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[PurePlatinum]

I think this, the Costco stuff, the Sam's Club stuff...this is the strongest current indicator that something is happening behind the scenes in terms of the supply chain.

Rumors are something, and those rumors being addressed by PR (in the weakest way possible) is something else...but when the supply chain starts drying up I think there's something really solid about this.

 

[spookyfish]

They're just clearing out space for Microsoft's next console.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

But with 2-3X the install base to sell them services and games with a 30% cut to themselves. It's beyond me.

Microsoft weighed up the pros and cons of going third party after the $70bn Activision acquisition, had the acquisition not taken place there wouldn't have been this focus.

One of the cons was that it would kill the Xbox console business as no one would buy them anymore and making games exclusive to a console that only had 30 million users wasn't feasible.

That existing 30 million users will still be supported with future multiplatform games, so they're not being abandoned, but Microsoft has given up growing the userbase any further, it's just not worth it anymore.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I think this, the Costco stuff, the Sam's Club stuff...this is the strongest current indicator that something is happening behind the scenes in terms of the supply chain.

Rumors are something, and those rumors being addressed by PR (in the weakest way possible) is something else...but when the supply chain starts drying up I think there's something really solid about this.

Correct, always go off what Microsoft does, not what Microsoft says.

1. Have Walmart, Costco and Sam's Club caused Microsoft to stop production?

...or...

2. Have Microsoft stopped production causing Walmart, Costco and Sam's Club to no longer stock them?

It doesn't matter at the end of the day.

 

[MayauMiao]

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I think this, the Costco stuff, the Sam's Club stuff...this is the strongest current indicator that something is happening behind the scenes in terms of the supply chain.

Rumors are something, and those rumors being addressed by PR (in the weakest way possible) is something else...but when the supply chain starts drying up I think there's something really solid about this.

Just my 2 cents nothing is happening behind the scenes outside of Xbox shit isn't selling and these huge retailers are tired of their crap taking up valuable space in their stores with nothing in return

 

[RoboFu]

They're just clearing out space for Microsoft's next console.

this?

 

[Rran]

Can Nintendo get Rareware back now?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Can Nintendo get Rareware back now?

There's not much to get back outside of IP

 

[Poppinfresh]

Just my 2 cents nothing is happening behind the scenes outside of Xbox shit isn't selling and these huge retailers are tired of their crap taking up valuable space in their stores with nothing in return

This is probably the most accurate take.

I mean, what "exclusive" (i.e. Xbox & PC) releases does MS even have between now and Christmas to warrant console sales for the holiday?

 

[MayauMiao]

I think this, the Costco stuff, the Sam's Club stuff...this is the strongest current indicator that something is happening behind the scenes in terms of the supply chain.

Rumors are something, and those rumors being addressed by PR (in the weakest way possible) is something else...but when the supply chain starts drying up I think there's something really solid about this.

We need to stop believing in MS PRs.

 

[PurePlatinum]

We need to stop believing in MS PRs.

PR is there to reinforce the message that's already been approved and sent out. What they told Jez is not "new" information, they are simply pointing to the news from a while ago about the partnership between AMD/Xbox and essentially saying, "Per my last email".

I'm sure the meetings are happening this week, about what to do about the dam starting to break -- They've got to say something. It's like when the game porting stuff started leaking.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Just my 2 cents nothing is happening behind the scenes outside of Xbox shit isn't selling and these huge retailers are tired of their crap taking up valuable space in their stores with nothing in return

Yeah. Above all else, brick and mortar stores had to worry about the value of shelfspace. This is not Amazon or some other online only retailer. Physical stores had to count the price of the shelf that is taken up and to determine if it is profitable to sell a certain item.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Are the Microsoft board in a coma? How does Phil still have a job after what he's overseen.

It's become in season to shit on Phil( and Sarah/Matt Booty), but anyone else sitting in their spots would be doing the same. It's pretty clear at this point that everything happening now is at the will of Nadella and the executive branch above the Xbox gaming division. Microsoft was fine with Xbox being a little side project( relatively speaking given the overall scale of the company), but that 70B ABK deal put the pressure on Xbox to deliver now, and the reality is they didn't have the cache to actually pull it off as far as keeping everything in-house. I highly doubt that Xbox would be turning into a major third party publisher in an alternate reality where they didn't make that acquisition. Xbox Series X in and off itself is a great console IMO. I actually prefer it( again, just in terms of hardware, the controller, quick resume, FPS boost, BC) to the PS5.

 

[Sorcerer]

Strange is Xbox denying reality. Their brand is at an all time low and it feels it's all on purpose.

They keep pushing Game Pass and phase out their consoles slowly until nothing remains. Legit doubt there will be a proper next-gen hardware.

It seems they know they are dead, but they just won't admit it publicly. It seems like they are trying to push a narrative that they are forced to raise prices and have no choice. They seem to be going for a no-fault of their own/ no failure exit.
Is this all just to push people out of the current hardware and kill Game Pass, and then re-enter the market with OEM machines where they can wash their hands on making hardware and just make money off the backs of pc vendors themselves? True, this did not work for Valve, but Valve did not have Windows on their machines either. Obviously, Windows is still a huge necessity for 95 percent of PC users.
Get your personal computer with Windows/Xbox all in one device? (Buy all your games from now on). That might actually work if presented that way. Not sure the Xbox first party is strong enough for anyone to be convinced they actually need an Xbox branded PC however. Especially if you can buy those same games on Steam anyway.

 

[MisterXDTV]

Just my 2 cents nothing is happening behind the scenes outside of Xbox shit isn't selling and these huge retailers are tired of their crap taking up valuable space in their stores with nothing in return

The point is very simple:

Are we supposed to believe these retailers will want to sell another Xbox first-party "console" in the future?

We all know they are not going to....

 

[AREYOUOKAY?]

Physical media is growing as a result of subscription fatigue...

HMV boss claims more people buying DVDs and Blu-ray

Phil Halliday says HMV sales are up but figures suggest a DVD revival is not on the cards.

www.bbc.co.uk

Those idiots at Best Buy must regret removing their Blu-ray section entirely from stores. What good is selling Blu-ray players when there's no movies to buy with them? Now there's a bunch of empty spaces in most of their stores with still nothing to replace what was taken out. Best Buy's movie section was usually much bigger and better compared to what Walmart and Target had to offer. They abandoned ship too soon when it came to physical shows and movies.

 

[demigod]

It's become in season to shit on Phil( and Sarah/Matt Booty), but anyone else sitting in their spots would be doing the same. It's pretty clear at this point that everything happening now is at the will of Nadella and the executive branch above the Xbox gaming division. Microsoft was fine with Xbox being a little side project( relatively speaking given the overall scale of the company), but that 70B ABK deal put the pressure on Xbox to deliver now, and the reality is they didn't have the cache to actually pull it off as far as keeping everything in-house. I highly doubt that Xbox would be turning into a major third party publisher in an alternate reality where they didn't make that acquisition. Xbox Series X in and off itself is a great console IMO. I actually prefer it( again, just in terms of hardware, the controller, quick resume, FPS boost, BC) to the PS5.

But we were told by armchair analysts on here that ms doesn't need to recoup that 70B.

 

[yurinka]

Not sure how widespread this is, but it looks like Walmart has started to convert its Xbox sections to other things? Is this another sign of the impending discontinuation of the Xbox console line?

Nah, haven't you heard about it? Switch 2 and PS5 now are Xboxes too!

Wtf is going on?

Xbox is dying because doesn't sell a shit, so retailers are replacing their Xbox sections with other stuff that sells well, like PS and Nintendo games or movies.

Bestbuy still has the xbox stuff. I was in there this weekend getting a Switch 2 pro controller and Donkey Kong Bonanza.

Well, if Wallmart and others stop selling Xbox sales maybe the ones who still sell Xbox games may see at least as small increase in Xbox sales.

But I assume sooner or later will also stop selling Xbox games. Maybe even this same year.