320°

Xbox Has No Idea What They're Doing, and I'm Not Sure They Ever Did

Nirav from GL writes: "If the makers of a GOTY competitor that outdid sales and Game Pass expectations and owned by the richest company in the world cannot stay open - what hope is there for everyone else?"

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gameluster.com
Christopher16d ago

***If the makers of a GOTY competitor that outdid sales and Game Pass expectations and owned by the richest company in the world cannot stay open - what hope is there for everyone else?***

None if you stay in an arena of corporate driven metrics. And this is what happens when you allow publishers to buy up massive amounts of studios and IPs. There's only so much internal competition and the focus in the end will remain on those who look best on a spreadsheet.

Players can be so driven by what is best for them and only see what is put right in front of them. But that's not what is best for them. They are being lied to constantly, as seen by Microsoft's ridiculous praise for Hi-Fi Rush and Phil's lies about Redfall prior to release and how big of a supporter of both studios he has been. But, instead of thinking "wait, this corporation wants me to think this way, should I be listening to them and believing them?" players eat it up and go "OMG, did you hear what they said! They're just like us and they know what's best for the industry."

And because of this single-mindedness of the majority of gamers, we are where we are now. Massive layoffs. Massive studio closures. Games that we were told were representative of the core values of said corporations shelved and studios behind them shuttered. The truth is coming to bear because the truth all along was only what the numbers in an excel spreadsheet told the corporate suits.

If you truly want what is best for the industry, what is best for developers, then you need to support Indie games, support developers that maintain control over their IPs and direction, support boutique publishers who only exist to help Indies make it out the door and don't own the IP. Stop supporting major corporations with your money or you devotion. Stop playing their games, and I don't mean video games, but their marketing, their double speak, their guy without a tie who says things you want to hear PR, their future of video gaming concepts as if we were hurting for new ways to play games other than installing/downloading and playing them, and especially any slogan from them that gives the impression that they are for you, the consumer. They are not. You're merely a value on a spreadsheet.

Neonridr16d ago

don't drink the koolaid kids.

Christopher16d ago

Sure, I'm the one drinking the koolaid. Keep believing in the corporations. They definitely have your best interests in mind. All hail the Big Green, For You Blue, and Nostalgia Red! All praise big corporations buying up other publishers. All praise the inevitable spreadsheet adjustments. For greed, not the players.

Crows9016d ago

I'd like to but I think you drank it all...

notachance16d ago

so they don’t become like you right?

Neonridr16d ago (Edited 16d ago )

@Christopher - look, I didn't mean to sound rude with my comment there, you do make some good points. However, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. If this is honestly how you feel, then you don't have to game anymore, you can go find another hobby and put your time and effort into that.

Do I wish that these gaming companies were always a customer first driven business? Sure, that would be great and dandy, but that's not real life, nor it is realistic to expect that fully.

Saying to stop supporting these corporations, or my guess is specifically only Microsoft considering this is the mantra at N4G, isn't the answer. Indie games are great and I have adored plenty of them, but imagine a world with no Halo's, Zelda's or Last of Us titles. No thanks.

Christopher16d ago (Edited 16d ago )

***However, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. If this is honestly how you feel, then you don't have to game anymore, you can go find another hobby and put your time and effort into that. ***

Do you know how many great a indie games there are out there? Why would I need to stop gaming at all? There are even AAA quality indie studios who develop and publish their own games still. Why would I need to leave gaming when I can instead support the good elements of the industry?

***Saying to stop supporting these corporations, or my guess is specifically only Microsoft considering this is the mantra at N4G, isn't the answer. Indie games are great and I have adored plenty of them, but imagine a world with no Halo's, Zelda's or Last of Us titles. No thanks. ***

First, pretty sure my reply to you makes this about all of them, not just Sony.

Second, I can easily imagine not playing those games considering the mass majority of us spend over 99% of our time playing other games from third party studios as it is.

Third, the answer is indeed to speak with your wallet. As long as you keep supporting these companies with your wallet, they will continue to treat studios the same. It's obvious that MAU don't matter, as seen by the closure of Tango Gameworks, the canning of promised updates to Halo Infinite, and the canning of TLoU MP.

Fourth, speaking with your wallet can also mean just waiting for deep sales and never buying MTX. This is how I support Ubisoft. I pay practically nothing for their games that I'm not even a blip on their radar. Even if it's a great game, I wait for a deep deep sale because I want them to get as little as possible from me until I feel they've changed their ways.

VariantAEC11d ago

@-Foxtrot
Christopher is wrong. Indies only have control of their IP if they can keep on making money. That's why they make cheap small most of the time really bad games. You may buy them and have a good time but in the end you realize you have to justify the money you spent playing many of them while the developers if they're any good lament never working on anything bigger. It's not easy to make games and there are hundreds of indies making their first games only to disappear before a sequel can even be announced. Indies need big budgets too if they want to make something even close to Stellar Blade and stay afloat. It's why you rarely see such games on phones or even PC without a major lable like EA or Ubisoft being flashed on the screen first. It is what it is.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 11d ago
anast16d ago

"then you need to support Indie games"

Get punk rock with it.

rlow116d ago

I don’t always agree with you. But you are correct and well said. It amazes me on what used to be a pretty straightforward industry has turned into such a greedy mess. Layoffs galore across the industry and corporates pushing/firing whatever is going to move the bean counters. With no regard for the people making the games. I’m tired of hearing these rich companies saying it’s just business, or an adjustment needed to be made, but it’s not personal. Then on top of it they have to inject corporate inclusivity into every game. On top of releasing broken games and expect people to pay top dollar.

But again well said and we as the consumer need to not only speak up but vote with our wallets.

Aussiesummer16d ago

Anything that makes millions is going to become a miasma of greed and corruption.

Huey_My_D_Long16d ago

Honestly feel like Christopher's comment is on point.

Probably one of the truest statements I've seen on this site rdegarding the gaming industry change.
We have got to support smaller titles and fight against the homogenization thats been happening. Admittedly even from Sony even more so from Ubisoft.

There should be steam group or a site dedicated to listing devs on a scale with how much they control of their IP and if not, I might look into it myself.
I'm liking your agenda man.

VariantAEC11d ago

That won't save the industry. Sorry to tell you but the reason there are so few indie devs making console games today is because live service has the best chance of success. The bigger games need these massive publishers. You can keep on playing the little games devs make while dreaming of making something bigger and what happens in the end is both parties lose. We see that more and more. Why is that? Because economic mandates. Higher minimum wages, unionization, and ever growing legal complexities launching games to the widest possible market... the whole world.

The same way you will disagree with me now is the same way people disagreed with me about Xbox's true intentions in the industry. You will wake up someday. Hopefully before your hobby is long dead.

Christopher11d ago

***Sorry to tell you but the reason there are so few indie devs making console games today is because live service has the best chance of success. ***

This is billionaire thinking. We can only pay attention to the biggest dollar makers. Even though there is an extremely thriving industry of non-live service games. They also win the most awards, sell the most copies, and innovate the most.

***The bigger games need these massive publishers.***

Larian, CDPR, Hello Games, Supergiant, Firefly. Need is too hard of a word to use and these companies show huge support from the community for their games. We just need to promote this more.

***You can keep on playing the little games devs make while dreaming of making something bigger and what happens in the end is both parties lose.***

You can keep being a part of the problem rather than promoting bigger and better from Indies by not supporting the games that don't deserve our support. Go you!

VariantAEC10d ago

@Christopher
"This is billionaire thinking. We can only pay attention to the biggest dollar makers. Even though there is an extremely thriving industry of non-live service games."
That is not what I said. Firstly, smaller game devs are not thriving. Most make a couple games before losing their studio and with no money they can keep their IP, but make nothing with it. Is that really great for anyone? If these low buget games made the most money... indies wouldn't go under. You can't logic.

CDPR owns GoG, they're a publisher, they're the big guy. You think Larian is a little guy? Hello Games is and their game came out of the gate stumbling and bumbling but with PS' money they were able to get their very first game out. SuperGiant got support from their game from where? Amir Rao declined to provide details about who funded their game and how much money it made but said the game sold enough to support the devs for several years. I didn't play Hades but I do remember the hype around it started well before the game released and before most people played it. I don't know if the hype was warranted or not. I like more action style games which Hades is not. Unfortunately, the games I gravitate to are bigger budget with voice acting great music and interactive set-pieces. I play arcade style games like Ace Combat and Armored Core as well as sims like Gran Turismo and flight simulators (on PC). Most of the games I like are huge and they cost a lot to make and make less than the games you like to play. People like me suffer because of these massive economic shifts made to placate those general workers at McDonald's with little talent or no talent. As their MW increases so to do the expected MW values of legal workers advertisers artists VO actors software designers and everyone else involved in game design. This is why making games is so top-heavy now. You need to start thinking about how you vote or one day your favorite games will need PS and Nintendo's help just to get made.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 10d ago
RNTody16d ago

This should not be surprising to any of you. We have been saying for MONTHS that Game Pass is not sustainable and that these acquisitions will come at a massive cost to the industry. People refused to grasp the difference between buying and investing in a developer like Insomniac or Housemarque, and buying the entire publisher. People refused to accept that spending billions to acquire the biggest publishers in gaming means you have to RECOUP those costs, and you aren't going to do it without consolidation, focusing on core IP that sells, creating revenue streams via ownership and releasing on other platforms, and closing down studios that are superfluous to the budget requirements. You will not recoup those costs by investing in risky new IP or creative new games and studios.

No, people cheered Microsoft on like they were delivering GOTY titles to their door and pouring money into the industry to grow Indies and triple A projects.

You are getting what you deserve. You take the consequences of the practices you supported.

Layoffs happen. Some games don't succeed. Everyone has seen it happen. Happens even to the winners.

This, however, is goddamn shambolic and if you can't see it now then there's no helping you and you should keep enjoying the "value" of Game Pass while contributing nothing to this industry.

I've never seen the developer of one of the best games of the year get axed before.

Ninja Theory is next after Hellblade 2, I can see them going independent again. There's more to come from MS.

TiredGamer16d ago (Edited 16d ago )

This is exactly it. There is more of this coming. MS runs from one bad idea to the next, and GamePass is an unsustainable train wreck that we get to watch in real time.

GamePass is stalled for subscriber growth, and all that they can hope for is to either A) Reduce the quantity of games (i.e. shutter game studios), B) Reduce the quality of games (to make more mediocre but lower budget offerings), or C) Raise prices on existing customers. Or some combination of those.

MS does not have a passion for the industry. The XBox project, from the beginning, was sparked from the fear that someone else would eat their PC market lunch by making a games machine that replaced the PC. THAT was the entire motivation for getting into the games industry.

Profchaos16d ago

I saw it from the outset of day 1 on Xbox it's unsustainable no one was buying their games and a noticeable decline in quality and a push to live service elements to keep subscriptions active was obvious.

I saw it every time I'd go to a physical game shop for a Multi plat pre order no one was there for the Xbox version.

I'd go to CeX or other used game stores and be able to pick up the full range of Xbox studios first party games for 20 bucks and change while on the PlayStation side 20 bucks might get me two PS4 launch games and wouldn't even get me a single Nintendo first party game.

-Foxtrot16d ago

"Ninja Theory is next after Hellblade 2"

Anyone think it's weird it comes out in 2 weeks and there's hardly anything on it

RNTody16d ago (Edited 16d ago )

Actually Foxtrot, I don't find it weird. When last has Microsoft thrown advertising weight behind one of their releases? Long gone are the days where their games had the sheer presence of Halo 3 or Gears of War 2. It's all been replaced with "play it day one on Games Pass."

Why spend millions on marketing a product when you aren't SELLING it? The Xbox faithful aren't going to buy it, they're just going to see it on the splash page of Game Pass.

MrBeatdown16d ago

But hey, at least we get Call of Duty free on game pass*

*eventually?

anast16d ago (Edited 16d ago )

They know what they are doing. If 'you' treat them like "good 'ol simple minded folk", then 'you' are relieving them from blame via ignorance. They knew that they were going all live service, streaming and mobile a long time ago, The Oracle tends to see the obvious. While companies patronize gamers like they are children, which most of them are, may be confused for stupidity, they are also not so stupid they don't understand the decisions that they are making toward the overall direction of their company.

*None of their games were even close to competing for GOTY. They paid for names to be mentioned.

Profchaos16d ago

Xbox survived it's first gen by pure luck halo became a hit and it was huge followed up by halo 2 which had one of the biggest marketing campaigns I can remember seeing in the early 00s we had guys in master chief outfits on the sidelines of state of origin as a promo it blew my mind.

Then the 360 fell under the excellent leadership of Peter Moore and outpaced the PS3 for the first three quarters of that generation the only time anyone has ever done that.

Since losing Peter Moore it's been a rapid decline and buying up the industry stank of a desperate move along with the idea of gamepass itself stank of desperation to me no one was buying the X1 they needed something to get people interested and here we are.

I would happily lose gamepass if Xbox could go back to the 360 era style of focused heavy hitters and solid games.

The championing of consolidation they did was disgusting and what's happened as a result is proof they never had gamers or the industry at heart they need their ROI and that's all they cared about big daddy ms has signed a number of blank checks getting them here and it's coming to collect on their debts

zaanan16d ago

Well, MS bought Bungie to get Halo (and shut down the Mac version), which is a big reason they were as successful as they were. And the PS3 actually outpaced the 360, which is why it eventually outsold it despite releasing more than a year later. So really, not much has changed if you think about it.

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170°

Naughty Dog Boss Neil Druckmann Says AI Will 'Revolutionize' Development

Druckmann claims the tech could 'push the boundaries of storytelling in games.'

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gamedeveloper.com
Jin_Sakai1d 13h ago

I’m more interested in what else he said.

“Neil Druckmann says new Naughty Dog title could ‘redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming’

1d 12h ago Replies(6)
H91d 8h ago

It will be something like "we erased gameplay all together it's just a movie now"

purple1011d 8h ago

every time naughty dog make a game, you play it and get the feeling "this is not possible'

from the boulder running towards you in crash, on ps1,
to the massive open world of jak and daxter, on ps2,
to the QuickTime events sequences of uncharted on ps3/4

and now we will see what they do with ps5,

H91d 7h ago

Press X for doubt at "PS5"

-Foxtrot1d 5h ago (Edited 1d 5h ago )

Arrogant asshole who sniffs his own farts bigs up next game…sounds like typical PR to me

You know what I find interesting? Almost every site reporting this as the main title where the REAL interesting bit of the interview is Neil praising AI and saying it will be used to help push story, characters, dialogue and more.

It’s super shitty to big up AI especially when it comes to story telling and other creative elements.

senorfartcushion1d 4h ago

Just because someone says this type of stuff, it doesn't mean that it's guaranteed to be good news.

You can say this about microtransactions. MXTs revolutionised the gaming industry.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 1d 2h ago
Levii_921d 5h ago

Geez how full of themselves are these guys.

Einhander19721d 5h ago

He also said it has "ethical issues we need to address" but of course that doesn't get the clicks.

CrimsonWing691d 5h ago

I’m all for it. Cuts the time to make a game. Look, Hellblade 2 took 5 years to make, if AI can do that in half the time, as a consumer, I support it.

Chard18h ago

Things will get far sloppier brother

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70°

The Witcher 3 REDkit Q&A - CDPR & Yigsoft Confirm Steam Workshop Support; Further Changes Planned

CD Projekt RED and Yigsoft have launched The Witcher 3 REDkit on PC. We interviewed both studios to discuss the release of these mod tools.

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wccftech.com
60°

Take-Two CEO on GTA VI release, upswing in mobile gaming

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick joins 'Money Movers' to discuss the company's quarterly earnings results, how confident Zelnick is in the guidance for fall 2025, and much more.