I’ve seen Microsoft having trouble just managing its first party developers since 2007

“With games being as large as they are, with the move to games as an ongoing service…It is difficult to pivot quickly and try to chase after trends that might happen even on the scale of a year. In business terms a year can be a long time, but development time being three to four years these days, that’s the span we need to think about.”

That's an interesting direction for Microsoft.

I find it funny that there are people who think Microsoft has changed the plan or learned from recent events. That is not the case, Microsoft will continue to pursue games as a service. Nothing has changed from Phil's original messaging and it's been repeated over and over by all executive staff.

The people who were expecting a new set of single player announcements to rival Sony at E3 this year will be disappointed yet again.

If MS was smart that'd make a Dinosaur game. Right now zombie games are huge, but the first one that can get out a Dinosaur game is going to bring in the big bucks. I can see many dinosaur games just like there is many zombie games. I can see an open world game like Far Cry where you kill Dinosaurs or a game like The Last of Us, but with Dinosaurs instead. Maybe a horror game like Silent Hill and it is shocking that type of game hasn't been made yet.

So basically what they’re saying is they can only release quarter-assed games at a premium price, under the premise that the game will get better over time through updates and DLC? And what’s the guarantee that users who buy in will receive that support, if the game sells poorly and loses its player base like SoT? This is why people don’t trust GaaS. It’s one thing to have a solid core game, and then add DLC that expands and compliments the experience, but promises like this are almost never kept.

Here’s a thought: stop making garbage games that revolve around DLC. Get some real talent and make something good that people will want to play.

This is MS’s admission that they simply can’t produce any games of quality. I can’t for the life of me understand how there are still people that by this brand and would probably smack their own mother if they found out she didn’t like Xbox.

I think I understand the problem here. MS is under the assumption that all games, and gamers by extension, need to have a 1-2 year content plan for their games. They believe that people aren't interested in games that have no MP, or no way to continue playing the same game for 1-2 years.

But recent events show that there are more than enough people that are fine with a one and done kind of experience. Or fine with expansive SP games that have plenty of content to keep them entertained for a while.

On top of that,MS is now pretty much committed to releasing all their new games on game pass....of course until they find a reason not to....so they need those games to have a 1-2 year content plan to keep people subscribed to their service, because they feel that people would prefer that service...or maybe just want people to use that service.

Right because God of War has that whole DLC plan, amirite?

This is why Sony is steamrolling Microsoft. I was a huge supporter of the Xbox 360 but this gen... woof... until MS does a 180 I’m pretty much over them.

i donno MS
Nintendo and sony seem to be able to do it for the gamers, why cant you?
what was zelda botw 6 or so years?
horizon zero dawn 6 or so years
the last guardian 10 years
and even a 3rd party
final fantasy xv 10 years

we always seem to get the same old song and dance for a company that the fans keep reminding us about how much money the company has yet the company has nothing to show for it. the only thing ms has gotten right this gen is the adaptive controller the rest is just spew and excuses

Anyone that believes this is a certified idiot

Sony and Nintendo seem to manage.

Yeah, releasing Sea of Thieves incomplete and State of decay with bugs is the way to go. Finish games later am i right?

no!
Glad I sold my xbox

I guess Microsoft is betting the future will be mostly multiplayer, just like they bet the future would be Kinect. They need better prognosticators.

I would play if it was free and on PS4.

Xbox is going nowhere. Sinking ship. There is no sign that says otherwise.

Microsoft says some of the stupidest shit i swear.

Xbox staff is proof that Zamasu did nothing wrong. What the hell is Microsoft Headquarters doing? They all need to be fired and replaced. Every single one of them.

*Dull surprise*

*Actually reads article*

Uh...Actually said "1-2 years" for a content plan. 1-2 years to consider content that will take 3-5 years to make for a game system expected to be on the market for upwards to 10 years...

**CANNOT PROCESS STUPID**
**CANNOT PROCESS STUPID**
**CANNOT PROCESS STUPID**
**ERROR**
**ERROR**
**REBOOT**

This explains so much about MS...

...They can't be serious with that comment.

Seriously? They are complaining?

Comments like this from Microsoft is exactly why I want them to fall out of the console business and for Sega to make a magical return.

Man shut the fuck the Microsoft. This coming from a long time Xbox loyalist. You guys put no effort in.

Without content plans? MS has their priorities messed up.

I have my original xbox and 360, that's it fellas. Microsoft is next to dead in the console division. Look how bad the gaming has been on xbox one. Best of luck but I'll stick with Nintendo and Sony. Might even switch to mac from PC.

Oh ms how you never cease to amaze me with your fnckery...

Looks like all that purchasing/relying on 3rd party content from last gen and not investing in 1st party content (wisely) has finally caught up to big bad MS. I hope they turn it around next gen.. for gamers sake...

Where did MS say in the article that they were stopping making some single player game?
FFXV is mostly a single player game and there's a 2 years plan.

And if they were?
Perhaps their numbers show that multiplayer game makes more profit compared to a single player game on Xbox?

2013-2018 and I don't see anything massive for change.

No. Just no.

Here we go again! They seem to right the ship and then we get statements like these.

Here’s the thing that Microsoft doesn’t seem to get, if you want to do gaas successfully you have to make the consumer feel like it’s worth constant investment. This is why gta v is successful and games like destiny 2 die out after all the marketing hype is over.

Excuses. And pitiful ones at that.

Thank God that Sony and Nintendo and creating content

Please Microsoft, get out of gaming business. You are no better than EA.

This guy is full of crap. I gave up on Microsoft the day they revealed the disastrous Xbox One back in April 2013, this only confirms I made the right decision all those years ago.

Theyre just trying to make me hate them at this point

Sony doesn't seem to have a problem with it.

Sony appears to be tearing it up. God of War, Detroit: Become Human, Spider-Man, Days Gone, The Last of Us: Part II, Concrete Genie, Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, should I really go on? Difference is, Sony aren't picking consumers pockets with Microtransactions and so much friggin DLC. Microsoft simply doesn't care about consumers since the introduction of the Xbox One. They're still banking on their online service as their claim to fame, Xbox Live but PlayStation Network has surpassed it. Multi-player games are cheaper to develop, but that's not the demand. Sony are taking the gaming world by storm and character driven games are at the center. Sony doesn't need to worry about multi-player games, they just provide the online service, Activision takes care of the multi-player with Call of Duty and Destiny that make a ton of money, Sony gets a portion of those sales and more copies are sold on PlayStation hardware so, Sony only needs to focus on single-player games, that again are doing just fine.

If the game launched from the start isn't good,there is no point for the DLC.

Its like FFXV. Sure you have tons of DLC but the truth is that the original core game was severely afflicted with problems. Square has spent years on DLC but the truth is people moved on.

Same with State of Decay,Destiny,Halo or The Division. Unless the launch is solid,all you will be doing in putiing band aids to stop bleeding fans

To the sdf referencing Gow, would you like to have the same game, plus a kick ass MP mode?

Well maybe if they didn't send their first party IPs they acquired into the bin they would have something. They killed perfect dark, they killed conquer, banjo kazooie, and other IPs. They have themselves to blame for acquiring and destroying those IPs.

They should've focused on making their console stand on its own instead of trying to imitate and destroy the competition.

Maybe you can make a AAA game for a change and then we can talk. When was the last one? You know what's less profitable than singleplayer games? Not releasing any games period. You will get zero from the forced MTs in a game that doesn't exist.

Translation: It's difficult to make a game that's actually a complete game upon release, because then how will you monetize it?

They better start making those plans soon if they expect to compete in the console market.

my job is difficult, too. so please stfu and either leave gaming completely or, you know, do something.

This entire thread is comical to read. A few intelligent comments / criticisms amongst a myriad of "I hate them ....boo!"" comments.

sorry microsoft, i don't want games that needs 2 years to be complete

As much as many people disagree with what’s in the article...everything there is true a prove of that is the number of people watching games on Twitch at this moument the top five games in twitch are multiplayer games....so if that tell us something it tell us that people go more with multiplayer games rather than songle player games.

You fuckers.

It's because you hardly have any studios anymore.

You've relied on the same fucking franchises for 3 generations now. And any new ones you try to start you rush out, any new ones that are good, don't seem have have a follow up investment in them.

This is pure bullshit, and laziness to be frank.

Let's see what turds of bullshit they serve up this E3.

Lol

I have an Xbox one X and enjoy playing on it but the platform most definitely does need strong single player games (like the plethora of games that PS4 has now and planned for the future).
I agree that online games might generate more revenue over the extended life time that people play them and they are not going anywhere.
That being said, there is definitely room in the market for these and single player (as Sony has proven with fantastic sales for single player games).
I don’t have time to play online games really and I love a good single player game.
If I’m only going to get those from 3rd parties on the Xbox then I will get a PS4.
Xbox fans need to be vocal about this and Microsoft really needs to listen.

it's also difficult to convince myself to spend any money on microsoft products.

more bs from MS.

More Corporate PR...Nintendo and Sony have no issues with this, as a platform holder MS acts like a third party...at this point they would be better off. Their suits simply do not get gaming at all, thus their position in the industry these days. MS does not want to invest in games they cannot nickle and dime through Micros...it's sad. All they end up doing is competing with more popular third party's, meanwhile all types of gamers flock to nintendo and Sony/

Now this???? MS, what the f$ck happened to you?

As , a owner of XB1 X. I say to Microsoft, Nintendo says hello.

Oh shut up!

Oh Booty, You're wrong and get the F out of Xbox please.

Lol excuses every where from ms..... Sad.......

I am so sick of their excuses. I am seriously considering trading my One X for a Pro. I'm just waiting to see if they drop the price of the Pro at E3. Enough is enough.

M$ should just keep its mouth shut at this point, it's just digging a deeper hole for itself.

Just stop. No need for the bs excuses, it just makes them look worse. Just be silent, don't say anything at all.

But somehow, someway, in whatever dimension they live in, Xboners will still find a way to defend this weak excuse. And as long as they continue to defend the fail that is M$, more mediocrity will be released under their failing brand Xbone.

Game set and done. For all that are waiting for many SP games at E3, well better buy another console. That ship is gone.

Microsoft gold are MP games and nothing else. Games where they could get money with tons of microtransactions, games that can be launch without content, but with the idea that later it will have... Money, money and money and more money.

Get ready for Halo Battle Royale, Gears Battle royale, Forza demolition derby battle royale and so on.

MS: it is easier to rack in cash if we go GAAS, even with less than half the install base of ps4, our games are effectively milking our fanbase so we earn more than sony.

It’s crazy how microsoft just doesn’t get it

You know when a Microsoft executive is telling you a lie??? when their mouth opens up. Microsoft turned me off 4 years ago with the no trade bs, I’m not coming back they can eat my @$$.... I had 45k gamer score on Xbox 360, I’m not biased, and I am surely not an idiot.

MS is done. The only way I can see MS staying in the game business is if they give away the hardware and have people pay for software.

Ya know, now that I think about it, they need games like these. If they don't have these, it hurts their bottom line in where they really make all of their money. Since the original Xbox, piggybacking off of SEGA, Microsoft consoles and their services have ALWAYS been about Xbox Live. Where they make most of their money, probably their biggest return on investment more than they care to reveal. If experiences go back to single-player based ones, then that hurts their biggest money making business service. So they really rely on marketing this aspect heavily while you really can tell Sony and Nintendo don't care. PlayStation Network exists to make some money sure, but it's not the priority. Nintendo, the same because everyone else is doing it and it's expected but Nintendo is about spending time with the family on the couch, while PlayStation is about locking yourself away. Developers tell Sony they want to create something meaningful, they want to use their creativity and Sony buys that and clearly finds that profitable and has the resources to accomplish that. Nintendo as well. I wonder if Sony are finding either 1) Their PlayStation Plus subscriptions don't really sell and thus aren't so profitable or gamers are renewing their subscription less frequently. Microsoft perhaps knows this and don't want to see it happen so they have to base their game design on requiring online for the "best" experience. The Division was heavily marketed by Microsoft and not so much Sony because of the dependence on online while Sony heavily marketed Watch Dogs. Microsoft doesn't want to lose their bread and butter problem is, gamers are seeing what Sonys doing and are saying "We want that". Single-player games do require more money. Actors, etc. that cost a lot of money. Multi-player games are created by very small studios and are much cheaper no doubt.

Wow has this guy, seen the sales of first party single player games on Nintendo's switch. Gow on ps4 is doing fantastic. Just shows how out of touch Microsoft are.

Microsoft is still playing games with their customers instead of making them they don’t deserve to be in the game industry at this point they really don’t have the respect or the love for the business

It's true. Kinda

Guess its easier to put out a new console every 3 years.

God of war, horizon, bloodborne, nioh, nier, grand turismo, monster hunter, resident evil 7, last of us... Etc all say hi.

Well, based on what MS does at this E3, the XB1X might be my last MS console for a while. They seem to be going in a different direction than my gaming taste and I'm about to bounce. I normally get all the consoles. Already got me a PS4 Pro and I am about to get a Switch but waiting for the Metroid game and one other exclusive that ain't Mario to be announced this E3.

Back to MS, they hired this dude named Booty (not kidding...you can't make this up) and I read his comments from an interview and its seemed to have confirmed my suspicion with MS all along. They cannot make great AAA single player exclusive games and they aren't going to try anymore. They have failed over and over again and Mr. Matt Booty who is now the head of Game Studios could not have made that any clearer to me at least. I think they have thrown in the towel on great single player experiences and will leave that up to third party studios. The final nail for me will be this E3 and the announcement of XB1 exclusive games.

MS always was about LIVE and every game they do has to have a big LIVE presence. Not a problem with me but I need balance. I need great single player games that is exclusive to each console that I can't get on the other consoles. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore with the XBOX platform. They have not produced a great single player exclusive experience in years. Even when they produce an average one like Quantum Break, these clowns refuse to invest in the franchises to make them into AAA games. We will never see part two to this game. Here are a few more like it to name, Ryse:Son of Rome, ReCore, Sunset Overdrive and of course we all know what happened to Scalebound that never even made it.

Sony on the other hand understands there are huge number of gamers that love those AAA single player games. Its what made console gaming. Its why they invest in a number of them and to be fair a few of them do fail. They also know that's what separates them from XBOX and will continue to crush them when it comes to installed user base. I ain't mad at MS, they have to choose. I think they have, and it will be time for me to choose as well. They seem to want to play to their strength, cater to a specific group of gamers and really believe in esports as the future. Not liking the smell on this one so I hope they make it very clear next week at E3. Mr. Booty seem to be leaning that way strongly so we will see if MS exclusives will follow. I fully expect if the exclusives are not up to snuff for gamers, there will be a ton of Booty jokes to be had......

God of War, Horizon, Persona... Go home MS, you're drunk

MS has had years to watch how Sony does it with success, crushing xbone every month for years, and yet many years later they produce nothing but flops and barely invest in the games. The whole gaming division at MS needs to be reworked its an embarrassment to gamers.

why do I keep hearing online articles saying we don't want SP games when most of everyone I know love SP on the basis that there are no winning little kids screaming down the mic etc
I love getting a new SP game and starting a party chat and chatting to my mates about it while we play
and SP game often have more content then MP because they don't have to focus on online stability

in fact I would say we need more SP games also being a shift working in a hospital its easy to come home and unwind on SP over MP when you have to invest more time I play MP more on my days off in games where you can just have my mates and I so we can get away from the 12 YO and the stupid parents allowing them to play R rated games and ruining it

Sounds like a change of management is needed.

Come on Microsoft you've had more than 2 years to build the foundations of some AAA games. It's all poor excuses I'm afraid. From the original Xbox Microsoft should of been planting the seeds for strong amazing games like Sony have been doing.

Tell me again how the multiplatform strategy was supposed to fix everything. Look at your results and compare them to Nintendo, which keeps thriving with exclusives. Your loyal fans are gone. And let’s not forget the pile of IPs you purchased only to let them rot.

The worst thing is this is down from last years numbers/expectations which was down from the previous years numbers/expectations. You think about how long “down” has been a consistent part of the communication and you realize those subscriptions are what’s holding that boat together. The price cut of gamespass is still a price raise in a string of price raises. They are trying to use players to offset the missing revenue. Now call of duty is out of gamespass, which is literally WHY they bought the company. To draw people to the subscription. They realized they missed a boatload of money and that wasn’t sustainable. Now you pay for it like you would have if they never bought the company… so why buy the company? Mind you those billions still need to be paid back. Yeah it gives you a chance to say we make the biggest FPS… but the internal conversations must be brutal at high level on topics that really matter. Like revenue. Profitability. And ROI for the shopping spree.

Is this like the 10th quarter in a row they're down 33% on hardware how is that even mathematically possible. You would think their mediocrity would Plateau