GuyinPA75

@IOI Absolutely wonder that as well.

What gain is there in Xbox vs XBOX? Honestly not think any that justified change like that.

@Balaam_ Agree with you on the physical media part 110%. Not only because physical media is by far the most superior experience. But it's also most economical sense.

But unfortunately, and not to point fingers, but millennials and younger generation as a whole, again, I'll say as a whole, fail to understand or want to grasp financial awareness or accountability. Very few have any retirement savings, but never blink an eye going to Starbucks for $15 latte every day. Gaming counterpart of that is dropping hundreds of dollars for a skin in first person shooter. It baffles me to no end. Drop $100 for skin, you can't see, for game no longer existing in year or so. Could put that in 401k and be actually useful in 30 or 40 or 50 years from all the compound interest.

And sadly that mindset is in digital marketplace. Why spend money for overpriced subscriptions and own nothing. Why constantly buy digital when in any moment it's gone. I'd be willing bet if did the random interview on street and asked people if they own their digital purchases, 90% probably would say yes. Then when educated they are paying or paid for license to use, they'd be like.... oh my, I didn't know that.

Every day I see the above mindset. And it worries me for future.

Wait? What?

Series S is a subpar, inferior experience compared to Series X?

Say it isn't so.

Really hope Microsoft is smart and follows the 6 Month Rule.

It is safe. It is smart. It is best thing do for all involved.

May not have said or announced Destiny 3. But it's inevitable. Especially if Bungie want remain in existence. Marathon from what I gather is failure. But to be fair, I've not seen any numbers. Might be making crazy money.

Bungie just seems be mostly poison since leaving Microsoft. Couldn't make it on their own. Sony bought, then said please leave. And now probably struggling on their own again.

I will forever say this every chance I get.

Please remaster or remake or make sequel for Shadowrun first person shooter. To this day still most balanced, fun, cerebral, team player shooter ever made. Full stop.

Could sing its praises for long time. Game did soooooooooo many things right.

Bugthesda has always relied on modding community to fix their games.

Physical media is vastly superior. Especially A/V experiences.

Very, very, very, happy and relieved disc based games are still very important to people.

Physical media is the ONLY way to go. Not only to prevent a future of price gouging but for best A/V experiences.

@TrollOfWar Good thought on the wheels.

But if that's their purpose and there is no way turn off functionality, I'm going to hard pass.

Absolutely can see myself playing a game all relaxed with someone and my hand, fingers, or controller slide, and then THE CHAT GOES CRAZY NUCLEAR LOUD IN MY EARS.

That be just enough for me to snap controller in half and quite possibly punch a kitten.

@Sol4ris Absolutely understand your view on the Elites.

But once you own one and use it for even just little while. There is simply just no gong back to regular controller.

Replaceable batteries are a must. Glad see Microsoft come to their senses about something.

I'm surprised the Series S is the inferior experience being that it's such a great and high powere.....

Oh wait. Series S. That mistake Microsoft decided to go thru with. Hopefully next gen Microsoft will have learned and avoid the needless 2 sku approach and just release one console.

My solution?

No disc drive, no purchase. No exceptions. Zero.

So basically it's just same thing we already have. OK. Yea.

Good to know where all that game pass price increase money finally went to.

@Leopold Maybe that hand position is what helped get her the promotion?

Just a thought.

Anytime, anywhere, anyone, eliminates AI that is amazing news to hear.

I am EXTREMELY anti-AI. It will be downfall and destruction of society. From people being lazy, uneducated, high unemployment, to environmental damage beyond repair. AI needs to go. People need start resisting and demanding its removal.

This is another example of why physical media is vastly superior over digital, hundreds times over.

Really wish people would just see how much you are losing embracing digital. The benefits of physical media vastly outweigh digital in every possible way.

@Fiendish-Beaver I say it all the time. Nadella is straight up cancer to Microsoft. He puts too many things, HEAVILY in too few baskets.

If any his decisions fail. Microsoft is all but finished.

@Jenkinss That's because nadella is slowly destroying Microsoft. He's terrible. Needs to resign or be forced out. Nadella only cares about cloud, forcing everything possible to be unnecessary and overpriced subscriptions, and too much AI. Nadella has basically eliminated any innovation within Microsoft.

This coming from a person that's followed Microsoft heavily for decades. I bought zune, band, surface dial, 4 surface tablets, 2 Windows phones, etc.

Nadella has zero desire, mindset, appreciation, or understanding for innovation. He can not leave Microsoft soon enough.

Wait.... Wait.... Wait.... Wait???

Series S not getting this mode? Say it isn't so?

I'm incredibly shocked that a "console" so low powered and constantly a terrible experience that's second even to Switch 1 is not getting this feature.

@Wilforce Thank you! I just commented on that.

As someone who used to work in corporate America, this is NOT really good news at all. Do NOT believe this PR speak.

What this ultimately does is section off a division making it that much easier to spin off in a sale when nadella finally decides cut ties with Xbox.

Will the single player game still be playable after server shuts down?

Did not see that in article. If in there. Sorry.

@BustedUpBiker People do forget that oil is also used to create plastic. Iran issue is more far reaching than people realize.

Translation - this is our last chance before nadella closes Xbox down. We want - - we need - - make sure it is successful. Price is our number one concern. We are going wait long as needed for chip prices to fall to make this expensive console as affordable as possible. Please stay tuned. Must importantly, please pre-order so we can help make FOMO a factor too.

Best way to really, truly, make it first class experience?

Do not ever release Baby's First Xbox (also known as Xbox Series S) ever, ever, ever again. It's cheap, holds the true and legit Xbox (also known as Xbox Series X) back. Just cheapens whole Xbox experience having cheap, low power console on market.

@AccessibleDaydream I did not think of it that way with battle passes and daily challenge garbage.

I detest and stop playing games that have battle passes or that season rubbish. Those types of things DO NOT respect my time. And unless I play 25 hours day, 366 days year, 53 weeks a year I'm not able complete them.

All this does is have me ABSOLUTELY stop playing that game. Fallout 76 was good example for me. Elder Scrolls Online is now seemingly adopting that mentality and is very disenchanting.

If ALL PRIOR content just remained that I could complete at my own pass, I'd stay. But when not respect my time and force me play nonstop, I'm out. I have a job. I have a life. I have responsibilities. If not able respect that. That said game has ZERO place in my life, or in my time.

@Balaam_ We share exactly same wants, wishes for Xbox. We also share same concerns.

Really hope we are not the minority of this thought process and powers that be are 110% with our thoughts.

My take from that PR spiel...and if it is sincere.

Everything Xbox will finally unify under the Xbox umbrella (which is insanely smart and needed move). And Xbox will go forward with identify as the punk rock of gaming. Non conformity. Rebellious. March beat of own drum. Not afraid be something different.

This sounds much like first days of OG Xbox. One that I was part since day one and always was excited be part of.

What is so great and/or necessary about Discord?

What am I missing? Why should anyone care and want pay for it?

***Edit, just saw @FraserG post. Thanks for information.

So breaking it down to bare bones. People want pay for exactly what is free right now to use. No wonder reports of people having zero retirement savings is so incredibly prevalent.

@themightyant Very true. All of us should never forget that Sharma's bread and butter is PR.

So far she's been lot talk. Waiting see real action under her leadership. Not coat tailing off end of previous one.

@Kaloudz Hopefully no Helix S. This gen Xbox already been joke with near weekly articles how Series S falls short and trends to be very subpar experience.

One console. One console SKU to rule them all.

Looks like new regime is smart enough understand Series S is a joke and causes issues in trying keep parity this gen.

Hope and pray just one console next gen.

I'm not a fan of the Oprah Approach with, EVERYBODY gets Xbox games!

But until Microsoft starts releasing games again, that are just incredible must have games, that sell systems - - the Oprah Approach is unfortunately needed.

Translation, game pass is too expensive, and an unsustainable business model. We are trying our best to keep game pass on life support and refusing to just admit a rebrand to Indie Pass and even more sensible and price tiers to reflect that rebranding.

Probably $20 more month on top whatever already paying for to have Discord now.

I've always thought the name was TERRIBLE. Last thing I ever want to experience in life or be part of is discord or discordance.

Subscription still costs too much.

What exactly did Kiki even do that helped Xbox?

Honestly can think of nothing. It's like only think she did was bring cool name into studio.

@PROPS Exactly. Guarantee they have data that shows people, like you and me, said this is just ridiculous price. Heck, we can only play one game at time, anyway.

After The Great Price Gouge festered into an ignorant existence, Essential was the only plan worth it. I went that way immediately, have never looked back, never will. Microsoft with all their mindset (nadella, I'm looking at you) of forcing completely unnecessary and extremely overpriced subscriptions on customers left me disenchanted beyond belief.

Lost my good faith and good will. Most likely forever.

Personally, I think game pass is tanking after the completely, greedy, unnecessary 50% increase price gouge. Millions said, forget this, I'm out, just like I did. Now everyone at Xbox is scrambling to find way save it.

Just stop. Let it die. It always was failed, unsustainable business model. Just cancel and rebrand it Indie Pass. Which it really is anyway.

Then everyone that wants and enjoys games that look and play like were made 30 years ago can find and play them in one place. Problem solved.

Xbox lost me on ultimate. That 50% increase caused me to leave. I'm not coming back either.

@Balaam_ Sadly that what those NTFs or whatever their called was supposed to do. Paintings, baseball cards, etc, be unique things for individual owners.

Looks like that tech bombed. Hope stays forgotten too.

@GeminiX53 Yep, Game pass is terrible, predatory subscription. And it's terrible for gaming industry as whole. Xbox absolutely lost sales for starfield because of it just as your quote from article suggests.

If game pass such wonderful thing for developers, then I'll renew my subscription to play GTA 6 day one on game pass. Yep.

What played of starfield, I really enjoyed. Never understood the hate. Really think it was just the "cool" thing to do was hate on starfield.

@Royalduder Not at all. Just making obvious observation.

Haven't seen ratio yet. Probably be like 100,000 = $10.

Be bummer if conversion that high.

Granted this is me and very huge personal preference.... But I stopped playing side scrolling 8 bit games back in late 80s. Give me legit current Gen games, only. That's why I bought $500+ console, $4500+ 85 inch OLED TV, $3000+ sound system.

If wanted play Gameboy Color, I'd buy Gameboy color again.

Those are kinda, let me say.....fruity.

I'd be afraid wear either. Like was trying announce a preference of the sorts.

You can really tell Asha's background and bread and butter is PR. Which means she can real spin what people want to hear.

Not sure if that means she'll do good job for Xbox or not?

Verdict still out for me.