"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."
Sony aims to release live service PlayStation games day & date on PC and PS5, but single-player games will have more "strategic approach."
How? I’m sorry but how when they literally port their games to the PC now after not even 2 years, it’s rumored GoW Ragnarok is next.
The best thing they could have done is focus on the generation before with PS3 / PS4 titles and when it got to the PS6 then start porting PS5 games so people will want to get the sequel on the new console
Now PC gamers just wait it out because they know it’s coming
"While Helldivers 2 was released day and date on both PS5 and PC, don’t expect single-player narrative-driven games to be released in the same boat by Sony anytime soon. - This was confirmed by PlayStation’s soon-to-be co-CEO Hermen Hulst in Sony’s business segment presentation"
There you have it. Won't be 'day and date' single player games on PC anytime soon or for the forseeable future. They understand single player games are Playstation's backbone.
I was told that Playstation was doing so bad on here and on X that Helldivers 2 was going to release on Xbox and Sony was going to start releasing all games on pc day and date with playstation. Why do people constantly lie on the internet!!!!!
That's a smart move because at the end of the day playstation is a hardware business and need to sell hardware folks
In case you were curious, a Steam account transfer via will is not permitted according to an official response from Valve.
Would be nice if the article's writer looked into and reported whether other digital game libraries could be transferred over via will (Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, EGS, EA app, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, Rockstar Launcher etc) instead of this half-baked piece but it's probably the same for all of them anyway
This seems like a way bigger issue than mandatory PSN account linking for PlayStation games.
So where is the outcry?
Ex-Rocksteady directors' Hundred Star is collaborating with Xbox Game Studios Publishing for its first-ever AAA game.
Highly doubt it'll be an actual Batman game that IP belongs to WB Games along with other DC property.
They're making an action adventure game. IMO I think it needs to be another Marvel game despite MS already have Blade as that action Marvel game. Dead Pool? Punisher?
Realistically it'll probably be a new IP entirely.
I hope these devs needed support to start/finish (like Stalker 2), vs are basically done with the game but wanted to secure an exclusivity-bonus because they know Xbox needs a system seller (like Titanfall).
It’s a bit strange that they’d rather invest in this game than Tangoworks’ TWO canceled projects; or just trust a single dev from their existing massive stable of talent to emerge with a system-seller themselves anytime soon.
Either way, it is just cool that we’ll likely get a new IP from the geniuses behind the Arkham Trilogy. I wonder how creative they’ll get now that they aren’t married to an established franchise.
This is about the former co-founders of Rocksteady and their new studio. So naturally it makes people think its Batman related with the way its worded, even though its not.
Exclusive? Sure
This year alone Microsoft has changed their plans so much with Xbox regarding multiplatform releases as they step closer to just being a full blown third party publisher and it's only been 4-5 months, imagine where we'll be once this game is finished. It will be a completely different landscape.
Spawn (as well as master chief) are the only characters I associate with Xbox. Are there more I can’t remember?
We already know 😂
"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.
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.
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.