Xbox Business Update Podcast | Xbox Everywhere Direction Discussion

[rntongo]

Doom Dark Ages

Doom Dark Ages coming to Xbox Series X and PS5


Looks like the Discord leak was right. Its going to be a multiplatform title. As well we could possibly find out about licensed versions of the Xbox. So MS going to boost their third party publisher business. Honestly that makes the most sense since they havent done well enough with their platform to make them exclusive. This way the studios remain profitable. Maybe in the future when they have more people in their ecosystem or worked out the proper business direction for their subscription service, they can make these timed exclusives. Otherwise day and date PS5 seems to be a thing we're going to get used to from now on. I still find the licensed Xbox models compelling. Its not a business model that has a good track record though.

 

[Charlietus]

Doom Dark Ages

Doom Dark Ages coming to Xbox Series X and PS5


Looks like the Discord leak was right. Its going to be a multiplatform title. As well we could possibly find out about licensed versions of the Xbox. So MS going to boost their third party publisher business. Honestly that makes the most sense since they havent done well enough with their platform to make them exclusive. This way the studios remain profitable. Maybe in the future when they have more people in their ecosystem or worked out the proper business direction for their subscription service, they can make these timed exclusives. Otherwise day and date PS5 seems to be a thing we're going to get used to from now on. I still find the licensed Xbox models compelling. Its not a business model that has a good track record though.

It's so funny that such a random leak is ending up being one of the biggest of the last years. Like who even is this individual

Anyway, once a studio has the authorization to make the game multiplatform, every single studio inside Microsoft will want to have the same "privilege". And just like with playstation PC ports, it will escalate to where you will only need a single email to get the funding for the port.

 

[rntongo]

It's so funny that such a random leak is ending up being one of the biggest of the last years. Like who even is this individual

Anyway,

Rumour is its an Xbox employee

 

[Charlietus]

Rumours an Xbox employee

Would make sense, how else would you have so much info.

 

[eastmen]

Doom Dark Ages

Doom Dark Ages coming to Xbox Series X and PS5


Looks like the Discord leak was right. Its going to be a multiplatform title. As well we could possibly find out about licensed versions of the Xbox. So MS going to boost their third party publisher business. Honestly that makes the most sense since they havent done well enough with their platform to make them exclusive. This way the studios remain profitable. Maybe in the future when they have more people in their ecosystem or worked out the proper business direction for their subscription service, they can make these timed exclusives. Otherwise day and date PS5 seems to be a thing we're going to get used to from now on. I still find the licensed Xbox models compelling. Its not a business model that has a good track record though.

I love doom and even the two new ones. So I am really excited about this

 

[rntongo]

I love doom and even the two new ones. So I am really excited about this

Yeah those titles were incredible. I remember there's one I liked more than the other but both were really good. This is one FPS I'm really excited for.

 

[Nesh]

Gamepass is a long term solution. It effectively locks players into a monthly subscription with a deep library, and destroys the secondary market. People can't sell/trade games if they don't own them! And that means there aren't people buying used copies of your games in 6 months for pennies on the dollar. Remember when people were freaking out when Xbox one launched and it was meant to have single use codes with the discs? This is a more front facing consumer friendly solution to the same problem Microsoft was trying to solve.

It supposedly does that and it supposedly brings more money than it loses. Supposedly.

 

[rntongo]

My only question about all this is whether Gears 6 will also go multiplatform. I think thats one title that is going to take full advantage of the Series X hardware like HellBlade 2 did. I think they should make it a timed exclusive unlike Doom. First release it for like 6 months only on Series X then release on PS5.

 

[Cyan]

It's so funny that such a random leak is ending up being one of the biggest of the last years. Like who even is this individual

Anyway, once a studio has the authorization to make the game multiplatform, every single studio inside Microsoft will want to have the same "privilege". And just like with playstation PC ports, it will escalate to where you will only need a single email to get the funding for the port.

this confirms things that sounded like science fiction in the past, like OEM Xbox'es, which imho is one of the best things MS could do since they have an OS (and DX libraries), MSX times again. That being said, MS has a lot of work to do to make it as easy as pie for people to use any hybrid device.

 

[eastmen]

this confirms things that sounded like science fiction in the past, like OEM Xbox'es, which imho is one of the best things MS could do since they have an OS (and DX libraries), MSX times again. That being said, MS has a lot of work to do to make it as easy as pie for people to use any hybrid device.

It's the end of xbox for sure. Ms will just be a third party company if any of this is true by the end of the next year since no one will buy xboxs and oem xboxs will be dead on arrival

 

[rntongo]

It's the end of xbox for sure. Ms will just be a third party company if any of this is true by the end of the next year since no one will buy xboxs and oem xboxs will be dead on arrival

Yeah the licensed model hasnt had a great track record especially transitioning from fixed systems to a licensed model. So many software complexities with that. People just like to buy things that just work. I can honestly see Steam OS actually take over a large section of the market if they release a console sometime in the future. As well their gamestore is going to be available on future Xboxes. To me the only way MS will be okay with this is if they're going to concentrate on becoming a third party publisher. So it doesnt really matter if they have multiple gamestores on Xbox or if Xbox dies. They will make hand over fist selling software on any platform. I think this is a direction Satya Nadella is looking at or considering.

 

[eastmen]

Yeah the licensed model hasnt had a great track record especially transitioning from fixed systems to a licensed model. So many software complexities with that. People just like to buy things that just work. I can honestly see Steam OS actually take over a large section of the market if they release a console sometime in the future. As well their gamestore is going to be available on future Xboxes. To me the only way MS will be okay with this is if they're going to concentrate on becoming a third party publisher. So it doesnt really matter if they have multiple gamestores on Xbox or if Xbox dies. They will make hand over fist selling software on any platform. I think this is a direction Satya Nadella is looking at or considering.

well logically speaking the OEMs need to make money per console since they wont make money on the store front. So while the ps5 pro will be subsidized the new xboxs wont be. Then you get different build qualities since all the oems will be cutting different corners .

Then lets talk software


if the average consumer has the option to buy

1) A new switch with all nintendo's games and some of microsofts games and third party releases

2) A new playstation with all of sony games and all of Microsofts games and all the third party stuff . The console is also subsidized

3) A pc with all playstation games going forward , all microsoft games and all exclusive pc games and third party titles

4) an xbox made by a third party which zero exclusives that can only play microsoft and third party games


There really isn't a way for OEM + full third party system would work. They could do one or the other but not both. If they went OEM but still kept all their games exclusive it could work. But it certainly wont work without exclusive software

 

[Inuhanyou]

The oem system thing is likely only so MS doesn't have to invest in it's own money creating hardware since the margins are so low. They are effectively giving up. Which is fair.

Consolidation is terrible. But I guess if I have to see MS leave the hw space or become a monopoly the less worst timeline of a big gaming Microsoft is the direction they seem to be going in

 

[rntongo]

well logically speaking the OEMs need to make money per console since they wont make money on the store front. So while the ps5 pro will be subsidized the new xboxs wont be. Then you get different build qualities since all the oems will be cutting different corners .

Then lets talk software


if the average consumer has the option to buy

1) A new switch with all nintendo's games and some of microsofts games and third party releases

2) A new playstation with all of sony games and all of Microsofts games and all the third party stuff . The console is also subsidized

3) A pc with all playstation games going forward , all microsoft games and all exclusive pc games and third party titles

4) an xbox made by a third party which zero exclusives that can only play microsoft and third party games


There really isn't a way for OEM + full third party system would work. They could do one or the other but not both. If they went OEM but still kept all their games exclusive it could work. But it certainly wont work without exclusive software

Yes only caveat I see is Playstation is never going to day and date all their major titles on PC. I think it will remain 1-2 years after. Could be wrong though. But I think MS looked at the gaming market and which companies are making the most money and figured they could focus more on the software side and slowly give up on the hw side of things. Could be wrong as well on this. But the OEM situation if true will provide an interesting scenario. You bring up very very good points which show how hard it is to implement.

What kind of support will all these different builds get from Xbox and developers. Since it will be a smaller combination of hw compared to PC it may be easier to precompile shaders for these OEM licensed Xboxes? But then you get into situations where this is just fixed OEM hw and theres people who prefer buying/building PCs and swapping out parts every after a few years. And MS doesnt want to hurt OEMs by making Windows available on Xbox so it would be weird if OEM licensed Xboxes have Windows but Series X consoles dont have windows, so most likely these will be licensed Xbox builds without the normal consumer Windows OS on them.

 

[metacore]

The next Xbox has a heavy Windows slant and will be a reference device for manufacturers making devices like the ASUS ROG Ally most likely. Like Surface Pro 11 is a reference device for AI PCs.

Microsoft media PR contacts are starting to confirm Xbox OEM approach too. Well, its obvious route for Microsoft to gracefully exit dedicated hardware burden. Will it pan out? good, will it not? not much has been lost, but they can say, we are still offering "consoles" and didn't exit.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Trouble then surely is PS will offer far better value as there needn't be margins on the hardware. XBoxes will be 20% more expensive. At which point, don't you just want PCs with a gaming mode?

 

[metacore]

Hardware margins needed are one thing, another on top of this is probably little less direct optimizations given multiple hardware and further abstraction needed. Will be interesting to see how this plays out, maybe something like three base configs XBOX series O,E and M with leeway for manufactures build up from. I don't think Microsoft bets too much on this taking off, it looks like sort of last resort to not look like crash landing. For me its simple either it is offering something interesting that general computing platform does not or don't waste my time so pc it is, not even game mode needed.

 

[Tkumpathenurpahl]

I think if they can boot into a full Windows mode, they'll absolutely knock it out of the park.

Boot into XBox OS for gaming, or Windows for the PC experience, likely with worse optimisation for the latter mode.

If the Series S could run Windows, I'd buy one right now.

 

[Cyan]

It's the end of xbox for sure.

Xbox was a part of my life for 10 years, from 2005 to 2015, and I was a fanboy at times. I still hope they release a traditional console for those who want one. I don't expect big sales because the situation is what it is. And maybe it's the time for them to be themselves and decide not based on the success of Sony or Nintendo.

I suspected that after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard -not so much when the acquired Bethesda, 'cos I thought having The Elder Scrolls, Doom, etc, would be huge- but nobody buys consoles for their games anymore, so losing Playstation sales is absurd. As soon as Starfield gets better, sell it on other devices too, I suspect Avowed and Indiana Jones are going to be the last exclusives of Xbox.

 

[QPlayer]

So it will be the XboxPC model. I think this is a reasonable step from many points of view. I'm an Xbox fan and I'll say it.