"We believe that by continuing to expand Xbox Play Anywhere, we will be able to grow the ecosystem," Xbox doubles down on cross-buy in new interview
- Thread starter Thick Thighs Save Lives
- Start date
ioo
Neo Member
If sony doesn't give permission to microsoft, they can't put play anywhere on playstation. Same goes for other private platform. Microsoft just want the games to be able everywhere. Sony said no to game pass as well and geforce. Some of geforce's games aren't available on microsoft edge.
GHG
Member
Why would steam need to give up their 30% if someone decides to buy the game via Steam instead of on the Microsoft Store?
In this scenario it's Microsoft who would need to forgo a percentage.
But it's probably gonna change once MS buys Steam.
At least you're honest with your intentions.
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
You're not wrong on the idea, but you're about 10 years too late.
Going this route now gaurantees a game would be 100% flop.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
The idea, I suppose, is that if you buy the game from the official MS vendor, then it would be applicable elsewhere.
Otherwise people will just buy $20 keys from CDKeys or G2A and expect the same, which would be a step too much.
At least you're honest with your intentions.
Phil's acquisition budget:
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JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Gamepass can't cease to exist fast enough.
GHG
Member
It needs to work both directions, if not neither would agree to it.
And FYI, in this case, Microsoft would be the ones losing out on revenue percentages, most purchasing customers will simply continue to do so on Steam.
The publisher is in full control of this. As you can see (example):
Buy cheap Avowed CD Key 🏷️ Best Price | GG.deals
Compare Prices from 20 stores to find the Best Deals for Avowed Steam CD key. Buy the game 38% cheaper with GG.deals!
gg.deals
Not a single steam key available anywhere and there never has been.
Phil's acquisition budget:
Topher
Identifies as young
Clearly Microsoft wants to sell their games on PlayStation. That's why they are selling them there. Either way, the "regardless of device" claim isn't true. That's my point. And if I buy Indiana Jones on PlayStation then I don't get Play Anywhere benefits on Xbox or PC. That's completely within Microsoft's control and Microsoft doesn't allow it.
Game Pass on PlayStation was never offered as far we know. Sony said no to their games on Geforce Now only on Xbox consoles. Not sure what that has to do with anything discussed here though.
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adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Regardless of MS or Steam, I think the biggest hurdle is getting every independent publisher onboard, which is probably the impossible task here.
The publisher is in full control of this. As you can see (example):
Buy cheap Avowed CD Key 🏷️ Best Price | GG.deals
Compare Prices from 20 stores to find the Best Deals for Avowed Steam CD key. Buy the game 38% cheaper with GG.deals!
Not a single steam key available anywhere and there never has been.
Sure, publishers are in control of this. I agree.
Atomfall, for example, is a Play Anywhere game on Xbox and PC, the Steam version is almost 40% off on CDKeys compared to the MS store. That's the kind of example I meant.
We're gonna make Icela.. Steam .. a part of MS one way or another.
I think it was mentioned as part of the whole acquisition CMA stuff (in)directly.
Microsoft: Sony has blocked Xbox Game Pass on PlayStation
According to court filings to the UK's CMA
www.flatpanelshd.com
Topher
Identifies as young
I think it was mentioned as part of the whole acquisition CMA stuff (in)directly.
Microsoft: Sony has blocked Xbox Game Pass on PlayStation
According to court filings to the UK's CMA
Eh...Sony "blocked" it as much as Steam has "blocked" it, I guess. Sounds like lawyer posturing to me, but that's fine. Really isn't relevant to the discussion.
HeisenbergFX4
Member
Game Pass on PS talks began right away, Ybarra mentioned it more than once while he was still with Xbox and that's been awhile now since he left there
HeisenbergFX4
Member
Topher
Identifies as young
Yeah, but it takes two to tango. If there were offers on the table from boths sides then they came to an impasse. Unless you know details....
Punished Miku
Gaslighter Pro: 16.7 Fireflops
Its kind of funny that everyone talks shit on the MS store nonstop until they offer 1 actual tangible benefit. Now people want them to give you Xbox copies if you buy on Steam. If you want it on Steam, you get it on Steam and that's it.
HeisenbergFX4
Member
Sony always said no but Mike never seemed to know as to exactly why
He always speculated Sony was afraid of boosting GP numbers and MS using that on social medias as some sort of winning point
Topher
Identifies as young
Interesting. Ok then
GHG
Member
Well that depends on how much oomph you want and which ecosystems you've got games tied to.
If you're on Xbox, want more power than the Series X and want access to at least a portion of your existing library/subscriptions on more powerful hardware, PC is your only choice. That's just the reality of the situation right now, and that will only be reinforced in the future if they opt to go down the OEM route.
Yeh the larger publishers will be looking at this and saying "well hang on, what's stopping us from just opening up our own storefront on PC and being in full control of this ourselves?".
I was more referring to games Microsoft themselves publish. Like we mentioned above, for 3rd party games/publishers it's always going to be more complicated.
However in Microsoft's case, when they already make you install and sign in to their stuff (for most of their games) even when purchasing via Steam, the only reasons they aren't also extending play anywhere to other PC storefronts are down to control and money.
Which is the original point, "play anywhere" doesn't actually mean play anywhere. It's all within their walls.
UltimaKilo
Gold Member
The younger generations mostly don't care about consoles. They play on their phones.
GHG
Member
It's not only now though. I've been critical of this since the start:
If you're going to call it that then make it really mean that.
Punished Miku
Gaslighter Pro: 16.7 Fireflops
GHG
Member
Which is fine, but if they really want this to be attractive to any PC gamers who don't also happen to game on an Xbox console then they need to make it do what it says on the tin.
Because right now the only people this is attractive to are Xbox console owners who might also own a gaming PC, and current Xbox owners who are worried about the future of the Xbox ecosystem and what it means for their current libraries (this puts people at ease because at least there will be another access point for the games in your library that are play anywhere, no matter what Xbox decide to do regarding consoles).
It does very little to attract new customers and it gives PC gamers zero incentive to interact with their store.
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Topher
Identifies as young
Exactly. Nothing wrong with how Play Anywhere is implemented at all really. Microsoft executives like the one in the article just tend to exaggerate and say silly stuff like "regardless of the platform" knowing full well that many Play Anywhere games are available on stores and platforms where Play Anywhere doesn't apply. Nothing wrong with pointing out executive bullshit.
ZehDon
Member
Potentially, but also potentially not. Your point is rock solid: Microsoft is pimping a strategy but it's not actually delivering on that strategy in full. However, like on Steam, every software purchase on Xbox or PlayStation, etc., is given a unique license that ties that game to your account. That license is actually the property of the platform holder, and the license specifics are their patented intellectual property. If I want to support a PlayStation game license on my platform - like, say, buying Indiana Jones on PlayStation lets me play it on my Xbox - then I need Sony's permission to implement their licensing system on my platform. I see no reason for PlayStation to have even developed support for this kind of external integration, let alone allow their competitor to implement such integration. Work-arounds - such as external licensing platforms - are prohibited. This is why digital currency purchases are made through the platform's store, like Xbox Store or PlayStation store, rather than through the software itself. There's wiggle room - like cross-platform progression - but it's locked down tight for a reason. For as much as I'm happy to shit on Microsoft, there's every chance Sony told them no.
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reinking
Gold Member
Play Everywhere is a good, consumer friendly feature but it is not the big selling point MS (and apparently the usual suspects) want it to be. Play Anywhere is not new. They have had it for eight(?) years and it was around when MS was more serious about taking on Steam with the MS store. It didn't move the needle on Steam's sale numbers and that is why we see MS pushing for Steam on their Xbox platform and not the other way around.
Sony has been paying attention.
Topher
Identifies as young
That's an intersting point, but Sony already allows Xbox login and cross progression between the two ecosystems. That's all the information Microsoft needs to grant a license on their own platform. At that point, Sony wouldn't have a say in whether Microsoft applies Play Anywhere licensing on Xbox or Windows or not. I mean....obviously we are both speculating here, but I really don't see how this would be up to Sony.
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Wow, now we have Neogaf fanatics masquerading as expert therapists and psychologists to declare that XBOX gamers are mentally unbalanced with low self-esteem...
What's next?
It's really you who should be worried about your mental state.
Why did you think I was talking to you?
In Brazil, Xbox has a neo-Nazi sect that uses dog whistles with neo-Nazi symbols. It became quite famous, Phil Spencer himself canceled them and demanded that they remove the name "xbox" from Xbox Milgrau.
I didn't say that every Xbox fan is a frustrated lunatic with a victim complex.
I said that every video game fanboy who is a lunatic and a failure, 4ever alone and feels like a victim of something ends up identifying with something about the Xbox, like the victim complex like Phil Spencer says he's a victim of Sony who wants to "grow by making the Xbox smaller."
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Topher
Identifies as young
reinking
Gold Member
EverydayBeast
ChatGPT 0.001
Microsoft is upset Netflix took off, and they've been staring them down ever since, if it's time to get a tv certainly Xbox cloud are built into them now (Samsung) but right now it's still time to game on hardware and we're just 15 years removed from RROD, 10 years removed from the dreaded Kinect.
S0ULZB0URNE
Member
Just let me play my the Xbox games in my library on my PlayStation.
Fess
Member
Yup. In my case it's all about convenience when being a multi device gamer and playing more games for less money.
As long as I can get Gamepass cheap I'll use it. I can understand it's consequences but I have no ambitions to save the industry with my money, I'm not paying more than I have to and have no need to own anything I'll just play once anyway. Once there is no way to get GP cheap I'll evaluate if it's worth having at standard cost. Probably not but we'll see.
Play Anywhere is less important now after building a PC for the living room. I no longer use my Xbox. But I think it should at minimum turn into a save cloud sync when you have their games on multiple stores/services, like going between Steam and Gamepass and PlayStation. Hoping they sort that out. Easy way to get more people to jump off the fence, knowing you can just continue where you were feels nice. For example I'm likely buying Cyberpunk on Switch 2 because of cross-saves.
Pretty much every single one of their first party games (on release) since 2017 have been PlayAnywhere, except for a few RTS type games that are PC only.
They aren't demanding publishers go and port their decades old games to the Windows store and make them PlayAnywhere.
Looks like they're setting the right example. Where are the 'easily covered gaps'?
I guess that means you're also taking refuge in PC gaming, since you're in exactly the same situation?
Because there were every reason to think it? It certainly wasn't just me....
And? Are the people at Xbox to blame for the existence of mentally unbalanced people in the world? P. Spencer did the right thing and what he could have done at the time.
Well basically yes,...
...when you are basically implying that mentally unbalanced people with complexes tend to embrace XBOX because according to you it is a loser brand with complexes
I don't know, what study you're basing this on?
(I hope not on a single case of a dementia in Brazil). Linking any video game brand with psychotic or neo-Nazi tendencies—I'm sorry, but it seems to me there's more to you and your thoughts than reality.Each person's mind is individual. It's like saying PS is the brand jihadists embrace because Xbox represent USA and some terrorist played PS4/5 before planting a bomb...
Anyway, I'd recommend two things, if you'd allow me:
1- Try to clarify the person you're referring to when you quote someone, and you'll avoid confusion.
2- Try to separate video games from other things. Because having preferences for a brand, its ecosystem, its games, or its culture (if you understand that there is culture in video games) doesn't identify you with any type of psychopathy or way of being.
Regards
What I've noticed around here is that a lot of these guys who supposedly prefer PC surely do love warring in favour of Xbox.
It's a very strange phenomena this
Sorcerer
Member
If Play Anywhere only exists for Xbox First Party, then the idea is failed.
Because Xbox first party needs games that people want to play in the first place. Doesn't matter where they are.
How about "Lets Make Games People Want to Play in the First Place"
Xbox as a brand is just allowing itself to sink into obscurity by spreading itself so thin.
Surprised to see South Of Midnight launch on Steam for $40 bucks. Did Microsoft just abandon any hope for that game selling well?
Because Xbox first party needs games that people want to play in the first place. Doesn't matter where they are.
How about "Lets Make Games People Want to Play in the First Place"
Xbox as a brand is just allowing itself to sink into obscurity by spreading itself so thin.
Surprised to see South Of Midnight launch on Steam for $40 bucks. Did Microsoft just abandon any hope for that game selling well?
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Punished Miku
Gaslighter Pro: 16.7 Fireflops
Well it's not just 1st party. I just picked up Still Wakes the Deep for $8.50. Used $10 from rewards points. Have it on Xbox and PC now.
Fess
Member
Xbox is merging with PC, there is nothing strange about it at all. The games you've bought on Xbox or have access to on Gamepass is already playable on PC if it's Play Anywhere. And it's possible that you'll some day see your entire Xbox console library within the PC Xbox App.
Xbox to PC is the most logical transition I can think of. Besides the cost of course but we're enthusiasts here used to buy all consoles so skipping all consoles and just going with PC is one way forward, it's what I'm doing, for PlayStation as well.
Astray
Member
The Arkane Collection for one isn't. None of Arkane's titles is playanywhere except for maybe Redfall.
That would probably include all the Zenimax titles that were published prior to the acquisition. Which is a major part of Microsoft's viable library rn.
If titles you own the rights and entire IP to aren't easily covered gaps, then what is?
Donald mac Ronald
Member
After Xbox lost the war suddenly Nintendo became the console king. Funny since Xbox talking points were all about how pro consumer they are; yet Nintendo routinely show anti-consumer they are.
And now how much better ever game is on PC. Can't hide those MSFT tags though.
Deathloop is PlayAnywhere.
MS isn't pushing other publishers to retroactively make past catalog games PlayAnywhere and publish on the Windows store. Most of the push is current and forward looking.
ZehDon
Member
Not quite. Consider the practical implementation limitations. For example, I buy Indiana Jones on PlayStation and login to Xbox to "unlock" my Xbox copy. Then I refund my PlayStation copy immediately. How would Xbox know my license is no longer valid if just grants me new licenses on Xbox's end? In this scenario, we can see that Xbox would be granting control of its users to Sony, and Sony would be blowing a hole into its systems for Microsoft.
What we see as "Xbox Play Anywhere" is just a fancy way to unify disparate licenses in the backend such as to be invisible to the end user. You still have an Xbox license, a Steam license, a Windows license, and so on - it's just centralised. In this scenario, Sony would need to relinquish control over the licenses on its platforms for Xbox games once granted, so only Microsoft could revoke them, for Play Anywhere to function as we expect it to. This means granting Microsoft access to its own backend, including the particulars of license authentication. As I mentioned in my previous post, that stuff is patented and I see no reason for Sony to let Microsoft integrate in this way as it offers Sony nothing in return.
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Fess
Member
That's a good point. And if Microsoft would include Play Anywhere license transfer for their titles on PlayStation they would also rip away the 30% cut from Sony for those that otherwise would've had to purchase the games on PlayStation Store.
Not going to happen.
But they could add save syncing at least. As it is you have to start over from the beginning if you for example want to continue playing Indiana Jones on PS5 Pro instead of Xbox Series S.
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Topher
Identifies as young
Sony only allows games to be refunded if it has not been downloaded. So at that point, no information would have been sent to Microsoft in the first place. Either way, I'm not seeing this scenario that Sony is refusing to let Microsoft know that their game was refunded. None of this requires allowing publisher control over Sony licensing. I just don't see why Sony would ever care if one of their publishers wanted to allow cross-buy. Think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.