Xbox Q4 Earnings Released - *Spoiler* Everything Is Down

What deflection? The only one deflecting here is you. It's still a giant gap between the last AAA game and the next one, and there's still no set-in-stone date for them 🤣

"When you have no AAAs for years, I guess games with stories all seem the same or something."

How many years have passed since the last AAA game from Xbox?😎 I look forward to your deflection from a very basic question.

You had two new AAAs after a year of none on a new console, and you're not gonna have anymore for a long time after. You've been taking a lot of Ls lately, but, you should be used to it by now 🤣

"When you have no AAAs for years,I guess games with stories all seem the same or something."

How many years have passed since the last AAA game from Xbox?😎 I look forward to your deflection from a very basic question.

Oh god, you're stuck in broken mode again. Somebody reboot Pedro. He's been playing defense force more than video games and it's crashed his system 🤣

@Pedro said:

Pedro: *BZZZ* Help me! The Xbox drought has broken my brain. *BZZZ*

@BenjaminBanklin: The amount of deflection you do when you are wrong.🤭 You can't even give the number of years since the last AAA on the platform despite boldly and falsely stating it has been YEARS.😂🤣

All those years of not having worthy games and getting roasted about it is making you unravel. Why has Xbox failed you?! 🤣🤣🤣

More deflection. Just give the years. I look forward to the next deflection.😊

I couldn't give a crap about narrative or lore. I'd rather skip the cutscenes. I'm a gamer, I like something called GAMEPLAY.

God of War might be "a million times removed from shit like As Dusk Falls", but that's a low ass bar in an abomination genre. Senua's whatever, Quantum Break, Fallen Order, Uncharted, The Last of Us... It's all shit. An embarrassment to gaming.

NG 2004 is still a million miles removed from ANY God of War game. When it comes to a thing called gameplay, it's not even close. God of War is an interactive story in comparison.

And talk about dishonesty, who cares about As Dusk Falls? I haven't even heard anyone talk about it let alone "fight to the hilt". It looks jarring to play.

And I don't have to justify Gamepass. You'd have to be a spoilt brat to think someone does. A load of games, Gold among other things for £10 a month. If you're complaining about that, you don't know your born. And the games are either for you, or they aren't. Nothing to justify.

because the install base of any given product and/or service can be leveraged to provide more content (and/or exclusive content) to the end-user; i.e. you, the consumer..

it's part of the reason why 3rd party games are consistently coming to Game Pass on Day One in addition to 1st party offerings..

to a lesser extent, I could see why financials would matter if a company was on the brink of closing and/or was cutting resources to end-user products/services.. if that was your entire stance, I'd be on board.. but Microsoft is a multi-TRILLION dollar company, the Xbox division making more revenue than ever before according to the CEO, and Microsoft is investing more resources into Xbox than ever before.. there is literally nothing to be concerned about on the finance side so why should anyone care whether or not Sony or Nintendo are making more money in that regard?..

Microsoft could literally buy Sony if they wanted to but I'm supposed to be worried about whether or not Sony is making more revenue when Sony is arguably providing an inferior product in many cases?.. is it an interesting point of conversation, particular in SW?.. sure, for some.. but does it matter more than end-user value?.. absolutely not..

the problem is that you want to either downplay or ignore metrics that actually matter to end-users (install base, subscribers, MAU, value) but prop up metrics that have little-to-no bearing on the end-user like sales revenue earned..

Games from MS Studios:

FH5 9/10

Psychonauts 2 9/10

Halo Infinite 9/10

Flight Sim 9/10

Even Deathloop is from MS, 10/10. You're welcome. That should come to Xbox this year.

Another MS game Ghostwire Tokyo 8/10. Will come to Xbox next year.

Bu bu bu MS has no talent. XD

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Cows got a couple of 8/10 semi exclusives (probably heading to the PC as we speak) from Sony this year and look at them go.

Value is literally the only metric you listed that matters to the end user. Install base and MAU’s arent leveraged to provide more content like revenue is… Fortnite made so much money, Epic Games shut down 2 other playable games, and rerouted all personnel to work on Fortnite. I don’t think 343 is gonna have to worry about doing something like that anytime soon. And the reason games like Fortnite and Apex corrected their content and update issues so quickly? $$$. 343 with Halo Infinite… Xbox even called out their monetization issues as a reason for missing their revenue numbers yoy…

@BenjaminBanklin: it launched on Xbox in August.

No, no AAA this holiday is bad. Did you feel the same about PS when there were no holiday games in 2021?

Back then, you cows were in full damage control.

The lack of big first party titles this year doesn’t help.

the reason the PS2 received tons of exclusive content despite the much weaker hardware in comparison to the OG Xbox was because of it's massive install base.. it's the same reason 3rd party devs are painfully trying to shoehorn support for the underpowered Switch: its massive install base.. install base and MAU are clearly leveraged to bring content to a platform and content is a factor that matters to end-users..

the amount of sales revenue that a multi-Billion or multi-Trillion dollar company generates is virtually meaningless to the end-user unless that company is about to go under or is ceasing investments into the platform.. again, neither is the case for any of these companies so "revenue wars" is literally the last thing any gamer should be concerned with..

The PS2 had brand recognition. PlayStation was the standard for console gaming at the time. The PS1 was a MONSTER in console gaming... It was the FIRST console to break 100 million consoles sold... The Xbox, the first attempt by Microsoft was met with tons of skepticism when it launched. It launched in 2001 while the PS2 launched a year before it. A new console from a rookie in the industry vs the follow-up to a 100 million seller... Which console would YOU put your game on??? You can't use the PS2 install base as the sole reason for its library advantage without stating WHY it had the install base it did. Look at every "newcomer" to the console space before Xbox. Panasonic, Philips, Apple, and others all failed to break into the console space. So the skepticism was warranted. But the software on the Xbox was so good, it was able to break through.

Next up, your 3rd party claim. 3rd party games that appear on the Switch are on damn near every platform available. Reaching the Switch install base was an additional opportunity for sales revenue. If those titles dont meet the 3rd parties expectations, we won't see additional support in the future. Sure, bringing software to the Switch vs the Wii U was an easy decision. The install base raises the sales potential. But that potential needs to be realized for support to continue. If Doom 2016 failed to meet those expectations, we wouldn't have seen Doom Eternal on Switch. Install base or not...

Next, you gotta quit with this "multi billion or multi trillion dollar company" b.s. Yes, Microsoft has a bunch of cash. How'd they do that? By making products that performed well in the marketplace. Xbox isn't gonna keep launching duds solely based on the install base and MAU's. If games and services stop making business sense, Microsoft, a company with good business sense, will cease to support those games and services. And that, in turn, will impact the end-user.

You either misrepresent the real world, or flat out create fictional scenarios to support your positions. Install base and MAUs represent revenue potential. Potential without results means nothing. How many Fortune 500's are out here running a charity? They are in the game to make money. And if it don't make dollars, it don't make sense... Every big shakeup in the gaming industry, whether its hardware or software based, is a reaction to something making a ton of cash. The Wii made a ton of money. Xbox and PS reacted. PUBG, then Fortnite, not even the first BRs, started making a ton of money, then everybody was making a BR. Steam and the Steam Deck is a reaction to the Switch. The industry follows the money. It always has, and always will.

@goldenelementxl: Nintendo had name recognition too, yet the smaller install base of the GameCube led to less 3rd party support.. How about Sega?.. did they have name recognition with the Dreamcast?.. if you want to sit here and pretend install base and MAU aren't key factors that can be leveraged to gain content for your platform, you're either plain clueless or willfully ignorant..

again, the Switch is a prime example.. developers tend to skip the Switch at this point for new games simply because of the outdated hardware.. the only reason 3rd parties even attempt huge titles like Doom or The Witcher III on the Switch is because of its massive install base.. if the Switch had GameCube or Wii U numbers, 3rd parties wouldn't even bother just like they did when those consoles were sitting on store shelves..

you can keep pretending to care how much money multi-Billion and multi-Trillion dollar companies make (as long as it fits your narrative, that is) but the rest of us will continue to not care.. the only question that matters is, "Is Microsoft investing in Xbox?".. the current answer is "yes, they are investing in Xbox more heavily than ever before".. that's really the beginning and ending of any finance discussion from an end-user standpoint..

install bases and MAU definitely represent potential.. and the financial result of Microsoft finally catching up with Sony in MAU is that Xbox has just had its best Fiscal year ever according to its CEO.. the end-user results of high MAU are Xbox continuing to invest in first-party studios with an acquisition of Activation/Blizzard close to completion.. but you'll keep ignoring any results that don't fit your narrative so here we are..

Investing in first party studios isn't a result. It's more potential. The games aren't here yet... Catching up with PlayStation's MAU number is literally just catching up with their potential. The results are end users investing in the platforms. Xbox users still aren't matching the investment commitment of the competition. Not with software sales, subscriptions and services, none of it...

It's important for Xbox to invest in order to maximize the brands potential. But how long will they continue to invest with this current level of results? They have more MAU's than ever. They've also invested more than ever.

3rd parties were also flaky with Nintendo. They were in with the SNES. They jumped ship with the N64. They were back for a bit with the Wii at launch but then dipped. They ported 360/PS3 games to the Wii U for a second, but dipped again. 3rd parties weren't getting a return on their investments with the GameCube, Wii and Wii U. It's well documented. 3rd party support was always the biggest at the launch of the new products, when the install base was the smallest... Hmm... The Wii sold like crazy, but folks were only buying Nintendo games there, DESPITE the monster install base. The Switch has been the best for 3rd party Nintendo support to date. The Switch is a few million past where the Wii sold, yet 3rd party software sales are MUCH higher. Similar install bases, wildly different results... Strange... And why is that? See below...

Panic Button has done the majority of the ports you're referencing. That less than 50 person studio goes to the Bethesdas, the Psyonixs, the Respawns and says, "we think we can make a port of your game for the Switch." They work with these studios and Nintendo to make things happen. The ports they make are of no real financial burden to the owners of the IP. These ports you keep mentioning wouldn't happen without Panic Button. So your point is misguided here... Bethesda basically handed over the source code, and checked in at the various stages of development to ensure the quality of their title. Nintendo would do the same. They've been a partner of Nintendo and Nvidia for this very reason... Panic Button was the first 3rd party dev to start working with the Switch hardware... Nintendo did this to ensure 3rd party support this time around. It's NOT because of the install base...

Check this article out if you are interested and have some time

Microsoft certainly wouldn't be investing in Xbox this heavily if MAU was falling off a cliff.. MAU is on-par with PlayStation with less than half the consoles sold last generation.. no matter how you want to slice it, that's good news for Xbox and Xbox users.. as MAU increases, so will Microsoft's positioning in the market to leverage 3rd party deals and comfortably invest in first party.. this is basic logic..

install base is a primary reason why 3rd parties look to put any of their content on a platform, particularly exclusive content.. this ideal isn't even up for debate.. the Switch's massive install base is the only reason 3rd parties even consider supporting Nintendo's outdated hardware and subpar online services.. the Wii also received more 3rd party support than usual due to it's install base but the motion controls that made the system so popular were also a deterrent for most traditional gameplay configurations.. "portability" isn't a deterrent for 3rd parties like motion controls were so the Switch is fairing way better..

as you keep saying, these companies aren't charities.. if the Switch had an abysmal install base, no 3rd party would bother porting games to it; Panic Button or otherwise..

once you're done deflecting, install base and MAU are clear factors in bringing content to a platform.. again, if you don't understand that, you're either plain clueless or willfully ignorant..

@Antwan3K: You edited out all the context that literally explains away your entire post. WiiU had more 3rd party support at launch than the Wii did near the end of its lifecycle, with its peak install base vs the Wii U starting from scratch… We had Mass Effect, Assassins Creed, COD, Madden etc at launch on WiiU, and lost all of those as the install base grew… Huh?!?! Madden launched on the 3DS, to never appear there again. WTF are you talking about?!?! Those games didn’t appear on WiiU at launch because of MAU or install base. At the beginning of EVERY Nintendo launch, 3rd party support was its BIGGEST. The Switch only has the support it has at this point because of Panic Button… That’s it! End of discussion. Look at the 3rd party Switch ports… We don’t get Rocket League, the Doom and Wolfenstein games, Warframe or Apex without them… And the success of games like Doom let others know it was safe to port games like Assassins Creed to the Switch as well… Ubisoft had been burned by Nintendo before. But with the Switch, things were different…

Panic Button Games is out here doing what otherwise wouldn’t be done. They’ve carved out a niche business model, and been successful at it for the most part. And again, they were the first 3rd party dev to get Switch dev kits. They are VERY important to Nintendos success. You trying to attribute 3rd party support to the install base isn’t based on reality. History proves that

Looks like i struck a nerve .

@goldenelementxl: Wii U had launch support based upon the success of the Wii.. that support dried up as the install base failed to grow.. any given console has launch support based upon the success of the previous generation but at some point the install base has to justify continued support..

i mean, i know you're being intentionally disingenuous here but at least give some effort to remain in the realm of logic..

yeah, 3rd party on Switch sucks.. no doubt.. totally agree.. mainly because of the outdated hardware.. but the only reason the Switch even remotely gets a second look by 3rd parties is because of it's massive install base..

at the end of the day, install base and MAU are clear factors in bringing content to a platform.. again, if you don't understand that, you're either plain clueless or willfully ignorant..

@Antwan3K: So why did 3rd party support for the Wii die as the install base grew? And Wii U support now had nothing to do with install base, but instead hype based on past success… You can keep moving this goal post all you want, it’s not gonna make you gymnastics make any more sense.

Is install base a factor? Of course. Is it more important that financial performance? Of course not. Again, if it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense. If Panic Button wasn’t making money off of Switch ports, Nintendo would have damn near zero support. Pesky real world facts ruining your Xbox fan fiction… We’ve seen far too many examples of success despite a small install base, and failure on the biggest install bases in video game history.

@goldenelementxl: 3rd party support for the Wii faded because motion controls (ie "waggle") simply didn't work for tons of games and 3rd parties had to make special Wii versions of games rather than straight ports.. and Wii U support clearly died because the console didn't sell and had a small install base.. this is documented history that you're trying to re-write.. and yeah Nintendo is making money off 3rd party ports now because the Switch has a massive install base and games don't need special "waggle" versions developed.. thanks for proving my point.. 🙄 it's like talking to a child..

install base is the key factor for securing content.. if you're a YouTuber with 9 million subscribers (install base) averaging 1.4 million views per video (active users), you're going to be able to leverage that to get content for your platform (review codes, product previews, interviews, exclusives, sponsorships, partnerships, etc).. this is a plain and simple fact that you either agree with or are too ignorant and/or disingenuous to recognize..

and last time I checked, all these multi-Billion and multi-Trillion dollar companies are indeed making money, so (as I've said repeatedly) the point is moot when it comes to financials.. install base is more important to end-users because that's what 3rd parties are going to look at when deciding to bring content to a platform (see 2nd paragraph)..

your "concern" about financial performance is rendered useless when Microsoft's Xbox division just had it's best fiscal year ever.. if Sony and/or Nintendo matched that or did better, great!!.. I'm personally supporting PlayStation titles on PC.. Xbox is doing great as well and I'm personally a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.. gaming as a whole is generating more revenue than ever before.. they're all "making dollars" so it all "makes sense".. 🤷🏽‍♂️ there's literally nothing for the end-user to worry about on that front..

at the end of the day, "Revenue Wars" isn't a thing and it's meaningless for the end-user.. on the other hand, both Microsoft and Sony view monthly-active-users (MAU) as the most important metric for success moving forward.. you can either decide to acknowledge the market leaders' statements on the matter or you can continue to be willfully ignorant.. the choice is yours..

WOWzers.

it's going to be interesting to see how things progress once an Xbox app is widely available on any SmartTV..