@Neither_scene
I asked on the other for him as well
Maybe someone with more business background can answer but how is the $70 billion ABK acquisition structured in terms of yearly profit and loss. Like I know it’s a big amount, but it also gets added to Microsoft net worth so it’s not like completely in the negative column.
Television streaming services are also running into problems in terms of production cost versus subscriber revenue. It seems like no one really understands this business model.
@datamonkey It took me like 45 minutes online refreshing after midnight to secure a single Switch 2 at launch. I wonder how they got so many for all of their employees. I don’t believe they work with Nintendo directly in any products.
I don't know about this rumor, after they just reiterated their vision to "play the games you want, across devices, anywhere you are..." except Prague.
@WildConcept6 I think the Xbox is less important for $3 trillion Microsoft than PlayStation is for Sony, and Nintendo is obviously wholly dependent on console sales. I could easily see Microsoft jettisoning their Xbox console division if it becomes a money loser, due to shareholder demand. The smaller Xbox gets relative to Microsoft as a whole the more likely they’ll just decide to move on. Otherwise, if it’s just about having bank and force of will, Windows Phone, Cortana, and Zune would still be around.
The only hardware I was tempted to get was last year was when they had an Amazon Fire-stick, and Xbox controller on Black Friday sale, and that was mainly for the controller part. The Fire Stick would’ve just been a cheap experiment in cloud gaming. I didn’t see any mention of that series recently. I don’t think I’m in the market for the ROG Ally or Oculus with an Xbox UI.
@Gabrie I agree that but mainly because Microsoft is about 20 times the size of Sony, and not because of any kind of particular strategy they have, nor insight as to what video games will be like in two decades. Microsoft is a big player in cloud services and so if video games is forced into being cloud based, then I guess they win. That’s not what I want, though. Thankfully by then I’ll be too old to care.
There again I keep hearing the word "hybrid," but I'm afraid it is confusing because it seems to mean different things to different people. I'm better off waiting for the actual hardware reveal, pricing, and reviews than this random conversation. It is fun to imagine future tech, but this is too discombobulating. I must be getting old...
@NishimuraX Yeah, the more I think about it the more I wonder what is going on at corporate, since they just had a showcase with actual games, and now they release this weirdly phrased PR video. People are reading what they want into it and writing very detailed explanations, but who can explain why they just did what they did with this video.
@Millionski
Do you expect this Xbox label on Windows devices will be required to have the Xbox experience? Or could I still just get a traditional gaming PC such as HP or Lenovo, and run the same software. What makes it an "Xbox PC" and not just a gaming computer?
@Kaloudz I don't know. I mean Series X was already "better" than PS 5 in terms of technical prowess, but they are still losing to Sony. Backwards compatibility is fine, but not forward focused enough to make we want to invest in new hardware.
@StonyKL I'm also struggling with this. I keep hearing about a "hybrid Xbox/PC," but what exactly is that? I own a PC with an NVIDIA GPU with Steam, EPIC, EA, GOG, Amazon, DVD-ROM, and I own a Series S. I hardly use the Xbox Windows app. What am I actually going to stick in my home in 2028, and what will it be plugged into? I don't have an engineering or design background, so maybe I just don't have the vision that they do.
@johnedwin Very interesting philosophy. I wonder which one is more efficient? You would figure with all the PC graphics cards out there they’ve nailed down what it takes to do the various modes.
I guess that could work. I don’t know, my PC is in the home office and my Xbox is in the basement connected to an 85 inch TV. I’m thinking I’ll probably just have a Switch 2 and PS6 in a few years, and then maybe have Gamepass for PC if it’s cost-effective.
@M4DUBUS Yes, I hear a lot of comments about them making a hybrid console/PC but don’t you really just mean making another Xbox? Like I’m having trouble picturing what makes it ” hybrid.”
@Sol4ris It will be interesting to see in the next few years if Microsoft can bridge the divide between console and PC gaming. If anyone can do it, it is them based on their size and history with Windows.
That being said, if the next Xbox is just a PC then I’m not buying it, because I already have a PC, as well as Nintendo and Sony PlayStation.
@BAMozzy I think we are hoping to “save them” from becoming an amalgamation of Sega post Dreamcast, Netflix, and Steam when those already exist, and it could be argued, do it better.
We all know Microsoft corporation is a behemoth, but we’re not fans of that; we just like the Xbox part.
@BAMozzy That was a long and well-thought-out argument. I imagine anybody willing to spend that much energy thinking about this topic would basically find the money to afford however many platforms bring them joy.
@Millionski I reckon this is true. Maybe it will force the developers to be more creative rather than just go for a pure photo realism. I look at things like remake of the Last of Us Part 2, or Horizon Zero Dawn, and wonder if it’s worth all the millions of dollars to see freckles better.
@Kaloudz Yes, the whole concept ended when Moore‘s Law died. Now everything is incremental at best. Once in a while, you will see a leap, like when flatscreen became the norm over CRT, or when SSD replaced HDD.
I wonder if there’s any information if the PlayStation Portal is profitable, and if something like that would satisfy the smallish number of Xbox owners who want console quality games in a handheld format, and who don’t already have an iPad / controller set up, or gaming laptop PC. It really is a niche market when you look at all the comparisons. It’s also makes it more baffling how Nintendo Switch was an all-time best seller, when its predecessor, Wii U failed so miserably. It can’t just be the software because Wii U had roughly the same quality of Nintendo exclusives.
@Medic_alert Surface line is not a great analogy since the PC clones have been out there for decades, and so they have fierce competition. Xbox is more or less a duopoly with PS5, with each side having some exclusivity. I do worry that if the higher ups at Microsoft think Xbox is akin to Surface, then it may indeed lightly fade into the background.
I look at the Series S for $380 vs the PS 5 digital Call of Duty Bundle $400 at Best Buy and wonder, what are we doing? Or look at the Astro Bot bundle with PS 5 slim, or PS5 Pro is less than the 2 TB Series X
Would we still be fans if they just went full software, like spinning off from Microsoft into something called Activision Blizzard Xbox (ABX)? Would this website still exist to discuss a developer/publisher?
Series S was debated as a 3rd option after getting a Switch then PS5, and it remains the 3rd option.... We like to buy physical, so it is more of a Gamepass machine. We were able to stack Gamepass for 36 months. When that runs out, we are probably going off this brand, and will likely be PC/ Nintendo only, depending on how PS 6 compares.
I already had a Switch and PS5 when I got the Series S on sale at Target for $250 a couple of years ago. For $380 as a third console which is played the least overall, I just wouldn’t have done it..
My son will be in college by next gen, so other than Switch 2 preorder for his birthday, I will take a wait and see approach to future consoles, and maybe gravitate more towards retro and PC.
I loved Morrowind on Xbox, and even now periodically long to replay it. I specifically bought a desktop PC that could handle Oblivion when it came out. I eventually completed Oblivion years later on a different laptop PC, with all the DLC. For whatever reason, I have no desire to revisit Oblivion. I also never got very far into Skyrim. Something was lost after Morrowind, and I’m not sure what.
I think the price has to be taken in account in relationship to the prior Switch that was eight years ago, the lack of any price cuts this generation, widespread, inflation, and comparable handheld such as Asus, Lenovo and Steam. How much above the base Series S would you pay to shrink it down to the point you could carry it and play it on a 120 Hz screen. I own a Series S, and the television did not come with it. I also have a PS 5, and I’m not a console warrior.
Comments 183
Re: Imminent Xbox Layoffs Could Include Entire Studios, Warns Industry Veteran
@Neither_scene
I asked on the other for him as well
Maybe someone with more business background can answer but how is the $70 billion ABK acquisition structured in terms of yearly profit and loss. Like I know it’s a big amount, but it also gets added to Microsoft net worth so it’s not like completely in the negative column.
Television streaming services are also running into problems in terms of production cost versus subscriber revenue. It seems like no one really understands this business model.
Re: Imminent Xbox Layoffs Could Include Entire Studios, Warns Industry Veteran
@datamonkey
It took me like 45 minutes online refreshing after midnight to secure a single Switch 2 at launch. I wonder how they got so many for all of their employees. I don’t believe they work with Nintendo directly in any products.
Re: Microsoft Planning To 'Restructure' Xbox Distribution In Central Europe, Says Report
I don't know about this rumor, after they just reiterated their vision to "play the games you want, across devices, anywhere you are..." except Prague.
Re: Xbox Officially Adds Steam Integration Via New PC App Feature
@WildConcept6
I think the Xbox is less important for $3 trillion Microsoft than PlayStation is for Sony, and Nintendo is obviously wholly dependent on console sales.
I could easily see Microsoft jettisoning their Xbox console division if it becomes a money loser, due to shareholder demand. The smaller Xbox gets relative to Microsoft as a whole the more likely they’ll just decide to move on. Otherwise, if it’s just about having bank and force of will, Windows Phone, Cortana, and Zune would still be around.
Re: Talking Point: Have This Month's Announcements Made You Excited About Xbox Again?
The only hardware I was tempted to get was last year was when they had an Amazon Fire-stick, and Xbox controller on Black Friday sale, and that was mainly for the controller part. The Fire Stick would’ve just been a cheap experiment in cloud gaming. I didn’t see any mention of that series recently. I don’t think I’m in the market for the ROG Ally or Oculus with an Xbox UI.
Re: Talking Point: Have This Month's Announcements Made You Excited About Xbox Again?
@Gabrie
I agree that but mainly because Microsoft is about 20 times the size of Sony, and not because of any kind of particular strategy they have, nor insight as to what video games will be like in two decades. Microsoft is a big player in cloud services and so if video games is forced into being cloud based, then I guess they win. That’s not what I want, though. Thankfully by then I’ll be too old to care.
Re: 'Xbox Edition' Meta Quest VR Headset Leaks Ahead Of Rumoured Release Next Week
Wow, I was not expecting this. So does that mean when they bring Gamepass to PlayStation there will be a PS6 Xbox edition?
Re: Reaction: Xbox's Next-Gen News Is Exciting, But It Also Leaves More Questions Than Answers
I came across this negative take on a blog
https://gardinerbryant.com/xbox-is-dead-windows-isnt-far-behind/amp/
Re: Talking Point: Did Xbox Just Hint At A Hybrid Next-Gen Console?
There again I keep hearing the word "hybrid," but I'm afraid it is confusing because it seems to mean different things to different people. I'm better off waiting for the actual hardware reveal, pricing, and reviews than this random conversation. It is fun to imagine future tech, but this is too discombobulating. I must be getting old...
Re: Reaction: Xbox's Next-Gen News Is Exciting, But It Also Leaves More Questions Than Answers
@NishimuraX
Yeah, the more I think about it the more I wonder what is going on at corporate, since they just had a showcase with actual games, and now they release this weirdly phrased PR video. People are reading what they want into it and writing very detailed explanations, but who can explain why they just did what they did with this video.
Re: Reaction: Xbox's Next-Gen News Is Exciting, But It Also Leaves More Questions Than Answers
@Millionski
Do you expect this Xbox label on Windows devices will be required to have the Xbox experience? Or could I still just get a traditional gaming PC such as HP or Lenovo, and run the same software. What makes it an "Xbox PC" and not just a gaming computer?
Re: Xbox & AMD Are 'Delivering On A Promise' By Making Existing Libraries Work On Next-Gen
@Kaloudz
I don't know. I mean Series X was already "better" than PS 5 in terms of technical prowess, but they are still losing to Sony. Backwards compatibility is fine, but not forward focused enough to make we want to invest in new hardware.
Re: Xbox Announces Next-Gen Console Strategy, Promises 'Deeper Visuals' & Backwards Compatibility
@StonyKL
I'm also struggling with this. I keep hearing about a "hybrid Xbox/PC," but what exactly is that? I own a PC with an NVIDIA GPU with Steam, EPIC, EA, GOG, Amazon, DVD-ROM, and I own a Series S. I hardly use the Xbox Windows app. What am I actually going to stick in my home in 2028, and what will it be plugged into? I don't have an engineering or design background, so maybe I just don't have the vision that they do.
Re: The Witcher 4 Will Be 'Extremely Challenging' To Run At 60FPS On Xbox Series S
@johnedwin
Very interesting philosophy. I wonder which one is more efficient? You would figure with all the PC graphics cards out there they’ve nailed down what it takes to do the various modes.
Re: The Witcher 4 Will Be 'Extremely Challenging' To Run At 60FPS On Xbox Series S
@Ernie
Yeah, it looks like another “impossible port “ coming to Switch 2 in a few years
Re: Opinion: It Feels Like Microsoft Is Planning A Huge Final Year Of Xbox Series X|S In 2026
I guess that could work. I don’t know, my PC is in the home office and my Xbox is in the basement connected to an 85 inch TV.
I’m thinking I’ll probably just have a Switch 2 and PS6 in a few years, and then maybe have Gamepass for PC if it’s cost-effective.
Re: Opinion: It Feels Like Microsoft Is Planning A Huge Final Year Of Xbox Series X|S In 2026
@M4DUBUS
Yes, I hear a lot of comments about them making a hybrid console/PC but don’t you really just mean making another Xbox? Like I’m having trouble picturing what makes it ” hybrid.”
Re: Opinion: It Feels Like Microsoft Is Planning A Huge Final Year Of Xbox Series X|S In 2026
@Sol4ris
It will be interesting to see in the next few years if Microsoft can bridge the divide between console and PC gaming. If anyone can do it, it is them based on their size and history with Windows.
That being said, if the next Xbox is just a PC then I’m not buying it, because I already have a PC, as well as Nintendo and Sony PlayStation.
Re: Opinion: It Feels Like Microsoft Is Planning A Huge Final Year Of Xbox Series X|S In 2026
@BAMozzy
I think we are hoping to “save them” from becoming an amalgamation of Sega post Dreamcast, Netflix, and Steam when those already exist, and it could be argued, do it better.
We all know Microsoft corporation is a behemoth, but we’re not fans of that; we just like the Xbox part.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally Gets Price & Release Date Info In 'Exclusive' Report
@BAMozzy
That was a long and well-thought-out argument. I imagine anybody willing to spend that much energy thinking about this topic would basically find the money to afford however many platforms bring them joy.
Re: Switch 2 'Closer To Xbox Series S' Than Last-Gen Consoles, Says Ninja Gaiden Dev
@Millionski
I reckon this is true. Maybe it will force the developers to be more creative rather than just go for a pure photo realism. I look at things like remake of the Last of Us Part 2, or Horizon Zero Dawn, and wonder if it’s worth all the millions of dollars to see freckles better.
Re: Switch 2 'Closer To Xbox Series S' Than Last-Gen Consoles, Says Ninja Gaiden Dev
@Kaloudz
Yes, the whole concept ended when Moore‘s Law died. Now everything is incremental at best. Once in a while, you will see a leap, like when flatscreen became the norm over CRT, or when SSD replaced HDD.
Re: Talking Point: Switch 2 Owners, Should Xbox Embrace Nintendo's New System?
@Dm9982
I’d like Fable to come to Nintendo. I enjoyed it on original Xbox.
Re: Xbox Has Reportedly 'Sidelined' Plans For A 2027 First-Party Handheld
@GuyinPA75
I wonder if there’s any information if the PlayStation Portal is profitable, and if something like that would satisfy the smallish number of Xbox owners who want console quality games in a handheld format, and who don’t already have an iPad / controller set up, or gaming laptop PC. It really is a niche market when you look at all the comparisons. It’s also makes it more baffling how Nintendo Switch was an all-time best seller, when its predecessor, Wii U failed so miserably. It can’t just be the software because Wii U had roughly the same quality of Nintendo exclusives.
Re: Xbox Has Reportedly 'Sidelined' Plans For A 2027 First-Party Handheld
@Medic_alert
Surface line is not a great analogy since the PC clones have been out there for decades, and so they have fierce competition. Xbox is more or less a duopoly with PS5, with each side having some exclusivity. I do worry that if the higher ups at Microsoft think Xbox is akin to Surface, then it may indeed lightly fade into the background.
Re: Xbox Should Have Expected PS5 Sale Before Increasing Series X|S Prices, Says Journalist
I look at the Series S for $380 vs the PS 5 digital Call of Duty Bundle $400 at Best Buy and wonder, what are we doing? Or look at the Astro Bot bundle with PS 5 slim, or PS5 Pro is less than the 2 TB Series X
Re: Xbox Building A Handheld 'Makes No Sense', Says Former Blizzard Boss
Would we still be fans if they just went full software, like spinning off from Microsoft into something called Activision Blizzard Xbox (ABX)? Would this website still exist to discuss a developer/publisher?
Re: Xbox Has Reportedly 'Sidelined' Plans For A 2027 First-Party Handheld
Not jumping into handheld is not the same as exiting the console business.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Feel You've Had Value For Money With Your Xbox Series X|S?
Series S was debated as a 3rd option after getting a Switch then PS5, and it remains the 3rd option.... We like to buy physical, so it is more of a Gamepass machine. We were able to stack Gamepass for 36 months. When that runs out, we are probably going off this brand, and will likely be PC/ Nintendo only, depending on how PS 6 compares.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Still Buy An Xbox At Microsoft's 2025 Prices?
I already had a Switch and PS5 when I got the Series S on sale at Target for $250 a couple of years ago. For $380 as a third console which is played the least overall, I just wouldn’t have done it..
Re: Xbox Is Raising The Price Of Consoles, Games And Accessories
My son will be in college by next gen, so other than Switch 2 preorder for his birthday, I will take a wait and see approach to future consoles, and maybe gravitate more towards retro and PC.
Re: Bethesda Officially Announces Oblivion Remastered, Full Reveal Coming Tomorrow
I loved Morrowind on Xbox, and even now periodically long to replay it. I specifically bought a desktop PC that could handle Oblivion when it came out. I eventually completed Oblivion years later on a different laptop PC, with all the DLC. For whatever reason, I have no desire to revisit Oblivion. I also never got very far into Skyrim. Something was lost after Morrowind, and I’m not sure what.
Re: Former Xbox Exec Throws Shade At Switch 2, Says It's A 'Hard Pass'
@nomither6
I think the price has to be taken in account in relationship to the prior Switch that was eight years ago, the lack of any price cuts this generation, widespread, inflation, and comparable handheld such as Asus, Lenovo and Steam. How much above the base Series S would you pay to shrink it down to the point you could carry it and play it on a 120 Hz screen. I own a Series S, and the television did not come with it. I also have a PS 5, and I’m not a console warrior.