@FraserG It'd be cool if it has a "unlocked" FPS mode that isn't actually for Series X, but when Helix rolls around it can use the extra power to hit 60FPS (or whatever the Helix can do) via BC. Kinda like the Bethesda games giving us seperate frame targets and graphics mode options, kinda pointless now but handy later.

Obviously, they won't, because they can't sell us GTA6 Helix edition then.

Man, Xbox really does go in cycles; here we are back at the early X1 generation. Close everything and focus on the "core" AAA franchises only for them to struggle, or stumble in development and cause delays and get huge gaps, creating the perception "Xbox has no games".

Stepping up an actually managing these studios would be far more helpful than gutting Xbox and then complaining they aren't making their money back on 400m budgets

It really needs back filling. I have about 600 Xbox digital games and over on the PC app I have like 12.

Pure genius. Commit to the return of exclusives 6 years after launch at almost double the price.

(I am aware it's not greed but since MS is one of the biggest AI companies, it is their fault.)

Does anyone else get a weird "this probably how Senua would be previewed" feeling from these?

3rd entry, check
massive combat overhaul, check
retained vibe, check.

Doomed Ninja Theory-ing aside, I am so exicted for this game.

I think short of Steam failing to sell any of them, this will let Xbox charge what they like for Helix. Before they was scared of breaching that 1000 mark and being seen as crazy. Now they can show the Steam Machine specs next to Helix's and go "look Helix is X times more powerful and not even 2x more expensive and it comes with a controller"

If I was MS I would make sure the Helix is packed with as much digital extras as possible. They cost the company nothing and makes the price seem more justified.

I did think OD was going to be safe, there's just no way to recover from "we cancelled a kojima title to save some pennies", it's a PR nuke.

@ShiroKitten I suppose "Exclusive... but you can also get it on Steam... and possibly other PC platforms" takes up a little too much space.

I think I might have to buy the Godzilla remaster first, just so that it exists on my record.

@MrStark I would love to see some evidence of that, truly, because a small collection of studios made up from the best and brightest across XGS would be amazing. Still, at the moment with all we're hearing right now, the question isn't "how best to extract the talent from these studios" it's staff-wide notices of closures (Ninja Theory) and "will the studio be saved by investors (ala Tango) or just disappear (ala Arkane Austin)?"

@Fiendish-Beaver I doubt they'll kill Gears of War off for poor E-Day sales, killing the studio and then licensing out the IP to external studios, on the other hand...

I also want to note for my group and me, the gamepass MTX/DLC relationship is the exact opposite of what you described. We've bought DLCs for games we probably wouldn't have if we paid "upfront" for the game, and the only MTX's I've ever touched have been in GP titles as a way of supporting the devs.

Though I will say GP is certainly a double-edged sword for Xbox with us because we're just as likely to go "I really liked this GP title, oh look the complete edition is on sale on Y platform, best grab that. so beyond our sub, MS got nothing)

I'm not expecting these games to be multi-format for this gen, later when it turns out people aren't going to pay the inflated "today" prices of a 6-year-old console for Gears and Clockwork (After all, it sure seems like Xbox is about to have a whole lot fewer games after the coming closures.) and Helix is very expensive and most sales on it are through third party stores? Then maybe.

Look I want to be optimistic, My series X is my favourite console of this gen, its where I want to game, and I'm sure taking a hatchet to the studios makes fiscal sense but I really don't see how gutting XGS is going to lead to "more games, faster*" and it just feels like we're taking a weird detour to the early Xbox One era when we're sitting here being told the next Halo/Gears/Forza are going turn things around for team green and turns out those folks who'll buy an Xbox for those games, have an Xbox already.

*Anyone else chuckle at the idea of rushing the next Fallout and Elder Scrolls out the door, because if there's a couple of games that really don't need to be more buggy its them.

@Cakefish "Microsoft wanted niche, highly rated games to add variety and prestige to Game Pass. " exactly, it was also to counter the narrative that Xbox only had "three games" that they milked to death. It's why all this has me worried, it seems they want to go back to the days where its just these big franchises again. Ever-increasing budgets and decreasing "risk" (innovation)

So disrespectful to let NT announce their new game, delivering on what people wanted to improve from their games, then turn around a week later and take them behind the shed.

Considering that Xbox wasn't actually losing money, they could have afforded to give these studios a chance; whatever project they are working on will decide if the studio stays open or not.

Man really not a good sign it's the non-franchise studios

Probably shouldn't be concerned Xbox talked about how it has all these great IP and the first blood was an AA studio.

I don't expect Xbox to do well if it's going to cut everything that isn't big AAA franchise bait.

I mean it was such a success when Xbox banked entirely on Halo, GoW, and Forza.

Here my dumb proposal, drop AAA for a while, each studio gets 1 AAA slot

We just don't need "Marcus's eyelash uses more polygons that entire previous Marcus model..." thats just burning money.

Release more AA games. That gets them more games, more often, with much lower budgets to break Even.

Or at least use the RGS/upcoming CD Red model, release a game, use that as a base for two more games releasing way faster than "real sequels" give us more stuff like Fallout New Vegas, AC Brotherhood, Pirate Yakuza, FC Blood Dragon, Halo ODST and such.

@Banjo- don't get me wrong you're right, though it should be noted it was saved. Xbox was going to close it. If a decades long hunt didn't protect Tango, then Obsidian's legacy won't protect them from their "metrics" on the corporate cuts machine.

It dose make me... let's go with chuckle, that the former AI exec, now Xbox boss complaining about hardware costs driven by AI

@PsBoxSwitchOwner

I'd love to see this put to a vote on the feedback site.

Save jobs or return to exclusivity

because it certainly doesn't seem like Xbox can afford both (even more so if Helix has other storefronts).

I wouldn't be surprised if Obsidian gets hit. Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed reportedly didn't do well and in a era where making a good game that sells decently can get a studio killed, two "good games that failed to find an audience" in a row seems risky.

I would have assumed they was safe because of their prestige but Xbox killed Tango after decades of trying to get a Japanese studio.

Xbox has a good showcase.

Xbox: oh look a rake.

@themightyant same. It's cool that it's "new" but it's not the same as a cool "new original 2d-hd FF game".

@BDK71 the original game was published by Sony, as such Sony chose the platforms it was allowed to launch on, they unsuprisigky made sure Playstation was the only console it coud launch on. A few months back the devs said the game was such a success they won't need Sony as a publisher for their future games, and so have full control over what platforms they release on.

So it was weird to me that they had effectively gained their independence and annouced a new game but didn't didn't confirm an Xbox launch for it.

It's even weirder now they've confirmed the original Sony published game is coming to Switch 2.

@RadioHedgeFund exactly the same here. I felt the excitement drain out of me so damn fast.

I was surprised it seemed to be PS exclusive since the devs made a big deal about not needing Sony to publish anymore.

I don't want to think the game is in trouble but we watched them trot out Perfect Dark then when it went behind the curtains, ended it then and there. Also, just heard that Ninja Theory's hyper realism game has been killed too.

In that magical era where games consoles got cheaper over Time, I would have got this beauty but even if this A) doesn't have an mark up or B)isn't scalped to oblivion, I'm not paying "modern" series X pricing for a new colourway.

I'll have to see if that drift site handles my old pads, if that dose a good job I'll have to consider getting the pad.

@BacklogBrad indeed the split between muiltiplayer game and story game isn't anywhere near as defined on Xbox as it is on Sony or even Nintendo. Though with Halo we might have to take a look at Halo Infinite. They released the multiplayer separately, so maybe that's what they will do in the future. Xbox and PC gets the whole package and PS/S2 gets just the multiplayer.

@BacklogBrad they all ready confirmed Halo Remake for PS5, there would likely be consequences for going back on that. I'm sure when other those other halo games gets annouced they'll probably be exclusive (unless MP focused)

It was a good show (Seperate from the gears direct), its just felt more like a update than a grand reveal.
-no sign of expanded BC
-No word on the missing Acti games for Gamepass
-Most games was already annouced.
-missing games like Blade.

Again good show. I just felt like I knew about as much coming out as I did coming out.

@BacklogBrad I think GoW is "sacrificially" exclusive, not part of this new. It's the only big Xbox IP game coming out that didn't have confirmed platforms.

@Deshalu I did, I was simply using CoD as an example of a "Xbox-owned game that has multiplayer and campaign that's currently not exclusive" I'm also well aware that "10 years of COD for Nintendo" has resulted in 0 COD games in 3 years, with the first one coming about 4 years into the 10-year deal. Evidently the deal has a whole lot of wiggle room.

on Paper its sounds good. Multiplayer games, perticually in the current model need every single player the can get. So keeping those multiformat is perfect logic.

But I'm a little confused, surely Gears of War is one of Xbox's "big multiplayer" games, yet E-Day is exclusive. I guess it's probably because it just so happens to be the next big Xbox IP releasing that didn't have confirmed platforms. Because if it "well gears has a campaign" then CoD should be exclusive too.

I noticed they made a point of separating the games made by "Xbox Game Studios" from "Bethesda" and "Activision" which might be their wiggle room. "Fable is exclusive, but Wolfenstein 3, that's not because it's not a Xbox Game Studios game."

Don't get me wrong, YAY! I was right back there the second that music started playing. I am, however, a little bummed we seem to be "stuck" with Alex. I don't really remember ever playing as him.

I'm guessing the multiplayer will have the other characters

Yeah, Remedy working on the last one's campaign meant absoultely nothing, sure this team might be a better fit but I refuse to build any interest in this until reviews hit.

@DJKingaling yeah, in a world where not only are games not exclusive to Helix but the console also has access to non-Xbox stores. I can only see a few options of competing without exclusives.

1. All Xbox expansions are free if you buy on the Xbox store (Justifies buying on XB over PC and PS/S2, though likely woukd have to exclude costmetics, currencies and things like Forza's car packs,)
2. Cheaper on Xbox store, would need to be sold as MS taking a hit for Xbox customers and not "jacking up prices" for PS/Steam/S2 users.
3. Real digital ownership, GoG style buy the game, Zero online checks, and you can download the installer so you can install even without access to the store (hahahaha)
5. Play Anywhere on steroids. Console, cloud, PC, PS and S2 (this would be huge but zero chance they could get either party on board, they couldn't convince either, or steam, of having gamepass let alone giving players free Xbox games)
6. Some feature on the system level, as a random example, if all Helix games fully supported VR even if the PC version doesn't. (I could only think of VR as a system level feature that's not just Upscallingand frame gen)
7. Timed exclusivity... honestly this won't do anything, gamers have been shown to be very good at waiting for the exclusivity window to end.

@carlos82 I do understand the desire for exclusives, I have been very vocal about how platforms need them but it seems way to late to walk that back, especially if the next Xbox is a PC hybrid with access to steam/etc. They are loosing a lot of revenue sources there and loosing access to all those PS and Switch2 gamers seems... suboptimal

I think there is some creative middle ground. As an example would giving Xbox users first party DLC/Expansions for free cost them less than loosing sales by returning to full exclusives? Xbox then becomes more attractive platform because "all our DLC is free" and would also justify customers buying an Helix game through MS and not the PC version on steam/epic

@Swandivetotheasphalt yeah I was thinking that, this wasn't some huge negative response, it was mixed. I didn't even hear about it until this article. I like how they are engaging with the Xbox community but this is Twitter we talking about. I don't like the idea that community shaping the leadership of ours.

I don't really see the point in hiding the fact a game is multiplatform as it will almost certainly be confirmed about 12 seconds later officially like all the MP titles at the Direct/state of play.

Now that being said, I don't think "former exclusive coming to rival platform" announcements have any place at an Xbox showcase, do that at theirs or general Showcases.

Make sense to me, no point in trying to win gamers over now only to stall that by announcing a console for years later. The people they are starting to wi over are not going to spend even more on a Series console knowing it has a replacement coming.

@Sol4ris I don't think soec wiae there's going to be that much of a difference, the problem is Helix is going to gut their revenue streams that allow them to sell hardware at a loss.

A game sold on console is three portions. The licence, the publishers cut, and the stores cut, this is where consoles make their money and let's them sell hardware for less.
-If Helix plays PC games, then they aren't licensed, so Xbox gets nothing.
-If Helix can access Steam/GoG/Epic then Xbox also gets nothing from every game we buy there.

The only cut they have any control over is the publishers cut, and to offset the loss of licencing and retail cuts that means either ALOT of high grade exclusives releasing frequently exclusively or releasing an normal amount of games across different platforms (PS, Switch, PC).

PS6 (and Switch 2) only playing console games means they can take the hit on hardware and make that back , and profit, from licensing, retail (psn), and publishers cuts.

@Weebleman that seems about right, though I suspect Helix might be even more because I don't see how they are going to be able to subsidise it. If Helix has third part stores selling regular PC versions then MS doesn't get a single penny for those sales.

@Millionski oh certainly not only are there bound to be more hardware cost increases but the fact that this massive price jump doesn't seemed to have put off Steamdeck buyers, execs will be doing the math "if steamdeck can sell for X then we can sell Ally for Y.

I'm sure the Ally systems will get matching price increase but if I was MS I would eat as much of the costs from ASUS for as long as possible to really show how inflated the steamdeck is right now.

Additonal: I have to assume the idea of the Steam Machine coming under 1000 is very dead now.

Don't get me wrong, I have been very vocal about how Xbox needs (At least some) exclusives, but man, dropping multiplatform releases, then releasing what is reportedly one of the most expensive consoles ever produced, during a time when people are genuinely worried they are going to be priced out of gaming, would not be a good look.

I noticed the drivatar thing. Normally increasing the difficulty puts me from 1st to 3-5th but this last one I went 1st to 8th as everyone seems to go to warp at the start of the race

@fatpunkslim, they won't do it, but I'd love an MCC-style bundle of the campaigns

As much as I like some of these, I can't justify spending that sort of money on a hoodie.

I have to assume this would have to be some sort of check in system because something that let's you turn any disc in to a download key seems ripe for exploitation. Buy a game, port the game, return the game for example.

I could have sworn the "turn disc to digital" thing was something that was "in the works" before.

@themightyant true, plus it doesn't work with the current versions off Fallout 4, and downgrading Fallout 4 would also undo this storage upgrade...

I guess both is why the team said they'd need a standalone version for Xbox.