Xbox wants to know why studios avoid their consoles

[John Elden Ring]

Microsoft Gaming has unveiled an expansion to its Xbox Research initiative, through which it aims to get more and better feedback from video game developers on various subjects, with the aim of improving its tools and services. The aim is to listen to employees at Xbox ecosystem partners to connect them with their internal teams to talk about how to improve their future tools. Microsoft Gaming believes that by talking directly to game developers, they will get important information that will help solve the main problems they experience on their side.

It's a forward-thinking initiative for the brand in supporting developers, focused on those who work on the video games we play, on a global scale and for production companies of any size.

Microsoft is expanding the initiative to those who aren't even thinking about working on Xbox consoles, to find out why and what could help them change their minds:

“If you're creating games, we're interested in hearing from you. If you're not on Xbox, we'd love to know why. And frankly, if you're using competitors' products, you probably have a great perspective that we can learn from.”

The company suggests that it is paying attention to the feedback that has emerged over the last few months, in which several small studios have shared difficulties in launching some titles on Xbox, due to a lack of support and communication.

Source

 

[TrishaCat]

Well for one, publishing on Xbox is inherently unnecessarily difficult and that difficulty pushes away developers


This isn't the only time this has happened, either

 

[Dick Jones]

The other platform holders haven't conditioned their customers to "Wait for Gamepass"

Developers want to sell games for profit.

 

[Airbus]

Getting their game put on gamepass = massive sales lost

Having to work double time for downgraded series s

 

[Old Gamer]

Must be a Sony Mind Control Device ROFL.

 

[mibu no ookami]

I mean this is mostly lip service because they know why.

• They've cut their 3rd party relations team to save money, indie developers report not hearing back from Microsoft for months
• They've reduced how much they pay out for games on GamePass
• They know that games don't sell super well off of GamePass
• They know the Series S mandate makes it more difficult to make games

The next couple of years are going to be interesting for Microsoft and whether they actually do stick with things in the hardware department, though I just can't see that happening. The reality is they certainly can't wait til 2028. They need to drop a new console by the end of 2026 and if you bought an XSX, that might very well piss you off unless you do a trade in program.

But you can't cede the market share that sony is going to get due to GTA6 for more than a year...

I still don't know how GTA6 is going to play on Series S... The Series S is going to be a huge liability in the 2nd half of this generation.

Releasing in 2027 will give you at best a year advantage, but will also lose you the power advantage for the rest of the generation as well as reveal your pricing.

 

[Old Gamer]

Releasing in 2027 will give you at best a year advantage, but will also lose you the power advantage for the rest of the generation as well as reveal your pricing.

It would put some pressure on Sony though.

 

[FatKaz]

Why do you hate me? Vibes.

 

[mibu no ookami]

It would put some pressure on Sony though.

It would put pressure on them to release in 2028, which they're already preparing to do. Without pressure, Sony could wait til 2030.

That pressure is in the sense of timing.

What it wouldn't do is pressure Sony in terms of design and pricing. Sony would know exactly how powerful the new Xbox was and how best to tackle it from a price perspective.

The PS6 would end up significantly more powerful unless Microsoft did something out of character which is turn back to subsidizing Xbox, which sounds like it is over. It could be that they're saving money so they can subsidize later, but I don't see that as likely.

 

[Savagefrogdemon]

Playstation has a dedicated submission team that approves or declines games xbox doesn't they use a third party contractor.

 

[Entropi]

Why do you hate me? Vibes.

Xbox on its knees crying and begging the ex to come back.

 

[ethomaz]

The correct question should be...

"Why gamers ignores Xbox?"

It weird to me ho MS didn1t realize all the issues they create with Xbox and how they keep doing the same mistakes over and over again.
The moment they realize Uncle Phil did a terrible job at Xbox and that Gamepass is killing the brand maybe they will start to undestand.

 

[Dick Jones]

The correct question should be...

"Why gamers ignores Xbox?"

It weird to me ho MS didn1t realize all the issues they create with Xbox and how they keep doing the same mistakes over and over again.
The moment they realize Uncle Phil did a terrible job at Xbox and that Gamepass is killing the brand maybe they will start to undestand.

Phil is only in the top role for 10 years. He needs more time, I'm sure he will improve and overtake Don Mattrick on the list of best Xbox bosses. Full disclosure, Don isn't top, he is second last.

 

[arvfab]

Because:

And their users when a new game releases:

 

[Danja]

Seems like they're attempting to gas light developers because they already know why

 

[ethomaz]

Phil is only in the top role for 10 years. He needs more time, I'm sure he will improve and overtake Don Mattrick on the list of best Xbox bosses. Full disclosure, Don isn't top, he is second last.

I have mixed feelings about that...

He took the boss role in 2014 I believe.
At the same time the only team at Xbox I think that get in touch of what gamers wants where that one responsible for most for Xbox 360 gen.

For me it is over a decade without they have any ideia of what they are doing.

 

[BroodCorp]

Fear of failure probably.

Welcome to Nintendo territory where you just have to be okay not getting a lot of the standout games that PlayStation does.

 

[Dick Jones]

Fear of failure probably.

Welcome to Nintendo territory where you just have to be okay not getting a lot of the standout games that PlayStation does.

Nintendo adapted after the Gamecube failure. If Nintendo was doing the same thing as Xbox for the past 20 years they would be bankrupt by the start of the PS4 generation. MS money kept them afloat and now the other divisions are coming to collect.

Xbox need to adapt but, the last effort made ended up conditioning its customers to not buy games. The Xbox One was a dogshit generation for MS but, it sold way better than it should have. There was a chance for a competent boss to adapt in 2017/18 and have a trove of first party IP on Series X launch date (actual first party games at launch = 0, the first first party game on Xbox Series X/S was MLB The Show)

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Jeez...when we thought they are finally gone, these stubborn losers still not giving up. Phil Spencer is more persistent than a plague boil. This is why I always say Sony should never drop their guard as long this plague called Xbox is alive. Who says Microsoft wouldn't change their mind and make Bethesda and ActiBlizz next generation everything exclusive to Xbox?
Sony needs to buy Sega to end Xbox once and for all.

 

[Plextorage]

And..... What will come out of this in the end?

Reading on GAF that this "initiative" is about just improving tools and service.