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[Poppinfresh]

still in disbelief that ms bought so many studios and effectively did nothing with them

Gotta Catch 'em all.

The real problem was that MS purchased all of these studios and then didn't manage them properly, or seemingly at all, given the number of games that were announced and then cancelled years later. It's like they bought the studios and then just let them fuck around.

There were probably more internal discussions about the pronouns that characters would use in the games than about actual gameplay and development.

 

[mayham2199]

still in disbelief that ms bought so many studios and effectively did nothing with them

I disagree here. They did plenty with it. They had a ton of games come out this year because of all the studios they purchased. It's just to late and the massive amount of money it's costing just to keep all this running is hurting them.

 

[DeepEnigma]

still in disbelief that ms bought so many studios and effectively did nothing with them

Remember all the hopes and dreams (shill PR) that they were going to bring back long dormant IPs from their deaths and shower Game Pass with them along with those IP classic games?

 

[Karim]

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Remember all the hopes and dreams (shill PR) that they were going to bring back long dormant IPs from their deaths and shower Game Pass with them along with those IP classic games?

Remember when Phil wore a Hexen shirt and people thought they'd get a new entry or a proper remake? Good times.

 

[MacReady13]

I will forever be perplexed at why Microsoft decided to switch strategies from what they had on the 360 (pre Kinect) to what we have gotten after that, right up to today. They have just completely dropped the ball these last 2 generations that it actually isn't funny, it's quite sad.

They gave up the Xbox live arcade games. The fucked up with the DRM issue and messaging at the start of the Xbone reveal. The complete balls up with not keeping games exclusive to their consoles. The fact they thought they could win by giving people launch day games on gamepass meaning no one would buy the games is baffling. The list just goes on and on.

 

[jm89]

Xbox killed Timdog

He does this all the time after a major crash out. I'm just laughing cause a few weeks ago he was somewhat happy and cheery about Xbox. Didn't last long.

 

[wolffy66]

Sega fans who latched onto Xbox after Dreamcast died...

That was like 30 years ago lol. Barely any of them even game anymore

 

[Matchew]

I disagree here. They did plenty with it. They had a ton of games come out this year because of all the studios they purchased. It's just to late and the massive amount of money it's costing just to keep all this running is hurting them.

I agree. I would say some of those studios underdelivered and are getting what they deserve. Compulsion and Ninja Theory both had plenty of time but still delivered subpar games.

 

[Days like these...]

It's tik tok not tic tac

 

[Sethbacca]

I will forever be perplexed at why Microsoft decided to switch strategies from what they had on the 360 (pre Kinect) to what we have gotten after that, right up to today. They have just completely dropped the ball these last 2 generations that it actually isn't funny, it's quite sad.

The entire Xbox strategy from the beginning was about capturing the living room even before they dropped the ball with the One. When they realized they weren't going to take over the living room they moved toward a subscription service.

 

[Humdinger]

still in disbelief that ms bought so many studios and effectively did nothing with them

It's not true that they "did nothing with them," though. They fired thousands of people, cancelled games, and closed several studios. So that's something.

 

[Brucey]

I will forever be perplexed at why Microsoft decided to switch strategies from what they had on the 360 (pre Kinect) to what we have gotten after that, right up to today. They have just completely dropped the ball these last 2 generations that it actually isn't funny, it's quite sad.

They gave up the Xbox live arcade games. The fucked up with the DRM issue and messaging at the start of the Xbone reveal. The complete balls up with not keeping games exclusive to their consoles. The fact they thought they could win by giving people launch day games on gamepass meaning no one would buy the games is baffling. The list just goes on and on.

When Kinect took off with the casuals and causes a mid generation sales bump for the 360, the Microsoft bean counters took notice. A bunch of idiots like Yusef Mehdi started thinking about "billions of consoles".

But the core gamer, the one that bought in on og xbox and 360 despite rrod, they were forgotten. Sure there's plenty of platitudes to them but it was the casual that Microsoft was after. How to get them into a recurring subscription.

Announcing all series games were coming to PC day and date was just final nail in hardware coffin.

 

[TheMan]

This whole situation makes me sad. I still remember how happy I was to get an Xbox with halo that first Christmas and my friends were jealous lol. Here we are a couple decades later and they have completely shit the bed. Spending so much money to buy studios with nothing to show for it and letting their once mighty IPs fall to the wayside.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Xbox is the destination for gaming, playing games has never been easier.

 

[Insanemaelstrom]

Gotta Catch 'em all.

The real problem was that MS purchased all of these studios and then didn't manage them properly, or seemingly at all, given the number of games that were announced and then cancelled years later. It's like they bought the studios and then just let them fuck around.

There were probably more internal discussions about the pronouns that characters would use in the games than about actual gameplay and development.

Personally I never could understand how they were planning on managing all those studios. Every single publisher has indicated how herculean a task it is to manage game studios.

When Xbox couldn't properly manage the handful of studios they had till 2016, I honestly have no clue how they were planning on managing 3 to 4 times the amount of studios.

Proper management would have gone a long way for Xbox. I fear every studio they own is eventually going to go the way turn10 went unless there are some big changes in xbox's management.

 

[Roger Rabbit]

You're blaming who? Phil?

 

[Hydroxy]

Phil has done a lot worse for the Xbox brand than Don...but no one is ready to talk about it.

Gamepass + Activision deal alone were much worse than "Kinect everywhere + always online". The thing is one was felt much quicker (Don's mistakes) while Phil's mistakes have taken quite a bit to be felt.

Even with all the mistakes, Xbox One still sold quite a lot on its main markets. But teaching your audience that buying games wasn't needed, and then buying Activision for 70b made sure MS wouldn't just give Phil the long leash anymore, which he had before.

It's so weird to see "good guy Phil" PR that happened for years is still felt nowadays.

Let's not pretend that gaf also didn't like Phil. A poll from just 3 years back.

 

[KiteGr]

Welp...!

 

[RAIDEN1]

The best thing they did this generation was the support for B.C catalogue, something you could only dream of getting on a level like that with a Nintendo and Sony machine, so I appreciated the fact that you could play the likes of Burnout revenge, Panzer Dragoon Orta etc...on today's consoles...

 

[RetroGamingUK]

The best thing they did this generation was the support for B.C catalogue, something you could only dream of getting on a level like that with a Nintendo and Sony machine, so I appreciated the fact that you could play the likes of Burnout revenge, Panzer Dragoon Orta etc...on today's consoles...

Wasn't the BC program wrapped up before Series launched?

 

[Ronin_7]

Seriously?

 

[RAIDEN1]

Wasn't the BC program wrapped up before Series launched?

Not 100% sure, but I think it was introduced in the early years of the Series consoles...well they continued to add to it I think for a while

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Not 100% sure, but I think it was introduced in the early years of the Series consoles...well they continued to add to it I think for a while

It started in 2015 and ended in 2021.

 

[Loboxxx]

 

[RAIDEN1]

It started in 2015 and ended in 2021.

And the series x released in 2020?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

And the series x released in 2020?

Correct, so it didn't start during the early years of the Series and ended after only a year of Series being on the market.

Thanks for proving my point.

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

Who will Satya Nadella believe more, the AI that runs Microsoft that tells him to shut down Xbox because its not worth it or Phil Spencer who keeps saying "trust me, bro" to him?

Xbox should have stopped gobbling up studios once they got Bethesda. They should've consolodated everything onto Xbox and PC and never release any IP they owned on PS5 again. That would've gotten them so much further than swollowing and choking on ABK.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Correct, so it didn't start during the early years of the Series and ended after only a year of Series being on the market.

Thanks for proving my point.

Even so, I appreciate the titles we did get, and it is a shame more wasn't added to it....

 

[P:axMagellanic]

Peter Moore was an anomaly. nothing good ever comes out of Microsoft.