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[RetroGamingUK]

This Xbox PC that everyone is going on about for next-gen…

Is this going to be a full Windows PC that I could connect a keyboard and mouse to and get the full desktop experience with the likes of Office and Photoshop?

I’m assuming the Xbox part will be for games tailored to that system’s spec so you get the console-style simplicity benefit, while the playing PC/Steam games part will be a bit of a lottery due to PC games having requirements that are all over the place.

 

[Alan Wake]

I wonder if/when the traditional Xbox pillar franchises - Halo, Gears, Fable, Forza - will come to PS. I take it for granted now that everything they gobbled up in the acquisition will come to Playstation eventually. But I'm not sure about the traditional Xbox franchises. I can see them wanting to "hold the line" with those, at least for the next generation. It stops the bleeding a little (announcing that Halo or Gears are coming to PS would be a heavy blow to remaining Xbox fans). And it gives them the ability to say "Only on Xbox" to fans of those franchises. Maybe that helps preserve their console base a little and gives people a reason to buy in next gen.

I don't think Halo, Gears and Forza is enough to warrant an Xbox purchase even for the most loyal fans anymore. It was the case before but there was big complaints regarding the lack of exclusives for years. A few franchises just isn't enough. Hence the start of all the acquisitions promising new franchises on Xbox. And now when the games are being announced the strategy has changed and they will also land on other platforms. Oh the irony.

 

[Astray]

I don't think Halo, Gears and Forza is enough to warrant an Xbox purchase even for the most loyal fans anymore. It was the case before but there was big complaints regarding the lack of exclusives for years. A few franchises just isn't enough. Hence the start of all the acquisitions promising new franchises on Xbox. And now when the games are being announced the strategy has changed and they will also land on other platforms. Oh the irony.

Yep, if they were enough then Xbox wouldn't have needed acquisitions to begin with and could have grown the platform on the strength of their big 3 names alone.

 

[Kerotan]

It just goes to show how many people are old fucks that don’t have a clue.

As soon as Grounded and Sea of Thieves launched on PS it was game over for Xbox exclusives.

Halo Infinite, MCC and Gears 5 combined don’t touch one third of Sea of Thieves’ concurrent player count.

Yeah sea of thieves is doing excellent on ps5. It will encourage MS to bring more.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

No wonder devs/publishers aren’t bothering with Xbox anymore , look at their share of UK game sales this week…

Last Week	This Week	Game	Platform Split
NEW	1	Star Wars Outlaws
11	2	Hogwarts Legacy	Switch 43%, PS5 25%, PS$4 23%, Xbox 6%
-	3	Elden Ring
-	4	Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
1	5	EA Sports FC 24	Switch 33%, PS4 30%, PS5 27%, Xbox 9%
2	6	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
3	7	Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition
10	8	Marvel's Spider-Man 2
9	9	Minecraft
22	10	DC Justice League: Cosmic Chaos	PS4 40%, PS5 35%, Switch 23%, Xbox 2%
6	11	Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition
12	12	Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9	13	The Witcher III: Wild Hunt GOTY Edition	PC 62%, PS4 36%, Xbox 2%
-	14	Visions of Mana	PS5 82%, Xbox 13%, PS4 6%
13	15	Super Mario Bros. Wonder
20	16	WWE 2K24
15	17	Nintendo Switch Sports
16	18	Grand Theft Auto V
21	19	The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Complete Edition
-	20	Blue: The Videogame	Switch 80%, PS5 10%, PS4 8%, Xbox 2%
-	21	Mad Max
NEW	22	Emio: The Smiling Man Famicom Detective Club
19	23	Luigi's Mansion 2 HD
23	24	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
34	25	The Last of Us Part II: Remastered
-	26	Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
30	27	Gran Turismo 7
25	28	God of War Ragnarok
-	29	Cyberpunk 2077
24	30	Hitman: World of Assassination
-	31	Batman: Arkham Knight
-	32	Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
32	33	Wreckfest	PS5 98%, Switch 2%
6	34	Mafia Trilogy
29	35	Sonic Superstars
37	36	Transformers Battlegrounds	Switch 98%, PS4 2%, Xbox 0%
-	37	Batman Arkham Collection
36	38	Pokémon Violet
33	39	The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
35	40	Mario Party Superstars

[Sales Data Compiled by GfK]

 

[Three]

That's some mental gymnastics. It's not the same thing. Every idiot can play games from the well supported Windows platform.

And somebody can say the same thing about say installing ubuntu. Any idiot can do it. The problem is though there are some 'kinks' in much the same way. Some minor inconvenience here or there.

 

[cireza]

No wonder devs/publishers aren’t bothering with Xbox anymore , look at their share of UK game sales this week…

Last Week	This Week	Game	Platform Split
NEW	1	Star Wars Outlaws
11	2	Hogwarts Legacy	Switch 43%, PS5 25%, PS$4 23%, Xbox 6%
-	3	Elden Ring
-	4	Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
1	5	EA Sports FC 24	Switch 33%, PS4 30%, PS5 27%, Xbox 9%
2	6	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
3	7	Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition
10	8	Marvel's Spider-Man 2
9	9	Minecraft
22	10	DC Justice League: Cosmic Chaos	PS4 40%, PS5 35%, Switch 23%, Xbox 2%
6	11	Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition
12	12	Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9	13	The Witcher III: Wild Hunt GOTY Edition	PC 62%, PS4 36%, Xbox 2%
-	14	Visions of Mana	PS5 82%, Xbox 13%, PS4 6%
13	15	Super Mario Bros. Wonder
20	16	WWE 2K24
15	17	Nintendo Switch Sports
16	18	Grand Theft Auto V
21	19	The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Complete Edition
-	20	Blue: The Videogame	Switch 80%, PS5 10%, PS4 8%, Xbox 2%
-	21	Mad Max
NEW	22	Emio: The Smiling Man Famicom Detective Club
19	23	Luigi's Mansion 2 HD
23	24	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
34	25	The Last of Us Part II: Remastered
-	26	Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
30	27	Gran Turismo 7
25	28	God of War Ragnarok
-	29	Cyberpunk 2077
24	30	Hitman: World of Assassination
-	31	Batman: Arkham Knight
-	32	Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
32	33	Wreckfest	PS5 98%, Switch 2%
6	34	Mafia Trilogy
29	35	Sonic Superstars
37	36	Transformers Battlegrounds	Switch 98%, PS4 2%, Xbox 0%
-	37	Batman Arkham Collection
36	38	Pokémon Violet
33	39	The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
35	40	Mario Party Superstars

[Sales Data Compiled by GfK]

Try again when including digital sales.

 

[CashPrizes]

Original Xbox was my preffered Console that generation, most powerful, best exclusives (Halo II, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Jet Set Radio Future, several others).

360 and PS3 were neck and neck. I definitely played my 360 more, and most multiplatform games performed better on it because the PS3 was so wonky to develop on. PS3 still had more exclusives I loved tho. And I had my original 360 Red Ring twice and had to buy a 2nd one, so Sony edges them out that generation for me.

I have zero sympathy for people who stuck with Xbox after that. The Xbox One was an unmitigated disaster right out the gate. PS4 was more powerful, better exclusives, cheaper, and Microsoft was already bringing their stuff to PC back then.

It has only gotten worse. I loved that Indiana Jones release date reveal mash up, I did not know there were panels of streamers who would still cheer at the idea of Microsoft having an exclusive over Sony lol. I don't know how brain broken these xbox fanboys must be to not see the clear trajectory, it is over stop cheerleading the dead horse.

 

[ZehDon]

No wonder devs/publishers aren’t bothering with Xbox anymore , look at their share of UK game sales this week…

Last Week	This Week	Game	Platform Split
NEW	1	Star Wars Outlaws
11	2	Hogwarts Legacy	Switch 43%, PS5 25%, PS$4 23%, Xbox 6%
-	3	Elden Ring
-	4	Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
1	5	EA Sports FC 24	Switch 33%, PS4 30%, PS5 27%, Xbox 9%
2	6	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
3	7	Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition
10	8	Marvel's Spider-Man 2
9	9	Minecraft
22	10	DC Justice League: Cosmic Chaos	PS4 40%, PS5 35%, Switch 23%, Xbox 2%
6	11	Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition
12	12	Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9	13	The Witcher III: Wild Hunt GOTY Edition	PC 62%, PS4 36%, Xbox 2%
-	14	Visions of Mana	PS5 82%, Xbox 13%, PS4 6%
13	15	Super Mario Bros. Wonder
20	16	WWE 2K24
15	17	Nintendo Switch Sports
16	18	Grand Theft Auto V
21	19	The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Complete Edition
-	20	Blue: The Videogame	Switch 80%, PS5 10%, PS4 8%, Xbox 2%
-	21	Mad Max
NEW	22	Emio: The Smiling Man Famicom Detective Club
19	23	Luigi's Mansion 2 HD
23	24	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
34	25	The Last of Us Part II: Remastered
-	26	Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
30	27	Gran Turismo 7
25	28	God of War Ragnarok
-	29	Cyberpunk 2077
24	30	Hitman: World of Assassination
-	31	Batman: Arkham Knight
-	32	Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
32	33	Wreckfest	PS5 98%, Switch 2%
6	34	Mafia Trilogy
29	35	Sonic Superstars
37	36	Transformers Battlegrounds	Switch 98%, PS4 2%, Xbox 0%
-	37	Batman Arkham Collection
36	38	Pokémon Violet
33	39	The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
35	40	Mario Party Superstars

[Sales Data Compiled by GfK]

I don't think those include digital. Xbox has been pushing hard on digital with services like Xbox.

 

[Humdinger]

I don't think Halo, Gears and Forza is enough to warrant an Xbox purchase even for the most loyal fans anymore. It was the case before but there was big complaints regarding the lack of exclusives for years. A few franchises just isn't enough. Hence the start of all the acquisitions promising new franchises on Xbox. And now when the games are being announced the strategy has changed and they will also land on other platforms. Oh the irony.

I don't know. If you throw Fable in there, that is pretty much what the major Xbox lineup was for many, many years. As you say, they got criticized for it - meme'd about it - but people still bought an Xbox. I understand what you're saying about the acquisitions promising more, and then the disappointment of reversing that. But I think if they retained some core pillar traditional Xbox franchises - like those 4, plus maybe one or two others - then it would help them to both mollify some of the fanbase and also get some of them to buy into next gen hardware. Certainly it would be a more attractive proposition than offering zero exclusives, having literally everything get ported to PS.

I'm not saying it would produce growth. I'm saying it would help stop the bleeding somewhat (in terms of console hardware sales).

 

[Interfectum]

 

[Alan Wake]

I don't know. If you throw Fable in there, that is pretty much what the major Xbox lineup was for many, many years. As you say, they got criticized for it - meme'd about it - but people still bought an Xbox. I understand what you're saying about the acquisitions promising more, and then the disappointment of reversing that. But I think if they retained some core pillar traditional Xbox franchises - like those 4, plus maybe one or two others - then it would help them to both mollify some of the fanbase and also get some of them to buy into next gen hardware. Certainly it would be a more attractive proposition than offering zero exclusives, having literally everything get ported to PS.

I'm not saying it would produce growth. I'm saying it would help stop the bleeding somewhat (in terms of console hardware sales).

During the 360 era, Xbox had an upper hand in other areas. It got exclusives from third parties and it generally got the best version of multiplats. Xbox One suffered from few exclusives and less than stellar games overall.

I think Spencer's right when he says exclusives are not as important as they once were, and we can see they're fewer with every generation. But Xbox needs something to differentiate them from its competition if they intend on being a vibrant platform moving on. I think it's too late for a comeback here. Nadella is more interested in expanding Microsoft Gaming to as many screens and platforms as possible to maximize profits. He doesn't care what happens to Xbox.

 

[Astray]

I think Spencer's righ twhen he says exclusives are not as important as they once were

Agree with the rest of your post, but he is flat out wrong here imo.

Exclusives not only bring value to your ecosystem (and get people who would play Fortnite or Apex on your machine instead of others), they also define the "personality" and "target audience" of your machine.

He only talks down exclusives because he wasn't able to secure any quality ones without major concessions in various areas.

 

[Wolves hunt in packs]

Not going to buy games for XSX even if they run better like Alan Wake 2 as i'm not sure i will ever buy Xbox console again, at best it seems i might get one when there will be load of games on GP i would want but for sure not at launch.

 

[King Dazzar]

Not going to buy games for XSX even if they run better like Alan Wake 2 as i'm not sure i will ever buy Xbox console again, at best it seems i might get one when there will be load of games on GP i would want but for sure not at launch.

For me my XSX is a BC console, with a GP demo option on top. Maybe that'll change, but with the Xbox of today, who knows.

 

[mckmas8808]

Agree with the rest of your post, but he is flat out wrong here imo.

Exclusives not only bring value to your ecosystem (and get people who would play Fortnite or Apex on your machine instead of others), they also define the "personality" and "target audience" of your machine.

He only talks down exclusives because he wasn't able to secure any quality ones without major concessions in various areas.

It's so weird that people think Spencer is right, when Nintendo clearly shows how wrong he is.

 

[peter42O]

Hard to say, but I just can't see Microsoft doing the same thing and expecting different results, especially as they pivot towards third party publishing. My guess is the next "Xbox" will be a PC with the ability to play Xbox console games. So it keeps backward compatibility but is still a PC. The question then is how do they make money. If not a walled garden then they will have to make money on the hardware like with Surface tablets/laptops. Of course, that means very high prices and low sales volume. No idea really. All guesses. We will see.

I do believe their results can be different due to releasing two years before PlayStation 6 and 18 months after Switch 2 because vast majority of people love new hardware and gadgets but when you're going head to head with the dominant market leader, you may stay close for a while but eventually, they will out in front and never look back. I do believe that their handheld can and will do big numbers in Japan, China, etc. because it's what those markets care about the most but they do need to release before Sony brings out their next generation native handheld. Microsoft MUST release their console and handheld first and with a significant lead time.

I can see the console being priced higher which I personally wouldn't have a problem with as long as the specifications are there. Of course, who knows. All I know is that im into the Xbox eco-system and platform and im not leaving unless they eliminate all the benefits that I get with Xbox. And if Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark are launch titles in Fall 2026 which I do believe that they will be, then for certain, I will be there day one.

But again, we just have to wait and see. Microsoft could pivot four more times between now and then for all we know. lol

 

[Alan Wake]

Agree with the rest of your post, but he is flat out wrong here imo.

Exclusives not only bring value to your ecosystem (and get people who would play Fortnite or Apex on your machine instead of others), they also define the "personality" and "target audience" of your machine.

He only talks down exclusives because he wasn't able to secure any quality ones without major concessions in various areas.

That's how I see it, and I love exclusives. But I think exclusives are becoming less and less important to people. (Nintendo is kind of in its own universe here.) They're not irrelevant but if you compare to previous generations I'd say they're less important than they once were. Sony is putting more and more games on PC, and even though they won't put them on Xbox they just might find ways to increase sales by launching on future Nintendo platforms as well as mobile.

 

[Topher]

I do believe their results can be different due to releasing two years before PlayStation 6 and 18 months after Switch 2 because vast majority of people love new hardware and gadgets but when you're going head to head with the dominant market leader, you may stay close for a while but eventually, they will out in front and never look back. I do believe that their handheld can and will do big numbers in Japan, China, etc. because it's what those markets care about the most but they do need to release before Sony brings out their next generation native handheld. Microsoft MUST release their console and handheld first and with a significant lead time.

I can see the console being priced higher which I personally wouldn't have a problem with as long as the specifications are there. Of course, who knows. All I know is that im into the Xbox eco-system and platform and im not leaving unless they eliminate all the benefits that I get with Xbox. And if Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark are launch titles in Fall 2026 which I do believe that they will be, then for certain, I will be there day one.

But again, we just have to wait and see. Microsoft could pivot four more times between now and then for all we know. lol

Alright.....keep the faith my man. Should be interesting to watch it all unfold.

 

[mayham2199]

I think Spencer's right when he says exclusives are not as important as they once were

The last time I bought an Xbox was because of an exclusive I wanted really bad. I ended up returning it when the game was garbage but it still got me to go to the store and get one at the very least.

 

[Zacfoldor]

I want to say that if they go down this road, Xbox is finished by the end of the gen, but I have been wrong so many times, so who the fuck knows, xbox has spent like 80 billion in acquisitions, it has be paid for somehow. Feel like releasing games on PlayStation is a step too far . Gamepass can’t be only reason to an own a Xbox.

I feel like, on average, the gaming community has called the current Xbox situation out for years and been told we were wrong and all arm chair developers who had no idea how the industry would work.

Here's what I think will happen.

Xbox will limp out this generation and launch "next gen" early.

Next gen will be a expensive windows 12 s ARM PC that is platform agnostic and can only be upgraded via the on board memory and an Xbox portal(running off Xcloud).

We will go back and forth for a few months on how we can still console war like this and will inevitably land on platform wars.

Xbox hardware will peter out pretty quickly due to the high price and it just being a gimped PC and the new big 3 will be steam, Nintendo, and Sony.

Just a guess.

 

[Humdinger]

I think Spencer's right when he says exclusives are not as important as they once were, and we can see they're fewer with every generation. But Xbox needs something to differentiate them from its competition if they intend on being a vibrant platform moving on. I think it's too late for a comeback here. Nadella is more interested in expanding Microsoft Gaming to as many screens and platforms as possible to maximize profits. He doesn't care what happens to Xbox.

Yes, I agree, they do need something to differentiate themselves - and what I'm saying is that keeping Halo/Gears/Forza/Fable exclusive could help with that. Again, I'm not saying that keeping Halo et al. exclusive will create a "comeback." I'm talking about keeping things from getting worse (i.e., porting everything to PS5 and having zero exclusives).

MS does care what happens to Xbox hardware - for the simple reason that Xbox hardware is where the majority of their GP subscriptions exist. If the hardware goes down the tubes, so do all those GP subs (unless they jump to PC).

I know most people here assume MS is going to send all of their exclusives to PS. As a PS-only guy, that would be fine with me. But thinking about it objectively, it makes more sense for MS to hold some of their core franchises exclusive. They're going to be offering an Xbox console next generation. That console would be more attractive to consumers if it had a few core pillar exclusives, compared to just "GP in a box" with zero exclusives.

 

[Alan Wake]

Yes, I agree, they do need something to differentiate themselves - and what I'm saying is that keeping Halo/Gears/Forza/Fable exclusive could help with that. Again, I'm not saying that keeping Halo et al. exclusive will create a "comeback." I'm talking about keeping things from getting worse (i.e., porting everything to PS5 and having zero exclusives).

MS does care what happens to Xbox hardware - for the simple reason that Xbox hardware is where the majority of their GP subscriptions exist. If the hardware goes down the tubes, so do all those GP subs (unless they jump to PC).

I know most people here assume MS is going to send all of their exclusives to PS. As a PS-only guy, that would be fine with me. But thinking about it objectively, it makes more sense for MS to hold some of their core franchises exclusive. They're going to be offering an Xbox console next generation. That console would be more attractive to consumers if it had a few core pillar exclusives, compared to just "GP in a box" with zero exclusives.

Yes, Game Pass would be the only reason to keep selling Xbox consoles. But strictly speaking, they don't need Xbox hardware to keeping selling subscriptions in the long run. I believe that they intend to turn Xbox into an app meaning they provide Game Pass and cloud and sell Xbox controllers. That will satisfy a lot of people who don't really care about the console itself.

Now, I don't listen to what Spencer says anymore, he's not the straight forward "a gamer just like us" kind of guy many believed him to be. But if we for the sake of argument do listen to him for a moment, he said they would launch a few titles on PlayStation and Switch and then they would learn. The lesson must be they make money by putting games on other platforms.

I still think it'll be on a case by case basis and not every Microsoft owned game at once, but they'll probably get there eventually. I can see them keeping some games exclusive for 6 months, others for 12 months, creating a "play first on Game Pass" argument, but I really don't think there will be something like a true Xbox exclusive in a few years time. It doesn't make business sense, and being the CEO of Microsoft Gaming and not head of Xbox anymore, Spencer is expected to deliver on that.

 

[Humdinger]

Yes, Game Pass would be the only reason to keep selling Xbox consoles. But strictly speaking, they don't need Xbox hardware to keeping selling subscriptions in the long run. I believe that they intend to turn Xbox into an app meaning they provide Game Pass and cloud and sell Xbox controllers. That will satisfy a lot of people who don't really care about the console itself.

But that scenario - no hardware, Xbox entirely as an app - is not coming to pass any time soon. We know MS will offer a console (or two) next gen. That's all I'm talking about -- next gen (2026-203_). What happens beyond that, I have no idea.

[...] I really don't think there will be something like a true Xbox exclusive in a few years time. It doesn't make business sense, and being the CEO of Microsoft Gaming

It would make good business sense, as I've explained. If all they offer to buyers is "GP in a box" - no exclusives whatsoever - then they are undercutting what is their main source of GP subs. But I'm repeating myself.

We shall see.

 

[JusticeForAll]

I sold my series x and still got almost 300 euros for it. I had fun with it, but now that i played every game i wanted to on it (through backwards compatibility and gamepass) and a lot of the exclusives are coming to ps5 anyway, it was time to get rid of it.

 

[mayham2199]

Is this going to be a full Windows PC that I could connect a keyboard and mouse to and get the full desktop experience with the likes of Office and Photoshop?

Nobody really knows. I personally think it's going to be a mess. Windows is already a mess. Trying to program a new UI that will work with a controller/PC game store just doesn't seem like it will work properly. Sure I could see it working most of the time but I also see the system overall having more bugs\issues than normal if they try to do that.

 

[Woopah]

Try again when including digital sales.

The %s are low enough that the Xbox ratio wouldn't look good even with a high digital split.

That's how I see it, and I love exclusives. But I think exclusives are becoming less and less important to people. (Nintendo is kind of in its own universe here.) They're not irrelevant but if you compare to previous generations I'd say they're less important than they once were. Sony is putting more and more games on PC, and even though they won't put them on Xbox they just might find ways to increase sales by launching on future Nintendo platforms as well as mobile.

I think the key factor is that Nintendo is in its own universe because of exclusives.

 

[cireza]

The %s are low enough that the Xbox ratio wouldn't look good even with a high digital split.

You have absolutely no clue about this.

 

[Woopah]

You have absolutely no clue about this.

For example, if Hogwarts Legacy Xbox has a 75% digital split, it means the total sales across Xbox One and Xbox Series are about the same as the physical only sales on PS5.

Visions of Mana could have an 80% digital split on Xbox, and its total sales on both Xbox platforms would still be below the physical only sales on PS5.

 

[Alan Wake]

But that scenario - no hardware, Xbox entirely as an app - is not coming to pass any time soon. We know MS will offer a console (or two) next gen. That's all I'm talking about -- next gen (2026-203_). What happens beyond that, I have no idea.



It would make good business sense, as I've explained. If all they offer to buyers is "GP in a box" - no exclusives whatsoever - then they are undercutting what is their main source of GP subs. But I'm repeating myself.

We shall see.

Sure, they'll launch another console. But it won't be like previous generations, and most likely it'll be a niche console for the most dedicated of fans. And they'll continue with the "every screen is an Xbox" strategy practically trying to sway people from buying an Xbox. Because people don't need to in order to access Microsoft's games. I don't think it does make good business sense for Microsoft to keep selling consoles, They don't make money off it and they don't need that kind of hardware. Not in a few years time at least.

I kind of hope I'm wrong because I love consoles and have been an Xbox gamer for 22 years, but I just don't see how it could turn out differently. Only question is how long it'll take. Yes, we shall see indeed.

 

[Alan Wake]

The %s are low enough that the Xbox ratio wouldn't look good even with a high digital split.

I think the key factor is that Nintendo is in its own universe because of exclusives.

They had the same IP's during the Wii U era and it didn't work at all. So Nintendo needs attractive hardware to go along with their exclusives.

 

[Woopah]

They had the same IP's during the Wii U era and it didn't work at all. So Nintendo needs attractive hardware to go along with their exclusives.

Hardware is absolutely important, but a big problem for Wii U was its poor lineup of exclusives (and software in general).

If Switch had the same lineup as the Wii U, it's sales would have been quite a bit lower.

Edit: Switch launched with a breakout hit in BOTW and got Mario Kart, Splatoon, 3D Mario and Xenoblade in its first 10 months.

Whereas Wii U launched with a 2D Mario (less than half a year after the last 2D Mario) and Nintendo Land, and then hardly anything else in the next 10 months.

 

[NickFire]

Do people who sub to game pass really care about getting exclusive games? The main draw is the library and access cost. If anything the GP should be happy when games get ported. More people paying retail helps preserve the pipeline and access cost after all.

 

[Chad Warden]

I'm baffled Phil thinks it's a good idea to launch a next gen Xbox in 2026.

We are 4 years into this gen and I can't even tell you what next gen only exclusives Xbox has even launched. Red fail?

It was even more embarrassing launching said console without a next gen game.

How can you even contemplate bringing out a new console, 4 years into current with virtually no next gen only games.

 

[Alan Wake]

Hardware is absolutely important, but a big problem for Wii U was its poor lineup of exclusives (and software in general).

If Switch had the same lineup as the Wii U, it's sales would have been quite a bit lower.

Edit: Switch launched with a breakout hit in BOTW and got Mario Kart, Splatoon, 3D Mario and Xenoblade in its first 10 months.

Whereas Wii U launched with a 2D Mario (less than half a year after the last 2D Mario) and Nintendo Land, and then hardly anything else in the next 10 months.

Sure, there are more than one reason the Wii U failed miserably. The game drought was clearly one of them. But when Super Mario 3D World arrived one year after launch it barely moved the needle. Neither did Mario Kart 8 in Spring 2014, a game that still was the best selling game on the system. (I've always been curious about when Nintendo internally realized the console could not be salvaged. Was it after SM3DW or MK8?)

Nintendo learned to pace their launch schedule much better, having both a new 3D Mario as well as BOTW at launch for the Switch. Still, Nintendo always have more or less the same IP (and adds a few new ones) every gen but they need appealing hardware as well. Wii U was unappealing to most people, it was ill-conceived through and through and Nintendo had a hard time explaining to people what it was all about.

 

[Alan Wake]

I'm baffled Phil thinks it's a good idea to launch a next gen Xbox in 2026.

We are 4 years into this gen and I can't even tell you what next gen only exclusives Xbox has even launched. Red fail?

It was even more embarrassing launching said console without a next gen game.

How can you even contemplate bringing out a new console, 4 years into current with virtually no next gen only games.

We don't know if the rumored 2026 launch is real or not, but if it is I wonder what they think a head start will do. They got the 360 out only four years after the OG Xbox with the intent of being first to 10 million units sold. This gen is much different, though. The brand has been severely tarnished. There's no positive spin around it among gamers anymore. Even die hards are leaving. I can't really see what a head start would do at this point.

 

[nick776]

I don't think Halo, Gears and Forza is enough to warrant an Xbox purchase even for the most loyal fans anymore. It was the case before but there was big complaints regarding the lack of exclusives for years. A few franchises just isn't enough. Hence the start of all the acquisitions promising new franchises on Xbox. And now when the games are being announced the strategy has changed and they will also land on other platforms. Oh the irony.

I was Xbox loyal up until about a month ago when I sold my Series X because of recent shenanigans within Microsoft and Xbox. I agree that Halo, Gears and Forza are no longer sufficient to warrant the purchase of an Xbox. Unless something drastically changes when they release the fabled Xbox/PC hybrid, I do not plan on getting one if all the 1P games continue to go to PS5. I will play on PS5 (or PS6) and Switch 2 but not Xbox anymore. Microsoft has proven that it does not care about the previously loyal fanbase. Xbox abandoning the sebile controller was the last straw for me insofar as it served as an elucidation of sorts. It is now crystal clear that Microsoft does not care about Xbox Hardware even in the slightest. It's on its last leg and I feel sorry for anyone gullible enough to buy into the ecosystem at this point in time. I do not think they can outright kill Hardware (even though they want to) because they know that if they do that then their Gamepass subscriptions will crater. Then again, maybe the opposite is true, maybe they WANT Gamepass subscriptions to crater so they can close down GP for good and start selling games for full price on PS5. Who knows, and I maintain that it is impossible to know given that Phil and gang are all over the place with what they have been doing lately.

 

[Woopah]

Sure, there are more than one reason the Wii U failed miserably. The game drought was clearly one of them. But when Super Mario 3D World arrived one year after launch it barely moved the needle. Neither did Mario Kart 8 in Spring 2014, a game that still was the best selling game on the system. (I've always been curious about when Nintendo internally realized the console could not be salvaged. Was it after SM3DW or MK8?)

Nintendo learned to pace their launch schedule much better, having both a new 3D Mario as well as BOTW at launch for the Switch. Still, Nintendo always have more or less the same IP (and adds a few new ones) every gen but they need appealing hardware as well. Wii U was unappealing to most people, it was ill-conceived through and through and Nintendo had a hard time explaining to people what it was all about.

Fully agree with this.

I think Nintendo knew Wii U was a flop by the end of 2013. They'd had a 3D Mario amd price cut, but this had not turned sales around (unlike the 3DS, which had seen a turnaround from similar measures).

When you cut your hardware forecast by 70%, you know you have a flop on your hands.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

I was Xbox loyal up until about a month ago when I sold my Series X because of recent shenanigans within Microsoft and Xbox. I agree that Halo, Gears and Forza are no longer sufficient to warrant the purchase of an Xbox. Unless something drastically changes when they release the fabled Xbox/PC hybrid, I do not plan on getting one if all the 1P games continue to go to PS5. I will play on PS5 (or PS6) and Switch 2 but not Xbox anymore. Microsoft has proven that it does not care about the previously loyal fanbase. Xbox abandoning the sebile controller was the last straw for me insofar as it served as an elucidation of sorts. It is now crystal clear that Microsoft does not care about Xbox Hardware even in the slightest. It's on its last leg and I feel sorry for anyone gullible enough to buy into the ecosystem at this point in time. I do not think they can outright kill Hardware (even though they want to) because they know that if they do that then their Gamepass subscriptions will crater. Then again, maybe the opposite is true, maybe they WANT Gamepass subscriptions to crater so they can close down GP for good and start selling games for full price on PS5. Who knows, and I maintain that it is impossible to know given that Phil and gang are all over the place with what they have been doing lately.

Yup ...worst leadership/management in the history of gaming and they sold us a bunch of BS around launch. Shutting down the BC program and the way they handled Halo are what did me in. Redfall, Starfield, and Forza all were disappointments with dishonest marketing. I dont like the way Sony has treated their console fanbase this gen either but compared to MS they've been so much better.

MS could've gained sone goodwill back by reinstating the BC program and giving us patches for 4k/60 for many games that are still stuck at 900p/30 fps but even that was asking for too much. The Series S holding back the Series X- MS couldve made sure that the SX versions of games took advantage of some RDNA2 features that they so heavily touted ...instead they focus on nothing but GP, acquisitions and how they can raise prices ....no focus on the fans and customers they courted early on this gen!

 

[nick776]

Yup ...worst leadership/management in the history of gaming and they sold us a bunch of BS around launch. Shutting down the BC program and the way they handled Halo are what did me in. Redfall, Starfield, and Forza all were disappointments with dishonest marketing. I dont like the way Sony has treated their console fanbase this gen either but compared to MS they've been so much better.

MS could've gained sone goodwill back by reinstating the BC program and giving us patches for 4k/60 for many games that are still stuck at 900p/30 fps but even that was asking for too much. The Series S holding back the Series X- MS couldve made sure that the SX versions of games took advantage of some RDNA2 features that they so heavily touted ...instead they focus on nothing but GP, acquisitions and how they can raise prices ....no focus on the fans and customers they courted early on this gen!

The initial Forza Motorsport footage was nothing like the actual game. The first time I realized the game was in bad shape was the very first time they showed actual gameplay to the public. The developers blamed "poor YouTube compression" as the reason it looked so bad. Boy, what a LIE. I enjoyed the campaign of Halo Infinite, but only from the part where the open world ended forward. The beginning portions where you could free roam on the open map were dull and uninspired. Once you reached the point where the game became linear, it was quite enjoyable. It was as if two different teams tried to make one game--one team did the open world part and the other team did the linear traditional part that was actually good. Same thing I feel happened with Gears 5. That open world nonsense and the lesbian haired character really rubbed me the wrong way. If it turns out that Forza Horizon 5 actually ports to PS5, there is no reason in the world to own an Xbox as far as I can see.

 

[Alan Wake]

The initial Forza Motorsport footage was nothing like the actual game. The first time I realized the game was in bad shape was the very first time they showed actual gameplay to the public. The developers blamed "poor YouTube compression" as the reason it looked so bad. Boy, what a LIE. I enjoyed the campaign of Halo Infinite, but only from the part where the open world ended forward. The beginning portions where you could free roam on the open map were dull and uninspired. Once you reached the point where the game became linear, it was quite enjoyable. It was as if two different teams tried to make one game--one team did the open world part and the other team did the linear traditional part that was actually good. Same thing I feel happened with Gears 5. That open world nonsense and the lesbian haired character really rubbed me the wrong way. If it turns out that Forza Horizon 5 actually ports to PS5, there is no reason in the world to own an Xbox as far as I can see.

Lesbians rarely rub me the wrong way, but each to his own.

I agree that Halo Infinite felt a little schizophrenic in that regard, although I really enjoyed the campaign overall. But everything else about that game is a dark chapter in Xbox history because now they've basically tanked their most valuable asset. It's beyond me how they could believe they can afford that. Nintendo would never do that to Mario and Sony would never treat their most important IP's in such a careless way. It's just sad.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

The initial Forza Motorsport footage was nothing like the actual game. The first time I realized the game was in bad shape was the very first time they showed actual gameplay to the public. The developers blamed "poor YouTube compression" as the reason it looked so bad. Boy, what a LIE. I enjoyed the campaign of Halo Infinite, but only from the part where the open world ended forward. The beginning portions where you could free roam on the open map were dull and uninspired. Once you reached the point where the game became linear, it was quite enjoyable. It was as if two different teams tried to make one game--one team did the open world part and the other team did the linear traditional part that was actually good. Same thing I feel happened with Gears 5. That open world nonsense and the lesbian haired character really rubbed me the wrong way. If it turns out that Forza Horizon 5 actually ports to PS5, there is no reason in the world to own an Xbox as far as I can see.

The Digital Foundry comparison did it for me.

Apart from a few aspects it compares very poorly to GT7.



Take away the comparison though, and Forza is still a decent looking game.

 

[SeanyQuest]

It was kinda obvious last-gen already.

Better late than never, aye?

I agree in a sense but at the same time, Breath of the Wild was a major component to Switch’s initial success.

Xbox S and X launched without Halo, again. Then Halo finally came out in a year of bad CoD and Battlefield games. Slam dunk right? Well it sucked too.

All they ever needed to do was make a good Halo game and they just can’t do it.