Update: Xbox boss Phil Spencer has since responded to the rumours and speculation doing the rounds online, promising to "share more details" about his team's "vision for the future of Xbox" next week.
Original story: Over the past few hours, you may have come across some chatter on social media about the likes of Starfield and Indiana Jones potentially heading to PS5, and it originates from a variety of different sources.
The rumour about Starfield is coming from Xbox Era, which says that according to its sources, Xbox is planning to bring the game to PS5 after the release of the Shattered Space expansion later this year. Meanwhile, The Verge is reporting that there are considerations about bringing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to PS5, and that it appears a "new multi-platform approach for certain Xbox games is emerging inside Microsoft".
"While Bethesda will launch its Indiana Jones game first as an Xbox console exclusive, it’s currently set to have a rather short period of exclusivity we’re told."
We've already heard about potential plans for Hi-Fi RUSH on PS5 too, which is expected to be announced in the next few weeks and could be launching in the relatively near future. Sea of Thieves is another one that's been rumoured for PS5 lately, and there have been suggestions of others such as Hellblade 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator as well.
Multiple reports are floating around the moment, but obviously nothing is official until we hear something specific from Microsoft. We'll be keeping a close eye out, and will update this post if anything is confirmed in the near future.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments section below.
[source theverge.com]
Comments 164
Exclusives are important. At the same time I want to share this hobby we love, and allowing more fellow gamers to play more games is undeniably a good thing. Surely there’s a happy balance to be found somewhere in between these two conflicting statements.
@Kaloudz agreed. A lot of media and commenters acting like it will be every game day and date and this means the end of Xbox. I don’t see that at all.
These reports read exactly like the ones i read about Sega when i was a kid.
The blood’s in the water, just a matter of time now
The twitter conversation is crazy. I don’t like this at all but some of the fanboys on twitter are using the other fanboys as sources. I think we just need to see what Xbox themselves have to say about it.
In recent years, Xbox gamers had to wait a year for Deathloop and Ghostwire, but now they have Zenimax games as 1 year timed exclusives so it’s definitely a better position than it was. But that’s if it stops at Zenimax games.
If it’s the whole slate, I don’t care if you’re a pony or whatever, this will be terrible for competition in the console space; even if it’s good for Microsoft’s wallet.
I’ll echo what I said in the previous article, if Xbox start releasing their games on multiple consoles this will be the last Xbox I own. I see no point in having one when I can just have one console under the TV instead of 2.
See what happens but all signs are pointing to this happening.
Game Pass as a third party subscription with a dedicated handheld like Switch that's digital only seems like the future for Xbox.
@Fenbops what if they ONLY release a few select games on other platforms? (case by case basis) Meanwhile ALL their games (and more) can be had on Xbox via Game Pass for £7.99 a month. Would you still not buy an Xbox next gen?
@Retron
I’m already using it like this on my Steam Deck. I’m dying to hear Phil explain how this is good for Xbox and the Xbox faithful. There’s literally no reason to own an Xbox if this turns out to be true.
@themightyant I’m in the same boat as him. I wouldn’t buy another Xbox. I was getting free gamepass because of the rewards program which they’ve now destroyed essentially. So buying an Xbox and paying for gamepass would end up more expensive than buying a handful of exclusives. Would I miss a couple exclusives I might like to play, probably? But from a cost perspective it’s a no brainer for me.
@themightyant @Kaloudz
The fact Microsoft haven't denied the rumours in the last few weeks around many of the games, and how close to MS many of the commentators saying this are (Jez Corden and Tom Warren in particular have had very close ties) leads me to fear it's mostly true.
It's not that this is going to immediately kill Xbox or even future console generations - it's that it gives gamers even less reason to buy an Xbox over a PlayStation, reducing the attractiveness of the platform to third parties to release on (thus giving even less reason to buy an Xbox, so it becomes a vicious circle).
Why would you buy the next Xbox over a PS6 when you know Sony will have all their exclusives, plus their higher third-party support (much of it just from their market share) and a significant number of the Xbox exclusives?
When the Xbox doesn't have any Sony exclusives back, and you're locked out of so much?
I'm more concerned that the message it sends, even if it's a "on a case-by-case basis", is that you'll get more choice if you go PlayStation - meaning Xbox hardware sales will struggle even more and so third parties will ignore us even more than they currently do.
Even "case by case" / older games means if someone's choosing between Xbox and PS and thinking "I love Forza Horizon and God of War" they can pick the PS thinking "Forza might come over at some point", knowing the alternative will never happen.
I gave Xbox a bit of a pass for not being aggressive enough fighting for console sales during the ABK takeover, primarily because the thinking was "once it's over, they'll come out fighting" - but it looks like now, just as things were starting to look up they've thrown in the towel to some extent.
Game Pass helps, but in reality Xbox hasn't really been releasing enough first party games (even this year we're only scheduled for 3 officially, and Indiana Jones might not make it) to sustain it alone - and a lot of the third-party games also feature at some point on PS Plus.
In addition, you can just use Game Pass on the cloud or on PC if you got a PS instead of Xbox (the same argument we all used about exclusives during the ABK case) so you don't miss out - while not missing out on all the PlayStation exclusives / third-party games that don't bother porting to Xbox...
@Kaloudz As soon as the floodgates open though, it doesn't matter if it's 5, 10 or 50 games - the precedent is there.
Gamers will know Sony is never going to let their exclusives go the other way (not that the porting to Xbox would be worth the cost to them, given what so many third parties seem to say), so they'll just go PlayStation and hope the game they like from Xbox is "one of the exceptions".
And if not, they can just use the cloud or PC to play it, knowing they're safely on the console with the widest possible choice...
@XboxistheBestBox I really doubt it - once this approach takes hold, Xbox console sales are going to be limited to casual gamers who just want a console to play Fortnite / FIFA / CoD, and those who want a Game Pass machine / get every console every generation.
Series consoles are already not selling great, having a spike around Starfield but apparently lagging far behind PS5 especially when they had the big discounts when the "fat" one was discontinued - which not even similar discounts on the XSX seems to have help with much.
It's 2 to 1 at the moment, and it's likely not worth the cost to Sony to port their games to Xbox (they've similar hardware but quite different underlying operating systems / code libraries) particularly given the blowback they'd get from their fans.
I suspect PC a year or two later is more than enough for them revenue wise at the moment.
And I say all of this as someone who would love exclusives to be a thing of the past, and be able to play Spider Man 2 on my XSX with an Xbox pad with DualSense features (as I much prefer the Xbox layout)...
Just seems like a massive change of tactics after fighting their way through the ABK trial. If it was to all go multiplatform anyway (not just ABK but Zenimax and potentially XGS too), the trial could have been over before it began.
@gollumb82 I think this is going to be my future too, something like a ROG Ally let's you do epic, steam, Windows store and gamepass.
@BrilliantBill I want to see the urls(links)!
With the amount of PlayStation owners out there, this was an inevitable conclusion to Microsoft acquisitions over the last few years. Gamepass subscribers have plateaued and the possibilities of making money from the games rumoured to arrive on PlayStation is an appeasement to the higher up Microsoft executives that don’t see brand loyalties, only $€£! It definitely must sting to read that a game once described as the saviour of Xbox and a bonafide Console exclusive could possibly be heading to a rival format in the case of Starfield also. It’s simple, Starfield didn’t sell consoles as expected and now I personally think that more and more games that were touted as exclusives will head to PlayStation. Microsoft have a huge catalogue of games behind them now and it would be foolhardy to think that any of their games won’t now be evaluated to appear on PlayStation. The format is selling huge amounts more than the Xbox consoles and I have stated before that it really is only a matter of time before Microsoft go 3rd party. They have always been about software first and foremost across all their devisions, so this isn’t even going to be a difficult transition. Hellblade 2 will definitely release soon after release on PlayStation also if all the rumours flying around about everything else are true, because the first game was released on PS4, so there is a genuinely high amount of people that would buy a sequel. I bought the original on PS4 and I would prefer to play the sequel on PS5. In all honesty, Zenimax really is the least of the worries for Xbox Fans, as their games were synonymous with PlayStation anyway. The bigger worries would be if some of the other acquired studios start porting games across to PlayStation like Hellblade 2, Gears of War, Fable or the ilk, then it will be more and more likely that there won’t be the need for an Xbox Console anymore. All this is only my personal opinion guys.
Quick addition, as I have said before, as long as PlayStation has FIFA, Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty, it really won’t make too much difference to the sales numbers for the next generation and beyond. People will always go PlayStation due to brand loyalty and with the additional sales possibilities for Microsoft to have their games on the rival format, it’s just way too much to ignore. Also, people say that GamePass wouldn’t be allowed on PlayStation? I think that’s false. EA Play and Ubisofts service are both available, so it wouldn’t be far fetched to expect Gamepass to be available too. And let’s be honesty, it would be a hellova lot better than to other 2 services I mentioned. With Microsoft owning such a huge chunk of the pie, Sony definitely wouldn’t say no to Gamepass anymore and there would be far different financial deals in place between them that would make it worthwhile to both of them.
Opinions are my own, no flames please! 😅
Win win here.
When Activision joined Bethesda it was always possible this would happen.
Gamepass still gets amazing value.
Xbox will ring fence a nice selection to be Xbox only.
Xbox owners with Gamepass are happy.
Ps5 owners get more choice.
No one loses.
Surprised at a backlash about this
If this turns out to happen, I think it’s Microsoft’s business model and what they want to do and is the ultimate way for them to grow and develop more.
Having been with Xbox since day one I’ve had to adjust and I’m cool with it now and expect the Xbox name to disappear in the future and be changed to Microsoft Studios.
At the end of the day I think it is happening and I’m ok with it now.
Every Xbox fan like myself needs to chill and move forward with this.
And maybe get used to the idea that playing a Microsoft Studios game on a Sony or Nintendo console is not the end of the world.
@Widey85 Agreed. If this was false I think MS would've been very quick to shut it down knowing that if it spreads people will stop buying Xbox. They've been radio silent about it. They say case by case, but once they see the money and sales they generate from PS and Ninetendo, it will be an all the time. I've been with Xbox since the OG but if this is true I'll likely start investing in the PS ecosystem as i will get to play their exclusives and apparently MS as well.
I hope i can get to sell my xbox SX with good price before the casuals know about this
If this comes to pass it’s the end of Xbox consoles. It’s impossible to see how Xbox hardware will be sustainable. Up until now the selling point has been ‘Game Pass and exclusives’ and we’ve seen how even that hasn’t been enough to sustain sales momentum - and yet somehow giving up the exclusives is going to improve the situation? It won’t.
Xbox is being sacrificed at the altar and we’re witnessing Microsoft Gaming as a 3rd party publisher being reborn from the ashes.
I face my digital games library being stranded on a defunct platform. Microsoft are going to need to develop a purchase transfer tool to transfer people’s purchases over to the Xbox app on Windows at bare minimum to cushion the blow (preferably with options for Steam/PlayStation too though that’s almost certainly a pipe dream).
I suppose nothing is confirmed right now, but all the signs are pointing in the same direction and the wind is blowing that way too. Writing seems to be on the wall.
@FatalBubbles That's fair enough. It's interesting seeing other's stances on this.
@Retron It's possible Xbox just becomes a Game Pass service on other devices and Microsoft gets out of the console game... but is it likely? Lets look at it logically by looking at the money.
The fact is a HUGE percentage of revenue currently comes from being a platform holder. You make up to 30% of every full game, DLC, MTX etc. that sells on your platform that isn't yours (which is most of them), as well as not losing 30% revenue on the games that are yours.
The MTX and DLC are especially important as (at least on PlayStation) these make more money than all the game sales put together. If they did just become a service provider, and not a platform holder, they would likely instantly lose the majority of their revenue.
Microsoft don't release breakdowns of their Xbox financials, but Sony does. If the tables were turned and Sony became a publisher not a platform holder they would instantly lose around 80% of their revenue. (Napkin maths based on 20% of games sales being first party, which was in another investor doc, and some quick logical assumptions) Granted they might make SOME more money on multiplatform and PS+ sales elsewhere but they would also lose up to 30% on everything they sold on those other platforms, it's unlikely to get anywhere near filling that void. What business would willingly do this?
I accept Microsoft has a slightly different strategy with Game Pass so the numbers won't be the same, but the fact is being a platform holder is where a LOT of the money comes from right now. Additionally to maximise Game Pass revenue it would have to be allowed on Sony and Nintendo consoles... which just isn't guaranteed. And they could pull the plug at any moment. Why would you put so much of your fate directly in your competition's hands.
TLDR While it is of course possible that Xbox becomes a subscription only service, It doesn't seem to make financial sense to do this any time soon. As long as the 30% fee remains there is too much money to be made... and not lost... being a platform holder.
If they want to maximise profits, they neeed to sell where people buy most games and thats just not on Xbox.
If this is the way its gonna be I'll sell the series X, its only there for exclusives in this house.
This is basically confirmed practically, a lot of very reliable sources have confirmed it. And it was obvious anyway, MS wants money, it's a business, it isn't getting enough from current owners so like Sony will expand and offer games on other platforms. IMO I won't be shocked if MS turns into a third party and streaming service.
I won't be surprised to see these games on Nintendos new console either to be honest. If you read between the lines of what Phil said, bar his statement of Starfield never coming to other platforms, he said brining games to the Switch, not game.
If big Xbox franchises start appearing on PlayStation, and crossplay being standard what exactly is the point of me having an Xbox?
I support stuff like Hi-Fi Rush (something that wasn't going to sell consoles) or Sea of Theives (something that's done sales wise and from last gen) but Starfield and Indy? that's a whole other level.
I get the PC strategy but sharing first-party titles with Playstation seems like the fastest way to "pull a Sega" and as much as I'm a fan of Game Pass, I can't see why I shouldn't have a PS5 instead. It has its exclusives, Xbox games, and VR.
Removed - trolling/baiting
@Kaloudz There's strong rumours about Hellblade 2 too, which could be justified as a "the previous game was on PlayStation".
But that means of the 4 games from the Developer Direct, 1 is PC only and 2 are potentially going to PlayStation too (Hellblade and Indiana Jones) - that's a pretty weak year for making someone in the market now want to buy an Xbox.
The "case by case" line kills Xbox - as it leads to a hope that X or Y might jump over. They have to come out with very specific rules about what could be ported, but I suspect they won't and it's because the money men appear to be winning...
The rumours from Jez and others is that there's a big battle going on between those thinking you shouldn't screw your loyal customers, and those seeing the earning potential from releasing games on the massive PlayStation install base - with much of this likely leaked (apart from the HiFi Rush t-shirts) by those trying to fight the money men.
The console install base isn't going to disappear overnight - those of us with one will likely keep it, and those that get sold will be picked up cheap by others and get used, and those who just have their Xbox for Fortnite / CoD / FIFA won't really care.
The money men appear to be thinking that this move won't affect console sales in future either, or reduce the install base next generation when we all have to pick again - and that's the fatal mistake that Jez Corden has pointed out, that next gen there's little reason to stick Xbox so the console sales plummet and eventually the money men go "well it's not worth staying in the hardware business" as the revenues from console players reduce.
Or it could just be the money men are betting the income from selling games to PlayStation gamers can make up any losses from Xbox gamers until the cloud comes along...
I cannot wait to be able to play Gears Of War and State Of Decay on the next Nintendo platform, or my PS5 or both even! And no Microsoft device in sight.
I only buy a Xbox to save money on Gamepass for certain 3P and 1P games so I'll buy a next gen Xbox. I like to have all the console and will make the most of them while they are still around.
Ultimately Xbox get Sony and Nintendo money from publishing and MS has made a literal fortune out of publishing. Hardware is a dying thing and MS knows it.
xbox console is done. the question now is how long will ms store our xbox games. they penny pinch the screen shots and ms rewards program already.
@Kaloudz it would be the death of the xbox console , but let's be honest it's been dying for years , this is just part of microsofts strategy , they don't care about the console , they just want their games service on every platform , and if that means upsetting the fanboys , so be it.
@Widey85 I think it's because they hedged their bets on Game Pass and exclusives like Starfield. And those just haven't been as successful as they hoped, growth has stagnated, hence the endless ads on the Xbox home screen now. So they got to look for new ways to turn a profit, they need to make up for the massive investment they've made into the department and start showing strong returns, if not the share holders and their share price will drop, and be open to legal battles with share holders.
I think if they make another console that isn't a streaming only device it'll be a surprise.
@Darylb88 hardware is a dying thing ? What are you talking about , you need hardware to play games , be it a TV, console, phone or pc , what do you think they are , are microsoft just gonna beam the games to our brains.
@Mreeezie price increases for game pass will kill it.
@Mreeezie well that's all well and good but if microsoft get out of the console market , which is looking more and more likely , there's no reason why Sony and Nintendo wouldn't allow game pass on ps and switch, this is microsofts end goal, they want to kill traditional gaming.
@Kaloudz, one thing people seem to be forgetting is the fact that the "store owners" get a cut of every game sold. If Microsoft started putting many games on PS now, they'd essentially give up on Xbox and by extension at some point also on their ecosystem to a certain degree. Every game sold via their store gives them a cut, while when they sell the game on Steam or PS, Steam and Sony get a cut. Short-term this would definitely increase their revenue, mid- to long-term? I'm not so sure (as their ecosystem might take a huge hit).
edit:
Imo it's super clear that Zenimax and AB acquisitions are not short-term plays. The most profitable way is to sell their games through their platform where they can keep all the money.
@OldGamer999 normal people have seen this coming for years.
@Kaloudz, while it's "just a few games", people have complained for years about missing exclusives on Xbox. While should they "immediately" give up on that now that they start having big exclusives?
When it comes to Starfield not moving enough consoles, it's important to keep in mind that everything from Microsoft launches on PC day one, so the same game will never have the same effect on Xbox as it would have on PS.
BrilliantBill wrote:
That's fair enough, I do find it fascinating seeing everyone's stance on this, we all feel differently.
But assuming it is only a few select games not the whole library, and assuming Game Pass isn't coming to other consoles I would be intrigued to see how many console players would ACTUALLY drop Xbox when they will have so many games coming in future. Best deal in gaming is only going to get better.
@Widey85 I agree that is a possible danger of this strategy, but things are rarely as bleak as people predict. Humans love predicting the end of everything and extrapolating conclusions to their worst outcomes.
Personally I think there will be a few more multiplatform games from Microsoft and this makes sense after spending over $75 billion on ABK and Zenimax where so much of their revenue streams (and worth) came from multiplatform releases. Why would you buy them and devalue that expenditure instantly.
But it is a difficult one to communicate and 'sell' to fans. Will be interesting to see how they approach this, assuming true of course.
If the games still appear first on Xbox and I can still play them on game pass then it is no loss to me. 🤷♂️
@Mephisto2869 I mean gaming hardware, like consoles and physical games. It will take about a decade, but the decline is there. As soon as cloud tech is up the scratch in the western world consoles will be dropped like a rock as they are expensive to develop and often loss making for years. Software is where companies make money. I like consoles but I know they won't be around forever so I am just enjoying them now.
@Mephisto2869
I know, but it took me a good amount of time to get used to it, especially as I have been with Xbox since day one.
But I’ve chilled on it now and it is Microsoft’s destiny with Xbox now and it makes very good business sense for them.
Also it would help them fund bigger and better games.
@Kaloudz, yeah. Let's see, I think once ABK games hit GamePass subs might see a nice jump again. As long as they don't give up on their own console I'm fine anyway.
Time to take it round the back of the barn and shoot it.
@Deljo But Batfink. Xbox and Phil Spencer need you and your wings of steel more than ever right now
@themightyant
' I would be intrigued to see how many console players would ACTUALLY drop Xbox when they will have so many games coming in future.'
Given that GP is not attracting many players now and growth of subscriptions appears to have flat lined regardless of value, MS appear to have learnt that only die hard gamers are attracted by GP, and like it or not, the bulk of the audience they are trying to sell to are simply not in that category. I think they are realising that the only way to make big bucks from investing in these software houses is to sell their games everywhere. Growing GP and the Xbox brand is not working currently in terms of making bucks, and you dont get better value than GP, so they need to change what they are doing.
..and launching three games on Xbox this year doesnt seem to be 'so many' to me. I waited for two big guns last year and both dissappointed me, so I think it will take more than avowed and indy - I dont count Hell blade 2 as I dont think an 8 hour interactive film will be a winner with the genral population.
Its a shame as its the Xbox brand I like whilst I despise MS corp. If they let X box die, it would be a sad day, even though I barely use mine now. I can only hope the whispers are not true, as Xbox will clearly die if it has no exclusives. Hope I'm wrong.
I usually just lurk here (and the other sites).
I would not be surprised if ms did indeed go multi platform, but release Xbox hardware as a very niche, high end device.
They could release their games on all platforms, yet have their high end Xbox (with an actual profitability margin) being the best way to play the game.
I can’t help but think, such a device has been missing since the neogeo era. Or, it could be (as many have pointed out) a steam deck like device.
I do think that ms is simply tired of losing money on hardware with the hope of making it up through sales. Sony and Nintendo have carved out their individual strategies, perhaps it’s time for Microsoft.
It's time we heard from Phil.
People say sega, but the tactics looks more like SNK/NeoGeo strategy that still had a console, even better than the competition, but in the end they never had their console near the others, not just because of the price, but lack of interest of majority of players and third party developers that won’t see a reason to develop for Xbox if even Microsoft doesn’t want to stay on his own platform only. This helped kill NeoGeo and would kill Xbox too. Sega at least did multi platform to survive as their hardware was in the end of the road.
If Xbox really goes multiplatform, I prefer stay on Nintendo for consoles and pc. No way I would go for a Sony side.
Starfield should be multi platform. As sales for it on xbox I'm sure are low because of gamepass. Though I think there is some sort of agreement here that we haven't heard about with Sony
Microsoft needs to address this today, before firm opinions are formed. Everybody has their own interpretation of what these leaks mean and Xbox should provide guidance before those settle in.
Let’s be honest, Microsoft have bought a lot of developers recently (and not so recently), and XBox has not reaped the benefit. There are very few games that have materialised, and those that have have been late, broken, or disappointing to the larger consumer base. I doubt many people were convinced to buy an XBox to play Redfall.
I’m not sure the security of Microsoft paying for ‘CONTENT’ to put on gamepass hasn’t affected production of ‘ART’. Instead of having to make a great game that needs to be great so it sells, some developers have… ‘phoned it in a bit’ to reach a deadline (which of course is made harder with higher production costs of the new generation).
But now they have a bunch of ‘CONTENT’ that isn’t selling that well on their own platform, so it makes sense to offer it elsewhere to make money on it.
I’ll be curious to see if some of those less than stellar games actually sell elsewhere?
@Kaloudz let me rephrase that sweetheart, the console has been dying for years.
I gotta be honest, if there is no more Xbox consoles made in the future after next gen, then I'm probably just gonna stop gaming. I have no interest in PlayStation or Nintendo, I never really have for Nintendo. I had a PS5, beat Spiderman remastered and then sold it as I couldn't find a reason to care about the system.
I much preferred the PS2/3 dags of Sony and nothing about modern PlayStation interests me. I'll probably ride out the next while as a Xbox guy and just enjoy it while I can. I've been an Xbox guy since 2008 and I love it to this very day.
I hope Xbox as a brand sticks around for a long time but I can only hope. Its a weird time we live in nowadays as a Xbox supporter.
Given the whole situation about GAME stopping trade-ins on February 16th, I think the official announcement of the new Xbox strategy was going to happen on that day or shortly afterwards.
I'd guess GAME chose to ditch trade-ins on that day to prevent ending up with a load of preowned Series X|S stuff that they couldn't sell. Whether Microsoft announces the new strategy earlier now that the rumours are out there is another question though.
@Darylb88 you'll still have a console of sorts , but it will be a branded plastic box with streaming capabilities...wait just a minute 😂😂
@themightyant I'm not saying it'll kill Xbox any time soon - I suspect they'll continue to push for the casual market with cheaper consoles than Sony, and I still know people with 360s who've only just got a One, so the current install base will be around for a while yet.
It just makes the "which console should I buy?" question even more tilted in PS's favour, which it was already by their better exclusives, more third-party support and the cultural cache they've acquired.
It'll likely not make much difference to the final figures between PS5 and XSS|X, as PS5 does appear to be dominating and this would only maybe impact say at most 10% of sales which is what the money men are count on.
But next generation (and this is where my main concern is, @Kaloudz), when it's time for the passionate early adopters (who are more likely to be engaged around exclusives etc.) to choose their console it'll make even more go PS first for the reasons already discussed.
Many of us may still grab one as a Game Pass machine or because we prefer the Xbox ecosystem / UI / controller, but it'll likely cause the next console to lose even harder to the PS6 which will be riding the crest of a wave like the PS5 has thanks to the PS4.
And at that point, I do worry if MS stays in hardware long term or has enough of a following left that they can bring everyone to xCloud when streaming becomes the default - or whether yes, they become a publisher and Sony gets to rule the roost and be as anti-consumer as they like
If it makes financial sense for both parties they will do it.
It’s all about making money.
@JackMiller43 🤣🤣 I don't want xbox to go full 3rd party either but it's like weekend at bernies at the moment...
What is going to be interesting is if these games end up joining PS Plus at some point (as most older Bethesda games have). I'm sure MS is making a hefty sum out of those installs and probably won't mind it... but internet will be on "fire".
These rumors just keep stacking up. At the end of the day, they are just rumors till Xbox addresses them. Hopefully they speak to it soon. Xbox’s themselves might not have sold well, but I don’t think they are going third party like a lot of people are thinking. Games from Bethesda were “case by case.” There was always a possibility of those games going multi platform.
Very smart move, in my opinion. The console is just a PIECE of the larger puzzle while mobile phones, tablets, PC, and smart TV's can also deliver Xbox content all the same. Microsoft is playing chess here, not checkers, and this will yield them a ton of money if they release their games on PS/Switch. Plastic boxes mean very little in this evolving market these days while CONTENT does. If I was looking to invest in Microsoft stocks this would definitely sway me into doing so. Smart move.
Remember, it isn't 1995 anymore and "my plastic box sold more than your plastic box" isn't the only metric for success.
That would be the end of xbox consoles for sure... Nobody is going to buy an xbox over a playstation if they know that they will be able to play all xbox games on playstation. If that happens i wont buy any more games on xbox and i will just buy them from steam. What is the point of building a game library that you wont be able to play on the next gen consoles?
@Widey85 I agree it would tilt the "which console to buy" in Sony's favour right NOW, but in 4+ years when most buyers are considering which console to buy Microsoft should be getting games out much faster than Sony (quality is still all important) as it will take a while to fully integrate ABK. As I said above I don't forsee this being most games only some, and I think Game Pass will be an even bigger factor. But only time will tell.
@Titntin As usual I agree with some of your points but i'd push back a little. Game Pass has slowed/stalled a bit on Xbox but not all platforms, PC and Cloud still appears to be growing albeit slower than they hoped. I agree they likely NEED to sell some games multiplatform, but this ALWAYS made sense to me so much of ABK and Zenimax's value, and why they paid what they paid, was derived from multiplatform sales.
I agree 2024 isn't a crazy "so many" release schedule so far but what we know about doesn't really even include ABK. The original "I want one big release per quarter" was after Zenimax BEFORE ABK was even announced. They have been sensible not to increase that estimate before they even delivered the first lot but in 4ish years when the next console cycle begins, if they have played their cards right games should be flowing into Game Pass at LEAST 4 major releases per year but it should be more. And all for £7.99 per month. (or a bit more by then)
@themightyant we’ll have to see how it plays out. I haven’t been using Gamepass lately (been playing rogue trader) and on PlayStation I wait for sales anyway. Gamepass is great value but it’s also something I could do without, I’m in no hurry to play games day one and gaming time is limited usually so I can’t play everything that comes to Gamepass it’s impossible 😂
One side note, while the PlayStation side may laugh at this now, the market is changing. Sony at some point will choose profit over exclusivity.
@BrilliantBill
If the main selling point of their next generation hardware is little more than ‘buy it or else lose access to your existing digital library lol’ that’s not exactly inspiring. I don’t like being held hostage like that. “Well what did you expect when you buy digital you absolute numpty!” I hear you cry - well fair enough I suppose, but can anyone blame me for actually having faith and trust in Microsoft to keep Xbox a compelling platform to invest in long term?
Maybe the idea is to a have a rump Xbox generation, a successor to Series S only, where the sole focus is being the cheapest possible way to play a curated selection of timed exclusive games via Game Pass. I can’t see that being enough though, if it were then Series S would be already dominating this generation, but it’s simply not. Gamers look for more than just value for money when choosing platforms - chief among them a large exclusive portfolio of content.
A shrinking user base means less 3rd party support, which in turn leads to a shrinking user base. Microsoft has a lot of studios, but still not nearly enough to sustain the entire console library by itself. If 3rd parties start to abandon then it’s game over - a slow but assured death spiral. The platform ceases to become sustainable.
It’s not just a case of betting on the wrong horse. The horse didn’t just lose the race, it’s actively gone a sudden detour to casually stroll straight into the meat grinder.
Anyway, I suppose I should wait to see the official confirmation from Xbox before I get too carried away in hypotheticals here.
Without an Xbox console there is no Xbox game pass.
People are talking about playing the games on cloud, but cloud is powered by Xbox hardware. If they give up on hardware then 3rd party studios are not making games for Xbox, ergo they are not on game pass cloud.
Unless MS are looking into shifting cloud gaming onto PC hardware then the Xbox console has to be a thing.
If there is no Xbox hardware, what exactly are devs creating there games to run on? Do people see MS data centers running PS6 hardware to get the latest games onto Xbox game pass cloud?
That leads us to the problem of exclusives, if titles such as Starfield and Indy go multi plat then that is the start of the downward spiral to extinction. As many have pointed out no exclusives means no buy so the install base gets smaller and smaller and the 3rd party devs stop deving.
I want the end of exclusives as they suck but unless this is the start of a new PS strategy of bringing stuff to Xbox I'm afraid MS have to play the exclusive game as well as they are not in a position to move the needle on exclusivity.
@BrilliantBill It already has. Next chapter after ABK 😅. Xbox will be fine whatever happens, because they have invested billions and they have a lot of premium subscribers playing on Xbox, plus they get 100% of the sales on Xbox (instead of 70% on Nintendo and PS) and they love making hardware, with Surface devices coming out every year, even if they lag behind the Chinese kings.
They always said exclusives would be decided on a case by case basis. I don't get all the drama they are just following through on that.
@FatalBubbles I mean, if that what you and likely many others are doing, how on earth did you expect it to be sustainable?
I don't think this is good at all. I think they should do what they originally wanted to do - offer Game Pass on competing consoles. That's it.
@Romans12 Yes, I think that making Game Pass multiplatform and keep software sales on Xbox and Windows makes more sense in the long term, but perhaps they have another plan coming like @XboxistheBestBox pointed out. Some Sony and Nintendo fans will say, Sony and Nintendo will never allow it, but then they should be angry at Sony and Nintendo, not Microsoft. Anyway, until this is official, it's just a rumour.
I hope we see more multi platform titles and cross play for sure. This way hardware manufacturers can compete more on performance and prices rather than relying on software to shift units, and similarly allow great exclusive games to reach a wider audience.
@themightyant 'And all for £7.99 per month. (or a bit more by then)'
Unless you intend to never play online, you need ultimate, which is £12.99 per month - £156 a year (MS have stopped yearly prices)?
It's still decent value, but its not pocket change. Given this generation has consisted of 'just wait till next year', another promise of things in the future is not gonna be attractive to new Xbox players, and they clearly need new players on their platform.
One of the reasons I've dropped GP is that I far prefer to have my games on Steam, where they are feature complete and useualy work. I'm not the only one, and that does limit their potential growth in the PC market imo.
Still, I have no working crystal ball and it will be interesting to see how this pans out whatever happens. It certainly gives us guys somethign to chat about!
@Mephisto2869 No need for boxes it will be built into TV's.
@Darylb88 And what do you think those games on TVs are running on? Every cloud session is running on an actual Xbox (not a retail unit but bespoke Xbox hardware) so if there is no future Xbox then there is no future cloud session.
Perhaps they are going to make a move into PC or linux servers to run the games on like Stadia did but I would have expected some rumors about MS refitting there data centers to have surfaced by now.
This is wild to say the least. Bring over Horizon and I'd sell my Xbox immediately 😂
@themightyant GP is the best deal right now perhaps, but in 4years time it could be £20+ per month(already at £13). Look at Netflix, increasing users and still saying prices are going to go up.
@NostromoXP Yeah I can imagine it will be some form of PC server that cloud games are run off of as there won't be a console to run it on. They might not do it this year or next year, but I expect infostructure to be updated by the end of the decade with the next Xbox console in 2025-2028 being the last (and a cloud hybrid).
I don't give a flying f...
Let's talk when/if it"s confirmed.
I might just go PC only next gen anyway, so this doesn’t crush my soul as much as others. That said, if Xbox is smart they’ll get ahead of this and control the narrative better than they are currently handling it.
I'm of the opinion that multiplayer games should ALWAYS be multiplatform. Single player games I do think should be case by case basis. If exclusives end up going to PS5 and Nintendo, there won't be that much incentive to have an XBOX console or Game Pass at all.
@BrilliantBill Why do you start all your comments with "I mean"? 😅
@GiveMeMoney I will go to PC only if Microsoft stops making consoles, but I don't think that it will ever happen, only if Sony and Nintendo also stop making them and the market disappears and people start playing elsewhere.
As I said previously- Historically from the days of the NES to today that’s the way it has always been and that’s just the way it is. Moving away from this model has never really been done before and it’s unknown if this will damage the brand or devalue it in the eyes of the consumer.
Personally I buy Xbox for halo etc. If I could get halo, forza etc on PS5 I would not have an Xbox. As I could have all the PS games and my Xbox games running on the one console and just 1 console under my TV. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would do this, therefore it could seriously damage them depending to what extent and how far they go with releases.
IMO if game pass and everything goes on Nintendo and Sony there’s no point in owning Xbox hardware and in my mind they become a 3rd party.
The other thing to consider is the current development/turnaround time for game development. It’s becoming too long and this is also having massive financial implications for these companies. That gaps between games in a franchise has grown massively in the last 10 years. Developers are spending more, taking less creative risks, relying on micro transactions/season passes and 1 bad game can close them. This also can’t continue as it will crash the industry so Microsoft’s idea to release games multi platform may help lessen this for their development teams and it therefore may be a good thing.
Either way it’s interesting as Sony and Nintendo are sticking to the traditional distribution method of exclusives remaining on their platform.
@BrilliantBill I like your comments 🙌 except for that bit, it reminds me of the 2-lines comments on NL that make no sense 😜.
@Weebleman I think you mean how did I expect the GamePass from MS rewards to be sustainable? I didn’t, I’m just sad it’s over. It was keeping me in the MS ecosystem.
@BrilliantBill
I sure hope you’re right and Phil Spencer has an almighty trick up his sleeve that plays into some sort of grand master plan to keep Xbox hardware relevant, despite this apparent major change in strategy.
The Xbox team really needs to address these online rumours ASAP as they’re getting out of control now. I’m genuinely spooked and greatly concerned about the future viability of Xbox consoles. We need to know what the plan is and have bulletproof reassurance that Xbox will remain a safe platform to invest time and money into long term.
If big exclusives like Starfield and Indiana Jones end up on the PlayStation, then it sets a terrible precedent. I totally understand that these games may have been targeting the PlayStation when development began, but they are now Xbox exclusives, and porting them to Microsoft's biggest rival will just have those that game on the Xbox wondering what the point of being in the Xbox ecosystem is.
What this means, in the long run, is that when the next generation comes round, those that were on the fence on which console to buy, will look at the exclusives that each platform has and then opt to buy a PlayStation. Why? Because Hell would have to freeze over before Sony ports the likes of The Last of Us to the Xbox, and Microsoft will have already ported their biggest games over to the PlayStation.
So, if the projections are correct, and at present the PlayStation is outselling the Xbox three to one, then at the beginning of the next generation (assuming Microsoft even bother with another console after the Series), those sales figures are going to be even worse for Microsoft. What does that mean? It means that even diehard Xbox fans will question the wisdom of owning an Xbox, and the platform will enter a death spiral. We've seen it in the history of gaming before, and putting the likes of Starfield and Indiana Jones will begin that process.
Ultimately, I've seen people say that a few exclusives going multiplatform isn't a problem, but the issue is that no single game sells a console, it is a collection of exclusive games, and so the fewer exclusives that a platform has, the less enticing it is. Conversely, the more you have, and the more third-party games you have, the more people will buy into the brand. Exclusives are important, and the more you have the better your console will do...
@BrilliantBill
They do that, mostly Sony fans and not just on Twitter, every time that something related to Microsoft comes out. Meanwhile, anything involving Sony and Nintendo is all sunshine and roses. It's hilarious because no matter what Microsoft does, absolutely everything related to Microsoft means dire consequences that will bring doom to their gaming business: an acquisition, a new console, a new controller, a port, a new IP, a sequel, capping overgenerous rewards, a 30fps game (right after praising 20fps games)... 🤣 Even Game Pass is a non-sustainable failure because why not.
@K1LLEGAL "The twitter conversation is crazy. I don’t like this at all but some of the fanboys on twitter are using the other fanboys as sources."
That's the best definition of gaming rumours I've ever read.
@FatalBubbles just gamepass in general. A lot of folks take advantage of work arounds to get it cheap (rewards being one of them) but its hardly making the money it would if folks paid full price.
Taking that into account, and all the recent news, its pretty understandable they killed them off.
To be clear though, im not having a go at you for it. It was something MS allowed so cant blame folks for using it.
@Titntin I don't play online, but I still pay for Ultimate as EA play and especially Cloud are worth it to me. You say it's not pocket change but it's less than 2 full new releases, and you get all those other games. PLUS online which would be £83.88 separately for Core. So you could argue if you are getting online already it's effectively even cheaper, the Game Pass library is just £72 more (about the cost of one new game day 1). I look forward to seeing how it all pans out.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner I agree prices might go up, in fact I expect them to, that is the subscription business model, and why I added that line. But I don't think they will take the Netflix route and make it exorbitant. (In fact Netflix is the only one I have reduced my subscription to basic, and even thought about cancelling it outright, as they were taking the piss. I now give them less money)
@Weebleman I follow. It did require some effort to get enough to pay for GamePass but it was certainly doable. I am more likely to let mine expire and just pay for a month (when my points bank runs out) when a big game comes out now.
By proxy of not getting out ahead of this, they've fumbled it big time from a PR point of view imo. They don't get to set the narrative now.
IF this is true, it's probably a considerably easier pill to swallow for people who own all platforms or already consider their gaming PC the primary centre of the Xbox eco system. But I can see why anyone who exclusively games on Xbox consoles, and has their whole library there, is alarmed.
It's not really the games going elsewhere so much as the feeling that the Xbox console platform could disappear. Sure the Series X/S is always going to be there, but lets not pretend the concept of carrying your digital library forward hasn't been a thing for several generations now. It would be different if this approach was adopted at the start of a generation, but mid-way through one? Depending on the reality of the situation, that could be a very bad look for them.
Lets see how they address this. I'm concerned about various aspects of this, but until there's official word on this I'm trying to withhold judgement personally.
Why do some people (Sony fans that define themselves as "the normal people") keep repeating that Xbox is dead and that Microsoft will stop making consoles? It makes zero sense, even if PS and Nintendo outsell Xbox forever and ever. Microsoft needs hardware to keep Xbox users happy, they get 100% of the sales revenue on Xbox and they already confirmed they're making a next-gen console. They have the best console engineers but they not only make consoles, they also make laptops, desktop PC, tablets, hybrids and smartphones. They don't care if Sony sells more consoles because they will bring Game Pass to as many platforms as possible and every single game to PC. There will be Xbox as long as there is PS and Nintendo hardware because it brings additional revenue and because they can afford it.
I think it would be a good move from MS.
They can say ‘Buy Xbox game pass and play these games for a monthly fee or if you have a PlayStation we won’t leave you out…just pay full price per game’
It’s over for Xbox as a console.
@pmonies @STX All that is possible, that Xbox will become a high-end platform or even two consoles like this generation, but some people are just obsessed with this idea that it's dead just because Sony has sold twice as many consoles. It doesn't matter, Sony has other problems and is behind of Microsoft in gaming revenue now. There will be Xbox consoles because it just makes sense to be in the consoles market if you have a strong library and you can afford it. Mark my words, there will be Xbox consoles as long as there are Nintendo and Sony consoles. It's just that some people (Sony fans) want Xbox to die and Sony to rule supreme.
Listen, taking Indiana Jones to PlayStation is the worst idea ever! We all know it won't sell at all because it's been well documented that it will cause mass motion sickness and people will be violently vomiting and unable to work. Class action lawsuit incoming 100%!
I don’t think with this move Microsoft actually wants to get rid of Xbox, but they ARE effectively killing the platform even against their own expectations, this will have a snowball effect that MS won’t be able to control, there’ll be less interest from users and developers alike in the platform until it isn’t worth it to have the console around anymore, I’m not saying it’ll happen tomorrow or next week but the writing is on the wall right now.
Either way all of this is made 100x worse by the fact that no one at Microsoft dares to show their face right now.
Jesus Christ... Just yet ANOTHER reason I'll be passing on an Xbox next gen. What a joke.
Don't care. Send them to switch and playstation if their is a market. They bring their game to PC and Steam as well.
Xbox One was Saturn, and Series X/S is Dreamcast.
People can spin this any way they want but if all this is true then it's more or less the killing blow to the Xbox console and brand. They'll just end up like sega which isn't a terrible thing but it just means that the market will be left to Sony which isn't good for anybody, not even playstation fans because you can bet they'll take liberties wherever they can and won't be compelled to deliver quality if there's no competition.
@Banjo- The problem isn’t about MS stop making consoles, is about dwindling support from third-parties moving forward, a problem that the Xbox platform already has but will be made much worse if they abandon exclusivity as the platform loses value and interest from users and developers alike.
This will only result in the Xbox being the console with less and less games while the PS5 will get every single game on the market including Microsoft ones, leaving us with no reason to support the Xbox platform.
I do regret buying a Series X for numerous reasons. If they kill off Xbox, do they really think everyone will just become GamePass subscribers? I feel the word ‘GamePass’ will end up evoking the same emotions as Denuvo.
@GeorgeKal "That would be the end of xbox consoles for sure... Nobody is going to buy an xbox over a playstation if they know that they will be able to play all xbox games on playstation."
You literally have people here saying that they won't buy a PS console even if this happens. Most Xbox users will be happy to keep their digital libraries on the next Xbox console and don't feel the urge to go to PS because they prefer Xbox exclusives, services and controller, as I do. Even achievements is enough reason for some.
@IOI I don't think that it will happen because all third-party games come to Xbox except for some niche Japanese games. The third-party games that Sony keeps away from Xbox for years haven't changed the third-party scenario, with many IPs coming to Xbox for the first time. Since PC games are built for Windows OS and Direct X and made on multiplatform engines like Unreal Engine, it's simple to bring them to Xbox as well. If PC didn't exist, I think you'd be right and Xbox would be less supported, but PC and Xbox are basically the same platform. PS5 is the odd platform that really needs a big user base to be sustainable, because it runs on a different and closed ecosystem and unique development kits.
I bought an Xbox for the exclusives on it. Same reason I bought a Playstation and a Switch.
If Xbox isn't going to have any exclusives then I have no reason to buy another Xbox. I'll save my money and just buy the other platforms instead.
Timed exclusivity means nothing to me and I'd be happy just to wait for it to come to other platforms.
All the articles you've been seeing about anticipated drop in hardware sales? This is exactly why.
@FatalBubbles this is pretty much how i do it. My kid loves minecraft and Forza. It was cheaper to just buy the games and sub for the odd month whenever something comes along.
@Banjo- yea i wont buy one either but my problem is i wont be able to play my games on the next xbox because there wont be one for sure. I am gona go full pc and steam if that happens. I prefer buying all my new games for xbox unless its a game like football manager or a sony exclusive but not if i am not sure there is going to be a next xbox.
These are unsubstantiated rumors backed up by unsubstantiated rumors.
If it is true or being discussed, I wonder if it is Satya driving it. This would be disastrous to the console and Game Pass. That will impact the ecosystem. Why did they make a console in the first place?
Xbox supporters: “Are we a joke to you, Microsoft?”
Simply put, I don’t want this to be true. If it is—and I bet it is—I truly believe they are being wilfully ignorant of how internet culture operates… This is yet further brand damage and it is reprehensible. They may think this is good for business but they are shooting themselves in the foot yet again and people like me will take the brunt of it.
@GeorgeKal If they make new and expensive Surface devices every year, why wouldn't make a new Xbox in a world where Steam and Asus have released their own consoles? I'm 100% sure that there will be Xbox consoles as long as the consoles market is profitable for all the reasons I have written, but also because do you really think that they will shoot themselves after spending billions on Xbox Game Studios? Even if it's just to give players a choice, the choice to keep their libraries and their beloved controllers, they will make a new Xbox. As long as there is a new PS or a new Nintendo, there will be an Xbox.
It doesn't matter if Sony sells more units, the gaming revenue is in the software/DLC sales and subscriptions. Xbox consoles are an essential part of the Xbox brand. People are assuming here that Microsoft is committing suicide but they won't. All this drama because there is a repeated rumour that says that some Xbox games will be multiplatform and that means the dead of Xbox? It's disproportionate. I say enjoy your Series S|X and next generation enjoy your new Xbox and don't worry about Xbox disappearing like some people wish for Sony to rule supreme and become the ultimate "high-end" console monopoly.
I said MS going 3rd party would happen.
@Banjo- two reasons... 1) almost no one will buy one because they will buy a playstation so they can have all the exclusives 2) consoles are not profitable, only the software is. And they wont sell enough software on the xbox almost no one will buy.
@GeorgeKal
1) I don't think so, most Xbox users will buy next Xbox console even if games are available on other platforms. It's been a while since Xbox games are available on PC day one. Xbox users want to keep their libraries, achievements, controllers... The majority of people that buy a PS are casuals for one or two third-party games, as you can see on the best-selling charts (FIFA, GTA, Call of Duty, Minecraft) Most buyers = most gamers don't care about exclusives.
2) True but Microsoft can afford to make consoles and all the software they sell means 100% of the revenue. On PS and Switch they get 70%, it's a huge difference. According to reports, Microsoft and Sony didn't lose that much when the generation started and they quickly recoup hardware margins with software sales. If you just buy an Xbox and don't buy any game, yes, it's not profitable, but nobody does that.
@Banjo- Right now in the current market conditions most third-parties do release on Xbox with some (big) exceptions, but with less interest from users and developers there’ll be a snowball effect that MS won’t be able to stop, for many developers there’s just won’t be any point in porting their game to Xbox where it’s gonna sell 3 copies, and Game Pass isn’t enough to keep a whole platform going as this generation has shown.
I don’t actually think MS wants to get rid of consoles but this move is a life sentence for their ecosystem even if they or you don’t currently realize it, the moment they announce just one single exclusive game losing the exclusivity it’s over, all the conversation for every single new Xbox game announced will be about when will it arrive on PlayStation or Nintendo, rather than hyping up the Xbox platform.
@IOI "for many developers there’s just won’t be any point in porting their game to Xbox where it’s gonna sell 3 copies."
Why? Xbox porting costs are minimal with Windows Direct X. As long as there is PC, Xbox is a no-brainer. Literally, all the games that have skipped Series S|X are niche Japanese games or games that Sony have paid for being kept away from Xbox (the well-known exclusion deals).
"all the conversation for every single new Xbox game announced will be about when will it arrive on PlayStation or Nintendo, rather than hyping up the Xbox platform."
Yes, on PX, PS, Twitter... but we are less than 1% of the user base. You need to realise that we are not representative. Most Xbox players will keep their Xbox and some will buy an Xbox for the first time next generation because of Game Pass or because of popular games such as Call of Duty, if Call of Duty gets bonuses or better deals/marketing on Xbox after the deals with Sony have expired. Microsoft owns Minecraft and Call of Duty, two of the best-selling games on any platform, every year. Those games will be on Game Pass and Game Pass is on Xbox.
@Banjo- lets hope you re right! Series x is my first xbox (i used to be a pc + Nintendo handheld gamer) but it is my favourite console ever and i dont want to change back to full pc gaming personally... But i still hope all those rumours will end up wrong.
@Kaloudz coming out the gates with what exactly , a load of multi platform games by the looks of things 😂😂
@Banjo- You really are very optimistic if you think that Xbox users will stick to the brand after Microsoft shows zero confidence in it…
Anyway, I do hope you’re right and I’m wrong but I really think this will be the beginning of the end for the Xbox brand and once it starts there’s no going back.
@Kaloudz
you keep mentioning this as a "small handful of games" potentially going to ps5, as if there are tons of other Xbox exclusives that are being held back. Almost every current and soon to be released Xbox Series exclusive have come up in these rumors
Honestly, at this point, you just can't argue that Xbox doesn't deserve 3rd place. I've had an xbox since the year the original launched btw. But they learned with the launch of Xone you need big games people can only play on your console to encourage people to enter your ecosystem. They respond by putting their, admittedly limited, first party selection day and date on PC. Then they finally accumulate a large portfolio of potentially consistent exclusives, and they put them on their main rival's platform. i mean, c'mon.
@GeorgeKal If I had my doubts I swear I would post them. I have some doubts about other aspects like I posted on other threads and I'm not agreeing with everything that Microsoft does, but even if this rumour is true, I'm completely sure that even if all games become multiplatform, Microsoft won't give Xbox up because it makes zero sense from a business point of view. None of the arguments that have been written here or elsewhere against Xbox have any basis except the "this console has sold twice as much as Series S|X" argument that is completely absurd and that only people stuck on the 90s can believe is true.
I don't believe that Xbox players will all migrate to PS just because games become multiplatform, either. Some will go and some others will come because of Game Pass or ABK, but that's it. I don't believe that third parties will abandon Xbox because they supported more Xbox One X than PS4 Pro and because the only important games that are missing on Series S|X are the ones that Sony keep away from Xbox: Final Fantasy, basically, and that might also change. Plus, development for PC and Xbox is basically the same these days and PC is too big to ignore.
@Kaloudz 😂😂😂
@Kaloudz I might be misreading Jez's post, but it seems upper MS management have decided hardware is becoming pointless in the new world of handheld PCs, streaming etc and may port pretty much all XSX games:
https://twitter.com/JezCorden/status/1754560778701513122
I really hope he doesn't mean exactly that - but the brave new world part suggests it, and the fact there's no immediate denials from Xbox (which would be easy if only a few were going over) does suggest to me they're putting together a full response to get ahead of this...
@Kaloudz I kind of agree with losing 'fan trust'. It is blowing up on twitter (X). People aren't happy. So if the game scores well or looks to be a banger it'l be multiplat. But they'll leave the crap (redfall) exclusive to the fans? I'm okay with putting GaaS multiplat (Diablo, Sea of Thieves etc.) but single player games should remain exclusive to their platform. Also, you say it is case by case, but we all know this 'case by case' will just happen to magically make sense for all future games. Especially when the money starts flowing in.
@Kaloudz Gears of War is now in the list, according to Jeff Grubb. That’s the latest rumour to surface today. Link: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/microsoft-is-reportedly-considering-bringing-gears-of-war-to-playstation/
@Kaloudz
All the games you mentioned are far in the future. Likely just a matter of time, and the questions will be swirling around them constantly until there is clarification from Microsoft.
I didn't mention older games, because well, they're old and not that relevant. The demand for them on other platforms is likely relatively low.
@Cakefish wow. Imo nothing is off the table if Gears goes multiplat.
@Kaloudz Yes he edited it yet again...
@Kaloudz
fresh rumours have now popped up about Gears of War as well. You still going to keep denying this?
Personally, I see this for exactly what it is, nothing more. That being MS evaluating which games to put on other platforms from Bethesda just like was said from the very beginning. Is it the end of Xbox, nope. Is it the end of Xbox hardware, nope. Is MS just going to become a 3rd party developer, nope.
As a multi platform gamer, one who loves the Xbox ecosystem, I am all for it. This will only mean more money for MS, which is a good thing for everything MS game studio related. If people can’t handle some of the games from recent acquisitions going on other platforms, then just sell your Xbox now.
It's a win win for everyone. Makes no difference to me I say go for it, make more money and allow more players to play.
I think the games should release on Xbox only on day 1 then get ported to other consoles perhaps a year or two down the road. Any game that is a failure can be ported sooner like Redfall and Starfield. Elder Scrolls 6 should release for Xbox only at launch then get a Playstation version later down the road.
What do.I think? If true, Xbox is dead. Simple as that. They lied, flushed player loyalty down the toilet and surrendered to PS. That 30 million subs on game pass will be cut in half if they are lucky. And.engagement will fall off a cliff. In short they're committing suicide.
@Kaloudz
Gears would definitely be an exception. Along with Halo, it's one of the core Xbox brands. And really, if Gears is in play, then it just makes me more confident that nothing is off the table now.
@Aizen82 And they will be bring in more money by selling games on PS5, so they don't care if gamepass has half the subs. It's all about the $$ they are OK with 1 million subs if selling PS5 games makes them more $$.
Oh I'm sure you're right. MS gaming will be doing great. Xbox on the other hand, will be dead. No one will buy a console. And their player base will jump ship to PC or PS because there will literally be no reason to buy an Xbox or invest in their ecosystem. Other than buying their games on PS. What's their tag line going to be. Buy our console so you can play our games a little while before they come to PS? Nope, Xbox will be dead as a cockroach.
Since current Gen exclusives are the hot rumor, I spent the morning looking for Xbox 360 exclusives to populate my old favorite console with. Stuff that has no shot of being on PS5...it was a surprisingly short list. I'm not even certain the Rare Replay collection is off the table.
@Aizen82 They are ok with Xbox being dead when they are selling PS5 games and making far more money by doing so. They will just drop the Xbox brand and fold everything into Microsoft games be 100% 3rd party.
Plus all the switch 1/2 games they will sell. You don't need a Xbox brand without the console hardware.
Third parties are going to skip Xbox even more now. The hardware. There is already indie devs posting about this. MS spends money to get ports of some games but now? The box is dead, slow death but dead.
As for the brand, that will be fine. People will love new Xbox releases coming to their platforms. The brand with thrive as a third party.
Again if you think the box lives after this you are wrong.
Removed - trolling/baiting; user is banned
Phil just confirmed the rumours on Twitter. It’s game over.
I stacked up Game Pass until 2026 so I’ll stick around until then and I’ll still use Rewards points to get games. My trust in Xbox as a sustainable platform is pretty much completely shot though.
I’ll be getting the PS5 Pro when that launches, which will ironically be the best place to play Xbox games.
Insane how this has all escalated so quickly.
Not making enough dosh boys?
Said it once, I'll say it again. SEGA. It's happening.
@Kaloudz If it was good news he'd say so - even if it's not as bad as the many rumours going around you think they'd quash some of them via off-the-record chats with Jez Corden and Tom Warren and others.
Instead all we have is confirmation it's at least as bad as feared (SoT, HiFi Rush, Indiana Jones and Starfield porting over) and potentially as bad as the worst rumours with them not being stopped (Gears / Gears collection going over, Halo next game, all recent / new games going over, even Game Pass stopping Day 1 and it's why we've not seen CoD or ABK games on it yet).
It just screams bad PR - stories like this need putting to bed instantly so they don't get out of hand, letting them run on and get out of control for over a week till a "business update" that we didn't realise we needed...
@Kaloudz Given the thousands upon thousands of reactions across gaming media, social media and comments / forums, this statement won't stop the circus.
Indeed, with comment from Xbox now I suspect even BBC News and other major sites will pick up the rumours and the "business update coming next week" which will probably lead to those mini-comment boxes in them "Is this the end of Xbox?" etc and bad headlines that casuals will read.
I'm really hoping they do some calming noises before then, via back channels, bringing events forward or saying something - but I get the feeling there's still a major battle happening internally over the breadth of this which is why they're delaying.
But jeez it feels like too high stakes to wait...
If rumours are true, im selling my xbox as soon as possible.
No point owning one when I can play all the games on Playstation.
@XenonKnight ok. That's exactly what I said already.
@Fenbops you would rather pay 70 for games Instead of having them free on gamepass?
Removed - trolling/baiting
@Toot1st 1st. Gamepass isn’t ‘free’. 2nd. I can happily wait until games are on sale like I do now with PS5 titles. We may even get physical Xbox titles on PlayStation because they haven’t completely killed that market yet.
@Kaloudz Hmm Windows Central always seem extremely close to Xbox, and they've posted the below:
https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-gaming-ceo-phil-spencer-xbox-is-planning-a-business-update-event-for-next-week
The analysis in it (where they voice their opinion), suggests basically a default of every new / recent game across the business including Xbox Game Studios going to PlayStation after a year or two, with few exceptions - or it'll be a wide selection from across Xbox.
Either way, it fits closely with the sheer variety of games we've heard discussed by trusted news sites, while potentially avoiding the worst case scenario of Day 1 ports or bad changes to Game Pass (although can't rule that out I guess ).
It's still pretty terrible for console sales, given only casual gamers could buy only an Xbox next generation and not miss out as the smaller install base = only the biggest third party games being ported, but they'll likely still make a cloud-boosted mid-power console us fan boys can have alongside a PC or PS6.
It's not the future any of us wanted, with ABK ideally having closed a year or so earlier and allowed Xbox to kick into high gear instead of that radio silence, and maybe start to emulate the 360 generation - instead it seems MS are pressuring Xbox to act more like the parent company and gracefully release everything everywhere, annoyingly giving "victory" to the most anti-consumer, nickel and diming Sony I've seen in a decade or two...
@Darylb88 which is hardware, is it not
Removed - trolling/baiting; user is banned
Xbox becoming a publisher and abandoning hardware is the logical conclusion to their gamepass buisness model. At least when their console sells so poorly.
@Toot1st Probably best to refrain from hurling personal insults.
Then why buy an Xbox…?
@Kaloudz I think record high console users is just because the old generation has stayed playable much longer - so you've got One, Series and even 360 users still playing.
PlayStation have a similar phenomenon, where the huge PS4 install base is joining the large PS5 install base to give them a vast potential player base at the moment
If it was that rosy, we wouldn't suddenly be having a "business update" when none of us thought much was wrong.
I agree I think (and hope) Game Pass changes are unlikely, but if all recent / new games go over after 6/12/24 months (including tentpole titles like Gears remastered collection or a new Halo game) then it'll seriously undermine console sales.
"Case by case" screws us too as people will roll the dice on many Xbox games they like coming over as they pick up a PlayStation - only "small and live service" games would work but that's unlikely as they'd have said it by now.
Why get an Xbox when you can get a PlayStation with their exclusives plus much better third party support?
Yes some Xbox consoles will still be sold, and they'll probably still have hardware for a while yet - but as the install base dwindles as the PS5 increases its dominance over the Series consoles, and the next generation it gets even worse, only bigger third party games may take the risk of porting over - leaving Xbox as a true "first party" machine only us enthusiasts will want...
It does just feel like throwing the towel in without waiting to see if taking over the CoD marketing would have finally started to turn the tide...
On the plus side it's convinced me that I'll buy a PS5 Pro if it releases later this year - I'll keep Game Pass for indies that I love and to try games, but a more powerful PS5 Pro will likely handle the games better (even Xbox ones), and I might as well catch up on PlayStation and third party games I've missed sticking with Xbox.
I do seriously hope if they go this route they at least get their act together - Forza Motorsport released with minimal content, Redfall was a mess and even Forza Horizon 5 launched with major server issues.
We cannot be the beta testers for PlayStation who get complete, bug-free versions after we've put up with all the issues...
It's amazing what a controversial thread can do... dragging in posters who I've never even seen before... Welcome!
I have always said that Microsoft should allow their games on the Playstation systems. However I would ramp up advertising about how every year you can buy Call of Duty on the PS5 for $70 or get gamepass on the Xbox or PC and it's included in the low monthly cost.
Sounds like it's time to ditch the Series X. It was sorta fun while expectations weren't even close to being met. Bowing down to Sony is the quickest way to lose me as a consumer when Sony has been adamant about eliminating competition.
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