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[vaibhavpisal]

I think they'll put out a streaming stick for 100 dollars which includes a controller and that will largely be their strategy going forward. Not to compete directly with Sony over AAA titles anymore, but to really focus entirely on the cloud space and try and sell as many dongles as possible.

You plug it into your tv's hdmi port, it has an ethernet port and built in wifi, and wireless for low latency controller. Maybe bluetooth maybe not. You log in, you either create an account for GamePass/xCloud or you log into an existing account.

Instant access to games.

Cloud only future will undermine gaming PCs and Windows. Will shift user base to mobiles/ tablets, exactly what Google and Apple want.

Despite owning infrastructure, this seems to be primary reason why xcloud is not best streaming service out there.

 

[Ozriel]

He absolutely did say this. It won't drastically shift the market share.

People renting Starfield for a month or two on gamepass isn't going to drastically shift their financials. Even high sales on Steam will have very little impact on their bottom line.

Starfield isn't going to generate a billion dollars in revenue. Hell, it won't generate 500 million.

He said an 11/10 Starfield wouldn’t make people sell their PlayStations.

A top tier Starfield would absolutely generate 500 million in revenue. Most people aren’t going to get Gamepass for ‘one or two months’ to play the game.

I think the issue is you have no idea how significant an 11/10 Bethesda RPG would be to the market. That’s basically a supercharged Skyrim, and we know how well that game did.


But why are you so committed to derailing this thread anyway?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Cloud only future will undermine gaming PCs and Windows. Will shift user base to mobiles/ tablets, exactly what Google and Apple want.

Despite owning infrastructure, this seems to be primary reason why xcloud is not best streaming service out there.

Microsoft is going to go to war with Google and Apple in the mobile space. They were just waiting for the end of epic v apple and this abk deal. Wait for it.

Cloud-only future is going to start in the home though not on mobile.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

He said an 11/10 Starfield wouldn’t make people sell their PlayStations.

A top tier Starfield would absolutely generate 500 million in revenue. Most people aren’t going to get Gamepass for ‘one or two months’ to play the game.

I think the issue is you have no idea how significant an 11/10 Bethesda RPG would be to the market. That’s basically a supercharged Skyrim, and we know how well that game did.


But why are you so committed to derailing this thread anyway?

I think you don't realize that Skyrim sold about 30 million copies across multiple platforms including PlayStation over two generations and wasn't available for free on a subscription service.

Starfield at its best is going to have like 15-20 million players during this generation, and half of those are going to be gamepass subscribers.

 

[Ozriel]

I think you don't realize that Skyrim sold about 30 million copies across multiple platforms including PlayStation over two generations and wasn't available for free on a subscription service.

Starfield at its best is going to have like 15-20 million players during this generation, and half of those are going to be gamepass subscribers.

Skyrim sold 30 million in 5 years, and that stat was from 2016. It’s sold much more than that, and an increasing number comes from PC sales.

An excellent Starfield will easily do Elden Ring type numbers on PC…probably better since it’ll be more accessible. And with Gamepass, you can easily expect player count to surpass those figures.

Saying a GOTY tier Starfield will only sell 7.5 million copies at retail is quite the pessimistic forecast

Of course, the hard work would be for MS and Bethesda to make that caliber of game…

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Skyrim sold 30 million in 5 years, and that stat was from 2016. It’s sold much more than that, and an increasing number comes from PC sales.

An excellent Starfield will easily do Elden Ring type numbers on PC…probably better since it’ll be more accessible. And with Gamepass, you can easily expect player count to surpass those figures.

Saying a GOTY tier Starfield will only sell 7.5 million copies at retail is quite the pessimistic forecast

Of course, the hard work would be for MS and Bethesda to make that caliber of game…

If Elden Ring was on GamePass it probably would have cost them 5-10 million copies.

Please find me an updated number that says Skyrim sold significantly more after the last updated number.

It was on
PC
Xbox 360
Xbox One
PS3
PS4
Switch

The idea that Starfield is going to match it in short order with less install base on Xbox AND GamePass cannibalizing sales on both Xbox and PC is staggering.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

What actually makes me mad is the dishonesty of Xbox fanboys.

If after a year Starfield hasn't sold 25+ million copies they'll say, of course, it didn't, it's on GamePass.

They both deny and rely on the fact that GamePass cannibalizes B2P sales.

No matter what happens until the day Microsoft actually pulls the plug on Xbox consoles, these guys will just say it's fine, it's fine.

 

[supernova8]

So here's what I would do:

Hardware
My main gripes with Xbox this generation are:
(1) the name sucks
(2) low-powered SKU splitting development resources.
(3) the console(s) is/are visually too boring

Naming
I would go with Xbox Titan
My concept for this generation of Xbox would revolve around a single, powerful console (hence the name Titan), complemented by a bundled (but totally optional) cloud streaming device called Xbox Beacon.

Basically, you'd have the Xbox Titan as a single SKU but every box would include the Xbox Beacon, which would basically be a dongle (a-la Amazon Fire Stick) that:

1) allows people to play their Xbox Fusion in different rooms easily without having to move their console between rooms (e.g. you might play something on the TV in your bedroom later at night).

2) guarantee compatibility with any older TV that has a HDMI port (and a USB port for power, or a mains connection otherwise) since having an app is preferable but you cannot always guarantee that a given TV allows downloading of apps or that the user in question even knows how to navigate the app store on their TV (or is even logged into their Google account etc. to be able to download said app). Having this dongle basically makes the whole affair idiot-proof.

3) lets people who travel a lot just take their Xbox controller and Xbox Beacon, plug it in at their hotel and have instant access to their account.

Beacon would also serve as a conduit for Xbox cloud gaming, which I would simply call xCloud.

Appearance
As much as people shit on the PS5 for being gigantic, it still has a memorable shape. You can immediately tell it's a PS5 for better or for worse. With Xbox Series X, it feels like Microsoft is trying to hide it and is ashamed to show it off. I think that's a bad move. I would personally go for something closer to the 360 than Xbox One.

Pricing
I would make it an absolute priority that Xbox Titan costs noticeably less than PS5. I'm talking $399 if the PS5 launches for $499. Undercutting PS5 by $100 would be all over the gaming media and would be a huge talking point on GAF and REEE (the place that shall not be named lol).

The value proposition would be "hey we're way cheaper than PS5 and you can play wherever you want without having to move your console around".

Initial reveal of the console itself, along with launch titles and games coming later on
My priority for the reveal would be to make sure the messaging is laser-focused on how Xbox Titan:
(1) is truly a Titan and represents a major leap from Xbox One.
(2) will enable some amazing experiences simply not possible on the previous generation.
(3) will be back-compatible with Xbox One games but that
(4) First party Xbox Titan games will be next-gen exclusive from launch to ensure we are really pushing the envelope in terms of visuals, game mechanics, and other features like AI.

My launch lineup (all Titan exclusives) would be:
(1) a Halo Origins game

(here's a plot conjured up by ChatGPT lol

Halo: Beginning takes place in the early days of the Human-Covenant War. You play as a young UNSC soldier who is part of a squad tasked with securing a remote human colony on the edge of the galaxy. However, when the Covenant suddenly attack the colony, you and your squad are forced to fight for your lives.

As you battle against the Covenant, you discover that they are not the mindless alien monsters that you had been led to believe. Rather, they are a highly organized and intelligent species with their own reasons for waging war against humanity.

As you delve deeper into the conflict, you uncover a conspiracy within the UNSC that has been hiding the true nature of the Covenant and their motives. You and your squad must fight not only against the Covenant, but also against corrupt UNSC officials who seek to use the war for their own gain.

Throughout the game, you'll encounter iconic characters from the Halo universe, such as Sergeant Johnson and the AI Cortana, and witness key events that set the stage for the rest of the Halo series. The game will culminate in a dramatic final battle that will test your skills as a soldier and your understanding of the war between humans and the Covenant.

The game would be built from the ground-up to take full advantage of the Xbox Titan. It would look amazing and represent a real reason to jump into the next generation. I'd also make sure to prioritize depth and proper content over being open world for the sake of being open world.

(2) Forza Motorsport 8
I would throw all racing game-related resources at this to create something spectacular. Something to make Polyphony think twice about releasing a game that is essentially an uprezzed version of Gran Turismo Sport (it's true, get over it, even the steering wheel hands are identical).

FM8 would have a solid online component but it would also look at what made Gran Turismo 3 and 4 so successful and build upon that in terms of a fully offline career/single player mode (because hey Polyphony doesn't seem interested in doing that).

(3) Breach
This would be a new IP developed in-house that takes what made the SOCOM games (on PS2) great (namely voice commands, squad-based tactical shooter, intelligent AI) and turns it up to 11. The game would be a mix between Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six Vegas, and the SOCOM games.

Breach would feature realistic enemy AI, accurate voice commands, and gorgeous visuals. Players would conduct missions in all climates and locales. The opening mission would see you up a terrorist group that has taken hostages inside a shopping mall. You would control not only your own team of four special forces soldiers, but also communicate with an AI controlled bravo team to allow you to outflank enemy positions, create diversions, and other tactics (a-la Full Spectrum Warrior).

(4) Resident Evil 1 remake
This would be a joint project between Xbox and Capcom, and hopefully both the start of a happy relationship and a signal to other Japanese game companies that Xbox is able, willing, and eager to work together with them. Xbox would be generous in terms of funding and resources to make sure that Capcom is able to create the best modern version of the title. Xbox would stipulate that the game is a console exclusive for at least 12 months (and would pay Capcom accordingly).

I'm thinking a remake a-la how Capcom remade RE2, so not just a remaster. It would be a totally new game. The difference is it would be targeting only the Xbox Titan (and eventually PS5 when exclusivity runs out) and would look amazing. It would set a new standard for horror game visuals, and would include more advanced physics in terms of deformation (a bit like what we see in Dead Island 2). I truly believe we could've had that sort of stuff around launch if teams were focused on it.

(5) F.E.A.R.: First Encounter
This would be another origins-type game set before the first title. The game would feature more intense psychological horror elements than the original title, as well as a wide range of jump scares. The game would, of course, feature gorgeous visuals and would provide an insight into where Alma came from and how the FEAR team was setup. The woooooorld premiere for FEAR would include a brief explanation by the Monolith Team, and Xbox would also pay Hideo Kojima to act a consultant on the psychological horror elements of the game. This would be another part of Xbox's strategy to gradually build relationships with Japanese developers and studios. It would be a way of saying "Mr Kojima we know you're great at what you do and we'd love you to give even a small helping hand on the FEAR project. Maybe in the near future we can work together more directly wink wink".

-----

Beyond this, at the reveal event I would offer a sneak peak at other titles (not just CGI or title screens) including:

(1) Fable 4
I would move heaven and earth to get Peter Molyneux back on board. This would be the moment Molyneux gets to realize all the aspirations he had for player agency and the ability to change the game world around you. Look at what he and his team did with the original Fable games, don't tell me they couldn't come up with something amazing on Xbox Titan.

(2) Vanquish 2
Vanquish was pretty universally praised as an awesome fast-paced third person shooter. I think this could be revived with Xbox funding and serve as Titan's answer to something like Returnal.

(3) Gears of War
This would be pretty barebones, but would essentially serve as a faint hint of what's to come visually at Xbox.

-----
the end

I suppose we can argue about whether some of the games are realistic or not (and whether Capcom would really enter into an exclusivity deal with Xbox), but I think this is along the lines of what was needed. There needs to be a concerted effort at Microsoft to ensure that the Xbox brand is synonymous with "games games games", including the revival of some semi-cult classics.

 

[Captain Toad]

Make and release as good of games as possible, as consistently as possible.

 

[Ozriel]

If Elden Ring was on GamePass it probably would have cost them 5-10 million copies.

On console? sure.
On PC? Not likely. And in the case of Starfield that’s a mod-heavy Bethesda game, most will buy it on Steam.

Please find me an updated number that says Skyrim sold significantly more after the last updated number.

It was on
PC
Xbox 360
Xbox One
PS3
PS4
Switch

The fact that you’re adding Switch to this list is hilarious. The Switch was released 2017. Todd’s 30 million announcement came in 2016.

Todd’s gone on record to say it sold far more than 30 million units. Not exactly rocket science to imagine it would have sold a substantial amount in the past 6 years post release.

The idea that Starfield is going to match it in short order with less install base on Xbox AND GamePass cannibalizing sales on both Xbox and PC is staggering.

When did anyone say it would match that in short order on console?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

On console? sure.
On PC? Not likely. And in the case of Starfield that’s a mod-heavy Bethesda game, most will buy it on Steam.



The fact that you’re adding Switch to this list is hilarious. The Switch was released 2017. Todd’s 30 million announcement came in 2016.

Todd’s gone on record to say it sold far more than 30 million units. Not exactly rocket science to imagine it would have sold a substantial amount in the past 6 years post release.



When did anyone say it would match that in short order on console?

When someone says "far above" but won't give a number... do you know what my response to that is?

You basically said it would perform as well as Elden Ring if the reviews were there. Elden Ring performed this in short order.

My point is Skyrim has been on every console for two generations in order to get to that 30+ million number. Starfield is going to be on XSX/S and PC and we already know people don't buy games enough on XSX/S. Cutting out PS5 you're going to lose at least 20% of potential sales.

So if a game COULD have sold 30 million across all 3 primary platforms, you're looking at -6 million (and that's being conservative) with it not being on PS5. Really you're probably looking at 10-12 million in lost copies (for a 30 million seller). Almost half of Elden Ring's sales were on PS4/PS5.

 

[Daneel Elijah]

On PC? Not likely. And in the case of Starfield that’s a mod-heavy Bethesda game, most will buy it on Steam.

My point is Skyrim has been on every console for two generations in order to get to that 30+ million number. Starfield is going to be on XSX/S and PC and we already know people don't buy games enough on XSX/S. Cutting out PS5 you're going to lose at least 20% of potential sales.

I found it funny that you are both discussing Starfield potential sales when both of you are getting it right. Starfield have a ceiling of maximum possible sales lower than Skyrim, as it will go in only one console, will be played with Gamepass a lot and will be hard to play( and so buy) on weak PCs. But we are 10 years after Skyrim. The gaming market has expanded and games like GTA5, Fortnite... proves that a good game can explode. Elden Ring would have never be that high in previous generations too. So a perfect Starfield could be a good surprise with world class marketing from Bethesda and Microsoft. And get a lot of sales. The problem is that by being limited to Xbox, we are talking about what, 20 millions of consoles? Let's say 25. How many of those will buy instead of using Gamepass? This leaves PC. If the game is good, I can see them having a great success here. But as I said earlier, Starfield is a Xbox Series X exclusive. The system requirement will be relatively high. It will limit sales. So I am more of Mibu no ookami opinion. Starfield should not do better than Skyrim. But it could do it. No reason to dismiss this game potential. Of course this is if the game is not delayed again, do not launch broken like Fallout 76 for some reason, do not see the hype disappear for another game like Spider-man 2...

 

[Unknown?]

I'd spend years hyping up the latest game show and telling my fans that we have the best lineup in Xbox history every year as well to set the stage for the next generation.

Then I'd get myself a raise and live off the fat of the land.

 

[kyussman]

I think the damage had been done by the launch of Xbone.They should have pushed on from the early success of Xbox 360 and built out their first party studios......instead they followed Nintendo and went all in on motion controls.

 

[Sorcerer]

What is there left for Xbox? Sure, they can move into the cloud space. But what's to stop Nintendo and Sony upping their game in that area and trouncing Xbox again. Xbox has nowhere to run. By the time they get all these studios together and up and running in an efficient and functional way it's going to be way too late. Please Phil just tells us this gen is lost, and you'll see us in the next. LOL!!! Microsoft has money to keep this thing going regardless of failure but it's a failure regardless, just a well funded failure.

Also Phil's statement that Playstation owners won't leave Sony for Starfield is ridiculous. Even if Starfield was touched by the hand of God why would that make you sell your Playstation? Who thinks that way? You play the game and go back to your Playstation. Duh!!!. It's not going to make Sony Players turn into an Xbox army under Phil Spencer.

 

[UnravelKatharsis]

Well, first thing I'm doing is coming up with a name that's much more unique. Making the same mistake Nintendo made going from Wii to Wii U certainly didn't help things with the casual consumer.

 

[LordCBH]

I’d dump the stupid “all first party games day 1 on Gamepass” thing. Smaller titles sure. But stuff like Halo or Forza? Nah. Y’all buying those. They’ll go on GP later.

I’d also actually have quality demands on my first party studios. Shit like Redfall would’ve gotten the axe. I also wouldn’t have stealth launched HiFi Rush. I’d have given it the spotlight before it came out, cause it’s awesome.

 

[Sorcerer]

I’d dump the stupid “all first party games day 1 on Gamepass” thing. Smaller titles sure. But stuff like Halo or Forza? Nah. Y’all buying those. They’ll go on GP later.

I’d also actually have quality demands on my first party studios. Shit like Redfall would’ve gotten the axe. I also wouldn’t have stealth launched HiFi Rush. I’d have given it the spotlight before it came out, cause it’s awesome.

Gamepass should cost 5-7 bucks a month and just be a showcase for smaller titles and indies. Something there for those who dig that sorta thing. Kinda sucks that you don't get dlc with first party games. I get that's why 3rd party publishers put their games on gamepass to entice you to buy the dlc if you like the game, and I have no problem with that. But as far as first party games gamepass seems pointless if you have to pony up for a game you do not own. Stop giving me all these useless perks (that basically add up to free trials for streaming services I can get anywhere else at any time without Gamepass) It's totally disingenuous to offer that as perk. I never redeem this stuff. Give me the dlc included instead. LOL!!!

 

[TexMex]

I would personally rethink the whole atmosphere around next-gen Xbox. I'm not sure it's only about "releasing more games".

My series X isn’t lacking atmosphere it’s lacking games. You can put something as vague as “atmosphere” about 5 or 6 down on the to do list.

 

[supernova8]

My series X isn’t lacking atmosphere it’s lacking games. You can put something as vague as “atmosphere” about 5 or 6 down on the to do list.

Fair comment I'll take that on the chin lol

 

[Celcius]

They compelling exclusive games on Xbox hardware. That's it.

 

[brettski2024]

I thought and was hoping this was about the 80s Atari game..

 

[iQuasarLV]

The studios I buy are going to learn what is means to be held to a schedule. 100% hands on and micro manage to hell. NO excuses

 

[THE DUCK]

What actually makes me mad is the dishonesty of Xbox fanboys.

If after a year Starfield hasn't sold 25+ million copies they'll say, of course, it didn't, it's on GamePass.

They both deny and rely on the fact that GamePass cannibalizes B2P sales.

No matter what happens until the day Microsoft actually pulls the plug on Xbox consoles, these guys will just say it's fine, it's fine.

What a dillusional post. The fact is gamepass does eat away at traditional sales and ms knows that and is fine with it in exchange for steady revenue.
People like you will run around saying a game failed as a result, xbox fans say "here's why" and you call it spin? What bs.

Also, enjoy your time waiting for ms to discontinue xbox, your going to be waiting a very long time.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

What a dillusional post. The fact is gamepass does eat away at traditional sales and ms knows that and is fine with it in exchange for steady revenue.
People like you will run around saying a game failed as a result, xbox fans say "here's why" and you call it spin? What bs.

Also, enjoy your time waiting for ms to discontinue xbox, your going to be waiting a very long time.

It's the lack of consistency in argument here.

You might say that GamePass does eat away at B2P, but others will say it doesn't, hell you yourself might come back at a later date and say it doesn't.

What you need to acknowledge next is that GamePass cultivates a culture of not buying games and that if half the Xbox userbase refuses to buy games and won't play games that aren't on GamePass, that eventually, this will impact whether studios support Xbox or not.

Microsoft is loss leading with GamePass and while they're "fine" with it today, doesn't mean they'll be fine with it tomorrow. Steady revenue is the goal of any subscription service, but a lack of profitability is a real problem, which is why even the most success streaming services based around MAUs are cutting back drastically right now to achieve better profitability.

Almost all streaming services are in the red and have way more MAU than GamePass.

Not saying Xbox will be discontinued, but this model of theirs will not last.

Day 1 PC pushes people to PC, meaning you lose out on royalty sales. GamePass on PC is even more dicey than Xbox, since you can cancel anytime and don't have the same incentive to continue year round, since many of the games you'll want to play won't be on GamePass like FF16.

Day 1 PC and GamePass are basically Microsoft saying, don't buy an Xbox and don't buy games.

Within the next 5 years, Microsoft will shift in strategy on this.

 

[Pelta88]

Find great talent. Invest in great talent. Build great games. Publish great games.

 

[Alan Wake]

In hindsight I kind of wonder if the Series X/Series S split was a good idea after all. At first it seemed like a genius move, but right now it seems the demand for Series S is just not there. And it is causing developers some headaches.

The Xbox Series X is a great console, though (apart from the atrocious name but that's what we expect from Microsoft now), Game Pass is an amazing service but not without its problems. It's obvious Game Pass cannibalizes on sales for the games released there.

My biggest concern is how Microsoft handles all their acquired studios. Something's wrong here, and I can't tell if it's a culture thing, if they're too loose on how they manage their studios or what. But it is a problem that studio after studio seems to run into trouble when developing games as part of Xbox Game Studios.

It's easy to say I would go back in time and make sure there is a steady flow of games for Xbox from launch day until now. But that's basically what's missing.

 

[X-Wing]

Roll down and surrender. Oh wait that’s what they did…

 

[StueyDuck]

The games have never been the problem. It's always been those in charge and those in charge placing others to be in charge of things they clearly shouldn't have been.

They smash forza and forza horizon everytime they release. It shows that the leadership at turn 10 and playground is pretty autonomous and is well maintained.

There's a world where gears 4/5 and halo Mcc 4/5/infinite release and are absolutely incredible. Where remedy isn't fumbled and quantum break set the world on fire. In that world MS wouldn't need to just buy publishers to take games from other platforms.

It all comes down to leadership

 

[Sacred]

My plans would be as follows:

- Take fan polls of their most wanted games, reboots, ect.
- Engage with the studios and work through the logistics of the list and find out who would like to work on said titles.
- Give these studios a bigger budget and pull in extras from other studios to assist in hitting deadlines after project start date.

- Integrate and partner with Steam on exclusive titles, assist with monetary needs to make new titles that fans want.

- Be more transparent and up front on development updates (monthly or bi-monthly).

- Engage more with the fanbase by developing in game tournaments and achievement races for prizes.

- Make sure to match any prices that Sony throws out for games like FF16, FF7 remake, and other timed exclusives to ensure parity.

- Finally, get the Xbox community excited for more Asian inspired titles and give them a centerpiece at the developer updates.

 

[Sacred]

It's the lack of consistency in argument here.

You might say that GamePass does eat away at B2P, but others will say it doesn't, hell you yourself might come back at a later date and say it doesn't.

What you need to acknowledge next is that GamePass cultivates a culture of not buying games and that if half the Xbox userbase refuses to buy games and won't play games that aren't on GamePass, that eventually, this will impact whether studios support Xbox or not.

Microsoft is loss leading with GamePass and while they're "fine" with it today, doesn't mean they'll be fine with it tomorrow. Steady revenue is the goal of any subscription service, but a lack of profitability is a real problem, which is why even the most success streaming services based around MAUs are cutting back drastically right now to achieve better profitability.

Almost all streaming services are in the red and have way more MAU than GamePass.

Not saying Xbox will be discontinued, but this model of theirs will not last.

Day 1 PC pushes people to PC, meaning you lose out on royalty sales. GamePass on PC is even more dicey than Xbox, since you can cancel anytime and don't have the same incentive to continue year round, since many of the games you'll want to play won't be on GamePass like FF16.

Day 1 PC and GamePass are basically Microsoft saying, don't buy an Xbox and don't buy games.

Within the next 5 years, Microsoft will shift in strategy on this.

I completely disagree with this, 30 million subscribers at $15 a month allows them to cover dev costs and still make a profit, it gives the devs consistent revenue to work on their next title without that revenue fading out. Then there is the fact with MS working with other publishers Steam, Epic, ect.. they still hit the top 10 with new releases despite GP being the main platform.

 

[IDKFA]

First step, make the console the most powerful console ever made.

It'd have a 3090 GPU or equivalent, 32GB of RAM, 6TB SSD, and a custom 16-core CPU. It would also have a rad liquid cooling system (something bleeding edge, like a mercury cooling system)

There would be no series S. Just this beast of a Series X, that I'd retail for £399. The console would also come with a three months of Gamepass.

How so cheap? Easy. The console comes with no disc drive. It's pure digital, but you also can't buy digital games. The whole console would be a Gamepass box, where you can download or stream games, but you must have access to Gamepass. For BC, you need to sign up to Gamepass to access your X1 digital library, or buy a disc dirve expansion to play old disc games for £199.

Gamepass would increase to £50 per month to start off with BUT, I'd throw hundreds of billions at publishers to make sure every game comes to Gamepass on day 1 and also never leaves the service.

*Mic drop*

 

[MacReady13]

I'd scrap this fucking Game Pass bullshit as we are in the business of SELLING games, not renting games, and focus on 2 things- exclusives from 1st party devs and making great games for my console. Lets also play hard for 3rd party exclusive games like Sony does. We have money- lets spend it! Never forget how great they went during the 360 era. Don't deviate from that era too much and just continue on from there... Remember they had Titanfall at the beginning of the xbox one gen as an exclusive? Continue spending money getting quality games like that as exclusives like they had on the 360. Make the console easy to develop for and seriously, scrap the series s. Waste of time. We are in the 4k generation. Lets just stick with that. Focus on console sales as well. We got into the console gaming business as a competitor to Nintendo and Sony. We have shown we can match it with them in sales and quality games so why deviate from that?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

I completely disagree with this, 30 million subscribers at $15 a month allows them to cover dev costs and still make a profit, it gives the devs consistent revenue to work on their next title without that revenue fading out. Then there is the fact with MS working with other publishers Steam, Epic, ect.. they still hit the top 10 with new releases despite GP being the main platform.

You're making a lot of assumptions that the math works on this without considering what the dev costs are.

 

[SHA]

We know what happened to xb1 design, without the cuts ,it was supposed to be stronger than the ps4, I wouldn't be the same person who ship kinect on every console and think strategically about the next generation, put all that aside, if I'm just there arbitrarily I would think about the past heavily cause it's a period where you or anyone hardly disagree with each other about what we like, I don't have to be specific but there's tons of contents and many bright minds who could bring it to life, there's no specific way but at least it's there and that's what matters.

 

[Bonfires Down]

I would carefully read through Gaf to see what they suggest I do. Then do the opposite.

 

[Katatonic]

What actually makes me mad is the dishonesty of Xbox fanboys.

If after a year Starfield hasn't sold 25+ million copies they'll say, of course, it didn't, it's on GamePass.

They both deny and rely on the fact that GamePass cannibalizes B2P sales.

No matter what happens until the day Microsoft actually pulls the plug on Xbox consoles, these guys will just say it's fine, it's fine.

I think one of the key reasons for Gamepass was to obfuscate bad sales since MS can keep going regardless. Buys them time.

 

[Rob_27]

Make games for adults.

Release a portable

 

[Fatmanp]

- Halo launches spring 2022
- Hold Gears 5 back one year and launch it exclusively on Series X
- Canned the Series S and launched at 450
- I would have acquired Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, Night dive Studios, Gearbox and Bungie under the same terms as Sony i.e multiplat.
- I would have looked to found a Japanese studio with a big name leader to essentially lead Xbox Japan. It would pull double duty as a development house and regional HQ. My hope is that the current SE predicament is a non issue.
- I would have looked to do something similar in central Europe, in an Arabic nation, a North African nation.
- I would look to run a first time on Xbox initiative where games/series that have never appeared on the platform are spotlighted similar Summer if Arcade and given very favourable splits I e 90/10 with very visible marketing. Games like Trails, Persona, Guilty Gear etc would be my target.
- Gamepass trials i.e the PSPlus 2 hour demo for smaller or lesser known games. It could be tied in with the first time on Xbox programme

 

[Stardust_Dragon]

If I was in charge of Xbox division, I would be lobbying the US Congress to pass a budget/spending bill that includes subsidies for American consumers purchasing an Xbox console (the entire $500 cost for the Series X console), and subsidize the entire $15 monthly cost for Game Pass Ultimate for those consumers as well.

Just imagine how the November 2020 console launches of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X would've gone in my scenario where the US Congress passes such subsidies, it would give Xbox a huge leg up over PlayStation in its most important market and there'd be very little that Sony could do to counter it, as I'm sure Japan wouldn't bother subsidizing the PS5 in their own home country as PlayStation is already far more popular in Japan than Xbox anyhow.

And yeah, I'm sure that on the surface, such an idea is laughable to even attempt to present to Congress, but if folks in Congress really think that Japan/Sony has been using some "anti-competitive" methods to beat out the American-made console, then hey maybe such an idea will indeed gain some traction. The only real issue might be if such a move by the US government would violate the WTO rules and get the Japanese government to protest any such subsidies.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

I think one of the key reasons for Gamepass was to obfuscate bad sales since MS can keep going regardless. Buys them time.

I agree with you except I think it cuts their time dramatically...

 

[Warablo]

Get talent and studios together to start creating games. Also launch without that disaster PR that ruined all good will over the 360 era.

 

[cash_longfellow]

Simple answer, not to sabotage it like the current guy has. He has one chance to redeem himself, and it’s all within the next week, we shall see.

 

[ResilientBanana]

I would have studied what worked well for PlayStation and delivered the games people want to play.

 

[RickMasters]

Bethesda basically saved them. I do not really want to write that because I fear that Xbox could do it, but they should buy Devolver. 1 publisher for AAA in Bethesda. 1 for indies that would be the gateway for Gamepass. Then work out one or two non Gamepass marketing deals. Cyberpunk was great for them and they were not harmed by its reception. Hire Ubisoft for an exclusive. It will probably be shit but better than nothing. They did it for the Wii U so it should not be that hard. If they really have"unlimited money" or at least the ear of Nadella, commision a Xbox Series X equivalent of Quantum Break or the quiet man from Square Enix. To show off the console abilities.

I like when people think tactical. Business is war. I would hire you to run my console division if I had one

 

[THE DUCK]

It's the lack of consistency in argument here.

You might say that GamePass does eat away at B2P, but others will say it doesn't, hell you yourself might come back at a later date and say it doesn't.

What you need to acknowledge next is that GamePass cultivates a culture of not buying games and that if half the Xbox userbase refuses to buy games and won't play games that aren't on GamePass, that eventually, this will impact whether studios support Xbox or not.

Microsoft is loss leading with GamePass and while they're "fine" with it today, doesn't mean they'll be fine with it tomorrow. Steady revenue is the goal of any subscription service, but a lack of profitability is a real problem, which is why even the most success streaming services based around MAUs are cutting back drastically right now to achieve better profitability.

Almost all streaming services are in the red and have way more MAU than GamePass.

Not saying Xbox will be discontinued, but this model of theirs will not last.

Day 1 PC pushes people to PC, meaning you lose out on royalty sales. GamePass on PC is even more dicey than Xbox, since you can cancel anytime and don't have the same incentive to continue year round, since many of the games you'll want to play won't be on GamePass like FF16.

Day 1 PC and GamePass are basically Microsoft saying, don't buy an Xbox and don't buy games.

Within the next 5 years, Microsoft will shift in strategy on this.

Of course it cannibalizes traditional sales. This is 100% fact. The only question become is the gamepass revenue and subsequent engagement that MS has found worth the trade off. Considering their play, certainly their internal numbers seems to confirm this is working in their benefit, or you would start to see them try to minimalize and reduce gamepass. You can armchair quarterback all you want, but you have about 1/20th the data that MS has.

MS doesn't care if people buy games on PC or Xbox as they get 100% of the revenue. It does hurt console sales a bit but I suspect they have also verified that most PC users wouldn't have bought an xbox, so the loss is worth it as well.
Again, you are flying blind, they are not.

Traditional video streaming services are not the same as gamepass. Netflix does not see addition revenue from selling more xboxes and selling third party software, or addons. Apples to oranges.

Lastly, as far as people cancelling, you should be away that the vast majority of subscribers stay on once, very very few will unsubscribe after a key game.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Of course it cannibalizes traditional sales. This is 100% fact. The only question become is the gamepass revenue and subsequent engagement that MS has found worth the trade off. Considering their play, certainly their internal numbers seems to confirm this is working in their benefit, or you would start to see them try to minimalize and reduce gamepass. You can armchair quarterback all you want, but you have about 1/20th the data that MS has.

MS doesn't care if people buy games on PC or Xbox as they get 100% of the revenue. It does hurt console sales a bit but I suspect they have also verified that most PC users wouldn't have bought an xbox, so the loss is worth it as well.
Again, you are flying blind, they are not.

Traditional video streaming services are not the same as gamepass. Netflix does not see addition revenue from selling more xboxes and selling third party software, or addons. Apples to oranges.

Lastly, as far as people cancelling, you should be away that the vast majority of subscribers stay on once, very very few will unsubscribe after a key game.

Much of your argument is, they wouldn't do this if they were failing, yet we know that isn't true. Companies fail all the time as to projects and services, Microsoft isn't immune to that, nor have they publicized any numbers that would suggest otherwise.

They certainly care if people buy on PC or Xbox. They sell Xboxes at a loss. If it made no difference they would just do gamepass on PC. The only way that it makes sense to sell Xbox is to get people to STICK with GamePass and do B2P with royalties. They definitely want you to buy Xbox over PC.

And there is a non zero number of people who will say, I can get GamePass on PC, B2P PC games, and many games that are not available on Xbox on PC, and will not buy an Xbox as a result.

Again, Netflix doesn't sell hardware, particularly hardware that comes at a loss. They also don't do much buy to own, if at all. The biggest difference though is that Netflix has a much higher MAU count, which all of these services do compared to GamePass.

People cancel their subscriptions all the time and are replaced by new subscribers. It's not this flat stagnant number because there is no movement in either direction.

 

[Crayon]

I would have slept in till noon and smoked a bunch of weed everyday. Got a bunch of awards and a few big raises.

 

[Sid Of Bee]

I'm honestly baffled that these videos game hardware companies haven't adopted the cell phone business model. Hardware that costs MORE, but sells to everyone become it's subsidized model.

Particularly Microsoft with the Xbox....

Buy an Xbox at full price, fine. No subscriptions needed. Pay $15 a month for Gamepass if you feel like it.

Get an Xbox up front for free but you're locked into a 3 year subscription plan. $25-$35 a month for Gamepass. Or scale that to whatever makes the most sense.

Lower the barrier to entry, subsidized by the subscription service, tie people to the service and keep them through various iterations of hardware by keeping the barrier of entry just another trade in and plan extension.

 

[{insert code here}]

Bring back Peter Moore, Jay Allard, and Robbie Bach and give them full autonomy and control over the Xbox division. It still boggles my mind why these 3 were allowed to walk away.

Move Phil's office to the basement server room and put him on Hololens or some other MSFT project.

Scrap Game Pass and redirect those funds (and the ZENI, ATVI buyouts) to 2P/3P partnerships/deals (think early 360 era MGS games like ME, NG, L4D, Lost Odyssey). +75B would go much, much farther on these types of deals.

Push for a single, $499 SKU 2019 hardware launch (be first to the market).

Basically I just run the 360 playbook again. It worked brilliantly coming off the PS2 juggernaut and there's no reason to think it wouldn't have worked coming off the PS4.