Xbox Developer_Direct on the 25th of January

[womblingfree]

With the Gamepass model I’m not even convinced they buy the devs to get new games on their consoles anytime soon. I mean Gamepass cloud can be played anywhere on pretty much anything, so ultimately it’ll be a Netflix-type service. And that needs a vast library, which is what they have bought, and no proprietary hardware whatsoever.

 

Being solely an Xbox user so far this gen, it’s telling that this is the first generation where I’ve played more old games, mostly PC stuff now running properly without a monster set-up, like Prey, Doom or Dishonoured, than new stuff.

[Sarlaccfood]

23 minutes ago, womblingfree said:

With the Gamepass model I’m not even convinced they buy the devs to get new games on their consoles anytime soon. I mean Gamepass cloud can be played anywhere on pretty much anything, so ultimately it’ll be a Netflix-type service. And that needs a vast library, which is what they have bought, and no proprietary hardware whatsoever.

 

Being solely an Xbox user so far this gen, it’s telling that this is the first generation where I’ve played more old games, mostly PC stuff now running properly without a monster set-up, like Prey, Doom or Dishonoured, than new stuff.

Netflix expect the library stuff they buy to not show up on other streaming services though.

 

They also plow billions into new content too. 

[womblingfree]

10 hours ago, Sarlaccfood said:

Netflix expect the library stuff they buy to not show up on other streaming services though.

 

They also plow billions into new content too. 

They do now but they didn’t t for years. The first Netflix production was long after they started, that rubbish werewolf thing from the bloke who made Hostel wasn’t it? Followed by a slow drip of varying quality TV movie stuff, until eventually they’re a major production studio pumping out lavish films and TV series all the time. I’m thinking MS might follow a similar timeline. Hoover up content, then go big on production down the line.

 

As I’ve got years to run on my subscription I certainly hope that’s what eventually happens anyway.

[Eighthours]

1 hour ago, womblingfree said:

They do now but they didn’t t for years. The first Netflix production was long after they started, that rubbish werewolf thing from the bloke who made Hostel wasn’t it? Followed by a slow drip of varying quality TV movie stuff, until eventually they’re a major production studio pumping out lavish films and TV series all the time. I’m thinking MS might follow a similar timeline. Hoover up content, then go big on production down the line.

 

As I’ve got years to run on my subscription I certainly hope that’s what eventually happens anyway.

 

House of Cards launched first, but Hemlock Grove followed shortly thereafter.

[Siri]

Just like my birthday the day after, I'm expecting fuck all so I can be pleasantly surprised by what actually happens.

[scoobysi]

When’s Forza due out, I thought they showed that ages ago?

[thesnwmn]

19 minutes ago, scoobysi said:

When’s Forza due out, I thought they showed that ages ago?

 

2023

 

No more details have been offered.

[Uncle Nasty]

16 hours ago, womblingfree said:

 

 

Being solely an Xbox user so far this gen, it’s telling that this is the first generation where I’ve played more old games, mostly PC stuff now running properly without a monster set-up, like Prey, Doom or Dishonoured, than new stuff.

 

That has been my Series X experience - my old games now load and run faster. Which is nice but hmmm.

[moosegrinder]

 

[Boothjan]

Starfield apparently getting it's own show.....

[layten]

22 hours ago, MidWalian said:

 

They've given an interview already. 

 

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playground-games-leaders-form-new-aaa-studio-maverick-games

Quote

“As much as I had an amazing journey at Playground, I was asking myself, what's next? Do I stick with this fun, good job? Or do I look for other opportunities?

Sounds like Microsoft were a right bunch of bastards.

[Popo]

25th is Burns Night, I’ll be elbow deep in haggis!

[Calashnikov]

2 hours ago, Popo said:

25th is Burns Night, I’ll be elbow deep in haggis!

At least it means we won’t need to get pished for the Xbox Direct.

[Ry]

4 hours ago, layten said:

Sounds like Microsoft were a right bunch of bastards.

 

What makes you think that? He specifically said he was in a "great, fun job" and never said anything bad. 

 

Clearly just wants to take charge and try something new. Fair play.

 

[layten]

Don't make me post Wolfcastle.jpg

[K]

It’s easy to read stuff into that interview, but it’s probably notable that they spend a fair bit of time talking about toxic people and disruptive behaviour and how they want to avoid that in their new company. Might be aimed more at Playground than at Microsoft, but it still gives some indication of what their previous environment was like. 

[Broker]

In fairness we’ve now had years of stories where Microsoft interrupt games half way through development and make them move in an entirely different direction. If you read Schreier’s books on the games industry, this is a pattern in the stories that involve MS, and it’s something we’ve also heard numerous rumours about over the years. They seem to have trouble committing to a game without deciding they want it to change direction to respond to new trends or company directions.

[JPL]

3 minutes ago, Broker said:

In fairness we’ve now had years of stories where Microsoft interrupt games half way through development and make them move in an entirely different direction. If you read Schreier’s books on the games industry, this is a pattern in the stories that involve MS, and it’s something we’ve also heard numerous rumours about over the years. They seem to have trouble committing to a game without deciding they want it to change direction to respond to new trends or company directions.

Got any examples? I’ve not heard this before, but it makes sense when you see how few games they’re managing to get out.

[K]

Phantom Dust is probably the classic example, where Microsoft previewed the game through a pre-rendered trailer that the developers didn’t make and had never seen, which seemed to significantly change the look and feel of the game. 

[Harsin]

If we’re talking how they seem to have difficulty managing developers there’s also their new studio The Initiative who were making the new Perfect Dark, announced via yet another CGI trailer. Supposedly development of that was such a clusterfuck that it’s basically being made by Crystal Dynamics now.

[RubberJohnny]

We had rumours that Everwild, Perfect Dark and Fable all were in trouble and at least partially rebooted last year.

 

Apparently there was some thing where they got spooked about how close Epic were getting with Sony and wanted studios to move away from Unreal and use internal engines, which is a problem because they never developed one for their studios to use. You'd think the massive software development company with loads of money would maybe make that a priority over buying the Candy Crush guys.

[Petrousgyre]

FWIW, I've worked with the occasional freelancer who've helped out on Microsoft projects. The impression I got from them was that the studios themselves were nice enough places to work, relatively low toxicity compared to some. What did seem problematic though was being excessively micromanaged by Microsoft execs who had no real understanding of how to make games and who, as Broker mentions, would frequently change direction with little to no overarching plan for how these changes would come together. It was likened to trying to build a house in quicksand, no sooner was one component working than it would be jettisoned in favour of another approach. This was a few years ago now, perhaps their culture has changed since but companies the size of MS don't generally change overnight.

[Broker]

2 hours ago, JPL said:

Got any examples? I’ve not heard this before, but it makes sense when you see how few games they’re managing to get out.

I feel like the most obvious example is Fable Legends, which reportedly started off as Fable IV, before being turned into a multiplayer online game. Which then needed to have the immense power of the cloud used in it so that Microsoft could show that off, and at one point was going to use smart glass AR, and had to transition into Free to Play supported by cosmetics because that’s where the industry was going, then got released into Beta as a basically finished game that you could spend money on, then got cancelled at the last minute after costing $100 million dollars and killed Lionhead. This was right after they’d had to make a Fable Kinect game, and destroyed a high profile franchise and a studio because MS executives couldn’t stop turning up and demanding that this week’s hot new trend be shoehorned into it. 
 

I’m sure there’s more examples, I’ll check the books when I get home from work. 

[layten]

1 hour ago, RubberJohnny said:

We had rumours that Everwild, Perfect Dark and Fable all were in trouble and at least partially rebooted last year.

 

Apparently there was some thing where they got spooked about how close Epic were getting with Sony and wanted studios to move away from Unreal and use internal engines, which is a problem because they never developed one for their studios to use. You'd think the massive software development company with loads of money would maybe make that a priority over buying the Candy Crush guys.

Well they do now own id Software who know a thing or two about this subject.

[layten]

44 minutes ago, Broker said:

because MS executives couldn’t stop turning up and demanding that this week’s hot new trend be shoehorned into it

I think since Nadella took over, Microsoft chasing the latest fad no longer seems to be their thing. The corporate restructure making Spencer a VP and reporting directly to the CEO should also help with random exec interference.

 

I guess we will see this year as the fruit of the changes and acquisitions finally starts to ripen.

 

Microsoft were voted the worlds best company to work for last year, so it cannot be all that bad.  

https://tech.co/news/microsoft-worlds-best-company-work-for-report

[bear]

I hadn't seen the rumour about them wanting to move away from Unreal 5 and shifting to in-house engines. 

I had seen the rumours about Halo and Fable supposedly moving from in-house engines to using Unreal instead though.

 

Just shows that rumours will fill up the gap left by a lack of meaningful updates on games. 

[Sarlaccfood]

Rumours, but also all the key people leaving 343, The Initiative, and now Playground. 
 

Anyway you can’t speculate too much I guess. I used to always get a chuckle at what people on the internet were convinced was happening at my old employer that was usually way off. 

[JPL]

So nothing concrete then really. I suppose all these rumours do add up to something, but let's see how this year pans out. Although I feel like I've been saying that for the past 10 years.

[layten]

4 minutes ago, Sarlaccfood said:

all the key people leaving 343, The Initiative, and now Playground

Really, all of them? I guess the hundreds of people left were just sitting around with their thumbs up their arse compared to the what? 2-3 people who have just left PG games to setup on their own. I don't know about you, but in the entire history of the world ever, have I heard of people working at the same company who know each other leave to strike up on their own.

[Sarlaccfood]

14 minutes ago, layten said:

Really, all of them? I guess the hundreds of people left were just sitting around with their thumbs up their arse compared to the what? 2-3 people who have just left PG games to setup on their own. I don't know about you, but in the entire history of the world ever, have I heard of people working at the same company who know each other leave to strike up on their own.

Alright chill out Bill Gates I meant all the people that have left who are key people, not all the key people.