@HarmanSmith Play Anywhere should be expanded, indeed. At the very least, include all first-party games. For instance, they added Spyro Reignitied Trilogy and Crash N.sane Trilogy to the Windows store very recently, but no cross-buy yet.
insane expensive and powerful for the hardcore group and let Sony be more console power and form factor.
What you're saying makes a lot of sense for Microsoft: a high-end, really high-end console that will be basically a gaming PC with Xbox/Windows PC games for the Xbox hardcore crowd and the hybrid console that is a lower specs handheld Windows PC with an Xbox user interface and the best value for the masses. Then, there's PC for those that don't care about investing time and money in configuration, upgrades, etc., and mobile/Cloud for the casual players, the majority of the players.
@NEStalgia I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but you are considering only part of the big picture, comparing even PS5 and Series S|X sales. I just don't get it. Very importantly, Microsoft spends one billion on third-party deals for Game Pass every year and they earn around five billion just with subscriptions every year, then add digital sales of first and third-party games and DLC. Xbox and Game Pass (consoles and PC) is a huge business, even if the consoles market is limited (as I have said before). The console market being limited is a smaller problem for Microsoft than for the other two. We see the future and hypothetical future of the three the same and I also see the future of Xbox the safest for consumers, all things considered, but then you are worrying for no reason.
No doubt they're making money, they're making in most cases incredibly budget products and selling them at luxury prices. The rest of the industries spending 3x more than they can hope to earn notwithstanding, the idea that Nintendo pumps out what in any other view is a $20 indie game at Best, a $7 mobile game at worst and charges $60 for years and people actually buy it is fascinating and kind of horrifying. I both love and hate Nintendo because of this. It was charming in the wii and 3ds but starts looking egregious now. Plus the games were priced appropriately back then.
I couldn't agree more. As a life-long Nintendo fan, the Nintendo of the Switch era is kind of repulsive if you also add the lack of any digital cross-buy even after merging the NNID and Nintendo accounts, the expensive ports, the lack of Wii U pro controller support, the quality of the hardware and the illegal practices in this part of the world such as non-refundable digital pre-orders and no proper guarantee for the hardware. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of praise they always get online, precisely now that they are their worst version.
@carlos82 Well, actually, it was Rare Replay that started the backwards compatibility program and it was Rare Replay the first reason. I bought the game before my first Xbox, Xbox One. It was the Elite bundle because the older bundles were all sold out, so my first Xbox controller was the Elite. I almost bought the Xbox 360 before that, but I was so Nintendo fanboy back then. I think that if Nintendo fanboys tried Xbox, they'd love it, because Xbox games are more Nintendo than the PS games. PS games are less gamey and more cinematic, as a PS4 owner (that I got before the Xbox One).
@HonestHick They should add FPS Boost to the sequel too or, you know, on the next console at the very least.
@Lup I was waiting for 60fps on Xbox before buying the second game. I haven't played the first one. So, you could say that I'm interested in both and playing other games in the meantime.
@FraserG Yes, you are completely right about that. There were agreements between Sony and Activision before the acquisition, but if those prevented Call of Duty from being on Game Pass, either she wouldn't have said "every single one of our games" or she shouldn't have said so! 😮
@OldGamer999 They can advertise more than Sony. They don't have to pay for the game nor for keeping DLC off other platforms nor for early access and not relinquish the standard commission like Sony. The same campaign would include primarily Xbox, Game Pass and mobile as a whole and Game Pass is on PC as well, a platform that has more Call of Duty players than Xbox and PS combined. On top of that, Game Pass is available also on mobile, where the majority of Call of Duty players are, main game streamed and mobile game natively, if they want to advertise both games at the same time (Game Pass and Android/Apple). They are also going to launch a mobile store.
@OldGamer999 Yes, the marketing of Call of Duty by Sony was very aggressive (a little too much as we know) and Microsoft hasn't done much yet. I expect them to do it when the next game is coming. If they don't do it, they're daft.
@OldGamer999 We'll see when it's released, but please note official data and not fanboy "reports" to measure its success 😁. Also, current subscribers make around 5 billions for Microsoft every year, how can the addition of Call of Duty decrease that incredible success = 34+ million subscribers?
"We have a service that is financially viable, meaning it makes money, in Game Pass. We’ve put a lot of money into the market, over a billion dollars a year supporting third-party games coming into Game Pass."
The important thing about this is that being first-party now, Call of Duty can only make money on whatever platform and they don't have to pay to include it on Game Pass.
@Tecinthehead If they stay subscribed it's not bad business either, since most players keep playing the online modes until the next Call of Duty comes.
@OldGamer999 Call of Duty will be a top seller on all platforms like always, but it will also be super popular on Game Pass in any case, probably the number 1 and keep people subscribed for that alone, especially if someone else is paying for it (Dad) and has to pay for.online (Ultimate), anyway. It will be a winner inside and outside Game Pass. It's a better deal on Xbox than PS5, since Game Pass Ultimate includes the game and online. Of course, it will be an even better deal on PC, where the majority of players play, more than Xbox and PS players combined, as was officially reported by Activision. The biggest revenue comes from PC and mobile.
Sarah Bond said, "We know our core users love Game Pass, Game Pass is a gaming subscription, you get a whole portfolio of games, but importantly you get every single one of the games we build day one in Game Pass."
Doesn't "every single one of the games" include Call of Duty? What am I missing? No problem with reminding that, but using unofficial statements and rumours to confirm reiterative official statements is... something else.
According to Microsoft, you should say. They literally said every single game.
"About a week ago, Xbox's Sarah Bond doubled down on Microsoft's commitment to Game Pass, reiterating that Xbox will be bringing its titles to the service across the whole slate. Today's report backs that up."
You are using unofficial statements to confirm official statements...
"Microsoft may be debating another Game Pass price rise to accommodate day one Call of Duty arrivals"
...and re-reporting random assumptions about price increases and the like.
@NEStalgia "we're making next to nothing on the console"
This is the problem, when people believe that and reach conclusions based on that. Microsoft is making a lot of money on consoles. It's a fact. Active players, subscriptions, digital sales of first and third-party games... They just don't sell as many consoles as Sony, but as have been proven, that doesn't mean that Sony's revenue is extremely good and Xbox's revenue is not worth it. That's a terrible mistake that leads to wrong conclusions. Financial reports are the only thing worth considering when reaching such conclusions. Even official statements have to be carefully read. Do you believe Sony when they say that the have suddenly sold millions of consoles, when the truth is that they just shipped their latest bunch of stock? But sure, yeah, sensationalist articles will tell you that they have outsold Xbox 5:1. First it was 3:1, then it was 4:1 and now is 5:1. The truth so far is 2:1.
You are right about not all titles being available on PC, but Nintendo doesn't have any at all. That was the worst case scenario I mentioned, but it's not happening. On top of that, don't you think that if Microsoft's engineers made Xbox 360 games perfectly playable on Xbox One after a lot of work, they are perfectly able to make games playable on PC if they got rid of consoles? I mean, it's Windows! It's x86! The tricky Power PC part has been done.
I don't think that their priority is PC now. Of course PC is progressively more important, like Cloud and mobile, but consoles are already established and, while limited in reach, a big part of their business, their third most profitable business. They won't kill Xbox just because Sony has more console fans, console fans that are not buying games.
You are completely right about Nadella, but you have also to consider the shareholders and the whole business. There are many people involved and too many billions for him to do things without asking anyone else. Believe me, Xbox won't drop the console market as long as the console market exists and if they did, they'd made all games playable on Windows. Sony and Nintendo, who knows? Nintendo would very likely have a (new) mobile store that requires players to be online to play, because of their obsession with piracy. Sony would probably start porting all the remaining games to PC and charge an upgrade fee (at best).
@OldGamer999 @NEStalgia I see Nintendo and Sony as likely to abandon the console market as Microsoft, because of how similar PC and consoles have become, Play Anywhere and same OS, all benefiting Xbox, not to mention that there is another generation of Xbox confirmed. Yeah, you're thinking that Nintendo is doing great and they are, but not last generation and who knows in the future.
Like somebody said above, Xbox is not dead just because Sony sell more consoles. It doesn't matter. Xbox consoles are highly profitable for Microsoft because of the store and subscriptions. Plus, the Xbox business is more profitable than the PS business, that is why Sony is slowly becoming a multiplatform publisher. As long as there is a console market, there will be Xbox consoles. I assure you that.
People believing that Xbox is endangered are paying too much attention to the "analysts" (aka fanboys and click hunters) and too little to Xbox's business reports. Worst case scenario, the console market disappears. You'll have your digital library available on PC, whatever PC means by then. At least your Xbox library, the other two I'm not sure. Nintendo would rather destroy the world than letting anyone take control of their games, even the NES titles.
I don't know if it's sad or hilarious when you think what else there is in their lives, but you can find the same Xbox-is-doomed users vomiting on all the threads their negative narrative about Xbox, even when the news are positive.
On topic, I wish the best to all the studios, so we can play great games, the ones of us here that do play games, I mean.
Awesome. As expected, the shooting sections benefit the most. However, I expect the 60 fps mode to be ironed out a bit more with a new patch. It's nice that they are still improving this and older Xbox games. I'll play the 40fps mode on my C1 (OLED VRR).
@Foxx_64740 Good point, as Xbox is now the third largest business at Microsoft, just behind Office and Cloud and ahead of Windows. How that means that Xbox is dying according to some people is anyone's guess, probably simple wishes coming from die-hard fans of other gaming platforms.
@Ricky-Spanish @RedShirtRod @fbnaulin Well, it's a Ben's article, what did you expect? 🤣
Well, yeah, the only metrics that matter these days is revenue and profits. It's not SNES vs. Mega Drive consoles sold anymore. There are twice as many PS5 than Series S|X consoles, but Xbox is doing great. Better than PS, even. Consoles are just another tool for selling and marketing their gaming business. Xbox has become huge and selling games and subscriptions to the different kind of players there are makes total sense for a huge hardware and software company.
Besides, since they own Windows and Xbox and Windows are becoming progressively even more unified, it really doesn't matter if people play on console or PC, not even for third parties. It's an old strategy that started last generation, when all big games started being released not just for consoles but also for Windows, so it was easy to port them to Xbox One that started using Windows as OS, e.g., Tales of Arise on Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PS4 and PS5 on day one. Xbox One X got more enhanced games than PS4 Pro, some of them based on the PC releases, that are based on Windows.
Xbox without Windows and without PC would probably be endangered, but as long as there is a console market and Windows and PC exist, they are totally fine as part of the same ecosystem. It's a no-brainer for Microsoft to be part of that market. The revenue is too high there, in spite of the competition (Sony and Nintendo) and even considering that the console market is limited and has its own and new competition. Then, there is Cloud, mobile devices, TV apps...
@FraserG I thought that because Games with Gold were popular articles, backwards compatible deals were, too. It's fine since backwards compatible games are on the new store. In a sense, everything will be simpler after July. The best way to track deals are adding games to the wish list on the console store, in my experience.
@Vaako007 Not only would any gamer with no access to those games disagree with all your comments above, but the whole industry disagrees with you now.
Many times, users that are platform-fans talk as if they were stockholders but in this case, even stockholders have realised that exclusivity is not worthwhile. Of course, there will be smaller exceptions, especially on Switch, but Square Enix was the last company still doing console exclusivity or exclusion for big games and the last one to change their mind.
From now on, exclusivity will be a question of small games not worth localising and small games funded by one of the three, some kind of second-party game.
@InsaneWade I said Vita because it was mentioned above, but I was thinking of playing on PS4 onwards older games, because since PS4, the PS platform became more unified and availability is granted, because of 86x. Same for Xbox One and Series S|X, that are even more unified.
Few people have older consoles now, I mean, the original PS3 and earlier consoles. I thought that I could play older titles when I bought the PS4, but absolutely nothing, except for a very small and bad selection of PS2 titles introduced much later. No PS3, PS2 (except the small and bad selection released much later), PS1, Vita or PSP games on PS4/5. Are you saying that they are adding PS1, PS2 and PSP games now?
Streaming can't be considered backwards compatibility. Backwards compatibility sucks on PS, but if you have older consoles, like the original PS3 that was backwards compatible, not the later models, then you have something there. However, the original PS3 is not very reliable, like the original Xbox 360.
Most importantly, the Xbox backwards compatibility is available on modern consoles. I agree that it would be wonderful to have more original Xbox games as backwards compatible games, the best of their generation in technical terms, as you said. I can't argue about that.
When Microsoft explained every difficulty associated with backwards compatibility, it was also explained that the original Xbox games are easy to port because of the architecture of the first Xbox. There must be legal issues regarding some games, but the rest of them should be ported to Xbox One/Series S|X.
I really hope that more backwards compatible games are added and also more FPS Boost support.
@GuyinPA75 The Rings of Power woke? You haven't watched The Wheel of Time 🤣. An interracial community whose story is impossible to believe, especially the love story, because the actors are not believing it themselves? Well, there are a few good bits, the magic is cool and season 2 is much better. I need to watch Fallout. @Utena-mobile I liked The Rings of Power 😅😁.
I just hope that this Tomb Raider TV series makes sense. My favourite Lara is from Underworld. There she is cool and confident and doesn't try to be super deep or super feminist. She is very inconsistent in the last game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Now I think that the only one to that makes sense and doesn't try to be politically correct is Game of Thrones, except the last seasons that without the books became stranded and pointless and even boring! Also, House of the Dragon.
Kind reminder, 462 games are backwards compatible, unlike on the PS, Vita and Nintendo stores mentioned above that don't have any. Precisely, my only question is, what games in these sales are backwards compatible? Because you can buy any backwards compatible game on the Xbox 360 store using an internet browser (except Ridge Racer 6 outside USA, I assure you that) and get the game for Xbox One and Series S|X. I don't have an Xbox 360 and I don't want to miss anything that is backwards compatible and really worth getting. That could be your next guide @FraserG, the must-have backwards compatible games and those that are on sale. It should be popular. 🖱️🖱️🖱️
@jesse_dylan @NEStalgia I read the full statements and, basically, it's a change of business strategy that will reboot Square Enix during the next three years. My understanding is that there won't be so many releases as jesse_dylan said and that they won't be as busy as a publisher. I didn't even know about The Diofield Chronicle.
They are going to invest in fewer projects in order to raise benefits, because they are spending way too much and haven't earned enough. That doesn't mean that all games will be AAA. What they say is that their releases were too many and overlapped. Obviously, releasing the big games for PS5 only did not help.
Another part of the strategy is releasing all games everywhere, even mobile games designed as mobile games on PC, for the more dedicated players, to reach more people and sell more units of all the titles.
All the main games will be multiplatform and that includes catalogue titles, that is, previously released titles, meaning VII Remake trilogy and XVI, because even games released when Sony partially owned Square Enix, long ago, have been released on all platforms, the sacred VII included.
They will also boost digital sales. Do they mean lower prices in sales? I noticed not long ago and I posted here that, for the first time, the oldest Square Enix titles on Xbox were 60% off, instead of the typical 50% off.
In short, no exclusives, no exclusions, catalogue games being released for all platforms and fewer new releases.
PS: NEStalgia, by the time Forspoken is released for Xbox, it might have become a good game. 🤣
@InvaderFromSpace Thanks for the reply. I played ACI on Xbox One right after Breath of the Wild and I liked ACI much more than BotW. I liked ACII, but picking up all the collectibles bored me a bit, so I stopped doing that after this game. Brotherhood completely hooked me and Revelations is very interesting. I like that the stories of Ezio and Altair are completed and that the two shorts are included in The Ezio Collection. Altair is very old in the last gameplay section!
Haytham is intriguing. I'm liking III Remastered so far (sequence 6), with lots of improvements in controls and graphics compared to the older games and excellent writing, as usual. I have bought all the games up to Odyssey for Xbox, so a lot to come... All of them are 60fps on Xbox except Black Flag and Syndicate, I'm thankful for that.
@NEStalgia Do you remember? I said before the remake was revealed that Final Fantasy VII would be released for Xbox and, when the remake was announced, I also said that it would be released for Xbox? 😁
The moneyhatting was at its highest between VII Remake and Pixel Remaster. Sony won't even try now. Square Enix changed their mind and Sony can't keep its exclusives afloat on PS5. Both companies have new CEOs, interestingly.
I am playing them in release order. I'm surprised at how good they are. My favourite so far is Brotherhood. Now I'm halfway through III Remastered and for some reason I like Haytham more than Connor. Haytham is much more interesting as a character, in my opinion. Altaïr and Ezio are awesome, Altaïr so pure and Ezio so likeable.
@masofdas Yeah, I was talking generally and I don't know what possible agreements Nintendo and Square Enix had. I don't know about every single game, but Switch is a massive hit in Japan that PS5 is not. For instance, Octopath Traveller, I think, was never paid exclusivity for, but Switch was powerful and popular enough for the first game. Because Sony was more worried about Final Fantasy than any other Square Enix IP, it was eventually offered as a Game Pass release. The sequel on PS5 and not Xbox was an experiment, because Sony wasn't obsessed with Dragon Quest or Octopath Traveller but Final Fantasy.
I agree with you, all third-party games should be available on all platforms and it's sad when small games are only released for Switch. The only games that I pre-order digitally are niche games that I like, to support the publisher and developer, e.g., Project Zero/Fatal Frame.
@masofdas The two main differences are that Nintendo didn't pay Square Enix for Xbox exclusion contracts as Sony did, as proven during the ABK acquisition (while demanding Microsoft to keep Call of Duty on PS) and that Nintendo is the most popular console in Japan, while PS has lost strength there. Because of the latter, many smaller Japanese games are, unfortunately, not released for PS and Xbox, but Switch is a no-brainer and Nintendo doesn't even need to ask for it.
If done right, it will be distinctive and great. Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark are not ordinary shooters and according to the leaks, Perfect Dark "3" is not either. I'm still shocked at Microsoft not acquiring Crystal Dynamics when Square Enix got rid of it and Embracer got it and then Crystal Dynamics saved this first-party project. Crystal Dynamics made more sense that other studios, e.g., Compulsion Games.
I tried State of Decay Year-One Survival Edition and I didn't like it. It's rough and confusing. I tried State of Decay 2 after the Xbox One X upgrade and I kept playing after the Series X upgrade. I swear that it has become one of the best games that you can play. The development of the third game was said to be troubled (surprise!), but I think that we will love the final result.
@TJ81 It might also be that I was confused by the negative comments about both Dying Light 2 and Dead Island 2 LOL.
Note: the Xbox store doesn't mention 4K for Dying Light on Series X, but according to FraserG's old article, it has a 4K video mode on top of two other modes. I guess it's one of those patched titles that are not officially optimised for Series X... although they are.
@NEStalgia I don't know... I don't have any Limited Run product, but after reading Time Extension's article, they seem to be some kind of home-made copies. I don't see the point. I think that digital is better than physical, at least on Xbox. I have my doubts about Nintendo because of Wii U-Switch and NNID-Nintendo, but physical Nintendo games can be sold even after the console breaks and you don't need the games. Someone will buy them, but I guess the originals only. Another big reason is that Nintendo's digital games are ultra-expensive. I think that digital is best, that's why we should demand better digital rights.
I didn't like Doom 2016, but Doom Eternal is one of the best modern shooters ever, so I can't wait to see what's next. Doom Eternal is seriously good, with great pace, level design and amazing gameplay. Id has been busy helping other studios. They worked on Starfield. Time to show what they are making by themselves.
Excellent news, best of the year so far. Third-party games should be multiplatform. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and XVI had low sales as PS5 exclusives and left PC and Xbox players excluded indefinitely and that sucks. If Switch 2 is powerful enough, it will be able to get more third-party games as well.
I remember that Phil said, "It's up to them." Not outbidding Sony, that pays less money because it has a larger (2x) console user base, paid off eventually. I can't wait to see the remaining Final Fantasy entries announced for Xbox, plus the old Dragon Quest games and the upcoming remakes.
@DJKingaling Tango was a great studio and the only Japanese studio that Xbox had. I think that this occurred because of the departures and also because the new gaming division is trimming this huge tree that they have become, based on new expectations. That also explains why they have merged some studios and removed the redundant customer service positions... and Phil's silence.
Comments 6,853
Re: Microsoft Adds New State Of Decay Dynamic Background For Xbox Series X|S
My favourite dynamic background to date is Dead Space.
Re: Rumour: Xbox Planning To Bring More Games To PS5, Despite Some 'Unease' At Microsoft
@HarmanSmith Play Anywhere should be expanded, indeed. At the very least, include all first-party games. For instance, they added Spyro Reignitied Trilogy and Crash N.sane Trilogy to the Windows store very recently, but no cross-buy yet.
Re: Rumour: Xbox Planning To Bring More Games To PS5, Despite Some 'Unease' At Microsoft
@HonestHick
What you're saying makes a lot of sense for Microsoft: a high-end, really high-end console that will be basically a gaming PC with Xbox/Windows PC games for the Xbox hardcore crowd and the hybrid console that is a lower specs handheld Windows PC with an Xbox user interface and the best value for the masses. Then, there's PC for those that don't care about investing time and money in configuration, upgrades, etc., and mobile/Cloud for the casual players, the majority of the players.
Re: Rumour: Xbox Planning To Bring More Games To PS5, Despite Some 'Unease' At Microsoft
@NEStalgia I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but you are considering only part of the big picture, comparing even PS5 and Series S|X sales. I just don't get it. Very importantly, Microsoft spends one billion on third-party deals for Game Pass every year and they earn around five billion just with subscriptions every year, then add digital sales of first and third-party games and DLC. Xbox and Game Pass (consoles and PC) is a huge business, even if the consoles market is limited (as I have said before). The console market being limited is a smaller problem for Microsoft than for the other two. We see the future and hypothetical future of the three the same and I also see the future of Xbox the safest for consumers, all things considered, but then you are worrying for no reason.
I couldn't agree more. As a life-long Nintendo fan, the Nintendo of the Switch era is kind of repulsive if you also add the lack of any digital cross-buy even after merging the NNID and Nintendo accounts, the expensive ports, the lack of Wii U pro controller support, the quality of the hardware and the illegal practices in this part of the world such as non-refundable digital pre-orders and no proper guarantee for the hardware. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of praise they always get online, precisely now that they are their worst version.
Re: Talking Point: What Convinced You To Pick Xbox In The First Place?
@carlos82 Well, actually, it was Rare Replay that started the backwards compatibility program and it was Rare Replay the first reason. I bought the game before my first Xbox, Xbox One. It was the Elite bundle because the older bundles were all sold out, so my first Xbox controller was the Elite. I almost bought the Xbox 360 before that, but I was so Nintendo fanboy back then. I think that if Nintendo fanboys tried Xbox, they'd love it, because Xbox games are more Nintendo than the PS games. PS games are less gamey and more cinematic, as a PS4 owner (that I got before the Xbox One).
Re: Talking Point: What Convinced You To Pick Xbox In The First Place?
Backwards compatibility.
Re: Rumour: The First Red Dead Redemption Could Be Coming To Xbox Game Pass
@IOI I was about to ask that, perhaps FPS Boost?
@HonestHick They should add FPS Boost to the sequel too or, you know, on the next console at the very least.
@Lup I was waiting for 60fps on Xbox before buying the second game. I haven't played the first one. So, you could say that I'm interested in both and playing other games in the meantime.
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
@FraserG Yes, you are completely right about that. There were agreements between Sony and Activision before the acquisition, but if those prevented Call of Duty from being on Game Pass, either she wouldn't have said "every single one of our games" or she shouldn't have said so! 😮
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
@OldGamer999 They can advertise more than Sony. They don't have to pay for the game nor for keeping DLC off other platforms nor for early access and not relinquish the standard commission like Sony. The same campaign would include primarily Xbox, Game Pass and mobile as a whole and Game Pass is on PC as well, a platform that has more Call of Duty players than Xbox and PS combined. On top of that, Game Pass is available also on mobile, where the majority of Call of Duty players are, main game streamed and mobile game natively, if they want to advertise both games at the same time (Game Pass and Android/Apple). They are also going to launch a mobile store.
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
@OldGamer999 Yes, the marketing of Call of Duty by Sony was very aggressive (a little too much as we know) and Microsoft hasn't done much yet. I expect them to do it when the next game is coming. If they don't do it, they're daft.
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
@OldGamer999 We'll see when it's released, but please note official data and not fanboy "reports" to measure its success 😁. Also, current subscribers make around 5 billions for Microsoft every year, how can the addition of Call of Duty decrease that incredible success = 34+ million subscribers?
"We have a service that is financially viable, meaning it makes money, in Game Pass. We’ve put a lot of money into the market, over a billion dollars a year supporting third-party games coming into Game Pass."
The important thing about this is that being first-party now, Call of Duty can only make money on whatever platform and they don't have to pay to include it on Game Pass.
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
@Tecinthehead If they stay subscribed it's not bad business either, since most players keep playing the online modes until the next Call of Duty comes.
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
@OldGamer999 Call of Duty will be a top seller on all platforms like always, but it will also be super popular on Game Pass in any case, probably the number 1 and keep people subscribed for that alone, especially if someone else is paying for it (Dad) and has to pay for.online (Ultimate), anyway. It will be a winner inside and outside Game Pass. It's a better deal on Xbox than PS5, since Game Pass Ultimate includes the game and online. Of course, it will be an even better deal on PC, where the majority of players play, more than Xbox and PS players combined, as was officially reported by Activision. The biggest revenue comes from PC and mobile.
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
@FraserG
Sarah Bond said, "We know our core users love Game Pass, Game Pass is a gaming subscription, you get a whole portfolio of games, but importantly you get every single one of the games we build day one in Game Pass."
Doesn't "every single one of the games" include Call of Duty? What am I missing? No problem with reminding that, but using unofficial statements and rumours to confirm reiterative official statements is... something else.
Re: Report: Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
"According to the Wall Street Journal"
According to Microsoft, you should say. They literally said every single game.
"About a week ago, Xbox's Sarah Bond doubled down on Microsoft's commitment to Game Pass, reiterating that Xbox will be bringing its titles to the service across the whole slate. Today's report backs that up."
You are using unofficial statements to confirm official statements...
"Microsoft may be debating another Game Pass price rise to accommodate day one Call of Duty arrivals"
...and re-reporting random assumptions about price increases and the like.
Re: Rumour: Xbox Planning To Bring More Games To PS5, Despite Some 'Unease' At Microsoft
@NEStalgia "we're making next to nothing on the console"
This is the problem, when people believe that and reach conclusions based on that. Microsoft is making a lot of money on consoles. It's a fact. Active players, subscriptions, digital sales of first and third-party games... They just don't sell as many consoles as Sony, but as have been proven, that doesn't mean that Sony's revenue is extremely good and Xbox's revenue is not worth it. That's a terrible mistake that leads to wrong conclusions. Financial reports are the only thing worth considering when reaching such conclusions. Even official statements have to be carefully read. Do you believe Sony when they say that the have suddenly sold millions of consoles, when the truth is that they just shipped their latest bunch of stock? But sure, yeah, sensationalist articles will tell you that they have outsold Xbox 5:1. First it was 3:1, then it was 4:1 and now is 5:1. The truth so far is 2:1.
You are right about not all titles being available on PC, but Nintendo doesn't have any at all. That was the worst case scenario I mentioned, but it's not happening. On top of that, don't you think that if Microsoft's engineers made Xbox 360 games perfectly playable on Xbox One after a lot of work, they are perfectly able to make games playable on PC if they got rid of consoles? I mean, it's Windows! It's x86! The tricky Power PC part has been done.
I don't think that their priority is PC now. Of course PC is progressively more important, like Cloud and mobile, but consoles are already established and, while limited in reach, a big part of their business, their third most profitable business. They won't kill Xbox just because Sony has more console fans, console fans that are not buying games.
You are completely right about Nadella, but you have also to consider the shareholders and the whole business. There are many people involved and too many billions for him to do things without asking anyone else. Believe me, Xbox won't drop the console market as long as the console market exists and if they did, they'd made all games playable on Windows. Sony and Nintendo, who knows? Nintendo would very likely have a (new) mobile store that requires players to be online to play, because of their obsession with piracy. Sony would probably start porting all the remaining games to PC and charge an upgrade fee (at best).
Re: Rumour: Xbox Planning To Bring More Games To PS5, Despite Some 'Unease' At Microsoft
@OldGamer999 @NEStalgia I see Nintendo and Sony as likely to abandon the console market as Microsoft, because of how similar PC and consoles have become, Play Anywhere and same OS, all benefiting Xbox, not to mention that there is another generation of Xbox confirmed. Yeah, you're thinking that Nintendo is doing great and they are, but not last generation and who knows in the future.
Like somebody said above, Xbox is not dead just because Sony sell more consoles. It doesn't matter. Xbox consoles are highly profitable for Microsoft because of the store and subscriptions. Plus, the Xbox business is more profitable than the PS business, that is why Sony is slowly becoming a multiplatform publisher. As long as there is a console market, there will be Xbox consoles. I assure you that.
People believing that Xbox is endangered are paying too much attention to the "analysts" (aka fanboys and click hunters) and too little to Xbox's business reports. Worst case scenario, the console market disappears. You'll have your digital library available on PC, whatever PC means by then. At least your Xbox library, the other two I'm not sure. Nintendo would rather destroy the world than letting anyone take control of their games, even the NES titles.
Re: Activision Is Opening A New Studio To Build 'Genre-Defining' Games At Microsoft
I don't know if it's sad or hilarious when you think what else there is in their lives, but you can find the same Xbox-is-doomed users vomiting on all the threads their negative narrative about Xbox, even when the news are positive.
On topic, I wish the best to all the studios, so we can play great games, the ones of us here that do play games, I mean.
Re: Starfield Comparison Shows Differences Between 30FPS & 60FPS Modes On Xbox Series X
Awesome. As expected, the shooting sections benefit the most. However, I expect the 60 fps mode to be ironed out a bit more with a new patch. It's nice that they are still improving this and older Xbox games. I'll play the 40fps mode on my C1 (OLED VRR).
Re: Analyst Claims PS5 Outsold Xbox Series X|S Almost 5:1 Last Quarter
@Foxx_64740 Good point, as Xbox is now the third largest business at Microsoft, just behind Office and Cloud and ahead of Windows. How that means that Xbox is dying according to some people is anyone's guess, probably simple wishes coming from die-hard fans of other gaming platforms.
Re: Analyst Claims PS5 Outsold Xbox Series X|S Almost 5:1 Last Quarter
@Ricky-Spanish @RedShirtRod @fbnaulin Well, it's a Ben's article, what did you expect? 🤣
Well, yeah, the only metrics that matter these days is revenue and profits. It's not SNES vs. Mega Drive consoles sold anymore. There are twice as many PS5 than Series S|X consoles, but Xbox is doing great. Better than PS, even. Consoles are just another tool for selling and marketing their gaming business. Xbox has become huge and selling games and subscriptions to the different kind of players there are makes total sense for a huge hardware and software company.
Besides, since they own Windows and Xbox and Windows are becoming progressively even more unified, it really doesn't matter if people play on console or PC, not even for third parties. It's an old strategy that started last generation, when all big games started being released not just for consoles but also for Windows, so it was easy to port them to Xbox One that started using Windows as OS, e.g., Tales of Arise on Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PS4 and PS5 on day one. Xbox One X got more enhanced games than PS4 Pro, some of them based on the PC releases, that are based on Windows.
Xbox without Windows and without PC would probably be endangered, but as long as there is a console market and Windows and PC exist, they are totally fine as part of the same ecosystem. It's a no-brainer for Microsoft to be part of that market. The revenue is too high there, in spite of the competition (Sony and Nintendo) and even considering that the console market is limited and has its own and new competition. Then, there is Cloud, mobile devices, TV apps...
Re: Microsoft Announces Dates For The Final Two Xbox 360 Store Sales
@FraserG I thought that because Games with Gold were popular articles, backwards compatible deals were, too. It's fine since backwards compatible games are on the new store. In a sense, everything will be simpler after July. The best way to track deals are adding games to the wish list on the console store, in my experience.
Re: Square Enix To Include Xbox As Part Of 'Aggressive' New Multiplatform Strategy
@Vaako007 Not only would any gamer with no access to those games disagree with all your comments above, but the whole industry disagrees with you now.
Many times, users that are platform-fans talk as if they were stockholders but in this case, even stockholders have realised that exclusivity is not worthwhile. Of course, there will be smaller exceptions, especially on Switch, but Square Enix was the last company still doing console exclusivity or exclusion for big games and the last one to change their mind.
From now on, exclusivity will be a question of small games not worth localising and small games funded by one of the three, some kind of second-party game.
Re: Dying Light Is Ridiculously Cheap Right Now On Xbox, And It Has A Free Next-Gen Upgrade
@Master_Cthulhu70 Thanks, that's interesting and good to know.
Re: Microsoft Announces Dates For The Final Two Xbox 360 Store Sales
@InsaneWade I said Vita because it was mentioned above, but I was thinking of playing on PS4 onwards older games, because since PS4, the PS platform became more unified and availability is granted, because of 86x. Same for Xbox One and Series S|X, that are even more unified.
Few people have older consoles now, I mean, the original PS3 and earlier consoles. I thought that I could play older titles when I bought the PS4, but absolutely nothing, except for a very small and bad selection of PS2 titles introduced much later. No PS3, PS2 (except the small and bad selection released much later), PS1, Vita or PSP games on PS4/5. Are you saying that they are adding PS1, PS2 and PSP games now?
Streaming can't be considered backwards compatibility. Backwards compatibility sucks on PS, but if you have older consoles, like the original PS3 that was backwards compatible, not the later models, then you have something there. However, the original PS3 is not very reliable, like the original Xbox 360.
Most importantly, the Xbox backwards compatibility is available on modern consoles. I agree that it would be wonderful to have more original Xbox games as backwards compatible games, the best of their generation in technical terms, as you said. I can't argue about that.
When Microsoft explained every difficulty associated with backwards compatibility, it was also explained that the original Xbox games are easy to port because of the architecture of the first Xbox. There must be legal issues regarding some games, but the rest of them should be ported to Xbox One/Series S|X.
I really hope that more backwards compatible games are added and also more FPS Boost support.
Re: Hot On The Heels Of Fallout, Amazon Greenlights New Tomb Raider TV Series
@GuyinPA75 The Rings of Power woke? You haven't watched The Wheel of Time 🤣. An interracial community whose story is impossible to believe, especially the love story, because the actors are not believing it themselves? Well, there are a few good bits, the magic is cool and season 2 is much better. I need to watch Fallout. @Utena-mobile I liked The Rings of Power 😅😁.
I just hope that this Tomb Raider TV series makes sense. My favourite Lara is from Underworld. There she is cool and confident and doesn't try to be super deep or super feminist. She is very inconsistent in the last game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Now I think that the only one to that makes sense and doesn't try to be politically correct is Game of Thrones, except the last seasons that without the books became stranded and pointless and even boring! Also, House of the Dragon.
Re: Microsoft Announces Dates For The Final Two Xbox 360 Store Sales
Kind reminder, 462 games are backwards compatible, unlike on the PS, Vita and Nintendo stores mentioned above that don't have any. Precisely, my only question is, what games in these sales are backwards compatible? Because you can buy any backwards compatible game on the Xbox 360 store using an internet browser (except Ridge Racer 6 outside USA, I assure you that) and get the game for Xbox One and Series S|X. I don't have an Xbox 360 and I don't want to miss anything that is backwards compatible and really worth getting. That could be your next guide @FraserG, the must-have backwards compatible games and those that are on sale. It should be popular. 🖱️🖱️🖱️
Re: Square Enix To Include Xbox As Part Of 'Aggressive' New Multiplatform Strategy
@jesse_dylan @NEStalgia I read the full statements and, basically, it's a change of business strategy that will reboot Square Enix during the next three years. My understanding is that there won't be so many releases as jesse_dylan said and that they won't be as busy as a publisher. I didn't even know about The Diofield Chronicle.
They are going to invest in fewer projects in order to raise benefits, because they are spending way too much and haven't earned enough. That doesn't mean that all games will be AAA. What they say is that their releases were too many and overlapped. Obviously, releasing the big games for PS5 only did not help.
Another part of the strategy is releasing all games everywhere, even mobile games designed as mobile games on PC, for the more dedicated players, to reach more people and sell more units of all the titles.
All the main games will be multiplatform and that includes catalogue titles, that is, previously released titles, meaning VII Remake trilogy and XVI, because even games released when Sony partially owned Square Enix, long ago, have been released on all platforms, the sacred VII included.
They will also boost digital sales. Do they mean lower prices in sales? I noticed not long ago and I posted here that, for the first time, the oldest Square Enix titles on Xbox were 60% off, instead of the typical 50% off.
In short, no exclusives, no exclusions, catalogue games being released for all platforms and fewer new releases.
PS: NEStalgia, by the time Forspoken is released for Xbox, it might have become a good game. 🤣
Re: Ubisoft Has Officially Announced 'Assassin's Creed Shadows', Trailer Coming This Week
@InvaderFromSpace Thanks for the reply. I played ACI on Xbox One right after Breath of the Wild and I liked ACI much more than BotW. I liked ACII, but picking up all the collectibles bored me a bit, so I stopped doing that after this game. Brotherhood completely hooked me and Revelations is very interesting. I like that the stories of Ezio and Altair are completed and that the two shorts are included in The Ezio Collection. Altair is very old in the last gameplay section!
Haytham is intriguing. I'm liking III Remastered so far (sequence 6), with lots of improvements in controls and graphics compared to the older games and excellent writing, as usual. I have bought all the games up to Odyssey for Xbox, so a lot to come... All of them are 60fps on Xbox except Black Flag and Syndicate, I'm thankful for that.
Re: Xbox Begins Discounting Lots Of 360 Games Ahead Of July Store Closure
@FraserG Thanks. That makes sense. The backwards compatible games are available there but also on the new store.
Re: Xbox Begins Discounting Lots Of 360 Games Ahead Of July Store Closure
What of those games are backwards compatible, @FraserG? Many of us started on Xbox One or Series S|X.
Re: Square Enix To Include Xbox As Part Of 'Aggressive' New Multiplatform Strategy
@NEStalgia Do you remember? I said before the remake was revealed that Final Fantasy VII would be released for Xbox and, when the remake was announced, I also said that it would be released for Xbox? 😁
The moneyhatting was at its highest between VII Remake and Pixel Remaster. Sony won't even try now. Square Enix changed their mind and Sony can't keep its exclusives afloat on PS5. Both companies have new CEOs, interestingly.
Re: Rumour: State Of Decay 3 Is 'Coming Along Very Nicely' Over At Xbox
@Ricky-Spanish Have you read me and BowsersBuddy, buddy? I always read you! 😊
Re: Ubisoft Has Officially Announced 'Assassin's Creed Shadows', Trailer Coming This Week
@NarutosBiggestFan What are your favourite AC titles and characters?
Re: Ubisoft Has Officially Announced 'Assassin's Creed Shadows', Trailer Coming This Week
I am playing them in release order. I'm surprised at how good they are. My favourite so far is Brotherhood. Now I'm halfway through III Remastered and for some reason I like Haytham more than Connor. Haytham is much more interesting as a character, in my opinion. Altaïr and Ezio are awesome, Altaïr so pure and Ezio so likeable.
Re: Square Enix To Include Xbox As Part Of 'Aggressive' New Multiplatform Strategy
@masofdas Yeah, I was talking generally and I don't know what possible agreements Nintendo and Square Enix had. I don't know about every single game, but Switch is a massive hit in Japan that PS5 is not. For instance, Octopath Traveller, I think, was never paid exclusivity for, but Switch was powerful and popular enough for the first game. Because Sony was more worried about Final Fantasy than any other Square Enix IP, it was eventually offered as a Game Pass release. The sequel on PS5 and not Xbox was an experiment, because Sony wasn't obsessed with Dragon Quest or Octopath Traveller but Final Fantasy.
I agree with you, all third-party games should be available on all platforms and it's sad when small games are only released for Switch. The only games that I pre-order digitally are niche games that I like, to support the publisher and developer, e.g., Project Zero/Fatal Frame.
Re: Square Enix To Include Xbox As Part Of 'Aggressive' New Multiplatform Strategy
@masofdas The two main differences are that Nintendo didn't pay Square Enix for Xbox exclusion contracts as Sony did, as proven during the ABK acquisition (while demanding Microsoft to keep Call of Duty on PS) and that Nintendo is the most popular console in Japan, while PS has lost strength there. Because of the latter, many smaller Japanese games are, unfortunately, not released for PS and Xbox, but Switch is a no-brainer and Nintendo doesn't even need to ask for it.
Re: Perfect Dark Rumoured For Xbox Showcase As Positive Feedback Begins Cropping Up
If done right, it will be distinctive and great. Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark are not ordinary shooters and according to the leaks, Perfect Dark "3" is not either. I'm still shocked at Microsoft not acquiring Crystal Dynamics when Square Enix got rid of it and Embracer got it and then Crystal Dynamics saved this first-party project. Crystal Dynamics made more sense that other studios, e.g., Compulsion Games.
Re: Rumour: State Of Decay 3 Is 'Coming Along Very Nicely' Over At Xbox
I tried State of Decay Year-One Survival Edition and I didn't like it. It's rough and confusing. I tried State of Decay 2 after the Xbox One X upgrade and I kept playing after the Series X upgrade. I swear that it has become one of the best games that you can play. The development of the third game was said to be troubled (surprise!), but I think that we will love the final result.
Re: Dying Light Is Ridiculously Cheap Right Now On Xbox, And It Has A Free Next-Gen Upgrade
@BowsersBuddy Well, so then I can buy Dying Light for very little and try Dead Island 2 on Game Pass @Tomato_Goose.
Re: Bethesda Trademark Hints At New DOOM Announcement For Xbox Games Showcase
@TJ81 Doom Eternal is in my top 3 of best shooters ever. The pace and gameplay of the campaign are incredibly good.
@HonestHick After remaking Quake and Quake II, I expect more Quake as well.
Re: Square Enix To Include Xbox As Part Of 'Aggressive' New Multiplatform Strategy
@Sifi It's ironic. From Xbox has no games to only games released for PS5 are Xbox games...
Re: Dying Light Is Ridiculously Cheap Right Now On Xbox, And It Has A Free Next-Gen Upgrade
@TJ81 It might also be that I was confused by the negative comments about both Dying Light 2 and Dead Island 2 LOL.
Note: the Xbox store doesn't mention 4K for Dying Light on Series X, but according to FraserG's old article, it has a 4K video mode on top of two other modes. I guess it's one of those patched titles that are not officially optimised for Series X... although they are.
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2022/03/dying-light-1s-free-next-gen-update-arrives-on-xbox-series-xs
Re: Dying Light Is Ridiculously Cheap Right Now On Xbox, And It Has A Free Next-Gen Upgrade
@TJ81 I haven't played this. They say that the sequel is bad, but I don't know either. I'm curious about the first one since it's so cheap now.
Re: Xbox's Hi-Fi RUSH Limited Run Physical Release Is Still Happening
@NEStalgia I don't know... I don't have any Limited Run product, but after reading Time Extension's article, they seem to be some kind of home-made copies. I don't see the point. I think that digital is better than physical, at least on Xbox. I have my doubts about Nintendo because of Wii U-Switch and NNID-Nintendo, but physical Nintendo games can be sold even after the console breaks and you don't need the games. Someone will buy them, but I guess the originals only. Another big reason is that Nintendo's digital games are ultra-expensive. I think that digital is best, that's why we should demand better digital rights.
Re: Bethesda Trademark Hints At New DOOM Announcement For Xbox Games Showcase
I didn't like Doom 2016, but Doom Eternal is one of the best modern shooters ever, so I can't wait to see what's next. Doom Eternal is seriously good, with great pace, level design and amazing gameplay. Id has been busy helping other studios. They worked on Starfield. Time to show what they are making by themselves.
Re: Square Enix To Include Xbox As Part Of 'Aggressive' New Multiplatform Strategy
Excellent news, best of the year so far. Third-party games should be multiplatform. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and XVI had low sales as PS5 exclusives and left PC and Xbox players excluded indefinitely and that sucks. If Switch 2 is powerful enough, it will be able to get more third-party games as well.
I remember that Phil said, "It's up to them." Not outbidding Sony, that pays less money because it has a larger (2x) console user base, paid off eventually. I can't wait to see the remaining Final Fantasy entries announced for Xbox, plus the old Dragon Quest games and the upcoming remakes.
Re: Xbox's Hi-Fi RUSH Limited Run Physical Release Is Still Happening
@NEStalgia That doesn't make much sense if Sony is the alternative.
Re: Recent Studio Closures Tied To 'Long Term' Health Of The Business, Claims Xbox President
@Bobobiwan 😊🤗😚
Re: Hi-Fi RUSH Is Currently Being Reverse-Review Bombed On Steam
@DJKingaling Tango was a great studio and the only Japanese studio that Xbox had. I think that this occurred because of the departures and also because the new gaming division is trimming this huge tree that they have become, based on new expectations. That also explains why they have merged some studios and removed the redundant customer service positions... and Phil's silence.