• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
  • We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.

Chris Dring at GDC: Xbox sales flatlining in Europe, majority of Xbox games coming to PS5 at some point, MS putting less focus on GamePass and more.

LightKiosk

LightKiosk

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,479

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t1otAXv2rk&t=537s
With Xbox, I've heard from a very prominent company and one not so prominent that Xbox's performance in Europe is flatlining. You can follow our monthly coverage in the games market and you can see Xbox's sales are falling and it's fell all throughout last year and it's falling even harder this year.

The major company who released a big game last year said they don't know why they bother supporting it. We've mentioned in a previous podcast that retailers are considering or have began cutting back Xbox stock on their shelves, hardware & games... and now you've got third-party publishers going: "We're putting a lot of effort into creating an Xbox Series S/X version of a game where to be honest with you the market for us is PC and PS5"

And with Xbox putting some of the games on PS5, I understand the majority of them will be coming across at some point, assuming, you know, it progresses as Xbox believes it probably will. I think Xbox is in real trouble as a hardware manufacturer. And that was the thing that came out of GDC for me, because I always just thought, I've always been of the belief that it is the Game Pass delivery system, it's got a good UI, it's got a good controller, if you like Xbox games it's probably the best way to play them, etc. I thought it would be fine but then I didn't really factor in that some developers and publishers might just go, yeah I don't, you know, is there any point? And that is when you can lose it.

I was watching Michael Pachter's podcast and he was talking about how it's all about GamePass for Xbox, yet I've actually been hearing that Microsoft's been putting less focus on GamePass.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
Witchcraft

Witchcraft

"This guy are sick"
Member
Oct 9, 2022
1,249
Yeah I mean honestly.. software sales are dire from what we know (annual/weekly reports) and data that isn't public. And that's without going into the hardware itself.

Edit: Btw OP in the same talk he mentions devs aren't too keen on the PS5 Pro which I think warrants being in the OP also.
 
SuperBoss

SuperBoss

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,573
With xbox porting their own first party titles to PS5, some of this isn't surprising...but still somehow shocking.
 
jroc74

jroc74

Member
Oct 27, 2017
29,162
" The major company who released a big game last year said they don't know why they bother supporting it. We've mentioned in a previous podcast that retailers are considering or have began cutting back Xbox stock on their shelves, hardware & games... and now you've got third-party publishers going: "We're putting a lot of effort into creating an Xbox Series S/X version of a game where to be honest with you the market for us is PC and PS5"

Excuse me? Like...damn.
 
SilentEagle

SilentEagle

Banned
Jan 9, 2021
5,902
Less Game Pass focus means they are on the right track. Selling games for 70$ if you can sell millions is better than day 1 on subscription services.
 

HockeyBird

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,656
With some third party games, I can see how it could become a situation where it's either get a Game Pass deal or it's not worth it.
 
Granjinhaa

Granjinhaa

Member
Dec 28, 2023
3,315
i 100% believe all the talk about the europe performance. it's atrocious. i don't believe the talk (or at least not when it's vague like that) about putting less focus on Game Pass since we have been on the best stretch it's ever been.
 
TitlePending

TitlePending

The Fallen
Dec 26, 2018
5,348
I remember the doom-and-gloom for PlayStation fans when the AKB acquisition was announced.

Crazy how quickly the mood can change in a couple months of hard data.
 
Astandahl

Astandahl

Member
Oct 28, 2017
9,031
But according to some "experts" releasing some games planned for PS5 only will increase sales massively lmao
 
RocknRola

RocknRola

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,277
Portugal
z1ggy said:
Outlook for the brand isnt bright at all, specially with pubs saying their market is PS5/PC
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Yeah, honestly that's the major issue - publishers themselves questioning the worth of even making a port for the system.

Doesn't really matter what we as consumers feel or don't feel in regards to MS's path, if the folks actually making the games, the heart of a console in essence, start doubting you ( as in a platform, in this case) then you're kinda fucked if you don't course correct.
 

Schmitz

Member
Jan 3, 2023
595
If I was running the number for publishers I think it would be hard to consider porting a game to xbox unless I had a gamepass deal in place. If they aren't focusing as much on gamepass then might as well discontinue the brand and just work it all under Activision.
 
Humidex

Humidex

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,427
I'm convinced about the Series X + S sales being mediocre in Europe. I only need to see the abundance of hotukdeals posts on discounted and/or refurbed Series X's being on sale over the past 5-6 months to get an idea of how much MS need to shift.
 
ArchLector

ArchLector

Member
Apr 10, 2020
7,613
They were always going to stop burning money on GP, I don't know why anyone assumed otherwise.

SilentEagle said:
Less Game Pass focus means they are on the right track. Selling games for 70$ if you can sell millions is better than day 1 on subscription services.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
GP was genuinely good for consumers which automatically implies it was harming someone's bottom line. I don't know why so many here and in gaming media pretended otherwise lol..

jroc74 said:
" The major company who released a big game last year said they don't know why they bother supporting it. We've mentioned in a previous podcast that retailers are considering or have began cutting back Xbox stock on their shelves, hardware & games... and now you've got third-party publishers going: "We're putting a lot of effort into creating an Xbox Series S/X version of a game where to be honest with you the market for us is PC and PS5"

Excuse me? Like...damn.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This is WB, right?
 
Ingueferroque

Ingueferroque

Member
Dec 26, 2023
1,332
New York, NY
I feel like GamePass did more harm than good.

At a glance it sounds like a good deal, but in actuality I like having a wide digital library I can return to in years time, and third parties on Gamepass come and go every month.

The moment you get people used to the service and start making the offer even slightly less appealing (less games, too many delistings, higher cost), is when it will start falling apart. And I don't think they can ever go back to how audiences perceived their platform pre-Gamepass.
 
Golbez

Golbez

Member
Oct 20, 2020
2,467
jroc74 said:
" The major company who released a big game last year said they don't know why they bother supporting it. We've mentioned in a previous podcast that retailers are considering or have began cutting back Xbox stock on their shelves, hardware & games... and now you've got third-party publishers going: "We're putting a lot of effort into creating an Xbox Series S/X version of a game where to be honest with you the market for us is PC and PS5"

Excuse me? Like...damn.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's going to be very funny if this turns out to be WB with Suicide Squad.
 
Reckheim

Reckheim

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
9,484
would be sad if gamepass went away as it has saved me quite a bit of money. But if its more profitable for them to concentrate on other avenues (especially since they are the biggest publisher now); then they have to do what they have to do.

At the end of the day, its a business.
 
jroc74

jroc74

Member
Oct 27, 2017
29,162
Astandahl said:
But according to some "experts" releasing some games planned for PS5 only will increase sales massively lmao
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
RocknRola said:
Yeah, honestly that's the major issue - publishers themselves questioning the worth of even making a port for the system.

Doesn't really matter what we as consumers feel or don't feel in regards to MS's path, if the folks actually making the games, the heart of a console in essence, start doubting you ( as in a platform, in this case) then you're kinda fucked if you don't course correct.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Yeah, us talking and debating about it is one thing, but this? This is....something.
 
Granjinhaa

Granjinhaa

Member
Dec 28, 2023
3,315

Harmen

Member
Aug 30, 2023
417
After the recent news and how Xbox handled it, I immediately stopped investing any dime in the console brand to be honest. I genuinely feel it will not stick around for that long (as in beyond the next gen). I will use gamepass and maaaybe some DLC here and there, but that is the extent of it. There is always risk in buying digital, but if the writing on the wall is getting clearer and the company has no clear vision in adjusting trajectory, I am not taking further risks.
 
Juan

Juan

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,441
SilentEagle said:
Less Game Pass focus means they are on the right track. Selling games for 70$ if you can sell millions is better than day 1 on subscription services.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Hmmm, not really.

Let's say you're selling 10 millions units of one AAA games at 70$, you're getting a one shot 700 millions $, maybe per year, that's great, but, with Game Pass, let's take 25 millions subscribers every month at 12$ (to get a middle ground), you're getting 300 millions every months.

If you do the math (or if I didn't make a mistake here haha), you would need at least 5 titles selling 10 millions units per year at 70$ to reach the same profit. I'm not sure it's easier and better business to be honest.
 
Homura

Homura

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Aug 20, 2019
6,131
I really wonder why AA/minor publishers bother with Xbox ports nowadays without a GamePass deal.

The majority of Xbox consumers just do not buy those.
 
Toumari

Toumari

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,322
England
We're already began seeing indie devs saying it's not worth supporting Xbox without a GamePass deal, so it really doesn't surprise me that this has began including some major developers too.

The pivot to releasing first-party games on PS5 just continues to make more sense with news like this, especially if you have a third-party publisher saying the market is only PC/PS5.
 
Rosebud

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,917
Juan said:
Hmmm, not really.

Let's say you're selling 10 millions units of one AAA games at 70$, you're getting a one shot 700 millions $, maybe per year, that's great, but, with Game Pass, let's take 25 millions subscribers every month at 12$ (to get a middle ground), you're getting 300 millions every months.

If you do the math (or if I didn't make a mistake here haha), you would need at least 5 titles selling 10 millions units per year at 70$ to reach the same profit. I'm not sure it's easier and better business to be honest.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
But they are also paying a LOT of money to put games day 1 there, and in the case of first party the whole development cost while people still pay the same subscription
 
MJForum Poster

MJForum Poster

Member
May 25, 2019
6,041
London
Harmen said:
After the recent news and how Xbox handled it, I immediately stopped investing any dime in the console brand to be honest. I genuinely feel it will not stick around for that long (as in beyond the next gen). I will use gamepass and maaaybe some DLC here and there, but that is the extent of it. There is always risk in buying digital, but if the writing on the wall is getting clearer and the company has no clear vision in adjusting trajectory, I am not taking further risks.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

This was me but last winter. I pivoted away because while I was a big proponent of the idea of Game Pass, you can only tell people to wait for so long. XBox has been telling people to wait for games for almost the entire lifecycle of the Switch. Started buying more games on PS5 and been having a fine time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.