All Channels
Popular
230°

Microsoft "Very Committed" to Xbox PC Gaming After GFWL Issues

"I understand the skepticism that people have," Phil Spencer says.

Read Full Story >>
gamespot.com
AizenSosuke3724d ago

Phil is man if he can do it no one can.

PhoenixUp3724d ago

This all sounds great, but the fatal flaw is the Windows 10 Store, an exclusionary marketplace that actively ignores PC gamers’ needs and contradicts Spencer’s intent. Limiting access to Windows 10 games (which are already restricted by their operating system) from players goes against everything Spencer’s otherwise rousing speech about PC gaming stands for.

Microsoft can’t have it both ways. It can’t limit what players can access while simultaneously espousing a philosophy of inclusion. The intent is good, but it’s clear there isn’t a full commitment to gamers or games as Spencer says -- it’s a commitment to Microsoft platforms.

If Microsoft is truly committed to the PC gamer, and really means to have a more neutral stance about how and where its players enjoy its games, Windows 10 games cannot be exclusive to the Windows 10 store. This is a backward line of thinking that aligns with Spencer’s frustrations about software relying on hardware during console transitions. For Microsoft’s PC initiative to avoid going directly against Spencer’s commendable goals, games absolutely must exist wherever players of any stripe want to play -- or Microsoft will repeat its mistakes with Games for Windows Live.

BattleAxe3723d ago (Edited 3723d ago )

They want to build their ecosystem to compete against Sony, Nintendo and others, so to just open it up to every digital distributor without any attachment to Xbox Live would be stupid on their part. It's either they do it this way, or they keep the games exclusive to Xbox One.

It actually isn't any different than what Origin is doing, since you need to use Origin with all games released in the last 3 years, and with Battlefied you need to use Battlelog to play EA's games on the PC, despite the fact that you can buy their games from other online stores. Microsoft may do the same thing by releasing a game on Steam, but you would run the game through Xbox Live.

Free_Fro3723d ago (Edited 3723d ago )

Just like Steam improved over time ...so will Win10Store.

The point of an "Ecosystem" is just that. Its no longer an "Ecosystem" the second you start putting your games on a rivals platforms..

It's like asking for Nintendo games on
PlayStation ^_^.

*sigh*

Windows 10 + Xbox, is it so hard to comprehend ?

--
xoxo

--
Work hard on acquiring exclusives, then go put them on a rivals platform where you have to share profits?

darthv723723d ago

It's understandable for some to be apprehensive about a new distribution system but hey... it's also okay to be cautiously optimistic.

a unified marketplace between PC and XB1 could work out pretty well. All new things deserve a chance.

FITgamer3723d ago

Well hopefully they fix Gears of War Ultimate issues quick. Was hyped, but the game is pretty unplayable right now.

Cdn_Seahawks_Fan3723d ago

Well, I hope they do things right. After the disaster of the Xbox One launch, and how they started to "fix" things and make some things "right", it is my hope they continue to do such things in the future.

Show all comments (10)
60°

Take-Two CEO Once Again Side Steps Grand Theft Auto 6 Price Point

Strauss Zelnick says price of GTA 6 is being carefully considered and that Rockstar is focused on "making the most spectacular piece of entertainment on Earth."

Kuma13d ago

If GTA 6 abandons everything that made GTA 5 great, it will crash and burn right out of the gate. GTA 5 was funny and not at all PC. My worry is that they will cave to the PC crowd and ruin the vibes.

Eonjay13d ago

They got freaking BBLs twerking on the top of trucks for the gram, the freaking Flordia joker, and dude running down the stree in their undies and you are worried about it being 'too PC'? The internet has runied gamers. It doesn't matter how non-PC they make the game, you will all listen to the grifters telling you not to believe your lying eyes lol.

gigoran812d ago

"Rockstar Games’ co-founder and former VP of Development Jamie King said he envisions GTA 6 as a game that’s “maybe not quite as edgy or quite as funny” as its satirical predecessors."

oh yeah, totally internet grifters spreading rumors...

blacktiger12d ago

That's part of the plan, they destroyed you but they need to destroy the shareholders? Only 1 shre holder is the true elite that don't care

1nsomniac13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

Meh.., if it’s above £55 I ain’t buying it.

Rockstar are genuinely not half the company they used to be. I was a die hard GTA fan I’ve purchased every game and expansion and spin off day 1.

My opinion of GTA6 is that I can take it or leave it. Not bothered. They burnt too many bridges.

DaReapa13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

So they're actually leaving the door open for an L.A. Noire sequel? Nice!

VaNdAl13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

He should just come out and say it already it's getting stupid it's going to be a 100 bucks $200 for the special edition🤡🤡; 29315;🤣♿

Storm2312d ago

I won't be getting this game until I can get it for $70. SHoot, I could wait for it to be even lower. I don't need the game that badly as my backlog is still huge and I am enjoying playing other things.

Show all comments (13)
40°

Talking Aliens: The Video Games With Author Mike Diver

Skewed and Reviewed have posted an interview with Author Mike Diver about his pending book on Aliens video games.

70°

Xbox boss: Memory crisis could impact next-gen hardware pricing

Xbox boss Asha Sharma has discussed how component shortages will impact the company's plans for Project Helix.

Read Full Story >>
gamedeveloper.com
Eonjay14d ago

When does this end? Its killing everyone. Consoles and PC. And for what? AI? The benefits of AI are completely outweighed by the negatives. And the government should have never allowed one company to buy up all the RAM.

Lexreborn215d ago

This kind of proves this is an after thought product, most products like this are in r&d 5 years before they start mass producing. So they typically have the cost of components and things worked out long before assembly starts.

This is an assumption still, but I wouldn’t be surprised if project helix is similar to Scalebound,perfect dark and sod3. They had an idea but no actual execution other than concept stage. Being impacted by the ram shortage likely would also put this device 3-4 years out.

I’m not even sure MS has that endurance with Xbox yet

Fishy Fingers15d ago (Edited 15d ago )

I mean.... what?

We're at a point that Samsung wont even provide their own phone department ram because they can sell it at higher prices to 3rd parties (AI). Its more profitable to sell the ram than make their own devices with it.

You think because R&D starts 5 years ago the 3rd party component manufacturers will honour that price? They'll sell it to whomever is paying the most today, not some gentlemens agreement they made years ago. AI farms will buy more volume at higher prices than any console manufacturer will. It'll be the same for Playstation.

Lexreborn214d ago

Contractual agreements are not the same as “gentlemen” agreements. If you think that they work with their distributors a month before production then their entire business model is trash. They work with companies like nvidia constantly for building the graphics cards they need. They work with companies that build motherboards years in advance. This is what proper business planning does.

They are not buying components on a whim like a consumer. So again, considering the ram isn’t a singular module and is integrated into the motherboard I highly doubt they wouldn’t have a final schematic that they are supposed to be building around.

If they are delaying production another 3 years then it’s obvious again this is an after though project and is just trying to be responsive to their bad execution they had the last 14 years.

It also isn’t far fetched to use their failure to produce first party titles the last 7 years including the highly anticipated games I mentioned all being cancelled. That they would continue to you know… lie

Sitdown14d ago

You don't really know how this works huh?

Profchaos15d ago (Edited 15d ago )

Helix is going to be stupidly expensive

Instead of leaning into smarter upscaling techniques they're brute forcing hardware that will cost them dearly and it remains to be seen if it's genuinely going to provide a meaningful differential

I know in the oc.doace people like to brag about not using frame gen or dlss to get to high on a game but for the majority of players they happily use those technologies without a second thought

That's going to be ps6 vs Helix

Eonjay14d ago

Yeah with FSR 5 they should be able to offer a much cheaper version of Helix.

Eonjay14d ago

While this does seem to be the case, I am encouraged by the statement from Microsoft about wanting to provide affordable options. If this means a Series S style Helix, at least there will be something affordable being offered.

XBManiac14d ago

Series S is what has killed Xbox Series so... Will they dare?

blacktiger15d ago

It's called systematic inflationary. Yes we get it Microsoft, keep raising in the name ofall kinds of stuffs

pwnmaster300014d ago

Honestly if there was thing I learned from this generation is that new consoles arnt day one anymore.
I can wait 1-3 years.

DarXyde14d ago

Another important lesson from this generation: while Nintendo showed us that prices don't necessarily need to ever drop, we've now learned that waiting 1-3 years does carry some risk that prices increase. This generation is just bizarre in all the wrong ways.

LucasRuinedChildhood14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

The factors are largely external. Covid and Russia-Ukraine war causing inflation led to the first price increase in 2022.

Then we get Trump's tariffs increasing hardware prices, AI boom causing a RAM crisis, war on Iran causing a worldwide fuel crisis which impacts the cost of everything.

Gaming doesn't exist in a vacuum. The last few years have been a shitshow and lot of it was definitely avoidable.

DarXyde14d ago

LucasRuinedChildhood,

For sure. No disagreement on the external factors doing a lot of this. Where I have to gently push back however is on two fronts:

1. The pandemic definitely caused some issues: asynchronous development was a big issue and really complicated timelines and affected game quality. At the same time, when it comes to price hikes, it's really difficult to know what was genuine necessity and what was taking consumers for a ride. The pandemic brought about "stag-flation" which was increasing prices and stagnant wages, which was a problem caused by supply chain constraints. There was also "Greed-flation", where companies that were slightly affected or had no issues took advantage of the situation and squeezed everyone citing supply chain issues when there were none.

2. It's definitely true that the tariffs, AI boom, and RAM crisis were all things enabled by tech broligarchs throwing money at this caricature of a world leader, one of them being Satya Nadella. I don't think Sony and Nintendo have contributed much to this problem if at all, but Microsoft's Nadella I feel was instrumental in causing every one of those issues. Microsoft as a company contributed to both candidates (though they gave Harris 4x as much if I recall), but Nadella was all in on letting AI run wild. He paid for unregulated AI, and got a war that's not a war (even though Trump called it that at least five times on television) that screwed up helium access. So for me, I feel that one of the players in the gaming industry is a key architect of these issues, and for that reason I struggle a bit to think of it as "external".

Show all comments (28)