SamFo
Member
I wrote the following on the Xbox One Reddit, but my post was immediately removed - so... fuck them? I'll just dump it here, excuse my wall of text:
I'm an Xbox fan, but some of the Fan Fiction and rumors around this company is insane.
If you actually sit back, listen and don't get caught up in the hype - I think you can see exactly what Microsoft is doing, and it's really exciting, but not in the way the rumors have said.
I think the AAA game every other month is fan fiction - You do not buy 'Double Fine' and 'Compulsion Games' to make big AAA blockbusters.
HOWEVER - I think that Microsoft clearly wants to have a stream of high-quality titles as often as they can for Gamepass and across retail.
I think it is more likely that they aim to release titles as outlined below:
AAA: Several MS published AAA titles released in a year, such as some of the titles below:
Then pepper in other games to keep the content coming, these do not need to be huge sellers to survive and can be more niche/experimental – some might even jump up to the other groups and be huge sellers/game pass subscription sellers
It’s unrealistic to think that Viva Pinata would see a large AAA scale release again, but with the Gamepass model and a ton of smaller studios and smaller teams within large studios (e.g. Obisidian and Ninja Theory) I think it’s possible that dormant IP’s could return.
3RD Party Timed Launch Exclusives
I suspect they will continue to partner with other studios to have timed launch console exclusives as they have in the past with:
From memory a few of the titles shown at Inside Xbox (ugh) the other day were potentially exclusive to Xbox, albeit in a timed fashion.
Full-on Third-Party Exclusives (e.g. Available everywhere but - never on Playstation™)
I do not know if this still fits into Microsoft’s strategy much at all, they have done it in the past, but I am not sure if this is where they will focus their efforts in future.
A note on BIG BIG new IP:
This only includes IP that we know of, I suspect and hope that Microsoft will invest in new IP this generation
I think with Gears and Halo both ending their SECOND trilogies early in this generation – MS may start to use some staff from 343 and the Coalition to work on the next big thing rather than Gears 7 and Halo 7.
On Warner Brothers:
I Don't think Microsoft will buy WB Gaming as Phil said Minecraft would have been out of the budget - but Minecraft had more applications outside of just gaming.
Huge merchandising and apparel and education to name just a few. So MS was able to pony up the huge pricetag (and it paid off)
The only rumors I have seen regarding MS and WB seem to have come up after the news broke that WB was available and they feel wafer thin.
I think it is incredibly unlikely, but willing to eat crow on that one if MS does it.
Also, on the low chance MS buys WB, I presume they will continue to release their studios games multi-platform - assuming the IP's are part of the deal.
It’s just an odd business to have huge multiplatform games like Batman and Mortal Kombat be a console exclusive…
TL;DR: Xbox will have lots and lots of games of varying Size and Scope. These will all be on gamepass, and will probably look real nice.
This pretty much sums it up better than I could
I'm an Xbox fan, but some of the Fan Fiction and rumors around this company is insane.
If you actually sit back, listen and don't get caught up in the hype - I think you can see exactly what Microsoft is doing, and it's really exciting, but not in the way the rumors have said.
I think the AAA game every other month is fan fiction - You do not buy 'Double Fine' and 'Compulsion Games' to make big AAA blockbusters.
HOWEVER - I think that Microsoft clearly wants to have a stream of high-quality titles as often as they can for Gamepass and across retail.
I think it is more likely that they aim to release titles as outlined below:
AAA: Several MS published AAA titles released in a year, such as some of the titles below:
- Halo
- Forza Motorsport
- Forza Spinoff (most likely Horizon)
- Gears
- Sea of Thieves
- Fable
- Obsidian's Big IP
- Minecraft 2 (or equivalent)
- The Initiative's Game
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Everwilds
- State of Decay
- Hellblade 2
- Minecraft Dungeons (I would have put this in the below group – but based on it being the top download on switch for weeks on end , I suspect it’ll be around for a while)
Then pepper in other games to keep the content coming, these do not need to be huge sellers to survive and can be more niche/experimental – some might even jump up to the other groups and be huge sellers/game pass subscription sellers
- Wasteland 3
- Gears Tactics
- Grounded
- Psychonauts 2
- Project Mara (Ninja Theory)
- Bleeding Edge (Microsoft's Drawn to Death)
- Double Fine's Games
- Compulsion Games games
- MS Flight Sim
- Age of Empires
- Battletoads
It’s unrealistic to think that Viva Pinata would see a large AAA scale release again, but with the Gamepass model and a ton of smaller studios and smaller teams within large studios (e.g. Obisidian and Ninja Theory) I think it’s possible that dormant IP’s could return.
3RD Party Timed Launch Exclusives
I suspect they will continue to partner with other studios to have timed launch console exclusives as they have in the past with:
- INSIDE
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Dead Rising 4
From memory a few of the titles shown at Inside Xbox (ugh) the other day were potentially exclusive to Xbox, albeit in a timed fashion.
Full-on Third-Party Exclusives (e.g. Available everywhere but - never on Playstation™)
I do not know if this still fits into Microsoft’s strategy much at all, they have done it in the past, but I am not sure if this is where they will focus their efforts in future.
- Cuphead
- Ori
A note on BIG BIG new IP:
This only includes IP that we know of, I suspect and hope that Microsoft will invest in new IP this generation
I think with Gears and Halo both ending their SECOND trilogies early in this generation – MS may start to use some staff from 343 and the Coalition to work on the next big thing rather than Gears 7 and Halo 7.
On Warner Brothers:
I Don't think Microsoft will buy WB Gaming as Phil said Minecraft would have been out of the budget - but Minecraft had more applications outside of just gaming.
Huge merchandising and apparel and education to name just a few. So MS was able to pony up the huge pricetag (and it paid off)
The only rumors I have seen regarding MS and WB seem to have come up after the news broke that WB was available and they feel wafer thin.
I think it is incredibly unlikely, but willing to eat crow on that one if MS does it.
Also, on the low chance MS buys WB, I presume they will continue to release their studios games multi-platform - assuming the IP's are part of the deal.
It’s just an odd business to have huge multiplatform games like Batman and Mortal Kombat be a console exclusive…
TL;DR: Xbox will have lots and lots of games of varying Size and Scope. These will all be on gamepass, and will probably look real nice.
This pretty much sums it up better than I could
