Microsoft's currrent Full First-Party Organisation is mind boggling

Xbox is like a resource-rich country that doesn't have the knowledge/infrastructure to capitalize on any of it.

To simplify, imagine making a thread fawning over the ridiculous amounts of precious metals in the Congo (Xbox) as if it will change the fortunes of it's citizens (Xbox gamers).
For this analogy to be better, the studios would have to have all been founded by MS. I think a better analogy would be that MS is like Britain - dominating spice trade but not using them in their own cuisine.
 
I see the Microsoft insults are being updated today!

Was "It's just Halo, Gears, Forza"

Then they bought some of studios and started releasing some of those games and it became "Microsoft can't do anything except buy its way to success"

Looks like the new one is "It doesn't matter how many studios they have, their terrible management is going to destroy them all"

Wonder what the next ones will be?
'see, i told you'...

'this was all inevitable'...

'& here we go again'...

& my favorite: 'whelp,...'...
 
Call of Duty is not doing +90 metacritic since Modern Warfare (OG) and nobody seems to care

It's not even so much about 90+ MC, but making industry-leading, genre-defining games. Something that should be expected of platform holders.

But Microsoft have sucked at doing that for the better part of 13 - 15 years. The only game they've made in that time span I can say met those requirements, and wasn't a pre-existing IP they just purchased, is Flight Simulator.

I would've put Forza Horizon in that category but that franchise has dimmed with FH5. Halo hasn't been a leader in the FPS space since Halo 3. Sea of Thieves is unique but it's not a massive success, nor is it at the top of kid-friendly GaaS titles (Roblox and Minecraft beat it easily, as does Fortnite). The new Forza looks worst than GT7 in many areas despite being current-gen only and releasing a year later. Gears 5 stagnated that franchise.

Compared to games like BoTW, ToTK, GOW 2018, TLOU2, Spiderman, Mario Odyssey etc., Microsoft hasn't cultivated much if any industry-leading or genre-defining games, and that isn't really going to change with buying ABK. It's a problem of bad leadership and upper-level management; they have no creatives or visionaries at those levels and it shows.
 
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Mother of all Fucks

They won publisher of the year before all this, pretty incredible.
4 first party next gen exclusives this year is just the start, we're entering a golden era of Xbox gaming that will far exceed even the high points of the 360 era.
 
pretty crazy that they went from like 5 studios during the bone era.


now all those studios are great BUT they really need someone to manage those studios as there is no reason to have a single drought period.
Yeah I agree, I was against the deal (because I know how MS manage their studios...) but now it's done, they better have really good people ate managing studios and teams.

I know everything isn't about graphics but when you see Spider-Man 2, God of War R, Forbidden West, GT7, Demon's Souls, Return, and in comparison Forza M, Redfall, Starfield... I dunno what's happening, money is obviously not the problem.
 
It's not even so much about 90+ MC, but making industry-leading, genre-defining games. Something that should be expected of platform holders.

But Microsoft have sucked at doing that for the better part of 13 - 15 years. The only game they've made in that time span I can say met those requirements, and wasn't a pre-existing IP they just purchased, is Flight Simulator.

I would've put Forza Horizon in that category but that franchise has dimmed with FH5. Halo hasn't been a leader in the FPS space since Halo 3. Sea of Thieves is unique but it's not a massive success, nor is it at the top of kid-friendly GaaS titles (Roblox and Minecraft beat it easily, as does Fortnite). The new Forza looks worst than GT7 in many areas despite being current-gen only and releasing a year later. Gears 5 stagnated that franchise.

Compared to games like BoTW, ToTK, GOW 2018, TLOU2, Spiderman, Mario Odyssey etc., Microsoft hasn't cultivated much if any industry-leading or genre-defining games, and that isn't really going to change with buying ABK. It's a problem of bad leadership and upper-level management; they have no creatives or visionaries at those levels and it shows.
I'm sorry, but you lost me at Insomniac in "genre-defining games" bucket with...Spiderman.
Same for TLOU 2 (although I will give that game props for technical stuff, but rest was shit, mainly story).

If Microsoft only knows how to destroy and they are irrelevant then I truly don't understand why people care about this merger so much and why they cried for 20 months about it, especially since it considers ABK, which according to same people are already on decline. They will mismanage it, kill all popular franchises. PlayStation users will be okay. Xbox will be dead.
 
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They won publisher of the year before all this, pretty incredible.
4 first party next gen exclusives this year is just the start, we're entering a golden era of Xbox gaming that will far exceed even the high points of the 360 era.

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For me it's hilarious
Ghost of Tsushima - 84 on OpenCritic - "See, that's PlayStation Studios Quality"
Starfield - 86 on OpenCritic - "See, Xbox can't manage their studios"

Ah yes, OpenCritic is the end-all-be-all of what games are good and which ones are trash.

Huh?

I'm sorry, but you lost me at Insomniac in "genre-defining games" bucket with...Spiderman.
Same for TLOU 2 (although I will give that game props for technical stuff, but rest was shit, mainly story).

If Microsoft only knows how to destroy and they are irrelevant then I truly don't understand why people care about this merger so much and why they cried for 20 months about it, especially since it considers ABK, which according to same people are already on decline. They will mismanage it, kill all popular franchises. PlayStation users will be okay. Xbox will be dead.

Whether you want to admit it or not, Spiderman is leading the market of superhero-themed video games. No one even comes close ATM. Gotham Knights came and went. Suicide Squad looked mid with the gameplay reveal. Avengers bombed. There hasn't been a new mainline Batman in years.

Spiderman is the gold standard for superhero games ATM, likely until Wolverine drops...which is also Insomniac Games. TLOU2...you can feel how you want about the story, but it still has industry-leading visuals especially with character animations and environmental details.

You just highlighted why many of us are concerned with MS gobbling everything up: if they can't really elevate what they acquire, then what they acquire is worst off. IPs die off, talent leaves, overall game industry revenue shrinks...the only one who wins is Microsoft because they control the supply and distribution.

If gaming were comparable to the cocaine market, then Microsoft want to be the Columbians. It's all about control of the content for them, there's nothing visionary about that.
 
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For me it's hilarious
Ghost of Tsushima - 84 on OpenCritic - "See, that's PlayStation Studios Quality"
Starfield - 86 on OpenCritic - "See, Xbox can't manage their studios"

But Xbox fans say Starfield is the best most important Xbox game, from their most important studio, while Ghost of Tsushima was a Tuesday. And on Open Critic 88% of critics recommend Ghost vs 85% for Starfield.

By the way what's up with some people pretending metacritic doesn't exist all of sudden. Is it because Starfield is at 83 on it?
 
Jesus they bought up most of the major multiplatform ips, I don't think even Phil and Microsoft can fuck up having those ips under their belt...right?
 
But Xbox fans say Starfield is the best most important Xbox game, from their most important studio, while Ghost of Tsushima was a Tuesday. And on Open Critic 88% of critics recommend Ghost vs 85% for Starfield.

By the way what's up with some people pretending metacritic doesn't exist all of sudden. Is it because Starfield is at 83 on it?
I tend to use OC more because it groups reviews for different platforms into one overall score.
Because on Metacritic Starfield is 83. And also 86 :p So which one is it?

My point was that people who thinks that publisher who released three games with OC scores 86, 84 and 89 (Starfield, Forza Motorsport and Hi-Fi Rush) is bad maybe needs their brain checked. And I'm saying that with full realisation how bad Redfall was.

Like really. Since start of this gen Xbox has same amount of 90+ rated games on OpenCritic as Sony. But I guess then conversation shifts towards "it's just racing or niche games." But it's always like that. Just move goalposts.
Xbox since start of this gen:
2 games with 90+
9 games with 85+
4 games with 80+
1 game with 75+
1 game with 70+
Redfall with 57

If you can with straight face tell me that this is bad resume for 3 years, then you are probably insane. Or you can use "BuT tHeY aRe NoT tHiRd PeRsOn sToRy GaMeS" excuse.
 
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Ah yes, OpenCritic is the end-all-be-all of what games are good and which ones are trash.

Huh?
And what you want to use when talking about games quality other then site that is quantifying that quality in one number? You want to use subjective opinion of you and me? That will for sure get us anywhere :messenger_tears_of_joy:

I can for sure say to you that I did not liked TLOU2. But I can respect scores that game got.
 
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Not nearly enough. I believe I saw a few third party publishers the other day hiding behind the trash. Go get 'em Phil!
 
throwing money at the problem doesn't mean you'll create quality. Just look at Disney, which spends hundreds of millions each for their garbage movies and shows.

343 has destroyed halo.
Blizzard is a sinking ship.
Bethesda releases mediocrity that have limited appeal in foreign markets.
King has candy crush (people still play this???)
So that leaves COD as their main money maker.
 
That's a lot of studios to mismanage…
After "Xbox has no games", "MS wants to be a monopoly and destroy Sony and the industry and we must prevent it", ....it is clear that we have the new winning narrative....🤣

Xbox fans, give up your illusions, none of the 40+ Studios and projects in development are going to offer quality and most will surely be cancelled.😏
 
If MS was smart they would experiment with the insane amount if IPs and devs at their disposal. Make some smaller low budget games. They have done a bit of this with Hi Fi Rush and Pentiment but they could be releasing way more games.
 
They won publisher of the year before all this, pretty incredible.
4 first party next gen exclusives this year is just the start, we're entering a golden era of Xbox gaming that will far exceed even the high points of the 360 era.
You actually believe this dont you????? LOL
 
I really hope that things like the Oblivion Remaster that they are going to release are successful. I would love to see them go back and remaster a load of games. They need their own nixxes like studio just for remasters, several preferably.
They need to un merge Vicarious visions from Blizzard. They did a great job on Destiny.
 
A huge win for MS. CoD is those unicorn that will sell 10 of millions no matter the quality of the games. They will make back that 69 billion sooner than most will think.
 
A huge win for MS. CoD is those unicorn that will sell 10 of millions no matter the quality of the games. They will make back that 69 billion sooner than most will think.
Not if they force it on Gamepass Day 1 and eviscerate it's revenue base

Bobby himself took the stand at that FTC trial and testified that he didn't like Gamepass and it was bad for ABK properties and their revenue models
 
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