Microsoft Is Finally Ending Its Focus On Big Budget Gaming Nonsense

Back when the Xbox 360 launched, Microsoft pushed the big budget game as a differentiator. Following all the recent layoffs, it’s clear this strategy has run its course.

[Einhander1972]

The Microsoft shill take on the Microsoft causing the death of big budget gaming...

The whole driving force for growth in gaming both technologically, creatively and financially was all nonsense, and it was definitely not because Microsoft ran the industry into the ground with obviously bad decisions and creating an unprofitable business model that massively disrupted consumer spending habits. /s

[RpgSama]

First, F**** Forbes and their shill take, I hope the money cleared by now.

Second, Which big budget games I might ask? Microsoft has been in a rut for like a decade now, with no big publisher and developers puechases they would have not released anything in the last 5 years but the new Halo and Forza.

[Eonjay]

Fortunately for us, since we know this message is basically coming from Microsoft, we can read into their motives. Why are they trying to turn people against big budget games and who would it help.... hmmm.

[neutralgamer1992]

GP is like any content service it needs new content. AAA games take 100 plus million (low end estimates since most AAA games take double that) and it 4-5 years to develop. That’s why there were 2 god of war games instead of 3 because Cory felt like it would take too long

I am not defending MS. That’s just the reality when you put all your eggs in one basket (gamepass) and now they need content. Sadly that’s what we all said would happen and is happening. GP will be a service for AA games with 1-2 AAA games on yearly basis. And I am all for AA games because to me that’s where developers can take chances on smaller budgets but MS has mismanaged this whole situation from the beginning. Their messaging needs to be clear and it’s not

They own so many studios and IP’s they just need to get everyone on schedule so that there are games releasing every few months on GP. But I don’t even think Phil knows what he wants. It seems his goals change constantly

Game pass is not a sustainable and take two ceo was right when he said that it doesn’t make any business sense to release huge AAA games day one on GP. Just like call of duty shouldn’t be on GP because why give up on 15-20 million sales

[Einhander1972]

"And I am all for AA games because to me that’s where developers can take chances on smaller budgets"

How'd that work out for Tango?

Do you think less AAA games will increase game pass revenue or decrease it when it has less value? What if they also have to increase the costs?

[S2Killinit]

Right on.

Hahaha MS has ended “focus” on games? Lol when? 3 generations ago maybe?

[Skuletor]

I noticed it near the end of the 360 era.

[notachance]

Man I don’t know what the writer is smoking, anyone with a braincell can see what will happen is the exact opposite, they’re gonna double down on big name IPs and turn them into GaaS and milk them to the extreme with multiple studios focusing on specific IPs instead of creating their own games.

It was so clear with the way they keep 343 despite multiple failures and shutting down Tango even after winning awards, MS is a service provider and not a product creator, they will buy the product from others and turn it into a service.

[Hofstaderman]

Ah Forbes. One of the prominent MS mouthpieces....

[Luc20]

Microsoft is finally... ahhh I've never heard this one before!

[Petebloodyonion]

LOL, this article is a big pile of dog crap...
Spencer has been constantly telling ppl that NO they would not go the route of having games like TLOU, Uncharted, etc because Playstation exists and prefers to focus on a diverse portfolio.

How many years have we seen Xbox as no game and we don't want small games like ORI, Pentiment, Grounded, etc.?

That's the real tragedy and why lots of gamers are mad at MS right now
because they have been championing smaller titles and yet fired the ppl delivering exactly what they were proning about.

So no the only nonsense is that MS seems now to be going BACK to AAA popular titles..sorry, I meant refocusing effort on core established IP where broken GAAS might be rewarded versus praised and rewarded work.

[Einhander1972]

https://media1.tenor.com/m/...

You read an article cheerleading the end of big budget games and all the other articles about problems and this is what you have to say? That's what you think "the real tragedy" is?

I thought that xbox fans might finally "get it", but no, it seems they don't even understand what is happening and what is at stake.

[Petebloodyonion]

Please tell me what's happening and what is at stake

Since it's not big companies closing small studios, killing innovation while refocusing assets on big ongoing projects and core IP?

Let's See MS Close Tango Studio mentions that they are too thin on key project
Sony Close London Studio and make massive cuts in Firespite will reallocate resources to core project
EA will focus on Core project
Square will focus on big established IP
.....
.....

[crazyCoconuts]

Hurray! No more big gam.... wait... what??

[jznrpg]

What a crock

[anast]

Big budget games are great and MS can't manage them properly. Therefore, they have to quit trying because they are incapable of making them, and they want to go all live service, streaming, and mobile, which is why they are downsizing.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

So Microsoft is going AA and mobile route what a shock!!! /s.

[Armyofdarkness]

They are going to do literally the opposite. Focus on the big hitters only like elder scrolls / fallout / cod

[northpaws]

Remember they said they ABK for mobile? I guess that wasn't lying then. /s

[SimpleSlave]

Next E3 is gonna be LIT!!! 🔥🔥🔥

Time's up Phony Fanatics! You've been warned.

[shinoff2183]

What. No where in the last few months especially the last few days have I gotten Ms is about to kill it with the Xbox. Maybe kill the Xbox but not in a good way.

[romulus23]

He's clearly trolling, there isn't going to be a next E3.

[andron]

Ehh wot??;

[Alos88]

The level of spin in this article is so intense it should have a disclaimer warning it may cause dizziness.

[DivineHand125]

I thought the whole point behind the recent layoffs were to focus more on the bigger IPs.

[TiredGamer]

The denial is strong with this crowd. The implosion is happening. This big budget “race to the top” that started in the 2000s is reaching its peak, and may fall off a cliff. With MS throwing in the proverbial towel, that leaves Sony with the most to lose. There’s no more growth in the industry to facilitate ever-growing game budgets, and with consumers not willing to pay more than $60 for a new game, publishers have only one choice to survive…. Consolidate, downsize, and downscale.

Nintendo had it right all along as their focus on lower spec hardware justified an avoidance of the hyper-realistic blockbuster game. Their audience has been conditioned to accept, and ENJOY, single-A and AA first-party game titles with low graphical expectations.

It will be interesting how Sony proceeds going forward, but I suspect that we’re already witnessing the transition to lower budget/live service content, with only the occasional big budget game to keep their customer base placated.

[purple101]

"It will be interesting how Sony proceeds going forward"

https://twitter.com/Zuby_Te... check 1st pinned comment

its all the studios Sony owns, with exactly what they're up to

[TiredGamer]

I'm thinking mid-to-long term. At the beginning of this gen/end of last gen, the focus was still on the blockbuster. That ratio will begin to shift to better economize the library.

And of course as we are seeing, things can change quickly.

[purple101]

yeh I see what you mean, in the mid - to long term, strategies could shift,

however, they did just cancel 6 games and the rest are going ahead as planned, so at least for now, we know exactly what's up, some trailers wouldn't hurt though, sheesh, suppose they used to get slated for releasing a trailer to early as well, so now they dont, can't win!!! hehe

[romulus23]

Amazing how MS messes things up and all of a sudden it's "Sony has the most to lose". smdh

Yeah reached it's peak, no one's willing to pay $60, it's been $70 for a while now by the way. Now lets watch what happens when big budget GTA 6 launches, bet all that goes right out the window.

[jwillj2k4]

How f*cking small do you want’em?? U just got rid of HiFi Rush, you gonna put Jumping Sandwich turbo on the next E3???????

[RNTody]

Hey Obscure Observer, here's your spin.

[CrimsonWing69]

Big budget gaming is what I like and want. wtf, is this dribble!?

[Hedstrom]

And now just concentrating on killing of gaming for everyone!

[purple101]

sony: "we fucked up a PSN requirement in countries, where there is no psn."

microsoft: "we fucked up our entire business"

[romulus23]

At least Sony fixed the issue.

MS can't un-close developers.

[__y2jb]

Big budget games are absolutely required to push forward the state of the art. Everyone loves to play a game that clearly pushes graphics forward, those are some of gaming best moments.

[romulus23]

Big budget gaming doesn't work when those big budget games are put on gamepass day one. A day one gamepass inclusion lowers the overall quality of the game and severely limits if not completely removes the need for a full price consumer purchase. MS is looking for a cost trade off, small low budget games that cost much less to make than the money they rake in from gp subscriptions. Big budget gaming has worked fine for decades but now it "nonsense" becasue MS went and blundered it, yeah ok forbes, whatever you say.

[Traecy]

Big Budget (AAA) gaming can be great of course when the game is done right. When it's released day one it should be charged at full retail price instead of releasing on subscription services day one.

[UltimateOwnage]

Big budget nonsense huh? Who paid Forbes for this crap article. If anyone argued the movie industry should stop making blockbusters and instead turn to relying on more profitable subscription series sitcoms and shows I’d bet people would not be happy about that. Corporate shills gonna shill. Big budget games advance the industry, breaks boundaries and pushes hardware, engines, software design and the creative process forward. I thought Microsoft was an unstoppable piggy bank of power?

[Notellin]

This article doesn't make any sense as they closed their small budget studios not the big budget ones.

[Knightofelemia]

One needs games first that offer prestige and brings in awards.

[Crows90]

Big budget gaming???? What big budget game have they developed from beginning to end?

Think OP means big budget spending.

[PassNextquestion]

I wouldn't mind there being less big budget games as long as that's reflected in the price of the game.

[PassNextquestion]

I'm mainly playing games on my PC that are 5--15 years old, with the occasional newer game which is becoming rarer and rarer. I'm having more fun playing the older games that i missed or didn't get around to playing yet then I am the newer ones majority of the time. I think the last new game that I remember really liking was Sniper Elite 5.

[gold_drake]

damn.
how tone deaf can u be.
a bunch of people lost their jobs and Forbes is like
"omg like finally microsoft is stop doing big budget games"
the fuck.

[TheColbertinator]

Forbes says this but the next COD will be a AAA game anyway. Short sighted fools.

[Skuletor]

Matt Booty said they're "prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds", that sounds like more big budget gaming to me.

[Viryu]

Corporations then:

Let's invest massive amounts of money to make even more money!

Corporations now:

Let's make cuts and stop spending to appease our shareholders and investors short term and so the CEO could get a massive bonus... wait, why aren't we making any money?

[lucasnooker]

Well they have a couple but yeah the war was over long ago. Gears 6 will push UE5 pretty good so I hear and I’m looking forward to ID softwares next shooter. I’m sure that will be AAA. Other than that though, yeah, this company is dead! lol

[Abear21]

They spent more money on acquiring huge studios and IP than small countries gdp just to focus on small indie games?

I’m hoping this is all rumors, it seems like the internet is steering their narrative, these guys should probably have a show and hype their shit like tonight because the silence is deafening.

I’d prefer they release huge games that are polished and finished as they’ve spent billions on these studios. Yeah we’re gonna get the same shit we’ve already stepped in a million times but something is better than nothing.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

So M$, with all of their money, CAN’T, so Sony and Nintendo shouldn’t?

Maybe M$ should keep up…. That’s the key capitalism machination that M$ is trying to circumvent with the ABK acquisition.

And, that particular bear hug is backfiring. Owning the IPs isn’t worth much if you can’t manage anyone to make anything with them.

The Fallout show is a lifeline for both M$ and Bethesda fans. People clearly want them to succeed at the GIANT projects M$ is expected to produce.

[Hugodastrevas]

Wait, there's a strategy?!