This year has been a very strange year for Xbox. You could argue whether Microsoft’s gaming brand had a great year or one of its worst. And by any means I often find myself nodding along in agreement with most of your points.
Sure, Xbox releases a ton of games on console, PC, and mobile, but the company also makes Game Pass expensive, and yes. Xbox has had a great showing this year.It gives fans an exciting roadmap for the future. But Microsoft’s gaming division fired many people while trying to explain that it was all part of the plan. They said everything was normal. But I’m starting to wonder how often those in charge tell us that.
Last year, I suggested that Xbox was positioned to be big in 2024.And for the most part, that’s how it is. But I was worried about how much it would cost, and in 2024 we found out what price Xbox is willing to pay.
Activision and Bethesda save Xbox, but suffer
This is the first year of the new Xbox era. The company now owns and operates both Activision/Blizzard/King and Bethesda in their entirety, along with other studios. purchased in the past few years And thanks to Activision and Bethesda, Microsoft is on track for a strong video game release in 2024.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 It’s one of the biggest games of the year. And because Xbox is now fully owned by Activision, the game came to Game Pass on day one. Blizzard released the expansion for Diablo 4– It arrives on Game Pass in early 2024.and making an already good game even bigger. Bethesda releases the first expansion for Starfield Like the launch Elder Scrolls Castle on mobile and new extensions for Pee Luan online– And closing out the year with the big launch of Game Pass: Indiana Jones and the Great CircleOne of the better reviewed games of 2024, meanwhile. World of Warcraft There is a new extension. CoD Warzone Mobile Arrives on phones and some old Activision games like Spiro and Crash Bandicoot Added to the Game Pass library.
When it comes to new games and new things to play, if it weren’t for Activision and Bethesda’s games and expansions, many of which are on Game Pass, then Xbox would have a choice. It’s been very quiet and it’s been a very disappointing year.– However, these major publishers And all the employees they hired that helped make this a good year for Xbox are not safe from layoffs and shutdowns.
in january Microsoft announces layoffs of approximately 1,900 employees Across Activision, Bethesda, and other Xbox studios, this comes just three months after Xbox officially acquired Activision and led to The FTC filed a formal complaint.– The FTC says this is what the agency was concerned about when it tried to stop Microsoft from buying Activision.
Then four months later Xbox even laid them off. more than population– On May 7 Xbox announces closure of 3 Bethesda-owned studios—Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush– Arkane Austin –Redfall) and Alpha Dog Games (great punishment)—with a fourth backing studio, Roundhouse Studios, catching the attention of the team behind it. The Elder Scrolls Online –More Xbox cuts in September––
As always, those in charge say this is necessary for a better future. Which is a hard feeling to swallow when they say this every year after each round of expulsions.
Ironically, after laying off entire Bethesda and Activision employees, some of Xbox’s biggest games this year came from the same company Xbox was willing to spend millions on advertising. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle– The Elder Scrolls OnlineNew extension and call of duty But it is unwilling to support the teams behind these and other games from its publishing family. The year saw record layoffs across the industry.– You see, Game Pass still needs more blood no matter what the world looks like.
Xbox Game Pass changes
Speaking of Game Pass in 2024, Xbox’s video game subscription service is getting a bunch of new games. This is only some of them. Games arriving on Day 1 of Game Pass– Palworld, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, MLB The Show 2024, Harold Halibut, Hellblade 2, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Ara: History Untold, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, and Metal Slug Strategy And in addition to the first day of launch, Game Pass will also add old games such as Resident Evil 2 rebuildControl, Dead Island 2and many more in the library
However, Xbox Game Pass isn’t as easy a recommended deal as it has been in years past. That’s because in July, Xbox announced big changes to Game Pass.–
Previously, it was very simple: you paid a monthly fee and got every new first-party Xbox game, plus some other games if you paid more. You get a PC and streaming games too.
But over the summer, Xbox announced a big price increase for all Xbox plans, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the all-inclusive plan, increasing from $17 to $20 at the same time. The console-only plan previously cost $11 per month. It’s being discontinued and replaced with a new “Game Pass Standard” tier that costs $15 per month. And it will no longer include day one releases. Xbox explains that day one releases will eventually be released in Standard, but doesn’t specify a timetable.
In summary: Everyone is paying more for Game Pass, but not everyone has access to big new games like this. Call of Duty Black Ops 6 When it launched, it wasn’t good! As long as Game Pass delivers on the promise of first-party titles on day one, for example. hello It’s been a huge selling point, but in 2024 it looks set to help cover the cost of nearly $70 billion in Activision spending. Xbox has destroyed what was once the best deal in gaming.
Everything is like Xbox, including your PS5 and Switch.
Perhaps the strangest Microsoft storyline unfolding in 2024 is how the company is trying to rein in dwindling console sales. At the same time, it tells Xbox fans not to worry.
I mean, if you look at everything that happens in 2024, it doesn’t paint a great picture for another Xbox console. Xbox sales are terrible Compared to PlayStation and Nintendo in 2024 It is reported thatSome publishers are unsure if they will continue releasing games on Xbox consoles due to the small player base.
Xbox also Starting to port more of the game to other platforms causing chaos among the cult’s most loyal followers.– Then you have Weird Xbox Marketing A campaign that primarily tells people:You don’t need to buy an Xbox to play our games!Meanwhile, upcoming games from Xbox-owned studios such as Doom: Dark Ages and Outside world 2It will launch on PS5 in 2025 and according to Xbox. regularly hello It may one day come to PlayStation.– Oh, and indiana jones and the big circle, The big Xbox exclusive gem that launched in December is charting the course for next year’s PS5. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has previously said that this won’t happen.
All of this seems to indicate that Xbox is pulling on Sega and expanding it to multiple platforms in the future. however, spencer and more at Xbox Keep saying something else.– “We will definitely make more consoles in the future. and other equipment,” Spencer said. Rolling Stone in November The head of Xbox also made the claim. That the company is also working on a Steam Deck-like handheld device, but that’s still several years away and could be canned before it sees the light of day.
But in that same month He promises that with more hardware, Xbox will eventually start letting users play some of the games they already own via streaming. without Xbox console
According to Xbox, the future definitely includes new consoles. But you don’t have to buy it because Microsoft’s games will be available via the cloud or ported to other platforms. That doesn’t sound like a confident, well-developed blueprint for the future. And it’s like a chaotic collection of promises and personal schemes meant to distract us from reality.
The future looks strange for Xbox and Microsoft.
As 2024 draws to a close, Here’s the reality of the situation: Xbox seems to be moving forward in vain as Microsoft focuses most of its money on AI.
Sure, Xbox has many studios and publishers that will help develop and release more games than ever before across platforms in 2025 and beyond. However, it doesn’t seem like it can support all of these studios. And they continue to close those studios or lay people off.
Game Pass is now a dubious and expensive subscription plan. Which is a really bad version of what we had. And it’s only likely to get worse as Microsoft tries to keep its numbers up amid a lack of new users.
And if you are looking to buy a new console Now that it almost seems like a gamble to invest in the Xbox Series X/S, I’m not suggesting Microsoft flip the switch and kill the console overnight. But as the company invests more and more with streaming And with more and more variety creating specialized platforms, it makes less and less sense. On owning an Xbox, whatever that means in 2024
2025 could be a big year for Xbox, with new games from Bethesda, Activision and other studios. of myself in the next few months. There’s likely more announcements to come in the coming years, but 2024 is also a big year for Xbox, if only at the cost of massive job cuts. The price has greatly increased. and multiple studio closures, although some Xbox fans may be excited for another big year. But I’m really worried. How much more blood must be shed to atone?
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