Xbox Series S/X: Thread 05

[nonny]

https://www.ign.com/articles/microso...game-workforce
The Acti buyout leads to a cutting of Xbox employees

Ouch that is some harsh crap for a trillion dollar company. Granted the current form of Activision cannot be sustained given the issues that were there previous to the merger but still... harsh.

[fishbowlhead]

I'm sure someone will find a way to make it Sony's fault.

1900 people let go though, holy crap.

[Neon Ignition]

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Not a shocker considering the leaked console refreshes that are inbound but this still feels like a very shortsighted move from MS

[fishbowlhead]

Bahahahahahah, while all these people are sacked Kotick is absolutely loving it up with his nice fat paycheque from the sale, stay classy corporate world.

[Lebowski]

Crap for those involved but not surprising, theirs no doubt quite a bit of cross over when you're buying up such a large company and things like High quality customers support is not something Microsoft is known for so why start now.

[Neon Ignition]

MS is also axing its physical game release arm, going all-digital will be a mistake for MS. They don't sell many physical titles because they aren't selling enough Series X. They haven't put enough thought into why Sony hasn't let it go. Making Xbox all digital basically slaughters bricks and mortar stores and online stores motivation to promote the brand over its rivals, creating an even bigger marketing vacuum for the console let alone screwing over existing XSX owners.

[nonny]

MS is also axing its physical game release arm, going all-digital will be a mistake for MS. They don't sell many physical titles because they aren't selling enough Series X. They haven't put enough thought into why Sony hasn't let it go. Making Xbox all digital basically slaughters bricks and mortar stores and online stores motivation to promote the brand over its rivals, creating an even bigger marketing vacuum for the console let alone screwing over existing XSX owners.

They can't be all digital yet in this generation when Series X still has a console version with a disc drive but I assume they are very much preparing for that eventuality if the new console models do end up losing the disc drive altogether.

It worries me that they're forcing the option here and being bullish but personally I've been 100% digital for the last decade. We've seen games like Alan Wake 2 be digital only already and Hellblade II looks like it'll follow suit.

In the UK I also see Game no longer allows disc trade ins as of last week. The writing is on the wall for bricks and mortar stores regardless of what MS chooses to do but certainly it might damage them in terms of image of Sony decides not to go that route in such a rapid fashion.

Certainly I prefer the Sony method of offering a disc drive as a peripheral add-on, at least on the current models. Would be seriously surprising if the PS5 Pro was all digital (though I'd presume if it was it would be compatible with the add-on disc drive anyway).

How long do we realistically think disc based gaming media is going to continue anyway? That is the real question.

[hudson]

I like to use physical for games I'm not 100% sure I will like. I can then sell on soon after if no good. Apparently there's news going around that the Series X disc drive is actually just a slot with nothing inside. You put in a game and you hear a squeezy dog toy sound.

[Lebowski]

Could be an outsourcing move or a consolidation one, Activision's must be putting out boatloads of physical copies of its cod games so maybe they're now in charge of Microsoft's physical releases too, why have two departments in the same company doing the same job.

[nonny]

Could be an outsourcing move or a consolidation one, Activision's must be putting out boatloads of physical copies of its cod games so maybe they're now in charge of Microsoft's physical releases too, why have two departments in the same company doing the same job.

Yeah maybe they are shedding unnecessary duplication in resources but still the all digital consoles that leaked late last year show they are heading that way anyway...

[nonny]

I like to use physical for games I'm not 100% sure I will like. I can then sell on soon after if no good. Apparently there's news going around that the Series X disc drive is actually just a slot with nothing inside. You put in a game and you hear a squeezy dog toy sound.

On that point though surely a no quibble refund policy like Steam is the way to go digitally? I've never used the Series X disc drive so I don't know about your second point!

[fishbowlhead]

Could be an outsourcing move or a consolidation one, Activision's must be putting out boatloads of physical copies of its cod games so maybe they're now in charge of Microsoft's physical releases too, why have two departments in the same company doing the same job.

Exactly, especially when you can pay some s**t house Indian company to do a rubbish job for next to nothing and call it a day, not like its going to make any difference to MS policy of releasing half finished games this gen anyway.

[hudson]

On that point though surely a no quibble refund policy like Steam is the way to go digitally? I've never used the Series X disc drive so I don't know about your second point!

yeah any new digital only service has to have this, right? *Goes to purchase Enshrouded from Steam for Steam Deck knowing full well it run like a mashed potato

[nonny]

Exactly, especially when you can pay some s**t house Indian company to do a rubbish job for next to nothing and call it a day, not like its going to make any difference to MS policy of releasing half finished games this gen anyway.

Apparently its a consolidation move according to Jez Corden

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There's always going to be duplication of roles in a merger so it makes business sense to do this... not saying I agree with laying off 1900 staff in this way but it is what it is.

[nonny]

Missed this nugget of info in a busy news week.

Apple are changing policy on game streaming apps so it sounds like Xbox and Nvidia etc can now submit a single app under which people can access all games in their services.

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/apple-clears-way-for-xbox-cloud-gaming-and-nvidia-geforce-now-in-app-store