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[Pasta la Vista]

You'd think so but Sarah has publicly acknowledged twice now that next-gen is coming.

She also publicly acknowledged nearly 2 months ago that Tango would have a future. If anyone actually believes anything this harpy, or any of the other talking heads at Xbox have to say about their future plans, I would advice keeping your expectations in check.

 

[GHG]

No offense taken at all as I welcome insight

Just shooting a text off to a few I know and they fully believe it's full steam ahead for next box and still "much sooner than PS6" so going to be curious how they move forward.

Closing studios is bad enough PR, both camps have done it, but to walk back next gen at this point especially since Bond has said it twice now the backlash would be unreal even towards their games imo.

What does "next gen" entail exactly though? For me this is where things get messy based on what's being rumoured.

If its a couple of boxes in the mould of the Steam Deck (but running windows instead of Linux) then strictly speaking they are no longer consoles, they would be PC's.

What is important to note is that there isn't really a dev environment for the Steam Deck in the same way that there is for consoles. It's just a case of making a PC (or ideally, a Linux version) of your game and then providing a set of suggested settings (inclusive of a controller config) for when the game detects that it's running on the Steam Deck, and that's it:

Getting your game ready for Steam Deck (Steamworks Documentation)

partner.steamgames.com

Documentation Home Page (Steamworks Documentation)

partner.steamgames.com

Steam Deck Compatibility Review Process (Steamworks Documentation)

partner.steamgames.com

That's a huge step change from the console development environment where games need to be specifically created for the console. If developers/publishers are complaining about the current predicament regarding xbox versions of their games then this will go a huge way towards solving that - they will no longer need to make a console specific version for "xbox", it will just be a case of making the PC version and then providing suggested settings appropriate for the hardware Microsoft opt to go with.

Even if the developer fails to come up with something appropriate, Microsoft can have a tiny team who can be responsible for sorting that out on their end. Worst comes to worse, the burden falls on the end user (as it does on the Steam Deck).

 

[XXL]

The Xbox 360 was an outstanding platform.

The 360 was great. I went through a bunch of them though, due to hardware failures.

But when I think about the 360, I'm always reminded of first playing Mass Effect 1....such good memories.

 

[Moridianae]

2025 ain't happening, and no one knows if 2026 is either.

All I've heard on hardware is that things are very, very much in the air. And 3rd parties are openly telling MS they have had enough, apparently.

Had enough of what? Porting their games onto Xbox and having to develop for two systems for paltry sales numbers or just frustrated with they have to do Game Pass? Or both?

 

[bitbydeath]

What does "next gen" entail exactly though? For me this is where things get messy based on what's being rumoured.

The closure of random studios (they were not their worst performers) and their recent inconspicuous messaging suggests things have changed, the next-gen was supposed to entail OEM builds not available in stores so they didn't need floor space, and were both high in price, and high in spec.

The OEM builds were never going to make money or be popular so seemed like a last hurrah / conversion point.

 

[MisterXDTV]

The Xbox 360 was an outstanding platform.

For like half a generation. The second half was horrible

It doesn't mean much in a 23-year timespan

 

[Ashamam]

Maybe, I just know it's a Zen 5 "nextbox" if that means it's actually a new gen I dunno, maybe a souped up Series X?

If they are shooting for 2025, it can't be too special. I mean both from the point of view of what silicon is available and from the point of view of how long they have to design/test and then spool up manufacturing. If they rush it they risk making poor design decisions. Hardware wise I mean, think SD card in the Ally as a example, they get thermals wrong somewhere and it has unforseen outcomes. Especially if they are making a new form factor like a handheld.

They can probably leverage the existing console design for that form factor. But there is still some risk as if the expectation of a more powerful machine is true then that comes with increased heat. Which needs to be designed around living room requirements, etc etc.

 

[mdkirby]

Xbox lost its way in the early 360 era. It's been false promises and broken dreams ever since. For the last couple year there was yet more "promise of future" on the premise that maybe next year the all their acquisitions would bear fruit. But it just seems to never happen, and now many closures and prob more to come.

 

[StereoVsn]

Lets revisit this in about 18 months as I think MS is changing tactics since they are tired of getting their teeth kicked in sales wise

I dunno, I kind did want to see the receipts. I am getting. The feeling with the cuts they they want to switch to their dumb 18 months contractor strategy for a lot of dev, which is going to be crap for game dev.

Of course this is wild ass guess from my side.

 

[Radical_3d]

Maybe, I just know it's a Zen 5 "nextbox" if that means it's actually a new gen I dunno, maybe a souped up Series X?

A 2026 Zen 5 RDNA 3 32GB Xbox with ML would wipe the floor with 2024's PS5 Pro no doubt but, at what price? Sony could always undersell if things go out of control. And it's not PS2 to PS3 technology anymore. You're not going to have games like lost planet, bioshock or Mass Effect, impossible to do on the PS2 due to programable shaders and bygone gigantic technical leaps. Everything can be scaled back with resolution and no one is going to target anything but PS5 outside first party.

It's a bold move but it sure as hell it is interesting.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

A 2026 Zen 5 RDNA 3 32GB Xbox with ML would wipe the floor with 2024's PS5 Pro no doubt but, at what price? Sony could always undersell if things go out of control. And it's not PS2 to PS3 technology anymore. You're not going to have games like lost planet, bioshock or Mass Effect, impossible to do on the PS2 due to programable shaders and bygone gigantic technical leaps. Everything can be scaled back with resolution and no one is going to target anything but PS5 outside first party.

It's a bold move but it sure as hell it is interesting.

Pricing is the question for this box but its there for those who really want it and the dockable for mainstream

 

[Coconutt]

 

[Astray]

No offense, but even this info came from a time where very difficult decisions at Xbox hadn't even been made yet. Heck, when PS5 HFR was announced, there were no plans to shut down a single studio.

The situation at Xbox is very fluid. Lots of these plans are out of date right now.

One of the stranger things about this round of closures is how it seems almost panic-driven.

No sane individual that wants to keep any kind of console presence would axe Tango right after it got a ton of accolades. Like even if they weren't super profitable, they would have been an important differentiator for the supposed next gen system!

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

panic-driven.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Xbox 360 will likely return and should give Xbox fans some hope. So much fell off during the One and now series X era. I like the idea of an Xbox 720.

 

[Radical_3d]

Xbox 360 will likely return and should give Xbox fans some hope. So much fell off during the One and now series X era. I like the idea of an Xbox 720.

Yeah, but are we going to be 20 years younger playing Halo 3 with the friends and trash talking to each other's console or are going to be burden with the weight of the age?

I'd buy an Xbox Return To Your 20s for whatever the price.

 

[dcx4610]

That's the question! All we have right now are rumors of another big power-oriented console like the Series X, alongside a handheld console, with I think both (?) enabling sideloading. So you have the opportunity to get Steam, Epic and what not on there and get games running. So..kinda like an Xbox-branded PC? Kinda confused there myself to be honest.

To me, this the direction Microsoft should have always went. A literal mini-PC running a custom Windows 11 with an Xbox front end. This allows them to sell PCs/Windows to a wider market and you can open it up to partnership with Steam/Valve for other days. And yes, include keyboard/mouse in the big bundle.

 

[Lord Malachite]

XBOX 360 was amazing, it was ahead of the PS3 in almost every department and instead of building on that, they completely fucked up the XBOX ONE. I didn't wanna blame Phil for that because he inherited that shit show. I thought he'd turn it around with the next box but it was a shit-show from the get go with the inclusion of the Series S and it only got worse from there and here we are today with a brand that has lost all its appeal.

Xbox 360 had many problems. It was better than PS3 in three specific ways--memory, online network, and price point.

But it was a very cheaply designed box with the largest failure rate in console history, requiring Microsoft to spend over a billion dollars on repairs and warranties. Many gamers still ended up buying more than one due to failure--especially early adopters.

The console had a good exclusive library, and in the first half of the generation many multiplatform games performed better on 360. This began to erode later in the generation when Naughty Dog was holding its workshops for 3rd party developers teaching them how to make games run efficiently on PS3. Xbox also largely rested on its laurels in the back end of the gen while PS3 kept releasing banger exclusives.

Perhaps a major hallmark of the shift is Duke Nukem Forevef. Largely a forgotten game for obvious reasons, it ran like absolute dogshit on 360 but fine on PS3, displaying a photographic negative of the early seventh generation when games sang on 360 but were disasters on PS3.

Sony critically fumbled with the launch of the PS3 but recovered admirably, pulling off one of the biggest turnarounds in only a few years and transforming the PS3 from a laughing stock to a must-own console. Xbox came out of the gate strong with the 360 and slowly squandered its early triumph over Sony as the generation went on. Xbox never recovered from losing the upper hand it had taken, and the unmitigated disaster of the XB1 reveal, lead up, and launch guaranteed they would never regain it.

 

[Skelterz]

Xbox died when the platform became truly homogeneous with Microsoft, when the 360 launched it had its own UI and felt like a product onto itself a vein of Microsoft for sure but you coulden't smell them. The games started to become less unique and original and even the UI itself became a windows based Home Screen.

The Xbox 360 in its first few years was head and shoulders the best system but they lost there way and now I truly believe they should just become a 3rd party publisher.

 

[MayauMiao]

Xbox 360 had many problems. It was better in PS3 in three specific ways--memory, online network, and price point.

But it was a very cheaply designed box with the largest failure rate in console history, requiring Microsoft to spend over a billion dollars on repairs and warranties. Many gamers still ended up buying more than one due to failure--especially early adopters.

The console had a good exclusive library, and in the first half of the generation many multiplatform games performed better on 360. This began to erode later in the generation when Naughty Dog was holding its workshops for 3rd party developers teaching them how to make games run efficiently on PS3. Xbox also largely rested on its laurels in the back end of the gen while PS3 kept releasing banger exclusives.

Perhaps a major hallmark of the shift is Duke Nukem Forevef. Largely a forgotten game for obvious reasons, it ran like absolute dogshit on 360 but fine on PS3, displaying a photographic negative of the early seventh generation when games sang on 360 but were disasters on PS3.

Sony critically fumbled with the launch of the PS3 but recovered admirably, pulling off one of the biggest turnarounds in only a few years and transforming the PS3 from a laughing stock to a must-own console. Xbox came out of the gate strong with the 360 and slowly squandered its early triumph over Sony as the generation went on. Xbox never recovered from losing the upper hand it had taken, and the unmitigated disaster of the XB1 reveal, lead up, and launch guaranteed they would never regain it.

I highly doubt Duke Nukem Forever affected the 360 as it was already a joke of a game across all platform.

I think what really started to kill the Xbox brand was MS shifting focus towards Kinect.

 

[Lord Malachite]

I highly doubt Duke Nukem Forever affected the 360 as it was already a joke of a game across all platform.

I think what really started to kill the Xbox brand was MS shifting focus towards Kinect.

It's not that DNF in and of itself was an all-important title, but it was a big release in a genre the 360 was known for. It was a lackluster title to start, and it ran the significantly worse on the biggest platform.

 

[DryvBy]

You'd think so but Sarah has publicly acknowledged twice now that next-gen is coming.

They also yearly say "current year is the biggest for Xbox ever".

 

[iHaunter]

After Xbox 360.

360 was a decent console. Fizzled out a bit towards the end. But overall, well balanced.

 

[Ozzie666]

MVG isn't wrong, really nothing people don't all ready know deep down inside. Game sales matter, always have and still do. Gamepass is some fluffy metric that means very little, especially with little growth on the service. There are probably alot of people would spend 50-70 on physical games instead of a gamepass sub. That's the truth.

Original Xbox and 360 were amazing consoles. They took the foot off the gas towards the end of 360 generation, they had Sony dead and just pulled back.

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

It started in the the last years of the, xbox360... the kinect shovelware storm followed by the Xbox one and then...you get my drift

 

[Radical_3d]

I highly doubt Duke Nukem Forever affected the 360 as it was already a joke of a game across all platform.

I was around at the time and the sales of Duke Nukem Forever didn't even affected Duke Nukem Forever.

 

[Clear]

I get that, but whose fault is that?

That's a really good question.

The key issue I guess is how could MS put themselves in such a position where constant growth is so pivotal despite them struggling somewhat in the marketplace since Mattrick's tenure?

Maybe its unfair, but I suspect it might be entirely on Phil Spencer's shoulders. If you look at the performance of the Xbox business under his tenure its never been particularly good financially. Yes, they've made some very big moves business-wise, and he's always had a good pitch as to why next year is always going to be Xbox's best year, but... Is it simply a case of him using expensive acquisitions to paper over the cracks and keep himself in the job?

Obvious example being the Minecraft acquisition. Its arguably Phil Spencer's career highpoint as it was a big buy ($2.5b) that seemingly has paid off by generating a lot of money for the unit year-in, year-out. Trouble is, a quick Google of its performance a decade on since it became a MS property shows its probably not in the black yet.

Could it be as simple as Phil's salesmanship creating a more positive outlook than was ever warranted? And only now after these recent massive purchases (and make no mistake buying Zenimax and ABK are unprecedented) are the MS brass taking a long, hard look at where they are likely to be in 10 years time.

 

[magnumpy]

MS surely moves to third party in a couple years. The Xbox has really struggled since the XB1 and now the internet is finally turning on Phil Spencer. Xbox is seen as the asshole corporate jerks again after like a decade of trying to rebuild goodwill from Mattrick. Even another console generation probably won't change anything.

Shareholders and Nadella will want results from the money spent on Activision.

for real! and what about the fate of Elder Scrolls? this might just be me, but IMO this was a great video game series and it would be a shame to see it go down with the ship

 

[T-0800]

No offense, but even this info came from a time where very difficult decisions at Xbox hadn't even been made yet. Heck, when PS5 HFR was announced, there were no plans to shut down a single studio.

The situation at Xbox is very fluid. Lots of these plans are out of date right now.

I just want Halo MCC on PS5.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Who's this guy?

He's a big OG Xbox and 360 fan (he has lots of cool videos on these systems on his YT channel). Plus he's a great game engine programmer who's credited for making the Carbon engine that's used in a bunch of classic game remasters lately. Here's a video which explains it better:



You should give his videos a watch as 90% of his content is A tier.