When Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees and investors that the gaming division expects to return to growth by the end of fiscal year 2027, the statement was intended to project confidence during an otherwise disappointing earnings report. Predictably, much of the conversation that followed focused on assigning blame; some argued the results still reflectedContinue reading “Xbox’s FY27 “Turnaround” Doesn’t Pass the Smell Test”
Tag Archives: xbox
The Hard Truth About Microsoft’s Studio Spin-Off Strategy
Double Fine’s decision to lay off 23 employees only weeks after regaining its independence from Xbox should surprise no one who has been paying attention to the state of the games industry. When Microsoft began spinning studios out instead of simply closing them, many observers celebrated the move as a compassionate alternative. I argued atContinue reading “The Hard Truth About Microsoft’s Studio Spin-Off Strategy”
Xbox Is Responsible for Xbox
I bought the first Xbox on Day 1. My first run of the Halo campaign was in co-op with a buddy of mine who was out on the West Coast over Thanksgiving. Bought the 360 right before moving and took it on the road with me. Bought a little 20″ Polaroid 1080i TV so IContinue reading “Xbox Is Responsible for Xbox”
Welcome to the Suck: Console Players Meet the PC Market Reality
“To be successful, games need to be on every platform.” “The most successful games are multiplatform” => They are also the ones that tend to be cross-generational. If you’ve been playing the games that supposedly “everyone plays” while they “ignore exclusives” and believe “exclusives don’t matter”, then a persistent cross-generational state of affairs in aContinue reading “Welcome to the Suck: Console Players Meet the PC Market Reality”
A Delayed Bond, a Patient Industry: What 007 First Light Says About 2026
From the WccfTech article by David Carcasole: IO Interactive had one final holiday surprise for players ahead of the release of its next game, 007 First Light: a delay. The studio announced that the game has been delayed by two months and will no longer release on its previously announced release date of March 27, 2026.Continue reading “A Delayed Bond, a Patient Industry: What 007 First Light Says About 2026”
Of Saturated Inventories and Too Little Demand (A Proof Scribbled in the Margin) – Games Don’t Need to be on Every Platform
If Steam gamer’s only spent 14% of their time in new games in 2025… Then assume that 14% = 0.14 the demand signal for new games on Steam… Steam MAU is 132mn… Give 264mn for consideration of the monetized PC gaming market to account for people playing Fortnite, Riot games, etc…anything untracked… So for anyContinue reading “Of Saturated Inventories and Too Little Demand (A Proof Scribbled in the Margin) – Games Don’t Need to be on Every Platform”
No Savior Is Coming: The Post-Platform Reality of the Gaming Industry
Yesterday, PC Gamer, along with numerous other outlets, reported on the large-scale layoff at Amazon, the corporation cutting some 14,000 jobs. The PC Gamer angle was to focus on the impact to the gaming division specifically. And I wanted to further pull this industry event apart in conjunction with the statements of yesterday from SatyaContinue reading “No Savior Is Coming: The Post-Platform Reality of the Gaming Industry”
When the Cool Factor Fades: What Apple Gets Right and Xbox Still Misses
It’s been about a year since I made the decision to convert entirely to iOS for my mobile needs and shift to MacOS for everything I do computing, using Windows only for gaming. I have had some brief moments of remorse for my ex, Android. I still have my Google Pixel Fold and Samsung ZContinue reading “When the Cool Factor Fades: What Apple Gets Right and Xbox Still Misses”
Unionization at Xbox: Momentum, Math, and Misconceptions
One of my biggest pushbacks to those who were proponents of the ATVI acquisition was this notion that it would lead to mass unionization of the employee base. I’ve made staunch arguments that high-salary technical professionals who have huge bargaining power on the human capital market are not interested in unionization. When we dilute ourContinue reading “Unionization at Xbox: Momentum, Math, and Misconceptions”
Clarity in the Chaos: What This Week in Gaming Means to Gamers Secure in Their Identity
As much of a whirlwind as it has been in gaming land this week, I think that this post will be relatively short. A lot has gone on, but the two biggest things were obviously the layoffs & game cancellations in the XBox division and Helldivers 2, a PlayStation first-party title from an external studio,Continue reading “Clarity in the Chaos: What This Week in Gaming Means to Gamers Secure in Their Identity”
Rounding Off Infinity 