Windom Earle
Banned
Ultimately Magnus sounds like a very unappealing product without actual demand in the market for it. I don't see a universe where it would be successful.
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You are Asha Sharma. How do you save Xbox?
- Thread starter Windom Earle
- Start date
PontificationEngine
Member
I had a long response typed out and then I just realized it's really too late. Their old franchise don't generate the level of excitement needed and their new franchises don't either. Starfield was supposed to be their killer app and it didn't move the needle at all. Even if they stopped first day releases on GamePass, stopped releasing on PlayStation and stopped releasing duds it still wouldn't change anything. I don't see a way forward but what they are already doing honestly
OmegaSupreme
advanced basic bitch
Lmao. It would take an act of God to save this dead ass brand.
Edgelord79
Gold Member
I think Xbox has shrunk from relevance in the console market so much, that it's not worth saving in the traditional sense. Instead, she will double down on removing exclusivity and double down on gamepass as a vehicle to drive games across platforms. In other words, more of the same but accelerated. I also think increased money will go to the technology of streaming games to increase the attractiveness of gamepass as a service.
In other words, it's going to get worse for us and better for them.
In other words, it's going to get worse for us and better for them.
FalconPunch
Member
By resigning. She's clearly not the right person for the job.
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lachesis
Member
In her email, she said "return of xbox" as the first header. It is meaningful because it means she herself and MS recognize the Xbox is not well.
So I was intrigued and slightly optimistic to read next paragraphs of how she will turn Xbox franchise.... and turns out, it's no different from Phil Spencer's strategy.
I will still give her benefit of doubt, but honestly I don't see anything would change. Unless Nadela steps in and do 180 on his stance on whole Xbox strategy, which is very much unlikely I am afraid.
So I was intrigued and slightly optimistic to read next paragraphs of how she will turn Xbox franchise.... and turns out, it's no different from Phil Spencer's strategy.
I will still give her benefit of doubt, but honestly I don't see anything would change. Unless Nadela steps in and do 180 on his stance on whole Xbox strategy, which is very much unlikely I am afraid.
In this respect, I believe the right time to evaluate the product will be when its features and proposition are clear and we have a solid understanding and point of reference.
It's different if it's presented as a simple Windows PC with an Xbox badge, unoptimized games, etc., VS an Xbox with a great desing ; with access to the largest possible catalog ; the ability to play in the best possible conditions without paying for online services; BC with your Xbox catalog; a price-to-value ratio superior to the equivalent PC on the market (and PS6), and games with special optimization and genuine, specific features for a console experience....
Therefore, Magnus is a low-risk product for both Microsoft and the user, and the potential hardcore market and the Xbox fan market are big enough for the potential product's returns to be healthy as well.
At the same time, it can be a channel to improve the brand image. As I said, being a leader in product technology opens many doors in that sense and helps you stay relevant in the conversation.
As I mentioned before, a mere 10% of the market, comprised entirely of hardcore users, generates very significant revenue and opens doors. Next, you have other ways to attract users from other types of devices (handhelds, xCloud, PCwin, etc.) to the Xbox ecosystem. Add to that the revenue from game sales on other platforms.
80% of success always lies in execution... specifically where Microsoft/Xbox always manages to ruin a good idea or a good product.
bighugeguns
Member
This is the way, drain Microsofts entire war chest by making 428 Concords.
NormalGamer
Member
If I'm her? AI, live service, cloud, staff reduction.
Black_Stride
do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
You want the woman of Indian descent who has a boss of Indian descent to abandon DEIA?
AmuroChan
Member
Let's just use some common sense. Phil never wanted to switch to the multiplat strategy. He wanted to win the console war and spend Sony out of business. The pivot was obviously Satya's call. So the idea that Asha will be able to come in and just return things back to the way Phil had wanted in the first place, is pure nonsense. Phil was never on board with this new strategy and was probably eventually forced into early "retirement". Asha was almost certainly picked because she's on the same page as Satya. It would make no sense for Satya to pick someone who's going to be combative and not be aligned with the strategic mandate that he's set.
Jaybe
Member
What we want as gamers to happen will not be her focus. They will push more into AI, cloud, and subs. They will cut studios down to the largest franchises with strong sustained engagement numbers. I think Double Fine, Compulsion, Ninja Theory, and Obsidian are closed. Those large remaining studios will be forced Guinea pigs made to move their workflows to AI to the breaking point. Somehow over time, they start calling games AI entertainment agents to help boost MSFT AI use numbers. Then gaming as we used to know it is moved out of 'devices' and under 'AI' in the financial books.
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nkarafo
Member
I can't prove it, and i don't want to imply an Indian woman can't have the credentials for such position but seeing how Microsoft is doing things lately, something tells me she is there because of DEI.
skyfinch
Member
Make more people aware of Series S. Sleek, powerful and affordable. It's this generation of the 32X.
Repair relations with Costco. Offer a free month of gamepass with theirbexecutive membership.
Give fans what they want and buy Square Enix and port Forspoken to Xbox.
Finally, release an HD remaster of Halo Infinite. Fans have been requesting this for decades.
As a diehard Xbox fan, and the voice of all Xbox fans, these are what we want. This will bring Xbox back to its glory days. That fool, Phil, didn't know what the shit he was talking about. I do.
Repair relations with Costco. Offer a free month of gamepass with theirbexecutive membership.
Give fans what they want and buy Square Enix and port Forspoken to Xbox.
Finally, release an HD remaster of Halo Infinite. Fans have been requesting this for decades.
As a diehard Xbox fan, and the voice of all Xbox fans, these are what we want. This will bring Xbox back to its glory days. That fool, Phil, didn't know what the shit he was talking about. I do.
riko
Member
Indian's hiring Indian's is the opposite of DEI... They want people who speak the same yesman bullshit they do.
AeonGaidenRaiden
Member
Make an OF account and wear xbox branded underwear.
The Halo brand is now a free agent, every studio big or small under the MS umbrella can now pitch and develop Halo games of all genres (even FPS), I would likely do the same with Gears.
"Halo Studios"(343) is dissolved and the developers are free to rebrand and start their own IP or transition to work elsewhere.
Scale back gamepass, advertise it for what it's truly useful for: a blockbuster replacement. try before you buy......shorter terms on games and make it visible to players how long they have to play the game. reduce the price to 20 dollars a month.
Focus on properly advertising the Series X for the pretty impressive hardware it is, expand on quick resume and make it more versatile to the point that users can navigate around its flaws and get the most out of it.
Bring back some fun legacy features to the console, People would go nuts for the snap feature, and a functional "blades" or OG Xbox UI
admit Series S parity was a mistake, and say that it will still be attempted to get every game onto it, but it will no longer affect development or release dates for games on the Series X
Immediately state that there will be a focus on franchises lost to time, things like fusion frenzy, brute force, kung fu chaos, Mechassault etc. (I'm not fully up to speed on which of these MS still owns but they are for sure sitting on some gold)
"Halo Studios"(343) is dissolved and the developers are free to rebrand and start their own IP or transition to work elsewhere.
Scale back gamepass, advertise it for what it's truly useful for: a blockbuster replacement. try before you buy......shorter terms on games and make it visible to players how long they have to play the game. reduce the price to 20 dollars a month.
Focus on properly advertising the Series X for the pretty impressive hardware it is, expand on quick resume and make it more versatile to the point that users can navigate around its flaws and get the most out of it.
Bring back some fun legacy features to the console, People would go nuts for the snap feature, and a functional "blades" or OG Xbox UI
admit Series S parity was a mistake, and say that it will still be attempted to get every game onto it, but it will no longer affect development or release dates for games on the Series X
Immediately state that there will be a focus on franchises lost to time, things like fusion frenzy, brute force, kung fu chaos, Mechassault etc. (I'm not fully up to speed on which of these MS still owns but they are for sure sitting on some gold)
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riko
Member
Indian media is already playing the victim lol
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
'Indian nepotism, no gaming background': Internet slams Microsoft for hiring Asha Sharma as CEO of Xbox - The Times of India
US News: A leadership shake-up at Microsoft’s gaming arm sparked online backlash, with gamers accusing the company of “Indian nepotism” after it named AI execu.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
ChuckeRearmed
Member
Purge the western developer studios, get rid of DEI as starters. Sack some of the management for starters.
Windom Earle
Banned
Reminder: Point of this thread is not to guess her actions but what you would do in her stead.
Laptop1991
Member
Make great games that will sell, but from what i understand, she isn't a gamer, so i don't think her appointment will be a good one personally.
Putonahappyface
Member
Bring back physical media.
VulcanRaven
Member
Contact Marvel and make Ultimate Spider-Man backwards compatible and available digitally. They own Activision so it shouldn't be hard. Also explore the possibility of doing the same with the movie games.
TrebleShot
Member
Keep it simple.
Listen to your audience.
They want halo and they want a good halo.
Forza track game with proper career.
Make an old school mil arcade cod
Make a sequel to doom eternal but go back to doom gameplay.
Rehire the high on life team and make a sequel
Make a Kemeo sequel
Keep the hybrid Xbox console plan that's the only way your going to compete.
Listen to your audience.
They want halo and they want a good halo.
Forza track game with proper career.
Make an old school mil arcade cod
Make a sequel to doom eternal but go back to doom gameplay.
Rehire the high on life team and make a sequel
Make a Kemeo sequel
Keep the hybrid Xbox console plan that's the only way your going to compete.
PeteBull
Member
That was back then end of 2021, now its early 2026, so 4,5 years later.
Think of xbox gaming division as a nazi germany after D-Day so mid/late 1944, they are suffering heavy losses on all possible fronts, barely any decent soldiers(devteams) left, all their generals(CEO's are either proven to be frauds or doubleagents, new ones with 0 experience too) and worst of the worst- completely lost any kind of trust and mindshare, not even V2 rocket called magnus gonna help here.
kruis
Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Why not build a time machine as well, because we're now living in 2026, not 2006.
hououinkyouma00
Member
I'll try to be at least a little realistic with my answer.
- Less emphasis on Game Pass. Don't get rid of it but make it something that is more akin to what modern PS+ is.
- No Day 1 releases for first party games
- Less modern/big titles. I say this purely from a perspective that these titles cost ALOT of money. I'm not saying get rid of them all though as I think you still need some big titles.
- The above point would help to not make Game Pass so expensive as well.
- First party titles are timed exclusives. Like I said below I don't think you can walk back so far that everything is exclusive but make 1st party titles exclusive for like 6 months or something to the Windows store (yikes).
- On that front make the fucking Windows store more usable. Fuck that store sucks but it would have to be used on a hybrid machine as the primary store.
- Less titles on competing hardware. Maybe live service titles still go to PlayStation or something like that.
- Make online play free. Basically what Sony did with the PS3. Online play is free and Game Pass is this optional add on for people that want the games.
- This would have the added benefit of putting pressure on PlayStation to do the same.
- Subsidize your next gen hardware. If you want to fight a real fight you need to be on par with Sony or below. Microsoft has the money to do this.
- I don't think the Series S/X idea was terrible but the Series S just wasn't enough (needed more ram and a little more GPU power IMO). However instead of having the flagship and a cheaper model make the "main model" the cheaper one to compete with Sony and have a more "Premium" and called it Elite or whatever. I guess it would be more like Xbox One+Xbox One X or PS4/5+PS4/5 Pro but make it an option day 1. It's PC hardware.
- It sounds like this is already a thing but make sure it's a "Hybrid" device aka a living room focused PC with backwards compatibility with all Xbox Series titles (including all the BC titles).
- Don't make it too hard to install third party stores like Steam/Epic but also don't make it TOO easy because you can get "casuals" to just use your own store versus everybody just buying everything on Steam.
- No more proprietary SSD bullshit. Make it an easily accessible m.2 akin to PS5. Hell, PlayStation has had user accessible expansion for 20 years since the OG PS3.
- Cater to some nostalgia.
- I love OPs idea of Blades but make it a skin for the OS. Also bring back the OG Xbox OS as a skin. Included with these skins would be unique boot up sounds.
- Make first party OG Xbox and Xbox 360 controllers. I know Hyperkin makes them but they are all wired. These could be wireless with all the features of the new controllers.
- Bring back stuff like the old Achievement sounds alongside the skins.
- Speaking of controllers. Make Sebile a thing as we haven't seen anything since the original leak. Sebile would bring the Xbox controller up to par with the DualSense feature wise and direct to cloud sounds a lot like the Stadia controller which as far as I'm aware had really good latency.
- New Xbox Elite Series 3 available day 1. All you gotta do is take the Series 2 and combine it with Sebile.
- I hate cloud gaming for the most part but it's not going anywhere. Get more Xcloud servers (Xcloud is currently so far behind PS+ and GFN for me that it's unusable and the difference is huge. I'm assuming it's just because I don't have a close server but I could be wrong).
I'm just going to put my replies edited into your post since it's easier and cleaner than copying it all.
The lack of exclusives is what killed Xbox. Xbox could have rebounded from the original Xbox One announcement bullshit but Xbox Play Anywhere killed a lot of reason for people to buy or support Xbox hardware all the way back in 2016. I'm sure it sounded like a great idea at the time but they started it at a time was PC gaming was starting to pick up more steam and become more mainstream.
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nkarafo
Member
The brand deserves to collapse only for this.
kiphalfton
Member
If I were to guess she's going to do nothing, and ride the golden parachute to an early retirement.
sncvsrtoip
Member
1) release all major titles day 1 on pc and playstation 2) do pc call it a console with price over 1k 3) pay twitter shills to turn themselves into memes and drive hype
Melon Husk
Member
It's a shit showarma - this stinks of scapegoat interim leader, fix the problem or die trying.
Signalis
Member
Microsoft and PlayStation has been doing that for quite some time all ready.
gamerEMdoc
Member
If the goal is to save the console (which I question if thats even their goal at this point), the only way to do that IMO is stop releasing exclusives day one on gamepass. That is killing game sales. And they need to keep exclusives... exclusive... so people have a reason to own an xbox. So I think the reasonable thing to do is:
1. End gamepass as you know it in terms of new games launching on the service. Simplify it to one tier that is a large catalogue of older games (similar to ps plus or gamepass premium) . All exclusives do end up there, but not until 1 year after release. 99/yr or 10/mo vs 129/yr or 15/mo depending on how robust you want to make the older library (ea play, ubisoft, etc). Get both subscription money AND game sales, instead of just one.
2. For non-COD exclusives, all are exclusive to the console (and PC) for one year. Then they go on the gamepass catelog after a year, and go to PS to get some sales there after a year (like Sony does with PC).
To me that creates a similar console experience to Sony. You have the catelog of older games subscription for those that want that. But you aren't canabalizing game sales by putting new games there. And your exclusives become your console seller because they aren't going right to PS in a few months. Why I think this could work in terms of just mirroring Sony is that unlike Sony, I think Microsoft is now winning the exclusives war, and I never thought I'd ever say that in my life. Sony misstepped so bad with this endless GAAS debacle and their first party output this generation is just horrible. I'm not saying microsofts has been outstanding, but its been better than Sony. So if that continues, I'd lean into the exclusives as a system seller.
1. End gamepass as you know it in terms of new games launching on the service. Simplify it to one tier that is a large catalogue of older games (similar to ps plus or gamepass premium) . All exclusives do end up there, but not until 1 year after release. 99/yr or 10/mo vs 129/yr or 15/mo depending on how robust you want to make the older library (ea play, ubisoft, etc). Get both subscription money AND game sales, instead of just one.
2. For non-COD exclusives, all are exclusive to the console (and PC) for one year. Then they go on the gamepass catelog after a year, and go to PS to get some sales there after a year (like Sony does with PC).
To me that creates a similar console experience to Sony. You have the catelog of older games subscription for those that want that. But you aren't canabalizing game sales by putting new games there. And your exclusives become your console seller because they aren't going right to PS in a few months. Why I think this could work in terms of just mirroring Sony is that unlike Sony, I think Microsoft is now winning the exclusives war, and I never thought I'd ever say that in my life. Sony misstepped so bad with this endless GAAS debacle and their first party output this generation is just horrible. I'm not saying microsofts has been outstanding, but its been better than Sony. So if that continues, I'd lean into the exclusives as a system seller.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Her job isn't to "save" the current form of Xbox
It's to turn Xbox into a money printing machine like the rest of Microsoft
It's to turn Xbox into a money printing machine like the rest of Microsoft
Spirit Icana
Member
If I were Asha Sharma, I'm thinking rebrand. Kill the Xbox name. Out with the old. In with the new.
Where are the business opportunities? What are the problems that Microsoft is capable of solving? We've got prices going up and up and up. Think outside the box, and ignore the noise people are going to make. We need to find a vision we can believe in, can answer tough questions, and can solve problems. The objective is to study people's behaviors and lead a trend. Right now, Nintendo is boxed in. They got carts that rely on NAND technology, a new machine not adopted by a mass market yet, new software they gotta sell on it, and everything is priced above the mass market. It's a core gamers machine right now, with strong brand loyalty carrying it past the Steam Deck. Steam has barely any presence with a casual audience. It's largely a gamers hub for PC owners. PlayStation 5, and the 5 Pro will likely stagnate hard if prices go up, but disc sales, digital sales, and software will continue to carry it. They got an event release coming the end of this year with GTA VI. PlayStation's core business will continue on. Nintendo's core business will likely be hurt from economic conditions, and they will stay fixed on strengthening their brands with films, merchandise, and theme parks, while probably green lighting some more Switch 1 games to sell to the big install base they already have on it.
Considering the lay out of the land, and the direct competitions current status, I think first, Microsoft needs to get's its software division together. We got no games and no brand loyalty. The generation that grew up with Halo is older now, and have become disenchanted with the IP. We got MineCraft. That's a big one. But is the appeal with the IP, or is there more to that style of play we can expand on. Those kids are growing up now, how can we continue to capture their imaginations as their tastes grow for a stronger dopamine hit. Should Minecraft grow up, or should a new IP take its place? Start brainstorming. This generation is growing up adapted to downloads and mods. They know these things and will teach their kids in the future. Minecraft is big in Asia, not just the West. The appeal is universal. Let's figure this out, as it's our ticket to creating a loyal fanbase. This is our market!
For the grey beards, we gotta get Halo back up and going. Master Chief's not doing well, but I think the diehards still love him, and the right idea can bring the IP back. Let's start over at Campaign Evolved. TV show is not canon, we forget about it. Master Chief was for the boys, and is still in the hearts of those men that once dreamed of leading squads, blasting friends, and proving their worth like the chief. Time's have changed, and men always have memories of things being better than they actually were. How can we match the current output with those romanticized memories? To the boardroom!
For the hardware business, there is absolutely problems we can see everywhere. People are worried about how affordable this hobby is going to be. How are new people suppose to jump into this environment where hardware is too expensive for parents, or people with tight finances. Gotta decide if we're gonna sit it out and let Sony and Nintendo figure that out, or we get very serious and figure out how to tackle these problems and not simply chase a diminishing audience demanding the best of the best. Vast majority of gamers on Steam do not game with the best specs. I'm looking around, and I don't see a real portable machine in the market --one that I can put in my dag on pocket. I think there's demand here, and I've got IP I think people would love to play on such a device with the focus on gaming software, and the flexibility of mobility. Is there anything I can do here? What innovative technologies can best augment with an audience's lifestyle, be fun, engaging, and open new possibilities? I saw Pokemon GO do wonders with AR technology, and then.... nothing. Is that it? Did the dream die there? Or is there something more we can explore with that tech? That game is still doing good business, and the technology works well in bringing people together, share, and have a good time. We're having an AR meeting. Everyone be throwing away billions on VR, but we got a proven case with AR. Let's talk. No one else is doing anymore with it, maybe we can get in front of this. Any ideas?
And ya, there's but a tiny sniff. To the real Asha Sharma, good luck! Find a strong vision that can work on various fronts (conception, development, product, audience), and stick to it. Social media will scream no matter what you do. Find the vision, release the product, study the results. There are a lot of success stories, and failures, out there to draw inspiration from. Look at them, and find the new Microsoft answer.
Where are the business opportunities? What are the problems that Microsoft is capable of solving? We've got prices going up and up and up. Think outside the box, and ignore the noise people are going to make. We need to find a vision we can believe in, can answer tough questions, and can solve problems. The objective is to study people's behaviors and lead a trend. Right now, Nintendo is boxed in. They got carts that rely on NAND technology, a new machine not adopted by a mass market yet, new software they gotta sell on it, and everything is priced above the mass market. It's a core gamers machine right now, with strong brand loyalty carrying it past the Steam Deck. Steam has barely any presence with a casual audience. It's largely a gamers hub for PC owners. PlayStation 5, and the 5 Pro will likely stagnate hard if prices go up, but disc sales, digital sales, and software will continue to carry it. They got an event release coming the end of this year with GTA VI. PlayStation's core business will continue on. Nintendo's core business will likely be hurt from economic conditions, and they will stay fixed on strengthening their brands with films, merchandise, and theme parks, while probably green lighting some more Switch 1 games to sell to the big install base they already have on it.
Considering the lay out of the land, and the direct competitions current status, I think first, Microsoft needs to get's its software division together. We got no games and no brand loyalty. The generation that grew up with Halo is older now, and have become disenchanted with the IP. We got MineCraft. That's a big one. But is the appeal with the IP, or is there more to that style of play we can expand on. Those kids are growing up now, how can we continue to capture their imaginations as their tastes grow for a stronger dopamine hit. Should Minecraft grow up, or should a new IP take its place? Start brainstorming. This generation is growing up adapted to downloads and mods. They know these things and will teach their kids in the future. Minecraft is big in Asia, not just the West. The appeal is universal. Let's figure this out, as it's our ticket to creating a loyal fanbase. This is our market!
For the grey beards, we gotta get Halo back up and going. Master Chief's not doing well, but I think the diehards still love him, and the right idea can bring the IP back. Let's start over at Campaign Evolved. TV show is not canon, we forget about it. Master Chief was for the boys, and is still in the hearts of those men that once dreamed of leading squads, blasting friends, and proving their worth like the chief. Time's have changed, and men always have memories of things being better than they actually were. How can we match the current output with those romanticized memories? To the boardroom!
For the hardware business, there is absolutely problems we can see everywhere. People are worried about how affordable this hobby is going to be. How are new people suppose to jump into this environment where hardware is too expensive for parents, or people with tight finances. Gotta decide if we're gonna sit it out and let Sony and Nintendo figure that out, or we get very serious and figure out how to tackle these problems and not simply chase a diminishing audience demanding the best of the best. Vast majority of gamers on Steam do not game with the best specs. I'm looking around, and I don't see a real portable machine in the market --one that I can put in my dag on pocket. I think there's demand here, and I've got IP I think people would love to play on such a device with the focus on gaming software, and the flexibility of mobility. Is there anything I can do here? What innovative technologies can best augment with an audience's lifestyle, be fun, engaging, and open new possibilities? I saw Pokemon GO do wonders with AR technology, and then.... nothing. Is that it? Did the dream die there? Or is there something more we can explore with that tech? That game is still doing good business, and the technology works well in bringing people together, share, and have a good time. We're having an AR meeting. Everyone be throwing away billions on VR, but we got a proven case with AR. Let's talk. No one else is doing anymore with it, maybe we can get in front of this. Any ideas?
And ya, there's but a tiny sniff. To the real Asha Sharma, good luck! Find a strong vision that can work on various fronts (conception, development, product, audience), and stick to it. Social media will scream no matter what you do. Find the vision, release the product, study the results. There are a lot of success stories, and failures, out there to draw inspiration from. Look at them, and find the new Microsoft answer.
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Physiognomonics
Member
I retire.
Richard 92
Neo Member
️
semiconscious
Member
i buy a bunch of these for everyone who works there:
justiceiro
Marlboro: Other M
Make it impossible to buy games.
Everything is game pass now.
If you subscribe for 6 months of game pass, you get a Xbox controller to connect to your tv/cellphone and play on the cloud.
If you subscribe for 2 years, you get a series s.
If you subscribe for 3 years, you get a series x.
Make all games exclusive to game pass on the Microsoft platform, even removing Minecraft from switch and cod from playstation.
Everything is game pass now.
If you subscribe for 6 months of game pass, you get a Xbox controller to connect to your tv/cellphone and play on the cloud.
If you subscribe for 2 years, you get a series s.
If you subscribe for 3 years, you get a series x.
Make all games exclusive to game pass on the Microsoft platform, even removing Minecraft from switch and cod from playstation.