[The Verge] Microsoft may stop marketing of Xbox consoles in EMEA and focus only on Game Pass, Cloud, PC and Xbox Controllers
- Thread starter John Elden Ring
- Start date
More than anything, this should be HUGE red flag for third party partners. Like, last year you had Phil saying theyll never beat playstation and now head of marketing saying they dont have a marketing budget.
Xbox has not been smart to fully invest in since 2013, and Microsoft is smart to dwindle on cutting costs, it took until Starfield’s middling reception for them to accept that.
Honestly all the news coming out of Xbox sounds like they are playing their cards incredibly well. Microsoft Gaming will be the #1 gaming publisher for a long time to come, especially once Xbox takes the backseat. Even after that, they will sell consoles, but this time purely for profit and probably retain 10 million or so of their hardcore base, tons of money to still be made.
I would’ve told them to give up, but they stuck around and invested, it will pay off tenfold. 80+ billion dollars of assets were never about pumping into their dying brand, but about re-entering the market with a less risky, less competitive approach. People shit on Phil & co but honestly I see the vision.
Honestly all the news coming out of Xbox sounds like they are playing their cards incredibly well. Microsoft Gaming will be the #1 gaming publisher for a long time to come, especially once Xbox takes the backseat. Even after that, they will sell consoles, but this time purely for profit and probably retain 10 million or so of their hardcore base, tons of money to still be made.
I would’ve told them to give up, but they stuck around and invested, it will pay off tenfold. 80+ billion dollars of assets were never about pumping into their dying brand, but about re-entering the market with a less risky, less competitive approach. People shit on Phil & co but honestly I see the vision.
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Poor little trillion dollar company isn't blessed with enough funds to compete.
I think they should acquire a publisher to get a much needed boost.
I think they should acquire a publisher to get a much needed boost.
I'm not so sure about Phil's vision in this case. The way he and his merry band of incompetent tools handle studio management is well-known at this point. Plus, we have things like them releasing and hyping up Redfall from Arkane vs. shadow-dropping Hi-Fi Rush and closing down Tango. It shows how much ability Xbox leadership has to recognize quality. The Halo Infinite reveal and Craig meme also showed that.
Then there's all the personnel lay-offs from the very studios meant to release games for them. I just don't see any competency in how game quality has been handled under Phil. I also don't think that will change. Add to that the corporate culture at MS, where things like contract employees are the norm, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a gradual decrease in quality for the IPs they bought. Well, the few like CoD that they will continue with (while the rest are shelved indefinitely).
All the marketing budget is now going towards doubling down on "influencers" and whatever IGN can get their grubby paws on.
If you can't be bothered with "normal" marketing methods, just take the propaganda route! Churn out ColtEastwood clones by the boat load, and hope they move the needle every quarter!
If you can't be bothered with "normal" marketing methods, just take the propaganda route! Churn out ColtEastwood clones by the boat load, and hope they move the needle every quarter!
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