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[Draugoth]

Microsoft Gaming has unveiled an expansion to its Xbox Research initiative, through which it aims to get more and better feedback from video game developers on various subjects, with the aim of improving its tools and services. The aim is to listen to employees at Xbox ecosystem partners to connect them with their internal teams to talk about how to improve their future tools. Microsoft Gaming believes that by talking directly to game developers, they will get important information that will help solve the main problems they experience on their side.

It's a forward-thinking initiative for the brand in supporting developers, focused on those who work on the video games we play, on a global scale and for production companies of any size.

Microsoft is expanding the initiative to those who aren't even thinking about working on Xbox consoles, to find out why and what could help them change their minds.

“If you're creating games, we're interested in hearing from you. If you're not on Xbox, we'd love to know why. And frankly, if you're using competitors' products, you probably have a great perspective that we can learn from.”

The company suggests that it is paying attention to the feedback that has emerged over the last few months, in which several small studios have shared difficulties in launching some titles on Xbox, due to a lack of support and communication.

Source

 

[Nankatsu]

 

[GHG]

Oh now they want to listen to feedback outside of their echo chamber?

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Clickbait-fu on point

 

[Embearded]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

 

[Elios83]

But if they're abandoning their system themselves with a transition to a full third party publisher it's hilarious they're asking others such questions
Because the platform just hasn't been successful and PC will replace it. That is all.

 

[GHG]

Clickbait-fu on point

Literally the title of the article along with being in the text directly from Xbox:

"If you're not on Xbox, we'd love to know why. And frankly, if you're using competitors' products, you probably have a great perspective that we can learn from.”

What's the problem exactly?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Because nobody buys games on Xbox thanks to losing console marketshare and focusing on Gamepass

My local independent retailer doesn’t even stock Xbox games anymore.

 

[Hookshot]

Because they call them all dumb and confusing names and no one can be fucked to explain to their parents which is which when they can just tell their moms to pick a PS5 and so they don't sell enough to make it worth while to develop for.

 

[digdug2]

They should ask their own studios the same question. Come out with some decent 1st and 2nd party titles and others may join you.

 

[PJX]

Well releasing your games on your competition will have developers avoiding you period. We've scrapped the Xbox version of our game.

 

[RCU005]

I think it's very simple: Xbox consoles don't sell.

When Xbox 360 sold very well, there were a lot of third parties making exclusivity deals. This time around, it's not worth it.

If a game on PS5, with more than 60 million consoles sold, sells 5 million. What can they expect from a console sold half (or less) than that? How many copies does a game have to sell to be considered successful? Square Enix thinks 5 million is a disappointment, so on Xbox would be a major failure (to them).

 

[DaleinCalgary]

Oh ya, love them decisions in the boardroom that mean absolutely nothing in the real world.

 

[Rudius]

 

[Bitstream]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

This exactly. To be able to release on Xbox you need to be able to cut down your game enough to be able to run on a series S, just for the possibility of being purchased by a smaller userbase that doesn't like purchasing games outright anymore.

 

[tusharngf]

 

[Dr.D00p]

Microsofts own internal studios repeatedly fail to generate a buzz about the brand, leading to a low public mindshare, leading to low hardware install base, leading to 3rd party Studios avoiding the platform.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

They should already know the answers.

Reminds me of the Insider Preview Program, constantly talking about feedback. They should not need it for a lot of stuff, it got ridiculous.

What are they being paid for over there? Isn’t there anyone who is proactive or takes the initiative on things ffs.

Over 20 years in the industry and we still hear things like

“We hear the feedback “
“We are listening”
“We are learning”

Taking the piss to be honest. It would not surprise me if some over there laugh at the fan base, whatever is left, for still being so invested.

 

[mdkirby]

Erm, this shouldn't be hard for them to understand. They made a second much less powerful console, that takes a lot of extra pain and time to optimise for, and demand feature parity and game parity between the X and S. At the same time, for Multiplatform games sales, purchases on their console only account for 10-20% of console sales. So its a lot of extra pain, time, and possibly compromises on the vision of the game for that relatively small %. So for some its likely simply not worth it, when you can get your game out quicker just focussing on ps and pc, and spend the time and resources saved on your next game. If you're lucky Sony will also show up with a modest bag of money too, so you save yourself the pain, AND get those lost 10-20% sales paid for by playstation.

So for many studios I can see it simply not being worth their time.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

"Hardware Sales doesn't Matter" was what Xbox was trying to sell to consumers.

Xbox didn't realize that Hardware sales matter to game developers.

The WiiU had many GREAT games; games that sell really well when remastered for the Switch. But on the WiiU all the games sell like trash because the hardware install base just isn't there.

Sometimes it is hard to tell if Xbox really are run by dumb people, or run by moderately normal people who are trying to cover up bad decisions by pretending to be imbeciles.

 

[mitch1971]

Maybe ask consumers, too.

 

[JackMcGunns]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

I think the idea is to hear ideas outside of an echo chamber.

 

[jm89]

Devs: where do I start?

 

[Unknown?]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

/thread

 

[killatopak]

Easy. They're very western centric.

Completely ignores the other half of the world. No ads, no events, no devs, no presence in Asia.

Add that to gamepass, leaning heavily into digital and the spending habits of those who do then you have a very limited shelf space at stores resulting in limited visibility.

In contrast, Nintendo and Sony audience are evenly distributed across the world. Specifically, in my country, physical is still the majority distribution method. We embrace owning stuff and trading as well as selling games. The Xbox suits are actively trying to remove that. The community then will gravitate towards products that satisfies their needs.

 

[Shane89]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

This!

 

[GHG]

I think the idea is to hear ideas outside of an echo chamber.

Come on then Jack, since you yourself aren't part of any echo chamber, please enlighten us. Why is it that developers decide to skip Xbox?

 

[SweetTooth]

Really MS? You don't know? I will summarize it for you:

1. Low sales of Xbox (not worth porting for devs)
2. You trained you consumers NOT to BUY games!

 

[Baldesion]

Because watching them fail is much more fun.

 

[Radical_3d]

Spoiler: I wonder…

 

[tommib]

The Xbox brand is tainted. It’s close to Windows Phone at this point.

 

[Sethbacca]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

Everybody might as well just quote Embearded's response here because it nails it in one.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Literally the title of the article

Yes, it's clickbait, the source talks about building and improving tools and services

The data collected from these studies will play a crucial role in shaping Microsoft's offerings for game developers. "It will help us figure out both what to build and how to build things well," Hendersen said. "What features are needed? How do we implement them gracefully? Where are our existing tools or services falling down? What can we do to improve them?"

and not about:

what could help them change their minds.

This whole program doesn't exist to just survey "studios that avoid xbox to help change their minds"; clickbait.

 

[cireza]

Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP

Game Pass is a paid service.

 

[Preseznik]

This exactly. To be able to release on Xbox you need to be able to cut down your game enough to be able to run on a series S, just for the possibility of being purchased by a smaller userbase that doesn't like purchasing games outright anymore.

Yeah this is it, the combination of these things just killed this platform.

I love my XSX, I have several of them, but I don't remember when I last bought a game outside of some sub €10 sale here and there.

 

[E-Cat]

Because they call them all dumb and confusing names and no one can be fucked to explain to their parents which is which when they can just tell their moms to pick a PS5 and so they don't sell enough to make it worth while to develop for.

Yeah, just call it Xbox, Xbox 2, Xbox 3, etc... how goddamn hard can it be??

 

[Embearded]

I think the idea is to hear ideas outside of an echo chamber.

Yes, their own echo chamber which is pretty much a circle jerk of suits.

 

[GHG]

Yes, it's clickbait, the source talks about building and improving tools and services


and not about:

This whole program doesn't exist to just survey "studios that avoid xbox to help change their minds"; clickbait.

So you're taking issue with the "change their minds" bit, which isn't part of the title (or even the articles sub-title)?

You might want to brush up on your definition of clickbait then.

 

[twilo99]

It’s so over

 

[Moses85]

Bad sales
Gamepass
Xbox Series S
…

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

Don't agree with 3.

 

[Jaybe]

Small developers seem to only bother to bring their game to Xbox if they are picked for Game Pass money. It’s a self-inflicted problem and Xbox has only itself to blame. Remember that one showcase where the only games Xbox decided to promote where Game Pass games back when Game Pass growth was the metric Phil was bonused on. As a small third party, why would you even bother with the platform.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

They are actually investing money into finding out why this happens?

 

[dragonyeuw]

1. Low HW Sales
2. Series S
3. Xbox owners are used to getting their games through GP.

Annnnnd we're done.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Most of us that enjoy Microsoft titles just play them on PC. No need for the console. The same thing will slowly but eventually happen to Sony. Microsoft getting ahead and creating a PC/Console hybrid moving forward is the best move for them.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

So you're taking issue with the "change their minds" bit,

No, that just confirms the intent of the writer going with the clickbait headline

 

[kriolo]

Microsoft Gaming believes that by talking directly to game developers, they will get important information that will help solve the main problems they experience on their side.


WOW

 

[GHG]

No, that just confirms the intent of the writer going with the clickbait headline

The title is literally what Xbox themselves has said. No need to twist yourself in knots here.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

XBOX Research Initiative, forward thinking... Damn, that sounds serious business. Sarah is shaking things up, her leadership inspires us all.

The next gen looks bright for Xbox.

 

[Topher]

Yes, it's clickbait, the source talks about building and improving tools and services


and not about:

This whole program doesn't exist to just survey "studios that avoid xbox to help change their minds"; clickbait.

This comes directly from Microsoft:

"Perhaps most intriguingly, the program welcomes input from creators who aren't necessarily bringing their games to Xbox. Hendersen explains this open-door policy: "If you are making video games, we're interested in hearing from you. If you aren't on Xbox, we'd love to know why. And honestly, if you are using our competitor's products, you probably have a great perspective we could learn from!"

How Xbox Research is Shaping the Future of Game Development

By directly engaging with game creators, Xbox aims to get the data that will help enhance the experience of development partners.

developer.microsoft.com

If they are not doing this to learn how to "change their minds" as far as devs porting games to Xbox then what is the point?

That is exactly the sentiment of what Microsoft is saying and there is nothing click bait about the article.