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[Det]

This post veered from "plausible" to "tinfoil hat nonsense" pretty quickly. Phil paying people to play Xbox under his account? Come on lol

Not to mention that if they are supposedly imminently rebranding to Microsoft Gaming and already are internally going by Microsoft Gaming, why would they be releasing a handheld with ASUS in a month that's called "Xbox Ally"?

Soon after Vampire Survivor came out in the GP, Phil Spencer ended up "playing" several days for 10 hours straight...
I'm sure it's nothing new for CEOs to pay someone to play on their account and for the guy to act like a "hardcore gamer", like Elon Musk.

 

[BennyBlanco]

This will be true right up until they decide to change direction, which could be at any time.

And they seem to stop on a dime and reverse course completely every 4 months or so for the past 5 years.

And they consider a color scheme + sticker on an Asus handheld an Xbox, so who the fuck knows what they're even referring to.

Does anyone even want a traditional console from them at this point? They're not gonna subsidize it. It's gonna be $1,000 and get no 3rd party support beyond whatever they explicitly pay for.

 

[Crispy Gamer]

So no executive put their name on that statement? The head of Microsoft Gaming have nothing to say huh....it actually makes it more plausible they are moving ahead since it didn't come from that used car salesman

 

[Det]

You think Microsoft/Satya Nadella is going to give the greenlight to paying for employees to play games on Phil's account? ...really?

Of course, Nadella also monitors to make sure no one steals office supplies

 

[Topher]

Yeah this is obvious to everyone except the big brains at GAF. The second largest market cap company just made a muti-year partnership with AMD and launched their cloud platform out of beta, following a historic acquisition. They are only just getting started.

The "big brains at GAF" had Microsoft working on a Sunday to come up with a response. Sounds like a nerve was hit.

 

[ZehDon]

The "big brains at GAF" had Microsoft working on a Sunday to come up with an response. Sounds like a nerve was hit.

To be fair, it was probably an intern with an AI Agent supervisor, but it's a good point.

I feel like we go through this song and dance every few months with Xbox. They need to get their shit together and actually explain what it is the fuck they're doing.

 

[lastmessiah]

The "big brains at GAF" had Microsoft working on a Sunday to come up with an response. Sounds like a nerve was hit.

lol I can assure you MS does not give a single fuck about the discourse here.

 

[Astray]

To be fair, it was probably an intern with an AI Agent supervisor, but it's a good point.

I feel like we go through this song and dance every few months with Xbox. They need to get their shit together and actually explain what it is the fuck they're doing.

The difference between being super clear about it and this current course is potentially worth billions of dollars.

I generally roast them a lot, but if I were in their shoes, there's at least a small possibility that I take the same course of action.

 

[DR3AM]

Xbox # 1
Next system will destroy PlayStation. MS is cooking.

 

[SomeNorseGuy]

Sega Denies Rumors It Will Drop Dreamcast

Video games: Marketing official does not deny talk that the firm may develop its products for rivals.

www.latimes.com

"We totally, utterly confirm our commitment to the Dreamcast technology and platform," said Charles Bellfield, director of marketing for Sega of America Inc​

​

 

[evolve]

 

[Signalis]

 

[Topher]

To be fair, it was probably an intern with an AI Agent supervisor, but it's a good point.

I feel like we go through this song and dance every few months with Xbox. They need to get their shit together and actually explain what it is the fuck they're doing.

Even in Jez's initial article, he left the door open to the possibility that next gen Xbox wasn't happening because of how "nonsensically" Xbox has been lately.

lol I can assure you

No....you can't.

 

[Topher]

"We totally, utterly confirm our commitment to the Dreamcast technology and platform," said Charles Bellfield, director of marketing for Sega of America Inc

​

"It's only four games"

 

[IAmRei]

The Damage Control will not work.

typical microsoft damage control
"we will bring quality update for your better experience"
if it's in windows, usually broke something unexpected : ))

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

lol I can assure you MS does not give a single fuck about the discourse here.

They do, actually, give a fuck because GAF disclosure is everywhere now.

 

[Badlucktroll]

 

[rickybooby87]

 

[Barakov]

No, Xbox's next gen console hardware plans aren't cancelled — for now (UPDATE: Microsoft responds)

Rumors are swirling that Xbox is going to kill its hardware ecosystem. It's not true ... for now, but it easily could've been true, given how nonsensically Xbox acts lately.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[reinking]

I got the new marching orders too....

* I do believe MS had to make some kind of statement. It was blowing up too big and they do not need it hitting Monday news cycles.

 

[lh032]

 

[lastmessiah]

They do, actually, give a fuck because GAF disclosure is everywhere now.

Thanks for the laughs

 

[Atrus]

I wonder what the business case for XBOX is at this point, at least in terms of hardware devices.

Shrinking brand, market share, and low tolerance for future losses paints the brand as a strategic liability.

 

[Ar¢tos]

It will sell as much as hot soup in a sunny summer afternoon.

 

[Markio128]

Come on guys, it just means they're investing in PS6.

 

[ValiantInstance]

Imagine being in such a mess that you have to put out a 'we're not giving up' statement.

 

[Putonahappyface]

This is going to be slow and painful for you but we'll be with you every step of the way

To twist the knife?

 

[Topher]

K KeplerL2 Any thoughts on all of this?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

K KeplerL2 Any thoughts on all of this?

About 20 minutes ago

Not really, there's a reason the examples you gave are all from 30+ years ago. SoC development can cost up to a billion nowadays, even a massive company like Microsoft is not going to throw that away for no reason.

From a couple of days ago

They have contracts with AMD, they can't really pull out without notice.

 

[jm89]

Just to remind folks, while Jez does have contacts at MS, he is a part of their ambassador program and does not get actual details/leaks that they don't want him to have. He would not be privy to this change.

That's not surprising his just a corporate mouthpiece, ms will tell him what they want him to know. Someone like sneakerso will have the actuall dirt.

Also sneakerso never said the hardware was cancelled, just that it was up in the air.

 

[Topher]

About 20 minutes ago



From a couple of days ago

Thanks. Sounds like they are too far invested to pull out, in that case. Also sounds like the hesistancy at Microsoft is really the issue. They have a deal with AMD to deliver the SOCs, but to what? S SneakersSO was talking about this in terms of not meeting their release targets. Trying to reconcile these various statements.

Without going into too much detail, not long after the last round of layoffs (next one should be coming in Q1 26 btw - and its going to be just as massive as the last one), some rumblings out of Xbox starting coming out that were a little hard to believe.

The ramifications of the CoD GP gambit not working out were just starting to get properly measured, but the thing that really stuck out to me was that suddenly, really concrete plans for actual MS Xbox HW went from being definitive, to up in the air, which was really startling given that this thing was meant to be out relatively soon. It was one of those situations where, despite folks being told 'hey, we wanna pull the trigger on this in 2026', the steps you would need to take in the lead up to delivering a new console gen weren't being met. Lots of things that were 'sure things' started getting pushed. The Costco retailer pulling Xbox, and apparently they are one of many that we'll learn about soon, told me all I needed to know.

To sum it up: the future of Xbox is software publishing, with a significantly honed-in focus on profitable IPs (CoD, WoW, Minecraft, Candy Crush, Forza Horizon), Cloud gaming being the home of the 'Xbox platform', transititioning GamePass into basically becoming the point of entry subscription for xCloud access (which will continue to drive its price tag higher btw, they aren't done there just yet either), and releasing their software on any device that has a marketplace and users willing to buy their titles.

Maybe some OEM thing will take up the Xbox name, but given what is clearly a collapse in favorable mindshare and faith in said brand, i'm not even sure a 3rd party OEM is gonna want to have an Xbox console by the time MS is done with their reorienting of the division.

 

[rkofan87]

No, Xbox's next gen console hardware plans aren't cancelled — for now (UPDATE: Microsoft responds)

Rumors are swirling that Xbox is going to kill its hardware ecosystem. It's not true ... for now, but it easily could've been true, given how nonsensically Xbox acts lately.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[nial]

About 20 minutes ago

One question, K KeplerL2 . Is it necessary for the Magnus chip to be used on an actual console rather than the plan just being fully pivoting to the OEM PC line that is, indeed, using the same chip?

Magnus is used for both

Magnus is used both on the console (Series X 2 or w/e it's called) and also used on OEM PCs (similar to Ryzen 4800S, except this time it's a fully functioning APU with broad support instead of just garbage bin yields sold to irrelevant Chinese OEMs).

Magnus will be used for both Xbox Console and "Xbox" PC but only the Console has BC

 

[Punished Miku]

Sounds like MS told everyone in this thread to go outside and touch grass.

We've gotten probably 15 different statements from MS talking about new hardware for over a year. I guess we'll see.

 

[Topher]

Funny that WC published this article earlier in the year....

A look back at Microsoft's famously canceled devices

As Microsoft turns 50, we take a look at some of the canceled devices we almost had from the Redmond giant.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[Topher]

Sounds like MS told everyone in this thread to go outside and touch grass.

Tuesday is my "touch grass" day so....

 

[evolve]

I'm waiting for TimDog's confirmation before believing this.

 

[ViciousAgenda]

I have a hard time believing this

 

[PauloRoberto]

Wait a tick... so the nextbox will have a chip that will also be used by 'normal' pcs?! So nextbox can be even more easily cancelled and MS can simply release a line of gaming PCs, contracts be dammed - i mean, simply pay the value for breach of contract and call it a day [and yes, depending of the humor and will of upper management/shareholders, it is that easy, employees be dammed]

 

[twilo99]

Is it ded yet ??!

 

[Parazels]

Imagine being in such a mess that you have to put out a 'we're not giving up' statement.

Yeah. Why do we not expect the same statements from Sony and Nintendo? Because they don't behave like a company which is shutting down its console division.

 

[twilo99]

Sounds like MS told everyone in this thread to go outside and touch grass.

We've gotten probably 15 different statements from MS talking about new hardware for over a year. I guess we'll see.

Every single one is a lie, obviously.

There is no new hardware!

 

[Parazels]

Is Apple going to release new iPhones?

I'm not sure unless Cook Tim makes a statement!

 

[Holammer]

Said it before, but I think the next Xbox will be a straight up windows 11/12 system with a TV friendly shell like SteamOS or the Rog Ally X.
There's still going to be an Xbox, but it's a PC in console's clothing. Also third party Xbox branded devices.

SteamOS is a bigger threat to MS than Sony & Nintendo as it goes for MS's bread and butter.

 

[BigLee74]

Well I'm convinced….ish.

 

[lastmessiah]

Said it before, but I think the next Xbox will be a straight up windows 11/12 system with a TV friendly shell like SteamOS or the Rog Ally X.
There's still going to be an Xbox, but it's a PC in console's clothing. Also third party Xbox branded devices.

SteamOS is a bigger threat to MS than Sony & Nintendo as it goes for MS's bread and butter.

MS bread and butter is enterprise software; there is zero threat from Steam OS there.

 

[GHG]

To twist the knife?

 

[Putonahappyface]

 

[Ebrietas]

MS bread and butter is enterprise software; there is zero threat from Steam OS there.

Steam took over PC gaming. Sony/Nintendo control console gaming now. Mobile gaming is all Apple/Google.

Without Xbox, MS no longer has a "stake" in the gaming platform battle. I can definitely see them try to take on Valve to get control over Windows gaming. But they will probably end doing it in the only way they know how: by trying to buy them out.

 

[mayham2199]

Thanks. Sounds like they are too far invested to pull out, in that case. Also sounds like the hesistancy at Microsoft is really the issue. They have a deal with AMD to deliver the SOCs, but to what? S SneakersSO was talking about this in terms of not meeting their release targets. Trying to reconcile these various statements.

Also thought this was interesting

Also I have to say that with the Windows team focused 100% on AI recently, the work needed at the OS level for the hybrid is not going to be there. They'll have to either release the next gen console with the same OS as currently or delay the whole thing.