Microsoft Assures Gamers It's Not Abandoning Xbox Hardware (windowscentral.com)
- Reference: 0179683792
- News link: https://games.slashdot.org/story/25/10/06/1929246/microsoft-assures-gamers-its-not-abandoning-xbox-hardware
- Source link: https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/no-xboxs-next-gen-console-hardware-plans-arent-cancelled
Microsoft said it is "actively investing in our future first-party consoles and devices designed, engineered and built by Xbox." The company's multi-year partnership with AMD for next-generation hardware also continues. Devices in development include the Xbox Ally range under codenames Omni and Horseman, according to Windows Central. Xbox Series X and Series S production has also not stopped, the report added.
[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/no-xboxs-next-gen-console-hardware-plans-arent-cancelled
[2] https://games.slashdot.org/story/25/10/01/1515205/microsoft-raises-xbox-game-pass-top-subscription-50-to-30-monthly
What am I missing? (Score:2)
If it ends hardware sales, what will its games run on? Existing installs only? What sense does that make?
Probably not wrong (Score:3)
Microsoft is addicted to the crack of subscriptions, so every single game will be a separate subscription, streamed from the cloud, to dedicated specialty hardware, or perhaps downloaded before each use. Each loading screen takes 17 hours.
Re: (Score:2)
But isn't the Xbox hardware the dedicated specialty hardware?
Sure, but... (Score:3)
Since all the processing is happening in the cloud, they can use cheaper hardware in homes, and ARM is the future and as a forward-looking company they're going that direction that everyone else went, so, uh, because of the environment you need to buy new hardware and throw out your old hardware.
Re: Probably not wrong (Score:2)
Correct except for the dedicated specialty hardware part. You can already stream the games to other platforms. They will add more to get more chances to get subscriptions.
I think MS needs to do more to prove this (Score:3, Informative)
The trust in MS from gamers is at an all time low right now. They need to do a lot more to reassure gamers than some words that they could change their minds on. On gaming message boards there are lists of lies that MS have told being passed around as a response to MS's claims here:
"Only 4 games" - referring to MS saying only 4 of its games would be published on other platforms, now they are publishing everything they can on other platforms.
"Here's a trailer for perfect dark" - referring to a trailer MS made for Perfect Dark, which was highly anticipated but then canceled mere months after the trailer was shown.
"Halo will be coming with the launch of Xbox series X" - It did not
"Everything is an Xbox" - This isn't true because not everything can play Xbox games. They are referring to the ability for platforms to play Xbox games via cloud streaming, and obviously not everything can even do that. It is misleading and underwhelming.
"We are looking to be supporting underutilized Activision IP" - They haven't revived any of Activision's old franchises, and instead appear to be reducing staff and scope to only established mainstream games and service games.
"We would like to invest in our Japanese studios" - They instead closed their only Japanese studio and haven't partnered with Mistwalker since Xbox 360.
"Gamepass is profitable and sustainable" - They increased the price of Game Pass and have removed the selling point "day one games" from various tiers of Game Pass.
"Xbox is making a profit"
Re: (Score:2)
Why would publishing on as many platforms as possible be a bad thing?
Re: (Score:2)
It would have been hilariously simple for Microsoft to show their "commitment" to consoles... by simply not making their existing one redundant and instead selling a mid-generation update. But they did not, and all their PR-weasel-words mean exactly nothing. They are just milking the remaining fan base until they'll finally admit it's over and switch off the servers.
And Microsoft always tells the truth (Score:2)
You can be sure it's true because MS said it was.
State of console gaming (Score:2)
Xbox seems to be moving to the streamed subscription only model.
Switch 2 is now online only, with hardware keys and hostile anti piracy behavior (bricks console if a suspected copied game is used).
PlayStation from Sony seems reasonable with physical games still present and we are still able to buy used games without much worries. Offline campaign games like Horizon 1&2, Last of Us 1&2 have solid sales.
Steam, has the portable Steam Deck, and offers lots of flexibility and a very large library of game
MS already abandoned few markets (Score:2)
Where I live, the official microsoft online store does not have any console in stock. Most retailers linked from xbox.com do not carry the Xbox Series X anymore, and if they show a listing, it is a very old pack like the Diablo IV one that is like 40% more expensive than usual.
I would not be surprised there is no dedicated console in the future if the present already does not have any in stock.
AHHHCTUALLY (Score:4, Interesting)
MS won't abandon the brand, but they've more or less signaled they are pulling out of the "subsidized home console" business. They may develop a 1st party console, but it'll still probably launch with Asus branding at $999 or higher.