Banjo-

@HonestHick I agree. For Microsoft, Xbox consoles are part of the business and they don't need them to be as successful as a PS or Switch, as long as they make a lot of money on all platforms as they're doing. Xbox is another Windows device. Will they be more expensive, like PS5Pro/6? Maybe.

Because PS5 Pro is digital, I think that the next PS and Xbox will be digital too. Like you said, there are at least two more console generations. Who knows and who cares what happens after that? Xbox users are safer than Sony's and Nintendo's because Xbox is a bigger business and is on board with PC since Xbox One. It's Microsoft, the owners of 40 studios, second biggest publisher, the owners of Windows. All PC games run on Windows. Xbox games run on Windows.

I don't think that consoles will disappear, but become less restrictive. All these handheld PCs are telling us where this industry is going. Steam is making a home console. Microsoft might make a console that runs other PC stores, which would be funny because PS games are on PC stores. Even Google and Apple are being regulated now. Restrictive consoles might become extinct. All this doom and gloom and we'll be playing Xbox and PS games on several devices soon, using our Xbox and PS accounts. All this drama is based on dated prejudices and 90s console wars.

@Moby Only Nintendo can keep going like in the 90s because of the ancient hardware and cheap development. Microsoft needs to be multiplatform and that's alright, it started with Xbox One. The funny thing is that the "fans" don't see that Sony is doing the same. Sony is 30 times smaller than Microsoft, has an astronomical debt and has stated that they need to reach players on other platforms, but still they think that PS is better than ever and that Xbox is doomed.

@donv2135 Because they literally have nothing better to do.

@MrMagic The problem with you, TeiGeki, MeanBeanMachine and company is not that you hate Xbox because you're entitled to it, although you look like weirdos when you are the most active and vocal users.

The problem is that you disrespect Xbox players/fans while hypocritically faking concern and/or playing the victim after trolling them... on an Xbox site, no less!

@TheEstablishment They should pay more attention to the revenue and debt of each company than about the number of consoles sold.

@MrMagic Very funny that you accuse me of blind faith being one of the big Sony fanboy hating Microsoft on Pure Xbox! I was on Push Square before Pure Xbox because I bought a PS4 before an Xbox One. And you don't see me on Push Square bashing Sony every day in spite of not liking what they're doing. Last time, I was talking about a Sonic game. But here you are... Thing is, it's logical being here if I like Xbox, not logical being here everyday if you hate it. That's the difference between me and you.

@MrMagic No blind faith, but official numbers. Genuine question, what are you doing here?

@Utena-mobile Microsoft has explained that the Xbox business is healthier than ever before, no need to worry. Microsoft spends $1B a year getting third-party games on Game Pass and they earn $8B each year just with Game Pass subscriptions, not counting software and DLC sales and sales on other platforms. At least half of those subscriptions are console subscriptions.
They are better than ever financially and have become the second largest publisher in the world after Tencent. They have an excellent studios portfolio. They're not going anywhere, consoles are very profitable for them. Multiplatform is how you do business when you are this big, no need to worry about that. Just with Call of Duty skins they earn a huge fortune. 😂

When people ask on several threads for keeping weapons that break easily, are they asking for a Breath of the Wild weapon management? 😂 This is infinitely better: easier, on the fly, more immersive and more fun.

@Coletrain I think it's active Steam accounts, so 13.2m sold and this is old data, so more now. If it's 10% of daily users you can extrapolate as more or less would be the same percentage for the total, like a massive survey.

@WildConcept6 I agree with you, just a couple of things to add about the mobile stores, the price for playing Xbox Cloud and the marketing campaign.

The mobile stores aren't ready, but Google and Apple are being legally regulated regarding user's choices like PCs in the past. That's a bigger W for Microsoft than the ABK trial. They're waiting for that.

Microsoft is not afraid of being first regarding multiplatform plans since Xbox One, but that also means they anticipate the evolution of the market, which is good if your plans are long term like theirs. Sony is reluctantly doing the same as them, but slowly and with many more limitations like no cross-save nor cross-buy. Microsoft is ahead and completely on board, so that would benefit them in their long-term plans, not to mention their massive cloud infrastructure that Sony lacks.

Paying for Game Pass Ultimate just for Cloud doesn't make sense, but they're planning new tiers. That makes the campaign premature, but starts selling the brand to everyone that doesn't have an Xbox, like you said. Xbox needs a cheap only Cloud tier if they want every device to potentially be an Xbox.

About steaming quality, they're also ahead of the current circumstances for most, but those that really care about quality or don't have an excellent connection are already PC or console customers. Those that only play mobile games may try more games on mobile.

@Coletrain There is no official data for Steam Deck sales, but the 10% comes from real statistics.

Brand needs to be as simple as possible. On a computer, browsing PC and Xbox games used to be a mess and the websites used to redirect to the wrong versions. I complained about this.

They should stick to a brand and Xbox is fully associated with gaming unlike Microsoft that is probably associated with Office. Xbox is the right choice for their whole gaming business.

That said, it's sad that Microsoft names its Surface devices better than its consoles. Xbox 6 would be a better name for the next-gen console. They skipped numbers with Windows, so they can do it again. Windows and Surface use logical numeration, Xbox doesn't: Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Series S, Series X...

The funniest thing is when he says that it was being considered but that plans might have changed, so whatever happens he'll always be right.

Sony will follow like they did with the ports. There will be Xbox and PS consoles as long as there is a console market, but Microsoft and Sony's games are available elsewhere already. Microsoft is just ahead of the competition in that sense and because of that raises eyebrows, especially here on dedicated gaming sites popular with traditional gamers, that are less than 1% of the console gamers.

There's nothing that Steam Deck does that other devices can't do, but still 10% of the massive Steam user base play on Steam Deck. The future is not for restrictive consoles, except for Nintendo if they're always as lucky as with Switch, that I doubt.

Because each trigger is an arm and enemies react differently, I think that the first person view is more suitable for the combat of Indiana Jones. My biggest fear when playing first-person view games that are not shooters (the benefits are undeniable there) is the platforming, but here even that has been done nicely with precise and smooth controls. It's nice seeing Indiana when he climbs because first person there wouldn't add anything. Overall, I think the camera was the right choice because of the combat and the focus on observation, with things like opening doors, pulling switches and holding weapons in different ways all adding to its level of immersion.

@DennisReynolds Hold your horses. I've never said that Microsoft hasn't done exclusives, but surely even a Sony fan that hates Xbox can see the difference between their former CEO and the new?

It's very unusual for a single-player game to be the most played game on Game Pass, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is right now, ahead of EA Sports FC24.

@HonestHick You always make a lot of sense. If you check the most-played games (that usually have microtransactions) and best-selling games on Xbox and PS, they are the same: Fortnite, Minecraft, Call of Duty, EA Sports FC(here)/Madden(there) and GTA. Lucky Microsoft owns two of them!

GTA is a good example, because although it may be the most anticipated game right now, Rockstar said that they were going to make sure that the game runs well on Series S. Meanwhile, random indie developer says that Series S is frustrating their vision. That tells you who knows what they're doing and who knows this business.

@BSlyTheGamerGuy That's the right thing to do, enjoying the console of your choice while keeping your sanity and intelligence safe. 😜

@HonestHick That's also right, that percentage is higher in the last six years according to other users, still low considering the amount of money Sony spends on developing first-party exclusives.

I wonder the same, why so many people believe random rumours and seem to not be able to think at all nor see the big picture. The exclusive console business is a tiny business that only makes sense if you make cheap games like Nintendo.

Sony is not selling enough games on PS5 and that's why the new CEO started a multiplatform strategy. They are basically doing what Microsoft is doing, but Microsoft is confident, ahead and raising brows, while Sony is behind, shy and reluctantly following the path to the gold mine.

@HonestHick Exactly, it's exhausting. It's the same story over and over, based on nothing and ignoring the reality. Microsoft is ahead in this game but Sony is following. In 2024, not all players are playing on consoles and most don't care about console exclusives. 99% of console players are not posting anything because they just don't care. There's always drama surrounding Xbox, but 99% of Xbox players are happy and enjoying their console. 😂

@Elbow Despite Microsoft being almost 30 times more important than Sony in terms of value, $3.11T = $3,110B versus $106.90B, Sony's net debt is much higher than Microsoft's. Sony's net debt is around $239.40B, twice as much as its own value. Sony reports positive results because they split their numbers a lot. Yes, it's normal to have considerable net debts when you are a big company, but theirs is astronomical and increasing year by year.

This obsession with Xbox abandoning hardware for no reason is connected to it is not worth porting games to Xbox because nobody plays on Xbox, blah. During the ABK trial, Microsoft said that Sony was paying third parties to keep games off Xbox and named Final Fantasy, Ghostwire Tokyo, Deathloop, Starfield... Then, Square Enix kind of admitted their tailored deals with Sony and finally decided to reboot the company with a new CEO and become fully multiplatform.

Like another user said, if Sony didn't defeat Xbox One that only had five first-party studios behind it, how is Sony going to defeat Xbox now? Even more when you consider that, unlike Nintendo, just 6.8% of the software sales on PS5 in the last quarter were first-party.

@TheEstablishment Next year, Microsoft will be the biggest publisher in the world behind Tencent. Sony has tried the mobile market (Neon Koi), the service games (Concord) and now they are porting their games to Windows PC, but nobody says that they're in trouble because of that, although in their case it's true, they are in the red with an astronomical net debt that is increasing year by year. But nope, PS is better than ever and Xbox is doomed. 😂

@themightyant I'm glad that you enjoyed it! I like that the enemies are not falcons like in other games, but they can still see you and hear you. They can be overwhelming in higher difficulty levels. I really hate the stealth in The Last of Us, that forces players to memorise the spots and timing after each death. I like the stealth in Metal Gear Solid V. It's stricter than in Indiana Jones, but the former is a stealth game with infiltration missions, while the latter is an adventure with more flexible gameplay. It kind of reminds me of Goldeneye 007, Assassin's Creed, Tomb Raider and The Legend of Zelda in different ways. It's traditional in a good way, but also something new and exciting.

They have said 100 times that there will be more Xbox consoles. The only scenario where there won't be more Xbox consoles is that where consoles no longer exist, and in that case you'll likely be able to play your Xbox library on PC or whatever device the future brings. I'm not so sure about Nintendo and Sony's libraries.

People also said that Sony will never ever port their games to Windows PC... Anything is possible now, even more with exclusivity fanboy Jim Ryan gone, a new CEO with feet on the ground and Sony in the red.

I'm loving this game, too. It's amazing and the more time I spend with it, the more I like it. 10/10 so far and game of the year. Now, to the technical issues. The stutter in cutscenes was evident, so nice to see it fixed. I noticed that Gina was too quick in the treasure chamber, so good that they also fixed that. I also noticed that some NPCs repeat their lines like in so many games and some soldiers sneeze too often. No big deal, just funny. 😂 To be fair, the game is extremely polished and that is surprising considering the level of detail, the free gameplay and the size of the areas. The music and the graphics are amazing, but the technical performance and gameplay are also remarkable. The game is immersive, rewarding and fun.

I'm playing without a guide and I spent over 20 hours completing the Vatican 100% LOL. I posted some tips here that I think will make some people enjoy more the game:

https://www.purexbox.com/forums/xbox-series-x/indiana_jones_and_the_great_circle_--ot--?start=20#reply-31

@themightyant Like you said, there are ideas that work in theory and numbers that look promising, so that's why I like seeing the big picture.

One example is Concord, based on the theory that live services games are more profitable than single-player games. Another example is opening (and closing) a Sony mobile studio because mobile games are more profitable than console games. The truth is that not all service games are Fortnite and not all mobile games are Candy Crush. Actually, Fortnite started as an experiment and it was supposed to use realistic graphics, while Candy Crush also started as a small thing.

Microsoft can also read theories wrongly, but I think that their advantage is that they have already walked the path and diversified. They have so many studios and that's how they can run a multiplatform and subscription service successfully.

A theory that Microsoft could be reading wrongly is that releasing games on PS/Nintendo is extra revenue. Okay, in theory is extra revenue, but how much and what are the long-term implications, as long as Sony don't port games to Xbox? That's the part where I agree with not releasing everything on PS5 or at least not on day one.

This generation is weird, a transition. I'm curious about Sony's multiplatform plans and even more about Microsoft's multiplatform plans as they are not afraid to be the first, with Sony reluctantly following: service games, mobile games, porting games to PC, porting games to other consoles... I'm sure that Sony is doing all that because of their astronomical debt and if they don't do anything they might be used and/or purchased by a bigger company.

@electrolite77 I think a good example is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Like other high-profile games on Series X|S and PS5, it's expensive, even more the deluxe edition. However, you can play it with Game Pass on Xbox and on PC. It will also be ported to PS5, as expensive as on Xbox, but months later. It's a good business.

Another example is Call of Duty Black Ops. 6, selling extremely well on all platforms and breaking 10-year records while being a hit on Game Pass.

They will be able to keep doing this because of how many studios they have now. That's why they are doing well and are not going anywhere, because of how important they have become in this industry.

@NattyKing You are saying that Microsoft/Xbox is struggling compared to Sony, but it's the opposite. The only truth is that there are twice as many PS5 as Xbox Series X|S, but Microsoft as a publisher is/will be ahead of Sony as will be reflected in the 2025 financial reports. Acquiring ABK is not a loss but an investment that has already paid off. Are you aware of Sony's astronomical debt, three times its total value and increasing year by year (Sony as a company), and that they approached the mobile and PC markets because they don't sell enough games on PS5 (Sony as PlayStation)? The only thing that Sony hasn't tried yet is the Xbox ports.

@themightyant I also think that ABK has boosted their multiplatform strategy. They're too big to be doing console exclusives. Even Sony, a smaller company but with twice as many consoles shipped or sold, needs more platforms, PC, at least. Consoles are no longer enough for Microsoft and Sony.

Jim Ryan was a Sony exclusives fanboy that wanted not just Sony's exclusives, but third-party exclusives including as much as they could pay of Call of Duty. Sony will be better off with the new CEO(s).

We don't know what Xbox games will be on PS and if PS games will be on Xbox, so I only mentioned PC. That's a fascinating topic, because it's a mystery. Porting games to PS after a while seems a better strategy than porting them on day one, right? You see websites and Wikipedia reporting things like The Adventures of Master Chief is an upcoming PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch 2 and Series X|S video game. PS comes first, Xbox is last and even separated from Windows as if it was an alien. They'd better leave PS and Nintendo ports for later. That and Game Pass would mean more reasons to play on Xbox, on top of controller, library, friends, Play Anywhere, free cloud saves, etc. Keep Xbox attractive and consumer-friendly.

The opposite thing, PS games on Xbox, seems almost impossible, but the new CEO is the opposite of Jim Ryan. It really wouldn't surprise me to see PS games on Xbox one year later, but Push Square would melt down.

Another interesting fact reported by Push Square and that has affected Sony's strategy is that only 6.8% of PS5 software sales were first-party in the last quarter, which means that PS5 is mostly a third-party games machine.

What you said about early sales is right and Wii U also sold very well during the first months. I think that Nintendo needs more competition to improve the value that they offer their loyal customers, so it might be a good thing if Switch 2 is not as successful as Switch. I like the older Nintendo that worked harder to give better games and value. Switch is my least liked Nintendo console and library and I have them all but NES and Virtual Boy.

@ZAHMED Yeah, it's almost funny. Let people think whatever they want 😂. The console wars ended and Xbox is better than ever. Square Enix is no longer Sony's best w... friend, Microsoft realised that the future is multiplatform since Xbox One. Xbox and PS are closer to PC than ever before and now with handheld PCs, boundaries are blurred. PS is no longer an exclusives system either and that stupefy some fans that need to say that Xbox is doomed.

@themightyant I usually check the yearly results. It will be interesting to see the 2025 results.

I added a few lines and links highlighting Sony's change of business strategy several times in recent years. I know that many console fans are afraid of console exclusives ending, but I think that multiplatform strategy is the right thing not just for Xbox, but for PS as well and, obviously, for third parties like Square Enix. Nintendo is of course in another dimension, but their Switch era was especially profitable because of the cheap development costs (ports, small games), high margins, lack of handheld competition and unusually high hardware and software sales. Two Wii Us and welcome multiplatform Nintendo! I don't think that Nintendo's next console will be as extremely lucky as Switch, so Nintendo might consider other options in the future, even more with the PC and console boundaries blurred thanks to the handheld PCs. Consoles are not disappearing because they are profitable, but I believe that consumers will enjoy more freedom.

@themightyant That's what Oldgamer says, but Microsoft is also a hardware manufacturer, the owner of Windows OS and they develop high-end and mid-range Surface devices despite the ferocious competition (makes PS a joke in comparison). Don't forget that people posting are less than 1% of the user base. I don't have a single doubt on my mind about Microsoft making Xbox consoles as long as there is a console market and competing with PS, as long as there are PS consoles. They make hardware, they make software and they make Windows. PC and Xbox games are easy ports. The don't pay commissions on Xbox and they have millions of console fans and subscribers. Actually, I see a bigger change coming from Sony to improve their financial results. They tried the service games and the mobile games and they are porting all games to PC. They're focusing now on PS traditional portfolio but giving up on console exclusives.

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/05/multiple-ps-studios-working-on-mobile-as-sony-targets-smartphone-boom

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/10/sony-shuts-ps-studio-neon-koi-without-ever-releasing-a-game

@themightyant Okay, then let's just say that Microsoft's projected revenue in 2025 will be higher than this year, ahead of Sony, and that their net debt is small and decreasing, while Sony's is gigantic and increasing. There is no objective reason to think that Microsoft and its video game business Xbox is in trouble. If you pay attention, most of the reasoning is emotional, like, they are sabotaging their customers, they are betraying the console exclusives tradition, they are lying about their next generation plans and digital libraries, etc. I still haven't found any objective reasoning behind the Xbox is Doomed hundreds of comments, besides that they have sold half as many consoles as Sony, which means little for the revenue results these days. Last generation, the reasoning was that they don't have games, but they can't use that now that they have more than Sony.

You can address your complaint to the websites that have reported what I just copied and pasted:

Largest Video Game Publishers: Ranked by Revenue [2024]

#2 Microsoft
Revenue: $236,580,000,000

#3 Sony
Revenue: $88,880,000,000

The total company value has also been compared:

Sony: 106.90B

Microsoft: 3.11T = 3,110B (29.1x)

Despite Microsoft being almost 30 times more important than Sony in terms of value, Sony's net debt is much higher and increasing. Sony's debt is around $239.40B, twice as much as its own value. Microsoft's net debt is lower than Sony's and is decreasing. The difference in 2025 is expected to be even bigger.

I wouldn't post these numbers posted on several sites like Data40 if there were not so many Xbox is doomed comments. They are doing better than ever. Sony is who should be worried about their numbers and not the opposite.

@Moby Either the same group or suspicious new accounts. They also bash most if not all Xbox games, but then on other threads it's clear that they haven't played them because they have no idea about them. The genuine complaints are easy to discern. I don't like all games either, but Series X|S is great so I don't know what's there to be mad about.

@Moby Too much hatred towards Xbox for an Xbox site.

@Millionski Why should I not bring this into conversation? Are you the one saying what is worth saying and not here, even when is on topic, relevant and official? LOL The digital console was exactly what happened, the only difference is the shape. The number of subscribers in 2028 wouldn't be a leak but a projection. The leaked Sebile controller is probably under development and will be released sooner or later. They never said anything about releasing a mid-gen Xbox. Actually, they said the exact opposite, that they knew about PS5 Pro but, unlike Sony, that they were not doing a mid-gen upgrade, and guess what happened. Yes, plans may change regarding the date of the next generation and more, I said that already, but their plans are more relevant than any of your predictions (that you can share all right!).

I still have to play Lost Odyssey but I have it. I will add Fantasian: Neo Dimension to my wish list. Like @jesse_dylan said, Xbox has become a RPG machine. 😁

Perfect Dark didn't have a release date to begin with.

As I said on the other thread and considering that plans change, even more when they are not announced but leaked, Microsoft showed in the ABK court documents the roadmap for the next generation with two different consoles/devices and the first dev kits for 2027, with the next-generation Xbox arriving in 2028. I think that they will release the next Xbox along PS6 or just a bit earlier. The same year 2028 is expected for PS6. PS5 Pro had little impact on the market, as expected. The main reason why I think that the next Xbox and PS6 will launch at the same time is because of third parties, to simplify and synchronise development. I exclude the first Xbox handheld, that according to the leaks is going to launch as soon as the technology allows decent power and battery life, probably equal to the power of Series S.

An excellent year for gaming. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is number 1 for me.

@Romans12 5:1 has been said on PX and PS for years, because of certain regions and certain weeks numbers and then fans extrapolating. 😂

@OldGamer999 As long as there is a console market, there will be Xbox consoles. Microsoft has zero reason to drop it before that. No doubt about it. You'll see.

@OldGamer999 No, because most console players play multiplatform games, so they choose one or more consoles for other reasons. Some people here like you might give their library up and change to another console next generation if Xbox games are available there, but 99% of console owners are not like that. They just want to play Call of Duty, GTA, EA Sports FC/Madden, Minecraft and Fortnite with their friends and their favourite controller. There is a distorted perception online that doesn't match the software sales charts. People also said that Switch destroyed Steam Deck, when 10% of the massive Steam userbase plays on Steam Deck. They also say that PS5 outsells Series X|S 5:1, but after four years it's still 2:1.

@OldGamer999 That's why there will be Xbox consoles, because being multiplatform doesn't mean killing part of your business. The more, the better for Microsoft, the biggest publisher in the world after Tencent and an experienced hardware manufacturer. Most console players don't care if games are available elsewhere, but there is a distorted perception online because the die-hard console fans are the only ones posting.

Like @HonestHick said, Xbox is more profitable than ever before, while Sony is changing their strategy because their current software sales are not enough. Consoles sales are not that important unless you are Nintendo and only sell your exclusives on your own platform.

That said, Jez Corden is the least reliable source I can think of. The multiplatform strategy is a real market tendency (Microsoft, Square Enix, Sony...), but he just says many things and sometimes he guesses right, that's it.

@Millionski There is very interesting information about the next Xbox in the ABK court documents that describe Microsoft's next hardware as a hybrid platform using the power of the client and the cloud, with potential handheld devices for cloud gaming. Furthermore, they showed the roadmap for the first dev kits to arrive in 2027. This means that there will be two devices, the premium console and the budget-friendly device. The next-gen Xbox would arrive in 2028. Of course, plans change.

"But the problem is they want it all somehow."

Right, Microsoft wants it all and it works as proven by Call of Duty Black Ops 6. They offer Game Pass as subscription, the game becomes the most popular on the service and still has strong sales on Xbox store, Microsoft store, Steam and other consoles. Microsoft can keep console, PC and handheld fans happy. They already committed to keeping their libraries. They don't need to rule anything out because they have the infrastructure and studios to nurture their gaming business at every level. Their strategy is letting costumers choose and attract more. It's the future of the industry and is what Sony is doing, slowly. Most gamers don't care if games are available elsewhere and most of them don't care about console exclusives.

The new Sony is multiplatform (on PC, at least) and that's completely fine and the right choice considering that only 6.8% of the PS5 software sales were first-party in the last quarter. Microsoft is the second largest video game publisher after Tencent, ranked by revenue in 2024 with $236,580,000,000, way ahead of Sony with $88,880,000,000. Console wars are over because console sales no longer equal first-party sales besides Nintendo. This is something that Microsoft realised since Xbox One and that the new CEO of Sony has also realised, unlike Jim Ryan who was a Sony exclusives fanboy.

All Xbox IPs on PS and all Sony IPs on Xbox is something that wouldn't surprise me now that they are both on PC and I believe that that is exactly what will happen and where the industry is going. Nintendo is as stubborn as a mule, but their future will depend on the success of Switch 2. At the end of the day, they have tried the mobile market before. The multiplatform strategy in the console market is a slow change, but it's happening because it makes total sense today with the current architectures and market tendencies. Most gamers play multiplatform games, don't want to feel chained and don't care about console exclusives.