Xbox Business Update Podcast | Xbox Everywhere Direction Discussion

What will Xbox do

  • Player owned digital libraries now on cloud

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • Multiplatform all exclusives to all platforms

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • Multiplatform only select exclusive titles

    Votes: 8 61.5%
  • Surface hardware strategy

    Votes: 2 15.4%
  • 3rd party hardware strategy

    Votes: 2 15.4%
  • Mobile hardware strategy

    Votes: 1 7.7%
  • Slim Revision hardware strategy

    Votes: 1 7.7%
  • This will be a nothing burger

    Votes: 4 30.8%
  • *new* Xbox Games for Mobile Strategy

    Votes: 2 15.4%
  • *new* Executive leadership changes (ie: named leaders moves/exits/retires)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .
btw, people aren't talking enough about the fact that native XBox games will be able to run on PCs.

There's talk of updating the Windows API to provide native support so that XBox games will run on any PC.

This is great for those who have libraries from years ago. The only thing preventing it from running today is a slightly different API on the part of the respective operating systems, but it's purely a software issue that depends solely on adding that API to the current Windows operating system.
I think also the legal(licensing for music and what not) and shader precomputation.
 
Xbox should think twice before buying Ubisoft, warns former PlayStation boss.

During a recent interview with youtuber and IGN journalist Destin, Shawn Layden doubts about Microsoft's ability to handle more studios, given that they already have a large number under their control following the purchases of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard.

Layden recalled his time at PlayStation, where he oversaw up to 14 studios, and said that managing a much larger number can become extremely complicated.

If Microsoft thinks it can do something effective with this, good luck. But I think there comes a point where it's simply too big to manage.

With the enormous amount of development resources they have, they should focus on the sustainability and success of their studies, making them stronger than ever.

He also talks about AAA games problem.

PlayStation Alum Shawn Layden On The Future of Games: "I'm Deathly Concerned" | Save State Plus​


 
Cash influx in process now:

Despite how Xbox fans feel about Microsoft releasing their first party software on their biggest rivals platform, there’s no denying it certainly seems to be achieving what Xbox are after – selling more games. Now, as we approach the release of both Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 to PlayStation in April, both upcoming Xbox releases top the PlayStation Store in multiple regions for pre-orders.

 
the different things Shawn Layden talked about in the aforementioned interview. He talks about the AAA problem, the forever game problem and many other details like the new generation of gamers. whether Xbox will go 3rd party or not, Xbox games on Playstation, if exclusives are moral or helpful etc etc:

(0:00) Introduction
(0:45) Who is Shawn Layden
(02:04) PlayStation Nintendo & Xbox on Stage
(03:55) His Favorite Moment
(05:03) What was it like revealing God of War?
(08:55) Is gamescom the new E3?
(10:50) The AAA Problem
(12:20) A Path to a New Normal
(14:40) The Forever Game Problem
(19:30) Was the VIta Ahead of It's Time?
(23:57) Are Handhelds the next Battleground?
(27:00) Will Switch Overtake PS2?
(28:10) Laydens Favorite PS Console
(29:30) PlayStation's PC Release Strategy
(34:00) Will Next Gen Dissapoint?
(38:40) How Spider-Man & Insomniac Happened
(41:40) Puddle Gate
(45:10) Cross Platform Play
(47:30) Shawn's Departure
(49:40) Girls Make Games dot com
(50:58) Xbox Shaking Up The Industry
(53:40) This is How You Share PS4 Games
(56:50) Patron Questions Xbox Games on PS5
(57:47) Is Xbox Going 3rd Party?
(58:12) Will Indie & F2P Take Over?
(01:02:50) A New Generation of Gamers
(01:04:50) Are Exclusives Moral / Helpful?
(01:08:00) What Trend Would You Eliminate?
(01:09:25) Would Layden Work at Xbox?
(01:10:56) Should Xbox Buy Ubisoft?
(01:12:23) Digital Game Ownership
(01:15:40) Shawn's Favorite Game
(01:17:40) Girls Make Games dot com

edit:
the part where he talks about Playstation games going to PC is really interesting, since he talks about other things like the console wars is over (mentioning Peter Moore 'cos of a recent interview he gave) and compares it to the video format wars.

Where what once was a lively battle between two completely different standards -like VHS vs Betamax- and PS3 vs X360 where we had a very lively battle between the two, which were COMPLETELY different architectures.

You had to recode your game for each one (PS3 and X360), and now the conversation is about framerate and raytracing, while the PS5 and XSX just became the same arquitecture, they are so similar you don't have to recode your game, so it's like VHS vs Betamax, where VHS won, and hence there is no console wars anymore.
 
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the different things Shawn Layden talked about in the aforementioned interview. He talks about the AAA problem, the forever game problem and many other details like the new generation of gamers. whether Xbox will go 3rd party or not, Xbox games on Playstation, if exclusives are moral or helpful etc etc:

(0:00) Introduction
(0:45) Who is Shawn Layden
(02:04) PlayStation Nintendo & Xbox on Stage
(03:55) His Favorite Moment
(05:03) What was it like revealing God of War?
(08:55) Is gamescom the new E3?
(10:50) The AAA Problem
(12:20) A Path to a New Normal
(14:40) The Forever Game Problem
(19:30) Was the VIta Ahead of It's Time?
(23:57) Are Handhelds the next Battleground?
(27:00) Will Switch Overtake PS2?
(28:10) Laydens Favorite PS Console
(29:30) PlayStation's PC Release Strategy
(34:00) Will Next Gen Dissapoint?
(38:40) How Spider-Man & Insomniac Happened
(41:40) Puddle Gate
(45:10) Cross Platform Play
(47:30) Shawn's Departure
(49:40) Girls Make Games dot com
(50:58) Xbox Shaking Up The Industry
(53:40) This is How You Share PS4 Games
(56:50) Patron Questions Xbox Games on PS5
(57:47) Is Xbox Going 3rd Party?
(58:12) Will Indie & F2P Take Over?
(01:02:50) A New Generation of Gamers
(01:04:50) Are Exclusives Moral / Helpful?
(01:08:00) What Trend Would You Eliminate?
(01:09:25) Would Layden Work at Xbox?
(01:10:56) Should Xbox Buy Ubisoft?
(01:12:23) Digital Game Ownership
(01:15:40) Shawn's Favorite Game
(01:17:40) Girls Make Games dot com

edit:
the part where he talks about Playstation games going to PC is really interesting, since he talks about other things like the console wars is over (mentioning Peter Moore 'cos of a recent interview he gave) and compares it to the video format wars.

Where what once was a lively battle between two completely different standards -like VHS vs Betamax- and PS3 vs X360 where we had a very lively battle between the two, which were COMPLETELY different architectures.

You had to recode your game for each one (PS3 and X360), and now the conversation is about framerate and raytracing, while the PS5 and XSX just became the same arquitecture, they are so similar you don't have to recode your game, so it's like VHS vs Betamax, where VHS won, and hence there is no console wars anymore.
The console war is over, replaced by the gaming cold war.
 
whatever they come up with, if the value proposition is good, it is easy to use, maybe accepts DOS and all Windows games, and it can play our games from the 3 generations of Xbox prior to this one, they could have a winner... for those of us who had an Xbox and want to keep their games history, it could be a must. How to achieve that, is a whole different story, but they seem to consider game preservation important according to Sarah Bond.

I doubt they will have a way to transfer your previous 3 generations of xbox purchases. I'd say at this point in time with MS's new messaging it would be silly to invest in an xbox outside of as a game pass machine and if you are fine with streaming I wouldn't even bother with the hardware. There are other platforms that you don't have to pray they come up with a transition because their bussiness model is sound.
Our X|S are almost entirely Gamepass machines + my daughter playing Minecraft. I might be tempted by a more powerful box under the tele for Gamepass games.

Before my daughter was gifted an Xbox One S and I was drawn into Gamepass, I thought I was done with console gaming.

In 2027/8 I'm equally as likely to be tempted by more seamless way of streaming my PC to the TV.

Given how long cross gen was this gen, I'm not even sure we'll see a Gen 10 exclusive from MS or Sony before 2030.

They'll probably be the odd exception from Sony, but I haven't found their exclusives interesting enough for a hardware purchases in three generations. No FOMO! 😁

For your daughter wouldn't a fire stick or a tv with game pass built in serve just as well for gaming would it not? My nephews are on xbox series consoles but I have started building them gaming pcs since they both love the steam deck and it was silly to purchase games on different platforms for them. But with much smaller libraries it was very cheap to move them over at least for the games they are still interested in. Most of the others they don't care about anymore or can be had when they want to play them again on deep discounts .

I don't think we are ever going to see exclusive games from MS on their own platforms outside of a few month to a year timed exclusive. MS seems to have devoted themselves to AI at this point and are massively scaling back hardware teams. I know multiple ex coworkers that have been laid off and some that are still there have talk about the drastic changes to ms's hardware plans going forward.

As I understand it in the last 6 months xbox next has gone from MS readying an attempt to launch another xbox 360 to it now only existing to push copilot ai and refresh xcloud.

I'm sorry that you've soured so much on Xbox, but all the Xbox fans I know that are subscribed to GP want new hardware for their GP subs. GP is the best console exclusive IMO. As long as GP is around I'm never getting a PS.
I have game pass for free until 2030. MS used to hand them out as candy when I was an employee. I have even more codes that i've given to friends and family. I also get it half price as an alumni
Until new hardware comes along. :)

GP does have enough games for people to keep subscribing even now. MS cadence is continuing to improve on that front as well.

The drop in hardware sales is that if you don't care about GP, you probably don't care about Xbox. The reason it's not a problem is that every GP ultimate subscriber is worth 2 or 3 PS5 purchasers.

Smallest install base for mulitplayer except most games have cross play, so it doesn't much matter.

LIke I said will xbox hardware and game pass grow together, will xbox die off for game pass growth or will both die off.


I was gun hoe about MS's game line up but it seems like they can't execute on any of their releases right now. It's very disappointing. The best game they released in the last few years is Indiana jones. I enjoyed starfield a lot but the rest has been mediocre . I am hoping doom is good later this year.


I have an xbox series x and series s. I just put together a a ryzen 7700x with 32 gigs of ram and a 9070 non xt. for the living room. It's going to replace my series x for my wife and I to game on. I may end of up with a new xbox. I have 300 in bing/microsoft rewards that aren't really useful for much else.
 
For your daughter wouldn't a fire stick or a tv with game pass built in serve just as well for gaming would it not?

Good point. That wasn't really an option when we went duel console. Two Xboxes ultimately work out cheaper though, as it's only one shared ultimate subscription. She also has a handful of bought games that don't stream.

Next gen might change that. It'll depend what games she's into in a few years. The Series S might end up being a streaming device.
 
This subscription gaming model has fundamentally changed my video game habits, and in a very pleasant direction. And as more and more games are added, it will become more and more valuable to me. I can access any MS game at any time.

My friend got old xbox one for basicly free. We started to talk online, and i was curious about game sharing possibilty on xbox. After quick googling we setup or consoles so i can share my GP ultimate subscription with him. This is increadible value, we both are playing elder ring now and i purchased DLC wich we both can access. As we both are "adults" (old farts) who dont have a lot of time to play games this is very valuable option for both of us. We can split the costs if there is a new game that we want play, and i feel like i get more value of the GP.
 
I doubt they will have a way to transfer your previous 3 generations of xbox purchases. I'd say at this point in time with MS's new messaging it would be silly to invest in an xbox outside of as a game pass machine and if you are fine with streaming I wouldn't even bother with the hardware. There are other platforms that you don't have to pray they come up with a transition because their bussiness model is sound.


For your daughter wouldn't a fire stick or a tv with game pass built in serve just as well for gaming would it not? My nephews are on xbox series consoles but I have started building them gaming pcs since they both love the steam deck and it was silly to purchase games on different platforms for them. But with much smaller libraries it was very cheap to move them over at least for the games they are still interested in. Most of the others they don't care about anymore or can be had when they want to play them again on deep discounts .

I don't think we are ever going to see exclusive games from MS on their own platforms outside of a few month to a year timed exclusive. MS seems to have devoted themselves to AI at this point and are massively scaling back hardware teams. I know multiple ex coworkers that have been laid off and some that are still there have talk about the drastic changes to ms's hardware plans going forward.

As I understand it in the last 6 months xbox next has gone from MS readying an attempt to launch another xbox 360 to it now only existing to push copilot ai and refresh xcloud.


I have game pass for free until 2030. MS used to hand them out as candy when I was an employee. I have even more codes that i've given to friends and family. I also get it half price as an alumni


LIke I said will xbox hardware and game pass grow together, will xbox die off for game pass growth or will both die off.


I was gun hoe about MS's game line up but it seems like they can't execute on any of their releases right now. It's very disappointing. The best game they released in the last few years is Indiana jones. I enjoyed starfield a lot but the rest has been mediocre . I am hoping doom is good later this year.


I have an xbox series x and series s. I just put together a a ryzen 7700x with 32 gigs of ram and a 9070 non xt. for the living room. It's going to replace my series x for my wife and I to game on. I may end of up with a new xbox. I have 300 in bing/microsoft rewards that aren't really useful for much else.
You list your own gaming habits and perspective, which seem quite narrow-minded. You didn't take into account the most important aspect regarding GP, which is that ~80% of GP subscribers own an Xbox console. These are the people who have a significant library on Series and One Xbox consoles and have been very accustomed to continuous Game Pass subscriptions for years. Now these people need a future dedicated console hardware on which they can play their Xbox games in high quality. MS has billions of dollars in revenue from these users, based on financial reports, and the means of doing this is by constantly tuning GP with better and better games. These people are not going to go to stupid streaming, and most of them are not going to build an expensive uncomfortable PC when they are already used to the plug&play game provided by the console. These people need a console or a console-like experience for their usual subscription service. Furthermore, GP can only run on its own hardware or on a PC, what follows from this?

It may be that MS no longer believes in the traditional console model, but they are certainly aware that because of GP they need to give a console-like experience to this significant number of users who are a sure source of income for them. That is why there is the Xbox PC rumor that is getting more and more confirmed lately. It's possible that they won't have a traditional console in the future, but instead will offer a hybrid console solution based on a PC system. All this with an OEM strategy.
 
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