OG Xbox Creator Shares His Thoughts On The State Of The Brand In 2025

He’s still confident in Xbox, And he’s right that things could be very different in the future

LOST no correction very lost.

@donv2135
The only constant is change. I stream video and music services almost exclusively now, I wonder how long until games are the same way.

I still think there is room for consumer devices, but more and more they will become more generic and more commodity based. They will co-process with the cloud and everything will have to be online connected.

I remember the fiasco around Crackdown 3. I know its multi-player stunk, but the idea was in the forming stage. Today, I think in gaming the cloud vs local processing model is still forming, but I see it starting to take shape.

Eventually they will get the right balance in place for cloud vs. local processing. Then local consumer computing devices will become more generic.

My two take aways from this interview are:

1. He is absolutely right! Nintendo get a pass on stuff that (in particular) Microsoft get hammered for. People give a pass to Nintendo for graphics and capabilities due to hardware limitations, whilst laying into Microsoft for the same. With the rumours of the Switch 2 being as powerful as a PS4 or maybe even the PS5, Nintendo might begin to feel the same heat that Microsoft and Sony feel every now and again.

2. He doesn't really say anything. Not anything! He compliments Spencer on the way he's handling things, and then pontificates about the future without actually settling on what he things will happen. Thus, there's not much of an insight really. It's no better than I do...! 😂

I would be surprised if in 15 years any of the big storefronts are on a dedicated piece of hardware that only runs that one closed ecosystem.

Steam currently looks like the most future facing platform.

I think you are probably right, @BacklogBrad. I think in 10-15 years, everything will be on Steam. I think for Microsoft, that future is pretty much now, we'll probably see the Prime (I'm only 90% certain on that), but as for Sony, it will eek it out for another two generations, thus we'll get a PS6 and a PS7, but that will be our lot as I'm highly doubtful that there will be a PS8. After that, everything will be on Steam with even Steam not requiring a PC or console to access...

I think we will end up with options, hardware will have a place as long as we have hands and fingers and thumbs and eyes. There's something about tactile feel and control and ownership over something that will always lead to there being physical gaming products. Sure you can buy Catan, chess and Risk in a digital format but a physical set is always going to exist. Same for games with screens and perpiherals, we will want that for a very long time.

Nintendo do certainly enjoy the shield they wield. That much I'll agree with.

@Fiendish-Beaver I disagree. Nintendo gets ignored by the wider community but within Nintendo spaces people won’t stop complaining about graphics or what game didn’t go to switch or how it looks bad on switch. Switch 2/pro rumors been going on since the switch’s second year.

hardware is not going anywhere. Especially for N/Sony.

For xbox its also not going anywhere in foreseeable future. However, its relevance in the market where we have strong compreition at all sides, I am convinced its a losing game for MS.
Nintendo positions will strenghen with Switch 2. Potenitally stealing series s audience as well.
Sony now has even bigger console share, the best support from 3rd party, all MS games soon. Basically becomes de-facto home console for many next gen.
PC market and PC handhelds market is taken.
Valve is cooking steam OS desktop and already have steam deck.
There is very limited space for xbox. Maybe as a Windows OS/overlay.

I have no doubt they will succeed as a biggest 3rd party publisher and if they can keep GP concept intact (no downsizing into UBi+ or EA that can potentially happen), pretty sure in 10-20 years when we are all in cloud, GP will rise in popularity. You will be able to access and stream any content you want without hardware paywalls so GP could be big long term.

@Fiendish-Beaver still convinced about Prime in 2026 with e-day?

@Kaloudz its the portable console to start with and the cheapest among all. Also technically includes 2 controllers from the box. So its fair that they dont have best graphics and tech

If MS does traditional console SX successor, then they can do basic version discless and then something like Galaxy edition that has more SSD and discdrive and considerably more expensive (like $200 or so). Limited stock. In that case they dont even need external drive.

I do agree with other commentators that there could be ALL revisions discless and drive sold separately (maybe even produced by 3rd party).

@Millionski I get that, but they still do enjoy the privilege of not getting sand kicked at them...

I mean, @Millionski, the rumours are starting to stack up to suggest 2027, but I still think it will be 2026. I still think E-Day will be a launch title for the Prime, so if I am wrong about 2026 then we'll be waiting even longer for E-Day...

I actually really miss the og style Xbox came out of the gate with and wish they would return to it in some fashion. I know that'll never happen but Sony is already kinda doing everything he described and so is steam. Nintendo does it's own thing and that's what keeps them going, Xbox started like that and it only lasted 2 consoles before it just came an alternate PlayStation option. Personally I think if it leaned into being the place where you're cool older brother plays but your mom won't let you play with him is what made it really cool when I was young and it first came around.

@Fiendish-Beaver I heard e-day next year which I tend to believe. Gears 5 was in 2019 so they had enough time.

Next gen will be 2027 and wont have anything to show off on launch date that wont be available on current gen. So nothing like Demon souls remake or ratchet on a ps5 release for example (not cross gen but real ps5 exclusives).
I think it only will be crossgen with some miniscular improvements.

This guy once said: "We at Xbox have strong policy of underpromising and overdelivering".
Xbox team nowadays has a thing or two to learn from him.

Nintendo's main audience is families and children, that audience doesn't want cutting edge tech.

E-Day next year is dependant on when they started it, @Millionski. Yes, they have had enough time to make the game since the release of 5 in 2019, but that all depends on whether they started work on 6 first before switching to E-Day when the decision was made to bring Gears of War to the PlayStation.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are only getting E-Day first because 4 and 5 were received less favourably by the fans than the original trilogy. E-Day is a good place to start a new trilogy, but we are most likely only getting that new trilogy because it is going to the PlayStation. If Microsoft were still looking to keep the likes of Gears of War as a console exclusive, we would probably have seen the current trilogy concluded first.

I think we will see the Marcus Fenix Remasters in June (or thereabouts) this year, with it releasing simultaneously on the PlayStation.

My initial gut feeling was that E-Day would be a launch title for the Prime, however, having it as a launch title, whilst releasing it day one on the PlayStation makes zero sense, as big exclusives are meant to draw attention to your new console, so not keeping it as an exclusive, and releasing it on your biggest competitor too really does not help with that. So, my feelings have started to move towards E-Day September 2026, and the Prime September 2027.

Ultimately, my confidence in the Prime releasing next year is beginning to wane...

@Fiendish-Beaver I think earlier in the year like March/April 2026 makes more sense for E-Day as having E-Day in September 2026 would mean the entire Fall/Holiday season from Microsoft is shooter games (Gears, CoD, Halo).

Having September be a completely different genre like FH6 or ES6 feels like a better fit to guarantee that the Fall/Holiday season has some variety.

I only say September, @Grumblevolcano, because that is traditionally when they release Gears of War games...

To me yeah they couldn't have done the OG/360 model anymore that was clear.

Doesn't mean I don't prefer the games more on those platforms/that era of design more then the priorities of games design nowadays not just the business side making sense and money they want from audiences nowadays, many I never experienced I prefer then Xbox One/Series S & X IPs no question.

But it's because of Xbox One they had to maintain what they could. Series S and X they have their strategies still.

The ABK and Bethesda were what they were.

But IPs with much power eh. ABK other then COD/Mobile isn't enough in their eyes I assume. So the rest are just barely used or done anything with.

Where is Pitfall OG Xbox/a new one to compete, where is COD OG Xbox not just PC versions?

Bethesda maybe differently.

But to me I just don't care. Cloud has a place let alone any device, local only has so much they want to tackle compared to just add more RAM, CPU, GPU and balance the power use among other factors.

I still prefer native over cloud especially for gameplay mechanics not gameplay playability over cloud.

Part 2 as moved.

IP wise Halo has saved them besides how it gets treated. Gears kind of didn't do the same damage as it did Halo but it went the same way in it's own way and I still find it kind of silly.

To me their other IPs just released at wrong times or audience is clear.

Blinx 2 had Halo 2 to kill it, same as Titanfall 2, same with many other types of games.

But at the same time with particular releases it's clear of sales versus audience interest on new sites and casuals.

Xbox wanting to spread themselves is fine and fair IPs to offer on any platform power level wise or audience interest and device reach.

Cloud bridges the gap but native is more exciting to see what they would do. Thing is most of the games are very eh trend/stagnant to me of graphics first and story telling with generic worlds and the gameplay is just boring so I go to Nintendo because other than odd third parties on either platform Nintendo first party at least (even if Pikmin 4 disappointed of it's core design changes) the niche IPs are still there or other odd ones I enjoy.

Sony/Microsoft want/need money yet make IPs I don''t care for even if Xbox has the variety, not the excitement at least to me.

Part 2:
Mechanics are so boring these days it's just PS3/360 or boring characters samey movesets, or weighty characters I hate it. Execs/pubs sure but audiences/devs have no imagination or care at all for these generic worlds it seems just whatever is easily understood. I prefer better gameplay/fiction ideas for worlds.

Even teen/adult IPs suck, even kids games have more exciting worlds/ideas for level design then the later demographics do. Just more menus/recreations of reality with minor twists or samey fantasy tropes.

It's hilarious how samey & worlds are just boring environments nothing mechanically engaging/playground like anymore just wow look these boring worlds, eh dialogue, eh reference, long length of filler garbage.

Boring elves/dwarves and less original fantasy characters, boring dream cars then original IDEAS to use the cars, make track, event variety, just people going oh reference because devs are lazy and audiences are just as lazy and have no imagination to use them.

Boring skill trees then other solutions. Mechanics are just the same recycled design and it's very boring.

Give me stronger gameplay fantasy but nope. Doesn't happen. Levels or open worlds with abilities/moveset purpose not just wow we recreated this place, play in it. It's so boring and pointless. Combat as the only reason, yeah tell that to any older games with more exciting world interaction, it's all perfect and boring.

Where is breaking it and finding secrets, where is more interesting environment puzzles or interactivity for setups of level design and use cases contextual or more dynamic but nope we get safe game design for casuals or hardcore that don't care either and games end up boring/recycled over and over.

Where are the creatives? Not grown up audience/employees & less creativity even with Indies they are boring & pathetic.

Adventure/puzzle maybe but every other genre are copy paste/minor ideas but nothing stronger of effort to spin off or be new either. Just bare minimum ideas audiences understand it's so boring.

Audiences suck of idea acceptance they have & why games suck, in turn devs lack of imagination sucks.

I don't use nostalgia/past games as my ONLY allowance of games to be played or reality as reference & only that for games as boring & PS3/360 gen 2, 3, etc.