TheGameThrifter

@eduscxbox Are we ignoring the part where all of these changes are being made to the game? This sounds like a night and day difference to the buggy game I played at launch on Xbox. These things should have been there from the start.

Asha Sharma- "Hear you"

I expect they will phase out their own hardware over the next few years.
Since they are currently transitioning players to PC anyway, they will just make it so people can play their games on PC through their own app. Which is why they are bringing the Backward Compatible titles to PC.
They will close down several more studios and become just a publisher within the next 5 years.
In the meantime they will flood their hardware with worthless AI like Copilot and other things no one asked for.

@WildConcept6 a lot of the BC games are disc only, which there almost certainly won't be a disc drive on the Helix.

It sounds like it's just the games we already have but on PC. They really are offloading fans to PC at this point.

Imagine the CEO of McDonald's saying you don't need to buy a Big Mac from them because everything is a Big Mac? He'd be fired ASAP. Whoever greenlit that idea shouldn't be working at Xbox.

@themightyant Reason why Series X didn't sell was because it lacked exclusive games.
2021 was their biggest and best selling year in Xbox history and no real surprise it came because Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 released back to back to end the year. 2020 launched with 0 exclusives.
2022 had 0 exclusives.
2023 had 2 exclusives.
2024 we heard games were going to PS5.

So, we never got a full Xbox experience with exclusive games on a consistent basis.

@darylb24 They need a plan ASAP. They can't wait years before letting people know what the plan is.

@Globo When Microsoft announces something positive, I'll be sure to chime in. So far it's the same promises we always got and another code name.
When they gave up on Xbox One they hyped Project Scorpio.
when they gave up on Xbox One X they hyped Project Scarlett
when they gave up on Series X they hyped up Project Helix.

it's literally the same thing over and over again.

@sixrings Exactly. Majority of console owners aren't into PC and vice versa. If I wanted to be on Steam I would have been already.

@Lanmanna Cool, spend your money however you want.

@GuyinPA75 I loved my Windows Phone! I knew when they started putting things on other phones that it was over though. Kind of the same feeling I get with Xbox currently.

Why wouldn't Microsoft just release a standard console with none of the PC bloat? I'm a console gamer and have no desire to pay more for PC stuff that I won't use or need.
Just make a standard console.
If they don't make a standard, lower end console than they might as well stop making hardware. Half of the sold Xbox Series consoles sold are Series S, basically Microsoft would be pricing 20 million console owners out of next gen by only releasing a $1200+ platform. Probably pricing out 90% of their total install base in the process.

@NeoRatt There is no way Sony is having a $900 console. Sony is a hardware company that relies on mass adoption and they can still subsidize their console because it doesn't have other stores like Microsoft is trying to offer.
The PS5 Pro is $700 and is only 1% of total PS5 sales, they know it's a niche price and product. They will 100% have a $599 option, likely all digital.

Microsoft cannot offer a low end version because it'll all have to have the same stores and therefore can't be subsidized.

@Millionski I mean prices went up on components and they were already taking $200 losses on every console sold. PS5 is certainly subsidized.

The current Xbox Series X 2TB is $800. And that is subsidized by Microsoft.
This new thing won't be subsidized due to other stores and probably the dropping of multiplayer pay wall. I'd say $1200+ easy.

He said the same thing about Windows Phone before shutting that down as well.

@RBRTMNZ Microsoft isn't selling any consoles at $800 and even the PS5 Pro at $700 only makes up 1% of the sales of the PS5.
If Microsoft couldn't sell a $299 console, there's no chance a $1200+ console is selling.

This is as niche as device as can be. If you're a console owner who doesn't care about PC, you won't pay the rumored $1200+ price point for things you don't want or need.
There's no exclusive games.
It'll be running that horrible Windows 11 and bloated with AI.
The PS6 will likely cost half as much because it'll be subsidized.
My guess is this thing doesn't even sniff 10 million lifetime.

@themightyant Only like 100k people own a Rog Ally......When have any of Microsoft's risks for Xbox panned out?

@darylb24 At 5-10 million, why would developers waste time on making Xbox versions? They'll just say people can download Steam versions.
If Microsoft gave up years ago on this generation with 30 million console sold, why wouldn't they give up with 5 million? How could anyone trust them at this point?
Timed exclusives won't win people over, especially when the PS6 is rumored to cost half as much as the next Xbox.
Xbox console fans will be forced to buy something with features they don't even want! Personally, I have no use for PC and don't want to game on a PC, so why would I pay extra for that?
Asha has said a lot of things but haven't seen anything implemented. She just announced what Phil and Sarah were working on, which isn't impressive at all.

@themightyant Play Anywhere is pointless since it's already just a PC lol
Foolish to think some devs just won't bother with an Xbox version because the other stores will be an option. Why bother with a low install base hardware when you can focus on hardware with a huge install base? That's the problem facing Xbox as it sits.

Open=cheating in multiplayer and and being forced to play with PC gamers.
Also, why would devs bother with an "Xbox" version? Most will probably skip Xbox and Windows and just publish on Steam.

@FishDude Everyone was saying they'd buy a ROG Ally X as well at $1000 and we know only 100k sold and then sales fell off the face of the earth.

If people wouldn't buy an Xbox console at $299 and even $199 on sale during the holidays, there's no way people are going to pay $1200+ for this thing.

@Globo Sorry, should I cheer a $5 game coming to the $400 per year rental service? I'll try to do better....

@Bloodvixen Xbox is dead without exclusives. 95% of the games they've put on PlayStation have failed and 95% that they've put on PC have failed. All they've done is minimize the hype and need for their own console.

@DennisReynolds PC ports made up 1% of PlayStation's revenue over the past 7 years. Not profit, but revenue. Which means it might have even cost them money overall. Throw in the amount of piracy and it's an easy choice. Microsoft should do the same.

@fatpunkslim Sony isn't going to make an announcement saying they're stopping single player games to PC. You just won't see their first party single player games come to PC.
Super smart move considering it was less than 1% of their total revenue over the past 7 years and majority of that was from Helldivers 2 alone.

Talk is VERY CHEAP. The previous leadership talked a lot and never did anything for fans. You don't think Phil and Sarah knew fans wanted exclusive games? A focus on console? The problem is you had a ton of people supporting Phil and company at every turn and saying what a great job they were doing.
Now we have people acting excited yet again by a new CEO. Which is it? Was Phil doing great or are you excited by the prospect of what new leadership can do?

Until she actually does something, I'll stay reserved.

I bought Cyberpunk for $5 years ago. How is a 6 year old game a big deal? Buy it for a few bucks and actually OWN it.

@Captain_Qwark_B-Job
Why not? Xbox has become a one way street. They put Xbox games on everything and yet Xbox never gets anything from anyone else and now Sony is pulling their games off PC as well. Xbox cannot compete without exclusive games.

CANCEL IT! Halo is Xbox and Xbox is Halo.
They just need to be clear where they stand with the games and exclusivity.
IMO games like Halo, Gears, Forza, Fable, anything from Rare, Turn 10, Playground, Undead Labs, Coalition, Ninja Theory, Double Fine, inXile, Obsidian or Compulsion should stay exclusive to Xbox. I think you keep Activision and most Zenimax games multiplatform to help fund the exclusives.

I'm in a wait and see mode.
I definitely don't want to play on PC, so unless Microsoft does a traditional console which is subsidized, I won't be buying it. Looks like Sony is pulling away from PC ports as well, so buying a $1200+ Xbox branded PC that has no exclusives while the PS6 will get Xbox games and PS exclusives makes it an easier choice.

@eduscxbox That's not true, they usually hire a port studio and it takes a lot of time. They also have to advertise and pay for the space in the store. Then, Sony get 30% of all sales off the top.
Wouldn't shock me to see most stuff actually lost them money. Rightfully so, it was also shortsighted to begin with.

@Globo Xbox One did nearly 60 million in sales, Series X/S did half that. The exclusives have been a massive problem.
I'd say between lack of exclusives and the flat out lies the leadership tell fans. I mean it all caught up to them and that's why they're trying to damage control now.
No one cares if Activision games are multiplatform. Halo, Gears, Forza, Fable, anything from Rare, Playground, Turn 10, Double Fine, Undead Labs, Obsidian, inXile or Compulsion should be exclusive to Xbox.
They were always chasing short term gains with the multiplatform route because the most money they'd get is through people buying microtransactions, games and subscriptions through their own console. They let the console die and now are losing money.

@Globo High On Life isn't first party, like I said, we never got the see what Xbox could be with consistent first party exclusive games. Microsoft stopped competing. They should have been locking down 3rd party exclusives people actually want, 3rd party content like they used to in the 360 days.
They paid to get GTA4 DLC exclusive for a year, and they used to pay for COD maps for a month. They'd get timed exclusivity on Bioshock, Saints Row and even Mass Effect 2.
You have to go on offensive and not just sit back and hope people come to you.

@Gemini53 Why clean house if you're not making sweeping changes? People like to pretend Xbox games sold amazing on PlayStation, but the facts don't back it up.
You could say Forza Horizon 5 and Sea Of Thieves did well, but;
Hellblade 2
Age Of Empires
Pentiment
Hi-Fi Rush
Gears Of War
Indiana Jones
Outer Worlds 2
Doom: The Dark Ages
all underperformed and might not even have made the money back from porting them.
We know Avowed and South Of Midnight aren't going to do anything on PS either.

@Globo Not true at all!
2020-launched with no exclusives.
2021-saw the best year of consoles sales ever thanks to Halo and Forza Horizon 5 launching back to back.
2022- saw 0 AAA first party game releases
2023- saw 2 first party launches
2024- saw games coming to PS
2024 is also when sales started to really sink after the "just 4 games" announcement because everyone knew it was a lie.

@Tyrant_T103 You realize first party devs get paid the same regardless of sales?
We see how Xbox sales are going with no exclusives and it's not good. All the features in the world won't make up for the one way street of Xbox getting less 3rd party games and only getting Xbox games versus PlayStation getting both Xbox and PlayStation games.

Competition breeds innovation in gaming. We get better games, prices and everything in between when companies compete for our money.

@Gemini53 Exclusives are great! We get better games when studios are competing and we get better games when studios take full advantage of one piece of hardware!
I buy Xbox for Gears, Halo, Fable and Forza, I buy PlayStation for God Of War, Gran Turismo, Naughty Dog games ECT and I buy Nintendo consoles for Zelda, Mario, Smash Ect

@Ken_Kaniff I have over 1500 digital games on Xbox and I won't be staying with Xbox unless they bring back exclusives. Digital games are cheap, I can build up on PlayStation quickly. If PlayStation is getting both Xbox and PlayStation games and Xbox only gets Xbox games, it's a no brainer.

@Globo Xbox consoles aren't selling specifically because they have no exclusive games. So, you might not care, but other people see PS5 get Xbox and PS5 games while Xbox only gets Xbox games and less 3rd party games because it has sold so poorly.
I will not continue to buy Xbox hardware or games unless they reverse course on Xbox exclusive games.

This guy sat up there with Phil and Sarah and said "just 4 games". Not exactly buying into it.

Killed Xbox exclusive games.

In over 12 years as head of Xbox never released a GOTY contender.

Would say things like they can't compete against Sony or Nintendo and gave up.

Closed a ton of studios and cancelled a ton of games (Still hate not getting Scalebound)

Lied a lot to fans! (Just 4 games) (No fundamental change to our exclusives strategy) (Zenimax is about exclusives where Game Pass exists)

Stopped advertising Xbox consoles.

Stopped locking in 3rd party games and content.

Opened the floodgates to so many indie games you can't find the good games. The store is a mess.

Stopped backwards compatibility program.

Poor planning as a leader, how do you launch a console in 2020 with 0 first party exclusives? How do you have 2022 see 0 AAA first party releases?
How do you let Halo turn into what it has turned into?

All of her responses were AI

YES! Sarah gone too!
Too bad just being replaced by an AI puppet for Satya.

You'd have to be insane to put your big exclusive games on a competing console. That's no a winning strategy.

@themightyant That's just a PC though, and it's rumored to cost as much as $1500. It'll be a PC Steam version which won't support Xbox Achievements or anything. People could spend $1500 right now for the same thing.