Comments 377

Re: Xbox's Sarah Bond Issues Statement On Her Departure From Microsoft

kmtrain83

@Fragslayer
I guess that’s fine, but did ASUS, or Dell for that matter specifically come out with a plan to create a PC that integrates seamlessly to a big screen TV and couch set up? I know we’re waiting on Steam to try again with a Steam Machine, but does anyone expect it to sell 100 million? Why are people so eager to bury the console experience?

Re: Microsoft CEO Shares His Thoughts On The Major Leadership Changes At Xbox

kmtrain83

@TrollOfWar
This can be spun in different ways. He probably came to the realization last year that he should attempt to leave on his terms because the job was not worth it. The exact timing may or may not have been completely under his control given that it was a Friday 5 PM message. That’s usually where you try to hide negative news.

Re: Report: Xbox Working With OEMs To Build Next-Gen Options For 'A Range Of Price Points'

kmtrain83

@Millionski
I am interest to see what comes next. However, I do have some concerns. I don't believe they have announced or solved the issue of existing physical Xbox library, which affects the most loyal customers, who are the ones most likely to stick with Xbox rather than jump to Playstation. The cleanest solution from my estimation would be to offer a low cost external DVD drive, or allow for digital license conversions. A one time conversion would kill the used game market, such as it exists. They would also probably have to merge console and PC Game Pass, and likely make online play for free. I'm not sure how the dollars and cents play out with this new business model.

Re: Report: Xbox Working With OEMs To Build Next-Gen Options For 'A Range Of Price Points'

kmtrain83

@fatpunkslim
Let me see if I understand. If these PC OEMs are making the next generation of Xbox it will be 80/20 hybrid. It will have a mini PC form factor (in order to fit neatly within a TV entertainment system.) There will be at most one expansion slot for a NVMe SSD. The CPU/GPU and memory will be fixed. It will come with a controller, and boot to a controller based UI. The difference with current Xbox, is for those who choose to do so, you can "exit to Windows," for a more traditional PC experience including your own Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Then you can tinker with Steam, EPIC, etc. You can put an Xbox sticker on it if that suits your fancy, or they will affix one for looks. It will have green color scheme.
Am I missing anything?
What would something like that cost, and how is it superior to launching the Xbox app on my current desktop gaming PC? Is this all about backwards compatibility on the hardware itself, and not via cloud? What happends to Xbox owners' physical library? How many people would that benefit, to make it worth all these OEM's dividing the pie?

Re: Xbox Series X|S Ranked 5th In List Of Platforms Developers Are Most Interested In

kmtrain83

@fatpunkslim
I need a PC for home office schoolwork, etc. I don’t need it to have an Xbox logo on it. That’s like buying an IBM PC in 1988 after all the clones came out.
When it’s time to play, I want the best experience with great games and right now PlayStation seems to have the edge.
I also got into Xbox with the Series S, as did the majority of current generation customers. To go from the lower cost option to a very high cost replacement is asking this market to go opposite of what they did before.

Re: Phil Spencer Reveals 'Xbox 25' Logo And Shares Video Message Ahead Of Developer Direct

kmtrain83

@OldGamer999
Sad but true. My predictions is Xbox will dissolve into the cloud. Sony will hold out, but if you look at their trajectory since the 1990s, it is not hard to imagine them shuttering their gaming division after PS7 or PS8. This is coming from someone who bough a Sony Vaio laptop in 2009. Nintendo will likely retreat back into the pure handheld space, and have to skew toward a younger audience in terms of hardware. In terms of software, they will eventually license out their IP to the streaming kings of the day. There will always be a place for PC gaming I suppose since PC's run the business world, and it is easy enough to do gaming on the side.

Re: Talking Point: How Much Would You Be Willing To Spend On The Next Xbox Console?

kmtrain83

There’s a couple of problems with this strategy and the first is that I need a PC for home office and student use, but I don’t need a second similarly priced fully featured PC for the media room in the basement. If I had to choose, it would be the one in the study.

Secondly, once you go into the PC space you are swimming with sharks, and it will be a race to the bottom for price versus performance. PC enthusiast are very much focused on that ratio, and they will ridicule the console half of the Xbox hybrid as it goes into obsolescence.

Re: Talking Point: Will Any Of Xbox's 2026 Releases Become GOTY Contenders Next Year?

kmtrain83

If you look at upcoming 2026 titles, Xbox is flying under the radar. That could be a good thing, or a bad thing depending on how you feel if these awards are mostly riding a hype train, versus a recognition of quality. I'm hoping for Fable to be what gets me back into the ecosystem, because as things stand I'm drifting away from Xbox once my Game Pass subscription expires in 2027. I might pick up an odd title or two on sale, but that's about it.

Re: Poll: How Important Is The Xbox Play Anywhere Program To You?

kmtrain83

@BAMozzy
Hi, you see to have insight into the future directions. Since cross gen titles are still a thing (reference- SW Jedi: Survivor Xbox One physical edition was released in September 2024), when do you predict will be the last physical Xbox Series X release for those of us who aren't ready to buy the NextBox?