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[Parazels]

Let's assume Microsoft makes a declaration:

- No more subscriptions. The current subscriptions won't be prolonged after expiring;
- Free online multiplayer;
- All Microsoft franchises become Xbox exclusives. No more PC ports at all;
- No longer support for Microsoft franchises on the other platforms.

What would happen after that?

 

[AngelMuffin]

 

[LectureMaster]

Basically Imitate Nintendo but output is this?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

The problem for me isn’t that they port their games to PC and PS5, it’s that their games aren’t worth buying anyway.

If they released everything they’d made during the Xbox One and Xbox Series era, I’d probably only buy Halo MCC and Forza Horizon 5 on PS5, and Rare Replay on Switch.

That’s it

 

[HogIsland]

say goodbye to AAA games from Microsoft Game Studios.

 

[MrRibeye]

Plus keep graphics at 2008 quality and churn out multiple blockbusters per year.

 

[RPCGamer]

Its too late for that, but I would welcome a return to just focusing on making games big and small from them.

 

[jshackles]

What would happen? Microsoft would exit the console business entirely, and with the quickness I assume.

Raise your hand if you'd buy an Xbox console just to play... I dunno, Indiana Jones

 

[Parazels]

The problem for me isn’t that they port their games to PC and PS5, it’s that their games aren’t worth buying anyway.

If they released everything they’d made during the Xbox One and Xbox Series era, I’d probably only buy Halo MCC and Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 and Rare Replay on Switch.

That’s it

Doom, Call of Duty, Fallout... Do you even remember a full list of their franchises?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Doom, Call of Duty, Fallout... Do you even remember a full list of their franchises?

I was talking about the Xbox One/Series console exclusives. Those games are already on PlayStation.

 

[Parazels]

What would happen? Microsoft would exit the console business entirely, and with the quickness I assume.

Raise your hand if you'd buy an Xbox console just to play... I dunno, Indiana Jones

But people want to play Forza and Call of Duty. And they are available only on Xbox.

 

[reinking]

 

[intbal]

I was talking about the Xbox One/Series console exclusives. Those games are already on PlayStation.

And if future entries were exclusively on Xbox consoles, not even PC, then it would definitely matter.
(except for CoD, since they have a binding contract for that one)

But none of this is happening. Microsoft is going all-in on XCloud.

 

[diffusionx]

It'd be very soulful

 

[jshackles]

But people want to play Forza and Call of Duty.

Ok and? Microsoft obviously internally already went through all these scenarios when deciding to still release Call of Duty on PlayStation. I mean, outside of contractual obligations, they're not just continuing to release it there to be nice. They know that making the game exclusive to Xbox would be the death knell of the franchise, simply for cutting off the existing PlayStation and PC fanbases but also because they know people aren't going to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a system that objectively plays fewer games.

In the case of Forza, you're talking about just not releasing it for PC. Does that actually benefit Microsoft? Are people who play the game on PC likely, again, to go spend hundreds of dollars on it? Some will, sure, but in order to be successful it has to appeal to the mass market.

If The Elder Scrolls VI released as an Xbox-only exclusive and not on PC, I don't know if I could even bring myself (a massive Elder Scrolls fanboy with thousands of hours across all the games) to buy it.

Obviously, Microsoft has decided it's more profitable for them to go in the opposite direction. And I think they're probably right.

 

[Majukun]

absolutely nothing.

in their bigger years MS was still kept afloat by exclusive third parties, their own franchise portfolio is never been enough by itself

of course this would change if they actually went all exclusive, meaning the stuff from actibliz also being only on xbox, but that ain't gonna happen

 

[cireza]

say goodbye to AAA games from Microsoft Game Studios.

I don't play any, so that's fine.

It would be great but it won't happen, as this would restrict them to a market that cannot satisfy them.

 

[Parazels]

They know that making the game exclusive to Xbox would be the death knell of the franchise, simply for cutting off the existing PlayStation and PC fanbases but also because they know people aren't going to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a system that objectively plays fewer games.

No. After that Xbox will have much more games, than PlayStation. Dozens of very popular franchises + multiplatform games.

 

[RPCGamer]

Ok and? Microsoft obviously internally already went through all these scenarios when deciding to still release Call of Duty on PlayStation. I mean, outside of contractual obligations, they're not just continuing to release it there to be nice. They know that making the game exclusive to Xbox would be the death knell of the franchise, simply for cutting off the existing PlayStation and PC fanbases but also because they know people aren't going to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a system that objectively plays fewer games.

In the case of Forza, you're talking about just not releasing it for PC. Does that actually benefit Microsoft? Are people who play the game on PC likely, again, to go spend hundreds of dollars on it? Some will, sure, but in order to be successful it has to appeal to the mass market.

If The Elder Scrolls VI released as an Xbox-only exclusive and not on PC, I don't know if I could even bring myself (a massive Elder Scrolls fanboy with thousands of hours across all the games) to buy it.

Obviously, Microsoft has decided it's more profitable for them to go in the opposite direction. And I think they're probably right.

I get what you're saying, but in this hypothetical, say during the 360 era they stuck to what worked (games), I think it would have worked well. Sony would definitely not have the lead they have.

 

[Skifi28]

I imagine they'd lose what little trust their few fans still had in them by going back on their word.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Well for one I think the horse has left the barn on any kind of return to glory days, so I'm not sure it really matters if they just undid all the moves they've done the last decade

But really, we've had 4 gens now to see that Xbox isn't really competitive with Playstation except in a gen where the latter stumbles out the game. Otherwise, Playstation is just a more global brand with generally more beloved franchises. The best case scenario is Xbox getting outsold 2:1 if they basically recreated the 360 environment.

 

[Parazels]

I imagine they'd lose what little trust their few fans still had on them by going back on their word.

On the other hand it would be very simple and clear rules.
Buy the console and buy the games.

 

[Parazels]

Well for one I think the horse has left the barn on any kind of return to glory days, so I'm not sure it really matters if they just undid all the moves they've done the last decade

But really, we've had 4 gens now to see that Xbox isn't really competitive with Playstation except in a gen where the latter stumbles out the game. Otherwise, Playstation is just a more global brand with generally more beloved franchises. The best case scenario is Xbox getting outsold 2:1 if they basically recreated the 360 environment.

Microsoft has never ever had SO many franchises before. And now all of them are available only on Xbox.

 

[rodrigolfp]

A big fucking disaster games from ID, Bethesda, Act/Blizz, World's Edge becoming Xbox exclusives.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Let's assume Microsoft makes a declaration:

- No more subscriptions. The current subscriptions won't be prolonged after expiring;
- Free online multiplayer;
- All Microsoft franchises become Xbox exclusives. No more PC ports at all;
- No longer support for Microsoft franchises on the other platforms.

What would happen after that?

Multiplayer was never free for Xbox.

As for everything else id welcome this over what Sony currently offers...

 

[Parazels]

Multiplayer was never free for Xbox.

As for everything else id welcome this over what Sony currently offers...

Yeah, and now Xbox offers free multiplayer (like no other), all multiplatform and a crazy portfolio of exclusive games.

 

[jshackles]

- Free online multiplayer;

Honestly this would be the one that would hurt their bottom line the most and probably send the entire Xbox division straight to the incinerator at Microsoft. Last we heard, this was generating upwards of $250M+ per month in revenue. Imagine giving up $3B annually in almost pure profit just to... try and win people over from your competition?

 

[CLW]

Too late once you let the genie out of the bottle it cannot be undone

 

[Parazels]

Honestly this would be the one that would hurt their bottom line the most and probably send the entire Xbox division straight to the incinerator at Microsoft. Last we heard, this was generating upwards of $250M+ per month in revenue. Imagine giving up $3B annually in almost pure profit just to... try and win people over from your competition?

By your logic free multiplayer shouldn't exist on pc-cancer and mobile platforms at all.

 

[nial]

Basically Imitate Nintendo but output is this?

Let's assume Microsoft makes a declaration:

- No more subscriptions. The current subscriptions won't be prolonged after expiring;
- Free online multiplayer;
- All Microsoft franchises become Xbox exclusives. No more PC ports at all;
- No longer support for Microsoft franchises on the other platforms.

What would happen after that?

 

[Zathalus]

Well, the Activision stuff can’t be exclusive for one thing. So not really much pull without that. Maybe if they decided to spend tens of billions on exclusives from third parties but the financials don’t make sense for that.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Microsoft has never ever had SO many franchises before. And now all of them are available only on Xbox.

Are they still buying all the publishers they did over the past 6 years or so? Because all of that was done to pad out Gamespaas.

 

[LectureMaster]

So basically Imitate valve but the output is still this?

 

[Parazels]

Are they still buying all the publishers they did over the past 6 years or so? Because all of that was done to pad out Gamespaas.

Most of these games have good sales on the other platforms without game pass.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Most of these games have good sales on the other platforms without game pass.

I still maintain the best case scenario is they get outsold like 2:1. Frankly I'm convinced that's what would have happened if PS3 released the same year as the 360 at the same price point.

 

[nial]

So basically Imitate valve but the output is still this?

I believe Valve released some Portal ports on Switch, lol.

 

[Preseznik]

I was talking about the Xbox One/Series console exclusives. Those games are already on PlayStation.

The thread is about that not being the case anymore.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

the issue with all of these wet dreams is that they are ignoring the financial situation of xbox and the industry.

 

[Barakov]

It's a nice dream. A pipe dream but a nice dream none the less. They're pretty locked into their current path with no way out. Maybe with with the next Xbox they can change course but that would only happen with a MASSIVE managerial shake up. Their current line up has the same competency level as the current administration of the US.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Xbox would get the mixer treatment.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

The thread is about that not being the case anymore.

That was my point though, I wouldn’t buy them on the consoles that I own, therefore I certainly wouldn’t buy an Xbox to play them.

 

[Parazels]

the issue with all of these wet dreams is that they are ignoring the financial situation of xbox and the industry.

Nintendo somehow makes profit despite having modester possibilities than Microsoft.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Nintendo somehow makes profit despite having more modest possibilities than Microsoft.

ignoring the financial situation of xbox and the industry.

 

[sono]

If it removes xbox icons from windows os I am for it

 

[angrod14]

Let's assume Microsoft makes a declaration:

- No more subscriptions. The current subscriptions won't be prolonged after expiring;
- Free online multiplayer;
- All Microsoft franchises become Xbox exclusives. No more PC ports at all;
- No longer support for Microsoft franchises on the other platforms.

What would happen after that?

They would need to have a really strong first party library to pull it off, like the one they had during the 360 days. Third party just doesn't cut it because PlayStation already has that and it's the biggest brand in gaming.

They really let themselves go in the software side, and at the end of the day the games are what matters.

 

[Dane]

"- All Microsoft franchises become Xbox exclusives. No more PC ports at all;"
"- No longer support for Microsoft franchises on the other platforms."

No wonder why nobody takes forums seriously and the groups who keeps trying to hammer this are always getting the looks by the PC and platform agnostics, you truly have no issue with throwing millions of customers under the bus and generate all sorts of badwill that will hurt big time.

Is it that hard to understand that Microsoft sees the console as one way to play as software not just the only way? I've been playing on PC for decades and it sucked that many multiplatform games were consoles only, people were buying 360 and PS3 because it was either that or be dried out of games, while PC gamers never had this issue with their games coming to console.

 

[Flintty]

say goodbye to AAA games from Microsoft Game Studios.

I've been waiting to say hello for a while now tbh...

 

[violence]

 

[Gojiira]

Let's assume Microsoft makes a declaration:

- No more subscriptions. The current subscriptions won't be prolonged after expiring;
- Free online multiplayer;
- All Microsoft franchises become Xbox exclusives. No more PC ports at all;
- No longer support for Microsoft franchises on the other platforms.

What would happen after that?

Lmao they were the ones who began all the Subscription,DLC and Paid Online stuff to BEGIN WITH…Theres no possibility ever of them going back on it.
And if they did they would go broke since Gamepass is there only real income stream at the moment.

 

[buenoblue]

Then i would buy an Xbox