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[FoxMcChief]

That's great, but you realize this a massive problem they have created for themselves.

Currently, Xbox is Game Pass to the hardcore fanbase. You just have read a few threads anywhere to see that.

The hardcore fanbase they have will leave if they have to purchase software for the system.

You have to see how this a problem for them.

This isn’t a sustainable.

This is exactly why they are expanding out to other platforms....quickly.

Then if/when game pass dies, I’ll just go with a 4 game plan from GameFly. I’m not worried about the business aspect of all this. Some of you guys care too much like you’re paid to care. Again, I’m not worried about where I play games, I just want the easiest option.

 

[FoxMcChief]

For now I guess. I’d probably had said the same about Netflix in its early days until they got comfortable and started to up the prices just because they can.

But I’ll definitely keep going with GamePass for now as well. I just don’t see it in my future long-term.

I’m still happy with Netflix. Just finished White Collar last night.

 

[Robb]

I’m still happy with Netflix. Just finished White Collar last night.

That’s nice. All I can recall from the last time I was subbed was having to scroll through an endless horde of bad shows/movies for every good show/movie. The absolute definition of quantity over quality.

Maybe things are better these days though. You’d hope so considering their price bumps.

 

[SneakersSO]

S SneakersSO first of all your flowers, your were right. Secondly do you have anything to say about Xbox currently predicament?

Honestly, I'm loathe to describe it as a predicament. What we are seeing play out is merely a PR narrative being formed that backs up their direction, but they have firmly accepted the conclusion that Xbox HW as a platform onto itself, with aims to keep increasing their audience gen-over-gen, is over. Xbox as a publisher is going to be infinitely more profitable and relevant than they were as a platform holder, so I don't think you're gonna see folks at Xbox being upset about this for much longer.

As time moves forward and their releases become increasingly multiplatform, so many of their situation wind up resolving themselves. MS is going to be far happier as an IP holder, a service seller, and a software publisher, than they ever were when fighting the "console wars".

This does mean the closing of studios and cancelling projects is something we will see happening with a variable cadence of regularity from MS, as they begin to hone in on budget levels and KPIs that make sense with their new business direction. That said, if you're a fan of Xbox and gaming on Xbox, nothing is really changing for you. Gone are the days of worrying if a game sold enough consoles to justify keeping the IP active.

And, while Game Pass will continue to get more expensive (for users - Lord knows its already expensive af for MS), at least we as an industry no longer need to publicly entertain the nonsense fiscal ideas that Spencer was putting out about its sustainability and profitability, while the rest of the industry spoke increasingly ill of it behind the scenes.

 

[Syphon Filter]

They said this 20 years ago. It wasn't true then and it isn't true now.

nobody said that 20 years ago actually. eventually it will happen.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Pc is too expensive to play the games properly and Nvidia is going sky high on prices. Streaming is too laggy. There will always be a need for local gaming.

pc isn't expensive, on consoles you pay for online and that adds up. games cost more too than on pc.

 

[bender]

The problem is how Sony would allow Gamepass on PS with third party software there.

Sony wouldn't as it would be more lucrative to have 3rd party software on their own service.

 

[Astray]

Gone are the days of worrying if a game sold enough consoles to justify keeping the IP active.

Will be replaced by the days of worrying and wondering why Microsoft won't bring X IP back?

A: Because just like (Kotick/insert other gaming CEO) concluded years ago, focusing on fan-service isn't the most profitable endeavor.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Will be replaced by the days of worrying and wondering why Microsoft won't bring X IP back?

A: Because just like (Kotick/insert other gaming CEO) concluded years ago, focusing on fan-service isn't the most profitable endeavor.

MS owns a vault of IPs for decades, that still have not and won't ever be brought back.

 

[Oppoi]

Then if/when game pass dies, I’ll just go with a 4 game plan from GameFly. I’m not worried about the business aspect of all this. Some of you guys care too much like you’re paid to care. Again, I’m not worried about where I play games, I just want the easiest option.

Theasy option is what you want. If gamepass dies do you think it will have an affect on the future of videogames? Or do you just shrug your shoulders to that as well?

 

[Neofire]

Sony will be out as a platform on the long term. They will become a publisher in 2-3 gens when we move to PC and Cloud only. Dedicate hw will be PC and handhelds only.

This is the official post for a pipe dream lol

 

[FoxMcChief]

Theasy option is what you want. If gamepass dies do you think it will have an affect on the future of videogames? Or do you just shrug your shoulders to that as well?

I don’t know, maybe. It’s just games. I’ll play what I want, in the end. Preferably with game pass and GameFly. If not game pass, then just GameFly.

I’m probably something of an anomaly. Or not, I don’t care that much these days. I’m like a casual hardcore gamer. While I can enjoy Elden Ring up to NG+8, I also play games on the easiest difficulty, just to get through them faster.

I pay to level up, if there’s an option.

I play Fortnite, buy skins, battle passes, etc.

I’m the gamer that Gaf doesn’t like, lol.

 

[Astray]

MS owns a vault of IPs for decades, that still have not and won't ever be brought back.

Right now they have an incentive to maybe possibly bring some things back, especially the newly bought Activision IP. The more they wade into 3P waters, the more they will "discover" why the EA/Activision/Bethesda etc type of executive conducted business in this particular way.

I expect we will see more and more studios fed into the COD woodchipper as time goes on.

 

[bitbydeath]

Sony will be out as a platform on the long term. They will become a publisher in 2-3 gens when we move to PC and Cloud only. Dedicate hw will be PC and handhelds only.

Plot twist:
With kids today growing up on Apple devices both at home (iPads), and in schools (iPads/Macs/zero PC’s), and MS soon going head-to-head with Apple in a literal ARM’s race, we may see PC going away before consoles.

 

[DirtyBast8rd]

A lot of talk for what translates to: we lost the console race and not enough people in our own ecosystem subscribe to gamepass, so to be financially viable we need to sell our software on those other platforms.

 

[clarky]

Plot twist:
With kids today growing up on Apple devices both at home (iPads), and in schools (iPads/Macs/zero PC’s), and MS soon going head-to-head with Apple in a literal ARM’s race, we may see PC going away before consoles.

A plot twist so stupid it would not be out of place in an episode of LOST.

 

[reinking]

A plot twist so stupid it would not be out of place in an episode of LOST.

I wouldn't go that far. He is right in that kids are asking for other devices. I bought my granddaughter a laptop and she insisted on a Macbook Air. All of her friends are on iPhones, iPads, Macbooks and Chromebooks.

 

[clarky]

I wouldn't go that far. He is right in that kids are asking for other devices. I bought my granddaughter a laptop and she insisted on a Macbook Air. All of her friends are on iPhones, iPads, Macbooks and Chromebooks.

But before consoles? Behave young man.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

The console market has matured, so you can't grow much anymore. But that is a long way from saying console gaming is dead.

I know i said this before, but I would prefer Console gaming to die personally.Consoles warped gaming around themselves via the gravity of all those people willing to spend money. It twisted PC gaming and made many franchises I love become shadow of their former selves. So I would be the first to cheer if Console gaming stop being a thing.

But it is just not true. And those saying "20 years" is just in denial and thinking Microsoft is never wrong. That if MS can't succeed it must be because the industry is dying rather than Microsoft being shit at their jobs. I find that pathetic.

Console gaming is doing just fine, other than a lack of healthy completion from a new hungry console platform fresh off the boat. As soon as Xbox quits we can have someone new replacing them.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Well, we are heading towards a monopoly then which will make things even worst for the gaming industry imo especially with how crowded it is now and how common greed is now.

 

[reinking]

But before consoles? Behave young man.

Maybe? I am only going on what I am seeing with my own eyes. Plus, I thought the "plot twist" was about PC going away before consoles.

 

[reinking]

Well, we are heading towards a monopoly then which will make things even worst for the gaming industry imo especially with how crowded it is now and how common greed is now.

I know. MS is going to have a monopoly on IPs if they keep growing.

 

[clarky]

Well, we are heading towards a monopoly then which will make things even worst for the gaming industry imo especially with how crowded it is now and how common greed is now.

How so? There has always been at least 2 major players in the console space that doesn't look like changing.

Maybe? I am only going on what I am seeing with my own eyes. Plus, I thought the "plot twist" was about PC going away before consoles.

I can't see PC's going away any time soon. Microsoft are too embedded in the work place. If we are just talking gaming, then consoles will still go first.

Gaming will go platform agnostic sooner rather than later, imagine how boring Gaf will be then lol?

 

[reinking]

How so? There has always been at least 2 major players in the console space that doesn't look like changing.

I can't see PC's going away any time soon. Microsoft are too embedded in the work place. If we are just talking gaming, then consoles will still go first.

Gaming will go platform agnostic sooner rather than later, imagine how boring Gaf will be then lol?

I definitely do not believe PCs will go away. That would be crazy. I just think the younger kids are not getting the exposure to them that they used through schools and will become less reliable on them. Especially for gaming. They have too many devices that can play games these days.

 

[Crayon]

Gaming will go platform agnostic sooner rather than later, imagine how boring Gaf will be then lol?

We will find something to argue about. I'm sure of it.

 

[bitbydeath]

I can't see PC's going away any time soon. Microsoft are too embedded in the work place. If we are just talking gaming, then consoles will still go first.

Gaming will go platform agnostic sooner rather than later, imagine how boring Gaf will be then lol?

20 years is a long time, the Apple generation will well be in the workplace by then.

 

[clarky]

20 years is a long time, the Apple generation will well be in the workplace by then.

Workplaces wont pay Apple prices.

 

[bitbydeath]

Workplaces wont pay Apple prices.

They already do.

 

[clarky]

They already do.

Not in my experience. I work for several big global oil companies and ive never seen a (company) Apple device in an office in 30 years.

 

[bitbydeath]

Not in my experience. I work for several big global oil companies and ive never seen a (company) Apple device in an office in 30 years.

Start-ups and tech companies started moving away from desktops 10+ years ago. Some use a mix of PC centric laptops and Mac Pro’s, while others are fully embedded (mostly start-ups) in only Apple devices.

 

[clarky]

Start-ups and tech companies started moving away from desktops 10+ years ago. Some use a mix of PC centric laptops and Mac Pro’s, while others are fully embedded (mostly start-ups) in only Apple devices.

That may be correct for tech. What about an employer like the NHS in the UK, Walmart or any government in the world. No chance.

Never in a month of sundays would BP kit out the installation i'm on currently with Apple devices. The cost vs a PC or a laptop would be astronomical. I'd love to see the country managers face if we put an order in for a 1000 iMac's.

 

[bitbydeath]

That may be correct for tech. What about an employer like the NHS in the UK, Walmart or any government in the world. No chance.

Never in a month of sundays would BP kit out the installation i'm on currently with Apple devices. The cost vs a PC or a laptop would be astronomical. I'd love to see the country managers face if we put an order in for a 1000 iMac's.

20 years is a long time, tech is going to change a lot by then and the drivers of change will be those who work with what they know and like.

 

[clarky]

20 years is a long time, tech is going to change a lot by then and the drivers of change will be those who work with what they know and like.

No one has a crystal ball , but if apple want to take over the office space then they'll need to drastically drop their prices. Especially if they want to do it before the consoles are dead.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

No it's all logical. You are just misunderstanding the bolded.

Explain.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Sony will be out as a platform on the long term. They will become a publisher in 2-3 gens when we move to PC and Cloud only. Dedicate hw will be PC and handhelds only.

What about all the people that want to play on their big TVs but don’t want to spend 5x the price of a console because GPUs are getting sold primarily for AI purposes?

 

[semiconscious]

What's with that dude screaming shit about what Microsoft should or shouldn't do from the off?

He did a shit job when he was in charge of Blizzard and what qualifies him now to be Mr. Business Advice on Twitter?

& there you have it: the beauty of failing upwards...

 

[Cyberpunkd]

No one has a crystal ball , but if apple want to take over the office space then they'll need to drastically drop their prices. Especially if they want to do it before the consoles are dead.

No company wants to compete on price, you do if you are forced to because you don’t see any other way to sell your products. Plus expensive products tend to have more inelastic demand curve.

 

[drganon]

Sony will be out as a platform on the long term. They will become a publisher in 2-3 gens when we move to PC and Cloud only. Dedicate hw will be PC and handhelds only.

 

[Varteras]

 

[ByWatterson]

Sony will be out as a platform on the long term. They will become a publisher in 2-3 gens when we move to PC and Cloud only. Dedicate hw will be PC and handhelds only.

2-3 gens? As in like 15-20 years? When most here are eyeing social security and Phil is nearly dead?

I can't possibly care about any of these arguments on that kind of time scale.

 

[Varteras]

2-3 gens? As in like 15-20 years? When most here are eyeing social security and Phil is nearly dead?

I can't possibly care about any of these arguments on that kind of time scale.

Not to mention how silly it is to predict that far out, as if every trend now doesn't get bucked within the next couple of decades for any number of reasons. Like some new technology, companies going under, consumer tastes changing yet again, etc. Ask any forum-dweller 20 years ago if Nintendo was going to bounce back with a motion controlled console, lose it all with a tablet controlled console, then win it back with a hybrid handheld console. They'd look at you as if your were rubbing one out while you asked. And that's just Nintendo.

 

[M1chl]

He wants to take Phil’s job

He’s publicly interviewing

Wasn't he already that on Xbox One launch, if so, no thanks.

 

[FewRope]

If notorious cock sucker Mike Ybarra IS tweeting like this, its all over now

 

[HofT]

But then why buy an Xbox over a PS?

 

[RickMasters]

I really don't see how a service like gamepass will work long term when people are expecting games like DOOM and COD. I think gamepass will shift towards lower value at a higher price. I mean isn't that the model?

I can’t speak for other gamepass customers but I really like the mix of AAA, AA and indies.

I like that when I’m on my Sunday game binges, I can be playing something deaths door, cocoon, gris, hauntii, chants of senaar ( I live the visual style of these games too ), ever space 2… to something like hi fi rush, hellblade etc, to the big AAA games. It’s that variety that makes gamepass appealing to me.


And even all of that I still buy games that are not on gamepass. I’ll always buy games because I still like to own games, in my library.


I think it’s awesome that I own stuff like armoured core six. I still buy those must have games. And most non MS owned games come and go in gamepass so if you want to finish them you would have to buy them at some point. There So many games I started playing on gamepass that I ended up buying because they left gamepass long before I could ever finish them. Octopath traveller, demons tilt, signalis, SD gundam and sea of stars, chained echo, and loot river, are just a few I bought as they were leaving. With a nice discount too!

kunitsu-gami about to release on GP in a few days and I haven’t even started to play lords of the fallen 2 yet. Both will probably be my next games I buy but before then I’ll get plenty of hands on time with them over the weekend.


As long as the service has this level of variety…. Big and small games. Games that might go under some peoples radar ds until they get exposed to said games, then I will always subscribe along side buying games for Xbox. So nah…. It’s not all about big games. That variety is the services real appeal. And yearly sports games are also a great fit in the service. I love that EA is included in it because I used to buy madden every year, same with F1 games. Same with COD. A lot of my friends used to by these games every year too but most have shifted to gamepass for these games. Saves money on these yearly games we used to buy and we get all these other games too.


As long as the service exists and things stay like that as far as game variety I’ll always subscribe and buy games on Xbox. Gamepass is more like an extension of my game library. I love it for that.

 

[SmokedMeat]

As soon as Xbox quits we can have someone new replacing them.

If it was 1990, sure. Now? Nobody’s going to fill that spot. The console model is a giant money hemorrhaging venture that no one wants to bother with.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

How so? There has always been at least 2 major players in the console space that doesn't look like changing.

I can't see PC's going away any time soon. Microsoft are too embedded in the work place. If we are just talking gaming, then consoles will still go first.

Gaming will go platform agnostic sooner rather than later, imagine how boring Gaf will be then lol?

Seems like Microsoft is “probably” looking to exit the hardware business in favor of becoming a third party primarily. Microsoft putting games on PlayStation gives Sony a major advantage because Sony are getting the best of both worlds. For console gamers that can only choose one console, whey will most likely get the one that has the most games. Sales are already lackluster for XBox with exclusive games, so I wonder what will happen when gamers find out Microsoft are developing first party games for PlayStation?

Also, maybe Nintendo will directly compete if the Switch 2 is comparable in specifications and power, but Nintendo is usually in their own world so it’s hard to say what they will do. We’ll see what happens.

 

[clarky]

No company wants to compete on price, you do if you are forced to because you don’t see any other way to sell your products. Plus expensive products tend to have more inelastic demand curve.

Thats obvious.

 

[mckmas8808]

I don’t know, maybe. It’s just games. I’ll play what I want, in the end. Preferably with game pass and GameFly. If not game pass, then just GameFly.

I’m probably something of an anomaly. Or not, I don’t care that much these days. I’m like a casual hardcore gamer. While I can enjoy Elden Ring up to NG+8, I also play games on the easiest difficulty, just to get through them faster.

I pay to level up, if there’s an option.

I play Fortnite, buy skins, battle passes, etc.

I’m the gamer that Gaf doesn’t like, lol.

You are 100% the gamer we hate LOL! We don't understand your kind.

Explain.

Because your understanding that MS wanted to buy ABK to "compete" with Sony just isn't true. That's what MS said in court in order to win themselves the ability to buy ABK. But really they bought ABK to support GamePass (aka content for their subscribers). Content is king. So it's not unreasonable for MS to sell their Bethesda and ABK games on Playstation and Nintendo systems.

It goes in line with their true goal. To get their GamePass subscribers to 100 million by 2028.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

The console market has matured, so you can't grow much anymore. But that is a long way from saying console gaming is dead.

I know i said this before, but I would prefer Console gaming to die personally.Consoles warped gaming around themselves via the gravity of all those people willing to spend money. It twisted PC gaming and made many franchises I love become shadow of their former selves. So I would be the first to cheer if Console gaming stop being a thing.

But it is just not true. And those saying "20 years" is just in denial and thinking Microsoft is never wrong. That if MS can't succeed it must be because the industry is dying rather than Microsoft being shit at their jobs. I find that pathetic.

Console gaming is doing just fine, other than a lack of healthy completion from a new hungry console platform fresh off the boat. As soon as Xbox quits we can have someone new replacing them.

I don't see anyone looking at this market that Playstation is dominating and think to themselves "We should throw billions at this project and see if we could build a better console and pull people away from Playstation"