flyastroapple

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@Senninsage If Phil and Sarah kept going with what they planned you wouldn’t get a next generation Xbox because it would cease to exist, you’d just play Gears and Halo on PlayStation and remember the good ole days like Sega, Atari, Coleco, TurboGraphx 16 and the rest.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@jcampanozzi87 @nib95_ I don’t disagree but let’s be clear, the acquisition of ABK is the only thing keeping XBOX as a whole at a 3% margin. Without they would be deeply, deeply negative and the entire platform would be disappearing.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@GamingSinceNES She excluded ABK. XBOX (the old MS Gaming which includes ABK) makes more than 3% margin. She excluded ABK who prints money to show how poorly the REST of the business is doing.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@frogpitgaming @DestinLegarie XBOX would not exist today had they not bought ABK, however the goals of that purchase… to drive platform growth have completely failed and now ABK just obscures how bad it has gotten for the rest of XBOX so Asha is telling employees and the world the numbers for the first time.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@DestinLegarie People don’t understand the economic speak in Asha’s memo. “Excluding ABK” means ABK is still printing money and obscuring how bad the REST of XBOX is doing so she highlights it as 3% margin and falling rapidly despite $20B in development investments over the last 5 years.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@Welfare_JBP The 3% excludes ABK which is doing much, much better. She wanted to highlight that XBOX outside of ABK is a failure that needs to be turned around, ABK revenue was hiding that fact to some extent.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@Geezaws2 Well it’s the only thing making big money right now. That’s why she said “excluding ABK” because the rest of the buisness has a razor thin 3% margin and falling rapidly. ABK still prints money and conceals the REST of XBOX is a total failure.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@Senninsage It’s likely true it saved XBOX by hiding the failure of the rest of the business to make money, but it isn’t earning back it cost or driving gamers to the XBOX platform, they aren’t even being retained.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@foxygames_uk Is it too late? Maybe but lower a revised Series X to $499 again, GP to $14.99 without day 1 games, and turn all non-ABK games to XBOX exclusive. Delay Helix to 2029-30 (Sony will follow due to the memory crisis) and rebuild confidence in the platform.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@the5krunner Yep. Whoop hardware isn't special, I’d argue it’s not even all that good. It's oversized with less than class-leading accuracy. The app is nice, but the high price just builds an illusion of exclusivity. Apple Watch + Bevel does the same thing for less.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@XboxTimdog Well you also said Helix is done yet she recommits to it here in this letter. I think we are going to see some hybrid changes, a 2027 series X with low storage with a cloud storage system and lower price and a delay to 2029 or 2030 (likely with PS6) for helix (no Steam)

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@InternetH0F What relationship? The one where we give all our best games to them and they give us nothing? What are they going to say they don’t want Halo anymore since we had the nerve to show the trailer at an XBOX event first? Come on, get real.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@markgurman It’s in the Dynamic Island. Done.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@Falloutt @XBOX @asha_shar She knows there is good will for her but she is about to swing the ax on jobs at XBOX and she owes those employees and fans the why so they stick with her through this pain. ABK still prints money so they hid the reality the rest of the buisness is a disaster and needs fixing.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@MakerSlav @InternetH0F She could but I bet the signed deals to put Halo there might be unbreakable or without a significant penalty. I don’t care as long as no NEW Halo game (this is just yet another remaster) ever goes to PS. Let them know what they are missing this fall and tell them to buy an XBOX.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@MakerSlav @InternetH0F Look Halo is coming to PS5 this fall, that hasn’t changed. The new trailer didn’t have to debut at a PS showcase a week before XBOX because it is still the property of XBOX. This is not a big deal. What is PS going to say they don’t want Halo on their platform now?

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@50PlusGamer1970 Asha made clear ABK is still printing money but excluding them the rest of the buisness has a 3% margin and failing rapidly. Two choices: go all in on multiplat and kill Xbox as a platform, or create value in Xbox as a platform with exclusives. How else can you save Xbox?

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@MakerSlav @InternetH0F Phil hid behind the profits of ABK who still print money with COD, WoW, and Candy Crush. In the meanwhile the entire REST of the buisness and the XBOX brand were destroyed by neglect and misguided plans like “THIS IS AN XBOX.” Satya isn’t dumb and saw what was being done.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@moparful99 @Al_194 @Jonas17751074 @tomwarren @HazzadorGamin Yes it is. The reason she excludes ABK is because they are making decent money and keeping them afloat (and hiding the real issue for Phil). The entire REST of the business has just 3% margins despite investing $20B in the last 5 years for development so that is unsustainable.

[flyastroapple @flyastroapple]

@Al_194 @tomwarren @HazzadorGamin I mean I was XBOX exclusive for 24 years but when they announced Halo for PS5 I cancelled GamePass Ultimate, put the Series X in a drawer and bought the PS5 Pro, my first Sony since PS2. A year later FH 6 got me to take it back out, why… it’s exclusive… for now. @asha_shar