Xbox seems to be chopping and changing its overall strategy quite a lot these days, with numerous multiplatform ports marking one of the biggest changes internally over at Team Green. While the almost-constant shifting is proving to be somewhat confusing for the fanbase, as it turns out, it might actually be puzzling Xbox employees as well.
At least, that's according to well-known leaker eXtas1s, who put out a new YouTube video over the weekend discussing these strategy shifts and how they're going down over at Microsoft HQ. Now, we're not fluent in Spanish over here at Pure Xbox HQ, but thankfully the Spanish insider has provided a snapshot of the video over on Twitter, which we've translated down below.
"According to several Xbox employees, the internal situation is quite complex between the layoffs and changes they have made in recent months: "Most employees I have spoken to are completely confused about Xbox's overall strategy."
The recent layoffs at Xbox and Activision have even impacted the Call of Duty and Warzone Mobile teams, who have not met revenue expectations. The company's new goal is clear: Move its subscriber numbers on Gamepass and consoles, which are currently stagnant."
Now, this all seems a bit vague, with eXtas1s simply saying that this confusion is coming from "several Xbox employees" without giving much extra information here. However, we know that this insider must have a pretty reliable source over at Microsoft - they've leaked loads of accurate Xbox Game Pass predictions over the last few months.
Anyway, if any of you lot are better versed in Spanish than us then feel free to talk more about the video itself down below - any extra context on this would be welcome. In the meantime, we'll try our best to not get too confused by Xbox's way of operating in 2024 - and we're hoping things smooth out for the rest of the year.
Talk all about this new Xbox rumour down below.
[source x.com]
Comments 54
Most of it is probably BS. Because most employees don’t need to know.
The only true but is the stagnant GP because the figures have shown this.
It would be nice if Microsoft definitely confirmed its strategy with consoles and games going forward.
Just read an article on PSquare about PS6 and you know it’s coming.
But with Xbox you have that doubt on a next generation console and also what games are multiplatform or exclusive or whatever.
@OldGamer999 next xbox is coming they have confirmed that but thats true with games. Port MP games no problem but second when you port halo gears forza fable xbox is dead
@DarkCvrle Got a link to that confirmation?
Bold of them to assume there is one at the moment. This is my first gen having an Xbox and while I still love my Series S and play it almost daily, a clearer vision for the company would go a long way to have me invest more $ into the Xbox ecossystem
Came to say a similar things to others. How can they be confused by a strategy that doesn't really exist, it flip-flops every 6 months.
@dskatter it was confirmed in February by buissnes update and at xbox showcase you can look it on youtube. At xbox showcase its at the end where sarah bond speaks
@DarkCvrle
The next Xbox did get a mention but then again so did the word hybrid. Now my cars a hybrid but I’m not sure about a hybrid console using cloud computing to help get max power from it.
Also I’m not too trusting of Microsoft with Xbox.
@dskatter articles exist ad nauseam on the topic. I would venture it’s relativity late into the next gen development cycle to pull out now. But who knows. Xbox has made me leery enough that for the first time since the PS3 I’m hesitant to actually buy a multiplat on Xbox. If you read between the lines for the last 18mo it seems to be all about the platform instead of the box itself. This is one of the only comments I recall Phil making explicitly about new hardware.
https://www.gamesradar.com/phil-spencer-shuts-down-multiplatform-rumors-says-next-gen-xbox-console-will-respect-the-investments-that-people-have-made-in-the-platform/
@OldGamer999 yea but if its hybrid like xbox/pc xbox wins hands down. You can play then ps games on it and everything from steam
@PsBoxSwitchOwner
The problem with the stagnant GP is over 50% of subscribers are on Xbox consoles and part from the USA those sales are extremely low.
I think it’s one reason why Xbox are not to sure what to do.
@DarkCvrle
As long as the hardware under my tv is the full power experience then that is fine, with no cloud tricks etc.
But like I said it’s more about trust.
@OldGamer999 it’s not just an MS issue however as Sony are stagnant also. (Hence price rises etc)
It’s just reached a ceiling but it’s one that’s probably lower than they were expecting. So I’m comes the ‘play anywhere’ but if it stays stagnant after it’s been available on stuff like fire stick for a while then I guess they would worry more about it then.
So thats all of us confused then - including Xbox leadership team.
I genuinely believe the next Xbox is a custom PC running a scaled down windows OS. If it's decent enough it may be the PC under the TV I've always wanted (all such offerings at present are very compromised).
I really hope there's a new Xbox, but I wouldn't bet on it with my own money...
Xbox is doomed unless they fire its president, she has no clue what’s she’s doing.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner
I think Sony are not that stagnant really especially in console sales they sold over 1 million consoles in June 24 and did the same in July 24.
I know what you mean by stagnant, they won’t sell anymore PS5 than they did PS4.
The stagnant with GP is like almost like not selling any in good numbers.
Sony price increases are because they can and still sell over 1 million consoles a month during the quiet summer months.
They have no console competition from Xbox and that’s it, so they take advantage.
Xbox has a strategy? They seem to be making it up as they go along recently and the sad reality is that I don't ever see their console numbers improving when even some of their upcoming games are going to be multiplatform.
Also what is the selling point of that middle tier of Gamepass which has had a lot of games removed from it? That won't increase subscription numbers.
There are a quite a few Xbox games I want to play hut I'll never own another Xbox console as I don't need to
It seems like Microsoft used to leave Xbox alone to do whatever (what's the occasional 7 billion to MS) but when they bought Activision (plus all that fighting in the courts) changed that. You don't get to spend 69+ billion of your "business dad's" cash and not have him looking over your shoulder.
All the stuff that's been going on since is much more in Microsoft's usual business practices and not the direction Xbox has been going in over the last decade.
It's understandable when a high majority of their scopes and strategies are cloud gaming, never ending live service games that are linked to gamepass that keeps people subscribed for longer.
(excluding the recent story driven games that got announced from the pipeline..... finally)
@PsBoxSwitchOwner workers still want stability and know what they are using years of experience for … how do you think a company can keep recruiting good talent
Just to be clear: the overall, obvious and utterly crystal clear strategy is to make as much money as possible for the shareholders.
If you can sneak in an award or improve something that is an accidental byproduct of the process…
Kinda like me being confused to these full screen, overly intrusive, diaper ads on PXB and the sister sites.
This Is whats I got from the video:
Xbox recently fired around 650 people. Most of them from Activision Blizzard and most of them from customer support; they rather just outsource customer support. Employee morale Is down because around 2,500 people have been fired since January
Unless MS directly addresses employees on a certain company direction, that info is usually on a need to know basis. Most employees aren't in that pay grade. Such is life as an employee of a mega corporation.
Also, MS as a company is about as leaky a boat as it gets. If the higher ups aren't telling them anything, thank the "sources."
I'm willing to bet this new strategy is less confusing for the employees, than the logic of naming Xbox consoles, and the 50 different tiers of Game Pass.
Sounds like every large corporation ever. 1000 workers, most of them with high turn over, 899 managers, most of which are just there to climb the ladder, 100 executives each with a conflicting agenda, 0 strategies.
Xbox HQ needs to move to the post office. So much synergy.
@OldGamer999 It be nice if Microsoft just come out and admit Game Pass was an incredibly stupid idea that never had a chance to be sustainable at any price point under $50 which is an insane price for any Xbox subscriber.
Game Pass is just overrated for what it offers. If it was good and successful, no one would be having this conversation.
@Titntin People been saying the same thing about Xbox consoles since the 360 came out. Definitely can argue they came pretty close this gen though. Series X is good machine, especially at that price point.
The Series S though? What a disaster. Plus it's holding the Series X back.
@OldGamer999 Personally, I'm thinking when Microsoft use the word hybrid, it's prepping us to be ready for Switch type console.
I'm ok with that. Nintendo reaps rewards of a hybrid system. Plus a hybrid would help to replace the mistake known as, Series S. Hybrid be more powerful than Series S.
Up tops (above Phil) have took over in my opinion...and they haven't got a real clue what they are doing
@GuyinPA75 How is the series s a disaster? Maybe in the eyes of graphic nerds etc etc....but it's ideal for the average Joe who isn't a hardcore gamer ..my 2 kids and missus all have a series s each and are very happy with it...everyone in family gets to play on there own machine....something that defo wouldn't of happened if there was no cheaper option like the s
@GuyinPA75
Who knows what they are planning.
But I wish in no uncertain terms they would tell us about their possible under the tv full power next home console, with no cloud streaming tricks for power.
@GuyinPA75
You are absolutely correct GP has definitely not been the success Xbox thought it would be.
they are stuck in some sort of limbo and are now putting games on other consoles.
The hard pill to swallow was the Indy video and showing on PS5 at the end.
Also Doom day one on PS5.
They also need to produce some top AAA must have games, apart from Forza Horizon 5, which was critically acclaimed game.
And soon their own games will be best on PS5 Pro.
And if they fully pulled out the hardware market tomorrow, I would definitely get why.
They're confused? How do they think anyone on the outside looking in feels?
@Titntin Sounds great honestly, but it needs to be able to play all Xbox games currently playable on XSX and everyone’s digital libraries need to carry over with no exceptions. Otherwise it will only be ‘Xbox’ in name only and Microsoft will have effectively done a Sega.
Xbox do need to make things clearer for everyone. You can’t go a week these days without the strategy flip flopping from one thing to the next.
Right now, the PS5 Pro reveal has given MS a chance at a free hit - either a native handheld at a price to make it essential, or the next Xbox is a PC/Console hybrid with Steam access at £600 and they then have a chance to really succeed.
Whether MS truly want Xbox to succeed in terms of hardware will ultimately dictate if any of this comes to pass but right now, Xbox has the chance to bury one in the back of the net.
@OldGamer999 Exactly. The Series S has done nothing but hold the Series X back from reaching it's full potential. Definitely a plethora of articles and commentary to support that issue.
Management at Microsoft is not helping, which starts at the top with the failure of Nadella. Years and years and years ago when he hinted of stopping windows phone I knew he was the wrong person for the job.
Nadella only cares about the cloud and making anything and everything a subscription which is a disastrous mindset of putting all eggs into one basket. It's pretty much like if McDonald's came out and said they are going to stop selling the big Mac and fries, only to just sell cheeseburgers, and reset their business strategy by going until lumber business with sole goal of beating out 84 Lumbar. Plus, people are ABSOLUTELY tired of paying for subscriptions.
Xbox management can't even get a big game out on time. Mainly because Xbox Department are unable to utilize the 6 Month Rule. Redfall and Starfield had much better reception if kept them in development for at least 1 more year. Management can't knock on the door and be like, hey we have no big games coming out this year, we need you push this out ready or not. Pure recipe for failure.
Xbox I feel is in lot more trouble than people realize. The right hand not know what left is doing. Shows more and more, every day now.
@StylesT The issues of Series S are well documented. There is pretty much a new story weekly.
Series S is holding the Series X back dramatically from reaching its full potential due to the console parity issue.
@GuyinPA75 It might be splitting hairs, but I’d argue it isn’t the Series S itself holding anything back, it’s the parity clause Microsoft has mandated that is the issue. Unless you’re a force majeure, out-of-nowhere GotY contender which took the world by storm like Baldur’s Gate 3, you get no special treatment and must abide by it, even if it hamstrings what could otherwise be a top tier Series X experience.
When I look at this generation objectively, ignoring gaming media bias or echo chambers like platform-specific podcasts, influencers etc, and I compare my personal experience with my Xbox Series X and PS5, the ONLY thing that PS5 has a slight advantage in is exclusives. The DualSense controller is neat, but mostly gimicky and the battery life absolutely blows. To me, the Xbox controller is much more comfortable to hold in my hands and whether it's AA batteries, rechargeable batteries or battery packs the charge life is MUCH better. I like certain aspects of each system's UI and conversely don't like others of both. Game Pass is unquestionably a better value than PS+ as well. Also 360 backward compatibility is awesome (it's criminal Sony hasn't figured out PS3 back compatibility yet) and Smart Delivery is great, unlike Sony who charge $10 to upgrade PS4 games to PS5 versions or release PS5 versions separately. for example, if Xbox owned the IP instead of Sony and was to remaster or remake The Last of Us 2, Xbox players would've just got to play it free on their Series X via Smart Delivery.
Performance-wise the 2 machines are practically identical, but when I look at both consoles, the one I feel that gives me the best value it's definitely the Series X.
"The company's new goal is clear: Move its subscriber numbers on Gamepass and consoles, which are currently stagnant."
I think that one was pretty obvious for some time after some deduction but surely, they are betting on several other horses?
They are still juggling with some stuff at the top of Xbox leadership, that's clear to me too. That said, they need to make some calls on what the future (communicate a road map) holds in order from people jumping ship because of doubts. Employees being confused is not a message you want to bring to customers.
Not interested in a mid-gen console but it would be very cool if the "next" Xbox could "plug and play" the whole Steam/GOG/EGS/etc. library. I would be pretty impressed if they could pull that off! Fingers crossed!
Xbox has been blatantly clear about its strategy since the start of this generation. If someone doesn't understand it, they probably don't know anything about video games, the industry, or video game infrastructure/technology.
@OldGamer999 They have, numerous times. They've also confirmed their next gen consoles, numerous times.
@DarkCvrle The only reason you value consoles is for the exclusive games that console could potentially have? What a strange breed you young gamers are. We didn't think about that back in my day, we bought consoles for their merits, not because Halo 15 or Last of Us part 42 were eventually coming out.
@Dr_Rocanlover Nonsense
@GuyinPA75 A whole lot of nonsense, you've been listening to too many fanboys on reddit/youtube
Move subscriber numbers on console? Move them to Playstation, maybe. That's the only thing they've done in 2024.
I think it's ok to change strategies. Like if they notice something isn't working, they're gonna make a change to something else to see if that works, right? Sticking to the same strategy that's not working, isn't a good idea. It's good to try something new, see what works.
Hear is what happens when their is any merger
1 Regulatory processes
2 Promises to keep everything the same
3 Profits don't meet expectations
4 Layoffs
5 Reorganization
@PsBoxSwitchOwner price increases have nothing to do with being stagnant. It’s more of an inflation thing. Remember the cough era? Almost all semi conductors are made in china and Taiwan. Plants were reduced in both countries, all while demand soared for semiconductors for all industries. This demand is still there. It’s why this generation of consoles hasn’t seen price cuts because it’s still expensive to make them. Not because their SOCs are impressive or hard to make. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have expenses too as everything has gone up. And it doesn’t help that governments keep adding austerity measures to prop up the economy. In regard to PS, Sony’s hardware continues to sell well worldwide. Microsoft does virtually no marketing outside North America for Xbox.
@Vaako007 I was meaning in general more on subscription services. That both companies have increased also. (Trying to get as much as possible from current subscribers)
The consoles increased while disliking they increased I fully understand why they are and can be justified.
You almost can't even blame Phil (I don't think he's really been in charge for at least 6 mos.). Satya doesn't give a damn about gaming or Xbox. He's doing whatever he can to squeeze every penny out of Microsoft gaming that he can. I wouldn't be surprised if the next box didn't have "xbox" on it at all and was just called the "Microsoft Whatever". The plan seems to change daily, I'm sure the fans are tired 😆
The higher ups at my company don’t tell me what the strategy is either TBF. Though I think the overarching strategy has been clear for a while.
@SleeplessKnight
I agree, that’s a fair summary. I’ve also got a Series S for my son and that’s hugely impressive for its price. Really hoping these rumours of a handheld with similar power level are true.
Look at how excited people are about Astro Bot. Microsoft owns Spyro and Banjo-Kazooie. If they haven't greenlit new entries in those franchises I don't know what they are thinking.
@DarkCvrle Xbox is a billionaire money-maker. It won't die because 4 IPs are selling millions on the competition.
"Oh no, another rumor blah blah blah"....yawn
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