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Phil Spencer: announcement this week

XXL

Member
This thread is becoming this meme.
This Is Fine GIF
 

bitbydeath

Member
Wow, weird. They really need to get their messaging in order over there. Outside of the "business update" being another unannounced acquisition and the xbox talk of going third party to appease regulators early, or Phil leaving, there really is no excuse why they don't tell everyone at least vaguely what's going on with strategy.
My best guess is that everything needs cleared by HR and legal before communicating.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
I just think if they'd been more proactive about addressing the actual elephant in the room, this whole thing would've been a LOT less, frankly, stupid.

Why does it need a week's wait, a BUSINESS meeting and an extended meltdown to occur when you could just say "Hey, X Y and Z are staying. But it's smart fiscally for us to bring A, B and C to other platforms. Thanks!"
Thats the question why are they waiting a week?

I think its going to entail much more detailed in what their future holds, they almost have to at this point, I would think.
 

TheBomb

Member
I still don’t get the new hardware, but what do I know. If they release big titles first on Xbox then others later. Why just wait for later? Microsoft could launch Game pass on PlayStation for of course a fee to pay, so even if you don’t buy a new console. They may still make money anyways.
 

bender

What time is it?
Thats the question why are they waiting a week?

I think its going to entail much more detailed in what their future holds, they almost have to at this point, I would think.

1. Original announcement intended for "spring" so that's a month+ away. I'm sure they were crafting their messaging.
2. Unexpected leaks happen.
3. Up the timetable on crafting the message.
4. Let a little time pass for the initial shockwave to die down.

A lot of the finer details also might be up in the air (what exactly is being ported, timeframes, 3rd part requirements, etc.).
 

64gigabyteram

Reverse groomer.
It would be an oversimplification, but Xbox Series is basically a PC with a very peculiar hypervisor. Nothnig thay Win 11 machine can't run with a few tweaks. Emulator can even support full DRM via the store to some extent.
Would be excited for that since Xenia is dogshit & the Series X Backwards compat emulator is leagues ahead in terms of ease of use.

Considering that they're giving up on hardware now, they should just release the source code of this emulator to Github and let emu devs run wild with it. Would be the best Xbox related thing they've released in 10 years frankly
 
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Dorfdad

Gold Member
I 100% have zero clue which way this goes

I still stand by my Xbox is jump starting next gen early statement because it came from someone I really trust on this issue BUT this person has recently been taken out of the loop so wouldn't be shocked either if MS pulls the plug and executes Phil live on stream either

Seth Meyers Idk GIF by Late Night with Seth Meyers

I think your on the right track. I don't think they are getting out of the hardware business I think they are 100% skipping any mid gen refresh and have revised those plans awhile back to an earlier launch for next gen. I believe some games will be Multiplatform, but I 100% believe this announcement has to do with the recent mobile platform stuff as well.

I don't think anyone knows and they are all just running with rumors and hoping they hit on something.

Im holding judgement till next week and we actually hear what they are saying and not just panic posting, doom and gloom.
 
"The multiplat strategy is a slight shift in strategy, in which SOME titles go multiplat. MS will keep high profile games exclusive"

Eh.....I mean then we are back to games like Hi Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves being multiplat and not games like Starfield and Indiana Jones. I don't know what else that could be called "high profile" if not those two. So is he backtracking on Starfield going multiplat? This ain't adding up.

Responses are saying Nate is just "covering his ass". lol.....I don't know.

He’s probably going to look like an idiot, if not next week then months from now
 
Honestly I think all the backtracking is damage control. Just think about it...

How poor of control on public messaging does your brand have to embody, to not only let rumors this detrimental (potentially) get out, not only let them gain so much traction, but to then also not put some type of squash on them at the first available opportunity? Which was with Phil Spencer's tweet yesterday. And they're, you're telling me, choosing to let the rumors persist?

"All publicity is good publicity" is false; there IS such a thing as bad publicity. Go ask Disney. Again, for the ambitions of Microsoft Gaming, these rumors aren't really a bad thing. But for the prospects of an Xbox console that's directly zeroed in on competing with PlayStation and Nintendo...for the diehards who want that, these rumors are devastating.

That they're taking a week to officially address anything WRT future plans with the brand, gives me a feeling the backtracking is some form of orchestrated damage control to calm worries among the diehards and condition them for whatever is officially communicated. My thinking is these rumors are more or less 100% true, but Microsoft are going to deliver the communication in piecemeal over time, and structure the initial news in a way that leaves room for ambiguity of things that will be clarified later down the line when the steps for those things are actually taken.

For example, there's zero reason for them to clarify the OEM rumors next week, because even if those plans are true, we won't see those devices until a few years from now. So Microsoft would structure that part of the message by omitting any reference of allusion to that part of the rumors, and frame optics to suggest Xbox hardware is staying around (because it is), while being ambiguous enough to let the diehards think that means consoles. And they might do that while revealing the Xbox Series X refresh (if it exists), and some vague statement about "future hardware innovations" leaving it at that.

When it comes to the ports, they will probably only give a reference to their current strategy with GaaS titles and legacy games, and then confirm HiFi Rush while fitting it in the definition of a "legacy title". Maybe they do the same for Sea of Thieves. But they won't make any reference to Starfield, Halo etc. because even if those ports are planned, they aren't due for at least a few months. So Microsoft will just mention ports for those to other consoles when gearing up to promote and release those specific games. And they'll probably still mention something around the line of delivering experiences "first and only" on Xbox...."only" being in the context of at the time of release before the game can be classified as "legacy" content and then ported to other platforms.

Also suppose they'll frame the "legacy" part to omit referring to their own games on Xbox consoles as timed exclusives, because that's otherwise what they would actually be in practice. Additionally, seen others saying that over time Microsoft will likely reduce the window between Xbox/PC and other console until the releases are Day 1 across all devices. I 100% agree on that take, but again it's not something they're going to start doing today or probably even this year, so no reason to allude to that in next week's message.

TL;DR: the backtracking is conditioning to ease the diehards into a palpable delivery of a message that will only partially cover some of the rumors, but the rumors are otherwise 100% accurate (or at least 90% accurate). They will gradually be confirmed through actions & piecemeal messaging over a period of 12-24 months as they are implemented in parts.
 

Mr.Phoenix

Member
Dear Punished Miku (or should I say "Punished Pussy"?!),

I hope this letter finds you well, despite the fact that I've been a complete and utter jerk to you in the past. I know I've wronged you in ways that no one should ever have to endure, and for that, I'm truly sorry.

Firstly, I'd like to clarify something: I'm not a troll. I know what you might be thinking - "Why else would he inflict such pain on Punished Miku?" - but trust me, it's not what it seems! I'm actually a huge fan of pussy (just like you!) and I promise you that I'm not trying to harm your beloved character. In fact, I'm writing this letter to apologize for any misunderstandings that might have arisen due to my actions.

You see, I've been going through a tough time lately. My own pussy has been acting up (I know how you feel), causing me no end of frustration and pain. I've been lashing out at you because I'm projecting my own issues onto him. I know that's no excuse for my behavior, but I hope you can understand where I'm coming from.

That being said, I'm committed to making things right. I'm going to start by treating Punished Miku with the respect and kindness he deserves. I'll stop subjecting him to painful punishments and start focusing on his positive qualities. I'll also try to be more understanding and empathetic towards him (and all pussy-loving individuals), recognizing that we all have our own struggles to deal with.

In short, I'm asking for your forgiveness (and maybe a little bit of mercy) so that we can move forward in a more positive direction. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my past mistakes (and maybe even join me in celebrating our shared love for pussy!).

Yours sincerely (and hopefully not punished),

Banjo64
Ok fine I will ask!!!!!

What is wrong with your own pussy. I am only asking so I can offer emotional support.
While I respect your opinion, I do no not think the claim that gaming is highly profitable is entirely true. There are a lot of dead in the water projects, and even big ones that are proven success like Spider-Man tend to have low margins (at least, initially).
Nope. Not true. Well... true. But what you are saying isn't mutually exclusive. Gaming IS highly profitable. But it can also be a bitch. That there are a lot of failures/dead water projects doesn't mean its not a highly profitable business. I feel the problem is that the cost of AAA and even AA game development right now has made a lot of pubs/devs stop taking risks. And those that do, tend to make the next big thing or at worst, genre-defining (or creating) games.
There's a massive amount of risk in launching a modern AAA game, and we are seeing some like Suicide Squad fail massively and it'll be interesting to see what comes of Rocksteady as a result.
Like I sad above too. But in this case, Rocksteady has no one to blame but themselves. From its first showing, second and even third showing, it was clear that for whatever reason the game didn't resonate with anyone. It grossly failed the eye test, and was walking into a GAAS genre that people are already skeptical about to begin with. They should have done what a LOT of the publishers just seem incapable of doing. Cut your losses and can the project. So what about the money they had burnt already? Recoup that by making a remake of the Arkham series. Then plot out your next project.
I also don't think Unions are the answer, either. Those have not been good for other industries, and it would only worsen the gaming industry. Really, what needs to happen is a better relationship between leadership and developers, and I think the good studios will rise to the top naturally. Those where executive relationship is toxic will kill their culture. An example of a well run studio would be Insomniac, for instance. Toxic ones? Too many to name.
Now this I agree with. And not only that, but also studios need to have a better relationship with their audience and the market in general. The issue is that a lot of these studios just seem to be outta touch. Or maybe it is the executives.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
You are becoming one of those people who are just teasing info all the time whenever I see your posts these days, say what you know or stop with the ‘I know this but can’t tell’ act.

Uh.....he's already said plenty of what he knows. Chill man.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
I don't have any insight on exacts of what will be discussed, only broad strokes, and even some of that is informed speculation coming from folks on the MS and Xbox side of things.

This is the type of thing that can affect stock price, so I do not imagine exacts will be leaking out.

Just want to say thank you for contributing your insights to the forum. It's good to have well-informed people chiming in, rather than just all the armchair CEOs (myself included). Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
 
With the amount of titles I know are being ported, many of which have been named, some of which have not, along with the amount of titles whose dev pipeline switched from exclusive to multiplat, with more recent releases being timed purely from circumstance of relative timing, anyone who thinks that multiplat Xbox is off the table is living ina fantasy.

I have yet to hear a title named whose platform status is incorrect thus far. And on a long enough timeline, most titles you can think of will come over.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
Wait, so Phil said announcement next week but he has no idea what's being announced?

How can he say "we hear you" in the very same message then?

This is all so insane.

I'm sure Phil has some idea of what will be announced, but the team (which includes people Phil reports to) needs time to sort things out and choreograph the message. They were caught flat-footed as usual by the leaks and are scrambling to get the message right. Phil and others in leadership are keeping their mouths zipped shut for the time being, waiting for the team to agree on what they want to say and how they want to say it.
 
With the amount of titles I know are being ported, many of which have been named, some of which have not, along with the amount of titles whose dev pipeline switched from exclusive to multiplat, with more recent releases being timed purely from circumstance of relative timing, anyone who thinks that multiplat Xbox is off the table is living ina fantasy.

I have yet to hear a title named whose platform status is incorrect thus far. And on a long enough timeline, most titles you can think of will come over.
Are you genuinely saying that Halo is coming to playstation? Madness.
 

sendit

Member
I'm sure Phil has some idea of what will be announced, but the team (which includes people Phil reports to) needs time to sort things out and choreograph the message. They were caught flat-footed as usual by the leaks and are scrambling to get the message right. Phil and others in leadership are keeping their mouths zipped shut for the time being, waiting for the team to agree on what they want to say and how they want to say it.
My assumption, Phil is stepping down.
 
I had the sense that Phil was no longer in the driver's seat, so to speak. Perhaps it's actually true. It would make sense given the amount of money paid out for ABK acquisition (and to a lesser extent, Zenimax).
From what I have heard, from folks who have worked with him and in his orbit, I was always led to believe that, if this day were to ever come, it would be a choice made for him, not by him.

Most folks will never understand how emotionally invested he seems to be in 'console war' nonsense.
 

laynelane

Member
From what I have heard, from folks who have worked with him and in his orbit, I was always led to believe that, if this day were to ever come, it would be a choice made for him, not by him.

Most folks will never understand how emotionally invested he seems to be in 'console war' nonsense.

To be frank, Phil has always come across as one of the biggest console warriors out there. The information from the FTC proceedings only served to confirm that. Given that, it's not surprising that decisions are being made over his head.
 
Can say that again, especially given the fiscal reality of selling in Xbox. But a nice handheld GP machine would be dope!

Quick question: if Xbox 'consoles' basically became gaming-optimized PC devices (NUCs, laptops etc.), based around some customizable specification that MS and OEMs could build at a profit (a base spec in line with future PlayStation hardware, roughly speaking), and running the latest Windows with desktop environment & Xbox UI 'Big Picture Mode' options available...

...by virtue of it basically now being a Windows machine, do you think devs would be as fussed about different SKUs since they already deal with various spec configurations on PC?

Damn.....I forgot about that. Did he welch or get banned before he could settle up?

He got yeeted into the banished lands. I did remind him on Twitter during all the ABK stuff, but I think I muted him after a while b/c he was getting worst than SoloKingRobert-ehm, Florian Mueller. I should prob DM him about it again but I'll wait 'till next week; been rough for him with all this turmoil, clearly.
 
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