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[James Sawyer Ford]

Xbox as a console? I don't really think so, but who knows, stranger things have happened in the console space. You can't count them out necessarily although the chances are extremely slim for a mighty comeback.

But I think that they really will just evolve into the massive publisher they are. Nadella's statements are pretty clear on this - every screen they want to be an Xbox. Doesn't matter what hardware is running it. They are focusing on being a Software game development publisher first and getting out of the big focus on hardware. Xbox hardware will still exist to bridge the gap between PC and Console and maintain Xbox Legacy for those that prefer to game on Xbox, but it will be increasingly more niche, increasingly less likely to eat losses on hardware, and so forth. Microsoft won't care if they only sell 10M consoles instead of the 40-50 they do not.

I hope they succeed at being a publisher. It's a lot to manage. Bethesda. Activision. Blizzard. Xbox legacy first parties. TONS of studios depend on their management and they have historically not been good stewards of first party development. So the risk is out there that this entire experiment fails. But if they succeed and can enable these studios to make great, consistent content across ALL hardware ecosystems, everyone wins in that scenario.

 

[playbignbox]

If MS really wanted to sell hardware and that was a priority, I would say that Xbox has a great chance, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Xbox hardware is not bad, it even has interesting features, but the console doesn't have any unique qualities and it is not investing in system-seller games like Nintendo and Sony.

The games? They are basically all multiplatform, including all day one on PC.

Service? You can subscribe to GamePass on PC to play the games natively, or subscribe on other devices and play in the cloud.

Hardware performance? PlayStation has hardware with equivalent performance.

Price? Series X and PS5 cost in the same range.

In short, there is no real competitive advantage on Xbox.

Not only that, but MS should invest in system-seller games and supervise so that these games come out with the best possible quality. A game like Starfield generated a hype that was not met, and that cannot happen.

 

[Barakov]

To be fair, there is the Xbox logo.

Then again, they decided to pose right next to the PlayStation logo. Says a lot.

 

[West Texas CEO]

Microsoft can't help but do Microsoft things

Make money?

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

If they managed to make a amazing godly Halo game.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

At least not outside the US and maybe UK. Their reputation and trust is cooked after all these years since the XOne reveal. Such a shame, I think their hardware team is outstanding.

 

[Soodanim]

Of course it can. But as much as I don't want to see it happen for the good of the industry, there's a difference between can and will.

It seems unlikely that they will give their strategy a big shake up and come out swinging with a traditional approach at this point, so we will have to see how being different works out for them.

 

[Cakeboxer]

With hardware? Only if Sony gets super arrogant and wants 650 Euro without a disc drive for the PS6.
As a 3rd party publisher wit some Game Pass adjustments? They may end up making more money than the competition.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

.
I hope they succeed at being a publisher. It's a lot to manage. Bethesda. Activision. Blizzard. Xbox legacy first parties. TONS of studios depend on their management and they have historically not been good stewards of first party development. So the risk is out there that this entire experiment fails. But if they succeed and can enable these studios to make great, consistent content across ALL hardware ecosystems, everyone wins in that scenario.

I don’t have much faith in them there either, look at how their own IP declined under Phil Spencer and Matt Booty

 

[Moses85]

They been trying for years so I think no
But good luck

With no plan.

If they would use their brands the right way and start developing good exclusives for the Launch of their Next Gen Console and beyond, they have a good Chance.

 

[laynelane]

You mention Hi-Fi Rush and I think that particular game exemplifies an issue with Xbox and how it's handled. That game was shadow-dropped - ie. not given any promotion or extra help to succeed - which leads me to believe Xbox leadership did not think they had a hit on their hands. Nonetheless, the game did well and received high praise - from both players and the media. So, the next step taken by Xbox was to shut down the studio. Do you see the problem here?

It's been a stream of bad decisions like this for so long with Xbox. It's a leadership issue, imo, and until that is solved - I don't see much changing for them.

 

[TBiddy]

With no plan.

If they would use their brands the right way and start developing good exclusives for the Launch of their Next Gen Console and beyond, they have a good Chance.

If they could launch the next Xbox with Elder Scrolls 6, Call of Duty 15 or whatever and a decent Halo game as exclusives for the next console, it would be a great start at least. Then follow up the year after with Fallout 5, Forza Horizon and pay EA whatever they want for a 3 month timed exclusive of FIFA games.

 

[BigLee74]

yes.

just force the publishers they bought to make games exclusively for xbox. pretty simple. COD exclusive, get rid of gamepass, no PC. would be huge.

of course they will never do this though, so no.

That would do it. To be honest, COD exclusivity alone would probably do it.

But they won’t, because it’s not about making Xbox the biggest. It’s about making money the biggest.

Edit: Just so we are clear, ShadowkillXNA would like every one to know this can never happen because Sony have a contract which states they get it for 10 years, and that I am a very very naughty man for agreeing with Represent above. He’s just back from crying to his mummy about it, and would appreciate cuddles and stuff.

 

[MacReady13]

It’s sad to say but no, Xbox as a brand for consoles is lost. I’m still extremely baffled as to why they decided to spend $70 billion for those acquisitions to then release those games on rival consoles! Why not just not spend that money, still have those games release on your console and make money off the sales from those games? I mean I get it- they needed more games to feed their subscription service but wouldn’t it have been better to have paid the devs money to make some of them appear day 1 on their rental service instead of spending all those billions for nothing?

Either way, just another in the long line of baffling and dumb decisions from Xbox.

 

[Moonjt9]

It’s dead, Jim

 

[VitoNotVito]

No.

 

[VitoNotVito]

Of course, just wait for next year.

Till E3?

 

[SweetTooth]

Yes of course!

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

Did you hear ANYONE complaining about Tracer?

You are acting like my comment is new and revolutionary. We know what gamers want, it isn't complicated. The only reason Woke is not accepted is because it exists purely to make games less fun. It's like deliberately poring soy sauce into your milkshake.

In the end it was never about diversity; it is about punishing gamers for having fun by ourselves. The idea from the beginning is that fun is bad. And that is why you can't have Woke and still sell games.

You can have Diversity and sell games fine; Overwatch 1 had diversity. But Woke is purely hatred and spite.

Was just a little joke that they’d make them butch

 

[Jormatar]

No.

 

[Roberts]

Kids in my 8 year old daughter’s class say xbox is for losers. Ironically their parents limit their ps5 usage to Fortnite while my daughter gets to play ton of games. I’m pretty sure xbox will never have a big comeback.

 

[GymWolf]

They have some possible great games coming out so everything is possible.

Fable
New doom
Stalker 2
New gears


If these 4 are good, 2025 is gonna be a good year for xbox, i don't really care about much else other than good games.

 

[Drew1440]

Don't expect another 360 generation from Microsoft, the current corporate culture prevents that. You cannot make good games when you have consultants interfering with the design.

 

[Mephisto40]

 

[PeteBull]

Kids in my 8 year old daughter’s class say xbox is for losers. Ironically their parents limit their ps5 usage to Fortnite while my daughter gets to play ton of games. I’m pretty sure xbox will never have a big comeback.

U know ur console brand is totally screwed if even young kids are bashing it mercilessly

 

[TBiddy]

U know ur console brand is totally screwed if even young kids are bashing it mercilessly

Kids that age also bash on vegetables. I wouldn't trust them.

 

[FewRope]

0 chance at this point actually

 

[CosmicComet]

No chance.

And that's a good thing.

Microsoft's presence has overall been a net negative to gaming.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

Well, considering Sony has been stepping on more rakes than MS lately......it's possible. But both have been shit this gen really.

Sony would have to make some considerable blunders back-to-back and no, they are nowhere close to that.

As far as who’s been “shit”, PlayStation has provided games. Good games. It is Xbox who’s quality has not only been lacking, but so has its output.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

A Comegone but not a comeback.

 

[Schmendrick]

In an infinite universe everything can happen. However if we are talking probabilities:

 

[FewRope]

To be fair, there is the Xbox logo.

Then again, they decided to pose right next to the PlayStation logo. Says a lot.

What a crazy photo man, imagine showing this to someone in 2006

 

[HeWhoWalks]

I completely disagree.

I think Xbox fans have a serious persecution complex and blame everyone but the brand they support for their problems....like both of you are doing now.

I own all the different platforms and discuss all things, but Xbox fans are unique in this regard, imo.

Acting like you're not allow to discuss it here. Lol.

Spot. On.

It’s the victim mentality and lack of Xbox management responsibility that is the issue with those fans. It’s always “but PlayStation”. “But Sony”. Meanwhile, Phil can promise ‘em 100$ million, hand them just $1000, and they’re satisfied, continuing to blame everyone else BUT Microsoft.

“Comeback” is also an open-ended discussion. Outside of the exception that was the 360, Xbox has always been a brand far in the distance of PlayStation and a sidestep to Nintendo. It never really found solid footing and part of why is because it was always too busy chasing PlayStation.

 

[TheGodfather07]

Your asking this, when Microsoft are porting games over to what used to be their direct competitor? There's your answer right there. There is no comeback to make anymore. The battle is over.

 

[Alan Wake]

Unlikely, and at this point I don't think they plan to even try. It's about Microsoft Gaming now, Xbox is just a small share of that pie. With all these huge acquisitions they've moved beyond Xbox.

 

[Ozzie666]

They can't stick to a lane, keep changing and chasing the latest trends. Seems the next one is hand held? or is it gamepass? or it consoles? cloud streaming?
XBOX has socially engineered their subscribers to not buy games it seems. You have to admire Sony and Nintendo for sticking to a plan for the most part, or a vision. Even if the vision fails sometimes.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

The Xbox has no moat. If I have no interested in game pass, why would I ever buy an Xbox console?

 

[U n i o n 0015]

It's done, killed by MSFT corporate culture and bad decision making. It'll keep existing but it already has nowhere near the cultural impact as Nintendo and PlayStation.

Which is just sad because I loved the energy and innovation they brought with the OG and 360.

 

[SteadyEvo]

Comeback implies they left the business.

They're still here

 

[xanaum]

Xbox as we know it is done, man. Not even Microsoft is trying to establish the brand as a console with its own ecosystem anymore. The future of Xbox is multiplatform and Game Pass. It was over the moment they bought Activision/Blizzard. There's no way the shareholders will let a ridiculously huge investment stay locked to such a small platform in the market.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Why did the shareholders allow the Activision merger to begin with?

Unless going third party was the (or a) plan all along.

 

[Kacho]

Why did the shareholders allow the Activision merger to begin with?

Unless going third party was the (or a) plan all along.

Nah, I don't think their plan was to go third party. Nutella and Hood are putting pressure on the Xbox team to start making money. With hardware sales collapsing and software sales down because their remaining audience has been conditioned to not buy anything, it's like, what do you do besides porting your games to ecosystems where people actually buy shit?

Microsoft clearly couldn't give less of a shit about hardware when Game Pass isn't growing, and growth stalled months ago.

 

[Bond007]

Unlikely based on the path they are currently on.
IMO it would require going back to focusing on exclusives and releasing less games other places day one. You know to make the XBox something worth having as opposed to something else?

 

[mayham2199]

Why did the shareholders allow the Activision merger to begin with?

Unless going third party was the (or a) plan all along.

Things changed a lot from the day the merger was started vs when it ended.

 

[Kacho]

Unlikely based on the path they are currently on.
IMO it would require going back to focusing on exclusives and releasing less games other places day one. You know to make the XBox something worth having as opposed to something else?

The answer is so obvious but from a business perspective the time it would take Xbox to rebuild an audience is counter to their needs as a business unit. They need to be making money asap.

 

[CobraAB]

MS should just concentrate on making PC, Playstation, and Nintendo games.

You know, MicroSOFT.

 

[cormack12]

Xbacks

 

[AyraSutoraifu]

 

[ExtendEmbraceExtinguish]

Xbox as a console? I don't really think so, but who knows, stranger things have happened in the console space. You can't count them out necessarily although the chances are extremely slim for a mighty comeback.

But I think that they really will just evolve into the massive publisher they are. Nadella's statements are pretty clear on this - every screen they want to be an Xbox. Doesn't matter what hardware is running it. They are focusing on being a Software game development publisher first and getting out of the big focus on hardware. Xbox hardware will still exist to bridge the gap between PC and Console and maintain Xbox Legacy for those that prefer to game on Xbox, but it will be increasingly more niche, increasingly less likely to eat losses on hardware, and so forth. Microsoft won't care if they only sell 10M consoles instead of the 40-50 they do not.

I hope they succeed at being a publisher. It's a lot to manage. Bethesda. Activision. Blizzard. Xbox legacy first parties. TONS of studios depend on their management and they have historically not been good stewards of first party development. So the risk is out there that this entire experiment fails. But if they succeed and can enable these studios to make great, consistent content across ALL hardware ecosystems, everyone wins in that scenario.

Agreed. I think msft clearly knows where this industry is headed. If you control a ton of IPs and expand into other ecosystems eventually you will dominate.

 

[evanft]

If they build a time machine and fix everything they've done in the last fifteen years, then sure.