Things haven’t been going well with Xbox lately. Microsoft faces stiff resistance in its attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard. Few exclusive blockbusters were released last year.We cut over 10,000 jobs last week Including many senior developers so Halo Infinite Studio 343 Industries. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has tried to stay positive and control the damage on each of these points and more. in a new interview with IGN.
“Every year is important,” he said. “I don’t think this year is more or less important. It’s about setting up a team with us for great success.”
This week, we’ve covered both the dangers and promises facing Xbox today.Microsoft announced on Tuesday 12% decrease in net profit Comparing the most recent fiscal quarter to the previous year. Xbox gaming hardware and software declined at similar rates. Microsoft has said nothing about how many new subscribers the Game Pass service has gained since he surpassed 25 million just a year ago.
Then on Wednesday Microsoft provided a sleek and streamlined look for the upcoming game. Developer Direct Live Stream Copied directly from a Nintendo playbook. forza motorsport It seemed like it was quietly postponed to later this year, but it looked like a beautiful and impressive racing sim showpiece.Arkane’s co-op sandbox vampire shooter red fall Got a release date of May 2nd.Real-time strategy spin-off minecraft legend Hit in April. Finally, the makers of Tango Gameworks. evil withinshadow drop hifi rush With Game Pass, the colorful rhythm action game from left field is already the undisputed first game hit of 2023.
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‘The game was too light in 2022,’ Spencer confessed IGN interview. 2023 shouldn’t be thanks to you red fall When star fieldBethesda’s long-awaited answer to the question, “What if skyrim But space? ’ But both of these games were technically slated for release last year. in the meantime, hifi rush, like obsidian Pentimento Before that, it’s shaping up to be a critically acclaimed Game Pass release that may still be too small to move the needle of Xbox’s larger fate.
Spencer remained vague when asked how successful these games were, or their impact on Game Pass, which reportedly has stagnated growth on consoles. I think having different payment methods for the games you play opens up creative diversity, and subscriptions definitely help with that,” he said.
hifi rush, red fall, star fieldand the new elder scrolls online Expansion planned for June all from bethesda, Microsoft will complete the acquisition in 2021. The old Microsoft first-party game studio has remained relatively quiet in recent years while working on its next big project, or in the case of 343 Industries, has recently suffered a surprising number of layoffs. .
Following last week’s cut news, 343 Industries, which shipped its well-received Halo Infinite single-player campaign in 2021 but struggled with seasonal updates to its multiplayer components in the months that followed, is said to be benched. Rumors and speculation began swirling. The studio put out simple statement over the weekend Hello that it would stay here and continue to develop it.
Spencer doubled down on it in his interview IGN, but offered little insight into the reasons behind the layoffs or plans for the franchise moving forward. to make it possible,” he said. “When Hello It remains very important to what Xbox is doing and 343 is very important to Xbox’s success. Hello”
Where Halo Infiniteprevious publicity of “10 years” plan However, it remains unclear whether it fits. “They’ve been rumored or announced to be working on a few other things,” Spencer said. says so. Hello As long as Xbox is a platform for people to play on. It’s hard to imagine Nintendo talking Mario With a similar sounding lack of certainty.
Microsoft’s continuing struggles with some of its internal projects may be part of the reason why Microsoft is so focused on seeking help from outside the company. Now that means he’s going to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion and fight it off. antitrust litigation by the Federal Trade Commission in the process.Microsoft initially promised to strike a deal call of duty, Diablo, world of warcraftWhen candy crush It is expected to end before the end of summer 2023. Reportedly giving Sony the option You’ll still have to pay to use Activision’s games on PS Plus, the rival Game Pass subscription service.
spencer said IGN He remains bullish about closing the deal, even though he claims he knew nothing about the logistics of closing the deal when he started the deal a year ago. “Considering it was a year ago, I knew nothing about the process of making an acquisition like this,” he said. “The fact that we have more insight and knowledge of what it means to work with various regulatory committees is simply based on the information I have and the discussions we have had. , I have more confidence than I had a year ago.