Gaming Industry

It’s been an eventful past week or so at Xbox. So, where do we begin? Well, let’s start with the fact that it’s obvious that Microsoft want Xbox to be the number one platform for cloud. That’s why they’re stopping the majority of their advertisements for console hardware. Effectively, what is happening is that they’re moving towards a more cloud-based future that utilizes Game Pass Ultimate in the biggest way possible.

Is it a risk? No, because this is what Microsoft has been building up to all along. We’re now just really starting to see them take it seriously. In the next few years, I believe Xbox Cloud Gaming will become the new platform that all their attention will go to. I also believe things that have been promised for years, such as up to 4K streaming and playing your paid-for games, will all be possible.

As I said in an earlier article, Xbox is now taking great steps forward to be the number one platform when it comes to cloud gaming. Unlike console hardware, this is actually something they can actually win. Because the competition doesn’t have anything that quite matches Game Pass Ultimate. Not only that, but with Google Stadia out of the equation, it’s very much there for Microsoft to build upon.

I’ve been playing Xbox Cloud Gaming recently, and to be honest, it works well enough. Not perfect, but I think the next step up for cloud gaming happens under Microsoft.

A lot of people have also been really upset about the Game Pass price rises across the board. But like with anything, this is going to be a cost-offset that improves Cloud Gaming and the Game Pass catalogue going forward. I truly believe that. Some might not like that, but you don’t get anything for free nowadays. Our money is going to be used to improve all aspects of the service. Not only for the addition of Call of Duty that some would choose to believe. There is a much bigger picture here that we have to consider.

Do I like price rises? No, of course not. But it’s not like Microsoft is the only one. PlayStation did it about 12 months ago. In fact, a vast proportion of the industry is doing it. These are businesses that want money, just like any other industry.

Of course, the proof will be in the pudding. How quickly can Microsoft now improve Xbox Cloud Gaming (it’s still in beta) after all? Everything is pointing to a huge improvement when the next console hardware comes along. The next generation of of Xbox is going to be hardware that is very cloud-focused. We’ve already had Sarah Bond tell us that it’s going to be the most compelling graphical upgrade for some time.

Do not be surprised at all, if the improvements start to come very quickly up until that launches. I think Microsoft are building up a new platform for players everywhere. Cloud is a big part of that plan and so is Game Pass. Ultimately, though, it’s something that they themselves will want to get over the line. To position yourself as the best in cloud gaming would be a big deal for Microsoft. PlayStation, for example, only allows you to stream through PlayStation Plus Premium at the moment.

I actually think the expansion of cloud gaming is good for the industry. In the sense that, it’s another option and way of playing. Will it replace consoles? No, not for a long time, but what we do know is that this is the start of building an entirely new platform for Xbox. Microsoft wants you to have the same experience with cloud gaming as you do on your Xbox console. From what I’ve experienced, it’s a good start with that core experience, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. I think that work has already begun behind the scenes.

For the first time in four years, PlayStation is back at the Tokyo Game Show. What could be on show? Well, we suspect that for something that has just been announced, we could see the highly suspected PS5 Pro. If it is in fact real. This would be the place to show that, and probably a bunch of games that utilize the hardware.

The event is timed very nicely for new hardware and announcements that we haven’t yet seen from PlayStation. Of course, there have been a lot of disappointing State of Play’s that haven’t exactly hit the mark with fans. However, PlayStation showing up for the first time in four years is probably the biggest indicator that it has something big to show.

In other news, Uncharted is looking like it’s going to get a reboot. Seemingly making us all aware that Sony does want to go back and do things with franchises that haven’t made an appearance in a while.

Could we see some progress on all the backwards compatibility rumours for the PS5? With the Pro potentially taking centre stage. It’s plausible, but entirely speculation at this point. If it is indeed real, how will Sony sell us this new hardware. It has to be centred around the whole way that games will be revealed for it. But also, I’d imagine if backward compatibility did make some sort of show. It would fall in line with everything Sony has been working towards.

So there is that, but also, maybe this is the show that really showcases Sony’s commitment to Japanese games and the future of them on PlayStation. Fans have demanded PlayStation get back to remembering its roots. The Nintendo Switch 2 is not far away. Another point that could be made is that Sony looks to cater to that gaming space.

This is all speculation at this point; nobody anywhere has the answers, but the appearance is a massive event for PlayStation fans everywhere that should go some way to showing us what the future holds for the platform.

Microsoft is in the news today about more layoffs. It’s an unfortunate circumstance for everyone involved. I think they know deep down that at the upcoming Gamescom, it’s going to have to be as big as what they did at their Xbox Showcase. They said themselves that they have much more to show, and I have to believe them.

Xbox said they had more things to show at Gamescom, and I think it’s going to be a big show for them. If anything, Microsoft is pushing Game Pass more than they ever have. They’re pushing the content more than they ever have as well. So in that sense, they’re trying to build up the platform to start very strongly going into the next generation.

So Gamescom is going to be very much the Xbox Showcase Part Two. With PlayStation not showing up, it gives them an edge. It’s very difficult to distinguish the gaming landscape. But from what we do know, there is more ground for Microsoft to make up. They’re trying to do that by enticing players with Firesticks, playing on any device, and, of course, Xbox Game Pass. It’s going to be a very interesting second half of the year for multiple reasons.

One of them is to see if they can keep getting the numbers up for cloud gaming. The other is how much more they offer the PlayStation in terms of games going in their direction. Especially with Halo’s collection being heavily rumoured to be coming there.

Will PlayStation give some love back? I think they eventually will. If you look at Helldivers and the way that concurrent numbers have flatlined. If they don’t allow Microsoft to sell that game or put it on Game Pass to bring up the player count. It would be a bit out of the ordinary, considering everything Xbox is doing for them.

I don’t think anything is off the table in terms of live-service games making the jump to make their numbers count. But going back to Gamescom, I certainly do believe it’s going to be as big as the show case was. I think there is so much more to reveal that’s been in the works for many years now.

It all starts here, folks, Xbox is now positioning itself to be on every device possible. Firestick is now the new entry device to a window of opportunity for play. But what does this all actually mean? Well, with the next generation of Xbox seemingly becoming more cloud-dependent when it launches. It looks like Microsoft is now going to open up the floodgates and improve all possible features of Xbox Cloud Gaming

The service as it currently stands is in ‘beta’ but I think what the future holds will see it come out of that. I think with the next generation Xbox console. We’re going to see features like being able to play your purchased games and play them on the cloud. I also believe that Microsoft is stepping up with their intention to bring 4K cloud gaming to the service. I think with the expansion of Firestick users and what it means with an increase in cloud gaming usage. It means that for those who want easy access to Xbox games and Xbox Game Pass. You’re going to be able to play any game you want pretty soon.

I think it’s definitely the start of the expansion of positioning Xbox Cloud Gaming for those who want to choose that option. I think the internet infrastructure is now better than ever before and it really is time to get all the features onto the service and bring it out of the ‘beta’ that it’s currently in.

Whatever you may think of cloud gaming. There has been a steady increase in its use since 2023. Although, that usage is still relatively small. The increase means there are people out there who do find it a great way to play games anywhere. I also think that with the Xbox handheld, local and cloud play are very important to them.

You’re probably wondering by the title of this that I am siding with the proportion of people online knocking the new Dragons Age. Actually, I totally disagree with them. I think that change is good, and in the whole of the Dragon Age timeline under BioWare, they’ve constantly evolved.

I think the criticism is pure idiocy. Do people not know how long these games take to make? Or how much of a risk they are to make. Never mind the time involved in creating them. BioWare is already on thin ice from EA due to their last underperforming Mass Effect game. Do you want to put a studio in jeopardy?

Especially a studio from EA that actually deserves a break from the constant moaning after actually showing something that fits with the kind of changes they’ve made to evolve the franchise? Sure, have an opinion; it’s completely yours, and own it. It’s a free world, but at the same time, there are always consequences to just how rubbish those opinions actually are.

Especially when you haven’t actually played the game yet as well. It’s just absolute lunacy. So yeah, Dragon Age deserves better from some of it’s own fanbase. As do the BioWare developers that have built this world.

It’s okay to not like something, but does an opinion have to be so miserable that you spoil the fun for everyone else? I mean, tell me where you all stand on this because I find it utterly unbelievable the kind of hate the reveal has gotten after how many years we’ve been waiting?

I’ll judge when I’ve actually played the game, but by the looks of it, I actually think we’re in for a good time.

With its joint CEO’s now leading PlayStation. It’s clear that those coming in think that PlayStation couldn’t be in a better position. That’s not, however, the exact narrative that most players on PlayStation will have. Some will be happy with Astro Bot as the standout, but others will be wondering just what has happened and how we recover from probably their worst State of Play yet?

I think there is this mentality among most where, if it isn’t the extravaganzas of gaming franchises, nobody is ever happy. I do understand the frustration; most players of the PS4 generation were privy to E3 showpieces. These were events that were annually made and pretty much went all guns blazing.

One of the most memorable was E3 2016, which was a standout for the gaming industry. However, things have changed because games are bigger than ever before and take so long to actually develop. So now we’re in a situation where the current generation of players aren’t really digging the new ways of doing things.

Ultimately, there is truth to that, but there is also truth in the fact that Sony is playing catch-up with some of its decisions of late. They’re well documented during the Jim Ryan era, but even if we believe that mistakes were made. Profitability wise, that’s not the case. PlayStation is raking it in even when most aren’t even buying as many games as they used to.

In that situation, and the current state of things as players are perceiving them. Its probably not a good sign. However, not everything is going to be announced at once anymore. It’s just not the way that the gaming industry works anymore. But at the same time, gamers are one of the most difficult and hard-to-please crowds in the industry. They’re the most vocal, and as it stands with our whole current generation. We’re used to how ‘good it was’. To some point, we haven’t gotten past that phase and actually met what the gaming industry ‘actually is’ in the present.

Now, I am not saying that we have to like what is going on at the moment. But it is clear, we have to be mindful of the state of the gaming industry at the moment. It has good stuff coming, especially on the PlayStation front. But at the same time, there is an identity issue where most developers just don’t know what the hell they want to create anymore.

When you have that scenario, with everything else that’s going on. This is the kind of chaos that transpires. I just think it’s a sign of the times, something that the industry will move forward from. But as with anything, it’s going to take time to get things back on track again following all these new formats, and we might be waiting till 2025 before PlayStation Studios is back on our radar again.

Also, and I say this as graciously as I possibly can. But don’t be surprised if the Nintendo Switch 2 really kicks things into gear when it releases in 2025. God knows, whatever Nintendo has planned, it’s hopefully going to kickstart a whole new era that improves the rest of the industry especially in a more competitive aspect. And we need that.

 

We know a showcase is coming. But do you also know what’s coming? A completely new approach that will focus on narratives. Something that Sony has been having home-runs on and that, as a company, they’ve enjoyed a lot of success with. A lot of people know that the gaming industry is changing as sustainability comes into focus on the costs of games. So effectively, PlayStation’s marque narrative with less of a graphical grab is on the way. So we’re all expecting less graphical powerhouse games but ones that still push the medium forward in terms of storytelling.

I mean, it’s understandable, but at the same time. We’ve been talking all along about ways that video game companies are going to have to approach that sustainability. It’s long been talked about in the industry and even from former PlayStation execs such as Shawn Layden. I think we’ll still get the big budget games but maybe less of them. I think the focus will likely turn to new IP being of less budget and running off the back of that if it’s a big success.

It’s very smart from PlayStation, the creative process doesn’t have to be of eye-watering budgets. It just have to cater to those that love PlayStation games and it’s that approach they’ve been very successful with.

I wouldn’t be all that surprised if PlayStation bring out more double-A games. Or even games that focus around an anime art style. Nintendo does that pretty successfully, but nobody in the gaming industry can match the high quality storytelling and how PlayStation presents that in games.

I believe there is a shift of focus for sure, but it’s for good reason and when we do get your Horizon’s and God of War’s they’ll be seen as these big extravaganzas.

I think we can all agree that if Microsoft goes ahead with its plan of more first-party releases crossing over to other platforms. This is going to diminish the brand. Especially for people who normally buy PlayStation and Xbox. If you can play Xbox would-be exclusives, on PlayStation. Many will choose to play everything on one console. That being PlayStation. It’s not rocket science.

So essentially, Microsoft has to be doing something that branches out on everything while keeping that core experience for it’s own fans. The problem is that, as the statistics show, Xbox console sales are declining. So from a business point of view, it’s looking like Microsoft is hedging all its bets on this new era it has within the company. Those that know are calling it Microsoft Gaming.

The gaming industry as a whole is pretty much in freefall at the moment. I don’t see how PlayStation doesn’t benefit from all the turmoil that’s happening. If someone were to say to me, do you think the next PlayStation having all Xbox exclusives will still be big if they’re on Game Pass? I’d say, I actually think at this point it wouldn’t matter the cost or value proposition. The distrust in the Xbox brand is now at levels not seen before. Of course. it’s going to put PlayStation in probably the strongest position it’s ever been in.

People are worried about the gaming industry and its state, but PlayStation and Nintendo will carry on as they always do. Nobody can predict the future, but we all know that Xbox has been shooting itself in the foot for so long now. Particularly with Xbox Studios, they cannot seem to get decent games out on a schedule. That hurts the brand when it’s very much dead on its feet.

It’s obvious that the next generation of Xbox will probably still have its fans. People who enjoy the eco-system. Those who have invested in and love the controller. But then you start to wonder, with everything going on, what the plan is going to be to sell that next Xbox. Especially, when you give all your games away, potentially to competitors.

We’ve talked about the Xbox handheld, cloud gaming, and even Game Pass, with the value aspect being key features. But will that be enough if Xbox continues to falter? Of course, Xbox’s issues are not exclusive to them. The industry is going through all sorts of things right now. People are being laid off, it’s being restructured, and the rules are being rewritten.

AI and it’s increased usage are another notable one, as are videogame costs across the board. It’s effecting everyone, Microsoft is in a position where they can offset those costs, but not without casualties. It’s the same with Sony; the only one, Nintendo, hasn’t really been in the news about it.

There is a big cloud hanging over the future of gaming. It sees itself needing to become more sustainable. Many of these business are making difficult decisions now in the hope of a better future. The problem, though, is Microsoft is not seeing just how much of a brand impact that this is having. It’s having a negative effect, to the point where everyone is questioning Xbox, the board, and even if they can be trusted to keep to promises on great games on the agenda.

Many people feel let down. Those who have invested in both PlayStation and Xbox, particularly this generation. It’s not going to be easy to sell the Xbox brand to anyone anymore. But maybe, Microsoft don’t have to do that. Maybe Microsoft Gaming is the very future, and all their acquisitions and plans are just part of the greater picture of where they want to take their gaming division.

Assassins Creed Shadows is coming out on November 15th. It’s set in Japan, and it’s a location that many Assassin’s Creed players have been asking for for years. It’s going to be as big as Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and we will have two characters we can choose to portray.

I have to admit that it’s good to see Assassins Creed going back to the big time. It’s going to be interesting to see what the game-play actually looks like. The new hidden-blade looks really cool, though. It certainly does look like Ubisoft are doubling their efforts with this series and why not when every location is something new to play in.

Excited to see more at the Ubisoft Forward.

 

 

The news has hit the fan these last couple of hours. We’ve seen Microsoft show complete disregard for it’s Xbox division. In the sense that they favour their profit margins and big money-making franchises over smaller titles that have plenty of soul but have no meaning to people in suits. This is the reason why Xbox is on the way out. Not in the sense of the console market, you’ll still get everything Xbox. But it’s clear that everyone is going to favour other platforms more so because Xbox cannot seem to be able to pin down consistent messaging or keep to their promises.

So yeah, Xbox is finished in that sense. They’re out of the equation, and PlayStation, Nintendo, and PC are the favourable platforms, as Xbox, as a platform’s future is in tatters and out of favour with their own fans. It’s a line of action that Xbox fans cannot get behind. It’s a showcase of the fragility of acquisitions on a massive scale. It won’t matter to 99% of Xbox fans. However, the writing is on the wall. The whole console stagnation, the crazy decision making. It effects every Xbox fan, even if your just a casual on the third-placed platform.

Nobody knows the exact reasons, but it doesn’t matter because it’s a step in a direction where the decline escalates. I mean, we were hearing things about Xbox Studio titles like Perfect Dark in an absolute mess. Does any of these actions give you faith that Xbox has it’s sh*t together? I think we know the outcome of that argument. There isn’t one. This is based on years of absolute piss-poor management. At this rate, Sony doesn’t even have to be at the top of its game or get everything right. Because unlike Xbox, they’re still producing the goods and singing to their own tune, and only Nintendo can really get anywhere near them.

Not only is Game Pass a failure. Gaming subscriptions are a failure with no growth, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing. People just have limited time. So where is the future of gaming now? Handheld? Xbox is going there. They bought Activision for a reason, Candy Crush. Is this the way forward? For profit, yes, for everything else that matters to actual proper gamers. Nope. Only time will tell, but when you are absolutely killing all faith in your brand and thinking of moving most of your games to PlayStation. Why in the hell would you not consider everything that is going on right now?

It just makes the choice of PlayStation that more easier to make. I’ve championed Xbox in the past, and I thought they were heading in the right direction. But this is absolutely the opposite of what they should be doing. I don’t have faith anymore in the direction they’re going, and I don’t think I’m the only one either in that.