[p_banned]

Fuck me, do all Americans get "trauma" when they lose their job? I must be suicidal then, with the amount of times I've lost my job or had to change jobs due to management or a bad workplace.

Did you never miss meals when younger because on of your parents lost his job during a recession, and both were on minimal wage? I suffered from malnutrion for years. When the cheapest food you get is sugar drinks and kraft dinner, no wonder you get sick like me at my age. I was a bit traumatised by that and was hospitalised for malnutrition in my early twenties cause I had to choose between eating, paying university or paying rent, all of that while working multiple part time jobs.

I've been in an union for the last 13 years with a clause stating "there won't be lay-offs".

 

[Nobody]

I have a lot of love for the first half of the 360 generation, after that is when it started going down hill for me (in a number of ways).

Part of me thinks "oh any day now" we will reap the rewards of 30+ internal studios... then I tell myself i've been thinking that way ever since Phil took over lol.

When does the second half of the Xbox 360 starts? Phil Spencer was made general manager of Xbox Studios in 2008.

15 years later and people are still hoping things will change.

 

[TaySan]

I have a lot of love for the first half of the 360 generation, after that is when it started going down hill for me (in a number of ways).

Part of me thinks "oh any day now" we will reap the rewards of 30+ internal studios... then I tell myself i've been thinking that way ever since Phil took over lol.

Kinect was when things started going downhill for me

 

[HeresJohnny]

Xbox becomes first 'carbon aware' console, but not everyone is happy: 'Woke brigade is after video games'

A recent announcement from Xbox declared that a new automatic update will help fans use less energy and change how their consoles function for the sake of the environment.

www.foxnews.com

This isn't fucking helping, Microsoft. The best part is that with no games, I don't play the system much anyway, so maybe that's their carbon plan?

 

[WesternBlood]

Xbox becomes first 'carbon aware' console, but not everyone is happy: 'Woke brigade is after video games'

A recent announcement from Xbox declared that a new automatic update will help fans use less energy and change how their consoles function for the sake of the environment.

www.foxnews.com

This isn't fucking helping, Microsoft. The best part is that with no games, I don't play the system much anyway, so maybe that's their carbon plan?

"Starting today, Xbox Insiders will notice that their Xbox Series X|S consoles automatically update to the Shutdown (energy saving) power option," Xbox Wire wrote. "This one-time update to your power settings will reduce your power consumption while your console is off, and will not affect performance, gameplay, or your console's ability to receive overnight updates to system, games or apps."

The press release also said, "With Shutdown (energy saving) selected, Xbox One consoles will experience a slower boot time."

So if the shutdown happens, how can the console have the ability to update when in this mode? Is it not a TRUE SHUTDOWN?

How does that work exactly? Sounds like they just want you to wait to play your games after figuring out how to speed up loading so you can play your games.

What level of virtue signaling is evening happening here?

 

[Grinchy]

So if the shutdown happens, how can the console have the ability to update when in this mode? Is it not a TRUE SHUTDOWN?

How does that work exactly? Sounds like they just want you to wait to play your games after figuring out how to speed up loading so you can play your games.

What level of virtue signaling is evening happening here?

I wonder if they just changed it so the one and only thing the console is powering is some kind of periodic update check as opposed to whatever list of other things it was normally doing in standby.

Kinda sounds like maybe that should have just been the standby mode all along?

 

[WesternBlood]

I wonder if they just changed it so the one and only thing the console is powering is some kind of periodic update check as opposed to whatever list of other things it was normally doing in standby.

Kinda sounds like maybe that should have just been the standby mode all along?

I don't see how they can do anything requiring power if it is powered off. The device cannot magically turn itself on unless it has a trickle pull of electricity at all times.

This is yet another level of humiliation we have to endure after putting ourselves into the top of the foodchain of species on the planet. Doubly so if you are enjoying the advancements of industry, science and technology so they can put the noose of "Ah ah ah, you've enjoyed your quality of life too much, time to become a serf, again."

 

[Grinchy]

I don't see how they can do anything requiring power if it is powered off. The device cannot magically turn itself on unless it has a trickle pull of electricity at all times.

This is yet another level of humiliation we have to endure after putting ourselves into the top of the foodchain of species on the planet. Doubly so if you are enjoying the advancements of industry, science and technology so they can put the noose of "Ah ah ah, you've enjoyed your quality of life too much, time to become a serf, again."

I'm no engineer, but I assume it could be "off" except for let's just say every 30 minutes it gives itself enough juice to use the wifi/ethernet to ask "any updates?"

Even our TVs aren't really "off" if the idea of "off" means no electric flow whatsoever. You'd have to be one of those people who switch off the surge protector or unplug your devices to achieve that.

 

[Stilton Disco]

I'm no engineer, but I assume it could be "off" except for let's just say every 30 minutes it gives itself enough juice to use the wifi/ethernet to ask "any updates?"

Even our TVs aren't really "off" if the idea of "off" means no electric flow whatsoever. You'd have to be one of those people who switch off the surge protector or unplug your devices to achieve that.

Or are British, and thus have superior plugs that have a dedicated true off switch at the wall, which renders the sockets inert.

I only turn them on when I'm going to use whatever is plugged in, then turn them off after.

Over my lifetime I've probably saved myself like 5 pounds in energy bills, so well worth it (although with energy price increases, 4 quid of that was likely in the last six months).

 

[WesternBlood]

I'm no engineer, but I assume it could be "off" except for let's just say every 30 minutes it gives itself enough juice to use the wifi/ethernet to ask "any updates?"

Even our TVs aren't really "off" if the idea of "off" means no electric flow whatsoever. You'd have to be one of those people who switch off the surge protector or unplug your devices to achieve that.

The only way that could happen is:

Having capacitors with a spring triggered switch to discharge just enough to kick on, check for an update and then reset the spring and shut off. Unlikely as that requires moving parts.

Or Inductive triggers which requires SOMETHING to be plugged in and trickling electricity in order to trigger the console to kick on, etc...

Either way, electricity is being used on a trickle OR It is being wasted via electromechanical devices using electricity to check for updates that may or may not exist.

Electricity is still being wasted and the user experience of load times is being diminished. Something Microsoft pioneered as a WAOW! We are the best! Buy our console because technology.. technology they are now taking from us.

 

[Bolivar]

Microsoft has truly become the black hole of the gaming industry: eating up studios, releasing nothing from them, and, finally, firing their employees. Every studio they buy from here on out is a dead man walking. It's basically worse than the PapEA meme, since at least their games continued getting published before the studio got unceremoniously closed.

Can't believe Phil's personality has got him this far, with the industry awards only a few months ago. Just read this last message to employees: he's "confident" in his leadership's ambiguity, "proud" of firing people he just welcomed in, and so "grateful" to have taken the brand absolutely nowhere.

Is this really what Xbox fans want?

 

[Vyse]

Xbox gaming and hardware revenue down slightly amid lack of big releases
You can only coast on hardware for so long.

The company posted its Q2 earnings today, and for the first time in a while, Xbox posted a year-over-year drop. Gaming revenue was down 13% year-over-year, and hardware revenue specifically was down the same. Xbox content and services revenue overall was down 12%, with Microsoft attributing the dip to a few factors: decreased spending on first-party content, lower monetization in third-party content, and a strong prior year comparable.

Microsoft's Xbox and gaming segments are part of the More Personal Computing division, which saw $14.2 billion in revenue, down 19% due to declines in multiple segments including gaming. Overall, Microsoft brought in $52.7 billion in revenue - up 2% year-over-year.

Update 1/24/2023 3:12pm PT: On its earnings call, CEO Satya Nadella added that Xbox's monthly active users surpassed 120 million during the quarter.

Microsoft expects another year-on-year drop next quarter due to a similar situation with a strong prior year comparable and fewer releases, with gaming revenue decline in high single digits and Xbox content and services decline in the low single digits. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions are expected to continue to rise.

https://www.ign.com/articles/xbox-g...venue-down-slightly-amid-lack-of-big-releases

 

[Grinchy]

For their sake, I hope that the revenue decline was more from doing big price cuts during the holidays on the hardware than from just selling fewer units.

But damn, year 2 of the new generation and they were already doing holiday price drops and it still declined? That doesn't sound so great. Meanwhile, Sony is making and selling every PS5 they can without resorting to offering coupons.

 

[Nobody]

Xbox gaming and hardware revenue down slightly amid lack of big releases
You can only coast on hardware for so long.




https://www.ign.com/articles/xbox-g...venue-down-slightly-amid-lack-of-big-releases

The Series S and going all in on Gamepass was a mistake. Now that we have the numbers showing that they lost market share in NA compared to the Xbox One and these financial reports showing they are slowing down there is no way to deny it.

For their sake, I hope that the revenue decline was more from doing big price cuts during the holidays on the hardware than from just selling fewer units.

But damn, year 2 of the new generation and they were already doing holiday price drops and it still declined? That doesn't sound so great. Meanwhile, Sony is making and selling every PS5 they can without resorting to offering coupons.

The PS5 outsold the Series pretty much 2:1 in NA in November. Just brutal and it's not about to get any easier, they were completely unprepared for this gen.

 

[SpartanN92]

The PS5 outsold the Series pretty much 2:1 in NA in November. Just brutal and it's not about to get any easier, they were completely unprepared for this gen.

Unprepared for last Gen too.

Xbox hasn't really had their head in the game since 2012.

 

[Arkam]

Or are British, and thus have superior plugs that have a dedicated true off switch at the wall, which renders the sockets inert.

I only turn them on when I'm going to use whatever is plugged in, then turn them off after.

Over my lifetime I've probably saved myself like 5 pounds in energy bills, so well worth it (although with energy price increases, 4 quid of that was likely in the last six months).

That is dope! I wish my plugs had such switches.

 

[Grisham]

 

[Nobody]

Unprepared for last Gen too.

Xbox hasn't really had their head in the game since 2012.

They completelly lost their way with Kinect while Sony quickly got their shit toghether after fumbling the PS3 launch. Phil Spencer doesn't seem to understand the console market at all.

 

[Stilton Disco]

Unprepared for last Gen too.

Xbox hasn't really had their head in the game since 2012.

The entire history of xbox is a fascinating lesson on how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The 360 out of the gate was one of the best consoles ever made, even with the red ring of death debacle, with perfectly balanced hardware, great pricing and an unmatched first party and exclusive lineup that made the system the obvious choice for any serious gamer.

Then Kinect happened, they just stopped making truly great games and even their 3rd party exclusives became less about making the best game possible on their hardware, and more about chasing whatever flavour of the month fad was popular when they signed a contract.

I mean what even is Xbox's identity in the collective unconscious these days? It's not Halo anymore, it's definitely not Gears, and as consistent as it might be, it sure isn't Forza, and with everything being on PC, can any 'exclusive' really be considered actually exclusive, and adding to how people think of Xbox when it comes to mental association? Because I'm far more savy about this industry than most, and I sure as hell couldn't tell apart a PC exclusive from an Xbox/PC exclusive.

So ruling the games out, is it hardware? Has any actual Xbox captured the imagination and become as instantly recognisable as the 360 undeniably was.

The XSX isn't any stronger than the PS5 in real world terms, the XSS has spectacularly failed to capture imaginations, unable even to sell out with supplies incredibly constrained and a huge audience desperate for a current gen console. Neither are visually distinct, and I'd argue no xbox has been since the original XO, choosing instead for a low impact minimalism that speaks to those trendy individuals that might want to play a game some time, but don't want it to stand out and be an eye catching statement of their hobbies.

Say what you like about the PS5, but it stands out. There's no mistaking it for something else, it's proud to scream out what it is and what it's for, and that absolutely does stick in people's minds.

So I guess maybe Xbox is synonymous with Gamepass today? The super cheap, value brand you go to for quantity over quality, and not for their own games, but for other people's.

But you don't even need an xbox for gamepass now. If you've hot a PC, or even smartphone capable of relatively less shutty streaming quality, you basically have the exact same service, so how could that be truly something.to associate with Xbox?

The only thing I can truly say I associaye with Xbox today is spending Microsoft's money to buy games away from their competitors, and failing to make good games.

And I honestly hate that.

I loved my 360s, I loved their early 7th gen exclusives, but the Xbox that I loved seems more than ever now to have been the anomaly, and that the flawed, pointless, corporate brand of game industry sludge, that it has become since, is the reality of what it truly was all along.

 

[regawdless]

I mean what even is Xbox's identity in the collective unconscious these days?

Just visit their website and you'll get the answer.

For Everyone | Xbox

We strive to make life more fun for billions of people around the world by creating gaming experiences that everyone can enjoy.

www.xbox.com

At Xbox, we believe that gaming is for everyone.
We strive to make life more fun for billions of people around the world by creating gaming experiences that everyone can enjoy. Because when everyone plays, we all win.

We believe that gaming should be:​

Inclusive of all​

Diversity is a strength. We strive to be inclusive by welcoming all people to our community, being open to new ideas, and by celebrating the uniqueness of our fans.

Accessible to all​

Nothing should come between you and the games you love. We strive to eliminate barriers, and to empower gamers to customize the way they play.

Safe for all​

Gaming is a fun part of a balanced life. We strive to create a place where everyone can play responsibly, within the boundaries they set, free from fear and intimidation.

 

[HeresJohnny]

Just visit their website and you'll get the answer.

For Everyone | Xbox

We strive to make life more fun for billions of people around the world by creating gaming experiences that everyone can enjoy.

www.xbox.com

At Xbox, we believe that gaming is for everyone.
We strive to make life more fun for billions of people around the world by creating gaming experiences that everyone can enjoy. Because when everyone plays, we all win.

We believe that gaming should be:​

Inclusive of all​

Diversity is a strength. We strive to be inclusive by welcoming all people to our community, being open to new ideas, and by celebrating the uniqueness of our fans.

Accessible to all​

Nothing should come between you and the games you love. We strive to eliminate barriers, and to empower gamers to customize the way they play.

Safe for all​

Gaming is a fun part of a balanced life. We strive to create a place where everyone can play responsibly, within the boundaries they set, free from fear and intimidation.

Jesus, this puritanical prattling on about "how saintly we are" is so tiring. I'd love to see a company come out and say, "We want able-bodied people with lots of money to spend. We don't need any fruits or wackos, or anyone who believes they were born in the wrong body. Just you and your fucking wallet, capische?"

It would be mean, but at least it would be a refreshing respite from all this fucking moaning about how virtuous they all promise they are.

 

[SpartanN92]

They completelly lost their way with Kinect while Sony quickly got their shit toghether after fumbling the PS3 launch. Phil Spencer doesn't seem to understand the console market at all.

Phil Spencer didn't reign in 343 when he had the chance (hell he had NUMEROUS chances!!)

Bonnie Ross should have been fired after MCC in 2014.
Xbox is Halo. Halo is Xbox. Halo has been lousy for a decade and as a result so has Xbox.

 

[Nobody]

Jesus, this puritanical prattling on about "how saintly we are" is so tiring. I'd love to see a company come out and say, "We want able-bodied people with lots of money to spend. We don't need any fruits or wackos, or anyone who believes they were born in the wrong body. Just you and your fucking wallet, capische?"

It would be mean, but at least it would be a refreshing respite from all this fucking moaning about how virtuous they all promise they are.

Actions speak much louder than words. Stuff like Xbox Adaptive Controller and the great accessibility option Sony games have had recently are great. Pandering on the other hand is just offensive and in bad taste.

MS keeps patting themselves in the back as if Xbox is saving the world while it fails miserably on a basic level as a console. They do all that stuff to try to deflect criticism and change the focus from games.

Where was all this talk about making gaming accessible to everyone when they introduced the concept of charging for online and basic features? Where was it when they had a paywall for more than a decade for F2P? Where was it when they pay for exclusivity and buy entire publisher to make their games exclusive? Complete nonsense.

 

[WesternBlood]

The entire history of xbox is a fascinating lesson on how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The 360 out of the gate was one of the best consoles ever made, even with the red ring of death debacle, with perfectly balanced hardware, great pricing and an unmatched first party and exclusive lineup that made the system the obvious choice for any serious gamer.

Then Kinect happened, they just stopped making truly great games and even their 3rd party exclusives became less about making the best game possible on their hardware, and more about chasing whatever flavour of the month fad was popular when they signed a contract.

I mean what even is Xbox's identity in the collective unconscious these days? It's not Halo anymore, it's definitely not Gears, and as consistent as it might be, it sure isn't Forza, and with everything being on PC, can any 'exclusive' really be considered actually exclusive, and adding to how people think of Xbox when it comes to mental association? Because I'm far more savy about this industry than most, and I sure as hell couldn't tell apart a PC exclusive from an Xbox/PC exclusive.

So ruling the games out, is it hardware? Has any actual Xbox captured the imagination and become as instantly recognisable as the 360 undeniably was.

The XSX isn't any stronger than the PS5 in real world terms, the XSS has spectacularly failed to capture imaginations, unable even to sell out with supplies incredibly constrained and a huge audience desperate for a current gen console. Neither are visually distinct, and I'd argue no xbox has been since the original XO, choosing instead for a low impact minimalism that speaks to those trendy individuals that might want to play a game some time, but don't want it to stand out and be an eye catching statement of their hobbies.

Say what you like about the PS5, but it stands out. There's no mistaking it for something else, it's proud to scream out what it is and what it's for, and that absolutely does stick in people's minds.

So I guess maybe Xbox is synonymous with Gamepass today? The super cheap, value brand you go to for quantity over quality, and not for their own games, but for other people's.

But you don't even need an xbox for gamepass now. If you've hot a PC, or even smartphone capable of relatively less shutty streaming quality, you basically have the exact same service, so how could that be truly something.to associate with Xbox?

The only thing I can truly say I associaye with Xbox today is spending Microsoft's money to buy games away from their competitors, and failing to make good games.

And I honestly hate that.

I loved my 360s, I loved their early 7th gen exclusives, but the Xbox that I loved seems more than ever now to have been the anomaly, and that the flawed, pointless, corporate brand of game industry sludge, that it has become since, is the reality of what it truly was all along.

I agree on this and I want to add that the Xbox 360 Summer of Arcade was one of the best aspects of that console for introducing indie games.

Shadow Complex, Ubisofts From Dust, Castle Crashers, Bastion, Iron Brigade, etc... Some real gems that stood out and have kept me returning to do a replay years after made it appear that Microsoft was interested in games first.

At least Steam helps scratch that itch, now.