440°

Microsoft CEO Boasts 200 Million Monthly Active Users, "Never Been More Excited" About Games Lineup

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood discussed the performance of the Xbox business, including the forecast for the current quarter.

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techraptor.net
Jin_Sakai99d ago (Edited 99d ago )

“Never Been More Excited" About Games Lineup“

It’s like a broken record. Put up or shut up.

darthv7299d ago

...oh the irony in that last statement.

isarai98d ago

Not really, they still haven't "Put up" besides Hi-Fi Rush. Now we're hearing Hellblade 2 is not only digital only, but no longer than the 1st game which you can beat in like 4hrs. I'm all for quality over quantity but you would think going from Indy to backed by one of the biggest corporations in the planet would see a sizeable increase in scope or production, especially after putting this game front and center of nearly every bit of promo for the Xbox brand. But on to the next dangling carrot am I right? Until that one under delivers too, rinse repeat for another 10yrs if they're around that long.

VenomUK98d ago (Edited 98d ago )

I believe that "200 Million Monthly Active Users" includes PlayStation players of Call of Duty and PC players of World of Warcraft.

Now Microsoft has the statistics it has probably found that it is making more profits from PlayStation gamers than Xbox gamers and this will affect its decisions on platform exclusivity.

k2d98d ago

@venomuk Watch it turn into an Xbox-first initiative down the line *sigh*

itsmebryan98d ago

@jin
What is Sony putting up this year? What first party games are coming out this year has you excited? What games are you expecting at today's State of play?

neutralgamer199298d ago

sony has a history of over 2 decades of releasing excellent games. State of Play should help today make that point even stronger

CrashMania98d ago

I'm curious, do games like FF7 Rebirth, Rise of the Ronin just magically no longer count as playstation games or an advantageous release for playstation just for not being third party? Even though Sony own the former IP? And they aren't coming to Xbox as of now?

Goalposts moved and now only games directly made by first party count, even if the IP is owned and not made by a first party studio, they don't count. See how ridiculous it sounds? lol

shinoff218398d ago (Edited 98d ago )

First party games are great and everything , but ps still gets a ton of 3rd party stuff devs dont bother to make for Xbox. As a fan of jrpgs Xbox can't hang so ps is the choice.

Plus I'm sure Sony has something. You guys went over a decade without multiple decent games in a year. If Sony has a slow couple years ps owners will be alright.

andy8598d ago (Edited 98d ago )

I mean Rebirth is coming out in a few weeks and that's gonna blow anything Xbox releases this year out of the water.

kayoss98d ago

Sony have proven enough. They have large library of in house exclusives that have been proven to be excellent games. before you ask about Sony, look at the history of xbox for the last 15 years, what have they've done last generation and so far what have they done for this generation in terms of excellent games.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 98d ago
TheEroica98d ago

Thank you Sony fans for funding the next several Xbox games!

BlackTar18798d ago (Edited 98d ago )

Imagine writing this as if the only reason you xbox peeps have no games and really haven’t in like 8 years is because there wasn’t enough money from trillion dollar MS.

CrashMania99d ago

'as well as mobile, where we now, have over 200 million monthly active users alone, inclusive of Activision Blizzard King'

There's your context. They'll probably start including every playstation\switch player playing an activision game next, if they haven't already in that figure.

Abriael99d ago (Edited 99d ago )

I mean, it's not "next." They're included.

raWfodog99d ago

The 'Pay to Win' mentality isn't just for weak gamers anymore.

itsmebryan98d ago

@raW
What do you mean? Does that also count for all the 3rd party exclusives Sony has paid for this year?

Microsoft bought ABK for a reason and it looks like it paid off. Compared to Sony's Bungie purchase, which one seems like a better buy now?🤔

InUrFoxHole98d ago

@itsmebryan
What are you going on about man? All of sonys studios were built from the ground up by devs who knew no matter what they were going to make it could only be done because of the sony banner, not their talent.

Vengeance113899d ago ShowReplies(5)
crazyCoconuts99d ago

Lot of emphasis on cloud streaming, didn't see any call outs on the console business.
However he did reiterate that the games covered earlier this year are slated for Xbox and not PlayStation.
Really curious on whether any of the rumors re: physical games, console future, and exclusives are true - if they are he's not signalling too much at this point.

DarXyde98d ago

This is how they'll justify their bonuses, I guess. Maybe it's just me, but this flex after layoffs really rubs me the wrong way.

I get that this is a financial earnings call, but it was less than a week ago we were talking about people losng their jobs. Just comes across as distasteful.

Honestly, I'd like to see some product boycotting, but if 2023's Call of Duty can still be profitable despite all of the issues, I don't have much hope.

There will always be a contingent of fans that, regardless of what happens to the workers, will embrace the products as Game Pass Day One perks. Even so, you always want to hope there's a come to Jesus moment.

crazyCoconuts98d ago

There's no come to Jesus for high-level execs, really. They all have golden parachutes so even if they get canned they walk out with a ton of $. And they're usually so slick they can spin a failure like a success so they weasel their way into their next great job.

DarXyde98d ago

The come to Jesus content was for gamers that continue to support them, actually. I agree, there's no moment humanity for them.

But I don't think they "weasel their way" into another great job. If anything, I think you can be catastrophic and still land at a good job based on your personality. There's a certain personality type you'll find in an exec and I suspect that matters more than actually doing a good job. But that's just me. Basic things like did they crumble under pressure when confronted by a controversy, are they willing to fire as many people as necessary for the company's bottom line regardless of the pleading from workers you face, etc.

crazyCoconuts98d ago

I agree with you. What I mean by "weasel" i guess is the way they spin the truth. Like, if Phil were to leave right now to go work at... let's say the NFL as an executive. The CEO of the NFL isn't going to know the inside story on gaming and everything he did / didn't do for Xbox as a brand. Phil will say he led the company to record levels of revenue, modernized and transformed gaming by bringing in GamePass and the cloud, and created the most diverse executive lineups in the industry. Something like that. At that level, they can make almost anything smell like roses.

Crows9098d ago

Deathbed ...that's most people's come to Jesus moment.

MrDead98d ago

Essentially they are bragging about buying a successful pre-made business then firing lots of people that helped to create the success.

Crows9098d ago

And giving the finger to most gamers

MrDead97d ago

@InUr
Tell that to the thousands of devs that just lost their jobs.

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130°

EA says largest Battlefield team yet is building ‘another tremendous live service’

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson stated in a recent EA Earnings Call, that the next Battlefield "it is going to be another tremendous live service.”

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videogameschronicle.com
-Foxtrot1d 2h ago

Another? ANOTHER?

Is he honestly trying to make out like the last Battlefield was a huge success, not just as a game but as a live service game? I'm sure these guys live in their own echo chambers, they are so far removed from reality or they just like talking out of their arse trying to rewrite history.

Also why say such a tone deaf statement when you know the state of live service games at the minute and how many gamers feel about them. Bigging up the next BF game as live service does not give me any excitement or hype.

LordoftheCritics1d ago

''is building ‘another tremendous LIE service’''

/Fixed

RaidenBlack1d 2h ago

Just make another Battlefield 2 ... or BadCompany 3 ... EA

XiNatsuDragnel1d 1h ago

Bad company 3 instead of live service bs

Relientk771d 1h ago

And already lost interest

Pass

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270°

Report Claims Xbox Is Planning More Cuts Following Studio Closures

"The sudden closure of several video-game studios at Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox division was the result of a widespread cost-cutting initiative that still isn’t finished.

This week, Xbox began offering voluntary severance agreements to producers, quality assurance testers and other staff at ZeniMax, which it purchased in 2020 for $7.5 billion, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. Others across the Xbox organization have been told that more cuts are on the way.

Speaking about the closures more broadly, Booty said that the company’s studios had been spread too thin — like “peanut butter on bread” — and that leaders across the division had felt understaffed. They decided to close these studios to free up resources elsewhere, he said.

Game Pass has not seen the massive growth that Xbox boss Phil Spencer may have been hoping for."

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purexbox.com
just_looken1h ago

Sense it seems very few remember that human's were around before 2020 the next studio to close will be bethesda based no doubt on the history of.

Fallout 76
Elder scrolls online
elder scrolls blades mobile
fallout mobile
The vr versions of old games

Then you got starfield pissing out cash nothing to cover it.

I doubt tod's team or any sub team is making m$ cash they are no doubt on the chopping block for job cuts

If you can remember before 2020 even fallout 76 was made with over 4 studios.

-Foxtrot2h ago

"Speaking about the closures more broadly, Booty said that the company’s studios had been spread too thin — like “peanut butter on bread” — and that leaders across the division had felt understaffed. They decided to close these studios to free up resources elsewhere, he said"

So what you're saying is...you bought all these studios and you guys can't run them.

Jesus.

Inverno2h ago

Spread thin after firing over 2000 employees a few months prior. So basically they created the problem and their solution was to just fire more people. Absolute geniuses over at Xbox, of course can we even believe this to be the reason for the closures?

just_looken1h ago

9 agrees of course pro sony site

Oh look knowledge
https://www.pcgamer.com/aft...

They left them do there "magic" for 3 years lost alot of money redfall is what made them take charge.

This is right now m$ in charge

Profchaos1h ago

Leaders can't run them hire more management create new roles don't shutter entire studios cause you can't figure out how to run them.

Unless the reality is this whole consolidation thing was really an excuse for IP harvesting

Eonjay2h ago

Reports are suggesting that Game Pass will be getting a price hike soon and that Call of Duty may not be added to the day one offering. I honestly have a hard time believing this but it does beg the question why exactly did GP fail? I think the answer is that it just didn't get the growth that it anticipated. Jim was right but I wish he wasn't because at the end of the day, its gamers, devs and other front-line workers who have to absorb the blow for Spencer and team's miscalculations.

2h ago
NotoriousWhiz1h ago

And out of the ashes something even better than Xbox will be born.

Eonjay1h ago

Honestly as long as is not a situation where the industry has to contract in order focus wealth on a few people who are already trillionaires..

Tacoboto24m ago

I think 2022 killed the Series X.

2021 was a good year for Xbox though and maybe the best in a long long time, hardware and software and as a publisher. Halo Infinite launched to popularity, Forza Horizon 5 blew everyone away, Psychonauts 2 was so well received, Flight Simulator on console, Deathloop even on PS5 & PC.

But they followed that up with next to nothing. Then 2023 with Redfall, a disappointing Forza, Starfield, and 2024 leads with closures and layoffs. And some tweets reminding us Hellblade is days away.

The only disappointment with the PS5 is not enough Sony games. Xbox followed up no games with disappointing ones.

Scissorman2h ago

For all the armchair executives who were calling for Sony to release its big-budget AAA games on PS+, the same exact thing would have happened at PlayStation. Game Pass has killed Xbox. Congrats.

shinoff21832h ago

There's not many of of us clamoring for Sony to do this because most of us understand it would kill Playstation. I'm sure there's a few but I've not seen alot of it myself.

just_looken1h ago

I will give you a like sense this site is pro sony even the mods will delete this comment like my last asap as they defend sony 24/7.

Those with brains knows microsoft a trillion dollar company cares little about devs and is all about making cash so they will lease out ips gamepass is not a loss like amazon/netflix the overall ms make billions a week.

2h ago
Show all comments (41)
230°

Phil Spencer trends on Twitter amid calls for him to resign

Phil Spencer and Microsoft have come under fire following the closure of multiple Bethesda-owned studios including Tango Gameworks.

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videogamer.com
gold_drake5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

wow haha.

i dont think he will resign. or will be kicked off.

if hes still here after everything in the past, this wont affect him unfortunately.

RhinoGamer883h ago

He and his cronies have a sweet deal. Even if they are fired, stock options and parachutes will mean they never need to work again. Cronyism at its worst.

neutralgamer19922h ago(Edited 2h ago)

I think his days are numbered TBH. Spending 80 million of all acquisitions yet can’t even compete with others it’s insane

This also proves gamepass isn’t as profitable as Xbox fanboys make it out to be

RaidenBlack2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

That huge Acti-Blizz acquisition wasn't worth it ... They should've stopped at Zenimax and instead focused "rescuing" individual studios like Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, Crytek, Volition or Gearbox etc (much better than trying to devour the whole of one of the largest gaming publisher)
IMHO, with no $70 Billion deficit, these studio closures would not have happened ...

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