As far as I can recall, I have been a loyal supporter of Xbox. So, regardless of whether I was playing the great early days of Halo sessions or the beautiful worlds of modern titles, Xbox means a lot in my gaming life. Yet, recently, I have felt both disappointment and frustration towards Microsoft – the tech company behind our favorite console.
I’ve been an unwavering supporter of the brand for years but recent developments have me questioning the direction that organisation is headed. I get frustrated with things like needing to hard reset my Xbox on a daily basis and getting disconnected in almost every online game. To add more, Microsoft has been so secretive about sharing new features for the system and new games on the way.
But being a fan is not about looking at things in the pink lens, is it? It means you’re deeply invested—emotionally and financially—in what you love. And when things are not good, you get it worse than an ordinary person would be. Recently though, it appears that Xbox has not done so well, or at least, made decisions that have left all of us scratching our heads and questioning whether the people at Microsoft are paying attention to what gamers want. The once devoted fans are now polarized and some are even considering switching to PlayStation.
Recent Challenges with Xbox
What has been off-late with the Xbox? Well, it looks like we have encountered more than our portion of challenges lately. Usually, an update implies improvements or fixes, does it not? But lately, with every new update, come some sort of problems. It has been a common recent occurrence where users have been experiencing hitches and lags that plague multiple games altogether. If you know what happened after the new Windows 11 update some months earlier, it affected the performance of Starfield severely.
Then there’s the hardware – there are quite many threads and articles discussing some hardware that did not live up to the expectations as far as durability is concerned. It’s so frustrating to be in the heat of battle and have something go wrong because the console can’t handle it or the system crashes. These technical issues are bad enough, but what’s worse is how Microsoft handles them—or doesn’t. Many of us feel left in the dark, with problems taking too long to fix.
Related: What’s Next for Xbox? It’s Starting to Look a Lot Like a PC
The Latest Controversies and Concerns
As a fan, there have been a few of these developments that have me wondering what exactly they are thinking. The biggest of the lot is obviously the unexpected shutdown of several Bethesda studios—Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games. All of these studios made some of my favorite games: Prey, The Evil Within, and Hi-Fi Rush. This news was crushing news that has a good number of other people fearing for the fate of these franchises, and also the future of the developers who will find themselves looking for new opportunities after generously pouring their hearts into the titles.
Another concern that comes hard to my mind is Microsoft seems to be refocusing more on big-name franchises and blockbuster titles. I get why this makes sense from a business angle, but I’m a little worried about what it does for the lower to mid-end gaming section. Pentiment and Hi-Fi RUSH have proved that Xbox can be a home for innovative, original experiences—let’s hope Microsoft never loses sight of that in the race for the next big hit.
Xbox leadership has also been sending mixed messages, alienating many fans. While they say they want to focus on blockbuster games, they keep buying up Bethesda’s portfolio of games. Well, it looks like they want to have their cake and eat it too, and it’s leaving us all a bit confused about the company’s true priorities. But most worrying of all perhaps, is the sudden uncertainty this episode has instilled in the Xbox community. And if studios like Arkane Austin can be erased in an instant, who’s to say that any of our favorite developers—or their franchises—are safe? And it’s a somewhat depressing thought that has left me a little doubtful about just how much I can trust Microsoft anymore.
There’s no doubt that these are difficult times for Xbox. But, being a loyal fan I am hoping that the company should ride the storm and bounce back more vigorously than ever. That kind of process is going to require some true soul-searching and rededication to the kind of values that got Xbox to the top in the first place. The Microsoft team might actually be able to do it.
Strategic Decisions and their Implications
One of the most controversial moves has been Microsoft’s decision to release Xbox console exclusives on other platforms. For the sake of streamlining the process, it might sound like smart business at first pass — more platforms, more players, and it has worked out for the company fine, with a few of its games netting the trophy for best-selling PlayStation games. This is a huge deal, but for whatever reason, we’re not too subject to say we’re betrayed when we’ve invested in Xbox as a platform – a collection of exclusives that were supposed to be Xbox’s crown jewels, something that differentiated us from everyone else. If Xbox puts such titles like Sea of Thieves on PlayStation, wouldn’t you think that Xbox’s giving up on its spot in the console wars?
There have been a lot of discussions among fans on this decision. Some see it as Microsoft waving a white flag, especially since Xbox has traditionally lagged behind Sony and Nintendo in console sales. So like if you can not beat them, join them. However, some argue that this might be beneficial in a long-term perspective. By broadening the scope for these games and audiences, they can potentially score more players through other means, like Game Pass subscriptions.
There’s then the approach to Xbox’s standing in the market as a whole. Gone are the days when Microsoft would play by the book, focusing on selling consoles and games as measures of success. Microsoft is now aggressively advertising the Xbox Game Pass and cloud gaming services. This switch to subscription services is undoubtedly contemporary, yet it certainly makes some gamers feel rather frosty. This is something we know very well, loving our consoles, and yes, owning games. Focusing less on these core aspects might give the impression that the Xbox is slowly moving away from the direction of being a gaming console.
Acquisition Spree and Unclear Strategy
Microsoft has been making BIG purchases of major studios in a whirlwind of activity. First, it was ZeniMax Media, the parent company to Bethesda Softworks, and after that, there was a recent Activision Blizzard deal. You would think that they were aspiring to create some kind of gaming empire. It’s a good strategy to grow your footprint and to get more talent and IPs powering your games with acquisitions. The question is, it is difficult to perceive a reasoned game plan that unites all of these acquisitions. What is their intention – are they planning to build a new giant in the sphere of gaming? Are they aiming to control the market here with a bunch of best-selling titles? Or, is it just to expand the lineup in order not to rely heavily on any one franchise and share risks?
The fact is we simply have no idea and those question marks are what make some fans nervous. What does that even mean for Xbox going forward? Assuming it happens, will this simply mean more of the increasingly familiar big franchises or will these deals result in some fresh, new ideas? What about the talented developers now in the Xbox fold? If the former, will they be allowed to create the games they desire or shall they be relegated to working on cash grab projects?
It’s also important to mention that these acquisitions led to a mixed message from Xbox leadership. On the one side, they speak of focus on high-impact blockbuster games. But then, they’re also saying they want to help smaller studios and provide them with the help they need to be successful. All of this leads us to ask ourselves what? From a fan perspective, I hope they can strike a balance between their desire for big franchise titles and their dedication to nuance and new ideas. Until that point, I guess all I can do is sit back and observe.
Related: How to Capture and Share Screenshot on Xbox Series X/S
Financial Performance and Market Position
The Xbox, though, is not in too bad a financial state. The revenues are now higher, and that could be seen as a positive thing in terms of business development. The majority of this increase is due to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard King. Yes, those big-name franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft are pulling a lot of money for Microsoft now. Well, this might appear to be a great triumph on the surface; but it is not that easy all the time.
Xbox is currently viewing green in its ledger books but it is important to note the context. Ironically, a huge part of the revenue is expected to come from those newly purchased franchises, not from the organic growth of Xbox’s core competence. Such a kind of growth may be slightly misleading. Using blockbuster titles is a great way to build brand reputation, but what message does it portray about the core business when that’s the main focus of growth?
Xbox is still at a disadvantage even with these numbers in the console wars. It’s now ranked third in the market, trailing behind Sony’s Playstation and Nintendo Switch. This is rather thought-provoking because in the gaming industry, being the first or even the second may matter a lot in terms of market power and reputation. The financials are telling us one story: yes, it is obvious that Xbox is generating revenue for Microsoft. However, the market position narrative has its own little twists and turns that make it a little more complicated. It seems that profits are also important, but it is also about being the leaders, creating something new and exciting, and winning the affection of the players. And right now, Xbox is having trouble with the last part.
Looking forward, the major question remains in how sustainable this model is. Will the performance of these acquired franchises remain on the up? But more importantly, can Xbox capitalize on this to make more impacts in the console market or would they just be constantly trailing behind? The only thing that remains to be seen is how this new strategy will look like, and whether it will be enough to push Xbox from the third position to the winners’ rostrum. As real fans and bystanding enthusiasts, of course, we will be more than happy to see this happen.
Bottom Line
Since Game Pass appeared, I have been a huge supporter of it for a long time, but I just feel so horribly betrayed. It’s hard to accept that titles you loved and enjoyed for a while close their doors. The big Xbox Studios games, too? They’ve been a bit of a disappointment. Starfield did not exactly deliver on the hype as much as some would have hoped, and then Hellblade II, which seemed to take some folks by surprise. We Xbox lovers have not had much to smile about for some time.
Looking forward to change in Microsoft’s course of action and hoping that Microsoft will finally pay heed to its enthusiastic audiences and strive to achieve an equilibrium of creating new business models while not forgetting the fervor of the gaming world that Xbox has been emblematic of for years. We do not simply desire a subscription service or access to a vast ecosystem; we’re looking for a home for our inner gamer.
Microsoft, meanwhile, needs to get through these choppy waters not just strategically but also to re-establish the trust and excitement of its user base. This is about showing that Xbox can change without losing its soul. We can only hope that Xbox rights its course with future updates and strategic pivots back to what made this console a household name in the first place by delivering where the innovation is (and what the customers likely want). Hopefully, this is all part of some grand plan that will see the closed studios prompt a new era of awesome titles. But right now, it’s not something we can cherish. They might just pull the handheld system they’re working on out of the hat yet, but this slump is just too slow and sad for me as a gamer.
Discover more from Technical Master - Gadgets Reviews, Guides and Gaming News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
