable cadence. This move can only harm them.
To me, this smacks of Sharma desperately seeking somewhere to make cuts (probably having been directed to do so from above), and choosing to hit on a company that has not long put out a game, and whose next game is probably a way off (even further off now). Savings had to be made, and made they will be, even if Xbox has to cut off its own nose to spite its face.
Frankly, a ridiculous decision...
Re: Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures
Hey, @FraserG. Could you please tell me whether the 3200 job loses include those that are within the studios that Microsoft are offloading, or whether these 3200 jobs are as well as those studios? I know you use the term 'in addition', but I wasn't sure whether that was just a way of transitioning to what you had to say next.
I cannot quite get to the bottom of it.
Thanks...
Re: Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures
I absolutely do think that Sharma found ways to prevent the negative PR being limited when letting these studios go, @NishimaruX. Sharma has a background in PR, it is why we keep having these small, but positive, changes on Xbox (like colours, and hours instead of days etc.), which are really minor, but still provide positive PR for Xbox.
Sharma would have known that simply closing the studios would have generated far more wrath from the gaming community (not just the Xbox community), than selling or spinning them off.
When it comes to PR, Sharma is showing us she knows what she is doing.
As for the continued success, or otherwise, of the studios concerned, I think it comes down to whether they can adapt and speed up their content. In the case of Ninja for example, if they take an age to make another walking simulator, they don't stand a chance.
When it comes to Double Fine, if they make something like Psychonauts 3, and do it in a timely manner, then they may find success. However, if they try to keep something like Kiln going, then I don't hold out much hope for their survival...
Re: Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
I do have a USB extension lead on my Series X, @CobaltW0lf. I have two external hard-drives on it. I used to have the dongle on there too. I did try to attach a third hard drive on it, but for some reason, my Series X would not find it. I don't know whether there is a limit on how many you can have or why it would not work...
Re: Three Aims Detailed By Asha Sharma For The 'Most Significant Restructure In Xbox History'
It's crazy to think that it has been downloaded that many times, @Questionable_Duck, but I do know that I downloaded the game at least 3 times because I needed to do so each time that I changed my mobile phone, and I'm sure I would not be alone in that. It is a very successful game, of that there is no doubt...
Re: Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures
I absolutely agree that Microsoft have done right by the studios in the manner in which they are disposing of them, @MinervaX76, but I think only a fool would believe that this is the last of things. High probabilities are that at least one more studio will be let go this year, and there will probably be another cull this time next year if results don't fall favourably following this particular restructuring...
Re: Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
I only have my headset dongle plugged into my PS5, but I have a headset dongle, and a USB extension lead plugged into my Xbox (which then enables me to have 2 more external hard drives attached because I have over 1600 digital games, and I like to have most of them installed), @Lanmanna.
I get that I may do things differently, but I think other than the issue with the lack of USB ports (and remember, one will quite possibly be required for the mouse and keyboard dongle), my other concern is that I do not want an extra item in my cabinet. As it is I have a PS5, Series X, Switch and Sky all in my cabinet. They do at least look neat and tidy, but they also occupy all the space, so if Helix has a disc drive, I would want it either integral (my preferred option) or I would want to capability to attach it (much like the PS5).
Honestly though, for me, as I only need it for playing my blu-ray collection, if it is external, I may as well buy a decent blu-ray player as that would likely perform far better anyway. So if I am forced to have yet another box under my television, that is what I would do (albeit, that's not my preferred option)...
Re: Poll: Which Xbox Console Have You Collected The Most Physical Games For?
Most of my 360 games are sealed too, @Kingleo31. I have over 250 individual games, but I also have a lot of duplicate games, many of which are sealed. I would estimate that I have something of the order of 150 sealed 360 games, and probably 350 games in total (with 100 of them being duplicates). When my children were younger, they each had an Xbox, so I used to buy 3 of each game but I didn't always end up giving them to the kids because they wanted something else instead, so I just ended up keeping them. Most of them are probably worth only pennies, but I imagine that some of them might hold more value. Can't bring myself to selling them off though. Silly really...
Re: Three Aims Detailed By Asha Sharma For The 'Most Significant Restructure In Xbox History'
Wait! Are you saying that 1 in 16 people in the entire World play Candy Crush, @Questionable_Duck? 6.25% of the entire World's population?
That seems like a huge stretch to me.
I can understand that the game is played 500 million times in a month, if we take that to mean in total, so someone playing it every day of the month would count as 30 times. If that is what that means then I find it believable, but the idea of 500 individual players I struggle to believe. And the idea that (even if that is individual gamers) could be grown to 1 in 8 of the Worlds population I find absolutely staggering. Honestly, the only way I could see them achieving that kind of number would if Microsoft paid people to play the game. I mean, if they paid people by the minute played then I could see them seeing some substantial growth, but even then, it would have to be worth people's time. A couple of pence, and people wouldn't be bothered, a couple of quid, and (for a reasonable time investment) and people might be tempted, but even then I struggle to comprehend the idea of a billion individual gamers playing Xbox games each month. It is a staggering target.
I mean, it's great to set demanding, yet obtainable targets, but another thing altogether to set unrealistic targets, particularly when you consider that failure to hit those targets brings with it repercussions, which as we have seen today, can be a bitter pill to swallow...
Re: Report: Bethesda Faces 'Significant Overhaul' At Xbox, Will Focus On Key Franchises
You are absolutely right, @themightyant. Changing the engines should be a priority, and it should not be underestimated how challenging it is for Bethesda to hire in temporary staff, and then train them up on their existing engine, when these staff know Unreal inside out and could basically be put straight to work if that was the engine that Bethesda were to use. Instead it takes time and money to train staff that won't even remain with the company. It is a total waste...
Re: Report: Bethesda Faces 'Significant Overhaul' At Xbox, Will Focus On Key Franchises
The way this statement has been worded, you could be forgiven it's business as usual for Bethesda, but the truth is things need to change.
15 years for Elder Scrolls, and 10 years for Fallout is unacceptable. These are tentpole titles that should be coming out every 5 years or so, and that's both of them, not alternated. And that's new games, not remasters. Basically every 3 years we should be getting a new game in the franchises; Fallout now, Elder Scrolls 3 years later, and then another Fallout 3 years after that, and so on.
I think Doom gets it about right, and if Bethesda cannot make the other games themselves in a timely manner then either they should grow so as to enable them to do so, or the games should be handed to another studio to get the games out (be that a new studio, or an existing one).
It is simply unacceptable that Microsoft did not have the presence of mind, and the planning capabilities, to ensure that we had a brand new Fallout game to coincide with the television series, and if some radical changes need to be made to ensure Xbox can capitalise on these franchises then those changes should be urgently made.
Ultimately, I hope that my original sentence about it being business as usual is hugely wide of the mark...
Re: Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures
I know some people are attempting to clutch at the positive straws when it comes to some of the studios not being sold off, or games being cancelled, but the truth is that we do not know what was being discussed behind closed doors. Some of the games or studios could well have been under consideration for cancellation or closure, and they have been put on notice now that they need to get their act together. Or, they may not, and none of this may have been true. I'm not in a position to say where the truth lies, but the fact that the axe has not fallen right now, does not mean it will not fall at all. Indeed, we were hearing rumours of problems at these studios long before this final decision was announced. After all, it is highly unlikely that Sharma woke up this morning and just decided to rid Xbox of a number of studios. These decisions are months in the making, and it stands to reason that not just can plans change, but also that sometimes things will leak out which later prove to be right, or, if the decision changes, prove to be incorrect. Honestly, I would still hold a level of concern for any game or studio that has been rumoured in recent months, because if these steps that Sharma has taken do not result in the desired conclusion, then she will undoubtedly return to the chopping board at a later point. The end of the financial quarter, or, in particular, the end of the financial year are the crunch points when we will know more...
Re: Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures
Some of the information that has been confirmed today, you had previously said was fake news, @fatpunkslim. It was not fake news. It was, however, an unconfirmed rumour. People are mixing up rumours with fake news.
Now, when it comes to Senua, I have not read anywhere about it being cancelled, but it is kind of semantics anyway when it is no longer an Xbox owned game. Xbox may not have cancelled it, but it is no longer being developed by an Xbox studio. Also, there is no guarentee that the game will not be cancelled in the future. Whomever buys the studio, may not wish them to make the game. Personally, I hope it releases as a more action orientated game, but it is almost without question that whomever it is that buys Ninja will not want another game like Hellblade 2 because despite it being a fantastic looking game, it did not sell well, and another game in the same vein would sell even worse...
Re: Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
Nothing of my comment suggests my judgement to be clouded, @fatpunkslim. What is the point of having an external disc drive? Helix will come with a limited number of USB ports, so why would you want to use one to link up an external disc drive? Would it not be better to either have it already fitted, or one that is attached in a manner similar to the PS5? Like it or not, the way Sony have approached this issue is absolutely ideal. I can see no better way other than having it fitted as standard. It's got nothing to do with wanting to be right, but I don't see the point in having something that sits beside Helix taking up unnecessary room.
Every one of my USB ports on my Series X is in use; I have my headphones dongle, plus external hard drives attached. There are no spare ports at all. If one was taken up with a disc drive, something else would have to give, and even if I were to forgo something else then I would have to sit the disc drive on my carpet because there is no further room in my cabinet. Having a standalone disc drive is a very poor substitute for doing it right...
Re: Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
Basically nothing, @fatpunkslim, that is therefore, not nothing.
For Helix to be designed to be capable of having a disc drive added later will cost Microsoft money, the costs of which they will want to pass on to the consumer.
Adding a disc drive from the outset will cost Microsoft money, the costs of which they will want to pass on to the consumer.
It matters not whether it is £5 or £50, it is still an additional cost on top of what is likely to be a very expensive device already.
I get that it is not going to be much (when compared to the asking price for Helix), but it is still going to cost, and if you have no interest in the disc drive, then why should you pay for something that is of no interest to you, no matter how little it might be?
I mean, to me it makes no difference; I will be getting Helix, and I would rather it have an integrated disc drive, if that means everyone else pays for something they do not want but has no option but to have, that will keep the costs down for me as an individual, so why should I care really? However, I do care, because I remember being very annoyed at having Kinect bundled in with the Xbox One but still having to pay for it (I never once took mine out of the box!), so I know that there will be many people annoyed that they are paying for something that they have no desire to own...
Re: Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
I buy all my games digitally these days, and have done so since the start of the Xbox One era. I have over 1600 digital games in my Xbox library. I also have over 250 Xbox 360 games on disc, and whilst I own a Series X, I have never attempted to play one of my 360 discs in it (and indeed, I am uncertain whether they would work anyway).
From a cost perspective, I can definitely see the benefits of not including a disc drive with Helix. After all, the disc drive would only add further costs to what is already likely to be an expensive device. In fact, just designing Helix so that you can add an optional disc drive would add additional costs to the device, which would be borne by everyone who purchases a Helix, whether or not they then buy a disc drive too.
What I will say though, is that whilst I buy all my games digitally, I do like to buy all my films and TV series on blu-ray, and I use my Series X to play those, and as I have over 2000 films on disc, I would personally much prefer to have access to a disc drive (preferably pre-installed, but as an optional extra at the very least).
Helix not having a disc drive nor access to one, would not be a deal breaker to me, as I could always buy a dedicated blu-ray player, but I do worry about the added costs for everyone that including a disc drive as standard would add to the cost of Helix, particularly so for those that have no interest in physical media of any kind, and it could then be seen as an unnecessary additional cost much like Kinect was for many with the Xbox One (though probably not costing quite as much). The truth is that for the vast, vast majority, the inclusion of a disc drive would be an unwanted additional cost...
Re: Pick One: What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In June 2026?
Would have been interesting to have a 'NONE OF THE ABOVE', option, @FraserG. I always just end up pressing 'RESULTS' just to see how the vote went, but I imagine I'm not alone in not being interested in what was on offer...
Re: Pick One: What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In June 2026?
Personally, I think it was yet another weak month for Game Pass in 2026.
Despite having Ultimate, I am still yet to play a single game on the service this year. Nothing has had me wanting to try anything, and any first-party titles that have released, I have bought.
Maybe soon there will be something that will interest me, but honestly, if it were not for needing to have Game Pass in order to play online, I would not have it at all. It is a complete waste of money for me, though I know that some get a lot of satisfaction from it...
Re: Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (July 2026)
There must surely be something better than this that Microsoft can offer us. For the vast majority of us, there 'perks' offer no value at all...
Re: Poll: Which Xbox Console Have You Collected The Most Physical Games For?
"Have some backbone people. If you don't give your consent...
Arguably, @smbruno44212, the people have already given their consent. Only 15% of people buy their games physically on PlayStation, and that number is decreasing each year, and it is already lower than that on Xbox.
It needs to be remembered that Microsoft and Sony are businesses; they exist to make money, and they make far more money through digital sales than they do physical. They will always head in the direction of the money, and that is not physical.
So, the only people you say should hold the line are those that are the remaining few that still buy their games physical, but as each year passes, they become fewer and fewer. It is absolutely inevitable that physical will die out for consoles, just as it has for PCs, and then when you factor in that Helix is a PC, there is very little chance of Microsoft catering to physical games next generation...
Re: Poll: Which Xbox Console Have You Collected The Most Physical Games For?
I still have around 250 games for my 360 (many of them still sealed too), but probably only around 10 for my Xbox One.
The only Series X games I have in physical form are for my Collector's Edtions, but that is because from basically the start of the Xbox One era I have bought all my games digitally meaning I have amassed over 1600 digital games for my Xbox...
Re: As PlayStation Announces The End Of Disc-Based Releases, Will Xbox Follow Suit?
I will say that if English is not your first language, @fatpunkslim, then you put some to shame on here with your use of the language.
Out of curiosity, what is your native tongue...?
Re: Marvel's Blade Reportedly In Danger As Xbox Considers Shutting Arkane Studios
Agreed, @Weebleman. This is going to be horrendous.
I read somewhere that all the details should be known by the 6th of July (it may have been the 5th, but my memory fails me!). So we probably have another week of rumours before we finally get all the facts.
I think whatever the truth, it's going to be bleak, though I'm sure some won't quite see it that way...
Re: Marvel's Blade Reportedly In Danger As Xbox Considers Shutting Arkane Studios
Look, I get it, you want facts and not rumours, @fatpunkslim, that's fair enough, but if you look at gaming generally, most of what is reported starts out as a rumour and is then confirmed at a later point. Some times soon after the rumour, some times much later.
As an example; it was rumoured that they were remaking Halo, and then it was confirmed, and just like it is rumoured that they are working on a Fallout remaster, but it has not yet been confirmed.
Both started out as rumours, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with these sites reporting it. Just because it is a rumour, does not mean we should not hear about it on here. Heck, if we didn't get to read rumours, this website would die a sudden death because people want to read these kind of things, and if they didn't report them then other websites would, and they would get all the traffic. Pure Xbox needs the traffic, and if they ignore the rumours then people would look to elsewhere for the information.
Now, I get that this is not a pleasing rumour, but if you think back to when Perfect Dark was cancelled, that it had been cancelled started out as a rumour. It was reported as such on this very website before then being confirmed. It wasn't fake news. It wasn't lies, and arguably, it wasn't even a rumour because it turned out to be true, so not really a rumour, but a leak.
Honestly, I love the Blade movies, and would be first in line to buy a Blade game, so I do not want this to be confirmed. I also happen to love Prey in particular, and have played it several times, so I would dearly love it if the rumour were untrue.
All I can say is that there is no point in shouting about it being false or unproven because it matters not what any of say or think because we are not involved in the decisions that either save or kill off the game. However, Pure Xbox would look pretty inept if they did not report rumours that then proved to be true, particularly so if the rumours are being widely reported elsewhere. We may not like the rumours, but we should still be kept in the loop on sites such as this.
As an example of rumours being reported, then turning out to be true:
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2025/07/two-more-xbox-games-are-being-cancelled-including-perfect-dark
The point being, that just because it starts out as a rumour, does not mean that it is not true, just not yet confirmed, and when these kind of rumours begin to circulate, they do tend to be proven true at a later point...