Support NeoGAF

[bender]

Between him and Phil, it's a real battle of the ages for who can be more incompetent.

Bond and Booty should be forbidden from making contact with other human beings.

 

[Varteras]

A combination of eye rolls and horror on everyone's face. Matt Booty, ladies and gentlemen!

Between him and Phil, it's a real battle of the ages for who can be more incompetent.

For the life of me I can't figure out why Xbox seems incapable of retaining talent.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

For the life of me I can't figure out why Xbox seems incapable of retaining talent.

The problem comes down to how they develop their games. The using of a never ending stream of contract folks and cycling them out every 18 or whatever months it was is the ultimate problem. You have to bring them up to speed, then by the time they get really going they're cycled out rinse and repeat. So anyone who is lucky enough to be a talent who isn't contract has to deal with that and the slowness it results in, the problem of things not being finished or having to be restarted, etc. They get frustrated and say screw it and leave for other companies who aren't using that strategy. This results in changes of those in charge of the games and their whims to change things to what they want. Hence multiple changes, rebooting said games, reworking of what has already been done, etc.

To be honest Microsoft has brought this upon themselves from greed and not wanting to have to give people benefits, rightful pay, etc. That's ultimately what it comes down to.

Here is how I'd fix this problem. Hire developers, drop the cycling of contracted staff. Hire folks for the duration of development so they stay up to speed and you don't have the constant delays of having to bring new groups up to speed over and over again. Then I'd create defined structures at these studios. I remember reading about various Halo games for example how you'd have whole groups basically working on their own version of the same game. You can't have that. You need one defined vision and direction of what you're making. You don't need people wasting resources and time fighting over who's vision for the game is right. Those in charge should determining that and from day 1 of a project. Basically you need real leaders who will take charge.

 

[Barakov]

Microsoft needs to stay in their lane.

 

[Dick Jones]

Every last one of you who cheered that acquisition and mocked anyone who said it was a bad idea. Do this right now. Stand in front of a mirror. Repeat this line, ten times: I am not a clown. I am the entire circus.

I'll say it again. Microsoft didn't buy them to win a console war for you. Maybe Xbox thought that's what it was. But not their masters. Activision was bought so Microsoft could keep a strong position in gaming after it kills Xbox.

You actually cheered for them to buy the gun they were going to use to off your favorite brand. Now thousands have lost their jobs, five studios were closed, consolidated, or left as shells before becoming independent, and more are on the way.

In no small part because of the biggest consolidation move in gaming history. Despite those of you who refused to see it that way, even with history telling us, in more ways than one, this was coming. The same group who mocked anyone telling you that Gamepass was a bad idea. That it couldn't be sustained without something being broken.

No. You couldn't have changed this, even if you wanted to. But, consider it a lesson you probably still won't learn. You weren't smarter than the ones you disregarded. As they say, time makes a fool of us all. That being said, everyone else needs to remember you as a lesson, too.

Everyone needs to remember this going forward. Consolidation is not for you. It's for the owners. If something is too good to be true, it probably is. When someone shows you who they are, stop letting them tell you otherwise.

Okay. Gonna hop down off my cringe as fuck soap box moment. Just gonna say I love ya'll. Enjoy your games. Don't be dicks.

 

[Varteras]

 

[mckmas8808]

Shutting down Tango is some real bullshit. That was a quality studio that made good games. Not surprised about the redfall studio.

Agreed! I love Hi-Fi Rush. I just finished it a couple of months ago and LOVED IT alot!

 

[mckmas8808]

Redfall will be our most supported game post-launch.
-Phil Spencer

Does he like lying like this?

Kinda ugly to see someone from the industry immediately focusing this on himself and not losing a single word about fellow developers losing their jobs.

He's right to say this though. He's telling and showing people directly the "WHY" he hasn't sold to a mega-corporation. The timing couldn't be better.

 

[Pelta88]

Does he like lying like this?

No. But he is addicted to utterly meaningless PR sound bites.

 

[GrayFoxPL]

 

[mckmas8808]

THIS MY FRIENDS..........is why I was ALWAYS hate Xbox! It's not the tech that bothers me. It's the execs that think and operate like this. This is what Steve Jobs was talking about when it comes to Microsoft as a whole.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

If not then we know

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

Phil: "Hey, we are a big family at Xbox and committed to the well-being of everyone, new year will be the Xbox year !"

 

[Varteras]

THIS MY FRIENDS..........is why I was ALWAYS hate Xbox! It's not the tech that bothers me. It's the execs that think and operate like this. This is what Steve Jobs was talking about when it comes to Microsoft as a whole.

Even though one can make an argument as to why it makes an amount of sense for a company to have this stance, it's just incredibly bad form to say this, and in this way, right after you bought them. Especially when it is clear that way of doing things is what helped the creative juices flow and make a better product at Double Fine. Which is what Tim Schaffer was trying to explain. You can see it in their faces. They know exactly what Booty was saying. "We own you now. Not just your studio, but any of your work that you do in this field. Even off the clock. Don't like it? Fuck off and have fun trying to start your own studio".

I don't like getting into these habits of immediately running to the idea of who might not be at a company anymore because of recent events. But, Double Fine certainly strikes me as a studio we'll probably hear about down the line either getting closed, like Tango, or becoming independent, like Toys For Bob.

 

[poodaddy]

THIS MY FRIENDS..........is why I was ALWAYS hate Xbox! It's not the tech that bothers me. It's the execs that think and operate like this. This is what Steve Jobs was talking about when it comes to Microsoft as a whole.

Bro what!? Lmao @ using the most infamous exec of all time in Steve Jobs to make a console warrior level jab at Microsoft. Apple, the worst company in tech, being upheld as some type of example for demeaning Microsoft is just too funny.

Both companies are absolute shit, and undeserving of your trust, but Apple is the pure evil of the land, make no mistake, and MS isn't too far behind them. Let's not act like they aren't both impressively malevolent entities.

 

[mckmas8808]

Bro what!? Lmao @ using the most infamous exec of all time in Steve Jobs to make a console warrior level jab at Microsoft. Apple, the worst company in tech, being upheld as some type of example for demeaning Microsoft is just too funny.

Both companies are absolute shit, and undeserving of your trust, but Apple is the pure evil of the land, make no mistake, and MS isn't too far behind them. Let's not act like they aren't both impressively malevolent entities.

I'm an Android guy, no Apple products. But I've never seen this level of bad with Apple before. Even when they do stuff I wouldn't like, I at least "understand" their position at least.

 

[mckmas8808]

Even though one can make an argument as to why it makes an amount of sense for a company to have this stance, it's just incredibly bad form to say this, and in this way, right after you bought them. Especially when it is clear that way of doing things is what helped the creative juices flow and make a better product at Double Fine. Which is what Tim Schaffer was trying to explain. You can see it in their faces. They know exactly what Booty was saying. "We own you now. Not just your studio, but any of your work that you do in this field. Even off the clock. Don't like it? Fuck off and have fun trying to start your own studio".

I don't like getting into these habits of immediately running to the idea of who might not be at a company anymore because of recent events. But, Double Fine certainly strikes me as a studio we'll probably hear about down the line either getting closed, like Tango, or becoming independent, like Toys For Bob.

1000% AGREE! No decorum at all. And a total lack of understanding his place in history.