More Xbox sales coming – perhaps price hikes on Game Pass and Hellblade 2 on PS5

Her sudden decision became the main topic of discussion in recent hours Microsoft shuts down four Bethesda/Zenimax development teamsThis is after a massive wave of layoffs that affected nearly 2,000 of its employees at the beginning of the year. Now, thanks to the new Reportage From The Verge’s Tom Warren and one from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, more details about what’s happening behind the scenes have been revealed.

And by starting things over, we’ve learned that The closure of the studios surprised the Xbox developers themselves. For example, Arkane was running until a few hours before the Redfall DLC was announced It was preparing to release a massive update in May that would bring offline mode to the title. At the same time, during this period Arkan suggested to the management the development of a new immersive segment, perhaps one New insultedWhile Tango Gameworks offered suggestions for one A sequel to the hugely successful Hi-Fi Rush.

Reports indicate this There is now extreme uncertainty within Xbox About what the future holds and what Microsoft’s gaming strategy really is, as console sales have declined, many releases have been left with major delays, and the Xbox Game Pass subscriber base has faltered. The combination of these factors has led Microsoft to bring several former Xbox exclusive games to other platforms, such as Sea of ​​Thieves, as The Verge noted. There will likely be more titles for PS5 and Switch now.

Yes, There has been a disagreement among senior Microsoft executives over whether new chapters in the Call of Duty series should actually make it to Xbox Game Pass.. It is noted that this debate is still raging, as many executives of the American giant believe that Xbox Game Pass could sabotage the huge revenues that the Activision franchise brings. Meanwhile Microsoft Considering raising Xbox Game Pass prices again.

As reports indicate, Microsoft’s strategy appears to have changed. Instead of releasing content exclusively on Xbox Game Pass, the company is now considering Xbox games for cross-platform releases. In this context, it seems that Gears of War is one of the games that may arrive on PS5, as Microsoft is currently studying this. Hellblade II as a candidate for a PS5 release.

Despite the four studio closures and previous mass layoffs, the two highly reliable reporters took notice These likely won’t be the last cuts we’ll see from Xbox. There are rumors that after Bethesda, Microsoft may be preparing one The corresponding wave of discounts for Xbox Game Studios itself.

As Jason Schreier notes, Since the completion of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft’s top brass have dramatically increased the pressure on Xbox. In fact, the company has already started doing so It even offers voluntary exit agreements For producers, QA testers and other ZeniMax employees!

new:
– Xbox has not yet finished cutting costs, and has sent voluntary buyout offers to some Zenimax employees
-Why were Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks closed? Bad timing, perhaps
Activision’s purchase has increased scrutiny of Xbox
And much more – here are my latest works: https://t.co/Yik5r5ii0r

-Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 8, 2024