Microsoft has announced job cuts at Xbox Division

S SneakersSO One thing I want to ask about is the status of COD on Switch 2.

That 10-year deal with Nintendo was highly publicized when it was first signed, and it feels like MS are gonna need an increase in the COD TAM to try and grow it after the Game Pass gamble didn't work, so it's kinda odd that no announcement was made for it during the Xbox showcase.
 
S SneakersSO how does puting Steam on the next Xbox help Xbox? wouldn't that make them lose money since people would just buy from Steam instead? Do they really think PC players will transition to their PC-Console because of Steam?
I wanted to single this post out, simply because I have seen folks discuss this OEM, open-storefront Xbox console with some hopeful overtones, and while I think if you're into tech and utilize multiple storefronts, or even have been interested in streamlining the experience of getting a more PC-like device hooked up to your TV, then this is certainly going to be a device that may appeal to you, but I don't feel like anyone has really dived into the business realities of this device, both for the device itself and for the expectations that team Xbox is placing on this, and what it actually means for the Xbox platform. So if you will, please indulge my needlessly wordy ass.

So lets start with the expectation from Microsoft. From what I have gathered, I think if anyone thinks that Xbox or MS themselves expect this thing to 'take-off', allow me to dash that notion here and now. This is not a device intended to take off, even in the markets that MS has done well in historically (although they are far weaker in them now - NA/UK). Its going to be both expensive enough and supply constrained, enough so as to ensure the possibility of it 'taking-off' is never going to be met. Now, thats not by design, but its more reflective of how scaled back HW-related departments have become at Microsoft overall. Xbox was absolutely entering the XSS/X deluding themselves with the idea that they could make up ground in their previously dominant markets, but those voices who were 'fighting' in that way have both had change of hearts, and many of them have been outright silenced as new leadership ascended since the ABK close. Much like launching multiplayer focused titles or a battle royale, launching HW is harder now than its ever been, and even harder in a largely calcified market, but what really hinders MS here is that they basically handcuffed their capability to actually move HW.

Since before the X1 dropped, Microsoft has really scaled back their foreign offices who would be responsible not just for the actual operations of launching HW, but also creating regional relationships with retailers, local marketers, and ostencibly, consumers. Since 2013, launching HW has subsequently gotten increasingly expensive and operationally daunting. The expectations of whats necessary to do so have only climbed, thanks in part to how the mobile market expanded the reach of their devices in that 2012 -2023 time span. Sony and Nintendo spent much of the last 2 generations doing everything they could to broaden their foreign-market reach and penetration, and it rewarded them handsomely for it. Scaling back those operations has always been an easy target for Xbox given they were already underperforming in those regions, and as their budget keeps getting slashed going into the Gamepass Initiative in 2018, it makes sense to focus on where its easier for you to sell.

When we talk about MS getting their retailer margin eaten into if folks chose to use non-Xbox storefronts on this device, to MS, the calculation is simply to just get that per-consumer-dollar-average on the front-end of the transaction, when you buy the console, versus the lifecycle of the machine. So if its not being setup to take off really, then why even go down this route? The answer is the expansion of WindowsOS. Thats the real get here.

The XboxOS, and by extension Xbox as a SKU in general, has always been at odds with Windows as an Operating System. Xbox games aren't quite a WindowsOS app, and MS has done loads to bridge this gap over the decades, but no initiative has truly taken off. Part of this is because the Xbox marketshare itself is directly tied to XboxOS, whereas PC users kind of exist in this no-man's-land - the games have to run as Win32 executables but outside of that, its whatever storefront or SKU that floats your boat. SteamOS and the advent of PC-handheld devices changed all this though. Now, on the one hand, PC Handhelds are a tiny market. If you cut the Steam Deck out of it, it is basically between 500k or 1.5m by best estimates. Steam Deck is effectively the PC-handheld market. But Steam Deck, and more specifically SteamOS, is honestly positioned to basically steal from Microsoft this massive PC userbase that depends on an operating system to run their games. This SteamOS stuff is something I highlighted last year, but hearing about this as a potential threat has only increased in recent times internally.

So, why go this route then? Its a simple answer - its basically an effort to gradually kill off the XboxOS sku/line of releases. It'll be the first console from Xbox where you don't have to produce an XboxOS sku of a game in order to be available on that platform. Its not that the XboxOS line is a pain point or something, but having a SKU means folks have to support it to be viable, and if you're projecting that you're gonna gut things like your 3rd party GP budget, which wound up becoming a sort of slush fund for getting Xbox ports made, then you need to at some point face the music that said SKU is decreasingly unviable, and thats just simple truth at this point.

This is why MS is putting such an emphasis on boosting game performance on base Windows OS, both for non-desktop devices and for desktop usage, as well as making a Xbox UI/UX 'wrapper' for the HandHeld WindowsOS. Obviously, the question of 'what about my pre-existing Xbox library?', and thats certainly why they are driving so much effort into emulation and backwards compatibility and further strengthening those capabilities for the existing Xbox library while they also seek to make 'WindowsOS' the future of MS gaming.
 
S SneakersSO One thing I want to ask about is the status of COD on Switch 2.

That 10-year deal with Nintendo was highly publicized when it was first signed, and it feels like MS are gonna need an increase in the COD TAM to try and grow it after the Game Pass gamble didn't work, so it's kinda odd that no announcement was made for it during the Xbox showcase.
Its coming. Nintendo threw some wrenches into dev pipelines this year. No need to dive into it further than that.

But its coming.
 
I wanted to single this post out, simply because I have seen folks discuss this OEM, open-storefront Xbox console with some hopeful overtones, and while I think if you're into tech and utilize multiple storefronts, or even have been interested in streamlining the experience of getting a more PC-like device hooked up to your TV, then this is certainly going to be a device that may appeal to you, but I don't feel like anyone has really dived into the business realities of this device, both for the device itself and for the expectations that team Xbox is placing on this, and what it actually means for the Xbox platform. So if you will, please indulge my needlessly wordy ass.

So lets start with the expectation from Microsoft. From what I have gathered, I think if anyone thinks that Xbox or MS themselves expect this thing to 'take-off', allow me to dash that notion here and now. This is not a device intended to take off, even in the markets that MS has done well in historically (although they are far weaker in them now - NA/UK). Its going to be both expensive enough and supply constrained, enough so as to ensure the possibility of it 'taking-off' is never going to be met. Now, thats not by design, but its more reflective of how scaled back HW-related departments have become at Microsoft overall. Xbox was absolutely entering the XSS/X deluding themselves with the idea that they could make up ground in their previously dominant markets, but those voices who were 'fighting' in that way have both had change of hearts, and many of them have been outright silenced as new leadership ascended since the ABK close. Much like launching multiplayer focused titles or a battle royale, launching HW is harder now than its ever been, and even harder in a largely calcified market, but what really hinders MS here is that they basically handcuffed their capability to actually move HW.

Since before the X1 dropped, Microsoft has really scaled back their foreign offices who would be responsible not just for the actual operations of launching HW, but also creating regional relationships with retailers, local marketers, and ostencibly, consumers. Since 2013, launching HW has subsequently gotten increasingly expensive and operationally daunting. The expectations of whats necessary to do so have only climbed, thanks in part to how the mobile market expanded the reach of their devices in that 2012 -2023 time span. Sony and Nintendo spent much of the last 2 generations doing everything they could to broaden their foreign-market reach and penetration, and it rewarded them handsomely for it. Scaling back those operations has always been an easy target for Xbox given they were already underperforming in those regions, and as their budget keeps getting slashed going into the Gamepass Initiative in 2018, it makes sense to focus on where its easier for you to sell.

When we talk about MS getting their retailer margin eaten into if folks chose to use non-Xbox storefronts on this device, to MS, the calculation is simply to just get that per-consumer-dollar-average on the front-end of the transaction, when you buy the console, versus the lifecycle of the machine. So if its not being setup to take off really, then why even go down this route? The answer is the expansion of WindowsOS. Thats the real get here.

The XboxOS, and by extension Xbox as a SKU in general, has always been at odds with Windows as an Operating System. Xbox games aren't quite a WindowsOS app, and MS has done loads to bridge this gap over the decades, but no initiative has truly taken off. Part of this is because the Xbox marketshare itself is directly tied to XboxOS, whereas PC users kind of exist in this no-man's-land - the games have to run as Win32 executables but outside of that, its whatever storefront or SKU that floats your boat. SteamOS and the advent of PC-handheld devices changed all this though. Now, on the one hand, PC Handhelds are a tiny market. If you cut the Steam Deck out of it, it is basically between 500k or 1.5m by best estimates. Steam Deck is effectively the PC-handheld market. But Steam Deck, and more specifically SteamOS, is honestly positioned to basically steal from Microsoft this massive PC userbase that depends on an operating system to run their games. This SteamOS stuff is something I highlighted last year, but hearing about this as a potential threat has only increased in recent times internally.

So, why go this route then? Its a simple answer - its basically an effort to gradually kill off the XboxOS sku/line of releases. It'll be the first console from Xbox where you don't have to produce an XboxOS sku of a game in order to be available on that platform. Its not that the XboxOS line is a pain point or something, but having a SKU means folks have to support it to be viable, and if you're projecting that you're gonna gut things like your 3rd party GP budget, which wound up becoming a sort of slush fund for getting Xbox ports made, then you need to at some point face the music that said SKU is decreasingly unviable, and thats just simple truth at this point.

This is why MS is putting such an emphasis on boosting game performance on base Windows OS, both for non-desktop devices and for desktop usage, as well as making a Xbox UI/UX 'wrapper' for the HandHeld WindowsOS. Obviously, the question of 'what about my pre-existing Xbox library?', and thats certainly why they are driving so much effort into emulation and backwards compatibility and further strengthening those capabilities for the existing Xbox library while they also seek to make 'WindowsOS' the future of MS gaming.
No wonder PS is chilling, they can wait however long and whatever hardware Xbox has will be so specialized it wont be a threat to their marketshare.
 
Guys….Microsoft has lost Jez.

He'll be back to his shilling self in a few weeks. Maybe reaction to his ass being raked over the coals yesterday for being called out for being a shill.
 
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S SneakersSO
Are there still plans to bring Halo over to Playstation like Infinite or Master Chief Collection or will it be piecemeal like Gears is(apparently) only the first entry in the series.

I know it's maligned by many, but I played a ton of 1 thru Reach in my younger days and wouldn't mind replaying them again if they came over, similar to Gears 1.
 
S SneakersSO
Are there still plans to bring Halo over to Playstation like Infinite or Master Chief Collection or will it be piecemeal like Gears is(apparently) only the first entry in the series.

I know it's maligned by many, but I played a ton of 1 thru Reach in my younger days and wouldn't mind replaying them again if they came over, similar to Gears 1.

Given all the issues MCC has had (and still has) I would be shocked if Microsoft wants to go anywhere near it for a new platform.
 
Given all the issues MCC has had (and still has) I would be shocked if Microsoft wants to go anywhere near it for a new platform.

Forgive me, what are the issues? I know it had them in the beginning, but I thought it got updated?

I used to trick my Xbox into playing Halo 1 over XBConnect, if anybody remotely even remembers that.
 
This speaks a lot about the Western gaming industry: it's overbloated, expectations aren't being met, its getting too expensive to develop (esp those that reside in Cali), the US has fucked up employee protection (can fire any day any time without consequence) and Xbox is in a deep hole (I dunno, I think they were in a deep hole already since Xbox One).
 

Crazy!

I wanted to single this post out, simply because I have seen folks discuss this OEM, open-storefront Xbox console with some hopeful overtones, and while I think if you're into tech and utilize multiple storefronts, or even have been interested in streamlining the experience of getting a more PC-like device hooked up to your TV, then this is certainly going to be a device that may appeal to you, but I don't feel like anyone has really dived into the business realities of this device, both for the device itself and for the expectations that team Xbox is placing on this, and what it actually means for the Xbox platform. So if you will, please indulge my needlessly wordy ass.

So lets start with the expectation from Microsoft. From what I have gathered, I think if anyone thinks that Xbox or MS themselves expect this thing to 'take-off', allow me to dash that notion here and now. This is not a device intended to take off, even in the markets that MS has done well in historically (although they are far weaker in them now - NA/UK). Its going to be both expensive enough and supply constrained, enough so as to ensure the possibility of it 'taking-off' is never going to be met. Now, thats not by design, but its more reflective of how scaled back HW-related departments have become at Microsoft overall. Xbox was absolutely entering the XSS/X deluding themselves with the idea that they could make up ground in their previously dominant markets, but those voices who were 'fighting' in that way have both had change of hearts, and many of them have been outright silenced as new leadership ascended since the ABK close. Much like launching multiplayer focused titles or a battle royale, launching HW is harder now than its ever been, and even harder in a largely calcified market, but what really hinders MS here is that they basically handcuffed their capability to actually move HW.

Since before the X1 dropped, Microsoft has really scaled back their foreign offices who would be responsible not just for the actual operations of launching HW, but also creating regional relationships with retailers, local marketers, and ostencibly, consumers. Since 2013, launching HW has subsequently gotten increasingly expensive and operationally daunting. The expectations of whats necessary to do so have only climbed, thanks in part to how the mobile market expanded the reach of their devices in that 2012 -2023 time span. Sony and Nintendo spent much of the last 2 generations doing everything they could to broaden their foreign-market reach and penetration, and it rewarded them handsomely for it. Scaling back those operations has always been an easy target for Xbox given they were already underperforming in those regions, and as their budget keeps getting slashed going into the Gamepass Initiative in 2018, it makes sense to focus on where its easier for you to sell.

When we talk about MS getting their retailer margin eaten into if folks chose to use non-Xbox storefronts on this device, to MS, the calculation is simply to just get that per-consumer-dollar-average on the front-end of the transaction, when you buy the console, versus the lifecycle of the machine. So if its not being setup to take off really, then why even go down this route? The answer is the expansion of WindowsOS. Thats the real get here.

The XboxOS, and by extension Xbox as a SKU in general, has always been at odds with Windows as an Operating System. Xbox games aren't quite a WindowsOS app, and MS has done loads to bridge this gap over the decades, but no initiative has truly taken off. Part of this is because the Xbox marketshare itself is directly tied to XboxOS, whereas PC users kind of exist in this no-man's-land - the games have to run as Win32 executables but outside of that, its whatever storefront or SKU that floats your boat. SteamOS and the advent of PC-handheld devices changed all this though. Now, on the one hand, PC Handhelds are a tiny market. If you cut the Steam Deck out of it, it is basically between 500k or 1.5m by best estimates. Steam Deck is effectively the PC-handheld market. But Steam Deck, and more specifically SteamOS, is honestly positioned to basically steal from Microsoft this massive PC userbase that depends on an operating system to run their games. This SteamOS stuff is something I highlighted last year, but hearing about this as a potential threat has only increased in recent times internally.

So, why go this route then? Its a simple answer - its basically an effort to gradually kill off the XboxOS sku/line of releases. It'll be the first console from Xbox where you don't have to produce an XboxOS sku of a game in order to be available on that platform. Its not that the XboxOS line is a pain point or something, but having a SKU means folks have to support it to be viable, and if you're projecting that you're gonna gut things like your 3rd party GP budget, which wound up becoming a sort of slush fund for getting Xbox ports made, then you need to at some point face the music that said SKU is decreasingly unviable, and thats just simple truth at this point.

This is why MS is putting such an emphasis on boosting game performance on base Windows OS, both for non-desktop devices and for desktop usage, as well as making a Xbox UI/UX 'wrapper' for the HandHeld WindowsOS. Obviously, the question of 'what about my pre-existing Xbox library?', and thats certainly why they are driving so much effort into emulation and backwards compatibility and further strengthening those capabilities for the existing Xbox library while they also seek to make 'WindowsOS' the future of MS gaming.

This deserves and award or GAF Gold or something. 🥇
No wonder PS is chilling, they can wait however long and whatever hardware Xbox has will be so specialized it wont be a threat to their marketshare.

This is what I think too.
 
... This is why MS is putting such an emphasis on boosting game performance on base Windows OS, both for non-desktop devices and for desktop usage, as well as making a Xbox UI/UX 'wrapper' for the HandHeld WindowsOS. Obviously, the question of 'what about my pre-existing Xbox library?', and thats certainly why they are driving so much effort into emulation and backwards compatibility and further strengthening those capabilities for the existing Xbox library while they also seek to make 'WindowsOS' the future of MS gaming.
So, this PC-Hybrid will actually run the Windows OS under the hood. My big question is: is it actually the open Windows OS complete with Desktop, or is it a locked down Windows OS giving you all the bloat and none of the benefits?
 
S SneakersSO
Are there still plans to bring Halo over to Playstation like Infinite or Master Chief Collection or will it be piecemeal like Gears is(apparently) only the first entry in the series.

I know it's maligned by many, but I played a ton of 1 thru Reach in my younger days and wouldn't mind replaying them again if they came over, similar to Gears 1.
Yup - Halos are coming over.
 
I don't really like that analogy here, simply cause a cooked boiled frog is dead, and as long as enough users are subscribing to a GP-tier, they'll never shut that stream off, no matter how expensive MS jacks up the price (this is inbound...) or how few titles they are releasing into it.

With the other price increases they've done recently, this comes as no surprise. All that remains to be seen is how high the price will go and for how little content. Thanks for sharing your info. and opinions. The added perspective greatly helps in seeing the full picture of what's going on.
 
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Every podcaster praising xbox and gamepass and then being shocked this happened just shows how truly out of their depth they are to provide commentary on the hobby. Not only that, never elaborating on which gamepass tier they are referring to. Even the excitement about all of their acquisitions as if they were doing it to compete verse intentionally or unintentionally crashing the market.

Now we are hearing how positive people are about xbox branded devices. I just dont get why anyone wants them to succeed at this point.

Influencers and everything surrounding xbox just smells of bullshit, constantly. Intentionally misleading their fans and at such a velocity. Id love for someone to actually peel the curtain back on just how far that rabbit hole goes.
 
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Turn 10 essentially done, a few went over and will now support Horizon titles.

0883ecbe1a63f7f109aa85ebde368458.png
 
S SneakersSO - bro, if you can respond. One thing I couldn't understand.

How did Ninja Theory (Hellblade 2), Compulsion Games (South of Midnight), and Undead Labs (State of Decay 3) survived this round, while the "fucking incredible" Zenimax game and Perfect Dark, and Turn 10 Studios got hit.

Hellblade 2 and South of Midnight were absolute megaflops. And State of Decay 3 is nowhere to be found.

Any thoughts?
 
Turn 10 essentially done, a few went over and will now support Horizon titles.

0883ecbe1a63f7f109aa85ebde368458.png

If this is true, I'm going to become the next person on this forum who starts saving his posts and bringing them back up long after so I can make out with myself in front of everyone. I guessed this was going to happen. That Turn 10 would just become a support team for Playground. Though it doesn't sound like they're being literally rolled into Playground's structure. So I may only have been partially correct. Still...

woman-kissing-the-mirror.jpg
 
Some words from our Uncle Phil

Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today's notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.

I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we're seeing currently is based on tough decisions we've made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate effort on areas with the greatest potential, while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come.

Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental—it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams.

HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review.



lmao he made it sounded like some achievement

this guy need to learn from Naoki Yoshida of how to do a corporate apology. atleast even if it fake upfront, it doesnt sounds irresponsible.
 
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Replacing blue/purple haired people who want to work at home with A.I. sounds like a good fix to me. You just aren't ready for it yet. MS is always pushing us into the future. First with an online only console(it's coming), and now with A.I. making all of our games. Pioneers, I swear. :P
its not that kind 'future' they are pushing. but the future where they are first so can dominate the industry.
 
its not that kind 'future' they are pushing. but the future where they are first so can dominate the industry.

Don't worry(or do), I think everyone will be doing the same. These layoffs will continue across the industry, unfortunately for the people it will affect.
 
So, this PC-Hybrid will actually run the Windows OS under the hood. My big question is: is it actually the open Windows OS complete with Desktop, or is it a locked down Windows OS giving you all the bloat and none of the benefits?

I accept apologies via postcard by the way.
 
Welp, Forza Motorsport is dead. Knew it was coming. Tech support only now going forward.

End of a legacy and end of an era.

I think we all knew it was coming as soon as the multiplatform strategy began to unfold. There's just no place in a multiplatform market for Forza Motorsport but Forza Horizon has established itself as the premier arcade racer that others have tried to emulate.

RIP The Crew.
 
S SneakersSO - bro, if you can respond. One thing I couldn't understand.

How did Ninja Theory (Hellblade 2), Compulsion Games (South of Midnight), and Undead Labs (State of Decay 3) survived this round, while the "fucking incredible" Zenimax game and Perfect Dark, and Turn 10 Studios got hit.

Hellblade 2 and South of Midnight were absolute megaflops. And State of Decay 3 is nowhere to be found.

Any thoughts?
They are porting those games to PS5, its going to be Tango all over again. Compulsion is 100% dead, Ninja Theory maybe can buy their independence thanks to the motion capture studio they have. Undead Labs idk, but after the inevitable SoD3 flop, its going to end aswell. In my opinion of course.
 
I accept apologies via postcard by the way.
Building emulators into Windows to run Xbox games violates Microsoft's agreements - hence my question. A stripped down OS with a translation layer is the most likely outcome as its the only one that I'm aware of that doesn't involve the lawyers,
 
They are porting those games to PS5, its going to be Tango all over again. Compulsion is 100% dead, Ninja Theory maybe can buy their independence thanks to the motion capture studio they have. Undead Labs idk, but after the inevitable SoD3 flop, its going to end aswell. In my opinion of course.
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking as well. But would be nice if S SneakersSO can share his thoughts and essentially confirm what we're thinking (or not).
 
Everything in the legal system and testimonials has to be the truth at that time. If "at that time" they had no plan to lay people off, then they didn't lie or do anything wrong.

Honestly, the FTC messed up by going for a "block the entire merger" approach instead of permitting it with stipulations like not laying off x amount of employees. The U.S. government could've done a much better job at overseeing this merger but they did a horrible job at it.
That feels like a very big loophole that you could sail a supertanker through!
 
Building emulators into Windows to run Xbox games violates Microsoft's agreements - hence my question. A stripped down OS with a translation layer is the most likely outcome as its the only one that I'm aware of that doesn't involve the lawyers,
Sounds like an emulator to meeee ;).
 
Building emulators into Windows to run Xbox games violates Microsoft's agreements - hence my question. A stripped down OS with a translation layer is the most likely outcome as its the only one that I'm aware of that doesn't involve the lawyers,
I believe that's what the AMD partnership is for, building a chip based transition layer to get around the lawsuits. It will still use emulation software as well so it does sound very grey.

But I gather they have run it past their lawyers.
 
I believe that's what the AMD partnership is for, building a chip based transition layer to get around the lawsuits. It will still use emulation software as well so it does sound very grey.

But I gather they have run it past their lawyers.
That's what my theory is as well.

They are working on both fronts:
  • Hardware (via their HW team x AMD collaboration) to make a chip-based transition layer, and
  • Software (the Sarah Bond game preservation team) to work on the emulation software
While that may happen, I doubt there will be an Xbox store (especially if the OEM rumors are true).

My guess is that all Xbox-exclusive games will be ported to PC (and that's what Sarah Bond's new team is working on), and Xbox users who previously purchased a game on Xbox will be given the license of the PC version of that game (via Microsoft Store), as Steam would never accept such a proposal.

Then it would be an open Windows-type OS, where folks are free to install Microsoft Store, Steam, or Epic. Much like Asus Rog Ally X.
Funnily enough, I used the Asus Rog Ally X example last year, and they ended up with an "Xbox-wrappered" Asus Rog Ally. lol
 
Anyone else curious as to the relative numbers of Xbox division vs MS overall. Back of the napkin math based around the 'statement' less than half were Xbox and taking into account the size of the division vs company it seems something like 17.5% (assuming 3.5k to Xbox, picked a number closer to a 1/3 to be conservative) vs 4% overall. Definitely not business as usual for Xbox after that deep a cut. Getting close to 1 in 5 people gone. Of course maybe less than half means a lot less, but I don't know why they wouldn't say less than a third, or a quarter etc. The named cuts to date don't come close to reaching those numbers, so I'd expect way more to come out over the next days/weeks as Sneakers alluded recently I think.
 
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Hold on S SneakersSO , didn't you claim that the next Xboxes wouldn't support Steam due to how much work would be required to implement the features?
He said this in regards to the Xbox handheld

Its not an impossibility, but its really about 'what are the goals of this thing'. If you're Microsoft, the main reason you have on creating such a handheld would be to give users remote/handheld access to the Xbox ecosystem, but the Xbox ecosystem has 2 fronts - PC and console. The PC front is the Xbox/Microsoft Gaming store on Desktop windows, and the console front is the Xbox hardware itself. Steam is a 3rd, separate ecosystem. What muddies this is that Steam, although with more team the two will increasingly diverge, but Steam relies on Windows for the lionshare of its userbase. As mentioned, that is changing with the growth and maturation of SteamOS, and how SteamOS and the Steam eco is being further offered through new entry points, Steam Decks and other PC handhelds chief among them.

What makes this difficult is that, if MS were to make a handheld, the OS on it either has to dual-boot the Xbox console OS to allow you access to the Xbox eco, and give you a wrapper for Desktop Windows OS, which allows you to easily install Steam, and thus gives you access to the Steam library. This is how Asus Rog Ally currently allows you to install Steam via a version of Windows OS that gets installed on the machine. To every license holder on Earth, the Steam version of a title, the Windows Store version of a title (the one used for PC Game Pass titles), and the Xbox version of a title are 3 separate SKUs.

Say Microsoft were to offer you a handheld device that is a version of Desktop Windows, allowing you to install team, and it perfectly runs win32 executables, which would allow you to run your entire Steam library and access the Steam store, while *also* allowing you to access your entire Xbox library and let you run them natively on said device. In order for that last part, the native running, you would need some sort of emulation layer, which again - not impossible to do, especially if you're Microsoft. The emulation solutions they've come up with that enables Backwards Compatibility are solid. The problem becomes navigate the legal complications such a product would inevitably create. And considering that, even with such a product they'll likely be competing unfavorably against the Steam Deck line itself, why would Steam or other license holders caught in the middle of this not want to get paid?
 
Microsoft just shot themselfs in the foot.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about Corporate culture (I'm a cp2077 corpo expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in indie dev studios where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw someone over in a corporation, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.
What this means is the american public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase Microsoft products for either system, nor will they purchase any of Xbox's games. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Microsoft has alienated an entire market with this move.
Microsoft, publicly apologize and cancel layoffs for XBOX or you can kiss your business goodbye.
39536d900633784940cacb4b83f508f2.gif
 
"In the wake of Microsoft's latest round of layoffs and studio closures, which brings the number of affected into the thousands since early 2024, you would think that those remaining--and particularly those remaining in charge at the company--would be treading lightly in the days to come.

Not Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing! Matt--who has been continuously employed at Microsoft since 2011--has looked at everything that has happened this week, particularly the bit where Xbox laid off a bunch of people at the same time Microsoft pledged to invest $80 billion in AI, and decided that not only does he need to give advice to those laid off, but that the advice should come in the form of...AI prompts, which will somehow give responses that will "help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss"."

https://aftermath.site/xbox-microsoft-layoffs-ai-prompt-chatgpt-matt
 
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