The strategy MS is pursuing is fairly obvious, Nadella has never been shy about his distaste for traditional console business driven by exclusivity. Xbox will release PC-based living room console that will have ease of use of console with openness of PC, while releasing all its games on all platforms that can support them. The added value of Xbox will come from precisely that combination of openness + gamepass + convenience and ease of use (and possibly performance). Meanwhile people will be able to play Xbox games anywhere, thus reducing barrier to entry and making big money for MS.
With their strategy of openness, we see cross-play, smart delivery (free upgrade to next Gen version), PlayAnywhere (buy Xbox version, get PC version free) and an increasing number of titles that would have been exclusive now making their way to all platforms (e.g. Hell divers 2, Final Fantasy series).
In the Services Era, should the long-standing supporting consumers continue to pay for multiple versions of the same console game? Or have to buy multiple consoles? Or lose access to live service games or games with licensed content?
I was genuinely gutted to see Perfect Dark cancelled. As a child of the N64 generation I wanted a proper sequel to the original, not PD0 which we ended up with!
As for the studio cancellations and layoffs, MS has 228,000 employees. Insane number, there must be such high number of waste and bureaucracy that I am not surprised at all they are trying to trim it. Imagine managing organization like this. There is a reason governments are the least effective, most corrupt organizations on the planet. It is inevitable once you reach a size like this. And it is obvious both Perfect Dark and Everwild never had a solid enough vision and execution to actually be finished.
The strategy MS is pursuing is fairly obvious, Nadella has never been shy about his distaste for traditional console business driven by exclusivity. Xbox will release PC-based living room console that will have ease of use of console with openness of PC, while releasing all its games on all platforms that can support them. The added value of Xbox will come from precisely that combination of openness + gamepass + convenience and ease of use (and possibly performance). Meanwhile people will be able to play Xbox games anywhere, thus reducing barrier to entry and making big money for MS.
With their strategy of openness, we see cross-play, smart delivery (free upgrade to next Gen version), PlayAnywhere (buy Xbox version, get PC version free) and an increasing number of titles that would have been exclusive now making their way to all platforms (e.g. Hell divers 2, Final Fantasy series).
In the Services Era, should the long-standing supporting consumers continue to pay for multiple versions of the same console game? Or have to buy multiple consoles? Or lose access to live service games or games with licensed content?
I was genuinely gutted to see Perfect Dark cancelled. As a child of the N64 generation I wanted a proper sequel to the original, not PD0 which we ended up with!
"Xbox continues to invest in smaller properties like The Outer Worlds"
Outer Worlds 2 is 80$.
As for the studio cancellations and layoffs, MS has 228,000 employees. Insane number, there must be such high number of waste and bureaucracy that I am not surprised at all they are trying to trim it. Imagine managing organization like this. There is a reason governments are the least effective, most corrupt organizations on the planet. It is inevitable once you reach a size like this. And it is obvious both Perfect Dark and Everwild never had a solid enough vision and execution to actually be finished.
Really great piece and a great argument. What even IS Xbox trying to do, and how does raising the prices on its consoles help any of that?!