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[Bridges]

Why people in forums has such lust for throwing millions under the bus for the sake of "exclusivity"? No way in hell forcing COD and others exclusive will work, Tim already tried that with Epic Games Store and look and it killed any chances it had, I've been playing on PC for 20+ years and I had to beg my parents for years for a PS2, Xbox or Gamecube so I could play a bunch of multiplatform games that weren't on the PC and the issue was caused by low sales thanks to easy piracy, Steam saved PC Gaming (remember the old ole PC gaming is dead in late 2000s?), I wouldn't wish on anyone who has a hardware that would be enough to run but can't easily afford another other.

I have no lust for it. It doesn't bother me at all that Xbox games are no longer exclusive, and as unlikely as it is I've been crossing my fingers for more Sony 1st party to make it to my box as well.

The question wasn't "what do I want out of Xbox" the question was "what would I do to turn the ship around". I'm not a business major by any means, but I've just noticed that in the past when Xbox had a bunch of exciting games that you couldn't play anywhere else, people bought an Xbox. Right now, or at least until the recent price hikes, I think Xbox was legitimately a great product at a great value.

Series X is a phenomenal console with great features. Game Pass at least used to be an amazing value, back compat and automatic performance upgrades were very consumer friendly. Services were great and 3rd party is finally in a really great spot where most games aren't skipping the platform.

Did any of that matter? No, not really. Series X|S is failing to outsell the Xbox One, which was a terrible console in just about every way. So it seems to me it almost doesn't matter how good your box is, if there isn't a "must have" software then you're not going to sell more than your "core base" which for MS doesn't cut it. If nothing else changed with their current strategy except that Elder Scrolls VI became exclusive, you don't think they'd sell more units?

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

- Fire useless devs, replace them with top talent.

- Hire good writers for once.

- Have gamepass for indies or minor games only.

- Make big releases exclusive.

It would take a full gen to recover, since there's no easy fix for their current state.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

I'd buy some big name publishers like Zenimax and Activision Blizzard.

Just imagine... Call of Duty, Overwatch 2, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, and countless other games, all Xbox console exclusive. Nobody would be able to compete with that.

 

[Dane]

I have no lust for it. It doesn't bother me at all that Xbox games are no longer exclusive, and as unlikely as it is I've been crossing my fingers for more Sony 1st party to make it to my box as well.

The question wasn't "what do I want out of Xbox" the question was "what would I do to turn the ship around". I'm not a business major by any means, but I've just noticed that in the past when Xbox had a bunch of exciting games that you couldn't play anywhere else, people bought an Xbox. Right now, or at least until the recent price hikes, I think Xbox was legitimately a great product at a great value.

Series X is a phenomenal console with great features. Game Pass at least used to be an amazing value, back compat and automatic performance upgrades were very consumer friendly. Services were great and 3rd party is finally in a really great spot where most games aren't skipping the platform.

Did any of that matter? No, not really. Series X|S is failing to outsell the Xbox One, which was a terrible console in just about every way. So it seems to me it almost doesn't matter how good your box is, if there isn't a "must have" software then you're not going to sell more than your "core base" which for MS doesn't cut it. If nothing else changed with their current strategy except that Elder Scrolls VI became exclusive, you don't think they'd sell more units?

Selling more units at the expense of their own reputation doesn't seem like a long smart plan, let alone a short one, Epic Games Store rugpulled games that were about to be released on Steam such as Metro Exodus and Shenmue 3, it buried any chance it would have. Microsoft used to treat PC players like shit when they refused to support their own OS in favor of Xbox only, then Games for Windows Live was the icing on the cake of turd.

There can be a case for announced as exclusive non multiplatform IPs, but for Call of Duty et others? That's a literal middle finger for people who would have to spend 300-400 at least to play in another console and force PC gamers to do the same if they went to the full exclusive route.

 

[midnightAI]

Keep making games under the XBox studios banner, probably get out of the hardware market (other than Xbox branded hardware by other manufacturers). Scrap Gamepass (if people want the games they can buy them and profits go back into the studios), no exclusives as they can't afford to.

Basically, become a software company (developer and publisher).

 

[I'm nobody]

Make a great door stop ??

 

[Comfortgel]

Free online play and one month exclusive launch for COD/NBA2k/Madden. Keep gamepass for those interested but focus on being the platform of choice for streamers.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Abandon everything but streaming. It's the future after all.

 

[Thanati]

 

[SJRB]

Nice try, Phil.

 

[Dorago]

Divest it from Microsoft *shrug*?

 

[Amin_Parker]

There is no way to salvage the brand. All the money in the world cannot change nothing. They could literally buy 100% of the Japanese 3rd parties and they'll still lose the console war. I think things are so bad that they could actually buy out all the Japanese 3rd parties and Western 3rd parties and still come in last place in the console war. They lost the love and faith and heart of the gamers around the world. So they're doomed

 

[bender]

Short of buying Nintendo and Sony and rebranding their systems to Xbox (and even if they did, they'd fuck that up too), the brand is all but dead. Phil still having his position is a joke when the best thing he has done is not being Don Matrick.

 

[kpopSuperstar]

To be fair, we don't really know how Microsoft really view the situation. They might be fine with running it like this for 20 years.

We are only reacting in our angry bubble, working each other up.

The PC only subscription is still fine. If you do rewards, you only have to pay like 8 bucks a month, and you still get day one games on it.

 

[dcx4610]

I've said for years that the Xbox should be a PC running Windows with an Xbox front end. It should come with a keyboard, mouse and controller. This gets PCs/Windows into more households and keeps "Xbox" as a brand alive. It can't be like the Steambox though. It needs to be Microsoft built and packaged.

Just making an Xbox that does exactly the same thing the PlayStation does just with less games makes zero sense going forward. They have to stand out and being a PC is the only way to do that.

 

[UnravelKatharsis]

299

 

[Snakeeyes646]

Salvaging the Xbox brand in 2025 requires a bold reset combined with practical, brand-rebuilding steps. Xbox is facing an identity crisis — caught between trying to be a platform (Game Pass everywhere) and being a console (Series X|S). Meanwhile, hardware sales are lagging, exclusives are weak or inconsistent, and PlayStation and Nintendo have stronger brand loyalty and cultural cachet.

Problem:
Xbox has lost its distinct identity — it's not "the best place to play," nor the most innovative, nor culturally dominant.

Solution:
Pick a lane. Either fully become a platform (like Steam or Netflix) or double down on making Xbox consoles the best gaming hardware experience. Rebrand with a core mission: "Xbox is where the most ambitious, innovative games live."

Problem:
Game Pass quantity has diluted quality, and Xbox's first-party lineup lacks the cultural impact of Nintendo or Sony.

Solution:
Build a "killer app" strategy. Focus on fewer but higher-quality exclusives that can only be experienced on Xbox platforms.
Elevate flagship IPs (Halo, Gears, Forza) with creative reinvention, not just prettier sequels.
Give teams time. Publicly commit to "no crunch, no rush." Let innovation be the driver, not deadlines.
Prioritize new IPs that define this generation — as Sony did with Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, etc.

Problem:
Series X and S cannibalize each other; digital-only direction has alienated collectors and traditional gamers.

Solution:
Introduce a mid-gen refresh that unifies hardware: one SKU, one premium device. Focus on durability, performance, and physical media support. Give it a unique identity, not just "cheaper PS5."

Problem:
Public confidence in Xbox leadership (e.g., Phil Spencer) is eroding due to studio closures, under performing launches, and mixed messaging.

Solution:
Bring in new public-facing leadership with creative credibility, not just corporate polish. Publicly commit to a new 5-year Xbox plan and show transparency in goals and values.

TL;DR: Xbox Must Be... The platform of innovation, not just convenience. A home for bold games, not just subscriptions. Culturally relevant, not just technically competent. Right now, the perception is that Xbox is where games go to die slowly on Game Pass. That needs to flip — Xbox should be where games are reborn with creativity, risk, and love.

 

[sn0man]

Nintendo shows you how to do this. Exclusives and platforms.

Xbox is a physical console with no pro edition for an entire generation. Maybe that's 5 years or 7 years or something, but no more bifurcation of the platform.

Xbox is also a PC storefront with activision/blizzard/Bethesda titles in addition to other exclusive titles that fit the PC well (think RTS or Diablo style games). The storefront releases only on windows at first but make stretch goals for Mac/Linux.

Xbox console has exclusives again. Single and multiplayer games with a generational exclusive window. After the generation closes, the next Xbox comes out. Then the games that were released in the prior generation get remaster and release on PC treatment on the Xbox storefront. No more releases on competitor consoles for MS franchises that were historically exclusives (eg, Halo).

Xbox Gamepass = online play and access to 3-ish indie or back catalog style releases every year (spaced out). The indies are somewhat like geometry wars or shovel knight in scope. These back catalog releases are 10+ years old. (Think something like Nintendo virtual console but with Activision, id software, rare, etc titles.) the initial set of titles should probably number around 35–50 titles so that as more are released it doesn't seem like there is nothing at first.

 

[kat_on_the_roof]

1. End Xbox Series production and drop day one games while rolling back the prices on GamePass.
2. Get console exclusivity deals with Rockstar and Epic.
3. Release a RTX capable hybrid console with full backwards digital compatibility at a low entry cost with free online service.
4. Make all their own games on other systems retroactively crossbuy with this new hardware.
5. Slim Windows down and incorporate Xbox ecosystem outside of MS Store with crossplay and free streaming.

Alternatively, Microsoft can sell the brand to Amazon or Google.

Sell the complete XBox devision to NetEase

 

[ReasonBeing]

Seems pretty easy. Just follow Nintendo's lead. After the disastrous Wii U generation, they released the Switch. Not only did they win back their audience, but they gained tens of millions of new Nintendo Fans. So like I stated, pretty easy stuff, MS just has to make a Switch 3.

 

[hussar16]

No salvaging because Microsoft since the outset of 2002 always wanted to be a gaming app. They were first to do a subscription model. In the end this was what xbox wanted .they wanted to be a Netflix of gaming for awhile. No effort put just print money . It has always ben xbox stance on what its gaming division should be. This was goin to happen sooner or later

 

[CashPrizes]

They can't recover without something magical happening. Like, if they really solved game streaming, and it felt incredible and was cheap and super easy to use, and that is where they put all of their marketing, maybe they take over that market and the streaming future is here and they muscle back into the market.

If they were willing to put out a much more powerful console then the PS6, and sell it at a huge loss, they could make some inroads.
If they were willing to put out a much more powerful steam deck type device and sell it at a huge loss, they could make some inroads.
But both of those are so profit prohibitive and still not guaranteeing success they won't do either.