phaedrus
Member
One thing I have to ask again:
How the fuck do Matt Bootylicious and Aaron Greenberg still have jobs?
Greenberg reading this be like:
One thing I have to ask again:
How the fuck do Matt Bootylicious and Aaron Greenberg still have jobs?
The thing is that being a console warrior and being right sadly is not always mutually exclusive. Some posters do vilify MS for whatever action they do in gaming. But let's look 10 years in the past and I don't see people defending their past actions, probably with the benefit of hindsight. We have been talking about some of Xbox actions like the Series S/X strategy for years now. Do you think that in 2030 the S will be considered like a genius idea or a mistake? We are probably getting a PS5 Pro but no Xbox equivalent. Will this be considered a good idea or a strategic blunder in the next decade? We got rumors that Xbox is going third party, have multiple hardware plans. Some of us see this as Xbox retracing Sega destiny, others believe in their chances. You said it yourself: there is no magic fix available. But if Xbox had made different choices, and I don't know wich ones, they could have been more competitive. I honestly can't understand how they can allow Sony to go alone with the PS5 Pro. It will make their position intenable for 2025 IMHO.I wasn't saying GAF changes it's mind, I was saying GAF tends to vilify and condemn MS for whatever action it does. Which you know is true.
Sack Phil all you want, it won't negate things done right (or wrong) since its all in the past, nor will it instantly fix anything. Not sure what magical direction you would expect the new person in charge to take things.
They will still try to develop new hardware, they will still try to make aaa games with the studios they have. Drop gamepass maybe? Ok some will be happy, others will leave Xbox. Become a 3rd party developer? Ok say goodbye to control and 30% of your software revenue.
Keep all games for Xbox only, no pc releases? Seems like a bad idea if you want windows to continue as the OS leader. (But would boost Xbox sales)
Not only him, Tanteem Antoniades co-founder from Ninja Theory is also leaving, just as Kareem Choudhry key Xbox Innovator...is the xbox ship sinking??The article is less damning than the resume. Jason Ronald, the guy with the big beard is still there according to Corden. And at the end he said that the reason for this departure is "circumstantial" instead of planned. We all know that 343i leader Bonnie Ross left for "family reasons" but maybe this time it's true.
Leaders that got big money from MS have good reasons to leave. Like Notch after he sold Minecraft.Not only him, Tanteem Antoniades co-founder from Ninja Theory is also leaving, just as Kareem Choudhry key Xbox Innovator...is the xbox ship sinking??
Maybe you should've read the article instead of larping as a failed comedianSo dedicated R&D in Xbox is basically dead.
Tells you a lot.
The XEmTech org will move into the general Xbox hardware org, which is led by Roanne Sones. Sones is famed for her tenure as an OEM expert on the Windows division, helping companies like Dell and HP get the most out of Windows for their PC manufacturing efforts. I spoke to Sones last year at Gamescom, where she made no secret of Microsoft's interest in gaming handhelds.
For very integrated components like the game consoles we know and love, you do see how that is not as good as a supported but more independent Xbox org and having the former split and absorbed by other teams in MS will likely lose some focus / holistic thinking? If not well, in large corporations being under different reporting lines does not bring teams closer .
The XEmTech org will move into the general Xbox hardware org
Or you should read the word dedicated. MS is basically smashing Xbox-only skunk labs R&D with general HW division only promoting the idea of 3rd party Xbox hardware in the future. It is what it is.Maybe you should've read the article instead of larping as a failed comedian
More and more it looks like Microsoft will just do some type of OEM Xbox branded PC rather than another traditional console. I wonder what that will mean for backward compatibility games and purchases, if they will forever be locked to the Xbox Series and earlier as Microsoft movies on with this initiative.
They’ve hinted at that a few times.I'm wondering if they can make it so Xbox game code can be run in a secure container of some kind in a customized game version of Windows. Almost like a form of emulation but for signed code. I'm just spitballing here, but that's really the only way I can see them bridging the gap between Xbox and PC.
The thing is that being a console warrior and being right sadly is not always mutually exclusive. Some posters do vilify MS for whatever action they do in gaming. But let's look 10 years in the past and I don't see people defending their past actions, probably with the benefit of hindsight. We have been talking about some of Xbox actions like the Series S/X strategy for years now. Do you think that in 2030 the S will be considered like a genius idea or a mistake? We are probably getting a PS5 Pro but no Xbox equivalent. Will this be considered a good idea or a strategic blunder in the next decade? We got rumors that Xbox is going third party, have multiple hardware plans. Some of us see this as Xbox retracing Sega destiny, others believe in their chances. You said it yourself: there is no magic fix available. But if Xbox had made different choices, and I don't know wich ones, they could have been more competitive. I honestly can't understand how they can allow Sony to go alone with the PS5 Pro. It will make their position intenable for 2025 IMHO.
Outside of forums being natural echo chambers, part of the problem is that outside of the US the Xbox brand is just not a thing. When you see stuff like PS dominating Europe, it means that for us Xbox is not the rival that they are in the US. No marketing, no competition, no effort from Xbox to change that, and for years. Going back from that to relevance won't be easy. Some people here are just mean to Xbox, and vice versa. I saw in another thread people belittle MS backward compatibility efforts. But this is a good point of Xbox, so this is all they can do, don't admit how good it is. When/if MS get others great news in the future, the same will happen again. The sales threads will continue to get hot for the next few months and I really don't know how the market will react to Xbox moves this year. Hopefully they give us great games as that is all I want from them.
Or you should read the word dedicated. MS is basically smashing Xbox-only skunk labs R&D with general HW division only promoting the idea of 3rd party Xbox hardware in the future. It is what it is.
Not only him, Tanteem Antoniades co-founder from Ninja Theory is also leaving, just as Kareem Choudhry key Xbox Innovator...is the xbox ship sinking??
I don't think this is related to AI synergy. It's more likely that they will treat xbox like a standard PC from now on and the dedicated xbox hardware team is being downsized.Last we heard from Microsoft just two months ago, they’re planning dedicated next gen Xbox hardware with a significant spec leap. Makes it even more logical to put the R&D team in that hardware setup. We know both next gen consoles will certainly leverage AI.
even in a 3rd party hardware scenario, those will all be based on reference Xbox hardware for consistent development target.
I think it’s hilarious you’re doubling down even when you know you’re wrong. It’s clear the R&D team is intact, and they’re still a dedicated resource to the Xbox organization.
So what about Phil Spencer? 1 million a year, for many many years, is it time for him to go, he dont need the money anymore. He wil get big bonus and an enormus pension..again time for Phil to go??Leaders that got big money from MS have good reasons to leave. Like Notch after he sold Minecraft.
I don't think this is related to AI synergy. It's more likely that they will treat xbox like a standard PC from now on and the dedicated xbox hardware team is being downsized.
Not sure what you're getting at here. That's not where I got it from. Did you get "Makes it even more logical to put the R&D team in that hardware setup. We know both next gen consoles will certainly leverage AI" entirely from "there will be new powerful hardware" too?You got that from them saying they’re working on an ultra powerful next gen Xbox console?
Because ‘xbox hardware team being downsized’ doesn’t come from the source article or any publicly available information.
What I was more interested in are backwards compatibility games like say, my purchased 360 version of RDR1 that I can play on a Series X? Would that still be playable on whatever OEM new PC Xbox they come out with or will those games from the backwards compatibility program be lost on their new platform?They already told us back at the podcast in January when the third party strategy was announced.
They made big efforts to remind everyone that game entitlements go across platforms as would saves.
That was them telling xbox series console users to shift off the console - they'll still be entitled to purchases made on the console but it'll be the PC version for now.
Of course... gamepass.... not so many purchases to worry about as it happens.
CEOs live in another dimension. Look at the Boeing one. he will leave after for me having failed his mission of fixing the company, but dictated when he will retire and how much he will get. Spencer got to play with MS billions and I am not sure that you can go from that to nothing in a year or two.So what about Phil Spencer? 1 million a year, for many many years, is it time for him to go, he dont need the money anymore. He wil get big bonus and an enormus pension..again time for Phil to go??
Ya I'm not even sure what to think of the S, and I own and like it. On the one hand, it's a great little compact console at a good price. On the other hand, it split thier user base and hurt thier image. A digital X probably would have made more sense, but we would have been looking at even worse sales figures?
Ms really should have dropped the price to $199 or $149 if they wanted it to really move.
(Lost money but they spend a lot sooooooo)
No pro model for Xbox may be an issue, but I guess it depends on where they go from here.
Release a hybrid handheld for the "lower" mainstream market, and release a Xbox branded pc at a discounted price instead of a pro? Maybe. Might be an interesting proposition for some people. I mean ps4 pro only sold 14 million units, so it's still the main console that does the bulk of sales.
As far as great games go, I really do think ms has a bunch in the pipeline. Question is, how do they maximize them and how long is it going to take.......
I had a whole message about what you have said but I consider it too pessimistic about Xbox so I will focus more on the second one. AI can lead to great stuff in gaming. But if we can't have games using this gen I/O to the max then we may have to wait a few years until that happends. And if the console needs to decide between using their limited power for raytracing or AI we will have to wait a a long time to see the engines get updated to do it well. Unless I don't understand the tech well.The AI rendering could be a dark horse if they could somehow leverage it into a console ahead of any other hardware team. The idea of the ai drawing on the fly what is seen (in 2d if you get the idea) vs the entire 3d modeled world could mean massive leap in graphics that would embarrass what we have now.
May the Fart be with youI'm at a restaurant and ordering a plate or chorizon con frijoles in your honor!
And what's the result of all this? Is the brand stronger than before?Greenberg is a marketing juggernaut. They even had Xbox Oreos, Xbox Legos, Starfield/Forza Doritos, Xbox controllers made of chocolate, Xbox at Taco Bell, Xbox Refrigerators. That shit is everywhere. The guy is signing deals left and right, most of them probably cheaper than TV commercials. And they have a large presence on social media that generates attention practically anytime they tweet anything. People still are obsessing about his tweets from 2020.
Not sure what you're getting at here. That's not where I got it from. Did you get "Makes it even more logical to put the R&D team in that hardware setup. We know both next gen consoles will certainly leverage AI" entirely from "there will be new powerful hardware" too?
I don't know why you think I'm the one jumping to conclusions. I'm saying they've downsized the dedicated hardware team because they have, by getting rid of Choudhry. They've merged teams. That's what downsizing is.
They've now made the existing Roanne Sones the head of that team (an OEM expert), they've promoted the former xcloud head to "xbox strategy" and made the Xbox Experiences and platforms org out of the existing people at MS who were in charge of gamepass and "gaming ecosystem organisation".
The wider leadership shake-up is designed to streamline processes and help Microsoft accelerate plans for growth for Xbox Game Pass, Xbox hardware, and beyond
I simply believe this, along with every screen is an xbox, points to a strategy where they see xbox as being a software platform and services. That doesn't mean they won't make hardware. They will likely just treat it more and more like they do PC and windows.
As a 3D artist with years of experience, I'm here to tell you — we are a long way from AI being able to fully render a game with the graphical capacity to embarrass anything. We aren't even rendering full movies in the offline world like that yet, so games are even further away.The AI rendering could be a dark horse if they could somehow leverage it into a console ahead of any other hardware team. The idea of the ai drawing on the fly what is seen (in 2d if you get the idea) vs the entire 3d modeled world could mean massive leap in graphics that would embarrass what we have now.
You people have spent years railing at ‘mismanagement’ at Xbox. You should be pleased at changes designed for improvement, shouldn’t you?
Or you should read the word dedicated. MS is basically smashing Xbox-only skunk labs R&D with general HW division only promoting the idea of 3rd party Xbox hardware in the future. It is what it is.
We’ve got more to come. There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday. We’re also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation, which makes it better for players and better for creators and the visions that they’re building.
Nobody said the existence of hardware is threatened but there is clearly a change in strategy happening and you would be blind to suggest it isn't happening. There is clearly less importance on 'xbox' being hardware and it becoming platform agnostic software and services on 'any screen'.They’ve indicated their interest in continuing to make high volume hardware for the next generation. So while they’ll continue to push Cloud and mobile, Xbox hardware seems here to stay, in whatever form it takes. And to make Xbox hardware, they need a robust hardware team AND a robust R&D team.
Nothing in this reorg seems to threaten that.
Surface team has been terrible for years. They have been making outdated and overpriced crap without much improvement. At least XSX is a well designed and fairly advanced piece of hardware for its price.I didn't say he was gone from Xbox I said he was replaced by the Surface team ( Which I think is a good thing )
The transition has already happened. Phil was promoted to CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Sarah is now head of Xbox. For better or worse, Phil isn't going anywhere.Comprehension is hard, eh?
Quote in the OP says he built an emerging tech team.
Looks like his days are numbered, tbh. They’re putting Bond front and center a whole lot these days. Clear transition in the works.
The sooner the better, imho, but i don’t expect him to last the gen.
They’ve indicated their interest in continuing to make high volume hardware for the next generation. So while they’ll continue to push Cloud and mobile, Xbox hardware seems here to stay, in whatever form it takes. And to make Xbox hardware, they need a robust hardware team AND a robust R&D team.
Nothing in this reorg seems to threaten that.
"Xbox needs change in leadership"
* change in leadership occurs *
"Is XbOx a sInKiNg ShIp ?!?!?!?"
They talked about new / next-gen hardware no less than 2 months ago.
Apparently he was I just got a photo of his now closed office:Yes. that guy was in fact the only person employed in R&D at Xbox
How on message and aligned you two are is amazing . I mean the most difficult thing is to align employees. As an Eng Mgr, I need to ask you what’s the secret ?
I think you'll find for many its simply a total lack of faith & trust in MS/Xbox competency. They're not exactly giving lots of confidence to their current gaming customer base. Their brand perception isnt great.Says the guy who declares all Xbox executives incompotent vs posting the good and bad. Just pointing out the obvious hypocracy, that people like you have decided they can do no right. Turn left bad, turn right bad. I'm no victim, but ms gets no balanced view here most of the time - my posts even things out just a tiny bit. So grin and bear it.
This is one of the few potentially exciting bits I'm hearing at the moment. A tailored/locked down gaming focused windows PC, with controller focused ui, capturing multiple store fronts, sold as an Xbox bit of hardware.I'm wondering if they can make it so Xbox game code can be run in a secure container of some kind in a customized game version of Windows. Almost like a form of emulation but for signed code. I'm just spitballing here, but that's really the only way I can see them bridging the gap between Xbox and PC.
"Xbox needs change in leadership"
* change in leadership occurs *
"Is XbOx a sInKiNg ShIp ?!?!?!?"
How on message and aligned you two are is amazing . I mean the most difficult thing is to align employees. As an Eng Mgr, I need to ask you what’s the secret ?
Yup, for quite a while too . Even the flippant kind that pretends not to know what I was talking about like yourself haha.Even more hilarious when you consider Choudhry’s the guy driving Xbox AI and Cloud stuff. Two areas where we’ve had GAF threads ripping into MS for falling behind Sony.
He’s quoting my post and agreeing. Hard to do that without some level of alignment.
You sure you manage people in a professional capacity? clearly got a long way to go…
Yup, for quite a while too . Even the flippant kind that pretends not to know what I was talking about like yourself haha.
More than that engineers tend to be independent thinkers over fanatical apologists . So, well, not sure anyone has perfected it hehe.And you say you struggle with getting your folks to align?
Not sure just agreeing with the pravda is, but thanks .Well, you’ve come to the right place. This forum knows a lot about spotting mismanagement
What great things has Sarah done in the Xbox division? She doesn't even come from a gaming background. She has a degree in Economics, worked for a consulting firm, then T-Mobile and came to Microsoft in 2017. Between 2017 and now, the Xbox division hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire with its greatness.Designed? Come on now. Sarah deserves where she is. And if MS is going 3rd party within the next 3 years, it'll make even more sense why she's going up the exec charts.
Feels like the wrong people are leaving and the wrong people are staying
Puzzling to say the least. Yet, you have users here swearing he's done a good job.Yeah like Aaron greenberg. I can't for the life of me, understand how in the fuck this guy has been at xbox for so long. His dad or uncle must be a higher up at Microsoft or something and they just let him stick around and have a job.
What great things has Sarah done in the Xbox division? She doesn't even come from a gaming background. She has a degree in Economics, worked for a consulting firm, then T-Mobile and came to Microsoft in 2017. Between 2017 and now, the Xbox division hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire with its greatness.
What I was more interested in are backwards compatibility games like say, my purchased 360 version of RDR1 that I can play on a Series X? Would that still be playable on whatever OEM new PC Xbox they come out with or will those games from the backwards compatibility program be lost on their new platform?
You people have spent years railing at ‘mismanagement’ at Xbox. You should be pleased at changes designed for improvement, shouldn’t you?
Most people on here defending Xbox don’t even own an Xbox anymore. Even the guy you’re arguing with realised the Xbox ship was sinking and moved to PC.It’s Phil.
We want Phil to quit.
He’s in charge. He’s the one who either make the decisions or implements them. He’s responsible for this mess. He’s not good guy Phil. He doesn’t care about you. He isn’t good for the future of Xbox.
You can fire all the senior management team you like, but unless you fire the guy at the top, from whom everything spills out of like foetid shit, Xbox will continue to go downhill.
I am stunned that people can be on this forum for so long and not understand what is blindingly obvious to anyone who reads any threads about Xbox’s problems.
Phil Spencer is the problem.
Finally getting serious with my PC build. Picking up an AIO cooler, case, fans and PSU soon. Bought motherboard, CPU and RAM last week.
Should be hitting the $1200 mark in Jan.
Most people on here defending Xbox don’t even own an Xbox anymore. Even the guy you’re arguing with realised the Xbox ship was sinking and moved to PC.
Probably is.I suppose going this route is much easier than debating sensibly and logically, eh?
I’ve had a gaming laptop for years, and building a desktop PC just expands my options for gaming and productivity. Still own a Series X.
PS: My build’s complete