NerdPropellant

I take it you don't work much with AI?

You can train AI to find things like misaligned geometry or jumps that are awkwardly too far/high, etc. Tons of QA involves just brute forcing super tedious actions to see where the code breaks and cataloging that. QA also doesn't generally handle what is fun or not btw. That's for play testers.

All good stuff here.

Xbox made the decision to dial back console sales bc of profit margins targets. When they made that call, they were outselling PS5 for 6 months prior.

The narrative you are trying to reinforce just is not reality.

You think internal emails are designed to sugarcoat whatever you think is really happening? Do you hear yourself right now? That makes absolutely zero sense.

Console sales were down since Xbox announced they were buying ABK. In 2022.

Are you going to also claim internal emails are 'PR' next?

I've no idea what I said you imagine to be PR jargon. We literally have internal emails where Phil Spencer talks about them constraining console supply to hit profit margins targets placed on them by Amy Hood. He notes they did it multiple times even.

Since Series consoles sell at a steep loss ($100-$200 depending on the model, as of when they decided to stop shipping at scale), erasing those sales (losses) from your books is a huge win for the margins target progress. That's why their console sales fell off a cliff. Not due to demand.

They deliberately slowed shipping units after June '22 bc buying ABK means they needed to meet aggressive margins targets from Amy Hood. When the business is so big it materially impacts MS Corp cash flows, you need margins to align w/other MS segments else the overall profit margins decline for MS.

Think he only shared this (all platforms):

bsky.app/profile/matp...

'Who the hell is Circana?'

WOW

Wonder at what point we see ppl stop blaming Game Pass for these consumer behaviors and instead, oh I dunno, accept that things change? F2P GaaS and black hole games shape how consumers behave and companies gotta move on top of that landscape.

When I hear ppl whine about Xbox's next gen approach (PC/console hybrid) and how it's not a 'traditional console' I legit cannot grasp their pov. I remember as a kid being excited with new consoles *because* they were different and offered something to light my imagination up. Now they are so samey.

In the past you had noted there was a big spike driven by GP sub upticks. Are the YoY gains in recent months also fairly described as driven by GP sub uptick? +29% YoY seems gigantic for this segment. Appreciate the various info.

DOOM: The Dark Ages, Papercut Lightbox

Etsy: t.co/Ld0GLlZ8Xu

I like it. It rhymes so it must be wisdom.

TONS of us GP subs do yeah. It usually lets us play early and get DLC bundled in. It's a great option tbh. Not happy about $80 games since it makes everyone else behave as if their games need to be $80 to be 'premium experiences' too.

Same reason they pay $70 for some of these games...i.e. your personal appraisal of their quality is not shared by the vast majority of consumers actually playing them.

Reminder: Xbox has half a *billion* gamers choosing to spend their time and money playing their games each month.

Cheers! /swigs

(see? the grogball works!) :p

A collection of Sea of Thieves memorabilia. The newest edition is a set of bombardier goggles held in place by a cursed grog ball, and dangling over some books.

He forgot something the last time he came over.

I’ll hold onto them for safe keeping.
@heslashthem.bsky.social
@seaofthieves.com #seaofthieves

Ummm. I mean... it lights up!
Made by: @nerdpropellant.bsky.social

A collage of various video game characters and elements on a green background with the text "Games need changers" in the center. Surrounding these characters are playing cards, hearts, a floppy disk, and an Xbox controller. Below the text features the Microsoft 50 logo. (alt generated by Copilot and checked for accuracy)

Xbox has been part of my life long before I joined Microsoft eight years ago. Since 2001, the Xbox console transformed Microsoft's gaming legacy. From playing more to powering your dreams, and now playing Xbox anywhere, we continue bringing the joy and community of gaming to everyone. 💚 #Microsoft50

Would be curious what big budget means here bc I'd assume(?) you mean SoM which is not close to big budget. Though it'd be quite the compliment for that team no doubt!

👇👇

Also a really interesting take there wrt the game mechanics of SoT and how elements of the experience cut across a wide swathe of how these other big games play.

Really like the framing in general tho wrt looking across the cohort of these players. Really highlights how many ppl want that co-op, social online play experience.

This is only snippet I'd not agree with after skimming: "The brand has frankly been struggling on the console front due to stagnating Xbox Game Pass numbers."

There's a correlation not causation thing here I'd argue. They stopped shipping due to profit targets shifting due to ABK.

Having a month where $200+ worth of notable titles that appeal to many of them might draw convenient comparisons to a $240/yr sub where all those + tons more are on offer. Dabble for the month at $20 entry point and next thing ya know DOOM is about to land.