Earlier this week, Xbox announced that this would be the case Closure of several studios As part of its $7.5 billion purchase of Bethesda, the company acquired Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Studios, among others, with the latter being integrated into another team. Together the studios produced games like Dishonoredprey, RedfallMighty downfall, HiFi Rush, and more. These studios, and some of the more innovative titles they developed, once seemed to be the future Xbox’s faltering brand. After a downturn in many major Xbox franchises due to mismanagement, changing audience priorities, and Xbox’s fading image around the world, titles like the ones these teams developed seemed to be the beginning of a promising new era for Xbox. one that could be characterized by more creative, sustainable games that aren’t designed to bleed audiences dry.
As part of his messaging during the closures, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Studios at Microsoft Gaming, told affected teams: “These changes are based on prioritizing high-impact titles and continuing to invest in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games.” The The use of the term “high-impact” and the gesture towards Bethesda’s biggest titles suggests to me that the idea is to put even more focus on the teams creating the next title Elder Scrolls and finally) Stand out games, or prioritize developing games that can compete with these giants. In other words: Xbox is chasing trends that are becoming increasingly difficult to translate into real success. I don’t think it’s dramatic to think that this move could completely ruin her.
This statement from Booty completely contradicts the commandments and values that Xbox and its leadership have been parroting for years. It completely contradicts it Xbox Game Passits premium subscription with an ongoing catalog of games large and small from third-party and first-party studios. Without Game Pass and we would not have given the promise that its first-party teams could develop titles that would not be classified as “high-impact”. Buses or HiFi Rush, two of the best games Xbox has released in years. They may not top the sales charts for months, but they’re games that resonate well with both developers and fans, diversifying the kind of audience that being known only for big-budget shooters attracts a lot of people are tired. War equipment is no longer the Megaton franchise it once was, folks, and as much as I love it gloriolethat series feels like it’s on thin ice nowadays.
If Xbox aims for “impressive” titles, it has missed the mark a few times. Redfallwhich was intended to be a multiplayer live service title prior to Xbox’s acquisition of Bethesda, was promoted as a “high-impact” title, complete with a price tag of $70 could not justify itself upon publication. Halo Infinite was brought to market in notoriously poor condition, and even though it is now in a better placeit had the price of redundancies and the series now feels stunted. Studios that Xbox has since bought, like that Overwatch The team at Activision Blizzard works on games like these trying to generate endless streams of revenue, and often they don’t alienate the people who love the game and – when the profits start to dry up –hurts the people working on it. Chasing “high-impact” games never hurts people like the Xbox boss Phil Spencer or Xbox President Sarah Bond, but there is always the risk of ruining the lives of the thousands of developers who work under them.
However, we’re talking specifically about Bethesda at the moment, which is known for a a different kind of “high-impact” game This comes with its own dangers and risks. Famous for people like that Stand out And Elder Scrolls Series, Bethesda’s collection of single-player RPGs They usually enjoy long tails that are supported by committed communities over the years, making them truly stable sources of income. And yet, not every one of them is a surefire hit, and if one doesn’t land, it affects the team. After all, last year Starfield was a modest success, but not the runaway success that Xbox was probably hoping for when it decided to release the next big Bethesda RPG exclusively. And although the studio was given time and space keep working on itdeveloping Update and upcoming expansions, there’s no doubt that the title couldn’t keep up with what Bethesda has achieved so far Skyrim And Fallout 4.
These types of games aren’t easy or cheap to make, and they only get more expensive and cumbersome, making them a real eye-catcher extremely risky investments. Bethesda remains resilient thanks to its cultural strength and the continued success of the games it developed more than 10 years ago, but many of its subsidiaries would not enjoy the same benefits, leaving ample cause for concern about Xbox’s move to “High-impact” titles exist. When a smaller, less established team fails in pursuit of something like this Starfield, that would probably mean the end of her. Not to mention, oversaturating the market with games of the same type will inevitably reduce returns across the board. It’s not a good time to be a AAA game with too much scope and a long development time, and yet these ghouls demand more from them and risk cannibalizing themselves in the process.
And what does this all mean for the series of games the developers are already working on? Numerous Xbox-owned studios are working on a number of promising titles that don’t have the same legacy or influence as the “influential” games Xbox just dropped four Studios to prioritize. What happens if Compulsion Games’ South of midnight doesn’t shine in the charts for a whole year? What if fable or Perfect dark Aren’t these just the most triumphant returns of two dormant series? Some time ago, Xbox promised to invest in its developers and allow them to create the different worlds She wanted to create. Back then, I would have told you that Xbox could promote these teams and games because the company clearly saw enough value in them to buy them outright. This week, Xbox not only broke that commitment, but punished the very people it once encouraged to dream big. That’s not leadership, that’s cowardice, and unfortunately The seems to be the future of Xbox.
